Little Vet Services

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! 🤓🦷🐴

24/06/2026

Somehow we’re already six months into the year!
As I head off to spend some time with my kids for school holidays, I wanted to take a moment to thank everyone who has supported me this year. It’s been a very busy few months as we wind up preg testing season. Thank you to everyone for booking in advance, and for being so welcoming when I’ve had Evie, our incredible veterinary student, out and about with me.

I’m already booking into the middle of July, so if you’re needing something done, please reach out well in advance. I also don’t always receive notifications from social media messages, so if you haven’t had a response from me, please send me a text or give me a call on my mobile.

I’ve been reflecting a lot on the privilege it is to be trusted to care for your animals. They can be everything from someone’s livelihood, to a treasured companion, or a prized competition horse. Having been in the district for approaching 15 years now, I have patients that I’ve cared for throughout their entire lives alongside their owners.

Heading into winter is always tough on our older animals, and this year has been no exception. There have been some difficult goodbyes to some very special animals, some of them our own. It has been an honour to be with you on those hard days and help let them go with love.

Pictured is a pretty special old man who was the first horse my husband broke in as a teenager and went on to be one of the first horses our own kids rode. I hope the lucerne is plentiful up in heaven for you, Cole 🤍

10/05/2026

Great to see some good news for a change!

Across Australia, there's a shortage of veterinarians - and even fewer with skills to help horses, w

06/05/2026

27/03/2026

Twelve years after attending my first equine dentistry course with Oli at Equine Veterinary and Dental Services (EVDS), it was an absolute honour to be invited back as one of the team of tutors! A huge thank you to Oli for the opportunity — it was such a privilege to be part of the course, share what I’ve learned, and spend the week with a group of 40 incredible vets so passionate about improving the health, welfare and performance of horses. I’m heartened that there are so many enthusiastic equine vets heading out into rural Australia with solid training in dentistry and the drive to never stop learning!

24/03/2026

“He’s just a bit cresty”

Adipose tissue isn’t just somewhere the body “stores” extra calories — it’s incredibly metabolically active, especially in certain parts of the horse. Fat cells release a wide range of signalling molecules called adipokines, which can influence insulin sensitivity, inflammation and, ultimately, laminitis risk.

That’s why two horses with the same body condition score can behave very differently metabolically. The interaction between fat distribution, fat metabolism and the management strategies we use is complex and highly individual — there’s no true one-size-fits-all approach.

This lovely cob wasn’t clinically obese. His body condition score was 6/9 but his cresty neck score was dangerously high before our consultation. That regional fat deposition can be strongly associated with metabolic dysfunction and laminitis risk, even when the rest of the horse doesn’t look “fat”.

With a clear, welfare-focused plan and a dedicated owner, his cresty neck score improved dramatically in just 90 days. We tailored his program to his metabolism, his lifestyle and his risk factors, because that nuance really matters.

If you’d like help navigating EMS, obesity or laminitis risk and want a clear, evidence-based approach read more about our Laminitis Care Program. This program is open to both new and existing clients who want an individualised, tailored approach to their horse’s long term metabolic health.

https://avonridgeequine.com.au/laminitis-assessments/

13/01/2026

The signs of a diseased tooth can be very subtle. A thorough sedated oral exam is essential!