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Bumps and Masses on Dogs

Bumps and Masses on Dogs

Aug 28, 2023 | Dogs, Mass

Whinny’s Wisdoms

Springhill Equine Veterinary Clinic

Your Pup has a Bump! Here’s What We’re Going to Do

 Hello there, curious pet owners! It’s your sassy and savvy clinic mouse, Whinny, here to enlighten you about a rather common scenario that often has our Springhill Equine clinic buzzing – the discovery of a mass on your feline or canine companion. You know, those little (or not-so-little) bumps and lumps that can pop up unexpectedly during routine check-ups? Yep, we’re diving into how our talented veterinarians handle these mysterious masses and what options you and your furball have.

Whinny’s Wisdom: Not all masses are created equal. Some can be harmless, while others might demand more attention.

So, let’s get down to business. Picture this: You’re cuddling with your pet, giving them all the love they deserve, and you happen to notice a peculiar lump. Cue the concern! Whether you’ve stumbled upon it or your vigilant vet has spotted it during a routine check-up, these solitary masses can stir up quite a ruckus in our minds.

Springhill Equine Veterinary Clinic

Approach #1: “Wait and See” – Not So Much

First up, the “wait and see” approach. Now, I’m all about giving life’s little mysteries time to unravel, but when it comes to masses, that’s a no-go. These lumps are the body’s way of saying something isn’t quite right. So, the verdict? Skip the waiting game and opt for a professional evaluation.

Whinny’s Wisdom: Masses don’t usually vanish into thin air. They’re here to stay until we intervene.

There is just no way to know what a mass is from the outside most of the time. So waiting risks a very bad mass getting worse over time.

Approach #2 and #3: Peek Inside with FNA and Biopsy

At Springhill Equine Veterinary Clinic, we’re big fans of FNA – a fancy abbreviation for fine-needle aspiration. This nifty technique involves inserting a tiny needle into the mass, collecting a sample of cells, and examining them under a microscope. It’s like a sneak peek into the mass’s identity! The best part is an FNA can often be done with your dog or cat awake and distracted with treats like cookies, my favorite!

Whinny’s Wisdom: Quick and relatively painless procedures, like fine-needle aspiration (FNA), can work wonders in diagnosing sneaky masses. You could say they’re fast, friendly, and informative – a bit like me!

But wait, there’s more! Biopsies step in when we need a closer look. Biopsies involve removing a small but solid piece of the mass for further analysis. They’re more thorough but can be a tad more invasive. Think of them as sending a piece of the puzzle to a detective – our pathologist – for examination. They most often involve anesthesia or very heavy sedation as well as local anesthesia. They’re essentially a mini surgery.

Approach #4: The Full Monty Workup

Sometimes, the mysterious mass is just the tip of the iceberg. That’s where the “complete workup” comes into play. This star-studded lineup includes a complete blood count (CBC), a serum biochemistry profile, radiography (fancy term for X-rays), abdominal ultrasonography, and urinalysis. It’s like rolling out the red carpet for diagnosis, revealing insights about your pet’s overall health. A full workup is like giving your pet a VIP treatment – thorough and illuminating.

Diagnosis Time: The Mass’s True Identity

Once we’ve peered into the mass’s soul – I mean, cells – it’s time for the big reveal. Is it a benign neoplastic, malignant neoplastic, inflammatory, or hyperplastic mass? This information guides us toward the next steps.

Whinny’s Wisdom: Knowing your enemy – uh, I mean mass – is half the battle won.

If the mass is a troublemaker and we’re sure it’s malignant, surgical excision usually gets the green light. Cutting out the bad apple can work wonders. And if the mass is playing hide and seek with its metastatic buddies (spread to other areas), chemotherapy might be the hero of the story. Treatment may happen at our clinic, or we may refer your pet out to a cancer specialist—called an oncologist—for the most advanced treatment modalities.

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Fear not, if we do recommend chemotherapy or radiation for your pet’s mass it is important to know the mantra of veterinary oncology: QUALITY of life is much more important than quantity of life. Because our furry friends don’t always know why they’re going in for treatment, we focus on keeping it positive and pain free. Over 80% of dog and cat chemotherapy patients have ZERO side effects for the duration of their treatment. We believe in giving our four-legged heroes the best shot at a quality life, and sometimes that involves surgery, chemotherapy, or radiation.

