Extracorporeal shock wave therapy is an increasingly popular treatment method for equine injuries. During a presentation at the 2011 Western Veterinary Conference, held Feb. 20-24 in Las Vegas, Nev., Scott McClure, DVM, PhD, Dipl. ACVS, of Iowa
Veterinary students are often taught that dogs are three-legged animals with a spare. It might be surprising to some that the same adage is a suitable description for horses, too. “In horses where conditions exist that prevent the use of traditional
A variety of equine conditions can present with clinical signs that include colic pain, fever, decreased appetite, and weight loss. Similar signs occur with abdominal abscesses, making them challenging to diagnose. At the 2010 American Association of
When a veterinarian suspects a horse’s joint is infected, but it is not practical or feasible to obtain a joint fluid sample, he or she should consider using ultrasound to image the joint. Alex Young, BVSc, of the University of California, Davis’
Recent surveys of equine veterinarians reveal that laminitis is the No. 1 lameness concern of equine practitioners, due how difficult it is to treat and manage this debilitating condition. On the topic of laminitis control, Heidi Reesink, VMD, a
A study showed that oral detomidine gel successfully sedated horses for routine procedures.
Methods of managing pain in horses range from non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug use and opioids to alpha-2 agonists and ketamine, among others. Over the years, experience and research have helped veterinarians determine which of these are most
The idea of being able to “unsedate” or “reverse” a sedated horse after minor procedures is a great one, but veterinarians must select their cases carefully and be vigilant about using these drugs properly.
When new bone forms within long bones, enostosislike lesions (ELLs) can develop–an uncommon but concerning problem. Simply put, ELLs are bony growths within the cavity of the bone. At present, the exact cause of this phenomenon is unknown but
Monitoring lactate levels in samples of peritoneal fluid can help a vet predict which colicky horses require surgery.
One of the AAEP’s ongoing goals is to address the welfare issues that many horses and their owners face. At the 2010 American Association of Equine Practitioners convention, Midge Leitch, VMD, of Londonderry Equine Clinic in Pennsylvania and immediate past chair of the AAEP Welfare Committee, described three key steps the AAEP has taken—and continues to take—to improve equine welfare in the U.S.
Soft tissue lameness topics from the 2010 American Association of Equine Practitioners convention included early mobilization for soft tissue injury, hyaluronic acid-based biomaterial for wounds, back pain, lameness from pigeon fever abscesses, chiropractic care, and enostosislike lesions within long bones.
Topic regarding the horse’s gastrointestinal (GI) tract at the 2010 American Association of Equine Practitioners convention included colic surgery closure (sutures vs. staples), resistant ascarids and deworming, heart disease blood tests, colic prognosis indicators, abdominal abscesses, fecal egg counts and individualized deworming, antimicrobial-associated diarrhea, enteropathy, and dehydration.
At the 2010 American Association of Equine Practitioners convention, Scott Stanley, PhD, professor of Equine Analytical Chemistry at the University of California, Davis, discussed FDA’s ongoing attempts to ensure safety of drugs produced by compounding pharmacies (that provide individualized medications that are pre-scribed, but unavailable through normal means).
Equine welfare and the growing population of horses needing homes are becoming major challenges veterinarians face on a daily basis, according to the keynote speech “Horse Welfare Wars: When Emotion and Fact Collide” at the 2010 AAEP convention.
Veterinarians discussed track surface and fatality rates, radiographic (X ray) abnormalities in 2-year-olds, catastrophic injury characteristics in Thoroughbreds vs. Quarter Horses, forelimb and shoulder blade fractures, bone chips in the knee, and angular limb deformity correction at the 2010 American Association of Equine Practitioners convention.
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