Prevention, treatment and control of strangles and glanders in horse

29/03/2023

04/02/2023

12/10/2022

The major risk of the strangles vaccine is an autoimmune condition called purpura hemorrhagica. This condition causes the horse’s immune system to attack his own blood vessels, a reaction called “vasculitis.” The most common symptom of purpura is swelling of the legs, head, neck, or whole body. This condition is often fatal, due to death of the skin, heart muscle, lung tissue, or GI tract tissue. The good news is that this is RARE, and we can help predict which horses will have this reaction.

30/09/2022

Prevention and Treatment of Glanders in Horses and Other Animals
Detection and elimination of confirmed cases
Treatment is contraindicated
There is no vaccine for glanders. Protective immunity involves T cell responses elicited by live attenuated bacteria. Prevention and control of glanders depend on early detection and elimination of affected animals, as well as complete quarantine and rigorous disinfection of the area involved. Successful control is dependent on efforts to establish awareness among horse and donkey owners in remote areas, in addition to provision of funds to cull affected animals. Treatment of glanders does not reliably produce a bacteriologic cure. Doxycycline, ceftrazidime, gentamicin, streptomycin, and combinations of sulfazine or sulfamonomethoxine with trimethoprim were effective in the prevention and treatment of experimental glanders.

30/09/2022

Glanders is a contagious, short- or longterm, usually fatal disease of the horse family caused by the bacterium Burkholderia mallei. The disease is characterized by the development of ulcerating growths that are most commonly found in the upper respiratory tract, lungs, and skin. Humans and other animals are also susceptible, and infections are usually fatal. Glanders once was prevalent worldwide. It has now been eradicated or effectively controlled in many countries, including the United States. In recent years, the disease has been reported in Iraq, Turkey, Pakistan, India, Mongolia, China, Brazil, and the United Arab Emirates.
The disease is commonly contracted by consuming food or water contaminated by the nasal discharge of carrier animals. The organism can survive in a contaminated area for more than 1 year, particularly under humid, wet conditions.
After an incubation period of up to 2 weeks, affected animals usually have blood infection and a high fever (up to 106°F [41°C]). Later, a thick nasal discharge is seen and the animal has trouble breathing and other respiratory signs. Death can occur within a few days. The longterm form of the disease is common in horses. It is a debilitating condition with ulcers and growths on the skin and in the nose. Infected animals may live for years and spread the bacteria widely. The outlook is unfavorable. Recovered animals may not develop immunity.
In the skin form (also called farcy), growths appear along the course of the lymph vessels, particularly on the legs. These growths degenerate and form ulcers that discharge highly infectious, sticky pus.
Typical signs raise suspicion for this disease, but culture of the organisms is needed for confirmation. There is no vaccine. Prevention and control depend on early detection and elimination of affected animals, as well as complete quarantine and rigorous disinfection of the area involved. Euthanasia is usually recommended for affected horses.

30/09/2022

Clinical Findings of Glanders in Horses and Other Animals
After an incubation period of 3 days to 2 weeks, animals acutely affected by glanders usually have:
septicemia
high fever (as high as 106°F [41°C])
weight loss
a thick, mucopurulent, yellowish nasal discharge
respiratory signs
Death occurs within a few days. The chronic disease is common in horses and is seen as a debilitating condition with nodular or ulcerative lesions of the skin and internal nares. Infected animals may live for years and continue to disseminate the organism. In some, the infection may be latent and persist for long periods. Donkeys and mules are more severely affected than horses.
Nasal, pulmonary, and cutaneous forms of glanders are recognized, and an animal may be affected by more than one form at a time. In the nasal form of glanders, nodules develop in the mucosa of the nasal septum and lower parts of the turbinates. The nodules degenerate into deep ulcers with raised irregular borders. Characteristic star-shaped cicatrices remain after the ulcers heal. In the early stage, the submaxillary lymph nodes are enlarged and edematous and later become adherent to the skin or deeper tissues.
In the pulmonary form of glanders, small, tubercle-like nodules, which have caseous or calcified centers surrounded by inflammatory zones, are found in the lungs. If the disease process is extensive, consolidation of the lung tissue and pneumonia may be present. The nodules tend to break down and may discharge their contents into the bronchioles, resulting in extension of the infection to the upper respiratory tract.
In the cutaneous form of glanders (“farcy”), nodules appear along the course of the lymph vessels, particularly of the extremities. These nodules degenerate and form ulcers that discharge a highly infectious, sticky pus. The liver and spleen also may show typical nodular lesions. Histologically, there may be vasculitis, thrombosis, and infiltration of degenerating inflammatory cells.

