Horse owners in the Yarra Ranges who have had fatalities or illnesses amongst their animals are urged to report them to Agriculture Victoria.
Agriculture Victoria is working with private veterinarians to understand the cause of recent horse deaths in Victoria, with the nearby south-east region featured among a few areas reporting unusual deaths.
Diseases can spread quickly over large distances so it’s essential that you report what you find as soon as possible.
Even a suspicion of disease or observation of unusual clinical signs in your animals should be reported.
Early detection can minimise the spread of diseases and help protect the health of our animals and the integrity of our valuable animal industries.
Knowledgeable, expert staff will respond to your report.
They will advise you on what action you need to take, and may ask you for more information about the detection.
Information to include in reports are the name and contact details for the property, owner or farm manager, the location of animals (address point, GPS, etc.), what clinical signs or symptoms the animals have, the number of animals affected and the total number of animals on the property. and the history of the animals, for example, recent travel, vaccinations, or treatments.
If your horse has suffered sudden death or onset of illness, immediately contact your local veterinarian or call the emergency animal disease hotline on 1800 675 888.
Go to agriculture.vic.gov.au/biosecurity/animal-diseases/report-an-unusual-or-emergency-animal-disease for more information.
