Drug and Medication regulations - Equestrian Canada

Finally! Warm weather, blue skies, green grass. Show season is here . Along with planning what classes to enter, who will trailer your horse, and what grooming supplies to pick up, horse owners, trainers, and riders also need to carefully plan their horse’s health needs over the season. The drugs that we commonly use in our horses may have effects on horse performance in the ring, and more importantly, have effects on a possible drug test at a show. Certain overseeing organizations control the use of drugs in athletes (human and horse) at events to help ensure fairness in sport and to preserve animal welfare. Although most teams behind an athlete don’t intentionally cheat, there are common drugs used that may be restricted in an athlete making it possible to accidentally violate these rules. It is very important not to take these rules lightly, as violations can result in disqualification, fines, suspensions, and the loss of your hard-earned awards and season points.

Equestrian Canada is the national governing body for the equestrian sport and industry in Canada, with a mandate to represent, promote and advance all equine and equestrian interests.

When you enter an EC sanctioned show, you must follow their guidelines and rules, however  rules of certain divisions/breed sports are more restrictive and in some cases allow no drugs or medications.
This is especially important when competing at FEI level or in Europe, where basically a “zero tolerance – zero drug” policy is in place and enforced.

Here IS a summary of EC rules regarding drugs:
• Only permitted medications (listed in the chart below) are allowed to be present in a horse during an EC sanctioned event
• Some permitted non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) can only be present under certain plasma/serum levels at the time of competition
• Only ONE NSAID of those permitted can be present in a horse at the time of competition
• Shockwave cannot be administered on a horse within 96 hours of competing
• Intrasynovial injections (joint, tendon sheath or bursal) are prohibited within 96 hours of competition.
• Drugs may be therapeutically administered to a horse at the competition for the reason of acute injury or illness, and are to be administered by a licensed veterinarian. An Emergency Medication Report is to be filled out in this instance. These horses are not permitted to compete FOR MINIMUM 24 HOURS after being treated.
• Possession or administration ( or allowing to administer) of any of the following drugs: injectable magnesium, gamma amino butyric acid (GABA) or hydroxygamma butyric acid (HydroxyGABA) at an EC-sanctioned competition;



So what does this mean for you and your four-legged teammate? You horse’s body must be completely free of all drugs, other than the permitted drugs, at the time of competition. That means you have to carefully plan your horse's regular treatments according to your show schedule. All drugs administered to any animal have a specific DETECTION TIME and  a WITHDRAWL TIME


The detection time is the time a substance can be detected in either blood or urine after administration. It varies from horse to horse, it also depends on the laboratory and it depends if there is an interaction with other drugs or supplements given at the same time.


The withdrawl time is defined by EC as:  the period of time that a competitor should allow between the time the drug was last administered and the time the horse can compete with minimal likelihood of incurring a medication violation.

If you read the fineprint: It says SHOULD allow!
In the next sentence it says:
“ However, it is advised that this time period should be longer than what is considered the typical elimination guideline in order to have a safety margin.”


We are always asked about how much of a certain drug can be given before a show.  The accurate answer should be “ I don’t know” ….but of course that is not what I say.
I have no idea how long the actual DETECTION time is for a specific horse and drug at a specific time, because as a living organism, there is a huge individual variation depending on the horses metabolism and other factors like hydration status, body temperature, exercise levels, other drug and supplement interaction we might not even be aware of !

The good news is, we have a pretty good idea about it, thanks to published data and drug elimination studies. But these are guidelines only, in order to be safe it is advisable to add some additional time to it.


The following chart outlines all the permitted drugs, permitted plasma/serum levels, and a general pre-event administration plan.
The plasma levels are useless as a guideline, how can I now your horses plasma levels??

