The Horse Doctor

I haven't had much time to blog lately as Dr. Nancarrow has been out with a pretty severe back injury, so Dr. Mary and I have been running hard. To add to the hectic schedule we went to the western Caribbean with the kids for spring break. We did a cruise out of Miami for 7 days, hitting Grand Cayman, Roatan Honduras, Belize and Costa Maya Mexico. It was tough coming back to work. The 2 big highlights were swimming with the stingrays in Grand Cayman( trying not to let the Weldon feral children be like the Steve Erwin) and Cave tubing in Belize. We took a boat trip out 30 min from port to a large sand bar and 40-50 stingrays came up to us in waist deep water where we could feed them squid. The females are really quite impressive, reaching 190 lbs ( Oprah size). They let you pet them but always being careful to stay away from the large barb midway up the tail. The kids were a little spooked at first except Polly who jumped right in. You could hear Sarah screeching thru her snorkel...

I just got back from another trip to Cumberland Island. It is a barrier Island off the coast of Georgia. There are no road or bridges to it so you have to get there by boat. My wifes family had a small house there in 1970, unfortuneately the Federal Government established a wilderness area right where their house was. The law passed in 1972 and was retro-active to include their house but not those built 1 month before. Those were built by the Rockafeller families....go figure. Beth and I were married there in 1989 and started going back about 8 years ago and every year it is one of the highlights of that year. We go over and stay in a house behind the dunes with the greater extended family...the Van Cleves, Baumans and Weldon ( there are alot of cousins) and various friends come and bring their kids ( Inghams, Stiefels and Ely's). So much for the peace and quiet. It is an amazing place to explore the old history of the coastal south, get the kids outside and away from the books a...

Jacksonville Episcopal High School requires all of their students to do some form of community service each semester. This morning Horse Sense and Sensitivity , (a local organization that provides therapeutic horse back riding for kids with disabilities) had a painting day and the Episcopal Lacross team came in mass. As can be expected when you get a bunch of teenage boys together on a Saturday morning with white paint and brushes.....it was interesting. Let me say what a great group of kids they were. They worked hard (actually getting most of the paint on the fences) and there was absolutely NO complaining. It was really refreshing to watch when so much of what you see in the news is just the opposite. Keeping HS&S operating of great personal satisfaction but more importantly it provides an incredible service. When you can take a child that has to spend most of their time at wheel chair level and allow them the feeling of getting up on a horse and being taller than everyone els...

The recent outbreak of the H5N1 flu in Britain has many worried. There is a new twist to the tale. The Government Veterinarian that did the diagnostics on the infected turkeys (160,000 turkeys) has shown signs of respiratory infection. While it is unlikely that he was infected with the H5N1 since he was wearing full protective gear....it is an odd coincidence. If the results of the current testing shows H5N1 then this outbreak it a major leap for the virus. This would mean a significant mutation allowing much greater infectious capabilities. There are 10 significant mutations that must take to match the Flu pandemic of the early 1900's, at least 3 of these have occurred already. They are taking significant steps in Europe now, but it is very hard to control the wild bird population. This one is worth watching. In a separate development, cat owners are being advised to keep their pets inside to protect them against bird flu if they live near wetland areas populated by ducks and wil...

There has been a great deal of talk in the press as of late about Global Warming and as a devote follower of the Scientific method....I'm a skeptic. The Scientific method has 4 parts. 1. Observation-observe a phenomenon or problem 2. Hypothesis- derive a hypothesis to explain the phenomena 3.Prediction- logically predict how the hypothesis will perform using past and present events 4. Experimentation- perform experiments and analyze data to prove or disprove your hypothesis. Most of what I hear today stops with steps 2 . No one has used step 3 to explain warming after prior ice ages or experimentation to show that man is causing each of these global warming periods. So here we are 1. Is the Earth getting warmer? I think the answer is yes. We are now in a warming period coming out of the " little ice age " a cooling period that followed the " Medieval Climate optimum " It's important to note that this occurred prior to the development of the internal combu...

