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Shipping Fever: Long-Term Treatment Often Required For Severe Bacterial Pneumonia

Pleuropneumonia is the most-severe form of bacterial pneumonia a horse can contract; it occurs when pneumonia extends from the main airway to the thin membrane on the surface of the lung (the pleura) and the thoracic cavity. Affected horses produce large amounts of protein-rich fluid and are at risk of developing endotoxemia, which then puts them at risk of laminitis and death.

The condition is often associated with long-distance hauling (also called “shipping fever”), but it can develop after a horse chokes and develops aspiration pneumonia. When hauling horses, it's best to allow horses the ability to put down their head to clear their airways. Hay bags hung directly in front of the horse cause constant inhalation of debris and bacteria, which settles in the lower airways and leads to inflammation and infection.

Pleuropneumonia doesn't develop right away – it can days or even weeks after the event for a horse to develop a cough, nasal discharge, or an increased respiratory rate – and not all horses affected by the condition will develop these signs. The horse may also spike a fever or go off his feed.

Diagnosed from ultrasound lung imaging, radiography of deeper lung tissues and fluid samples from airways, the condition often requires long-term hospitalization and intensive care to resolve.

Horses have small slits between the right and left sides of the thoracic cavity that allow for small amounts of fluid to move between sides. When a horse has pleuropneumonia, inflammatory materials obstruct these openings, completely separating the two sides. Two different bacteria can cause infections in these spaces.

A horse with pleuropneumonia will often have the pleural fluid drained, then be given antimicrobial therapy and supportive care. Horses often leave the clinic while still on long-term antimicrobial treatments; these are often administered for multiple months.

Many horses with pleuropneumonia return to their previous level of work.

Persistent Cough: Underlying Cause Key To Determining Appropriate Treatment

Though coughing isn't out of the ordinary for horses that might be exposed to viruses, bacteria, or allergens, a persistent cough that interferes with training or a horse's daily life can be a concern, Dr. Matthew Mackay-Smith tells EQUUS magazine.

Horses are often put on antibiotics when they cough. While this can aid in the reduction of coughing, the best way to determine what is causing the persistent tickle is to have a veterinarian scope the horse. A scope shows exactly which structures are affected and helps to determine what is causing the horse to cough.

A scope might show areas in the horse's throat that are enlarged and inflamed. Horses don't have tonsils like humans, but they do have small areas of lymphoid tissue throughout their throat. The swelling of this area is called lymphoid hyperplasia (also called pharyngeal lymphoid hyperplasia or follicular hyperplasia). This condition is characterized by upper respiratory tract inflammation; it may also be associated with the same issues in the lungs.

Lymphoid hyperplasia is classified by grades depending on the severity: grade I is the least severe, with grades III and IV being more severe. The condition often causes nasal discharge, exercise intolerance, and unusual respiratory noises during work.

There are a multitude of treatments for the condition, but none has been successful in treating every case. The number one method to assist the horse in feeling better is to determine what is causing the coughing and eliminate it, if possible. The horse must then be allowed to rest while the inflammation subsides; this may take up to eight weeks in some cases.

Other treatments for these areas of swollen tissue can include topical or systemic anti-inflammatories, antibiotics, cryotherapy, and frequent administration of influenza and herpesvirus vaccinations, among other things. The treating veterinarian will determine the best course of action based on the horse's medical history, exam results, and diagnostic testing.

Study: Surgery, Chemo Preferred Combo For Treating Squamous Cell Carcinoma

A horse's nictitating membrane, sometimes called the “third eyelid,” is a thin layer of tissue that covers the eye as the horse blinks. Its purpose is to moisten the eyeball and keep dirt and debris out.

This membrane can sometimes develop tumors caused by squamous cell carcinoma (SCC). It is often in the best interest of the horse to address these tumors so they don't interfere with the horse's health, reports EQUUS magazine.

To determine the best therapy for SCC, researchers at the University of Pennsylvania's New Bolton Center studied the records of 50 horses treated at the hospital for masses on their nictitating membranes.

