UF College of Veterinary Medicine to open equine acupuncture centerAugust 23, 2018The University of Florida College of Veterinary Medicine will open a new acupuncture center early next month for horses in the Ocala/Marion County area, which is home to several Kentucky Derby winners and is often referred to as the "horse capital of the world." The UF Equine Acupuncture Center will consist of a 6,240-sf barn, which includes 12 stalls and a treatment area, and a 12,500-sf arena. The center will function as a clinic through which Huisheng Xie, BSc,VM, PhD, a clinical professor in the integrative medicine service at the UF Veterinary Hospitals, will provide acupuncture therapy to aid in treatment of a variety of conditions affecting horses. Dr. Xie founded The Chi Institute of Traditional Chinese Veterinary Medicine in 1998. The new center will be located adjacent to the Chi Institute, about two miles west of Interstate 75 in Reddick. "Acupuncture has been practiced in both animals and humans for thousands of years in China," he said. "The benefits of acupuncture have been documented in an increasing number of clinical trials, and, as a result, we have a better understanding of acupuncture's method of action. Our patients can benefit greatly from these new developments." Acupuncture involves the use of …
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Boehringer Ingelheim calls for 2018 Equine Research Awards proposalsAugust 6, 2018Boehringer Ingelheim is accepting proposals for the 2018 Advancement in Equine Research Awards for Equine Respiratory Disease Research. Veterinarians, diagnosticians, and public and private researchers in the U.S., Canada, and Mexico are eligible to submit proposals for research programs that help advance the diagnosis, treatment, and understanding of equine disease. Boehringer Ingelheim will present five separate $15,000 awards focused on two specific disease topics. Proposals must address either equine infectious respiratory disease or equine asthma syndrome for consideration. Proposals must be submitted by Sept. 15 and will be reviewed by an independent review board that will peer review and select proposals based on probability of successfully completing the project, potential for impact to the equine industry, originality, and scientific quality. The awards will be announced at the 64th annual American Association of Equine Practitioners Convention scheduled for Dec. 1-5. Those wishing to participate in the awards program must submit a proposal, a cover letter, a curriculum vitae, and two letters of recommendation by Sept. 15 to Boehringer Ingelheim Vetmedica Inc., Attn: Dr. Steve Grubbs, 2018 Advancement in Equine Research Awards, 3902 Gene Field Rd., St. Joseph, MO 64506. Launched in 2011, more than $455,000 has been awarded to date …
FDA five-year plan to combat rising threat of antibiotic overuseAugust 3, 2018In its ongoing effort to combat antimicrobial resistance, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced it will implement a five-year blueprint outlining the administration's strategy to "advance antimicrobial stewardship in veterinary settings." As part of the FDA's regulatory mission, its Center for Veterinary Medicine (CVM) is responsible for ensuring the safety and effectiveness of animal drugs, including antimicrobials. Progress has been made, but additional work is needed to address the complex challenge of antimicrobial resistance, the organization said in a statement. "At FDA, we believe that the concept of antimicrobial stewardship encompasses several important principles of judicious use," said FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb, MD. "These are critical to slowing the rate at which bacteria develop resistance to antimicrobial drugs. In simple terms, we believe medically important antimicrobial drugs should only be used when necessary to treat, control or prevent disease. In addition, when such use is necessary, these antimicrobials should be used in an optimal manner. They should only be used under the oversight of a licensed veterinarian." The administration's plan, which will cover fiscal years 2019 - 2023, will focus three goals: Aligning antimicrobial drug product use with the principles of antimicrobial stewardship Supporting …
USDA lifts bovine TB testing requirement for Manitoba cattle exportsJuly 19, 2018Breeding cattle and bison shipped to the United States from Manitoba, Canada, no longer require pre-export bovine tuberculosis testing under the United States Department of Agriculture.
Tonometry and early ocular condition diagnosis, treatmentJuly 15, 2018Determining intraocular pressure (IOP), an important part of many specialty veterinary ocular examinations, can give examining clinicians vital information for diagnosing certain conditions. For example, lower than normal IOP is a cardinal sign of uveitis, whereas a higher than normal IOP is a main sign of glaucoma.
