Holistic Animal Insights

29/08/2024

Eastern Equine Encephalitis otherwise known as Triple E or sleeping sickness, is on the rise! Even humans can get this. The lethal virus in horses that causes inflammation of the brain.

EEE is transmitted through mosquito bites and attacks the central nervous system (CNS). It is most prevalent in the eastern regions of North America. [1]

The prognosis for this encephalitis is very poor, especially once neurological symptoms have developed. While there is no cure for EEE, supportive treatment may be administered to make the horse comfortable and help them fight infection. [2]

The numbers of EEE positive mosquitos are on the rise here in NH. Multiple horses in NH have contracted and died from the virus in the last few weeks. We are urging our clients to booster horses that received a vaccine prior to April 1st, young horses under the age of one, older horses over the age of twenty-eight or horses on immunosuppressant medications.

This disease is sometimes referred to as Eastern Equine Encephalitis, EEE, and Triple E. This virus is caused by a bite from an infected mosquito, the infection causes inflammation of the brain and spinal cord. Wild birds are the natural reservoir for the EEE virus, and mosquitos that feed on these birds can transmit the virus to mammals including horses and humans.

With no treatment for this virus, there is a high mortality rate of 90%. Those that survive with supportive care can have permanent brain damage and poor quality of life.

Abrupt onset of symptoms include (but are not limited to) lethargy, fever, anorexia, ataxia, paralysis, seizures and neurologic symptoms like tremors and muscle weakness.

Call us if you have any questions or to schedule a farm call so we can booster your horse.

In light of this scary situation, this is how Dr. George will be doing farm calls to stay safe from the virus.

29/08/2024

Heartbreaking situation

The level of catastrophic loss that’s still unfolding at the Beutler Ranch in Elk City, Oklahoma right now is beyond comprehension. The horror of so many dead horses—the death toll is now approaching 70 and counting, I’m told—is devastating a family-dynasty breeding program that’s a 95-year-old cowboy empire. What Elra, Jake and Lynn Beutler started in 1929, and Elra’s grandson Bennie and his son Rhett built onto with Beutler & Son Rodeo Company today can’t be replicated or replaced.

I have intentionally sat quiet on this story, knowing the Beutlers can’t even breathe right now. They have no words, or tears left. They also have their hometown rodeo to produce this weekend, and with so much of their horse herd and generations-deep legacy wiped out without warning.

I’ve had many off-the-record conversations with cowboy people about this tragic turn of events in the last few days. I just had my first one on the record with the friend and veterinarian the Beutlers have entrusted with their four-legged family, Dr. Gregg VeneKlasen. Because of what may lie ahead legally, we will stick to only the facts that can be appropriately shared publicly at this time. More to come later, when the time is right for the Beutler family.

Early reporting that many of the Beutlers’ horses were accidentally fed cattle feed is false, according to VeneKlasen.

“What these horses got was actually a horse feed mix with a huge amount of the cattle drug monensin (brand name Rumensin) in it,” VeneKlasen said. “This was a tragic case of human error somewhere along the line, because tiny amounts of monensin is poison to horses. It kills them. Monensin is used in some cattle feed, but this amount in this horse feed delivered to the Beutlers would have killed cattle, too.

“Much is known about what has happened here that cannot yet be told. But the bottom line on this story is that it’s an important one to tell, so this never happens to anyone else. I will say this: Never buy horse feed from a mill that makes cattle feed. Period. Please quote me on that. Every horse that ate this feed is dead. The only bucking mare still alive is (NFR bucker) Black Kat, because she was at my place (Timber Creek Veterinary Hospital in Canyon, Texas; that’s her in this picture) when this feed was delivered. The only Killer Bee baby that is still alive refused to eat the feed.

“I cried. We all cried. These bloodlines were five generations in the making. Many of the stars of this breeding program are gone. To see what’s happened here to these horses will make you puke.”

I stopped using the word “tragedy” a long time ago for situations that did not warrant it. “It’s not a tragedy if nobody died” has become a famous line of mine when perspective is lost and drama is overblown. This, my friends, is a tragedy in our rodeo family.

