Latest News – The Horse

What exactly is breakover? Most would answer that it is the horse’s heel lifting off the ground and rotating over the toe as his foot leaves the ground. Breakover is simple in its definition, but pretty complex in its implications for your horse’s movement and soundness. And there’s not a lot of research out there yet to clearly define the best breakover for any horse.

In the meantime,

No one test can reliably diagnose septicemia (systemic infection) in a foal. The clinician must wait for the results of blood cultures, which can take days. However, preliminary studies of a blood protein called serum amyloid A (SAA) have shown it to rapidly increase in response to inflammatory diseases. Until now, fibrinogen (soluble plasma protein) has been used as an early indicator of

Sulphadiazine and pyrimethamine are used in combination to treat equine protozoal myeloencephalitis (EPM). These drugs interfere with folic acid (folate) metabolism, a vitamin essential for survival of the causative protozoon Sarcocystis neurona. In human patients, these drugs can cause folate deficiency. Signs of deficiency include bone marrow suppression and ulcerations of the tongue

Equine grass sickness is so named because it occurs in the spring in pastured horses which are eager to eat plentiful green grass. Its cause is unknown, but the result is destruction of the nerves of the gastrointestinal system, which is often rapidly fatal. While extremely rare in North America, grass sickness is a problem in Scotland, northern England, Switzerland, and Australia. There is n

Regardless of the number of mares being bred, it is important to monitor the stallion’s reproductive success in order to maintain his reputation and give yourself time to address any problems he might have.

Clearly, horses age differently, so when it comes to reconsidering the dietary program of the senior horse, it’s not a question of age, but of health.

In today’s world, there are many types of insurance that can protect us and our horses in the event of the ravages of disease, the pocket-emptying crisis of colic, and the finality of catastrophic injury and euthanasia. Equine insurance today ranges from major medical to mortality to loss of use to fertility. An owner often opts to purchase insurance so the decision of whether the horse lives

My gelding was vaccinated with no apparent reaction. A week later, he has become impossible to catch in the stall. He pins his ears, turns his rear to me, and kicks. There haven’t been any routine changes. Why the sudden attitude change?

Is there anything we can use on a horse’s teeth to get all the gunk off and the grass out of their gums? Is it okay to use toothpaste?

I’d like to know more about foals who after being delivered, dried, and rubbed well, quit breathing in 10-20 minutes. We have done resuscitation by blowing into their nostrils and pumping their rib cages, and have rubbed them vigorously.

As fires continue to ravage the Southern California Region, the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Los Angeles’ (spcaLA) resources are stretched from the high demand. From the Mexican border up to Ventura County thousands of residents and their animals are fleeing to safety. 

Currently, spcaLA’s Disaster Animal Response Team (DART), a mobile command post unit along

U.S. Equestrian will be offering a variety of seminars during its First Meeting and Sports Summit to be held Jan. 14 – 18, 2004, at the Millennium Biltmore Hotel in Los Angeles, Calif.

The American Association of Equine Practitioners will be sponsoring a series of health seminars beginning on Fri., Jan. 16, with Mark Martinelli, DVM, Dipl. ACVS, who specializes in orthopedic problems

The IDEXX Reference Laboratory group of IDEXX Laboratories, Inc. (NASDAQ: IDXX), earlier this month announced the purchase of Equine Biodiagnostics, Inc. (EBI). Based in Lexington, Kentucky, EBI specializes in diagnostic testing for the veterinary health care industry. Terms of the purchase were not disclosed.

IDEXX provides a worldwide network of full-service, veterinary reference