What you need to know about EHV-1/EHM

Jacob T. Goodin, DVM, DACVS 

Morrie Waud Equine Clinic 

Delavan, WI

Equine Herpes Virus – 1 has recently been diagnosed in Gurnee, IL. At this time all affected horses are confined to a single barn. This appears to be an isolated incident with no connection to any other outbreak in the United States.
Equine Herpes Virus-1 is a virus which affects all equids (horses, donkeys and mules). It commonly causes respiratory problems and can also cause abortion in pregnant mares. It is believed that a large percentage of horses are carriers for EHV-1, meaning they have the virus present in their body but are not showing clinical signs. A mutation of this strain of EHV-1 causes Equine Herpes Myeloencephalopathy (EHM). This is the form of the disease which causes horses to show neurologic signs. EHV-1 is spread most easily by nose to nose contact between horses, however it can easily be spread by common use of buckets, brushes, tack and caretakers.
There are no vaccines available to protect against EHM. Vaccines that target the non-neuropathogenic EHV-1 strain are available. These vaccines may help to reduce shedding of the EHV-1 virus, but have no label claims to provide protection against the neuropathogeic strain of EHV-1. Anti-viral medications have not been show to prevent the spread of the disease and thus are not recommended as a preventative to horses that have not been exposed. You and your veterinarian should decide if vaccinating your horses is warranted at this time.
The best way to prevent the spread of the neuropathogenic form of EHV-1 is the implementation and practice of good biosecurity protocols. This includes:
 Isolating horses that have travelled away from their home stables for up to 14 days. This includes using separate equipment for care and feeding of these horses. Personnel interacting with these horses should changes clothes and wash hands between at risk and non at risk horses.
 Monitoring rectal temperature of these horses twice daily. If a horse develops a fever (temperature of 101.5 or greater), contact your veterinarian immediately. Your veterinarian will then test for EHV-1.
 If a horse at your facility is confirmed to have EHV-1, work closely with your veterinarian to treat any affected horses and prevent further spread of the virus.
We encourage everyone to contact their veterinarians and follow their recommendations regarding biosecurity and vaccination. Doing so will help to prevent further spread of EHV-1.

www.mwec.wisc.edu Office # 608-883-2995

McCauley Feeds Available Soon in the Chicagoland area

McCauley Bros. manufactures equine feeds and supplements out of Versailles, Kentucky. Their production is limited exclusively to products for the horse, using the very finest ingredients available. They apply the most stringent of quality control measures to all aspects of production. The result of these efforts is feed of exceptional consistency and value. Producing the highest quality feeds and nutritional supplements for horses. McCauley’s proudly feeds the world’s leading horse farms and stables.
Call our equine specialist to order you McCauley feed. 815-761-2593  www.mccauleybros.com

Deworming Questions on Worms: What's in your horse dewormer?

I was going to give my horses their 8-week rotation of dewormer timed just before the first big frost of the year.   As I got ready for the by-monthly disagreement with Skippy who hates any flavor or brand of deworming paste I give her, I looked at the large, colorful syringe and hoped this new product was going to make my afternoon go a little better.    

I usually rotate between a Safe-Guard® and an ivermectin family product.  This time I thought I would try something different.  As I finished giving the dewomer to Skippy, I noticed the “plus” after the name.    I was not sure what “Plus” meant on the brand name I had heard and read about many times.   The syringe was the same size.  Dose was the same, same smell, similar flavor (Skippy still did not like it and made sure I was wearing some immediately after she was dosed).

After the seven horses and three mini-donkeys were done, I found my glasses in the feed room and tried to determine what “plus” meant.  In this case, it was an added drug (praziquantel) for tape worms.  I thought dewomers got rid of worms, all the worms….so I did some investigating.

Horses usually get large and small strongyles, ascards, pinworms and others that the market’s standard products take care of.  But for some reason, the standard products do not affect tapeworms.  I discovered that tape worms attach themselves to the intestine only by their head and grow inside the digestive tract.  By doing this they do not eat blood like most worms.  They, instead,  eat the food that the horse is trying to digest.    Most common dewormers are absorbed into the blood, the worms eat the blood which contains the dewormer, and the worms die and leave the body.  Since tape worms do not eat the blood, they do not get any of the dewormer.  Thus, the “plus” is a compound that stays in the digestive tract where the tape worm will eat it and die too.