30/09/2022

Control:
Clinically affected horses should be physically separated from the herd and cared for by separate caretakers wearing protective clothing. The re**al temperature of all horses exposed to strangles should be obtained twice daily, and horses developing fever should be isolated (and potentially treated with penicillin). Contaminated equipment should be cleaned with detergent and disinfected using chlorhexidine gluconate or glutaraldehyde. Flies can transmit infection mechanically; therefore, efforts should be made to control the fly population during an outbreak. Farriers, trainers, and veterinarians should wear protective clothing or change clothes before traveling to the next equine facility. Additions to the herd should be carefully scrutinized for evidence of disease or shedding (nasopharyngeal culture) and quarantined for 14–21 days. Two negative nasal swab cultures should be obtained during the quarantine period.
Most horses continue to shed S equi for ~1 mo after recovery. Three negative nasopharyngeal swabs, at intervals of 4–7 days, should be obtained before release from quarantine, and the minimal isolation period should be 1 mo. Prolonged bacterial shedding (as long as 18 mo) has been identified in a small number of horses. Guttural pouch empyema is the source of infection in most prolonged carrier states. Bacterial culture of nasopharyngeal swab and/or guttural pouch lavage is used to identify persistent carriers.

30/09/2022

Prevention:
Postexposure immunity is prolonged after natural disease in most horses, and protection is associated with local (nasal mucosa) production of antibody against the antiphagocytic M protein. The clinical attack rate of strangles is reduced by 50% in horses vaccinated with IM products that do not induce mucosal immunity. Local (mucosal) production of antibody requires mucosal antigen stimulation. An intranasal vaccine containing a live attenuated strain of S equi equi was designed to elicit a mucosal immunologic response. This attenuated strain is not temperature sensitive (inactivated by core body temperature) like the intranasal influenza vaccine. Reported complications include S equi equi abscesses at subsequent IM injection sites (live bacteria on hands of administrator), submandibular lymphadenopathy, serous nasal discharge, and purpura hemorrhagica

30/09/2022

Treatment:
The environment for clinically ill horses should be warm, dry, and dust-free. Warm compresses are applied to sites of lymphadenopathy to facilitate maturation of abscesses. Facilitated drainage of mature abscesses will speed recovery. Ruptured abscesses should be flushed with dilute (3%–5%) povidone-iodine solution for several days until discharge ceases. NSAIDs can be administered judiciously to reduce pain and fever and to improve appetite in horses with fulminant clinical disease. Tracheotomy may be required in horses with retropharyngeal abscessation and pharyngeal compression.
Antimicrobial therapy is controversial. Initiation of antibiotic therapy after abscess formation may provide temporary clinical improvement in fever and depression, but it ultimately prolongs the course of disease by delaying maturation of abscesses. Antibiotic therapy is indicated in cases with dyspnea, dysphagia, prolonged high fever, and severe lethargy/anorexia. Administration of penicillin during the early stage of infection (≤24 hr of onset of fever) will usually arrest abscess formation. The disadvantage of early antimicrobial treatment is failure to mount a protective immune response, rendering horses susceptible to infection after cessation of therapy. If antimicrobial therapy is indicated, procaine penicillin (22,000 IU/kg, IM, bid) is the antibiotic of choice. Untreated guttural pouch infections can result in persistent guttural pouch empyema with or without chondroid formation.

30/09/2022

Diagnosis:
Diagnosis is confirmed by bacterial culture of exudate from abscesses or nasal swab samples. CBC reveals neutrophilic leukocytosis and hyperfibrinogenemia. Serum biochemical analysis is typically unremarkable. Complicated cases may require endoscopic examination of the upper respiratory tract (including the guttural pouches), ultrasonographic examination of the retropharyngeal area, or radiographic examination of the skull to identify the location and extent of retropharyngeal abscesses.

30/09/2022

Clinical Findings:
Streptococcus equi retropharyngeal abscess, horse
The incubation period of strangles is 3–14 days, and the first sign of infection is fever (103°–106°F [39.4°–41.1°C]). Within 24–48 hr of the initial fever spike, the horse will exhibit signs typical of strangles, including mucoid to mucopurulent nasal discharge, depression, and submandibular lymphadenopathy. Horses with retropharyngeal lymph node involvement have difficulty swallowing, inspiratory respiratory noise (compression of the dorsal pharyngeal wall), and extended head and neck. Older animals with residual immunity may develop an atypical or catarrhal form of the disease with mucoid nasal discharge, cough, and mild fever. Metastatic strangles (“bastard strangles”) is characterized by abscessation in other lymph nodes of the body, particularly the lymph nodes in the abdomen and, less frequently, the thorax. S equi is the most common cause of brain abscess in horses, albeit rare.

