Mar 7, 2017 | Ailments, Breeding, Buying and Selling, Competition Horses, Craigslist, Dr. Google, Foals, Infections, Q & A, Safety
Ah, your mare! You look wistfully back on your history with her. You and your mare have accomplished a lot. She’s made your dreams come true; she’s been there as your partner, and companion through thick and thin. You’re ready for her to carry on her legacy with a foal. You’ve poured through the magazines, you’ve researched performance records, and you’re a pedigree expert. Your perfect stallion has been found and is even 5 panel testing negative! Oh goody!
What the heck is 5 panel testing? Is it a good thing when a stallion is negative? What’s a positive mean? Never fear, your intrepid feline source of information is here.
Why do I care about 5 panel testing?
Long ago, in a land far, far away horses were bred for speed, muscle, good looks, color. You name it, humans have bred for it. Along the way some other stuff was selected for too, on accident. Beginning about 30 years ago, scientists found a way to test genes to see if some of the not so desirable stuff was present in the DNA of a horse.
In 2015, the American Quarter Horse Association (AQHA) took the important step of saying “Hey, we can test for a bunch of bad stuff. Let’s make sure we breed responsibly.” This means that ALL stallions that file a stallion report now have these results available to you the mare owner. Many other breeds have their own genetic diseases that are routinely tested for. Not sure about your breed of choice? Ask the registration association for that breed or check with my minions. My minions work hard to stay up-to-date on this ever changing world.
What does 5 panel testing test for?
The 5 Panel Test covers, shockingly, 5 major genetic disorders common in Quarter Horses, Appaloosas, and Paints: Hyperkalemic Periodic Paralysis (HYPP), Polysaccharide Storage Myopathy type 1 (PSSM 1), Malignant Hyperthermia (MH), Hereditary Epidermal Regional Dermal Asthenia (HERDA), and Glycogen Branching Enzyme Deficiency (GBED).
These diseases are all caused by one teeny, tiny mutation which makes them easy to test for, and they all cause really bad diseases. I put a short description about all of them at the bottom of this blog in case you want to read more about them.
Should I test my mare?
You really should. That’s the short answer. Here’s the long one. You can never have too much information when it comes to breeding. Additionally, HYPP, PSSM, and MH could cause health problems for your mare during pregnancy so knowing if she’s got them can be very helpful to your wonderful veterinarians.
You really, really should do the 5 panel testing if your stallion choice is positive for any of them. If you have found that perfect hunk of a guy for your mare, but he’s positive for one of these diseases, you really need to know if your mare is positive too. If she is, you are definitely going to have to go back to the pretty pictures and find her a different guy.
I’m pretty sure I can now pass a test on this 5 panel testing! Want more information? Call, text, or e-mail my humans. They love talking about mares, and babies, and stallions, okay, pretty much anything horse. Until next week, may your litter box be clean and your food bowl full.
HYPP
HYPP stands for Hyperkalemic Periodic Paralysis. This disease affects the electrical impulses within the body that control muscle contraction. The defective gene results in clinical signs of muscle tremors and fasciculations. In some severe cases, horses may be unable to stand, or even unable to breathe. Horses can show symptoms with only one copy of the defective gene, but symptoms are often more severe if they have two copies of the mutation. This disease affects mostly halter horses, and can be traced back to the prolific stallion ‘Impressive’. Since Impressive lines were also used in Paint and Appaloosa halter breeding programs, HYPP is found in those breeds as well. AQHA does not allow registration of foals that test positive for two copies of the defective gene (H/H), but will allow registration of foals that are H/N: one defective and one normal gene.
PSSM 1
PSSM stands for Polysaccharide Storage Myopathy. This disease causes changes in the way sugars are stored and used by the muscles. It causes frequent episodes of ‘tying up’ if not properly controlled by a special diet and regular low intensity exercise. There are two types of PSSM. Type 1 is caused by a genetically identified mutation, which is testable. Type 2 is suspected to be genetic, but that mutation has not yet been identified by researchers. Most Quarter Horses with PSSM have type 1. Horses will show symptoms of PSSM type 1 with one or two copies of the mutation. Like HYPP, PSSM type 1 is more common in halter QHs than in other lines. Some QHs have been shown to have mutations for both HYPP and PSSM.
