CLICK HERE to read the article in Discovery News.

DR. RAMEY NOTES:  Zebras are among the toughest and meanest animals out there.  I recall working on one at the Houston Zoo a number of years back.  It had a hoof abscess that would have crippled a horse.  The poor thing was barely limping.  Their temperament is also likely the reason why they’ve never been successfully domesticated – if they could have been domesticated, they certainly would have been domesticated (like most other equids).

PS – And there’s a link to another article on why leopards got their spots!

Current information can be found on the EHV-1 Webpage (http://www.cdfa.ca.gov/ahfss/animal_health/equine_herpes_virus.html)

Orange County – January 11, 2012:

Animal Health Branch veterinarians are investigating a report of one (1) horse in Orange County confirmed positive for neuropathogenic strain of Equine Herpes Virus-1. Horses on the premises where the affected horse is located are under quarantine with no movement of horses on or off of the property. All horses on the property are being monitored at this time and the investigation is ongoing. An update posting of information will occur on January 12, 2012.

The information below has been posted to the EHV-1 Webpage (http://www.cdfa.ca.gov/ahfss/animal_health/equine_herpes_virus.html) .

Dr. Ramey notes:  I hope this doesn’t get silly again, like last year’s EHV-1 outbreak in Utah.  In case you’d forgotten, you might like to read my article again;  CLICK HERE to read EHV-1 (Enough Herpes Virus for 1)

UPDATE FROM CA  STATE VETERINARIAN:  January 12, 2012: Two additional horses displaying fever and respiratory signs have been confirmed positive for the neuropathogenic strain of Equine Herpes Virus- 1, on the Orange County Premises. All horses on the premises remain under quarantine and being monitored for disease.

DR. RAMEY NOTES – the two additional horses have not shown signs of neurologic disease

UPDATE FROM CA STATE VETERINARIAN – January 13, 2012: Two additional horses displaying a fever have been confirmed positive for the neuropathogenic strain of Equine Herpes Virus-1. There are a total of five confirmed positive cases on the Orange County premises. All horses on the property continue to be monitored.

DR. RAMEY NOTES – Still only one horse with neurologic signs.  The place is quarantined, and everything seems to be under control.

UPDATE FROM CA STATE VETERINARIAN – January 18, 2012: Three new cases of neuropathogenic Equine Herpesvirus-1 (EHV-1) have been confirmed on the Orange County quarantined premises. There are a total of 8 confirmed positive horses on the premises. At this point in time, only one of the eight cases has displayed neurologic signs. All exposed horses on the property are being monitored and enhanced biosecurity measures have been implemented. The source of the outbreak has not been identified.  The initial epidemiologic investigation reveals no link to the three 2011 California neuropathogenic EHV-1 incidents.

DR. RAMEY NOTES – Still only one horse with neurologic signs.  The place is quarantined, and everything seems to be under control.  It’s acting pretty much like the virus always acts…

UPDATE FROM CA STATE VETERINARIAN – January 19, 2012: One new confirmed case of the neuropathogenic strain of Equine Herpes Virus-1 has been confirmed on the Orange County affected premises.  A total of 9 cases have been confirmed on this premises. On January 18, 2012, one of the positive horses which initially displayed a fever and limb edema became recumbent and the decision was made to euthanize this horse. Necropsy results as to the cause of the recumbency are pending.  The facility remains under quarantine  and  all exposed horses are being monitored.

DR. RAMEY NOTES:  Sad about the one horse.  Some of the ones that are affected with neurologic disease can recover, but as closely as this premises is being watched, it was undoubtedly the right decision.  Still, everything seems to be under control.

UPDATE FROM CA STATE VETERINARIAN – January 20, 2012: Two additional horses displaying a fever have been confirmed for the neuropathogenic strain of Equine Herpes Virus-1. There are a total of 11 confirmed positive cases on the Orange County premises. The necropsy results from the positive horse euthanized on January 18, 2012 are pending. Horses on the property continue to be monitored.

