Equine Teeth Need Specialized CareJune 9, 2011 Equine dentistry involves a lot more than floating teeth. Jack Easley, DVM, MS, Dipl. ABVP (Equine), says veterinarians with specialized training are the best choice for taking care of the complete horse. “Why would horse owners have someone with no understanding of medicine, disease or function touch their horse’s teeth?” he asks. “Dentistry is an area of veterinary medicine that has become very advanced in small-animal care. What we know in human dentistry we’ve applied to dogs and cats, so small-animal dentistry has a big jump on equine dentistry,” Dr. Easley says. Periodontal disease is common in horses of all ages. Horses 2 to 5 years old may need dental services when deciduous teeth are shed and permanent teeth erupt. Middle-aged horses can experience malocclusion and crowding, especially in miniature horses. Older horses, in their late teens or early 20s, may experience periodontal disease in teeth that normally last about 25 years. Proper feeding and dental care can extend the life of the teeth and the horse. Lynn A. Caldwell, DVM, chairwoman of the American Association of Equine Practitioners’ Dentistry Committee, of which Easley is a member, says horses kept in stalls and fed …
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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. …
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 …
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 …
The Race They Couldn't WinMay 27, 2007 After all they had been through, the decision to euthanize 2006 Kentucky Derby winner Barbaro wasn’t made easily. But Dean Richardson, DVM, chief of surgery at University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine’s Widener Hospital at New Bolton Center, knew the time had come. “We said all along that our decision would be based on whether quality of life was acceptable and whether we had any reasonable prospect of getting him to live a reasonably acceptable life,” Dr. Richardson said. For the first time since Barbaro shattered his right hind leg at the Preakness Stakes in May and through the complications that followed, Barbaro had been uncomfortable the night before, Richardson said. He was unable to sleep and clearly distressed. “He was a completely different horse,” Richardson said. “We meant it when we said if we couldn’t control his discomfort, we wouldn’t go on.” Barbaro was euthanized at 10:30 a.m. Jan. 29 with Richardson and owners Roy and Gretchen Jackson by his side. Barbaro’s fractures had completely healed, Richardson said. But a deep bruise on that leg resulted in an abscess. Foundering severely in his back left leg and with laminitis …
