veterinary care | Horse Racing Free Tips

PHBA Donates $150K to New Bolton

The Pennsylvania Horse Breeders Association donated $150,000 to the Equine Pharmacology Laboratory at the University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine's (Penn Vet) New Bolton Center that will support continued research in equine biomarkers.

The new round of PHBA funding will bolster three key research initiatives focused on improving the health and safety of equine athletes and enhancing integrity in racing. One area of research seeks to identify novel mRNA biomarkers that can help proactively predict if a horse is at risk for injury, even for injuries that are difficult or impossible to detect using conventional methods. Ultimately, researchers hope to develop a rapid stall-side blood test that could be administered prior to a race, helping racing officials accurately detect horses that may be at an elevated risk.

The funding will also support Penn Vet's sample collection for continued development of an Equine Biological Passport through the expansion of the Equine Pharmacology Laboratory's BioBank. Samples from the BioBank are analyzed to determine baseline levels of blood-based biomarkers found in racehorses. Once established, these baseline levels can be used to determine if blood samples taken from a horse pre- or post-race show any variations from baseline indicative of illness, injury or prohibited substances.

“The PHBA is very proud to continue its partnership with Penn Vet by providing an additional grant of $150,000 to fund this incredibly important and timely research program,” said Deanna Manfredi, PhD, a member of the Pennsylvania Horse Breeders Association's Board of Directors. “This research program has the potential to have a very positive impact on the sport we all love and ensure its continued success through advances in preventing breakdowns, promoting equine health, and enhancing racing integrity.”

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Hagyard First Private Practice To Offer Rotavirus B Testing

Edited Press Release

Hagyard Equine Medical Institute announced that they are now offering PCR testing for Rotavirus B. The Rotavirus PCR test is available as a single test or as part of Hagyard's Neonatal Panel or Foal Diarrhea Panel.

Rotaviruses are serious, life-threatening diseases that are highly contagious in foals. Rotavirus B was a novel strain discovered in Central Kentucky during the 2021 foaling season. It was quickly identified as a new strain, responsible for a wave of neonatal foals that presented with severe diarrhea between one and four days of age. Some farms even felt the effects of a 100% morbidity rate.

“This new strain caused considerable concern for our industry in the 2021 foaling season. To be able to offer testing moving into the 2022 foaling season is a great relief for our clients,” said Nathan Slovis, DVM, DACVIM, CHT of Hagyard Equine Medical Institute. His credentials also include Director of the McGee Medicine Center and he is considered a world leader in equine infectious disease response.

As with all Rotaviruses, biosecurity precautionary measures should be taken to reduce the risk of infection to other horse:

1) Ensure that other horses do not come in contact with the infected foal;

2) Utilize separate or disinfected tools to clean their stall or paddock, and;

3) Wear disposable gloves when working with the foal. Wash your hands when you are finished.

Bleach is ineffective against rotavirus, so disinfects such as Tek-Trol, Biophene, Environ, Accelerated Hydrogen Peroxide (Rescue) and Stroke-1 are examples of disinfectants that can be used.

Research is being conducted to better understand the virus and to develop a vaccine for young, susceptible horses. Current vaccines for Rotavirus A do not protect against the new B strain. To that end, Hagyard's testing and Laboratory can differentiate Rotavirus B from Rotavirus A strains.

“Being on the forefront of challenging our industry's problems is what has set us apart for the last 145 years”, Slovis continued. “Hagyard has always championed innovation to improve the care and wellbeing of these amazing animals.”

“We felt it was important that veterinarians both within and outside of the Hagyard practice have access to a lab like ours,” added Luke Fallon, DVM, who is the Medical Director of Hagyard Equine Medical Institute. “It's a crucial component of any comprehensive wellness plan.”

Hagyard's Laboratory offers its services to all veterinarians. Testing is available in blood bank, chemistry, Coggins, cytology, endocrinology, hematology, microbiology, PCR and serology. It has also won awards for its Laboratory Information System and is accredited by the Clinical Laboratory Standards Institute.

Additional information about Hagyard's Laboratory can be found here.

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Santa Anita-Based ‘Free Animal Doctor’ Continues To Help Financially Challenged Pet Owners

Now entering its second year, Santa Anita-based Free Animal Doctor, a non-profit that provides free veterinary services to dogs and cats, has paid out more than $300,000 in veterinary care on pets based in Southern California and throughout the United States. Additionally, Free Animal Doctor will have spayed or neutered approximately 825 dogs or cats by year's end and will have vaccinated and/or micro-chipped more than half of them.

Free Animal Doctor (FAD), conveniently located in Santa Anita's parking Lot 7, opened its doors to the public on Sept. 15, 2020. FAD utilizes Crowdfunding to raise monies for specific pets and provides itemized cost accounting which is directed by each animal's attending veterinarian.

“During the past year, our relationships with the Pasadena Humane Society and the San Gabriel Valley Humane Society have blossomed,” said Sam Bernardo, FAD co-founder. “This is in large-part due to the fact that our respective missions complement each other. Both of these organizations refer us to individuals who can't afford their pet's unexpected veterinary care.

“We are also listed as spay and neuter alternatives on their websites. In return, we offer fund raising services to both PHS and SGVHS.”

Bernardo, a practicing attorney who is based in Sierra Madre, explained that through Crowdfunding, costs are limited to each specific veterinary procedure.

“Once the money is raised for each individual animal's procedure, no additional money is accepted,” he said.

Santa Anita's backstretch community has also benefitted from FAD, as the clinic has twice provided special days on which spay and neutering is available for just $25 per pet.

“As we had hoped, our spay and neuter clinics have also become popular with (animal) rescues and other non-profits,” said Bernardo. “For example, last month, we teamed up with a rescue sponsored by Kacey Montoya, a reporter with KTLA Channel 5, to provide a free spay and neuter clinic. And we have agreed to have similar clinics with two other Southern California non-profit rescues early next year.”

For more information on Free Animal Doctor, pet owners are encouraged to visit FreeAnimalDoctor.org, or call (626) 487-7129.

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