b'YOUR GUIDE TO THE 2017 AAEP CONVENTION SPONSORED BYA Tool to Diagnose Cardiac Arrhythmias on the FarmFIND FULL STORIES ATTheHorse.com/AAEP2017Veterinarians typically diagnose cardiac arrhythmias (heart rhythm irregularities) with Functional Electrical Stimulation Aids Back Muscle Symmetry an electrocardiograph (ECG) unit, but these cumbersome instruments are impractical for Functional electrical stimulation (FES) is a type of elec- farm calls. So Bill Gilsenan, VMD, Dipl. ACVIM trotherapy that stimulates the motor nerves responsible for(LAIM), of Rood & Riddle Equine Hospital, muscle function, meaning it could help achieve or maintaindescribed a smartphone-based heart monitor multifidi (spine-stabilizing) muscle symmetry. Research- vets can use in the field: the AliveCor Veteri-ers evaluated its impact on equine multifidi muscle asym- nary Heart Monitor. He said the handheld metry and found that FES might help reduce back pain inwireless portable ECG device is essentially an horses with asymmetric multifidi muscles. FES will get theiPhone case with electrodes on it that trans-muscles activated and symmetrical, but then you must trans- mits an ECG-compatible signal to a phone. fer that improvement in muscle function to the work underCOURTESY DR. SHEILA SCHILS It offers substantially more information to saddle, so the horse can perform their job in better balance,Veterinarians can performthe ambulatory veterinarian, who is equipped said presenter Sheila Schils, MS, PhD, principal of EquiNew. electrotherapy using FES.with simply a stethoscope, he says, and can influence decisions to properly treat or refer affected patients.Review: Bony ChangesMost (72%) hadmany horses exhibited in the Equine Neckabnormal bony changesmore than one issue. What We Know About Immune-To better understandanywhere from the headHe concluded that manyMediated Myositis in Horsesbone pathologies in horsesto the lower neck. Gradeschanges arent visible viaImmune-mediated myositis (IMM) is a necks, Kevin Haussler,ranged from mild (28%) toradiographs, and horsessometimes-fatal muscle disease that occurs DVM, DC, PhD, Dipl.moderate (22%) to severemight have changes with- predominantly in Quarter Horses and related ACVSMR, of Colorado(5%). Many changes re- out showing obvious signs.breeds. Lazslo Hunyadi, DVM, MS, PhD, Dipl. State University, investi- lated to osteoarthritis andIt is unclear which specificACVIM, of Equine Sports Medicine and gated the cervical spines ofmuscle and joint capsulebony changes contribute toSurgery, conducted a retrospective study of 56 euthanized horses. connective tissues, andpain and stiffness, he said. horses diagnosed with IMM at the University of California, Davis, to learn about the condi-tion and affected horses likelihood of survival. Managing Umbilical RemnantWater Treadmills Help He determined that horses with IMM can Complications in Foals Condition Horses have high survival rates (87% in this study), especially if treated early. We did not identify Umbilical infection and patent urachus (urineA team from the University of Calgarya definitive etiology (cause), but IMM was leakage through the umbilicus) commonly affectand Washington State University evalu- associated with a recent history of respiratory foals, with both conditions typically requiringated fitness in horses trained on tread- infection or vaccination, and Quarter Horses surgery, said Laia Reig, BVM (Hons), an internmills with (WT) and without (DT) water.and related breeds were overrepresented.at the Virginia-Maryland College of VeterinaryNine unfit Thoroughbreds participated Medicines Marion DuPont Scott Equine Medicalin a pre- and post-conditioning maximal- Scientists Test Probiotic to Center. exercise racetrack test, which recordedPrevent C. Difficile OutbreaksAlthough the surgical procedures to correcttheir VO 2 max (maximum oxygen usedDuring a recent Clostridium difficile neo-umbilical issues have been well-described, thereduring intense exercise); respiration; heart was little information regarding postsurgicalrate; whole blood lactate; and speed. nate outbreak, researchers from the University events, complications, and outcomes. So ReigThe team found that neither maximumof California, Davis, sought to find out if a and colleagues reviewed medical records fromheart rate nor maximum speed changed.probiotic could help prevent disease. 82 foals with umbilical issues.However, the WT-conditioned horsesFoals dosed with a probiotic mixture twice Based on their findings, said Reig, Surgicalshowed a 16% increase in their VO 2 maxa day for their first two days of life experi-management of infected and/or patent umbilicaland a 17.4% increase in average speed.enced no C. difficile-associated diarrhea. remnants has a good prognosis overall. However,Horses in the DT-conditioned groupAlso, fewer foals receiving the supplement de-pre-existing joint infections and development ofdidnt exhibit significant fitness increases.veloped foal-heat diarrhea than did untreated joint infections postoperatively decrease survival.Adding WT protocols to the trainingfoals. This suggests using a targeted probiotic In fact, 39% of (those) foals suffered postopera- program of horses may have a beneficialmight help reduce C. difficile-associated diar-tive complications. conditioning effect, while minimizingrhea in neonatal foals, the team concluded.concussive forces, the authors noted.A54 TheHorse.com/AAEP2017 AAEP Wrap-Up THE HORSEMarch 2018'