So there you have it – a glimpse into the intriguing world of solitary masses in our beloved furry companions. Remember, if you ever stumble upon a mysterious lump, don’t let it be the elephant in the room. Your vigilant veterinarians at Springhill Equine are always here to help uncover the truth and guide you and your pet through this puzzle-solving journey. Until next time, keep those cuddles coming and those masses on the run!

~ Whinny

P.S. Have you heard the exciting news? The Adventures of the Horse Doctor’s Husband 3 is available for pre-order! You can reserve your ebook today, and it will release on Sept. 8th! If you prefer a paperback or hardcover, they’ll be releasing on Sept. 15th, just a few weeks away! Click Here to go over to the book page on my website for links to purchase.

Justin B. Long

Whinny’s Wisdoms is the official blog of Whinny the Clinic Mouse at Springhill Equine Veterinary Clinic in Newberry, Florida. If you liked this blog, please subscribe below, and share it with your friends on social media! For more information, please call us at (352) 472-1620, visit our website at SpringhillEquine.com, or follow us on Facebook!

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A Safe and Smooth Vet Visit

A Safe and Smooth Vet Visit

Aug 21, 2023 | Appointments

Whinny’s Wisdoms

Springhill Equine Veterinary Clinic

A Safe and Smooth Vet Visit – A Mouse’s Guide for Horse Owners

 Hey everybody, Whinny here! As a perceptive little mouse who has observed many horse vet visits, I’m here to share some valuable tips with all you horse-owning humans to ensure a safe and successful appointment. Preparing for a vet visit is essential to keep your equine friends healthy and happy. In this blog, we’ll cover the importance of catching and haltering your horse, how to keep veterinarians safe during procedures, and the role of phone use and attentiveness as an owner. So, let’s scurry into action and get ready for a pawsome vet visit!

Catching and Haltering Your Horse

The process of catching and haltering your horse can set the tone for the entire vet visit. Follow these tips to make it a positive experience:

  • Build Trust: Spend quality time with your horse regularly, engaging in grooming and gentle handling to establish trust. A trusting relationship will make catching your horse much easier for both you and your horse.
  • Practice Regularly: Make a habit of catching and haltering your horse, even without a vet visit scheduled. Regular practice reduces stress and resistance during the actual visit.
  • Use Proper Equipment: Ensure the halter fits well and is in good condition. Avoid using makeshift halters or ropes, as they may cause discomfort and pose safety risks.
  • Positive Reinforcement: Offer treats and praise as rewards when your horse willingly approaches for haltering. Positive reinforcement fosters cooperation during vet visits, but remember, a little bit of treats go a long way!

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Keeping Veterinarians Safe During Procedures

    A safe environment and the owner’s cooperation are essential for veterinarians to perform procedures.

    • Provide a Safe Area: Ensure your horse is in a designated area that is clean, well-lit, and free of hazards like clutter. A safe environment minimizes the risk of accidents during procedures.
    • Communicate with the Vet: Share your horse’s medical history, behavior patterns, and any concerns you may have with the veterinarian. Clear communication enables the vet to plan accordingly and make informed decisions.
    • Stay Calm and Supportive: Horses can sense emotions, so maintain a calm and reassuring demeanor during procedures. Your presence can comfort your horse and make the process smoother for the veterinarian.
    • Follow Vet Instructions: Listen carefully to the vet’s instructions and cooperate accordingly. If the vet requires your assistance in holding the horse, position yourself as directed to ensure everyone’s safety. If the vet asks the technician to hold your horse, please allow them to do so.

    Phone Use and Attentiveness as an Owner

    During the vet visit, be mindful of your phone use and remain fully attentive to your horse and the vet.

    • Silence Your Phone: Turn your phone on silent mode or keep it away to avoid distractions. Being fully present allows you to focus on the vet’s explanations and your horse’s behavior.
    • Actively Participate: Engage in the vet visit actively. Listen attentively to the vet’s recommendations, ask questions, and provide necessary information about your horse’s health.
    • Observe Your Horse: Pay close attention to your horse’s body language and reactions during procedures. Being observant helps you understand their comfort level and this information can be relayed to the veterinarian during the visit to help provide the best care to your horse.

    Conclusion

    Well, my human friends, we made it to the end! And now we know how to be well-prepared for a vet visit, and how to make it a great experience for everyone involved. By mastering the art of catching and haltering your horse, creating a safe environment, and communicating effectively with the vet, you set the stage for a squeak-tastic visit. Your cooperation and attentiveness as an owner play a big role in keeping the veterinary procedures safe and effective. So, let’s all do our part to make every vet visit a pawsitive experience, ensuring the well-being of our beloved equine companions. See you next week!

