Dr. Eggleston tells a simple story of how and when she decided to become a veterinarian. She was nine and at a family get together of mostly adults, her and her two brothers and a few cousins. An aunt asked her, in that condescending yet well-meaning way adults often talk to other people’s young children, “what do you want to be when you grow up?” Aimee’s father, I can call her Aimee because I’m her husband and because I know her too well to call her Doctor, was at her side and answered for her: “She is going to be a veterinarian.”

It is unclear how Aimee’s father got the idea. To that point Aimee had never expressed the idea herself. But maybe seeing her daughter’s love of horses, growing stronger since her first pony ride at the age of five, and maybe because even then Aimee seemed a child of ability, the idea crystallized in his head.

When Aimee’s father spoke that word, “veterinarian,” the idea also crystallized in Aimee’s head. From that moment forward, she would answer the same way her father did, substituting 1st person for 2nd: “I am going to be a veterinarian.” I don’t know what it feels like to know the profession, the meaningful work of one’s adult years — as a child. But Aimee did and it started, in a real way, at age nine with her father’s pronouncement.

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On August 25, 2007, Australian government authorities reported an outbreak of equine influenza (EI). Prior to this outbreak only Australia, Iceland and New Zealand had never reported an occurrence of equine influenza. You can read a short report on the outbreak at the United States Department of Agriculture web site (here, PDF 129k).

A couple things… 1) Given the size of the Australian horse industry and given the prevalence of regional and international horse shipping, it is amazing that Australia hasn’t reported EI to this point. 2) Because Australia’s equine population has never been exposed to EI, the horses there have no built up immunity (based on vaccination or on natural exposure). Australia is importing large quantities of EI vaccine and vaccinating its equine population. It’s a long way to go, starting at 0. 3) The risk to your horse and mine, of course, is very low given that we’re half a world away. But it’s an interesting story (no EI to this point down under) and it’s still a good reminder to be mindful of infectious disease — to develop a holistic plan to combat infectious disease in your horse and facility.

The Quiet Corner’s Ride for the Cure is this weekend, September 30th. The ride supports the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation. It is too late to register to ride, but you can still donate. You can do so through the Ride for the Cure web site or at the Susan G. Komen web site.

I recently received a call from a worried client. She had just fed Rusty, an aging and adorable Shetland Pony, his evening grain. Rusty dove into his grain, as usual, and my client went about a few chores. When she came back to check on Rusty, she found him standing in the corner, head low, neck stretched with foam and brown discharge coming from his nostrils and mouth. Rusty had only finished half his grain and he kept arching his neck and coughing. He looked like he was trying to throw up.

Rusty was choking.

I have seen a number of horses for choke in the past month. Most horse owners know immediately when their horse is choking but sometimes owners are unsure of what is happening to their horse — and of what to do next. Because choke can lead to serious, even life-threatening, complications in a horse, it is important to understand the signs of choke, and what to do (and not do) in the face of a choking horse.

Choke, also known as esophageal obstruction, can happen to any horse at any time — though certain horses can be more likely to choke. Horses that “bolt” their grain or hay, like the stereotypical overzealous pony, may be prone to choke. Horses having poor dentition (often older horses) may also be prone to choke, as they are less able to break down their feed.

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