SOUND OFF

You’ll notice I don’t include “gut sounds” on my list of the vital signs to gather prior to making a veterinary call. That’s not an oversight. I find that owners typically get more excited about gut sounds than they should. The lack or abundance of gut noise is not definitive in determining a horse’s condition. These sounds can be an important part of diagnostics and triage, but they aren’t something you can count on and measure, because interpreting them is a bit of an art form.