HORSE
FALL 2005
H E A LT H
L
I
N
E
S
B R I N G I N G B E T T E R H E A LT H TO YO U R H O R S E S
BLINDED BY
THE NIGHT
Do genetics connect coat
patterns and night blindness
in Appaloosa horses?
WESTERN COLLEGE OF VETERINARY MEDICINE • EQUINE HEALTH RESEARCH FUND
It’s tough enough planning your own future
— try imagining the future of the large animal
surgery area at the Western College of Veterinary
Medicine. By 2025, what will horse owners expect
in terms of surgical facilities and resources?
What knowledge and skills will future veterinary
students require?
I N S I D E
2
The Cutting Edge in Equine Surgery
4
Blinded by the Night
8
A Region’s Colic Profile
9
Ultrasound Exposé
Advanced technology and a new floor plan give WCVM’s large
animal surgery area an edge.
Is congenital stationary night blindness associated with certain
coat patterns in Appaloosa horses?
A WCVM study gives a western Canadian perspective to a common
equine disease.
Ultrasonography may give veterinarians a quicker diagnosis of
deadly colic called large colon volvulus.
10 Front Line Support
Fred Clement’s contributions to equine health span three decades
and generations of western Canadian veterinarians.
12 WCVM Case Report
New imaging technology helps clinicians measure the damage
caused after a common fungus ends up in an uncommon place.
FRONT COVER: A horse’s retinal fundus or the interior lining of the eyeball. The pink oval is
the eye’s optic nerve while the green area is the reflective tapetum (reflecting layer) that’s
responsible for the “eyeshine” seen when light hits the eye. Photo: Dr. Lynne Sandmeyer.
H O R S E
H E A LT H
L I N E S
Horse Health Lines is produced by the Western College of Veterinary
Medicine’s Equine Health Research Fund. Visit www.ehrf.usask.ca for
more information. Please send comments to:
Dr. Hugh Townsend, Editor, Horse Health Lines
WCVM, University of Saskatchewan
52 Campus Drive, Saskatoon, SK S7N 5B4
Tel: 306-966-7453 • Fax: 306-966-7274
wcvm.research@usask.ca
For article reprint information, please contact sm.ridley@sasktel.net.
2
Horse Health Lines • Fall 2005
Those questions delve into familiar territory for Dr. Bruce Grahn, who
has chaired two phases of the WCVM Veterinary Teaching Hospital expansion
committee since 2000. He and his committee members have done plenty of
speculating about what types of diseases and health issues that veterinarians
may eventually face. But as the veterinary ophthalmologist points out,
listening to people and monitoring the demands of today give some of the best
clues to understanding future animal health trends.
“If we did anything well, I think it was the fact that we spent a lot of
time listening to people — staff, faculty, clients, students, administrators
— everyone,” says Grahn. “We started with basic questions: what do you need?
What do you want? Then we repeated that process over and over again. It’s
always challenging for people to talk about modifying where they work and
how they work. But as they had time to think about it, people became more
open to making changes for the overall benefit of this hospital.”
Grahn says it soon became obvious where the committee needed to
allocate space and dollars in the hospital’s Large Animal Clinic. For example,
one necessity was a safer chute complex for large animals. Another essential
was a larger surgery area with more centralized services.
How much of a problem is space in large animal surgery? “Inside the
suite where we do orthopedic surgeries, room is very tight when you have
an anesthetized horse on the table,” describes Dr. David Wilson, another
expansion committee member and head of the Large Animal Clinical Sciences
department. “We can do the surgeries because most of the action takes place
around one limb, but it’s difficult to squeeze around the rest of the patient
— and that can be a big problem for our support staff who need to move
around the entire room.”
Wilson adds that space isn’t the only problem: surgical suites are
cluttered with medical equipment and supplies, the floors often become a maze
of electrical cords and hoses during complicated procedures, and 30-year-old
surgical lights are showing their age.
The new renovation plans address all of these concerns, plus they create a
“closed surgery” where people must change into surgical attire before entering
and re-entering the area. “This will reduce the chances of bringing infection
into the area as well as taking infection out to other parts of the hospital,”
explains Wilson.
New features — such as separate rooms for anesthesia-induction and
recovery — will also help to minimize contamination if a potential risk
arises, adds Wilson. “If we find an internal abscess in a horse during colic
surgery, then we know the only places where the infection is present is in the
surgical suite and the recovery room. With the new floor plan, we can move
that horse into an isolation unit on the outside of the building and prevent
contamination of other areas.”
The expansion is also ushering in new technology: the hospital added
computed tomography (CT) to its medical imaging department in 2004,
and nuclear scintigraphy will soon become the College’s newest diagnostic
tool. “There’s no question that advanced diagnostics will become much
more critical in veterinary teaching hospitals,” stresses Grahn. “If you’re not
equipped for the future, you’ll fall behind.”
CHUTE COMPLEX
5
6
MEDICAL
IMAGING
BOVINE WARD
BOVINE SURGERY
CALF ISOLATION
UNIT
1
3
LOCKERS
NURSES’
STATION
1
1
4
EQUINE
SURGERY
EQUINE
SURGERY
4
RECOVERY INDUCTION
ROOM
EQUINE ISOLATION
UNITS
EQUINE
WARD
2
RECOVERY
ROOM
4
4
The CUTTING EDGE
By upgrading the hospital’s surgical facilities and introducing more
advanced technology, WCVM will be capable of expanding its large animal
caseload. While that’s important for undergraduate veterinary education,
Grahn says it’s especially critical to the quality of the College’s graduate
training program — Western Canada’s source for future specialists, faculty
members and researchers.
Will this be the large animal surgery of everyone’s dreams? Probably not,
says Grahn with a soft chuckle. The hospital expansion committee does have
to work within space and budgetary limits. But for Grahn and his colleagues,
1. Surgery
• What’s new? The closed surgery includes two equine surgical suites, plus one suite for
standing surgeries in cattle. All suites have wide doors so the CT scanner, the C-arm fluoroscope or other diagnostic equipment can be wheeled in and out. Suites cluster around
a centralized nursing and medical supply area with ready access to anesthesia-induction
areas and to medical imaging. Each suite has its own recovery room close to anesthesia
and to the equine ward.
• Other features? Each suite has new surgical lights that are “camera capable” for
digital imagery. Flat panel LCD monitors hang over the operating tables so specialists can
view laparascopic images or review digital X-ray images. Anesthetic “booms,” medical
gases, suction and electrical cords drop down from the ceiling to minimize clutter.
2. Anesthesia
• What’s new? The anesthesia area gains a separate room for induction so pre-surgery
patients are separated from post-surgery patients. Anesthesiologists have overhead access
to medical gases in each surgery suite, plus ventilators and other critical care equipment
can be easily wheeled in.
3. Medical Imaging
• What’s new? A CT scanner can be wheeled in to both equine surgery suites, plus
equine patients can be led to the new nuclear scintigraphy room located a few metres
away from the equine ward.
in Equine Surgery
what’s more important than extra “bells and whistles” is the fact that the
final layout will provide a high-quality training ground for new generations
of veterinarians. Plus, it will be a place where people can perform to the best
of their abilities — no matter what new health challenge arises in the next 20
years. H
How can I make a donation to the VTH
Expansion Campaign?
• Use the enclosed tear out card
• Visit www.wcvm.com/supportus
• Contact WCVM development officer
Joanne Wurmlinger at 306-966-7450
(joanne.wurmlinger@usask.ca).
4. Equine Ward and Isolation Units
• What’s new? Barriers separate the equine and bovine wards, plus both wards can be
closed off from the rest of the hospital during a biosecurity risk. Three equine isolation
units have separate anterooms where staff change clothing before and after entering the
units. As in the past, hospital staff will admit infectious equine patients into isolation units
from outside doors to avoid contact with other patients in the equine ward.
Other Points of Interest
5. Large animal chute complex allows hospital staff to move animals into one of three
separate work areas or to return patients to their trailers. It also provides ready access to
the bovine standing surgical suite, to medical imaging and to the bovine ward.
6. Calf isolation unit has an outside entrance, 10 stalls and a separate anteroom where
staff change their clothing before and after entering the unit.
Western College of Ve t e r i n a r y M e d i c i n e 3
T
HE HORSES ARE IN TROUBLE. That’s all Sheila Archer could
think when she awoke with a start at 2 a.m. during an
early spring storm in 2003. As rain pelted against the
windows of their farmhouse south of Moose Jaw, Sask., Archer
and her husband hurriedly dressed and headed outside into the
pitch-black night.
