CVM veterinarians solve horse’s medical issues by removing loose bone piece

Steele Hunter holds Zeke while CVM students conduct an assessment.

CVM veterinarians solve horse's medical issues by removing loose bone piece

Monday, January 13, 2025

Media Contact: Taylor Bacon | Public Relations and Marketing Coordinator | 405-744-6728 | [email protected]

Imagine dealing with an injury that no one can diagnose.

This was a reality for a registered quarter horse named Zeke until he came to the Oklahoma State University Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital for evaluation.

Zeke's registered name is Bully for You. As a direct son of the legendary barrel racing champion, Bully Bullion, Zeke had the pedigree, speed and heart that led him to earn over half a million dollars in the arena.

As with many high-performing athletes, competition demands eventually took their toll, and Zeke sustained a sesamoid injury. Although the bone injury did not immediately affect Zeke, it affected his ability to run and compete at a prominent level over time.

After his career paused due to soundness issues, Zeke's owners sold him to their best friend, Steele Hunter. Hunter, who grew up on a ranch and is no stranger to the horse industry, was determined to give Zeke a great ranch life and rehab him from his injury.

Hunter and his family split their time between Arkansas and Arizona. The winter after Hunter bought Zeke, they went to Arizona. Once there, Hunter took Zeke to a performance horse veterinarian who ran a series of tests, including a nuclear scintigraphy. The scan indicated that Zeke had widespread inflammation.

"During his bone scan, he lit up like a Christmas tree," Hunter said. "The veterinarians at the time injected him to help with the soreness but it was unknown to us that he had any sort of infection."

While in Arizona, they noticed that occasionally, Zeke would get a small swollen area on his chest that would drain fluid. At the time, veterinarians suspected it to be pigeon fever, although testing was always inconclusive. Zeke's treatments included injections and antibiotics for soreness and chronic infections.

After returning to Arkansas, Zeke was still not back to normal. Hunter decided to bring Zeke to the OSU VMTH for another opinion.

Upon arrival, Dr. Lyndi Gilliam, equine internal medicine professor, and her team began evaluating Zeke. The horse was undergoing a routine exam when Gilliam noticed something.

"I looked at the small bump on his chest and said, 'That shouldn't be there, tell me about it,'" Gilliam said.

Hunter told Gilliam the small bump had been there since he bought Zeke and that sometimes it gets bigger, and sometimes it's wet. However, no vet had investigated it other than diagnosing it as pigeon fever.

Because no one could pinpoint where Zeke's soundness issues were coming from and since they hadn't explored the small bump on Zeke's chest, that was one of the first things Gilliam wanted to inspect.

Gilliam and her team aspirated the lump and found a pocket of fluid deep down because of an abscess. Gilliam stated it is not a common place for an abscess unless he had been kicked at some point.

"We treated him with antibiotics, and he would get better for a while, and then it would come back," Gilliam said. "Any time that happens, you worry that something more serious could be going on, and you want to follow up."

Because the abscess was not healing and subsiding completely, Gilliam knew she and her team needed to explore it further.

The challenging part was to find a way to get an X-ray of Zeke's sternum. Unfortunately, they do not make large animal X-ray machines that easily photograph the area.

Gilliam, along with diagnostic imaging technician supervisor Cody Collum, worked hard to find a way to get accurate radiographs of Zeke's sternum.

The X-ray results showed Zeke had osteomyelitis in his sternum. As a result of infection and unhealthy bone, a piece of the bone was dead and no longer attached and was acting as a nidus for infection to hide.

Because of this floating fragment, it would continually fester, causing him pain.

Zeke would require a rare surgery that hadn't been done before. Removing a piece of bone in a horse's sternum is risky. After much preparation from the OSU equine specialist team, Zeke's bone fragment was removed, and his official road to recovery could begin.

Following surgery, Zeke required many rounds of antibiotics while he was still in the hospital. After his initial care immediately following surgery, Zeke was released to go home but would remain under care for several months. Zeke made periodic trips back to Stillwater to be seen by the OSU team to ensure he was still on his road to recovery.

"His owners were extremely committed to his recovery," Gilliam said. "They are a veterinarian's dream clients."

After long-term antibiotics and follow-up care, Zeke is returning to the arena so he can do what he loves most - run. Now back in Arkansas, Hunter continues to watch Zeke closely and ensure he stays healthy during his journey back to competing.

"I absolutely think Dr. Gilliam and her team are unmatched," Hunter said. "I know there are some good doctors out there, but it's not just about being the smartest - it's the combination of Dr. Gilliam's passion, her care for the animal and the owner, and her willingness to think outside the box that makes her the best."

Photos By: Taylor Bacon

Story By: Kinsey Reed | Vet Cetera Magazine

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