I'm sure everyone knows by now that Barbaro was euthanized today. Oddly enough, it was about 15 minutes after I discussed the issue with Joe Block on the Weekend Block Party on 1010 AM shortly after noon. Joe and I had tried to do this a week or so ago but I couldn't get free. Joe's point has been why go so far with a horse. In almost every case horse's with injuries such as this are euthanized at the track. He feels that the owners are pushing to do everything possible so they can get a financial boon should he make it to the breeding shed. I have been around alot of race horse owners, (some nice,some not very nice,) but I have to say that in my experience, they all cared deeply about the welfare of the horse. Frequently decisions had to be made do to finances, usually requiring the cessation of treatment. In every case nobody walked away thinking about $$$$$. Joe did a great deal of research and was well prepared, however, I think he was playing up the role of the an...

I had the opportunity to go to Phoenix for the National Championship game. I flew out that Monday non-stop to LA then over to Phoenix by 1:30. My friends had rented the biggest limo I have ever seen and it picked me up at the airport. After picking up everybody we went to the game. I have to say the OSU fans were friendly but unbelievably over confident. I heard over and over how the Gators didn't deserve to be there. I just said "they're awfully fast". The place went nuts after the Buckeyes returned the opening kickoff....I said " #$@%". Then we scored on the three next possessions....I said "they're awfully fast". The OSU fans went from the stratospheric heights of jubilation to the absolute pit of dispare. I saw people crying around me as the beating continued. Florida was flawless and none of them saw it coming. It was indeed a great time to be a Gator. I was with my Dad in 1995 when we played Nebraska for the National Title in Phoenix. Th...

I was reading one of the MilBlogs on my list of daily readings and found this on " BadgersForward " ( check the site,it's worth the read) combat engineers defusing roadside bombs (over 300 so far). It's a great site and a great letter. I find it helps redirect my perspective after one of those days when you feel beat down, over worked and spent. I hope it works for you. Open Letter to Our Armed Forces and Their Families From Ben Stein Greetings From Rancho Mirage By Ben SteinTuesday, January 23rd Dear Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen, Marines, National Guard, Reservists, in Iraq, in the Middle East theater, in Afghanistan, in the area near Afghanistan, in any base anywhere in the world, and your families: Let me tell you about why you guys own about 90 percent of the backbone in the whole world right now and should be happy with yourselves and proud of whom you are. It was a dazzlingly hot day here in Rancho Mirage today. I did small errands like going to the bank to pay m...

I wanted to post again this time of year about how important it is to watch your mares during foaling season. The down side is that you have to spend alot of nights without sleep. There is now a website called "MareStare" where people watch your horses via a web cam and you can sleep. You can set up an alarm where they can send you an e-mail when they see her foaling. Since people watch in other time zones , they are awake while we sleep. I think you could even get them to watch your sick horse that needs observation as well. You can check out a wireless camera that works from up to 1000 feet away at this site " Barn Cam ".

Barbaro ( the horse that fractured his leg 7 months ago) has been in the news lately. For those that have not followed this case, he fractured his lower limb (pastern bone) in the Preakness and after surgical repair developed laminitis ( Founder) in his left hind foot. Probably the result of bearing to much weight on one foot and the stresses and physiologic changes taking place with such an injury. It's good to remember that if that were you or I, we would be confined to a hospital bed for awhile and probably not as good a patient. The horse on the other hand(hoof) has to stand shortly after surgery because they don't do well physiologically lying down for extended periods of time. This week Barbaro underwent a casting procedure on the laminitic hoof. This was done to help re-align his rotated coffin bone into a more normal angle. The next day he became more painful and additional separation was noted and more debridement was done. This is a setback to say the least. More ...

