The supply of equine veterinarians is diminishing rapidly writes Emma Read, DVM, MVSc, Dipl. ACVS. She shares ways horse owners can help. Asking for help from our clients is not a comfortable position for . . . many horse doctors. Clients play a huge role in the much-needed transformation of equine practice. We can’t do it without them working together for horses.” Source: … [Read more...]
Location, activities determine fall vaccine needs
Elizabeth Davis, DVM, PhD, Dipl. ACVIM, presents the AAEP’s vaccine guidelines as fall approaches and horses get boosters or vaccines for the first time. She emphasizes the importance of core vaccines, plus evaluating risk-based inoculations based on lifestyle, geography, planned travel and more. Source: The Horse, August 25, 2022. Link. Consider all factors that keep horses … [Read more...]
Equine joint injections: case by case
It’s well known that horse medicine is practiced on a per horse basis. When considering joint injections, the approach can be complicated by a horse’s age, purpose and health. Chris White, DVM, shares how veterinarians approach various scenarios. While joint injection techniques are well-documented, the tricky part is what goes into the syringe. Gone are the days of simple … [Read more...]
The all-important prepurchase exam of a horse
Chris White, DVM, shares what to expect and the value of a pre-purchase exam of a horse a client is considering buying. There’s nothing worse for DVMs than performing a post-purchase exam on a horse that didn’t receive a PPE and delivering the news that a new equine companion has terrible navicular changes or severe kissing spines” - Chris White, DVM Source: The Horse, July … [Read more...]
Worth a Glance – June 30, 2022
Last week’s most read posts Vaccine guide is helpful for newbies and pros. Link. Last week’s AHD Bulletin Animal Health Digest Bulletin, Thursday, June 23, 2022. Link. =================================== If we love our pets so much, why do we treat their veterinarians so poorly? Source: Boston Globe, February 15, 2022. Link. “They give their all to our … [Read more...]
Worth a Glance – May 12, 2022
Last week’s most read posts The Great Resignation is becoming a great midlife crisis. Link. Last week’s AHD Bulletin Animal Health Digest Bulletin, Thursday, April 28, 2022. Link. =================================== The cost of pet care for cats is often underestimated Source: Catster, April 22, 2022. Link. Cost findings for annual and lifetime spending are … [Read more...]
Hives in horses may not need treatment
Horses encounter skin conditions as do other animals. Urticaria is one of the more common skin diseases in horses. A healthy immune system normally keeps the barrage of ever present of microorganisms at bay, writes Nancy Loving, DVM. Hives are a clinical sign rather than a specific disease, she explains. But when a horse’s immune response overreacts to a noninfectious cause, … [Read more...]
Worth a Glance – April 14, 2022
Last week’s most read posts Traditional recruiting is broken. 6 ways to reimagine it. Link. Last week’s AHD Bulletin Animal Health Digest Bulletin, Thursday, March 31, 2022. Link. =================================== How long is too long to leave a dog alone? Source: Whole Dog Journal, January 10, 2020. Link. 10 to 12 hours is too long for a dog to be … [Read more...]
Kinesiology tape might improve horse propulsion, core strength
"Already recognized as having potential therapeutic benefits in human athletes, kinesiology tape might be more effective in horses than in people.” - Sophie Biau, PhD Source: The Horse, April 5, 2022. Link. Whether in horses or humans, scientists suspect kinesiology taping on the skin might stimulate the fascia—connective tissue surrounding the muscles—as well as the … [Read more...]
Allergy infographic provides step-by-step visual guide
Complimentary Sponsored Content To keep allergy-prone horses comfortable requires figuring out the causes of his reactions and working to avoid them. The infographic shared here is a step-by-step visual guide suitable for sharing in person, on social media and newsletters. Allergy avoidance is most likely less expensive than treating the allergy. In either case, cause … [Read more...]
Every eye injury merits immediate veterinary attention
This article merits a review by animal health pros who already know horses have big eyes which can lead to medical problems. Injuries leading to bleeding, swelling, weeping or squinting indicates the horse may an eye injury. If this happens, horse owners should not self-treat and call the vet without delay, advises Christa Lesté-Lasserre, MA. She reminds horse owners that a … [Read more...]
A curious case of equine compound odontoma; too many teeth
Sharing a rare occurrence, Katie Navarra offers details of a gelding with a swollen jaw and 288 disorganized tooth roots. Source: The Horse, February 15, 2022. Link. … [Read more...]
Building an equine colic toolkit
Chris White, DVM, shares how horse owners can prepare for a colic episode, considerations to make, and things to keep in mind after surgery. In some horses and situations colic can be impossible to prevent. So, having a toolkit that includes an active VCPR will help owners best handle colic when it happens. White reminds horse owners to avoid handling colic episodes alone. … [Read more...]
How DVMs choose stem cells or PRP for equine tendon and ligament injuries
Tremendous interest exists to understand how to use regenerative therapies (orthobiologics) such as platelet-rich plasma and mesenchymal stem cells to treat tendon and ligament injuries in horses. Some tendon and ligament injuries have a better chance of benefiting from orthobiologics than others. Roger Smith, MA, VetMB, PhD, DEO, FHEA, LAAssocECVDI, Dipl. ECVSMR, ECVS, … [Read more...]
Is it or isn’t it colic?
Colic can be resolved easily about 90 percent of the time, but it can also be the end of a horse’s life, writes Marsha King. She provides 33 tips to use as guidelines when dealing with horses. Any horse can experience colic. The disorder is indiscriminate of age, sex, breed, occupation, or environment.” - Michael Fugaro, VMD, Dipl. ACVS Source: The Horse, August 22, … [Read more...]
