Arkansas and Illinois have altered their medication policies to, among other things, provide harsher penalties for trainers if a horse in their care tests positive for a milkshake (a sodium bicarbonate mixture administered via stomach tube, intended to decrease blood acidity, countering the lactic acid that is produced during high speed performance and which increases fatigue).

Milkshake

Is there an uglier word in medicine than “cancer?” This is true in human and veterinary medicine. Many of us view cancer as invasive, debilitating, and fatal. But those who know horses know that while cancer occurs in equids, most of these cancers are sarcoids and melanomas–cancers that are generally benign, but should receive attention from a veterinarian to ensure they aren’t a danger to

Dealing with skin problems, unfortunately, is part of having a horse. Since skin is the largest organ of the body, it’s no wonder there’s much that can go wrong. Designed to safeguard internal organs from external forces and to help maintain consistent temperature, water, and nutrient levels, the skin is an integral part of a horse’s health.

When a weanling on a North Carolina breeding farm was diagnosed with larval cyathostominosis, Dianne Little, BVSc, MRCVS, equine surgery resident and PhD candidate in the Department of Clinical Sciences in North Carolina State University’s (NCSU) College of Veterinary Medicine, was suspicious of anthelmintic resistance. Parasites resistant to dewormers and associated diseases, such as larval

A diagnosis of sacroiliac joint (SI) pain tends to be one of exclusion, after other causes of hind limb lameness have been ruled out. To simplify the diagnostic process, researchers in the United Kingdom conducted a study involving 74 horses suspected of having SI pain. The objective was to use both nuclear bone scan (scintigraphy) and a local anesthetic block to positively identify abnormal

If you’ve been around horses, particularly performance horses, for even a short while, you’ve probably met someone who’s had a horse’s joints injected. The procedure–which involves injecting medication directly into the joint to combat such problems

Referral centers are those clinics or hospitals that offer diagnostic and therapeutic options not readily available or possible in a field (barn) type situation. These can include diagnostic modalities such as endoscopy with or without a treadmill, ultrasound, scintigraphy, and radiography, just to name a few. Referral centers can also offer a wide range of surgical care–on an elective or

I’m amazed at some of the angry reactions that followed our publication of a news item last month on a hereditary disease called hyperelosis cutis (HC) or hereditary equine regional dermal asthenia (HERDA). Some of the researchers involved–Ann Rashmir, DVM, MS, Dipl. ACVS, associate professor of surgery and head of the Hyperelastosis Cutis Research Program at Mississippi State University, an

As the National Governing Body for equestrian sport, the United States Equestrian Federation (USEF, formerly U.S.A. Equestrian) takes seriously the importance of providing a fair and level playing field for all competitors. This mission is a large and important one. Administering the rules and regulations requires not only the work of the Federation’s employees, but it also requires assistanc

All in all, vaccine reactions are very rare, and the process of vaccination against a disease process is one of the best ways you can safeguard your horse’s health. Vaccination is one of the most impressive discoveries of modern medicine; the ability to protect a horse against the ill effects of several severe and often fatal diseases is a huge benefit. However, you should understand the

“West Nile virus (WNV) is the number one diagnosed neurologic disease in horses, or close to it,” said William Saville, DVM, PhD, Dipl. ACVIM, of The Ohio State University, at a March 10 Fort Dodge Animal Health educational seminar for veterinarians held in Lexington, Ky. “Because of the decreased number of cases in 2003 compared to 2002, people are starting to think we’ve got WNV under

A friend swears that I put my horses at serious risk by mowing my pasture with a rotary finish mower. Is this true?

Horse owners and veterinarians alike have wondered if they can use Merial Limited’s Recombitek equine West Nile virus (WNV) vaccine in horses previously vaccinated with Fort Dodge’s West Nile-Innovator. Recently, Merial released the results of a study investigating this issue.

In the study, 27 horses were vaccinated in spring of 2003 with a two-dose initial series of Innovator per label

My horse has septic osteitis, and I don’t think my vet has had much experience in this and feels that surgery would be detrimental. I’d like to talk to someone with more experience for more information.

Thirteen horses in the Western Cape, South Africa, are believed to have succumbed to an outbreak of African horse sickness (AHS) by March 22, according to several news reports. The affected horses were from the Stellenbosch magesterial district and surrounding areas, reported www.sabcnews.com.

The first cases occurred at the Elsenburg