HERDA
HERDA stands for Hereditary Epidermal Regional Dermal Asthenia. Horses with HERDA have defective collagen, an important protein that is part of skin, cartilage, muscles, and tendons. The major clinical sign is skin that is easily injured, torn, or even sloughed off. The skin is also very slow to heal. There is no treatment for the condition, and horses that have it are often euthanized. Horses will only show symptoms if they have two copies of the mutation for HERDA. Horses with only one copy of the mutation are clinically normal. These animals are called ‘carriers’. They can pass copies of the mutation to their foals, and if one carrier is bred to another carrier, the foal might inherit the mutation from both parents and be symptomatic. HERDA is limited mostly to horses with reining and cutting horse bloodlines.
GBED
GBED stands for Glycogen Branching Enzyme Deficiency. Like PSSM, this disease also affects how sugars are stored, but in a different and more severe way. It results in abortions, stillborn foals, and foals that are alive but weak at birth and die or are euthanized soon after. Like with HERDA, horses may be carriers for GBED – if a horse has only one copy of the mutation it will be clinically normal. Paints and Appaloosas can also carry the GBED mutation.
MH
MH stands for Malignant Hyperthermia. This disease changes the way muscle cells handle calcium, and thus the metabolism of the cell. Horses with MH will appear normal most of the time, but have specific occasions when they show symptoms. During an attack, horses will have a very high fever, profuse sweating, high and irregular heart rate, high blood pressure, and rigid muscles. Attacks are triggered by certain anesthetic agents or stress, and are sometimes fatal. MH is believed to be less common than either HYPP or PSSM, but the percentage of affected horses is not yet known. Several breeds including Quarter Horses and Paints can be affected. Horses may be positive for both PSSM and MH together, and these animals appear to suffer from more severe episodes of tying up than horses that have PSSM alone.
Feb 28, 2017 | Buying and Selling, Craigslist, Q & A, Re-homing, Retired, Trading, Weight loss/gain
Nobody ever sells their best horse. At least, not that I’ve seen during my 9 lives supervising an equine vet clinic. Typically, the docs are asked to help find homes for the 20+ year old retiree whose pasture-mate just had to be put down, the 13 year old lawn ornament that the kids grew out of, or the 3 year old un-broke colt who has barely been handled. Nobody is selling their 8 year old Grand Prix jumper….or at least they aren’t asking my advice about it!
Why are horses tough to sell?
The problem is, horses are working animals. Typically, it’s not good enough for them to just sit around and look adorable (like me). There is still a demand (and a price) for horses that are willing, able, and experienced doing a job. The docs frequently encounter clients looking for a quiet trail horse for their husband, a dead-broke pony for their 3 year old daughter, or a young, trained, athletic horse that they can put some finishing touches on and then re-sell for a profit.
Consider other solutions
In case you didn’t know, we at Springhill always know a long list of horses in search of homes. Would you consider finding a new pasture-mate for your old retiree? Perhaps you could lease the pony that your kids grew out of to another child in need of a mount? As for the un-broke 3 year old: 30 days of training might be a wise investment in terms of getting him off the market (and off your feed tab)!
How Springhill can help
Lucky for you humans, I happen to have created an excellent networking resource for our clients who are looking to buy, sell, lease, trade, donate, rescue, or otherwise exchange horses! It’s called Springhill Equine’s Client Corner, and it’s super easy to join! Simply log into your Facebook account, search “Springhill Equine’s Client Corner” and request to join the group. Once you are approved as a member, you will have access to a secret group made up of only Springhill’s finest. What better way to start re-homing your horse? You’re welcome!
-Tony
Feb 21, 2017 | Athleticism, Competition Horses
As a cat I’m pretty much a loner. I understand you humans are what is known as a social creature. You like to be around other humans who like the same stuff you like. I guess I can relate. Teannie and I both enjoy the chair in the inventory room so sometimes we hang out on it together. Where am I going with this? We did a survey of the humans who come to Springhill Equine recently. We found you guys like to do stuff with your horses. And a lot of you like to do the same stuff.
