Have a great weekend and we'll see you back on Monday!
Welcome!
Legacy Equine Hospital is a fully equipped equine medical and surgical facility located just south of Tulsa, OK at the intersection of Highway 75 and 171st Street. Our friendly and highly trained staff are able to handle everything from annual wellness appointments to advanced soft tissue and orthopedic surgery. We also provide 24/7 emergency care. Please visit our website at legacyequine.com or call us at 918-827-7300 for more information.
Friday, October 31, 2014
HAPPY HALLOWEEN!
Happy Halloween Everyone! The day wouldn't have been complete without a little dog costume party at the clinic today. Not all participants were thrilled to dress up (the skunk's face says it all..) but we ended up having a great time!
Have a great weekend and we'll see you back on Monday!
Have a great weekend and we'll see you back on Monday!
Wednesday, October 29, 2014
TUESDAY TRIVIA WINNER!
And the winner is..................
Thanks to everyone who participated and keep tuning in to Tuesday Trivia for more fun questions and great prizes.
MaKenzie Prater!
(Please send us an email at legacyequinehospital@gmail.com so we can give you instructions on how to claim your prize!)Thanks to everyone who participated and keep tuning in to Tuesday Trivia for more fun questions and great prizes.
Tuesday, October 28, 2014
TUESDAY TRIVIA ANSWER
This horse has an A in it's lip tattoo which means the birth year was 1997, making this horse 17 years old.
The winner will be announced tomorrow so make sure to check back to see if you're a winner!
TUESDAY TRIVIA!
It's the last Tuesday of the month, you know what that means! It's prize time!!!
This month's prize is a "Hobby" level membership with the Equine Quick Response organization with lifetime registration for up to 4 horses (annual membership fee of $19.95 is not included). You can learn more about this organization by clicking here.
Now here is your question!
Racing Thoroughbreds are tattooed on the underside of their upper lip when they start their race career. This tattoos not only identifies the horse by number but also with a letter to indicate the year they were born.
How old is a horse with the lip tattoo A19285?
Make sure to leave your answer here in the comments or on our facebook page. All correct answers will be put into a drawing for the prize with one winner selected. Good luck!
The answer will be posted at the end of the day and the winner announced tomorrow.
This month's prize is a "Hobby" level membership with the Equine Quick Response organization with lifetime registration for up to 4 horses (annual membership fee of $19.95 is not included). You can learn more about this organization by clicking here.
Now here is your question!
Racing Thoroughbreds are tattooed on the underside of their upper lip when they start their race career. This tattoos not only identifies the horse by number but also with a letter to indicate the year they were born.
How old is a horse with the lip tattoo A19285?
Make sure to leave your answer here in the comments or on our facebook page. All correct answers will be put into a drawing for the prize with one winner selected. Good luck!
The answer will be posted at the end of the day and the winner announced tomorrow.
Tuesday, October 21, 2014
TUESDAY TRIVIA ANSWER!
The iris (the colored portion around the pupil) is unique to each individual horse, even cloned horses will have different iris patterns. A company called eyeD developed a camera system in 2011 to take pictures of a horse's iris and store them in a database for rapid recall and identification. While it might seem like something out of a James Bond movie, this system could become a universal location for horse identification as well as medical history and records.
Stay tuned for Tuesday Trivia next week, one person with the correct answer will win a great prize!
TUESDAY TRIVIA!
Every person has a unique set of fingerprints that can be scanned to identify us...
What structure can we scan/take pictures of in the horse that is unique to each individual?
The answer will be posted at the end of the day! Good luck!
What structure can we scan/take pictures of in the horse that is unique to each individual?
The answer will be posted at the end of the day! Good luck!
Tuesday, October 14, 2014
TUESDAY TRIVIA ANSWER
Microchips should be placed on the left side of the neck, just below the mane, roughly a third of the way down the neck. Injecting the microchip in this area ensures placement in the nuchal ligament. The goal is for the horse's body to surround the microchip with scar tissue so that it can't migrate far from the injection site.
Legacy Equine is happy to offer microchipping both in the clinic and on the farm. The price of $35 includes the placement of the microchip and a life-time registration of your chip.
TUESDAY TRIVIA!!
Where do we place microchips in the horse?
The answer will be posted at the end of the day!
Monday, October 13, 2014
HAPPY VETERINARY TECHNICIAN WEEK!!!!
This week we are excited to honor our two amazing veterinary technicians, Jenna and Somer! They do so much for our hospital and go above and beyond every day, we are so happy that they are part of Legacy Equine! Happy Technician Week Ladies!!!!
Friday, October 10, 2014
ENJOY YOUR WEEKEND!
