Lameness caused by foot problems is common in the horse, and it can significantly impact how well a horse can perform. Hoof bruising, heel soreness, hoof cracks all create discomfort that alter a horse’s gait and prevent him from giving his utmost to an athletic task. Nearly all equine foot diseases have their root in biomechanics, noted a Universit...
Covering broodmares during the first month postpartum, often on the first postpartum estrus (termed "foal heat"), is routine practice at many dedicated breeding operations to ensure mares foal at roughly the same time each year. A mare that fails to conceive shortly after foaling continues to have subsequently later foaling dates, eventually mis...
The goal of equine dentistry is to preserve teeth whenever possible, but sometimes that broken or rotten tooth just has to go before it causes more problems such as infection of the sinuses or jawbone. However, before deciding to extract a horse’s tooth, owners and veterinarians must consider a number of important factors, noted a Cornell University...
A research team from the Nutraceutical Alliance Inc. shared some good news for owners of horses with osteoarthritis at the 2012 American Association of Equine Practitioners convention: A nutritional supplement fed immediately after osteochondral fragment removal surgery could help reduce the amount of post-surgical inflammation in the joint.
Media-trained equine veterinarians representing the American Association of Equine Practitioners’ (AAEP) On Call program will support another season of live Thoroughbred racing telecasts when the “Road to the Kentucky Derby” series on the NBC Sports Group kicks off this weekend. The On Call program is designed to deliver accurate veterin...
The American Horse Council and the American Association of Equine Practitioners issued an open letter to the horse industry March 28 regarding equine disease outbreaks in the United States. In their communication, the organizations outline current horse health issues facing the industry and seek equine community participation in developing a National Equi...
The neurologic condition cervical vertebral stenotic myopathy (CVSM, commonly known as wobbler syndrome) is much less common in older horses than it is in young, growing animals. But according to one clinician, this condition should be on all veterinarians' differential diagnoses list when evaluating an aged horse presenting with neurologic signs and/...
The California Horse Racing Board, citing feed contamination, has dismissed 48 positive tests for zilpaterol, which is used in cattle.
Since its inception in the 1930s, the inaugural patent in 1974, and the successful construction of the world’s first whole-body scanner by 1977, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) has become an indomitable tool in both human and equine medicine. Today, equine practitioners use MRI extensively to help diagnose even the most subtle lameness causes.
Kentucky is known for its beautiful rolling green pastures filled with broodmares and their young, but there can be an ugly side to this picture: the half acre turnout paddock next to every barn. You know the one—new mares and foals, mares close to foaling, or horses on layup are turned out here every day.
Any owner who has ever bathed a horse while standing on a conventional concrete surface knows the soapy runoff can quickly turn that surface into a slick hazard for both animal and human. Stephen Higgins, PhD, director of Environmental Compliance for the Agricultural Experiment Station at the University of Kentucky’s College of Agriculture, says hor...
Joint infections are a serious occurrence in horses with the potential to end an athletic career or even a life. Although survival rates are as high as 62% in foals and 85% in adults, only 48-66% of horses return to previous athletic activity after a joint infection.
Veterinarians have identified stem cell therapies as potentially powerful weapons in the war on equine wounds and injuries. However, the exact stem cell types most beneficial for particular “battles” remain unclear.
Veterinarians screen racehorses regularly for evidence of performance enhancers, aiming to use sample collection methods that yield accurate and consistent results. Blood-draw supplies vary among veterinarians, however, and could conceivably impact test results, so a Purdue University research team recently evaluated how such variables impact a common mea...
In hopes of heading off positive drug tests for zilpaterol, the California Horse Racing Board is warning trainers of sweet feed products containing a molasses base produced by Purina at its Turlock, Calif., mill.
New research from the University of Kentucky (UK) suggests that genetic factors play a role in determining stallion susceptibility to equine arteritis virus (EAV) infection.
Dental extractions don’t always go according to plan, so the practitioner needs to be ready for potential complications before removing a tooth. A Pennyslvania practitioner recently described typical reasons why oral extraction fail, alternative approaches when these problems occur, and the equipment, facilities, assistance, and skill a veterinarian...
