Emergency care in horses involves the immediate assessment and treatment of acute medical conditions or injuries to stabilize the animal and prevent further harm. This area of veterinary practice encompasses a range of situations, including colic, traumatic injuries, respiratory distress, and sudden lameness. Emergency care procedures may involve physical examinations, diagnostic imaging, fluid therapy, pain management, and, in some cases, surgical intervention. This topic includes peer-reviewed research studies and scholarly articles that explore the methods, protocols, and outcomes associated with emergency interventions in equine medicine.
This article provides an overview of initial assessment and management of common emergency presentations in donkeys and mules. The principles are similar to those in horses (and ponies), but clinicians must be aware of differences in recognition of signs of pain/disease, approach to handling, pharmacology of some drugs, and subtle differences in the physiology and local anatomy in donkeys and mules. The epidemiology of common disease presentations will vary between pet/companion or working/farmed donkeys and mules. Regular dental checks, deworming, vaccination, and monitoring of behavior and q...
To assess injury patterns attributable to horse kicks, to raise the issue of preventive measures, and to evaluate the role of modern accident and emergency department computer software. Methods: Data analysis using a new kind of full electronic medical record. Results: Seventeen kicked equestrians were unmounted at the time of injury. Eight of seventeen patients sustained contusions of the extremities, the back, and the trunk. In nine patients an isolated facial injury was diagnosed. Five of nine patients needed referrals to the department of plastic surgery because of the complexity of the fa...
Initial treatment of colic is aimed at maintaining hydration and acid-base balance, controlling pain and reestablishing peristalsis. A poor response to medical treatment in the first 12-18 hours suggests the need for laparotomy. Other indications for surgery include: rising pulse rate, exceeding 60/minute for several hours; congested mucosae; delayed capillary refill; silent abdomen; gastric reflux; distended or displaced loops of bowel on rectal examination; intractable pain; and adverse laboratory findings. Postoperative care should consist of hand-walking for 30 days, followed by confinemen...
To determine the causes of horse-related injuries in a rural western community. Methods: Prospective identification of persons with horse-related injuries and retrospective interviews with patients or witnesses to determine causes. Methods: A small rural community in Alberta where the western style of riding predominates. Methods: All patients presenting to two family medicine clinics or to the Sundre General Hospital emergency department. Methods: Factors contributing to the injury as recalled by patients or witnesses, and characteristics of the persons, horses, and injuries. Results: Two thi...
Parra-Moyano LA, Cedeño A, Darby S, Johnson JP, Gomez DE.The effectiveness of the peritoneal fluid L-lactate-to-total solids ratio (PFL:PFTS) as a diagnostic marker for strangulating lesions of the small intestine (SI) and large colon (LC) has not been investigated. Objective: Describe and compare the PFL:PTFS and blood lactate (BL), peritoneal fluid lactate (PFL) and PFL:BL difference and PFL:BL ratio of horses with SI and LC strangulating (SO) and non-strangulating (NSO) obstructions and determine sensitivity and specificity to predict SO. Methods: A total of 282 horses, 117 with SI lesions (59 classified as SINSO and 58 as SISO), and 165 with LC ...
Elane GL, Blikslager AT, Mair TS.The COVID-19 pandemic represented a significant source of anxiety and stress for equine veterinarians and clients, with the potential for measurable effects on caseload and owner economics. Unassigned: To compare the number of horses presenting for emergency colic evaluation and treatment, as well as costs at two equine referral hospitals. Unassigned: Retrospective cohort. Unassigned: Medical records of horses admitted to North Carolina State University (NCSU) and Bell Equine Veterinary Clinic (BEVC) were compared. Total equine accessions, number of horses referred for colic, and patient age w...
Loder RT, Walker AL, Blakemore LC. Equestrian activities can result in spine injuries. Most studies are from single centers, and none use a national database. It was the purpose of this study to describe the demographics, injury mechanisms, and types of equestrian-associated spinal injuries using a US national ED database. The National Electronic Injury Surveillance System database was queried for equestrian-related spine injuries from 2000-2023. ED disposition was categorized as discharged or not discharged. Statistical analyses accounted for the weighted, stratified nature of the data to obtain national estimates. There we...
Maloney B, Jung MS, Kearns G, Bowe C.Equestrian-related activities inherently involve the risk of serious injury. There are few reports of maxillofacial injury patterns and management arising from equestrian activities in the literature. Objective: To investigate maxillofacial fracture presentations at a tertiary trauma centre to identify injury profiles of patients who have sustained equine-based injuries over 5 years. Methods: This work involved a retrospective review of all trauma presentations to our unit over 5 years. The data collected included patient demographics, injury mechanisms and patterns, and management of fractu...
Weixler VHM, Aldana-Aguirre J, Zaulan O, Chin V, Guerguerian AM, Mertens L, Honjo O.We present 2 cases of traumatic ventricular septal defects (VSDs), both caused by horse kick injuries. Given this rare but critical condition, we decided to share our experiences and the lessons learned managing these cases. Methods: The first patient, a 12-year-old girl, was trampled by a horse, sustained a traumatic apical ventricular septal defect with pseudoaneurysm, was stabilized first, and underwent surgical closure 19 days after the injury. The second patient, a 9-year-old girl, was kicked by a horse in the chest; developed profound cardiogenic shock; and was found to have multiple lar...
Loder RT, Walker AL, Blakemore LC.IntroductionAmputations and avulsion injuries due to horse-associated activity are rare, yet they can result in significant impairment. The purpose of this study was to further investigate such injuries using a national emergency department database.MethodsThe US National Electronic Injury Surveillance System (NEISS) was used to identify horse-associated amputation and avulsion injuries occurring between 2000-2023. Demographic data of age, sex, and injury details were collected.ResultsThere were 34,091 emergency department visits for equine-associated injuries, with 120 (0.35%) due to amputati...
Haase L, Winter J, Grummt S, Sedlmayr M, Sedlmayr B.Many people seek health-related information online, not only for themselves but also on behalf of others who cannot articulate their symptoms. This proxy information-seeking behavior is particularly relevant for animal owners, who must interpret their animals' symptoms without direct verbal feedback. While online health information-seeking in the context of one's own health is well-studied, the specific challenges of searching by proxy, especially for animal health information, remain largely unexplored. Unassigned: This study aimed to determine the specific information needs and search behavi...
