By Dr. Lucas

News from AAEP

AAEP

It’s Not Too Late This Year for West Nile Vaccination

Although fall is underway, the American Association of Equine Practitioners urges horse owners to vaccinate or booster their animals against West Nile virus (WNV). The Equine Disease Communication Center (EDCC) reports 152 cases of WNV thus far in 2018, with almost all diagnosed during the months of August and September. Most confirmed cases occurred in horses which were unvaccinated or had an unknown vaccination history.

AAEP Foundation Equine Disaster Relief Fund Now Accepting Monetary Donations to Aid Hurricane Florence Victims

As Hurricane Florence makes landfall in the eastern Carolinas, the AAEP Foundation is accepting charitable contributions from individuals and industry organizations in support of its Equine Disaster Relief Fund. Just as was done in 2017 during hurricanes Harvey, Irma and Maria, the Foundation will work with agencies and veterinarians in the region to identify the needs of the equine community. Supplies are not being accepted until specific needs are identified.

Florida Racetrack Practitioner Selected as AAEP Vice President

Dr. Scott Hay, president and managing shareholder of Fort Lauderdale, Florida-based racetrack practice Teigland, Franklin and Brokken DVMs, Inc., has been named AAEP’s 2019 vice president. He will be installed during the Dec. 4 President’s Luncheon at the 64th Annual Convention in San Francisco, Calif., and will assume the role of AAEP president in 2021. Dr. Hay joined Teigland, Franklin and Brokken shortly after graduating from Kansas State University College of Veterinary Medicine in 1988. His clinical focus is on lameness, performance evaluations and purchase examinations.
By Dr. Lucas

News from TheHorse.com

The Horse

Your Guide to Equine Health Care

Researchers Define Genomics Applications in the Horse Industry

The equine genomics research community has outlined how to face the challenges associated with translating Horse Genome Project outcomes into clinical practice to benefit horses.

The post Researchers Define Genomics Applications in the Horse Industry appeared first on The Horse.

Methods for Rehabbing Horse Joints

There's not one particular approach for rehabilitating injured joints. Here are a few of the options vets have to use.

The post Methods for Rehabbing Horse Joints appeared first on The Horse.

The Horse, Dechra Partner for Equine Bone and Joint Health Awareness Week

The Horse and Dechra Veterinary Products have partnered to help educate horse owners during National Bone and Joint Health Awareness Week, October 15-21, 2018.

The post <em>The Horse</em>, Dechra Partner for Equine Bone and Joint Health Awareness Week appeared first on The Horse.

By Dr. Lucas

The core vaccines: EEE/WEE, Rabies, West Nile Virus, Tetanus

Please read this article from Equus Magazine for important information about protecting your horse.

By Heidi Furseth

A number of dreadful diseases are now very rare among horses — thanks to some of the simplest and cheapest preventive measures we have.

Vaccination easily ranks as one one of the single most important things you do to protect your horse’s health. In fact, vaccines have been so successful that it’s rare to even hear of horses contracting several dreadful diseases that once loomed as a constant threat.

It is worthwhile, though, to remember what those injections are doing—especially the four “core” vaccines the American Association of Equine Practitioners (AAEP) recommends for every horse.[More]

By Dr. Lucas

Fractures: Beyond the Limbs

They might be less common, but skull, rib, pelvis, and withers fractures are no less important. Learn more about fractures in this article from The Horse magazine.

By Joan Norton, VMD, Dipl. ACVIM

A broken bone in a large quadruped is serious stuff. Unlike a kid with a broken arm, you can’t just slap a cast on a horse and send him on his way. Thankfully, fractures aren’t frequent occurrences in horses. When they do happen the most common site is in the distal limb, particularly the cannon bone. But bones can break in a variety of places, and understanding the causes and associated complications will help you become more familiar with these less-common but no-less-important potential fracture sites.[More]

By Dr. Lucas

EHV-1: What Are We Learning?

An informative article from The Horse magazine:

By Heather Smith Thomas

There’s a life-threatening disease horses can harbor in their bodies without showing any signs of illness. But under stress—even inapparent stress—the horse can disperse the virus with every cough or sneeze, exposing nearby equids to the pathogen. All of this can happen undetected until, perhaps, a horse in the same barn turns up with a fever or another begins showing neurologic signs.

This nightmarish scenario can mark the start of an equine herpesvirus-1 (EHV-1) outbreak, which most frequently occurs where horses congregate, such as at horse shows, trail rides, or barns with transient populations.[More]

By Dr. Lucas

Does your feeding program measure up?

Equus Magazine has a good article about feeding routines:

Take a moment to consider whether your feeding routine still provides the right amount of nutrients and calories for your horse.

by Laurie Bonner

Routines can be comforting. When balancing the demands of career, family and barn, it feels good to simply work your way through familiar chores—first the water, then the hay. Then a trip to the feed room, and with a can of this and a scoop of that, you’re done. Your reward, of course, is the sweet sound of munching in every stall. [More]

By Dr. Lucas

What your veterinarian wants you to know about antibiotics

Check out this article published in Equus Magazine.

by Melinda Freckleton, DVM

It’s easy to be casual about antibiotics. We’ve all taken them ourselves, they look like any other medication, and if you’ve had horses for any length of time, you are probably quite familiar with the “crush and dump” routine. But the nature of antibiotics requires a level of understanding and vigilance that goes beyond those required by many other medications that the average horse owner is likely to administer. [More]

By Dr. Lucas

Prevention: Sand Collic

Is your horse ingesting too much sand? Learn more in this article in Equus Magazine.

by Laurie Bonner

Horses who graze on loose, sandy soil are at risk of sand colic, which can occur if they ingest too much dirt with their forage. The consequences can range from very mild, transient digestive upsets, when the particles irritate the gut wall, to impactions or twists (volvulus), which can occur if large amounts of sand settle out of the ingesta and accumulate in the large intestine. [More]