Ed Kane, PhD

Excess cortisol may increase the risk of laminitis ...

A veterinarian's relationship with the client should not end with the death of a companion animal.

Bone and articular cartilage turnover in horses occurs both in normal and abnormal states, in healthy and in damaged tissue.

With excellent veterinary care ... foals will get past any early disease.

Making sure ... there is passive transfer of antibodies (IgG) is critical to maintain immunity.

Proper broodmare feeding is not much different than for any other female breeding animal. When it comes to nutrient needs for all young-bearing animals, the latter stage of pregnancy - especially lactation - is most demanding. What's most important prior to pregnancy is that the mare is neither too thrifty nor overweight, with a proper body condition score for her size (5-6, moderate to fleshy).

This racing phenom's career was cut short with the diagnosis of lymphoma. University of California-Davis clinicians devised the treatment strategy that extended the stallion's life until Sept. 17.

A horse's skin and coat can be contaminated via air and soil by various fungal organisms. Though also found on normal horses, some of these fungal organisms can produce significant fungal infection under the proper conditions. From the commonly recognized ringworm to the more insidious pythiosis, horses can be infected by these potentially nasty fungal infections, which are not only irritating, but also in the case of pythiosis, can be life-threatening.

Baltimore - He was on the cusp of immortality when the country's premier Thoroughbred stumbled into a potentially fatal tragedy. Fans gasped and then cried as the undefeated Kentucky Derby winner suffered multiple fractures at the Preakness Stakes. But the veterinary miracle that was about to unfold became an epic of inspiration for racing enthusiasts around the world as fate, innovation and expertise converged to save the life of a horse that many hoped would win the Triple Crown.

From the time his experienced jockey, Edgar Prado, gently pulled him up and kept him quiet while veterinary assistance arrived until this very day, Barbaro's new battle has been one of a convergence of fate, veterinary excellence and most of all, teamwork.

Overcoming clients' preconceived notions can be difficult, especially as newer research suggests that treating horses as individuals might be more effective than a shotgun deworming regimen.

Though many experts believe magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is underused in equine veterinary medicine, greater availability of the technology and access to interpretation experts are facilitating greater adoption, especially when diagnosing lameness.

Neoplasia is generally an uncommon occurrence in horses. "As a species, horses appear to have less of a predisposition to cancer," says John Robertson, VMD, PhD, director of the Center for Comparative Oncology at The Virginia-Maryland Regional College of Veterinary Medicine. "The overall incidence of neoplasms in horses is lower than in other long-lived species, i.e., humans, cats and dogs."

There are a variety of hormonal therapies available to the equine practitioner to help bring mares into estrus and hasten ovulation. They include human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG), various progestin/estradiol combinations, gonadotropin releasing hormone (GnRH) analogs, and dopamine antagonists. These hormonal therapies push Mother Nature along to help make the breeding process more efficient, reduce excessive handling of mares and stallions, and help ensure successful breeding and conception, whether a maiden, a previously barren or a cyclic mare.

Early recognition is crucial to prevent the advancement of the disease.

A Grade 1 murmur is the first audible sound you can hear. You can barely detect a Grade 1 murmur with your stethoscope.

Elmont, N.Y. — She's no stranger to track trauma. She was instrumental in saving Charismatic's life in 1999 as the horse battled for the first Triple Crown since Affirmed in 1978. Dr. Celeste Kunz, DVM, New York Racing Association (NYRA) chief examining veterinarian, was the first to treat Charismatic when he pulled up abruptly in the stretch. The diagnosis of a displaced condylar fracture was made on the scene, and Charismatic was fitted with a compression boot. Kunz loaded him into the horse ambulance, medicated him and delivered him to the safety of his stall. Radiographs confirmed the diagnosis minutes later, and the compression boot successfully prevented further displacement prior to his surgery.

After treatment, horses with navicular disease get 30 days stall rest, and then they are shod appropriately.

Though the highly portable extracorporeal shock wave therapy units have a lot of utility outside the clinic, the technology should remain in the hands of those who know what they are doing: a trained veterinarian.

The higher the density of foals, the higher the risk of disease.

Acupuncture treatment in mares and stallions seems to provide benefit as a therapy to treat reproductive disorders dependent on the condition and the duration of treatment. In addition to study and use in horses, there is considerable use and study in several species, including its use in women, especially as an analgesic for obstetric and gynecological procedures (see story). For those animals that do not respond well to conventional medicine, traditional Chinese medicine affords a viable alternative that has shown results for horses during the past several millennia.

Acupuncture increases endorphin levels in the brain, spinal chord and blood.

Two sessions of acupuncture had more effect than a single session.

HA helps cells thrive, keeps joints lubricated, protects the retina and keeps skin smooth.

Of the major carotenoids, ?-carotene has the highest pro-vitamin A activity.

Eventually it will be possible to do high-quality MRI on standing horses.

It was Saturday May 5, 2001. A usually festive time in the Bluegrass, as "My Old Kentucky Home" played at Churchill Downs, and 17 horses battled in the 127th running of the Kentucky Derby.

Regardless of the methodology, each has its proper application.

Vitamin E is an essential nutrient for horses beneficial in combating the multitude of effects of free radical production that can damage membranes and components of cells.

Oxygen gives pets life but may behave aggressively to try to shorten it.