Our Fall 2014 Seminar was held on October 20, 2014. This excerpt (Part 1 of 4) is the introduction to the seminar by Dr. Kirby Penttila, including staff introductions, and new and upcoming developments at the clinic.

EARLY PREGNANCY

 First ultrasound for pregnancy:  14-16 days post ovulation

This is the earliest time at which the growing embryo can be identified ultrasonographically, and if twins are present, in many cases both embryos can be visualized and the condition dealt with at this time.  However, in some instances a smaller embryo (usually due to the mare ovulating a second follicle days after the first) can be missed in this exam.

Parasite control needs to be tailored to your horse’s specific needs, taking into consideration age, immune status/individual susceptibility, time of year, and management practices.  The following are basic recommendations that can be further tailored to suit your horse’s specific needs.

MATURE HORSES (>3 years old)

• Small strongyles (cyathostomins) are the main parasite of mature horses, and these parasites are developing resistance to commonly used dewormers.

• Horses vary in their susceptibility to small strongyles, and can be classified as Low, Medium, or High shedders based on fecal egg counts (FECs). 

FEEDING WHEN HAY IS SHORT—WHAT ARE THE ALTERNATIVES?

As Presented by Dr. Alyssa Butters,

2009 Equine Services Fall Seminar

            With the poor weather during the growing season this year and the widespread shortage of hay, many people have been faced with the prospect of paying for very expensive hay for their horses, or even having difficulty finding hay altogether.  Therefore, a commonly heard question has become—with what can I replace hay in my horse’s diet?

 So why do we feed hay in the first place?  For most horses, hay should comprise the majority of their daily ration.  For the average adult horse, good grass hay supplies nearly all their daily protein requirement.  Most grass hays contain 9-12% protein, close to the needs of an adult horse at maintenance (10-11%).  Hay also provides a good source of fibre.  Although not truly a “nutrient,” horses digestive systems have adapted in environments where they graze almost continuously throughout the day, and they have a drive to consume fibre.  No absolute minimal level of necessary fibre has been established, however inadequate dietary fibre can lead to increased wood chewing behavior and can increase the incidence of colic and gastric ulcers. 

Heel bulb lacerations, even without joint involvement, are a challenge to get to heal primarily because of the amount of motion in the area. Every time the horse takes a step, the wound opens and closes, preventing effective healing. Because of this, the best method of treatment is often to suture the wound and place a cast over the foot to limit movement while the wound is healing.

Brio sustained a very deep laceration to her heel bulb while out on pasture. We examined her as soon as the owner discovered the wound, but it had likely occurred at least a week previously.

Stone came in to Burwash Equine unable to bear any weight at all on his right hind limb. He had sustained a wound on his hock that had been healing well, but had never been lame prior to the morning he arrived. By palpating the hock, doing an ultrasound exam, taking x-rays, and taking a sample of the fluid from the tarsal sheath, we diagnosed an infection of the tarsal sheath

When Luke was referred to Burwash Equine by his regular veterinarian, he was unable to bear any weight on his left front limb. His veterinarian had diagnosed a puncture wound to the sole that had likely occurred several days previously. The following x-ray shows a probe placed in the puncture wound to demonstrate which structures in the foot may have been involved. Although the probe doesn’t extend the entire path of the wound, from this x-ray and taking a sample of fluid from the digital tendon sheath, we suspected infection of both the navicular bursa and the tendon sheath.

Roy sliced the skin off the front of his knee slipping on a rubber mat over the Easter weekend. We injected saline into both his radiocarpal joint and his middle carpal joint to make sure they weren't involved in the wound, and then were able to close the wound with sutures.

Finding the right person to provide dental care for your horse can be confusing for some owners. Proper dental care can be the key to maintaining overall health in many horses and, just as with other important areas of equine health, owners should consult with an equine veterinarian about best health-care practices. 

To help you make an educated decision about who provides your horse’ s dental care, it is helpful to know the extensive education, in-the-field and on-the-job training and continuing education that veterinarians complete in order to provide the high level of professional health care that each horse needs. 

Like humans, horses get two sets of teeth in their lifetime. The baby teeth (also called deciduous teeth) are only temporary. Normally, a horse will have a full set of baby teeth by the age of 9 months. These teeth will start to be replaced around the age of 2 1/2 years. By the age of 5 most horses have their full complement of permanent teeth.

Veterinarians recommend that your horse’s teeth be examined at least once per year - this applies whether or not there are any manifested signs of dental problems. Horses with dental problems may show obvious signs such as pain or irritation or they may show no noticeable signs at all.

Dr. Burwash graduated from the Western College of Veterinary Medicine in 1969 and from there interned in Equine Medicine and Surgery at Kansas State University from 1969 to 1970.  Wayne came back to Calgary and joined a mixed large animal practice until 1977.  He then set up his own practice  and limited it to only horses.  Wayne enjoys  all aspects of equine veterinary medicine and in particular, reproduction involving embryo transfers.   In the year 2000, Dr. Burwash was honored by the Alberta Veterinary Medical Association by being named as "Veterinarian of the Year".  He has been a member of and served on committees of many Veterinary Associations throughout his years of veterinary medicine. Currently, Wayne is serving as a director of the Canadian Quarter Horse Association and the American Quarter Horse Association, the Chairman of the Equine Studies Advisory Committee for Olds College and a member of Equine Canada Medication Control Committee.

General Comments:

• Don’t expect a stallion to “fix” the faults in your mare or vice versa.
• Spend some time researching a prospective stallion for your mare. Talk to breeders as well as trainers in your chosen discipline – see what’s working.
• Make sure your mare is in good breeding condition. This includes up-to-date vaccinations and deworming as well as the mare being in good body condition.
• Track your mare’s cycle – mark it on the calendar. This will save you time and money in the long run.