Veterinary toxicologist warns of blue-green algae dangers to livestock, petsJune 27, 2018Steve Ensley, DVM, Ph.D., a clinical veterinary toxicologist at the Kansas State Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory, a part of the Kansas State University College of Veterinary Medicine, is warning pet and livestock owners about cyanobacteria, or blue-green algae. Cyanobacteria, which grow and replicate rapidly in warm, sunny environments where agricultural runoff deposits nutrients into waterways that allow the algae to thrive, can pose a health hazard to animals and humans who come into contact with the various toxins it produces. The most prominent problem involves a toxin called microcystin, which affects the gastrointestinal tract and liver, according to Dr. Ensley. When animals are exposed to this toxin, they may experience vomiting or diarrhea; if the exposure is severe, it can be lethal and cause liver failure in animals, Ensley said. "If there is a bloom in a body of water that animals are drinking out of, then we need to move them away from it as fast as we can," Ensley said. "Fence off that water source if at all possible." If livestock and/or pet owners are worried that their animals could potentially be exposed to blue-green algae, then they should regularly check for signs of its development, Ensley said. …
Elanco PRRS vaccine licensed by USDAJune 27, 2018Prevacent PRRS vaccine, a modified-live respiratory vaccine effective in the reduction of porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome (PRRS), respiratory form, in piglets aged 2 weeks or older, has been licensed by the USDA, reports Elanco Animal Health, a division of Eli Lilly and Co. PRRS causes disease in two forms: a respiratory form that weakens young pigs' ability to breathe and a more severe reproductive form that causes mass deaths in pigs during late pregnancy. Since its emergence in the late 1980s, the virus has cost the swine industry millions annually in respiratory disease in piglets and reproductive failure in sows. Current estimates place the cost at $560 to $660 million annually. "PRRS has grown to be a costly and challenging disease that is difficult to control at the local, regional, and national levels," said Chris Chavis, senior director with Elanco North America Food Animal Business. "We are eager to bring producers a new product to tackle this devastating disease." The vaccine is part of Elanco's Full Value Pigs line, which includes a portfolio of products that help to control specific enteric and respiratory diseases. The viral strain in Prevacent PRRS is "highly relevant" to today's swine operations, Elanco …
KSU conducts first US livestock study with Japanese encephalitis virusJune 20, 2018North American domestic pigs could be susceptible to Japanese encephalitis virus infections, according to a study by Kansas State University (KSU) College of Veterinary Medicine researchers. The study, believed to be the first of its kind in the U.S., was published recently in Scientific Reports. "Collectively, our study demonstrates for the first time that North American domestic pigs can contribute to the Japanese encephalitis virus transmission cycle as amplifying hosts," said So Lee Park, a third-year veterinary student and concurrent doctoral student in pathobiology who was first author of the study. Japanese encephalitis virus is a mosquito-transmitted flavivirus that has human and veterinary health significance. The virus is the leading cause of vaccine-preventable encephalitis in Asia and the western Pacific, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The virus can be maintained in a cycle between mosquitoes and vertebrates, mainly pigs and wading birds. While most human infections are mild, a small percentage of people develop encephalitis. About 1 in 4 cases of Japanese encephalitis are fatal, the CDC stated. The virus in swine can cause encephalitis in piglets and reproductive diseases in mature adult pigs. The KSU study suggests …
UF vet performs femoral head ostectomy on mini horseJune 15, 2018One year after a femoral head ostectomy at the University of Florida Large Animal Hospital was performed on a miniature horse, Rico is thriving and back to his normal routine. "Rico was found down and nonweight bearing lame last spring in a field," said Taralyn McCarrel, DVM, an assistant professor of equine surgery at UF's College of Veterinary Medicine. "His veterinarian diagnosed a dislocated right hip and contacted us to see what we would do and what it might cost." Although it was unclear what had caused Rico's injury, trauma of some kind was suspected, Dr. McCarrel said. Rico's veterinarian, Jennifer Miller, DVM, said his injury was not one she'd seen often, and "certainly not in a full-sized horse." "The only horse that might have a surgical option would be a mini, so he had an opportunity that another horse might not have had, as surgery would just be too difficult," Dr. Miller said. A larger horse's weight would make even obtaining a diagnosis problematic, but she was able to get "pretty good" images of Rico's leg, she said, aiding in his diagnosis. Fortuitous funds At the time Miller responded to Rico's owner's call, she had a UF veterinary …
Remind horse owners to safeguard against rabiesJune 7, 2018According to veterinary research published in the Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association, the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, and the American Horse Council, horses are nearly four times more likely to contract rabies than dogs. Across the U.S., the majority of horses are not vaccinated for rabies and often run a higher risk of exposure than dogs, according to U.S. Department of Agriculture. "Everybody is at risk for developing rabies," said Bonnie R. Rush, DVM, MS, DACVIM, Interim Dean at Kansas State University's College of Veterinary Medicine. "[Horses are] at higher risk for being exposed probably at pasture, but being in a stall does not preclude exposure. The consequences of interacting with a horse that has rabies are significant." Horses can be exposed to rabies most commonly through bats, raccoons, foxes, and skunks. Two examples of public equine rabies cases include the 2008 Missouri State Fair; and the 2006 Tennessee Walking Horse National Celebration, which required the notification of more than 150,000 people for potential rabies exposure. Rabies is the deadliest among the five core equine diseases, which also include Eastern and Western equine encephalomyelitis, tetanus, and West Nile. Horses are continually exposed …
