OTHER TOPICS
An international research team identified a critical set of 7 genes linked to successful racehorses.
An international research team identified a critical set of 7 genes linked to successful racehorses.
To Prevent the Next Pandemic, Restore Wildlife Habitats
By Krishna Ramanujan, Cornell Chronicle
Preserving and restoring natural habitats could prevent pathogen spillover from wildlife into domesticated animals and humans, according to 2 companion studies. When bats experience loss of winter habitat and food shortages in their natural settings, their populations splinter, and they excrete more virus. When populations break up, bats move closer to people.
Cowtribe First Investment of BI Social Engagments
Cowtribe is the first recipient of investment and non-financial support from the Boehringer Ingelheim Social Engagement (BI SE) initiative, a program which aims to close a critical financing gap for businesses in vulnerable communities. Cowtribe, a last-mile veterinary delivery company from Ghana, leverages technology to help coordinate deliveries of veterinary vaccines and other animal health products to rural and underserved communities, where many farmers depend on just a few animals.
Genome Testing Could Aid Lyme Diagnosis in Equids
By Adam Marcus
A modified genomic test could help equine veterinarians more rapidly and accurately diagnose certain tick-borne infections, new research suggests.
AVMA, USDA Offer Assistance to Hurricane Victims
Funds from the American Veterinary Medical Foundation supported the work of the Florida Veterinary Medical Association, the University of Florida Veterinary Emergency Treatment Service, Greater Good Charities and the Texas A&M Veterinary Emergency Team.
Merck Opens Animal Health Intelligence Manufacturing Facility in Baton Rouge
Merck Animal Health announced the opening of a manufacturing facility for its animal intelligence products in Baton Rouge, La. The facility will broaden the company’s manufacturing capacity and capabilities by establishing a printing, production and distribution facility of Allflex Livestock Intelligence identification ear tags.
Elanco and IDEXX Making Progress on Social Initiatives
Elanco Animal Health and IDEXX recently released reports about their goals to improve the health of animals and people, and work for social equity. “We believe our work to make life better for animals has the potential to make a lasting positive impact on society and the world,” said Jeff Simmons, president and CEO at Elanco. “We are working hard around the globe to increase representation of diverse talent and reduce our own environmental footprint while supporting our customers, advancing their sustainability efforts through environmentally beneficial products, animal welfare consultation and our antimicrobial stewardship guidance.”
Arm Breeders With Knowledge to Control Genetic Conditions
By Marie Rosenthal, MS
Two novel, and relatively rare genetic diseases—equine familial isolated hypoparathyroidism (EFIH) and equine juvenile degenerative axonopathy (EJDA)—are devastating for affected foals, requiring euthanasia because there is no treatment for either one.
Zoetis Foundation and the AVMF Offer New Scholarships for Vet Tech Students
A new scholarship program to support students in veterinary technician programs was announced today by the Zoetis Foundation and the American Veterinary Medical Foundation (AVMF). The Zoetis Foundation Veterinary Technician Scholarship program will provide $1,000 scholarships to up to 270 students. This program is funded by a grant from the Zoetis Foundation and will be managed by the AVMF.
DNA Test Identifies Equine Lyme Disease
By Kitta MacPherson
When the team at Cornell University School of Veterinary Medicine could not detect Borrelia burgdorferi in a horse with neurologic illness, a Rutgers scientist created an ultra-sensitive DNA, test that could have applications for difficult-to-detect illnesses in humans such as Lyme disease.
"Long-Term Relationships Good for Horses, Too
Horses may be more reluctant in new situations if they have a shorter relationship with their owners, multiple handlers or numerous owner-changes. These factors could negatively affect the horse-human interactions in new situations.
16th Century Horse Specimen Identified From the Americas
A newly identified 16th century horse specimen is among the oldest domestic horses from the Americas known to date, and its DNA helps clarify the history of horses in the Western Hemisphere, according to Nicolas Delsol of the University of Florida, and colleagues.
