01363 77286001363 772860
01363 77286001363 772860
As part of KBHH (Keeping Britain's horses healthy), we wanted to focus on taking care of the mare and foal.
Breeding your own foal can be a wonderful experience, but they do require additional care and dedication to thrive.
It may seem like waiting for the birth of a foal takes an eternity, but the average gestation length for most mares is 335 to 340 days (range 320 to 350 days). Use this time to make sure you are prepared for your foal’s arrival and...
Controlling worms is a challenge, often not visible they may remain unnoticed for many weeks; causing harm to your pet and putting the health of your family at risk. Protecting your dog against worms can be tricky, as not all wormers are effective against all worms your dog maybe at risk from. However, now it's easy with a tasty tablet that not only prevents lungworm, but also all other major worms as well.
Why not take advantage of a free parasite consultation, with a Nurse, where...
With lambing time already upon many of you and fast approaching the rest, this quarter we look at the care of the new born lamb. Statistically, the majority of lambs are lost within the first 3 days of life. This percentage could be as high as 15% in some flocks. In the current market, with tight profit margins; improving lamb survival can make a real difference to profitability of the flock. A realistic target to aim for is 5% lamb mortality preweaning.
Ewe nutrition...
Vets and Veterinary nurses have seen an 81% increase in pet obesity in the past 2 years alone, meaning pet obesity is becoming a major problem. Being overweight can seriously decrease your pets quality of life, as well as causing numerous health problems, such as, Diabetes, Osteoarthritis and anaesthetic complications, to name but a few.
Studies have shown that dogs fed to their ideal Body Condition Score lived 1.8 years longer than dogs that were overweight. Obesity is also directly...
Recent research into calf rearing has shown that optimising heifer growth rates pre-weaning is vital for efficient heifer rearing and producing a healthy, high yielding dairy cow.
Keeping a record of colostrum management, growth rates, calf illness and calf mortality is therefore essential. The XLVets Calf Tracker initiative has been designed as a monitoring system, which allows recording and bench marking of calf...
Bovine Viral Diarrhoea (BVD) is a disease of cattle that is still widespread in this country causing massive economic losses. It is estimated that 90% of herds have been exposed to BVD, with an estimated cost of £13-£31 per cow on farm.
Many countries throughout Europe have managed to eradicate the disease through national campaigns, but England is unfortunately behind the times with tackling this condition. However, the national campaign ‘BVD Free...
Our nursing team is headed up by Sarah Woodvine (pictured below, top right). She is a fully qualified veterinary nurse with many years of practical experience. She is ably assisted by Sadie, Ali & Sammi (top row) who are fully qualified RVNs. We also have our two trainee nurses, Deanna (bottom left) and Leanne (bottom right). Finally, we have Grace, who is an ANA (pictured in the centre of the bottom row with Tarn and Alfie).
Together, they look after the day to day running of...
Did you know that every year, our dogs and cats age 7 times faster than we do? By the age of 7 (dogs) and 8 (cats), our pets are considered to be senior, or geriatric.
Like humans, being aware of the first signs of ageing, is the first step to ensuring your pet lives a long and comfortable life.
The signs of ageing and age-related diseases in dogs and cats are not always obvious. Even pets that appear normal can have an underlying problem, which is why regular visits to the vet...
The most likely diseases to cause scour are the viruses; Rota Virus and Corona Virus along with protozoa; Cryptosporidium and Coccidia and the bacteria; E. coli and Salmonella. As only two of these causative agents are bacterial, antibiotics are often not required.
The age at which the calf is affected will give an idea of the likely pathogen and therefore appropriate treatment;
St Boniface Vets has recently been invited to write an article for Horse & Rider Magazine. The article discusses Thrush and how to prevent it.
Thrush is a very common destructive infection that affects the frog, particularly the central sulci (or cleft) in the middle of the base of the frog and the grooves between the frog and sole. The condition is characterised by a really unpleasant smell with a thick, black, gungy discharge, which is actually dead keratin tissue.
The...
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Registered in England No 551 6945. Registered office Exeter Road, Crediton, Devon, EX17 3BN.