Christy M. West

Christy West has a BS in Equine Science from the University of Kentucky, and an MS in Agricultural Journalism from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

Articles by: Christy M. West

Bone Spavin Researchers: Alcohol Joint Fusion Effective (AAEP 2010)

Bone spavin in horses, or osteoarthritis of the distal tarsal (lower hock) joints, is a “common cause of equine lameness, resulting in lost training days and limiting affected horses’ careers,” says James Carmalt, MA, VetMB, MVetSc, FRCVS, Dipl. ABVP, ACVS, associate professor of Large Animal Surgery at the University of Saskatchewan, in Canada. He discussed the results of a recent small study on

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Study: IRAP-II Joint Disease Treatment for Horses Beats IRAP-I (AAEP 2010)

To combat joint disease or osteoarthritis in horses, many veterinarians have used autologous conditioned serum (ACS), also called by the product name IRAP (for the interleukin-1 receptor antagonist protein it contains), since the first scientific publication appeared on the subject in 2003. Since that time, a new kid on the block–a similar product sharing many characteristics with the original

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Clogs to Treat Laminitis

Who ever heard of shoeing a horse with plywood, screws, and a drill, especially a laminitic horse? It might sound like the worst kind of backyard farriery, but this method is finding favor with a growing number of veterinarians and farriers.

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Low Heels in Horses: New Grading System and Targeted Treatment

We know these problem hooves by a variety of names: low heels, crushed heels, collapsed heels, underrun heels, long-toe/low-heeled feet. Regardless of what they’re called, we’ve probably all known a horse that had them, the less-than-fluid gait and/or lameness that often accompanies them, and the farrier/vet bills that come with trying to fix them.

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Laminitis Lowdown

The laminitis mystery is far from solved, but researchers continue to discover new clues about its causes, treatment, and prevention. Laminitis, an often devastating hoof disease that can strike horses of any breed without warning, is a major issue for horse owners and veterinarians alike. In the recent American Horse Publications (AHP) Equine Industry Survey, nearly 50% of the 11,000-plus owners

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Sedative, Analgesic, and Anesthetic Usage in Horses

How much do veterinarians use sedatives, analgesics (painkillers), and general anesthetics in horses? Veterinarians at The Ohio State University surveyed members of the American Association of Equine Practitioners (AAEP) to find out, and the findings were presented at the 2009 American Association of Equine Practitioners convention, held Dec. 6-9 in Las Vegas, Nev.

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Hoofin’ It in Boots

Hoof boots aren’t just for emergencies or soaking injured feet; these boots are made for walking, running, climbing, and more. Today an increasing variety of boots adorn the other-wise bare feet of trail horses, working horses, dressage horses, and even highly competitive endurance horses. Are boots right for you and your horse? If so, how do you pick out the right boot? Read on to find out.

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Neurology

Researchers discussed several equine neurology topics during the 2010 American Association of Equine Practitioners convention, including equine herpesvirus-1 disease, neuroaxonal dystrophy in Quarter Horses and field neurologic exam technique.

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HERDA: Skin Characteristics

Horses with the hereditary skin disease known as hereditary equine regional dermal asthenia (HERDA) or hyperelastosis cutis (HC) have been recognized since the 1970s, but only recently have researchers defined just how much weaker their skin is

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Maggots Improve Chronic Hoof Puncture Wound Healing

You might have heard about the value of using medical maggots to clean infected, nonhealing wounds in horses and humans, but did you know they can also help clean up infection in structures deep within the hoof?

At the 2009 American

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EPM Diagnosis and Treatment Recommendations

Diagnosing EPM in a live horse is challenging because no test is 100% accurate; the gold standard for diagnosis is finding the protozoan parasite in the spinal cord, which can only be sampled after the horse is euthanized. So for live horses, diagnos

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Normal Steroid Levels in Racehorses

Steroid usage in racehorses has received a good deal of attention in the media, perhaps reaching a peak during the 2009 Triple Crown season when Big Brown won the Kentucky Derby and Preakness on the legally administered steroid stanozolol, then

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Gluck Faculty Attend Plant and Animal Genome Conference

Researchers and graduate students from the University of Kentucky’s (UK) Gluck Equine Research Center attended the annual Plant and Animal Genome Conference (PAG), held Jan. 9 through 13 in San Diego, Calif., to share equine genomic researc

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Advances in Equine Medicine Discussed at AAEP

What was the hottest news in equine veterinary medicine in 2009? During the popular Kester News Hour session at the annual American Association of Equine Practitioners (AAEP) Convention, three top veterinarians (who focus on equine reproduction

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Furosemide Study Discussed at AAEP Convention

Exercise-induced pulmonary hemorrhage (EIPH), or bleeding into the airways, is an “extremely prevalent condition associated with high-intensity exercise in horses,” according to Paul S. Morley, DVM, PhD, Dipl. ACVIM, professor of clin

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retained fetal membranes in mares; deworming broodmares near foaling; Newborn foal attempting to stand
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