It now looks like the current outbreak in So. florida has been very well contained. The thoughts of the FAEP and the State veterinarian is that the Horse Show season will go forth in January. Here is an updated response from the recent meeting. Wellington Equine Herpes Outbreak Update A meeting of all the area veterinarians was held last night chaired by Dr. Mike Short from the State of Florida Dept of Agriculture. Here is a synopsis of the current situation in the State of Florida according to his data: 4 deaths associated with this outbreak 9 cases with neurological symptoms 8 confirmed positive cases 8 premises currently under quarantine Good feedback from all the veterinarians was shared regarding the criteria for dealing with some fevers of unknown origin and proper test sampling techniques. It is recommended that when testing we always sample both the nasal swabs and plasma buffy coat for PCR. Virus isolation is not recommended. We also now have access to testing labs at ...

Here is the current update on the situation in Wellington from the FAEP (Florida Association of Equine Practioners ). The FAEP , Univ of Fla and the State Veterinarians have done an outstanding job. A conference call was held last night between officials from the State of Florida and veterinarians from south, central and north central Florida. Wellington has had no new cases of neurological disease since the last update on 12.16.2006. There is one neurological horse in Jupiter farms which became symptomatic on 12.18.2006, and one neurologic horse in Ocala which is confirmed positive. The confirmed positive cases and neurological cases currently being treated (with lab tests still pending), totals eleven. Of those eleven are included one confirmed positive dead horse and four horses which had only fevers and no neurologic symptoms. Another dead horse which had symptoms consistent with the sev...

For those who have not "herd" through the horseshow telegraph ....there has been an outbreak of neurologic herpes virus in South Florida (Wellington ). I have touched on this topic in the past but felt it was important to put up some current data and dispel some of the rumors. NeurologicEHV-1 virus (Rhinopneumonitis), the one that causes respiratory disease and abortions in mares, is the virus that causes the neurologic form. It is one of the typical vaccines we give ( flu/rhino). The respiratory tract is the natural portal of entry for EHV-1 and EHV-4, and the respiratory mucosal epithelium is the primary target tissue for infection [ 2 , 28,29 ]. Respiratory infection is acquired by close physical contact with another horse that is actively shedding infectious virus into its respiratory secretions. Virus-laden droplets generated by forced, high-velocity expirations through the airways (snorting) can produce infective aerosols capable of traveling over short distances (bet...

This past Friday I set up a trip to Typhoon Lagoon in Disney World. Yes, they let you surf there. You can rent the park either before or after they close and jack up a performance wave that is about head high. I had 10 friends lined up for a 5pm start. Beth,myself and surf bud Thompy Taylor were going down in my truck with 3 longboards straped down on the back. Remember this was Friday....the coldest/windiest day so far this year. As we are going over the Buckman bridge we start getting some serious wind and the boards start bobbing up and down in the back. I started slowing down...but to late. The tip of my 9-5 McTavish surftech lifts up and the fact that I'm doing 70mph stands it on end and rips it off the rack sending it cartwheeling down I-295. I watch in horror as it tumbles end over end narrowly missing a doughnut truck and two buddies in the truck behind us. It eventually skids to a stop in the emergency lane so I pull over and run back up the bridge to pick up the pieces. R...

Popular Mechanics online recently assembled a panel to decide the best inventions over the last 50 years. I was quite amazed with which ones they chose or didn't choose, as well as when they were invented. Here they are..... go to the link and see the full list. 1955--TV REMOTE CONTROL It marks the official end of humanity's struggle for survival and the beginning of its quest for a really relaxing afternoon. The first wireless remote, designed by Zenith's Eugene Polley, is essentially a flashlight. When Zenith discovers that direct sunlight also can change channels on the remote-receptive TVs, the company comes out with a model that uses ultrasound; it lasts into the 1980s, to the chagrin of many a family dog. The industry then switches to infrared. 1955--MICROWAVE OVEN In 1945 Raytheon's Percy Spencer stands in front of a magnetron (the power tube of radar) and feels a candy bar start to melt in his pocket: He is intrigued. When he places popcorn kernels in front...

