Community Equine Outreach of Eastern Washington

11/26/2025

Update as of 11/25/25

📢 Important Update for Horse Owners: EHM Outbreak Now Confirmed in Eight States, horse count grows to 32.

We’re bringing you the latest because you deserve clear, accurate, and timely information to keep your horse safe. Here’s what we know as of midday 11/25/25:

The neurologic form of EHV-1, known as EHM, has now spread to at least eight states, with dozens of confirmed cases.

Latest counts:

Texas: 14 horses with neurologic EHM.

Oklahoma: 5 total (1 non-neurologic EHV-1 + 4 EHM).

Louisiana: 3 EHM cases.

New Mexico: 3 EHM.

South Dakota: 1 EHM.

Colorado: 1 EHM.

Arizona & Washington: EHV-1 positive horses with no neurologic signs so far.

EHM attacks the nervous system. Key warning signs: fever, hind-limb weakness or stumbling, urine dribbling, and in severe cases inability to stand.

Many horses can recover with timely veterinary care — in past outbreaks, survival rates were around 60-70%.

🔍 What you can do today:

Monitor your horses’ temperatures twice daily (fever may be the first clue).

Enforce biosecurity: no nose-to-nose contact with unfamiliar horses, no sharing tack, buckets, grooming tools.

Isolate any horse that shows symptoms, and contact your vet immediately.

Keep updated: we’ll continue reporting daily as new states and cases emerge.

We’re committed to giving everyday equestrians the tools, knowledge, and resources to protect their horses — whether hobby, performance, or working partners. Share this post with your barn-mates, riding club, and social circle to raise awareness and keep our community safe. 🐴💛

Follow, share, read full updates in comments below or at thehorsereview.com under Horse Health

BarnSafety TheHorseReview

11/25/2025

In light of the current EHV-1 outbreak, the AAEP and the Equine Disease Communication Center (EDCC) have organized a horse owner education webinar to bring you the most up to date information on this issue.

Next Tuesday, join specialists Lewis R. “Bud” Dinges (Texas Animal Health Commission Executive Director and Texas State Veterinarian), Dr. Krista Estell (AAEP/EDCC) and Dr. Katie Flynn (USEF) for an informative discussion about what EHV-1 is, how to recognize it, and most importantly, how to prevent its spread.

This webinar is FREE, but registration is required. Register here: https://events.zoom.us/ev/AnIoJrASj0vuX7Q_K87mKEjg5bxeMAkqp7fpSoOgVtVm_Zgo1g5m~AiiV7ZQ3bbmlEW2iSkeRTSAfMCYf2QhFMoprr7WRbM_MsiJRcBGT1oLj0Q

*PLEASE NOTE: the attendee limit for this session is capped at 1,000. However, all who register will be emailed a link to an on-demand recording that will become available 24 hours after the live session ends.

11/21/2025

Good information, and good writing, in this article.

11/20/2025

❤️

“The Rescuer's Final Reward"
Unlike most days at the Rainbow Bridge, this day dawned cold and gray.
All the recent arrivals at the Bridge did not know what to think, as they had never seen such a day. But the animals who had been waiting longer for their beloved people to accompany them across the Bridge knew what was happening, and they began to gather at the pathway leading to the Bridge.
Soon an elderly dog came into view, head hung low and tail dragging. He approached slowly, and though he showed no sign of injury or illness, he was in great emotional pain. Unlike the animals gathered along the pathway, he had not been restored to youth and vigor upon arriving at the Bridge. He felt out of place, and wanted only to cross over and find happiness.
But as he approached the Bridge, his way was barred by an angel, who apologized and explained that the tired and broken-spirited old dog could not cross over. Only those animals accompanied by their people were allowed to cross the Bridge. Having nobody, and with nowhere else to turn, the dog trudged into the field in front of the Bridge.
There he found others like himself, elderly or infirm, sad and discouraged. Unlike the other animals waiting to cross the Bridge, these animals were not running or playing. They simply were lying in the grass, staring forlornly at the pathway across the Rainbow Bridge. The old dog took his place among them, watching the pathway and waiting.yet not knowing for what he was waiting.
One of the newer dogs at the Bridge asked a cat who had been there longer to explain what was happening. The cat replied, "Those poor animals were abandoned, turned away, or left at rescue places, but never found a home on earth. They all passed on with only the love of a rescuer to comfort them. Because they had no people to love them, they have nobody to es**rt them across the Rainbow Bridge."
The dog asked the cat, "So what will happen to those animals?" Before the cat could answer, the clouds began to part and the cold turned to bright sunshine. The cat replied, "Watch, and you will see."
In the distance was a single person, and as he approached the Bridge the old, infirm and sad animals in the field were bathed in a golden light. They were at once made young and healthy, and stood to see what their fate would be. The animals who had previously gathered at the pathway bowed their heads as the person approached. At each bowed head, the person offered a scratch or hug. One by one, the now youthful and healthy animals from the field fell into line behind the person. Together, they walked across the Rainbow Bridge to a future of happiness and unquestioned love.
The dog asked the cat, "What just happened?"
The cat responded, "That was a rescuer. The animals gathered along the pathway bowing in respect were those who had found their forever homes because of rescuers. They will cross over when their people arrive at the Bridge. The arrival here of a rescuer is a great and solemn event, and as a tribute they are permitted to perform one final act of rescue. They are allowed to es**rt all those poor animals they couldn't place on earth across the Rainbow Bridge."
The dog thought for a moment, then said, "I like rescuers." The cat, smiled and replied, "So does heaven, my friend. So does Heaven 🙏❤️🙏