Their four purebred Appaloosa mares should have
been standing on the well-protected, south side of the barn
— but not one horse was there. “We went out to our north
pasture, and there they were: standing on a hill, shivering and
hypothermic in the cold rain,” recalls Archer.
What stood between the horses and shelter from the storm
was an S-curved, dirt roadway that crossed over a culvert
draining the farm’s dugout. When the couple moved their mares
to the farm months earlier, they had run electric fence on
either side of the wide causeway — a precaution that posed no
problems for the horses in the daylight.
“But at night and in the middle of that storm, they would
not cross the causeway to get to the barn. They finally crossed
but only after we talked to them, put on their halters and led
them through to the other side,” says Archer. “And that’s when I
knew my horses couldn’t see in the dark.”
Nearly three years after that memorable night, Archer
now knows with certainty what causes her horses’ vision to
disappear after sundown. First described in the late 1970s,
congenital stationary night blindness (CSNB) is thought to be
a hereditary, non-progressive condition found in some horses.
All reported cases have involved Appaloosa horses so far, but
because little is known about the disease, it may also
affect horses of other breeds.
Other than Dr. D.A. Witzel’s initial CSNB research
in Appaloosa horses nearly three decades ago, very
little information about the disease is available in
veterinary literature. In fact, one of the “bibles” of
veterinary ophthalmology textbooks contains only one
paragraph describing the disease, says Dr. Lynne Sandmeyer, a
veterinary ophthalmologist at the University of Saskatchewan’s
Western College of Veterinary Medicine (WCVM).
Few words are written about CSNB in horses — but
Sandmeyer thinks the condition may occur more often than
horse owners and veterinarians think. Since most owners
don’t have much interaction with their horses after dark, the
condition’s symptoms — such as a horse showing some anxiety
in darkness or closely following another pasture mate at night
— can go unnoticed.
“Under normal circumstances, affected horses can cope
with the condition because they’re born with it — it’s not like
something suddenly changes in their lives. They just think that’s
the way the world works: at night, the lights go out and they
can’t see,” explains Sandmeyer, who is leading one of the most
comprehensive research investigations of CSNB in Appaloosa
horses ever undertaken.
Blinded
by the
NIGHT
Project sheds light on eye disease
For the next two years, the College’s Equine Health
Research Fund is providing financial support for Sandmeyer’s
research team whose members include veterinary ophthalmologist Dr. Bruce Grahn and Dr. Carrie Breaux, a veterinary
ophthalmology resident.
In the first phase of the study, the research team will
conduct detailed eye examinations on 30 Appaloosa horses
as well as on 10 Arabian horses (the study’s control group).
Since scientists suspect that CSNB is caused by a problem
during the process of transmitting information from a horse’s
eyes to its brain, the project includes a detailed series of
electroretinographic (ERG) testing on each horse.
“The ERG testing will confirm the disease in horses, plus it
will also allow us to study the exact electrical responses and to
see if we can pinpoint where the transmission problem occurs,”
says Sandmeyer. “We’ll examine the horses’ eyes to check for
any abnormalities, and we’ll test whether any of the animals
are nearsighted or farsighted since anecdotal reports have
suggested that CSNB-affected horses are nearsighted.”
The research team will conduct more detailed anatomical
studies of affected eyes, then do further immunohistochemistry
testing to try and pinpoint any physiological abnormalities.
“We’ll also be collecting blood from the horses so at some
point, we can investigate the gene for the disease,” adds
Sandmeyer, who says the ultimate goal is to develop gene
therapy for CSNB.
“If nothing is morphologically wrong with the horse’s
retinal cells, we may eventually be able to provide those cells
with the material that they need to activate the physiological
L O S T i n Tr a n s l a t i o n
Look deep into the eyes of a horse affected with congenital
stationary night blindness (CSNB) and you’ll see nothing but
liquid pools of colour and light. Even specialists like WCVM’s
Dr. Lynne Sandmeyer — equipped with the latest in ophthalmic
technology — haven’t discovered anything unusual
about the retinas of an animal affected with the
condition.
That’s because the actual problem that
causes this type of blindness is virtually
invisible — occurring somewhere during
the process of transmitting information
from the eyes to the horse’s brain.
As Sandmeyer explains, cells called
photoreceptors are responsible for
transmitting information from the retina to
the brain. Cone-shaped photoreceptors take
care of colour and day vision, while rod-shaped
photoreceptors are responsible for vision in the
dark.
Normally, rod photoreceptors pick up the light that comes
in the eye and transmits it into an electrical response. With the
release of neurotransmitting chemicals, the rod photoreceptors
relay the electrical response through other processing cells
until it eventually reaches the brain where the information is
transformed into an image.
But in a horse diagnosed with CSNB, something stops this
neurological “Pony Express” from happening normally: “We
know the rods are there, and they’re not abnormally shaped
— but somewhere along the line, the information is dropped or
not transmitted properly,” says Sandmeyer.
Those transmission problems are mirrored in
electroretinograms that are used to make a definite diagnosis
of CSNB. After keeping a horse in the dark for at least 20
minutes, a veterinary ophthalmologist conducts a series of
tests using electroretinography (ERG) to pick up the electrical
information of photoreceptors and other cells in the horse’s
retina as they respond to light.
“A normal ERG consists of two waves showing the
responses of the photoreceptors. The A-wave has a downward
peak that goes down a little bit, and then there’s usually
a slower, upward peak that’s called the B-wave,” explains
Sandmeyer. “In a horse with CSNB, that first A-wave shows up,
but instead of a B-wave showing up, the A-wave just continues to
go down. In other words, the information is dropped so there’s
no image.”
Will scientists ever “see” what causes CSNB to happen?
The WCVM-led investigation of the disease’s
characteristics may uncover some clues, but
Sandmeyer suspects it will be a long process.
“One of the next steps we can take is to look
at the physiological differences between
the eyes of normal horses and the eyes of
horses diagnosed with CSNB. With the use
of immunohistochemistry, we could try and
pin down whether it’s the transmitters, the
transmitter receptors or other aspects of the
retina that aren’t working.”
She adds that this could be another way
for genetic researchers to identify the gene
responsible for the disease and its location in
the horse’s genetic makeup: “If we find out that CSNB
occurs because a certain neurotransmitter is not there, then
we would know that the genetics involved in developing that
neurotransmitter is the source of the problem. It’s simply taking
a different approach to finding the gene responsible for CSNB.”
Solving the CSNB puzzle in horses is valuable to veterinary
medicine, but the information may also help researchers gain
a better understanding of the equivalent disease in humans.
As Sandmeyer points out, the ERG abnormalities that show up
in the eyes of CSNB-affected horses are similar to the results
recorded in humans affected by the Schubert-Bornshein type of
CSNB.
“If we identify the
CSNB gene in horses, it
could potentially benefit
the work of researchers
involved in human CSNB
studies by narrowing down
their options. Just as we use
human research, they could
test whether our gene is
causing the same disease in
humans.” H
process and allow them to work at night,” explains the
researcher. “That’s many years down the road, but someday, we
may have the means to help these horses.”
in the Appaloosa breed
— a hypothesis based on
anecdotal reports from
horse owners and on
results from genetic studies
conducted by the Appaloosa
Project’s researchers.
Last fall, someone who
has personal experience
with CSNB — Sheila Archer
— presented that hypothesis
continued
The Appaloosa Project link
The WCVM study is also part of a larger, genetic research
initiative called the Appaloosa Project whose research
collaborators are striving to identify and isolate the main genes
responsible for Appaloosa patterning, and to investigate key
physical traits associated with these genes.
For instance, one possibility is that the occurrence of
CSNB is associated with a certain type of coat pattern found
“This is a manageable
condition, and if owners
know their horses are
affected by this disease,
they can put measures
into place that keep
their horses — and their
families — safe.”
to WCVM’s team of veterinary ophthalmologists. Besides being an Appaloosa
breeder, the phenotype (physical traits-based) researcher co-ordinates the
North America-wide Appaloosa Project from her home near the small rural
community of Spring Valley, Sask.
In 2003, Archer was involved in a genome scan conducted by Dr. Rebecca
Bellone, a genetic researcher from the University of Tampa and one of the
Appaloosa Project’s collaborators. That scan mapped the location of a gene
called leopard complex or Lp — the gene responsible for “turning on” the
Appaloosa spotting pattern — to a region on equine chromosome 1.
