Strangles vaccine within reach for horsesFebruary 12, 2018Scientists from the Animal Health Trust (AHT), the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, the Karolinska Institute, and Intervacc AB, have developed a new protein-based vaccine to protect horses from strangles. Strangles, caused by Streptococcus equi bacteria, leads to large pus-filled abscesses in horses' throat and neck. The research was recently published in Vaccine. " … Our Strangvac vaccine protected over 80 percent of horses from this dreadful disease," said Jan-Ingmar Flock, Ph.D., CEO of Intervacc AB, the company that produced the vaccine. "Strangles is a scourge of the equine world and the development of Strangvac has the potential to prevent many thousands of horses from falling ill each year." "Strangvac is an extremely exciting vaccine," said Dr. Andrew Waller, head of bacteriology at AHT. "The vaccine was designed using information from sequencing the DNA of Streptococcus equi and highlights the potential that the genome-era heralds for improving the health of animals and people. Improving the health of horses is a core aim of the Animal Health Trust and we are proud to have helped make this vaccine a reality towards finally breaking the hold this disease currently has on our …
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What horse owners want from youFebruary 6, 2018In human medicine, patient satisfaction surveys are commonly performed to improve patient care and experience. Although not necessarily related to improved patient outcomes, medical patient satisfaction surveys can provide useful insights into different aspects of a healthcare business, including personnel, facilities, and procedures, and identify areas that need improvement.
AAEP publishes updated infectious disease guidelinesFebruary 2, 2018The American Association of Equine Practitioners (AAEP) has published its Updated Infectious Disease Control Guidelines, which includes newly created guidelines for Rhodoccocus equi. Most of the changes to the current guidelines pertain to updated sampling and control measures. The AAEP's Infectious Disease Committee also amended suspected case guidelines for respiratory, neurologic, and clostridial diarrhea to outline appropriate actions and steps for suspected cases, along with several resource documents for sampling and equine herpesvirus. Additionally, R. equi has been added to the existing list of available infectious disease guidelines. "Rhodococcus equi remains a significant disease of growing foals despite considerable research into its treatment and prevention," said Peter Morresey, BVSc, DACT, DACVIM, 2017 chair of the Disease Guidelines Subcommittee. "These new guidelines incorporate current thinking and a systematic approach balancing diagnostics, therapeutics, and economics." All of the guidelines have been reformatted for improved consistency and navigation. The guidelines documents are now available as PDFs, enabling practitioners to save the guidelines to their portable devices for access offline in the field. They also contain links to other resources on all disease conditions for those wanting additional reference material. Visit aaep.org/guidelines/infectious-disease-control/using-guidelines to view and/or download the new and updated guidelines.
Managing a newborn foal for optimum healthJanuary 17, 2018It’s foaling time. Unfortunately, sometimes this exciting time can turn tragic, because some foals get sick. Unfortunately, some of those foals don’t make it.