Fortunately EC dose the math for us

Permitted Drug Common Name Indication
/Application Maximum Serum Level Pre-event administration/ 1000 lb/454 kg  
Flunixin Meglumine Banamine NSAID 1.0 microgram/mL   500mg/24
Ketoprofen Ketofen, Anafen?? NSAID 0.25 microgram/mL     900mg/24
Phenylbutazone “Bute” NSAID 15.0 microgram/mL 24h – 2g max
preferably less/24h
Acetylsalicylic acid ??? NSAID
Firocoxib Previcox NSAID 240 nanograms/mL 57mg/24h
Pergolide Prascend Cushing’s treatment
Altrenogest (only in mare) Regu-mate Estrus Suppression
cimetidine Tagamet Ulcer treatment
ranitidine Zantac Ulcer treatment
omperazole Gastrograd Ulcer treatment

Another very important point to consider when assessing what drugs your horse is receiving is to also consider all “supplements”, “herbal products”, “tonics”, “nutraceuticals”, etc. Because many of these substances do not include quantitative analysis of their ingredients, restricted drugs for competition may be present, which puts you at risk for violating the EC rules. It is strongly cautioned against using these types of “supplements” or “natural treatments” in a competing horse for these reasons.

Now, if you are thinking, “Well we never place high and probably won’t be chosed to be tested for drugs” you should be aware that anyone can be tested at anytime at the competition. Horses can be randomly or specifically targeted for drug testing before and after the competition. Horses can also be chosen for drug testing if they have withdrawn from the show within 24 hours prior to the competition. It’s better to be safe than very sorry!
What happens during these drug tests? The “person responsible”, (defined as: “an adult who has, or shares responsibility for the care, training, custody, and performance of the horse and who has official responsibility for that horse under EC Rules” as per EC glossary of terms) will be notified by the technician or licensed veterinarian at the competition. The person responsible (or an appointed representative) will accompany the horse to a testing stall and witness the sample collection done by the technician or veterinarian.  The person responsible must sign all documentation provided for the drug test. The sample is sent to and processed at an approved test facility. Sample collection and testing is done in a systematic and highly regulated manner to ensure in fair testing. If anyone tampers with the process of drug testing, including the competition facility and appointed veterinary team, they will suffer the consequences of the specific violation.

Now this all may sound a little overwhelming and intimidating, but as long as you take responsibility of your horse and play by the rules, you shouldn’t have any problems through your show season. The best course of action is to consult with your veterinarian about your individual horse, their regular medical needs, and your show schedule. Be aware of all the governing organizations that sanction the shows you are competing in, and make sure that everyone is familiar with the rules of the competition and sanctioning organizations. Full rulebooks and guidelines can be found and downloaded from any of the organizations’ websites for free. If all else fails, just ask for help from people who are in charge to ensure that you fully understand what is required of you, your team, and your athletes. Even if you are competing in smaller scale horse shows, such as schooling shows and fairs that are not overseen by an organization, it is still a good idea to use these rules as guidelines to preserve the ethics and fairness of your sport. After all, these rules were put in place to make sure that horses are sound and healthy enough to compete and to deter any cheating. So enjoy your hard earned show season by freeing yourself of the confusion and worries of drug discrepancies and violations.



https://www.equestrian.ca/cdn/storage/resources_v2/ax5Db4765zHEzywYo/original/ax5Db4765zHEzywYo.pdf


https://www.equestrian.ca/programs-services/equine-medications

http://www.agr.gc.ca/eng/about-us/partners-and-agencies/canadian-pari-mutuel-agency/canadian-pari-mutuel-agency-equine-drug-control-program/elimination-guidelines-2016-1-of-5/?id=1454071417865

PARASITE WARS – THE WORMS STRIKE BACK ….

Once upon a time all we had to do is buy a dewormer at our local tack shop, feed it to our horse, repeat that 4x times a year and our parasite problem was solved – or so we thought.

The sequel to the story goes to the parasite: The Ontario Veterinary College has seen an increase of parasite related colics and colic surgeries in the last few years and the live threatening disease “Cyanosthomiasis” comes into any equine vets mind when presented with a young horse with fulminant severe diarrhea.

What is going on?

Long story short - decades of routine use of “anthelmintic” drugs have left us with drug resistant parasites, similar to the antibiotic resistance problem we have with bacterial infections.

The good news is:

We might have lost a battle, but not the war – yet.

During my career as an equine veterinarian deworming protocols and recommendations have changed several times. From annual rotations with different dewormers in the same year to rotating on a yearly basis – and back.

In the good old times things were easy, if a client asked me what to use, I would ask what did you use last time and depending on the season and my mood I would suggest a product. Nowadays the conversation goes like this:

Client: What dewormer should I use this year?

