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Summer 2007 Newsletter |
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SEVS News Dr.Jeske Noordergraaf Welcome to the summer newsletter from Sunrise Equine Veterinary Services. It has been a hot and dry summer so far and although the mosquitoes haven’t been bad, the other bugs have been horrible causing horses to be itchy. We are seeing many eye injuries and lacerations caused by horses rubbing or kicking at flies. The harder than normal ground is also causing hoof problems, especially as horses are stomping. Don’t forget to use fly and tick repellants even when the flies are gone as we see more tick borne diseases in the fall. Sand colics are also on the rise as pastures have been eaten down early this year. The barn at the practice is now insulated and heated. We are looking forward to working on horses there year-round, especially in the winter. It will be easier on your horses to be sedated, if necessary, in a warm place. We are also planning to have several client seminars in our heated barn this winter. We are looking for any suggestions, so please let us know. Dr. Emily Steele will be teaching a class through North Branch Community Ed. Thank you for your continued support and for recommending us to your friends. Remember to call the office for the pager number of the Doctor on call when you have an emergency. I hope to see you on the trails this fall.
Wisconsin and Minnesota have finally reached an agreement making it unnecessary to have a health certificate if you are just going to a show or trail ride across the border. It is always a good idea to check the requirements of the show as they may require a health certificate even though the state does not. If a horse will be in Wisconsin for 7 days or longer or if it is changing ownership, then a health certificate is still required. Current negative Coggins tests are always required to cross state lines. WI requires your Coggins to be dated within the same calendar year as your visit. MN considers your Coggins to be current for 1 year from the actual date the blood was drawn.
Another change is that it is now necessary to have a trail pass if you are 16 years old and over when riding on state trails, in state parks, state recreation areas and in state forests. A daily pass is $5 and an annual pass is $21. Each person needs to have their own signed pass and must carry it in their immediate possession and visibly display the pass on their person or horse tack. Horse passes can be purchased from DNR authorized Electronic License Service vendors. (These are the same vendors who sell fishing and hunting licenses.) They can also be ordered online at: www.dnr.state.mn.us/horseback_riding/index.html. The DNR website is also a great source of information about all the trails that are available in this area.
Many thanks to Merial for sponsoring our Newsletter!
Osteoarthritis Dr. Kirsten Voigt Osteoarthritis (OA) is one of the most common causes of lameness in the horse. Also known as degenerative joint disease (DJD), it is a condition that can be caused by acute injury or, more commonly by low-grade, repetitive trauma from riding and training. When a joint is used there is a cycle of degradation and possibly damage followed by regeneration and repair. The joint remains healthy as long as the degradation does not exceed the ability to repair. Often the balance it tipped by hard and heavy use or just by many years of use. This leads to inflammation of the joint capsule that stabilizes the joint and the synovial lining that produces the joint fluid. The effect is instability and unhealthy joint fluid. The cartilage that protects the ends of the bone is responsible for shock absorption and allowing the bones to glide over one another without resistance or pain. It is highly dependent on stability to minimize damage and healthy joint fluid for repair. Once the inflammation starts it is easy to see how damage can occur to the cartilage as well. With inflammation and cartilage damage comes the pain and decreased range of motion that negatively affects performance. The body responds by laying down extra bone in and around the joint in an attempt to stabilize the joint, but the effect is a build up of irregular bone formation that interferes with movement, causes pain and is more easily fractured than normal bone. These boney changes can be seen on x-rays but are only there after the problem has been going on long enough for this response to take place. The solution is early intervention to prevent the chronic inflammation that leads to irreversible boney changes and permanent arthritis. Even mild lameness or reduced performance should be addressed early on to minimize damage. Specific joint therapies include topical anti-inflammatories to reduce pain and inflammation and/or joint injections with anti-inflammatory medications that can break the inflammation cycle and encourage repair. More general treatments include oral bute or the newly released Equioxx. Both of these reduce pain and inflammation to the same degree but Equioxx is developed to eliminate the stomach and kidney side-effects that are associated with the prolonged use of bute. It is also formulated for once a day dosing for convenience to horse and owner. Preventions include cold hosing or icing after work outs which can significantly reduce the inflammation. There is also a drug called Adequan that, when given as a series of intramuscular injections, can heal cartilage in chronic cases and improve joint fluid in all cases which can prevent damage. When a problem arises, the earlier treatment is started the more effective it is and the better the outcome.
Horses will start eating weeds when the pasture grasses are gone. Here is a list of several toxic plants found in our area. For more information visit the U of M Extension Service web site. http://www.extension.umn.edu/horse/components/poisonousplants.htm
The number one killer of horses is colic. Colic is not a disease, but rather a combination of signs that alert us to abdominal pain in the horse. Colic can range from mild to severe, but it should never be ignored.
Learn the Facts About Tick-borne Disease
Emily Steele, DVM Living in Minnesota, most of us and our horses have had an encounter with that irritating pest – the tick. Besides causing pain and having a disgusting appearance, ticks carry diseases that can make us and our horses sick. One tick borne disease that commonly affects horses in our area is known as Anaplasmosis. Anaplasmosis is caused by the bacterium Anaplasma phagocytophilum. Studies done on the disease show that it can be spread by the western black-legged tick, a close relative of the deer tick. Researchers believe that all ticks in this particular family are able to spread the disease, making the deer tick the likely culprit in our area. Horses infected with Anaplasma phagocytophilum usually become depressed, have a high fever, are stiff, and their lower limbs and abdomen may even become swollen. In our practice, we have found that horses may develop one or all of these signs when infected. In naturally infected horses, signs can take as long as 18 to 25 days after the tick bite to develop. So, a tick can bite your horse, have a meal and fall off long before your horse ever gets sick. Luckily, Anaplasma phagocytophilum can often be found through blood testing and can be effectively treated with antibiotics. Another disease our horses catch from ticks is Lyme disease. Just like humans, Lyme disease in horses is transmitted by the deer tick and is caused by the bacterium Borrelia burgdorferi. Lyme disease is very difficult to diagnose in horses. One reason for this is that the clinical signs of the disease are nonspecific and often occur in many body systems. Signs include chronic weight loss, sporadic lameness, laminitis, low-grade fever, swollen joints, muscle tenderness, and anterior uveitis. All of the clinical signs associated with Lyme disease can be caused by other diseases and may be mild. A blood test is available to test for Lyme disease, however, horses can be exposed to Lyme disease and not develop any illness. Therefore, although a horse may test positive, Lyme disease may not be the source of its illness. Often, a positive diagnosis of Lyme disease is made if a horses responds well to treatment. No vaccine exists for either tick disease in horses. There are vaccines available to prevent Lyme disease in other species, however, none of the available vaccines are approved for horses. Our best defense against tick borne diseases is daily grooming, tick removal and using tick repellents that contain permethrin. Continue to use repellent into the late fall as ticks are plentiful long after other insects have died off. Keeping pastures mowed and removing brush and woodpiles can also decrease the number of ticks in your horse's environment. |
Watch out for Poisonous Plants!
Don't Get Ticked Off: 
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