- Update February 2, 2010-

Botulism

Two local horses died from presumed cases of botulism this January. Botulism is a neuromuscular disease caused by bacteria found in the soil. Horses ingest toxins produced by the bacteria through contaminated food or water. It is believed that horses are most likely to be exposed to botulism by eating round bales. Occasionally small animals like mice or birds are trapped during the baling process and introduce the bacteria to the hay when they decompose. While botulism is rare, it is difficult to diagnose and has a high mortality rate. Botulism vaccines are available and effective.

- Update September 24, 2009 -

New Weekend Appointment Hours

In order to better accommodate client schedules, the Piedmont Equine Practice will now be offering Saturday morning appointments at the hospital for routine care such as lameness and vaccines. Appointments may be scheduled with the veterinarian on duty by calling the clinic during weekday business hours.

- Update May 11, 2009 -

Congratulations to Michele Marieschi, winner of the 2009 Maryland Hunt Cup

Owned by Anna Stable, trained by Richard Valentine and ridden to victory by George Hundt, Jr., Michele Marieschi successfully negotiated the most difficult timber race in the country. Eight starters attempted the four-mile course of 22 fences this year. The MD Hunt Cup has been used as a proving ground for American hopefuls on the road to the English Grand National and is renowned for its stout fences, particularly the 3rd and 13th which measure nearly five feet tall. Congratulations to Piedmont Equine client, Richard Valentine, on preparing Michele Marieschi for the challenge.

- Update February 11, 2009 -

• Dr. Byron Young, D.V.M, M.S., diplomate ACVS will be managing medical and surgical colics, joint lacerations and infections.

• Dr. Amy Polkes, D.V.M, diplomate ACVIM continues to provide a full suite of internal medicine referral services.

- Update February 3, 2009 -

Resistance to dewormers is a growing threat to parasite control and equine health.

A recent study that included over 1200 horses in 5 states has revealed that parasite resistance to commonly used dewormers is much more common than suspected and is growing worse. We have contributed to this problem by blindly deworming without first checking the worm burden in each horse, using dewormers with a greater frequency than is needed in many horses.

Resistance to dewormers is potentially devastating to equine health and has caused many deaths in other species. For example, in sheep and goats, a deadly parasite has become over 90% resistant to the only dewormer used to treat it. Current deworming practices must be changed to prevent this from happening to our equine population.

It will be years before the drug companies produce a “new” dewormer so we need to effectively use the ones we currently have.

We must change to an evidence-based medical approach to deworming our horses.

To develop such a program, we must:

1) Use the correct drug for the correct parasite at the correct time of the year.
2) Determine which horses require more or less frequent treatment by submitting a fecal sample to a veterinarian to perform a fecal egg count (FEC).
3) Evaluate the overall success of the worm control program by monitoring the FEC of each horse at regular intervals.

Common Questions:

What is a Fecal Egg Count (FEC)?

This is a lab test that involves submitting a sample of feces from each horse to a veterinarian. Place ONE fresh fecal ball in a ziplock bag labeled with the horse and owner’s name. The sample may be collected the night before submission and stored in the refrigerator. The cost of the test is $15.00 (introductory price) and will detect if a horse has a high, moderate, or low worm burden. By performing routine FECs, we can decrease the frequency of deworming to as little as 2-3 times per year for most horses and avoid blindly deworming horses that may not need the drugs.

* Performing an FEC in the spring and fall is the only way to effectively monitor your worm control program.

* Without routine FECs, if your program is failing, you will not know until it is severely failing and your horses are suffering from parasitic disease.

How does the cost of this new method compare to the former plan of deworming 6 times yearly?

* A recent study showed the cost of the old method of deworming each horse 6 times per year is the same cost or more expensive than the new recommended method.

Key Facts:

* 20-30% of the herd is responsible for harboring about 80% of the worms. These horses are more susceptible to parasite infection and tend to remain this way for life.
It is important to identify these horses with fecal egg counts and deworm accordingly.

* Temperature matters: cold winter months and hot, dry summer months do not support parasite larvae development. Horses with low worm burdens do not need to be dewormed during these months. Spring and fall are the optimal times for parasite development, and treatments should be focused on these months.

* Harrowing pastures kills worm eggs by exposing them to the dry heat of the summer. After the temperatures become cooler in the fall (below 80 degrees), harrowing is no longer effective in killing eggs and instead actually helps worms by spreading their eggs.

* Fresh manure should never be spread on grazing pastures. This practice should only be done when the manure has had adequate time to compost in a manure pile.