By Dr. Lucas

News from AAEP

AAEP

2017 Convention Keynote to Tackle Work-Life Balance

With wellness and quality of life at the forefront of the veterinary profession, international best-selling author and business/personal life speaker Nigel Marsh will deliver the keynote address titled “Work-Life Balance: A Modern-Day Unicorn or Something Life Changingly Fabulous Available to All?” at the American Association of Equine Practitioners’ 63rd Annual Convention in San Antonio, Texas, Nov. 17-21, 2017.

Equine Dental Expert to Deliver 2017 State-of-the-Art Lecture

Internationally recognized equine respiratory and dental disorder specialist Dr. Padraic M. Dixon will help practitioners understand how the evolution of the horse has impacted current equine dentistry knowledge when he delivers the 2017 Frank J. Milne State-of-the-Art Lecture on Nov. 19 during the American Association of Equine Practitioners 63nd Annual Convention in San Antonio, Texas.

AAEP Foundation Accepting Applications for Equine Research Fellows

Applications currently being accepted for the 2017 American Association of Equine Practitioners (AAEP) Foundation Past Presidents’ and EQUUS Foundation Research Fellows scholarships. The deadline to apply is Aug. 1. These annual scholarships are awarded to AAEP-member veterinarians who are beginning careers in equine research. Each recipient receives a $5,000 scholarship during the AAEP’s 63rd Annual Convention in San Antonio, Texas, Nov. 17-21, 2017.
By Dr. Lucas

News from TheHorse.com

News

The Horse is concerned with all aspects of equine health, and it is written for hands-on horse owners, trainers, riders, breeders, and barn managers who want to know more about taking the best care of his or her horses. Extensive information on topics of concern are supplemented by timely features on horse health and news from researchers, veterinarians in the field and other equine professionals.

Fetlock Injuries in Racehorses

Learn about the signs, diagnosis, and management of repetitive stress-related fetlock injuries in racehorses.

West Nile Cases Confirmed in California, Wyoming Horses

The California horse died while the Wyoming horse is recovering.

Modern Przewalski's Horses Eat Different Diet Than Ancestors

Wild Przewalski's horses currently eat high-quality grass year-round. Previously, they ate less nutritious bushes along with grass.
By Dr. Lucas

The core vaccines: EEE/WEE, Rabies, West Nile Virus, Tetanus

Please read this article from Equus Magazine for important information about protecting your horse.

By Heidi Furseth

A number of dreadful diseases are now very rare among horses — thanks to some of the simplest and cheapest preventive measures we have.

Vaccination easily ranks as one one of the single most important things you do to protect your horse’s health. In fact, vaccines have been so successful that it’s rare to even hear of horses contracting several dreadful diseases that once loomed as a constant threat.

It is worthwhile, though, to remember what those injections are doing—especially the four “core” vaccines the American Association of Equine Practitioners (AAEP) recommends for every horse.[More]

By Dr. Lucas

Fractures: Beyond the Limbs

They might be less common, but skull, rib, pelvis, and withers fractures are no less important. Learn more about fractures in this article from The Horse magazine.

By Joan Norton, VMD, Dipl. ACVIM

A broken bone in a large quadruped is serious stuff. Unlike a kid with a broken arm, you can’t just slap a cast on a horse and send him on his way. Thankfully, fractures aren’t frequent occurrences in horses. When they do happen the most common site is in the distal limb, particularly the cannon bone. But bones can break in a variety of places, and understanding the causes and associated complications will help you become more familiar with these less-common but no-less-important potential fracture sites.[More]

By Dr. Lucas

EHV-1: What Are We Learning?

An informative article from The Horse magazine:

By Heather Smith Thomas

There’s a life-threatening disease horses can harbor in their bodies without showing any signs of illness. But under stress—even inapparent stress—the horse can disperse the virus with every cough or sneeze, exposing nearby equids to the pathogen. All of this can happen undetected until, perhaps, a horse in the same barn turns up with a fever or another begins showing neurologic signs.

This nightmarish scenario can mark the start of an equine herpesvirus-1 (EHV-1) outbreak, which most frequently occurs where horses congregate, such as at horse shows, trail rides, or barns with transient populations.[More]

By Dr. Lucas

Does your feeding program measure up?

Equus Magazine has a good article about feeding routines:

Take a moment to consider whether your feeding routine still provides the right amount of nutrients and calories for your horse.

by Laurie Bonner

Routines can be comforting. When balancing the demands of career, family and barn, it feels good to simply work your way through familiar chores—first the water, then the hay. Then a trip to the feed room, and with a can of this and a scoop of that, you’re done. Your reward, of course, is the sweet sound of munching in every stall. [More]

By Dr. Lucas

What your veterinarian wants you to know about antibiotics

Check out this article published in Equus Magazine.

by Melinda Freckleton, DVM

It’s easy to be casual about antibiotics. We’ve all taken them ourselves, they look like any other medication, and if you’ve had horses for any length of time, you are probably quite familiar with the “crush and dump” routine. But the nature of antibiotics requires a level of understanding and vigilance that goes beyond those required by many other medications that the average horse owner is likely to administer. [More]

By Dr. Lucas

Prevention: Sand Collic

Is your horse ingesting too much sand? Learn more in this article in Equus Magazine.

by Laurie Bonner

Horses who graze on loose, sandy soil are at risk of sand colic, which can occur if they ingest too much dirt with their forage. The consequences can range from very mild, transient digestive upsets, when the particles irritate the gut wall, to impactions or twists (volvulus), which can occur if large amounts of sand settle out of the ingesta and accumulate in the large intestine. [More]