Volume 26, Issue 12 , Pages 562-568, December 2006
What's news
Article Outline
- Veterinary experts to discuss latest in equine health during AAEP Healthy Horses Workshop
- New research demonstrates improved mare colostrum quality through targeted nutrition
- CVM update: Consent Decree filed in compounding case against BET Pharm, LLC, revised October 3, 2006
- AAEP Task Force issues guidelines for equine infectious disease outbreaks
- Grayson-Jockey Club Research Foundation announces the Elastikon Equine Research Award sponsored by Johnson & Johnson
- Million dollar match
- The making of an equine veterinarian
- Equine Ed, electronic-style
Veterinary experts to discuss latest in equine health during AAEP Healthy Horses Workshop
The American Association of Equine Practitioners' (AAEP) annual health seminar for horse owners—the Healthy Horses Workshop—will be held Saturday, December 2, in San Antonio, Texas. Designed for non-veterinarians interested in equine health care, the Healthy Horses Workshop features leading veterinary experts delivering the latest news and advances in horse health.
Now in its 7th year, the event will feature four morning seminars with the afternoon devoted to demonstrations on first aid and the “problem horse,” featuring clinician Dr. Mark Fitch and world-renowned trainer John Lyons (John Lyons is sponsored by Nutrena). Topics and speakers for the 2006 event are:
For a complete schedule, visit www.myHorseMatters.com.
New to the Healthy Horses Workshop is an afternoon live horse demonstration, titled the “Problem Horse” and featuring clinician Dr. Mark Fitch and world-renowned trainer John Lyons. Attendees will learn hands-on techniques to help the problem horse through various situations that include loading, handling the feet, saddling, and more.
The Healthy Horses Workshop, held in conjunction with the AAEP's 52nd Annual Convention, will take place 7:30 am to 6:00 pm at the Freeman Coliseum Grounds. The pre-registration fee through November 6 is $75; on-site registration will be $90 with lunch provided with the cost of registration. To register, visit the AAEP's horse-health website www.myHorseMatters.com and click on the Healthy Horses Workshop banner. You also may register for this event by calling the AAEP office at 1-800-443-0177. The Healthy Horses Workshop is made possible in part through the generous support of the AAEP's Educational Partners.
The American Association of Equine Practitioners, headquartered in Lexington, Kentucky, was founded in 1954 as a nonprofit organization dedicated to the health and welfare of the horse. Currently, the AAEP reaches more than 5 million horse owners through its over 9,000 members worldwide and is actively involved in ethics issues, practice management, research, and continuing education in the equine veterinary profession and horse industry.
New research demonstrates improved mare colostrum quality through targeted nutrition
Study finds that feeding SUCCEED Digestive Conditioning Program boosts immunity in mares
New research conducted by Freedom Health, LLC, shows that SUCCEED Digestive Conditioning Program has a positive effect on the immunoglobulin levels of a mare's milk, or colostrum, when added to the diet 90 days before foaling. Immunoglobulins (IgG) play an important role in building a healthy immune system by binding to invading organisms and other foreign matter, thus protecting the body from infection.
The study found that mares on SUCCEED had a dramatic and statistically significant 97% increase in colostrum immunoglobulin levels compared with mares not receiving SUCCEED. The transfer of IgG via colostrum from the mare to the foal within the first 24 hours post-foaling is critical for good foal immunity and early health. Research has shown that foals receiving quality colostrum—with high IgG levels—are more resistant to bacterial and disease challenges and gain weight better than foals fed lower-quality colostrum. Therefore, the ability to influence colostrum quality through the nutrition of the mare is extremely valuable for all breeders.
“This research suggests that colostrum quality levels can be significantly influenced by supplementing the mare's diet with daily feedings of SUCCEED,” said Scott Carter, PhD, Vice President of Research and Development at Freedom Health. “The resulting improved immunity in both mares and foals can have major short- and long-term benefits for both.”
SUCCEED contains ingredients believed to help support the immune system, while fostering a digestive environment that is optimal for the horse's overall health and condition. The influence of targeted nutrition on immunity and health is well known. By taking an approach that reduces the effects of digestive and immune system challenges from foaling and common management practices—such as stalling, intermittent feedings, and grain diets—the mares experienced a high level of overall health. This allowed their immune systems to dedicate more resources to the production of quality colostrum.
