Preventing communicable diseases from striking horses should be the goal of every horse owner. Despite our best efforts, however, there are going to be occasions when a communicable malady afflicts one or more horses at a private farm or public stable. When that occurs, efforts must be made to treat the afflicted animals and to prevent the disease from spreading to others on the premises or i

An appreciation of normal reproductive anatomy is essential to the competent physical examination of the stallion’s reproductive tract. If you are involved in breeding, then you should be familiar with what is considered normal so you know when something is wrong. This information will also help mare owners make informed decisions about a particular stallion which might have physical problems

Thought you knew the latest in keeping your horse healthy from head to toe? Think again! Richard Mansmann, VMD, PhD, from Central Carolina Equine Practice in Chapel Hill, N.C., is using a preventive foot care program that’s designed to detect early and/or prevent foot problems that could limit performance in horses. This program involves at least an annual visit by the veterinarian and

Although not usually life-threatening, arthritis causes your horse pain and can be career-ending. In fact, a research report from Michigan State University’s McPhail Equine Performance Center calls degenerative joint disease the single most common cause of early retirement for sport horses.

Scientists are working hard on several studies that might eventually present realistic solutions

Who among us hasn’t had a problem that frustrated us because we didn’t know where to turn for answers? Maybe it’s something complicated or technical and there isn’t anyone in our area who is an expert. Perhaps the question deals with something controversial, and we’re afraid of hurting someone’s feelings or making that person feel that we are looking beyond him or her for answers. Or maybe we

The number of confirmed Eastern equine encephalitis cases (EEE) in horses has risen to 44 as of May 6 in north central Florida, according to Bill Jeter, DVM, diagnostic veterinary manager for Florida’s Division of Animal Industry. This confirmed earlier speculations that 2003 will have higher-than-normal numbers of EEE cases this year. The virus has been confirmed in 18 counties, and 24 of th

One equine case of West Nile virus (WNV) in Florida had been confirmed by serological testing as of May 1, according to Leroy Coffman, DVM, Florida’s state veterinarian and director of the Division of Animal Industry. This was the first reported equine case of WNV in the state this year, and possibly the first in the United States this year.

The WNV case was confirmed in an unvaccinated

Uterine lavage can be performed immediately prior to artificial insemination in mares without adversely affecting fertility, according to a recent study completed at the University of Idaho (UI) in Moscow, Idaho. The uterine lavage process is used to clear the uterus of inflammatory fluids that could decrease the viability of semen in mares.

Researchers already knew that uterine lavage

A standardized medication and testing policy for Thoroughbred racing in the United States is three to five years away, said Rick Arthur, DVM, vice president and director of the Oak Tree Racing Association and a member of the Racing Medication and Testing Consortium. He said this during an April 1 California Horse Racing Board (CHRB) Medication Committee meeting. Arthur said he is encouraged b

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently approved a new, broad-spectrum parasite control product from Merial that will treat and control 61 species and stages of equine parasites, including tapeworms.

Zimecterin Gold combines two active ingredients, ivermectin and praziquantel, to provide a broad spectrum of parasite control. Praziquantel is proven to have a wide margin of safety

Equine influenza has spread to nearly 20 premises–mostly Thoroughbred training stables–in the eastern, central, and southern parts of the United Kingdom. “The reason (it’s unusual) is because despite the fact that horses have been very well vaccinated and have very high antibody levels, they are still becoming infected,” according to James Wood, BSc, BVetMed, MSc, PhD, MRCVS, DLSHTM, Dipl.

An outbreak of African horse sickness (AHS) detected in late March in South Africa has killed 300 horses, according to a Pro-MED report. African horse sickness is a lethal virus spread by the Culicoides bolitinos midge, a species of small fly. Although AHS is endemic to all parts of Africa (except the Western Cape), rain has increased the midge population.

The outbreak began in th

“It’s very unusual to get EHV-1 outbreaks all at the same time on different premises,” said James Wood, BSc, BVetMed, MSc, PhD, MRCVS, DLSHTM, Dipl. ECVPH, head of epidemiology at the Animal Health Trust (AHT) in the United Kingdom, about the recent flare-up of neurologic equine herpesvirus-1 cases in his country. At least 12 U.K. horses have been euthanized after infection with the

A new board will serve in an advisory capacity to The Horse magazine. Each of these American Association of Equine Practitioners (AAEP) members is volunteering to mentor the publication by answering questions and helping us understand topics of importance to horse owners. Each person brings a wealth of knowledge and years of service to the industry. We will maintain our previous group