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Horse Health Archive

Welcome to the AAEP's Horse Health article search engine. Each of the articles available in this section have been written by AAEP member veterinarians. To use the search, you can either put a keyword in the box that says "Search" or you if you are looking for a specific topic, you may select a topic from the drop-down box under the search box and all articles on that subject will be brought up. 

Common Equine Eye Myths

By Amber Labelle, DVM, MS, Dipl. ACVO The Internet is a wonderful resource: It enables horse owners around the globe to exchange ideas on horsemanship and...

Equine Ophthalmology for Horse Owners

By Dennis Brooks, DVM, PhD, Diplomate, American College of Veterinary OphthalmologistsVISION IN THE HORSE: WHAT DOES THE HORSE "SEE"? The horse has a...

Wait and See Won't Work for Equine Corneal Problems

By Dennis E. Brooks, DVM, PhD, Dipl. ACVOA corneal ulcer (ulcerative keratitis), is the most serious eye disease that veterinarians treat. Defined as a lesion...

Understanding Equine Viral Arteritis (EVA)

Equine Viral Arteritis (EVA) is a contagious disease caused by equine arteritis virus (EAV). While it is rarely life threatening to otherwise healthy adult...

Information You Should Know About Equine Piroplasmosis

Written by AAEP Equine Piroplasmosis is a disease of Equidae (horses, donkeys, mules, and zebras), and is caused by one of two parasitic...

FAQ Regarding Equine Piroplasmosis (EP)

By the AAEP 1.      What is Equine Piroplasmosis? Equine Piroplasmosis (EP) is a tick-borne disease that affects horses,...

Equine Infectious Anemia

By Tim Cordes, DVM & Charles Issel, DVM, Ph.D. Equine infectious anemia (EIA) is a potentially fatal blood-borne infectious viral disease that produces...

EHV-1 Outbreaks

By Thomas R. Lenz, DVM, MS, DACT Most horse owners know that equine herpesvirus type 1 (Rhino) causes upper respiratory infection in young horses and...

FAQ: Equine Herpesvirus (EHV)

Almost all horses have been infected with the virus and have no serious side effects. It is currently unknown what causes some infected horses to develop the...

Equine Protozoal Myeloencephalitis

By Rob MacKay, BVSc (Dist), PhD, DACVIM and Kenton Morgan, DVM, DACT  Equine protozoal myeloencephalitis (EPM) is a disease of horses that affects the...

Prevention of Equine Protozoal Myeloencephalitis (EPM)

By William Saville, DVM, Dipl. ACVIM, Ph.D; Stephen Reed, DVM, Dipl. ACVIM; and J.P. Dubey, MVSc, Ph.D Equine protozoal myeloenencephalitis (EPM) is...

Equine Endocrine Diseases: The Basics

By Emily A. Graves VMD, MS, Dipl. ACVIMEquine endocrine disorders have been recognized for many decades.  However, only more recently have they become a...

Donkey and Mule Scenarios: When to Stop, Think, Read or Call

By: Tex Taylor, DVM, and Nora Matthews, DVMMore frequently, practitioners are receiving requests to provide professional services to donkey and mule owners....

Donkey Reproduction

By David Pugh, DVM, MS, DACT, and DACVNIntroduction Donkeys are used throughout the world as guard animals for protecting small ruminants (sheep, goats,...

Besnoitiosis in Donkeys

By SallyAnne L. Ness, DVM, DACVIMBesnoitiosis is an emerging infectious disease of donkeys in the United States. Besnoitiaspecies are cystforming protozoan...

Potomac Horse Fever (PHF)

By Eleanor Lenher, DVM Potomac Horse Fever (PHF) is a seasonal, sporadic, but acute and potentially fatal typhlocolitis of horses caused by infection with...

Three Forms of Pigeon Fever

By Sharon Spier, DVM, Ph.D., DACVIM Infection caused by Corynebacterium pseudotuberculosis (commonly known as pigeon fever or dryland distemper) assumes...

Blister Beetle Poisoning

By Benjamin Espy, DVM, DACTMany horse owners feed alfalfa hay to supplement their horse and is a very efficient source of protein and calcium. Alfalfa hay...

Trust Your Horse's Dental Care to an Equine Veterinarian

Routine examination by an experienced, licensed veterinarian will help detect dental disease and other health problems early - before they threaten the...

Equine Dental Glossary

By Mary Delorey, DVM Incisors - Front teeth, just inside the lips, used to grasp, nip and pull grass (and to bite you!) Premolars - First three sets of...

The Importance of Maintaining the Health of Your Horse's Mouth

Routine dental care is essential to your horse's in health. Periodic examinations and regular maintenance, such as floating, are especially necessary today for...

Cold Weather Colic

The No. 1 cause of colic during winter is a lack of fresh, unfrozen water. Horses must drink 10-12 gallons of fresh water every day and can dehydrate quickly...

Colic: Updates and Prevention

By Dr. Nancy LovingColic is one of those emergency crises that horse owners seek to avoid.  Based on information from the National Animal Health...

Colic: Minimizing its Incidence and Impact in your Horse

Colic is the number-one killer of horses. The good news is that most cases of colic are mild and resolve with simple medical treatment, and sometimes with no...

Dreaming of a Career With Horses? Live Your Passion as an Equine Veterinarian

By AAEP Do you own or ride horses, or simply admire the beauty of the horse? Do you enjoy the biological sciences? If so, a career as an equine veterinarian...

Castration: From Stallion to Gelding

Castration is a surgical procedure performed by a veterinarian that is defined as the removal of the testicles of a male horse. The procedure can be...

Tales from the Crypt (Cryptorchid Horses)

By Larri Jo Starkey and Ben Espy, DVM, DACT Which of these commonly accepted truths on cryptorchid horses are true and which are myths? Take our test and...

Castration: Creation of a gelding from a colt or stallion

By Larry R. Bramlage, DVM, MSCastration is normally performed on colts to make them more tractable and easier to handle. When the horse has minimal breeding...

Therapeutic Options

By Ed Boldt, DVMThe use of “complementary” medicine continues to increase in veterinary practice. While there are a myriad of therapies that fall...

Veterinary Acupuncture and Chiropractic: What, When, Who?

By Ed Boldt, Jr., DVM The use of “complementary” therapies continues to increase in veterinary practice. While there are a myriad of modalities that...