Supplements For Health And Well-BeingJune 9, 2011 While often used in horses suffering from chronic problems, supplements also can assist in the general health and well-being of the equine patient, many veterinarians believe. Still, a veterinarian needs to emphasize to the client that supplements must be used wisely and chosen carefully to reap the benefits, nutritionists say. Filling Nutritional Gaps General health and well-being begins with good nutrition, which goes a long way toward boosting the immune system and providing physiological functions that allow the body’s organ systems to work properly. But a diet deficient in a nutrient—or with an excess of certain nutrients—can affect a horse’s health, says Dr. Gary D. Potter, Ph.D., PAS, Dipl. ACAN. “There are hundreds of examples,” he notes. “Too little calcium leads to osteoporosis. Too much phosphorous leads to osteoporosis. Too little protein results in low milk production in mares. Too much protein results in excess metabolic heat in athletic horses. Too little zinc compromises the immune system. Too much zinc causes secondary copper deficiency. “And diets consisting of only hay and cereal grains are not balanced nutritionally for some horses, such as mares in late gestation, lactating mares, immature growing horses and juvenile athletic horses. …
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Play It Safe When Using Field AnesthesiaJune 9, 2011 Follow Veterinary Practice News on Twitter at @vetpetnews. It is a given that equine practitioners will have to use field anesthesia at some point—in treating an injured animal, during castration or when helping a mare with a foaling complication. Conditions are usually less than ideal. Often there isn’t anyone around to handle the horse, the surgical “suite” may be a paddock or a stall floor and monitoring equipment is not always portable. Protecting the horse should be at the forefront of the practioner’s mind at all times. Equine field anesthesia is a two-step process, says Rachael E. Carpenter, DVM. First, a sedative such as the alpha-2 agonist xylazine, with or without butorphanol, is given. “You want the horse nice and sedated before giving the induction drugs; head down and not really paying attention to his surroundings,” says Dr. Carpenter, an anesthesiologist with Ruffian Equine Medical Center in Elmont, N.Y. The next injection is most commonly ketamine, with or without diazepam, to provide a smooth induction. Adding diazepam will prolong the anesthesia over using ketamine alone and will provide more muscle relaxation, she says, and guiafenasin can be used before giving …
Still Tussling Over The Horse’s MouthJune 9, 2011 Follow Veterinary Practice News on Twitter at @vetpetnews. State laws vary over whether veterinary dental technicians can perform routine care. Should equine dental technicians be allowed to float teeth, sedate an animal or perform extractions on horses with direct supervision from veterinarians? According to a revised 2009 position paper by the American Assn. of Equine Practitioners, “The practice of equine dentistry is an integral branch of equine veterinary medicine. “This discipline encompasses all aspects of diagnosis, treatment and prophylaxis of any and all equine dental conditions and diseases that affect the oral cavity, mandible and maxilla, teeth and associated structures. As such, it falls within the purview of veterinary medicine.” Accordingly, the AAEP recommends that veterinarians perform such care and supervise it when administered by equine dental technicians. Kimberly May, assistant director of the department of professional and public affairs for the American Veterinary Medical Assn., says the AVMA agrees with the AAEP’s stance. Dr. May, DVM, MS, Dipl. ACVS, says veterinarians have the training in anatomy and physiology, as well as pharmacology, that is necessary to treat horses. Though most equine dental technicians are trained, performing dentistry on …
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.” …
Food Animal Vets Dispute Abuse ChargesJune 9, 2011 When animal abuse is called the standard of care in food animal production, food animal practitioners take issue, maintaining that the acts of a few bad apples do not define the industry. Food animal veterinarians say special-interest groups release video footage and anti-farming propaganda in an effort to quash the use of animals for food in any capacity. The practitioners fear that using the popular media to spread negative messages is just the first leg in the activists’ campaign to pass legislation that would virtually annihilate producers’ and farmers’ financial ability to operate. “The topic of the level of care for animals raised for food is one of the most misrepresented facets of animal agriculture,” says M. Gatz Riddell Jr., DVM, executive vice president of the 4,000-member American Association of Bovine Practitioners (AABP). “What food animal veterinarians and the industry in general must do is supply good information to the public about modern agriculture, animal care and food safety,” Dr. Riddell says. “The public needs to be made aware of the efforts being made in the areas of animal welfare, food safety and resource sustainability while maintaining the integrity of the food production systems in the …
