Latest News – The Horse

Junctional epidermolysis bullosa (JEB) is an inherited disease that causes skin lesions over pressure points of the body in newborn Belgian foals and results in large areas of skin loss. The disease is a lethal condition and affected foals typically are euthanized shortly after birth.

“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.”

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

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.

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

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).

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.

White and 10 other veterinarians from private and university equine hospitals in the United States and Canada investigated whether a dose of 1 mg/kg/day would prevent occurrence and recurrence of gastric ulcers in racehorses.

Acyclovir is an anti-viral drug with a high activity and selectivity for herpesviruses. It has been used in equine outbreaks, even though past studies have not established a clear-cut benefit of using the drug.

Ellen Tinsley Hoots, DVM, MS, of Hoof Beats Veterinary Practice in Willow Spring, N.C., has been selected as the January honoree of the American Association of Equine Practitioners’ (AAEP) My Vet Matters Contest. Hoots was nominated for the award by horse owner Denise Bricker of Clayton, N.C. Over 140 veterinarians were nominated during January.

In her nomination of Hoots, Bricker

Gordon Woods, DVM, MS, PhD, Dipl. ACT, the University of Idaho scientist who led the research team that successfully produced the first clone in the horse family, will be a featured speaker at the American Association for the Advancement of Science’s (AAAS) annual meeting currently underway in Seattle, Wash.
          
Idaho Gem, the

“Indications to evaluate this area include respiratory noise and a persistent cough, often along with poor performance,” he said. “When the cough is observed while the horse is eating or when bitting up, this is pathognomonic (is indicative of a specific problem; in this case, subepiglottic ulceration).

If there are any two words that can cause a foaling operation’s manager to shudder, they are probably “Rhodococcus equi,” since the bacterium is considered the most common cause of severe pneumonia in foals.

Results of a study from the University of Pennsylvania’s New Bolton Center suggest that there is a high chance that a horse can return to racing after surgery for laryngeal hemiplegia (partial or complete paralysis of the larynx, also called roaring) or arytenoid chondritis (inflammation of the arytenoid cartilages resulting in paralysis).

The 5th Annual Auction of the North American Equine Ranching Information Council (NAERIC) Incentive registered yearlings will be at the Round House, Cook College, Rutgers University in New Brunswick, NJ. This year, five adult Belgian and Belgian cross PMU mares will also be sold. Horses can be viewed by appointment during Ag Field Day on April 24 and/or starting at 11 a.m. on April 25,

More than 3,000 veterinary specialists and veterinary health care professionals will convene in Minneapolis, Minn., June 9-12, to discuss and share the most recent advances in veterinary medicine. The American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine’s (ACVIM) annual forum has become a premiere resource of information on the latest advances in veterinary research and care. The topics of the