    ~Whinny

    P.S. If you haven’t heard, we’re having our annual Open House event here at the Clinic on September 30th, 2023. It’s going to be the biggest, most exciting event we’ve ever had! Mark it on your calendar now, find the event over on our Facebook page, and I’ll see you there!

    Whinny’s Wisdoms is the official blog of Whinny the Clinic Mouse at Springhill Equine Veterinary Clinic in Newberry, Florida. If you liked this blog, please subscribe below, and share it with your friends on social media! For more information, please call us at (352) 472-1620, visit our website at SpringhillEquine.com, or follow us on Facebook!

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    Sand in the Gut

    Sand in the Gut

    Aug 14, 2023 | Sand colic

    Whinny’s Wisdoms

    Springhill Equine Veterinary Clinic

    Hello again, fellow horse enthusiasts! It’s Whinny, your trusty and knowledgeable mouse guide to equine education. I’m here to provide you with some insights about managing sand colics. As a Florida mouse, I’ve heard a whole lot about sand and its propensity to cause GI upset in those giant, delicate horse guts, and I’ve recently scurried through the veterinary literature to gather more information for you. 

    Sand accumulation in the equine large colon can be as pesky as a mischievous mouse stealing crumbs. Sand gets in the equine large colon when horses graze on sandy pastures or consume feed or hay from the ground. Over time, this sand can build up in the colon, leading to potential digestive issues. The Docs here have seen colons holding as much as 50 pounds of sand! Horses with sand accumulation can have a range from no symptoms, to diarrhea, to colic symptoms. 

    Springhill Equine Veterinary Clinic

    We’ve all heard the best way to manage sand is to feed psyllium for 7 days once a month. Turns out psyllium is key, but the one week once monthly version doesn’t work. Don’t fret! There are treatments! First let’s learn more about how psyllium and magnesium sulphate (Epsom salts) work in the gut. 

    Psyllium, derived from the Plantago ovata plant, is like a fiber superhero, swooping in to promote smooth digestion. It has a high water-holding capacity and acts as a bulk laxative, promoting the movement of ingested material through the digestive tract. Magnesium sulphate, also known as Epsom salt, has osmotic properties. When administered orally or via nasogastric intubation, it draws water into the intestines, increasing fluid volume and facilitating intestinal motility.

    The combination of psyllium and magnesium sulphate seems to have a synergistic effect in clearing sand accumulations. Psyllium’s bulk-forming properties help bind the sand particles, while magnesium sulphate’s osmotic effect aids in softening the feces and promoting their passage along the gastrointestinal tract. To get enough of it into the equine GI tract it has to be administered via a nasogastric tube. Studies found daily treatments for three consecutive days were key to clearing sand. 

    How’s a mouse to know if there’s sand in there? Many of you have put poop in water in a clear bag to see if sand settled to the bottom. Bad news: that only shows that sand is moving. There can be an entire beach-load of sand in there and that plastic bag test will come up clean. The same studies looking at treatments found x-rays of the abdomen were the best for finding sand, and ultrasound could also be used to look at intestinal wall thickness and motility which can be affected by sand. 

    Springhill Equine Veterinary Clinic

    An ounce of prevention is better than a pound of cure, and that’s true for sand as well! In fact, it may be the best “treatment” available. Providing horses with a clean and sand-free environment is crucial. Feeding hay in feeders or elevated platforms can help minimize sand ingestion. Feeding hay and grain over large rubber mats can also reduce sand intake. Making sure your horse has plenty of hay in their diet will help them move daily sand accumulations along. All horses should get a minimum of 2% of their body weight in roughage every day! 

    And don’t forget, your veterinarian is like a wise old mouse, ready to guide you on the best path for your beloved horses. They’ll create a personalized plan to keep those horses healthy, happy, and prancing like little mice on a mission!

    I hope these additional tidbits have shed some light on the topic of sand accumulations in horses and the use of psyllium and magnesium sulphate as a treatment option. If you have any more questions, feel free to ask. Until next time, stay curious and keep your equine friends happy and healthy!

    ~ Whinny

    P.S. Are you subscribed to my blog? Don’t rely on Facebook to deliver it! If you put your email address in the big purple box below, I’ll send you my blog on Mondays, a day before everyone else! And it will always arrive in your inbox, no chance of missing it on Facebook. I promise I won’t spam you, I’ll just email you the blog every week. Just scroll down another inch. Good human, you can do it!

