Latest News – The Horse
Shock Wave Therapy for Pain Relief and Healing
In a recently completed study involving navicular cases, Byron found lameness in horses undergoing extracorporeal shock wave therapy (ESWT) treatment averaged improvement of about one lameness grade.
Nasal Septum Resection
If the nasal septum?the bony structure that divides the left and right halves of the nasal cavity?becomes deviated or thickened, the nasal passages become narrowed and breathing is impaired. Left untreated, it can lead to exercise intolerance an
Visualizing Joints During Surgery
Arthroscopic surgery in horses is commonly performed to remove abnormal pieces of cartilage, called osteochondral (OC) fragments, from the surface of joints. Visualization through an arthroscope is typically aided by
Latest Nutrition Tools
Hot, dry Tucson, Ariz., doesn’t conjure up images of equine nutrition research, but leading animal scientists convened there May 31-June 4 to present their latest findings on a variety of equine science topics. The following article highlights
Senate Passes Slaughter Funding Amendment
On Sept. 20, the U.S. Senate passed a bipartisan amendment (68-29) to the Agriculture Appropriations bill will eliminate federal funding for U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) inspectors in slaughter houses for one fiscal year. Under the
Unwanted Horse Summit
Representatives from 20 equine-related organizations that make up the unwanted horse coalition met Sept. 21 at the American Veterinary Medical Association headquarters in Schaumburg, Ill., to focus on the group’s mission and to create a long-ter
AAEP Hosts Wet Labs
The American Association of Equine Practitioners held its annual Equine Veterinary Wet Labs on Sept. 6-7. The labs, held for the first time at the Kentucky Horse Park, focused on dentistry, musculoskeletal ultrasound, lameness, and reproduction.
Antioxidants and Heaves
When a horse inhales mold spores or other irritants, neutrophils (specific types of white blood cells) release reactive oxidants–generally very reactive substances that can break down mold in the airways. That’s not a bad thing, really. “But if
Hock MRI Studies
A U.K. researcher examined how age, exercise, and riding discipline and level affect hock joints, and she hopes to make recommendations on how to take better care of equine athletes’ hocks.
Orthopedic research technician Marion Branch,
Study Compares Cost of Castration Methods
Even considering a higher rate of complications, castrations performed in the field are less expensive than sterile procedures performed in a hospital setting, according a United Kingdom study.
The study compared the intial cost and
Katrina Increases Gulf Coast Mosquito Population; WNV Outbreak Not Expected
The mosquito population of the Gulf Coast’s hurricane-affected areas is expected to increase at a staggering rate, according to Joe Conlon, spokesman of the American Mosquito Control Association (AMCA). However, he added that the possibility of
Diagnosing Endometritis–Biopsies vs. Swabs
Is an endometrial swab the best screening tool for endometritis, or inflammation of the uterine lining (endometrium)? Not according to a recently published study from Denmark in Theriogenology that compared endometrial swabs with biopsies to
Electroacupuncture Alleviates Chronic Back Pain
University of Florida (UF) researchers have reported success with using electroacupuncture to alleviate chronic back pain in horses. The study was published in a recent edition of the Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association.
Sun Cured/Dehydrated Alfalfa
In 2005, feed regulatory officials were informed that sun-cured alfalfa products might be used in products labeled as dehydrated alfalfa, thereby substituting a product of possibly inferior nutritional quality to unsuspecting consumers. This
Florida Mobile Diagnostic Unit
The University of Florida (UF) College of Veterinary Medicine in Gainesville is on the cutting edge with its first-of-a-kind Mobile Equine Diagnostic Science rig, which is referred to as the MEDS unit. The $450,000 custom-made truck takes modern
Filly Recovering from Tail Burning and Amputation
“I knew right away that it was definitely a burn,” stated Brian K. Garrett, DVM, of Animal Hospital of Fayetteville in Fayetteville, N.C., Dixie’s treating veterinarian. Trespassers maliciously burned the 2-year-old Spotted Saddle Horse filly’s
