Recent News for Injuries & Lameness
Article
Osselets (Traumatic Arthritis of the Fetlock)
September 01, 2000
Osselets begin with swelling on the front of the fetlock joint, with the possible addition of synovial distensions on the sides of the joint (commonly called windpuffs). It's painful when the horse flexes the joint, and can cause lameness.... Read More
Article
Tendon Injuries: Treatments and Prevention
September 01, 2000
Tendon injuries quickly can end a performance horse's career. There are no definitive statistics concerning how many horses in the world suffer from tendon injuries of some sort, but the number is considerable. The most common injury is the one... Read More
Article
Equine Physical Therapy
July 01, 2000
How does Physical Therapy relate to horses and to veterinary medicine? According to Haussler, the veterinary community can learn a lot from physical therapists about taking a proactive approach to equine rehab.... Read More
Article
How Much Bute Is Too Much?
July 01, 2000
My veterinarian recently prescribed "Bute" when my gelding came up sore after an endurance ride. He advised a specific dosage, but I wonder if I could be helping my horse more by increasing the amount of Bute or giving it to him more often.... Read More
Article
Lyme Disease in Horses
July 01, 2000
Lyme disease might not be the most prevalent equine disease you face with your horses, but it does exist, and it can seriously impact a horse's health. And that's not all. Although documented cases of Lyme disease in horses are relatively rare,... Read More
Article
Arthritis Pain Management
July 01, 2000
Yes, we have treatments that can assist certain types of arthritic conditions, but when it comes to the nasty stuff--chronic arthritis--cures still are elusive, with pain management offering only varying degrees of success dependant on the severity... Read More
Article
Blood Tests Might Provide Early Indicators Of Catastrophic Injury
May 01, 2000
Bone fractures, joint injury and other musculoskeletal trauma are major problems in the equine industry. In response, a grant of $59,700 will help two Colorado State University equine researchers continue their studies into diagnosing, monitorin... Read More
Article
Coffin Bone Fractures
March 01, 2000
My horse has been diagnosed with a fractured coffin bone. What could have caused it, and what is the prognosis? Fractures of the coffin bone or distal phalanx usually occur in the horse following some type of trauma, often from... Read More
Article
Bapten Discontinued By PR Pharmaceuticals
December 01, 1999
The equine tendon medication Bapten has been discontinued by its manufacturer, PR Pharmaceuticals, because of a lack of demand for the product. The expense and length of treatment involved with Bapten therapy kept the drug from becoming popular... Read More
Article
Leg Conformation
July 01, 1999
Good leg conformation in a horse is a must if that animal is to remain serviceably sound for a lifetime of work and performance. No matter how beautiful or well-pedigreed a horse, it will matter little if the animal suffers from... Read More
Article
Foal Limbs And Feet Deformities
June 01, 1999
Flexural or angular deformities can be very shocking and even disturbing in severe cases, but appropriate veterinary care offers great hope for these foals.... Read More
Article
Knee Surgery For Horses: Continuing Research
April 24, 1999
Horses' knees are like human ones, and that's good news for both species. It means that continuing research at Colorado State University aimed at helping horses with osteoarthritis --missing cartilage --also is applicable to humans as well.... Read More
Article
Inflammation
April 01, 1999
Within every living cell (muscle, tendon, lung, bone, etc.), there is a biochemical and cellular time bomb waiting to go off—inflammation. However, it is to be noted that inflammation is a double-edged sword. More animals (and probably people)... Read More
Article
Canadian Equine Research
April 01, 1999
The University of Guelph, located in Ontario, Canada, is home of the world renowned Ontario Veterinary College (OVC). The university is a research-intensive and student-oriented facility. Its written mission is to serve society and to enhance th... Read More
Article
Tendon Drug Is Back On The Market
March 12, 1999
According to the manufacturer of Bapten, a drug used for the treatment of tendinitis of the superficial digital flexor tendon in the horse, the drug is again on the market. There was a “stop-sale” on Bapten in Oct. 1998 due t... Read More
Article
Deep Digital Flexor Tenotomy As a Treatment for Chronic Laminitis
March 01, 1999
Deep digital flexor tenotomy is a surgical alternative that transects the deep digital flexor tendon in the mid-cannon bone region. This major tendon runs down the back of the horse's leg and attaches to the back of the coffin bone. ... Read More
Article
Tendon Drug Bapten Removed From Market
December 11, 1998
Bapten, a medication that has shown promise in the treatment of bowed tendons, has been taken off the market because of reports of a troubling side effect. A prepared statement from Boehringer Ingelheim, the pharmaceutical... Read More
Article
Therapeutic Ultrasound
November 01, 1998
The use of ultrasonic sound for diagnosis and treatment in human and equine medicine is not new, and in fact is becoming commonplace. Most horse breeders, for example, are familiar with the use of diagnostic ultrasound to detect and monitor... Read More
Article
The Aging Equine
October 01, 1998
The average lifespan of a horse is said to be about 24 years; but as with humans, a horse's chronological age isn't always a good indicator of how old he really is. Some horses still are active at the age of 35, while others suffer significant signs ... Read More
Article
Capped Hock Injury
July 01, 1998
I have a three-year-old Thoroughbred filly who was shipped from Texas. When she arrived, she had a swelling on her hock that was called a capped hock. What exactly is a capped hock and how should I deal with it? Will it affect her ability to race ... Read More
Article
Tendon Repair Drug Approved
June 26, 1998
The FDA has approved the first and only medication designed to improve the quality of repair to injured or "bowed" tendons. Bapten (beta-aminopropionitrile fumarate), manufactured by Boehringer Ingelheim Vetmedica, is labeled for use in treating... Read More
Article
Using Heat Therapy
June 01, 1998
Pain is due to muscle spasm, reduced circulation, and nerve pressure caused by connective tissue changes. Heat can address all of these causes and stimulate the repair process.... Read More
Article
Equine Back Problems
May 01, 1998
Equine back problems are common, particularly in performance horses. The conditions involved can be primary or can result from lameness, ill-fitting tack, or even inadequate schooling. It is noteworthy that the most common reaso... Read More
Article
Countess Diana Has Knee Chip Removed
December 19, 1997
Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies (gr. I) victress Countess Diana recently underwent successful surgery to have a bone chip removed from her left knee. The leading contender for an Eclipse Award as champion 2-year-old filly, Countess Diana will hav... Read More
Article
The Art of Therapeutic Shoeing
November 01, 1997
Michael J. Wildenstein, resident farrier at Cornell University's large animal clinic, has approximately 400 different types of therapeutic shoes hanging on the wall of his clinic. Each one, he says, was made for a particular... Read More