UPDATE FROM CA STATE VETERINARIAN – January 23, 2012: There are no new cases.     A total of 11 Neuropathogenic Equine Herpes Virus -1 (NEHV-1) positive cases have been confirmed at the quarantined Orange County premises.  Only the initial confirmed positive horse displayed neurologic signs and he is currently recovering.  All other confirmed NEHV-1 positive horses displayed respiratory symptoms, limb edema and/ or fever.   A confirmed positive horse became recumbent and was euthanized on January 18, 2012; the necropsy results indicate that it is highly unlikely that the recumbency was due to the NEHV-1 infection.  The single premises remains under quarantine and CDFA continues to monitor the situation.

UPDATE FROM CA STATE VETERINARIAN – Jan. 24, 2012

RIVERSIDE COUNTY INCIDENT

January 24, 2012: A gelding displaying hind limb incoordination and urine dribbling from a Riverside County premises was confirmed positive for the neuropathogenic strain of Equine Herpes Virus-1 (NEHV-1). The gelding became recumbent and was euthanized. The premises is under quarantine and CDFA has initiated an epidemiologic investigation. At this time we are not aware of any links to the Orange County incident. Additional information will be posted as it becomes available.

ORANGE COUNTY INCIDENT:

January 24, 2012: Four new cases of neuropathogenic Equine Herpes Virus-1 (NEHV-1) have been confirmed on the Orange County quarantined premises. A total of 15 horses have been positive on the Orange County premises. Only one of the 15 horses has shown neurologic signs.

DR. RAMEY NOTES:  Quarantine and control.  That’s the key.

UPDATE FROM CA STATE VETERINARIAN January 25, 2012 -

RIVERSIDE COUNTY INCIDENT

January 25, 2012:  There are no new EHV-1 cases on the Riverside County quarantined large multi-discipline equine premises. The one confirmed positive horse for Equine Herpes Myeloencephalopathy (EHM) was euthanized and necropsy results indicate histologic lesions compatible with EHV-1.  All horses on the premises are being monitored. Based on the initial investigation, there is no evidence to link this case to the Orange County premises. CDFA will continue to monitor the situation.

ORANGE COUNTY INCIDENT

January 25, 2012:  There is one new confirmed case of neuropathogenic EHV-1 on the affected premises.  A total of 16 horses on the property have tested positive and only one of the confirmed cases has displayed neurologic signs.

Locking legs

Here’s the full question – “I have a horse who recently has started to straighten ‘lock’ his right or left fore leg while at the trot.  It is random and only occasional.  It lasts for a few strides and stops.  he can the trot normally.  There is no pain reaction and the horse movess off again fine.  He does not do this when lunged.  A couple of years past he was diagnosed with lymes disease, but afer treatment was fine and without symptoms.  This started in December of last year.  Nobody seems to be able to come up with a diagnosis or suggestion.  What would your thoughts and suggestion be?”

Weird problems like the one your horse is showing, can be pretty hard to figure out, because, well, they’re weird.  Veterinarians don’t get a chance to see weird problems very often, so they don’t stick out in anyone’s mind.  As such, I’m not going to have an answer for you, just some suggestions.

The first thing that I’d do is make sure that the horse isn’t lame.  This is the type of horse that might benefit from an exam with the Lameness Locator, a computerized device (which I have) that helps make the process of lameness diagnosis more objective.  If your horse isn’t lame, then I might have a thorough neurologic exam conducted – sometimes, subtle neurologic problems can manifest themselves as gait problems.  After that, it becomes a real crap shoot.

While the diagnosis of Lyme Disease can be pretty controversial in horses (another topic, I guess), it is certainly possible for horses to get reinfected.  The thinking here is that if he had it once, and got better after was treated, it might be worth treating him again.  Not genius stuff, but, like I said, your horse has a weird problem.

Another way to approach the problem would be to use time.  They say, “Time heals all wounds,” and often, a bit of time off will heal problems that are hard to diagnose.  On the other hand, it you increase the amount of exercise that your horse is getting, you might be able to make the problem more apparent, and easier to diagnose.