Me: I have no idea…

Client: what do you mean?

Me: I don’t know if your horse has worms, or not; I don’t know if the previous dewormings you did where effective, or not; I don’t know if you have a shedder in your herd that keeps contaminating your pastures, or not…

I am not good at role play so I have to stop it here!

These are the Facts:

• 20% of all horses carry 80% of the worm-burden
• Foals have roundworms
• The young horse (under 2) has the highest risk
• Old horses – might look shiny, but can still be high shedders
• Pasture rotation and hygiene is VERY important.

  

The most important offenders are:

1)  Parascaris equorum – the roundworm: This is mainly a foal parasite, and the growing horse develops normally a strong immunity once older than a year.

The eggs have a thick protective shell and can survive for many years. The foals  of the previous year “infect” the new ones. Transmission via the milk of the mare can also occur.

Foals should be dewormed with an appropriate dewormer starting at the 6 to 8 weeks of age, and then every 2 months. Ivermectin or Moxidectin might not be the perfect drug for foals. Benzimidzole class dewormers seem to be the best choice in the moment.

2)  Strongylus vulgaris, the large strongyle or ‘bloodworm” was for centuries the number one parasite of the horse. Their migration in the blood supply of the intestine could cause dramatic “embolic-thrombotic colic. They can be effectively controlled by most available dewormers and are the big losers in our drug war, BUT this parasite took over:

3)  Cyanosthomins - Small Strongyles :  The larval stage of  this parasite encysts in the intestinal wall during its live cycle and the synchronized hatching of  the larvae ,or the rapid death due to deworming can lead to life threatening diarrhea caused by the damage to  the intestinal lining.

4)  Tapeworms are different. The horse tape-worm needs an intermediate host like a grass mite in order to complete its life cycle, the whole process takes about 6 months. They have been identified as one of the risk factors for colic. Most of the time their eggs do not show up on fecal testing. Thanks to their long life cycle one or two treatments per year are enough. However only a drug called “Praziquantel “is effect at normal dosages, the only other drug that is been used to treat and prevent is “Pyrantel” in a double dose regimen.

5)  Pinworms can be bothersome parasites, but actually cause very little damage. Adults crawl out of the horse's rectum to lay their eggs, which then can cause intense itching. This can certainly be a pain in your horses’ butt.

We have learned – 20% of horses shedding 80% of the parasite eggs. All we need to do is to identify these animals. Fecal egg counts (FEC’s) are our most valuable tool nowadays. The better we know the status of the herd, the more strategic can we treat the horses that need to be treated. We also will have to accept the fact that we cannot get them all, and that is OK!

There are pitfalls to the testing protocol. While it gives important information about the situation in the herd, the individual horse might not shed eggs when we pick our sample and sometimes the undetectable larval stadium is more dangerous than the adult worm.

Therefore: If I have a horse that looks like it suffers from internal parasites, I treat first and ask questions later, same with foals, they need to be dewormed regularly and the testing is only in order to monitor how successful we are – or not…

Also, every horse should have at minimum an appropriate dewormer in fall to keep botflies, strongyles and tapes under control.

                                                               TALK TO YOUR VETERINARIAN ABOUT IT……

Too Hot to Trot?

The glory days of summer are upon us! Schooling, showing, and long trail rides keep us busy

through the week, while competitions, shows, and equine getaways entertain our weekends. As

the days get hotter, the demand for performance continues. We push ourselves and our horses

to the next level to work towards new goals and experiences. Although horses are generally well

adapted to hard work in many climates, the extreme heat of the summer can put our horses in a

hazardous position. What are some of the dangers that heat can cause in a horse? How can we

help keep our horses cool and conditioned for a high summer workload? Where do we draw the

line in order to keep our equine partners safe from high heat hazards?



Preceding the Olympic Games 1996 in Atlanta, a cooperative international research effort

identified key strategies for safe competition in hot and humid conditions.This knowledge was a

major factor that these Olympic Games proceeded successfully with no incidents, unlike previous

events (Barcelona 1992) where several horses collapsed during and after the cross country phase.

Hong Kong 2008 was another milestone in research as the international equestrian community feared 

the extreme humidity of Hong Kong. I was lucky to have been able to take

part in Pre-Olympic Heat and Humidity workshop organized by the FEI in Lausanne and

experienced first hand how meticulously these events were planned and how well the venue

and teams prepared for the conditions in China.

