Digital Technology And The Equine VetJune 9, 2011 Portable digital diagnostic equipment has revolutionized the way mobile equine practitioners work. With diagnostic equipment onboard, veterinarians no longer need to rely on outside clinics for diagnostic tests. Tiffany Marr, DVM, of Mid Atlantic Equine Medical in Ringoes, N.J., counts herself fortunate to be in a generation of equine practitioners who can find immediate answers for themselves and their clients in the field. “Portable ultrasound in particular has given ambulatory vets a light at the end of the tunnel,” she says. “Did the horse really incur a suspensory injury, have suspensory desmitis, and how bad is it? Does this foal have an infected umbilicus, does it need surgery or can it be managed medically? “We can now gather and exchange important information today, not next week when we get [the horse] referred. And if the practitioner is not associated with a clinic, then they are not passing up the income.” Because digital veterinary technology draws from the same improvements in the computer and camera world, equipment becomes smaller, more efficient and more affordable every year. Here are four developments in digital diagnostic equipment: Smaller Endoscopes In 2005, BioVision Technologies developed for the human …
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Supplements And Herbs For The Equine PracticeJune 9, 2011 Follow Veterinary Practice News on Twitter at @vetpetnews. While not all supplements are popular in traditional veterinary medicine practices, some are trusted as much as prescription drugs. Medical herbs, however, are a separate entity entirely, according to veterinarians practicing holistic medicine. “If we talk about medical herbs, then you are giving medicine that is an extract of plants or minerals and it should be tailored to a diagnosis in an individual patient,” says Stewart Beckett, DVM, of Beckett & Associates Veterinary Services LLC in Glastonbury, Conn. “The argument about herbs is that they are bioactive, but have precursors and metabolites that all have activity and potentially less toxicity (greater therapeutic safety margin) than a synthesized drug. It is the same principle as triple sulfas vs. a single sulfa in treating animals.” Sometimes holistic veterinarians recommend Chinese food therapy in chorus with specific herbs. “After determining the proper traditional Chinese veterinary medicine (TCVM) diagnosis, I prescribe specific Chinese herbal combinations,” says Patricia Baley, DVM, PhD, CVA, CVH, FAAVA, of TCVM for Animals in Hockley, Texas. “There are also specific foods that I recommend for conditions. For example, fresh celery is a …
Comments Due On Petition To Amend Horse Protection ActJune 9, 2011 Follow Veterinary Practice News on Twitter at @vetpetnews. Comments on a petition requesting changes to the Horse Protection Act are due June 13. The petition requests that the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service change its regulations and policies regarding the protection of horses from the practice of soring. The petitioners’ requests include permanently disqualifying horses that have been scarred from soring from competitions, permanently disqualifying repeat violators of the Horse Protection Act, requiring horse industry organizations to impose minimum penalties for violations and decertifying noncompliant horse industry organizations. APHIS, which is part of the United States Department of Agriculture, noted that the Horse Protection Act does not give it the authority to implement certain requests in the petition. For instance, APHIS does not have the authority under the act to permanently disqualify horses that have been scarred from soring from competitions. APHIS also does not have the authority to permanently disqualify repeat violators of the act. “The disqualification provisions and penalty provisions are clearly enumerated in the [Horse Protection Act],” according to APHIS. The petition was sent to APHIS on Aug. 4, 2010, by the American Society for the Prevention …
Preventing Ulcers Is A Matter Of TimingJune 9, 2011 Succeed Equine Fecal Blood Test, which was taken off the market early this year because of manufacturing difficulties, will be relaunched this month. The new antibody test helps practitioners diagnose gastrointestinal health conditions in equine patients. Freedom Health LLC voluntarily stopped making the product because of inconsistencies in the delivery method for results. Changes have been made in manufacturing the test strips, which previously did not wick up the solution and activate properly. “The science used in the test is accurate and highly reliable,” said Patrick Warzcak, Freedom Health’s vice president of marketing. “The use of novel antibodies to detect specific components of equine blood in feces as an indication of GI tract conditions is supported by several studies and our own testing.” The kit consists of Test A to detect albumin and Test H to indicate the presence of hemoglobin. Together, they can help differentiate foregut from hindgut conditions, the company says. The test can be performed in the barn in a few minutes with only a fecal sample, 3 ounces of clean tap water and a single kit. Results appear within five minutes. ‘My …
More Clients Vaccinating Own HorsesJune 9, 2011 Veterinarians across the country seem to agree that the equine industry needs better vaccines and improved education of horse owners regarding vaccinations. Vaccine Wish List D. Craig Barnett, DVM, would like to see vaccinations against Lyme disease, Clostridial diseases, Rhodococcus equi, salmonella, and leptospirosis. Dr. Barnett is senior equine technical services veterinarian with Intervet/ Schering-Plough Animal Health in Paola, Kan. He is on the American Assn. of Equine Practitioners’ Infectious Disease Committee and helped write the group’s current vaccination guidelines. Barnett also is hoping for a safer and more efficacious strangles vaccine as well as an updated, more efficacious Potomac horse fever vaccine. “The challenge is making vaccines that are both efficacious and safe,” he says. “Manufacturers also have to see a return on investment because of the significant research and development cost required to bring a new vaccine to the market. “Examples of improvement and advances in innovative vaccine technology,” he says, “are well represented by Flu Avert IN (Intervet’s intranasal modified live influenza vaccine) and PreveNile (Intervet’s West Nile vaccine, live …