When geneticists have isolated a gene to a section of a chromosome, they
still need to identify the actual gene within the region that’s responsible for the
trait they’re studying. One method used to find the target gene is the “candidate
gene” approach. “Since scientists have extensively mapped the genomes of the
human and the mouse, we compared the region of equine chromosome 1 that
PRECEDING PAGES: Owyhee’s Eve (left), an Appaloosa mare owned by Sheila Archer,
has CSNB. Top, circle: Archer’s mare, Tyee’s Blue Belle, whose coat pattern is mid-way
between the snowcap and fewspot patterns. Belle has CSNB. Bottom right: Ninita, owned
by Archer, is an Appaloosa yearling filly with a near-leopard coat pattern. Ninita doesn’t
have CSNB. Photos: Sheila Archer.
A Project
Lp resides in to matching sections of human and mouse chromosomes, and we
found some obvious suspects involved in pigmentation,” explains Archer.
One candidate gene for Lp is oculocutaneous albinism type 2 (OCA2)
that’s associated with very low levels of pigmentation and night blindness in
humans. In mice, the most common form of this gene is associated with a
totally white appearance and pink eyes. But scientists have identified many
different identified versions of the gene — some of which cause a mottled,
roaned coat pattern.
After Bellone identified OCA2 as a candidate for the Lp gene, Archer
began investigating phenotype-based information about Appaloosas that would
help to confirm whether or not Lp is a mutation at the same locus or “genetic
address” in the horse as OCA2 is in humans.
During her research, she collected stories from owners whose Appaloosa
horses had shown signs of blindness in the darkness or dim light. In most
cases, affected horses were “few spot” or “snowcap” Appaloosas — the breed’s
descriptions for relatively spot-free coat patterns. These same patterns occur on
horses that have been confirmed as homozygous (having two identical genes
at the corresponding position of similar chromosomes) for the Lp gene.
Those stories intrigued Archer because the symptoms were similar to her
own experiences with her horses’ vision. The coat pattern descriptions also fit
her Appaloosa mares — all of which have few spot or snowcap patterning.
Curious, she brought two of her horses to Dr. Bruce Grahn at WCVM’s
Veterinary Teaching Hospital for eye examinations. She also brought along
her suggestion that CSNB in Appaloosas may be associated with certain coat
patterns — a possibility that became more plausible once Grahn confirmed
that Archer’s horses had CSNB.
“After Dr. Grahn finished examining my second horse, he said, ‘I think
we’ve got something here,’ and I remember feeling really excited about what
this could mean for the Appaloosa Project — that maybe we had our gene. At
the same time, I felt strange. I was convinced that my horses had CSNB before
I even came to Saskatoon, but as I stood there supporting my very drugged
horse, it still upset me to know with certainty that she couldn’t see at night.”
But rather than hiding that fact, Archer believes she and other Appaloosa
breeders and owners need to know more about the disease to protect their
of aDIFFERENT COLOUR
There’s something truly unique about the Appaloosa Project —
a North America-wide research initiative that focuses on the genetic
nature of the Appaloosa breed.
For instance, how many other scientists are linked to more than
700 horse owners through an on line classroom? How many other
projects sell T-shirts so researchers can purchase PCR (polymerase
chain reaction) test kits? And how many other genetic research projects
can trace their creative spark to a 1966 Walt Disney movie called “Run
Appaloosa, Run”?
“I still get choked up thinking about that movie,” says Sheila
Archer, who laughs as she readily gives Disney partial credit for her
lifelong love of Appaloosa horses.
That early fascination eventually led to Archer’s career as a
phenotype (physical traits-based) researcher and to her pivotal
meeting with another Appaloosa enthusiast five years ago. Back then,
Dr. Rebecca Terry (now Bellone) was a PhD student at the University
of Kentucky who was conducting research to locate the Lp (leopard
complex) gene in the Appaloosa breed. When Bellone and Archer
contacted the same Appaloosa breeder, the woman passed on Bellone’s
email address to Archer.
After corresponding for several months, the two eventually
decided to pool together their resources. That partnership led to
more collaborations with other genetic researchers at the Universities
of Kentucky and Tampa. In 2003, the team of researchers made an
important discovery: through a genome scan, they located the Lp gene
— the gene responsible for “turning on” the Appaloosa spotting pattern
— in a small region on equine chromosome 1.
Soon after, the group formalized their research efforts as the
Appaloosa Project. Besides Archer and Bellone, the project’s members
include Drs. Ernest Bailey, Teri Lear, Gus Cothran and Ms. Samantha
Brooks of the University of Kentucky, and Dr. David Adelson at Texas
A & M University. Its newest members are Drs. Lynne Sandmeyer,
horses as well as the people who work and interact with CSNB-affected
animals.
“It’s a lot easier on the horse if people have a better idea of what’s going
on, so yes, I would love veterinarians, breeders and owners to know more
about the condition. Then we can avoid potentially dangerous situations,
we can learn how to better manage these horses and we can have a better
understanding of how this condition may affect their behaviour and reactions
to everyday things.”
“CSNB-affected horses are healthy, viable and useful horses,” adds
Sandmeyer. “This is a manageable condition, and if owners know their horses
are affected by this disease, they can put measures into place that keep their
horses — and their families — safe.”
Spots and CSNB: association?
To test whether CSNB is associated with the gene responsible for the
Appaloosa spotting pattern, Archer is helping the WCVM research team track
down 30 purebred horses — all with different pedigrees. Researchers will select
horses that display three different types of coat patterns: few spot or snowcap
(patterns with few or no spots), spotted leopard and spotted blanket patterns
(plentiful spotting) and ‘true solid” Appaloosas, showing no coat pattern or
any signs that Lp is present (horses that have Appaloosa parents but look like
normally pigmented horses).
Besides determining if there really is an association, the study will also
answer researchers’ questions about whether there are variations in the severity
of the disease among horses or changes in affected horses’ day vision.
If all 10 of the project’s few spot- or snow cap-patterned horses are night
blind, there are two possible explanations. It could mean that the Lp gene
is also the causative mutation for CSNB in the breed. Or, another possibility
is that the Lp gene lies extremely close to the gene containing the causative
mutation for CSNB — so close that the two genes are linked.
Either way, developing a test for Lp would be equivalent to developing
a test for CSNB in Appaloosas, points out Archer. She adds that if the WCVM
research team finds a direct correlation between CSNB and few spot and
snowcap patterning in Appaloosas, it could save the Appaloosa Project’s
researchers time in the hunt to discover the identity of the Lp gene. A better
understanding of the condition’s genetic makeup would also help veterinary
ophthalmologists like Sandmeyer eventually develop genetic therapy for CSNB.
While researchers wrestle with this puzzling disease, Archer’s Appaloosa
horses continue to graze, sleep and play in a world they can’t see after dusk.
But some changes have occurred since that rainy night in 2003: the horses
now spend their nights in a dimly lit barn and they’ve all foaled babies inside.
Archer also brings her CSNB-affected horses in during thunderstorms since
sudden flashes of lightning seem to disorient them.
“Sure, there are some management issues, but it’s really not that hard.
The only differences in my life is that I have to clean the barn every morning,
and I pay a larger electrical bill for my barn,” says Archer. “But for me, I don’t
think it’s a very big price to pay. A few chores and a little bump on my electrical
bill are worth it if I can have these wonderful creatures in my life.” H
FAR LEFT: Tyee’s Blue Belle. Above: The black snowcap patterned Owyhee’s Eve is one
of 10 homozygous Lp-patterned horses participating in the WCVM study. Photos: Sheila
Archer.
Bruce Grahn and Carrie Breaux of the Western College of Veterinary
Medicine.
“This is a grassroots, volunteer initiative,” says Archer, who
operates the on line classroom for horse enthusiasts around the world.
Since the Appaloosa Project’s research activities involve a large number
of horses, the discussion group has been an invaluable resource when
Archer needs to track down Appaloosas with certain traits or to collect
anecdotal evidence.
“That’s a big difference between our group and other research
groups: we’ve worked hard to keep those lines of communication open
to horse owners and to help people understand what this project is all
about.”
“Sheila is amazing because she’s extremely knowledgeable
about the breed, its genetic origins and the phenotype research,”
adds Sandmeyer, who is working with Archer on the investigation of
congenital stationary night blindness (CSNB). “Because she has built
such a great network of Appaloosa breeders, she’s also been very
helpful in getting access to horses that we can include in the study
— which can be very difficult. This just wouldn’t happen without her.”
Project funding comes from various sources: donations from
Appaloosa breeders, equipment and material donations from
universities, research grants and of course — proceeds from T-shirt
sales. A new partner is WCVM’s Equine Health Research Fund that’s
providing financial support for the two-year CSNB study.
Another crucial partner is the Appaloosa Horse Club of Canada.
