Perth Equine Hospital

⚠️⚠️⚠️GRAPHIC CONTENT⚠️⚠️

Sunday morning special🤦‍♀️— horses sure do love keeping us busy and finding ways to hurt themselves, even in the safest of paddocks 🐴

This poor guy was very lucky to be found by his owners quickly, while the wound was still extremely fresh. Some brilliantly innovative first-aid wound dressing kept the area protected until Dr Bec arrived.

At first glance, the injury appeared reasonably superficial. However, further exploration once sedated revealed that the wound extended very deep, passing through multiple layers of muscle over the shoulder blade.

Thankfully, despite its depth, there was very little contamination — a huge advantage when dealing with a wound like this.

After thorough assessment and cleaning, the wound required three separate internal layers of closure before the skin could finally be brought together. The final closure involved nearly two staple guns, along with several tension sutures to help reduce strain on the wound edges and reduce further subcutaneous emphysema (air under the skin).

Despite an entire hour of suturing, this lovely patient was an absolute saint and barely moved a muscle throughout the whole procedure. ❤️

Deep wounds like this are a good reminder that what you see on the surface does not always reflect the true extent of an injury underneath. Early veterinary assessment is especially important when wounds occur over areas containing significant muscle, joints, bone, tendon sheaths or other important structures.

For now, 🤞 for uncomplicated healing and a rapid recovery for this poor boy. 🤞🐴

⚠️ POWER OUTAGE NOTICE ⚠️

Perth Equine Hospital is currently experiencing a power outage, which has affected our phone lines.

📞 Our phone line has been diverted to Paul, so please call for any equine emergencies.

For routine appointments and enquiries, please contact us via Facebook Messenger. 💬

We apologise for any inconvenience and appreciate your understanding. 🐴🤍

👁️ OCULAR SQUAMOUS CELL CARCINOMA (SCC) IN HORSES

Squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) is one of the most common cancers affecting the equine eye. It can occur on the eyelids, third eyelid, conjunctiva or cornea and may become locally invasive if allowed to progress.

☀️ UV LIGHT & WESTERN AUSTRALIA

UV light is an important risk factor for ocular SCC, making it particularly relevant to horses living in Western Australia, where UV levels are high for much of the year. Horses with pink or poorly pigmented tissue around the eyes are at greater risk.

🔎 SIGNS TO WATCH FOR

• New or rapidly growing tissue around the eye
• Pink, red, white or irregular raised lesions
• Rough or “cauliflower-like” growths
• Areas that repeatedly crust, bleed or fail to heal
• Excessive tearing or discharge
• Redness, squinting or irritation

🐴 MEET FRECKLES

Freckles was examined after developing a rapidly growing lesion on his third eyelid, suspicious for SCC.

Under standing sedation and regional nerve blocks, the third eyelid was exteriorised and local anaesthetic infiltrated around the surgical site. The third eyelid was then clamped and the lesion removed with good surgical margins.

A fluorescein stain performed following the procedure identified a small area of associated corneal ulceration, which could then be treated appropriately.

☀️ PROTECT & CHECK

For horses exposed to our strong WA sun, UV-protective fly masks can help reduce UV exposure, particularly in horses with unpigmented skin around the eyes.

Get into the habit of checking your horse’s eyes regularly. Any new, unusual or rapidly changing lesion deserves veterinary attention.

💕🐴 Breeding season is here! And with it comes one of Dr Bec’s favourite parts of the job… foal cuddles! 🥰

Farewell Nurse Lisa 🩵

After more than 9 years working with us, Lisa had her last day with us today. Lisa has been a valued member of our team, and we will greatly miss her dedication, care and friendship.

Please join us in celebrating Lisa and wishing her all the very best for her next chapter.

Happy birthday to our new trainee vet nurse Eve 🎂

🐴 WE’RE HIRING – EQUINE VET NURSE 🐴

Perth Equine Hospital is looking for a friendly, motivated and team-oriented Equine Veterinary Nurse to join our close-knit team.

✨ Part-time | 3–4 days per week
✨ Open to students, new graduates & experienced nurses
✨ Horse handling skills essential
✨ Diverse and hands-on role within a busy equine hospital

We’re looking for someone who is kind, reliable, hardworking and genuinely enjoys being part of a supportive team environment. Personality and team fit are just as important to us as experience.

The role includes assisting with patient care, handling horses, client communication, reception/admin support and working alongside our veterinarians and nursing team across a variety of cases.

Experience with Ascend is a bonus, but not essential.

If you love horses and want to be part of a fun, supportive and passionate team, we’d love to hear from you 🐴

📧 Please send your resume & cover letter to:
[email protected]

Happy Birthday to Dr Bec and Nurse Lisa 🍩

Thank you for all you do for our clients and patients.

The tooth fairy definitely earned overtime on this one…

These 6 teeth were removed from a horse under a general anaesthetic by Dr Jose after being affected by EOTRH, a painful and progressive dental disease that commonly affects older horses.

EOTRH stands for Equine Odontoclastic Tooth Resorption and Hypercementosis. In simple terms, the teeth begin to break down internally while the body also produces excessive abnormal cementum around them. The result? Painful, loose, infected teeth that can make eating uncomfortable and significantly impact a horse’s quality of life.

Some signs owners may notice include:
• Difficulty eating or dropping feed
• Weight loss
• Bad breath
• Swelling around the mouth
• Excessive salivation
• Sensitivity when touching the face or mouth
• Changes in behaviour or resistance to the bit

Unfortunately, horses are incredibly good at hiding pain, so many cases go unnoticed until the disease is advanced.

The good news? Once these painful teeth are removed, many horses are noticeably happier, more comfortable, and able to eat properly again.

If your horse is showing any signs of dental discomfort or is entering their senior years, regular dental checks are so important. Early detection can make a huge difference.

📞 To book a dental assessment with Dr Jose, contact the team today.