For those that don't understand the intricacies of single malt whiskys this probably won't make much sense, but the is a bottle of scotch that will go on auction this month that is 150 years old. This bottle is from the distillery " Glenavon " which closed in 1858 and is projected to sell for at least $20,000 ( thats about $600 a dram). " Bonhams is maintaining client confidentiality, but said the woman remembers the bottle being in her grandmother's home in the 1920s. The bottle is slightly smaller than the familiar 75cl and made from olive-green glass. The liquid appears to be pale gold and the level is surprisingly high for such an old bottle - almost to the neck - said Bonhams. The Glenavon Distillery was situated at Ballindalloch in Speyside where the River Avon meets the River Spey. It was recorded as operating in 1851 and licensed to a John G Smith in 1852. John Gordon Smith was the son of George Smith, founder of the nearby Glenlivet Distillery,...

This is one disease that causes a great deal of fear and confusion among horse owners and veterinarians. This Neurologic disease is causes by a protozoan parasite that migrates from the intestinal tract to the brain or spinal cord. It is normally found in the feces of possums and armadillos and when they defecate on pastures where horses graze ....they can become exposed. A very high number of horses are seropositive in the US (about 60% in Florida) but few develop clinical disease. EPM typically has three characteristics 1. Ataxia 2. Atrophy 3. Asymmetry. In other words 1.they stumble 2. have muscle wasting 3. uneven distribution. As the organism replicates in the neural tissue more nerve cells and fibers are damaged causing the neurologic signs. A complete neurologic exam by a skilled Internist is needed to arrive at a neuroanatomic diagnosis. Once the location of the injury is found then you can better determine the cause. Many neurologic diseases can look like EPM and vi...

I've had some response to a post about 3rd world medicine and Holistics. Leave it to me to torque everybody off. It appears that there are quite a few "believers" in Gallium as a treatment for navicular disease. Gallium and a related compound Tildren work be reducing blood calcium levels. With tildren there have been some nasty side effects discussed on the ACVIM (internal medicine) list serve. Hypercalcemia is a frequent complication associated with certain cancers and gallium has been shown to be an effective treatment for these patients, however, hypercalcemia has never been assciated with navicular syndrome. Why advise the use of a medication for a condition that does not occur. The main proponent for gallium use in the horse is Dr Eby who promotes through his website . He also is big on the use of zinc lozenges for treating colds and also thinks that the condition is brought on by aluminum toxicity. With the aluminum being absorbed through the foot from the shoe....

Well it appears that there are others that have actually seen "KMARTO" the fine aperitif brought to you by your local K-Mart vintner. I wrote some time ago about finding 2 bottles in a center isle display of a K-mart in Gainesville Fla. in the 1970's. My plan was to send them to Johnny Carson since he was hitting them pretty hard at the time. Lost to time, these valuable pieces of history were found stored in the attic of the old homestead ( just imagine the temperature variations, I'm sure it aged well.....NOT). So here is a photo of the one surviving bottle, the Lambrusco. The Bianco didn't fair so well. I wonder if Target has a vineyard.

I posted some time back about the potential for cloning in the Horse industry. I think there is alot of risk for abuse if we don't proceed with caution. There is now a report of another equine clone ....this one commercial. Barrel racer Charmayne James who became the first "million dollar" cowgirl riding "Scamper" to an unprecedented 10 world championships had him cloned. While equine cloning has been done successfully at Texas A&M this is the first done by a private corporation. She paid the Austin based ViaGen Inc. $150,000 to clone Scamper. In the cloning process genetic material is extracted from the donor cell and place in a recipient egg that has had it's genetic material removed. the egg is then implanted in a fertile mare which carries it to term. In this case , it took only four attempts to achieve conception. Having spent many years working with broodmares I find this remarkable. The foal was born Aug 8 th and was named "Clayton...