Latest News – The Horse

Swor and her co-authors from Texas A&M University (TAMU) found out that deep digital flexor tendonitis (DDFT) is more common than previously thought, and it is found more often in the hind limb than the forelimb. Additionally, horses with hind limb DDFT are more likely to make a full recovery than horses with forelimb DDFT.

Hudson found that embryo recovery can be enhanced by slight modifications of the standard embryo flush technique, and embryo transfer success can be improved by verifying that the embryo was not retained in the tip of the sheath with which the veterinarian performs the embryo transfer.

The examination of a well-preserved placenta adds value to a post-partum checkup. “What clients can do to help us is the timeliness of placental examination,” he added. “There is little you can draw from a placenta that has been exhumed from beneath an azalea bush after three days.”

Whether it be a geriatric horse with West Nile virus, a malnourished mare, or a multi-million dollar stallion that is down, recumbent transport can be a useful and safe way to move the horse if performed properly. A rescue glide made of recycled plastic can get the animal onto a trailer or ambulance, and the most difficult part of its use is getting the horse on the glide.

Equine seizures can be disturbing to witness, and they can be puzzling for a veterinarian to diagnose, simply because the veterinarian isn’t always there to watch the horse as it has a seizure. Diagnostic tests can be expensive and time-consuming, but are necessary to determine the cause of the seizures and help identify ways to prevent them in the future.

The conditions under which a veterinarian is asked to complete a purchase exam have great bearing on how much he or she is able to ascertain about the horse and its current state of health and athleticism. A roomful of veterinarians discussed the ins and outs of purchase exams at the 50th annual American Association of Equine Practitioners (AAEP) Convention in Denver, Colo., Dec. 4-8, 2004. Whil

A major use of prostaglandin is to manipulate mares’ estrous cycles. Some side effects observed when mares are treated with labeled doses of these medications include sweating and colic, and as a result owner distaste for using the drugs is growing.

To determine whether equine shock collars could eliminate aggressive behavior, Kennedy looked at a group of 15 horses that were either aggressive toward a new horse in the pasture, aggressive toward a horse on the opposite side of a fence, or aggressive within an established herd.

Several studies have been conducted on extracorporeal shock wave therapy (ESWT) at various institutions this past year. One presented by C. Wayne McIlwraith, BVSc, PhD, DSc, FRCVS, DrMedVet (hc), Dipl. ACVS, director of Colorado State University’s Gail Holmes Equine Orthopaedic Research Center, at the 50th annual American Association of Equine Practitioners (AAEP) Convention in Denver, Colo.,

Since then, more advanced drugs including new inhalant anesthetics have been developed to reduce stress on horses being put under anesthesia, and during recovery. Since the 1980s, research into the importance of monitoring blood pressure, respiration, and blood gases during anesthesia has also been documented.

Tablet computers, Metron PX, Hi-8, true digital, megapixels, lithium vs. NiMH batteries, inverters, iGo Juice, Photoshop–what do all these things have to do with the equine veterinarian? The message of the Emerging Technologies Table Topic was they can do quite a lot to help.

“You get into a lot of these things out of necessity, not fun and games,” said moderator Dick Galley, DVM, a

“Death or euthanasia of a valuable mare results in loss of her genetic potential,” she said. “However, when a mare dies, her ovaries still contain potentially viable oocytes that can be harvested to produce additional offspring. Some mares seem to have a lot of viable oocytes, while others have very few.”

Managing a mare’s estrous cycle is an integral part of breeding management, and human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) is one hormone option for doing just that. Patrick McCue, DVM, PhD, Dipl. ACT, associate professor of equine science at Colorado State University, discussed the use of hCG to manage ovulation.

“Most of us have used hCG throughout our practice lifetimes,” he began. “It’s used to

While a large part of microscopic semen evaluation centers around motility (directional sperm movement) and morphology (sperm structure), some reproductive specialists think there’s more to the story. In an attempt to better understand stallion fertility, Steven P. Brinsko, DVM, MS, PhD, Dipl. ACT, associate professor of theriogenology at Texas A&M University, presented the results of

“We had heard several anecdotal reports of intra-articular administration of liquid silicone being used as a lubricant in equine joints (to treat osteoarthritis),” began Daniel Burba, DVM, Dipl. ACVS, professor of equine surgery at Louisiana State University, at the 50th annual American Association of Equine Practitioners (AAEP) Convention in Denver, Colo., Dec. 4-8, 2004. “It sounded kind of