“We're very excited to see such a strong positive result from this study,” said Patrick Warczak, Vice President—Marketing at Freedom Health. “This research helps to confirm what many breeders have noticed when they use SUCCEED—strong, healthy foals, and a healthier, more profitable breeding operation.”
This study is part of Freedom Health's ongoing research to scientifically document and confirm the results experienced by hundreds of horse owners, riders, and trainers who use SUCCEED. A nutritional supplement that is specifically formulated to support the health of the equine digestive system, SUCCEED was built on the belief that healthy horses look better, act better, and perform better.
For more information on SUCCEED Digestive Conditioning Program, including in-depth articles on digestive tract health and interactive presentations, visit www.SucceedDCP.com. Information also may be obtained by calling toll-free, 866-270-7939.
SUCCEED Digestive Conditioning Program is produced and distributed exclusively by Freedom Health, LLC of Aurora, Ohio. This company is focused on finding, perfecting, and delivering superior, innovative products that address real and significant health-related issues for animals and the people who care for them.
CVM update: Consent Decree filed in compounding case against BET Pharm, LLC, revised October 3, 2006
On September 25, 2006, Judge Forester (U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Kentucky) entered a Consent Decree between the United States and BET Pharm, LLC, resolving a dispute over compounded drug products for use in horses. The U.S. Marshal for the Eastern District of Kentucky seized these compounded drug products on August 12, 2004. The Complaint alleged that these compounded drug products are adulterated because they are new animal drugs that have not been approved as required by the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act. Additionally, the Complaint alleged that the compounded drug products are misbranded because they fail to bear adequate directions for use. The Consent Decree requires BET Pharm, LLC, to pay costs and to destroy the seized compounded drug products.
AAEP Task Force issues guidelines for equine infectious disease outbreaks
The Infectious Disease Task Force of the American Association of Equine Practitioners (AAEP) has developed guidelines for the control of contagious infectious disease within the horse population. Recommendations are provided for the control of suspected cases of infectious respiratory, neurologic, diarrheal, and vesicular disease. The symptom-based guidelines provide a detailed action plan for veterinarians as they address a possible infectious disease outbreak. From the point at which a case of infectious disease is suspected, the guidelines offer measures to control the spread of infection, diagnostic testing options, and communication considerations.
Highlights of “Equine Infectious Disease Outbreak: AAEP Control Guidelines” include: biosecurity instructions in English and Spanish for grooms and other horse caretakers; recommendations for the implementation of a management plan before an outbreak occurs; and guidelines for specific diseases, such as equine herpesvirus and Streptococcus equi infection, which can be employed after a diagnosis has been made.
The Task Force stresses that the veterinarian on scene is the most qualified person to initiate the outbreak control plan, and is critical to effective outbreak management. Each infectious disease outbreak is unique, and an existing plan may require modification for specific situations.
“When a large group of horses gathers, be it at a racetrack or a horse show, all those involved in the horses' care should be vigilant about monitoring the health of the animals. It is key that the presence of contagious disease be quickly identified and responsibly addressed,” said Mary C. Scollay, DVM, chair of the AAEP Infectious Disease Task Force. “Our expectation is that the AAEP guidelines will assist veterinarians and equine caretakers in minimizing the impact of infectious disease in a given horse population.”
The Task Force, chaired by Dr. Scollay, comprised leading researchers, internal medicine specialists, and private practitioners: William Bernard, DVM, DACVIM; Brian S. Carroll, DVM; Roberta M. Dwyer, DVM, MS, DACVPM; Robert E. Holland Jr., DVM, Ph.D.; Daniel G. Kenney, VMD, DACVIM; Maureen T. Long, DVM, Ph.D.; Paul Lunn, BVSc, MS, Ph.D., MRCVS; and Josie L. Traub-Dargatz, DVM, MS, DACVIM.
The guidelines are available to veterinarians and can be accessed only through the members-only area of the AAEP Web site, www.aaep.org. For questions about the guidelines or how to gain access, contact Sally J. Baker, AAEP director of marketing and public relations, at sbaker@aaep.org or (859) 233-0147.
