Equine

Gear Trends: Smaller, Wireless, Portable

February 8, 2012

From the farm to cloud computing, the sky seems to be the limit for the latest in portable digital equipment for the equine practitioner. Wireless capability, remote access to medical records and high-quality in imaging are just some of favored examples of the latest digital technology. David Frisbie, DVM, Ph.D., Dipl. ACVS, associate professor of veterinary clinical sciences at Colorado State University in Fort Collins, considers a micro-arthroscope inserted in an 18ga needle a technological breakthrough. The needlescope enables the practitioner to perform procedures under partial sedation and with local blocks, rather than the traditional method that requires full anesthesia. Local anesthesia may be used and the horse remains standing, which Dr. Frisbie said lessens complications all around. For the past year, Frisbie has evaluated a number of horses’ stifle injuries with this new equipment, first developed for human medicine. “When you are trying to diagnose stifle problems,” he said, “X-rays and ultrasound can’t give you an accurate view and the joint is too big for an MRI. And there is not really a general arthroscope that practitioners can carry around. Needlescope vs. Arthroscope “We know that we can medicate the stifle with …

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Hard-to-Heal Equine Wounds Push Vets

January 10, 2012

By definition, a hard-to-heal wound hasn’t healed despite several treatment attempts and multiple approaches. Equine practitioners say they’re always open to trying something new, especially when a lingering wound can mean euthanasia for a patient or months of ineffective or slow healing. “If you take 10 people, you’ll get 10 opinions on how to treat wounds,” says David Levine, DVM, Dipl. ACVS, clinical associate at the University of Pennsylvania’s New Bolton Center in Kennett Square, Pa. “Just about any treatment has a 60 to 70 percent chance of working, but the best option is closing the skin, if possible. Even if the skin doesn’t survive, the biological Band-Aid provides good results.” Dr. Levine says proud flesh or excessive granulation is a common problem presenting with equine patients, a condition other species don’t get. “There are theories as to why proud flesh occurs, but none help in resolving the problem,” Levine says. “We have to remove or trim this tissue, use topical products to get rid of it and apply a skin graft.” Lower leg wounds tend to be the most frustrating to heal, says Dean Hendrickson, DVM, MS, Dipl. ACVS, director and professor at the …

Laser Therapy In Equine Practice

January 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 …

Exploring Embryo Transplants

January 6, 2012

When transferring embryos was first tested on rabbits in the late 1800s, veterinarians couldn’t have known the impact this experiment would someday have on the equine industry. Today, equine veterinarians transfer embryos between mares on a regular basis, providing horse owners a wide range of benefits. Many decades after the first successful embryo transfers, the cattle industry embraced the process in livestock reproduction. The first live calf from a frozen embryo transplant was born in 1973. Today, the cattle industry uses embryo transfer regularly. The Horse Industry After successful embryo transfer in cattle, the equine industry was quick to follow. The first foal produced by embryo transfer between mares was born in Japan in 1974. Ten years later, Colorado State University began experimenting with equine embryo transplants and produced twin foals from a bisected embryo transplant. Older and younger 7-day-old embryos. Today, state-of-the-art of equine embryo transfer is being performed regularly using the techniques of superovulation, transfer of fresh or cooled-transported embryos and vitrification (ultrarapid freezing) of embryos. Some specialized research laboratories and private reproduction centers are also producing embryos by oocyte transfer, sperm injection and nuclear transfer. The emphasis today …

If Money Were No Object

November 3, 2011

If someone dropped an unlimited pile of money on your equine practice, what would you buy? Ed Boldt Jr., DVM, of Fort Collins, Colo., specializes in complementary medicine, offering chiropractic and acupuncture, and treating lameness in performance horses. He would make an aqua treadmill his No. 1 purchase. Treadmills are powerful tools for rehabilitation, training and exercise, Dr. Boldt says. Horses remain in contact with a solid surface, yet can benefit from water’s buoyancy that displaces almost 50 percent of their body wieght. The thrust of working against the water still provides adequate concussion to promote bone density and encourage muscle development while minimizing injury. Horses use muscles similar to those they use on the ground, contrasted with swimming, which uses different muscle groups. Working out in water also helps to cool muscles, ligaments, tendons and joints, Boldt says. Prices for aqua treadmills start from about $80,000, set-up costs not included. With many models from which to choose, Boldt hasn’t decided on a specific model. “I’ve looked at the literature on a couple of units,” he says. “If I ever won the lottery, I’d need to check out the units before I made …

