Central Kentucky equine abortion accessions so far in 2005 do not indicate mare reproductive loss syndrome (MRLS). The University of Kentucky’s Livestock Disease Diagnostic Center (LDDC) is posting the number of abortion accessions of all breeds weekly along with comparisons to totals from 2004. MRLS struck horses in several states (including Kentucky) and Canada in 2001 and 2002. The problem

Officials from Michigan’s Office of Racing Commissioner (ORC) are requiring all horses entering any of seven licensed pari-mutuel facilities in the state be vaccinated for equine herpesvirus (EHV), in an effort to keep the virus confined to Northville Downs, where it has been detected in four horses. Three of those horses had to be euthanatized because the neurologic form of EHV type-1 caused

Discussion in the session primarily revolved around personal experiences with courses in acupuncture and chiropractic, incorporation of what they’ve learned in these courses, payment for these services, and the reminder that Western medicine should never be forgotten when treating patients.

To determine whether equine shock collars could eliminate aggressive behavior, Kennedy looked at a group of 15 horses that were either aggressive toward a new horse in the pasture, aggressive toward a horse on the opposite side of a fence, or aggressive within an established herd.

A major use of prostaglandin is to manipulate mares’ estrous cycles. Some side effects observed when mares are treated with labeled doses of these medications include sweating and colic, and as a result owner distaste for using the drugs is growing.

The conditions under which a veterinarian is asked to complete a purchase exam have great bearing on how much he or she is able to ascertain about the horse and its current state of health and athleticism. A roomful of veterinarians discussed the ins and outs of purchase exams at the 50th annual American Association of Equine Practitioners (AAEP) Convention in Denver, Colo., Dec. 4-8, 2004. Whil

Equine seizures can be disturbing to witness, and they can be puzzling for a veterinarian to diagnose, simply because the veterinarian isn’t always there to watch the horse as it has a seizure. Diagnostic tests can be expensive and time-consuming, but are necessary to determine the cause of the seizures and help identify ways to prevent them in the future.

Whether it be a geriatric horse with West Nile virus, a malnourished mare, or a multi-million dollar stallion that is down, recumbent transport can be a useful and safe way to move the horse if performed properly. A rescue glide made of recycled plastic can get the animal onto a trailer or ambulance, and the most difficult part of its use is getting the horse on the glide.

The examination of a well-preserved placenta adds value to a post-partum checkup. “What clients can do to help us is the timeliness of placental examination,” he added. “There is little you can draw from a placenta that has been exhumed from beneath an azalea bush after three days.”

Hudson found that embryo recovery can be enhanced by slight modifications of the standard embryo flush technique, and embryo transfer success can be improved by verifying that the embryo was not retained in the tip of the sheath with which the veterinarian performs the embryo transfer.

Swor and her co-authors from Texas A&M University (TAMU) found out that deep digital flexor tendonitis (DDFT) is more common than previously thought, and it is found more often in the hind limb than the forelimb. Additionally, horses with hind limb DDFT are more likely to make a full recovery than horses with forelimb DDFT.

Dyson and her colleagues discovered in a recent study that there were no significant differences in the angles of the distal phalanx (P3, or the coffin bone) between horses of mixed breeds, with and without DDFT injury. However, they found that when Thoroughbreds were considered separately from the other breeds, horses with DDFT lesions were more likely to have a more acute P3 angle.

Performance horse veterinarians treat everything from the cutting horse to the dressage mount, but when it comes to issues pertinent to their practice, they are much alike. The problems of online and traveling pharmacies, clients’ administering medications, drug testing at shows, and compounding were discussed at the performance forum at the 2004 convention of the American Association of

Elizabeth A. Murray, PhD, Dipl. ABFA, professor of biology at the College of Mount St. Joseph in Cincinnati, Ohio, and a forensic anthropologist, headed the team that performed the three-day exhumation of champion Saddlebred Wild Eyed and Wicked that took place Feb. 2-4 In an exclusive interview with The Horse, Murray explained the grueling and painstaking process.

Wicked and

The Delhi, India, polo season has been cancelled after two ponies were diagnosed as carrying equine infectious anemia (EIA), according to a Feb. 7 report from New Delhi Television Ltd. (NDTV.com).

The NDTV story reads, “To prevent the disease from spreading, the infected area has to be quarantined for 90 days and the infected horses

Veterinarians swapped ideas on hot topics in the realm of equine infectious disease in the Infectious Disease Forum at the 2004 American Association of Equine Practitioners Convention, held Dec. 3-8 in Denver, Colo. Steve Conboy, DVM, a private practitioner in Lexington, Ky., and Maureen Long, DVM, PhD, Dipl. ACVIM, assistant professor of large animal veterinary medicine at the University of