30/09/2022

Etiology and Pathogenesis:
S equi equi is highly contagious and produces high morbidity and low mortality in susceptible populations. Transmission occurs via fomites and direct contact with infectious exudates. Carrier animals are important for maintenance of the bacteria between epizootics and initiation of outbreaks on premises previously free of disease. Survival of the organism in the environment depends on temperature and humidity; it is susceptible to desiccation, extreme heat, and exposure to sunlight and must be protected within mucoid secretions to survive. Under ideal environmental circumstances, the organism can survive ~4 wk outside the host. Under field conditions, most organisms do not survive 96 hr.

30/09/2022

Strangles is an infectious, contagious disease of Equidae characterized by abscessation of the lymphoid tissue of the upper respiratory tract. The causative organism, Streptococcus equi equi, is highly host-adapted and produces clinical disease only in horses, donkeys, and mules. It is a gram-positive, capsulated β-hemolytic Lancefield group C coccus, which is an obligate parasite and a primary pathogen.

30/08/2022

Outdoor Housing
The advantages to outdoor housing are lower construction costs of the buildings and less labor when it comes to cleaning the building. When considering outdoor housing for horses, you can consider a three- sided structure or a more elaborate open barn. You can purchase a skid steer to clean the barn and thus cut back on the need for the wheel barrow and manure fork. Remember to feed (hay) horses at least 150 meters from the barn to cut back on manure in the barn and the horses will fight less for feed in an open area as compared to the confined space in a barn.
See the images at the top of the article for some examples of housing.

30/08/2022

Options for Housing your Horse
Indoor Housing
Indoor housing is ideal for horses that are being ridden or used every day in the winter time. Traditionally, you will have individual box stalls and this system will require a considerable amount of daily labor for manure removal. The single story barns are the best option since they are cheaper to build and maintain. Hay storage should be considered in a separate barn and you should contact your local fire department for advice on regulations and suggestion on fire barrier placement.
Recommended sizes for box stalls:
A miniature horse - a 6' x 8' stall.
Ponies and small horses, under 900 pounds - 10' x 10' stalls. But if you have the room, you might want to make the stalls 10' x 12' or 12' x 12' to make the barn more versatile and more appealing to future buyers who might have larger horses.
Riding horses, 900 to 1100 pounds- 12' x 12' stall, which is the industry standard.
A Warmblood or a small draft - 12' x 14' to 14' x 14'.
A large draft horse - 16'x16' stall.
A foaling stall should be at least twice the size as a single stall for that size horse.
Standing stalls are where the horse is tied forward with a chain or rope. Horses can also stand loose with two chains across the open end. Many draft horses are kept in standing stalls. They are not as comfortable for the horse since they are limited in movement.
Open-sided or free-stall housing is good to use when you want to maintain horses in the open-air while providing protection from inclement weather. This type of system is used to house a group or horses that get along well with each other. Run-in sheds are often used.
Open shed rows are similar to box stalls in a row but the doors are open to the outdoors. Most doors are Dutch Doors, split to allow the top half to be left open for ventilation purposes. This works best in mild climates.

30/08/2022

A good barn is an important part of keeping a horse healthy. Barn design and management can have direct effects on the health of horses. The horse’s respiratory system can be put at risk by a poorly designed barn. The risks of other diseases and indeed direct physical trauma can be increased by poorly designed barns. Barns themselves aside, problems may also arise from the design and positioning of ancillary buildings, such as feed-storage areas. Surfaces in barns, passageways and walks around barns can also increase the risk of disease and injury

30/08/2022

Which type of housing is right for your horse? Horse housing can be indoor or outdoor housing, or a combination of both. The type of housing will be dictated by the use of the horse on a day-to-day basis or the preference of the owner rather than by the breed of horse. Unless there is adequate pasture to allow horses freedom at all time, then housing must restrict access to pasture.
All horses should be protected from the inclement weather. Numerous decisions have to be made when designing a barn. Safety is the number one priority to take into account. Unprotected light bulbs, doors with sharp edges and slick flooring can cause accidents. You will also want to consider location, climate, zoning, water, ventilation, feed storage, tack storage and financial costs. It is easy to see that there are quite a few factors to consider before a horse ever steps into a barn.

16/08/2022

When your horse has an injury, sometimes it’s hard to decide what to do. On this course we will show you how to manage this and make a plan of action on wound care.
On this course we will cover:
Accessing the wound
Wound management
Types of wounds and the most common
When to call the vet
Routine Healthcare for horses
Must have experience handling horses and be confident around them.

