Under the direction of State Veterinarian Richard Wilkes, veterinarians with the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (VDACS) are currently quarantining six farms in Northern Virginia with horses that might have been
State officials have imposed a quarantine of the Virginia Tech Marion duPont Scott Equine Medical Center’s facilities effective immediately due to the suspected infection of the neurologic form of equine herpesvirus (EHV-1) in three hospitalized
Can antiviral drugs be used to successfully treat horses with equine herpesvirus? Recent research into the drug Valacyclovir (trade name Valtrex) seems to indicate it has a place in treating horses exposed to–and diagnosed with–equine herpesvirus
Just days after a false alarm reporting a positive case of equine herpesvirus-1 (EHV-1) in Dutchess County, N.Y., a horse there was euthanatized after showing neurologic signs consistent with EHV-1. Test results confirmed the horse
A flare-up of equine herpesvirs-1 (EHV-1) cases in Jefferson County, Wisc., which has led to the euthanasia of two horses, is not related to any other recent outbreaks, according to Scott Austin, DVM, Dipl. ACVIM, of the Wisconsin Equine Clinic
Two horses in Jefferson County, Wisc., have been confirmed positive for equine herpesvirus-1 (EHV-1), according to a statement written by Scott Austin, DVM, Dipl. ACVIM, of the Wisconsin Equine Clinic, and released on the Wisconsin Horse Council
In the horse, the hormone dopamine exerts a number of effects through its actions on the pituitary gland. Both dopamine and ergovaline, a dopaminergic agonist (a drug that stimulates dopamine receptors), can significantly impact the mare’s
Castration and Caslick’s procedures generally come to mind at the mention of reproductive surgeries that can be performed in the field, but Dwayne Rodgerson, DVM, MS, Dipl. ACVS, of Hagyard Equine Medical Institute, says there are plenty of othe
Many hormone and drug treatments could have a negative impact on the endocrine system, so it’s best to avoid using them altogether in the breeding stallion. However, Sue M. McDonnell, PhD, Certified AAB, of the University of Pennsylvania’s School
Careful management of pregnant mares and preparation for parturition is essential to help prevent cases of equine abortion–losses of pregnancy between 150-300 days of gestation. “The incidence of abortion in mares ranges from 5-15%, and this ha
Is it safe to breed a mare that is prone to laminitis?
When a mare is bred by natural cover, the uterine lining, or endometrium, becomes inflamed. The stallion deposits semen in the uterus, as well as bacteria, bits of debris, and seminal fluid. The normally sterile uterus becomes irritated and
Modern breeding management and assisted reproduction might actually exacerbate the issue of mating-induced endometritis, according to Mats Troedsson, DVM, PhD, Dipl. ACT, a professor of equine theriogenology in the Department of Large Animal Clinical
Testing innovative techniques and brushing up on common procedures are the lifeblood of advancing any medical specialty, and the field of equine reproduction is no exception. Veterinarians are always looking for new ways to improve procedures they
Acupuncture can be used in conjunction with Western medicine prior to breeding to treat anestrus (period of sexual inactivity), excessive behavioral estrus, retained corpus luteum (an ovarian follicle after discharge of the egg that secretes
Endometritis has been the bane of many broodmares and their owners through the years. It frequently has been blamed for mares not becoming pregnant and, when they do conceive, for early embryonic death. The result has been serious economic losses
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