Prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of leg lameness
Equine joint supplements have been purported to decrease inflammation, increase mobility, and more. This guide to equine joint supplements includes a seven-step quality evaluation process and tips for choosing a safe and effective product.
Equine joint injections can help veterinarians diagnose lameness or medicate a horse’s painful joint.
Equine lameness, defined as a deviation from a normal gait, is an indicator of a structural or functional disorder of the musculoskeletal system (the limbs or spinal column) that is noted while the horse is either moving or stationary.
Pinpointing lameness in horses is crucial before proper treatment can be prescribed. There are several approaches to lameness examinations and diagnostic methods, which will be partly determined by the age of the horse and what it does for living.
In a retrospective study of 118 French Trotters, a team of veterinarians found that horses with back pain had more severe and localized lesions identifiable on X ray than horses with no evidence of back pain, but even pain-free horses had lesio
Foot lameness in horses was the topic of two separate Table Topics during the 2009 American Association of Equine Practitioners (AAEP) Convention in Las Vegas, Nev., in early December. About 100 veterinarians attended each session.
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Learn about the normal functions of bones, cartilage, soft tissues, and fluids within the fetlock joint.
Strategies to identify specific problems in a horse with indistinct or unusual gait deficits, particularly if
A recent study of coffin bone (distal phalanx) fractures in foals found they were far from rare. In fact, all 20 of the Warmblood foals in the study (all foals on a particular farm in one season) had fractures at some point in their first year of life.
New imaging technologies, such as MRI, CT, digital ultrasound, and nuclear scintigraphy, have helped us understand anatomy better and improved our ability to visualize joint injury. As a result, we’re now able to utilize nonsurgical joint therapies.
Knowing how the hoof is built and what it is capable of can help you understand what it needs to stay healthy and recover if compromised.
Many horses are trained athletes that are bred and conditioned for a specific sport such as racing, jumping, western performance or dressage. While these sports are relatively safe, just like a human athlete, there is always a possibility of injury and in most cases with horses the injury tends to be lameness.
Bone chips in a horse’s movable joints can compromise the animal’s ability to perform, and, in some cases, they can even end the animal’s career. However, not all bone chips are created equal.
Having evolved to flee in an instant, horses are equipped with a “stay apparatus” that allows them to remain upright for long periods of time. But this mechanism isn’t foolproof and sometimes it causes more harm than good.
Learn how to keep splints (bony lower leg swellings) from becoming permanent blemishes or problems that interfere with a horse’s athletic career.
Horses that are mainly ridden on weekends require special care and training to avoid injury.
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