20/07/2022

COMMON EQUINE DISEASES
THE FOLLOWING LIST SUMMARIZES SEVERAL COMMON EQUINE DISEASES AND INDICATES WHETHER AN EFFECTIVE VACCINE EXISTS TO PROTECT YOUR HORSE. ALSO SEE OUR RECOMMENDED VACCINATIONS FOR MORE INFORMATION.
EQUINE INFLUENZA (“FLU”)
THIS HIGHLY CONTAGIOUS VIRAL DISEASE APPEARS SUDDENLY, IS COSTLY TO TREAT, AND CAN LEAVE YOUR HORSE IN A WEAKENED CONDITION. EQUINE INFLUENZA CAN NOT BE PASSED TO OR FROM HORSE AND HUMAN. SYMPTOMS INCLUDE FEVER, COUGHING, NASAL DISCHARGE, AND LOSS OF APPETITE. INFECTED HORSES MUST BE KEPT AT COMPLETE REST TO AVOID COMPLICATIONS FROM SECONDARY BACTERIAL INFECTIONS SUCH AS PNEUMONIA. THE VIRUS MUTATES INTO NEW STRAINS OVER TIME, AND SEVERAL DISTINCT STRAINS ARE NOW CIRCULATING IN THE U.S. ALL HORSES SHOULD RECEIVE A VACCINE CONTAINING THE MOST CURRENT INFLUENZA STRAINS AVAILABLE.
RHINOPNEUMONITIS/EQUINE HERPESVIRUS (EHV)
OF THE SEVERAL EQUINE HERPES VIRUSES IDENTIFIED, TYPE 4 (EHV-4) AND TYPE 1 (EHV-1) ARE THE MOST CLINICALLY IMPORTANT. THE DISEASE IS CHARACTERIZED BY RESPIRATORY INFECTIONS, PARALYSIS, ABORTIONS, AND OCCASIONALLY DEATH IN YOUNG HORSES. EHV IS HIGHLY CONTAGIOUS SPREADING THROUGH AEROSOLIZED SECRETIONS, CONTACT WITH INFECTED HORSES, AND CONTAMINATED FEED AND WATER UTENSILS. EVERY HORSE SHOULD BE VACCINATED FOR EHV-4 AND EHV-1. FOR ABORTION PROTECTION IN THE PREGNANT MARE, VACCINATE AT 3, 5, 7 AND 9 MONTHS OF PREGNANCY FOR EVH-1 WITH PNEUMOBORT-K.
EQUINE ENCEPHALOMYELITIS (“SLEEPING SICKNESS”)
TRANSMITTED BY MOSQUITOES, EQUINE ENCEPHALOMYELITIS IS AN OFTEN FATAL DISEASE THAT ATTACKS THE BRAIN AND CENTRAL NERVOUS SYSTEM. STRICKEN HORSES MAY LOSE THEIR APPETITE, DISPLAY EXCITABLE OR COMPULSIVE BEHAVIOR, AND WALK BLINDLY INTO OBJECTS. SURVIVING HORSES MAY SUFFER PERMANENT DAMAGE. THERE ARE THREE STRAINS OF THE VIRUS. EASTERN (EEE) IS THE MOST DEADLY, KILLING 75-100% OF INFECTED HORSES. WESTERN (WEE) IS MORE COMMON AND SOMEWHAT LESS VIRULENT. BOTH EEE AND WEE CAN OCCUR THROUGHOUT THE U.S., AND HORSES SHOULD BE VACCINATED FOR BOTH. VACCINATION ADVISORIES AGAINST THE VENEZUELAN STRAIN (VEE) HAVE BEEN ISSUED FOR HORSES IN SOUTHERN U.S. STATES, ESPECIALLY THOSE BORDERING MEXICO.
EQUINE INFECTIOUS ANEMIA VIRUS (EIA)
EQUINE INFECTIOUS ANEMIA IS A POTENTIALLY FATAL VIRAL DISEASE. THERE IS NO CURE OR EFFECTIVE TREATMENT FOR EIA. MOST INFECTED HORSES SHOW NO SYMPTOMS BUT REMAIN CONTAGIOUS FOR LIFE, ENDANGERING THE HEALTH OF OTHER HORSES. EIA IS TRANSMITTED BY BLOOD OR BY PASSAGE ACROSS THE PLACENTA IN THE PREGNANT MARE DIRECTLY TO THE FOAL. BLOOD TRANSMISSION CAN OCCUR VIA BLOOD-SUCKING INSECTS SUCH AS HORSE FLIES, DEER FLIES AND MOSQUITOES. SYMPTOMS MAY INCLUDE ONE OR MORE OF THE FOLLOWING: FEVER, DEPRESSION, DECREASED APPETITE, FATIGUE, REDUCED STAMINA OR WEAKNESS, RAPID WEIGHT LOSS. THIS IS A REPORTABLE DISEASE. THE COGGINS TEST IS THE ONLY WAY TO ACCURATELY DETERMINE WHETHER A HORSE IS INFECTED. ALL POSITIVE CASES MUST BE FILED WITH THE STATE VETERINARIANS AND THE FEDERAL ANIMAL AND PLANT HEALTH INSPECTION SERVICE. IF YOUR HORSE TESTS POSITIVE FOR EIA, YOUR OPTIONS ARE EXTREMELY LIMITED.
WEST NILE VIRUS
