Horses

Acupuncture, notes from Dr. Michael Salewski’s presentation at the Pilchuck Sports Medicine Seminar, March 2001
The Chinese healing art of acupuncture dates back for thousands of years. Though its exact age is uncertain, up until the twentieth century, much of the population of the world was uninformed about acupuncture, its origins, and its capacity to promote and maintain good health. Today in most western cultures it is considered a new alternative medicine. Used for over 3,500 years in China on both animals and humans, acupuncture is not only safe, it is the favored treatment for one quarter of the world’s population. As physicians are doing with many alternative treatments for humans, veterinarians are increasingly combining acupuncture with Western treatments and medications. This ‘complementary’ veterinary medicine often provides patients with the greatest benefits and faster recovery times.
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More information about Alternative Medicine



Breeding a Mare, from the Puget Sound Equine Reproduction Center
Breeding soundness examinations determine a mare’s ability to conceive, safely carry a fetus to term, and successfully deliver a live, healthy foal.
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More information about Horse Reproduction



Breeding a Mare with Frozen Semen, from the Puget Sound Equine Reproduction Center
By using the following procedures for breeding a mare with frozen semen it is possible to obtain a live foal rate that is within the national average for use with frozen semen. When your mare first comes into heat she should have a reproductive examination that includes rectal palpation, speculum examination of the vagina and cervix and an ultrasound examination of the reproductive organs.
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Breeding a Stallion, from the Puget Sound Equine Reproduction Center
Breeding soundness examinations determine if a stallion is able to cover mares and to evaluate their conception potential. Related services include training a stallion for semen collection from a phantom mare, and the collection, preparation, and shipment of cooled semen.
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Chinese Medicine, from the Equine Newsletter, August 1999
Alternative medicine encompasses many different disciplines. One of these, traditional Chinese medicine, is better known by its two components, acupuncture and herbal medicine. Both components arrive at a diagnosis that may sound quite different from what animal owners are used to. This article is intended to provide a basic understanding of how a diagnosis is made and why these therapies work.
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More information about Alternative Medicine



Chiropractic, notes from Dr. Michael Salewski’s presentation at the Pilchuck Sports Medicine Seminar, March 2001
Contrary to popular belief, a veterinary chiropractic adjustment does not involve putting a vertebrae ‘back in place’. The spine is dynamic, and the normal position of vertebrae when an animal is turning to the left will be different than when turning to the right. It is more correct to say that an adjustment is a specifically directed force that overcomes a restriction of a joint and restores full range of motion to that specific joint.
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More information about Alternative Medicine


Colic, Managing the Risk, from the Equine Newsletter, October 1998
Colic is a general term that describes abdominal (or gut) pain in the horse. There are as many causes of colic as there are manifestations of the problem. In this article, we discuss the signs and causes of colic to minimize the chance of colic in your animal(s).
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Crooked Legs in Foals, Conrad Boulton, DVM, DACVS
Conrad Boulton gives his views on identifying and correcting crooked legs in foals: foals should be looked at immediately for limb deformities and, once recognized, aggressive action should be taken as soon as possible.
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Diarrhea in Foals: Causes, Signs & Concerns, from the Equine Newsletter, April 1998
Diarrhea is often a problem in foals between one week and two months of age. It is often caused by the dam’s foal heat, or it is due to nutritional changes. In these cases the diarrhea is usually mild and does not require veterinary management. However, more severe cases of diarrhea include those caused by parasites, viruses, and bacteria. Often times, these foals require medical care and support. As an owner it is important to know about the various causes of diarrhea and when to get veterinary assistance.
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Embryo Transfer – What is it? from the Puget Sound Equine Reproduction Center
Embryo transfer is a breeding procedure in which a fertilized egg is flushed out of one mare’s uterus, and transferred to another mare’s uterus. The surrogate, or recipient, mare then carries the foal to term.
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More information about Horse Reproduction


