Veterinary Articles

Cancer in horses

 Racehorses can suffer from a nearly endless list of different types of cancer. The term ‘cancer’ is not actually a single disease but encompasses a group of diseases in which the normal mechanisms of cell growth and death are disturbed.  It is fortunate that the majority of common equine cancers are benign because the success rate of treating malignant cancers in horses is very low.

Recurrent Airway Obstruction in racehorses

The old name for it is “broken wind,” we used to call it COPD (Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease), the Americans refer to it more commonly as “heaves,” and the most recent term that was adopted by vets and scientists who were studying it is Recurrent Airway Obstruction (RAO). Many of these terms are still in common use, and different groups of people involved with horses will possibly recognise the different terms for what is exactly the same condition. 

Tibial Stress Fractures in race horses – More Common Than You Think

Tibial stress fractures are generally perceived to be serious injuries that occur infrequently and require lengthy recovery times. However, this article will suggest that these injuries are in fact much more common than most people think and are often misdiagnosed as pulled muscles. In addition, they may not be as serious as previously thought and with the help of sequential x-rays monitoring the injury, young horses can be returned to training surprisingly quickly.

Forum on Medication Control in Racehorses - an update on withdrawal times

The National Trainers Federation (NTF) recently held a forum to cover the topic of medication control in racehorses. This was a platform that brought together the influential people within the British Horseracing Authority (BHA) and regulatory laboratory with trainers, assistants, vets and other industry professionals. It was hosted at the newly opened Newmarket Equine Hospital (NEH) and was well attended, with representation from across the racing industry.

Why do horses hang? Common causes of drifting or veering, and how to treat them

Hanging is a common problem. In some horses it occurs as a one-off due to a new injury whilst in other horses it can become a ‘normal’ trait. There are many possible causes of hanging but these can be broadly grouped into mouth problems, front and hind limb pain, other musculoskeletal problems, temperament/vision problems and cardiovascular or respiratory problems.

Stem Cells: are they the future?

I was asked to write this article the day before a child on a bicycle plowed into me, writes Niki Luciani (née Sweetnam), severing the tendon in my right leg. While human beings can be encased in plaster and given a set of crutches to hobble about on for a few months, horses cannot.

Condylar Fractures - how to treat this common injury in racehorses

Condylar fractures are arguably the most common type of fracture suffered by the thoroughbred racehorse. However, veterinary surgeons have given them a slightly cryptic ‘pet-name’ so that many do not understand them quite as well as they would like.

If Lasix is the answer...what question are we asking?

Some of the statements attributed to leading vets and scientists around the world in the last few months would probably lead anyone involved in horseracing to believe that it is only a matter of months or even weeks before the diuretic furosemide (or frusemide), often referred to by the brand name Lasix® or Salix®, becomes permitted raceday medication in Europe and other jurisdictions that currently do not allow it (including Australia, Hong Kong and Japan).  
 

Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy - the increasingly popular therapy for horses

Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy (HBOT) is a relatively modern practice in medicine which involves the administration of oxygen in an environment where the ambient pressure has been increased (Ronald and Larry, 1994) to two-to-three times the normal atmospheric pressure at sea level.

Equine Neurology - diagnosis and treatment in horses

Neurological problems in racehorses are not uncommon and when they do occur, they can be hugely significant.

Withdrawal Times - the move towards standardisation across Europe

Internationally, racing’s regulatory authorities take a clear and firm stance on the presence of prohibited substances in the horse at the time of racing.

Shockwave Therapy - stimulating the healing process

Shockwaves stimulate the healing process, although it is still unknown how. It is widely used on thoroughbreds across the globe, but the problem for trainers is that the rules of racing vary around the world on its use prior to racing.

Equine Vision - how does a racehorse see the world?

In the wild, the horse is a ‘prey’ or ‘flight’ animal and so is designed to have a wide field of vision to see its predators early and outrun them. As a result, the horse has two large eyes each placed on the widest part of its head giving it almost a 360-degree field of vision.

High-Speed Treadmill Testing - how accurate is it?

High-speed treadmills have been used for performance testing horses for the past two decades and as a result can be found around the world in many of the major equine hospitals.

Ligament Injuries - how to diagnose and treat them

A winner of his last four races, Jack the Giant was well-fancied for the King George before being ruled out for the rest of the season with a suspensory ligament injury.  Not all horses who suffer ligament injuries make it back to the racecourse, so connections will be hoping that everything goes to plan with the recovery of this exciting young chaser.

