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| Bend Equine Medical
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NUTRITION AND
BODY CONDITION
(Courtesy of
Bayer Healthcare, Purina Mills, and Bend Equine Medical Center)
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Jessie Evans,
DVM
Greetings,
Maintaining an ideal body
condition in your horse requires a balance between proper nutrition and
exercise. Just like with humans, horses have many different body types, and
maintaining proper condition is not always straightforward. Some horses are
"easy keepers", gaining weight just by looking at food, while others are "hard
keepers", struggling to maintain a proper body condition despite the amount of
food they eat. People commonly believe that only thin horses are unhealthy -
this is not true. Excess weight on a horse can be equally as harmful as lack of
nutrition.
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UNDERNUTRITION (THIN)
A thin horse is not receiving proper
nutrition. They are not able to perform at the best of their ability and may
show signs of lethargy or lack of energy. Without proper nutrition, horses are
more prone to developing disease. Poor body condition can be caused by:
- Insufficient amount of food. (It is
important to remember that this category does not strictly refer to starving a
horse. Some horses require extra energy for their performance or reproductive
needs.)
- Parasitism
- Dental disease (malocclusion in the mouth,
sharp points, missing teeth in older horses)
- Chronic disease (kidney, liver,
heart)
OBESITY
Typically, given the opportunity, a horse
will eat much more than he needs, tipping the scale into an unhealthy balance.
No matter how much your horse enjoys eating, you do a
disservice by overfeeding. Excess pounds put a strain on virtually every body
system. The best strategy is to supply food and exercise in proper amounts to
keep your horse fit and healthy. Carrying excess
weight can contribute to the development of the following conditions:
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Laminitis
(founder)
- Developmental Orthopedic
Diseases (osteochondrosis dissecans, physitis)
- Greater strain on feet,
joints, and limbs (worsening of arthritis)
- Reduced reproductive
efficiency
- Greater lethargy and more
easily fatigued
EVALUATING BODY
CONDITION
The following chart provided by Purina Mills
shows where to evaluate your horse to determine their body condition score.
There are six conformation points used for evaluation: (See illustration)
A- the amount of flesh or fat
covering along the neck, B- the withers, C- down the crease of the
back, D- the tail head, E- the ribs and
F- behind the shoulder
(at the girth). Scores range from 1-9, from poor to extremely fat.
WHAT'S IDEAL
For most horses, body condition scores in
the Moderate to Moderately Fleshy range, (scores of 5 and 6) are ideal. A
commonly recited suggestion is to keep your horse where you can feel the
divisions between his/her ribs but not be able to see them. However, keep in
mind that the job of your particular athlete also has a bearing on what weight
is appropriate for maximum performance. Polo, race and endurance horses might be
perfectly fit with body condition scores of 4 (moderately thin), while a body
condition score of 7 (fleshy) may be required for success in the show ring.
However, by feeding a horse to a level of 8, you are starting to push the limits
of good health. Horses with scores of 8 and 9 are definite candidates for a
weight reduction plan.
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| BEND EQUINE MEDICAL
CENTER |
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Greetings,
With the last couple of weeks' dreary, wet weather, it feels like we're
living in the valley! Horse-keeping in the mud is less than fun, but the
following article will give you some information on medical conditions to watch
out for. It won't help you clean up your muddy pastures,
however--sorry!
Wendy
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Wet Weather Medical
Conditions
Wendy Krebs,
DVM
Wet weather can make horse
housekeeping a tough chore here in the Northwest. Paddocks and pastures turn
into muddy quagmires, and it becomes impossible to keep them clean, much less
dry. Horses' coats get soaked through, and sometimes don't dry out for days on
end, and the mud cakes on their legs up to the fetlocks. These environmental
conditions predispose to several types of medical problems in horses, including
hoof abscess, "scratches", and rain rot.
Hoof abscesses form when bacteria
gain access to the inner, living tissues of the hoof, and begin to proliferate,
causing a buildup of purulent material (pus). They are immensely painful to
horses, because as the purulent material builds up, it creates pressure and
inflammation in the sensitive lamina of the hoof. This is akin to having a
festering splint trapped under your fingernail. Abscesses are more common when
conditions are muddy and wet, because the liquid muck penetrates through tiny
cracks.
Treatment of abscesses usually
requires a thorough exam of the sole to determine where the abscess tract is
located, and then the tract can usually be pared out to release the purulent
material. Sometimes it isn't possible to find the tract, and the foot must be
soaked for a few days to bring the abscess to a head before it can be pared out.
Antibiotics may be necessary, depending on the extent of the abscess. The foot
must also be kept clean and dry for several days to weeks after the abscess is
relieved, because the sensitive tissues of the hoof have been exposed and need
to heal over with granulation tissue
before they can tolerate exposure
to a dirty environment and resist further infections.
"Scratches" is the lay term for
pastern dermatitis. It is also called "greasy heel." In this condition, the skin
of the pasterns and heels develops a superficial infection with bacteria and
sometimes with fungus. "Scratches" is most common in moist, muddy conditions
when the pasterns are coated with mud for days on end. It can be difficult to
treat, especially if it becomes extensive, and horses can be very painful to the
point of non-weight bearing in some cases. Treatment requires thorough clipping
and cleaning of the area, removal of scabs, and bandaging with topical
ointments. In severe cases, oral or injectable medications may also be
necessary.
