Biosecurity for Hospitals and Horse Farms

Biosecurity for Hospitals and Horse Farms: Good biosecurity practices aren't just for equine hospitals. When a horse is sick on the farm, reducing the transmission of infection could mean the difference between an isolated case and an epidemic. ...

Comparison of the Accuracy of Radiography and Ultrasonography for Detection of Articular Lesions in Horses

I thought this was interesting as we are using our ultrasound more frequently to evaluate the cartilage of the joints.

Comparison of the Accuracy of Radiography and Ultrasonography for Detection of Articular Lesions in Horses:

Objective

To compare the accuracy of ultrasonographic and radiographic examination for evaluation of articular lesions in horses.

Study Design

Cross-sectional study.

Animals

Horses (n = 137) with articular lesions.

Methods

Radiographic and ultrasonographic examinations of the affected joint(s) were performed before diagnostic or therapeutic arthroscopic surgery. Findings were recorded and compared to lesions identified during arthroscopy.

Results

In 254 joints, 432 lesions were identified by arthroscopy. The overall accuracy was 82.9% for ultrasonography and 62.2% for radiography (P < .0001) with a sensitivity of 91.4% for ultrasonography and 66.7% for radiography (P < .0001). The difference in specificity was not statistically significant (P = .2628). The negative predictive value for ultrasonography was 31.5% and 13.2% for radiography (P = .0022), the difference for the positive predictive value was not statistically significant (P = .3898). The accuracy for ultrasonography and radiography for left versus right joints was equal and corresponded with the overall results.

Conclusions

Ultrasonographic evaluation of articular lesions was more accurate than radiographic evaluation.

Animal Chiropractic Care

Animal Chiropractic Care:

Dr. Dr. Shana Buchanan, MBA, Certified in Veterinary Acupuncture, Certified in Veterinary Chiropractic, Veterinary Food Therapist, Certified in Chinese Veterinary Herbs

Chiropractors view the spine as the fundamental aspect of overall health. Since the spine houses the nervous system, any abnormality of the spine affects the entire body. Therefore, the nervous system is the governor of the body, and a chiropractor’s goal is to maintain proper spinal alignment. In general, chiropractic is a drug-free approach to pet health care. A few terms associated with chiropractic are vertebral subluxation, homeostasis, adjustment, and innate intelligence. A subluxation is defined as a joint that does not properly move compared to other adjacent joints. Therefore, a subluxation is a misalignment or joint dysfunction. This is not only confined to the spine, but the majority of the subluxations are vertebral subluxations. Homeostasis is defined as an internal stability and equilibrium of an organism. This is achieved by adapting or eliminating an environmental stimulus. Chiropractic helps the body’s internal balance or homeostatic state since adjustments eliminate any hindrance on nerve function. An adjustment is a short lever, high velocity controlled thrust by the hand that is directed at specific articulations to correct subluxations. The purpose of an adjustment is to realign the joints so that normal movement can occur and eliminate nerve interference. This eliminates any pain or discomfort and allows for proper neurologic function to ensue. Innate intelligence is the body’s ability to heal itself. Chiropractic care removes any hindrance to this natural process and allows the body’s healing process to occur. Additionally, innate intelligence of the body encompasses the body’s natural ability to adapt to changes in its internal and external environments in order to maintain a state of health. In order for proper chiropractic care of your pet, a history and examination are required. The examination includes posture analysis, gait analysis, vertebral and extremity static palpation, vertebral and extremity motion palpation, orthopedic evaluation and neurological evaluation. The examination takes place upon your pet’s entrance into the clinic. Observing the animal’s demeanor and ambulation into and out of the office is vital in the examination. Even though you might only see the motion and static palpation, the examination starts as soon as you walk through the door!

The individuals who are allowed to adjust animals are Doctors of Veterinary Medicine (DVMs) and Doctors of Chiropractic (DCs) who have gone through a certification process. A DC must work under a DVMs recommendation in Texas. The certification consists attending an Animal Chiropractic Accreditation Commission (ACAC) of the American Veterinary Chiropractic Association (AVCA) accredited animal chiropractic program which includes 280 plus classroom and laboratory instruction hours. After successfully passing the ACAC exit exam, the DVM or DC will sit for the Animal Chiropractic Certification Commission (ACCC) written and practical examinations. After passing these three tests, the certified doctor must obtain 30 hours of approved Continual Education (CE) every 3 years.

