An Early case of Potomac Horse Fever in Our Area
Many of you received an email from our office reminding you that we recommend vaccinating against PHF every 6 months. Although you may read that the vaccine is only needed annually, in this area we feel that it is safer to protect your horses every 6 months. Usually seen in late summer, PHF generally starts with a fever followed by colitis and, all too often, laminitis. A frustrating aspect of the disease is that transmission is not well understood and the vaccination is not completely protective. While around 70% of exposed vaccinated horses will be protected, the other 30% may get sick! The benefit is in that they will be much less sick, therefore more likely to survive the devastating colitis and laminitis that are associated with the disease. Call us to discuss your horses vaccine schedule and make sure we have you all protected!
Click here for an overview article from our friends at Michigan State Vet School
Interceptor Heartworm Prevention is Temporarily Unavailable
We have Heartgard and other medications available for prevention of heartworms and other internal parasites. Since each animal and their environment are unique, call us when you will need a refill and we will discuss the best option for you dog.
Equine Herpesvirus Case Being Treated at NC State College of Veterinary Medicine
Clinicians at North Carolina State University’s College of Veterinary Medicine have isolated and quarantined a horse that has tested positive for the neurologic form of equine herpes virus (Equine Herpesvirus-1 Myeloencephalopathy).
The mare was taken directly to the separate isolation unit at the CVM Equine and Farm Animal Veterinary Center immediately upon arrival from its stable in Rockingham County. Tests confirmed a referring veterinarian’s tentative diagnosis of the infectious disease.
Commonly known as EHV-1, the neurologic form of equine herpes virus is highly contagious among horses, but poses no threat to humans. Outbreaks of the virus have occurred in some 10 western states as well as Virginia and Tennessee in the past year. This is the first case ever seen at the NC State CVM.
The NC State CVM is working with the State Veterinarian Dr. David Marshall and the Veterinary Division in the NC Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services in a collaborative response to the case. The Veterinary Division continues to investigate the problem and is working to determine if other animals have been exposed to the virus.
“With the prior warning we were able to take the horse directly from the farm into our separate isolation unit so no horses currently in our hospital were exposed,” says Dr. Sam Jones, professor of equine medicine. “We consulted with the State Veterinarian’s Office as well as with biosecurity experts at Colorado State University who had previous experience with the virus. We are following our formal procedures for dealing with a highly contagious infectious disease and a team of CVM veterinarians and veterinary technicians has been assigned exclusively to this case to further ensure the health of our other equine patients.”
According to Dr. Marshall, the virus has been increasing in frequency throughout the United States for the past decade, but this is the first case of the neurologic form of the equine herpes virus in North Carolina. In a statement Dr. Marshall added, “We are working with the College of Veterinary Medicine at NC State University and with the stable to implement biosecurity measures and minimize the risk of further spread.”
As an extra precaution while the infected mare remains quarantined in the isolation facility, the NC State Equine and Farm Animal Veterinary Center will carefully monitor existing equine patients in the hospital and will accept only emergency cases for the next seven days. CVM veterinarians are communicating directly with referring equine veterinarians, with the North Carolina Veterinary Medical Association, and with horse owners who are concerned about the virus. A veterinarian or owner with specific questions may call 919.513.6630.
More about EHV-1
- EHV-1 infection is usually associated with respiratory disease but has also been associated with late term abortion, neonatal foal death, and neurological disease.
- EHV-1 is spread by direct horse-to-horse contact, by contaminated hands, equipment and tack, and, for a short time, through aerosolization of the virus within the environment of the stall and stable.
- Vaccines are available to protect horses from most forms of EHV-1, but not from the strains that cause neurologic problems.
- Signs of the infection include fever of 102°F or greater. Other presenting signs may be combinations of fever and respiratory symptoms of nasal discharge and cough. Some horses have reddish mucous membranes.
- Affected horses that develop neurological disease develop signs 7-12 days after the initial fever. They typically become uncoordinated and have trouble walking and standing. Difficulty urinating and defecating may also occur. Often the rear limbs are more severely affected than the front. Other advanced signs include extreme lethargy, abnormal function of the eyes or face, difficulty swallowing, and a coma-like state.
- The EVH-1 incubation period of EHV-1 infection is highly variable. Measures to protect horses involve quarantining facilities and include disinfecting and not sharing water and feed buckets. Stalls and trailers should be cleaned and disinfected regularly. Detergent solutions or solutions of 1 part chlorine bleach to 10 parts water is effective for decontaminating equipment and environment.
Equine Herpesvirus Myeloencephalopathy (EHM) & EHV-1 Resources
The Veterinary Division of the North Carolina Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services.
EHV-1 Webinar for Horse Owners- This webinar presentation was given by Drs. Paul Lunn and Paul Morley on May 24.
Frequently Asked Questions about EHV/EHM for Horse Owners
EHV/EHM Brochure for Horse Owners
University of California, Davis, School Vet Med– detailed and practical information about handling sick horses, diagnostic testing, and control.
