Shock Wave Therapy

Several studies have been conducted on extracorporeal shock wave therapy (ESWT) at various institutions this past year. One presented by C. Wayne McIlwraith, BVSc, PhD, DSc, FRCVS, DrMedVet (hc), Dipl. ACVS, director of Colorado State University’s Gail Holmes Equine Orthopaedic Research Center, involved ESWT’s effects on osteoarthritis. In a model of induced osteoarthritis in horses, ESWT decreased lameness and synovitis, and it improved joint fluid and soft tissue quality. Anti-inflammatory activity continued for 42 days after the last treatment, when the study concluded.

Airway Mucus

Susan Holmcombe, VMD, PhD, Dipl. ACVS, ACVECC, associate professor in the department of large animal clinical sciences at Michigan State University, said mucus in a racehorse’s trachea can prevent him from utilizing oxygen to the fullest. Accumulation of airway mucus, she said, is common in young horses and often stems from inflammation. The number of racehorses affected approaches 33%