Special Topics in Equine Practice

Course Director: Inga Karasek BSc. DVM, MS, CVA, Associate Professor
Email: ikarasek1@sgu.edu Phone ext. 3829
Office Location: LARF office block (behind the SAC) Office Hours: by appointment

Other participating faculty contact information can be found in the directory.

LARF, unless otherwise notified.

Online course location: Sakai (Panopto, Lessons, Resources, Assignments, Forums)

The required reading for each section will collectively come from:

1. Lecture slides /articles (on Sakai-Resources) and discussions that occur during the sessions.
2. Large Animal Internal Medicine, Bradford P. Smith, 5th edition
3. Material covered in previous courses (example: anatomy, physiology, LAMS 501, 502, 503, 505, 516, and 519)

Supplemental reading for specific equine diseases may come from Equine Internal Medicine, Reed, Bayly, & Sellon, 4th edition, Diagnosis and Management of Lameness in the Horse, Ross & Dyson, 2nd edition or newer. LAMS 516-Large Animal Surgery notes/lecture material. Equine Surgery Auer and Stick, 3rd edition or newer.

1. Students with disabilities who need accommodations should contact Student Accessibility and Accommodations Services (SAAS), located in the Dean of Students Office.
2. Information can be found at mycampus.sgu.edu/group/saas

It is important to come to this selective dressed appropriately. A complete set of scrubs or coveralls and rubber boots are appropriate attire for the LARF. If a session is to take place in the SIM lab, a complete pair of scrubs and closed-toed shoes are the required attire.

This course is a selective course in the veterinary curriculum. It was designed to give those students with an interest in equine medicine more hands-on experience and further didactic material before fourth year clinical rotations.

Upon successful completion of this course, the student will be able to:

1. Understand and demonstrate the common lameness tests; palpation, provocative tests, hoof testers and perineural anesthesia
2. Use presenting complaint, history, physical exam findings, and clinical signs to create differential lists and choose appropriate diagnostic tests in the equine patient
3. Be familiar with how to perform a dental floatation, digital radiographs, and basic distal limb ultrasound
4. Perform appropriate stabilization techniques for fracture management
5. Be able to perform basic colic, neurological, ophthalmological, dermatological and BSE examinations
6. Understand the theory and use of complementary therapies
7. Appreciate normal/abnormal equine behaviour and low stress training techniques
8. Become familiar with management of large animals in a natural disaster

Examinations: There will be 1 exam for this course, a comprehensive final exam, worth 45% of the final grade in the course. Exam material will come from required readings, lectures and in class discussions. The exam date and time are listed below, and on the class schedule posted on Sakai. Any deviation from the schedule will be announced on Sakai and during class:

1. Final Comprehensive Exam (45% of grade) –Thursday April 21st, 2022, at 12 pm.
   1. 45 MCQs on Exam Soft using Exam Monitor.
2. Class participation – (10 % of grade)
3. Journal article review – (10% of the grade)-details in Addendum 1
4. Equine medical forms (15 % of the grade) Due on or before April 21st, 2022, at 12 pm. Please submit 3 specific equine forms each worth 5 % of the grade from the relevant classes (could be anAcupuncture exam form, Dental exam form, Neurological exam form, Dermatological exam form) rubric in Addendum 2.
5. Pregnancy diagnosis and gestational aging Sakai test- (5 % of the grade)
6. Hurricane Plan - (10 % of the grade) details and rubric in the Assignment posting
7. Colic post-lab quiz (5% of the grade)

Excuses from examinations will be accepted only with the use of the online “Medical Excuse” policy. Please consult the SVM Dean of Students office for additional information regarding acceptable excuses. Make-up examinations may be essay or short answer using Exam Soft.

Grading Policy: The final grade for this course reflects the exam scores. Below is the grading scale for this course:

A grade reduction of 5% will be applied to that exam if students do not observe the following parameters during exams monitored online:

1. Avoid talking out loud.
2. Avoid looking away from the monitor.
3. Avoid having distractions (animals, people) in or walking through the room or making noise during the exam.
4. Check that your webcam is always recording your full face with adequate lighting.

Review available resources provided after each class. Assigned readings will be given.

The student is expected to adhere to the guidelines provided throughout this syllabus including attendance and examination policies

Please always exhibit professional behavior. Turn cell phones off or silence them during lectures/labs. Please arrive on time. Notify faculty of medical or other excuses.

Attendance to sessions is mandatory and participation is expected. Failure to attend classes/labs without a valid excuse will result in a 2% deduction of each class/lab missed (Class participation grade - with a total of 10 % value). Please consult the SVM Dean of Students office for additional information regarding acceptable excuses. Students are expected to attend, engage with in-person/online content, and participate in all classes and clinical rotations for which they have registered. Employment is not an excusable absence. Although attendance, engagement, and participation may not be recorded at every academic activity, attendance, engagement, and participation is graded for mandatory sessions. Students’ lack of attendance, engagement, and participation may adversely affect their academic status as specified in the grading policy.

If failure to attend, engage, or participate in individual classes, examinations, and online activities, or from the University itself is anticipated, or occurs spontaneously due to illness or other extenuating circumstances, proper notification procedures must be followed.

Students who fail to attend an examination (Sakai quiz/test or Examsoft) or submit an assignment by the deadline without a valid reason (see student manual: SGUSVM POLICY ON AN EXCUSED ABSENCE (EA) FOR STUDENTS) will receive a score of “0” points for the examination. Students who have technical issues during the examination MUST inform the Course Director (ikarasek1@sgu.edu) and IT (tellexaminationservices@sgu.edu OR support@sgu.edu OR call 1- 631-665-8500 ext. 4444 (US, NU, International) OR 1-473-439-2000 ext. 4444 (Grenada), AND Dean of Students (DOS@sgu.edu) during the open period for the examination. Failure to do so immediately will result in the student receiving the highest score recorded at the time, but NOT being eligible to take a completion examination.

Scheduling of examinations (regular, re-sit, completion, comprehensive, or exemption) is at the discretion of the University.

Students who fail to attend an examination (Sakai quiz/test or Examsoft) or submit an assignment by the deadline without a valid reason (see student manual: SGUSVM POLICY ON AN EXCUSED ABSENCE (EA) FOR STUDENTS) will receive a score of “0” points for the examination. Students who have technical issues during the examination MUST inform the Course Director (ikarasek1@sgu.edu) and IT (tellexaminationservices@sgu.edu OR support@sgu.edu OR call 1- 631-665-8500 ext. 4444 (US, NU, International) OR 1-473-439-2000 ext. 4444 (Grenada), AND Dean of Students (DOS@sgu.edu) during the open period for the examination. Failure to do so immediately will result in the student receiving the highest score recorded at the time, but NOT being eligible to take a completion examination.

Scheduling of examinations (regular, re-sit, completion, comprehensive, or exemption) is at the discretion of the University.

The materials (such as slides, handouts and audio/video recordings) provided to students who are taking courses at St. George’s University (SGU) are the intellectual property of the Faculty and/or Administration of SGU. Students are free to use these materials solely for the purpose of group or individual study. Reproduction in whole or in part is prohibited.