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Why Does My Horse Cough?

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The equine athlete and non-athlete are often plagued with coughing, which can inhibit quality of life and reduce performance. Coughing can be sporadic, changing in intensity as the environment changes or it can be continuous, becoming worse or more prominent at the time of exertion as seen during competition.  Some coughs even get worse with certain seasons, becoming progressive over time. So, what makes them cough and what can we do about it?

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How Can I Reduce My Horse’s Supplement Costs?

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This is likely one of the most common questions on most horse owner’s minds.  How can I reduce costs, but yet still maintain the level of health or soundness in my equine companion?  It is a good question, but unfortunately one that is easier to answer in some horses compared to others.  The bottom line is that there are options, but in many cases, we have to define what the problems are and target the sources.  It is possible and likely more readily achieved than most realize.

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Anhidrosis in the Horse; Thoughts and Considerations

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Anhidrosis is a common problem, impacting upwards of 10% of horses, usually subjected to high heat and humidity for prolonged periods of time.  It is an important condition, as its presence can impact stamina, recovery and overall ability by the owner to exercise their horse.  Sweat production is vital for the body, not only to aid in detoxication, but also in thermoregulation, so when the horse cannot sweat, they can quickly overheat.  Solutions are sporadic, with some of these therapies helping a few horses, while others do not benefit.  Hopefully, if we take a deeper look into this condition, we can arrive at some potential options to improve management.

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A Deeper Look at Metabolic Syndrome, Insulin Resistance and Diabetes

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Metabolic syndrome is a name applied to a collective group of risk factors that raise the risk of other health conditions.  In humans, we see a rise in the risk of heart disease, stroke, diabetes, vascular disorders, neurodegenerative conditions and many others.  In horses, we generally see an increased risk for insulin resistance, Cushing’s disease and laminitis. The term ‘metabolic’ actually implies an alteration in cellular metabolism or biochemical processes, but is often quickly associated with a state of increased body weight or obesity.  The syndrome is actually complex, involving many pathways, but as with other conditions, with a more indepth understanding comes better management.

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A Tale of 3 Selenium Levels: Connection with health and lameness

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Selenium and vitamin E are often two of the most common supplemented antioxidants in horses, often attributed to poor soil conditions and likewise perceived deficiencies in the patient.  They are both important antioxidants and vital to cellular health, but all too often, we just supplement without justification or even more, we fail to see rationale for the need for supplementation.  Each horse is different and just because a region is perceived as deficient in selenium or a forage is low in vitamin E, does not always equate to the need for supplementation in every horse.  We need to look deeper, connect the dots and seek deeper, underlying problems which may be addressed adequately.

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Cleaning Up the Equine Diet; Going Natural

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The equine diet has become quite complex over the past 10 or so years.  Specialty feeds, complex supplements and other regimens have become the ‘normal’ for most horses, especially those in the competition arena.  On the same side of the coin, we also have an apparent rise in equine health conditions ranging from injuries and joint disease, to metabolic concerns and laminitis.  Considering this, one would have to ask whether if our current approaches are helping or more so hindering our progress?

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The Equine Diet and Picky Eaters; Thoughts and Concerns

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One of my major concerns, as a veterinarian and researcher, is the inflammatory process and how it can dictate health and soundness.  This process is complex, involving many contributors, but diet is a major player.  As we investigate further the impact of gastrointestinal health on overall health and soundness, certain things begin to fall into place and become more obvious. The first item is diet, what we are feeding and how we define this. The second item of concern is the picky eater, which more than likely we have all encountered at one time or another.  Many owners feel this ‘pickiness’ is often ‘cute’ or a trait for a particular horse….but is there more to it?  Is this actually a symptom or sign of something larger?

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Equine Gastric Ulcers; A new approach for an old problem

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Stomach ulcers in horses are quite common, actually becoming more of a problem that in the past for our equine patients.  It has been estimated that upwards of 80% of all horses, including sedentary and those in training, exhibit gastric ulcers but not all are clinically evident.  In some studies, it has been demonstrated that just by moving a horse into a barn or training facility, the incidence of stomach ulcers increases beyond 80% and upwards to almost 100%.  Some cases of ulcers are obvious with typical clinical signs, while others are more ‘quiet’ in nature and often only diagnosed incidentally.  The sad part is that for many of these horses, they live a life on constant medications to control the clinical symptoms, which not only is not solving the problem but also costing the owner money and even, based on some studies, potentially inflicting harm.  We need to dig deeper to find better ways of managing this problem.

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To Breathe Or Not To Breathe; COPD & I.A.D.

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One of the most common equine health conditions impacting the performance horse involves the respiratory tract.  Inhalation of oxygen is vital for energy production and overall cellular health, but in manty equine athletes, they struggle to move air in and out, resulting in decreased performance and quality of life. As horse owners, we rely on pharmaceutical medications such as steroids and bronchodilators, but despite their use, we continue to struggle to gain results and improve life for our equine companions.

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