Infectious Arthritis Incidence Following Joint Injections

Veterinarians commonly inject horses' joints both to diagnose and treat lameness. They inject diagnostic anesthesia to pinpoint painful joints, and they inject anti-inflammatory medications to help treat them. These procedures, however, don't come without risk of infection, so most veterinarians (about 78%, according to a 2009 survey) add antibiotics to intra-articular (IA) injections just to be safe.

 

"The most feared complication is infectious arthritis," said Anna Bohlin, DVM, of the Evidensia Equine Hospital, in Sweden, "and to some veterinarians this justifies routine use of prophylactic (preventive) antibiotics."

 

But are these additional drugs really necessary?

 

To find out, Bohlin reviewed veterinary records from horses treated with joint injections from 1999 to 2010 and their outcomes. She presented her findings at the 2014 American Association of Equine Practitioners Convention, held Dec. 6-10 in Salt Lake City, Utah.

 

Video: Selling Rams & Helping New Farmers Begin

It’s shipping day again at Ewetopia Farms as we sell another Suffolk yearling ram! In today’s episode, we load one of our Suffolk rams onto the trailer as he heads off to his new farm to sire the next generation of lambs.

This particular customer has been buying our rams for over eight years, trusting Ewetopia genetics for their gentle temperaments, strong builds, and proven performance. Back home, we get busy looking after the flock that’s staying behind. With the weather turning wet and chilly, it’s time to put down fresh, clean bedding to keep everyone cozy and comfortable for the season ahead. Later, we welcome a wonderful new family who’s just starting out in sheep farming!

They’ve chosen some of our Suffolk ewe lambs to begin their flock — and we couldn’t be happier to help them take their first steps into raising sheep. Stay tuned for a follow-up episode when we help deliver and settle their new flock at their farm.