EQ KEYWORDS

choke--- in horses, obstruction of the esophagus; in people, obstruction of the windpipe (trachea). corpora nigra--- irregular, awning-like projection of the eye’s iris, suspended over the upper edge of the pupil to shield the retina from excessive light. cortisol (hydrocortisone)---adrenal hormone regulating fat and water metabolism, muscle tone, nerve stimulation and inflammation. curve of Spee--- natural, slight arc in the occlusal (chewing) surface of the molars. enamel spot--- white enamel floor of the cup of a horse’s tooth that is left visible when the cup’s cement has worn away. Enamel spots appear around age 8 and slowly fade, becoming smaller and moving toward the back of the tooth, until they disappear by age 15 or 16. equine metabolic syndrome (EMS)--endocrine disorder characterized by increased fat deposits in specific locations of the body; overall obesity; insulin resistance, which leads to abnormally high levels of the hormone circulating in the bloodstream; and a predisposition toward laminitis in the absence of other recognized causes. fecal egg count--- laboratory procedure for determining the number of internal-parasite eggs in a fecal sample; used primarily to estimate a horse’s level of infection with ascarids and/or strongyles. flunixin meglumine--- generic name for a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory pain reliever commonly given for colic, eye pain or generalized body discomfort.

Galvayne’s groove--- stained longitudinal furrow that appears on the upper corner incisor, just below the gum, when a horse is about 10 years old. Lengthens down the tooth with age, reaching mid-incisor at about age 15 and the bottom of the tooth at about age 20, when it also begins to recede from the top. By about age 25, the groove will have disappeared to mid-incisor; it may be gone entirely by the time a horse is 30. insulin resistance--- metabolic disorder, similar to type 2 diabetes, that occurs when certain cells in the body become less sensitive to the action of insulin, and normal amounts of the hormone can no longer keep adequate amounts of glucose moving into the cells for use as fuel. laminitis--- inflammation of the sensitive plates of soft tissue (laminae) within the horse’s foot caused by physical or physiologic injury. Severe cases of laminitis may result in founder, an internal deformity of the foot. Acute laminitis sets in rapidly and usually responds to appropriate, intensive treatment, while chronic laminitis is a persistent, long-term condition that may be unresponsive to treatment.

MSM (methylsulfonylmethane)---sulfurcontaining oral preparation that is a chemical fraction of dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO), an organic substance with anti-inflammatory, antibacterial and analgesic properties; popular in the management of athletic pain. navicular syndrome--- unsoundness arising from inflammation of any origin occurring near the navicular bone. probiotics--- dietary supplement to establish or enhance digestive microorganisms. pulp cavity--- core within the tooth, between its front surface and cup, where the nerves and blood vessels are located. As the pulp cavity recedes with age, it leaves stained dentin, which will later show on the tooth’s surface as a “dental star.” rainrot (rain scald)---crusted, painful, infectious skin inflammation, caused by Dermatophilus congolensis, which lifts the hair and removes it at its root, resulting in slipping away of affected areas of the hair coat. Triggered by moisture. sand colic--- abdominal pain resulting from an accumulation of sand in the large intestine. sesamoid bones (proximal sesamoids)--pyramid-shaped bones that form the back of the fetlock joint and serve to improve supporting leverage of flexor tendons that pass behind them; part of the suspensory apparatus. skin-pinch test--- time test used to determine a horse’s hydration level. The longer it takes for a pinched fold of skin on the point of the shoulder to return to normal, the more dehydrated the horse is. One second or less signifies adequate hydration; six to 10 seconds represents severe dehydration.

West Nile virus--- flavivirus transmitted by mosquitoes. West Nile virus can infect birds, horses, humans and other mammals. In horses, as in people, infection with the virus usually causes little or no illness. For reasons not yet determined, however, West Nile infection sometimes triggers swelling of the brain (encephalitis) that produces limb weakness, muscle fasciculation (twitching), incoordination, behavioral changes, paralysis and recumbency. In severe cases, West Nile encephalitis can lead to coma and death.