May 22, 2008

Eight Belles' death points to need for research, veterinarian says

Leg radiographs and other existing tests could not have predicted Eight Belles would break two legs, says Dr. Laurent Couetil, a large animal veterinarian in Purdue's School of Veterinary Medicine.

"Sometimes you can detect conditions in horses that may be at higher risk of having the problems," Couetil says. "There's certainly a need for better ways to predict this type of problem."

Proteomics research could be the key if higher protein levels related to tendon, joint or bone damage could be detected in a blood test, he says. Research also is needed to better identify minor injuries before they become more serious.

"Some horses have chronic low-grade injuries that can turn catastrophic," Couetil says. "Sometimes a trainer can detect the changes in early stages, but it's very difficult to tell which very small injury can grow into a full-blown fracture. We need something better than X-rays because if a fracture shows up in an X-ray, the horse is already lame."

Cost also is a factor in detecting equine health problems. Bone scans for horses cost about $1,000.

Writer: Dave Kitchell, (765) 496-9711, dkitchell@purdue.edu

Source: Laurent Couetil, (765) 494-6808, couetil@purdue.edu

Purdue News Service: (765) 494-2096; purduenews@purdue.edu

Note to Journalists: Laurent Couetil’s name is pronounced Koo-TEEL

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