Dear Dr. John,
I’ve learn with plenty of concern in regards to the seven horses that died main as much as the Kentucky Derby final week. I’m hoping that you just may shed some mild on why the horses died and why they may not be saved. Apparently, when racehorses severely injure their legs, they normally have to be put down. Why can’t they’ve surgical procedure and be healed like canines and cats? I’ve examine using unlawful substances and pushing the horses too onerous resulting in a excessive price of loss of life in racehorses within the U.S. Is that true and what will be finished about it? I.L.
Dear I.L.,
Horse racing has been round for an eternity and is seeded in tradition, not solely within the US however all over the world. In 2019, there have been 30 horse deaths in a brief time frame in California on the Santa Anita racetrack, Then and now, racing officers have finished an important deal to make sure protected racing circumstances for the horses and their riders by checking monitor circumstances, routinely testing blood, urine, and hair for banned substances, and extra and so they proceed to take action.
Despite finest efforts, accidents nonetheless occur, and the accidents can result in euthanasia of the animals. Anatomically talking, horses are standing on their center fingers and toes and never on a broader space distributing the burden of their our bodies. When horses break their legs, the bones undergo troublesome fractures however extra considerably, some animals don’t get better nicely because of the weight-bearing load and stress on the bones, the following ache, and the poor therapeutic of the distal bones. Ninety % do have surgical procedure, get better nicely, and even return to racing. The different 10% have injury to the blood provides to the distal leg impeding therapeutic and a horse can not survive standing on three legs.
Sadly, horse racing has lengthy had a drug tradition inside it in making an attempt to provide horses an edge to win and these animals are pushed to the restrict. The excellent news is that the Jockey Club has had a database for over a decade seeking to cut back accidents and deaths and the work is paying off with numbers coming down dramatically.
Dr. John de Jong owns and operates the Boston Mobile Veterinary Clinic.He will be reached at 781-899-9994.
Source: www.bostonherald.com”
