Latest News – The Horse
Compounding
At the 2010 American Association of Equine Practitioners convention, Scott Stanley, PhD, professor of Equine Analytical Chemistry at the University of California, Davis, discussed FDA’s ongoing attempts to ensure safety of drugs produced by compounding pharmacies (that provide individualized medications that are pre-scribed, but unavailable through normal means).
Drugs and Anesthesia
At the 2010 American Association of Equine Practitioners convention, veterinarians discussed continuous pain medication delivery, sedative reversal agents, an oral sedative gel, respiratory support for horses under general anesthesia, anesthetizing donkeys, and anti-inflammatory drug safety.
Racehorse Topics
Veterinarians discussed track surface and fatality rates, radiographic (X ray) abnormalities in 2-year-olds, catastrophic injury characteristics in Thoroughbreds vs. Quarter Horses, forelimb and shoulder blade fractures, bone chips in the knee, and angular limb deformity correction at the 2010 American Association of Equine Practitioners convention.
Respiratory Issues in Horses
Horse respiratory issues discussed during the 2010 American Association of Equine Practitioners convention included PCR testing for specific diseases, ceftiofur antibiotic for pneumonia, and electroacupuncture for chronic respiratory disease.
Rhodococcus equi Pneumonia
Rhodococcus equi is a dangerous pathogen that causes pneumonia in foals that are generally between the ages of 3 weeks and 5 months. In cases caught early on, the foal can make a full recovery with proper treatment. However, in more serious cases the mortality rate is quite high. The disease was discussed in depth during the 2010 American Association of Equine Practitioners convention.
Reproduction Advances
Many advances in horse reproduction were discussed during the 2010 American Association of Equine Practitioners convention, including oocyte (egg) harvesting postmortem and in live mares, in vitro fertilization, cloning, genetic testing of biopsied embryos, embryo freezing, epigenetics, stallion/mare fertility and management, stallionlike behavior in mares, twinning, and sex determination.
Piroplasmosis, Guttural Pouch Infection, Miscellaneous Topics
Additional topics discussed during the 2010 American Association of Equine Practitioners convention included piroplasmosis in horses, guttural pouch infection in foals, detomidine sedative and eye pressure, and eye photography to assist case evaluation and treatment.
How to Manage a Quarter Crack in Equine Hooves
Lameness caused by quarter cracks is a nemesis of horses and owners, and treatment is often complex.
February Good Works Vet Aids Therapy Horses, Wildfire Victims
The American Association of Equine Practitioners (AAEP) has selected Kevin May, DVM, CVA, of El Cajon Valley Veterinary Hospital in El Cajon, Calif., as February’s Good Works Campaign honoree. May has organized two programs to lighten the financial
Barbaro Fund Supports Laminitis Project
The National Thoroughbred Racing Association’s (NTRA) subsidiary, NTRA Charities, has announced that the Barbaro Fund for Equine Health and Safety Research has disbursed $49,000 to support the second year of a research project on laminitis. The funds
Investigation of Unexplained Neurologic Cases in Australia Halted
The investigation into a number of undiagnosed and unexplained neurologic clinical signs present in some Australian horses was halted March 15 due to a strike at the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization (CSIRO), the
UF Healthy Horses Conference Scheduled for April 9
On April 9, the University of Florida (UF) College of Veterinary Medicine is hosting their 4th annual Healthy Horses Conference. Healthy Horses is an educational day with a focus on successful equine health care. The day includes lectures, lunc
Milne Lecture: Eye Surface Failure in Horses
The soft, expressive equine eye holds a great fascination for horse lovers. And although it’s normally a resilient structure, it’s not immune from injury. Dr. Dennis Brooks gave the 2008 AAEP Convention’s Frank J. Milne State-of-the-Art Lecture on catastrophic ocular surface failure (OSF) in the horse.
AAEP 2010 Convention Complete Coverage
A wrap-up of the 2010 AAEP Convention, including in-depth coverage of nearly 100 presentations and sessions on all aspects of equine veterinary medicine, from the top studies in 2010 to unwanted horses, lameness, equine welfare, hoof care and more.
"It’s Like a Big Buffet of Droppings…"
For several years, I worked as a riding instructor at a Girl Scout riding facility in Michigan. Most of the girls that visited our barn–generally
