Nancy S. Loving, DVM
Nancy S. Loving, DVM, owns Loving Equine Clinic in Boulder, Colo., and has a special interest in managing the care of sport horses. Her recent book, All Horse Systems Go, is a comprehensive veterinary care and conditioning resource in full color that covers all facets of horse care (available at www.exclusivelyequine.com or by calling 800/582-5604). She has also authored the books Go the Distance as a resource for endurance horse owners, Conformation and Performance, and First Aid for Horse and Rider in addition to many veterinary articles for both horse owner and professional audiences.
Articles by Nancy Loving
Testing an Anti-Inflammatory Dietary Nutraceutical (AAEP 2008)
March 19, 2009
Horse owners commonly add nutraceuticals to their horses' diets to treat or prevent joint disease, but most products have no research data supporting their effectiveness. Read More
Acute Laminitis: Are Drugs Effective? (AAEP 2008)
March 18, 2009
In general, controlled studies do not exist regarding the efficacy of various treatments for laminitis, and some therapies have additional risks beyond their failure to improve the situation. Read More
Acquired Scoliosis in Equids, AAEP 2008
March 17, 2009
Scoliosis, a curvature of the spine, is most often attributed to congenital vertebral malformations, possibly associated with malposition of the fetus in the uterus. However, researchers have linked cases of acquired scoliosis presented at Cornell Read More
Emergency Care at Endurance Events
March 14, 2009
Endurance rides are often held in wilderness areas without good road access, posing a challenge when trying to reach a horse in distress. A Treatment Veterinarian should be equipped with sufficient horsepower (vehicle, ATV, or horse) to reach a horse Read More
Equine Bone Fragility Syndrome, AAEP 2008
March 13, 2009
Women aren't the only ones suffering from decreased bone density and bone mass loss--horses in Central California have experienced a systemic osteoporotic disorder. Equine bone fragility syndrome, a systemic osteoporotic (characterized by a decrease Read More
Polysaccharide Storage Myopathy (PSSM): A Genetic Diagnosis, AAEP 2008
March 13, 2009
Polysaccharide storage myopathy (PSSM) is a metabolic muscle problem found in at least 20 breeds, including Quarter Horses, Paints, Appaloosas, and drafts. An affected horse suffers bouts of exertional rhabdomyolysis (tying-up), muscle tremors Read More
Sleep and Sleep Disorders in Horses, AAEP 2008
March 10, 2009
Unlike humans, adult horses average only about three to five hours of sleep per day, with sleep events occurring intermittently throughout the day and night, with most occurring at night. Lack of sleep or a sleep disorder has the potential to impact Read More
Dusty Air and Respiratory Problems
March 09, 2009
In addition to the risks viruses and bacteria pose to the horse, environmental exposure to particulates dispersed from feed, bedding, footing materials, and other sources (such as diesel exhaust) all can lead to IAD. Even small increases in aerodynam Read More
Emergency Preparedness for Eventing
March 07, 2009
In general, event horses are subject to tendon and ligament injuries, lacerations and trauma, hyperthermia (overheating), hypoxia (low oxygen), tying-up, electrolyte depletion, exercise-induced pulmonary hemorrhage, and other speed-related problems. Read More
Aortic-Iliac Thrombosis, Diagnosis and Treatment
March 05, 2009
He noted aortic-iliac thrombosis (TAI) can cause lameness, but the incidence in the United States is low. Damage to, and thrombus (blood clot) in, these large blood vessels might be caused by internal parasites. Read More
Emergency Veterinary Care at Horse Shows
March 04, 2009
Most horse show emergencies are able to be cared for on-site, but if a crisis develops, the horse should be stabilized and transported to a full-care facility, according to Rick Mitchell, DVM, of Fairfield Equine Associates in Newtown, Conn. Read More
Disease Risks at Shows and Events
March 01, 2009
Just as when a bunch of people are confined to a relatively small space, such as in an office or airplane, when Read More
Medication Thresholds
February 23, 2009
A drug's withdrawal time indicates a suggested timeline by which the last dose can be administered before an event to avoid blood or urine test levels that exceed the allowable regulatory threshold. Using these thresholds encourages standardization Read More
Neurology is Not a Euphemism for Necropsy
February 17, 2009
Reed believes that future goals for managing neurologic disease in horses should be to decrease mortality and improve outcomes. This would be best achieved by developing improved diagnostic tools to facilitate early diagnosis and treatment Read More
Tart Cherry Juice May Reduce Muscle Damage
February 08, 2009
A recent human study has found that tart cherry juice blend (TCJB) had beneficial effects on exercising muscle. The objective was to determine if TCJB can lessen exercise-induced muscle damage in horses, as measured by serum enzymatic markers. Read More
Barn Fires: Strategies to Prevent and Respond (AAEP 2008)
February 04, 2009
Barn fires are the No. 1 local emergency that affects everyone from horse owners to veterinarians, and property owners to the horses themselves. Barn fires kill more horses annually than any other type of nonmedical emergency. Read More
Questions to Ask Before Breeding a Mare
February 02, 2009
Thinking of breeding your mare this spring? The recent outbreak of contagious equine metritis (CEM, which is caused by bacterium Taylorella equigenitalis) in the United States and the previous outbreak of equine viral arteritis (EVA) have Read More
Safely Increasing Weight in Emaciated Horses
January 31, 2009
Rehabilitating emaciated horses to nutritional health is a challenge--there's a fine line between not getting results and risking the horse's health by introducing too much, too soon. Read More
Vaccination Yearly Planner
January 01, 2009
One of the brightest spots of equine medical care for horses is the availability of many safe and effective vaccines to Read More
Disease Control Yearly Planner
November 26, 2008
For a horse to perform to his utmost capacity, he must be healthy and sound throughout the year. The smallest details of farm management often Read More
Measuring the Physiologic Response to Nutrition
November 24, 2008
Whether for weight gain or loss, speed or shine, nearly everything we offer our horses is given to bring about a desired effect. Stacie Appleton, PhD, and Mike Jerina, BS, presented a demonstration on "Measuring the Physiologic Read More
Beyond the Feed Tag: Horse Feed Ingredients, Quality and Safety Issues
November 16, 2008
The tag on every animal feed product is labeled with information required by the FDA, with ingredients listed in descending order of predominance--from most to least inclusion. "However, this is not always enforced and there is no guarantee that list Read More
Forage Options for Special Needs Horses
November 08, 2008
Horses are often fed diets that also contain high levels of grains and supplements to maximise growth or productivity. Katie Young, PhD, consulting equine nutritionist for Purina Mills, presented information on forage options for horses with commonly Read More
Thrush Diagnosis and Treatment
November 01, 2008
Most cases of thrush occur in inactive horses that live in stalls. Unfortunately, this describes a huge percentage of horses in the United States, since over the past few decades horses have become 'apartment dwellers.' Read More
Feeding to Lessen Inflammation
October 31, 2008
At the Purina Equine Veterinary Conference, held Oct. 17-19 in St. Louis, Mo., Karen Davison, PhD, manager of Equine Technical Services for the Horse Business Group of Purina Mills discussed managing inflammation and oxidative stress in horses Read More
