Health Topics

Equine infectious anemia (EIA) is a viral disease transmitted by flies, contaminated instruments and equipment. Horses that survive the acute phase of infection become lifelong carriers that pose a transmission risk to other horses. A Coggins test is commonly used to determine if a horse has EIA.

Ocular squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) is the most common form of cancer to affect the eyes and eyelids of horses, and the second most common cause of cancer in horses overall (after equine sarcoid). The tumor arises in the outermost layer of skin, conjunctival, or corneal cells, with UV light (sunlight) exposure being a known risk factor. Tumors may grow rapidly and can spread to invade adjacent tissues, causing visual impairment and destruction of the eye. Certain breeds, including Haflingers and Belgians, have a genetic predisposition to ocular SCC development, and a genetic risk factor has been identified.

Stringhalt, or equine reflex hypertonia, is a neuromuscular condition that causes a gait abnormality characterized by involuntary, exaggerated upward movement of one or both of the hindlimbs. There are two major categories of stringhalt: acquired and idiopathic. Clinical signs in acquired cases are often temporary. Idiopathic cases typically do not resolve on their own. There is no definitive treatment and the prognosis varies depending on a number of factors.

MYHM is a new term that is used to describe two muscle diseases caused by a mutation in the MYH1 gene; 1) Immune mediated myositis (IMM) and 2) Nonexertional rhabdomyolysis.

Equine herpesvirus-1 (EHV-1) is one of a large group of DNA viruses that causes potentially serious disease in horses and other species. The neurological form can cause a condition known as Equine Herpesvirus Myeloencephalopathy (EHM), which attacks the spinal cord and brain and can be fatal.

Chiropractic is a manual (applying hands to the body) therapy concerned with the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of disorders of the musculoskeletal system and the effects of these disorders on the nervous system in general health. Chiropractic treatment consists of controlled force applied to a specific anatomic region, often along the spine, to cause a therapeutic response.

Acupuncture has been used to treat various medical conditions in humans and animals for more than 3,000 years. Equine acupuncture is commonly incorporated in the treatment of a number of conditions, especially musculoskeletal disorders and back pain.

Overriding (or impinging) dorsal spinous processes (ORDSP), or “kissing spines”, occur when vertebrae in the spine are too close together. This results in touching or overlapping of two or more of the bony projections at the top of each vertebrae (spinous processes) which can cause consistent, low-grade pain, although many horses do not exhibit any clinical signs.

Gastric, or stomach, ulcers are sores that form on the stomach lining. They are common in horses, with the prevalence estimated between 50 and 90%. They can affect any horse at any age but occur most frequently in horses that perform athletic activities such as racing, endurance, and showing.

Enteroliths are mineral accumulations of magnesium-ammonium-phosphate (struvite) around a foreign object (a piece of metal, pebble, bailing twine, hair, rubber) that form round, triangular, or flat stones inside the bowel usually over the course of multiple years. They form in the large colon of horses where they can remain for some time until they move and cause an obstruction in the large or small colon, resulting in colic.