While still rare, equine sarcoidosis—not to be confused with sarcoid tumors, an unrelated skin condition—can appear in even the healthiest of horses. But don’t be too quick to treat sarcoidosis-associated hair loss, scaly and flaking skin, and crusting with creams, ointments, and lotions. According to Dutch researchers, it’s better...
As microchipping becomes more prevalent in horses—and even obligatory in some countries—researchers are looking into the effects and usefulness of these foreign objects implanted into horses' bodies.
A horse owner's day can go from great to horrific in a matter of seconds if he or she arrives at the barn to find their charge either staggering around the field or completely unable to rise. A prompt call to the veterinarian is warranted in these scenarios, but what should an owner expect when the veterinarian arrives?
Veterinarians monitoring the recovery of classic winner Rachel Alexandra at Rood & Riddle Equine Hospital report the abscess drained March 7 continues to respond well to treatment.
Jimmy Bell, Craig Bernick, Bob Elliston, Rachel Kukulewich join Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance board of directors.
Often mares have minds of their own, and their ovaries can be just as headstrong. Canadian researchers demonstrated this in a recent study when they showed that you can lead a mare to a stallion, but you can’t necessarily make her ovulate … even with the use of acupuncture.
Diagnosing Lyme disease in horses is tricky business; not all horses that contract the causative bacterium, Borrellia burgdorferi, from infected ticks develop the debilitating condition, and those that do might not show signs until several months after infection. As with many diseases, early detection can mean swifter resolution, along with better recover...
In a perfect world, veterinarians would be able to detect every horse afflicted with insulin dysregulation before the animal developed the painful and debilitating disease laminitis. Screening for insulin issues is typically cumbersome, because existing tests are time-consuming and involved. A team from the University of Tennessee (UT) led by Nicholas Fra...
A seminar called "Flair Nasal Strips: The Clinically Proven Alternative to Lasix" will be held at Keeneland April 9.
Equine herpesvirus-1 (EHV-1) is a highly contagious disease that can cause epidemic abortion in mares and respiratory and/or neurologic disease. The neurologic form is often fatal. Our experts answer your EHV-1 questions.
Musculoskeletal injuries are an all-too common cause of lameness in horses. Thanks to the advent of biologic therapies, including stem cells, tendon injuries aren’t the “death sentence” they once were. Despite the positive results associated with stem cells in equine tendon injuries, however, the “best” way to obtain and use ...
When discussing our dental health, we are familiar with commonly used terms such as plaque, cavity, or root canal. But discussing our horses' teeth can be a bit more confusing: Mesial. Occlusal surface. Interproximal space. What does it all mean? Fortunately, at the 2013 Western Veterinary Conference, held Feb. 17-21 in Las Vegas, Nev., Cleet Griffin,...
Veterinary researchers publish scores of scientific papers annually, but if practitioners are out examining and treating patients they don't necessarily have time to brush up on every study's take-home message. The annual Kester News Hour presentation at the American Association of Equine Practitioners' convention gives practitioners a chance ...
Classic winner Rachel Alexandra is healing well following a surgical procedure performed March 7 to drain an abscess that developed adjacent to her reproductive tract and rectum.
Paracelsus, a 16th century Swiss physician and alchemist, once said, "Poison is in everything, and no thing is without poison. The dosage makes it either a poison or a remedy." Similarly in horses, determining what medication dose is therapeutic vs. detrimental, and knowing which drugs can poison some horses while helping others, are among the c...
The regulators of eight states in the Northeast region have committed to a uniform medication and drug testing program in a move supporters believe is a step toward uniform regulation of medication and drug testing.
Agricultural authorities in California are seeking six animals to receive follow-up testing in connection with a California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) Animal Health Branch study of equine infectious anemia (EIA) infections in racing Quarter Horses.
Fungal infections of the uterus, due to either yeast or mold, are less common than bacterial infections, but it's important to consider them because untreated infections can lead to fertility problems. In such cases prompt diagnosis and treatment are necessary for a positive outcome. A veterinarian from The Ohio State University recently described app...
