Proper Imaging Techniques for HorsesAugust 19, 2015Originally published in the August 2015 issue of Veterinary Practice News. Loved this article? Then subscribe today! While many general practitioners see horses somewhat regularly as part of their practice, using radiography, such as X-ray or ultrasound, isn’t that common. Veterinarians sometimes make errors or have lapses due to inexperience with equine radiology methods. Anthony Pease, DVM, MS, DACVR, associate professor, diagnostic imaging for the College of Veterinary Medicine, East Lansing, Mich., said that almost every lameness case would benefit from radiographs. “They are a non-invasive, fast way to get information about the limbs, and with digital technology, the ability to consult with specialists can be done on the farm,” he said. Meghann Lustgarten, DVM, DACVR, assistant professor, radiology at N.C. State University’s College of Veterinary Medicine, Raleigh, N.C., said the equine cases that require the most imaging are pulmonary disease, colic and lameness. “I think the most common errors made in the field regard radiographic positioning. It can be difficult …
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Equine Veterinarian Aiming for OlympicsAugust 14, 2015Fernando Cardenas, DVM, came to the United States from Colombia in 1987. Having grown up around horses, it was only natural for Dr. Cardenas to become an equine veterinarian, opening 3H Veterinary Service in New Hill, North Carolina. But his love of horses expanded past taking care of them. He also had an interest in sport horse performance. He also competes with Quincy Car, his 12-year-old horse, in show jumping, stating that his passion is horseback riding. "Show jumping is the test between the rider and horse to clear 12 to 13 obstacle courses,” Cardenas told WRAL Sports. Cardenas, who calls his horse smart and brave, recently competed at the Pan-American games in Toronto. Now he has his sights on the 2016 Summer Olympic Games, to be held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. “There are many, many people that I competed with that just ride for a living, so I said to myself I was probably one of the very few amateurs competing at this level.” In the upcoming months, Cardenas will continue to work …
Livestock Pose Giant Threat to British VetsJuly 28, 2015Don’t be careless around bulls and other large animals. That’s the advice of the British Veterinary Association, which found that more than half of veterinarians working with production animals on farms had been injured over the previous 12 months. Even interacting with smaller livestock can be dangerous. “Kicked in the side of the head while castrating a calf” was among the responses to BVA’s Voice of the Veterinary Profession survey. Among wounded practitioners, nearly 1-in-5 classified their injuries as “very” or “quite” severe. “By far the most common injury was bruising caused by kicks, with almost 85 percent of production animal vets who had been injured reporting this,” BVA stated in July as part of Farm Safety Week. “Other injuries reported included lacerations, crush injuries, head injuries caused by kicks and fractures caused by kicks.” One large animal veterinarian recalled being targeted by a pair of bulls. “Bruised and shocked,” the practitioner stated. “Both attacks [while] doing whole herd testing on separate bulls, one stock and one beef bull. Both attacked from behind on a farm with poor facilities.” Another complained of “cattle crushes and squashed body parts.” Veterinarians and farm owners must be safety conscious, said BVA President …
It’s B-a-a-c-k! Livestock Virus ReturnsMay 22, 2015Vesicular stomatitis, a contagious virus that afflicts mainly horses and cattle, has returned to Texas for the second year in a row after starting the season in New Mexico, Utah and Arizona. Texas last year saw vesicular stomatitis (VS) cases at 54 premises in 11 counties before the disease, which causes blistering and swelling of animals’ tongues and lips, faded away. Colorado, which was hit even worse than Texas, has not reported any cases this year. Until 2014, Texas had been VS-free for five years. “If you suspect your animals have VS, you should notify your veterinarian immediately,” said State Veterinarian Dee Ellis, DVM, who also serves as executive director of the Texas Animal Health Commission. “Texas had its largest VS outbreak in history last year, and we must remain vigilant in protecting our livestock industry in 2015.” The first case of 2015 in the Southwestern United States was confirmed April 29 by the National Veterinary Services Laboratories. The New Jersey serotype of the virus was found in a horse in Grant County, N.M. Two days later, infections of the same serotype were confirmed in three horses in Maricopa County, Ariz., and in a mule in Kane County, Utah, that …
What's New in Equine Endometritis, Placentitis and CloningApril 17, 2015Originally published in the March 2015 issue of Veterinary Practice News. The issues in equine reproduction today may be as numerous as the potential advancements in the field tomorrow. Endometritis and cloning have grabbed the attention of some experts, while others, such as Scott Bailey, DVM, Dipl. ACT, are focused on contraception and placentitis. Dr. Bailey, an assistant professor of theriogenology at North Carolina State University’s College of Veterinary Medicine, said contraception isn’t discussed enough. “A lot of performance mares really struggle with managing behavior in the face of a competition schedule,” Bailey said. Owners he’s spoken with feel strongly that mares don’t do as well as geldings. “There are statistics that show that when they are in heat and in competition they are less likely to jump their best or race their best or win first place,” he said. Contraception is an issue for owners who want their horses to do as well, and it’s important from the standpoint of population control, Bailey said. “We still are faced with an overpopulation of horses in the U.S.,” he said, adding that when he applies for research grants related to equine reproduction, “We very often get the question back, ‘Why …