    Whinny’s Wisdoms is the official blog of Whinny the Clinic Mouse at Springhill Equine Veterinary Clinic in Newberry, Florida. If you liked this blog, please subscribe below, and share it with your friends on social media! For more information, please call us at (352) 472-1620, visit our website at SpringhillEquine.com, or follow us on Facebook!

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    Of Mice and Microchips

    Of Mice and Microchips

    Aug 6, 2023 | Microchips

    Whinny’s Wisdoms

    Springhill Equine Veterinary Clinic

    Hi everyone, Whinny here! As a Florida mouse, I know that summer brings not just bugs and humidity, but also hurricane season! The next few months will bring us the most active time for tropical storms so I decided to bring up about an important component protecting your horse in times of natural disasters or other adverse events – microchip identification.

    If you love your horse (or dog, or cat, which also should be chipped, but I’m mostly talking about horses today) as much as most of the owners that come to my clinic, you want to do everything you can to protect him.  While there are things we can’t control about our horses’ health, providing a safe and reliable means of identifying them is sooo easy to do. A microchip is a solid way of proving ownership, not only in severe weather events where horses could go missing, but also in situations of theft or ownership disputes. In addition, many breed registries and show organizations require microchips nowadays.

    What Is It?

    A microchip is a tiny device about the size of a grain of rice that is implanted into your horse’s neck, under his mane, with a needle. The chip contains a 15-digit numerical code that is unique to your horse. It’s like the VIN number your car has, but for your horse. The number can’t be changed and is a reliable way to identify a horse. Once it’s inserted, anyone with a microchip scanner can read the number and look up the registration information to find out how to contact the owner.

    Why It’s Useful

    Microchips are a better method of identification than lip tattoos or brands. Have you tried deciphering a thoroughbred’s lip tattoo? It can be a guessing game, especially as the horse gets older. Brands can also be difficult to read, and they’re not usually unique to individual horses. Also, both can be altered.

    Microchips are very common in dogs and cats, it’s often part of the routine healthcare performed when getting a new pet. There are many, many stories of lost or stolen pets being reunited with their families thanks to a chip, sometimes even years after going missing. While horses don’t wander off as often as cats  and dogs do, in the case of natural disasters or weather events, horses may have to be left outside and recovered after the danger has passed. They may end up a distance away from home. Rescuers attempting to reunite a displaced horse with its owner have quite a challenge. Think about how many bay geldings you know – I bet it’s a lot! But any horse with a microchip can be quickly and easily returned to its owner.

    A microchip can be a great way of protecting your interests if you are buying or selling horses. A vet doing a pre-purchase exam on a horse can also make sure they have been presented with the correct horse to examine, protecting you as the buyer from potential fraud. On the other hand, when you sell a horse there is always some uncertainty about where your horse will wind up in the future. Equine rescue groups working with horses that have fallen on hard times can trace back the horse’s identification and potentially reunite them with a previous owner. Microchips can also be used to solve disputes about horse ownership. If you have a record of a horse’s microchip that lists you as the legal owner, you have a much stronger case to prove the horse is yours. Organizations such as the Equine Rescue Network are working to supply microchip scanners and volunteers to scan horses at auctions that may ship horses for slaughter. If the horse is microchipped, there is a chance the previous owner of a stolen or slaughter-bound horse may be able to be reached.

    Springhill Equine Veterinary Clinic

    As if all those reasons weren’t enough, many major breed registries and show organizations now require horses be microchipped with the 15-digit International Organization or Standardization (ISO) chips for identification. These include, just to name a few, the Fédération Equestre Internationale (FEI), the Jockey Club, the United States Equestrian Federation (USEF), the United States Hunter Jumper Association (USHJA) and the Retired Racehorse Project Thoroughbred Makeover.

    How It’s Done

    It’s really not a big deal to put it in. Really, it’s downright easy. I saw Tony get his microchip and he didn’t even feel the need to bite the vet when she did it!

    In horses, the microchip is implanted in the nuchal ligament on the left side of the neck, halfway between the poll and the withers, just below the base of the mane. My docs will do a sterile prep to make sure things are nice and clean, and then use a thingy that looks like a syringe and needle to put in the chip. It’s super quick and doesn’t take much longer than giving a vaccine. Depending on your horse’s personality, he may prefer a bit of sedation or some local anesthetic over the injection site. The chip is tiny and inert, so the vast majority of horses have no reaction to it, though a few might have a small swelling for a few days after insertion. The benefit of microchipping your horse definitely outweighs any risk.