While my dreams and your dreams to make it to the Olympic Games might not come true, the

lessons learned and knowledge gained from our elite athletes are very much applicable to our

daily (horse) life.


So what are the dangers? Overheating and loss of electrolytes will lead to heat exhaustion and

Hypothermia ultimately leading to heat stroke, if we do not intervene and help in time.

The horse’s muscle produce an tremendous amount of heat, this heat is transported via the

bloodstream to the peripheral arteries and increases the skin temperature while sweat glands

are activated and the secreted ration of water and this radiation of heat helps to cool the body

down. About 85% of the heat is dissipated via sweat and another 15% through the respiratory

tract via panting.


Heat stress will lead to heat exhaustion which will lead ultimately to heat stroke!

The symptoms of heat exhaustion are:

Profuse sweating

Muscle weakness

Stumbling

Rapid breathing

And increased body temp over 102 F (38.9 C)

Once the body's compensatory mechanisms are overwhelmed, heat stroke will develop:

The skin will feel hot and dry

Massive rapid panting,

Rapid irregular pulse

Temps above 106 F (42 C)

Delirium

Convulsions

Death


What to do?

How to cool down the horse most efficiently?

Here are the instructions established for Hong Kong 2008:

● The horse should be covered from head to tail in cold water

Both sides continuously for about 30 seconds

You can use buckets or hoses

● After that walk the horse for about 15 seconds

This short period of walking will promote circulation and maintain skin blood flow.

● There is no need to scrape water off the horse at any time during the cooling

procedure - the thin layer of warm water close to the skin will be displaced by more cold

water.

If the horse tolerates it the horse can be hosed down while walking, but don't let horse

stand - we want the blood flow going from the muscles to the skin.

● Again - It is more efficient to NOT SCRAPE, but to keep re-dousing with cold water.

● When do we stop?

● When the rectal temperature is at least below 39C /102 F - and yes when you are done

with the cold water and the horse has cooled down - then you can scrape.

Taking rectal temperature immediately after exercising might be misleading as it tends to lag

behind core and muscle temperatures. it is not uncommon for rectal temps to rise 5 to 10 min

after exercise.

It takes about 10 min of intensive cooling to reduce the body temp by one degree C.

For example many horses finishing the cross country portion may have critically high

temperatures close to 42C (>106 F). So in order to get the body temperature down to normal it

can take 20 to 30 min of intense cooling efforts.

Common mistakes:

● Underestimating the amount of water that needs to be applied!

● Concentrating on avoiding specific areas of the body rather than using the whole horse’s

surface.

● Not allowing short periods of walking during the cooling.

● Not allowing to drink cold water after exercise

The myth that this will lead to colic has been debunked by the University of

Guelph and Illinois since 1995

● Despite the name, no coolers on an overheated horse!

● Over supplementation of electrolytes

This can actually increase dehydration as excess sodium stimulates the kidneys to flush

it out. The perfect balance with water is necessary.


So how hot is too hot to trot?

A simple guideline is the HEAT INDEX:

Simple tool: Temperature (in F) + Humidity

If the sum is below 120 there should be no significant problem.

130-150 - your horse will sweat - but will most likely deal with it if the horse is well adapted.

Make sure to cool down properly and allow your horse access to water and electrolytes.

Above 180 - don’t even think about it! Stay home or go for a swim with your horse.

Keep in mind that there is a huge variability in heat tolerance between individuals and breeds.

Body type and body composition is also a factor. For example I have found that especially

some Friesians have problems to adapt and perform under hot and humid conditions - so

please don’t try to keep up with your friend’s lean Arabian. Be sure to be conscious of how your

individual horse reacts to and performs in each climate. Know the signs and know the limits.

Now go out, stay safe, and enjoy your horse!

Winter – The Joys of Living in the Great White North.

Although winter has given us a break up until now, chances are that this will change soon.  Horses are very well adapted to cold weather, and the feral horse population in the Northern hemisphere survives without blankets and snow pads.

