The Horse Doctor

Today started out fine, crystal clear blue sky, cool North Florida morning. However, The call from the answering service was unexpected. The day after I blog about broken legs i get a call about another one. As before this one happened in the field with no known object seen. She was just running and the owner heard a "pop". It was that fast. An 18 year old in-foal broodmare. This is so devastating to all involved. After a sonogram of the upper limb a comminuted fracture was evident and I humanely put her down. I've been in practice for many years and this never gets easier. It still sucks. The day ended cloudy and colder.

Unfortunatly we seem to be seeing a very high number of broken limbs this summer. This is devastating to all involved. I can't say that any particular cause is involved but "debris"or "horse magnets" are usually associated with them. This can be anything that disrupts the level surface of the [asture/paddock ie. limbs/branches, boards, farm equipment or holes. Sometimes an actual cause is never found. A fracture almost always causes a non-weight bearing lameness and usually swelling. While an abscess can make them lame , a fracture is acute with you finding your horse suddenly unwilling to walk. If the break is not complex (exposed bone) and in the lower limb there are surgical options so you should call immediately and apply a support bandage. Regardless of the extent of the break it is costly both monitarily and emotionally. I best advice is to be diligent in inspecting and cleaning your pastures , particularly after a strong wind. Walk through these areas loo...

I've seen a very large number of non-sweaters this summer and in Florida where its un-godly hot that can be a bad thing. I'm not sure why we are seeing more this year as apposed to the past. After we confirm the diagnosis with a sweat test we are left with a disease that has few effective treatments so we frequently try them all. These include electrolyte supplementation, One AC,daily beer and recently the use of prostaglandins. Some improve and many don't so we are left with trying to just get through the summer with environmental control. One promising inovation is the use of a fan/misting system similar to the "kool-zone" fans used by sports teams. One of our clients found a company that makes the mist/fog tubing and employed a large fan to build her own. This tubing can be found at www.farmtek.com and is about $50.00. This was set up in a walk-in,walk-out stall and uses only about one gallon/hour of water so there isn't a muddy mess in the area. The horse ...

I want everyone to know that I read what you read...and a wee bit more. Much of what is available is fairly factual, but some is not. I was reading the current issue of Western Horseman which has an article on "Unlocking Stifle Problems" by Michelle Anderson. This article deals with UFP / upward fixation of the patella and for the most part is sound advice. The problem we frequently see in our practice is the unfit (I thought it was fit) horse. This problem (UFP) arises from a laxity of the Medial patellar ligament which is part of the horses reciprocal apporatus or locking mechanism which allows the horse to rest standing up. With UFP the ligament is lax or longer and hangs up on the medial side of the femur which causes pain and a stiff leg which drags the toe behind. Frequently this leg "pops" as the limb comes forward. The old treatment was to "clip" or "cut" the stifle. This is a surgical procedure where the medial patellar ligament is sever...

10 Tips for Reducing Your Horse’s West Nile Risk While the incidence of WNV is lower in our practice it is still a threat. The number of Encephalitis cases state wide is on track to surpass the previous record and we should all be aware of things we can do to decrease the risk. Certainly vaccination is key, however any immunity can be overwhelmed if enough virus is introduced and the horse is somehow debilitated. Since first being recognized in the United States in 1999, West Nile virus (WNV) has posed a serious threat to horses and humans alike. In the equine population, the virus is transmitted when a mosquito takes a blood meal from a bird infected with WNV, then feeds on a horse. While many horses exposed to WNV experience no signs of illness, the virus can cause inflammation of the brain and spinal cord. In some cases, especially in older horses, WNV can be fatal. As a horse owner, prevention is the key to reducing your horse’s risk of contracting WNV. Follow these guidelines from...

10 Tips for Caring for the Older Horse Because of advances in nutrition, management and health care, horses are living longer, more useful lives. It’s not uncommon to find horses and ponies living well into their 20s and 30s. While genetics play a role in determining life span, you too, can have an impact. You may think that turning your old-timer out to pasture is the kindest form of retirement. But horses are individuals. Some enjoy being idle; others prefer to be a part of the action. Whatever you do, don’t ignore the horse. Proper nutrition, care and exercise will help the animal thrive. Follow these guidelines to develop a total management plan for your older horse: 1. Observe your horse on a regular basis. Watch for changes in body condition, behavior and attitude. Address problems, even seemingly minor ones, right away. 2. Feed a high quality diet. Avoid dusty and moldy feeds. 3. Feed your older horse away from younger, more aggressive ones so it won’t have to...

Disaster Action Guidelines For Horse Owners You should be aware that actions you take before, during and after a natural or man made disaster could save your horses' life. In Florida and many States you can obtain a six month Event Permit from your Veterinarian. This is essentially a six month health certificate. You should get one of these at the start of Hurricaine season and keep it with your travel papers. You should have duplicate copies of all important papers and keep one in your truck/trailer at all times. Plan Ahead Before a Disaster Occurs: Familiarize yourself with the types of disasters that can occur in your area and develop a plan of action to deal with each type. Some disasters to consider are hurricanes, earthquakes, floods, tornadoes, severe winter weather, fire, nuclear power plant accidents with release of radioactivity to the environment and hazardous material spills. Survey your property to find the best location to confine your animals in ...