Tendon Treatments - how to treat the common injury

Tendon damage is one of the most common and perplexing soft tissue injuries in racing jurisdictions throughout the world. Roughly eight-to-30 percent of racehorses in the United States, 11 percent in Japan, five-to-50 percent in the United Kingdom (including jump horses) and at least five percent in Australia sustain tendon injuries during their careers. Even with the recent explosion of medical technology, only 20-to-30 percent ever regain their prior form and usually only after six-to-12 months of rehabilitation. Nearly 80 percent re-injure the same tendon in short order.

The equine larynx – on a knife edge!

Men have been interfering with the equine larynx for centuries, but so far with only limited success. When a horse is heard to be making a noise for the first time, it is of serious concern. Sometimes the concern is only short lived as the horse may be unfit, have a mild respiratory infection or perhaps a sore throat. However, on other occasions the equine athlete in question is on the verge of being diagnosed with a problem that will limit its performance for the rest of its life.

Ten common skin conditions of the racehorse - and how to treat them

“He’s come into his summer coat and you can see your face in it”. “She looks very well in her skin”. These typical comments from TV racing pundits underline the link most horsemen make between the sleek, shiny coat of the finely-tuned equine athlete and the general wellbeing of the animal that this reflects. However, skin conditions are not merely an aesthetic consideration and, left unidentified or untreated, can interrupt carefully planned training schedules. This article seeks to list ten important skin conditions of racehorses and provide a brief explanation of their cause, recognition and treatment. Broadly, skin conditions may result from trauma, infection, allergy or abnormal growths.

Nuclear Scanning - the next stage in diagnosing lameness

Nuclear scintigraphy or 'bone scanning' attempts to take lameness diagnosis one stage further by predicting rather than just diagnosing fractures. It is an imaging technique that searches for an increase in bone production and thus can often pinpoint the cause of minor lameness problems before they become catastrophic injuries; a subject which is at the forefront of the minds of many in the racing industry in the wake of recent high profile breakdowns.

Increasing oxygen concentration in the blood of the racehorse

Oxygen is the fuel of life and its efficient use is the key to athletic fitness. The respiratory system of the racehorse must work hard to harvest the 20 percent of oxygen present in the air we all breathe. Observing a horse after his work on a cold morning provides a visual reminder of this, as the breath surges from his nostrils.

Can Fractures Be Predicted?

While catastrophic fracture is relatively rare - less than 2 percent of all horses racing worldwide sustain them - it accounts for nearly 80 percent of racing-related fatalities. Even with advances in modern veterinary medicine, their diagnosis can often be elusive. What if a simple blood test could reveal a fracture or a predisposition to one before it became a crisis?

Treating joint degeneration the drug free way

The background

Lameness resulting from joint degeneration or osteoarthritis (OA) is one of the most prevalent diseases affecting horses and the most common reason that vets are called out to competition horses. OA causes inflammation of the joint lining and progressive destruction of articular cartilage that covers the ends of the bones composing a joint. This destruction decreases both the natural shock-absorbing function and the range of motion of the joint, ultimately resulting in lameness in the affected animal.

Strengthening Young Thoroughbreds' Limbs

One of the major challenges in training racehorses is keeping them sound. Not unlike a human athlete, a racehorse’s ligaments, tendons, bones and joints are susceptible to injury throughout its career and, at times, it seems impossible to avoid some sort of musculoskeletal mishap.
A vast number of components can comprise any musculoskeletal injury but many believe the economics of the Thoroughbred industry - namely the preparation of young horses for 2-year-old sales and racing 2-year-olds - are the main culprits for these sorts of injuries.
Training for most race horses commences when they are 18 to 20 months old. The skeleton of a horse often does not reach full maturity until they are four years old so training at a young age might predispose horses to a multitude of career-limiting or -ending injuries.

Investigation by Gastroscopy - Diagnosing Gastric Ulcers

A technique for diagnosing whether gastric ulcers are the cause of poor or inconsistent performance, gastroscopy is a technique in which a veterinarian will assess the stomach health of an animal using an endoscope. This is especially useful in racehorses where gastric ulcers are a common problem and negatively impact on performance. Using gastroscopy, the presence and severity of ulcers can be determined, and the success of prescribed treatment and changes to management, monitored. Moreover it is a non-surgical and relatively simple procedure which takes less than quarter of an hour.