Call of the Wild” Not Better for Horses
The danger of predators, the search for food and water, and social dynamics—these could be the elements at the basis of a greater level of stress in free-ranging horses, compared with the ones stabled and under human management, according to study done by Italian researchers.
A Horse of a Different Color: Novel Mutation Found in Standardbred Horse
By Lizy Gershony
The field of genetics has enabled people to predict susceptibility to heritable diseases and map the genome of many species. Now, modern genetics and the birth of a unique foal in New Zealand has provided a successful example of tracking a mutation at its origin.
Some Sight for Sore Eyes
By Melanie Greaver Cordova
Jacqueline Rapp, VMD, PhD, of Susquehanna Valley Veterinary in New York was called to check out 3-year-old Quarter horse, Willy. His owners reported that his eye would cloud over one day and be clear the next. He was bumping into things, often cutting his face, and he was also easily spooked.
Are You a Horse Whisperer?
How we speak matters to animals. Horses and pigs, both domestic and wild, can distinguish between negative and positive sounds from their fellow species and near relatives, as well as from human speech, according to new research in behavioral biology. And just like people, they tend to react to positivity more than negativity.
Evaluating the Overweight or Obese Horse
By Marie Rosenthal, MS
Every veterinarian has cared for a horse that is at risk for laminitis, insulin dysregulation, heat intolerance, cardiovascular disease and reproductive inefficiency, etc., because it was overweight or obese.
CBD Appears Safe
By Adam Marcus
Supplements containing 150 mg of cannabidiol (CBD) do not appear to cause ataxia or sedation in horses, a new study found. Whether they do anything beneficial is another question, however.
Survey: More Species Threatened Than Thought
An estimated 30% of species have been threatened or driven extinct since 1500 AD, according to a new survey.“Experts also acknowledged substantial uncertainty around their estimates, with perhaps as few as 16% or as many as 50% of species threatened or driven extinct over this time.” said Forest Isbell, PhD, an associate professor in the College of Biological Sciences at the University of Minnesota, who reviewed 3,331 responses from scientists studying biodiversity in 187 countries.
Faults in Show Jumpers Might be Predictable
Faults during show jumping events are driven by several different factors, including course length, arena surface, whether it is held indoors or outdoors, as well as, the experience and skill of the riders. A rivalry between riders also seems to drive faults, according to a recent study from the Czech Republic.
Horses Also Suffering in Ukraine
Horses remain under serious threat within occupied areas of the Ukraine, with horrendous accounts of animal cruelty, while grooms and carers risk their own lives by refusing to abandon them, according to David Rendle, BVSc, MVM, CertEM(IntMed), DipECEIM, MRCVS, the president elect of the British Equine Veterinary Association (BEVA).
About 27% of Owners Buy Painkillers Without Consulting Veterinarians
Many horse owners purchase painkilling and potentially dangerous drugs without having a veterinarian examine their horse first, a recent survey has found.
What Do You Call the Person Who Assists You?
Only 10 states have a clear definition for the title “veterinary technician” and restrict its use to people with formal credentials in that state, according to a new report by the National Association of Veterinary Technicians in America (NAVTA).
AAEP Issues Equine Piroplasmosis Guidelines
Comprehensive guidelines to assist veterinarians with identification, control and prevention of equine piroplasmosis (EP), a bloodborne protozoal infection of equids with a mortality rate for infected horses of up to 50%, are now available on the AAEP’s website.
USTA Microchips More Than 40,000 Standardbreds
The United States Trotting Association (USTA) has microchipped more than 40,000 Standardbred racehorses in the U.S. using Merck Animal Health Bio-Thermo microchips. USTA partnered with Merck in 2018 to become the first horse registry to formally incorporate temperature scanning into its microchip identification program. USTA is one of the largest users of Merck Animal Health’s Bio-Thermo microchips.
Variation Seen Among People Assessing Equine Pain
Owners and veterinarians do not always agree about the degree of pain a horse might be in, according to a new study. Researchers conducted a cross-sectional study to compare the estimates of pain experienced by horses by veterinarians and horse owners to determine what factors were associated with their perceptions of equine pain.