Latest News – The Horse

Spaying a mare (ovariectomy) means removing her ovaries so she no longer comes into heat and has a more mellow attitude, like a gelding. An ovariectomy can be done standing (under sedation and local anesthesia) through a flank approach or a vaginal approach.

An infrequent complication associated with the old method of spaying (using a very old surgical instrument, a chain escraseur) is

Assessing neurologic conditions might seem difficult, but with practice and attention to the subtle differences between different conditions’ deficits, the process can become easier. Additionally, practitioners discussed vaccination and treatment options for the different diseases.

Several researchers have been working the past few years to determine if any U.S.-registered equine vaccine had advantages over others. It turns out that the serologic responses to–and protection given by–these vaccines varies significantly.

Severe injury of a racehorse is one of the most visible and critical situations race track practitioners must handle. Mary Scollay, DVM, senior association veterinarian for Gulfstream Park and Calder Racecourse, and Celeste Kunz, VMD, chief examining veterinarian of the New York Racing Association, moderated a Sunrise Session on triage of acute racing injuries.

Research has shown that boars can be fed a specific diet to increase fertility, and the same might be true of stallions. Steven Brinsko, DVM, PhD, Dipl. ACT, from Texas A&M University, discussed the potential of feeding a nutraceutical to stallions to enhance their fertility.

Morgan stressed that good management practices can reduce the risk factors that contribute to neurologic disease incidence. Keep feed sources clean and free of opossums and protect your hay from rodent infestation.

A study to determine the clinical signs of gastrointestinal rupture during colic was done by researchers at the University of California, Davis, and results were presented by Diana Hassel, DVM, of UC Davis.

“The foot is involved, either directly or indirectly, in the large majority of lameness cases,” said Ric Redden, DVM, founder of the International Equine Podiatry Center in Versailles, Ky.

Surgery for DDSP

Dorsal displacement of the soft palate (DDSP) occurs when the palate partially obstructs the airway by becoming displaced on top of the epiglottis. This can affect breathing, especially during intense exercise. Jennifer Smith, DVM, University of Pennsylvania’s New Bolton Center, discussed the combined effects of the surgeries

With researchers worldwide working on solutions to various horse health problems, there is a veritable mountain of information being published continuously. Much of this information is included in AAEP convention presentations, but some of this valuable research was either too new or brief to be included in the program.

A record crowd of nearly 6,200 attended the 49th annual convention of the American Association of Equine Practitioners (AAEP) in New Orleans, La. Included in that total was twice the number of veterinary students who attended the 2002 convention. The convention offered nearly 100 scientific presentations, hands-on wet labs, and an equine health seminar for horse owners.

The 50th Annual

Each year we report more information on this convention than can be covered in these pages. Full versions of some articles and additional reports can be found by visiting www.TheHorse.com/AAEP2003 or by using the given article numbers.

• “Dystocia Management,” #4954

If a new foal develops a problem requiring surgery, time is of the essence, said Rolf Embertson, DVM, Dipl. ACVS, of Rood and Riddle Equine Hospital. The time from recognition of abdominal pain to arrival of the foal at the clinic, evaluation for surgery, and surgery preparation and execution could affect the prognosis dramatically.

Compounding is not permitted by the FDA, she said. However, the FDA recognizes that veterinarians often need to compound drugs and therefore exercises its enforcement discretion to permit compounding. She said the confusion starts because of the broad law that puts the veterinarian in incompliance de facto, but enforcement is discretionary.