Veterinarians often choose upper airway endoscopy when working to diagnose equine arytenoid chondritis--an uncommon but problematic respiratory condition--but in some cases a definitive diagnosis lies out of reach. Ultrasonography could offer a valuable adjunct tool for diagnosing this respiratory condition, however, especially in cases lacking a definiti...
Veterinarians and farriers must work as a team to manage a horse's athletic soundness and performance. The collaborative dynamic between veterinarian and farrier is important to ensuring a horse remains sound and receives the best possible hoof care. William Moyer, DVM, of Texas A&M University's School of Veterinary Medicine, and Harry Werner,...
The neurologic disease equine protozoal myeloencephtalitis (EPM) is caused by two protozoal agents, Sarcocystis neurona and, less commonly, Neospora hughesi. While researchers have long understood S. neurona's life cycle and transmission, their understanding of N. hughesi is less concrete. To compare the two organisms, a research team from California ...
Do you know how to recognize equine welfare issues? While some signs of poor welfare are obvious, others are more subtle and possibly evident right in your own stable. According to Swedish researchers, there's a great need for research-based welfare assessments that take the guesswork out of judging equine well-being. And they've been busy develop...
Proper and timely intervention can mean the difference between a live foal and a lost one. And while most equine pregnancies proceed without incident, an estimated 12.9% of mares lose their foals between 40 days of gestation and the estimated foaling date. These mares could potentially benefit from such intervention.
Get out your protractors: New research shows that the various angles of the outer and inner hoof are directly linked to various kinds of lameness, and knowing the angles could help determine which kind of lameness a horse has or is likely to get.
A barn engulfed in flames, terrified whinnies coming from within the burning structure. Few scenarios are more frightening to owners of stable-kept horses. Veterinarians, with their regular trips to the barn, are in a unique position to advise horse owners on fire prevention. However, even with the best preventive measures, barn fires do happen, so it'...
A puffy fetlock. A knee that's warm to the touch. A hock that feels just a bit sticky in the trot. All are common performance problems pointing to the possible onset of osteoarthritis (OA). Equine joint therapy is often used to treat these types of OA-inflammation related issues while potentially modulating disease.
While prolonged use of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory (NSAID) drugs has long been associated with gastrointestinal problems in horses, some newer NSAIDs on the market could have fewer adverse effects than older ones.
Occasionally veterinarians stumble across a drug side effect that's more useful than detrimental. Take, for example, the antispasmodic N-butylscopolammonium bromide (NBB), marketed in the United States as Buscopan (Boehringer Ingelheim) to treat horses with colic. As it turns out, this drug could be useful for helping veterinarians examine horses'...
The bacterium Lawsonia intracellularis causes an economically important emerging disease of weanlings called equine proliferative enteropathy (EPE). Thoroughbred foals that recover from EPE reportedly sell for an average of 68% less than nonaffected foals by the same sire, so veterinarians consider detecting the disease agent early a priority. In a recent...
While a recent positive for Nikethamide is the first in more than a decade in U.S. racing, the dangerous nature of the Class I drug has the attention of regulators.
A fracture can put a horse's athletic future--sometimes even his life--on the line, and basing treatment on a complete and accurate diagnosis can make a major difference in the horse's recovery. A veterinarian in Belgium believes computed tomography (CT) offers a better option for imaging some lower limb fractures than radiography.
Tall fescue is a common grass species that makes up more than 40 million acres of pasture in the United States. This grass is commonly infected with a fungus capable of producing the ergot alkaloid ergovaline, an agent responsible for late abortion, prolonged gestation, dystocia (difficult birth), and agalactia (poor milk let-down) in broodmares, reduced ...
"A thorough lameness exam usually includes limb flexion tests to evaluate for gait changes when joints are stressed in a flexed position," remarked Amy Armentrout, DVM, MS, Dipl. ACVS, of Burleson Equine Hospital, in Texas. Holding the hind limb up for a protracted time can be tough on the practitioner's body, and horses aren't always co...
