Veterinary Clinical Centre- Charles Sturt University

Equine Ocular Squamous Cell Carcinoma
‘Navajo’ was referred to the VCC in May for treatment of a growth on her left eye. Biopsy results confirmed the presence of a squamous cell carcinoma (SCC). This type of tumour occurs commonly on horses that lack pigment around the eye and are exposed to ultraviolet light. Most SCC’s are locally invasive and their appearance can vary greatly depending on its location. There are a range of treatment options but in Navajo’s case, our medical team decided on a combination of de-bulking and cryotherapy (freezing with liquid nitrogen) under a general anaesthetic followed up with topical chemotherapy. Today, Navajo is recovering very well with good vision and happy to be back in her paddock.

Some more great photo's from our trip to the Western Plains Zoo this week.

What an exciting opportunity for our team at CSU! Thank you to Dr Benn Bryant and his team at the Western Plains Zoo for the chance to work with such an incredible animal.

Owner’s guide to management of the broodmare - PARTURTITION
Part 4
Stage 3 is the expulsion of the fetal membranes which happens normally within 3 hours of an uncomplicated delivery. After the foal is delivered and if the membranes have not been passed, they can be tied up with a piece bailing twine above the hocks so they won’t be stepped on. Do not attempt to pull them out yourself as the membranes can tear prematurely and tags can be left behind. This can cause problems s...uch as uterine infections and may lead to other serious complications. If the membranes have not been expelled after 3-4 hours you need to call a veterinarian.
The 1, 2, 3 Rule Hour 1: foal should be standing Hour 2: Foal should be nursing Hour 3: Mare should have passed her membranes
If your mare or foal fails to meet any of these targets within the specified time, please do not “wait and see”. Early intervention gives the best possible outcome. Do not hesitate to contact us on 02 6933 2604 or our afterhours emergency number 0419 385 049
Happy and safe foaling!
See More

We need help in the hospital at The Veterinary Clinical Centre’s equine hospital. The work is hard but rewarding. You will work with students and veterinarians in taking care of horses. The work involves cleaning hospital stalls, feeding horses and general barn duties. The work environment is friendly and professional. If successful you will be on a casual roster which includes weekends. If you think you would like to be a part of our stable team (horse handling experience essential) we are after a full time member from 23rd Sept to 1st December and a casual ongoing position from mid-September to 2019 for 25-30 hours per week. Please email the Clinic at VCC@csu.edu.au along with your resume if this sounds like you!

Owner’s guide to management of the broodmare - PARTURTITION
Part 3
Stage two is an explosive event and should be complete within 30 minutes of the first membranes rupturing. A clear white bag known as the amnion is often present at this stage. This is part of the normal birthing process. A deviation from this would be presentation of a red velvety bag (intact chorioallantois) and the condition is known as red bag delivery which is an absolute emergency. You need to rupture ...the bag immediately, ensure the foal is delivered quickly and call your veterinarian immediately! During this stage contractions are quite strong and the mare may continue to get up and lie down even with the foals’ feet visible out of her vulva. Normal presentation dictates that one forelimb will be slightly more extended than the other with the head stretched on top of the forelimbs. The uneven limbs allow the shoulders of the foal to pass through the pelvis with the least amount of resistance. Once the foal is born the umbilical cord will rupture itself.
See More

What a great day at the annual NSW Breeders seminar! Thank you to all the presenters from CSU for your time, effort and expertise. A really big shout out to Allan Gunn and Penny & Stewart Lamont for organising the day. As always you have gone above and beyond to deliver an informative and engaging day for all that attended. Hope to see you all again next year.

Owner’s guide to management of the broodmare - PARTURTITION
Part 2
During stage 1 of parturition the uterus undergoes many contractions causing the foal to be repositioned for parturition. This process can take hours and clinically displays the same signs as colic; rolling, flank watching, restlessness and sweating on the flank and behind the elbows. Stage one is complete when the mare’s membranes (chorioallantois) rupture and release large amounts of fluid.

