Horse Health
Scientists bite into evasive equine disease
February 03rd, 2024
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Pain in the temporomandibular joints (TMJ) — the two joints that connect the lower jaw to the skull — is a common human health issue with up to 60 per cent of adults experiencing symptoms of TMJ disease at some point in their lives. It’s also a common diagnosis in dogs, cats and sheep. But up until a couple of years …
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Preparing for the worst
No one wants a life-threatening disaster to occur at their barn or stable but very few horse owners make the time to develop a plan for preventing emergencies, says Dr. Rebecca (Gimenez) Husted, a primary emergency response instructor with expertise in large animal emergency rescue. “It’s actually pretty amazing what people don’t know about preventing problems with their animals,” says …
February 03rd, 2024 Full story »
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The limb chill factor
University of Saskatchewan (USask) researchers hope their recent review of previous studies assessing different types of cold therapies for preventing and treating equine acute laminitis will help veterinarians and serve as a starting point for the design of a new cost-effective cooling boot. “This review can help veterinarians make decisions on which methods to attempt and which methods to maybe …
February 03rd, 2024 Full story »
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Vets perform ‘wry nose’ surgery
On the morning of June 30, 2022, Scot Gannon went out to the barn on his farm, Nejd Arabians, just west of Edmonton, Alta. He was happy to see that one of his Arabian mares, Nejds’ Bint Sabbah, had given birth overnight to a black filly. But Gannon’s delight quickly turned to dismay. “I got around to the front of …
April 23rd, 2023 Full story »
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Global vets trade equine expertise
A University of Saskatchewan (USask) program that fosters collaboration between educators around the world helped to transport large animal surgical specialist Dr. James Carmalt to South America for two weeks in January 2023. Carmalt was a guest lecturer and clinician at the Universidad Austral de Chile in Valdivia, a city located about 850 kilometres south of Santiago, Chile. His trip …
April 23rd, 2023 Full story »
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Iodine important in pregnant mares’ diets
When it comes to bringing new horses into the world, mare care and particularly mare nutrition should be a top priority for horse owners — a mother’s diet during pregnancy can drastically impact the health of her foal. A multi-year study led by Dr. Claire Card at the Western College of Veterinary Medicine (WCVM) is aimed at ensuring that mares …
November 25th, 2022 Full story »
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Melanoma and grey horses
Anyone who has owned a grey horse knows the struggle of trying to keep their equine friend clean and to prevent them from becoming a shade of brown. However, owners of grey horses often face a far more serious problem than mud. On average, grey horses have an 80 per cent chance of developing a melanoma (skin cancer) during their …
October 06th, 2022 Full story »
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Life after laminitis
If you call Bob Wood, you’ll likely hear birds singing in the background. Before his mare Jessie got sick, Wood could usually be found out in his pasture with his two horses, two dogs and one cat by his side. “We were the joke of the area … ’cause all of us would be walking and hanging together in the …
October 06th, 2022 Full story »
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Vitamin E a must for horse health
Horses need to eat their greens, too — and if they can’t get the proper nutrients through grazing, it’s important for owners to be aware of how to ensure nutritional needs are met. One important nutrient for horses is vitamin E. This powerful antioxidant keeps equine muscle and nerve cells healthy and helps to support the immune system. Because horses …
March 06th, 2022 Full story »
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How to manage hoof abscesses
Every equine veterinarian is familiar with this kind of call: an owner goes out to do the morning feed and finds a severely lame horse that can’t bear any weight on one leg. The client calls the vet in a panic, fearing the worst — a broken leg or a life-threatening injury. But those same signs could indicate a less …
March 06th, 2022 Full story »
