“U and V” Words Your Veterinarian Uses

 Elite-Equine-Vet3ulcer: irritation in the lining of the horse’s stomach or intestine.
 ultrasound: 1) a technique which uses ultrasonic waves to image internal
structures such as soft tissues (tendons or ligaments).
 untried: 1) not raced or tested for speed. 2) a stallion that has not been
bred.
unwind: gradually withdraw a horse from intensive training. Let down.
upward fixation of the patella: locking of the hind limb in an extended,
stretched-out position due to the medial patellar ligament (which holds
the kneecap in place) getting hung on a notch at the end of the thigh bone
(femur). In affected horses, the locking occurs suddenly and without
warning. Intial treatment may include anti-inflammatory medication on the
assumption that the ligament and/or adjacent tissues are inflamed and
swollen. Muscle-building exercise such as hill work is often recommended
to improve strength, and dietary adjustment is used if necessary to
improve body condition. If these measures fail, stifle injections can be
considered or surgery.
uveitis: inflammation and/or infection of the uvea, the colored iris of
the horse’s eye. Signs may include constricted pupil, watery eye,
squinting and rubbing. If allowed to progress, uveitis can lead to
breakdown of the eye’s internal structures, detachment of the retina and
blindness. Treatment includes frequent application of pupil-dilating
ophthalmic medications as well as anti-inflammatory preparations such as
dexamethasone or prednisone on the eye and/or systemically, systemic
administration of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory medications and detection
and treatment of the underlying problem, if possible.
vasculitis: inflammation of small blood vessels and capillaries which,
because of damage to their walls, leak serum into the tissues and cause
swelling, most often in the horse’s lower legs. Treatment is generally
aimed at cooling and soothing the swollen legs with gentle cold-water
irrigation, and supporting the skin with padded compression bandaging to
prevent splitting of the skin. If the skin has already split, the affected
area usually is treated as a laceration.
VEE (Venezuelan Equine Encephalomyelitis): a highly contagious disease
affecting the central nervous system. Can cause illness or death in horses
and humans. Refer to EEE.
ventral: down; toward the belly or lower part of the body.
Vesicular Stomatitis: an acute viral disease that affects horses, cattle,
swine, sheep, goats and wild animals. Humans who come in contact with
fluids from infected animals’ blisters may also be affected. Human
symptoms resemble the flu, including fever and muscle aches, and
self-limiting blisters may appear on the hands and in the mouth. In
animals, the first sign of VS is excessive salivation, followed by a fever
and the appearance of blisters and/or whitened and raised vesicles in and
around the mouth, nose, hooves and teats.
veterinarian: 1) Head of Veterinary Commission; 2) Veterinary Delegate; 3)
Associate Veterinarian.
video endoscope: see endoscope.
vocal folds: the membranes attached to the arytenoids cartilages in the
larynx. Vibration produces vocalization, i.e., whinny.

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