The national breed organization has given the researchers access to
registry records, funding and opportunities to communicate with its
members.
But the project’s largest donors are the researchers themselves
who have contributed thousands of volunteer hours to the initiative.
Their attraction to Appaloosas may not stem back to Walt Disney — but
something about the breed has compelled them to be part of the
project.
“I think you could safely say that all of us think Appaloosas and
their unique coat patterns are beautiful,” says Archer. “And because
we’re so fascinated with the reasons why they look like that, we just
have to work on this project. There’s no question.”
A
re draft horse breeds more prone to colic caused by large colon
displacement? Are broodmares more prone to a colic caused
by large colon volvulus (twisting of the large colon)? Does
the gender of a horse make it more prone to developing colic caused by
benign tumours called lipomas?
Not necessarily at the Western College of Veterinary Medicine,
says Dr. Sameeh Abutarbush. The veterinary internal medical specialist
2 most common causes among medical colic
cases: large colon impaction and spasmodic colic.*
is the main investigator in a new WCVM study that has developed the
first comprehensive “colic profile” with a western Canadian angle to it.
Instead of reflecting some of the predisposing factors identified in other colic
investigations, the 10-year retrospective study of more than 600 colic cases
presented at WCVM has recognized some new ones that are distinct to
the region.
For example, the research showed that geldings in the region
are more prone to colic than mares and stallions and that a
significant number of older horses (15 years and over) have suffered
from colic caused by benign tumours called strangulating lipomas.
“A great deal has been written about the causes of colic and its risk
factors, but as we found, what’s reported in other regions and published in
veterinary literature doesn’t necessarily reflect what we mainly deal with in
Western Canada,” explains Abutarbush, who initiated the study in 2002 while
completing his residency at WCVM. Abutarbush — with help from fellow
A Region’s
COLIC PROFILE
18 hours: the average time that colic survivors showed
clinical signs before hospital admission (time from when
their owners noticed signs of colic to the horses’ hospital
admission). Horses that were eventually euthanized
showed clinical signs for an average of 22.2 hours before
hospital admission.*
residents Drs. Ryan Shoemaker and James Carmalt — reviewed the medical
records of more than 700 horses that presented with signs of colic at the WCVM
Veterinary Teaching Hospital between 1992 and 2002.
Altogether, 604 horses were diagnosed as “true colics” or cases of
gastrointestinal colic that were confirmed by standard diagnostic methods.
A Western College of Veterinary Medicine
study shows that some of our experiences with
colic are distinctive from those experienced
in other parts of the world.
Nearly 55 per cent were medical cases while the rest were classified as surgical
colic cases. Besides diagnosis and case origin, the research team collected data
regarding age, breed, sex, duration of clinical signs, type of pain control used,
heart rate, presence of nasogastric reflux, transrectal examination findings,
hospitalization days and case outcome.
3 most common causes among surgical cases:
large colon displacement, large colon torsion and
strangulating lipoma.*
Because this study focused on colic cases in a veterinary teaching
hospital population, it’s not an absolute reflection of the types and distribution
of various colics that are presented in private and ambulatory clinics across
the West. However, a
distinct characteristic
of the WCVM study was
that 36 per cent of the
Cause 3
Cause 4
Cause 5
colic cases hadn’t been
Large colon
Enteritis (9%)
Meconium
examined by other
displacement (10.4%)
impaction (7.5%)
veterinarians (or “first
opinion” cases), while
Spasmodic
Large colon
Other small
nearly 64 percent of the
colic (12.6%)
volvulus (4.2%)
intestinal strangulation
cases were referred to
and peritonitis (3.1% each)
the hospital by private
Large colon
Spasmodic
Lipoma (6.4%)
practitioners or by
volvulus (14.1%)
colic (11.5%)
WCVM’s Field Service.
“Having that
Large colon
Other small
Large colon
high
a
number of
displacement (10.8%)
intestinal
volvulus (7.1%)
‘first opinion’ cases
strangulation (8.3%)
isn’t common in other
TOP 5 CAU S E S O F C O L I C , B A S E D O N AG E
8
Age (years)
<1
Cause 1
Large colon
impaction (17.9%)
Cause 2
Spasmodic
colic (16.4%)
> 1 to 7
Large colon
impaction (27.7%)
Large colon
displacement (20.5%)
> 7 to 15
Large colon
displacement (17.9%)
Large colon
impaction (16%)
> 15
Lipoma (28.6%)
Large colon
impaction (14.3%)
Horse Health Lines • Fall 2005
U LT R A S O U N D
E x p o s é
93.6 % of the horses that were
diagnosed and treated as medical cases
survived to discharge. In comparison, 59.6
per cent of the cases that were diagnosed
and treated as surgical cases survived to
discharge.*
veterinary institutions, and that’s a major plus for WCVM
students who get to see a full range of cases,” points out
Abutarbush. The wide range of cases also added to the
quality of the information gleaned from this study.
Now, western Canadian veterinarians can use this
region-specific data as a diagnostic guide for future
colic cases. With that goal in mind, the scientists devised
a useful table that highlights the five most common
causes of colic in relation to horses’ ages. “As soon as
a practitioner receives a colic case, he can look up the
five most common causes of colic for that horse’s age
category and narrow down the potential causes,” explains
Abutarbush.
But besides being a diagnostic aid, the study’s results
will serve another purpose: “The more veterinarians know
about the causes of colic, the more information they can
pass on to their clients,” points out Abutarbush. The end
result is that western Canadian horse owners will be more
aware of the consequences of colic and how detrimental it
can be to ignore the disease’s early warning signs. H
*Statistics based on results reported in “Causes of gastrointestinal colic in horse in Western Canada: 604 cases
(1992-2002).”
DIAGNOSTIC TABLE (left): The five most common causes of colic
presented to WCVM from 1992 to 2002, sorted by age. Table
courtesy of the Canadian Veterinary Journal, 2005; 46(9): 800805.
Lucky for horse owners, Dr. Sameeh Abutarbush doesn’t stop
thinking about his cases when he goes home. Because it was in the wee
hours of one night several years ago — long after the veterinary resident
had finished his shift at WCVM’s Veterinary Teaching Hospital — that he
thought of a new way to diagnose a deadly type of colic.
Large colon volvulus is one of the most devastating causes of colic in
horses. Because advanced cases need immediate surgery, early diagnosis
of the condition is crucial to survival: “It only takes three to four hours
before irreversible damage happens to the colon, so time is critical,”
explains Abutarbush, now a board-certified specialist in veterinary
internal medicine.
An elevated heart rate and an abnormal rectal examination are clinical
signs of a horse suffering from large colon volvulus. Early in the course of the
disease, veterinarians may encounter an atypical presentation — a horse with
a low heart rate, a normal rectal examination and normal results from an
abdominocentesis (belly tap).
“No one knows why these cases are different: it may be that there hasn’t
been enough time for trapped gas to accumulate or the damage to the colon
tissues hasn’t happened yet,” says Abutarbush. “The problem is that most
veterinarians wouldn’t be keen on recommending surgery for a ‘non-colicky’
horse. But any delay in surgery could mean the difference between saving and
losing the patient.”
The solution, says Abutarbush, is to use ultrasonography to detect a key
difference in the ventral (bottom or lower) and dorsal (top or upper) sides of the
large colon. In healthy horses, ultrasound images show the sacculated (lined
with sacs) ventral large colon. But in cases where the large colon has twisted, the
images will show the non-sacculated dorsal large colon. By taking ultrasound
images at two “land mark” points, Abutarbush says practitioners can identify the
origin of rotation and estimate how much of the large colon is involved.
The diagnostic method has a limitation: if the large colon rotates to exactly
360 or to 720 degrees, the sacculated ventral side of the organ will appear to
be in the right place. “But when the large colon twists, chances are it will revolve
to points of rotation between those particular degrees,” points out Abutarbush,
adding that the ability to identify the point of rotation is extremely valuable. “If
you know the length of the colon that’s affected, you can give your patient a
much more accurate prognosis.”
Abutarbush has successfully used ultrasonography to diagnose large
colon volvulus in four colic cases, and those findings are described in an article
that’s due to be published in an upcoming issue of the Journal of the American
Veterinary Medical Association (JAVMA). While ultrasonography is becoming a
common diagnostic tool for colic cases, Abutarbush believes this is the first time
anyone has described using this technology to diagnose large colon volvulus
based on the organ’s anatomy.
Scientists need to do further testing to verify the method’s accuracy, but
Abutarbush believes that the new technique will be widely used: “It’s noninvasive, it’s easy to do in the field, it gives veterinarians a better chance of
diagnosing large colon volvulus in its early stages and it increases the chances
of giving a client a more optimistic prognosis.”
