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

Tendon Angle and Navicular Lameness (AAEP 2008)

Why might one horse suffer from injury to the deep digital flexor tendon (DDFT) in the navicular area while another doesn’t? A recent study suggests that the angle of the DDFT as it passes over the navicular bone might have a lot to do with it.

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New Tool for Counting Sperm

Equine practitioners now have a new, accurate tool for measuring stallion fertility–the NucleoCounter SP-100 fluorescence-based instrument. While it is more expensive than some instruments currently used for counting sperm, it is accurate and easy

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Aluminum Phosphide Poisoning

Aluminum phosphide is an indoor fumigant used to kill insects in most, if not all, of the stored grains we and our horses are exposed to. Like most pesticides, it can cause major problems in unintended species when used incorrectly.

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Deworming–To Rotate or Not to Rotate?

Rotational deworming–dosing horses with different classes of dewormers in rotation–is often recommended for controlling equine internal parasites. The theory is that by using all of the available effective deworming drug classes, we combine their

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Vaccination (AAEP 2008)

Pusterla discussed the effectiveness of three vaccination strategies against L. intracellularis, which causes proliferative enteropathy (a spreading intestinal disease). “Although the clinical entity (L. intracellularis infection), diagnostic evalua

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Ivermectin Toxicosis

Ivermectin has become one of the most widely used deworming medications worldwide since its introduction 25 years ago. It’s usually considered to have a large margin of safety, but it can be highly toxic in rare circumstances

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Lawsonia Intracellularis Vaccination (AAEP 2008)

Pusterla discussed the effectiveness of three vaccination strategies against L. intracellularis, which causes proliferative enteropathy (a spreading intestinal disease). “Although the clinical entity (L. intracellularis infection), diagnostic evaluation, and treatment of affected foals have been well-established and described, preventive measures have remained largely unaddressed,” he noted.

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Testing for (AAEP Convention 2008)

Clostridium difficile bacteria can cause severe, sometimes fatal colitis in horses. When a horse develops severe diarrhea (particularly if blood is present), C. difficile might be suspected, but veterinarians must confirm the infectio

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Testing for Clostridium difficile (AAEP Convention 2008)

Clostridium difficile bacteria can cause severe, sometimes fatal colitis in horses. When a horse develops severe diarrhea (particularly if blood is present), C. difficile might be suspected, but veterinarians must confirm the infection to make sure they treat the the right organism. Toward that end, Carlos Medina-Torres, MV, MSc, a DVSc candidate at the University of Guelph in

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Medication in Racing and Performance Horses

Medication issues in equine competitions might have reached their highest level of public focus in 2008 due to high-profile situations such as Kentucky Derby winner Big Brown’s steroid regimen and the disqualification of several Olympic horses for

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AAEP 2008: Olympic Veterinary Care

What’s it like to be an equine veterinarian behind the scenes at the Olympic Games? Horse owners got to hear about the experience at the Healthy Horses Workshop of the 2008 American Association of Equine Practitioners Convention (held Dec. 6-10

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MRSA More Common in Horse People

Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) bacterial infections have become hot news lately, especially among horse people. This topic likely won’t die down soon because recent research shows that MRSA is up to 10 times more common in equine

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Tail Blocking Gone Wrong

No one likes a rebellious horse, particularly in the show ring, and excessive tail swishing or wringing is often penalized by judges as a sign of resistance. To avoid this penalty, or simply to ensure low tail carriage, trainers and exhibitors

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