Christy M. West
Christy West has a BS in Equine Science from the University of Kentucky, and an MS in Agricultural Journalism from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
Articles by Christy West
EPM Incidence in Horses: Holding Steady (AAEP 2010)
January 04, 2011
Some say the incidence of equine protozoal myeloencephalitis (EPM) is increasing, while others say it's decreasing. Who's right? At the 2010 American Association of Equine Practitioners convention, held Dec. 4-8 in Baltimore, Md., one presenter Read More
Stem Cells Improve Cartilage Repair for Arthritic Horses (AAEP 2010)
December 31, 2010
Osteoarthritis (sometimes called degenerative joint disease) is the most common cause of lameness in horses and currently there is no cure. However, researchers continue to improve available treatment methods. At the 2010 American Association Read More
Bone Spavin Researchers: Alcohol Joint Fusion Effective (AAEP 2010)
December 29, 2010
Bone spavin in horses, or osteoarthritis of the distal tarsal (lower hock) joints, is a "common cause of equine lameness, resulting in lost training days and limiting affected horses' careers," says James Carmalt, MA, VetMB, MVetSc, FRCVS, Dipl. ABVP Read More
Study: IRAP-II Joint Disease Treatment for Horses Beats IRAP-I (AAEP 2010)
December 28, 2010
To combat joint disease or osteoarthritis in horses, many veterinarians have used autologous conditioned serum (ACS), also called by the product name IRAP (for the interleukin-1 receptor antagonist protein it contains), since the first scientific Read More
Clogs to Treat Laminitis
November 10, 2010
Who ever heard of shoeing a horse with plywood, screws, and a drill, especially a laminitic horse? It might sound like the worst kind of backyard farriery, but this method is finding favor with a growing number of veterinarians and farriers. Read More
Low Heels in Horses: New Grading System and Targeted Treatment
November 05, 2010
A veterinarian created a grading system and treatment guidelines for low-heeled feet and treatment strategies. Read More
Laminitis Lowdown
August 01, 2010
The laminitis mystery is far from solved, but researchers continue to discover new clues about its causes, treatment, and prevention. Laminitis, an often devastating hoof disease that can strike horses of any breed without warning, is a major issue Read More
Sedative, Analgesic, and Anesthetic Usage in Horses
July 27, 2010
How much do veterinarians use sedatives, analgesics (painkillers), and general anesthetics in horses? Veterinarians at The Ohio State University surveyed members of the American Association of Equine Practitioners (AAEP) to find out. Read More
Hoof Abscesses in Horses
July 01, 2010
This common problem can cause sudden, severe lameness, but can be resolved quickly with the proper treatment. Read More
Hoofin' It in Boots
May 01, 2010
Hoof boots aren't just for emergencies or soaking injured feet; these boots are made for walking, running, climbing, and more. Are boots right for you and your horse? If so, how do you pick out the right boot? Read on to find out. Read More
HERDA: Skin Characteristics
March 08, 2010
Horses with the hereditary skin disease known as hereditary equine regional dermal asthenia (HERDA) or hyperelastosis cutis (HC) have been recognized since the 1970s, but only recently have researchers defined just how much weaker their skin is Read More
The Horse's Fetlock Joint: Injury, Disease, and Repair
March 05, 2010
The normal functions of bones, cartilage, soft tissues, and fluids within the fetlock joint--and joint disease Read More
Maggots Improve Chronic Hoof Puncture Wound Healing
March 04, 2010
You might have heard about the value of using medical maggots to clean infected, nonhealing wounds in horses and humans, but did you know they can also help clean up infection in structures deep within the hoof?
At the 2009 American Read More
EPM Diagnosis and Treatment Recommendations
February 28, 2010
Diagnosing EPM in a live horse is challenging because no test is 100% accurate; the gold standard for diagnosis is finding the protozoan parasite in the spinal cord, which can only be sampled after the horse is euthanized. So for live horses, diagnos Read More
Normal Steroid Levels in Racehorses
February 28, 2010
Steroid usage in racehorses has received a good deal of attention in the media, perhaps reaching a peak during the 2009 Triple Crown season when Big Brown won the Kentucky Derby and Preakness on the legally administered steroid stanozolol, then Read More
Gluck Faculty Attend Plant and Animal Genome Conference
February 27, 2010
Researchers and graduate students from the University of Kentucky's (UK) Gluck Equine Research Center attended the annual Plant and Animal Genome Conference (PAG), held Jan. 9 through 13 in San Diego, Calif., to share equine genomic researc Read More
Advances in Equine Medicine Discussed at AAEP
February 27, 2010
What was the hottest news in equine veterinary medicine in 2009? During the popular Kester News Hour session at the annual American Association of Equine Practitioners (AAEP) Convention, three top veterinarians (who focus on equine reproduction Read More
Furosemide Study Discussed at AAEP Convention
February 26, 2010
Exercise-induced pulmonary hemorrhage (EIPH), or bleeding into the airways, is an "extremely prevalent condition associated with high-intensity exercise in horses," according to Paul S. Morley, DVM, PhD, Dipl. ACVIM, professor of clin Read More
Equine Lameness and Surgery Advances Discussed at AAEP
February 25, 2010
The hottest news in equine lameness and surgery was presented the popular Kester News Hour session at the annual American Association of Equine Practitioners (AAEP) convention. Read More
Racing Quarter Horses and Horseshoe Toe Grabs
February 22, 2010
A toe grab is a raised rim on the toe area of a horseshoe; its purpose is to help the horse "dig in" to the track and reduce slipping (much like football or baseball cleats). However, there are increased stresses on the limbs from this stronger grip Read More
Equine Parasites: 6 Tips on Learning to Live With Worms
February 21, 2010
If you read the title of this article and said, "WHAT?!?" don't worry--you're not alone! No horse owner wants to think of even a single worm burrowing in their horse's innards. But a goal of zero tolerance for worms is no Read More
Horses and Veterinarians: How to Get Along
February 20, 2010
"Veterinarians work under a great handicap when handling horses--almost everything the veterinarian does to a horse is either frightening or painful," began Robert Miller, DVM. However, that doesn't mean there's no way for a v Read More
Acepromazine for Tranquilizing Male Horses: Pros and Cons
February 19, 2010
Acepromazine, often called simply Ace, is commonly used to tranquilize horses for veterinary procedures. However, its use in male horses can cause penile prolapse, or an inability to retract the penis back into the sheath. This effect is desire Read More
Equine Influenza Vaccine Protocols: Boosters are Best
February 17, 2010
A 300-horse study sought to find the vaccination protocol that best prevents flu in horses--intranasal (IN) or intramuscular (IM), given as a single dose or two doses given 30 days apart (boosted). Researchers also looked at boosting an initial Read More
Broken Coffin Bones Common in Warmblood Foals
February 17, 2010
A recent study of coffin bone (distal phalanx) fractures in foals found they were far from rare. In fact, all 20 of the Warmblood foals in the study (all foals on a particular farm in one season) had fractures at some point in their first year Read More
