QuestionQUESTION: Hi,
I just received the papers for my OTB. There is a red stamp of California on the front with the words "CALIF. EIPH", a "DATE IN" line (dated 2/2/07), a "D.V.M." signature line (signed), a "DATE OFF" line (blank) and another "D.V.M." signature line (also blank). Do you know what this means? She is a 2003 mare, Breeder's Cup nominated, raced once in 2006 (came in 6th out of 8), bred in 2006 to Momentum, then came to me earlier this year. I don't know anything else about her background.
ANSWER: This stands for Exercise Induced Pulmonary Hemorrhaging. Horse's can bleed (hemorrhage) in the lungs when put under high physical stress of training and/or racing. The stamp is required by the Vet to prove the horse has been checked and confirmed to "bleed". The horse is then put on a "bleeder's list" and will be allowed to run on Furosemide (Lasix). Furosemide, or more commonly referred to under the brand name Lasix, is a medication that allows the blood to thicken and clot better by purging water from the blood and the body quickly. A major, overlooked, cause of EIPH is exposing horses to poor environmental conditions, which is common in dusty old race track barns, dusty hay and other polluted air conditions. Thanks for your question. If you have any other questions, I will be more than happy to answer them.
Christopher Crocker
[email protected]
Crocker Racing Stable Inc.
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QUESTION: I have had her since April and haven't had any issues with her. While I work her pretty hard, we have yet to start jumping. Is EIPH something I should worry about? Is there anything I should watch for (other than blood coming out her nose)? I have her bedded on a very fine shaving (about a 4" thick layer over dirt) - should I change it to a coarser bedding and/or lay stall mats in her stall to help reduce her exposure to dust? Thanks!
AnswerNothing to worry about unless you plan on galloping her 35 mph for mile or more. Most horses are treated with lasix for racing to prevent the risk of bleeding. Nothing for you to worry about.
More about Furosemide (Lasix)...........
The reason you need to stop even the mild cases of pulmonary hemorrhage is because a horse will stop performing as soon as it smells or taste blood. As well, the blood and inflammation in the lungs will obviously cause a decrease in performance. Lasix has been proven to increase performance in most cases and is taken advantage of by most trainers. Lasix causes the horse to empty the bladder very rapidly. Most trainers think this purges unnecessary "water weight" and improves performance. This makes very little difference. Don't trust any trainer who tells you that this is the reason lasix improves performance. It's much more complicated than that.
Christopher Crocker
http://CrockerRacingStable.com