I am not a veterinarian and highly suggest that you work with your equine health professional to design a health program for your farm including a deworming program.  This would include taking fecal samples to the vet on a regular basis to see what kinds of worms your horses may have.  Tape worms are not found that often in horses but it is always a good idea to check.   

If your horse only needs the standard type dewormer and you have a “Skippy” in your herd, Hubbard does have a Safe-Guard® dewormer that can be fed instead of putting it behind the tongue (which is a nice change since Skippy can’t spread it all over me).  The product is Safe-Guard® 0.5% Crumbles (#8K18) with the feeding rate of 1 lb per 1000 lbs body weight   

Posted by: Dr. Ed Bonnette on 1/9/13 HUBBARD LIFE EQUINE

Lose that extra Holiday weight

New Years Resolutions usual include getting into better shape and losing a few pounds but many health benefits are associated with horseback riding. Horseback riding is a very enjoyable activity that can keep you incredibly fit. If you just think that horseback riding is merely sitting upon a horse, guess again. You can use every muscle in your body, and not realize that you are exercising! How many hours do you spend in the gym to look and feel your best? Just a couple hours a week in the saddle can keep you looking and feeling your fantastic. After your first riding lesson, you will feel muscles that you didn't even know that you had. And, another perk is that horseback riding is much gentler on the joints.  And, the benefits are not only physical....you are outside in the fresh air, bonding with your horse, one on one....this is also a great way to decrease depression and lower your stress levels. Your stress will magically disappear after a day at the barn. The bond of the horse and rider can solve the most difficult day, as well as increasing your confidence level.

HAPPY NEW YEARS, FROM EVERYONE AT HUEBER FEEDS!

$25 off/Ton

Check your Bins!!!!...
Only a few days left to take advantage of our $25 off/Ton bulk or bagged Hubbard Life Equine Feeds. Also can be used with Frequent Buyer Card!

Offer Expires November 30, 2012

Please Vote for local feed store...Hueber Feeds, LLC

Please vote for Hueber Feed, LLC category #32 for Best Independent Feed Store/Manufacturer


http://survey.constantcontact.com/survey/a07e6lbruvhh91n2y4t/a0211lh95tyepw/questions


THANK YOU!!!!!!

Carbohydrate levels in Equine Nutrition

Carbohydrates are an important part of every horse’s diet. They are found in almost all the food your horse eats, including forages, and grains. There are a number of different types of              carbohydrates in horse feed and they vary considerably in how well horses digest and utilize each one. The one that has the most attention is non-structural carbohydrates (NSC).

Non-structural carbohydrates (NSC) are those that occur either as simple sugars in the horse’s feed or that can be broken down by enzymes produced by the horse. Included in this category are     glucose and fructose, lactose, sucrose and starch. They range from being almost non-existent in grass hay diet to comprising a high percentage of the total diet in a high grain-low fiber ration. Horses do require starch and sugar in their diets in order to recover from exercise. However,      overloading the digestive system with NSC can result in metabolic issues, which may lead to problems such as colic, laminitis (founder), obesity or developmental orthopedic disease.

A major concern today is insulin resistant horses, these horses must be at a low sugar and starch total diet including forage. This will allow to maintain a healthy and appropriate body weight. In addition to the level of carbohydrates, the dietary levels and balance of mineral and essential fatty acid balance both affect insulin resistance and are affected by it. Magnesium, zinc, chromium, and biotin are some of the nutrients that positively affect insulin resistance.

 

Measuring sugar content of feeds and forages include:

NSC%= starch% + water soluble carbohydrates (WSC)

Products with Lower Starch Levels:

Hubbard Life COOL COMMAND Starch 9.7% WSC 5.3%  NSC 15%

Hueber TRIPLE STAR

Hueber Triple Star is also available with no corn!