Opinion We’re sharing articles about the Kentucky Derby winner Medina Spirit. The horse allegedly tested positive for 21 picograms of betamethasone according to the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission. Medina Spirit’s dermatitis was treated with Merck OTOMAX® OTIC OINTMENT, consistent with a veterinarian's recommendation to apply this ointment daily to give the horse relief, … [Read more...]
Flavored water may help horses drink more
Concerns that hospitalized horses that did not consume enough water and could develop colic led to testing different water flavors often used in veterinary settings. The winner of the taste test was sweet-feed flavored water, which the test group horses significantly preferred over plain water. If you're going to try flavoring a horse's water to try to get them to drink … [Read more...]
Disease outbreaks – are farriers carriers?
When a disease outbreak is announced, farms, horse owners, shows and other equine entities reconsider their ways of working for a time in hopes of preventing further spread of the disease. Farms will quarantine horses that return from shows, cancel events and other such preventative measures. However, how often do they consider the farrier appointments? Typically, farriers … [Read more...]
Scoping in motion: Dynamic endoscope improves diagnosis of breathing problems
Because upper respiratory abnormalities lead to poor performance, predominantly in racing thoroughbreds, but also in show and sport horses; technology has evolved to help properly diagnose these issues. Changing from resting endoscopy to dynamic versions help veterinarians better evaluate and diagnose a performance horse with airway issues. This technology has evolved from use … [Read more...]
Studies support Equine Herpesvirus associated ocular disease
Herpes viruses, found naturally, are known for inducing equine respiratory, reproductive and neurologic diseases. There are multiple strains of the virus which subsequently cause multiple disease states. It is unsure how or which exact strain is responsible for ocular diseases, but studies seem to indicate the potential for a correlation and have supported the role of EHV-1 in … [Read more...]