Intervet/Schering-Plough Animal Health has reported that since launch, its diagnostic service RespCheck has identified infectious diseases in 15 per cent of all animals checked under the scheme.

Offered to qualifying practices for no charge and implemented by the Animal Health Trust (AHT), Intervet/Schering Plough set up RespCheck to help identify the cause of infectious respiratory problems in horses.

The RespCheck kit, which has been used to swab more than 700 horses since launch, consists of naso pharyngeal swabs, enabling two horses per yard or outbreak to be swabbed for a variety of diseases.  These include equine influenza, equine herpesvirus, Streptococcus equi (strangles), pasteurella, rhinovirus and Streptococcus zooepidemicus.  The swabs are sent to the AHT for analysis and the results returned direct to the vet.

John Dickerson from Chine House Equine Hospital in Leicestershire said: "The service is fantastic, made all the better by being completely free of charge! The benefits are two-fold. From the clinical perspective it means we can discount or treat potential infections in a more timely fashion; for instance, we use RespCheck to screen for any suspected infectious respiratory disease cases which enables us to deal with the problem, through quarantine and strict hygiene measures, helping to prevent the spread of the disease.

The other benefit is to our practice reputation and the standard of service we can offer. It's great to be able to provide owners with peace of mind without it costing more than our call out fee. By the time an owner calls the vet they are usually stressed and worried about their horses symptoms and need some reassurance, which is exactly what RespCheck gives them. We are confident that  providing a diagnostic service that is completely free and that puts an owners mind at rest regarding the risk of an infection can only be a good thing for our practice reputation and customer care.

Last year, the service proved its worth when the screening of a recently imported horse showed the animal had equine influenza. I believe that had RespCheck not been employed, we would have had an outbreak in that particular yard."

Practices interested in knowing more about RespCheck should contact their local Intervet/Schering-Plough Veterinary Business Manager or phone the company's Veterinary Support Group on 01908 685685.

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