Entertain. Inform. Engage. Inspire.

Entertain. Inform. Engage. Inspire.

Equine Vet Essentials

By Ann Derham MVB MRCVS Equine Surgeon | June 16, 2020

Equipment to have:

  • Thermometer
  • Stethoscope
  • Nasogastric tube + Funnel
  • Rectal sleeves + lube
  • Examination gloves
  • Hoof testers
  • Twitch
  • Surgical pack + Sterile gloves
  • Disinfectant, Alcohol, Swabs/Cotton wool
  • Clippers

 
Essential Equipment

Catheter tray should contain a bottle of 10% Xylazine

Catheter Tray for Treatments:

  • Clip & Aseptic prep
  • Sterile surgical gloves, Aseptic catheterisation
  • Suture needles (20-21g needles with supramid passed through)
  • Bung + catheter extension set
  • Heparin flush

I typically inject & catheterise the left jugular vein unless physical reason not to use it, or because of owner preference

Catheter Tray for Euthanasia:

  • 12g + 14g catheters -always have extra
  • Suture needles
  • Sedation (Xylazine 10%)
  • 2 x Bottles of euthatal
  • Always have an extra bottle immediately to hand in case of issues
  • 2 x 60ml syringes + 14/16g needles to draw up quickly
  • 1 x extension set (Pictured) -longer than the catheter extension sets
  • I attach this to the catheter and inject through it if I’m concerned about the euthansia (Fractious horse etc,)

Terumo Extension Set
Suture Needles

My Essential Guides:

  1. Formulary: BEVA’s template which is free to download: https://www.beva.org.uk/Portals/0/Documents/ResourcesForVets/1beva-antimicrobial-policy-template-distributed.pdf
  2. Equine joint injection and regional anesthesia
    • Moyer, Schumacher, & Schumacher
    • An essential guide to Vets & VNs dealing with lamenesses 

Ann is a 2014 UCD, Dublin graduate who moved to Lexington, Kentucky for a 12 month equine surgical internship at Hagyard Equine Medical Institute in June 2014. This was followed by another 12 month equine internship at Fethard Equine Hospital in Tipperary, before returning to UCD for a 3 year ECVS large animal surgical residency programme. Ann  completed her residency programme in July 2019, and a concurrent DVMS programme in September 2019, successfully defending her thesis “Impingement of dorsal spinous processes and their effect on performance in the Thoroughbred racehorse” in November 2019. Ann has just returned to Ireland after working as a solo equine surgeon for the last 9 months in Yorkshire.

Ann shares some really interesting clinical cases on her Instagram page – you can keep up to date with Ann and her cases here. 

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