Synopses & Reviews
It doesnt matter if your No. 1 horse is a well-seasoned senior, a world champion or a promising prospect; when hes lame, your horse program suffers. The time and money invested in your favorite horse can be substantial. The inevitable emotional investment also carries a high price tag, which makes keeping your horse sound a major priority.
In Understanding Lameness, veterinary professional Dr. Terry Swanson of Littleton (Colo.) Equine Medical Center guides you through the degrees of lameness and the effects of injury on your horses future health and serviceability. A past president of the American Association of Equine Practitioners, Swanson uses the latest diagnostic techniques as key tools in managing lameness problems. Also a horseman, Swanson grasps the physical demands placed on equine athletes and the impact lameness can have from a riders and an owners perspectives.
From hoof abscesses, white-line disease and navicular syndrome to laminitis, ringbone and soft-tissue injuries, in Understanding Lameness you learn to recognize the symptoms of each problem, which diagnostic tools can be most beneficial and what types of treatments might best put your horse on the road to recovery. Swansons common-sense information is your best asset in keeping your horse sound, as well as for coping with a lameness diagnosis.
In the preface to Understanding Lameness, G. Marvin Beeman, DVM, writes that with Swansons insight owners are more likely to detect problems earlier in their development, allowing for more satisfactory resolutions of those problems.”
Synopsis
No matter how horse owners use their animals, whether as recreational mounts, competitive athletes, breeding animals, or companions, every horse is susceptible to lameness and injury.
In this book, Dr. Terry Swanson, noted veterinarian and partner at Littleton Large Animal Clinic in Colorado and former American Association of Equine Practitioners President, discusses specific lameness issues found throughout the horse's body. In an easy-to-navigate format that breaks down each lameness, Dr. Swanson specifies red flags the owner might recognize, explains etiology, discusses the diagnostic process, and provides insight into management requirements and possible prognosis.
Extensive illustrations, radiographs, and photographs supplement the text throughout to provide a thorough understanding of anatomy, degenerative processes, injuries, and conformation. Question-and-answer boxes offer quick bits of valuable, interesting information in each chapter.
A pharmaceutical glossary explains what effects commonly used medications have on the horse, and a compilation of various diagnostic methods outlines how the technology works. Furthermore, the discussion of cutting-edge treatments sheds light on new philosophies and ideas.
Throughout the book, Dr. Swanson emphasizes the importance of the relationship between the veterinarian, farrier, owner, rider, and other involved parties in facilitating the management of the lame horse for the best possible outcome.
No matter a horse's job, Dr. Swanson's goal is always the same: Manage the lameness, based on what the horse needs and get him back to work in a timely fashion, but never sacrifice the horse's well-being in the process.
Synopsis
Learn about keeping your horse sound, as well as how to cope with his lameness.
About the Author
Of his thirty-five years experience practicing equine veterinary medicine,
Dr. Terry Swanson has focused the last fifteen to twenty years on equine lameness. He grew up on a cattle ranch outside Chugwater, Wyoming, and is an avid team roper. His responsibilities at Littleton Large Animal Clinic in Littleton, Colorado, expose him to horses of all disciplines--hunter-jumpers, dressage, reining, rodeo, and recreational riding. He is a past president of the American Association of Equine Practitioners.
Table of Contents
Title Page
Publishers Page
Dedication and Acknowledgments
Preface
Table of Contents
1. Is Your Horse Lame?; 2. The FootThe Hoof Capsule; 3. The FootInternal Structures; 4. The FootNavicular Problems/Syndrome; 5. The Foot--Laminitis; 6. The Pastern; 7. The Fetlock;
8. The Splint Bone; 9. The Knee; 10. The Shoulder; 11. The Hock; 12. The Stifle; 13. The Pelvis; 14. Muscles and Back; 15. Soft Tissue: Tendons and Ligaments; 16. Developmental Orthopedic Disease; 17. Neurology and Lameness; 18. At-Home Healing
Glossary
Author Profile