The Valley Vet-Mobile Pet Services

01/05/2026

Have you heard of the Madigan Squeeze?

The Madigan foal squeeze is a veterinarian-performed technique that uses a soft rope arranged in a specific way to apply steady, snug pressure around a newborn foal’s chest/ribcage. Many foals respond to this firm pressure by lying down (“flopping”) and entering a quiet, sleep-like state (slow-wave sleep).

It’s used as an aid for foals with neonatal maladjustment syndrome (“dummy foal”), and it’s also used in healthy foals (typically < 3 days old) to make procedures like plasma administration, ultrasound exams, or other minor procedures easier and less stressful. The squeeze is usually maintained for about 20 minutes (generally limited to 20–30 minutes) while the foal’s breathing, heart rate, and mucous membrane color are monitored.

After the squeeze, the rope is released, and the foal is allowed to stay down or get up on its own. For maladjusted foals, the team then observes alertness and nursing behavior; in some cases, the squeeze may be repeated every 2–4 hours if needed.

Important safety note: this is not anesthesia, and a foal can arouse and kick, so it should only be done by skilled clinicians. It’s not recommended with suspected rib fractures, respiratory distress, septic shock, severe prematurity with floppy chests, severe neuromuscular disease affecting breathing, or congenital anomalies.

If you have questions or concerns about your own foal, contact your veterinarian.

📸 Photo courtesy of Pine Ridge Equine Hospital

08/10/2025

🚨Tick Paralysis in Horses – What You Need to Know 🚨

06/10/2025

30/09/2025

23/09/2025

Tick Paralysis

Ticks are external parasites carrying a variety of pathogens thats why is so important to prevent it! Each situation is particular so reach out a trusted veterinarian to analyse carefully your and your pet's or farm animals needs.
Be aware that there are many species of ticks and each specie carry its own pathogen. It mostly depends of the area you live in because different ticks are seen in different countries such as ---Dermacentor and Ixodes in North America; Rhipicephalus in Europe, Rhipicephalus and Amblyomma in Brazil, Ixodes in Australia.

Tick paralysis in Australia is caused by the Ixodes holocyclus tick. When a infected parasite attach itself to the host it's saliva releases a toxin into the host's bloodstream causing a anaphylactic reaction to start with and if they stay attached long enough it's toxin reaches the neuromuscular system leading to neurologic signs and paralysis.
Often the symptoms starts with weakness and a wobbly gait.
The paralysis tends to start in rear legs, progressing to the front legs until complete paralysis. If severely affected, the respiratory muscles become paralysed. It can affect dogs, cats, horses, cattle, alpacas, sheep and goats.
Not all ticks produce the toxin and is not all infested animal that will develop paralysis, but awareness and prevention are essentials.
Clinically affected animals will need tick antiserum and supportive care provided by an accredited veterinarian in your region. The tick removal needs to be carefully made by a professional avoiding worsening the condition.
Prevention includes administration of commercial pet repellents available in spot-on, collars, chewable tablets and each one has its specific protection time with one administration.
There are also Holistic products available in the market that particularly I prefer, but it requires daily administration to be effective and at least a month of daily administration to provides protection.
For domesticated animals who are indoors and do not live in the nature you can choose a spray repellent when you take your animal outside.

There is a picture of the Ixodes Holocyclus there for you to know how they look like in the presentation's picture post :)

And here is a link for a full video from The Bondi Vet of a paralysed dog: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xctET3DDYbk