Colic - how to avoid significant risk factors

The sight of a colicking horse is one which will alarm any horseman. Its consequences can range from nuisance value to death. Even a less severe case may result in an important race being missed, or training days lost at a crucial time in the unfortunate horse’s preparation. This being the case, it is well worth reviewing what may cause this malady and how stable regimes may be best organised to prevent its occurrence.

The Importance of Worming - keeping parasites under control

The use of homespun and herbal remedies may have been superseded by wormers formulated after lengthy research programmes, but the control of worms in the horse remains as important for horsemen today as it was when the significance of these unwanted passengers was first understood.

Results of Research into Different Joint Conditions

There is a plethora of oral products now available that are advertised as improving equine joint function and treating equine joint disease.  This article summarizes some of the current knowledge with regard to various products and their efficacy.

Skin Problems - diagnosis and treatment of common conditions

Horses are similar to many other species with the skin being the largest organ in the body.  This is based on overall organ size; just think about the total surface area of a 600 kg horse!  The good news is that it can be easily evaluated by visual inspection and palpation.

Immunostimulants and their role as an alternative to vaccines

What is immunomodulation?  By definition this simply means that we modify the natural immune response.  This can occur in one of two ways, either by boosting the response with immunostimulants or suppressing the response with medications like corticosteroids. 

Osteochondritis dissecans - the development, causes and treatments of OCD

One of the most common orthopedic problems encountered in young horses is osteochondritis dissecans (OCD).  This is of particular concern in the Thoroughbred industry, where horses are often bought and sold before maturation is complete and are expected to perform starting at a relatively young age.  There are many common sources of confusion surrounding this disease.  Deborah Spike-Pierce, DVM discusses research into the development, causes and treatment of OCD.

Swamp fever - we provide an update on the disease, and the implication of the outbreak in Ireland

Equine Infectious Anaemia (EIA) or “swamp fever” is a viral disease of horses, donkeys and mules caused by infection a lentivirus (part of the retro-virus family).  The disease was first described in France in 1843 and called “swamp fever” by Torrance in 1903 in Canada. 

Understanding…The Digital Pulse in the Racehorse

What is a digital pulse? Digital pulse should be properly termed palmar (front leg) or plantar (hind leg) arterial pulse. Just like a pulse at a person’s wrist, a pulse may be felt (palpated) at the fetlock joint or at the back of the pastern, just in front of the deep digital flexor tendon. Of course, a horse’s pulse may be taken other places – under the jaw, carotid artery (in the neck), great metatarsal (outside the hind limb between splint and cannon bones), etc.

Does oilseed rape spread respiratory problems for racehorses?

The environmental pressures on racehorse stock these days seem to be increasing exponentially. Transport problems make journeys longer, pollution in various forms is increasing and changes in agriculture is having a marked effect on race yards around Europe. The growth of one crop over another is altering the pollen load of the atmosphere in various months. In this respect oilseed rape (OSR) is a crop worthy of mention in relation to racehorses.

Blood testing to find the fracture genes in racehorses

The Thoroughbred horse has been selectively bred and trained over 30 generations to function to the best of its athletic ability.  Optimal racing performance depends on the cardiovascular, respiratory and musculoskeletal systems working at maximum efficiency. Of these, the musculoskeletal system is probably the weakest link, because lameness remains the main cause of days lost from training.  Whether a racehorse will suffer injury to its musculoskeletal system during its career depends on a combination of external influences (of which exercise is likely to be the most important) and inherent characteristics of its skeletal tissues, determined by its genetic make-up.

Equine Influenza - how it is spread, and how to treat it

The first outbreak of Equine Influenza in South Africa since 1986 threatened to bring its racing industry to a grinding halt and proved a salutary warning to other racing nations. Equine flu is a highly contagious virus, spread easily from horse to horse as a result of droplets released into the air by coughing, from nasal discharge and from infected rugs and brushes. There is almost 100% infection rate in an unvaccinated population that has been previously unexposed to the virus.

Gastric Ulcers - how to treat the common problem in racehorses

If you have been training racehorses for some time, you will almost certainly have come across the problem of ulcers as they affect 92% of horses in training. It is also likely that you will have attempted to deal with the problem of Equine Gastric Ulcer Syndrome (EGUS), to use the correct term, which might range from importing medication from the US to the use of proprietary brands of antacid available over-the-counter for human use.

Tendons - racehorses suffer so many injuries they are almost the norm

There can be little that strikes more fear into the heart of any trainer than the prospect of tendon damage. This type of injury is so common that a horse is fortunate if he manages to retire from racing, especially jump racing, with legs intact.