Vaccines are designed based on the specific nature of an antibody response to an antigen. In other words, the antibody will work only against the antigen that stimulated its production. A “booster” creates more antibodies, a quicker response, an
Endotoxemia is one of the most commonly encountered life-threatening conditions in horses with gastrointestinal disease. It is, by nature, a very disappointing and frustrating disease to encounter, and is the leading cause of death in adult horses
We ask an awful lot of an animal who walks on his middle toenails. Humans have recognized for centuries that the foundation of a horse’s soundness lies in his hooves–“No foot, no horse” is about as basic a principle as there is. It all comes
Japanese scientists recently announced that they have sequenced the genome of Clostridium perfringens. The organism can cause diarrhea, scours, and other intestinal problems in horses. Clostridia are normally found in various environments
An understanding of the horses’ digestive tract, where feedstuffs are digested and how that impacts the end products of digestion, is necessary to help the horse meet these challenges. The digestive tract of the horse is divided into two sections
The Thoroughbred racing and breeding industries in Louisiana were influential in funding and building the veterinary school at Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge, but the school serves all the state’s horses and their owners. Although one
There might be ongoing debate as to the value of a woman’s colostrum versus commercial colostrum products, but for a foal, nothing is better than a mare’s milk. Colostrum is specialized milk secreted during the first 24 hours following birth and
Then there is the matter of the large colon, with its sacculated construction that seems made to order for twisting or strangulating when the pouches become distended by gas during a bout with colic.
There is also the matter of length. If
The mechanical engineering involved in the structuring of equine joints is both complex and masterful. Not only do healthy joints allow the horse to move freely, but they also help to effectively absorb concussion, especially when the horse is
The basic anatomy and physiology of tendons and ligaments is complex. Nathalie Crevier, DVM, of the Clinique Equine-Laboratorie D’Anatomie in France, revealed what has been learned of the microanatomy of tendons and ligaments.
This month we shall begin a discussion of the rear leg: conformation, function, problems. There is at least one good reason to start with the rear rather than the foreleg. It seems to be the case that as man selects certain animals to breed to
There is an adage that is as old as the modern-day horse. It goes something like this: No foot, no horse. My late father, who could pick out a minute leg or foot unsoundness at a glance, used to lecture his young son about the importance of good
Chiropractors have been treating human patients on a professional basis in this country since before the turn of the century, but it has only been in recent years that this alternative form of therapy has been applied to a substantial number of horse
Researchers, veterinarians, and horse people from around the world gathered in San Antonio in April for the 16th meeting of the Association for Equine Sports Medicine (AESM). The program included three full days of presentations concerning the
While the horse receives the bulk of the nutrients as his food is broken down, he’s not the only one who benefits; the microbes take their share and thus maintain their populations. Their presence is essential to the horse, who could not digest fiber
I heard that a horse’s spleen is unique, but my friend said horses don’t have a spleen. What’s the truth?
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