Last week, Tim and I had the awful experience of rushing our beloved Tulsa, black lab/veterinarian companion, to a veterinary hospital. True to her “eat everything at all costs” Black Lab mentality, it seems that when Tim shooed her out of a client’s grain room thinking she was eating cat food (a personal favorite!), she was gorging herself on D-con rodent poison!

We were at the appointment for about an hour and a half. Tulsa had been playing with our client’s lovely Yellow Lab, Lady. As we were packing up to leave and go to the next appointment, our client and her husband, realizing what had happened, came to tell us the news.

I receive compliments from clients that, after speaking to me in an emergency situation, I have made them feel better. When clients are frantic or consumed with concern for their horses, I remain calm and measured. I was on the other side of that coin now. My face fell not knowing exactly how serious D-con injections is for dogs, or the proper course of treatment. Tim and I jumped in the truck and drove as fast as we could to the nearest veterinary clinic. Tim hurriedly called our best friend, Chris, a small animal internist at Angell Memorial Hospital in Boston, MA.

Tulsa is fine. She actually was asking to play Frisbee that afternoon! Tim and I waggled our finger at her for the worry she caused us, and scolded her that she should look sicker! We are very grateful to Deb and Bob for their quick realization of what had happened to Tulsa. Time is important in these cases. We thank all Tulsa’s well wishers, especially Lady who sent a beautiful get well card for Tulsa. We thank our friend Chris, who comforted us and counseled us, calming me not as a veterinarian, but as a pet owner.

A client of mine sent me this great picture of their horse Cruise and their daughter Marie at the Big E. The picture is from last Fall. They look great together.

We are excited to have recently acquired a 3 meter video endoscope. This new piece of equipment will allow us to “scope” stomachs and will allow us to provide a higher level of service and diagnostic capability to our clients.

As you probably know gastric (stomach) ulcers are highly prevalent in horses. Studies have shown that over 60% of performance horses are afflicted with gastric ulcers. Rates for race horses are over 90%! Even horses involved only in typical pleasure activities can have concerning rates of gastric ulceration (between 40% and 70% depending on the study). If these numbers weren’t bad enough, studies have also shown that gastric ulceration can occur in as little as 3 days under certain circumstances.

The behavioral and clinical signs of gastric ulceration are varied. To name only a few, they include:

• Poor performance
• Back soreness
• Weight loss
• Colic
• Behavioral problems

Because gastric ulcers are so prevalent and because their effects can be pervasive and potentially severe, it is important to identify ulcers in our horses — and then treat them. The best way to diagnose ulcers is through gastroscopy, visualizing the stomach with an endoscope. Scoping a horse allows you to see the severity of the pathology of the stomach and to craft a treatment protocol targeted to that pathology.

Because some will be interested, and to reinforce that we should take gastric ulcers seriously, a few images from our new scope (showing ulceration):

Rest assured, the horses that these images came from are on their way to recovery.

• After a long day you check on your horse in his pasture before bringing him in for his evening feeding. As he walks into the barn you notice that he is slow, lethargic, and not excited to eat.
• As you call the horses in, you notice that one horse is limping severely on his left front leg. The horse’s leg is slightly warm, slightly swollen, and painful at the walk.
• When checking on the horses after their evening meal you notice that one horse did not eat his grain and is lying down in the stall.

I often get emergency calls from horse owners that fall into these relatively common scenarios. These scenarios may need veterinary attention and they should not necessarily be completely handled by the owner. You should call your veterinarian. But what should you do before you call the vet?

Anytime your horses is dull, lethargic, off his food, lying down or even ADR (“ain’t doin’ right”), take his rectal temperature. Your horse’s temperature is a vital piece of information and will help your vet understand what may be happening in your horse. A normal temperature is between 98.5°F and 100.5°F. Do not give oral Bute or Banamine before taking your horse’s temperature. Bute and Banamine will affect and/or mask your horse’s fever.

If your horse has a fever, take away his hay and grain. Your horse may not want hay and grain anyway, but some horses will continue to eat — depending on the severity of the fever and how long the fever has been going on. Your horse’s GI motility may be compromised and allowing your horse to continue to eat may lead to an impaction.

When presented with the above scenarios where the horse is lying down or lethargic, try to assess other basic parameters. When was the last time your horse passed manure? What does it look like? When did your horse last drink and was it a normal amount? Are there any other physical problems such as coughing, nasal discharge or swollen lymph nodes? If you are able to, assess your horse’s heart and respiratory rates.

In the scenario above where the horse has a painful leg, it is important to assess that limb. Is there any swelling and heat anywhere in the leg and hoof? Does the horse have a strong digital pulse (you may not know how to take this assessment)? Look at the bottom of the foot. Clean the bottom of the foot thoroughly and look for soft spots and holes that seem abnormal. Press firmly with your finger along the coronary band (where the hair and hoof meet) especially in the heel area. Is there any painful reaction that may indicate an abcess?

In all cases, do not be afraid to call your veterinarian. All veterinarians should appreciate an early “heads up” as to a potential emergency. Your veterinarian can also help you better assess the situation over the phone. And your veterinarian can respond quickly if your horse requires immediate attention. Don’t put off the call to your vet.

I had the privilege yesterday to hear Dr. Dean Richardson of the University of Pennsylvania’s New Bolton Center speak retrospectively about his experiences caring for Barbaro. Dr. Richardson was the leading veterinarian directing Barbaro’s surgical and medical care after Barbaro’s catostrophic injury at the Preakness. As we all know, despite the heroic efforts of Dr. Richardson and his staff and the unwavering dedication of Barbaro’s owners, Roy and Gretchen Jackson, Barbaro was euthanized due to multiple limb laminitis in January of this year.

