Latest News – The Horse
Alltech Symposium Serves International Audience
Attended by delegates from more than 60 countries, Alltech’s International Feed Industry Symposium provided an abundance of information for those involved with horses, poultry, pigs, dairy and beef cattle, agronomy, aquaculture, and companion animals. Each year, the meeting provides a forum for researchers and international industry leaders to gather, exchange ideas, and discuss the future of
Insurance Provides Comfort to Horse Owners and Breeders Against West Nile Virus
In Canada, Alberta and Ontario horse breeders and owners insured through CBL Oxford Insurance and Canada Brokerlink can feel confident that its horse mortality insurance policies will provide compensation for any horses killed by the West Nile virus (WNV).
Canada Brokerlink Inc., one of the largest insurance brokers in Canada, has informed policyholders that as long as a horse has
No More Hitchhikers
Internal parasites are insidious culprits. They steal, damage, and even kill. The worst part of the whole scenario is that they can’t be totally eliminated, only controlled. In the theft department, internal parasites rob in two ways: First, they steal nutrients from the horse’s body; second, they take money from the owner’s pocket in the form of lost food value. Adding to the problem is the
Drugs and Competition
The use of drugs in the competition horse carries with it some extra concerns and responsibilities. Many of the major issues related to drug use in the performance horse involve the treatment of lameness. It is imperative that the moral and ethical line between treating minor pains and more serious injuries be quite clear. Many of the anti-inflammatory drugs can have extremely powerful effect
A Shot in the Dark
Author’s note: This article is intended to improve your understanding of drugs commonly used in equine veterinary care; it is not a “treatment guide” for the lay person. No medication or combination thereof should be given without veterinary consultation. Medications given in the wrong circumstance, via the wrong route, and/or in the wrong combination can hurt or kill. The administration o
FDA Approves New Equine Dewormer With Additional Label Claims
The Food and Drug Administration recently announced that it has approved additional label claims for Zimecterin (ivermectin), adding several species and stages of small strongyles to the list of parasites controlled by the equine dewormer. The announcement means that Zimecterin has been proven to control 60 species and stages of equine parasites, 32 of which are in the small strongyle group.
New Advisory Board Members Appointed
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
EHV Outbreak in England Unusual; Some Cases Could be EHV-4
“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
African Horse Sickness Outbreak Kills 300 Horses in South Africa
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
Equine Influenza Spreads in the U.K.
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.
FDA Approves New Equine Dewormer
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
Uniform Drug Policy Years Away
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
Uterine Lavage Before Insemination Not Harmful to Fertility
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
First WNV Case of 2003 Detected In Florida
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
44 Florida EEE Cases
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
Advice and Advisors
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
