Summer 2008 Newsletter

SEVS News
Dr. Jeske Noordergraaf
 

Welcome to the summer newsletter from Sunrise Equine Veterinary Medicine.  After a long and cold winter, summer has finally arrived.  We are all hoping that the weather will be more cooperative this summer for hay growth and baling.  We have seen problems from the hay situation either with horses not receiving proper nutrition or from horses choking. 

 We are very excited to introduce our new associate – Dr Stacy Bethke.  She started on June 9^th and is excited to meet our clients.  As she did her internship at Stillwater Vet, some of you may already have had the pleasure of working with her.  She will rotate call with Dr. Kirsten Voigt and myself.  Dr. Emily Steele left us in April to go work for the USDA.  We wish her success in her new career. 

 We have had some changes in the office also so remember that the new staff may not recognize your voice.  Laurie, KC and Robyn are the main people in the office, Nicole helps us both in the field and the office, Lisa and Amanda ride along and Mandi keeps our barn beautiful. 

 Thank you for your continued support and for recommending us to your horse friends.   If you have an emergency, please call the office number for the pager number of the veterinarian on call.  When you schedule your appointment, feel free to request a doctor.  I am sure that you will enjoy getting to know Dr. Stacy Bethke. 

 I hope to see you out riding this summer.  Remember, it isn't too late to vaccinate if you haven't yet and bringing your horse to the practice saves on the farm call.

Meet our New Vet!!

 My name is Stacy Bethke and I’m very excited to join Sunrise Equine Veterinary Service.  I grew up in southern Minnesota on a farm outside of New Richland.  As a young child I loved helping my Dad on the farm and was often “doctoring” barn cats or orphaned lambs.  Later I would discover horses and began showing Western Pleasure events in WSCA and 4-H shows.  My love for animals-particularly horses-was something that I never outgrew.  After completing my Bachelors Degree from the University of Wisconsin-River Falls, I attended the University of Minnesota-College of Veterinary Medicine.  Following graduation in May 2007,  I completed a year long Internship at Stillwater Equine Veterinary Hospital where I gained valuable experience with a variety of equine emergencies and routine care.

Fecal Results 2008

 We have been recommending fecal exams on your horses to determine the effectiveness of your deworming program.  There are no new wormers on the horizon and resistance is developing to some of the current dewormers available.  Depending on the findings of the fecal exams, we may recommend that you deworm your horse less frequently or, for horses that have a high parasite load, we have been recommending the Panacur Powerpack.  Here are our findings. 

 Number of fecals run in 2008:  154 

 Number of horses with high fecal egg count: 16   (more than 10%)

 Several of the horses with very high fecal egg counts have been overweight horses so the typical unthriftiness is not an issue for those horses.  However, there are several other concerns.  One is that these horses are constantly infecting the other horses in their pasture and secondly, these horses may colic from the parasites.  If you want your horses manure tested, bring in a fresh fecal ball.

Choke in Horses ~ Why is feed coming out of my horses nose?
By Dr. Jeske Noordergraaf

Horses choke.  Although we do call it choking in horses, it is different from what we think of as choking in people.  When we think about people choking, it is an immediate emergency and time if of the utmost importance.  The trachea or air pipe is blocked and the person can no longer breathe.  Until the obstruction is removed, no air can get through.  We all learned the Heimlich technique which can save a life.

 When a horse chokes, food is stuck in the esophagus blocking the pipe.  Air can still get through into the lungs but saliva, food and water cannot get to the stomach.  The obstruction in the esophagus can be anywhere between the mouth and the stomach but usually it happens just after the horse has swallowed the bolus or before it goes through the valve into the stomach. 

 The presenting signs can include the following.  The horse may have food, saliva and thick drainage coming out of the nostrils.  There is often pain and the horse may keep extending his neck trying to relieve the cramping that is occurring.  Some horses will throw themselves down on the ground as if they are colicking, again trying to get away from the pain.  The breathing rate will increase and often the horse is depressed.   

 The history usually indicates that the horse was fine until he started to eat.  Of all the feeds out there, we see choking most commonly with equine senior feeds.  The problem arises from the horse not chewing properly either because he is in such a rush to eat or he may have dental issues.  To help a horse eat slower, separating him from the other horses is very helpful.  Putting big rocks, too big to swallow, in with the feed can also work as the horse has to work to find the grain and thus eats slower.  Adding water to the feed to make it into a slurry can also help.  Make any changes gradually. It is also a good idea to have a dental exam done yearly to keep the teeth properly aligned. 

 We have been seeing more cases of choke recently.  Hay is being replaced by hay pellets, alfalfa cubes and even complete feeds.  Horses may think that these are delicious and swallow without chewing properly.  These feed substitutions are fine but again, remember to make any changes gradually. 

 The obstruction needs to be cleared for the horse to eat and drink.  This is where we get to use our veterinary skill of passing a stomach tube.  Usually we tranquilize the horse to allow for muscle relaxation and then we try to flush the feed out.  The esophagus is a smooth muscle and certain drugs may help the obstruction pass.  An endoscope can be helpful in seeing the obstruction and inside of the esophagus also.  Surgery is not a good option as the esophagus may heal with a stricture or narrowing, causing difficulty eating.  We are very careful with what we pass as the liquid and food that isn’t coming out the nose may end up in the trachea or lungs causing pneumonia. 

 Prevention is once again the best.  Make feed changes gradually, separate horses when you feed grain, especially the ones who eat too fast, and make sure that your horses teeth aren't causing any problems.  Choke can be a serious problem and a painful one for your horse.  If your horse does choke, call your veterinarian immediately.