Latest News – The Horse
Three West Nile Virus Studies Underway at Colorado State
Equine veterinarians at Colorado State University’s James L. Voss Veterinary Teaching Hospital are currently involved in three research projects to analyze the statistics from 2002’s outbreak of West Nile virus (WNV) in two Western states.
One study will assess the long-term status of horses that had the virus. With the help of several second year veterinary students and the
AAEP 2002: Injecting the Sacroiliac Joint
Acute and chronic disease (especially osteoarthritis) of the sacroiliac joint(s) is not uncommon in competition horses and racehorses, affecting up to 8% of Standardbreds in training and 15% of competition horses (particularly hunters, jumpers,
High-Risk Pregnancies and Sick Foals
In defining a high-risk mare, Bain said she is one which has had previous foaling problems such as dystocia (difficult delivery), hemorrhage, or a red bag delivery. He said a mare also could be at risk because of medical illness, surgery, colic, laminitis, or because she is an older mare.
Prepping for Standing Eye Surgery (AAEP 2002)
“However, there are challenges with standing ocular (eye) surgery–you generally need magnification, and thus the horse must be perfectly still,” he continued. “Many (eye) procedures thus require general anesthesia. But with appropriate tranquilization, ocular nerve blocks, and restraint, many ocular surgeries can be performed adequately in standing horses.”
AAEP 2002: Possible Environmental Sources of Drug Positives
As post-performance drug testing methods become more sensitive, racehorse and show horse owners, veterinarians, handlers, and trainers have become more aware that positive drug tests could be the result of inadvertent contamination of the horse with chemicals present in the environment. Cynthia Kollias-Baker, DVM, PhD, director of the Racing Laboratory at the University of Florida, recently
Importance of Antimicrobial Resistance
The introduction of antimicrobial drugs to veterinary medicine has made a dramatic improvement in the health of our horses, but it’s alarming when infections do not respond to these drugs. “It is not a new phenomenon, but there has been ever-growing concern about antimicrobial resistance,” said Josie Traub-Dargatz, DVM, MS, Dipl. ACVIM, of Colorado State University, in her presentation at the
AAEP 2002: Thyroid Function in Horses with Peripheral Cushing’s Syndrome
Peripheral Cushing’s syndrome (PCS) is seen in middle-aged horses with obesity-associated laminitis. These horses tend to accumulate fat in the crest of the neck, over the rump, and in the sheath of male horses. Researchers are trying to understand this recently named syndrome. It was first proposed that classic Cushing’s disease–a disorder of the pituitary gland that leads to excessive
AAEP to Hold Equine Health Forum During USA Equestrian Annual Convention
The American Association of Equine Practitioners (AAEP) is sponsoring an equine health forum on Fri., Jan. 17, as part of USA Equestrian’s Annual Meeting in Lexington, Ky. The forum is free to all USA Equestrian members and guests attending the meeting.
The topics and speakers are:
“Emerging Equine Diseases” –Dr. Genevieve Fontaine from the
Hock Lameness: A Joint Nutraceutical’s Effect (AAEP 2002)
The study looked at the effects of a joint supplement (Corta-Flx) on gait asymmetry caused by degenerative joint disease (DJD) of the distal intertarsal and/or tarsometatarsal joints of one or both hocks.
AAEP 2002 Racehorse Medication Table Topic
Horse racing has far more stringent medication regulations than most other equine disciplines, and this was reflected in the Racehorse Medications Table Topic discussion at the American Association of Equine Practitioners (AAEP) convention on Friday, Dec. 6. The majority of the discussion revolved around the legality of using various medications and their withdrawal times. Gary Norwood, DVM,
Horse Theft and Identification
(Editor’s Note: This is an excerpt from Eclipse Press’ Horse Theft Prevention Handbook.)
Gray Horse Disease–Melanoma
It is interesting that Federico Tesio in his book Breeding The Race Horse described the inheritance of the gray coat color like a disease or defect, since melanoma skin tumors are so common in the gray horse. On the other hand, the gray
Veterinarian/Farrier Relationship
The Practice Act laws state that only veterinarians can diagnose and treat health problems. The veterinarian has to keep records related to each visit and also must protect the confidentiality of your horse’s records, and is the steward of that
Clusters of Aggression Problems
I have an almost 4-year-old Peruvian stallion, born and raised on my farm, living with only his mother and a sister. Because of my inexperience, I treated him as a pet. Since a very young age, he showed a strong will. When I started saddle
Training to Shoe Horses
Shoeing horses isn’t easy. To do the job correctly, a farrier has to have an understanding of equine leg and hoof anatomy; knowledge of the biomechanics of these structures; enough biology knowledge to understand how the horse’s soft tissues
Equine Exercise Physiology Research
While the term sports medicine is of modern extraction, exercise physiology in humans and horses has been around for more than 100 years. During the decline of the use of work horses in the early to mid-20th Century, not much research was done.
