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Veterinary Staff:Veterinary Staff:Veterinary Staff:Veterinary Staff:

Charles R.Savini, DVM

Rhiannon J. Kauffeld,

DVM

Zachary A. King, DVM

Clinic Staff:Clinic Staff:Clinic Staff:Clinic Staff: Lori Long

Patti Savini, RVT

Alice Sheafer

Beverly Young

Office Hours:Office Hours:Office Hours:Office Hours: Monday through Friday:

9 AM to 5 PM

Saturday : 9 AM to 12 PM

Emergency Service: Available 24 Hours

Holidays and Weekends

Ambulatory and

Haul-In Service by

Appointment

Services Include:Services Include:Services Include:Services Include:

Health Maintenance

Vaccination

De-Worming

Nutritional Advice

Dentistry

Power-assisted floating

Bite Alignment

Molar extraction

Diagnostic Imaging

Endoscopy

Radiology (X-Ray)

Ultrasound ( Tendons,

Ligaments, Abdominal

and Reproductive)

Lameness

Complete Examinations

Diagnostic Blocking

Shock Wave Therapy

Pre-purchase Evaluations

Reproduction

Pregnancy checks

Artificial Insemination

Semen Collection &

Evaluation

Surgery

Gas anesthesia

Dedicated Surgery Suite

Spring Update

Volume 5, Issue 3 March, 2009 8225 Walnut Grove Rd. Troy, Ohio 45373

..Update Telephone:937-845-3146

Spring is here again. After the long cold winter that we’ve had, it

seems like the warmer weather and longer days have been a long time

coming and they sure are welcome. We’ve spent the winter working

on several a few projects that we all hope will help us to communicate

better, with you, our clients and with referral centers.

The change that will be most obvious and, we hope, useful to you is the

upcoming launch of our web-site, www.walnutgrovevet.com. We’ve

been working on it for a while and expect it to be up in a ‘rough’ form

very soon (possibly by the time you read this). It will feature a full

description of the services we offer, and our clinic facility and will in-

clude a page that details vaccination and de-worming recommendations, our newsletter (current and

possibly past issues) and some useful links. Any feedback, good or bad, you take the time to offer is

appreciated.

We have also upgraded our imaging capabilities. Our digital radiography system has been improved by

the purchase of a new software package that maximizes the resolution of X-ray images captured by our

CR system. This is especially helpful when examining ‘big’ parts like the stifle or the cervical spine.

As we have worked with digital radiography over the past 4 to 5 years, it has become apparent that one

of the major advantages it offers, aside from improved imaging, is the ability to communicate electroni-

cally with other DVMs and with referral centers efficiently. Accordingly we’ve added digital capture

and processing capability to our ultrasound system. This ability to carry good reliable copies of the

images made of tendon and ligament injuries greatly improves the accuracy of comparisons made on

follow up visits. It also eliminates problems we have encountered with thermal images fading over

time (or sooner if placed on the dashboard in the sun).

In addition to the improvements made to our x-ray and ultrasound capabilities, we’ve added digital ther-

mography to the roster of services we offer. Digital thermography devices, sometimes called ‘heat

guns’, are capable of detecting surface temperature differences of 0.1 degree F or less. They create a

color coded temperature ‘map’ of the surface of what they ‘see’, and translate that ‘map’ into a multi-

colored picture. This picture is a metabolic, rather than a structural image (as ultrasound and x-ray are)

and thus provides us with an entirely different kind of information. In equine medicine, thermography

has been used for over a decade and has been shown to provide valuable information about the presence

of inflammation caused by clinical and sub-clinical tendon, muscle and even bone strain. It may be

especially helpful when used to track rehabilitation of tendon injuries, when determining the cause of

back pain, and when working with a performance horse that has multiple issues contributing to a lame-

ness or reduction the ability to do his or her job. Although we are still learning what the strengths and

weaknesses of this modality are, we are excited to be able to offer it as an addition to our performance

horse practice.

This issue includes an informational article about ‘choke’ in horses written

by Dr. Rhiannon Kauffeld and a couple of short informational articles about

equine dentistry and vaccinations in general. We will once again be offering

haul-in vaccination clinics on a limited number of dates and these can be

found on the back cover of this newsletter. Our specific vaccination and de-

worming recommendations can be found on our web-site, in the preventive

medicine section. If you don’t use the internet much or just have a few ques-

tions, we’d be happy, as always, to answer them. But, if you do check out

the web-site, let us know what you think. Any suggestions for improvement

are greatly appreciated.