Turns out about 80% of you do something athletic with your horses. It’s about evenly split between barrel racing, dressage, trail riding, and hunter/jumper, along with strong representation by western dressage, breed shows (from Arabians to Paso Fino), eventing, and driving. You guys also simply enjoy the company of your horse. Many of you have horses for companionship (I really think a cat would be a better choice but that’s just me) or are giving your horses the retirement you dream of for yourself. Anyway you are a diverse group!
My minions are a pretty diverse group too. We have Dr. Lacher and Dr. Vurgason showing in the hunter/jumper circles, MJ representing at the barrel races, Kayla and her horse are working on a career choice, Beth enjoys trail riding and hanging out with her horses (and minis), Nancy does western dressage and obstacle challenges, and last, but not least, Stephanie enjoys pampering her horse and an occasional saunter around the pasture. Whew we sure do keep busy with a variety of horse activities!
Why does all this matter? Well to start, it means my minions are a part of the big, huge (though shockingly interconnected) horse community. It means if you’ve got a problem, my minions have a broad knowledge base to pull from. And they don’t look at your horse as a motorcycle with hooves. They eat, sleep, breathe horses. It means they know you have goals, even if it’s that your horse has the longest, most comfortable retirement they can. It also means, they will sit and “talk horse” with you. They tell me you’re never too old to learn more about horses.
Looking for something to do with your horse? We can point you in a direction. Heck just this weekend, I had people at the Cops for Cancer benefit trail ride and a hunter/jumper show at Canterbury. I’ve got my paw on the pulse of stuff to do with horses! You horse people are a passionate lot and at the end of the day, even this cat is happy to be a small part of the horse community.
-Tony
Feb 14, 2017 | Competition Horses
Folks, you’ve been following me for a while now. I think it’s time I let you in on one of my deepest, darkest secrets: I am addicted to food. Yes, it’s true. If it weren’t for my human minions constantly rationing my meals, I would be in the running for the world’s fattest feline. I have already been diagnosed with diabetes (twice), and the humans only feed me 2 tiny bowls of prescription cat food a day. I constantly beg and try other methods to get their attention: sleeping in or on the docs’ trucks, laying on the computer keyboards, sitting in the chairs, climbing on the X-ray and ultrasound equipment, and often standing right in their path so they can’t ignore me. But to no avail. They are absolutely starving me here!
In my valued opinion, addiction to food is one of the most difficult addictions to fight, because you have to put some of the substance you are addicted to into your body every day in order to survive. I often hear our clients compare their addiction to horses to other addictions such as alcohol, hard drugs, caffeine, chocolate, etc. But there’s no way your addiction to horses can be as rough as my addiction to food, right?
Let me ask you a few questions to get an idea of how severe your substance –in this case horse– addiction is…
1) Does time with your horse ever interfere with your daily activities? i.e. Spending time with family, attending social events, eating a healthy diet, practicing average hygiene (such as washing the horse manure off of your jeans before going into public), or getting enough sleep. Yes? Hmmm OK, next question…
2) Have you ever lied to cover up your addiction? For example, “Yes honey, I’ll be back from the barn in 2 hours.” *5 hours later you are oiling your tack and braiding your horse’s mane*. Yes? OK this may be more serious than I thought…
3) What would you be willing to do to get back to your last high: that amazing ride, that winning round, that flawless trip, that moment of perfect harmony that you and your horse shared? Wow, just about anything? OK, you really may have a problem!
Don’t worry, Springhill Equine can help! No, not with your addiction…you might need a professional for that. But our docs can help you get back to that high. Whatever is standing in your way: lameness, disease, improper nutrition, or conditioning- let the docs help you get back to that moment of glory with your horse.
Well, after my questionnaire I have a newfound respect for people who claim they are addicted to horses. It might even compare to my addiction to food! I truly hope you find the help you need.
-Tony
Feb 7, 2017 | Radiographs, Ultrasound
I closely supervised the Docs this week in the Clinic, and I noticed two significant pieces of equipment being used on a regular basis: the ultrasound and x-ray. Being a curious cat, I sat them down and asked why x-ray this horse but not that one? Which led to: when do you use the ultrasound? Read on for some profound learning from a very wise cat.