Owner’s guide to management of the broodmare - PARTURTITION
Part 1
During the last month of pregnancy, your mare will begin to show signs of impending parturition. ... Her udder will slowly begin to develop starting at the top and slowly filling out through the teats. Development of the teats is usually 2 weeks prior to foaling. It is not uncommon for maiden mares to develop a smaller bag than mares that have previously had foals. In the last 6-48 hours you will notice that your mare will start to “wax up”. Waxing is a term used to describe the release of colostrum from the teats, it forms a waxy ball at the end of the teat. This is often followed by more milk release which may ‘stain’ her back legs. Some expulsion of milk is normal but large amounts is not. If you concerned, contact your veterinarian. Vulval discharge may be noticed in the last 12-24 hours prior to foaling. This mucus is the breakdown of the cervical plug. Vulval tone is often flaccid and the mare may have softened over the rump and around the base of the tail. The mare may also start to separate herself from the herd, this is also an indication that parturition is in the near future!
See More

Prepare the cake, take off the saddle and open the gate.
🎉🥕🎂🐴😀HAPPY BIRTHDAY😀🐴🎂🥕🎉 to all the horses in the southern hemisphere.

CANINE REPRODUCTION
It may not be the breeding season for horses yet, have you thought about your other four legged companion?
Here at the CSU Veterinary Clinical centre, we offer a variety of services to help you reproductively manage your bitch and dog. ... Starting from all pre-breeding management progesterone and in house cytology tests, all the way up to artificial insemination using TCI or vaginal A.I.
What is TCI you ask?
Transcervical insemination is the use of a small rigid endoscope to deposit fresh, chilled or frozen semen directly into the uterus of the bitch. This process is minimally invasive and majority of the bitches tolerate it very well while they are in season. Bitches very rarely need sedating!
If you would like your dog collected, we have the facilities to assess the quality of the semen in real-time with our resident specialist. Once collected we can package it up for shipping or freeze it and store on site for future breedings.
Our dedicated team is also able to assist you with the more complicated cases especially subfertility/infertility. We are able to provide diagnostics to help work through fertility and cyclicity issues. Why not give us a call today on 02 6933 2604
See More

Its that time of year again for the 2018 Southern NSW Equine Breeders Seminar held Wednesday 15th August. Topics include Behaviour in horses, Developing and managing a team, Medical conditions of eyes in horses, EHV in horses with particular reference to the stud farm, Persistent mating induced endometritis in brood mares, Swabbing of mares on stud farms, how useful is it?, Semen assessment of the stallion and Acupuncture in horses.The program included above is intended to be interactive, and the time allocated for each presentation includes the opportunity for attendees to discuss the topics with their peers and the presenters. Dont miss out!! Register now at http://purchase.tickets.com

Owner’s guide to management of the Broodmare
Part 1 Pre Breeding management
If you are intending to breed your mare ‘early’ in the stud season, which is normally considered to be on or before October 1st, there are a few points to remember.... Mares are seasonal breeders, and in order for them to be ‘ready early’, they need to be managed appropriately.
Firstly you need to decide when you would prefer your foal to be born. The mare pregnancy length varies between approximately 330 and 360 days, so work backwards from this time to calculate a breeding/serving date.
Now you will need to decide which stallion you would like to breed your mare to. Depending on the organisation you wish to register the foal with, frozen, chilled, and naturally inseminated semen can be used. Each have their pros and cons which we will mention as the breeding season draws near. If you would like to breed your mare before November, the best way to ensure that she will be cycling is to have her ‘under lights’. This is done by housing them in a small yard or stabling them under lights until about 10pm. You can also use an ‘Equilume’ device. This typically needs to be started in the first few weeks in July so that the mare can be ‘tricked’ into believing that spring is early.
It will help if she is in good body condition, being fed well, and rugging during the cooler months of the year can also help ‘get her ready’ for an early breeding. Please don’t hesitate to contact the CSU Theriogenology unit for more information. E mail: vccrepro@csu.edu.au, or call 02 6933 2604 ext 1.
See More

Please see below for a very exciting opportunity to join our team! Welcome to share with anyone interested.

