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Research sheds new light on race-day injuries
racing
"Now that we have a baseline against which to monitor the effects of future interventions, there will be opportunities to further improve horse welfare and racing safety."

Soft tissue injuries are one of the most common issues 

The majority of injuries recorded for thoroughbred flat racing horses on race-day are minor and not career-ending, according to a new study which looked at 14 years of data.

Researchers from the RVC and British Horseracing Authority (BHA) have completed the first large scale study of race-day veterinary reports relating to thoroughbred horses raced on the flat.

Soft tissue injuries, respiratory conditions and gait abnormalities were the most commonly reported issues. Such issues included wounds, lacerations, epistaxis (or blood at the nostrils) and lameness, poor movement or stiffness without a specific cause being identified.

All in all, 70 per cent of recorded injuries between January 2000 and December 2013 were minor and not sufficient to end the horse's career.

Study author Sarah Rosanowski from the RVC said this was "not surprising" and is "of course a good thing". However, fatality rates in British flat racing have remained relatively stable, rather than declining, in the past 10 years.

The findings, published in the Equine Veterinary Journal, will prioritise research and help to identify risk factors associated with the most common and/or severe conditions, with the aim of reducing their occurrence. Researchers can now begin to determine what strategies could be used to improve equine welfare and reduce injury and fatalities in flat racing.

“The ongoing surveillance by the British Horseracing Authority is important as it provides a way to track the occurrence of veterinary events over time. Now that we have a baseline against which to monitor the effects of future interventions, there will be opportunities to further improve horse welfare and racing safety,” Rosanowski added.

Image courtesy of the RVC

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Vets to run marathon for World Animal Protection

News Story 1
 Two recently graduated veterinary surgeons will be running the London Marathon in April to raise money for the charity World Animal Protection.

Alex Bartlett and Maeve O'Neill plan to run the race together if they are given the same start times.

Dr O'Neill said: "You're always limited in what you can do to help animals, so it is nice to raise money for a charity that helps animals around the world."

Dr Bartlett added: "I have never run a marathon before and am excited to run my first one for such a good cause!"

Both Dr Bartlett and Dr O'Neill have fundraising pages online. 

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News Shorts
BSAVA releases new Guide to Procedures

The British Small Animal Veterinary Association (BSAVA) has published a new edition of its Guide to Procedures for Small Animal Practice.

It has added four new procedures; cystostomy tube placement, endotracheal intubation, point-of-care ultrasound and wet-to-dry dressings.

BSAVA says that it is an essential step-by-step guide to diagnostic and therapeutic procedures performed in practice. The textbook includes new images and illustrations, as well as high-definition videos for use prior to procedures.

Nick Bexfield and Julia Riggs, editors of the new edition, said: "We have built upon the success of the previous editions by responding to the feedback received from the BSAVA readership, and hope this new guide helps to further increase the confidence and accuracy with which these procedures are performed."

Print copies are available in the BSAVA store, with a digital version in the BSAVA library.