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Equine Protozoal Myeloencephalitis (EPM) is one of the most common treatable neurological diseases of American horses and is caused by the apicomplexan protozoan Sarcocystis neurona. This protozoan penetrates the central nervous system, producing varying levels of neurological disease. In parts of the United States virtually all horses are exposed, with a small proportion (< 0.5%) exhibiting neurological symptoms. Because S. neurona can locate anywhere in the brain and...
Equine facilities should work with their local veterinarian to plan a vaccination program which is tailored to fit the needs of the farm; taking into consideration ages, types, activities and number of horses as well as geographic location. A backyard facility with two horses which never leave the property is going to require a lower level of preventative care than a large show barn, or horses that are exposed to a transient population. Local vets can provide information concerning new threats...
One of the common bone abnormalities of young foals is referred to as angular limb deformities. Instead of having straight legs a young horse, or foal, is born with an angle or crook in its legs, similar to a person who is bowed legged. This angular limb deformity can be more than a slightly objectionable physical feature; this could have very severe consequences to an animal that has evolved as a creature of flight. As the foals rapidly grow and bear weight on their legs the angle can...
Horses often are victims of accidental injury. Their gregarious nature, social hierarchy, heightened flight response, and handling and confinement by humans puts them at increased risk of trauma. A fairly common and usually catastrophic injury of horses is trauma to the head resulting in fracture of the skull. The head of a typical adult horse weighs in excess of 40 pounds. This, coupled with the long neck placing the head well outside the center of mass, causes the head to strike the...
Clinicians and researchers at the Ontario Veterinary College have teamed up to offer stem cell therapy to repair injured tendons and ligaments in horses. The move provides clients with a new treatment option for their animals and will allow OVC researchers to add scientific rigour to the anecdotal evidence that suggests cell-based therapies speed healing of injured or damaged tissues. “It is cutting-edge technology and we are uniquely equipped to offer all components of the...
Colorado State University Equine Orthopaedic Research Center scientists have discovered that a topical cream may be the first cream available to both treat osteoarthritis and relieve pain. The first scientifically controlled study in horses testing the benefit of a topical diclofenac liposomal cream on equine osteoarthritis, sponsored by IDEXX Pharmaceuticals Inc, was headed up by Dr. David Frisbie, a clinical sciences professor with expertise in joint disease, and a team of researchers...
Equine strangles is caused by Streptococcus equi, a biovar, or clonal descendent of an ancestral S. zooepidemicus. Recovery from the disease is accompanied by onset of acquired resistance to the disease in approximately 75% of horses, an immunity that persists for 5 years or longer — hence the greater incidence of strangles in younger horses. The immunologic basis of acquired resistance is not well understood but appears to function at the level of the tonsil-resistant horses that...
Editorial note: This paper is a follow-up to a report on glanders that appeared in the October 2003 Lloyds Equine Disease Quarterly. Diagnostic testing is evaluated according to how precise the test is in identifying a truly positive animal versus animals that are truly negative. Sensitivity is the proportion of true positives (bacterial culture positive) that are identified by the test as being positive and is a...
Fractured ribs should be considered a common clinical entity in neonatal foals. The problem may frequently be subclinical, but is potentially capable of causing peracute death due to secondary thoracic trauma. All foals should be considered as subject to fractured ribs although large birthweight foals and foals extracted from dystocias are at greatest risk. The clinical signs may vary from subtle to obvious respiratory compromise associated with thoracic asymmetry. Some foals are...
Warmer weather speeds up the life cycles of some of the fly species that irritate horses and riders over the summer months and scientists say we can expect earlier, more prolonged attacks from greater numbers of flies. Dr Peter Bates, senior entomologist with the VLA, says the multi-generation flies that plague us during the summer months simply aren't being killed off over the winter. "The last two summers have been hot and we've had precious few frosts during the winter...
The history of moving horses from one place to another dates back as far as 3500 years. Some of the reasons for transporting include: shipping horses long distances to participate in military conflicts in far- off colonies, breeding, racing competitions and slaughter. (1,2) It is documented that Queen Anne (1702-1714) had one of her race horses carried to the track in a large, horse-drawn conveyance that carried the horse in a sling. (3) The modes of...
