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.
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)
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.
Current evidence suggests that the most successful treatments are a combination of the drug rifampin and a macrolide (an antimicrobial drug).
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.
High ammonia levels in barns can be detrimental to horses’ respiratory health. Know how to keep them low.
We’ve all heard the statistics about an aging America. The elderly represent the fastest growing-proportion of the U.S. population. In recent years horses have experienced a similar population shift.
A large portion of the equine population (about 15%) is composed of horses older than 20 and, even at this age, many remain actively involved in equestrian sports, reproduction, or as companion
Understand the structure and function of the equine upper respiratory system to understand horses’ breathing.
When stalling your horse, consider the long-term effects this might have on general health and emotional state.
Horses with allergic diseases, like recurrent airway obstruction, might have fewer parasites.
Abnormalities in the throats of yearling racehorses will negatively impact the horses’ athletic potential, making careful evaluation of these structures an important part of the prepurchase examination.
“Veterinarians routin
A live-attenuated strangles vaccine already in use in Europe has proven safe and effective in pregnant mares, according to a recent study.
The researchers studied the strangles vaccine EQUILIS StrepE (manufactured by Intervet/S
Researchers discussed respiratory topics in horses including influenza outbreaks and vaccination boosters, furosemide for exercise-induced pulmonary hemorrhage, dorsal displacement of the soft palate, dynamic respiratory tract endoscopy (during exercise), and more at the 2009 convention of the American Association of Equine Practitioners.
Strangles, caused by the bacterium Streptococcus subspecies equi (often referred to as S. equi) is a highly contagious disease of horses worldwide. Recent discussion at the AAEP Convention confirms that strangles remains an
In 2009 the AAEP Foundation conducted a survey to assess the thoughts and opinions of the membership in defining and prioritizing the needs for equine health research. This followed an initial survey in 2003 to establish needs for equine research…
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