WEST NILE VIRUS (WNV) IS A VIRUS THAT IS TRANSMITTED PRINCIPALLY BY VARIOUS SPECIES OF MOSQUITOES THAT CAN CAUSE INFLAMMATION OF THE BRAIN AND SPINAL CORD (ENCEPHALOMYELITIS). WNV CIRCULATES IN NATURE BETWEEN BIRDS AND MOSQUITOES. MOSQUITOES ARE UNABLE TO TRANSMIT THE VIRUS FROM HORSES TO HORSE OR FROM HORSE TO HUMAN. WHILE THE CLINICAL SIGNS OF WNV CAN VARY IN RANGE AND SEVERITY, THE MOST FREQUENTLY OBSERVED INCLUDE IN COORDINATION, ESPECIALLY OF THE HIND LIMBS. DEPRESSION OR HEIGHTENED SENSITIVITY TO EXTERNAL STIMULI, STUMBLING, TOE DRAGGING, LEANING TO ONE SIDE, AND IN SEVERE CASES, PARALYSIS OF THE HINDQUARTERS, RECUMBENCY, COMA, AND DEATH. OTHER CLINICAL SIGNS THAT MAY BE NOTED INCLUDE FEVER, GENERALIZED WEAKNESS, IMPAIRED VISION, INABILITY TO SWALLOW, AND AIMLESS WANDERING.
STREPTOCOCCUS EQUI (“STRANGLES”)
“STRANGLES” IS A CONTAGIOUS BACTERIAL DISEASE SEEN MOST OFTEN IN YOUNG HORSES. CLINICAL SIGNS INCLUDE FEVER, NASAL DISCHARGE, COUGH, LOSS OF APPETITE, TROUBLE SWALLOWING AND SWOLLEN LYMPH NODES IN THE HEAD. ENLARGED INNER LYMPH NODES MAY IMPAIR BREATHING OR EVEN ASPHYXIATE THE HORSE. STRANGLES IS TRANSMITTED VIA NASAL SECRETIONS, PUS FROM DRAINING ABSCESSES, DIRTY HANDS, FLIES, AND CONTAMINATED FEED BUCKETS AND GROOMING TOOLS. VACCINATION CAN SIGNIFICANTLY DECREASE SEVERITY OF DISEASE.
TETANUS (“LOCKJAW”)
TETANUS IS CAUSED BY CLOSTRIDIUM TETANI BACTERIA ENTERING WOUNDS FROM BARBED WIRE, DROPPED NAILS, OR EVEN SURGICAL PROCEDURES SUCH AS CASTRATION. AFFLICTED HORSES CAN SUFFER MUSCLE SPASMS, HIGH FEVER, VIOLENT REACTIONS TO SUDDEN MOVEMENT OR NOISE, AND EVEN DEATH FROM ASPHYXIATION. VACCINATION IS THE BEST PREVENTION.
EQUINE RABIES
RABIES IS AN INVARIABLY FATAL VIRAL DISEASE CONTRACTED FROM THE BITE OF AN INFECTED ANIMAL. IT IS SPREAD PRIMARILY BY RACCOONS, BATS, SKUNKS, FOXES AND COYOTES, AND IS MOST COMMON IN THE NORTHEAST U.S. AND TEXAS. IN ONE NINE-YEAR PERIOD, OVER 500 CASES OF EQUINE RABIES WERE REPORTED IN THE U.S. IF RABIES IS SUSPECTED, CALL A VETERINARIAN IMMEDIATELY. VACCINATION IS RECOMMENDED.
POTOMAC HORSE FEVER
NAMED AFTER THE REGION WHERE THE DISEASE WAS FIRST DIAGNOSED IN 1979, POTOMAC HORSE FEVER (PHF) IS CHARACTERIZED BY FEVER, LAMENESS, DIARRHEA AND OCCASIONALLY DEATH. IT OCCURS MOST OFTEN DURING SUMMER MONTHS IN THE NORTHERN U.S. AND CANADA. SCIENTISTS STILL DON’T KNOW EXACTLY HOW THE DISEASE IS TRANSMITTED. VACCINATION IS STRONGLY RECOMMENDED FOR HORSES IN AREAS WHERE POTOMAC HORSE FEVER HAS BEEN DIAGNOSES, AND FOR HORSES TRAVELING TO SUCH AREAS.
EQUINE PROTOZOAL MYELOENCEPHALITIS
EPM IS AN INFECTION OF THE CENTRAL NERVOUS SYSTEM OF HORSES. THE NEUROLOGIC SIGNS THAT IT CAUSES ARE MOST COMMONLY ASYMMETRIC INCOORDINATION (ATAXIA), WEAKNESS AND SPASTICITY AND MAY MIMIC OTHER NEUROLOGIC CONDITIONS. THE OPOSSUM HAS BEEN IMPLICATED AS THE DEFINITIVE HOST OF THE EPM ORGANISM. CEREBROSPINAL FLUID (CSF) IS TRADITIONALLY TESTED FOR DIAGNOSIS. HOWEVER, ADVANCES IN EPM RESEARCH HAVE PROVIDED BLOOD TESTS THAT QUANTIFY THE LEVEL OF ANTIBODIES IN THE BLOOD AND WHEN COMBINED WITH CLINICAL SIGNS ALLOW FOR CONFIDENT DIAGNOSIS WITHOUT THE MORE INVASIVE SPINAL TAP. FALSELY POSITIVE OR NEGATIVE TESTS ARE
COMMON WHEN ONLY THE BLOOD IS TESTED. ANY HORSE THAT IS SUSPECTED TO HAVE EPM SHOULD HAVE CSF TESTED FOR THE PRESENCE OF
ANTIBODIES TO THIS PARASITE. THERE IS NO EFFECTIVE VACCINE AT THIS TIME.

