Sports Medicine and Performance Testing
Poor performance can be a difficult problem to diagnose and could involve the musculoskeletal, cardiac or respiratory systems. The UQ VETS Equine Specialist Hospital offers a range of dynamic exercise testing packages to aid in determining the cause of reduced performance in the athletic horse.
Horses may be exercised on the treadmill in order to simulate race condittions (full gallop/pace) or may be ridden (arena facilities including jumps are available) and are evaluated by specialists in internal medicine, cardiology and lameness/surgery to address all the systems that could be involved.
The comprehensive treadmill testing protocol evaluates the lung, upper airway and heart during maximal exercise and includes:
- Dynamic upper airway endoscopy
- Telemetric ECG
- Arterial blood gases
- Stress echocardiogram
- Pulmonary function testing (Open plethysmography)
- Post exercise broncho-alveolar lavage (BAL)
- Pre and post-exercise serum muscle enzymes
Testing packages aimed specifically at evaluating heart, lung or upper airway function are also avialable. Please call to discuss the options for your horse.
Section Head, Equine Specialist Hospital
Resident - Equine Sport Medicine and Rehabilitation