Internal Medicine

One of the most common causes of poor performance in the horse is a condition that has been recently re-classified as Equine Asthma Syndrome. This disease is used to describe the continuum along which inflammatory airway disease (IAD) and recurrent airway obstruction (RAO/heaves) fall, where the mild respiratory disease progresses over time to overt respiratory embarrassment and distress. Clinical signs initially include occasional cough, mild exercise intolerance, and mucous expectoration, with severe exercise intolerance, frequent coughing, a respiratory effort at rest, and even overt distress developing later in life. A thorough clinical assessment, tools such as upper and lower airway endoscopy, and bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) allow us to diagnose these problems and develop individualized treatment plans for each case.

Neurologic conditions are complex to diagnose and often require prolonged treatment with specialized management in order to achieve a good outcome. Our medicine service not only has the ability to localize your horse’s problem but also has comfort with the advanced procedures and tools necessary to help reach a diagnosis [cerebrospinal fluid centesis (CSF tap), myelogram, digital radiography, etc.].

While uncommon, acute liver injury can be devastating and end with lifelong consequences in our equine patients. Routine and advanced hematology, digital ultrasound, and liver biopsy are just a few of the tools our specialists offer in order to help diagnose the underlying cause of this complex problem. Liver disease can develop due to toxin exposure; bacterial or viral infections; and gastrointestinal disease, among others. Horses often exhibit nondescript signs, such as lethargy, inappetence, mild colic, and jaundice. Our medicine service is available for both consultations and primary assessments of horses suspected to be suffering from liver dysfunction.

While we hope no one ever experiences the heartbreak of a sick broodmare or foal, illness can sometimes develop despite our best efforts. Our medicine team is not only available to help assess the health and wellness of your high-risk mare or neonatal foal soon after birth, but we are also there to help when things do not go as planned. We are available for management of high-risk pregnancies, dystocias, and post-foaling complications. The doctors and technicians in our neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) are capable of handling nearly every complication your foal might experience, including sepsis, pneumonia, colic, neonatal encephalopathy (“dummy foal” syndrome), and joint and bone infections.

Poor performance can develop for a number of reasons, and at BEMC, we often take a team approach between our medicine and surgery specialists to localize the underlying problem. While orthopedic problems are a common cause, equine asthma syndrome (see above) and muscle conditions are among the more common causes of poor performance for which a medicine specialist is a valuable asset to the team. Conditions such as HYPP (hyperkalemic periodic paralysis); Polysaccharide storage myopathy (PSSM) types 1 and 2; malignant hyperthermia; and several other neuromuscular diseases can be difficult to diagnose and complicated to manage. Our specialists are available to help diagnose these conditions, as well as formulate diet, lifestyle, and exercise recommendations to help manage these complex diseases.

Nutrition is a critically important contributor to the health of our four-legged companions, but is an often-confusing topic about which many people have differing opinions. Brandon Equine is proud to offer comprehensive nutritional consultations with our board-certified internal medicine specialist, which can not only help formulate a complete and balanced diet for your equine athlete or companion but also help develop nutritional plans for horses with special nutritional needs, such as those with metabolic syndrome, PPID, HYPP, and PSSM, among many others. Nutritional consultations begin an in-depth discussion of your horse’s diet, lifestyle, and use, as well as any specific concerns you have, followed by a detailed breakdown of how the current diet meets the needs of your horse. Based on this evaluation, changes to the concentrate and forage rations can be recommended.

Chronic colic can be a diagnostic puzzle, which is frustrating for owners and veterinarians alike. BEMC is well equipped with both a team of specialists and the necessary diagnostic equipment (digital ultrasound and radiographs, gastroscopy, proctoscopy) to help diagnose your horse’s gastrointestinal dilemmas and formulate a personalized treatment protocol.