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Re: [RC] Jugging - Heidi SmithQuestion to the vets out there...just how likely is it that a jugular IV will permanently block the vein? If done properly, highly unlikely. And even if it doesn't permanently block the vein, what is the effect of any scarring (it seems to me that there will be at least a little scarring every time) that occurs. It depends. I've worked with horses who because of medical conditions have had to have IV's on a regular and on-going basis that one would be hard-pressed to say without close examination on necropsy had ever had an IV. I've also seen horses that have had a noticeable area of scarring from just one injection--likely because a needle or catheter slipped, or there was some bleedback that became contaminated, or some such. That said--any invasive procedure carries a degree of risk, and the question in my mind always is, does the benefit of the procedure outweigh the risk? If the horse is sufficiently compromised by dehydration, then the benefit may well outweigh the risk. But if a horse is sufficiently dehydrated to be compromised after the fact, the other question I have to ask is, by whose definition did this horse finish "just fine"? If I felt that the benefit of IV outweighed the risk (albeit extremely minimal), I would be seriously questioning my race strategy, and trying to figure out what it was that I missed, and how to do better in the future. Heidi =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= Ridecamp is a service of Endurance Net, http://www.endurance.net. Information, Policy, Disclaimer: http://www.endurance.net/Ridecamp Subscribe/Unsubscribe http://www.endurance.net/ridecamp/logon.asp Ride Long and Ride Safe!! =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
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