Rain rot is another type of skin
infection that occurs not on the legs, but on the topline, back and haunches of
horses. The name is apt, because the bacteria that cause rain rot require very
moist conditions, and thus the disease is most common in the rainy season in wet
climates. The treatment is similar to that for "scratches", in that hair and
scabs must be removed. A course of penicillin injections are often used to treat
rain rot, as the bacteria that usually causes it, Dermatophilus congolensis, is
sensitive to penicillin.
For all of these conditions, as
with many medical conditions, prevention is key. Digging ditches to help drain
water away from paddocks and providing a good layer of gravel under the footing
improves footing greatly. If you can't improve the whole turnout area, pick a
high area and improve it to allow the horses a dry area to stand. Bring horses
in for a thorough cleaning and dry out session at least weekly, and inspect
their skin and hooves thoroughly to detect any problems early. Keep feet
well-trimmed to prevent cracking and overgrowth that predispose to trapping of
mud and thus abscesses. Pick them out as frequently as possible, and treat with
Koppertox or tincture of iodine to disinfect and dry them out. And remember,
summer will come eventually!
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Bend Equine Medical
Center
19121
Couch Market Road
Bend,
Oregon 97701
(541)
388-4006
Fax (541)
389-7508
www.bendequine.com
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| BEND
EQUINE MEDICAL CENTER |
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COMPOUNDED
PHENYLBUTAZONE (BUTE) |
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Dear
Clients, The world of equine medicine and surgery is constantly evolving,
meaning there is always new information for us to learn as veterinarians--and to
share with you. The following article is on the topic of compounding
pharmacies. Many of you have used drugs from these sources, and they can be a
valuable option, but there are also some important considerations regarding
safety and regulation. We hope you find the following educational and
helpful. Wendy
Wendy Krebs, DVM Bend Equine Medical Center
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WENDY KREBS, DVM
U.S.
veterinarians recently received a letter from the Food and Drug Administration
reminding us that use of compounded bute is prohibited by law. If you are not
already familiar with the term "compounding", it essentially means manufacture
and sale of a drug from a raw, bulk product in a non-FDA approved form. As
veterinarians, we do sometimes legally use compounded drugs when the form,
concentration, etc. are not available commercially. The FDA allows this in some
limited circumstances if it is to the clear benefit of the patient. However, if
it is done simply because it is cheaper, minimally more convenient, etc. these
are not considered valid reasons and it is illegal to prescribe such drugs.
Until recently, bute was not commercially available in a
powdered form that was FDA approved. Thus many veterinarians turned to
compounding pharmacies such as Wedgewood and others to provide a compounded
powdered bute. However, for the last several months a powdered FDA approved
form has been widely available, and veterinarians must switch to this form or
risk censure by the FDA.
The compounding question extends to many products commonly used
by veterinarians and horse owners. Why are products required to be FDA
approved? The approval process ensures the following:
1) Products are produced in an approved facility with high
standards of quality control, which is regulated by the FDA. This ensures that
the concentration is what is listed on the label and that all ingredients are
effective and safe. Compounding pharmacies may have internal testing, but are
not required to adhere to strict federal standards. This is one reason
compounded drugs are often less expensive than their registered, approved
counterparts. 2) Pharmaceutical companies have extensive liability
insurance such that in the rare event of an error in manufacturing, they are
able to pay insurance settlements, etc. Compounding pharmacies generally do not
have this protection, so there is little recourse if a problem occurs. Lawsuits
may fall back upon the veterinarian, and since the veterinarian was essentially
breaking the law by using a non-approved product, their own liability insurance
does not cover the event.
Some guidelines recently provided to equine veterinarians by our
national group, the American Association of Equine Practitioners, are as
follows:
A valid Veterinarian-Client-Patient relationship must
exist. The health of the animal must be threatened or suffering or death may
result from failure to treat. There must be no FDA-approved, commercially
available animal or human drug that, when used as labeled or in an extralabel
fashion in its available dosage form and concentration, will appropriately treat
the patient. The product must be made from an FDA approved commercially
available animal or human drug. (It is currently illegal to compound from bulk
drug sources for veterinary use, with very rare exceptions). Veterinarians
must comply with all aspects of the federal extralabel drug use regulations
including record-keeping and labeling requirements. All relevant state laws
relating to compounding must be followed. (These vary from state to state so it
is important the veterinarian be informed regarding these requirements in his or
her state).
Thus, as equine veterinarians, it is clear that we should
use compounded drugs in relatively rare circumstances, and unfortunately cannot
legally respond to requests from clients for "generic" Adequan and other
compounded drugs that do not meet the above guidelines. The relatively recent
death of 21 polo horses in Florida that received an improperly compounded
vitamin mixture injection reminds us all that these guidelines are not arbitrary
and about limiting consumer choices, but rather about ensuring the safety and
well-being of our equine patients.
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BEND
EQUINE MEDICAL CENTER
19121
COUCH MARKET ROAD
BEND,
OREGON 97701
(541)
388-4006
FAX
(541) 389-7508

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