Diagnosing and treating itchy horses
Pruritus remains challenging for veterinarians to diagnose and treat. It is a broad issue in horses that encompasses a wide range of causes. Management and prevention are key to the welfare of affected horses. Alexandra Beckstett summarizes a presentation by Janet Littlewood, BVSc (Hons), MA, PhD, DVD, DVR, MRCVS, on the three main culprits of pruritus in horses: … [Read more...]
Old horses would rather move
Just because a horse is older and might experience chronic pain doesn’t mean he wants to stand around. In a study monitoring how horses budgeted their time, researchers found age and orthopedic pain didn’t deter horses from moving around when given the opportunity. Source: The Horse, September 24, 2021. Link. Environment matters more than age and lameness in older … [Read more...]
Equine eye microbiota assessed for fungi
A look at the eyes of 24 horses and applying advanced genomic sequencing technology have revealed which fungi are most common in healthy eyes and how those microscopic populations differ in pastured horses compared to stalled horses <Link>. The research team determined that the most common fungi in their study horses’ eyes were: Leptosphaerulina, 22.7 percent … [Read more...]
Scratches, bacteria contribute to EPD
The search for the cause of equine pastern dermatitis continues adding new research results regarding bacteria. We really can’t conclude that any bacteria cause EPD. At this point we can only show that it’s associated with it.” - Sarah Kaiser-Thom, DVM, PhD Source: The Horse, October 5, 2021. Link. EPD is common, and people have this empirical knowledge about it, like it … [Read more...]
Bot flies annoy cattle, horses, pets and humans
The last days of summer weather often spark more bot fly activity before the first frost wipes out the egg-laying females. Bot flies are chunky, beelike flies usually with rounded heads and rarely seen. Like other true flies, bot flies have only a single pair of wings. There are six important species of bot flies that affect the U.S. livestock industry: Hypoderma bovis, H. … [Read more...]
Fall leaves can be toxic to horses
Fall leaf toxicity is an annual concern for horse owners as some falling leaves are poisonous to our equine friends. The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals has an extensive list of poisonous trees and plants at www.ASPCA.org. Consider sharing this information with horse owners and local media. Source: The Horse, September 10, 2021. Link. Also … [Read more...]
Tips for caregivers of skinny horses
Knowledge continues to increase about affects that obesity and emaciation have on animal health. This makes it important to strive to keep horses at an optimum body condition including how to body condition score (BCS) them. The authors share photos and tips to help horses with a BCS of 4 gain weight. Think about calories first!” Source: The Horse, January 28, 2019. … [Read more...]
Dealing with the equine gut
There’s a lot to consider when dealing with the equine gut. The staff at The Horse compiled 10 articles about gut functions and issues from nose to tail. An unhealthy gut can cause poor performance, behavioral issues, malabsorption of nutrients and even colic.” Source: The Horse, July 27, 2021. Link. INSIGHTS: Confidently share this resource to help orientate equine … [Read more...]
What happens when a horse undergoes general anesthesia?
Luisito Pablo, MS, DVM, Dipl. ACVAA describes steps the veterinary anesthesia team takes when caring for horses before, during, and after surgery. Source: The Horse, May 28, 2021. Link. INSIGHTS: Sedating and anesthetizing a 900 to 2200 pound animal is both science and art. We found this article to be informative and worthy of sharing with horse owners to orient them to … [Read more...]
Keeping the horse’s hindgut happy
Although researchers, veterinarians and nutritionists know how critical hindgut function is to overall horse health, they know less about this part of the digestive system than others, writes Katie Navarra in an excerpt from the full article. The stomach is only 10% of the GI tract, but there’s such a focus there. The hindgut is about 25 gallons in a 1,000-pound horse . . . … [Read more...]
Feed the foot: nutrition and equine hoof health
Nutrition affects everything from performance and temperament to growth and metabolic rate of horses. Hoof quality is no exception. Lynn Taylor, PhD, and Ashley Wagner, PhD, shed light on the dos and don’ts of feeding for optimal hoof health. . . . horses’ diets play a crucial role in the quality and durability of the horn that makes up hooves” Source: The Horse, August 2020 … [Read more...]
Every horse on a farm is at risk
There are risk avoidance opportunities in health care for humans and animals. Even top-of-the-line biosecurity cannot prevent core disease sources from getting on a property and infecting horses. These diseases can lead to death, but vaccinations help avoid morbidity and mortality. Equine veterinarians discuss the five core diseases: Rabies West Nile virus (WNV), … [Read more...]
Horses need to beat the heat, too!
Hydration, heat exhaustion and sun protection top the list of tips for summer horse care according to Wendy Krebs, DVM. Horse owners will appreciate the reminders in her 7 tips for summer horse care list and the information on dust control from Alayne Blickle. Use these articles in communications with horse owners on social media and in newsletters. Source: The Horse, June … [Read more...]
Mules make excellent moms for equine embryo transfer
New research found pregnancies in mares and mules were strikingly similar, with comparable ultrasound findings. Despite their inability to reproduce naturally mules make amazing surrogate dams. Source: The Horse, March 15, 2020. Link. “Mules can host the embryo of a mare, gestate normally, produce a good amount of milk, and have an incredible maternal instinct and ability,” … [Read more...]
Equine body condition tips
Gauging a horse’s weight without a scale is inexact, so most horse owners must rely on other methods for monitoring their horses’ body condition. Veterinarians and nutritionists encourage horse owners to use the Henneke Body Condition Scoring system. Factors such as height, breed, and reproductive status will affect weight, and you can’t identify a ‘healthy weight range’ that … [Read more...]