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NZ Horse Diagnosed With Novel Papilloma Virus

A 10-year-old Warmblood gelding in New Zealand was referred to a veterinary clinic with two masses on his left fetlock. The masses were each over an inch in diameter and had hard, rough surfaces. They grew rapidly in the three weeks since the horse's owner had discovered them. A piece of one of the masses was sent for microscopic evaluation and Drs. John Munday, Michael Hardcastle and Melissa Sim determined that a novel papillomavirus caused the lesions.

Papillomaviruses are double-stranded DNA viruses that tend to be host specific. There are nine equine papillomaviruses that have been sequenced; the first to be sequenced was Equus caballus type 1 (EcPV1), which causes papillomas in horses.

The masses the gelding had were most similar to EcPV1, but they didn't present in the same way: EcPV1 generally causes small masses around the face. Veterinarians treated the masses with imiquimod ad the lesions resolved in 14 weeks.

The study team noted that papillomas only develop when a host is infected by a papillomavirus for the first time, which is why warts (papillomas) typically develop in young horses. This is an additional indication that the virus that caused the lesions in the older horse is new.

Read the full study here.

Can Horses Eat Pumpkin Safely?

Pumpkins are prevalent at grocery stores, farmer's markets and roadside stands about now, and they're more than just the rage for humans—many horses enjoy the taste of pumpkin, too. High in vitamins A and E, as well as in fiber and folate, pumpkins are tasty treats to many horses.

Instead of throwing away carved pumpkins after Halloween, horse owners can remove the stem and leave the pumpkin in the pasture as a toy or a tasty treat. Some horses enjoy the rind as well as the pulp inside the pumpkin.

If the pumpkin was used as a jack-o'-lantern, be sure to remove any melted wax before offering it to equines. If it was a whole pumpkin used as decoration, there's no need to scrape out the seeds, either—many horses enjoy them as a tasty treat. Pumpkin can also be cut into bite-sized pieces and fed as a treat.

Though pumpkin is safe snacking for most equines, if a horse has been diagnosed with hyperkalemic periodic paralysis (HYPP), signs of the disease may be exacerbated by pumpkin ingestion as it contains a high level of potassium.

Hearing In Louisiana Kill Pen Case Delayed Till December

The Louisiana Department of Agriculture is proceeding with cases against two people associated with a well-known kill pen operation in the state. Hearings for Jacob Thompson and Tara Sanders were postponed from an October meeting of the state's Board of Animal Health until its next regularly scheduled meeting on Dec. 3.

Earlier this year, the Department asked a judge to issue a temporary restraining order against Gary Thompson and Jacob Thompson, both of Vernon Parish, to stop them from buying and selling livestock. The order was also designed to prevent anyone from acting as a livestock dealer on the Thompsons' behalf. According to the state's complaint, both Thompsons had acted in the capacity of livestock dealers — buying horses and cattle and selling them within 30 days of purchase — while they did not hold dealer licenses in Louisiana.

Charges from mid-September state Jacob Thompson is alleged to have committed ten violations of state regulations requiring agents and dealers to be licensed by the Board of Animal Health and ten violations of a different regulation requiring dealers to file a surety instrument with the state in order to operate.

The Department also alleges Sanders committed 11 violations of the regulation requiring agents and dealers be licensed by the Board of Animal Health. Correspondence from the state to Sanders allege she bought and sold at least 11 horses between May and August of this year while she was unlicensed.

According to the state, Sanders submitted an application in mid-August for a dealer's license and a copy of the requisite bond or surety instrument. State officials claim the application contained material misstatements that could put the application in jeopardy. They claim there were discrepancies between Sanders' application and secretary of state filings about whether she or Thompson currently own the kill pen. Sanders claims she has purchased the kill pen business from longtime partner Jacob Thompson, and that he is now employed by the business.

Louisiana Director of Animal Health John Walther told Sanders on Aug. 14 she could not conduct business as a livestock dealer until she had a permit. The state says she did so anyway, triggering a cease and desist letter on Sept. 3 that Sanders is also alleged to have ignored. The lot has continued marketing horses for sale on its Facebook page throughout recent weeks.

Sanders told the Paulick Report in August that the state's petition for a temporary restraining order and a preliminary and permanent injunction against the business did not apply to her because she maintained residency in Oklahoma, where livestock dealer permits are not required.

The company operated by Sanders and Thompson has been marketed under various names on social media but is most commonly known as Thompson Horse Lot or JT Livestock. The lot is known for purchasing horses from various auctions in the area and threatening to ship horses to slaughterhouses in Mexico if they are not sold. Social media users are offered the opportunity to purchase the horses at a set price based on photos and videos or to contribute to the horse's “bail” fee and allow someone else to own the horse.

In addition to the state's proceedings against the pair for licensing issues, a public information act request from early October revealed the Department is in the midst of an “active animal health investigation” related to the lot. No further details were available on the nature of the investigation as of Oct. 6.

The post Hearing In Louisiana Kill Pen Case Delayed Till December appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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Laminitic Horses May Benefit From Hoof Casts And Heel Wedges

New research from shows that elevating a laminitic horse's heel using a wedge and hoof cast can help alleviate some of the pain associated with the condition.

The breakover phase of a horse's stride is the most painful part for horses suffering from acute laminitis. This is when the heaviest load is placed on the toe and middle region of the hoof. The goal of the new therapy was to try to shift the load from the most-painful area of the hoof onto undamaged areas.

Drs. Al Naem, Lutz-Ferdinand Litzke, Klaus Failing, Johanna Hoffmann, Michael Röcken and Florian Geburek medically treated eight horses with acute laminitis and also applied a hoof cast with a heel wedge.

Measurements were taken with the cast in place and when the cast was removed, when the horse was barefoot. The hoof print was divided into toe, middle hoof and heel region, and measurements were taken that included vertical force, stance duration, contact area while standing, duration of breakover, vertical force on the toe during breakover, and location of the center of force.

The scientists determined that both the vertical force and contact area were higher in the heel region when the horse was wearing both the wedge and the cast, but that decreased once each was removed. The breakover phase lasted just 2 percent of the stance phase when the horse had the cast and wedge in place; it was 6 percent of the stance phase when the horse was barefoot.

The team concluded that heel elevation significantly shortened the breakover phase and decreased the vertical force in the toe region. They suggest that the application of a wedge and a cast to the affected hooves of a horse with laminitis will decreases the stress on the lamellae and reduce pain. The researchers did note that long-term application of a wedge and cast may result in crushed heels, cracks or misplaced bulbs, so they suggest that these tools be limited to two to three weeks of use.

Read the full article here.