The hottest news in equine lameness and surgery was presented the popular Kester News Hour session at the annual American Association of Equine Practitioners (AAEP) convention.
A toe grab is a raised rim on the toe area of a horseshoe; its purpose is to help the horse “dig in” to the track and reduce slipping (much like football or baseball cleats). However, there are increased stresses on the limbs from this stronger grip
If you read the title of this article and said, “WHAT?!?” don’t worry–you’re not alone! No horse owner wants to think of even a single worm burrowing in their horse’s innards. But a goal of zero tolerance for worms is no
“Veterinarians work under a great handicap when handling horses–almost everything the veterinarian does to a horse is either frightening or painful,” began Robert Miller, DVM. However, that doesn’t mean there’s no way for a v
Acepromazine, often called simply Ace, is commonly used to tranquilize horses for veterinary procedures. However, its use in male horses can cause penile prolapse, or an inability to retract the penis back into the sheath. This effect is desire
A 300-horse study sought to find the vaccination protocol that best prevents flu in horses–intranasal (IN) or intramuscular (IM), given as a single dose or two doses given 30 days apart (boosted). Researchers also looked at boosting an initial
A recent study of coffin bone (distal phalanx) fractures in foals found they were far from rare. In fact, all 20 of the Warmblood foals in the study (all foals on a particular farm in one season) had fractures at some point in their first year of life.
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, inte
Pneumonia (lung inflammation) in horses can be quite serious, particularly the recently described form termed equine multinodular pulmonary fibrosis. Equine multinodular pulmonary fibrosis results in damage and fibrosis of the tissues of the lungs in a characteristic nodular pattern. Equine herpesvirus-5 (EHV-5) has been implicated in this disease.
Numerous research papers and presentations over the last several years have noted that internal parasites in horses are growing more resistant to the deworming drugs (anthelmintics) we have available. A study of European horses presented at the
Researchers have shown that significant amounts of mucus in a racehorse’s airway can negatively affect his performance, and they’ve theorized that dust in the horse’s environment contributes to that mucus. Therefore, the logical nex
Equine influenza (the “flu”) used to be considered a mere annoyance by many, but major outbreaks such as H1N1/swine flu in humans and the Australian equine influenza outbreak of 2007 have changed our thinking. These days, when a flu o
It’s a variant of Murphy’s Law: Anytime you think you have a handle on something, the unexpected happens and you’re off balance again. The equine health world might be in this boat now concerning West Nile virus infection in horses. With several different types of vaccines available and in widespread use in the United States over the last several years, West Nile virus had gone f
Salmonella infection is a disease taken very seriously by equine veterinarians, partly because it can cause severe gastrointestinal disease in their patients, and also because it can do the same to the veterinarians and hospital staff. Thus, most equine hospitals have biosecurity measures in place to avoid the spread of Salmonella (or any other infectious organism) that comes i
One of the biggest troubles with discussing horse hoof trimming and balance is that when it comes to hoof balance, there isn’t a set definition. This makes it challenging for everyone to achieve a balanced foot. At the 2009 American Association of Equine Practitioners Convention, held Dec. 5-9 in Las Vegas, Nev., one practitioner discussed guidelines for characterizing hoof balance and f
Rabies is one of those diseases you want to avoid at all costs–it’s rapidly progressive, fatal, and can be transmitted from your horse (or any other infected animal) to you. While vaccines are available for horses, no data was published on their efficacy in the literature until December 2009.
At the 2009 American Association of Equine Practitioners (AAEP) Convention, held Dec
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