Sapulpa Veterinary Hospital - Winter 2007 Newsletter

Sapulpa Veterinary Hospital Winter Newsletter 2007
Meet Dr. Dimari and Dr. Mecham			Winter 2007
Sapulpa Veterinary Hospital recently added two additional veterinarians to the team, Dr. Joe Dimari and Dr. Jacob Mecham. Dr. Dimari grew up in Omaha, Nebraska, and in 1999 decided to pursue his career in Veterinarian Medicine. He graduated May of 2006 from Kansas State University. Dr. Dimari’s special interests are surgery and ophthalmology. He and his wife, Shelly, have three children, Anna, Nick and Isabella. They also have two Golden Retrievers, Bailey and Frankie. Dr. Dimari enjoys hunting, fishing, golf, hockey and radio-controlled flying. He and his family reside in Glenpool. Dr. Dimari	Dr. Mecham, a native-born Texan, graduated from Pasadena High School (near Houston) in 1992, and after graduating he served in a religious mission in the Philippines for two years. Upon his return from the Philippines he attended and graduated from Brigham Young University in 2000 with a B.S. Degree. It was there that Dr. Mecham met his wife, Amie. Dr. Mecham went to Texas A&M Veterinary College and graduated in 2004. He then completed a one-year private practice equine internship at South Valley Large Animal Clinic near Salt Lake City, Utah, and then practiced there for another year before moving to Oklahoma and joining the team at Sapulpa	Veterinary Hospital. Dr. Mecham has a strong interest in Equine Dentistry and is working towards becoming a Fellow in the American Academy of Veterinary Dentists. He and his wife, Amie, have been married for ten years and have four wonderful children, Alma, Stephen, Andrew and James. Dr. Mecham enjoys camping, backpacking, archery and woodworking. Dr. Mecham	In This Issue Dr. Dimari & Dr. Mecham Hot Topic-EVA Foaling Season Show Season Sapulpa Vet Home Page Sapulpa Vet Home Page Newsletters: Fall 2005 Winter 2006 Winter 2007 Spring 2007 Summer 2007 Fall 2007 Email Address...do we have your email address? Sapulpa Vet emails horse tips a couple of times each month. Our newsletter is also available to view on our website. To help save on postage and paper we can send an email to you letting you know the current newsletter is available to view online. Call us today to add your name to the email list, 224-6867.
Hot Topic-EVA
Recently there has been increased interest in Equine Viral Arteritis (EVA) by veterinarians and horse owners as it has been identified in both New Mexico and Utah in 2006. In light of this interest, the following article serves to briefly address some of the more common concerns in regard to EVA: transmission risks, impact of EVA, control and prevention including vaccination and recommended bio-security measures. Equine Viral Arteritis is a disease of both horses and donkeys and the virus, equine arteritis virus (EAV), is widely distributed among equid populations throughout the world. It is called arteritis because of the distinctive lesions present in the acute phase of infection; a panvasculitis most distinct in the muscle wall of small arteries. Horses infected with EAV display a range of presentations from subclinical infection to an influenza-like illness in adult horses, abortion in pregnant mares, and interstitial pneumonia in neonatal foals. When illness does occur—usually within 3-7 days of exposure—EVA can be difficult to diagnose because it is clinically similar to several other equine diseases such as equine rhinopneumonitis, influenza, equine infectious anemia (EIA), hoary allysum intoxication, and purpura hemorrhagica. Most notable is that approximately 30-60% of exposed stallions become persistently infected carriers following natural EAV infection, whereas neither mares nor geldings become persistently infected with the virus. It is a manageable disease if the control program aims at minimizing or eliminating direct or indirect contact of susceptible horses with the secretions/excretions of infected animals. Most critical to success of a control program is the aim to restrict dissemination of EAV in breeding populations and the prevention of the establishment of the carrier state in stallions and post-pubertal colts. Transmission Risk: EAV infection can be transmitted among horses in five different ways: Respiratory—primary route of acute transmission, common at racetracks, shows, and sales. Venereal—virus shed in the semen of a carrier stallion (cooled or frozen semen can be infectious). Body Secretions—urine, feces, etc. In Utero—virus passes across the placenta from an acutely infected mare to her unborn foal (uncommon). Indirect Contamination—tack and/or equipment shared among horses. There is a very real risk of EVA being transferred indirectly via personnel and fomites.	