20/07/2022

Ulcerative lymphangitis
1. Ulcerative Lymphangitis Synonym : Ulcerative cellulitis Caseous lymphadenitis
2.  It is an infectious disease of cattle and horse characterized by formation of skin ulcers with involvement of lymph vessels of lower limbs.
3. Etiology :  Corynebacterium pseudotuberculosis The organisim is Pleomorphic, non motile, non-spore forming, non-capsulated, gram positive rod  Corynebacterium equi  Psudomonas aeruginosa
4. Corynebacterium pseudotuberculus
5. Susceptible Hosts:  Primarily – a disease of horse But sometimes Also occurs in cattle
6. Ulcerative lymphangitis
7. Transmission and pathogenesis:  Disease is related to soil contamination.  Organisim may remain on skin as contaminants.  Through abrasion or skin injuries – invade the tissues , multiply – invade the lymphatic vessels – formation of abscess.
8. Clinical findings:  The disease is sporadic in nature and spreads slowly.  It begins as a moderate diffuse swelling on one or both the limbs causing lameness.  Nodules formed on the legs break down leading to the formation of ulcers.  Thick greenish exudate mixed with blood appear from such ulcers.
9. Diagnosis: 1. Clinical findings. 2. Isolation and identification of the organisims.
10. Treatment: 1. A course of antibiotic, preferably penicillin @ 4000 – 8000iu /kg BW.i/m daily x 5 days 2. Surgical drainage of pus material. 3. Daily dressing of wound.
11. Control:  Strict hygiene and sanitation.  Regular grooming of animals.  Prompt care and treatment of limb injuries.
12. Sporotrichosis : Sporotrichosis is a contagious disease of horses characterized by the development of cutaneous nodules and ulcers on the limbs and may or may not be accompanied by lymphangitis.
13. Etiology :  Sporotrichum schenckii  Gram positive fungus  Infection spreads directly through contaminated soil or decaying plant materials.  Infection may spread through direct contact with infected animals.
14. Pathogenesis :  Local invasion through cutaneous wounds results in the development of abscess and discharging ulcers.
15. Clinical findings:  Multiple , small cutaneous nodules develop on the lower parts of the legs, usually about the fetlock.  The nodules are painless, develop a scab on the summit, discharge a small amount of pus and heal in 3-4 weeks.
16. Diagnosis : 1. Clinical symptoms. 2. Isolation and identification of the organisim. 3. Gram positive spores in the disharges.
17. Treatment : 1. Local application of tincture iodine daily on ulcers – dressing. 2. Oral administration of potassium iodide is beneficial. Potassium iodide @ 2 – 3g/100kg (4 – 8g/animal) daily orally for 10 to 14 days. 1. Or , sodium iodide (10%)solution@1gm/40kg BW or, 2. sodium – iodide @ 15 – 30 gms in 250 – 500 ml distilled water i/v at weekly interval for a month.  Or, Griseofulvin @7.5-10mg/kg BW/day for 30 days