Horse owners have a better chance of detecting disease and stress in a horse if they are familiar with the normal behavior and physiological parameters of the animal. Familiarity with what constitutes “normal” for a horse allows equine managers to respond quickly to abrupt or sizable changes, said Dave Freeman, Oklahoma Cooperative Extension Service equine specialist. “Some horses are naturally calm, others extremely active; some are aggressive eaters, others...
The LSU School of Veterinary Medicine is hosting a veterinary dermatology seminar entitled, “A Potpourri of Veterinary Dermatologic Diseases and Therapy” on Sunday, December 2. This seminar is generously sponsored by Vetoquinol USA Inc., Virbac Corporation, D.V.M. Pharmaceuticals (IVX Animal Health), Bayer Animal Health, and Sogeval. Topics include Flea Control, Staphylococcal Infections, MRSA/ MRSI Strains, Allergy Specific Immunotherapy, MDR1 Mutation/Ivermectin Usage,...
Symptoms of a contagious animal disease called pigeon fever have been found in dozens of horses in Eastern Oregon this fall. Despite the name, the disease is not spread by the bird. Rather, the bacterial infection can cause abscesses that lead a horse's chest to swell like a pigeon's. Dr. Fred Robinson of Riverside Veterinary Clinic in Pendleton said he has seen an increasing number of cases this fall, just as he did in 2005. "There were 80 or so horses treated then,...
The widespread outbreak of horse flu in Queensland has spurred scientists at the University of the Sunshine Coast to launch a study into how humans help spread the equine influenza virus. Immunologist Dr Fiona Burnell is leading a team of USC biomedical scientists on a research project that could help better contain future outbreaks of the disease, not only in Australia but around the world. It also will assess whether exposure to the virus affects people’s health. Dr...
The American Association of Equine Practitioners (AAEP) Foundation hosted a Lameness Research Meeting and Panel Aug. 1 in Fort Collins, Colo. Researchers and lameness experts from around the world met to prioritize future lameness research needs. The group also explored specific questions about the direction and cost of future lameness projects. Similar to other research panels organized by the AAEP Foundation, the lameness meeting and panel was designed to share collective knowledge,...
Staphylococcus aureus is a common bacterium and an important cause of disease in many species. Approximately 10% of healthy horses carry S. aureus in their noses. This occurrence is termed “colonization,” as the bacteria are present without causing any problems. A smaller number are colonized in the intestinal tract or on the skin. S. aureus is an “opportunistic pathogen” that can cause disease under certain conditions. One problematic trait of S. aureus is its tendency to become resistant to...
The American Horse Council (AHC) welcomes Dr. Kent Fowler, veterinarian and Chief of the Animal Health Branch at the California Department of Food and Agriculture to its list of top industry speakers at this year’s National Issues Fall Forum to be held at Keeneland Racetrack on November 2, 2007. Dr. Fowler received his D.V.M. from UC Davis and spent over 25-years specializing in equine medicine and surgery. In 2004, he joined the California Department of Food and Agriculture and became...
A second Welfare and Safety of the Racehorse Summit has been scheduled for March 17-18, 2008, at Keeneland in Lexington, Ky. The announcement was made this week by Edward L. Bowen, president of Grayson-Jockey Club Research Foundation. Coordinated and underwritten by Grayson-Jockey Club Research Foundation and The Jockey Club, the summit is a two-day workshop designed to explore ways to enhance the safety and soundness of the Thoroughbred racehorse. The original Welfare...
Australia is to import 50,000 doses of vaccine to help efforts to contain and eradicate an outbreak of equine influenza (EI). The vaccine is sufficient to protect 25,000 horses from the highly contagious illness which has heavily affected the Australian racing industry and halted horse movements in New South Wales and Queensland states, Federal Agriculture Minister Peter McGauran said on Wednesday. "Vaccination, in isolation, will not provide a quick fix for eradicating...