The American Association of Equine Practitioners, headquartered in Lexington, Kentucky, was founded in 1954 as a nonprofit organization dedicated to the health and welfare of the horse. Currently, the AAEP reaches more than 5 million horse owners through its 9,000 members worldwide and is actively involved in ethics issues, practice management, research, and continuing education in the equine veterinary profession and horse industry.
Grayson-Jockey Club Research Foundation announces the Elastikon Equine Research Award sponsored by Johnson & Johnson
The Grayson-Jockey Club Research Foundation announced today that a division of Johnson & Johnson Consumer Products Company will extend its research support into the field of veterinary medicine with specific focus on the equine athlete. A company contribution has been made to Grayson-Jockey Club Research Foundation to underwrite the first Elastikon Equine Research Award.
“The more we became familiar with Grayson-Jockey Club Research Foundation, the more it became obvious that the objectives of the two organizations are highly compatible,” said Jack Weakley, director of the Sports Medicine Group of Johnson & Johnson Consumer Products Company.
The Johnson & Johnson contribution will be earmarked to fund research in the orthopedic field; the Foundation will select the recipient of the Award from among the projects approved by Grayson-Jockey Club's board of directors. The Foundation board is served by a 32-person Research Advisory Committee composed of leading experts in the field of equine health.
“We are committed to the health and well-being of the athlete, human and equine, and to all those who use our products. Our Elastikon brand elastic tape and several of our other products have been staples among veterinarians, trainers and horse people at all levels,” continued Weakley. “It is a natural extension for us.”
“Research funded by the Foundation has resulted in strides in many areas, including injury prevention and treatment, vaccines against infectious diseases, and treatment for colic and laminitis. Grayson-Jockey Club has a long history of funding quality research projects at universities throughout North America and overseas.”
“Johnson & Johnson's global philanthropy touches many fields, and we are very grateful our work meets its standards for support,” said Edward L. Bowen, president of Grayson-Jockey Club Research Foundation.
The leading source of private funding for equine research, the Foundation annually underwrites some 20 specific projects aimed at promoting health and soundness in the horse. The Foundation typically receives more than 50 proposals annually and selects the best and most important projects on a competitive basis. The current slate of 20 projects is being funded at more than $950,000.
“Having Johnson & Johnson support a key project will provide an important boost toward the goal we all share, which is further enhancement of man's stewardship of our noble animals,” said Dell Hancock, chairman of Grayson-Jockey Club Research Foundation.
Johnson & Johnson, through the Sports Medicine Division of the Consumer Products Company, is the leading supplier of sports medicine products to sports medicine professionals and athletes at all levels of competition. The Zonas, Coach, and Elastikon brands of athletic tape are the choice of professionals in all practice settings.
Contact: Edward L. Bowen (859) 224-2851
Million dollar match
The Western College of Veterinary Medicine (WCVM) at the University of Saskatchewan in Saskatoon has received a million-dollar donation and a fund-raising incentive for the same.
Heather Ryan and L. David Dubé of Saskatoon have donated $1.07 million to WCVM's equine and companion animal health programs.
The bulk of the funds will be directed to research programs. Specifically, $750,000 will go toward major, collaborative research projects that target critical issues in horse health over the next 5 years, and $250,000 will be divided equally between the veterinary college's Equine Health Research Fund and Companion Animal Health Fund to boost their annual research grant programs.
The college also plans to allocate $70,000 of the donation to establish two new scholarships for undergraduate veterinary students who have demonstrated an interest in equine or companion animal health care.
In addition to the generous gift, Ryan and Dubé have pledged to “match” up to $100,000 in new contributions to the Equine Health Research Fund during the next 5 years, providing the college with the opportunity to potentially raise an additional one million dollars for its equine health research programs by 2011.
“Our belief is that if we fund world-class research right here in Western Canada, we will help to retain and attract some of the most innovative minds in veterinary medicine,” says Dubé, a 1985 alumnus of the University of Saskatchewan.
“Plus, we want our donations to work as leveraging tools for attracting additional funds from other organizations and individuals, and for establishing collaborative relationships with other scientists and research institutions.”
