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Two Horses Test Positive For EHV-1 At Virginia Horse Center

Two horses displaying neurologic signs at a USEF licensed competition at the Virginia Horse Center (VHC) were confirmed positive for Equine Herpesivrus-1(EHV-1). Both horses were immediately moved off the grounds to a veterinary clinic. One horse is receiving medical care and is stable. Sadly, the other horse was euthanized due to the severity of clinical signs.

Approximately 80 exposed horses that were stabled in the same barn as the two positive horses at the VHC have been placed under quarantine, prohibited from competition, and placed in isolation by the State Veterinarian's Office of the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services. All exposed horses are being monitored twice daily for fever (temperature over 101.50° F) and other clinical signs.

No other horses at the horse show are considered exposed and the horse show will continue. However, out of an abundance of caution, the unexposed horses are having temperatures and clinical signs monitored.

The USEF Equine Health and Biosecurity Veterinarian, Dr. Katie Flynn, has been in direct communication with all parties regarding the response to the confirmation of EHV-1.

“I applaud the VHC staff, the show veterinarians, competition management, and show participants for their prompt response and collaborative efforts to immediately implement biosecurity measures to protect the health of all equines on the premises,” said Dr. Flynn.

Based on the thorough assessment of the premises by the Virginia State Veterinarian's office, and the immediate activation of the VHC biosecurity and disease response plan upon confirmation of EHV-1; the USEF supports the continuation of competition with the enhanced biosecurity measures and monitoring of horse health through twice daily temperature recording and observation for signs of illness. USEF will continue to monitor the situation.

As a reminder when commingling horses, there is always a risk of disease. There is no way to eliminate all risks. Vaccination and good biosecurity practices reduce the risk of disease while at competitions. For more biosecurity tips for keeping horses healthy during competition visit https://www.usef.org/forms-pubs/Kgxcgp4ytKE/exhibitor-biosecurity-measures-pamphlet

For more information on EHV-1 or the latest on disease outbreaks visit https://equinediseasecc.org/.

The post Two Horses Test Positive For EHV-1 At Virginia Horse Center appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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Study Finds Ice Blankets May Be Effective To Keep Stalled Horses Cool

It can be difficult to return a horse to pre-exercise temperatures in hot and humid environments, but sometimes it's even harder to keep a stationary horse comfortable in a hot stall. Horses that have exerted themselves are often hosed down or placed under misters until their body temperature returns to normal. Horses in stalls don't have this option and fans often can't move enough air to keep them comfortable when temperature and humidity really climbs.

Dr. Yuki Ojima and a team of researchers from the Kitasato University School of Veterinary Medicine in Towada wanted to know whether an ice blanket could solve these problems. According to The Horse, they found it could be a solution to improve equine comfort.

An added bonus? The ice blanket eliminates the need for the horse to have wet hooves for an extended period of time, minimizing the risk of thrush or white line disease created by some cooling measures.

To test their ice-blanket theory, the researchers used a light woven blanket and ensured that attached ice packs would not damage the horse's skin at three main contact points: the front of the back; the rear of the back and the loins. They also ensured that the temperature of the packs wouldn't increase so much in the sun that they couldn't cool effectively.

They used 19 horses to measure the following variables three times a day: skin surface temperature, heart rate, respiratory rate, rectal temperature, and plasma cortisol. The horses were stalled and not exercised on study days, which were when the ambient temperature was forecasted to exceed 77 degrees F.

The researchers found that when horses wore the blanket, the skin temperature on the front of the back decreased over time; the skin temperature decreased to the rear of the back and the loins, but not by as significant of an amount, most likely due to blanket shifting, the researchers note.

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They also found that the horses' heart rates, respiratory rates and plasma cortisol levels decreased when wearing the ice blanket.

More research is needed to determine how effectively the ice blanket works on horses that have just exercised.

Doctor’s Note Needed: Certain Equine Antimicrobials Now Require Prescriptions

Thanks to new federal regulations, horse owners are no longer able to purchase certain antibiotics at tack shops or feed stores as over-the-counter medications. These include oxytetracyclines, tylosin, injectable penicillin, all “sulfa” antimicrobials and all mastitis medications, according to The Horse.

The results of the recently-passed legislation are not expected to have a major effect on horse owners or equine veterinarians as both the owner and the veterinarian are expected to have an established veterinarian-client-patient relationship (VCPR) to prescribe medications. Veterinarians are not required to provide the horse with the antibiotic; they must only provide the prescription.

A VCPR must meet these five criteria, according to the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA):

The veterinarian has assumed the responsibility for making clinical judgments regarding the health of the patient, and the client has agreed to follow the veterinarian's instructions.
The veterinarian has sufficient knowledge of the patient to initiate at least a general or preliminary diagnosis of the medical condition of the patient. This means the veterinarian is personally acquainted with the keeping and care of the patient by virtue of a timely examination of the patient by the veterinarian or medically appropriate and timely visits by the veterinarian to the operation where the patient is managed.
The veterinarian is readily available for follow-up evaluation or has arranged for veterinary emergency coverage and continuing care and treatment.
The veterinarian provides oversight of treatment, compliance, and outcome.
Patient records are maintained.

This law will encourage horse owners to contact their veterinarian at the onset of illness as they will not be able to purchase antimicrobials at the store to try to treat the horse themselves before calling in medical assistance.

Ag Lime, Garden Lime, And Caustic Lime: Is There A Difference For Horse Stalls?

Many horse owners have used agricultural or gardening lime in barns, often over urine-soaked areas in stalls to neutralize the ammonia smell. Once allowed to dry, the area is covered over with bedding before the horse's skin comes into contact with it.

But is this practice safe? Some owners are concerned that the lime will dry out horse hooves or damage equine lungs – not to mention burn sensitive skin.

Dr. Karen Waite, Equine Extension Specialist with Michigan State University, tells Equus that there is no scientific evidence indicating that agricultural lime causes any issues in horses, including with their hooves, skin, or lungs.

Agricultural lime is primarily made up of calcium carbonate, a nontoxic substance used in human antacid products. “Caustic lime,” which includes quicklime and hydrated lime, however, has been processed in a way that will burn skin (human and equine) as well as vegetation. These limes should be avoided for all home, barn and garden use.

Agricultural lime is basically ground stone. Some equine lungs may be sensitive to the powder if it's inhaled, so it's best to apply ag lime to stalls while the horses aren't in them. Additionally, ag lime can be purchased in a pelleted form, which will further decrease the chance of inhalation.

If a barn often smells of ammonia from urine output, it's worthwhile to investigate why the smell is so strong, says Waite. Stall cleaning frequency and protocol may need to be investigated, and it's best to leave windows, vents and doors open to promote airflow.