horse health
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Horse Health Lines (Spring 2022) now online
The Spring 2022 issue of Horse Health Lines, news publication for the WCVM’s Townsend Equine Health Research Fund, is now online. You can also download the PDF or view the publication as part of the Spring 2022 issue of Canadian Horse Journal. Here’s a quick look at the stories inside this issue: Unravelling the umbilical cord Does the equine umbilical cord’s …
March 06th, 2022 Full story »
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Unravelling the umbilical cord
Western College of Veterinary Medicine (WCVM) researchers have added a couple of new “twists” to research focusing on the link between equine umbilical cords and foal health. Dr. Madison Ricard, a veterinary anatomic pathology resident in the WCVM’s Department of Veterinary Pathology, and her supervisor, Dr. Bruce Wobeser, are investigating whether excessively long umbilical cords or cords with more twists …
February 15th, 2022 Full story »
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WCVM hosts research discussion
Click here to view recording of the Feb. 8 panel discussion on equine health research. Horse health research is the focus of an upcoming virtual panel discussion that’s asking for input from horse owners about current and future research studies at the Western College of Veterinary Medicine (WCVM). The online discussion, which will take place at 7 p.m. CST on …
February 03rd, 2022 Full story »
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Preventing frostbite in horses
Frostbite isn’t a common medical issue in horses, but under extreme temperatures, a horse’s body decreases the blood supply to its extremities – such as ears, genitals and feet. As a result, fluid in the cells of these body parts forms ice crystals that break or harm cell membranes and cause permanent damage. What environmental conditions are most hazardous for …
January 07th, 2022 Full story »
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Vet’s career heads straight to the heart
Growing up in Portugal, Dr. Tiago Afonso always knew he wanted to be an equine veterinarian. “My uncle had a farm with horses, and he’s a mixed veterinarian in the back country of Portugal,” says Afonso, an assistant professor in the Western College of Veterinary Medicine’s (WCVM) Department of Large Animal Clinical Sciences. “I used to spend all my weekends …
December 01st, 2021 Full story »
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Cresty necks flag metabolic issues in horses
While University of Saskatchewan (USask) researchers are still hunting for a diagnostic biomarker that predicts equine metabolic syndrome (EMS), results of their study substantiated the cresty neck score (CNS) as a reliable visual marker of abnormal insulin metabolism in horses. The study, which was recently published in the Journal of Equine Veterinary Science, was conducted by a team of USask scientists from …
November 25th, 2021 Full story »
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Safety vital around portable X-rays
A recent study by University of Saskatchewan (USask) researchers highlights the importance of regularly reviewing radiation safety practices for the use of portable X-ray machines in equine practice. The study, which was published in the April 2021 issue of Canadian Veterinary Journal, surveyed three separate veterinary practices that use portable X-ray equipment and observed the clinics’ radiation safety practices. Dr. …
November 09th, 2021 Full story »
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Stall-side research
Mateo Castano Ospina, a veterinary student at the Western College of Veterinary Medicine (WCVM), spent four months working as the Townsend Equine Health Research Fund (TEHRF) undergraduate summer research student. Each year, the equine research fund provides financial support for a veterinary student to work on a horse-health focused research project. “I think the program gives veterinary students a great …
November 09th, 2021 Full story »
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Helping horses breathe easier
Canadians have access to the first licensed and approved inhalation therapy specifically developed to help horses with severe equine asthma without causing unwanted side effects. Developed by Boehringer Ingelheim Animal Health (BI), the Aservo® EquiHaler® is an inhalation therapy available through veterinarians. It’s used to treat equine asthma, formerly known as recurrent airway obstruction (RAO) or heaves. Like humans, environmental triggers such …
April 15th, 2021 Full story »
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Cardiac cases linked to caterpillars
A report recently published in Canadian Veterinary Journal tells the story of how a team of veterinarians at the Western College of Veterinary Medicine (WCVM) linked cases of an uncommon cardiac disease in horses with a caterpillar infestation in Saskatchewan. Between June and September 2017, clinicians at the WCVM Veterinary Medical Centre examined four horses of varying ages and from …
March 21st, 2021 Full story »
