Congratulations to Merial for a creative initiative to celebrate the 25th birthday of Eqvalan®.
The company made a much needed donation towards the upkeep of the Pewsey White Horse in return for being able to use it as part of Eqvalan's birthday celebration publicity programme for 2008.
The money will be used to restore the protective fencing around the ancient landmark, near Marlborough in Wiltshire.
Merial's Claire Parry- Baggott explains: "There are a number of white horse sites across the UK, many of which are extremely popular visitor destinations. To keep these sites open to the public requires year-round maintenance, often from a small army of volunteers.
"Horse owners have been using Eqvalan to help protect their trusty companions for 25 years, and this initiative will help provide protection of a different kind!
"The idea sprang from the current Eqvalan advertising campaign which celebrates 25 years of worming protection. The result is a fantastic 100 feet replica of our Eqvalan birthday horse, and brand new fencing for the Pewsey White Horse!
"We were delighted to help the Pewsey Council raise funds to preserve the site and hopefully this money will enable the horse to be enjoyed by many for years to come," concludes Claire.
Horses suffering from neurological conditions similar to those that affect humans could be helped by a breakthrough from stem cell scientists, according to a study published in the journal Stem Cells and Development.
Researchers at the University of Edinburgh's Roslin Institute took skin cells from a young horse and turned them into stem cells using a technique that was originally developed for human cells. The reprogrammed cells are pluripotent, which means they can be induced to become any type of cell in the body. The team used them to create nerve cells in the laboratory and tested whether they were functional by showing that they could transmit nerve signals in a test tube.
The university says horse stem cells have been produced in the laboratory before but this is the first time that scientists have created working cells of a specific type from them. The advance may pave the way for cell therapies that target conditions similar to motor neurone disease.
In addition, the research could also benefit horses affected by grass sickness, a neurological condition that affects around 600 horses a year in the UK. Little is known about the disease, which causes nerve damage throughout the body. It is untreatable and animals with the most severe form usually die or have to be put down.
Dr Xavier Donadeu from the Roslin Institute, an author of the study, said: "Stem cells hold huge therapeutic potential both for people and animals. Our research is an important step towards realising that potential for horses and provides an opportunity to validate stem-cell based therapies before clinical studies in humans."
Pfizer Animal Health has launched a dedicated Equine Business Unit to provide a higher level of service and a comprehensive range of products to equine vets across the UK.
Created following the merger with Fort Dodge, the Pfizer Equine Business Unit is headed by Ben Lacey MA Vet MB MRCVS, who has previously held both technical and sales roles at Pfizer. Ben and his team have a brief to offer a breadth of product, support and flexibility not previously available to equine vets.
The product range offered by the Pfizer Equine Business Unit includes the Equest range of parasiticides; the Duvaxyn vaccines for Equine Herpes Virus, West Nile Virus and Rotavirus and products such as Equimidine and Torbugesic. Also offered are existing Pfizer brands such as the Equip vaccine range, the antibiotic Excenel Sterile Powder, the NSAID Rimadyl for Horses and Depo-MedroneV.
Five experienced account managers with a strong track record in the equine sector have been appointed by Pfizer to build relationships with equine vet practices on a regional basis. They are:
South East England Mark BakerWest Midlands, Cheshire, Wales Laurie MayEast Anglia, East Midlands Penny McCannSouth West, South Wales Anna CunninghamThe North, Scotland Alexandra Cox
Ben Lacey said: "Building our new team and combining the highly regarded products offered previously by both Fort Dodge and Pfizer has proved a stimulating process. We've also worked closely with many of our existing practice customers to look at how we can develop the service we provide to them.
"We're now able to offer a product range which I believe is unrivalled in the market and a highly committed team of equine professionals, who share a vision and passion for equine health. We're looking forward to building our business with both existing and new customers in the months ahead."
A new US colic study, published in Equine Veterinary Journal (EVJ), in partnership with the American Association of Equine Practitioners, has identified various risk factors, including delayed faecal output and increasing blood lactate, associated with post-anaesthetic colic.
The study Risk factors associated with gastrointestinal dysfunction in horses undergoing elective procedures under general anaesthesia was conducted by surgeons based at the College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences at Colorado State University, USA.
The authors say that the research should enable vets to implement preventative measures to help reduce incidences of colic in the future.
Gastrointestinal pain has been estimated to occur in 2.8-6% of horses following general anaesthesia for elective procedures, the most common cause being impaction of the large intestine or caecum.
