Veterinarians solve horse's unique medical issue

Zeke, a racehorse whose registered name is Bully for You, is the son of legendary barrel racing champion, Bully Bullion. Following in his father’s footsteps, Zeke had the pedigree, speed, and heart to earn him over $250,000 in the arena while he was competing. However, Zeke’s competition life took a toll on him, and he sustained a sesamoid injury. The bone injury did not affect Zeke immediately, but over time it affected his ability to run and compete at a prominent level.¹

Zeke’s original owners sold him once his career was paused to their best friend, Steele Hunter, who grew up on a ranch so was no stranger to the equine industry. Hunter became determined to give him a great ranch life as well as rehabilitation for his injury. Because Hunter and his family split their time between Arkansas and Arizona, Zeke was brought to Arizona where he met with a performance horse veterinarian. The veterinarian ran a series of tests on Zeke, including a nuclear scintigraphy, which showed he had widespread inflammation.¹

Steele Hunter holding Zeke as he is examined by Oklahoma State University College of Veterinary Medicine students conduct an assessment (Image courtesy of Oklahoma State University)

“During his bone scan, he lit up like a Christmas tree,” Hunter explained, in an organizational release.¹ “The veterinarians at the time injected him to help with the soreness but it was unknown to us that he had any sort of infection.”

During his time in Arizona, Hunter and his family would notice that Zeke would get a small swollen area on his chest that would drain fluid every once in a while. The veterinarian at the time suspected he had pigeon fever, also known as dryland distemper or false strangles. The infection is caused by bacteria Corynebacterium pseudotuberculosis that usually causes large abscesses to form on the chest or stomach region of the horse, resembling the pigeon’s breast.² However, when it came to testing, Zeke’s were always inconclusive, and he began receiving injections and antibiotics for chronic infections and soreness.

Once the Hunter family returned to Arkansas, Zeke was still not back to normal, so they brought him to the Oklahoma State University Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital (OSU VMTH) to get another opinion. Once he arrived, Lyndi Gilliam, DVM, DACVIM, PhD, and her team evaluated him and during his routine exam, something stuck out to Gilliam, the bump on his chest. She asked the family to explain that to her because it should not be there and Hunter told Gilliam the bump has been these since he bought Zeke and will sometimes get bigger or be wet, but it was never diagnosed as anything other than pigeon fever.

Gilliam and the team aspirated the bump and discovered a pocket of fluid deep down because of an abscess, saying it was not a common place for an abscess to be unless he was kicked at some point.

“We treated him with antibiotics, and he would get better for a while, and then it would come back,” Gilliam said. “Any time that happens, you worry that something more serious could be going on, and you want to follow up.”

Since this abscess was not healing and subsiding completely, the team decided they needed to explore further but were met with the challenge of finding a way to X-ray Zeke’s sternum. Currently, there is no equipment for large animal X-ray machines to easily photograph the area of the bump.¹ With help from Cody Collum, a diagnostic imaging technician supervisor, they worked to find a way to accurately radiograph Zeke’s sternum.

According to the release, x-rays showed that Zeke had an osteomyelitis in his sternum.¹ Because of infection and unhealthy bone, a piece of the bone was dead and no longer attached, causing it to act as a nidus for infection to hide.¹ The floating fragment would also continually fester, causing Zeke pain.

Treating Zeke would require a rare, never been done before surgery, according to the release.¹ The team would be removing a piece of bone in a horse’s sternum, which is risky. The team at OSU prepped with the OSU equine specialist team and were able to remove the bone fragment.

Zeke required many rounds of antibiotics following surgery in the hospital. After the care immediately following surgery, Zeke was able to go home but would need to remain under care for several months and make periodic trips back to the OSU VMTH to make sure he was still on the road to recovery.

Now, Zeke is returning to the arena after long term antibiotics and follow up. He is currently back in Arkansas and is watched closely by Hunter to make sure he stays healthy on his journey back to competing.

“I absolutely think Gilliam and her team are unmatched,” Hunter concluded.¹ “I know there are some good doctors out there, but it’s not just about being the smartest—it’s the combination of Gilliam’s passion, her care for the animal and the owner, and her willingness to think outside the box that makes her the best.”

References

1. CVM veterinarians solve horse’s medical issues by removing loose bone piece. News release. Oklahoma State University. January 13, 2025. Accessed January 14, 2025. https://news.okstate.edu/magazines/veterinary-medicine/vet-cetera/articles/2024/cvm_veterinarians_solve_horses_medical_issues_by_removing_loose_bone_piece.html
2. Young A. Pigeon Fever. UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine. July 5, 2019. Accessed January 14, 2025. https://ceh.vetmed.ucdavis.edu/health-topics/pigeon-fever