The Horse:Your Guide To Equine Health Care provides monthly equine health care information to horse owners, breeders, veterinarians, barn/farm managers, trainer/riding instructors, and others involved in the hands-on care of the horse.
Issue link: https://thehorse.epubxp.com/i/858568
TheHorse.com THE HORSE September 2017 12 LESSONS IN PREPURCHASE EXAMS It was with much interest that I read your well-done article on having a vet check before purchasing a new horse (Prepurchase Surprises, May 2017). I have had vet checks done, but most times I have not, and consequently I have learned many lessons over the 60-plus years I have owned horses. I have had 13 horses throughout the years. After suffering through equine recurrent uveitis with my Morgan horse Chance, I have had several horses I bought vet-checked. One had an obvious eye injury, and the owner said he had hurt it on a branch and a vet had treated it successfully. Two of my later purchases, however, had serious health issues that I had not been aware of until it was too late. My Appaloosa had cancerous tumors in both eyes. A gaited horse I bought had degenerative suspensory ligament desmitis. This brings me to my last new horse, which is a very good one so far. I traded a young strong horse who frightened me for an older horse with an excellent way of going on the trails. My latest horse has two health issues, however. I noticed his left eye was dripping when I first went to see him and was going to have a vet check done when the horse trader offered me a deal I could not refuse, so I took him home for my vet to see. My vet, Dr. Robin McClam- roch, is very knowledgeable about horse dental issues, and my horse has an asym- metric skull and abnormally long lower teeth on one side. His eye issue was immune- mediated keratitis (incidently, a condition covered in your August issue), which can be managed with daily medica- tions. Currently, both issues are being managed with excel- lent vet care, and in this case, I was glad that I did not have a vet check because I may have passed on a wonderful trail companion, as I have decided I would rather have a health issue than a riding issue. Thanks for all the empha- sis you put on equine health issues! Nancy Vanderlan Clinton, Tennessee RATTLESNAKE BITE ADVICE Reading "Rattlesnake Bite Recourse" in the June 2017 issue brought back memories of dealing with such cases when I was in the clinic at the University of Florida. As the article points out, the bite is usually on the nose, resulting in tremendous swelling (edema) in the region, as illustrated in the accompanying photo. Since afflicted animals feel so ter- rible, they often tend to hang their head, which only exac- erbates the swelling due to gravitational and vasculatory effects. Accordingly, we found that reduction of swelling was enhanced by confining the horse in stocks and putting a padded table or similar device at neck level at the front, onto which the horse could rest its head. This, of course, (is done) in conjunction with the supportive therapy described and the antivenom, the importance of which was well- emphasized by Dr. Page. A.M. Merritt, DVM Philadelphia, Pennsylvania EOTRH THEORY It is with great interest I read your article on EOTRH (equine odontoclastic tooth resorption and hypercemen- tosis) in the July 2017 issue. While I am aware that correlation does not necessar- ily imply causation, I find it interesting that the advent of this disease coincides almost perfectly with the rise in the use of power tools in equine dentistry. If I were responsible for studying the cause of this disease, the first place I would look would be at the use of power tools on a horse's teeth. I don't think near enough research has been done on the long-term effects of the use of these tools, but it would not surprise me in the least that if/when the research has been done, it will be found that they do much more harm than good. Until such research is done, my own horses will continue to have all their den- tal work done with hand tools. Few people have the strength to do any permanent damage to a horse's teeth with them. K.S. Swigart via e-mail From article source Ann Pearson, DVM: In my earlier years I only used hand tools. However, I find that motor tools disrupt the periodontal ligaments much less compared to the use of hand tools. I also find that hand tools are much harder on the teeth of older patients. In my research paper (TheHorse.com/33230), it was the effect of incisor reductions and excessive dentistry that correlated with the occurrence of EOTRH. It is possible that these incisors were already long prior to the reductions and that is what contributed to the strong correlation with EO- TRH. In that case, the mechan- ical effects of very long teeth in opposition to one another would disrupt the periodontal ligaments due to excessive pres- sure of contact. I am not of the opinion that power tools are a precursor to EOTRH. LETTERS Letters@TheHorse.com E-mail us at Letters@TheHorse.com, or write us at The Horse, 3101 Beaumont Centre Circle, Suite 100, Lexington, KY 40513. Letters may be edited for space limitations and must include the author's name and contact information. Our 4th of July: Bathe, sham- poo, and condition my horse Annie, a grulla Quarter Horse. I had to wear my T-shirt ("I make dirt, sweat, and slobber look good!") from The Horse for such an occasion. It was going to be a wet and dirty day, but loads of fun! Susan P. Deierling Check out Dr. Page's article in the June edition of The Horse! Her article is titled "Rattlesnake Bite Recourse" and has some great advice on how to protect your horse this summer. The magazine is available in our office (always available, always free!). Thanks again to The Horse for their valued partnership with American Association of Equine Practitioners. We are thankful to have a trustworthy resource for our clients and a place for our veterinarians to share this important info. Colorado Equine Clinic and Lameness Center @TheHorse