    After it’s in, my doc will wave a little hand-held scanner over your horse’s neck and make sure it reads the chip and then Presto! Your horse is legit.

    My docs will make sure to use to use the approved ISO-compatible chips and record the number in your horse’s medical records. Then it’s up to you to register the code with your contact info and give the number to any breed registries or show organizations you belong to.

    And what does this peace of mind cost? Hundreds? Thousands? Nope, it’s usually around $50 – $75 for the chip and the implantation, plus a little extra if your horse needs sedation or a farm call. Microchips usually last at least 25 years, so if that isn’t a good deal, I don’t know what is!

    What It Does

    • Provides permanent identification that can’t be separated from your horse (or dog or cat) or changed
    • Helps recovery of your animal during a disaster
    • Helps prevent theft and fraud
    • Provides accurate identification for sales documentation
    • Provides accuracy for competitions and breed registries (and is often required)

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    What It Doesn’t Do

    • It’s not a GPS tracker for your animal. You won’t be able to follow the chip to find his real-time location. (There are other devices that can do that though)
    • The microchip itself stores only the  identification number. Your contact info and info you enter about your horse is stored through the online registry when you register the chip. That’s why registration after the chip is implanted is critical. Failing to register the chip, update your contact info, or transfer records basically renders the chip useless.
    • There is no power supply (none is needed)
    • Unlike in cats and dogs, microchips implanted in the nuchal ligament of horses generally do not migrate away from the implantation site.
    • Chips are not a fail-safe that your horse will never end up in a bad situation. Slaughterhouses and auctions don’t routinely scan horses for microchips. Though like I said, equine rescue organizations are working to make this more commonplace.

    So don’t wait until you are facing a situation where a chip could have helped you, because then it is too late. Microchip implantation is simple, safe, simple, and inexpensive. It’s an easy way to protect your horse that will last his entire life.

    Until next week,

    Whinny

    P.S. Word around the Clinic has it that Justin just finished writing Adventures of the Horse Doctor’s Husband 3, and it will be released on September 15th! Keep an eye on the Books Page of my website for links to purchase in the coming weeks, or get your signed copy at our annual Open House, which is coming up on September 30th!

    Whinny’s Wisdoms is the official blog of Whinny the Clinic Mouse at Springhill Equine Veterinary Clinic in Newberry, Florida. If you liked this blog, please subscribe below, and share it with your friends on social media! For more information, please call us at (352) 472-1620, visit our website at SpringhillEquine.com, or follow us on Facebook!

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    Equine Sacroiliac Joint

    Equine Sacroiliac Joint

    Jul 31, 2023 | Sacroiliac Joint

    Whinny’s Wisdoms

    Springhill Equine Veterinary Clinic

    Hello everybody, Whinny here! This topic comes to you by popular request. I will be discussing an essential anatomical and functional component of the equine skeletal system – the sacroiliac joint. We’ll explore the structure, function, and clinical implications of these important joints.

    First, a definition: the sacroiliac joints (SI joints) are the articulations between the sacrum and the ilium. But what are those? The equine sacrum and ilium are two important components of the horse’s skeletal system, specifically the pelvis. The sacrum is a large, triangular bone located at the base of the spine in horses and other mammals. It is formed by the fusion of several vertebrae, typically five in horses. The sacrum serves as a vital connection between the vertebral column and the pelvic girdle, providing structural support and facilitating the transfer of forces during movement.

    The Sacrum

    In horses, the sacrum is positioned posteriorly (towards the rear) and forms the back part of the pelvis. Its shape is uniquely adapted to withstand the forces generated during locomotion. The sacrum consists of a body and a broad, wing-like portion on each side known as the alae. The dorsal (upper) surface of the sacrum is slightly concave, while the ventral (lower) surface is mostly flat.

    The sacrum plays a crucial role in distributing weight and forces from the spine and hind limbs to the pelvis and vice versa. It provides stability and support for the horse’s body, particularly during activities that involve weight-bearing, such as running, jumping, carrying a rider, or trying desperately to avoid stepping on a mouse who happens to be in the area.

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    The Ilium

    The ilium is one of the three bones that make up the pelvis, alongside the ischium and pubis. In horses, as well as in humans, mice, and many other mammals, the ilium is the largest and most prominent of the three pelvic bones. It is located on the lateral (outer) side of the pelvis, forming the upper part of the hip bone.

    The equine ilium has a distinctive shape, characterized by a broad, flat wing-like structure known as the iliac blade. The ilium extends dorsally and cranially (towards the back and front, respectively) from the sacrum, curving downward to meet the ischium and pubis bones at the acetabulum, the socket where the femur (thigh bone) articulates.

