Sue Willis Veterinary Services

21/12/2025

As of the 1st of December, the NSW breeding and microchipping laws have changed. A Breeder Identification Number (BIN) is a requirement of anyone who is responsible for a dog which becomes pregnant, including one- off, accidental litters and experienced breeders. This number is also required by law, to be able to advertise and microchip the litter. The Mothers microchip number is also a requirement to be able to microchip the litter.

✔️ Accidental litter? You must apply for a BIN within 14 days of knowing the dog is pregnant or 7 days after birth.
✔️ Ads for dogs born after 1 Dec 2025 must include the microchip number + breeder ID (or rehoming org ID).
✔️ Lifetime litter cap: max 5 litters per female, and no more than 3 by caesarean. Vet approval required before a third caesarean pregnancy.
✔️ Breeders must keep additional records of all births.
✔️ You must be 18+ to hold a BIN.

To apply for a BIN or for more information, visit the link below:
https://www.petregistry.olg.nsw.gov.au/breeders/breeder-responsibilities/changes-dog-breeding-laws/mandatory-breeder-identification?fbclid=IwY2xjawOtlqpleHRuA2FlbQIxMABicmlkETFCcWI1YkRaMk9jTlRyWkdzc3J0YwZhcHBfaWQQMjIyMDM5MTc4ODIwMDg5MgABHmkB8C1R51s3CGzpa8R1hta96KrmHg58oFV_6zA6U_RuJwH3fdZb7sIFKO0o_aem_MKjLHYNDblPmUOvNage2hA

30/07/2025

Breeding Services
Avonlea
Ladysmith NSW
Sue and Geoff Willis

It's that time of year!
Breeding season is just around the corner!

Services offered at Avonlea :
* AI Mares - Fresh (chilled), frozen and natural cover set up
* walk-ons or agisted on farm
* pregnancy scans
* foaling down
* weaning including handling
* c**t castration
* freezebranding
* microchips
* vaccination
* trimming

For bookings or more information please phone :
Sue 0428451155
Geoff 0427228210

08/12/2023

✨Fun Fact Friday

Did you know… 🤔

The hoof wall in a normal adult horse grows at a rate of approximately 6-10 mm per month. It takes longer to grow from the coronary band to the toe of the hoof than from the coronary band to the heel bulbs because of the longer distance. Younger horses have faster growing hooves than adults.

The rule of thumb is that it takes approximately a year for the hoof to grow down from the coronet to the ground. So, in one years’ time the hoof of the patient below will hopefully have grown back. The problem with these wounds is that if the coronary band is damaged, proper regrowth of the hoof isn’t always possible and the hoof can be forever deformed.

16/09/2023

07/09/2023

Foaling season is upon us!!
Foal milestones are important to ensuring your foal has the best start to life.
As a rule of thumb:
Your foal should stand within 1 hour of birth
Nurse within 2 hours and pass meconium/urinate within 3 hours.
Additionally, your mare should pass the foetal membranes by 3 hours. This is known as the ‘Foaling 1-2-3 rule’.

The Veterinary Clinical Centre is dedicated to providing gold-standard care for your mare and newborn foal with board-certified specialists and experienced support teams in equine internal medicine, theriogenology, surgery and anaesthesia.
If your mare or foal are not hitting these milestones, please call to discuss further. You can contact us on 02 6933 2604.

24/08/2023

Brood mare reminder! 🐴✨

As foaling season swings into action, remember your pregnant mare checklist:

🔵One month before foaling, give your mare a tetanus booster. If you haven’t vaccinated her against tetanus at all, she needs two vaccines 1 month apart, with the second dose at least one month before foaling.

🔵One month before foaling, give your mare a wormer.

🔵If your mare is going to foal down somewhere else, make sure she is moved 2 weeks before her due date. This gives her body time to adjust to the new germs in her environment and pass protection onto her foal.

The team at GVEH wish all our clients a happy and successful 2023 foaling season.

21/08/2023

TETANUS!

Tetanus is a bacterial disease that attacks a horse’s nervous system causing muscle spasms. Horses suffering from tetanus will show stiffness, with a rigid tail, erect ears and tight facial expression. Another common sign is being able to see the third eyelid across the eye. As the disease progresses a horse will have problems eating and swallowing and can go into respiratory failure. Between 60-70% of horses affected by tetanus will die, despite intensive veterinary treatment which can last many weeks.

Tetanus bacteria (Clostridium tetani) live in the soil and are found world-wide. Signs most often occur within 10 days of infection, but can take up to 3 weeks to develop.

Luckily, the tetanus vaccine is very effective against the disease. While there are still rare cases of vaccinated horses getting tetanus, these horses have better outcomes and shorter treatment times.

Vaccination advice:
The initial vaccine course is two injections once month apart and then boosters every year
All pregnant brood mares should full vaccinated against tetanus and receive a booster one month prior to foaling
If a foal is born to an unvaccinated mare it should receive the first tetanus vaccine from 3 months old
A foal born to a vaccinated mare can have it’s first tetanus vaccine from 6 months old

As we are approaching the time of year where people might be thinking about gelding their c**ts, it is important to have the initial course of tetanus vaccinations done BEFORE gelding. The risk of tetanus infection from an open surgical wound is very real. While vets can give an injection of tetanus anti-toxin to help reduce the risk of tetanus in an unvaccinated horse, it is not a magic cure and doesn’t offer the secure protection of a properly vaccinated horse.

10/05/2023

08/05/2023

I will be in Coolamon/Ganmain this Friday the 12th of May for large/small animal visits and vaccinations.
Call Sue on 0428451155.

29/03/2023

Heading to Coolamon/Ganmain this Monday 3rd April if anyone would like dog/cat/horse vaccinations, microchips, worming, consultations.
Please phone or text 0428451155

11/09/2022

Foal Number 4 born at Avonlea 8am this morning (thank you foaling gods!!😁)