30/05/2022

25/03/2022

Pre-examination Issues with Horses
At the onset, the roles of all involved parties (eg, buyer, trainer, legal agent) in the purchase of the particular horse should be defined. Trainers may or may not have legal agent status. The trainer does have the potential to be responsible for assessing the buyer’s expectations for the horse’s athletic future and also whether the horse is suitable for the buyer. If an agent is representing the buyer, the examining veterinarian should encourage all information gathered to be communicated to the buyer, along with the report. Buyers of horses have different levels of experience and practical expectations. Possibly the majority of prepurchase examinations are accomplished between an amateur buyer employing the veterinarian. With the advent of social media, expectations of some buyers may be very high, possibly thinking that newer tests such as genetic testing, MRI, CSF evaluations, etc, should be done or are part of a typical prepurchase examination. The veterinarian should ascertain the particular buyer’s expectations and define the limitations of the examination, emphasizing that the examination does not eliminate risks.
The buyer is the owner of the information but needs to maintain a level of confidentiality so that the reputation of the horse is not potentially altered because of inappropriate dissemination of medical information. Through requests by the buyer or the buyer’s agent, the seller and/or the seller's veterinarian should be willing to agree to provide the horse’s medical history to the examining veterinarian. These medical records are returned at the end of the examination.
The potential examination and its procedures should be thoroughly reviewed with the buyer and seller verbally and with written explanatory documents. Written release forms for riding the horse, payment, and the seller’s permission for any interventional procedures, such as sedation for radiographs, shoe removal, hair clipping, etc, should be obtained before the examination. Partial examinations should not be encouraged. Trial periods are often acceptable and encouraged, especially if the seller can be assured of the horse’s safety. One option is to house the horse in a mutually known, professionally managed barn. The seller may request that the horse be insured.
Traditionally, it is recommended that the examining veterinarian have had no contact with the horse or seller in a previous medical or personal role. However, this is often not possible when the horse is being sold within a small community or within the same boarding barn. In such situations, the relationship of the veterinarian to all parties involved should be clearly stated. The opposite situation can occur when the horse is being purchased out of town and the examining veterinarian is not the routine veterinarian for the buyer. The examining veterinarian should have the buyer’s routine veterinarian review the examination report and any ancillary information, such as radiographs, laboratory tests, etc. prior to final purchase of the horse. Also, if any particular question arises during the examination, an opinion from a board-certified veterinary specialist might be indicated.
If the veterinarian has working knowledge of competition rules related to the discipline in which the horse is being purchased (eg, height requirements), he or she should explain how these rules may apply to the prepurchase examination. The veterinarian should counsel the buyer to learn the specific rules and verify “cards” that belong to the pony or horse. Having the buyer verify any rule requirements may help reduce future problems.
State and international disease testing and other requirements should be reviewed with the buyer and complied with by the examining veterinarian. Drug testing should be offered to the buyer and its limitations discussed. If the horse is purchased at a competition, or the seller is not known to the buyer, drug testing should be strongly recommended. Even when a buyer does not wish to have drug testing, examiners often collect blood at the time of the examination and store the serum or plasma frozen. It would then be available if any questions arose after the purchase.
Prepurchase examinations of performance horses often are conducted under several different conditions of training. The ideal situation is that the horse is currently active in the particular level of competition for which it is being purchased. However, prepurchase examinations can involve some inherent predictability, even though they are not classically meant for prediction of a horse’s health.
The following are examples of conditions an examiner may face. Any of these or other modifying conditions should be included in the examination notes:
A horse is currently in early training for a specific athletic endeavor and the buyer is ultimately looking to have the horse compete at a higher level.
A horse is coming off a lay-off period and has been back in work for only a brief period of time.
An older horse that has some infirmities and is being purchased as a schoolmaster by a less experienced rider, in which case the physical demands will potentially decrease with the new buyer.
A horse is being purchased for a financial investment.
A horse is being purchased as a pleasure or trail horse for a moderate or light workload but the horse’s attitude is extremely important.
In each of these conditions, different approaches are needed, and different questions should be asked and understood by the examiner.
A newer type of horse ownership is obtaining a horse through a rescue situation or organization. The reason for the horse’s previous “rejection” should be identified if possible and the reason explained to the buyer, so any potential longterm needs, outcomes, and costs are understood.
Examinations of pretraining and brood stock present different issues to the examining veterinarian. The examiner must be alert to potential limiting conditions of the suckling, weanling, or yearling that would diminish its ability to perform its potential future work. In examining mares and stallions, experience with reproductive examination procedures is needed. In all situations, thorough knowledge of the rules of the specific breed and any governmental disease regulations is critical.
History
