Hay hay hay, UQ Equine Hospital marks horses’ birthday
As thoroughbreds in the Southern Hemisphere celebrated their annual birthday on Aug. 1, staff at the University of Queensland’s Equine Hospital are preparing to welcome a new season of foals.
UQ Equine Hospital Director Dr Andrew Van Eps said the skilled and dedicated nursing team and specialist veterinarians provided 24-hour care and monitoring to several foals and mares each year.
“Foals are very much like human babies, requiring specialist and intensive care when they are unwell,” he said.
“Problems include infection, sickness in foals, breeding issues in mares, problems with the birthing process, or a lack of adaption to their new life outside.
“Similar to a human baby, intravenous nutrition, oxygen therapy or even mechanical ventilation may be necessary.
“Since the birth of the first foal in August 2011, the reproductive services and advanced perinatal care available to clients at the Equine Hospital has increased, resulting in many successful breeding outcomes for owners.
“The reproductive and obstetrics service, coordinated by Dr Wynne Collins, can house mares and stallions on site for assistive reproductive techniques. We offer artificial insemination with chilled and frozen semen and will be initiating an embryo transfer program this coming season,” Dr Collins said.
“This is ideal for owners with valuable competition mares or for production of more than one foal.”
The purpose-built facilities support foetal sexing, high-risk mare management and semen quality assessments.
“Mares that are likely to experience birthing complications can be monitored in the final weeks of pregnancy and give birth at the hospital, where help is available for the mare and foal,” Dr Collins said.
From loyal companion horses to high performance horses, the UQ Equine Hospital at Gatton offers a range of advanced reproductive techniques and procedures for mares and stallions and has registered veterinary specialists in equine medicine, surgery, perinatal care and reproduction.
The hospital accepts referral cases from veterinarians but is also available for primary admission from the public.
About the UQ Equine Hospital
The UQ Equine Hospital at the Gatton campus is a world-class veterinary hospital designed and built specifically for horses. The clinical staff of the hospital includes veterinary specialists in equine medicine, surgery and reproduction.
Facilities include orthopaedic, soft tissue and standing surgery theatres; advanced diagnostic equipment (digital radiography, computed tomography (CT), nuclear scintigraphy, echocardiography), high-speed treadmill, intensive care unit (including dedicated foal ICU) and dedicated isolation unit.
Services include orthopaedic and soft tissue surgery (including arthroscopy, laparsocopy and laser surgery); internal medicine diagnostic services (neurology, gastroenterology, endocrinology, cardiology, ophthalmology and respiratory medicine); dedicated anaesthesia service; 24-hour intensive care (adult and foal); diagnostic imaging (including radiology, ultrasound, CT and nuclear scintigraphy); and treadmill performance evaluations.
Program title: Bachelor of Veterinary Science (BVSc) (Honours)
Location: Brisbane, Queensland
Semester intake: February
Program duration: 5 years
Application deadline: Nov. 15, 2014; however, as the UQ Bachelor of Veterinary Science (Honours) program can fill quickly, it is recommended that students apply as early as possible.
Entry Requirements
UQ Veterinary School BVSc applicants must have a secondary school diploma and have fulfilled Grade 12 prerequisites of Chemistry, Physics or Biology, Mathematics, and English for admission into this program. Generally, a B average is required for admission. Please note that the MCAT is not required for entry.
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