Laminitis in the horse can be a devastating condition, often instigated by a variety of circumstances or conditions. In many cases, there is no rhyme or reason to why the condition develops, or so it seems, and despite current therapies, problems persist from year to year. […]
Considerations for More Successful Management of Laminitis in the Horse Read More »
A tendon and ligament injury is common in the equine industry, impacting upwards of 30% of horses. Despite the injuries being common, most often result in loss of use or reduced use, especially in highly competitive industries including racing. These injuries are often frustrating to both
Considerations in Equine Tendon Injuries Read More »
Joint injections are all too common in today’s equine world and one of the main reasons why I opted to go to the opposite side and seek alternative options, as a veterinarian. The most common reason for their use is joint disease, mainly arthritis, with the intent or purpose to alleviate pain and prolong or improve performance. In many, their use is warranted while in others, not so much. In either case, if we do decide to go that route, with an injection, we need to understand the pros, the cons and what options are before us to help extend the effects of those injections. After all, they are not cheap and do not come without harm.
Getting the most out of your horse’s joint injections Read More »
The opposite of health is disease and in the horse, we have many chronic and likewise frustrating health conditions. Many include lameness as a result of direct joint or soft tissue damage, which continue to inflict pain and lameness on the patient as a normal course of the condition. In other cases, we deal with the increasing incidence of Lyme disease, Anaplasmosis and EPM, which in an of themselves can be frustrating due to the often high recurrence rate in certain patient groups. Given this group of chronic diseases, which often come with hefty ongoing medical costs and variable outcomes, we need to step back and really evaluate the conditions and how the patient is responding if we are to come up with better solutions.
Lyme, Anaplasmosis, EPM in the Horse: Relapses, Thoughts and Theories Read More »
In today’s equine world, there is so much focus on joint health and conditioning, that we tend to forget about the bigger picture. As a veterinarian, I see so much over use, almost bordering on abuse, of various pharmaceutical medications and equine joint supplements. So many people use them, that at times, I wonder if we are actually trying to manage a condition or more so if the increased use is more to follow what another is doing, almost making it a trend without purpose. Now, I will be honest and say that many of these equine supplements and medications can prove useful in certain situations, but overall, I feel they are being overused at times, trying to accomplish things they were never intended to do.
It’s About the Whole Horse Read More »