The medical records of 416 horses undergoing general anaesthesia were collected over a two-year period and the potential risk factors were examined. 8.7% of horses were diagnosed with gastrointestinal dysfunction - higher than previous estimates probably because the study included horses requiring treatment for decreased faecal output whereas previous studies did not. Potential risk factors were assessed, including faecal output, which was decreased in 38.9% of cases, blood lactate, position during surgery, rectal temperature and breed of horse.
The results showed that Arabian horses, increasing blood lactate, right lateral recumbency, decreased rectal temperature post-procedure and delayed passage of faeces were significantly associated with an increased risk of gastrointestinal dysfunction.
Diana Hassel, who instigated the study, said: "These findings should help the clinician identify higher risk horses and be proactive about their management in the post-anaesthetic period.
"This may include pre-emptive nasogastric intubation and administration of mineral oil and/or water and electrolytes. Although core temperature control in horses is difficult to achieve in adult horses during surgery, further research into this field may prove beneficial."
Professor Celia Marr, Editor of the Equine Veterinary Journal said: "This study brings obvious and immediate practical benefits for clinicians and the horses under their care. Rigorous monitoring of higher risk surgical cases should lead to a reduction in incidences of post-operative colic, making recovery procedures less difficult and outcomes more favourable."
Vet Stuart Thorne from Fellowes Farm Equine Clinic in Abbots Ripton has praised the work of the charity-run National Foaling Bank after it helped save the life of an orphan three day old filly foal.
Boehringer Ingelheim has launched Care and Connect a free online PPID aftercare service for horse owners, designed to help veterinary practices monitor their PPID case load and streamline the case management process.
The new service is part of Boehringer's 'Talk About Laminitis (TAL)' Awareness campaign.
The company says that PPID is the sixth most frequently encountered disease syndrome affecting equids in the UK1, and the new service should help engage owners and vets post diagnosis, thereby maximising treatment success.
Liz Barrett, equine business manager at Boehringer, said: “PPID is a progressive disease, so it is vital that veterinary surgeons remain at the centre of care, and that horses are monitored carefully following their initial diagnosis. However we recognise the high administrative demand associated with this, and TAL Care and Connect has been designed to reduce this as much as possible.”
TAL Care and Connect will be offered automatically to horse owners who take advantage of this year’s free* ACTH testing scheme, which will be available from July to November. Equine practices can also offer this aftercare service to all owners of previously diagnosed PPID cases.
Owners who join TAL Care and Connect will be able to set up a profile for their horse which allows all their ACTH results to be stored in one place. They will then receive the relevant reminders for follow-up ACTH testing which will make it easier for vets to monitor their patient’s progress over time.
In addition, owners can download an independently-written PPID information pack. Edited by Prof. Catherine McGowan with contributions from Dr Jo Ireland, Prof. Andy Durham, David Rendle and Dr Teresa Hollands, the pack includes advice on monitoring and follow-up ACTH tests, feeding, general care of the PPID patient and the link between laminitis and PPID.
Talk About Laminitis is supported by Redwings, The British Horse Society and World Horse Welfare, and will run from July until the end of October 2015. Horse owners can find out more and obtain their free ACTH voucher code at www.talkaboutlaminitis.co.uk.
For further information contact your local Boehringer territory manager or visit www.talkaboutlaminitis.co.uk.
*Cost of laboratory test
References
Langford Veterinary Services, a fully owned subsidiary of the University of Bristol, has announced the opening of a new standing equine magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) facility at the university's equine centre.
The equine MRI facility completes the diagnostic imaging facilities in the School, which include a 16-slice CT scanner for small animals and standing horses, digital radiography, high-resolution fluoroscopy, diagnostic ultrasound, echocardiography and scintigraphy with a high-resolution 1.5 tesla MRI scanner, available seven days a week.
Evita Busschers, Senior Teaching Fellow and orthopaedic surgeon in the equine centre, said: “We are very grateful to the Trustees of the Alborada Trust and the Langford Trust who have provided generous support for the MRI facility. The new imaging facility will enable us to provide an even better and more complete service for our equine patients and completes the diagnostic imaging facilities available at the centre.
“Equine MRI offers the ability to image soft tissue structures and identify soft tissue injuries that cannot be demonstrated with other diagnostic imaging modalities and therefore has major additional value in providing a diagnosis and prognosis in lameness evaluations.”
Miles Littlewort, a trustee from the Alborada Trust added: “Donating the money is the easy bit but ensuring that it has been used where it should be and that it has made the necessary difference is much more challenging. We are so pleased to have had the opportunity to support the Langford Trust and their work to improve animal health and welfare. We are delighted to have attended the opening, to meet the clinicians who will use the magnificent facility and to learn about the clinical research which gives all veterinary surgeons evidence-based information to enhance diagnosis and treatment for all patients.”