Researchers found out that the Prezwalski horse “Equus ferus Prezwalski”, which is a very close relative to our modern horse  “Equus caballus” has, apart from a thick hair coat, the ability to down regulate its metabolic rate in order to conserve energy when food is scarce in winter. Despite that, during the extreme cold winter 2009/2010 in the Gobi Desert in Mongolia the re-introduced wild P-horse population crashed dramatically.

The wild horse population in North America is also well established and makes it through the harsh winters out West. While the population survives, the unlucky individual animals who are, for whatever reason weakened, will perish in the cycle of life and death according to the laws of natural selection and survival of the fittest.

We took care of natural selection by breeding performance horses that can jump, do fancy dressage moves, or race around barrels. I am not going to start a “to blanket or not to blanket” discussion, but the fact that we did take control of the breeding selection of our horses, means that we also have to take control of our horses’ comfort requirements (not only) during the cold season:

• shelter from wind chill,
• keeping horses dry, 
• meeting the horse’s energy requirements,
• water supply,
• and foot care.

Shelter Size  
According to the University of Minnesota, a general rule-of-thumb for run-in or open-front shed size is 240 square feet for 2 horses (i.e. 12 x 20 feet), and 60 square feet (i.e. an additional 10 x 6 feet) for each additional horse. These recommendations assume horses housed together get along well.

Keeping Them Dry  
These are the UoM suggestions and guidelines to blanket a horse if:

• There is no shelter available during turnout periods, and the temperatures drop below 5°F, or the wind chill is below 5°F.
• There is a chance the horse will become wet (not usually a problem with snow, but much more of a problem with rain, ice, and/or freezing rain).
• The horse has had its winter coat clipped.
• The horse is very young or very old.
• The horse has not been acclimated to the cold (i.e. recently relocated from a southern climate).
• The horse has a body condition score of 3 or less.

Proper blanket size and fit is important, in order to avoid rub marks or even injury. The proper type of blanket according to outside temperature is essential, a rain sheet alone has no insulating properties and can make it even worse, by compression of the insulating air-cushion formed the horse’s hair coat.

Feeding Requirements
The temperature below which a horse needs additional energy in order to maintain body warmth is called the lower critical temperature. This lower critical temperature in a horse with winter hair coat is about -7°C, for a clipped or horse with summer hair coat, it is about +7°C. The energy demand will increase about 1% per degree below that temperature.

In young horses their growth can be “put on hold” at low temperatures with a lack of nutritional energy.

Sometimes a thick hair coat can mask a poor body condition, especially in older ponies,

Water
Unfortunately, we see an increased number of impaction colics at this time of the year. Horses consuming winter feeds, have increased water requirements. Hay and grain normally contain less than 15% moisture, while in contrast, pastures possess 60 to 80% moisture. Even if quality feed is offered, horses will consume less if not drinking enough water. Fecal contents must maintain adequate moisture levels. If fecal material becomes too dry, intestinal blockage or impaction might develop. A horse will most likely not develop an impaction in one day, but can over several days to several weeks of inadequate water consumption.
The water in the waterers needs to be heated above freezing, adding one or two tablespoons of salt per adult horse is a good idea, as this will stimulate drinking.
Waterers should be cleaned regularly, and clean, fresh water needs to be always be available, regardless of temperature.
Foot care
Snow pads are absolutely necessary if your horses are shod and there is snow on the ground, as snow will otherwise ball up under the shoes and sole, creating a significant injury risk. If bare foot, please consider that frozen ground can lead to sole bruises and foot concussions.

Having said all this, let’s hope it is going to be a short one!

Prepurchase Exams

A waste of money or piece of mind?

Every done a home inspection? It starts with you sitting down with the home inspector on a table and signing several pages of waivers and exclusions. Then you hand over your cash or cheque and the inspector starts getting his tools ready. A flashlight a moisture-meter, a ladder…

It was my first time last year do witness- and pay for a home inspection and the most important thing I learned was If I have to sign 5 times minimum in order to acknowledge there can be hidden defects and damages in an innate object, that are not readily detectable to the trained professional, I probably should “upt” the paperwork of my prepurchase forms significantly.

So what do you get and expect from a prepurchase exam for the horse you picked?

This is what I sometimes hear when talking to the prospective buyer:

“ I just want to make sure he doesn’t go lame further down the road”- or “ I once had a horse with navicular-I need to make sure this one stays sound” – or “ we love him so much, he needs to stay healthy”

Do you feel the pressure??