Rebuilding Athletes To Peak PerformanceJune 9, 2011 Equine rehabilitation has been gaining increased interest since 2002, when the first facility dedicated to rehabilitation of equine athletes opened in Kentucky. Therapies such as stem cell therapy, Interleukin-1 receptor antagonist protein (IRAP) and platelet rich plasma (PRP) are often prescribed by veterinarians and used in rehabilitation centers along with underwater treadmill, laser therapy, cold saltwater spas and hyperbaric chambers. Rehabilitating a horse after an injury features controlled exercise that promotes range of motion (ROM) and the growth of healthy tissue rather than scar tissue, allowing for a faster return to normal activity levels. “Veterinarians make a diagnosis, prescribe medication and choose a rehabilitation program, but typically rely on an equine rehabilitation facility outside of their hospital to carry out the therapy,” says Patrick Grohl, owner of Premiere Equine Center LLC, in Oakdale, Calif. “Sometimes finding a qualified rehabilitator can be difficult, depending on the region.” Levels of rehabilitation differ, with facilities offering or specializing in specific services. Experts suggest equine practitioners make a connection with a facility they believe can carry out rehabilitation and medication instructions even if performance horses and racers aren’t a large part of the clientele. “While performance horses are perhaps …
The Obesity ProblemJune 9, 2011 Follow Veterinary Practice News on Twitter at @vetpetnews. Equine nutritional problems are often the fault of horse owners who dole out improper ration sizes or oversupplement, experts say. These practices, experts say, are opposite of how a horse’s digestive system normally processes food. Horses are grazing animals designed to eat small amounts throughout the day and periodically nap in 15- to 20-minute intervals. Equine stomachs constantly produce acid regardless of the presence of food, which can lead to ulcers and behavioral problems as the animals chew and eat in an effort to produce saliva. “Saliva is a natural antacid,” says Juliet M. Getty, Ph.D., of Getty Equine Nutrition LLC in Bayfield, Colo. “Horses will eat whatever they can to produce saliva, including manure and their wooden stalls. Providing high-quality hay at all times allows the horse to self-regulate food intake and reduces its stress.” A common owner misconception is that a horse will become overweight if hay is provided at all times, says Dr. Getty, who wrote the book “Feed Your Horse Like a Horse” and founded GettyEquineNutrition.com, a consultation service. An empty stomach may cause stress, increasing the hormone …
Compounded Drugs Barred From AAEP ConventionJune 9, 2011 Follow Veterinary Practice News on Twitter at @vetpetnews. Veterinary pharmaceutical compounding companies will not be permitted to display or discuss compounded products at the American Assn. of Equine Practitioners’ annual convention in December in San Diego. It is the first time compounding products will be excluded from a veterinary conference. AAEP’s board of directors in cooperation with the association’s Drug Compounding task force made the decision, citing their non-regulatory status as a blockade in enforcing lawful product sales. Association representatives say the ban is the only way to ensure AAEP isn’t an instrument in the sale of illegal and potentially harmful drugs. “We support legal compounding methods,” says Sally Baker, AAEP’s director of public relations. “In the past, we asked compounding pharmacies to sign an agreement stating they would not sell or exhibit products not in compliance with Food and Drug Administration rules, but we found that companies were not abiding by the agreement and this action is a direct effect of some compounders’ non-compliance.” The International Academy of Compounding Pharmacists (IACP), which represents compounding pharmacists, responded to AAEP’s decision with a letter, followed by numerous unreturned …
How To Help Owners Put Their Horses On A DietJune 9, 2011 Horses get fat the same way humans do: overeating and lack of exercise, says Kenneth Kopp, DVM, technical services veterinarian for Arenus in St. Louis, Mo. “Equine obesity is rampant,” Dr. Kopp says. “Obesity may increase the risk of many maladies such as laminitis, developmental orthopedic disease, arthritis and several metabolic disorders. “It is well-known that surplus body fat can tilt the animal toward a pro-inflammatory state as well as contribute to metabolic disorders such as insulin resistance.” Today’s equine diet is similar to the American human diet: too many soluble carbohydrates. “Veterinarians should communicate with owners to make sure that the grain ration being fed is what the horse actually needs and is fed in proper amounts,” he says. “Vets could assist owners by suggesting they weigh their animal’s total ration instead of just offering coffee cans or scoops of grain and flakes of hay.” In some areas of the country, good forage is scarce or hay is hard to get and expensive. Owners may need to feed more grain. Improved seed technologies have created maximized-gain pastures with more carbohydrates than native grass to better fatten cattle. “Wild grasses are …
AAD Raises $11 Million For Mastitis R&DJune 9, 2011 Follow Veterinary Practice News on Twitter at @vetpetnews. Advanced Animal Diagnostics (AAD) reported in March that it closed an $11 million Series B round of equity financing. The investment represents the largest single investment in research and development to diagnose mastitis, the costliest disease for dairy producers worldwide, according to the Durham, N.C.-based company. The financing was led by Intersouth Partners and included Novartis Venture Funds as well as other private investors. AAD’s first on-farm product will focus on improving milk production and quality by controlling mastitis. Future products will monitor disease states, reproductive, nutritional and overall health status of production animals, according to the company. “With this investment, AAD will be able to bring to market a new generation of diagnostics technologies that will revolutionize the way farmers approach animal health, allowing them to detect and diagnose diseases in their animals more quickly and efficiently than ever before,” said Joy Parr Drach, president and CEO of AAD. AAD it expects the financing to support hiring for key positions, production and manufacturing and on-farm economic trials of its first product line. The firm is seeking cooperators for those on-farm trials. …
