Tag: Ask Your Veterinarian

Veterinarians at Rood and Riddle Equine Hospital answer your questions about sales and healthcare of Thoroughbred auction yearlings, weanlings, 2-year-olds and breeding stock. Email us at info@paulickreport.com if you have a question for a veterinarian.

Question: How do you know when to call a veterinarian for a laceration versus treating/patching it up yourself?

Dr. Daniel Devis, Rood and Riddle Equine Hospital: Cuts, punctures, flesh wounds, slashes, etc. they have many nicknames, but in veterinary medicine, we know them as “lacerations.”

And what exactly is a laceration?  Well, the dictionary defines it as a tear or cut of the skin, unlike an abrasion that does not penetrate the surface of the skin. A laceration usually involves a sharp object that can penetrate deeply into the soft tissue, even into the bone, but it can also be caused by blunt trauma (i.e., running through a fence).

Lacerations are a very common type of injury that can happen at any time or place – mostly when you least expect it, during a busy time of the year, or just when you thought the horses were safe and sound in their stalls. All it needs is a nail to be out of place, a fallen fence, or even a bite from another animal to cause an emergency call to your veterinarian.

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Lacerations come in all sizes and shapes, from very bloody and unpleasant looking to simple insignificant scratches. But how do you know when to call a veterinarian for a laceration repair? Well, first of all, having good communication with your personal veterinarian is key. Regardless of the situation, if in doubt, always ask.

Blood can be very dramatic to the inexperienced eye but it can be a good indicator as to how urgent the situation is. If you find your horse with a bloodstain on it but you cannot pinpoint the origin and it is no longer actively bleeding, then you can probably take a breath. If there is a continual drip of blood or even a stream, then you must take immediate action. (We call this triage.) Having a plan in these situations is crucial. Again, if in doubt, always call your veterinarian.

Having a first aid kit that includes (at least) rubbing alcohol, chlohrexidine soap or similar, clean gauze, and plenty of bandage material is extremely important. Talk to your veterinarian and together build a kit that could be used in case of emergency. Most veterinarians will encourage you to try to stop the bleeding with some sort of gauze or a clean towel. The horse will probably be in distress, so caution is advised.

Photographs can go a long way when consulting with your veterinarian initially. Make sure to take photos from different angles so your veterinarian can advise you further. Usually, having your own hand or a common object in the picture next to the wound is helpful for your veterinarian to determine the dimension and gravity of the laceration.

Cleaning the wound, or at least keeping it from getting more contaminated, is very important. Communicate with your veterinarian, he or she should be able to guide you until help comes.

We do not recommend you attempt to try and suture a laceration on your own! There is a reason why we go to veterinary school for so long, so please call us. The risk of infection is high when dealing with any type of skin wound. Complications can affect future soundness and quality of life for your horse.

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Complicated lacerations include but are not limited to: wounds affecting the abdomen and or thorax (especially if any important organs are exposed), injuries that involve a joint compartment, lacerations that involve the eye or close to it, any tendon or ligament exposure as well as any tendon sheath or bursa penetrations, even if there is no lameness noted at the time.

If you find your horse with a laceration, please catch the animal and examine the situation, if there is active bleeding, then call your veterinarian, take pictures from different angles and try to keep it clean, bandage the area if possible until help comes.

Unfortunately there is no “one size fits all” on this subject, which is why having a plan of action and a first aid kit at your barn could de-escalate the situation.

Dr. Daniel Devis was born and raised in Bogota, Colombia. He acquired an interest in horses at a young age at his parents' farm, where his dad taught him everything about the traditional Colombian cowboy style riding, herding cattle and roping.

He attended San Martin University in Bogotá, and received his veterinary medicine and animal husbandry degree in 2012. Daniel completed a year-and-a-half rotating internship in surgery and anesthesia, followed by a two-year fellowship in equine lameness and diagnostic imaging, both at Lexington Equine Surgery & Sports Medicine. Devis obtained his American veterinary license in 2017. His areas of interest are show horses, pre-purchase exams, and basic ambulatory work.

The post Ask Your Veterinarian Presented By Kentucky Performance Products: When To Call For Backup With A Horse’s Laceration appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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Veterinarians at Rood and Riddle Equine Hospital answer your questions about sales and healthcare of Thoroughbred auction yearlings, weanlings, 2-year-olds and breeding stock.

Question: What are three things you should watch out for on a pre-sale radiograph of a yearling you're hoping to buy for racing?

Dr. Kathleen Paasch, Rood and Riddle Equine Hospital: After looking at dozens of sale yearlings you've narrowed your list down to a handful. Now for the vetting. It would be wonderful if it were as simple as avoiding only three radiographic issues but of course, it's not that easy. There are far more than three areas of consideration. And, like radiographs, these issues are not often not black and white but infinite shades of grey.

Just as assessment of physical characteristics and pedigrees is subjective, radiographic interpretation (and subsequent recommendations) are also subjective. Generally, we are more tolerant of various radiographic abnormalities in yearlings bought to race as opposed to those for re-sale but there are some lesions that are best avoided. The following are three examples of findings that would make a yearling a poor prospect for racing.

