Equine Athlete: Weeks 5-6

Hello from Lexington, Kentucky and the Region 14 Championships.  We have spent the last two weeks away at regional shows.  Last week Dr. Hill and I were in Springfield, Ohio for Region 13.  This week the whole group is together in Lexington for Region 14, a much larger show.  The days are full of various activities and no two days are the same.  We are the show vet here at 14 and therefore we see everything from our traditional lameness case, to colic cases and unexpected show injuries.  This week has also given me the opportunity to become more familiar with treatments that get done at shows versus at home.

One of my main duties has been to perform the laser treatments on different horses.  I have now become very familiar with the equipment and treatment options.  Typically, I have been treating sore backs, fetlocks and feet.  This week though, I have had the opportunity to treat some wounds.  One of my favorite laser cases involved a horse who rubbed his tail on the trailer ride to Lexington.  When we first examined the damage we couldn't believe he had managed to scrape himself up so much.  By the time we looked at it there seemed to be a possibly bacterial component and a lot of hair loss.  We cleaned the area and prescribed sulfadiazine, or SSD, cream (an antibiotic and protectant).  The horse was scheduled to show later that week, and therefore we needed to help speed up the healing process.  He was put on my laser schedule and I got to work.  Every morning I would arrive and asses the wound, clean it with soap and water, and then laser the area.  I am pleased to announce that after a few days of proper care and lasering, the area is looking much better.  Note the decrease in redness and lack of irritation after only one day of treatment.

Image 1. Day 1

Image 2. Day 2

The shows finished up without any major cases of travel or show related illness.  I have been told not to count on such luck as the show season progresses and the weather heats up.  Our next big show is Arabian Youth Nationals in Oklahoma at the end of July.  The weather is going to be brutal, and therefore cases of shipping fever and colic will most likely be numerous.  So I am sure I will have time to broach that subject when we get to Youth.  For now I will sign off from the road as we head to our next big farm prep.  This week and next will be spent preparing everyone for Youth and catching up on our smaller farms more locally.  We have already seen some interesting cases that I am looking forward to sharing with you all soon.  So stay tuned and have a great week!