Merial has announced that it has joined forces with the Animal Health Trust to hold Equine Flu Awareness Month in April.
Organisers say that the aim is to increase awareness, understanding and virus surveillance of this highly contagious evolving disease.
The AHT’s head of epidemiology and disease surveillance, Dr Richard Newton said: "The creation of Equine Flu Awareness Month is an important step forward for the equine industry. There have been 52 recorded outbreaks of equine influenza in the last two years, and whilst this may sound considerable, we believe it’s actually just the tip of the iceberg."
Equine Flu Awareness Month will integrate the Horserace Betting Levy Board (HBLB) Equine Influenza Surveillance Programme at the AHT with disease outbreak alerts and horse owner education to increase awareness of flu surveillance and vaccination.
The surveillance programme provides ongoing free sampling to all practices registered to the service.
Richard added: "We are fortunate that the HBLB invests in this important scheme which also benefits the industry as a whole. We know that just 40% of the total UK herd is vaccinated, so when you consider that all racehorses and many other competing and performance horses are vaccinated under compulsory rules, that leaves the remainder of the herd even less protected and the total percentage well short of the 70% required in order to prevent an epidemic¹,².
"All isolated viruses in the recent outbreaks are known to be of the Florida Clade 2 sublineage of H3N8 equine influenza, and nearly all outbreaks were in unvaccinated horses or in those whose vaccinations were not up to date³.
"Historical models indicate that an epidemic occurs every 10 to 15 years⁴. The last large outbreak in the UK, which affected vaccinated racehorses, occurred in 2003, so surveillance of virus activity, vaccination and development of vaccines to match the circulating strains are key to preventing another outbreak.
"Many horses that don’t travel are still at risk of equine influenza, but frequently go unvaccinated. These animals are not only at risk of contracting and amplifying virus from their stable-mates that do travel, but are also at risk of airborne infection as equine flu is capable of travelling over a mile as an aerosol on the wind."
Equine Flu Awareness Month will include a focus on practice vaccine amnesties and practice promotional tools with the objective to increase awareness among horse owners, for them to better understand the risks and signs of equine flu.
Louise Radford MRCVS from Merial said: "In addition to the HBLB funded surveillance scheme providing free registration and virus testing, other services include Tell-Tail™ alerts for practices when there is an outbreak in the region, and Tell-Tail™ links to alert clients to outbreaks of equine flu and encourage them to vaccinate."
She added: "Tell-Tail™ Links is a great way to let your clients know when there is an increased risk of equine flu due to an outbreak in the area. When the first broadcast was launched, a text was sent from a practice in Cardiff to 777 horse owners and within 2 weeks, 47 new horses were booked in for a primary vaccination course."
As part of the initiative, Merial is also running a draw to win one of three BEVA vouchers worth up to £1000. To enter, sign up or renew your Tell-Tail™ registration during April 2016 at: www.equinefluawareness.com.
To sign up to the free HBLB Equine Influenza Surveillance Service run by the AHT, visit: www.equiflunet.org.uk
A research project funded by The Horse Trust has found that various types of ocular tumours can be successfully treated with mitomycin C, a cytotoxic antibiotic isolated from a bacterium.
The research concludes that mitomycin C offers a safe and cost effective alternative to current treatment options such as surgery and radiation.
The research project was led by Fernando Malalana, while working as The Horse Trust's Clinical Scholar in Equine Internal Medicine at University of Liverpool. Fernando is now working as a Clinician Teacher in Equine Internal Medicine at the university.
Ocular tumours are more difficult to treat than tumours in other parts of the horse's body due to the risk of damaging the eye. In the study, Malalana investigated the use of mitomycin C in treating ocular squamous cell carcinoma, the most common ocular tumour in horses, and occular sarcoids, skin tumors that frequently affect the eyelids .
Mitomycin C is an antibiotic isolated from a bacterium, Streptomyces caespitosus. It is known to have cytotoxic effects and has been used to treat tumours in horses before, but only in combination with surgery.
Currently, the main method of treating ocular squamous cell carcinoma is by removing the tumour surgically or with radiation. Both treatments are costly and have a number of associated risks. There is also the risk of damage or scarring to the eye.
Fourteen horses with ocular squamous cell carcinoma, three of which were affected bilaterally, were included in the study. Mitomycin C was applied to the conjunctival sac of the affected eye; in some of the cases the treatment was combined with surgery. Malalana found that of the 8 eyes treated with mitomycin C alone, clinical resolution occurred in 6 cases. Of the 9 eyes treated with both surgery and mitomycin C, clinical resolution occurred in 7 cases.
