Equine grass sickness is so named because it occurs in the spring in pastured horses which are eager to eat plentiful green grass. Its cause is unknown, but the result is destruction of the nerves of the gastrointestinal system, which is often rapidly fatal. While extremely rare in North America, grass sickness is a problem in Scotland, northern England, Switzerland, and Australia. There is n

YOUR GUIDE TO THE 2003 AAEP CONVENTION
NEW PRODUCTS AND EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES

The American Association of Equine Practitioners (AAEP) is the leading provider of continuing education for veterinarians. Their education not only comes from the lectures given in the vast, darkened halls, but from the brightly lit exhibit hall. Each year at the AAEP Convention,

The American Association of Equine Practitioners (AAEP) board of directors recently approved a new position statement regarding the tail docking of horses. The statement was written by the Equine Welfare Committee and reads as follows:

Position on Tail Docking in Horses

Tail docking in horses should only be performed when it is a medical necessity or when it i

The IDEXX Reference Laboratory group of IDEXX Laboratories, Inc. (NASDAQ: IDXX), earlier this month announced the purchase of Equine Biodiagnostics, Inc. (EBI). Based in Lexington, Kentucky, EBI specializes in diagnostic testing for the veterinary health care industry. Terms of the purchase were not disclosed.

IDEXX provides a worldwide network of full-service, veterinary reference

U.S. Equestrian will be offering a variety of seminars during its First Meeting and Sports Summit to be held Jan. 14 – 18, 2004, at the Millennium Biltmore Hotel in Los Angeles, Calif.

The American Association of Equine Practitioners will be sponsoring a series of health seminars beginning on Fri., Jan. 16, with Mark Martinelli, DVM, Dipl. ACVS, who specializes in orthopedic problems

As fires continue to ravage the Southern California Region, the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Los Angeles’ (spcaLA) resources are stretched from the high demand. From the Mexican border up to Ventura County thousands of residents and their animals are fleeing to safety. 

Currently, spcaLA’s Disaster Animal Response Team (DART), a mobile command post unit along

The LSU School of Veterinary Medicine will host its annual Equine Artificial Insemination Workshop Feb. 7-8, 2004, at the school. The workshop is open to horse breeders, but is limited to 18 participants.

This hands-on workshop is held to instruct horse owners and breeders on artificial insemination procedures with both fresh and cooled semen. Proper handling and preparation of semen

Two Northern California men who pleaded “no contest” Sept. 4 to felony animal cruelty stemming from the torture death of a 24-year-old Thoroughbred mare were allowed to withdraw their pleas and have been scheduled to face trial Dec. 1.

A probation report recommended maximum three-year state prison sentences for both defendants, Liobijildo Guzman Herrera, 22, and Noel Guido-Silva, 21,

The Kentucky Equine Drug Research Council is moving forward on research to develop tests for presence of the drugs inolin, a bronchodilator which could also enhance performance, and dizocilpine, a potential stimulant. The council is also working toward establishing a new way to do business with the University of Kentucky to accomplish such research.

The drug council, a sub-committee o

Despite the nine massive wildfires that have charred nearly 500,000 acres and continue to burn in Southern California, only one Thoroughbred farm was reported to have suffered any damage, and it was considered minor, according to Dawn Gerber of the California Thoroughbred Breeders’ Association.

At Golden Eagle Farm in Ramona, which is closest to the state’s largest blaze, the Cedar

Sheikh Maktoum’s Storming Home, seventh as the 2-1 favorite in the John Deere Breeders’ Cup Turf (gr. IT), had a chunk taken out of his right hind foot when he was involved in a bumping incident with Sulamani rounding the first turn.

John O’Donoghue, assistant to trainer Neil Drysdale, said the son of Machiavellian–Try to Catch Me (by Shareef Dancer) was recovering from the incident.

Following is the transcript of the Roundtable Discussion on Compounding for the Equine Veterinary Profession sponsored by Luitpold Animal Health and held in New York on Aug. 30. In attendance were Gary White, DVM (Luitpold Pharmaceuticals, who acted as moderator); C. Wayne McIlwraith, BVSc, PhD, FRCVS, Dipl. ACVS, ECVS (representing the American Association of Equine Practitioners); Richard

Setting the stage for a new era for equestrian sport, the U.S. Olympic Committee (USOC) Board of Directors gave final approval to a new National Governing Body (NGB) for the sport of equestrian.

The new organization, formed through the combination of USA Equestrian and the United States Equestrian Team (USET), is formally called the United States Equestrian Federation, Inc., and it

The operation to straighten the joint lasted six hours, including the hoof wall reshaping, and cast application. “We broke down all the bony callous, placed the lower limb back in alignment with her cannon bone, and plated it with a dynamic hip screw,” said Stewart.

Bill Gengler, DVM, Dipl. AVDC, has been named Associate Dean for Clinical Affairs and Director of the Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital (VMTH) at the UW-Madison School of Veterinary Medicine, effective October 13th.

He brings a strong business background to the position, which helps him evaluate activities from a different perspective. Gengler was the founder of the Animal Hospital

Illinois horse owners polled in a statewide referendum on Oct. 7 approved an innovative new program that establishes an elective tax on horse feed products that will benefit equine research and education in the state.

Sponsored by the Horseman’s Council of Illinois (HCI), the referendum that would set the five-cent optional tax passed by a small margin. Proceeds from the taxatio