I hope that helps some – diagnosis isn’t easy to do over the e-waves.  Regardless, I hope that the suggestions help some, and it would be great to hear back about what, if anything, you find out.

Not getting around as well as he might

Here’s the full question:  “One of the horses I take care of has owners who will not pay for a vet….he is sore on the right side and the last vet, (maybe 6 years ago) said he had arthritis in his right shoulder. He is in very light work, 22, Selle Francais, about 1700 lbs, 17′ and over weight. He is barefoot and rides ALL on this front. I suggested a course of bute and he worked very well…the only problem is that they give him one gram of bute EVERYDAY for the past six months and I am worried about ulcers. What is the effect of daily bute and how long should it be given? What will happen to his stomach? How can you tell if a horse is suffering from ulcers? Do we stop the bute? Is it dangerous…does Ulcer Guard work? I think he needs shoes but they refuse. He is also overweight and they feed him 4 flakes of alfalfa a day plus a little gran with the bute. If I could afford my own vet I would get him out there right away…maybe he should just walk and not w/t/c.”

OK, lots of questions here, and I’ll see if I can come up with a few answers.

First off, a dose of 1 gram of bute daily to a horse of the size that you’re stating is probably a less-than-therapeutic dose, that is, it’s probably not doing much of anything at all.  It’s probably less than half of an effective dose, and something like 12% of doses that have been shown to cause ulcers in horses.  I’ve personally known of horses that have gotten 2 grams of bute twice daily for years without any apparent problems – I am NOT recommending that dose, only pointing out that the dose that you’re giving this horse is unlikely to cause problems.

In fact, side effects of many common drugs in horses are pretty overblown – CLICK HERE to read an article I wrote on side effects (and other fears).

A common sign of ulcers in horses

To diagnose ulcers, you need to use a gastroscope – it’s a really long scope that goes down into the horse’s stomach, and you can see the ulcers directly.  Other than that, it’s just a guess.

Yes, Ulcergard® works – it’s a trade name for omeprazole, which is a proven-effective ulcer medication, in horses and in humans, too.  In humans, it’s sold as Prilosec®.  That said, there are other, cheaper alternatives.

If the horse is really obese, one of the best treatments for arthritis is to put him on a diet.  Losing weight has been shown to be an extremely effective treatment for arthritis in several species.  Why not try switching from alfalfa to grass hay, just to cut some calories and give his aching shoulder a break?

Finally, decreasing exercise in an arthritic horse is not a bad idea, but it’s kind of a double-edged sword.  Moderate exercise is actually beneficial for horses with arthritis, and exercise helps burn calories.  You’d also probably see a lot of benefit from keeping him in a larger pen or paddock, where he could move around on his own.

Honestly, I think that you’d be a lot better off finding out what the issues are with you are than you would be spending any money at all on glucosamine/chondroitin supplements.  Just today, I had a client ask me about whether she should spend the supplements – my response was, “If you don’t mind spending money on a product with no demonstrated mechanism of action, for which a dose has not been established, for which effectiveness has not been shown, and which may not contain what the label says, have at it!”

Maybe I should have just said, “No.”

CLICK HERE to read my article on the glucosamine/CS.

This article is not about horse medicine.  This reason for posting it is not to imply that anyone offering stem cells for the treatment of horses is necessarily perpetuating a fraud.  This is to point out that the hype is way ahead of the science, and that, currently, there’s little reason to believe that treating your horse with stem cells is currently going to help his tendon/joint injury.

From the article -

“Dr. Craig Klugman, a medical ethicist at the University of Texas Health Science Center in San Antonio, said stem cells appeal to people who are desperate for cures.

‘They are using a new marketing tool to make you think this is something very futuristic and cutting edge,’ Klugman told Reuters.  ‘I would be very skeptical of anything claiming to have stem cells in it, because, at least in the United States, there is nothing commercially approved for use with stem cells in it.’”

CLICK HERE for the full story.

