Latest News – The Horse

David Pugh, DVM, MS, Dipl. ACT, ACVN, a professor at Auburn University, spoke at the AAEP’s Horseman’s Day on Geriatric Nutrition. He said a geriatric is a horse over 20 years of age. “Just like us when we age, horses have problems,” said Pugh. “Horses’ intestines, eyes, and so on wear out. Because of the care people are providing, the potential exists for a horse to live into its 30s and 40s

Squires said the perception in the industry is that mares must be examined four to six times per day to use frozen semen successfully. He said the reasons for frequent examination are because limited semen is made available and the desire to breed as close to ovulation as possible.

When a newborn foal, for whatever reason, fails to obtain the antibodies he needs from his mother in his first hours of life, this often results in a very sick or even dead foal from septicemia. Quick identification of the problem (failure of passive transfer, or FPT) is key to his survival, but the “gold standard” test for the problem takes 18-24 hours to yield results and is best handled in a la

Colorado State University’s Ed Squires, PhD, an honorary Diplomate in the American College of Theriogenology (reproduction), presented several lectures at the 2003 American Association of Equine Practitioners convention. One presentation was on using a new commercially available product called equine follicle-stimulating hormone (eFSH, from Bioniche Animal Health) to have mares superovulate

He stressed that horse owners should begin to watch their horses’ eyes because the sooner you see something wrong, the sooner your vet can get there and the sooner the horse can be healed.

Researchers at the University of California, Davis, recently developed a new three-dimensional system for measuring various aspects of the horse’s sole. One day their work might help ascertain if hoof shape abnormalities can be predictors of impending injury. Additionally, the system might help researchers design new footwear and/or evaluate the foot during movement.

Susan Stover, DVM,

Laminitis was the primary focus of the Second International Equine Conference on Laminitis and Diseases of the Foot, held Nov. 10-11 in West Palm Beach, Fla. This conference is held every other year and sponsored in large part by John K. and Marianne Castle, whose Appaloosa Spot had chronic laminitis secondary to Cushing’s disease and died from colic years ago. There are several other private

The American Quarter Horse Association (AQHA) reiterated its position on euthanasia and horse slaughter in the wake of an accusatory Blue Horse Charities letter that was disseminated to the racing industry in early November (see article #4801 online). In part, the AQHA position statement read:

“AQHA does not support (national

Colorado State University’s Ed Squires, PhD, an honorary Diplomate in the American College of Theriogenology (reproduction), presented several lectures at the 2003 American Association of Equine Practitioners convention. One presentation was on using a new commercially available product called equine follicle-stimulating hormone (eFSH, from Bioniche Animal Health) to have mares superovulate

Cribbing, the oral stereotypic behavior in which the horse grabs an object with his teeth while flexing his neck and sometimes swallowing air, has long been suspected as a cause of colic. A study from the Universities of Illinois and Liverpool suggests that cribbing increases the risk for entrapment of the small intestine in the epiploic foramen (the passage between the liver and the

Abby L. Fowden, of the University of Cambridge in the United Kingdom, discussed nutritive and endocrine functions of the placenta at the first Equine Placenta Workshop held at the University of Kentucky Gluck Equine Research Center on Dec. 5-6, 2003. She said the functions of the placenta are as a barrier, for transport of nutrients and waste, nutrient production, and hormone production.

The USDA’s Centers for Epidemiology and Animal Health announced to industry stakeholders Oct. 22, 2003, that Veterinary Services (VS) is working with six states on an electronic Interstate Certificate of Veterinary Inspection (ICVI) project. This would allow state and federal animal health officials to have real-time access to information regarding livestock movements in and out of their

Purdue University biologists recently determined the viral structure of the West Nile virus (WNV), a development that could greatly augment our understanding of the virus’ life cycle.

Using cryoelectron microscopy and advanced imaging techniques, the Purdue team has determined the orientation of the major surface proteins in a West Nile viral particle. Because these proteins are

Editor’s note: A letter to the editor from Fort Dodge Animal Health cited inaccuracies in this article and has been included below.

A new West Nile virus (WNV) equine recombinant canarypox vaccine received USDA registration approval on Dec. 23, 2003, and could pave the way for a new generation of equine

Mud. Yuck! Is there any worse problem that we face in our equine environment than simple dirt and water mixed into a gooey sludge? The English have a great word for going out into the mud–they “slog” through it. Certainly sounds like what happens when our boots sink and slide. Mud not only turns all our horses into 10-year-old boys, but it sucks off shoes (theirs and ours) and gets tracked

HBOT is one of the most powerful tools available as an adjunctive form of therapy, and in some cases it works well as the primary therapy in horses, says Casner. Colic and laminitis are the number one and two killers, respectively, of horses, and oxygen therapy (in conjunction with other therapies) can be very useful in treating both.