Vitamin E: Necessary to horses, but there's a lot to learnFebruary 5, 2019Vitamin E seems to be at the forefront of many discussions about horse nutrition these days. Contrary to appearances, vitamin E is not a vitamin in and of itself. Rather, it's a group of eight compounds—four tocopherols and four tocotrienols—that are fat soluble. This vitamin is important for myriad functions in the horse's body, including but not limited to, and in no particular order, the eyes, the reproductive tract, and the neuromuscular system. The most important function of vitamin E seems to be as a biological antioxidant. In this way, and probably by other ways that haven't been determined yet, vitamin E serves to maintain many normal body functions of the horse. Vitamin E-related problems generally manifest in the horse's neuromuscular system. In young horses, these include nutritional myodegeneration, neuroaxonal dystrophy, and equine degenerative myeloencephalopathy; in older horses, a lack of vitamin E is associated with vitamin E-deficient muscle problems or equine motor neuron disease. The grass is greener and packed with vitamin E Happily, for most horses, there is ample vitamin E provided in the diet. Green grass is a great source of vitamin E—most things that are green have a good bit of it. Those horses lucky …
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A readily available, inexpensive, and scientifically sound wound lavage systemJanuary 21, 2019There are many undeniable advantages to using a garden hose for wound lavage.
Merck Animal Health and Alopexx develop pneumonia vaccine for foalsJanuary 18, 2019Two companies have come together to develop a vaccine for infections in young horses.
AAEP Good Works Award nominations now openJanuary 11, 2019The American Association of Equine Practitioners (AAEP) is inviting horse owners and organizations to submit the names of veterinarians who have contributed services or resources to benefit the local equine community.
Acute neurologic injuries in the horseDecember 27, 2018Acute, traumatic injury to the horse’s central nervous system is an occasional, and often devastating situation facing equine veterinarians, most often caused by a collision or fall. Injuries to the spinal cord and/or brain may result in a variety of different clinical presentations, however, the damage incurred by the tissues and cells of the nervous system are similar.
Understanding acute upper airway obstructionsDecember 14, 2018Since horses are obligate nasal breathers, the UA is the only conduit for airflow to and from the lungs, making a normal airway essential for the horse.
FDA requests preventative labels on dewormers to combat antiparasitic resistanceDecember 13, 2018Animal drug companies are being asked to revise the labels of medicine made to treat certain internal parasites in livestock and horses.
Merck Animal Health, AAEP celebrate 10 years of helping rescue horsesDecember 5, 2018The Unwanted Horse Veterinary Relief Campaign (UHVRC), which helps protect the health of horses in rescue, celebrates its 10-year anniversary this month.
How EOTRH screening boosts bottom linesNovember 19, 2018Equine practitioners are faced with limited options for the economic growth of their practice. Increasing service to the clients you already have is one of the best ways to boost revenue; one way, specifically, is through dental screening and care.
Stem cell treatments hold promise, require more researchOctober 24, 2018Over the past several years, some companies have produced various stem cell products for treating a variety of equine conditions, including tendon and ligament injuries, laminitis, and ocular issues, to name a few. There’s no question stem cells carry tremendous promise for the treatment of many diseases and injuries.
