Lots Of Theories, Few Answers On ColicJune 9, 2011 From the first clinical sign of severe abdominal pain in horses, veterinarians must be quick to diagnose and treat colic, the No. 1 equine killer. Intestines can be irreparably damaged in as little as three to five hours in the case of ischemic strangulating obstructions. Accurately determining each colic type—digestive, intestinal accidents/strangulation, impaction, sand and spasmodic—is vital, as each has its own prognosis and treatment. The American Association of Equine Practitioners has assembled a panel of veterinarians to search for answers to colic, which strikes 1 in 10 horses and kills 10 percent of those. Among the veterinarians serving on the panel are Anthony Blikslager, DVM, Ph.D., Dipl. ACVS, and Frank Andrews, DVM, MS, Dipl. ACVIM. Dr. Blikslager is a professor of surgery and gastroenterology in North Carolina State University’s Department of Clinical Sciences. Dr. Andrews serves on the Louisiana Veterinary Medical Association’s Equine Committee and is director of the Equine Health Studies Program at at Louisiana State University’s School of Veterinary Medicine. “A veterinarian needs to know if the clients want the horse saved at all costs, as well as at what point the owners will allow the veterinarian to refer the animal for …
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The Skinny On Low-Starch DietsJune 9, 2011 Specialized feeds have helped horses cope with health challenges for many years. On the market now are low-starch products, but experts say not every horse will benefit from them. Mary Beth Gordon, Ph.D., director of research and new product development for Purina Mills, says top-performing horses require a higher level of soluble carbohydrates in their diet. “Racehorses, for example, have to be able to replace glycogen quickly because of their work,” she says. “Studies show the best way to do that is with a moderate to high soluble carbohydrate grain.” Brian D. Nielsen, Ph.D., PAS, Dipl. ACAN, a professor of animal science at Michigan State University, says the majority of horses probably encounter few, if any, problems when consuming a feed higher in starch. “Mature horses that are fit, have a thin or moderate body condition score, and have a high energy demand likely can consume a high starch diet with absolutely no problems,” he says. Specific Conditions Studies have shown that low-starch diets are most beneficial in horses suffering from equine metabolic syndrome, insulin resistance, Cushing’s syndrome, PSSM (polysaccharide storage myopathy) and laminitis. “Diet is key [with these conditions],” says Lori …
Keeping An Eye On Emerging DiseasesJune 9, 2011 Follow Veterinary Practice News on Twitter at @vetpetnews. Emerging and re-emerging equine diseases appearing around the globe this year may prove problematic for U.S. horses. Examples include the Hendra virus, which led to several equine deaths in Australia, and African horse sickness, which has killed more than 2,000 horses on the African continent. While these diseases haven’t reached U.S. shores, federal officials are monitoring them. “We do constant surveillance for emerging and re-emerging diseases,” says Tracey Lynn, DVM, MS, Dipl. ACVPM, director of the Center for Emerging Issues at the USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service. “We are monitoring trends based on case occurrence,” Dr. Lynn says. “We are looking for those times when a disease or disease agent might fit into our criteria. We look at what’s happening in all parts of the world from an emerging disease surveillance perspective.” She says her agency monitors and assesses disease pathways and introduction into the U.S. Regarding African sickness and Hendra virus, she says the current risk of infection among U.S. horses is relatively low. “Hendra virus has never been identified outside the continent of Australia. Right now it seems …
Breed For SuccessJune 9, 2011 Follow Veterinary Practice News on Twitter at @vetpetnews. Three equine reproduction centers explain their methodologies. Learn More Select Breeders Services Southwest: 940-365-2467, www.selectbreeders.com/sbsw.cfm . Equine Reproductive Veterinary Services: 859-640-2094, www.equinereprovetservices.com . Royal Vista Southwest: 405-527-0767, www.royalvistasouthwest.com Technological advances in equine reproduction continue to open doors for equine practitioners. Breeding today seems to be more science than nature, and having the right tools and skills to ensure a successful pregnancy is paramount. Discussions with three leading equine reproduction centers about the processing and handling of cooled and frozen semen, as well as the equipment and processes used for handling embryos intended for transfer, conveyed a consistent message: quality control counts. Select Breeders Services Founded in Maryland in 1987, Select Breeders Services (SBS) has expanded to become an organization with affiliates that offer semen freezing and related equine reproductive services throughout the U.S., Europe and Australasia. Whit Byers, M.S., who partnered with SBS founder Paul Loomis …
Equine Anesthesia Today: Both Injectables And Inhalants Continue To Have Their PlaceJune 9, 2011 Follow Veterinary Practice News on Twitter at @vetpetnews. Emerging techniques, newer drugs and the continuing education of practitioners indicate that equine anesthesia is becoming less problematic. Horses emerge from anesthesia faster, more safely and with fewer side effects. “The end point of anesthesia is typically to maintain the cardiovascular and respiratory functions as close as possible to normal physiological status,” said Bernd Driessen, DVM, Ph.D., associate professor of anaesthesia at the University of Pennsylvania College of Veterinary Medicine. “We know in horses that we cannot achieve that easily, but we are now able to stay at least within a 20percent –to 30 percent range." Emerging Techniques and Drugs More procedures are being done in the field with profound sedation than ever before. “More and more students have come of age in a time where sedation became a routine thing,” said Cliff Swanson, DVM, MS, associate professor of anesthesia at North Carolina State University College of Veterinary Medicine. “In the past, clients weren’t used to having their horses sedated for certain routine things [such as sheath cleaning and dental exams]. Now, it’s become more of a routine practice." “This translates to better …
Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy Helps Heal Horse’s BurnsJune 9, 2011 “I was horrified. It was the worst burn case I’d ever seen,” recalls Steve Adair, MS, DVM, Dipl. ACVS. Pattycake, a 5-year-old horse, had suffered third-degree burns from a barn fire over 60 percent of her body. “When Pattycake was referred to us three weeks after the fire,” says Dr. Adair, associate professor of equine surgery at the University of Tennessee, “she didn’t have any skin on the side of the neck, from her withers to her tail, and from mid-rib cage all the way over to the other side mid-rib cage—pretty much the entire dorsum of the body. She couldn’t live the way she was.” Owned by an elderly couple, Pattycake was initially treated at home for a week before admittance to a nearby veterinary clinic for more intensive daily symptomatic treatment. As news spread about the injuries suffered by Pattycake and her less severely burned stable mate, the University of the South Equestrian Center (USEC) offered to care for the other horse and to transport Pattycake to the University of Tennessee for skin-loss treatment. USEC students held fundraisers to defray veterinary costs. The severity of Pattycake’s burns prompted Adair to employ unusual …
Better Options Than Ever In Fight Against OAJune 9, 2011 Diagnosing and treating equine osteoarthritis (OA) is a top priority for many equine practitioners. The disease causes lameness and can lead to the debilitating, premature end of a race or working horse’s career. Clinical signs such as swelling, heat over the joint, pain, loss of flexion, evidence of fibrosis and loss of joint space in radiographs means damage has already occurred to the horse’s articular cartilage. “About half of all horse farms have at least one horse with OA or a lameness issue,” says Allison Stewart, DVM, Dipl. ACVS, an associate professor at the University of Illinois. “The use of ultrasound (for stifle and possible foot damage or laminitis secondary to OA), arthroscopy, radiographs and MRIs all contribute the making an OA diagnosis. Radiographs are most cost effective, but MRIs show more detail such as bone changes like bone anemia/sclerosis and reduced or increased signal in cartilage.” Testing synovial fluid for an increased mononuclear cell count increase can evaluate for differential cellular counts, pH, total protein concentration and mucin precipitate quality, says Dr. Stewart. A more invasive method of detection is arthroscopy, possibly in chorus with an MRI, to definitively identify fibrillation on cartilage, other …
Rumensin Approved For Milk Production Efficiency GainsJune 9, 2011 Follow Veterinary Practice News on Twitter at @vetpetnews. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved feed ingredient Rumensin (monensin sodium) for use in dairy cattle for improving milk production efficiency, Elanco Animal Health reported. The product was already used in dairy heifers to control coccidosis and improve weight gain. The new claim reads: "Rumensin is indicated for increased milk production efficiency (production of marketable solids-corrected milk per unit of feed intake)." Trial results showed that cows fed Rumensin were 2 to 4 percent more efficient in producing more milk per pound of feed, Elanco reported. "This approval is a breakthrough for the U.S. dairy industry in that [it] results in increased milk production efficiency, which is a key component of dairy profitability," said Patrick James, president of Elanco. "With this approval, the FDA is helping the industry recognize production efficiency as an emerging metric of performance for dairy operations." Rumensin increases the production of propionic acid (a relatively efficient volatile fatty acid that converts feed energy into usable energy) and decreased the proportion of less-efficient volatile fatty acids and waste products such as methane, Elanco reported. Want more Veterinary Practice …
Equine Teeth Need Specialized CareJune 9, 2011 Equine dentistry involves a lot more than floating teeth. Jack Easley, DVM, MS, Dipl. ABVP (Equine), says veterinarians with specialized training are the best choice for taking care of the complete horse. “Why would horse owners have someone with no understanding of medicine, disease or function touch their horse’s teeth?” he asks. “Dentistry is an area of veterinary medicine that has become very advanced in small-animal care. What we know in human dentistry we’ve applied to dogs and cats, so small-animal dentistry has a big jump on equine dentistry,” Dr. Easley says. Periodontal disease is common in horses of all ages. Horses 2 to 5 years old may need dental services when deciduous teeth are shed and permanent teeth erupt. Middle-aged horses can experience malocclusion and crowding, especially in miniature horses. Older horses, in their late teens or early 20s, may experience periodontal disease in teeth that normally last about 25 years. Proper feeding and dental care can extend the life of the teeth and the horse. Lynn A. Caldwell, DVM, chairwoman of the American Association of Equine Practitioners’ Dentistry Committee, of which Easley is a member, says horses kept in stalls and fed …
Supplements For Health And Well-BeingJune 9, 2011 While often used in horses suffering from chronic problems, supplements also can assist in the general health and well-being of the equine patient, many veterinarians believe. Still, a veterinarian needs to emphasize to the client that supplements must be used wisely and chosen carefully to reap the benefits, nutritionists say. Filling Nutritional Gaps General health and well-being begins with good nutrition, which goes a long way toward boosting the immune system and providing physiological functions that allow the body’s organ systems to work properly. But a diet deficient in a nutrient—or with an excess of certain nutrients—can affect a horse’s health, says Dr. Gary D. Potter, Ph.D., PAS, Dipl. ACAN. “There are hundreds of examples,” he notes. “Too little calcium leads to osteoporosis. Too much phosphorous leads to osteoporosis. Too little protein results in low milk production in mares. Too much protein results in excess metabolic heat in athletic horses. Too little zinc compromises the immune system. Too much zinc causes secondary copper deficiency. “And diets consisting of only hay and cereal grains are not balanced nutritionally for some horses, such as mares in late gestation, lactating mares, immature growing horses and juvenile athletic horses. …