This is what you can expect from a prepurchase exam – or vet check as it is also called.

I try to get a concise history from the owner about the horse in question, not only the medical history but its workload, feeding program, supplements and routine medications.

Then the exam starts with a clinical exam of the horse at rest, I try to get an overview of type, conformation and  temperament. The head, ears, mucus membranes (conjunctiva, nasal mucusa and gingiva) are assessed, next I listen to his heart, lung sounds and gut sounds. Check temperature? The simple process of taking the temperature  can be challenging in some horses – and by now I have already learned a lot about that horse, if nothing else then to be more careful around it.

The eyes are examined with a flashlight and a special tool called ophthalmoscope.

Opening the mouth, holding the tongue in order to assess the teeth can be another challenge for some of my patients.

After that the body and skin is checked for lumps, scabs, injuries and scars.

All four legs are lifted, the joints are examined for swelling and range of motion and the tendons and ligaments are palpated.

The feet are tested for pain and sensitivity with a simple but very useful tool  called “ hooftester” and the horn quality of hoof wall, sole and frog is assessed.

This brings me to another comparison with everyday buying and selling. Ever tried to sell a car with worn and flat tires for a lot of money??

No ? Well, I have seen quite a few sale-horses, no matter how high the price tag was, that would have desperately needed a good trim or shoeing job before the vetcheck.

Once the initial exam is done, we look at the horse in motion. Walking on straight line in walk and trot, lunging on hard and soft ground. And again here is the challenge, how do you trot a horse in hand that never learned how to do so? Or doesn’t know how to lunge.

Welcome to my world…

Next step: Every ageing’s vet favorite- the flexion tests. One leg after the other is held in flexed position for approximately a minute, then the horse is trotted off.

We do this in order to detect joint pain often related to wear and tear, but we have also keep in mind that especially older horses, that perform perfectly well in the show ring, might not flex that pretty sometimes.

Now it is time to get the heart rate up, with lunging in trot and canter while listening for respiratory noise (roar), I will again look for any lameness. After that I will auscultate the lung and heart again, in order to check for irregular heartbeat or abnormal lung sounds.

We are coming towards the end of the basic exam, some other tests, like backing up the horse, circling in a small circle and checking the tail tone are part of my neurologic assessment.

Then it is time to talk…

All the findings are considered confidential and it is completely up to the buyer-my client, to share that information with the seller or not. As there is neither the perfect vet, nor the perfect horse there is always something to talk about.

If the buyer is happy with the findings, we will proceed with x rays if requested.
There is no standardization in Northern America about which views and how many x rays to take in the pleasure and sport horse world. As it is quite often a money issue – the x rays can be by far the moist expensive part of a prepurchase exam – only a limited number of x rays are taken, I try to do that on a risk based assessment in these cases. For example in an ex- race horse I will have a close look at the knees (carpus), whereas if it is a warmblood I probably spend my clients money better on feet and navicular rads. Although I xrays are an important part when buying a horse, it is important to realize that even after imaging every possible joint, there is no guarantee for future soundness of the horse, it will however give you an important baseline about the joints and bones at the time of the exam.

Depending on the situation other tests or diagnostics might be done, endoscopy of the airways, ultrasound, blood work, specific tests for hereditary diseases and blood for a drug screen. Due to the fact that “bute”, “banamine” or other “painkillers” are readily available there is of course the risk that you get a horse presented that  has “bute on board….”

Needless to say that this is a nightmare for the exam and the interpretation of it.

My personal advice to clients is, if we take blood it should be tested immediately.

It is possible to take blood and freeze it, and to only have it analyzed if a problem arises a problem down the road, but I will advise that, while it might unveil a

“dirty deal”, at that point the chances of successfully using the results in court – should it go that far - are slim, due to what is  called “ a broken chain of custody”. The opposite lawyer will argue that the blood sent to the lab 4 weeks later could be anybody’s.

There is a wide variation of how pre-purchases are done between veterinarians and also between countries all with the same goal, to gather as much information about the horse in order to reduce the risk that is involved in buying a horse.

But like may other things in life –“ no risk – no Fun” and every horse owner will tell you that owning your own horse is one of the most rewarding things in life.