CLICK HERE to read Dr. Ramey’s article about stem cells.

Crazy Horse (who helped show George Custer a thing or two)

OK, here’s the full question – “A couple friends and I were talking about all the horses we’ve trained and ridden throughout the years and comparing their characteristics and personality traits, etc.  We were wondering if horses can develop mental illness similar to what humans exhibit.  For example, one of my horses, many years ago, acted like he had a nervous breakdown.  And my one friend described her mare as acting autistic.  We both had raised these horses from birth and they had never been mistreated, and had normal acting sires and dams.  Do horses experience mental illness? Have there been any studies?  Or do you think all behavior problems stem from training?”

I guess that we’d first have to define terms.  Otherwise stated, what does the term “mental illness” mean.  In looking it up, I find this definition, in the on-line medical dictionary:  “Any of various conditions characterized by impairment of an individual’s normal cognitive, emotional, or behavioral functioning, and caused by social, psychological, biochemical, genetic, or other factors, such as infection or head trauma. ”

As such, that seems to me to be a pretty broad definition.  But the key phrase seems to be “impairment of an individual’s normal …. functioning….”  As such, in order to determine if a horse had mental illness, you’d have to know what’s normal for that individual.  And there’s the rub.

One would presumably equate mental illness in a horse with abnormal behavior.  And, the subject of horse behavior is one that has received a whole lot of study. There’s a lot that goes into horse behavior, but a lot of it comes down to two things:  how horses normally behave, and how they were raised.  So, for example, in the wild, horses are prey animals, so they normally react quickly, and without thought, when confronted with things that seem threatening;  while we may understand that a traffic cone or a flapping tree limb isn’t going to eat us, to a horse, it’s something strange, and something to be afraid of.  You never know when that tree limb is being pushed around by a pack of wolves, I guess.  And while it’d be pretty weird for a person to run off blindly if, say, they saw a piece of paper blowing across the street, that’s just the way that horses are.

The way that horses are raised definitely affects behavior.  So, for example, it’s been shown that stalled weanlings spend significantly more time engaged in behaviors that are considered undesirable, such as licking or chewing the stall/shed wall, kicking at the stall/shed wall, pawing, and bouts of bucking and/or rearing.  And, of course, they may react quite aggressively to an unpleasant stimulus, remembering, for example, that something was unpleasant for them (like a horse trailer).  While some people may not be able to understand why the horse wouldn’t want to climb in the trailer, and may think that it’s irrational, I personally have no idea why a horse would ever consider climbing into a dark, moving box.

Certain diseases definitely cause behavior changes, as suggested in the definition of mental illness.  Diseases like encephalitis or rabies can cause depression or aggression.  I remember one horse that I treated that had a brain abscess – he would seem normal, then start running around blindly, and become very aggressive (he had to ultimately be put to sleep).  So I guess from that standpoint, you could say – at least on some level – that the horse was mentally ill.

From a physiology standpoint, horse brains are somewhat similar to human brains in both form and function, for example, most of the same chemical neurotransmitters work in both horses and humans.  So there’s not any reason why horses couldn’t have mental illness.

But I think that the biggest problem with answering your questions is that there’s no objective way to tell if a horse might have mental illness.  There aren’t any cognitive tests that might help differentiate between a horse with a behavioral problem and one that is certifiable.  Even some of the questions that are typically asked people wouldn’t help much if you were screening a horse.

OWNER:  “Doc, I’m concerned that my horse might be depressed.”

PSYCHOLOGIST, TO CLIENT:  “Hmmm.  Let’s see.  Let me ask him a few questions.”

PSYCHOLOGIST, TO HORSE:  “Do you feel like eating all the time?  Do you feel fearful, but you can’t figure out why?  Do you find it hard to focus?”

From my point of view, if the horse answered, “Yes” to any of those questions, it would mean that he was a…  well, a horse.

So, bottom line is that I think it’s possible, but I think that it would be really hard to tell.  Some of your friends probably act crazy from time to time, too, but you accept them for who they are, or move on.  I think that’s probably a good idea for most horses, too!

