New Robotic Lifting Device Works to Help Injured HorsesApril 12, 2016To help horses recover from limb fractures and other traumatic injuries, researchers and engineers from the University of Saskatchewan in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada, have created a robotic lift system for injured horses. According to a news release from the university, written by Alison Williams, a third-year veterinary student, “A team of researchers has partnered with RMD Engineering, a local Saskatoon engineering and manufacturing company, to design and build a one-of-a-kind robotic lift system. The lift will help rehabilitate horses suffering from acute injuries and other musculoskeletal problems by providing mobility, weight distribution and support.” Normally, a horse’s recovery from surgery is complicated: They have a strong flight response, and they’re heavy weight can cause issues too. And, as Williams points out: “Veterinarians regularly use slings to help support injured horses, but current designs significantly limit the animals’ normal activity and support all of their weight on the thorax and abdomen. This leads to further problems because of compression on the lungs and development of pressure sores. With the lift system … clinicians can reduce and redistribute the weight the horse is carrying dynamically. The system allows the animal to be mobile with …
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How to Work With Common Horse InjuriesApril 6, 2016If your patients follow the “Equine Laws of Probability,” then you are frequently faced with injuries of all kinds, especially those involving the musculoskeletal system. Phenylbutazone will naturally be one of your primary go-to drugs to help control both pain and inflammation (regardless of the nature of the injury), but what else do you have up your sleeve? Advances in Analgesics Phenylbutazone and other nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSDAIDs) are a godsend, but can we being doing more to provide appropriate relief from the pain associated with acute and chronic injuries? According to Lori Bidwell, DVM, Dipl. ACVAA and certified veterinary acupuncturist from the Kentucky-based company, East West Equine Sports Medicine, we know have more options than ever to gain control of pain in our patients. NSAIDs remain the first option in many cases, but other analgesics can be used in combination with the staple, including gabapentin, tramadol, acetaminophen as well as local anesthetics. Lidocaine is inexpensive and can be used as an IV bolus, locally, and even via a topical patch (e.g., on the ankles for local pain relief in the distal extremities). Although ketamine can cause recumbency when administered as an IV bolus, Bidwell says that ketamine is an …
The Latest on Equine HealthApril 5, 2016With the slew of studies published in 2015 in addition to conferences, wet labs and other CE opportunities, staying abreast the latest and greatest in equine practice poses time-management challenges galore. Rather than trying to invent your own DeLorean to travel through time to catch up, simply create an account at PROLibraries, an online resource for educational sessions. Organizations like the American Association of Equine Practitioners (AAEP) post sessions, such as the Kester News Hour (KNH), which can be downloaded and viewed at your leisure. The KNH is an AAEP Annual Convention staple devoted to sharing current news items in one of three categories: medicine, surgery and theriogenology. According to Carey Ross, Scientific Publications Coordinator at the AAEP, “The KNH creates diversity in our program with an emphasis on providing practical information for members to take home and use every day.” Here is a smattering of the KHN selections presented during the 61st Annual Convention of the AAEP, held December 5 to 9, 2015 in Las Vegas, Nevada. Current Equine News in Medicine Carol Clark, DVM, Dipl. ACVIM, an internist at Peterson and Smith Equine Hospital in …
Kindred Hopeful of Potential for Equine, Feline DrugsMarch 31, 2016Kindred Biosciences Inc. is pushing to bring two new drugs to market: Zimeta (dipyrone injection), for treating fever in horses, and KIND-010, for weight management in cats. The Burlingame, Calif., company announced the filing of the effectiveness section as part of Zimeta’s New Animal Drug Application (NADA). All remaining technical sections were expected to be submitted to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration by the end of March. It’s potentially good news for equine practitioners. “Dipyrone will be very familiar to seasoned veterinarians,” said Peter Morresey, BVSc, Dipl. ACVIM, Dipl. ACT, a veterinarian with Rood and Riddle Equine Hospital in Lexington, Ky. “While never approved in the United States, dipyrone enjoyed widespread usage for control of fever and pain before withdrawal from the market in 1995. “If approved, it will be available again in the United States in an FDA-approved formulation,” Dr. Morresey added. In other news, a field test using 32 cats showed the effectiveness and safety of KIND-010 for the stimulation of weight gain in cats under clinical conditions. At the second week of the field study, the mean weight of …
Study: Horse's Behavior Can't be Determined by the Color of its CoatMarch 30, 2016Does a particular color of a horse’s coat make it more prone to being “crazy?” That’s what researchers sought to find out, and discovered the coat has nothing to do with a horse’s personality. Researchers, in their paper titled “The relationship between coat colour phenotype and equine behaviour: A pilot study,” published in published in Applied Animal Behaviour Science, asked horse owners to fill out a questionnaire that covered several sections, including: Horse handling experience Basic horse information Equipment used when handling or riding the horse Behavioral responses in general and specific circumstances The responses helped researchers determine that the color of a horse’s coat had little to do with their behavior. Instead the breed, sex and age of a horse "significantly influence many of its behavior," according to the researchers. This new data may (or may not) change how people feel about chestnut horses. Female chestnut horses are often described as "crazy," but while researchers found chestnut horses there are behavioral differences between chestnuts and bay horses, “Chestnut horses are not more likely than bay horses to display adverse behaviors. So …