Western College of Ve t e r i n a r y M e d i c i n e 9
Front Line
SUPPORT
T
GI Tr a c t
Attraction
When Dr. Sameeh Abutarbush began a retrospective
study of colic cases at WCVM in 2002, the study covered
one of the resident’s favourite subjects. Gastrointestinal
system problems — especially equine colic — have always
held a special attraction for Abutarbush: “I like to think
about all of the changes that can happen, how lesions are
created and cause such a variety of problems. Sometimes I
just have to sit back and think about why did this situation
happen? How did it happen?”
Fortunately, WCVM provided him with the ideal
environment to explore his pet topic. The veterinary
teaching hospital’s full range of referred and “first opinion”
cases, ready access to an ultrasound machine — plus the
support of faculty and fellow graduate students — allowed
Abutarbush to initiate several colic studies during his
residency.
Three years later, Abutarbush has published four colicrelated research articles*, but these recent projects are
just a few items on Abutarbush’s to-do list: in the past six
months, the veterinarian completed his three-year residency
and his Master of Veterinary Science degree at WCVM.
Abutarbush also became a diplomate of the American
College of Veterinary Internal Medicine this spring. He’s now
an assistant professor in the Atlantic Veterinary College’s
Department of Health Management at the University of
Prince Edward Island.
But Abutarbush’s interest in WCVM’s colic cases isn’t
over: he plans on searching the study’s enormous database
to generate even more details about Western Canada’s
experiences with colic. “There are so many factors that I
want to try and find an association with — I just find the
possibilities fascinating.”
*A listing of colic-related articles produced by Abutarbush and his co-authors:
• “Using ultrasonography to diagnose large colon volvulus in horses,” by Dr. Sameeh
Abutarbush. Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association (in press).
• “Comparison of surgical versus medical treatment of nephrosplenic entrapment of the
large colon in horses: 19 cases (1992-2002),” by Drs. Sameeh Abutarbush and Jonathan
Naylor. Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association [2005; 227(4): 603-605].
• “Causes of gastrointestinal colic in horses in Western Canada: 604 cases (1992-2002),”
by Drs. Sameeh Abutarbush, James Carmalt and Ryan Shoemaker. Canadian Veterinary
Journal [2005; 46(9): 800-805].
• “Strangulation of small intestines by a mesodiverticular band in three adult horses,”
by Drs. Sameeh Abutarbush, Ryan Shoemaker and Jeremy Bailey. Canadian Veterinary
Journal [2003; 44(12): 1005-1006].
HEY CAME IN THE FALL when the Clement family’s
pasture-bred mares were expected to be a few months along
in their pregnancy. Arriving by the vanloads, the fourthyear veterinary students from the Western College of Veterinary
Medicine were eager to learn more about “pregnancy checking”
and to gain hands-on experience. They had no shortage of
learning material at the Bar C Ranch near Rossburn, Man. As the
large herds poured into the corrals, the students stood awestruck
by the sight of dozens and dozens of healthy mares streaming
through the gates.
“That was a great teaching time for the students since very few of them
had ever seen 100, 200, 300 horses at a time,” recalls equine rancher Fred
Clement. “Every time they went through the barns and learned how we worked
with those large numbers of horses, they gained a basic understanding of the
equine ranching industry and how horses are treated on a commercial scale.”
Besides providing an ideal training ground for up-and-coming veterinarians, the Clements also allowed WCVM researchers and their collaborators
to include large numbers of their horses in a variety of studies. Many of these
investigations focused on natural and assisted reproduction, but others also
addressed issues surrounding foal management and equine behaviour.
Reflecting on F r e d
Norm Luba, executive director of the North American Equine
Ranching Information Council (NAERIC), talks about Fred
Clement and his family’s impact on the equine ranching
industry.
Q
When did you first meet Fred Clement?
I visited the Clements’ Bar C Ranch on my first tour when I began
with NAERIC in 1995. Without question, Fred was a tremendous
inspiration to me personally and professionally. Fred’s vision for the
industry was always our inspiration on the board, in the NAERIC office
and among our membership. He’s a leader who has a keen way of
looking at all aspects of an issue or idea, and of arriving at a common
sense approach to that challenge or opportunity.
Q
Q. How did Fred help develop future leaders?
For many years, Fred served as president of the Manitoba Equine
Ranching Association and of NAERIC. His creativity and innovative
approaches to equine ranching weren’t lost in the board room. Fred
earned the respect of his fellow leaders and was a mentor to younger
ranchers. He was honest, sincere and truly cared for each rancher.
He was willing to spend as much time as necessary on behalf of the
industry, often times at significant personal compromise.
That research partnership began in the mid-1970s when Fred’s father,
Harold, welcomed WCVM theriogenologist Dr. Frank Bristol to the ranch. “I
was in my late 20s when Frank came one summer, and I remember how he
spent weeks out in the pasture, watching our horses from 4 a.m. to 10 p.m. at
night,” recalls Fred.
Bristol’s study on pasture breeding behaviour eventually earned him an
invitation to present his findings at an international symposium in Australia.
It wasn’t the last time the Clement family’s horses contributed to the world’s
understanding of equine health: WCVM researchers have presented and
published dozens of papers whose research subjects carried the Bar C Ranch
brand.
“Having access to such a large group of horses on one farm has been an
invaluable resource for our research team. While other scientists focused their
research on a handful of horses, we designed studies that included hundreds
of subjects which dramatically increased the significance of our findings,”
explains WCVM researcher Dr. Hugh Townsend.
Q
How did the Clements’ relationship with WCVM benefit equine
ranchers?
Fred’s curiosity led him to his significant interaction with research
and veterinary education projects at WCVM. His belief in the importance
of cutting edge research, in sharing that research with producers and
in producing outstanding equine veterinarians will be a lasting legacy
to the horse industry. As a staunch promoter of the research check-off
program, Fred promoted participation by our ranchers who contributed
many thousands of dollars to WCVM. Their support has fueled equine
research and education that benefits our industry as well as the entire
horse industry.
Q
What’s significant about the Clements’ support of veterinary
education?
Fred’s willingness to host numerous veterinary students at his
ranch fostered mutually-beneficial relationships between the veterinary
profession and the equine ranching industry. I often comment on
the fact that the equine ranching industry is the greatest learning
opportunity available to academic institutions. In addition, the industry
benefits from the science-based management that results from
implementing the knowledge derived from veterinarians who study the
horses and the industry’s practices.
“Results of these studies have led to a greater knowledge of horse health
that benefits the entire horse industry — not only in Western Canada but
around the world. That couldn’t have been done without the Clement family’s
co-operation: veterinarians and horse owners owe this family a great debt.”
Meeting new generations of veterinary students and researchers is a ritual
that Fred and his wife Lois will miss on their family’s ranch. Last year, the
Clements were one of the equine ranching families who left the industry and
received a compensation package after Wyeth Pharmaceuticals reduced the
PMU (pregnant mares’ urine) producer network in Western Canada and North
Dakota.
Besides leaving his roles at the Manitoba Equine Ranching Association
and the North American Equine Ranching Information Council, Fred resigned
from his longtime post as the industry’s representative on the WCVM Equine
Health Research Fund’s advisory board (a role his father also filled for 15
years). During his time with EHRF, Fred was a key supporter of a check-off
program where equine ranchers contributed a percentage of their income
to EHRF. Since that program’s creation, the industry has contributed many
thousands of dollars to WCVM’s equine health research and training programs.
“What I really enjoyed most about being part of these boards was
encouraging people around me to come up with good ideas — to bring out
the best in people – so we could deal with some of the challenges that arose,”
says Fred, who is proud of his family’s contributions to equine health and to
the veterinary profession.
“What was always foremost in my mind was the fact that we needed to
support the College because it was producing the equine practitioners we really
needed in Western Canada,” says Fred. “That was always the strength behind
our family’s support for WCVM.” H
ABOVE: Fred Clement (centre) visiting friends at the NAERIC display during the EHRF’s
25th anniversary celebrations at Spruce Meadows in 2003.
Q
Your industry has undergone many changes, but what remains the
same?
The foundation of what we do relies on optimal management of
the horses entrusted to us. Our livelihoods depend on the health and
well-being of the horse. We’ll always have a need for equine research
and educating equine veterinarians, and our industry will continue to
support WCVM’s programs in every way possible.
Q
What did the Clements contribute to the industry?