“In recent days you may have seen news reports regarding horse processing in the U.S. To help you understand what has happened and to provide you with information that may assist you with keeping your clients or colleagues informed, the AAEP has prepared a summary of the status of horse processing in the U.S.

Congress Passes USDA Appropriations Bill – USDA Inspection of Horse Processing Allowed to Resume
A provision that had prohibited USDA funds being used for personnel inspecting the slaughter process at horse processing facilities was not included in the Fiscal Year 2012 Agriculture, Commerce/Justice/Science, and Transportation/Housing and Urban Development Appropriations bills signed into law by President Obama on Nov. 18.  The appropriations bill passed the House on a vote of 298-121, while the Senate voted 70-30 in favor of the bill.  The bill funds a variety of federal programs and agencies and is not solely a bill addressing horse processing.

What does the passing of this bill mean for horse processing?
It means that USDA can now pay inspectors to inspect horses and meat that may be processed for human consumption at U.S. plants.

This bill does not, however, appropriate any new money to pay for these inspections.  The USDA would have to find the money in the funds appropriated in the FY’ 12 bill.

Is there a federal law that has been reversed?
No. There has been no law passed or changed dealing with processing itself. There is no current prohibition on the processing of horses in the U.S. The federal bills introduced in Congress to prohibit this are still before Congress. The only change is that for the past five years the USDA was not allowed to fund the inspection of horses at the plants - even though no plants were open - and now they are should a plant begin operating.

Will horse processing plants open?
While a plant could open and start processing horses, it should be understood that this appropriations bill is only good until September 30, 2012.  In addition, as mentioned above, there are two bills currently in Congress proposing to ban horse processing in the U.S.:  H.R. 2966 and S. 1176.

Due to state laws passed in Texas and Illinois, the home of the last plants to process horses in the U.S. in 2007, the processing of horses for human consumption in those states, even with USDA inspections allowed, will not be possible.  Horse processing also is banned in California.

Does AAEP support the reopening of processing plants in the U.S?
With challenging economic times continuing to impact the United States, the large number of horses in our country that are considered unwanted and without viable care options remains a tremendous concern.  Because of the increased potential for abuse, neglect and abandonment faced by this population of horses combined with the lack of financial resources for their long-term care, the AAEP does not oppose the reopening of processing facilities in the United States provided the facilities meet the following provisions:

1. Strict oversight of operations by the U.S. Department of Agriculture under the Commercial Transport of Horses to Slaughter Act and the regulations there under, including the presence of and inspections by USDA veterinarians at the facilities.
2. Horses are euthanized by trained personnel in a humane manner in accordance with the requirements of federal law and guidelines established by the American Veterinary Medical Association.
3. Transportation to the production facility is conducted according to the law and guidelines established by the USDA.

When other humane options do not exist, the AAEP supports processing as an acceptable form of euthanasia under these controlled conditions.
Additional Resources:

History of USDA inspection funding
Since 2007, no federal money has been allowed to be used to inspect horse slaughter facilities in the U.S., as stipulated in the Agricultural Appropriations bill over the past five years. Without U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) inspections, horse processing facilities could not process horses for human consumption because the meat could not be shipped internationally or interstate and a majority of the market for horse meat is overseas. Although this clause had support due to the undesirable idea of horse meat for human consumption in the U.S., many, including the AAEP, believe the ban had “unintended consequences” and this was again emphasized in a June 22, 2011 report issued by the Government Accountability Office (GAO) titled - “Horse Welfare: Action Needed to Address Unintended Consequences from Cessation of Domestic Slaughter.”

AAEP Position on Horse Processing and Current Bills in Congress

GAO Report – Summary & Full Report (June 22, 2011)

AAEP Statement Regarding GAO Report on Horse Welfare (June 27, 2011)

http://www.guardian.co.uk/science/blog/2011/nov/08/alternative-medicine-ethics-free-zone

DR RAMEY NOTES:  The situation is worse in horses.