The Kentucky Association of Equine Practitioners (KAEP) held its annual membership meeting Feb. 18 in Lexington, Ky. The organization was established in 1979 as a constituency of the Kentucky Veterinary Medical Association. It has grown from a handful of equine veterinarians to over 160 members and has been active all aspects of equine health and welfare in the commonwealth.

Outgoing

J. Harold Drudge, DVM, Professor Emeritus in the University of Kentucky’s Department of Veterinary Science, died Jan. 28. Widely acknowledged for his numerous contributions to the field of parasitology, Drudge is especially known for the significance of his work in equine helminthology (the study of parasitic worms). He received various national and international awards, and wa

According to a Feb. 23 ProMED-mail post, Kashmir, India, could be experiencing an equine anthrax outbreak.

In late December 2003, an India Times article reported that, “Veterinarians here have raised alarm over the spread of anthrax amongst livestock. Over 135 horses from a state-run stable have died due to the deadly disease. The numbers are rising.” According to the

Feb. 21-28, 2004 has been designated by the North Carolina Horse Council (NCHC) as “Horse Health Awareness Week.” Equine veterinary practitioners and horse organizations across the state were encouraged to hold special clinics and other events this week to call attention to horse health.

The NCHC recommended that veterinarians emphasize four especially important diseases and made

A Pike County, Ohio, resident reported in mid-December 2003 what she thought was abuse in a herd of approximately 52 horses to Kristen Rohde, DVM. Rohde asked local law enforcement officials to have the horses examined by a veterinarian. By Jan. 9, the horses in question had been examined by three veterinarians (each of whom reported that some of the horses were in need of care), were

New legislation to ban the slaughter of horses for human consumption in the state of Illinois was introduced Feb. 6, 2004, in the Illinois House of Representatives in the form of HB 6570. On Feb. 18, 2004, the bill was referred to the House Executive Committee. The legislation would also make it illegal to transport horses into or out of the state for slaughter.

The wording of the

The shipment of PMU (pregnant mare urine) mares from farms in the United States and Canada has been put on hold until after the foaling season, unless the shipping distance is very short.

The reason, says Nat Messer IV, DVM, University of Missouri, and a member of an advisory board created by Wyeth Industries in Brandon, Manitoba, is because the mares are in late-term pregnancy and

With researchers worldwide working on solutions to various horse health problems, there is a veritable mountain of information being published continuously. Much of this information is included in AAEP convention presentations, but some of this valuable research was either too new or brief to be included in the program. Thus, the Kester News Hour has new studies and information discussed by

Pat Parelli’s all new “Love – Language – Leadership” seminar launched Feb. 7-8 in Kissimmee, Fla. The tour includes approximately 24 stops in 2004. Each seminar includes two jam-packed days of natural horsemanship, savvy secrets, and practical training tips that hold the keys to a more powerful and rewarding partnership with horses than you ever thought possible. Pat and Linda Parelli and the

Results of the study could help veterinarians know what signs to look for to make a definitive diagnosis of intestinal rupture, thus allowing them to prevent prolonged suffering of the affected horse and additional expense to the horse owner, as euthanasia for a horse with a ruptured intestine is inevitable.

One of the most common and effective treatments for sarcoids is chemotherapy using the drug cisplatin, which is noted for its ease of use, low cost, and high efficacy (up to 90% for sarcoids and 70-90% for carcinomas).

Infection with Borrelia burgdorferi, the causative agent of Lyme disease, is widespread in the northeastern United States, with nearly 50% of adult horses in some areas infected or with a history of infection. Thomas Divers, DVM, Dipl. ACVIM, Dipl. ACVECC, and others at Cornell University recently completed research that confirmed the consistency and predictability of how

There’s been a lot of speculation about the analgesic effects of extracorporeal shock wave therapy (ESWT) and radial shock wave therapy (RSWT)–no one has identified the duration or mechanism of analgesia.

Very little scientific research has been done in the way of comparing the effectiveness of equine vaccines. However, several researchers have been hard at work over the past few years trying to determine if any particular U.S.-registered equine vaccines had advantages over others. It turns out that the serologic responses to–and protection given by–these vaccines varies significantly. Hugh

“For athletic horses, energy is the most important nutritional consideration,” said Geor. “Energy is not a nutrient per se, but rather a measure of a feed’s potential to fuel body functions.”