Henry Schein helps raise $10K for AAEP's 'Collegiate Challenge'January 4, 2018Henry Schein Animal Health, the U.S. animal health business of Henry Schein Inc., recently led a fundraising effort that raised $10,000 for the American Association of Equine Practitioners (AAEP) Foundation in support of its educational programming for the next generation of equine veterinary professionals. Jeannie Jeffery, national director of equine sales for Henry Schein Animal Health, presented the check to Richard Mitchell, DVM, AAEP Foundation chairman, at the 63nd annual AAEP Convention held in San Antonio. Henry Schein joined supplier partners Zoetis, Neogen, and Rood & Riddle to support the AAEP Foundation's "Collegiate Challenge," an initiative that encouraged convention attendees to make donations that support the following AAEP programs: student chapter activity; courses in dentistry, podiatry, and horses handling; and continuing education programs. Henry Schein and its supplier partners matched convention attendee donations up to a total donation of $10,000. Combined with Henry Schein and its partners' donation, the AAEP Foundation raised more than $24,000 through the "Collegiate Challenge." "We extend a heartfelt thank you to all who donated during the convention to the 'Collegiate Challenge'," Dr. Mitchell said. "The incredible match made by our friends at Henry Schein, Zoetis, Neogen, and Rood & Riddle will allow our foundation to continue …
HoofSearch offers vets, farriers latest hoof science literature, researchDecember 22, 2017HoofSearch, a new project from Hoofcare Publishing, in Gloucester, Mass., is a monthly guide document indexing new peer-reviewed research, academic papers, conference proceedings, and patents covering hoof science, equine lameness, biomechanics, imaging, and related topics like equine metabolic syndrome, footing studies, and racing, breed, and sport-specific lameness research all in one interactive document, available 24/7 across all of a subscriber's web-connected devices. Approximately 100 linked listings from 20 or more countries each month connect registered users to all points of the equine veterinary medicine/science publishing compass. Subscribers can browse the list passively for general awareness or actively click through to journal pages for more options. The index contains peer-reviewed journal articles, conference proceeding abstracts, master's and doctorate theses, and international patent announcements. Rood and Riddle Equine Hospital's Podiatry Clinic in Lexington, Ky., was an early adopter. "We all have HoofSearch available on our phones and laptops, said Scott Morrison, DVM, at Rood and Riddle. "We use it to keep up to date on all the developments in our field; it really is a great resource for all of us." Massachusetts publisher Fran Jurga developed HoofSearch after listening to veterinarians' frustrations with online search systems and farriers' complaints about not …
UC Davis announces 32nd annual Heumphreus Lecture headlinersDecember 19, 2017The 32nd Annual Charles Heumphreus Memorial Lecture will take place Feb. 3 at the UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine (SVM). This year's event features farrier Daisy Bicking, APF-I, CFGP, CE/CI, founder of Daisy Haven Farm: School of Integrative Hoofcare, and Nicholas Frank, DVM, Ph.D., DACVIM, professor of large animal internal medicine, the chair of the Clinical Sciences Department, and associate dean of Academic Affairs at the Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine at Tufts University. Farriers and equine veterinarians are invited to attend the lecture, which honors Charles Heumphreus, the school's farrier from 1967 to 1985. The program was initiated to foster the veterinarian-farrier relationship in order to develop a better understanding of equine foot disorders. Registration and a complete schedule for the event can be found on the UC Davis website. The Heumphreus Lecture serves as an opportunity for farriers and veterinarians to share insights and collaborate on industry best practices. A veritable "who's who" of farriers and veterinarians have served as past guest lecturers. This year's program will focus on laminitis and endocrine disorders. Lecture details During the morning session, Bicking will present …
Information overload means good newsDecember 8, 2017Let’s face it; we can’t even keep up with all the email, client communications, and news flashing on our smartphones while maintaining a busy clinical load. Once-a-year continuing education barely keeps us afloat in the ocean of veterinary information, and now that information—thanks to accelerating advancements in technology and biological research—is coming at us more and more rapidly and in more forms.
US Compounding develops compound to manage equine ulcersDecember 8, 2017Adamis Pharmaceuticals Corp. announced that its subsidiary, US Compounding, has developed a compound to manage ulcers in horses. A study, utilizing US Compounding's drug formulation, was conducted in approximately 50 racehorses. Gastric endoscopy was performed at Day 0 and any time between Days 14 and 21. The drug was administered after the first endoscopy as a paste given orally for 30 days. Endoscopic improvement was seen as early as 14 days. In more than 95 percent of the horses, the ulcers were shown to be clinically healed, as confirmed by endoscopy, with a reduction in gastric ulcer recovery times. The company has filed a patent application covering the compounded product; a manuscript is in preparation.
Diagnosing, treating Lyme diseaseDecember 5, 2017Lyme disease is a frustrating problem confronting veterinarians and horse owners in areas where ticks are prevalent. The disease, caused by a spirochete bacterium called Borrelia burgdorferi, is transmitted through the bite of infected deer, or blacklegged ticks. As ticks are virtually ubiquitous, the carrier of the disease is essentially impossible to eradicate.