More Options for Bad Joints in Aging PetsMarch 2, 2015Originally published in the February 2015 issue of Veterinary Practice News There’s no shortage of ways for a veterinarian to approach the treatment of joint problems in aging pets. For dogs in particular, a path taken from several fronts is recommended by Brenda S. Kennedy, DVM, MS, of Canine Companions for Independence. “A multimodal approach is necessary to reduce pain and minimize further degeneration in the joints,” Dr. Kennedy said. “This is especially true for senior pets, who are more likely to be in a more advanced stage of the disease process.” Kennedy was to speak in January at the North American Veterinary Community conference in Orlando, Fla. Her talk was titled “Canine Longevity: Strategies to Extend Healthspan.” The multimodal therapy she refers to can include the use of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatories (NSAIDs), analgesics such as tramadol, amantadine and gabapentin, or injectable polysulfated glycosaminiglycans like Adequan, or products like oral glucosamine, chondroitin, methylsulfonylmethane (MSM), as well as omega-3 fatty acids. Adjunct therapies like acupuncture and physical rehabilitation may also be beneficial, she added. Start With Diet, Exercise The basics of diet and exercise are a message that Kennedy and other experts drive home. “Maintenance of a lean body condition along with …
Anti-Vax And Your Clients: Tips For CommunicationFebruary 24, 2015Unlike the ‘anti-vax’ movement among parents of small children, experts say most of the cases of horses going unprotected from common illness are not due to concerns about the vaccines’ side effects. The causes behind lapses in vaccine schedules are probably many and various. Rusty Ford, equine program director for the Office of the Kentucky State Veterinarian, believes many situations come down to two factors: strapped finances and a lack of education. Vaccines are one more expense to add to the cost of horse ownership of course, but rolling the dice with the horse’s immune system can prove more expensive if the animal contracts a serious disease. Ford believes many people just don’t understand how easily diseases like West Nile Virus can spread. “West Nile Virus hit Kentucky’s equine population in late summer/fall 2001 with eight horses being confirmed as affected,” Ford recalled. “The following year Kentucky reported 513 cases, of which 496 (97 percent) were not immunized.” Fortunately, horsemen responded to the outbreak quickly: In 2003, the prevalence dropped to 102 cases with 94 percent unvaccinated and then dropped to eight cases in 2004 and nine in 2005. It’s important to understand that the level of public awareness of …
First-Class Animal Transit Hub Coming to JFKJanuary 28, 2015The barking of dogs and the bellowing of cattle will compete with the roar of aircraft when The Ark at JFK opens in early 2016 at John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York. A 178,000-square-foot animal handling, quarantine and veterinary operation is being built on the site of a vacant air cargo building in a $48 million project designed to ease the shipment of pets, horses, birds and livestock into and out of the Big Apple. An around-the-clock veterinary hospital will provide everything from general and internal medical services to emergency and critical care, surgery and advanced diagnostics. Overseeing the medicine side will be Lifecare Veterinary Health System, whose partners include Red Bank Veterinary Hospital in New Jersey, the Veterinary Referral Center in Pennsylvania and East End Veterinary Emergency and Specialty Center in New York. The Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine assisted with the design of the privately owned Ark at JFK. “We developed The Ark concept to address the unmet needs for the import and export of companion, sporting and agricultural animals,” said founder John J. Cuticelli Jr., the chairman of Racebrook Capital. “The animal terminal will set new international airport standards for comprehensive veterinary, kenneling and quarantine …
What Mobile Equine Vets WantJanuary 5, 2015Originally published in the December 2014 issue of Veterinary Practice News Vetel Diagnostics The Generation II Wireless Digital Radiography system weighs 6.5 pounds and is designed to go 10 hours on a single charge, manufacturer Vetel says. Veterinarians who travel from office to farm to stable looking after their equine patients carry all the equipment they can along with a wish list of items they would add if the opportunity arises. Kenneth Marcella, DVM, of KLM Equine Services in Canton, Ga., has just about everything he wants, minus one piece of equipment that’s yet to be invented. Dr. Marcella owns digital X-ray equipment, ultrasound for reproduction uses, ultrasound for tendons, a tomography camera and a Lameness Locator. He also has the standard stuff, such as power floats and equipment to treat problem hooves. He fits it all into his Chevrolet 2500 extended cab pickup with Porta-Vet box. “There’s not a whole lot of stuff out there, equipment-wise, that we don’t have,” Marcella said. Marcella said he would own a shockwave sound therapy unit, but because other equine veterinarians operate in his rural area, he and the other practitioners agreed not to duplicate equipment that isn’t used regularly. …
$42.5 Million Gift to Fund Regenerative Research at CSUDecember 30, 2014Two horse lovers plan to donate $42.5 million to Colorado State University to help researchers develop regenerative medical therapies for animals and people. The gift, the largest in the university’s history, will be used to construct and equip the Institute for Biologic Translational Therapies. The research conducted inside will look at stem cells and other therapeutic options for the treatment of ailments such as musculoskeletal disease, the university reported Monday. The gift from Denver-area philanthropists John and Leslie Malone allocates $10 million toward operating costs and $32.5 million for construction of a building that will house laboratories, surgical suites and meeting areas for veterinarians and physicians. The donation requires the university to raise $32.5 million in matching funds for the building’s construction. “We are tremendously grateful to John and Leslie Malone for their generous philanthropy, foresight and dedication to scientific discovery,” said Colorado State President Tony Frank, DVM, Ph.D. “In addition to being the largest cash gift in the university’s history, their commitment positions us to build on our foundation as a leader in translational medicine, where advances in veterinary medicine very rapidly move into the sphere of benefiting human health.” The institute will be unique, Colorado State reported, in its …