The new funding will nearly double the college's annual equine health research dollars for the next 5 years and significantly increase its companion animal health research grants during the same period.
Reprinted from HorseCare, October/November 2006
The making of an equine veterinarian
Born and raised on a cattle and sheep farm near Boissevain, Manitoba, Tracy Epp rode her first horse at 2, joined her local 4-H Club when she was 8, and decided to become a veterinarian when she was 12.
Now, nearly a dozen years after making her career choice, the 23-year-old student earned her Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (DVM) degree at the Western College of Veterinary Medicine (WCVM) this spring. Her training has prepared her to work with a range of large and small animals in a variety of areas, but after reviewing her options, Epp wants to focus on horses.
“I always thought I would like to be in a mixed animal practice, but as I've learned about different aspects of veterinary medicine, it's the equine aspects of the profession that spark my interest,” says Epp. “I don't think that would have been the case if I hadn't grown up with horses and started riding them at an early age.”
Q. How much exposure did you have to veterinarians when you were younger?
We had veterinarians come to our farm, but what really helped me was when the local veterinary practice allowed me to volunteer while I was in high school. I watched surgeries, did odd jobs, and asked tons of questions about beneficial classes and types of experiences.
Q. How has WCVM's Equine Club contributed to your training?
It's been a huge help. Club members usually organize “wet labs” so students gain hands-on experience with teeth floating, plaster casting, joint injections, and administering drugs. The club's links with the American Association of Equine Practitioners (AAEP) keep us aware of any awards, plus groups can arrange to attend the AAEP's annual convention or meetings of the Western Canadian Association of Equine Practitioners. The Equine Club also organizes seminars for local 4-H and Pony Clubs, and it's a great way to review all that we've learned.
Q. What other activities have contributed to your education?
I attended equine-oriented lectures and volunteered at events like local endurance rides. During the summer after my second year, I worked for an equine veterinarian who had many clients at Assiniboia Downs in Winnipeg, Manitoba, so it was a fantastic experience. Last summer, I worked in a mixed animal practice in rural Manitoba—the same practice where I used to volunteer.
Q. What happens in your fourth and final year at WCVM?
Besides our required 4-week rotations, we can choose rotations related to our interests. In May 2005, I spent 4 weeks with WCVM's equine surgery and field service, and another 4 weeks with surgery and field service last fall. This spring, I'll take rotations in large animal medicine and reproduction.
We also can spend a rotation at an external university or practice of our choice that offers additional experiences for our education. Last August, I spent time in California at the Alamo Pintado Equine Referral Center, where equine specialists use magnetic resonance imaging, computed tomography, and nuclear scintigraphy. The clinic's mentor for interns and externs took us on rounds and discussed different procedures that specialists were performing on the clinic's patients.
Q. What are your future plans?
In June, I begin a year-long internship at the Alama Pintado Equine Referral Center where I'll have exposure to advanced imaging, surgery, neonatal care, and more. I still want to learn about all aspects of equine-related veterinary medicine, but I may eventually apply for a residency program in a specialized area.
Q. You love animals, but what ultimately attracts you to veterinary medicine?
This profession isn't just about working as a veterinarian in a mixed animal practice: you can work for the government, conduct research, or become a specialist in surgery, radiology, or internal medicine. It's a fast-changing area where new drugs, better ways to manage patients, and new surgical techniques are being introduced every year. You can continuously learn and grow, and you can customize your role in veterinary medicine to whatever you want. For me, that means I can work with horses—and that freedom is what I really love about this profession.
Published with permission from Horse Health Lines, publication for the Western College of Veterinary Medicine's Equine Health Research Fund. Visit www.ehrf.usask.ca for more information.
Equine Ed, electronic-style
Through Dr. Jonathan Naylor's explorations of new media, future equine specialists at the Western College of Veterinary Medicine (WCVM) are now using tools such as multimedia teaching modules, electronic stethoscopes, and digitalized sound and images to learn more about the horse.
Taking notes during a lecturer's PowerPoint presentation, downloading electronic copies of journal articles, and working through a multimedia teaching module is now routine for students at WCVM.
