Little Vet Services

24/10/2026

Fantastic information from Dr Chris Pearce! Would you know if your horse had serious dental disease?

08/10/2026

29/09/2026

Great info from Dr Sophie Starr!

🐴 HOW TO EXAMINE A PLACENTA

🔍 DO YOU KNOW HOW TO CHECK YOUR MARE'S PLACENTA AFTER FOALING?

Once your mare has passed her placenta, don't throw it away!

Lay the placenta out carefully on a clean surface. When arranged correctly, it should form a large “F” shape.

The:
➡️ Two uterine horns form the arms of the F
➡️ Body of the uterus forms the stem
➡️ Umbilical cord sits between the uterine horns

Laying the placenta out correctly makes it much easier to check that it is complete.

🔍 LOOK FOR:
❌ Tears
❌ Holes
❌ Ragged or irregular edges
❌ Missing sections

Pay particular attention to the tips of the uterine horns, as these are areas where pieces can remain inside the uterus.

⚠️ If you suspect a piece of placenta is missing, or you're unsure whether it is complete, contact your veterinarian for advice.

📸 Taking a clear photo of the placenta laid out can also be helpful.

🪣 Keep the placenta in a clean bucket or container and refrigerated until it has been examined by your veterinarian.

🚨 Remember: If your mare has not passed her placenta within 3 hours of foaling, contact your veterinarian immediately.

26/09/2026

13/09/2026

🦷🐴 EXCITING NEWS – DON’T LOOK A GIFT HORSE IN THE MOUTH! 🐴🦷

📢 EVA is delighted to announce our Dental Subcommittee, which quietly came together a few months ago and has already been getting its teeth into some important work! 😁

🧠 Think of it as an equine dentistry mind hive: 10 talented and passionate equine veterinarians from across Australia with a serious amount of dental knowledge and experience around the (occlusal 😊) table.

Between them, the group includes 2 specialists, 3 PhDs and 6 ANZCVS Equine Dentistry Membership qualifications, backed by extensive training and hands-on experience in equine dentistry.

In other words… these people know horses’ teeth! 🦷🐎
They pretty much eat, sleep and breathe equine dentistry.

These are their aims~

❤️Promote equine veterinary dentistry to consumers
💜Promote & support equine veterinary dentistry to the industry
💛Advise on policy relevant to equine veterinary dentistry

So, what have they been up to?

🦷 Assisting with AVA submissions for reviews of Veterinary Surgeons legislation (NSW and QLD)
🦷 Tackling current issues affecting equine dentistry
🦷 Reviewing the latest scientific literature and evidence
🦷 Developing reliable, practical information for horse owners
🦷 Helping support high standards in equine dental care

And they are only just getting started…

👀 Watch this space! You’ll be seeing plenty more dentistry-focused content from the EVA Dental Subcommittee, including information for horse owners, updates on current issues and the latest evidence in equine dental care.

11/09/2026

14/08/2026

The first few hours of your newborn foal's life are critical and it is important to be able to identify those foals who may benefit from early veterinary intervention. Normal foals show a reasonably predictive pattern of behaviour after birth, and any deviations from this can be an early indication of a problem.

After birth a foal should:
- Be able to sit on its chest within 5-10 minutes.
- Have a strong suck reflex within 20 minutes.
- Should be able to stand within 1 hour and nurse independently within 2 hours of birth.
- Urinate within 12 hours.
- Begin to pass meconium (first manure) within 12 hours after birth.

Early recognition of abnormal foals allows us to increase the chance of successful treatment and in turn a healthier foal. It is important to seek veterinary care if any of the following are displayed:
- The foal does not follow the above timeline.
- Born prematurely.
- Foal shows altered behaviour such as lethargy or wandering aimlessly.
- Weakness feeding or nursing other parts of the mare or trying to suck on other objects such as walls or fences.
- Foal is straining to urinate or defecate.
- Showing signs of colic.
- Diarrhoea.
- Respiratory distress or struggling to breath.
- Foal becomes lame and/or has swelling of the joints.

It is advised that both the mare and foal be checked by a vet within 24 hours of foaling. A blood sample can be taken at this time to measure the immunity (IgG) levels of the foal. Low levels of IgG means that the foal will need to be given plasma intravenously.

Darling Downs Vets offers field vets that are available to come check your mare and foal post foaling, as well as in hospital intensive care management of unwell foals.

19/07/2026

The Subtle Signs We Don’t Want to Miss: Divergent or “Laminitic” Growth Rings

One of the most commonly overlooked signs of previous or even ongoing laminitis is something as simple as the rings on your horse’s hooves.

Most horses will develop normal “event rings” from time to time for example, after a sudden change in diet or environment. These rings are even and parallel all the way around the hoof.

But “laminitic rings” on the hoof wall are different.
They are also called divergent growth rings, and instead of running parallel, they spread and widen towards the heel while appearing tighter at the toe. This happens because laminitis disrupts the normal rate of hoof growth — the heels continue to grow relatively normally, while the damaged laminar tissue at the toe slows down growth.

So the hoof literally tells a story… and sometimes it’s quietly telling us that the horse has experienced pain or inflammation in the laminae, even if they weren’t obviously “lame” at the time.

These laminitic rings are often missed by owners — especially when changes are subtle or occur gradually. However, experienced farriers and veterinarians are trained to recognise them, and spotting them early can make a huge difference in preventing further damage.

If you ever notice:

🌀 Rings that are wider at the heel than the toe
🌀 A dished or stretched toe
🌀 A tendency for the hoof to become more upright or “boxy”
🌀 Multiple rings stacked over time

…it’s worth having your horse assessed by us.

These changes often indicate previous or recurring episodes of laminitis, even in horses who have never appeared acutely lame.

📬 Subscribe now to stay up to date with laminitis research. It’s completely free to join.

👉 https://avonridgeequine.aweb.page/join-free-laminitis-newsletter

👀 Also, if you want clear, straight forward guidance for your horse enquire about our Laminitis Care Program

https://avonridgeequine.com.au/laminitis-care-program/

26/06/2026

Why would a vet want to spend most of their time looking in mouths? Dental disease is the most common disease of all mammals!! There is so much opportunity to treat painful conditions and improve performance and welfare. Thanks Dr Zoe Manning for sharing your story! 🤓🦷🐴