Equine Vaccines Do Best When In Vets’ HandsNovember 28, 2012 Tom Judd, DVM, owner of Equine Veterinary Service in Freeport, Maine, says a small but growing portion of his client base insists on buying equine vaccines over the Internet. “Typically, we tell our clients that vaccinations not purchased though veterinarians can’t be assured of the quality and proper handling of the vaccine before the client gets it in his hand,” Dr. Judd says. “There are too many variables for quality and proper handling.” Judd continues to promote his “spring visits” as not only a farm call to vaccinate horses but also to build the valued relationship of veterinarian, client and patient. Veterinarians must convince equine owners that excising vaccines from their budgets can hurt, says Hoyt Cheramie, DVM, MS, Dipl. ACVS. Environmental pathogens—borne by mosquitoes, flies, rodents, air and feed sources—as well as infectious agents transmitted horse to horse can cause potentially fatal consequences. “Vaccinations are simple, cheap insurance relative to the potential consequences of having a horse get infected with the disease,” says Dr. Cheramie, a large animal veterinarian with Merial Ltd. of Duluth, Ga. “Discuss with owners and clients that it is possible to be financially prudent and still protect the horse.” …
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CO2 Laser Uses For Equine VeterinariansSeptember 6, 2012 I have been using lasers (CO2 and diode) in my equine-only practice for the last six years. I have discovered many uses that have immensely expanded my surgical and therapeutic capabilities. While the diode is primarily used for endoscopic surgery of the upper respiratory and urogenital regions, most of my laser use involves the CO2 surgical laser, which brings many benefits to my equine procedures. The CO2 laser’s wavelength of 10,600 nm is highly absorbed by soft tissue;1 this unique aspect of the carbon dioxide laser enables precise dissection and vaporization of soft tissue with minimum hemorrhage as well as reduced postoperative pain and swelling (due to the coagulation of nerve endings and lymphatics along the edges of incisions). Whether doing incisions, excisions, dissections or ablations, CO2 laser surgery is always noncontact; therefore it minimizes tissue trauma while providing a strong sterilizing effect by killing surface bacteria. CO2 Laser Uses With my CO2 laser, I have been impressed with the reduced inflammation and swelling of the surgery sites, especially in cases involving castration of the mature stallion. Small bleeders may be controlled by raising the handpiece away from the tissue, …
Not Vaccinating Horses Carries High CostAugust 29, 2012 Robert E. Holland Jr., DVM, Ph.D., can’t help but wonder, “Why would you risk the death of your horse to save $20?” But horse owners indeed are doing just that by forgoing core vaccines in a struggling economy. “Times are tough in many places in the U.S.,” says Rob Keene, DVM, an equine professional services veterinarian for Boehringer Ingelheim Vetmedica Inc. of St. Joseph, Mo. “I would hope that the administration of core vaccines would not suffer due to the economy.” Tom R. Lenz, DVM, MS, Dipl. ACT, estimates that the cash crunch has led to a 15 to 20 percent decline in equine vaccinations over the last couple of years. “For instance, many people feel that West Nile Virus is no longer a threat, but they are wrong,” says Dr. Lenz, senior director of Equine Veterinary Services at Pfizer Animal Health of New York. “It still exists.” Dr. Holland, Pfizer’s associate director of outcomes research, says not vaccinating a horse is shortsighted, pointing to a surge in Eastern Equine Encephalitis cases in Florida, including seven reported in one day. “The majority of mosquito-borne infections can be prevented by proper vaccination,” Holland says. …
A Cool Discovery During Horse Racing SeasonJuly 16, 2012During the recent horse racing season, I was fortunate to discover an incredibly wonderful, electrifying and riveting movie. Yet some viewers would consider it boring. After all, there are no explosions, no special effects and no sex scenes. The movie is “Secretariat” (Disney, 2010), named after one the greatest race horses ever. The American Thoroughbred was only 16’2 hands tall and 1,200 pounds. In 1973, Big Red, as he was nicknamed, became the first U.S. Triple Crown champion in 25 years. Incredibly, some of his records still stand today, almost 40 years later. Secretariat’s specialty seemed to be that he started races rather slowly and sped up to beat his competitors toward the end. Among others: In the Hopeful Stakes at Saratoga Race Course (New York, 1972), he passed eight horses in a quarter mile and ended up winning by five lengths. In the Laurel Futurity (Maryland, 1972), he won by eight lengths. Then came the 1973 Triple Crown, which consists of three races: In the Kentucky Derby, Big Red broke last, but won by 2 1/2 lengths. In the Preakness Stakes (Maryland), he again broke last, and won by 2 1/2 lengths. The Belmont Stakes (New York) may be …