Meet “Jezz” One of our star patients This Quarter Horse mare came to the Veterinary Clinical Centre after an emergency referral from Riverina Equine Veterinary Services. She had sustained a fracture of her left forelimb while jumping. X rays at the University revealed a partially displaced, comminuted bi-articular fracture of the middle phalanx- in a laypersons words that means she had crushed her short pastern bone into numerous pieces that were no longer aligned and that bo...th the pastern and coffin joints were involved. For the owners, this was devastating news. This was a catastrophic fracture that resulted from the mare just putting her foot down awkwardly and taking her full weight. Understandably, her teenage owner was devastated but her devotion to the mare never wavered. With the full support of her grandfather, they decided that they would leave no stone unturned in a quest to save the mares life. The surgeons were cautious about the outcome and their advice but they set about making an operative plan. The radiographs were measured, and checked, and checked again to determine the correct re-alignment of fragments and joint surfaces, placing screws and preservation of blood supply. Finally, a decision was made that the pastern bone could not heal by itself. So a plan was made to reduce the fracture fragments as closely as possible, and then to support the construct by joining or fusing the short pastern and long pastern bones. After a long and arduous surgery, the short pastern bone had been reconstructed with bone screws and the two pastern bones had been joined together using two small bone plates. Jezz made a smooth recovery from the anaesthetic, and she protected her injured leg as if she knew her very existence depended on it. Since the surgery, Jezz was managed in a half-leg cast, and antibiotics were injected directly into the leg so that high concentrations could be achieved where it mattered most. Each day the whole team at the VCC held their collective breath, and everybody willed her to survive. Hours turned into days, and days turned into weeks, and Jezz’s confidence and comfort grew by the day. When she was strong enough to travel, Jezz was transferred to a rehabilitation facility near the University where she is still continuing her recovery This story has not finished yet, and we are planning to write a happy ending- stay tuned!
See More

EQUINE BLOOD DONORS
Most people understand the importance of a blood bank in saving human lives. So if a horse needs a lifesaving blood transfusion, where does it come from?
Our equine blood donor herd is a critical component of our equine veterinary service, as they enable us to facilitate a high level of emergency care for our patients. Unfortunately, equine red blood cells do not store very well, so a blood bank is not available for us. Here at the VCC we have our very ow...n blood donor, Joe, who donates blood only when it is needed.
The need for a blood transfusion is often an emergency, such as a trauma causing extensive haemorrhage or disease causing rapid destruction of red blood cells such as ‘neonatal isoerythrolysis’ (NI). This is where there is an incompatibility between the foals and mares blood type. Anaemia and blood clotting disorders also often require repeated transfusions.
Another complicating factor is that horses have many more blood types (16) than humans (4) and there are no true universal donors. You have about a 1 in 400,000 chance of finding the perfect match, so there are many factors we consider when choosing a horse to donate blood. Joe’s blood has been typed at a lab in New Zealand where it was confirmed that he is negative for the blood group antigens that are most likely to be problematic.
Thank you to Joe and his team for your lifesaving donations. They have saved the lives of patients ranging from 2 days to 20 years of age! If you require additional information on equine blood donation, call the VCC on (02) 6933 2604
See More

Please see below for an exciting opportunity to join our team!

The Equine Veterinarian Australia (EVA) Careers evening was held on the 11th of May at Charles Sturt University (CSU). The evening was attended by CSU Veterinary Science students that are aspiring to go into equine practice and they were fortunate to be able to listen and ask questions to a versatile panel of speakers: Dr Jessica Wise, a CSU graduate now undertaking her Equine Medicine Residency with the Veterinary Clinical Centre; Dr Neil Walton, a Senior Equine Veterinary Anaesthetist; and Dr Claire Dennis, an equine veterinarian specialising in dental care. The speakers shared stories about their own equine journeys, providing insight into the many different career paths available in equine practice as well as some life advice for the journey.

I cannot thank all the staff enough at the veterinary clinical centre for looking after my miniature ponies over the years when they are not well. I always feel so happy that they couldnt be more cared for. So thankyou very much

I cannot thank all the staff enough at the veterinary clinical centre for looking after my miniature ponies over the years when they are not well. I always feel so happy that they couldnt be more cared for. So thankyou very much

I cannot thank all the staff enough at the veterinary clinical centre for looking after my miniature ponies over the years when they are not well. I always feel so happy that they couldnt be more cared for. So thankyou very much