They determined that 45 of the masses on the nictitating membrane were abnormal growths, and 37 of the masses were squamous cell carcinoma. Nineteen of the horses were treated with partial or complete surgical removal of the nictitating membrane as the sole therapy. The other 31 horses had surgery that was followed by topical chemotherapy.

Reports following the surgery showed that the masses recurred in 20 percent of study horses, with the average time to recurrence being two years and three months. Chemotherapy use did not have a significant effect on the recurrence rate, but five horses that were given a specific type of chemo had no recurrence.

Follow up reports showed that six of the horses were euthanized because of poor quality of life due to persistent discharge, obstruction of airflow or deformation of bone.

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When a horse arrived at New Bolton with a portion of his eyelid already removed, the risk of mortality was significantly higher than those horses that did not have surgery prior to being referred.

The researchers concluded that surgical removal of the eyelid in its entirety is recommended rather than simply performing a biopsy on the mass. Surgical removal followed by topical chemotherapy is the treatment of choice by New Bolton veterinarians.

‘Much-Needed Ray Of Sunshine’: Former Dual Group 1-Winning Racehorse Pays Visit To Local Hospice

Ahead of this week's Sky Bet Ebor Festival at York Racecourse, former dual Group 1 winner and York Racecourse Equine Ambassador, Remy, paid a visit to St Leonard's Hospice. Situated within a mile of the track, St Leonards is a York-based charity providing care and support to people who are terminally ill and those living with life limiting illnesses.

Patients from the hospice and their families, along with volunteers, nurses and doctors received a 'horsey hug' from Goldream, who is now known as Remy, having joined the racehorse rehoming and retraining charity New Beginnings after retiring from racing. Remy, who during his career won nearly £600,000 including two Group 1's, brought along his friend Poppy the Pony.

The clinical team at St Leonard's ensured patients were able to experience the benefit of being close to a horse by moving their wheelchair or bed to the hospice entrance. Two of the patients Josephine, joined by her husband and daughter Holly, as well as Diane, were gently nuzzled by the equine pair, and who were visibly uplifted by meeting them.

During his racing career Remy was trained by Robert Cowell in Newmarket and won the Group 1 King's Stand Stakes at Royal Ascot and Prix de L'Abbaye at Longchamp. He also made several successful trips to York Racecourse and ran twice in the Group 1 Nunthorpe Stakes at the Ebor Festival. Through a partnership between New Beginnings and York Racecourse, earlier this year he was enrolled as the racecourse ambassador, and as well as racegoers being able to meet him at the majority of the York fixtures, he also visits groups and communities who might benefit from meeting a racehorse.

Frances Pantin, Occupational Therapist at St Leonards Hospice commented: “We were absolutely thrilled to have a special visit from Remy and Poppy. It certainly brightened up our day and created some very special memories for Diane, Josephine and her family. Thank you to York Racecourse and New Beginnings for taking the time to organize the visit and creating a very memorable day for us all.”

William Derby, Chief Executive of York Racecourse added: “I know from personal experience the positive effect that can be gained from people spending time with horses and it was a privilege to see the impact of Remy on everyone from the St Leonard's community.

“With our flagship Ebor Festival just two weeks away we wanted to support the work of our local hospice by providing some comfort to patients and their families who are currently going through an exceedingly difficult time. Remy and Poppy both brought a much-needed ray of sunshine to the patients and team at St Leonard's and we are grateful to them and the New Beginnings team and everyone at the hospice who helped make this important visit happen.”

Founders of New Beginnings, Kevin and Pam Atkinson said: “If we made one person smile that would have been enough, but Remy and Poppy bought lots smiles to lots of faces today. After being an outstanding athlete on the racecourse, it's a very touching experience to now see Remy being so quiet, gentle, and caring with people, particularly with those who are in pain physically or mentally. The positive impact he had on both Josephine and Diane was clear and it has been a very special and memorable morning.

“I think Remy and Poppy nearly ate their bodyweight in carrots during their visit – but they both absolutely deserve it!”

The post ‘Much-Needed Ray Of Sunshine’: Former Dual Group 1-Winning Racehorse Pays Visit To Local Hospice appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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