Vetnuus | July 2024 13 Poor performance in equine athletes Erin K Contino Colorado State University, Colorado, USA Working through cases of poor performance can be extremely challenging. In the author’s opinion, it is rare for a horse to misbehave for no reason and behavioural issues under saddle are usually indicative of an underlying issue. A thorough history, physical examination and baseline lameness examination can offer hints of where to start working up these difficult cases. If an overt lameness is present, the first step is usually to block out the lameness. Re-evaluating the horse under saddle after the lameness has been blocked can clarify if the lameness is the source of the behavioural issue or not. There are musculoskeletal issues that can manifest as behavioural issues without lameness including pain of the front feet, axial skeleton or hind proximal suspensory ligaments. Therefore, in horses without overt lameness, it can be rewarding to block the front feet and/or hind suspensory ligaments to see if it subsequently changes their behaviour under saddle. For the axial skeleton, blocking the dorsal spinous processes in cases of kissing spine is straight forward and can be telling. Blocking the neck and sacroiliac region are less common and if involvement of these regions is suspected, many practitioners rely on imaging and trial treatment. Horses that suffer from muscle diseases such as myofibrillar myopathy, polysaccharide storage myopathy and exertional rhabdomyolysis can also present with vague signs of poor performance. Outside of the musculoskeletal system, there are many other systems that can be involved in these cases. Respiratory issues are a common cause of exercise intolerance and can include ailments of the lower airway such as induced pulmonary haemorrhage and equine asthma. Obstructive conditions of the upper airway such as pharyngeal collapse, dorsal displacement of the soft palate and laryngeal hemiplegia can also lead to exercise intolerance. A bronchoalveolar lavage and dynamic scope can help to rule in and rule out most of these respiratory conditions. The cardiopulmonary system should also be evaluated in cases that present for exercise intolerance. Gastric ulcers are another common cause of behavioural issues. While gastroscopy is the gold standard to diagnose gastric ulcers, riding the horse following “blocking” the stomach with lidocaine or following a dose of sucralfate can help clarify if gastric ulcers are contributing to the horse’s clinical signs. While not an exhaustive list, the above investigations will lead to an answer in the many of these cases. Variability in interpretation of pre-purchase radiographs Erin K Contino Colorado State University, Colorado, USA Introduction: Radiographs are a common part of pre-purchase examinations, but the clinical relevance of the radiographic abnormalities are not always well understood. Further, the interpretation of the radiographic findings and the perceived future implications may vary between veterinarians. Thus, the purpose of this study was to investigate the level of risk that individual veterinarians assigned to various sets of pre-purchase radiographs. Further, the study aimed to determine how a veterinarian’s experience level, primary discipline or board certification status influenced their interpretation and to determine how a horse’s discipline, current level of work and buyer intent (sell versus retain ownership) influenced their subsequent recommendation. Materials and Methods: A worldwide electronic survey of veterinarians was performed. Respondents were given 4 separate series of radiographs of varying degrees of severity (normal, mild, moderate, and severe), of 3 anatomic regions (navicular bone, distal tarsal joints and medial femorotibial joint) for a total of 12 radiographic series. Respondents graded their level of concern for each series from 1 (no concern) to 10 (very concerned) for 3 different case scenarios which included an English sport horse performing at the intended level, a western performance horse performing at the intended level, and a younger prospect horse intended for a higher level of performance and resale. Diagnosis of suspensory disease: from blocking to imaging Erin K Contino Colorado State University, Colorado, USA The suspensory ligament is divided into three portions: proximal third, body and suspensory branches. Injury of the proximal aspect, termed proximal suspensory desmopathy (PSD) and/or of the branches is far more common than injury of the suspensory body. PSD may also be called proximal suspensory desmitis but desmopathy is more correct as there is not always active inflammation present from a histological standpoint. Additionally, the nomenclature can be misleading because ‘desmopathy’ refers >>> 14 Events I WVAC 2024
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