Warmblood fragile foal syndrome (WFFS) is a recessive condition that results in skin splitting and evisceration in newborn foals. Scientists have found a high (~20%) carrier frequency in some Warmbloods, said Finno. | Photo: iStock

Genetic testing is a continually evolving field in equine medicine. As such, veterinarians and researchers discussed the topic during the 2019 Annual American Association of Equine Practitioners Convention, held Dec. 7-11 in Denver.

Two leading researchers in this field—Carrie Finno, DVM, PhD, Dipl, ACVIM, associate professor and director at the University of California, Davis, School of Veterinary Medicine’s Center for Equine Health; and Molly McCue, DVM, MS, PhD, Dipl. ACVIM, professor and associate dean of research at the University of Minnesota’s College of Veterinary Medicine—moderated a conversation about a variety of available (as well as not yet available) tests. They included:

Squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) Belgians and Haflingers both have a genetic link to SCC susceptibility that’s tied to ultraviolet light exposure, said Finno