HAVE A GREAT WEEKEND!
As always we are available for any emergencies that come up.
Our after-hours service can be reached at 918-827-7300.
Tuesday, October 7, 2014
TUESDAY TRIVIA ANSWER
Fire/Hot branding uses a heated brand that kills the hair follicle without burning through the skin completely. This method has fallen out of favor with the equine industry and has even been outlawed in some European countries.
Freeze/Cold Branding uses a super-chilled brand that kills the pigment producing cells in hair follicles so that the hair will grow back white. This procedure is quick and virtually painless, some horses will even stand for freeze branding with minimal restraint.
TUESDAY TRIVIA!
It's October and a new month means a new topic for our Tuesday Trivia series. This month we will be focusing on permanent identification of your horse to aid in recovery after theft, natural disaster, and loss.
Branding is one of the oldest forms of livestock identification and is still practiced.
What are two branding methods available for horses today?
The answer will be posted at the end of the day!
Branding is one of the oldest forms of livestock identification and is still practiced.
What are two branding methods available for horses today?
The answer will be posted at the end of the day!
Monday, October 6, 2014
Osteoarthritis in Horses
Happy Monday everyone!
Osteoarthritis is a common problem that many horse owners deal with on a daily basis. We've written a brief educational article to highlight different aspects of this disease, as well as management and treatment modalities. If you have any questions regarding this article feel free to add a comment or send us an email!
Osteoarthritis is a common problem that many horse owners deal with on a daily basis. We've written a brief educational article to highlight different aspects of this disease, as well as management and treatment modalities. If you have any questions regarding this article feel free to add a comment or send us an email!
Osteoarthritis in Horses
Overview:
Osteoarthritis
(OA), which is sometimes referred to as degenerative joint disease (DJD), is a
progressive degenerative process that can lead to pain, swelling, and
immobility of affected joints. Some studies have shown that OA can be the cause
of up to 60% of lamenesses. Osteoarthritis is something that almost every horse
owner, especially those with performance horses, will encounter at some
point. Whether it occurs in the 22
year-old trail horse or the 3 year-old reining horse, there is no clear and
accurate picture of the typical horse affected with OA. This isn’t just an old
horse disease, as we often think of arthritis in people, but has been shown to
be the source of lameness in horses as young as 2 years of age.
OA
is a disease process that affects joints; most often joints of the limbs but it
can also be seen in the neck, back, and even the jaw. Many factors are involved
but the end result is the weakening and destruction of the thin cartilage that
lines the ends of bones where they come together to form a joint. Trauma is
often the initiating factor, especially in young performance horses, and can be
divided into two categories: 1) Abnormal forces on normal cartilage and 2)
Normal forces on abnormal cartilage. Abnormal forces include repeated cycles of
athletic trauma [even the activity of training or performing] and joint
instability due to soft tissue injury or fractures. These forces induce a
response that leads to pain and swelling of the joint as well as release of
enzymes that damage the normal cartilage. There can also be abnormal cartilage
in the joint caused by repeated abnormal forces, developmental bone disease
[such as OCD] or the normal aging process. This abnormal cartilage is weaker
and more fragile; therefore even the simple forces of walking around the
pasture can damage it. Once the cartilage has been damaged the progression of
OA has started. There is no cure available for osteoarthritis and once the
cartilage has been destroyed there is no way for it to grow back, however there
are many options available for management of OA. These options focus on slowing
the advancement of cartilage destruction and controlling pain and inflammation;
thereby making the horse comfortable enough to perform and have good quality of
life.
Clinical
Signs:
Lameness,
which is when the horse fails to move in a regular and sound manner, is the
most identified clinical sign associated with OA. The degree of lameness can
range from very mild to severe crippling pain. What a horse owner may notice
can vary as well; sometimes it’s a performance issue or maybe the horse just
doesn’t feel right when being ridden, while other times there is a visible limp
when walking across the pasture. It is important to know that the sooner a veterinarian
can diagnose the source of the lameness the better. This way appropriate
therapies can be started to help slow the progression of OA. Another
abnormality that can be identified is effusion or swelling of the affected
joint. All joints are surrounded by a thick capsule, kind of like a big
balloon, and when a joint is inflamed the capsule will swell up with joint
fluid. A veterinarian can identify these swollen joints when they examine and
palpate the affected joint. Occasionally heat can also be felt as a result of
inflammation within the joint. Another
clinical finding that is associated with advanced chronic OA is new bone
growth, commonly called bone spurs, around the area of the joint. Bone spurs
can also be referred to as osteophytes or enthesophytes depending on where they
are located. Bone spurs are a
result of abnormal forces sustained by the joint. The amount of new bone growth
is not always associated with the degree of discomfort. Some horses with bone
spurs that can only be seen with radiographs can be much more painful than
horses with larger spurs that can be felt on palpation.
