Latest News – The Horse
Getting an Equine Nutritionist Consultation
Sure, it makes sense that the owners of high-end performance horses and blue-blooded broodmares find the services offered by equine nutritionists useful. Anything that can give these horses an edge or help them reach their maximum potential is
Supplementing for Semen Quality
Cooling and freezing equine semen damages cell membranes, which results in loss of motility and general viability known as “cold shock.” Most domestic species have high concentrations of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) in the semen, but the
Dialysis to Treat Kidney Failure
Sometimes horses in renal (kidney) failure don’t respond to conventional treatment–fluids, diuretics, etc. Toxins in the blood irritate the stomach, making the horse anorexic and depressed. At that point, dialysis might be the only option. The
At What Age to Shoe?
Questions involving the ifs and whens to shoe horses have been debated for years. There are those who will argue that a horse’s foot should not have metal attached via nails under any circumstances, while others will opt for shoeing certain horses
Death and Destruction
West Nile virus (WNV) was first identified in October 1999 because of an alert zoo veterinarian in New York. The epicenter in 2005, as in 2004, is expected to be California. In six short years, a disease that had never been seen before in North
West Nile Virus DNA Vaccine Approved for Horses
Commercial vaccines leapt toward state-of-the-art on July 8 when the USDA granted a license for the world’s first DNA vaccine for any species. This equine vaccine springs from more than four years of collaborative research between Fort Dodge Animal
EEE in Alabama Horses and Humans
Seven cases of Eastern equine encephalitis (EEE) were confirmed recently in southwestern Alabama. The disease has also infected two people, one of whom did not survive. The Alabama Department of Public Health has recommended the public reduce
WNV Patients Have a Long Road Ahead
Maureen Long, DVM, PhD, Dipl. ACVIM, assistant professor of large animal veterinary medicine at the the University of Florida, knows of at least four horses that appeared to make full recoveries from West Nile virus (WNV) before getting sick
EIA-Positive Horse Auctioned Off in Two States
Equine infectious anemia (EIA) was confirmed July 13 in a Pennsylvania horse, said Bruce Schmucker, VMD, of the state’s Department of Agriculture. The horse hasn’t shown any clinical signs of EIA and passed through an auction in Meadville, Pa.,
Breaking News: EEE Hammers Florida, Veterinarian Stresses Importance of Vaccinating
Florida is in the thick of a near-record Eastern equine encephalitis (EEE) year. One veterinarian found that in 2003, owners spent ten times the cost of vaccination to treat unvaccinated EEE survivors (typically less than 10% of affected horses
Breaking News: Kentucky Officials Extend VS Embargo
According to a July 26 memo from Kentucky State Veterinarian Robert Stout, DVM, officials have extended Kentucky’s vesicular stomatitis (VS) embargo to include livestock (including horses), wild animals, and exotic animals from La Plata and Mesa
Veterinarian Alexander Harthill Dead at 80
Alexander Harthill, DVM, a renowned Central Kentucky racehorse veterinarian known as “Derby Doc” to his colleagues, died July 16 at 80 years old.
Harthill died at Hospice and Palliative Care in Louisville, Ky., after complications from a
Open-Access Veterinary Journal Launched
Afleet Alex, dramatic winner of the Preakness and runaway winner of the Belmont Stakes, underwent surgery July 27 at the New Jersey Equine Clinic (NJEC) in Clarksburg, N.J. after suffering a condylar fracture.
“It’s a relatively common type
South African Bleeders Study Begins
An international collaboration of researchers launched a study in July to examine the prevalence and severity of exercise-induced pulmonary hemorrhage (EIPH) in more than 800 South African Thoroughbreds. The group from the University of Pretoria
U.S. Department of the Interior Asks for Help with Mustangs and Burros
Editor’s Note: The U.S. Department of the Interior sent this press release on July 28 requesting help with the increasing populations of mustangs and burros that are exceeding the carrying capacity of government acreage and holding
Science and Horsemanship
Over the past two decades, the work of Hilary Clayton, BVMS, PhD, has elevated equine sports medicine to a whole new level. As the first incumbent of the Mary Anne McPhail Chair at Michigan State University, Clayton brings an element of modern