Dr. Richardson spoke to the members of the American Association of Equine Practitioners (AAEP) rewarding us with a rare glimpse into the details of caring for the world’s most loved and famous horse. The medical details were interesting, but more than the technical specifics of Barbaro’s care, I was moved by the compassion Dr. Richardson showed for his patient and for the Jacksons, almost a year after the end of Barbaro’s life. From listening to Dr. Richardson speak I am also moved by how, even in the face of so much media attention and so much scrutiny generally, the welfare of Barbaro was always first in every decision in his prolonged medical care.

Dr. Richardson is great example of my profession, a great representative of the AAEP, and a great horseman.

I attended the Public Policy Committee meeting yesterday at the AAEP (American Association of Equine Practitioners) Convention in Orlando, FL. Among other issues, the committee discussed the “Preserving Our Equine Heritage on Public Lands Act,” previously known as the Right-to-Ride Act, currently in the US Congress. In addition, the Equine Equity Act was discussed as was the Unwanted Horse Coalition. You can see a more complete list of legislative issues currently affecting the horse industry here.

The Unwanted Horse Coalition is a broad alliance of equine organizations that have joined together under the American Horse Council (AHC) to educate the horse industry about the unwanted horse issue. The organization aims to educate owners, breeders, sellers and other organizations about the long term responsibility of owning and caring for hroses. Their focus is on helping horses before they become unwanted.

Visit the Unwanted Horse Coalition web site at www.unwantedhorsecoalition.org.

Another report of EHV-1 infection. This one is interesting because it comes out of the famed Churchill Downs in Louisville, KY. The Daily Racing Forum reports:

“The Kentucky Department of Agriculture quarantined barn 47 at Churchill Downs on Friday after a horse trained by David Carroll tested positive for equine herpesvirus (EHV1), a contagious, potentially fatal disease that can cause upper respiratory problems and loss of coordination.

Carroll said the horse, a 3-year-old he declined to identify, began showing neurological problems Thursday and was shipped to Hagyard Equine Medical Institute in Lexington. Tests taken revealed the presence of the virus Thursday evening. He said the horse is “going to be fine, make a complete recovery.”

Read more

Update: Remaining Horses In Quarantined Barn At Churchill Downs Test ‘Negative’ For Equine Herpes Virus

“Tests for the equine herpes virus (EHV-1) performed on 35 horses stabled in a Churchill Downs barn placed under a Kentucky Department of Agriculture quarantine have returned results that show no trace of the illness in any of those horses.”

Read more at churchilldowns.com.

The LA Times has published a number of amazing wildfire photo galleries:

• Day 4: A Glimmer of Hope
• Day 3: Southern California fires continue
• Day 2: Fires rage on
• Day 1: Fires erupt in Southern California

In the Day 2 gallery there’s a dramatic picture of horses threatened by approaching fire at a ranch in Hasley Canyon.

This surreal image on Flickr shows a horse in its pasture surrounded by fencing that has melted in the face of the fire’s heat. The image’s author also provides a nice discussion that offers some context on the events in California.

Horses threatened by the California wild fires in the Malibu area are finding refuge at Pierce College in Woodland Hills, CA. As of yesterday afternoon 120 horses had been sheltered. The facilities at Pierce College can accomadate 200 horses and additional shelters are being set up in Los Angeles County. Read a press release from Pierce College here.

Update: signonsandiego.com has a news story on the evacuation of horses from fire threatened areas: “By 9:30 a.m., the fairgrounds’ 2,400 stalls were full. Horse owners who didn’t make it had to look elsewhere: to friends and family with barns or land, to an evacuation site in Lakeside or stables in San Juan Capistrano, Thermal and Indio.” Read more…

You can find a video on the horses evacuated to the Del Mar Fairgrounds here (a commercial plays first and then the real video).

KPBS the NPR station in San Diego has put together a great map of fire affected areas. It includes a wealth of information on the fires including info on evacuation centers, animal evacuation centers, evacuation orders, and more.

I received this email from a MD friend living in San Diego:

“It was hard to concentrate on anything yesterday. 300,000 evacuees, many camped in our neighborhood I guess with family. Hundreds of homes burnt north, south and east of us. Rancho Bernardo, Rancho Santa Fe, Poway, Santee, Alpine, the wild animal park, horse farms (relocated to Del Mar, which was then evacuated along with Solana Beach). It’s expected to get worse for a few days. The burn unit here is at capacity and our backup hospitalist was called in to see patients evacuated from Pomerado Hospital. The sky is gray; there’s ash on our cars and my throat hurts. Since 1900, however, nothing as central as where we are has ever burned. Signonsandiego.com has maps that are useful and lots of places have satellite photos of the smoke.”

Update: NPR.org has a large number of news stories on the California fires. One story (link, click the listen button) talks about a woman who was able to evacuate all but one of her horses to the Del Mar Fairgrounds. She had to leave one horse behind in a fire ravaged area. Sadly, I can only imagine that such stories are not rare.

I received an email on the AAEP listserv about a doctor who found a bottle of “Spohn’s Compound” when cleaning his barn. I’m not clear exactly when this product was in use as I haven’t been able to find a date associated in my quick Google search. I did find that Spohn Medical Co. was operating at least around the turn of the century (1900). The bottle reads (emphasis mine):

For Horses, Mules, Dogs, and Poultry

Active ingredients: Sulphur (chemically combined with turpentine), Oil of Tar, Creosote, and Turpentine

Instructions: Fully grown or aged horses are to be given several tablespoonfuls 6 times per day, using a thin wooden paddle, placing as far back on the tongue as possible.

Indications: Stimulating Expectorant (as in last breath?)