Summer Equine News
Equine vaccine program distributes 3,200 free vaccines
According to horsetalk.co.nz, a program in the U.S. providing core vaccines to horses in need has given out more than 21,000 doses since 2008. So far this year the AAEP-Merck Animal Health initiative sent 3,200 free vaccines to more than 180 non-profit equine rescue and retirement facilities in the United States, through the Unwanted Horse Veterinary Relief Campaign (UHVRC). The UHVRC provides qualifying equine facilities with vaccines to protect against eastern equine encephalitis, western equine encephalitis, equine rhinopneumonitis (EHV-1 and EHV-4), West Nile Virus, equine influenza, tetanus and rabies. To qualify for donated vaccines, facilities must have 501(c)(3) tax-exempt status, follow the AAEP Care Guidelines for Equine Rescue and Retirement Facilities, and work with an AAEP-member veterinarian to submit an application. “The complimentary vaccines from the UHVRC enable us to serve our community and meet the standard of healthcare that our horses deserve,” said Cara Zehnder, co-founder of Rescued Dreams Ranch in North Canton, Ohio.
Jaguar equine drug product candidate for the treatment of gastric ulcers in accordance with standard testing guidelines for horse racing
Jaguar Animal Health, Inc. announced that standard drug testing in race horses having received SB-300 did not detect any substances commonly disallowed by horse racing authorities, according to a release. The testing was conducted by an accredited US testing facility. SB-300, a pharmaceutical formulation of a standardized botanical extract, is Jaguar’s prescription drug product candidate for the treatment of Equine Gastric Ulcer Syndrome (EGUS). Jaguar believes the results of this exploratory study are an important step towards development of a product that treats EGUS without interfering with the animals’ competition schedules. In addition, the Company believes confirmation of no withdrawal time prior to competition should give SB-300 a remarkable advantage over other products that address EGUS that are currently on the market. Future work is being planned to confirm these results. The study also provided visual evidence that feed does not appear to interfere with the product candidate’s local availability in the gut.
Three cases of EHM confirmed in Nebraska
According to the High Plains/Midwest Ag Journal, three cases of the Equine Herpes Myeloencephalopathy were confirmed in May at Fonner Park in Grand Island, Nebraska, resulting in State Veterinarian Dr. Dennis Hughes calling for horse owners to use best biosecurity practices. Samples were collected and sent to the National Veterinary Services Laboratory in Ames, Iowa, where the disease was confirmed. One of the affected horses was euthanized onsite while the other two have been isolated on the premises. The Nebraska Department of Agriculture in cooperation with Fonner Park management has quarantined the horses located at Fonner Park. Horses located in the Red Barn (where the affected horses were stabled) will not be allowed to race at present time. Racing was to continue at Fonner Park with the horses located in the other barns on the premises.
Equine internal medicine experts update statement on inflammatory airway disease
According to TheHorse.com, for the first time since 2007, a group of equine internal medicine experts collaborated and updated the consensus statement on inflammatory airway disease to help facilitate the industry’s understanding of this common, performance-limiting, and potentially debilitating respiratory condition in horses. “Recurrent airway obstruction, or heaves, seen in older horses and inflammatory airway disease noted in younger horses both resemble asthma in humans,” explained Laurent Couëtil, DVM, PhD, section head of Large Animal Internal Medicine at Purdue University in West Lafayette, Indiana, and lead author of the 2016 American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine Inflammatory Airway Disease Consensus Statement. “Specifically, they are characterized by airway inflammation and accumulation of mucus in the airways. “Other key points in the consensus statement relate to diagnosis and treatment of IAD, including the following recommendations: Rule out other causes of poor performance, such as upper airway obstruction and musculoskeletal disease; Use the mucus scoring system (Grade 0-5, with 5 being most severe) to grade the amount of mucus in the airway via endoscopy. The study, “Inflammatory airway disease of horses – revised consensus statement,” was published in the Journal of Veterinary Internal Medicine.