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pushing what remains gently into the stomach (hydropulsion) a

lot less unpleasant for the patient. In addition to relieving your

horse’s anxiety, the sedatives used actually help relax the eso-

phageal muscles. The nature of the feedstuff as well as the

duration of the obstruction will play a part in how easily it is

resolved. A simple obstruction may even resolve itself before

the veterinarian arrives, but it’s still a good idea to have your

vet pass a tube to ensure that the obstructing mass of food has

completely passed into the stomach. If the bolus is really

‘stuck’, it will take some time and care to flush the obstruction

through. It is very important to slowly lavage the bolus (soak

it with water, then allow the water and dissolved feed to run

back out of the nasogastric tube). By repeatedly doing this, it

is possible to safely remove what is necessary to make the ob-

struction small enough to pass. The veterinarian must be care-

ful not to force the tube as perforation of the esophagus could

occur and this could be life threatening. If the obstruction has

been present for quite some time (>4-6 hours) it will be more

difficult to resolve because considerable dehydration has oc-

curred in the area and the mass and the surrounding esophageal

lining have desiccated (dried out), making it more difficult to

pass. Dehydration occurs quickly, because the horse can’t

swallow its own saliva (although it continues to produce it)

and thereby loses fluid in a continuous stream of ‘drool’. In

such a case, re-hydration with IV fluids can be very helpful.

Regardless of the duration of the choke, most likely, your

horse will be put on prophylactic antibiotics to cover anything

that may have been aspirated, as well as any damage that oc-

curred to the esophageal mucosa. An anti-inflammatory, such

as Banamine, will also provide some relief of what could be a

‘wicked sore’ throat. Also, your DVM will recommend a soft

diet (such as bran mash and grass only) for 3-5 days to allow

the esophagus to heal. If you believe that your horse is truly

rushing through his meals, rocks or a salt block in his feed tub,

should be enough to slow him down while eating his grain and

hopefully decrease the likelihood that a choke will occur.

While the initial presentation of a choking horse can be scary,

it is fairly easy to resolve (if caught early) and your horse can

return to normal activity quickly.

You have finally finished feeding all of the hungry mouths in

the barn. A final check for the night reveals one of your horses

pacing in his stall, acting very anxious and uncomfortable. At

first, you think he’s colicking, but upon further examination

you notice an abundance of green foam and feed coming out of

his nose and mouth. He may be coughing, pawing, lying down

and even acting violently while he tries to get some relief.

This is a common presentation for a choking horse. Many

times our horses forget that they’ve been eating most of the day

and bolt their food as quickly as they can. A lot of times, this

can lead to a bolus (a ball of food) lodging itself in the esopha-

gus which the horse is unable to pass. Because the esophagus

is composed of muscle, it is very uncomfortable as well as dis-

tressing for the horse to be stuck in this predicament. Some

chokes are caused by your horse stuffing his face. Other times,

there is something anatomically (structurally) wrong with the

esophagus. Structural anomalies include a narrowing (or stric-

ture) due to a previous injury or choke, and the presence of a

diverticulum (blind pouch off of the esophagus). If the ob-

struction is caused (entirely or in part) by an anatomical abnor-

mality, it may be more difficult to break up and pass and your

horse is more likely to ‘choke’ again (or in the worst case over

and over again). The best way to handle these cases is through

dietary management. Surgical correction is possible in some

cases, but it is not easy or inexpensive. In cases where an ana-

tomical abnormality is suspected, imaging of the inside of the

esophagus with an endoscope allows a more definite diagnosis

of the problem. If your horse is simply a pig (a fast eater), a

‘choke’ is often a one time event. In these cases, slowing the

patient’s rate of mass consumption down (often by placing

large smooth rocks in the feed tub) helps, as does soaking or

mashing his or her pellets to soften them.

It is also a good idea to take into consideration the condition of

your horse’s teeth. Whether it’s been awhile since their teeth

were floated, or you have an older horse that has a decreased

number of teeth, they may be unable to sufficiently chew feed

products into small enough pieces to easily pass down the

esophagus. With an older horse that is prone to choking, soak-

ing the feedstuff is imperative in attempting to prevent a chok-

ing episode.

Regardless of the cause, immediately call your veterinarian and

let them know how your horse is behaving. Most likely, they

will tell you to remove all feed from the stall and NOT to force

the horse to drink. Although tempting to want to help your

horse by flushing the food down, in this position your horse is

more likely to aspirate the water, some feed material or both

into the trachea (windpipe) and deeper into the lungs. This can

lead to an aspiration pneumonia which can be a serious, even

fatal, complication.

Once you’ve placed the call, try to keep the horse quiet while

waiting for the DVM to arrive. Depending on the nature of the

horse, sedation may be required to pass the nasogastric tube the

length of the esophagus and into the stomach. Sedation will

make the process of breaking up the obstruction with water and

Walnut Grove Vet Update

Choke

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Walnut Grove Vet Update

It’s time for spring vaccines again. In consideration of the tough economic

times we are all facing, we have decided to keep vaccine prices at 2008 lev-

els. We are also again offering our clients the option of saving a farm call

or clinic out-patient fee by bringing their horses to us for vaccines during one of our haul-in vaccination clinics (more informa-

tion on the back page) . Vaccination recommendations can be found on our website, www.walnutgrovevet.com , and our veteri-

nary staff would be happy to answer any questions you have if you call the office.