The Clements contributed to the vision, rationale and
implementation of the modernized equine ranching industry. Their
vision became the vision of most ranchers. They led by example, and
the industry always sought their wisdom to lead them through changing
times.
It’s hard to imagine equine ranching without the presence,
physically, of the Clements. But in spirit, their presence will be felt for
many generations. To a large degree, those ranchers that continue in
the business owe a great debt of gratitude to the Clements and to others
who shaped this industry. For that, we’ll be forever thankful.
WCVM CASE REPORT
When Dr. Chris Clark first saw the
three-year-old Quarter horse mare
in August 2005, she looked healthy
except for one noticeable problem.
“The horse had a foul-smelling,
nasty-looking discharge coming
from her nose,” explains Clark, a
veterinary clinician at the Western
College of Veterinary Medicine’s
Veterinary Teaching Hospital.
A Common
Fungus
in an
Uncommon Place
The horse, which was referred to WCVM by Dr. Sean Archibald (WCVM
’94) of Spruce Grove, Alta., had been producing the nasal discharge since May
— shortly before the animal was diagnosed and treated for Streptococcus equi
infection (strangles). When the horse came to the Okotoks Animal Clinic in
late June, Dr. Emma Read (WCVM ’98) noticed white plaque lining the horse’s
left nasal passage during an endoscopic examination. Laboratory results
confirmed that it was Aspergillus spp. — a common fungus found in hay.
An allergic reaction to the fungus’ spores often causes chronic obstructive
pulmonary disease (COPD) or heaves, but it rarely colonizes and causes
direct disease.
In late July, Read’s colleague — Dr. Erin Fierheller (WCVM ’00) of
Okotoks Animal Clinic — reexamined the horse and found that the fungal
infection was much more extensive. Fierheller physically removed as much
plaque as possible, then flushed the area with enilconazole — an antifungal
drug. But it was still unclear how much damage the fungus had caused, plus
Fierheller had another concern: after hearing abnormal lung sounds, she
feared that the infection had developed into fungal pneumonia — a difficult
and expensive condition to treat.
After discussing the case with Fierheller, Archibald suggested that the
owners bring their horse to WCVM. Clark — along with equine surgical
specialist Dr. James Carmalt and veterinary intern Dr. Brandy Burgess
— listened to the patient’s lungs and performed a transtracheal wash shortly
after the horse arrived in Saskatoon. Based on lab results and their findings,
the veterinarians ruled out fungal pneumonia. Next, they performed a
second endoscopic examination of the nasal passages and confirmed that the
enilconazole treatment was working. But they also witnessed a startling sight:
large amounts of the horse’s nasal passageway had completely disappeared.
“When you look up a horse’s nasal passages with an endoscope, you
normally see a narrow passageway that consists of the ventral, middle and
dorsal passages,” explains Clark. Consisting of thin nasal bone covered with
12
Horse Health Lines • Fall 2005
mucosal tissues, these passages are like coiled “scrolls” with numerous twists
and turns. “The middle passage is usually quite tight and you can’t see very
much. But in this case, when we passed the scope up the middle passage, there
was no wall left on the outside — just a big open space.”
Since endoscopic and radiographic images couldn’t show the extent
of the fungus’ spread, Clark, Carmalt and Burgess elected to use computed
tomography (CT) to pinpoint the extent of the damage. After anesthetizing the
patient, medical imaging specialist Dr. Kimberly Tryon performed a CT scan on
the horse’s nasal passageways. These images clearly showed that the damage
extended from about two inches into the horse’s nostril to below the eye.
“The right side shows the normal, convoluted structure in the nasal
passages while the left side shows open space,” describes Clark. “The CT scans
defined the limits of the infection, and it allowed us to be more comfortable
about making our next decision.”
The clinical team drilled a small hole through the anesthetized horse’s
skull into the sinus then pushed a tiny endoscope through the hole. Once
inside the sinuses, the team members confirmed there were no further signs
of disease — a good sign since it lowered the chances of the fungal infection
spreading from the sinus to the horse’s brain.
The clinicians decided to continue the enilconazole treatments, “but we
wanted to make sure that the owners could treat the animal themselves. Plus
we wanted to get it into as many corners of the nasal passages as possible,”
explains Clark. As well, using a topical treatment avoids serious systemic side
effects and reduces costs.
After removing the scope from the drilled hole, the team replaced it with
a tube. As soon as the horse recovered from general anesthesia, Clark and
Carmalt injected the enilconazole solution through the tube. “The solution
flowed out into the sinus, through the nasal passages and bathed all of the
infected tissues. Our hope was that after two weeks of this once-daily treatment,
the enilconazole would destroy the fungus,” says Clark.
The horse went home later that day, sporting the tube that
emerged out of its skull between its eyes. “We sutured it to the
forehead, then it came between the ears where we braided it into its
mane,” describes Clark. “All you had to do was walk up to its neck and
hold it while you attached a syringe to the tube. Then you injected the
solution and let it slowly drip out.”
While antifungal medication eliminated the infection, the
damage to the horse’s nasal passageway is permanent. But based
on other cases where surgeons have removed nasal tumours, horses
can manage with a wide open nasal passageway. “Because the nasal
chambers help to filter out dust and warm cold air, this horse may
be more prone to coughing in a dusty environment or if it’s being
exercised in cold. Other than that, it should be fine,” says Clark,
adding that the patient still has a promising career as a cutting horse.
Was Aspergillus spp. responsible for such widespread damage?
As Clark explains, once the nasal bone and mucosal tissue became so
infiltrated with the fungus, the horse’s body eventually turned on itself
to destroy the fungal infection — a process that produced the putrid
nasal discharge.
What remains a mystery is how the fungus managed to thrive
in the horse’s nasal passageway — a rare occurrence based on the
very few cases that Clark could find in recent veterinary literature.
And what about the initial S. equi infection: was it an accessory in the
fungus’ development? “I don’t think the fungal infection grew because
the horse’s immunity was lowered, but I wonder whether there was
sufficient damage caused by the strangles to help the fungus gain a
foothold in the same area,” says Clark.
Whatever led to the fungus’ development, Clark doubts that it
will recur. “Even quality hay has some Aspergillus spp. in it, and it’s
not an option to completely remove it from a horse’s environment,”
says the clinician. “Really, this case was a bit of a lightning strike, and
you know how the saying goes — lightning rarely strikes the same
place twice.” H
LEFT: A CT scan shows the horse’s normal nasal passageway on the right side (left
side of this image). In comparison, most of the nasal bone and mucosal tissue has
disappeared on the left side (right side of this image). ABOVE: A tube was inserted
into a drilled hole in the horse’s head so the owners could continue administering
antifungal medication.
CLUB
Horse Health
With six horses living on her family’s acreage near Asquith, Sask., it
doesn’t take long for 15-year-old Elinorah Ripley to rattle off a list of troubles
that she’s seen in her herd: “We’ve had hoof abscesses and bad gashes,
we’ve had babies and old horses. We’ve taken of horses that are easy
keepers, hard keepers . . . .”
In Ripley’s world, horse health knowledge is an asset. So when she and
other members of the Heartland Pony Club heard about a day-long equine
seminar at the Western College of Veterinary Medicine (WCVM) last January,
they jumped at the chance to go.
They weren’t alone. More than 400 4-H and Pony Club members,
club leaders and parents braved the icy trip to Saskatoon to hear veterinary
students talk about everything from horses’ skeletons, nutrition and colic to
common parasites, diseases and lameness issues.
For maximum enjoyment, WCVM students split up the young horse
enthusiasts — ages 6 to 19 — into three groups and gave presentations
that fit each group’s knowledge level. All of the presenters are interested in
pursuing a career involving horse health, and many of the 20-plus volunteers
were also former Pony Club or 4-H members — experience that came in
handy.
“We wanted to give the kids information they could take home. The best
way to describe it is that we tried to include all of the things we wish we would
have known when we were their age,” explains third-year WCVM student Tee
Fox, who is also a leader in the Viscount 4-H Light Horse Club.
“Some veterinary students were previous A- or B-level Pony Club
members, while others worked their way through 4-H so they know quite a bit
about both programs,” adds Carol Weiler, the regional education chair for
Pony Clubs in Saskatchewan.
Having presenters who can directly relate to an audience of young horse
enthusiasts adds extra value to these educational seminars — and it’s one
Western College of Ve t e r i n a r y M e d i c i n e 1 3
of the main reasons why Weiler has been
working closely with WCVM students to
organize these kinds of events in the past
three years.
The additional horse health
information helps prepare Pony Club
members for their annual examinations
as well as the organization’s national quiz
program. Horse health knowledge is also
a vital part of the 4-H Club’s annual unit
examinations.
