The use of drugs in the competition horse carries with it some extra concerns and responsibilities. Many of the major issues related to drug use in the performance horse involve the treatment of lameness. It is imperative that the moral and ethical line between treating minor pains and more serious injuries be quite clear. Many of the anti-inflammatory drugs can have extremely powerful effect

An appreciation of normal reproductive anatomy is essential to the competent physical examination of the stallion’s reproductive tract. If you are involved in breeding, then you should be familiar with what is considered normal so you know when something is wrong. This information will also help mare owners make informed decisions about a particular stallion which might have physical problems

Internal parasites are insidious culprits. They steal, damage, and even kill. The worst part of the whole scenario is that they can’t be totally eliminated, only controlled. In the theft department, internal parasites rob in two ways: First, they steal nutrients from the horse’s body; second, they take money from the owner’s pocket in the form of lost food value. Adding to the problem is the

Thought you knew the latest in keeping your horse healthy from head to toe? Think again! Richard Mansmann, VMD, PhD, from Central Carolina Equine Practice in Chapel Hill, N.C., is using a preventive foot care program that’s designed to detect early and/or prevent foot problems that could limit performance in horses. This program involves at least an annual visit by the veterinarian and

Although not usually life-threatening, arthritis causes your horse pain and can be career-ending. In fact, a research report from Michigan State University’s McPhail Equine Performance Center calls degenerative joint disease the single most common cause of early retirement for sport horses.

Scientists are working hard on several studies that might eventually present realistic solutions

Who among us hasn’t had a problem that frustrated us because we didn’t know where to turn for answers? Maybe it’s something complicated or technical and there isn’t anyone in our area who is an expert. Perhaps the question deals with something controversial, and we’re afraid of hurting someone’s feelings or making that person feel that we are looking beyond him or her for answers. Or maybe we

The number of confirmed Eastern equine encephalitis cases (EEE) in horses has risen to 44 as of May 6 in north central Florida, according to Bill Jeter, DVM, diagnostic veterinary manager for Florida’s Division of Animal Industry. This confirmed earlier speculations that 2003 will have higher-than-normal numbers of EEE cases this year. The virus has been confirmed in 18 counties, and 24 of th

One equine case of West Nile virus (WNV) in Florida had been confirmed by serological testing as of May 1, according to Leroy Coffman, DVM, Florida’s state veterinarian and director of the Division of Animal Industry. This was the first reported equine case of WNV in the state this year, and possibly the first in the United States this year.

The WNV case was confirmed in an unvaccinated

Uterine lavage can be performed immediately prior to artificial insemination in mares without adversely affecting fertility, according to a recent study completed at the University of Idaho (UI) in Moscow, Idaho. The uterine lavage process is used to clear the uterus of inflammatory fluids that could decrease the viability of semen in mares.

Researchers already knew that uterine lavage

A standardized medication and testing policy for Thoroughbred racing in the United States is three to five years away, said Rick Arthur, DVM, vice president and director of the Oak Tree Racing Association and a member of the Racing Medication and Testing Consortium. He said this during an April 1 California Horse Racing Board (CHRB) Medication Committee meeting. Arthur said he is encouraged b

The term “laser” conjures up images varying from action movies to removal of skin wrinkles to hands-free toilet flushing. What these things have in common is that a beam of light with a particular wavelength produces a particular desired effect. A surgical laser simply delivers coherent (meaning the beam stays together indefinitely), monochromatic (single wavelength as opposed to the visible

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently approved a new, broad-spectrum parasite control product from Merial that will treat and control 61 species and stages of equine parasites, including tapeworms.

Zimecterin Gold combines two active ingredients, ivermectin and praziquantel, to provide a broad spectrum of parasite control. Praziquantel is proven to have a wide margin of safety

Joint trauma can severely limit performance and seriously affect the quality of your horse’s daily life. Owners want and need to know how best to manage equine joint disease. The most important factor in successful treatment is early detection and diagnosis.

Any of the components of joints–the joint capsule, synovial membrane, synovial fluid, cartilage, bone, and ligaments–can b

Equine influenza has spread to nearly 20 premises–mostly Thoroughbred training stables–in the eastern, central, and southern parts of the United Kingdom. “The reason (it’s unusual) is because despite the fact that horses have been very well vaccinated and have very high antibody levels, they are still becoming infected,” according to James Wood, BSc, BVetMed, MSc, PhD, MRCVS, DLSHTM, Dipl.