And finally here is an example of a disclaimer and while nobody is a fan of reading disclaimers, mine is a lot shorter than our home inspector’s….

Disclaimer:

It is important to remember that the pre-purchase examination can only give us information about the horse’s health and condition on the day of the exam. While this information is very important, it can never be a complete picture. Many factors that impact a horse’s health are not necessarily detectable on the day of the exam. The veterinarian cannot predict the horse’s future, and no guarantee can be issued.

Our role as veterinarian in the pre-purchase examination is not to “pass” or “fail” the horse. Instead, it is to help you make an informed decision by providing information about the horse’s health. Ultimately, the decision to purchase this animal can only be made by the prospective buyer. Remember, your veterinarian is happy to discuss any questions the prospective buyer may have about the exam findings.

OUR STRANGLES FACT SHEET

Ø Highly contagious bacterial infection caused by Streptococcus equi

Ø First FEVER > 3 to 14 days after exposure NASAL SHEDDING 2-3 days later for 2-3 weeks

Ø SYMPTOMS: swollen lymph nodes in throat area, nasal discharge, fever, swallowing difficulties,

Ø Other SIGNS: noisy breathing, respiratory distress, draining lymph nodes

Ø Transmitted by DIRECT contact with nasal discharge or secretion from draining lymph nodes

Ø OR contaminated buckets, tack, brushes, halters, PEOPLE or anything else that had direct contact with the sick horses DISCHARGE

Ø Treatment: ISOLATION of horses , hotpack, Banamine,

Ø Antibiotics only for certain cases

Ø STRANGLES is NOT an AIRBORNE disease!

What to do?

HYGIENE – HYGIENE – HYGIENE -  ONE HORSE –  ONE BUCKET – NO SHARING!

STOP MOVEMENT of HORSES to and from BARN

SEPARATE into 3 groups:

1.       Infected horses

2.       Horses that have been exposed or contacted infected horses

3.       Clean horses with no exposure

 ALWAYS handle clean horses first if possible. Assign a separate person for infected horses

WASH YOUR HANDS - SEPARATE CLEANING EQUIPMENT – TACK -  PASTURES

 First CLEANING and then DISINFECTION (BLEACH) of all used equipment – DAILY

Bacteria can survive up to several weeks (months) in the environment   (UV light kills Strept.)

Recovered horses may be potential SOURCES of INFECTION for at least 6 weeks

There may be asymptomatic carriers!

 For more info see: www.aaep.org/horseowner

Update on Equine Cushings - now called Equine PPID

Equine Cushing's disease was first described in 1932. Until recently it was considered to be caused by a benign tumor leading to pressure on certain parts of the brain and thus causing changes in the horse's hormone levels. 


Recent research has shown that Equine Cushing's is nothing like Cushing's disease (Hyperadrenocorticism) in humans and dogs, for example. Therefore the name  equine Cushing's disease should be avoided and has been replaced with PPID, which stands for Pituitary Pars Intermedia Dysfunction. It is the name of the part in the horses brain that is actually affected by the disease. We know now that it is NOT caused by a tumor, but  it is now actually considered a " neurodegenerative" disease. The formation and accumulation of misfolded "neuroproteins"  seems  to cause the dysfunction in the pars intermedia of the equine pituitary gland. Although there is no resemblance to true Cushings disease, we know now that this neurodegenerative disease has in some aspects more similarity with human Parkinson's disease.

While me measure ACTH in blood to test for PPID in horses, the cortisol levels in the blood are hardly ever elevated in affected horses, because the ACTH that is produced in abundance by the pituitary gland is not partially not hormonally active and cannot trigger increased cortisol production of the adrenal glands.

Looking at the connection between laminitis and PPID and it seems that the increase of  blood Insulin levels is the trigger or better the biggest risk factor for laminitis. PPID increases the risk for these horses with Hyperinsulinemia
For more formation about  Equine Metabolic Syndrome check out our first blogpost and the link to UoM.

You can find more information and a list of possible clinical signs of PPID here

For more  in depth information visit: the Equine Endocrinology Group website



ref: Pathophysiology and clinical features of pituitary pars intermedia dysfunction
D.Mc Farlane EVE 11/14