While previous seminars focused
on Pony Club members, local 4-H Clubs
were also invited to the 2005 event: “It
was a good chance for everybody to see
that horse health is pretty much the same
whether you ride English or Western,” says
Fox.
“We tend to become isolated when
we only attend 4-H-related events, so this
was a great opportunity. It gave our club’s
members the chance to see and meet
students outside of 4-H who are involved
in horses,” adds Patti Turk, a leader in the
Handel Multiple 4-H Club.
Older members in Turk’s group
especially enjoyed learning about lameness
issues: “It was a good visual presentation
14
Horse Health Lines • Fall 2005
that used video clips to demonstrate how
horses react differently to lameness problems,”
explains Turk. “The students described the
different muscles, tendons and bones in
understandable terms, and we came away
with some really useful information.”
For a fun finalé, veterinary volunteers
hosted a game show with multiple-choice
questions that covered the day’s topics. “We
added in some other interesting questions like,
‘How many ribs does a horse have?’ or ‘How
long is a horse’s small intestine?’ — the kinds
of things that fascinate kids,” says fourth-year
student Tracy Epp.
4-H and Pony Club members weren’t
the only beneficiaries: the chance to interact
with horse owners was also very valuable for
the veterinary volunteers. “We don’t get many
chances to practise client communications
in our early years,” explains Epp. “Students
brushed up on the topics while they prepared
lectures — so it was a good experience for all
of us.”
Buoyed by positive feedback, WCVM
students plan to organize another seminar in
2006. As for Ripley, she hopes future seminars
will include information on developing
sport-specific conditioning programs and on
veterinary medicine as a career.
“What I like about these seminars is
that you’re listening to people who have
learned about the subject and have hands-on
experience,” says Ripley. “They actually have
answers that you know aren’t pulled out of the
air or from another book.”
“It is the Horse Industry Association
of Alberta’s belief that quality
research is important to resolving
health issues in horses as well
as teaching veterinary fellows to
become leaders in equine medicine
and health research. The association
also acknowledges the continued
support of the college to the
Alberta Horse Breeders and Owners
Conference and the horse industry
in Western Canada.”
— Les Burwash, secretary-treasurer of the
Horse Industry Association of Alberta. An
excerpt from a letter accompanying the
association’s annual EHRF donation.
The following list includes
the names of all of the
Equine Health Research
Fund’s contributors from
September 1, 2004, to
August 31, 2005. The EHRF
contributor list is published
annually in the fall issue of
Horse Health Lines.
$5,000-plus • British Columbia Standardbred
Breeders’ Society, SURREY, BC • Dube, David,
SASKATOON, SK • Horse Racing Alberta, EDMONTON,
AB • North American Equine Ranching Information
Council (NAERIC), LOUISVILLE, KY • Saskatchewan
Horse Racing Commission, SASKATOON, SK
$1,000 to $4,999
• Anonymous •
Canadian Thoroughbred Horse Society, WINNIPEG,
MB • Caron, Dr. John, LANSING, MI • Chouinard, L.D.,
DEWINTON, AB • Horse Industry Association of Alberta,
AIRDRIE, AB • Manitoba Jockey Club Inc., WINNIPEG,
MB • Roper, G.F., CALGARY, AB • Townsend, Dr. Hugh,
SASKATOON, SK •
Up to $999 • A • Anonymous • B • BMO
Fountain of Hope, TORONTO, ON • BMO Nesbitt
Burns Inc., TORONTO, ON • Baber, Dorothy,
BALCARRES, SK • Bailey, M.E., PRINCE ALBERT,
SK • Barber, Dr. Spencer, SASKATOON, SK •
Bassett, Georgina, VICTORIA, BC • Bergmann,
D., EDMONTON, AB • Big Hill Veterinary Services,
COCHRANE, AB • Bird, Donna, CALGARY, AB
• Boghean, Ronald, CALGARY, AB • Boucher, B.,
BRANDON, MB • Boulware, M.C., CALGARY, AB •
Burlingame, D.M., SASKATOON, SK • Burns, Bev,
EDMONTON, AB • C • Cadman, D.M., AIRDRIE,
AB • Campbell, K., CALGARY, AB • Carroll, L.D.,
RUMSEY, AB • Charlton, K.W., BOWDEN, AB •
Chart, Christopher, NELSON, BC • Clark, Dr.
Ted, SASKATOON, SK • Clarke, D., BALZAC, AB •
Cohen, Cheryl, CALGARY, AB • Colchester & District
Agricultural Society, SHERWOOD PARK, AB • Cole,
H.W., OLDS, AB • Collins, K.Y., ROSETOWN, SK
• Cook, Cliff, BOWSMAN, MB • Corbett, Q.C., B.,
CALGARY, AB • Coulthard, C., CASTOR, AB • Cribb,
Peter, SASKATOON, SK • Croken, G., PONOKA, AB •
Crush, Ken, LANGHAM, SK • D • Dawson Creek Vet
Clinic Ltd., DAWSON CREEK, BC• Dechant, Sheila,
Federation Inc., REGINA, SK • Saskatchewan Regional Pony Club, SASKATOON,
SK • Saskatchewan Association of Veterinary Technologists, ABERDEEN, SK •
Saskatoon Pony Club, CLAVET, SK • Schneidmiller, H., CALGARY, AB • Silver
Spur Riding Club, ERRINGTON, BC • Smith, Eva M.E., REGINA, SK • Smith,
Hannelore, SASKATOON, SK • Souris Valley Trekkers, ESTEVAN, SK • Southern,
M.E., CALGARY, AB • Stair, E.D., COCHRANE, AB • Steinman, T., BALZAC, AB
• Stelmaschuk, M., EDMONTON, AB • T • Theilman, Laura, SASKATOON, SK
• Tishauser, D., CALGARY, AB • Townsend, R. D., VICTORIA, BC • U • United
Way of Calgary, CALGARY, AB • W • Walker, D.R., OKOTOKS, AB • Wallace, J.,
DAUPHIN, MB • West Central Arabian Association, SASKATOON, SK • Weston,
B., SASKATOON, SK • Wheels and Saddles Driving & Riding Club, WAWOTA,
SK • Whitley, Janet and Jaclyn, SASKATOON, SK • Willow Ridge Pony Club,
SASKATOON, SK • Wolfe, M.R., CALGARY, AB • Wood, J.R., REGINA, SK • Wood,
M., CALGARY, AB • Z • Zeilner, Catherine, CASA RIO, SK • Zurawski, C.D.,
REGINA, SK.
A YEAR IN REVIEW
OUR CONTRIBUTORS
EDMONTON, AB • Duncan, R.A., ROCKHAVEN, SK • Dykes, Mary, SASKATOON,
SK • Dzierzanowski-Cerato, W.M., AIRDRIE, AB • E • Echlin, S.L., SASKATOON,
SK • Edworthy, J., CALGARY, AB • Elaschuk, N.A., TURIN, AB • Elder, Brian
and Sharon, SASKATOON, SK • Erickson, Gwen, CLAVET, SK • F • Fisher’s
Drug Company Inc., NORTH BATTLEFORD, SK • Fitzharris, Fern, SASKATOON,
SK • Foxleigh Riding Club, REGINA, SK • Frank’s Saddlery & Supply Ltd.,
LLOYDMINSTER, SK • Frolic, N.K., COMOX, BC • G • Gaehring, S., CALGARY,
AB • Gawley, S.R., SASKATOON, SK • Gladson, D.L., PICKARDVILLE, AB
• Gould, Kay, PRINCE ALBERT, SK • Gray, Lorna, WINNIPEG, MB • Gregory,
M., LANGLEY, BC • H • Halina, K.J., SASKATOON, SK • Hamilton, Dr. Donald,
SASKATOON, SK • I • Isman, V., GLADSTONE, MB • J • Johnson, Sharon,
SASKATOON, SK • Johnson, W., PRIDDIS, AB • Jones, G.D., CALGARY, AB •
JustAnotherFarm, KATHYRN, AB • K • Kanevsky, J., COURTENAY, BC • Kessler,
Marlise, COCHRANE, AB • Killeen, James Randy, SHERWOOD PARK, AB • Klein,
I., EATONIA, SK • Knight, D., STRATHMORE, AB • Koosey, P., CALGARY, AB •
L • LaPlante, J.L., CALGARY, AB • Langlois, S., EDMONTON, AB • Lee, J.W.,
PENTICTON, BC • Lenz, S.B., CALGARY, AB •Lepoudre, L., AIRDRIE, AB • Loney,
R., CALGARY, AB • Longair, J., DUNCAN , BC • Lynch, Lorne, DAVIDSON, SK •
M • Mackie, D., CALGARY, AB • Manitoba Trail Riding Club Inc., ST. ADOLPHE,
MB • Matheson, G., LANGLEY, BC • Maxwell, Allison, MAPLE RIDGE, BC •
McCargar, Murray, CALGARY, AB • McClellan, A., VICTORIA, BC • McKague,
Brenda and Ross, BRANDON, MB • Metzger-Savoie, P., CALGARY, AB • Misra,
Vikram, SASKATOON, SK • Moore & Co. Veterinary Services, BALZAC, AB •
More, Everett, VIRDEN, MB • N • Nelson & District Riding Club, NELSON, BC
• Nordstrom, Glenn, VIKING, AB • O • Okotoks Animal Clinic Ltd., OKOTOKS,
AB • P • Palese, K.M., CALGARY, AB • Palouse Holdings Ltd., CALGARY, AB •
Paton, Dr. David, ALDERGROVE, BC • Pauw, Kathy and Mendelt, SASKATOON, SK
• Perry, C.M., RED DEER, AB • Q • Quesnel & District Riding Club, QUESNEL,
BC • Quinn, R., BANFF, AB • R • Racine, R., ABBOTSFORD, BC • Regina
District Dressage Assoc., REGINA, SK • Riddell, Betty (In Memory of Murray
Riddell), SASKATOON, SK • Robinson, Brian, LLOYDMINSTER, SK • Rossmann,
T., OKOTOKS, AB • Runge, Wendy, CALGARY, AB • S • Saskatchewan Horse
The Equine Health Research Fund’s statement of revenue, expenditures and fund balances fro the year ended December 31, 2004.