USDA Equine Biosecurity Brochure (available in Spanish as well through USDA/APHIS)
AAEP Biosecurity Control Guidelines
National Cutting Horse Association EHV Resources
American Quarter Horse Association EHV Update
American Paint Horse Association (APHA) Health Updates
Posted Jan. 5, 2012
FDA Approves First Drug to Treat Cushing’s Disease in Horses
November 17, 2011
The Food and Drug Administration announced today the approval of Prascend (pergolide mesylate) for the control of clinical signs associated with Pituitary Pars Intermedia Dysfunction (PPID or Equine Cushing’s disease) in horses. Prascend is the first drug approved for use in horses to treat Cushing’s disease, a common disease of older horses that results in significant morbidity and mortality if left untreated.
40 Arkansas Horses Test Positive for EIA
August 2011
“Forty horses from one Clarksville, Ark., farm have died or been euthanized after testing positive for equine infectious anemia (EIA), according to Arkansas State Veterinarian George Pat Badley, DVM.”
“The owner hadn’t done a complete herd test in four or five years, testing only five to 10 horses each year. EIA could have been in incubation in unaffected carriers within the herd for several years…”
Latest information on Equine Herpes Virus Type 1
2011 Incident Information
“Several horses that competed in the National Cutting Horse Association Western National Championship in Ogden, Utah, on April 29-May 8, 2011, were diagnosed with EHV-1. Following that event, reports were received about affected horses from multiple States and Western Canada, with several fatalities. Weekly situation reports were provided by APHIS VS from May 19 through June 23, 2011. A total of 90 confirmed EHV-1 or EHM cases were reported in 10 States (AZ, DA, CO, ID, NM, NV, OK, OR, UT, and WA).”
Hay problems for some horses in our area:
Some horses have been experiencing sores on their lips and gums from eating hay. Poor things – we know they live to eat! Only a few horses out of each group are affected by either foxtail weed or very mature grass seed heads that are sharp and puncture their lips and gums when they eat their hay. Affected horses are usually the ones that are more curious or have bigger appetites – they taste and eat things that really turn out to be a bad idea sometimes! Pickier horses will avoid the irritating parts of the hay and are often spared the awful sores that can develop. Monitor your horses for reluctance to eat, pursing their lips or drooling as some of the signs that you might see if they have sores in their mouths. Treatment can be a simple as changing hay or as complicated as requiring antibiotic therapy and anti-inflammatory medications. If it makes us all feel any better, there are reports this winter of horses with the same problem all over the east coast and the midwest. I suspect a unique weather pattern this summer when we were cutting hay as having something to do with it. So, inspect your horses’ lips and gums if they are having any signs of trouble and give us a call if you have any concerns.
Rabies Warning- near UNCA (Buncombe County) 1-17-11
A stray cat taken in near UNC Asheville has tested positive for rabies and health officials are warning anyone who had contact with the cat to see their doctor immediately.
Buncombe County Department of Health spokeswoman Beverly Levinson said the small, female, short-haired grey cat with green eyes was picked up by someone near Weaver Boulevard.
The person who picked up the cat took the animal into the vet after it started acting strangely. A veterinarian confirmed the cat had rabies.
The person who picked up the cat is being treated. The health department did not have any additional information about the person. The department said they don’t know if anyone else was exposed.
The health department said anyone who had contact with the cat should call their doctor immediately. They can also call the health department at 250-5109.
The health department said other animals in the UNCA area may have also been exposed to rabies.
Continuing Education December 2010:
Dr. Ann Stuart attended the annual convention of the American Association of Equine Practitioners in Baltimore Maryland. After attending informative lectures on ophthalmology, lameness, injury rehabilitation and management of back pain she is even better prepared to help with your horse’s road to recovery! The lectures were interesting and really provided some practical applications for our practice. It was way too cold to fully enjoy the Inner Harbor but the visit to the National Aquarium and the crab cakes were excellent!
New Diagnostic Equipment for the Hospital:
We have a new Digital Radiography ( x-ray) system in the clinic so we don’t have to worry so much 
about scheduling for our original unit that is often out in the field. One system can stay on the trucks while the new one will stay in the clinic for dogs and cats and whatever else might wander (or limp) in the door. If you haven’t seen one in action it is really a fantastic upgrade from the old days with tanks of chemicals and dripping films. The images appear on a laptop computer and can be manipulated to enhance the pictures so we can see a lot more detail than in the past, often having to take fewer images. That means less exposure for us and your animal and less strain on your finances! We also have a large monitor for viewing images during our Veterinary Rounds and can easily email images for consultations with colleagues and specialists.
Bloodwork Machines - We have just installed new equipment that can run blood profiles at the 
office. Instead of having to send out the majority of our lab-work we can now run most tests immediately at the office. This is especially important for animals that are sick so that we can tailor treatment to more specifically defined requirements. For example, we can look at the function of organ systems, electrolyte balance and sighs of anemia or infection. An extra convenience is that we can also run pre-anesthetic blood-work the same morning as procedures are scheduled to make sure that your pets will safely to tolerate anesthesia. If we detect a slight abnormality we have the ability to choose the safest plan for your pet’s care.
This page has the following sub pages.
