Tuesday 26 February 2013

Kissing Spine Disease in Horses



KISSING SPINES
Kissing Spines, also known as Basstrup's Disease or Baastrup's Syndrome, is a condition which mostly affects sport horses. This is probably because of the more stringent demands made on sport horses. Horses used for less strenuous work may have the condition but it could go unnoticed.
Kissing Spines is a slow degenerative condition of the bones/spines in the spinal column. The large spines which stick upwards from the vertebrae in the horse's back rub together and cause low grade inflammatory damage in the edges of the bone where they meet, causing extra bone to develop and compressing the soft tissue. Kissing Spines may cause tearing in ligaments - particularly when the horse jumps. The horse will constantly suffer low-grade pain increasing in severity when the weight of the saddle is felt on the back.
The most common area for Kissing spine is the rear vertebrae of the horse's thorax.

Q: A competitive horse owner’s horse had Kissing spine for many years.
When it started to give pain he could not compete. Can the laser deal with the pain enough to allow him to compete, even though it may not deal with the cause?


Answer from Dr Lytle: Yes, the Q Laser System will help the horse – probably quickly. Animals require less laser energy. Starting at the fetlock, using the 808 Enhancer as a tool to apply pressure, slowly run it along each vertebrae pressing firmly just to the side of each vertebral process all the way to the rump.
If the horse flinches leave the laser in that spot for 10-15 seconds and then move on. Do both sides of the vertebrae 1 hour before competition. Also apply mode 2 of the Q1000 for 30-45 seconds in the depression below the ear and above the eye. You will get an improvement in performance.


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