The national affiliate of animal chiropractors is the AVCA. The website contains information such as finding an accredited animal chiropractor in your area and additional information on the benefits of chiropractic. The website address is www.animalchiropractic.org. If you have any questions regarding animal chiropractic care, please, feel free to contact me at the office, or you can search the above website for further information.

The Equine Digestive Tract and How it Relates to Colic

The Equine Digestive Tract and How it Relates to Colic: According to a recent TheHorse.com poll, colic is many horse owners' most concerning equine emergency. This common ailment can be deadly or relatively easy to treat; it can clear up with an analgesic injection or it can require surgery to fix....

Study: Horses Prefer Nonacidic Water

Here is a tip on how to make your horses drink...

Study: Horses Prefer Nonacidic Water: A team of Canadian researchers recently revealed that horses tend to prefer water with neutral pH levels rather than low pH levels, meaning your picky drinker's problem could be due to acidic water's sour taste....

Medical Management of the Colicky Foal

Medical Management of the Colicky Foal: Just like with their adult counter parts, some foals suffering a bout of colic could require surgery to relieve the pain and fix the problem. However many cases of colic in foals can be corrected medically with the assistance of a veterinarian....

Equine Respiratory Surveillance Research Study

I found this study interesting, especially since BVEH helped collect some of the samples tested. Despite the common belief that older horse's do not get strangles, it was the most common pathogen in the 6-10 year old group. Only 26% of cases submitted identified a pathogen, but this number can be improved by handling of the sample and testing horses early in the course of disease.

Equine Respiratory Surveillance Research Study:

Upper respiratory tract infection is a common and important problem in horses. While typically relatively mild, it can result in lost training or competition days. Outbreaks can occur and cause widespread problems. Occasionally, serious disease or complications like secondary infections can develop. Equine herpesvirus (EHV) type 1 can also cause outbreaks of neurological disease or abortion, but is primarily transmitted via respiratory secretions and the respiratory tract. So, it's an area that clearly warrants attention.

A recent study in the Veterinary Record (Pusterla et al 2011) described a surveillance study conducted across the US, focusing on equine herpesvirus types 1 and 4, equine influenza and Streptococcus equi (strangles). They recruited veterinarians to submit blood and nasal swab samples from horses with clinical signs of upper respiratory tract infection or acute onset of neurological disease (EHV-1). Samples were tested using PCR, a molecular diagnostic test to detect bacterial or viral DNA/RNA.

Samples were collected from 761 horses, mules and donkeys from 95 veterinary clinics in 23 states between March 2008 and February 2010. One or more of the target pathogens was detected in 26% of animals.

• EHV-4 was most common, being identified in 10.8% of horses.


• Equine influenza virus was next at 7.9%.


• Streptococcus equi was detected in 6.4%.


• EHV-1 was found in 3.0%.


• 15 horses harboured two different pathogens while one had three different pathogens (I'd like to know about the infection control program of that farm...).


• Horses aged 1-5 years were most commonly diagnosed with the viral pathogens, while S. equi was most common in 6-10 year old horses.

Some other interesting findings:

• EHV-4 was most commonly found during fall and winter months. 32/52 horses whose vaccine status was known had been previously vaccinated against EHV-4 (specific timing of vaccination was not reported).


• Equine influenza was mainly found in winter and spring months. 9/19 affected horses whose vaccine status was known had been vaccinated against equine influenza.


• Streptococcus equi was most common in the winter and spring. 12/24 horses with known vaccine status had been previously vaccinated against strangles.


• EHV-1 was less common in the summer than other months. Most affected horses (10/12) whose vaccine status was known had been vaccinated.


• Standardbreds, mules and donkeys were over-represented in the EHV-1 infected group.


• Quarter Horses and American Paint Horses were overrepresented in the equine influenza group and, along with ponies, in the S. equi group.

This study provides some interesting information about causes of upper respiratory tract infections in horses, and risk factors for different pathogens. An important thing to consider, however, is that >70% of cases were not diagnosed. Whether that indicates weaknesses in current tests (e.g. intermittent shedding of the pathogens by sick horses, tests that don't detect all horses that are shedding), poor sample collection or preservation during transport, or the presence of other important but unknown/un-investigated causes of disease, is unclear.