NEWS STORIES
Four Horses Dead, One Ill; Owner Questions Dewormer
Four horses outside of Hebbronville, Texas, died after they showed clinical signs of an unknown illness in February; one horse is recovering. The horses' owner suspects the animals' problems might have been caused by a dewormer, and she is awaiting necropsy and other test results. The company that manufactured the dewormer found nothing unusual about the product lot in question, and it has notified the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) of the owner's complaint.
On the morning of Feb. 16, the horses' owner, Kerry (who asked that her last name be withheld), noticed five of her horses were acting lethargic, developing fevers, and in some cases were drooling. She immediately contacted her veterinarian.
"They couldn't eat or drink, though they would try to," Kerry said. The horse's symptoms progressed over the next 24 hours to include head pressing, staggering, muscle trembling, sweating, disorientation (they were bumping into things), and finally lateral recumbency (they were unable to rise).
"They would then go down and paddle their feet, and their eyes were glassy looking," she said. "Once they went down like that, they couldn't get up. They were like that until they died." Four days after the first clinical signs, four horses had died, but the fifth showed signs of improvement.
Kerry worried that her other horses might be in danger as well, so she began investigating her farm for the source of the horses' illness.
"We tested everything," Kerry said. "We tested the grain, the water, the weeds in the field; if there's a test for it, we tested it. They've all come back normal." The necropsy results had not been released as of March 6.
"The only difference in the horses that are alive and the ones that are dead is the dewormer," Kerry said. The day before the five horses became ill, Kerry said she dewormed them with a generic brand of ivermectin (Bimectin). She notified Bimeda (www.bimeda.com), the dewormer's manufacturer, of her suspicion.
Bimeda tested samples from the lot Kerry had used and released a
statement that said, "Upon receipt of a Technical Services review from
the field, (Bimeda) immediately conducted potency testing on retention samples
of Lot 5J019 (the lot in question), and the results were found to be normal
and within the original lot release potency specifications pursuant to the
product's label claim for active ingredient contents."
Vashti Klein, MA, MBA, a management analyst for the FDA, said, "We have
been in contact with the company and encourage the owner to report directly
to the company. Veterinarians and animal lovers are encouraged to report adverse
experiences for FDA-approved animal drugs. Pre-testing by the manufacturer
and review of the data by the government does not guarantee absolute safety
and effectiveness due to the inherent limitation imposed by testing the product
on a limited population of animals."
According to the company, approximately 58,000 doses from the lot in question have been distributed throughout the United States, with no other reports of safety or efficacy issues. However, the company is offering to replace any products from Lot 5J019 with those from another lot.
Two retailers which offered Bimectin dewormer--Country Supply and Jeffers--temporarily suspended sales of the product until Bimeda could test the product. Country Supply posted a statement on its web site that said, "There is currently a possible safety issue regarding the use of Bimectin." Both companies resumed sales of the dewormer after Bimeda released its test results, with the exception of the lot in question.
Until tests can identify the source of the horses' illness, Kerry said she's worried about her other horses. "I am paranoid; if one of them lies down, I go running outside and start taking their temperatures," Kerry said. "I'm having nightmares about it."
Article Courtesy of The Horse Magazine
Maryland Veterinarians Must Report Neurologic Cases
The Maryland Department of Agriculture (MDA) has added equine neurologic syndrome to its list of infectious livestock or poultry diseases that must be reported to MDA officials. Under Maryland law (Agriculture Article, Section 3-105 Annotated Code of Maryland), veterinarians are required to report immediately to the secretary of agriculture (in practice, the state veterinarian acting on behalf of the secretary of agriculture) any contagious and infectious disease among livestock or poultry of which he/she has knowledge. The neurologic syndrome addition was made on March 1.
According to the MDA, "The syndrome is defined as equine neurologic disease, which is likely caused by an infectious process (not caused by situations such as trauma, toxicity, development, etc.) consistent with rabies, equine herpesvirus, viral encephalitides such as West Nile, Eastern and Western equine, and others. Equine protozoal myeloencephalitis is not a primary disease of interest in this reporting requirement, although it is likely to meet the clinical definition which will trigger reporting."
The new requirement will enable MDA officials to make a timely assessment of the neurologic disease situation and take appropriate action. The requirement does not require laboratory documentation--veterinarians should submit their clinical diagnoses of central nervous system involvement to the state veterinarian’s office at 410/841-5810 "as soon as practical after identifying equine neurologic syndrome in a horse," said an MDA press release. "Veterinarians should prioritize this reporting as an urgent matter. Same day reporting should be the norm."
A full list of reportable diseases in Maryland can be found at www.mda.state.md.us/animal_health/diseases/index.php.
Article Courtesy of The Horse Magazine
Memorial Service for Police Horse Touches Toronto
More than 1,500 people honored the memory of Brigadier, an equine member of the Metro Toronto Police mounted unit who was tragically killed in the line of duty, by attending a special memorial service in downtown Toronto on Monday, March 6.
(Top) Brigadier and Constable Ted Gallipeau. (Middle) Flowers outside Brigadier's stall and (bottom) letters from children to Constable Kevin Bradfield, who was riding Brigadier when he was hit.
Visit Anne de Haas' photo tribute to Brigadier at www.brigadiersmemory.blogspot.com.
