equine health
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Study focuses on lung failure in foals
Last summer, I was part of a research group at the Western College of Veterinary Medicine (WCVM) that’s working to gain a better understanding of why young foals often die of respiratory distress and lung failure. During the first few months of their lives, foals are highly susceptible to bacterial infections and toxins because of their immature immune system. As …
March 25th, 2014 Full story »
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Vet students visit Alberta equine centres
Horses are what led me to veterinary medicine. One of the first times I put the two together was during a visit to Northlands Park in Edmonton, Alta. I was in awe of the racetrack’s equine athletes — and that’s when I began wanting to pursue a career in performance horse medicine. Of course, I have a lot of questions about …
March 25th, 2014 Full story »
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Tying-up syndrome
Tying-up syndrome, or rhabdomyolysis, is a myopathy (disorder affecting the body’s muscle system) that causes muscle-cell destruction and decreases an affected horse’s performance. Common systems include painful muscle cramping and hardening as well as severe increases in muscle enzymes that can be detected through laboratory testing. Exertional rhabdoyolyses are disorders that typically occur in horses performing exercise beyond their conditioning …
February 28th, 2014 Full story »
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Red Deer hosts equine education event
As an equine-minded veterinary student at the Western College of Veterinary Medicine (WCVM), I couldn’t think of a better way to spend my first weekend back to class than at the Alberta Horse Breeders and Owners Conference on Jan. 10-12 — Canada’s premier horse industry event. The annual conference, which celebrated its 32nd year in Red Deer, Alta., is hosted …
February 02nd, 2014 Full story »
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Protein may help diagnose septic arthritis
Last summer, I was involved in researching a protein called serum amyloid A (SAA) that may help veterinarians reach a proper and early diagnosis of joint infection — a severe and potential life-threatening illness in horses. Infected joints (septic arthritis) is a particular problem in Saskatchewan, mainly because of the widespread use of barbed wire that’s often the culprit behind puncture …
January 20th, 2014 Full story »
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Equine expo a welcome mid-winter break
Western Canada’s equine community is looking forward to the third annual Saskatchewan Equine Expo at Prairieland Park in Saskatoon from Feb. 14-16, 2014. “We have a full schedule once again this year,” says Brenda Sapergia, livestock manager for Prairieland Park Ag Centre. “Our headline events – the Trainer’s Challenge and the Cowhorse Competition – will of course be returning. New …
January 13th, 2014 Full story »
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WCVM scientists focus on moon blindness
Six years ago, Shelley and Ray Ruiters purchased an Appaloosa mare named Annie from friends who thought she would be a great fit for the couple. It turned out that the Ruiters’ friends were exactly right. “From the first day I met her we just rode off on our own and she never missed a beat,” says Shelley. About a …
December 07th, 2013 Full story »
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Group backs equine health at grassroots level
The Equine Foundation of Canada (EFC) may be small, but in the past four decades, this grassroots group has managed to accomplish great things in support of horse health care in Canada. The volunteer organization has raised nearly $890,000 in donations that have supported a variety of organizations, people and projects in the past 30 years. The list of recipients …
October 30th, 2013 Full story »
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Sable Island ponies “shop” like we do
It turns out that horses and people have a lot in common when it comes to shopping habits, according to Philip McLoughlin, associate professor of biology at the University of Saskatchewan. In a paper in the Journal of Animal Ecology, McLoughlin and his colleagues describe the habits of the famous wild horses at Sable Island National Park Reserve off the …
September 24th, 2013 Full story »
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“SIP project” targets sand colic
I’ve spent a lot of time this summer with my arm up the south end of a lot of northbound horses — all for the sake of finding sand in poop. Nicknamed the “SIP project,” I’m working with Dr. Steve Manning of the Western College of Veterinary Medicine (WCVM) to take repeat fecal samples from a number of horses at equine …
September 20th, 2013 Full story »