EXPENDABLE
Revenue
Donations
Private
Horsemen’s Association
Racing Commissions
NAERIC
Miscellaneous
Expenditures
Fellowship Program
Grants
Cost recovery from previous grants
Summer student
Fund raising
Horse Health Lines
Administration - Advisory Board
Equipment
Excess (deficiency) of revenue over expenses
Transfer from restricted funds
Fund balance, beginning of year
Fund balance, end of year
RESTRICTED
2004
2003
$23,687.35
12,586.00
30,000.00
28,900.00
163.32
$43,278.61
8,500.00
30,250.00
31,300.00
0.00
$95,336.67
$113,328.61
50,605.79
85,586.00
(7,884.01)
7,700.00
12,646.75
25,834.99
2,860.14
0.00
31,791.66
40,013.00
(11,403.99)
0.00
22,078.67
36,510.55
3,433.31
11,716.71
$177,349.66
$134,139.91
(82,012.99)
74,669.69
8,801.31
(20,811.30)
54,456.00
(24,843.39)
$1,458.01
$8,801.31
2004
2003
Investment income
Transfer to unrestricted fund
Fund balance, beginning of year
$144,549.14
(74,669.69)
1,646,935.33
$142,442.63
(54,456.00)
1,558,948.70
Fund balance, end of year
$1,716,814.78
$1,646,935.33
Western College of Ve t e r i n a r y M e d i c i n e 1 5
HORSE HEALTH ON
TRACK: More than 50 horse
G A L L O P I N G G A Z E T T E
ARTHROSCOPY THERAPY: According to a
Western College of Veterinary Medicine clinical
case report, veterinarians should consider using
standard arthroscopic equipment to evaluate
and treat temporomandibular joint (TMJ) sepsis
in horses. This joint is part of the horse’s
cranium where the mandible (jaw) contacts and
articulates with the temporal bone — the area
of the skull where the horse’s ear resides.
Drs. James Carmalt and David Wilson,
two equine surgical specialists at WCVM’s
Veterinary Teaching Hospital, examined a
12-year-old Thoroughbred mare affected
by TMJ sepsis — a rare condition in horses.
The specialists made a stab incision into
the dorsocaudal compartment, then used
arthroscopy to investigate the dorsal joint
pouch of the right TMJ. After initial evaluation,
the WCVM team used arthroscopic equipment
to debride and thoroughly clean the joint. As
well, the specialists administered intra-articular
and systemic antibiotics to treat the horse’s
infection.
The team successfully resolved the horse’s
joint sepsis with the combination therapy.
Eight months later, the specialists found no
clinical evidence of degenerative joint disease
or ankylosis of the TMJ. Based on those
promising results, Carmalt and Wilson believe
that arthroscopic debridement and lavage
should be considered for evaluation and initial
treatment of TMJ sepsis in horses.
RIDE FOR HORSE HEALTH: As Saskatchewan
marked its 100th anniversary this summer, a
provincial group created its own centennial
celebration along the banks of the South
Saskatchewan River. On September 3, 37 horse
and rider teams from across Western Canada
took part in the Saskatchewan Long Riders’
annual ride in the Nisbet Provincial Forest,
about 80 kilometres north of Saskatoon, Sask.
Riders competed in a 25-mile limited distance
ride, or in one of two endurance races: a 50mile or a 100-mile circuit.
Myna Cryderman and Night Skye of
Manitoba earned first place as well as the
ride’s best condition with a time of nine hours
and 45 minutes. Fellow Manitoban Dawn
Crowley and her horse Blade finished first and
earned best condition in the 50-mile race,
while Alice Gaucher and her horse Zip won first
place and best condition in the limited distance
ride.
As in the past, the Saskatchewan Long
Riders are generously donating all proceeds of
the ride to the Equine Health Research Fund.
To add to the contribution, WCVM’s Drs. Don
Hamilton, James Carmalt and Jenny Kelly
waived their fees for conducting the ride’s
mandatory veterinary checks. Third-year
veterinary students Jen Fowlie, Jane Harms,
Barb Wesselowski and Julie Bulman-Fleming
also assisted the ride’s veterinary team.
*Arthroscopic treatment of temporomandibular joint sepsis
in a horse, published in Veterinary Surgery, 34 (1): 55-58,
2005. Authors: Drs. James Carmalt and David Wilson.
V i s i t H o r s e H e alth Lines on line at www.ehrf.usask.ca
PUBLICATIONS MAIL AGREEMENT NO. 40112792
RETURN UNDELIVERABLE CANADIAN ADDRESSES TO:
Research Office, WCVM
University of Saskatchewan
52 Campus Drive
Saskatoon, SK S7N 5B4
wcvm.research@usask.ca
owners, breeders, trainers,
veterinarians, farriers and
racing fans attended an
afternoon of horse health
seminars at Winnipeg’s
Assiniboia Downs on August
13. Organized by the Equine
Health Research Fund, the
Manitoba Jockey Club and
the Manitoba branch of the
Canadian Thoroughbred Horse Society (CTHS), the
event gave horse enthusiasts and WCVM scientists a
chance to discuss some common horse health issues
in Western Canada’s racing industry.
During the two-hour seminar, equine surgical
specialist Dr. Spencer Barber talked about some
of the risk factors associated with injuries on the
racetrack. Besides his clinical, teaching and research
work at WCVM, Barber is authority veterinarian at
Marquis Downs in Saskatoon, Sask. The afternoon’s
second speaker was Dr. Dave Wilson, an equine
surgical specialist and department head of WCVM’s
Large Animal Clinical Sciences. Wilson’s topic was the
treatment of angular deformities in foals — a key
research area for Wilson and his graduate students.
Infectious disease specialist Dr. Hugh Townsend and
veterinary pathologist Dr. Andy Allen were also on
hand to answer questions about the College’s equine
research program.
Based on their backgrounds and their expertise,
the event’s two speakers were ideal resources for
the racing audience. “Drs. Barber and Wilson both
grew up in southern Saskatchewan, they’ve been
around horses all of their lives, they both trained
to become surgical specialists and they’re now part
of WCVM’s faculty,” says EHRF chair Dr. Andy Allen.
“I think they’re great examples of how the Equine
Health Research Fund has created ‘a critical mass’
of knowledgeable people at the College who expose
undergraduate and graduate students to a wide
range of horse health issues, research and training
every day.”
EHRF PURSE: WCVM’s Equine Health Research Fund was
honoured in Assiniboia Downs’ sixth race on Saturday,
August 13. Toubeeb and jockey Larren Delorme ran the
six-furlong race in 1:51:3 — earning the lion’s share of the
$8,400 purse. The $12,000 claiming race was for three-yearolds and older. WCVM’s Drs. Spencer Barber and Andy Allen
joined trainer Tom Gardipy Jr. and Toubeeb’s owners in the
winner’s circle after the race. Photo: Assiniboia Downs