Every month, we select an open-access article as our WEVA’s Pick of the Month to encourage educational and professional development in the equine field. Please enjoy the article below for October:
October
Do tight nosebands have an effect on the upper airways of horses?
| Dominik Scholler
Equine Clinic of Ludwig Maximilians |
Jana Wittenberg
Equine Clinic of Free University Berlin, Berlin,
|
Yury Zablotski
Clinic for Ruminants, Ludwig Maximilians
|
Anna May
Equine Hospital of Ludwig
|
Reason for our pick: This month, we revisit upper airways with a study emphasizing equine welfare. It challenges commonly used practices that may not benefit horses. Recently published and freely accessible, it offers valuable insights into diagnostics and treatments, making it a must-read for veterinarians seeking to enhance equine care.
September
Congenital variants of the ventral laminae of the sixth and seventh cervical vertebrae are not associated with clinical signs or other radiological abnormalities of the cervicothoracic region in Warmblood horses
| Sue Dyson
Independent Consultant, Diss, UK |
Kathryn Phillips
Department of Surgical and Radiological
|
Shichen Zheng
Department of Medicine and Epidemiology,
|
Monica Aleman
Department of Medicine and Epidemiology,
|
Reason for our pick: Interpreting neck radiographs can be challenging, and it’s common for equine vets to overinterpret findings. This well-illustrated research article offers valuable insights and evidence, serving as a helpful reminder to approach these interpretations with care. With the growing use of procedures like ventral vertebral stabilization, fusion, and foraminotomies, this article is particularly timely.
August
Use of a poll-mounted accelerometer for quantification and characterisation of equine trigeminal-mediated headshaking
| Kirstie Jane Pickles
School of Veterinary Medicine and Science, |
David J. Marlin
Animalweb Ltd, Cambridge, UK
|
Jane Michelle Williams
Hartpury University, Gloucester, UK
|
Veronica L. H. Roberts
Bristol Vet School, University of Bristol, Langford, UK
|
Reason for our pick: The topic of head shaking, particularly in its idiopathic form (also known as trigeminal-mediated head shaking), presents a significant welfare concern and poses considerable challenges in diagnosis and treatment. This condition can be particularly frustrating to manage. A research group from the UK has introduced an innovative approach to addressing this issue, demonstrating excellent results in their study. Given the importance and the quality of their work, this article has been selected as our featured pick for the month of August.
July
Treatment of tendinopathies
Roger K. W. Smith
Department of Clinical Sciences and
Services, The Royal Veterinary College,
Hatfield, UK
Reason for our pick: A multitude of therapeutic options exist for the treatment of tendinopathies. However, the evidence base behind many of them is weak because of the difficulties in running adequately powered studies. Nevertheless, choosing the most appropriate treatment necessitates an understanding of the processes of tendon healing and appropriate treatments should be chosen based on the type and location of the injury and the stage of the disease. This review outlines the currently perceived most effective options for the treatment of overstrain and traumatic tendinopathies in horses.
Extra
Apart from our monthly selections, we are thrilled to promote the special recommendation:
Equine Veterinary Journal: Volume 56, Issue 4
SPECIAL FOCUS EDITION: EQUINE REPRODUCTION
https://beva.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/toc/20423306/2024/56/4
Reason for our pick: The practice of equine reproduction is evolving rapidly. Advances have been driven by a combination of increasing integration of assisted reproductive technologies (ARTs) and novel diagnostic and therapeutic modalities to investigate or resolve sub-fertility. The July issue of the Equine Veterinary Journal (EVJ) is sharing the latest knowledge in these areas, through a Special Focus Edition that is free to view here until the end of August.
June
Upper airway endoscopy in exercising horses: Findings in 164 barrel racing horses with respiratory clinical signs and/or poor performance
S.L. Massie, R. L´eguillette*
Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Calgary, 3330 Hospital Drive NW, Calgary, Alberta T2N4Z6, Canada
https://wevaonline.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/DRE-in-barrel-racing-horses_The-Vet-J_2023.pdf
Reason for our pick: This article may come across as a bit specific for barrel racing horses. But I think it’s an excellent study with the interesting finding that some upper airway abnormalities seem to occur more regularly when horses are working at a lower speed. That is something I have also occasionally noticed in warmblood sport horses. For lack of any better explanation, I thought that this was mainly associated with a more pronounced poll flexion when horses are traveling at a lower speed. But there are other interesting explanations. To find out more, give this one a try…
May
Use of serum amyloid A in equine medicine and surgery
Stine Jacobsen, Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences, Section Medicine & Surgery, University of Copenhagen,
Agrovej 8, DK-2630 Taastrup, Denmark.
Email: [email protected]
Reason for our pick: Serum amyloid A (SAA) has become an important part of the management of equine patients in general practice and specialized hospital settings. SAA may be used in all stages of patient management: (1) before diagnosis (to rule in/rule out inflammatory disease), (2) at the time of diagnosis (to assess the severity of inflammation and assist in prognosis), and (3) after diagnosis (to monitor changes in inflammatory activity in response to therapy, with relapse of disease, or with infectious/inflammatory complications). This recent review addresses the use of acute phase serum amyloid A (SAA) protein to diagnose and monitor inflammation in horses.
April
Trimethoprim-sulfonamide: a valid antimicrobial treatment in foals?
Kajsa Gustafsson, DVM, DECVS; Benjamin W. Sykes, BVMS, MBA, PhD, DACVIM; Denis Verwilghen, DVM, PhD, DES, DECVS; Katrien Palmers, DVM, DECEIM; Stacey Sullivan, BVSc, MVS, MPhil, DECEIM; Gaby van Galen, DVM, PhD, DECEIM, DECVECC
Reason for our pick: Considering the emergence of increased antimicrobial resistance, the use of protected antimicrobials commonly prescribed to foals should be avoided and alternative first-line therapy considered whenever appropriate.” In this article, the characteristics of TMS and its suitability for the treatment of foals are reviewed and data regarding dosage and route of administration are reported. In this review the authors also identify common infections that are most likely responsive to TMS treatment in foals and where TMS might be considered a suitable first-line therapeutic option.
March
INTRAVENOUS LOSS OF OVER-THE-WIRE CATHETER GUIDEWIRES IN 13 HORSES.
Kallie J Hobbs, Kimberly A S Young, Sara Nannarone , Daniela Luethy , Charlotte Hopster-Iversen, Harold C McKenzie , Elsa K Ludwig. J Vet Intern Med. 2024 Jan-Feb;38(1):411-416.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10800200/
Reason for our pick: All of us reach out for guidance and advice in situations where we encounter complications. Particularly complications that seem easily avoidable like losing a guidewire when placing an IV over-the-wire catheter. Although not all equine vets around the globe place O-T-W IV catheters regularly, chances aren’t too bad that – regardless of region – this complication is a realistic scenario. Knowing that our peers have experienced the same, it is beneficial to know how we should manage the situation and what the expected outcome and consequences are.