Mitomycin C was also used to treat various types of sarcoids found in the eye. Currently, the most effective treatment for occular sarcoids is radioactive wire. However, radioactive wire treatment is not ideal as it is expensive, only offered in two locations in the UK, and has potential health risks to the vet applying the wire due to exposure to radioactivity.
Six horses and two donkeys with occular sarcoids, including one horse that was affected bilaterally, were treated with mitomycin C, which was injected directly into the tumour. Malalana found that of the nine nodular and fibroplastic occular sarcoids treated with the antibiotic, all were completely cleared. However, the vets did not have good results with verrucous sarcoids.
Malalana said: "The results of this research should offer hope to the owners of horses that have eye tumours. We have already been contacted by vets from across Europe to find out more information about this treatment and hope that it will be offered to more horses with occular tumours in the future".
Vets at the University of Liverpool are now testing the use of mitomycin C on other tumours that are difficult to treat surgically, including melanomas near the horse's anus. So far, two cases have been treated, but it is too early to tell whether treatment has been successful.
Malalana's research has been submitted to Veterinary Ophthalmology journal.
The farriery stream will run all day on Saturday 14 September, with content curated by Dr Simon Curtis who is internationally renowned in the hoof-care world for his remedial farriery textbooks and lectures.
Simon said: “Any historical, perceived divide between science of veterinary medicine and the craft of farriery is no longer in existence.
"The overlap is vast which means it is more essential than ever that vets, nurses and farriers understand each other’s roles in order to maximise their patient outcomes.”
“Farriery isn’t sexy, but it beats everything else for improving soundness.
"It is impossible to maintain or regain soundness without farriery being considered as an integral part of the process.
“The impact good farriery can have on a horse’s ability to tolerate conformational, work-related or other causes of lameness associated pathology is all too often overlooked by all parties, and this should no longer be the case.
"Vets and farriers must work as a team to avoid injury and facilitate recovery wherever possible.”
The sessions will cover things like the importance of trimming, the biomechanical effects of horseshoes, why heels collapse, chronic club foot, digital support and toe-trimming.
The farriery stream is part of 90+ hours of live and on-demand CPD on offer at Congress, with interactive discussions, debates and workshops, and an expanded stream for vet nurses.
https://www.bevacongress.org/programme
BEVA members prices for Congress for all three days are £699 for vets (with concessionary prices available for those in their first three years of graduation or earning less than £25,000), £273 for nurse members for all three days and £300 for farriers and other allied professionals for all three days or £110 for one day.
Practice passes are also available.
The new resources include:
Celia Marr, chair of BEVA’s infectious disease working group, said: “Equine disease prevention and management are fundamental for responsible equine health, welfare and performance.
“These resources cover the need-to-know information and are all in one easy reverence location on the newly designed infection control page on the BEVA website.”
https://www.beva.org.uk/Resources/Equine-infectious-diseases
A new scholarship on Equine Emergency and Critical Care has been started at a specialist equine hospital in County Kildare, at the heart of Ireland’s horse-racing district. Anna Hollis is the recipient of the scholarship, which is the first of its kind in Europe.
The scholarship gives her the opportunity to specialize in the field of emergency and critical care and to be Board Certified by the American College of Veterinary Emergency and Critical Care (ACVECC). The scholarship has been funded by a grant from Intervet/Schering-Plough Animal Health.
Anna Hollis (BVet Med, MRCVS) will receive the scholarship, for a duration of two years. Hollis just completed a residency in Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania (New Bolton Center) and already has several publications. She will be under the supervision of Kevin Corley (BVM&S PhD DECEIM DACVIM DACVECC MRCVS), an expert in the field of equine medicine and Board Certified by the ACVECC who is in charge of emergency and critical care at a large equine hospital in the Curragh area of County Kildare, Ireland.
Anna Hollis will be spending several rotation periods in various institutions in Europe and the USA, before taking the board examination for the ACVECC. This is the only equine Emergency and Critical Care residency in the European Union that is recognized by the ACVECC and one of the few in the world taking place at a private institution.
Intervet/Schering-Plough Animal Health is supporting this two-year initiative, “We are very excited to be working with Dr. Corley to establish this scholarship,” said Roberto Ragni-Alunni, Global Technical Manager for the equine business in Intervet/Schering-Plough Animal Health. ”The research offers the possibility to reach a rare level of specialization. This will benefit critically ill horses and help push the boundaries of equine medicine even further.”
The company now expects the vaccine will not be available until June 2025.
The company apologised for the disruption and inconvenience and says it will provide more information as soon as it becomes available.
For further information contact your Zoetis Account Manager or call Head Office on 0345 300 8034.