Fort Dodge Donates Supplies To Hurricane-Stricken CattleJune 9, 2011 Follow Veterinary Practice News on Twitter at @vetpetnews. In an effort to help diary cattle and producers hit hard by Florida's hurricane season, Fort Dodge Animal Health of Overland Park, Kan., donated medicine and disinfectant to the Florida State Emergency Operations Center. The state has seen many cows and calves become ill following the storms, as standing water has sparked bacteria and disease outbreaks, the company reported. "To help meet the diverse healthcare needs of these animals, Fort Dodge is making a sizable donation of product to the Emergency Operations Center disaster team in Florida," said Brent Standridge, the company's senior vice president of North America sales and marketing. "We feel it is our responsibility--our mission--to reach out and help meet the tremendous needs of these animals that have suffered as a result of the storms." The donation includes antibiotics, an anti-inflammatory drug, antihistamines, disinfectant and treatments for bovine mastitis infections. "With so many dairy operations affected by the storms, the need for medicine and supplies was overwhelming," said Dr. Greg Christy of the emergency operations center. With the support of companies like Fort Dodge, we've been able to help provide …
USDA Adds Confirmatory Brucellosis TestJune 9, 2011 Follow Veterinary Practice News on Twitter at @vetpetnews. The U.S. Department of Agriculture's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service added the fluorescence polarization assay (FPA) to its list of approved brucellosis tests for cattle, bison and swine. The FPA test can be used as a screening or confirmatory test and as a stand-alone test if no other tests are available for confirmatory results for brucellosis classification in animals, the government said. In trials, the FPA test was faster and as accurate as other nine official diagnostic tests, APHIS said. The method checks animal serum samples for changes in polarization after an antigen extracted from Brucella abortus cells and coupled with a fluorescent identifier is added to the serum. The government believes the test is cost-effective, accurate, quick and simple to perform. Want more Veterinary Practice News? Go here. <HOME>
Paralyzed Donkey Improves After Stem-Cell TherapyFebruary 1, 2011 Eight months ago, little Eli the donkey was inexplicably savaged by his longtime companion Watson, a jack nearly twice his size. During the attack, Watson grabbed Eli by the neck and shook him like a rag doll, injuring his spinal cord. Five days later, as Eli’s condition rapidly declined, his treating veterinarian referred the donkey to Alamo Pintado Equine Medical Center in Los Olivos, Calif. “We did a normal treatment of DMSO, anti-inflammatories and hyperbaric oxygen therapy, but he was deteriorating very fast right in front of us,” said Doug Herthel, DVM, the founder of Alamo Pintado. An MRI revealed that Eli had severe trauma to the spinal cord and its blood supply. Swelling had compressed the cord, resulting in incomplete quad- riplegia, a lack of mobility but some sensory and motor function. Veterinary radiologist Travis Saveraid, DVM, delivered the diagnosis. Dr. Herthel also sought the opinion of Mike Kistler, M.D., in Cortez, Colo., a senior member of the American Society of Neuroradiology with more than 25 years’ experience in human spinal trauma. “In a human, a comparable injury would have been sustained by diving into shallow water, and the majority of those injuries would …
Bandage Often Best Choice On Equine WoundFebruary 1, 2011 Veterinarians contending with hard-to-heal wounds on equine patients welcome new ointments and therapies, but many wounds can be successfully treated from the start using bandages. “Some of the potions and lotions I’ve tried actually slow wound healing,” says Dean Hendrickson, DVM, MS, Dipl. ACVS. “I’ve had such great success with bandaging that I can treat 90 percent of equine wounds using the method alone, and I’ve even instructed colleagues of the right time to move to the next bandaging step by examining digital photos of the wound.” Dr. Hendrickson, a professor of surgery at Colorado State University, says using the same type of bandage throughout the wound-healing process is outdated. “The wound composition doesn’t stay the same. Why should the bandage?” Hendrickson comments. Using bandages at the beginning of wound healing is labor intensive, which can turn off some horse owners, Hendrickson says. But diligence pays off with faster healing and less scarring, he says. Rehydrate If Necessary For dry wounds that haven’t been treated, Hendrickson uses a hydrogel bandage containing glycerin, polymers and water. “After the wound has been rehydrated,” he says, “I use a debridement dressing that removes necrotic tissue and bacteria. …
Products Help In Equine Oral ExamsApril 24, 2009 Equine dental technician Christine Griffin’s most essential tool is her new Enova Medical Technologies cordless headlamp. The device cost $800 and enables her to see inside a horse’s mouth better than any other lamp she’s used. "The lamp is brighter and it doesn’t get hot," she says. "You can really see so you won’t miss anything. And that’s much better for the horse." Griffin works in Ramona, Calif., with veterinarian Lisa Grim, who purchased a mobile dentistry unit from veterinarian Tom Allen of Missouri when he upgraded. The mobile unit allows horses to be treated more safely. They can be placed in stocks, which they can lean against. "They stay calmer, so you need less sedative," Griffin said. Horses are kept cleaner during procedures, as opposed to when services are performed in the stable or in the field. Exams are easier because the unit can be darkened so the veterinarian or technician can better see problems. Among the other benefits of the mobile unit are a state-of-the-art periodontal unit and a digital radiography machine. The rigs are custom-built by trailer manufacturers working with veterinary equipment companies. Turnbow …