The one silver lining I’ve seen so far is the heartwarming generosity of other stock contractors stepping up and offering their stock to the Beutlers. That’s how our rodeo family rolls in the toughest of times, and it’s something special to behold and be very proud of.

This story continues to unfold. More when we can. Until then, God Bless every horse who has died. And prayers for the Beutler family as they try to find a path forward with so many family members missing.

19/08/2024

😯

08/08/2024

06/08/2024

24/07/2024

16/07/2024

13/07/2024

For those of you who think your horse has epm only to be told it is not, or treated and had no results, I found this study about Toxoplasmosis in horses looking exactly like epm.

If you have not heard about Toxoplasmosis, which most horse owners have not, it can come from barn cats and is also a protozoan that can infect horses.

I am beyond excited about this, as I too have had clients horses tested that were looking clinical epm but the tests and vets labeled them not epm. Those clients were lost to the abyss and I kept thinking there must be a strain we don't know about.

I had my horse tested for toxo about 6 years ago because of his polyneuritis/epm diagnosis. It is a totally affordable test - currently $85.00 @ UC Davis. At that time his titers were at 40. There was no info on what that meant, if that was high, or low, or what!?! My vet called them several times for an explanation which was really not answered clearly. I was left hanging. I had dove as deep as I could back then with very little info available and even discussed polyneuritis being toxo with Pathogenes Inc, which Dr. Elison said yes, it could be. Here is the 2023 research study link below.
So excited to see this be seriously studied.
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S030440172300050X

02/07/2024

If a bear clacks its teeth, sticks out its lips, huffs, woofs, or slaps the ground with its paws, it is warning you that you are too close and are making it nervous. The bear’s nervous? Heed this warning and slowly back away. ⁣What else should you do or not do if you come across a bear in Yellowstone?
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🐻 Do not immediately drop to the ground and “play dead.” Bears can sense overacting.⁣
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🐻 Do not run, shout, or make sudden movements. ⁣
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🐻 Do not run up and push the bear and do not push a slower friend down…even if you feel the friendship has run its course.⁣
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🐻 Running may trigger a chase response in the bear and you can't outrun a bear. Bears in Yellowstone chase down elk calves all the time. You do not want to look like a slow elk calf. (Apologies to the elk calf.)⁣
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🐻 Slowly putting distance between yourself and the bear may defuse the situation. ⁣
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🐻 Draw your bear spray from the holster, remove the safety tab, and prepare to use it if the bear charges.⁣
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🐻 In most cases, climbing a tree is a poor decision. Bears can climb trees (especially if there is something up the tree that the bear wants). Also, when was the last time you climbed a tree?⁣
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🐻 Running to a tree or frantically climbing a tree may provoke a bear to chase you. If the friend you pushed down somehow made it up a tree and is now extending you a hand, there’s a good chance you’re not getting up that tree. Karma’s a bear. ⁣
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Learn more bear safety tips at https://www.nps.gov/yell/learn/nature/bearreact.htm
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Image: Close-up if Grizzly Bear near Swan Lake in Yellowstone National Park. NPS/Neal Herbert ⁣
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26/06/2024

Taught such a great group last night. Animal Iridology is amazing and I love to share it with others

My mentorship group did an iridology class last night and now I’m obsessed with the information I learned! 🫣 We had such an amazing experience and many thanks to Poppy Phillips of Holistic animal insights for helping us broaden our education!

25/06/2024

I am teaching a pop up class at 5:30 pm pst today if you want in click the link. There will be no recordings available.

Sign up for the masterclass!

04/06/2024

Recurring skin (including chronic itch), ear and gut conditions (ReSEGs) are the #1, #2 and #3 reasons for visiting the vets today and they make up the lion's share of patients who come to us looking for help.

30/05/2024

A study of 26 years' worth of wolf behavioral data, and an analysis of the blood of 229 wolves, has shown that infection with the parasite Toxoplasma gondii makes wolves 46 times more likely to become a pack leader.