Feed Routines Play Role In Equine GI ProblemsJuly 10, 2012 It’s taken a lot of guts to become Dr. Frank Andrews, career-long student of equine gastroenterology and gastric ulcers. The director of the Equine Health Studies Program at Louisiana State University’s School of Veterinary Medicine holds the titles DVM, MS and diplomate, American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine (large animal). After collaborating on more than 27 scientific articles, most of which seek to discover ways mankind interferes with the delicate workings of horse digestive components, Andrews has learned common-sense nutritional practices that could save clients and veterinarians a belly full of pain, anxiety and heartache. “There’s so much myth and tradition with horses, especially with feeding,” Andrews said. “Although we make our money on horses with colic, we’d like to see more preventive medicine out there.” Dietary Needs A diet high in nonstructural carbohydrates, particularly soluble sugar, combined with heavy training and stall confinement can predispose race and performance horses to gastric ulcers. Under normal conditions, horses spend about 10 to 12 hours daily eating, which allows them to maintain a full stomach and a continuous nutrient supply and the necessary microbes in the hindgut, Andrews said. Horses grazing at pasture are less …
Therapeutic Lasers For Elite Level Equine CompetitorsJuly 2, 2012 The United States equine competition season for three-day eventing reached its apex at Rolex Kentucky Three-Day Event in Lexington, Ky. It is one of the pivotal international competitions which help determine who is to be selected for the Olympic teams competing in London this summer. The pressure on every athlete, human and horse, to stay healthy, focused and yet relaxed and comfortable is enormously challenging. The eventing season is an endurance trial that requires either avoiding or recovering from fatigue and injuries. Managing these conditions in both the human and equine athlete plays a big role in determining who advances and who goes home. Virginia is home to many of the top three-day eventing competitors, who mostly travel and compete in Florida and the Carolinas for the winter, then return North for the summer and fall events. As equine sports medicine veterinarians to elite competitors, my wife, Stephanie Davis, DVM, and I travel with our clients not just as their veterinarians, but also as participants. Dr. Stephanie is also an avid eventer at the preliminary level. We seek every advantage with technology to keep our sport horses at peak performance. Many …
Laser Therapy In Equine PracticeJanuary 9, 2012 I have witnessed therapeutic lasers being used on the equine athlete since the 1970s. The lasers that were used throughout the ’70s, ’80s and ’90s were all Class III lasers, and I always found them to be long on promises but very short on clinical results. There was some anecdotal evidence of benefit to wound healing, but almost no scientific studies supporting any other clinical applications. I believe that failure of these early therapeutic lasers was primarily due to a lack of power (wattage), improper wavelengths and the insufficient application of a therapeutic dosage (joules/cm2). The lack of successful treatment using photobiomodulation changed with the innovative technology developing within the industry. Class IV therapeutic lasers have now become an essential tool in modern equine practice. What does the application of a deep-penetrating therapeutic laser actually accomplish? Through a stimulated photobiochemical cascade of events at the cellular level, we achieve relief of pain, a reduction in inflammation and an increase in microcirculation. These result in an accelerated restoration of function or healing within the tissues. A localized and systemic analgesic effect is accomplished through simultaneous biochemical pathways. These are: Increased nitric oxide production Increase …
Portable Equipment Saves Time, MoneyJune 9, 2011 Follow Veterinary Practice News on Twitter at @vetpetnews. Equine veterinarians whose portable equipment is showing its age may want to go shopping now for the latest in blood analysis, digital imaging, ultrasound and laser therapy machines. One major reason: Technology has changed greatly, permitting more accurate and less-invasive diagnosis and treatment compared with was available just 10 years ago. Portable and compact blood analyzers, some hand-held, are one example. Today, they can perform full chemistry and electrolyte panels, check blood gas and test fibrinogen or lactate. With just a few drops of blood, results are available in less than 15 minutes, and sometimes in seconds, without the need to collect, store and transport samples to the clinic for analysis. “Point-of-care results have tremendous benefit for the veterinarian, patient and owner,” said Craig Tockman, DVM, director of professional services at Abaxis North American Animal Health of Union City, Calif., which makes blood analyzers. “The doctor has the ability to communicate immediately with the owner, providing for better compliance and customer service, including face-to-face discussion of prognosis and treatment options not available with results sent later that day or even the next.” …