This was copied and pasted from a post in memory of a rescuer who has just passed away, her name is Tina❤️🙏

To all my animal loving friends, I love what you do and I thank God for you everyday 🙏❤️🙏
You make a beautiful difference in this world 🌎 ❤️

10/20/2025

10 things veterinarians want horse owners to know about Banamine.
1)Banamine is a brand name. Flunixin meglumine is the drug name but many people refer to it by the popular brand name “Banamine” made by Merck. This medication is available in injectable liquid and oral paste formulations.
2)Flunixin is classified as a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug which can be shortened to “NSAID.” NSAIDs reduce inflammation, pain, and fever by decreasing certain biochemical reactions in the body. Other drugs that are also classified as NSAIDs include phenylbutazone (Bute), firocoxib (Equioxx®, Previcoxx®).
3)Flunixin treats pain. By far the most common implication for the use of flunixin in horses is analgesia, or pain control. Flunixin provides good pain control for visceral (in the belly) and ocular (eye) pain. It is often used in cases of colic (abdominal pain) to make the horse more comfortable which reduces the risk of harm to the horse and handlers. It is important to note that flunixin does not cure the cause of colic; it temporarily relieves signs by providing pain relief.
4)Flunixin can reduce fever. A normal horse’s temperature is between 98.5 and 100.9°F. Like humans, horses can develop a fever secondary to an infection or illness. Many febrile horses will not eat or drink well when they have a fever but their appetite improves once the fever decreases. Flunixin can be used to reduce the horse's temperature often making them feel better. On a cautionary note, we often recommend owners take a temperature BEFORE giving flunixin as this can also a mask a fever.
5)Flunixin lasts 12 hours in the horse’s body. Some owners with a sick horse give a full dose of flunixin and then redose the horse a few hours later when he/she became uncomfortable again. This practice is not recommended for two reasons. First, overdosing can increase the risk of adverse effects including kidney damage and gastric ulcers. Second, if a horse's clinical signs do not resolve with a full dose, an examination by your veterinarian is likely warranted sooner rather than later and administering a second dose may delay treatment.
6)Flunixin can cause gastrointestinal and kidney damage. The same pathways that are down-regulated by flunixin to reduce pain and inflammation also partially protect the kidneys and stomach. At a normal dose the risk of these side effects is reduced. However, patients treated with an overdose or long term dosing are at an increased risk for renal (kidney) damage, gastric ulcers, and hind gut (colon) ulcers .
7)“Stacking” NSAIDs is not recommended. As previously stated, other drugs commonly used in horses that are also classified as NSAIDs include bute, Equioxx and Previcoxx). It is important to note that giving either of these medications together or in combination with flunixin can cause the same adverse effects as overdosing. For this reason,we do not recommend “stacking” NSAIDs or administering two of these drugs together. Many geriatric patients receive Equioxx or Previcoxx daily for pain and inflammation associated with arthritis. If this is the case, we recommend discontinuing that medication before starting another NSAID an allowing enough time for the body to clear the first drug completely.
8)Flunixin does not cause sedation or cure colic. Although we often use flunixin in colic cases, it is for the purpose of pain control. Alleviating the signs of colic by controlling pain is safer for the horse and handler when a horse is being treated and gives the horse’s body time to respond to treatment (ie oral fluids, IV fluids, motility agents). We often recommend removing hay/grain from a horse that has been administered flunixin for signs of colic until he/she can be examined by a veterinarian. In some cases, once the horse FEELS better he/she will try to continue eating and make the colic worse. If you think your horse may be colicking, we recommend calling your regular veterinarian and following her/his recommendations on medications and feeding.
9)Flunixin should NOT be given in the muscle (IM). Oddly enough, Banamine is still labeled for IM use in horses on the bottle but I strongly recommend against this practice. In rare cases, IM administration of flunixin (or phenylbutazone) has been known to cause a secondary condition called “Clostridial myositis” which can be fatal. The medication irritates the surrounding muscle tissue and bacterial spores can take advantage of the inflamed environment and cause a massive release of toxins. This disease is extremely painful and the treatment can be quite gruesome but horses that are not diagnosed and treated promptly may die from toxic overload. For this reason, we recommend only injecting flunixin in the vein (IV) or squirting the injectable fluid or paste in the mouth.
10)Flunixin injectable solution can be administered by mouth. The injectable formulation of flunixin can be administered by mouth at the same dose as IV use. Oral administration (either injectable solution or paste) takes about 20-30 min to reach full effect compared to 5-10 min with an IV injection. Oral administration does not take significantly longer than IM injection to reach peak absorption and is much safer for the horse.
Lastly always call your veterinarian if you suspect your horse appears off in any way before administering any medication.

09/27/2025

When weariness and sadness creep in, go catch your horse.

When grief and anger stream down your cheeks, saddle up.

When you're exhausted, and burned out from life, mount up and let your horse lead the way.

It might not change anything, but it might change everything. There is something about leather and horse sweat that heals the wounds of the brokenhearted.

I pray that if you have a horse in your life, that you let them carry some of your load. They truly are angels on earth.

❤️Richelle

08/05/2025