Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SUNDAY, February 13, 1994 TAG: 9402100116
SECTION: EXTRA PAGE: 5 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE:
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
The well-organized conference, sponsored by the Production Management Medicine section of the Virginia-Maryland Regional College of Veterinary Medicine, is to be an annual education program for horse owners, riders and trainers. Dr. Polly Modransky lectured on orthopedic injuries and described how to fashion and apply a temporary splint to a horse's broken leg.
"Fracture repair has progressed over the years to a point where a broken leg no longer means destruction of the animal," Modransky said.
Although nonrepairable fractures still occur, she said, "With proper first aid and splinting of the injured limb, the limiting factor in fracture management becomes the condition of the soft tissues at the time of presentation to a surgical facility."
On the care of traumatic wounds, Dr. David Moll said, "Any wound exposing muscle, tendon or bone should be considered an emergency until proven otherwise."
In addition, wounds around a joint or near the eyes also should be treated as emergencies. If bacteria enters a joint through a laceration or puncture wound, the resulting infection could be catastrophic, he said.
Dr. Kent Scarratt discussed the normal parameters of a healthy, newborn foal as well as common abnormalities.
"We like to see the foal nurse within two hours and certainly by three hours after birth," he said.
The newborn foal must ingest its mother's first milk, called colostrum, which contains antibodies that protect it from disease and infection in early life.
"There are special cells in the foal's intestine which will absorb these antibodies," Scarratt explained.
Dr. John Dascanio discussed how to recognize other reproductive emergencies, such as impending abortion, retained placenta, prematurely separated placenta, malpresentation during foaling and more.
Dr. Kate Savage discussed the sometimes dire consequences of overeating when a horse breaks into a feed bin or when uninformed people overfeed grain as a treat. Acute overeating is an emergency and often is complicated by laminitis, commonly called founder.
Laminitis is an inflammation of the tissues, called laminae, inside the hoof and is extremely painful. The exact cause of laminitis is unknown, although many factors, such as eating too much grain or lush grass, drinking cold water after exercise and using corticosteriod drugs have been associated with its onset. The syndrome sometimes damages the internal structures of the hoof so severely that the horse has to be destroyed. The famous racehorse Secretariat was put down after being stricken by laminitis.
Equine colic is a potentially life-threatening condition nearly every horse owner faces at least once. The chief symptom is abdominal pain, characterized by dullness, decreased appetite, rolling, sweating and looking at the flanks, among other signs. Dr. Annette Sysel said treatment varies from laxatives to surgery, depending on the type and severity of the colic.
Many factors predispose a horse to colic. Among them are internal parasites, bad teeth, old age, sudden changes in diet, irregular feeding, overfeeding and moldy or poor quality feed.
Walking a colicky horse isn't necessary and may be counter-productive by weakening him even more, she said.
"If he wants to stand or lie quietly, let him," she said. Otherwise, observe the horse closely and handle him cautiously. A horse in pain often panics and further injures himself and anyone who happens to be in his way.
Dr. Scott Austin wrapped up the conference with a brief overview of injection reactions, respiratory problems and metabolic emergencies. Many metabolic disturbances typically involve abnormal levels of calcium or potassium and include electrolyte imbalances seen in endurance horses, "milk fever" seen in lactating mares, and hyperkalemic periodic paralysis (HYPP), an inherited disease seen in some Quarter Horses, Paints and Appaloosas.
Since first aid often determines the final outcome of an injury or illness, the conference emphasized being prepared with the knowledge and materials to recognize and respond to emergencies. Participants were given a spiral-bound text of all lectures to take home and keep for future reference.
by CNB