Treatments Advance For Corneal Disease, Injuries

October 19, 2011

Cutting-edge treatments and new methods to treat equine corneal diseases and injuries, equine recurrent uveitis and fungal keratitis are on the horizon. Some are even available now or will be available in the future for general practitioner use. New Ways to Heal Corneal disease and injury are common in horses, and injuries can be complicated and difficult to heal. Researchers are working on utilizing different biomaterials to help the eye heal itself. The equine amnion, which has been used successfully in other parts of the body, has been proven to help heal corneal injuries and diseases. The amnion is obtained during Cesarean sections and normal deliveries, then cleaned and processed with antibiotics. Ophthalmologists cover the cornea with the amnion, which acts as a self-sacrificing dressing. “The amnion has different antibiotic and anti-scarring compounds—although research is ongoing to discover what those are in horses,” says Dennis E. Brooks, DVM, PhD, Dipl. ACVO, professor of ophthalmology at University of Florida College of Veterinary Medicine. “It’s adjunctive therapy; you still need the eye drops,” Brooks continues. “But the amnion reduces enzyme activity and scarring, which is the major problem with horses. We’ve applied amnion after corneal …

Equine Lay Dentists Making Inroads

August 8, 2011

The question of who should practice equine dental care remains a hot button issue. Many veterinarians are expressing alarm over the lack of oversight among non-veterinary equine dentists and the apathy within their own profession about whether dental care remains a medical procedure. The American Veterinary Medical Association and the American Association of Equine Practitioners agree that both large- and small-animal dentistry are medical procedures, and that veterinary dental assistants or technicians can be utilized by veterinarians in their offices and under their direct professional supervision. But Gregory Beroza, DVM, Dipl. ACVS, Dipl. ABVP, of The Long Island Equine Medical Center in Huntington Station, N.Y., a practice that focuses on equine dental care, says although veterinarians are required to have both state and nationally recognized training and professional credentials, not all equine dentists who practice have even proper state licenses. “And now there’s a battle in who really owns the turf of dentistry between non-trained self-proclaimed lay-dentists and well-trained veterinarians doing dentistry,” he says. “I personally believe that equine dentistry belongs to veterinarians, just as the human dental work belongs to human dentists. There are some within my profession who don’t agree, and another …

New Developments In GI Issues In Horses

July 13, 2011

Equine gastrointestinal problems remain ongoing issues for horse owners, and researchers are working to find new ways to allay these problems. Helping owners treat horses kept in 21st century conditions are at the top of the list. New tests can now find causative agents for diarrhea in both young and adult horses. Gastric, Colonic Ulcers Researchers are trying to solve the ongoing problem of management for the modern horse. Pastures are rarer than ever before, horses are stalled a good deal of the time, and equine athletes require more energy than hay alone can give. It’s long been understood that these management methods have created problems in the horse, in particular in gastric and colonic ulcers. Since it would be difficult if not impossible for many horsemen to change, researchers are trying to find ways to work around these issues. Cherry Ulcer Omeprazole has been recognized for many years as an important medication in healing gastric ulcers. GastroGard is the FDA-approved prescription version for treatment while UlcerGard is the FDA-approved preventive medication to use during times of stress and increased gastric ulcer risk, such as when competing. Both are products of Merial Ltd. …

Supplements For Chronic Conditions

June 9, 2011

Many people believe that supplements can help manage health issues and chronic conditions in their horses, leading to a more productive and better quality of life. Clinical and field experience has demonstrated that many health problems and disease conditions can be either prevented or effectively treated with proper nutrition and the use of specialty health products and supplements, says Roger V. Kendall, Ph.D., vice president of research and development at Vetri-Science Laboratories in Essex Junction, Vt. “[For example,] the use of antioxidants to reduce the damaging effects of free radicals in equines has found applications to deal with many metabolic issues,” he says. Though nutrients and other natural ingredients such as glucosamine and perna canaliculus (New Zealand green shell mussel) may work more slowly than selected drugs such as nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, Kendall says, in the long run they may enhance metabolic processes and help restore function and balance to the body. “Selected supplements and animal health products can contribute important metabolites for cellular regeneration, improve the flow of energy, enhance immune function, detoxify cellular toxins and improve enzyme activity,” he says. “Such supplements can contribute to the animal during times of stress and aid …

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