The Art of Equine Veterinarian YogaMarch 30, 2016Originally posted on HorseChannel.com here. I find myself in weird positions sometimes. Physically, I mean. But I don’t think this is unique to me, or my profession as an equine veterinarian. All horse owners can appreciate that awkward, light-footed crouch needed to peer up at a hidden wound between the front legs of skittish gelding. But I do think that I’m in these odd positions at a higher frequency than most horse owners. I mean, hopefully you aren’t scrunched in a ball looking at wounds in weird places all day long. Me? Sorta my job. Every once in a while, if the barn is quiet and I turn a certain way, I hear my shoulders crack and hips pop. Occasionally a client will go, "Oh! Was that you?” I am reminded that regularly palpating mares takes its toll on the human body (a common chronic use injury for large animal vets is rotator cuff injury) and I sometimes think that perhaps one should design a few yoga positions aimed at the equine practitioner. I have a few ideas myself. For starters, a very basic position, in …
5 Ways to Talk About Equine Health With Your Vet ClientsMarch 29, 2016The diversity of the equine industry means that some veterinarians provide only specialized services, like treating lungs and limbs of top equine athletes that travel the world. Other practitioners prefer a more robust practice style, managing the health and well-being of “pasture pets” on small acreage farms one minute then working with dozens of broodmares on a commercial operation the next. Regardless of the exact nature of your practice, discussing your clients’ needs to ensure their horses receive the best possible care is essential. In some instances, an owner or manager might not even be aware of potential problems or welfare issues their horses face or ways that you might be able to make their lives better. Consider some of the following ways to improve the lines of communication with your clients. 1) Take time to talk. Everyone seems to be set on hyper speed these days. Meeting the needs of our scheduled clients, fitting in emergencies and still finishing work at a reasonable hour to soak up that life-work balance we’ve heard so much about is challenging. Although we spend countless hours in our trucks driving from farm to farm, …
Common Illnesses of Newborn FoalsMarch 24, 2016Fortunately, most newborn foals hit the ground running, almost literally. While there are many foal veterinary problems, a few are more common than others. Interestingly, one of them has fascinating parallels with human autism. Warning Signs Some seemingly normal pregnancies result in abnormal foals, but most problem foals arise from high-risk pregnancies. Conditions that can lead to problems in new foals include a mare’s illness during gestation, inflammation of the placenta or premature placental separation—so-called “red bag” delivery—twin pregnancies, dystocia, prematurity and hypothermia. Unsanitary conditions in the foaling environment can put newborns and mares at risk for post-partum issues. Once Baby Hits the Ground Normal foals should get up in less than an hour. When they do rise, they should be active and look to interact with the mare and nurse almost immediately. The first sign that a veterinarian should be called is when a foal doesn’t act normally. But even if a foal seems healthy, she should be examined to ensure no underlying problems. Failure of Passive Transfer (FPT) Probably the most common abnormality of newborn foals is the failure to acquire adequate passive immunity through the
Veterinary Service Grants Available from USDAMarch 4, 2016If you’re looking to expand your clientele to include more rural clients in underserved areas, then look into the Veterinary Services Grant Program (VSGP) from the National Institute of Food and Agriculture, which is part of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). What is the VSGP? According to the USDA website: “The purpose of the Veterinary Services Grant Program (VSGP) is to relieve veterinarian shortage situations and support veterinary services. Grants will be made available on a competitive basis to qualified entities to develop, implement, and sustain veterinary services through education, training, recruitment, placement, and retention of veterinarians and veterinary students. Grants will also be made to establish or expand veterinary practices … The Veterinary Services Grant Program is authorized by the 2014 Farm Bill. Initial funding for the program, $2.5 million, was appropriated in the FY 2016 budget.” There are two types of grants available: Education grants and equipment grants. Education grants can be used for recruiting, training programs in food safety or food animal medicine, programs to help enhance food safety and more. Equipment grants are “for establishing or expanding veterinary practices by equipping veterinary offices; sharing in overhead costs; or establishing mobile …
What to Watch For When Breeding MaresFebruary 17, 2016For mare owners, breeding season brings two sure things: anxiety and expense. Even with advances in breeding technology, some mares—young and old—will fail to deliver a live foal at term. Critical to breeding success is good breeding management. Fortunately, many of the veterinary problems pertaining to mares are fairly easily addressed. Make Sure the Mare Is in Good Condition A mare’s body condition is critical for successful breeding. Mares in good to moderate condition are more likely to successfully conceive than are mares that are too thin or too fat. Ideally, mares are adding a bit of weight at the time of breeding. Make Sure the Mare Is Ready to Breed It behooves any owner to confirm that the mare’s uterus is ready to go before trying to get it to carry a foal. Common pre-breeding examinations include: Rectal palpation. This helps to assess the size of the uterus as well as the presence of ovarian follicles and their proximity to ovulation. Ultrasound. This is indispensable in mare management. Ultrasound helps to assess things like uterine thickness, the presence of uterine cysts, which are not necessarily a detriment to successful breeding, and …