EVA can be transmitted by: Respiratory Venereal Body Secretions In Utero Indirect Contamination Special care should be taken when handling semen in laboratories prior to insemination or preparation for shipping. The Impact of EVA: EVA can have a significant economic consequences for both the breeding and performance sectors of the horse industry. Direct financial losses resulting from outbreaks of the disease on breeding farms can be summarized as follows: losses due to abortion and/or disease and death in very young foals, decreased commercial value of stallions that become persistently infected with the virus, reduced demand to breed to carrier stallions because of the added expense, and inconvenience involved in vaccinating and isolating mares before and after breeding and denied export markets for carrier stallions and infected semen. An outbreak of EVA at a racetrack, equestrian event or horse show can have considerable impact: potential for widespread transmission (returning home after exposure). Control & Prevention: EVA is a manageable disease. It has been possible to design effective strategies for control and prevention. A major factor in determining success of any control program is minimizing or eliminating direct or indirect contact of susceptible horses with the secretions/excretions of infected animals. Effective strategies for control and prevention must be horse industry driven; it is the industry’s disease to control or spread. The aim is to restrict dissemination of EAV in breeding populations, prevent outbreaks of virus-related abortion or illness in young foals and prevent the establishment of the carrier state in stallions and post-pubertal colts. There is a safe and effective EVA vaccine (Arvac®, Fort Dodge Animal Health). It has been shown to be both safe and effective for use in stallions, non-pregnant mares, geldings, fillies and colts. There is no evidence that a vaccinated stallion will shed virus in their semen or develop the carrier state. It is not labeled for use in the last trimester pregnant mare, or in foals less than 6 weeks of age and should be avoided in these situations except in times of high risk of natural infection and only if recommended by a veterinarian.	Vaccination: For the vaccination of healthy non-stressed horses. If all horses are not being vaccinated at the same time, isolate those being vaccinated from those you wish to remain sero-negative. There is a minimal potential for vaccine virus to be shed and spread to other horses. Vaccinate males and young animals at any time (not labeled for use in foals less than 6 weeks of age). Stallions should be vaccinated not less than 3 weeks prior to breeding. Vaccinate mares preferably as maidens or when open. According to the label, mares in foal should not be vaccinated until after foaling and then not less than 3 weeks prior to breeding. In the face of high risk of exposure to wild-type virus, pregnant mares can be vaccinated. Maiden and barren mares may be vaccinated anytime but should be vaccinated not less than 3 weeks prior to breeding. Repeat with annual booster dose. Biosecurity Measures: Isolate all new arrivals for 3 to 4 weeks. If at all possible segregate pregnant mares from other horses. Maintain pregnant mares in small groups according to predicted foaling dates. Prior to each breeding season, blood-test all new breeding stallions for EAV titers. Culture semen from all sero-positive, non-vaccinated stallions for infectious virus. Annually vaccinate all non-carrier breeding stallions at least 4 weeks prior to start of each breeding season. Physically isolate any EAV-carrier stallions. Observe strict precautions when breeding or collecting semen. Risk of advertently transferring infection via indirect contact. Limit breeding carrier stallions to vaccinated mares or mares with natural titers. Vaccinate sero-negative mares at least 3 weeks prior to breeding to a known carrier stallion or artificial insemination (AI) with infectious semen. Isolate initial vaccinate mares for 3 weeks post breeding from all but known EAV sero-positive horses. It is especially important that these mares do not have contact with pregnant mares by any route, aerosol, respiratory and/or indirect contact. In breeds and/or areas with high prevalence of EAV infection, vaccinate all immature colts before 270 days of age (seven months). The information in this article has been provided by OSU.
Foaling Season is Here		Show Season
Get your mare ready for foaling by vaccinating and de-worming 30-45 days prior to her foaling date. This will boost the mare’s colostrum antibodies for the newborn foal. Go to sapulpavet.com to review the foaling and breeding checklist.		Show Season is around the corner. Make sure your horse’s Coggins Papers are current.