Dignitaries including Ontario's Lt. Governor, James Bartleman, Toronto mayor David Miller, and the Toronto Chief of Police Bill Blair were joined by hundreds of police officers and other service personnel, some from as far away as Vancouver, B.C. In addition to an eight-horse honor guard from the Metro Toronto unit, officers and horses from the Kingston, Ontario, and Niagara Regional mounted police, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, and the Governor General's Horse Guards also attended.
Brigadier, a 9-year-old Belgian cross, is credited with saving the life of his rider, Constable Kevin Bradfield, when he bore the brunt of what was allegedly a deliberate head-on collision by the enraged driver of a minivan on the evening of Feb. 24 in Toronto's east end. Both of the chestnut's front legs were shattered, and police officers had to euthanatize him at the scene.
Bradfield suffered broken ribs and minor neck and leg injuries, but had recovered sufficiently to attend the service and speak on behalf of his partner in law enforcement. In a voice that broke several times with emotion, he said, “Brig taught me about the bond between officer and horse. I am grateful for the chance to say goodbye to my partner, and to tell him that being in the saddle will never be the same.”
Brigadier's death marks only the second time in memory that a Metro Toronto police horse has been killed in the line of duty. His are big shoes to fill, literally and figuratively. In addition to being one of the mounted unit's most experienced and trusted horses, he was a valued member of the drill team and had represented Toronto with honor at mounted police competitions across North America for three years.
His breeder, David Carson of Listowel, Ontario, has generously offered the Toronto police force the 3-year-old draft cross Darton as a replacement.
Brigadier's remains were cremated at the Ontario Veterinary College, where a special fund to support clinical care for horses has been set up in his memory. To make a donation online, visit www.alumni.uoguelph.ca/cgi-bin/online_giving2004.pl and click on Brigadier Memorial Fund.
Article Courtesy of The Horse Magazine
$2.5 Million Research Initiative Draws 27 Pre-Proposals
The announcement of a $2.5-million equine health consortium initiative has been met with great enthusiasm, says Kristin Benjamin, vice president of scientific programs and advancement for Morris Animal Foundation (MAF) in Englewood, Colo. Twenty-seven research groups met a Feb. 15 deadline for pre-proposals detailing how they would use the funding.
The equine health consortium initiative will finance up to $500,000 a year for the next five years on one focused area of equine research. MAF asked that collaborations of researchers from multiple institutions submit pre-proposals. (see www.TheHorse.com/ViewArticle.aspx?ID=6586 for more information). Benjamin was expecting eight to 10 pre-proposals, and she was impressed by the feedback from groups that include both U.S. and international researchers.
"We've gotten a lot of kudos from members of the research community," she said. "They are pleased to see that we are asking for collaborations instead of competition (between researchers from different institutions). We want to gather the best minds and the best laboratories to cooperate, focus, and really try to solve a specific health issue that affects horses."
Respiratory disease, inflammation, lameness, colic, and the equine genome were the submission areas. Of those, lameness and respiratory disease garnered the most pre-proposals.
Benjamin's department is processing the pre-proposals and will send them to "expert reviewers," including scientists, foundation representatives, and industry representatives. The foundation will make a decision on a specific health topic using the reviewers' feedback. Applicants with studies in the chosen research area will send full proposals for review, and Benjamin expects approval of a final research project by early summer.
Once the consortium project is chosen, MAF will market its donors and the horse industry to raise the annual half-million dollar pledge for five years.
"The response obviously indicates that the funding avenues for equine health are declining," Benjamin said. "The government is cutting back on university funding as well as equine health research. Morris Animal Foundation is becoming one of the few private funding areas for equine research."
For more information visit www.MorrisAnimalFoundation.com.
Article Courtesy of The Horse Magazine
Ask The Vet
Worrisome Warts
I have a yearling that has warts in her ear. They have grown so much that the mass almost fills her whole ear. She will not let us touch it, which is a problem for her halter training. Will the warts eventually go away, or should we have them removed? Steve
Warts are caused by the Papilloma virus and commonly appear on the face and ears of horses. They are primarily a cosmetic blemish and do not typically cause a health problem. The Papilloma virus is very contagious, so precautions to prevent transmission are important. Young horses are more prone to getting warts because their immune systems are immature. The normal course of disease is about six to nine months, during which time most cases resolve spontaneously. Good health management with parasite control and nutrition seems to lessen complications.
There is some evidence that surgical removal or debulking might stimulate the immune system to clear up the warts more quickly. Warts can also be frozen (be careful in areas prone to white scarring) or debrided with a laser. Removal or debulking might help with the apparent tenderness or discomfort in your yearling.
If your horse is on the halter circuit, it will pose a risk to others if she is taken to shows. Also, care should be taken to soak brushes, clippers, halters, etc. in a solution made with water and a disinfectant such as Lysol.
Horses that rub or irritate warts can be prone to secondary complications. Open wounds and sores are at risk for bacterial infection. Flies are attracted to the exudate, increasing the risk of maggot strike and "summer sores" or Habronema parasitic infestation. The cauliflower type lesions are more at risk. Again, good management practices with hygiene, parasite and insect control, and proper nutrition should help shorten the course of disease.
Article Courtesy of The Horse Magazine