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How to Prevent and Detect Illness: Horse Show Edition

Posted on May 18, 2012

By Carolyn Oppenheimer, DVM 

Horse shows are akin to kindergarten when it comes to disease transmission.  In a stressful environment with many horses from many different places, it is possible and maybe even probable that there will be some transmission of illness.  There are simple precautions that can be taken beforehand, while at the show, and once the horses are home that can help prevent disease transmission and detect the first signs of illness.  

Banamine

Posted on April 30, 2012

Banamine is a fantastic drug, especially for treating horses with colic.  Many horse owners have it in their first aid kits dispensed by their veterinarians to use in case of an emergency, but there is increasing concern that it is being used inappropriately.  

Self-Medicating Your Equine Companion-Should You Do It?

Posted on March 09, 2012
My initial thought when a horse owner asks if it is ok to self-medicate their horse is, “Why would you?!”  It is common practice among horse owners to treat their horses under the advise of a neighbor or an employee at their local tack store.   While both can be a wealth of practical information, only an equine veterinarian has the professional training to assess if a problem is something easily managed without them—and it most likely won’t cost you anything to ask!

Considerations When Breeding Your Mare

Posted on February 10, 2012
Its quickly approaching the time of year that many people are considering breeding their mare.  With the current economic situation and the drastic increase in the unwanted horse population, creating a new equine life needs to be carefully considered.  There are a number of important factors to take into consideration, and we will discuss only a few now.  

Lumps and Bumps on Your Horse

Posted on November 15, 2011
Horses, like kids on a playground, seem to have a continuous array of lumps and bumps on them at various times, and in various places.  It’s a rare horse that you don’t find some sort of lump when running your hand over them.  Quite often, these lumps are benign, or have been there for years without change and are really nothing to be concerned about.  That said there are times that a horse can develop a mass that can have severe consequences for the health of the animal. 

Equine Health Certificates: What's New?

Posted on October 14, 2011
Most horse owners know that historically, a veterinary examination and a health certificate is required within 30 days of interstate travel.  Likewise, many horse owners have experienced the inconvenience of forgetting to acquire the health certificate until the night before impending travel.  This usually makes for an interesting discussion with your veterinarian as to why you “must have” an emergency examination at 10pm!

Wounds - Location, Location, Location

Posted on September 06, 2011
Wounds are a common injury in horses and often appearances can be deceiving.  You may be surprised to know that some of the smallest wounds can be life-threatening.  With lacerations, like in real estate, location is everything.  A small wound over a joint or tendon sheath can have catastrophic consequences.... So how do you know when to call the veterinarian?

Shoeing the Horse with Tendon or Ligament Injury

Posted on August 03, 2011
.... “Reduction of adverse biomechanical forces” is the key to a successful outcome. This is where teamwork between the veterinarian and the farrier is crucial, and can significantly affect the outcome of the case. Open communication is critical and knowledge of the potential negative and positive effects of certain types of shoes or trimming techniques is necessary. The goal is to reduce any adverse forces that might contribute to stressing or overloading the injured structure by altering the ground reaction forces on that structure, and is accomplished through therapeutic shoeing.

EHV-1 Disease Overview and Outbreak Update

Posted on July 05, 2011
EHV-1 is an acronym for Equine Herpes Virus type 1. Horses that are affected by EHV-1 can have respiratory disease, abortion or neurologic disease. Horses can also become infected with Equine Herpes Virus type 4, which also causes respiratory disease and occasionally abortion. The most common signs of respiratory disease due to EHV are an elevated rectal temperature, coughing, and nasal discharge.  

Equine Medical Insurance - Can You Really Be Without It?

Posted on June 05, 2011
If it is difficult to provide the “basics,” what happens when the horse gets sick?  Too often it ends in self-medicating without necessary veterinary attention and if the condition is severe enough it ends with humane euthanasia instead of lifesaving veterinary care.

Medication Detection Times in the Equine Athlete

Posted on May 22, 2011
This article is intended as a brief review of drug and medication guidelines put forth by both the United States Equine Federation (USEF) and Federation Equestre Internationale (FEI). These guidelines were created to promote a fair competitive playing field and

Corneal Fungal Infections in Your Horse

Posted on May 22, 2011
Fungal infection of the cornea in horses is an unfortunately common occurrence. It typically occurs following corneal trauma, for which horses are predisposed to due to the large size of their eyes, their environments and behavior. The trauma causes a break in the outer layer of the cornea (i.e. epithelium), which

Equine Vision - What Does Your Horse See?

Posted on May 01, 2011
For millennia, the horse has depended on its visual abilities for it’s survival.   In the current world, survival has become less of an issue but the visual function of the horse is still critically adapted to a “flight” response from threats or predators.  Therefore, understanding horses normal vision is critical to understand normal behavior and the effects of disease on vision.

Water. Plain and Simple

Posted on April 01, 2011
...water deprivation and salt toxicosis is a serious health condition that potentially can occur in the horse. The disease occurs following over-consumption of sodium chloride in rations or supplements, and can be complicated by limited availability of drinking water, resulting in severe dehydration.

Anhidrosis, Non-Sweaters

Posted on April 01, 2011
Anhidrosis in the horse, more commonly known as a dry horse or a non-sweater, is a medical condition typically seen in horses residing in hot and humid environments. The inability of affected horses to properly regulate their body temperatures through sweating can have dire consequences and

Is Your Horse on a Good Wellness Plan?

Posted on March 01, 2011
A wellness exam is very important to make sure your horse is on the right schedule for his or her demands and exposure.  The following items need to be considered to keep your horse healthy and offer the best protection against diseases and parasites: nutrition and body condition score, dentistry, vaccination guidelines, internal parasites, and management.  

Hurricane Preparedness 2010

Posted on May 01, 2010
The key to surviving a natural disaster is to be prepared, especially if you own horses, pets and livestock. Advanced planning before a hurricane bears down on the state will increase the probability that the casualties are kept to a minimum.

Fostering the Farrier-Veterinarian Relationship: Opening the Doors to Communication

Posted on March 01, 2010
The ‘horse management team’ should include the owner, +/- trainer, veterinarian and importantly, the farrier. To achieve the desired outcome, and to function as a unit, there needs to be open and free communication between the team members.

Dentistry

Posted on March 01, 2010
Equine Dentistry is an integral part of the overall well being of every horse.  Dental care needs to be considered as part of the complete health picture of your horse and contributes to healthy digestion, body condition and performance.  It is very important to have a thorough oral exam on your horse yearly because horses have hypsodont teeth.  Hypsodont teeth continue to erupt

Castration Complications

Posted on March 01, 2010
Most castrations are left open to heal because the procedure is typically performed in a field situation, in which there is inevitably some degree of contamination to the surgical site.  Leaving the incisions open promotes drainage and helps prevent infection.  On the other hand,
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