Lameness Examinations:
Lameness is one of the most common problems encountered in the horse, regardless of breed or usage. The causes are wide and varied and may be straight-forward, or at times, very difficult to diagnose.
Because of the difficulty in localising the source of lameness in many horses, we commonly employ the use of diagnostic local anaesthesia. This involves the use of local anaesthetic to “block” specific nerves or joints. If the source of lameness is in that area, then by removing the pain involved, the horse will be observed to become sound. Further tests such as radiography or ultrasound can then be used to focus on that area and a specific diagnosis can be made.
Radiography:
We recently purchased a brand new state-of-the-art portable X-ray machine, which, weighing only 7 kg, provides incredible versatility for taking field radiographs in horses. This machine allows radiographs to be taken from the feet, up to and including, the shoulder and stifle.
Ultrasound:
In contrast to radiography, which is used to image bones, ultrasound is generally used to image the soft tissues. In the diagnosis of lameness, it is most commonly used for “tendon scans” which provides excellent imaging of the superficial and deep flexor tendons, suspensory ligament and proximal check ligament.
The other common use for ultrasound is reproductive examinations - using a rectal probe the uterus and ovaries are able to be imaged very closely. This allows pregnancy to be diagnosed from as early as 14 days and allows for prediction and manipulation of ovulation.
Please click above for more information about pregnancy testing.
Endoscopy:
Our 12 mm fibre-optic endoscope is most commonly used for examination of the horse’s upper respiratory tract. It allows us to visualise the pharynx (back of the throat), larynx (voice box) and trachea (wind-pipe). This enables diagnosis of diseases such as Idiopathic Left Laryngeal Hemiplegia (“Roarers”, “broken-winded horses”), Pharyngeal Lymphoid Hyperplasia, epiglottic entrapment, as well as inflammatory and infectious conditions of the respiratory tract.
If infectious or inflammatory disease is suspected, a “tracheal wash” is commonly performed. This involves instilling a small volume of saline into the trachea via a special catheter which passes through the scope, and then recovering the sample. This fluid is then sent to the laboratory for analysis.
