An Introduction to Equine Colic

As CEO and chief veterinarian of RockStar Vet, Dr. Laura Palumbo provides on-site services to a wide variety of animals. Dr. Laura Palumbo frequently travels to local farms, where she treats equine colic and other diseases that affect livestock.

A common digestive disease in horses, equine colic presents as severe abdominal pain. Horses most often show such discomfort by pawing at the belly and rolling on the ground. Some patients may paw at the ground, turn their head to look at the abdomen, or appear unusually anxious. Other common symptoms include constipation and a reluctance to eat or drink.

Such symptoms may stem from a variety of causes, which range in severity from gas to an impaction in the colon to a torsion of the intestine. It can be very difficult for a horse owner to assess the potential cause of the colic, particularly in its earliest stages, when pain presents as mild regardless of disease type. Experts warn owners not to assume that early mild pain will resolve on its own and to contact a veterinarian for a thorough examination.

Resource Guarding in Dogs

Through her veterinary practice Rockstar Vet, Dr. Laura Palumbo provides pets with quality care during in-house visits. As well as providing routine services such as vaccinations, Dr. Laura Palumbo performs behavioral evaluations on pets, including dogs who have problems with resource guarding.

Since a dog instinctively wants to keep items away from other animals who might want to take them, it’s natural that a pet dog is protective of things such as the food in its dish and its toys. Mild resource guarding, such as running off with a favorite chew toy, often isn’t a cause for concern. If a dog guards its food, sometimes simply feeding different dogs in different areas or leaving them alone while they eat makes a satisfactory solution. However, if dogs are aggressive with their resource guarding, or if small children live in the home, taking steps to reduce guarding tendencies is recommended.

After performing a behavioral evaluation of the dog’s resource guarding behaviors, a training expert might advise the owner to start a training program. For instance, the owner might be told to start by standing a certain distance away while the dog eats its regular food, speaking to the dog in a friendly tone, and putting a special treat in the food bowl. This introduces the dog to the idea that a person’s presence while eating leads to something good, and that the person isn’t trying to take away something. Once the dog gets used to this, the owner can repeat the process while standing even closer to the dog’s food. Of course, the owner should stay mindful of the dog’s behavior, follow the trainer’s recommendations, and avoid performing any actions that might provoke the dog to attack or lash out.

The Therapeutic Benefits of Working with Horses

As founder and CEO of Palumbo Mobile Veterinary Services, Dr. Laura Palumbo provides individualized care to clients’ pets in the comfort of their own homes. Dr. Laura Palumbo serves patients throughout the London and St. Thomas, Ontario, areas and is a proud supporter of local charities such as The Circle of Hope Organization.

A Circle of Hope is an Ontario-based nonprofit group providing animal-assisted therapy to support mental and spiritual health. The organization offers sessions for individuals, families, and groups and works with a variety of animals to help participants overcome personal challenges.

A Circle of Hope’s ponies, Ivy, Nugget, Maybelle, and Spirit of Lightning, help clients develop a unique set of life skills. The horses’ sheer size helps instill mindfulness in therapy patients, promoting an awareness of their own actions. Because horses are very sensitive to body language, clients must pay close mind to their own non-verbal communication while also learning to interpret the horse’s physical cues. Moreover, building a relationship with a horse provides a wonderful teaching opportunity for valuable traits such as patience, trust, and compassion and can help clients build self-confidence.

Infatuated -Laura Palumbo Original