Hi, everyone, Jordan here! Although many of you may not know me, I worked at Animal Clinic at Equestrian Woods and Wilmore throughout high school and college. I’m in vet school now, and even though I want to be a horse vet after I graduate I still love working at the clinic on Saturdays.
As pet owners and caretakers, you all already know about the health problems a vet like Dr. Carl treats every day. I’ve spent the past summer working with an equine veterinarian, so I’m going to briefly tell you about a day in the life of a horse doctor!
The first stop of the day often involves ultrasounding mares to ensure that their pregnancies are progressing normally or to see when they are ready to visit the stallion. Some mares have trouble getting pregnant, so it’s a relief when the doctor finds a tiny fetus with a flickering heartbeat on the screen of the ultrasound machine.
The September thoroughbred yearling sales at Keeneland are fast approaching so it’s very important to keep the young horses at the peak of health and fitness. The veterinarian is often called to farms to suture lacerations, treat skin infections, radiograph hurt legs, and diagnose and treat various diseases. The yearlings entered in the sale must also have “survey” radiographs (over 30 films!) taken of their legs and joints. The x-rays will then be examined by veterinarians and prospective buyers for any problems in
Whether they are racehorses, polo ponies, or jumpers, horses may develop sore and inflamed joints and damaged cartilage as they age. One way to help keep these athletes comfortable and participating in their respective sports is by injecting the joints with medication to help relieve discomfort and improve joint function.
Though Lexington is the “horse capital of the world,” not all of our area equines are involved in racing, reproduction, and high-end competition. Many people keep horses for casual riding and their own enjoyment, and these horses need care just as your dogs and cats do. An equine vet frequently administers annual vaccinations, examines eye ulcers and stitches up lacerations, diagnoses allergies, takes x-rays of lame horses, and treats hoof abscesses and colic. While the patients may be 10 to 100 times larger than your average cat or dog, the goal of equine veterinary medicine is the same as that of companion animal medicine: to prevent illness, relieve suffering, and improve the quality of life of the wonderful animals around us!
Photo credits:
1. Equine pregnancy ultrasound at 35 days: www.Equinerepro.com
No comments:
Post a Comment