Educational Articles
Furosemide is given my mouth or injection and is used on and off label to treat many conditions including congestive heart failure and fluid retention. Common side effects include increases in urination, diarrhea, or constipation. Do not use in pets that are allergic to it or in those that are unable to make urine. If a negative reaction occurs, please call your veterinary office.
A heart murmur is an abnormal sound that originates from the heart valves and can be heard with a stethoscope skillfully placed over the heart valves.
Cracks may form in the horse's hoof wall, usually in a vertical direction, and either originate from the ground surface (sometimes called grass cracks) or, less commonly, from the coronary band (sometimes called sand cracks).
Abortion is the delivery of a dead foal and its placenta before an age at which the foal would have been able to survive independently. This is usually taken to be up to day 300-310 of gestation.
A keratoma is a rare benign tumor of the inner layer of keratin-producing epidermal hoof wall cells that forms inside a horse's foot. As the tumor slowly grows, it expands and separates the hoof wall laminae, causing pain and lameness.
Laminitis is a common but still incompletely understood condition that causes varying degrees of foot pain, from the slightly pottery pony to severe life-threatening lameness.
Good management is the key to preventing or controlling the spread of disease. Good management practices aim to keep horses in good condition and in a healthy environment, in order to reduce the risk of introduction and spread of disease, to identify individuals especially at risk and to promote rapid recovery if disease does occur.
Methylprednisolone is given by mouth or injection and is used on and off label to treat inflammatory, immune-mediated, or hormonal conditions. Common side effects include increased drinking, urination, and appetite, dull/dry haircoat, and/or weight gain. Do not use in pets that are allergic to it, receiving NSAIDs, that are recovering from a recent surgery, or in pets with systemic fungal or viral infections, diabetes, Cushing’s disease, stomach or intestinal ulcers. If a negative reaction occurs, please call your veterinary office.
When a farrier shoes a horse, accurate placement of each nail through the insensitive epidermal laminae of the hoof is essential. The nail must penetrate deep enough to hold firm, but not deep enough to penetrate the sensitive laminae of the hoof.
Navicular 'disease' is really a group of related conditions affecting the navicular bone and associated structures in the foot. There are several possible causes of pain in and around the navicular bone.