Emergency Care & First Aid, from the Equine Newsletter, June 1998
A discussion of emergency wound care. First it is important to know what is normal for your horse, as there are normal variations in each individual’s temperature, pulse and respiration. It is often helpful to have an action plan in case of an emergency. Keep your veterinarian’s number by the phone. If your horse is boarded, make sure the stable owner keeps a record of whom to call in case of an emergency. Also, prepare a first aid kit and keep it in the barn and take it along when you trailer your horse.
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Endoscopes Explained, from the Equine Newsletter, June 1999
An endoscope is an instrument used in either human or veterinary medicine designed specifically to look inside the body. If the endoscope is placed in the horse’s nose, you can see the turbinates and any nasal lesion. If it’s in the horse’s throat the larynx can be seen. In mares, the same technology can be used to look directly into the uterus with minimal discomfort, and in stallions and mares to see directly into the urinary bladder.
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Equine Cushing’s Disease, from the Equine Newsletter, October 1999
Equine Cushing’s Disease is one of the most common endocrine disorders affecting the older horse. The clinical signs of Cushing’s disease are related to the effects of the abnormal secretion of hormones and neurotransmitters by the pituitary gland. In Cushing’s Disease, the pituitary gland over-secretes a variety of hormones that effect all body systems. Horses and ponies of all breeds and both sexes are affected by the disease.
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Equine Dentistry, from the Equine Newsletter, April 1999
One of the questions most commonly asked of equine veterinarians is "why do my horse's teeth need to be floated?" The answer is relatively simple—their teeth continually grow to compensate for the loss of tooth from grinding feed. With the upper jaw slightly wider than the lower jaw , horses’ circular chewing action creates a slope on the grinding surface of the teeth that can form sharp edges on the outside of the upper teeth (irritating the cheeks) and on the inside of the lower teeth (irritating the tongue). "Floating" is a term used to describe rasping and smoothing these points and edges. With the aid of advanced training and instrumentation, the quality of equine dental care has greatly improved to the benefit of both the horse and rider.
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Equine Insurance, from the Equine Newsletter, January 1998
"I’m sorry, but it looks as though your horse is going to need colic surgery." Those words will strike terror in the hearts of most owners. Their concern lies not only in the severity of the condition, but also in the costs of having a major surgery performed. However, if the horse is covered by insurance containing a major medical/surgical clause, the owner will likely not have to pay for more than the deductible specified by the policy. There are a number of insurance companies that provide a variety of insurance policies for animals.
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Expecting a Foal? from the Equine Newsletter, January 1998
A checklist of things to get and do before the birth of your foal.
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Foaling, from the Equine Newsletter, March 1997
For those anxiously awaiting the birth of a healthy foal, we will discuss the signs that lead to foaling, the stages of labor, and what to expect in the newborn foal.
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Freezing Stallion Semen or Cryopreservation of Equine Spermatozoa, from the Puget Sound Equine Reproduction Center
Successful cryopreservation (freezing) of semen was first performed in the early 20th century with bull semen and is extensively used in the cattle industry today. The first pregnancy resulting from frozen stallion semen occurred in 1957 in the US when spermatozoa were taken from a stallion’s epididymis, frozen, thawed and inseminated into a mare. Equine semen is far less tolerant of the freezing and thawing process than bull semen. Furthermore, not all stallion semen freezes alike.
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More information about Horse Reproduction


Handling Frozen Stallion Semen, from the Puget Sound Equine Reproduction Center
Instructions for safe handling of frozen stallion semen. Success depends upon following the instructions carefully for thawing and insemination.
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More information about Horse Reproduction



Limb Deformities in Foals, from Equine Newsletter, August 1998
Whether a backyard broodmare owner or involved in a large breeding farm operation, you have probably seen a foal with legs that are crooked or flexed. We will discuss a few of the common musculoskeletal conditions, when to be concerned, and treatment options.
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Prepurchase Radiographs, from the Equine Newsletter, February 1999
The purchase of a new horse is an investment. Purchase prices vary from ‘free’ to $20,000,000 with the majority being between $500 and $50,000. Prior to making such an investment, a prepurchase examination should be performed on all horses to identify potential performance limiting problems, particularly lameness. Lameness is the most common factor that eliminates a horse from consideration for purchase. The basic prepurchase examination includes a complete physical exam and a lameness exam. Even if the horse was free, the first month’s board will cost more than a basic pre-purchase exam.
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Vaccine Protocol, Elizabeth Edmunds, DVM
Based on new research in equine immunology, the American Association of Equine Practitioners (AAEP) has updated recommendations for vaccinations, especially during the first year of life. Pilchuck Veterinary Hospital’s vaccination recommendations for 2001 follow.
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Tapeworms, Nancy Korenek-Leveque, DVM, DACVS & Matthew Wright, DVM
Although once considered to be a benign inhabitant of the equine gastrointestinal tract, recent research suggests that the equine tapeworm, A. perfoliata, may be a significant cause of colic. In fact, reports of colic associated with tapeworm infections have increased over the last decade. Although the cause of this rise is unknown, some have attributed it to the use of dewormers that do not address tapeworms.
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West Nile Virus, Elizabeth Edmunds, DVM
West Nile Virus (WNV) is a viral disease that causes encephalitis, an infection of the brain and spinal cord. WNV was first identified in the western hemisphere in 1999, in birds in the Bronx zoo. WNV causes disease and mortality in humans, wildlife (particularly birds) and domestic animals (particularly horses). Birds are the reservoir of disease and infected mosquitoes are the vector (primary mode of transmission). Neither infected humans nor horses are considered carriers of the disease.
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Winterizing Your Horse, from the Equine Newsletter, November 1997
To help your horse friends get ready for the winter, make sure they are up to date on their preventative maintenance program (vaccines and deworming), also includes tips of other things to watch for during the colder months.
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