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, …
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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
Kansas, Texas Researchers to Conduct Beef Cattle Production Health StudyMarch 18, 2016Kansas State University and Texas Tech University have teamed up to learn more about feedlot cattle production and health. They are seeking feedlots to participate in the study, which is slated to begin in May. Researchers will focus on two areas of cattle feeding, according to Dan Thomson, DVM, Ph.D., a member of the collaborative research group and a professor of diagnostic medicine and pathobiology at Kansas State University. The two areas: starting cattle on feed and associated risks with bovine respiratory disease and the end of the feeding period focused on performance, carcass quality, fatigued cattle syndrome, heat stress, acute interstitial pneumonia, liver abscesses, cattle transport and others. The research group will work with feedlots participating in the study to better understand risks associated with acute interstitial pneumonia (AIP) and liver abscesses. A parallel study involves interested feedlots to participate in advanced necropsy training for their feedlot employees in coordination with their consulting veterinarian better understanding acute interstitial pneumonia lesions by sending samples from necropsied cattle to the Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory at Kansas State University. “AIP cases and liver abscesses are economically crippling issues in our cattle feeding operations,” …
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 …
Equine Dentistry for the Mixed-Animal Practitioner: A GuideFebruary 16, 2016February is Equine Dental Awareness Month, and it’s a great time to remind clients to schedule their horse’s annual dental exam and float. If your veterinary practice is primarily small animal, you likely don’t spend much of your time peering into a horse’s mouth. Erika Wierman, DVM, received her veterinary degree at Ohio State University and took an internship with Rood and Riddle Equine Hospital in central Kentucky, where she developed an interest in equine dentistry. Wierman ultimately opened an equine dentistry practice in Versailles, Ky, but spent some time working for mixed species clinics and says she knows that dealing with equine oral health can prove a challenge for veterinarians who spend most of their time with dogs and cats. Along with client input, a good oral exam can help veterinarians identify and treat problems early, before they begin to seriously impact the horse’s overall health. Horse Dental Care: What to Look For Start an exam by checking in with clients on their horse’s eating habits, riding frequency, bit type, odors or nasal discharge. Besides the obvious sharp …
More Apoquel on Way for Dogs, Zoetis SaysJanuary 25, 2016The popular anti-itch drug Apoquel, which remains in short supply two years after its release, should be freely available in the months ahead as Zoetis Inc. continues to increase production, according to company officials. “Hopefully by this time next year we won’t be having conversations [like this],” said J. Michael McFarland, DVM, Dipl. ABVP, the company’s group director of companion animal marketing. Dr. McFarland addressed several subjects during a media briefing this month at the North American Veterinary Community conference in Orlando, Fla. He was joined by Shelley Stanford, DVM, MS, MBA, the group director of companion animal veterinary professional services, as they outlined the Apoquel distribution strategy and how the drug compares with Zoetis’ newer Canine Atopic Dermatitis Immunotherapeutic. Zoetis will gradually lift Apoquel purchase restrictions, McFarland said. “We’re understandably concerned at this point in time that if we just open up the dike and let product flow that there could be some product hoarding,” he said. “It may be awhile before we know what the real, true pent-up demand for the product is, so we want to release the product in a more slow and steady manner.” Why Zoetis has had trouble mass-producing Apoquel has not been …
Stallion Won’t Breed?January 22, 2016Originally published in the January 2016 issue of Veterinary Practice News. Did you enjoy this article? Then subscribe today! It’s a new year, and for horse breeders it’s exciting. New foals are being born, and it’s almost time to start breeding mares. It’s also going to be time to identify and treat breeding problems. For mare owners, it’s soon going to be time to culture and ultrasound and biopsy, especially when breeding issues come up. Of course, it takes two to tango, and for stallion owners, it’s going to be time to identify and treat stallion problems; otherwise stated, it’s not always the mare’s fault when a mare doesn’t get in foal. Stallion problems fall into some broad categories. Here are some things to think about if you’re worried that a stallion might be the problem. Lack of Libido A lack of sexual desire is a frustratingly common problem in stallions. As natural as it may seem for a stallion to want to breed, many circumstances can conspire to make a stallion a reluctant breeder. These …
Innovative CT Scanner for Horses DebutsDecember 18, 2015Standing up for horses, a New York company has introduced a computed tomography (CT) system that permits whole-body scans of upright and moving equine patients. The Equimagine system uses two or four robotic arms to capture high-resolution, high-speed images from any direction within as little as five to 15 seconds. One of the first installations is planned at the University of Pennsylvania New Bolton Center, where surgery chief Dean W. Richardson, DVM, Dipl. ACVS, said the system can be used to diagnose fractures. “We believe that the technology will allow early identification of horses with incomplete occult fractures in areas that can proceed to catastrophic failure,” Dr. Richardson said. Equimagine, manufactured by Four Dimensional Digital Imaging (4DDI), is designed to generate CT, fluoroscopic and bone-density images and conduct tomosynthesis, dynamic video radiography imaging and digital radiography. A major benefit, 4DDI President George Papaionannou said, is that equine patients are not anesthetized and may be scanned in load-bearing positions such as standing or walking and running on a treadmill. The system will save practitioners “hours and logistical nightmares” compared with the use of traditional equipment, he said. CT scanners often require the use of anesthesia so patients remain still, but …
Study: Equine Vets Lagging in Business SkillsDecember 17, 2015Keeping veterinary drugs locked up is a sensible idea. The same goes for sending client reminders and tracking payroll expenses. And maybe hiring a practice management consultant. But a survey conducted by two leading veterinary companies in cooperation with the American Association of Equine Practitioners found that inaction in many areas of business may be diluting the value and profits of horse practices nationwide. “With just a few small tweaks, equine practitioners can empower themselves with new management practices and business technologies that will greatly enhance the efficiency and profitability of their practice,” said researcher Edward J. Blach, DVM, MS, MBA. Merck Animal Health and Henry Schein Animal Health presented findings from the National Equine Veterinary Economic Study in December during the AAEP conference in Las Vegas. What the results showed was that equine practitioners don’t track revenue and expenses very well, and they tend to shun readily available management and communications tools. Of the nearly 500 AAEP members surveyed, 97 percent knew how much total revenue was coming in, but they couldn’t provide a breakdown in most instances. Only about one-third of the respondents could specify their laboratory, imaging, surgery and drug income. Just 1-in-5 could count …