    The ilium serves as an attachment site for various muscles involved in locomotion, such as those responsible for hip extension and lateral movement. It provides a strong foundation for muscle attachment, allowing efficient force generation and control during movement.

    How It All Works

    Together, the equine sacrum and ilium form an integral part of the horse’s pelvis, contributing to overall stability, load-bearing capacity, and locomotor function. Their anatomical characteristics and proper alignment are crucial for the horse’s performance and soundness.

    The sacroiliac joint is relatively immobile in adult horses. This immobility and stability is reliant on muscular support. Increased mobility causes pain from instability and subsequent osteoarthritis as the bones move against one another. This instability can result in damage to the sacroiliac ligaments which support the joint.

    Resistance to engaging the SI joint causes atrophy of the epaxial musculature and low back pain. Signs of sacroiliac pain can be insidious and hard to identify. Some examples would include back soreness, shifting hind limb lameness, or just poor performance. In certain cases, horses may drag their toes—gotta watch out for those when I’m frolicking in the field with them! Keep in mind that these symptoms can mean a wide variety of things, so don’t assume it’s the SI joint without a good diagnosis by one of my docs.

    Diagnosing the Problem

    Diagnosis often involves imaging and watching the horse go in a variety of ways. The vet may even want to see video of your horse doing what they do best—so jumping or running barrels, especially if the lameness or discomfort is more subtle and not apparent on a simple straight jog. It’s mostly impossible to radiograph the bones of the horse’s lower back because of their size, so ultrasound is one of the most commonly used tools to visualize the joints and bones.

    Springhill Equine Veterinary Clinic

    Treatment

    Treatment for SI joint pain is often multimodal. Just like when you humans injure yourself, keeping recovery simple is often the best step. My docs will often recommend things like chiropractic, acupuncture, FES, and at-home exercises.

    One of the best exercises for your horse’s back involves using cavaletti poles which you probably already have at home. You only need 2-4 but can use more if you’d like. All you have to do is elevate one side of each pole by a small amount, just enough space for me to limbo under. Then, simple as can be, you walk your horse over the poles, making sure they stay in the center so that one side of their body has to lift over the elevated pole and the other side stays mostly flat. This gives them a nice oblique workout and helps strengthen their core, which leads to a healthier back.

    Dr. Yorke and Dr. Carter just did a seminar on acupuncture, which you can watch on my YouTube Channel, and my mentor Tony has written several blogs on that and chiropractic. FES, or functional electrical stimulation, is another great tool in our arsenal for back pain. Tony has a full blog on that HERE, but the gist is that this treatment does a fantastic job of helping decrease muscle spasms and relieve pain. It creates equal amounts of contraction and relaxation of the muscles which helps balance things out. A common sequela of sacroiliac pain is lumbar muscle spasm, pain, and atrophy. FES helps a ton with it!

    Of course, as with many joint issues in horses, an option that we sometimes have to go to is joint injection. The sacroiliac joint is one that responds well to steroids to decrease inflammation, so that is often our first go-to (whereas in a lot of other joints we have moved away from steroids as the first approach). This injection is ultrasound guided, and most often is done at the clinic so our doctors can use our stock system to contain the horse. Because there is so much muscle covering the bones of the pelvis, the doctors use deeply penetrating ultrasound beams to visualize the space they need to get the medication. As with any joint injection or use of steroids, there are risks involved, so they’ll often focus on strengthening exercises and other modalities before jumping into injections.

    Whinny Wisdom: Every time steroids are injected into a joint, the total lifespan of that joint gets shorter.

    The next time our doctors are out for your horse’s wellness exam, talk to them about exercises you can do to strengthen and stretch your horse’s lower back! Prevention is always better than treatment, just like mice are always better than cats 😉

    I’ll get BACK with ya later!

    ~Whinny

    P.S. Word around the Clinic has it that Justin just finished writing Adventures of the Horse Doctor’s Husband 3, and it will be released on September 15th! Keep an eye on the Books Page of my website for links to purchase in the coming weeks, or get your signed copy at our annual Open House, which is coming up on September 30th!

    Whinny’s Wisdoms is the official blog of Whinny the Clinic Mouse at Springhill Equine Veterinary Clinic in Newberry, Florida. If you liked this blog, please subscribe below, and share it with your friends on social media! For more information, please call us at (352) 472-1620, visit our website at SpringhillEquine.com, or follow us on Facebook!

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