Horse-health-problem risk factors, prevention, diagnosis, and treatment
One of the major foal diseases in the United States is Rhodococcus equi foal pneumonia. Responsible for the deaths of up to 30% of infected foals, it is a serious problem at many large breeding farms.
Ulcers can occur in horses of all disciplines and management situations, although horses in higher stress environments do appear to be more susceptible. There’s no cure-all for equine gastric ulcer syndrome, but proper management and prevention methods can help your horse remain ulcer-free.
Dr. Carrie Finno of the University of California, Davis, uses several case videos to describe the neurologic disease neuroaxonal dystrophy (also called equine degenerative myeloencephalopathy) in horses.
Update on Rhodococcus equi pneumonia in foals by Drs. Noah Cohen of Texas A&M University, Steeve Giguere of the University of Georgia, and M. Julia B. Felippe of Cornell University. (Presented at the 2010 AAEP convention)
Cold winds and changing winter weather might not seem like contributing factors for equine colic; however, these conditions can foster changes in routine and eating habits that could affect your horse’s well-being.
On a warm spring night everyone in the barn is eagerly awaiting a new foal’s arrival. The wait is rewarded with the birth of a big, strong, and beautiful colt. During the next 12 months the foal thrives. The owners dream of having a future champion until one morning the farm manager notices the colt’s gait is abnormal, and he looks somewhat incoordinated (ataxic) in his hindquarters.
For years foal owners have struggled with controlling the bacterium Rhodococcus equi and the infections it causes—some farms manage cases annually, despite following strict farm management strategies to reduce risk of infection.
Colonization of the foal’s GI tract by pathogenic organisms can lead to diarrhea. Research has focused on identifying organisms responsible for the diarrhea, but less research has looked at what allows the pathogenic organisms to become established.
Current evidence suggests that the most successful treatments are a combination of the drug rifampin and a macrolide (an antimicrobial drug).
Dr. Clara Ann Mason discusses EPM, equine herpesvirus, Vitamin E, neurologic exams, and more topics from the neurology/ophthalmology session at the 2010 American Association of Equine Practitioners convention.
R. equi is a dangerous pathogen that causes pneumonia in foals that are generally between the ages of 3 weeks and 5 months. In cases that caretakers and veterinarians catch early on, the foal can make a full recovery with proper treatment. However in more serious cases, the mortality rate is quite high.
Update on what veterinarians and horse owners need to know about ocular (eye) surface failure (such as corneal ulcers) in horses, from Dr. Dennis Brooks of the University of Florida. (Presented at the 2010 American Association of Equine Practitioners convention, Milne State-of-the-Art Lecture)
What horse owners need to know about piroplasmosis in horses, from Dr. Josie Traub-Dargatz of Colorado State University. (Presented at the 2010 American Association of Equine Practitioners convention)
Geneticists have created tools and tests that help horse breeders select for healthy foals. Furthermore, access to the equine genome means scientists can examine common diseases and conditions and find ways to prevent (and one day treat) them.
The University of Kentucky Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory (VDL), formerly the Livestock Disease Diagnostic Center, recently announced a change in the type of samples required to perform a test for Neorickettsia risticii, the causative organism for Potomac horse fever.
What are the more common ways that a horse would contract rabies? What are the symptoms that one would look for?
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