That is a far cry from the 1970s, when Dr. Jonathan Naylor was a veterinary student at the University of Bristol. Back then, he and his classmates relied on their notes and journal readings to learn, while their professors simply transferred information through lectures with little discussion or direction about the look and feel of a sick patient.
Naylor used that same basic model during the early days of his teaching career—until he discovered computers. “Computers revolutionized my life: my research, writing, managing databases, and references. That's when I thought about how it could affect teaching,” says Naylor, a specialist in veterinary internal medicine who joined WCVM's faculty in 1981.
Naylor initially used simulation software to develop exercises that gave students experience in diagnosing and treating different types of cases. He saw them as a step between the gaining of knowledge and its application to clinical material—with the advantage that the modules could be used at the student's convenience. Mistakes, while penalized by the program, did not affect patient care, so the student could explore different diagnostic and treatment options. His next project: using technology to interpret equine heart sounds.
“The horse has a wonderful heart which I never quite understood either as a student or as a young veterinarian,” says Naylor. “But with new technology, it's easy to understand: it has a nice, slow heart rate that's well-defined with lots of interesting murmurs and arrhythmia. There's a lot of interest in the equine heart for insurance purposes, so it was a good place to start. New media make it possible to transfer our new understanding in ways that are clinically relevant.”
When Naylor spent a sabbatical leave at the University of Edinburgh several years ago, he worked with a cardiologist, Dr. Karen Blissitt, and a wonderful machinist, Jimmy Brown, to develop an electronic stethoscope that recorded horses' heart sounds. Then he perfected the design of software that could display those heart sounds on the computer together with their interpretation. The last piece of the puzzle was to combine the sounds and computerized indicators with ultrasound images of the beating heart taken on live horses.
“When we heard a murmur, we could actually see the murmur happening in the horse's heart with ultrasound images,” explains Naylor. “If it hadn't been for ultrasonography, we would still be trying to understand what those sounds meant.”
The result was Hearing Horse Hearts: An Illustrated Guide to Equine Cardiac Auscultation—an educational CD that integrates digital audio and video clips with still images and text. Since its release in 2002, Naylor believes the CD has helped to increase veterinary students' understanding of horses' heart sounds and to standardize their descriptions of what they hear.
The veterinary scientist also used his resources to record and interpret horses' gastrointestinal sounds. These findings, combined with his equine cardiac auscultation work, will ultimately be available on one updated CD. “What I'd eventually like to develop is a complete, audiovisual guide to equine internal medicine,” says Naylor, who developed a similar CD for bovine practitioners.
Another of Naylor's multimedia projects is a CD that walks students through the process of stomach tubing a horse. The program includes self-learning modules, synchronized video clips, interactive tutorials, and a literature review. The CD was also the focus of a study to determine whether students preferred live stomach tubing demonstrations or learning about the process through the multimedia program: most of the study's participants preferred the latter.
“We're gaining support from the profession and industry for these projects because they can potentially replace teaching animals with simulated exercises on CD. They also improve students' skills when they actually use these techniques in practice,” says Naylor. He adds that increased use of technology out in the field and knowledge-thirsty horse owners are two other factors influencing the acceptance of high-tech tools.
“Access to knowledge is becoming easier, but techniques to apply that knowledge—that remains valuable,” points out Naylor. “I don't think veterinarians need to be concerned that technology will replace them. However, our best protection is to adapt and use the technologies so we're ready for the next step.”
What about future equine veterinarians? How will their education differ from the education that Naylor and his classmates received three decades ago? “They will definitely leave veterinary school with better skills,” says Naylor. “Electronic learning improves their interpretive and manipulative skills, and gives them far more opportunities for ‘active learning.’”
As for the basic “information transfer” approach to teaching, Naylor believes the days when professors recited facts in front of a lecture theater are past. “That's a strength of new media. It encourages more involvement in the learning process, and that will only help to improve the quality of our students' education.”
Published with permission from Horse Health Lines, publication for the Western College of Veterinary Medicine's Equine Health Research Fund. Visit www.ehrf.usask.ca for more information.
PII: S0737-0806(06)00576-4
doi:10.1016/j.jevs.2006.11.005
Volume 26, Issue 12 , Pages 562-568, December 2006