SmartPak Monday Morning Feed: Ask the Vet, Bonus Edition!

In this special bonus edition of SmartPak’s educational “Ask the Vet” video series, SmartPaker Sarah sits down with Dr. Andy Kaneps to answer more fan-submitted horse health questions.

Well, we’ve all been there. Screen shot via YouTube.

The more professional horsepeople you get to talk to, the more knowledgeable you will be! That’s why we’re so excited that SmartPak released another bonus edition of its educational video series Ask the Vet — typically, SmartPaker Sarah and SmartPak medical director Dr. Lydia Gray answer fan-submitted horse health questions, but in this special bonus edition Sarah is joined by Dr. Andy Kaneps.

Dr. Kaneps of Kaneps Equine Sports Medicine and Surgery has collaborated with SmartPak on past projects, and specializes in equine sports medicine — so the questions answered in this video were specially selected to match his expertise and experience:

1. I have a horse that has been put on a month of stall rest due to a strained deep digital tendon in his hind leg. While his vet is allowing for hand-walking on solid, flat ground, I was wondering if there are any additional exercises that we can do in his stall to keep him engaged and limber.

2. What can you tell me about degenerative suspensory ligament disease, most particularly what activities, if any, should we avoid?

3. What’s the difference between bone spavin and bog spavin? How do each affect the horse, and how can they be prevented/treated?

4. What is cellulitis and how can it be treated? I recently almost adopted a 10 year old Thoroughbred gelding who has cellulitis in his right hind. He flared up last fall and despite the best efforts of his trainer who used antibiotics and other forms of treatment the swelling never went down. Is there anything that can be done to treat chronic cellulitis?

5. I was wondering…what should I do if I have an accident prone horse who consistently hurts herself?

Want to submit your own question for next month? Comment on this video (via YouTube, not here at Horse Nation) and tag your question #AskTheVet. You can also post your questions on SmartPak’s Facebook, Twitter and Instagram or by visiting the SmartPak blog — don’t forget the hashtag! Questions can be submitted directly via [email protected].

Bonus: if your question is selected, you win a SmartPak gift card!