Ultrasound
Both ultrasound and x-ray use waves of energy to make a pretty picture, kind of like a camera. The ultrasound uses, wait for it, sound waves. Sound waves go into the body and bounce off different tissues before coming back to the probe. The computer inside the ultrasound then turns the waves into an image. Lots of things affect the waves, but the biggie is how much water is in the tissue. This means things like muscles and babies make really pretty images because they are mostly water.
Tendons and ligaments can be easily seen too. While they don’t contain as much water as muscles, they are very tightly organized and surrounded by other tissues which do contain water (mostly, see more later). When tendons and ligaments do get injured, they dramatically increase the water (edema) in the area of an injury making injuries very easy to see (again, mostly, you’re going to have to keep reading).
What are ultrasounds bad at seeing through? Air, think lungs and gas filled guts, and hard stuff like bone and hooves. The Docs can still use the ultrasound to get an idea about the contours of lungs and bones. In fact, it’s one of the easiest ways to tell if a horse has pneumonia. Ultrasound is also a first line tool used to check for some bone fractures. The ultrasound can’t see through air though so only the very outside edge of the lungs can be checked. That air (well gas really) is very useful in the GI tract. In the image below our Docs used the gas/tissue interface to determine if this horse had the potential for hind gut ulcers.
The next place that would be really nice to see with the ultrasound is inside the hoof. There are some really important things in there that would be great to see with an ultrasound. Unfortunately, the hoof capsule is great at bouncing those sound waves. In a pinch, the hoof can be soaked for about 24 hours, then the outermost layer of sole pared down with a hoof knife, and the ultrasound very, very firmly held against the frog. This is a very limited viewing window, but can be useful to recheck after an MRI.
Another place sound waves like to be difficult is the back of the hock. In this area lives a very important structure called the proximal suspensory ligament. This ligament is a source of many curse words here at Springhill Equine. The ligament is between the splint bones, under some blood vessels, and right next to the cannon bone. To top it off it contains muscle and ligaments in a twisted, woven bundle. Sound waves bounce around like crazy which drives the computer inside the ultrasound machine crazy. The computer does it’s best to sort it all out, but often it fills in the blanks a little wrong, causing what’s known as an artifact. Moral of the story here is that imaging proximal suspensories is hard, and imaging is only part of the picture. Yes, that’s a pun, and I’m pretty proud of it!
X-ray
Moving on to x-rays. Technically, radiology. X-rays are the waves that are used to make a radiograph, just like visible light is the wave used to make a picture. OK, technical stuff covered. All those things ultrasounds hate, x-rays love. Radiographs are the best option for anything bone, or air filled (again there’s an exception, and I’m going to make you read the entire blog to find out what it is). X-rays shoot straight through bone and air to make a picture on a plate placed on the other side.
Radiographs are very much like the pictures you shoot with your camera. Think of the x-ray machine as the sun and the plate as your camera, with the subject of the picture being your horse. Radiographs are great at seeing changes in bone like arthritis, and changes in density. Radiographs are also great at looking at the whole structure of the lungs, instead of just the surface that ultrasounds see. And x-rays go right through that pesky hoof capsule to let us see the bones inside. What they can’t see are soft tissues. And this means it’s very often a team effort between radiographs and ultrasound to get a complete image of the inside of your horse.
I’m not making you read to the very end for the x-ray exception, only mostly to the end. Horses are big. They are nearly as big as I think I am. This is a problem for radiographs and ultrasound. Neither of these waves are strong enough to push through the big ol’ butt on a horse. From about where the back of a saddle sits to the start of the tail, horses are solid muscle, bone, and hay filled gut. This combination is able to scatter all the x-rays that hit before they can reach the plate and absorb all the sound waves so that deep ones can’t get back to the computer.
We can get some hints about what’s going on in there, but getting a clear picture is like trying to figure out what it looks like at the bottom of the Marianna’s Trench in the Pacific Ocean: it ain’t easy. Make stronger waves you say. Sadly, physics says no. If you make the wave stronger it can’t go as deep, if you make it weaker it can’t reach the other side. There is no easy answer here. A good physical exam, watching your horse do what it does, and then evaluating the problem are the best answer for low back pain and high hind end lameness in horses. Luckily I know a couple of awesome veterinarians with a ton of horse sense to back up their medical knowledge 😉
Until next week,
Tony
You must be logged in to post a comment.