Horse Health | Horse Racing Free Tips

Cellulitis: A Challenging Condition To Cure

Cellulitis is a sudden, painful skin infection that requires aggressive, immediate care. Most commonly affecting the hind legs, many horses recover readily, but complications are possible, and chronic flare-ups are a possibility.

Cellulitis occurs when bacteria penetrate the epidermis of the skin and multiplies in the subcutis, which is made up mainly of fatty and connective tissues. Primary cellulitis has no specific point of origin and exactly how it penetrates the skin is often unknown. Secondary cellulitis occurs when bacteria enter tissues through a known route, like a wound or surgical incision.

Cellulitis can be caused by a variety of bacteria and needs to be treated promptly. Left untreated, the infection can affect bone, tendon or synovial structures. Sepsis and laminitis can also occur.

Signs of cellulitis include:

Dramatic swelling that comes on rapidly and feels firm
Heat
Pain that tends to appear when the horse is asked to step forward rather than bear weight
Fever
Wetness: the swelling can progress rapidly to the point where fluid leaks from cracks in skin that is overstretched

A vet may take X-rays or do an ultrasound to rule out other possible issues like a joint infection or fracture. He or she may also culture the fluid weeping from the leg; this will help determine what bacteria is involved so that the proper antibiotic can be administered.

The primary treatment for cellulitis is intravenous antibiotics, as well as nonsteroidal anti-inflammatories to help with pain and swelling. Cold hosing or ice boots or bandaging can also help.

Horses with secondary cellulitis tend to recover more rapidly. Though some cases of cellulitis can be managed at home, severe cases may need to be referred to an equine hospital.

Horses that have had even one episode of cellulitis become susceptible to chronic cellulitis, specifically in the same limb, whether the skin was permanently damaged from the extreme swelling or because circulatory and lymphatics systems have been damaged to the point that they are unable to mount an immune response. Horses that have had cellulitis even once should be monitored carefully as even the tiniest wound may initiate a new round of cellulitis.

Tips to avoid cellulitis recurrence:

Turn out the horse as much as possible in dry condition
Use shampoo sparingly when bathing
Avoid sharing grooming tools and sterilize them regularly

Stall-Side Test Can Help Determine If A Cough Is Contagious

A coughing horse isn't always an immediate concern, but sometimes his cough can be caused by more than just inhaled dust. A new stall-side blood test can help determine if his cough is caused by a chronic inflammatory condition or infectious disease. If the cough is caused by an infectious disease, it's important to take immediate steps to protect other horses on the farm.

Drs. Molly Vinera, Melissa Mazan, Daniela Bedenice, Samantha Mapes and Nicola Pusterla created a study to test for the significance of the protein serum amyloid (SAA) in the blood of horse's with various respiratory conditions. The presence of SAA is indicative of inflammation; it has been used to evaluate and monitor colic and joint disease treatment.

The research team reviewed records of 167 horses that were sent to clinics for respiratory issues; they then analyzed stored serum samples related to each case. The scientists divided the horses into four groups: horses with equine influenza virus (EIV), horses with equine herpesvirus-4 (EHV-4), horses with strangles and horses with heaves. Serum samples from an additional 40 healthy horses served as controls.

They then used an available stall-side test to determine SAA levels in the stored samples. The results of the test showed that all horses with respiratory issues had higher SAA levels then the control horses. Horses that had equine influenza or other infectious respiratory diseases had significantly higher SAA levels than the horses that had heaves or other noninfectious inflammatory conditions.

The team concludes that these findings suggest that stall-side SAA tests can be a useful first step in diagnosing the cause of equine coughs: It allows for the differentiation between infectious and non-infectious respiratory problems, which can help veterinarians make better treatment and management recommendations.

Read the full study here.

Study Shows Which Equine Activities Make Horses Stressed

A new study shows that the type of riding a horse is asked to do and his age affect cortisol release. Drs. Boguslawa Dlugosz, Tomasz Próchniak, Monika Stefaniuk, Marta Basiaga, Jaroslaw Łuszczyńśki and Magdalena Pieszka created a study to determine what level of stress horses experienced when engaged in a variety of types of riding.

The research team used 68 horses that were divided into groups based on the type of activity they were asked to do, their breed, age, gender and type of saliva collection. Activities the horses were involved in included dressage, jumping, giving lessons, reining, driving, hippotherapy exercises, lunging and hacking outside an arena. Saliva samples were taken at 6 a.m., 6 p.m. and immediately after the horse was ridden.

It was discovered that salivary cortisol was lowest before noon and highest during the night; cortisol levels can be affected by management, transport and weather. The scientists noted that monotonous training, changing the hours of training and handling the horse in an unprofessional manner that may cause pain and discomfort can all affect the horse's cortisol levels.

Young horses had higher levels of cortisol no matter what activity they did; it's assumed that age and skill level allow horses to better cope with the demands of recreational riding. The team also found that horses with the highest levels of cortisol are those involved in dressage, jumping, driving and reining; school horses and hippotherapy horse had cortisol levels that changed the least.

It's believed that the stress dressage horses feel is related to the way in which they are asked to carry themselves to correctly complete movements.

Read the study here.

How Horses Helped With the Creation Of A COVID-19 Vaccine

People across the United States and Canada began receiving the COVID-19 vaccine this week, less than a year after the novel coronavirus that lead to a worldwide pandemic was first identified. The equine industry played a small but relevant role in this amazing scientific feat.

West Nile Virus first emerged in the United States 1999; in 2005, Fort Dodge Animal Health created a vaccine to protect horses from the mosquito-borne disease. This vaccine was the world's first DNA vaccine approved for human or animal use—and the technology used to make it became key to creating the COVID-19 vaccine.

Conventional vaccines used a killed or inactive form of a virus that teaches the body how to mount an immune response to it. DNA vaccines use small pieces of genetic material from a virus; the material itself is injected into the recipient and their cells transcribe the DNA into messenger RNA, which creates distinct proteins to jumpstart the body's immune response. This immune response will defend against the entire virus. Gene-based vaccines are faster to develop and manufacture than traditional vaccines.

Manufactured by Pfizer, the new COVID-19 vaccine is the next generation of genetic vaccines; it's a novel mRNA vaccine that directly translates into proteins once the cell incorporates it. The equine West Nile DNA vaccine was a beginning step for the creation of this vaccine, proving that nucleic acid-based vaccines were safe and effective.