A Californian study of horses withdrawn from endurance competition for emergency veterinary treatment has identified the complaints involved.
Veterinarians undertook a retrospective study of horses withdrawn under such circumstances over two years from 2005-2006. They also studied 10 horses that successfully completed a 2006 ride for comparison purposes.
A total of 30 horses withdrawn for metabolic abnormalities were studied.
The horses were treated with intravenous fluids and painkillers. Monitoring included lab work (PCV, total protein, and electrolytes) and multiple physical examinations.
The problems identified by the veterinarians included colic, esophageal obstruction, poor cardiovascular recovery, myopathy (muscle problems) and synchronous diaphragmatic flutter.
"As a group, these sick horses had lower plasma chloride and potassium and higher total plasma protein concentrations as compared with 10 healthy horses that successfully completed the ride," the authors noted.
"Horses with colic had a lower PCV as compared with horses with poor recovery and those with synchronous diaphragmatic flutter.
"All horses, including colics, were treated medically and discharged to owners," they said.
"Based on the results of this study, the prognosis for horses requiring emergency veterinary treatment after being removed from endurance competition (for metabolic reasons) appears to be good if horses are withdrawn from competition under the same criteria outlined in this study.
"Biochemical abnormalities tend to be mild and do not necessarily aid in delineating sick horses from successfully completing horses. None of the horses with gastrointestinal disease required abdominal surgery."
The study by veterinarians at the Loomis Basin Equine Medical Center, led by Langdon Fielding, was published in the Journal of Veterinary Emergency and Critical Care.
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