The simplest way for the veterinarian to accumulate history before the examination is to have the seller complete and sign a history form. This helps to legally bind the seller in the transaction and gives information that may or may not have been known to the buyer, his or her agent, or the examining veterinarian. A similar questionnaire can be devised for the buyer as to his or her expectations, potential use, and previous experience with the horse in question. Examples of such forms are readily available on the Internet and may be modified as needed.
Physical Examination of a Horse
The examination for a performing horse can be divided into four sections. The first part is observing the horse in the stall. The second includes observing the horse on a lead strap at a walk and a trot on a straight line, doing flexion tests, and in a circle with a longe line. The third part of the examination involves observation of the horse while it is being ridden. The fourth part includes diagnostic procedures such as radiography, endoscopy, ultrasonography, etc.
In the UK, there is a standardized 5-stage vetting procedure:
Stage 1, preliminary examination
Stage 2, trotting up in hand
Stage 3, strenuous exercise ridden or longed to evaluate conditioning, heart, breathing, and strains that might be expressed
Stage 4, a period of rest for as long as 30 min to evaluate heart and lung recovery, during which time paperwork such as identification can be completed
Stage 5, a second trot in hand and foot evaluation
Phase 1
The key to any successful prepurchase examination is having a systematic, consistent routine. At some point during the first part of the examination, a thorough identification of the horse should be recorded. This can be a written description of its color and age verification with inspection of the teeth. Digital photographs are easily adapted and helpful in prepurchase identification. Notations of markings and any other permanent peculiarities to the horse’s body are also beneficial. The most common markings include a star, stripe, blaze, or snip on the face of the horse. Any white markings on the legs should also be described. Other markings that are valuable to record include whorls on the face and neck, brands, and tattoos. The presence of any scars, splints, or joint effusion should be noted.
In some cases, brands or tattoos can give information, such as age. Most Thoroughbred tattoos are one letter followed by five numbers. Some Thoroughbred tattoos have four numbers, which indicates the horse is older than 25. The letter represents the year of foaling. (eg, “A” is 1997, “L” is 2008). An asterisk in front of a Thoroughbred tattoo indicates this was a foreign-born horse. Other breeds also tattoo racehorses on their upper lips. A Quarter Horse tattoo consists of four or five numbers followed by a letter, and a Standardbred tattoo consists of one letter followed by four numbers.
The date, time, and place of the examination should also be recorded.
The initial part of the examination ideally should be done in a stall or area out of direct sunlight, dark enough for an ophthalmologic examination. Temperature and pulse recordings, auscultation of the heart and lungs, and oral examinations can be done in the quiet and controlled confines of the stall. If blood is to be drawn it would ideally be done in this quiet, confined area. If this is the horse’s own stall, note any wood chewing, the character of the manure and feed, and/or oral medication remaining in the feed bucket.
The second phase of the examination outside the stall can begin with general body and skin condition. The Henneke body condition score (1–9) can be assigned a number from thinness (1) to obesity (9). Scores of 4, 5, or 6 are considered normal. Each of the front and hind feet should be thoroughly examined with hoof testers; mismatching, abnormal foot conformations, flares, dishing, type of shoeing, and rings should be noted. Photographs that document body condition scoring and feet can be part of the examination and may simplify a written description. Next, visual observation and palpation of the limbs, passive and active flexion tests, and watching the horse move on different surfaces on a straight line and in a circle should be done. It is also valuable to perform a basic neurologic examination.
Many examiners feel it is helpful to watch the horse being ridden to exclude any subtle unsoundness. It also gives the examiner some observations and insight into the potential of the rider, if it is the buyer. These observations are worth noting, even though it is the trainer’s and buyer’s responsibility to determine the suitability of the horse. It is in this portion of the examination that the British Equine Veterinary Association recommends exerting the animal at a level appropriate for its age and fitness. Having the horse hand gallop for 5–10 minutes so the examiner can evaluate breath sounds and perform cardiac auscultation is recommended. Young or untrained horses can be longed. The horse is then monitored during recovery. Next, the jogging in hand is repeated so that any subtle lameness that might have been accentuated during the exercise stage can be detected. All observations are duly recorded in the report
The fourth part of the examination should include any diagnostic procedures necessary to determine soundness, including imaging. (Also see The Lameness Examination in Horses.) Radiography is the most common diagnostic procedure performed. If there is a question about the significance of any imaging defect, a boarded specialist should be consulted. Because there are some foot conformational differences and corrective shoeing allowing a horse to compete within various disciplines, the buyer should consider hiring their farrier for the evaluation. This would not be for diagnostic purposes but to determine the ease or difficulty of trimming and/or shoeing of the prospective horse.
Report of Findings
A summary report should be prepared and provided to the buyer. There are many published samples of these reports, available in letter or check-off list form. The report should describe any abnormal or undesirable findings and include an opinion as to the functional effect of these findings. Tests that were recommended to but declined by the buyer should be noted in the final report. The American Association of Equine Practitioners publishes guidelines for reproduction, medications, sale issues such as cryptorchidism, dental malocclusions, postsale examination of the upper respiratory tract of horses intended for racing, radiograph custody, and sale disclosure. Specific guidelines to report prepurchase examinations are also included. The British Equine Veterinary Association also publishes guidelines to conduct a prepurchase examination.