When administering a ‘full series’ of vaccinations, it is often best to split the series into 2 halves, given 10 days to 2 weeks apart.

Doing so reduces the risk of vaccine reactions, and improves the horses’ immunologic response to the vaccine Vaccine reactions

are not common today, as the adjuvants (the part of the vaccine that stimulates the immune system) used today are both much

better at stimulating the immune response and much less likely to cause undesired side effects. Ironically, the adjuvants used in

killed animal vaccines are one to two generations ahead of those used in human medicine (likely because of the expense of FDA

approval, legal exposure on the part of the vaccine manufacturers, etc). Vaccine reactions, however, still occur, and commonly

consist of muscle soreness, lethargy and possibly a low grade fever. These most often pass within 2-3 days with a little help from

a non-steroidal, like Bute or Banamine. If your horse has had a previous vaccina-

tion reaction, we often will try to determine if there is one particular vaccine or

brand of vaccine that he or she reacts to and, depending on your preference, either

discontinue giving that vaccine or try using a different brand of vaccine. In many

cases, we find that the best solution is to pre-treat horses that react to vaccines with

a non-steroidal (Bute or Banamine) and an antihistamine.

Clients often ask why routine care of equine teeth is called “floating”.

The answer is that in common English usage the word “float” is a verb

synonymous with “to file” or “to level”. Equine teeth need leveling be-

cause they continue to grow throughout the horse’s life. They need to grow, because horses use their molars and pre-molars, or

cheek teeth, to grind roughage more or less continuously, thus ‘wearing out’ the grinding surface at the top of the tooth. The

grinding motion is side-to side, so if the upper jaw is wider than the lower jaw, as it almost always is, the outside edge of the up-

per dental arcade, and the inside edge of the lower arcade form a row of sharp points. These points can make chewing painful, and

can mechanically interfere with the proper grinding motion. Sharp points, or hooks, also commonly form at the front of the upper

arcade and the back of the lower arcade. These hooks often create performance, or bitting, problems. Overgrowth of the front

teeth, or incisors, can also interfere with the proper grinding function of the cheek teeth. Interference with the normal side-to-side

grinding of the cheek teeth, from any cause, is a common cause of weight loss and poor condition, especially in older horses.

Floating has changed tremendously in recent years. In the past horses were backed into corners and it was considered a success if

the sharp points were dulled from the upper and lower teeth. With the progression of better tools (carbide floats and different an-

gled/length floats), floating improved greatly as well. Today we are able to do even more with power-assisted dental tools

(“power floats”). We can access parts of the horse’s mouth previously inaccessible, and get much more done in a shorter amount

of time. Floating horses is no longer a blind wrestling match in the corner of a stall. We now (almost always) use sedation and

rest the patients head on a flexible stand or on an overhead support device. This works much better for all concerned than the old

fashioned wrestling match or semi-effective sweet talk. Chemical restraint allows us to complete our goals, relieve the patient’s

anxiety, and perform a much better and more complete procedure.

Our goals include:

The maintenance of a slightly angled, relatively level molar table,

within the parameters set by what is natural to the individual

horse. This means that the edges of the cheek teeth are smoothed

and brought to the same level as main body of a given tooth.

The elimination of any hooks at the front or rear of the molar table.

This is especially important for the performance horses. It does-

n’t matter what the equine athlete competes in, it is much easier

for the horse to be comfortable if his/her teeth aren’t cutting into

their gums, tongue or mechanically ‘locking’ and putting strain

on the temporo-mandibular joint.

We seek to insure a free and complete ‘grind’, or contact between the upper and lower cheek teeth throughout the entire side-to-

side grinding motion. Assuring a proper ‘grind’ may require leveling of the incisors or elimination of small peaks and valleys

on the molar table.

That is a lot to do, and it was in fact impossible with the tools used 15-20 years ago. All of our trucks are equipped for power-

assisted dentistry, and we are happy to assist you maintaining your horse’s mouth in the best possible condition. It is best to per-

form routine maintenance on a regular (yearly) schedule than to wait until your horse has a problem.

Equine Dentistry

Spring Vaccines

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8225 Walnut Grove Road

Troy, OH 45373

[label]

PRICES:

Influenza/Rhinopneumonitis:

Either

FluVac Innovator EHV 1-4 combination

intramuscular Flu/Rhino vaccine $ 26.00

Or FluAvert Intranasal Influenza vaccine plus $ 21.00

EquiVac Intramuscular EHV 1/4 Rhino vaccine $ 20.00

$ 41.00

Eastern-Western Encephalitis/Tetanus $ 14.00

Strangles (Pinnacle--Intranasal) $ 28.00

West Nile Virus Vaccine $ 26.00

Potomac Horse Fever $ 20.00

Rabies (Imrab 3) $ 14.00

$ 32.00 Coggins Test (EIA)

Saturday, April 4th

Wednesday, April 15th

Wednesday, April 29th

Saturday, May 9th