Significant Changes in the Distal Radiocarpal Bone:

The radiocarpal bone is located on the medially (inside) of the middle carpal joint (knee). It bears a considerable amount of weight and stress at speed. A yearling that already has marked changes here is not a good bet to hold up for racing.

Mention the words 'stifle OCD' and many will immediately remove that yearling from consideration. However, stifle OCDs come in various locations and sizes and do not all carry the same degree of risk. Multiple graded stakes horses have had stifle OCDs. That said, large OCDs that involve a significant amount of joint surface should be avoided.

Severe Tarsal Arthritis:

Many yearlings have mild and insignificant changes to the lower joints of their tarsi (hocks). However, a foal's tarsal bones can become irreparably crushed and malformed, leading to performance limiting degenerative joint disease as a yearling/adult.

These examples are in no way a comprehensive list of findings to avoid. They are extreme examples and radiographic findings are rarely so clear-cut.

It is important to note that milder variations of the above may be perfectly acceptable for racing (e.g., small OCDs, mild carpal or tarsal changes). As with other aspects of buying yearlings, radiographic findings often involve a series of compromises. To this end, when purchasing yearlings, buyers should work with a veterinarian whom they trust and who is familiar with their interests and level of risk tolerance.

Dr. Kathleen Paasch received her veterinary degree from Washington State University in 1999 and completed an internship with Rood and Riddle Equine Hospital in 2000. She is now a shareholder and ambulatory veterinarian at the hospital, where she specializes in lameness, diagnostic imaging, and acupuncture.

The post Ask Your Veterinarian Presented By Kentucky Performance Products: Three Things To Watch On A Pre-Sale Radiograph appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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Veterinarians at Rood and Riddle Equine Hospital answer your questions about sales and healthcare of Thoroughbred auction yearlings, weanlings, 2-year-olds and breeding stock.

Question: When it comes to putting broodmares under lights for cycling are overhead lights or mask lights better? And why does it work?

Dr. Peter Sheerin, Rood and Riddle Equine Hospital: In many breeds, Jan. 1 is considered the birthdate for all horses in the breed, no matter when they are born. This can put late-born foals at a disadvantage when competing or at yearling sales. Because of this, many breeders want their mares to foal as early as possible.

The horse is considered a long day breeder, meaning they are cycling when the days are longer. Mares left at natural conditions in the Northern Hemisphere will typically start cycling late March to early April. Mares further north will start cycling later than mares closer to the equator. Researchers determined that by artificially increasing the day length and the amount of light that mares were exposed to, one could get mares to cycle earlier. Mares did not begin to cycle for 60 to 75 days after the beginning of exposure to longer days. So, for a breeding season that starts Feb. 15, one would start lights Dec. 1 at the latest.

They also determined that light alone was not the only factor that influenced when the mares would begin cycling. Temperature and body condition also played a role. Mares in colder environments began cycling later than mares in warmer environments. Thin mares began cycling later than mares in good body condition. It was also discovered that mares needed 14.5 to 16 hours of daylight to respond to the light therapy and that the light must be added in the evening. Using this information, it was suggested mares be kept under lights in a barn until approximately 11 p.m. There are some variations to this regime that can be used, but they require more effort with respect to gradually adjusting the start exposure to correspond with sunset or a shorter period of light nine hours after the onset of darkness.

With that background, we get to your question: Which is better, overhead lights or light masks? The answer is it depends. With overhead lights, the mares are in stalls or in a catch pen for an extended period. You can turn them out when the lights go off, but there is increased labor involved with turnout, cleaning stalls, more hay and straw used, cost of disposal of extra dirty bedding, and higher electric bills, among other things. If mares are in a catch pen outside under lights some considerations include: do you have enough lights that they are exposed to sufficient intensity of light for the entire time and are the temperatures extreme enough to influence when they start cycling. The light masks (Equilume®) have an initial cost to purchase and then an annual cost to replace the light source. There is also the issue of weather conditions that need to be considered.

Both systems work well. You will just need to put pencil to paper to determine which works best for you. A few considerations include: how many mares you want to start cycling early, what your facilities are like, what your labor costs are, and what your weather conditions are like.

Dr. Sheerin was born and raised in New York City. His first experience with horses was soon after his family moved to Lagrangeville, a small town north of the city. He began working on a Thoroughbred breeding farm where he gained experience in all aspects of the Thoroughbred industry. During high school, he also competed on the varsity crew team, and his love of rowing took him to Syracuse University where he majored in biology.

Following graduation, Dr. Sheerin moved to Florida to manage a small Thoroughbred breeding farm in Ocala. Several years later, he began graduate research in equine reproductive physiology at the University of Florida under mentor Dr. Dan Sharp while managing the endocrinology lab at the University of Florida College of Veterinary Medicine. Dr. Sheerin then entered veterinary school, where he expanded his interest in theriogenology, particularly large animal theriogenology.

Dr. Sheerin became board certified in theriogenology in 2001 upon completion of his residency at the University of Florida.. He is a member of the American Association of Equine Practitioners, the American Veterinary Medical Association, and the Society for Theriogenology. Dr. Sheerin has lectured both nationally and internationally on the reproductive aspects of the mare and stallion.

Dr. Sheerin and his wife Barb have three daughters.

The post Ask Your Veterinarian Presented By Kentucky Performance Products: Putting Broodmares Under Lights appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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