14 EQUUS 498 AUTUMN 2019
PREP WORK: Horses with lameness issues or arthritis may find it easier to stand
for farriery work if they receive anti-inflammatory or analgesic medication a couple
of hours before the session begins.susceptibility to infections.
Indeed, horses with PPID may
be more likely to develop rainrot,
which is caused by the bacterium
Dermatophilus congolensis, and the
lesions may be more widespread and
harder to treat. Similarly, eye infections
may develop more readily in horses
with PPID. In general, these occur
when bacteria invade the cornea
after a minor abrasion or scratch.
Other complications associated with
immune suppression in horses with
PPID include sole abscesses, bacterial
sinusitis and tooth-root infections,
and the likelihood of these associated
complications developing increases as
the disease advances.
Most horses with PPID show
improvement in immune function when
treated with pergolide, so it is likely
that your pony’s problems with rainrot
and eye infections will be reduced
with treatment. How much, however,
depends upon the severity of the PPID,
the level of pergolide treatment selected
and the individual animal’s responses
to the drug.
Nicholas Frank, DVM, PhD,
DACVIM
Cummings School of
Veterinary Medicine
Tufts University
North Grafton, Massachusetts
FARRIERY
Special handling for
arthritic horses
Q:
My older gelding is arthritic,
and we’re doing what we can
to control his pain. Still, he is finding
it increasingly difficult to hold his feet
up so they can be trimmed. My farrier
is patient, but I know the job is hard on
his back. Are there any particular tricks
or techniques we could try, or is this just
something old horses and their farriers
have to deal with?
Gerry Medfield
Bakersfield, California
A:
This is an excellent question
because no one is getting any
younger. I have been working with
horse’s hooves for a very long time and
I feel everyone’s pain. The key in my
opinion is patience and frequent rests,
which help both parties.
But there are other things you can
do. One is to make sure the horse has
legitimate arthritic pain and is just
not getting contrary in his old age. An
examination to identify any issues is
a good place to start. If the horse has
arthritis, your veterinarian may be able
to help manage the pain through joint
injections or systemic therapy.
When I’m scheduled to work on
arthritic horses or those with lameness
issues, I like to administer anti-
inflammatory/analgesic therapy one
to two hours before the procedure,
simply to take the edge off the pain.
Ask your veterinarian if this is a good
option for your horse and if so what the
appropriate dosage would be.
At the time of the procedure, making
sure the horse stands squarely on all
four legs before starting will help his
balance. Then flex and twist the legonly as much as is needed to get the job
done. If possible, have an assistant hold
the leg in a position that is comfortable
for the horse while the farrier works
on the foot. This requires experienced
teamwork but can be very helpful.
Finally, a little preparation can go
a long way. A clean, level, dry area
covered with rubber mats or manicured
lawn makes it easier for the horse to
stand for the farrier to work.
Tracy Turner, DVM
Turner Equine Sports Medicine
Big Lake, MinnesotaPERFORMANCE
Risk of tendon reinjury?Q:
What is the risk of a horse re-
injuring a tendon after it has
healed? My horse was laid up for nearly
a year with a badly bowed tendon. He
was treated and rehabbed carefully, and
we are returning to the show ring, but I
am paranoid about reinjury. Are there
any statistics that can put my mind at
ease? Are there specific things I should
do or avoid to protect that tendon?
Name withheld by requestAR
NDBRONKH
ORST
/PAUL
A^ DA^ SILVA