Diagnosis:
The
process of diagnosing OA can often involve many steps aimed at not only
identifying where the disease is present but also eliminating other potential
causes of lameness. A lameness exam with nerve and/or joint blocks is most
often used to identify the limbs and joints affected. Imaging is the next step
in the process and can range from radiographs and ultrasound all the way to
advanced imaging like CT, MRI, and nuclear scans. Arthroscopic surgery, which
involves putting a small camera into the joint, can also be used to identify
and treat diseased cartilage. This procedure typically requires general
anesthesia and is commonly used when abnormalities cannot be identified by
other means.
Available
Therapies:
NSAIDs-
NSAIDs
(Non-steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs) are the oldest and likely the most
well-known and accessible therapy available today. While phenybutazone (Bute)
is often used there are newer products on the market that have a more targeted
action and fewer side effects. Equioxx® is an oral paste marketed
for the treatment of pain due to OA and has fewer adverse effects than Bute. Surpass®
is a topical product that is absorbed through the skin and can be applied to
the outside of the affected joint.
Intra-articular
Medications-
A wide
range of medications are available today that can be injected into the diseased
joint. Corticosteroids are commonly injected to help decrease inflammation and
pain within the joint but caution should be used as some steroids can lead to
more cartilage damage down the road. Another commonly used medication is hyaluronic
acid, which is a component of healthy joint fluid and provides lubrication to
the joint. Lastly there are products called polysulfated glycosaminoglycans
(PSGAGs) that can be injected into joints to help protect what cartilage is
left. Examples of these products
include Adequan® and Legend®.
Intramuscular
PSGAGs-
PSGAGs
can also be injected into muscles, thereby treating the whole body. This can be
helpful when more than one joint is affected and can allow some owners to do
treatments at home.
Regenerative
Medicine-
This
group of therapies represents the most recent advances in OA therapies, the
most popular of which is a product called IRAP (Interleukin1-receptor
antagonist protein). The product is autologous, meaning a horse’s own blood is
used to make it thereby reducing the risk of reactions. Once processed, the
resulting liquid, which has a high concentration of a specific protein that can
block one of the major causes of joint inflammation and cartilage damage
(Interleukin-1), can be injected into affected joints or frozen for later use. This
product has proven in several studies to be effective in the early stages of OA
as well as in some moderately affected cases.
Prevention:
Staring
preventative measures early, especially in horses more likely to develop OA,
can help delay the onset on clinical signs and slow the progression of the
disease. Many different oral supplements are available that contain things like
glucosamine and chondroitin sulfate, which can protect cartilage and keep
joints healthy. Not all supplements are created equal and you should work with
your veterinarian to select a product that is proven and safe. Intra-muscular PSGAGs
can also be used as a preventative method to help protect cartilage before it
becomes damaged.
Management
changes can also help to keep horses prone to OA comfortable. Low impact
exercise like swimming or water treadmills can help keep joints healthy and
mobile while reducing the amount of trauma to the cartilage. It is also
important to make sure that the horse is physically fit enough for the job that
they do. They should also be given appropriate warm-up and cool-down time when
undergoing work. Weight management is crucial because a heavier horse can cause
more damage to their joints over time and cause existing OA to progress more
rapidly, all of which can lead to a more painful horse.
The
Long Haul:
So
with all this information in front of you the big question you have to ask is
what should you expect once your horse has been diagnosed? Therein lies the
million-dollar question for veterinarians and horse owners today. Although our
profession has made great strides in the research of why OA occurs and advanced
therapy methods, there is still a great deal we don’t know about this disease. What
we do know is that this disease is manageable, especially in mild and moderate
cases. Even some severe cases can be kept comfortable enough to be used for
light riding, breeding, or as nice pasture companion. What needs to be kept in
mind is that there is no known cure for this disease and it will continue to
progress over the horse’s lifetime.
Starting preventative measures early, diagnosing the issue as soon as
possible, and getting appropriate therapies when needed can all help to slow
the progress of OA and keep your horse doing what they love for years to come.
Wednesday, October 1, 2014
TUESDAY TRIVIA ANSWER
This was a tough one! This horse is an American Cream Draft and is the only draft breed to have been developed in the United States that is still in existence. The breed was developed in Iowa at the beginning of the 20th Century and the official breed registry was founded in 1944. The arrival of mechanized farming threatened the breed's existence and in the late 1950's there were only 200 registered horses in the US. In 1982, the remaining American Cream owners reactivated the registry and today there are close to 2000 registered horses globally.
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