equine health
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What to do if you suspect colic
Most horse owners have their own personal stories to tell about colic — but chances are that everyone’s tales about the dreaded disease are different. Episodes of colic can range from a mild case of abdominal pain that resolves with pain medications to a life-threatening event that requires emergency surgical treatment. With such a variable condition, it can be difficult for …
December 12th, 2016 Full story »
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New role pins Thomas to WCVM
Her surgical residency as the Townsend Equine Health Research Fund (TEHRF) fellow has wrapped up, but Dr. Keri Thomas is staying put — and she couldn’t be happier about it. During the last four years, Thomas has learned from large animal surgeons at the Western College of Veterinary Medicine (WCVM) while also navigating her own clinical and research work. Now …
December 07th, 2016 Full story »
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EHV-1 case dies of other health issues
A Saskatoon-area horse that was diagnosed with the neurologic form of equine herpes virus 1 (EHV-1) has been humanely euthanized after developing other health issues. The horse was the first of two local equine patients diagnosed with EHV-1 in the past two weeks. Veterinarians from the Western College of Veterinary Medicine (WCVM) were providing treatment and supportive care for the …
March 31st, 2016 Full story »
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Equine Expo designed to please horse lovers
After half a decade, organizers of the annual Saskatchewan Equine Expo know just what makes horse lovers trot to the entrance gates each year. The event is a collaboration between the Western College of Veterinary Medicine (WCVM)’s Townsend Equine Health Research Fund, the Saskatchewan Horse Federation (SHF) and Prairieland Park. This year’s event takes place in Saskatoon from Feb. 12-14, …
February 08th, 2016 Full story »
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New tool homes in on equine lameness
Whether their patient is a high performance equine athlete or a beloved pony, veterinarians at the Western College of Veterinary Medicine (WCVM) have access to a full range of technologies that can help diagnose equine lameness and pinpoint problems. A new addition came in August 2015 when the college’s Veterinary Medical Centre acquired a Lameness Locator®, an advanced diagnostic tool …
October 16th, 2015 Full story »
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Health management for performance horses
Much like humans, equine athletes performing at a high level can be at risk for certain conditions that cause poor performance. “Factors that make them athletes also predispose them to disease,” says Dr. Julia Montgomery, a specialist in large animal internal medicine at the Western College of Veterinary Medicine (WCVM). Horses have a very large heart with a low resting …
September 10th, 2015 Full story »
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Regular dental checkups health investment
Everybody knows the importance of regular dental checkups when it comes to human health, so it should come as no surprise that horse health is just as dependent upon regular oral health checks. Dr. James Carmalt, a professor of equine surgery and a specialist in equine dentistry at the Western College of Veterinary Medicine (WCVM), recommends that horses receive routine …
August 03rd, 2015 Full story »
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CFI funds four U of S research projects
Four University of Saskatchewan (U of S) researchers have been awarded $393,000 to support projects to develop high-capacity mobile telecommunications devices, bacteria-based cleanup of petroleum contamination, a mobile lab to study and treat lung health in horses, and equipment to catalogue the trillions of microorganisms that live within us. The funding, through the Canada Foundation for Innovation (CFI), provides 40 …
August 03rd, 2015 Full story »
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Understanding horse insurance
Although many horses in Western Canada have high performance, breeding and emotional value in the eyes of their owners, few of the animals are covered under an equine insurance policy. Horse insurance can help owners with the cost of treating these horses. “We are often dealing with horses that are injured or sick, and owners are facing the choice of …
May 01st, 2015 Full story »
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Vets treat stallion for uncommon disease
On a warm day in mid-September 2014, Cora Hohenberg noticed that one of her family’s Gypsy stallions, Black Forest William, was down and looking distressed. “We thought he had colic,” says Cora, who operates Cyclone Gypsy Horses with her husband Karl on their farm near La Broquerie, Man. “We got him up and got him walking — then he had …
February 23rd, 2015 Full story »
