health ‘n’ wellbeing
Pilot trial data suggests horses with a tapeworm burden can be retested 2 - 3 months after worming to check the tapeworm burden status
EquiSal Tapeworm is the new saliva test to diagnose tapeworm burdens in horses. The test was developed by a team of experienced scientists to measure tapeworm-specific antibodies in saliva and has been proven to have both high sensitivity and high specificity to determine whether a horse has a tapeworm burden or not. If a horse is diagnosed with a borderline or moderate/ high burden, then tapeworm treatment is recommended. A follow-up test after a few months to confirm that the treatment has been effective would be beneficial and would enable horse owners to feel more confident in their tapeworm control programmes. But it only makes sense to repeat the Equisal test if the salivary antibody levels drop quickly after effective tapeworm treatment. In preparation for a full- scale trial, Austin Davis Biologics recently carried out a small trial in which EquiSal Tapeworm testing was carried out on horses every 2 weeks following worming treatment for tapeworm. Data collected from this trial has shown that, in most cases, substantial reduction in tapeworm-specific antibodies was seen within 2-3 weeks following treatment. In one horse, the antibody levels took longer to reach low burden status, but even so, the antibody levels started dropping straight away after worming. It is important to understand that the picture is complicated if the horse becomes reinfected by tapeworm larvae after worming treatment and tapeworm re- infection was seen in some horses in the trial. In a poorly managed paddock, re-infection can obviously happen very easily, but, given that the tapeworm’s life cycle requires an intermediate host
An equine tapeworm
When: 18 – 24 May 2015 Where: Online at
www.bluecross.org.uk/NEHS
What: A short, anonymous snapshot survey about your horse’s health
Why: To help safeguard the future health and welfare of our horses and ponies
(an oribatid mite), even well managed paddocks containing horses with high tapeworm burdens could harbour infected oribatid mites within the grass. This means that there is still a re-infection risk after worming for horses grazing in these circumstances too. The end goal is, of course, to break the tapeworm’s life cycle and prevent horses becoming infected. Horses diagnosed as having a low burden at the start of the trial maintained low burden status throughout the trial. Austin Davis Biologics is planning the larger trial for later this year. The number of participants will be sufficient to ensure meaningful, statistically significant results and all the data gathered will be subject to full analysis.
EquiSal’s current testing recommendations: The first EquiSal test should be carried out 4 months after the last worming treatment for tapeworm Routine testing should then be carried out every 6 months If a horse has a borderline or moderate/high diagnosis, a re-test can be carried out 2 to 3 months after worming treatment for tapeworm.
The National Equine Health Survey (NEHS) is an important annual survey run by leading charity Blue Cross, in partnership with the British Equine Veterinary Association. It’s a unique opportunity for horse owners to give feedback about the health of their horses, ponies and donkeys so that the most common diseases and problems be identified, prioritised and addressed.
NEHS is supported by the UK’s leading equestrian organisations and charities and sponsored by SPILLERS and Zoetis. It has now been running for five years and is already helping our knowledge of horse heath. Participation increased threefold last year, with data collected from over 12,301 horses, ponies, donkeys and mules in the UK, demonstrating the equestrian nation’s enthusiasm to do their bit. The results help to establish benchmarks for equine health and disease in the UK and define priorities for future research, training and education. Equine and veterinary colleges and universities also use the data as primary source material.
Last year we discovered more about the rise of Atypical Myopathy in the UK. Further
Services include: Equine Hospital
Seven equine only vets led by Andrew McDiarmid BVM&S Cert ES (Orth) MRCVS
New Lanark Market, Hyndford Road, Lanark, ML11 9SZ
Tel: 01555 6600000
www.clydevetgroup.co.uk Out of Hours No: 07932 736 960
www.theequinesite.co.uk
FULL EQUINE HOSPITAL FACILTIES FULL SURGICAL THEATRE FOR ALL OPERATIONS INCLUDING ARTHOSCOPY (KEYHOLE SURGERY) AND FRACTURE REPAIR
SCINTIGRAPHY (BONE SCANNING) SHOCK THERAPY MEDICAL WORK-UPS, INCLUDING GASTROSCOPY STEM CELL IMPLANTATION FOR TENDON INJURIES IRAP TREATMENT FOR JOINT DISEASE
RESPIRATORY SURGERIES CONSULTATION SURGERIES BY GEOFF LANE B VETMED DESTS FRCVS
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awareness of this highly fatal disease is now being raised, incidences are being recorded and monitored by UK vets, and further research is continuing.
For the second year lameness was identified as the most common syndrome and there was an apparent increase in laminitis compared with previous years. The 2014 survey also highlighted that 20% of owners are unaware of the risk of encysted small redworm and showed that the reported number of overweight horses and ponies had more than doubled since the previous year.
Gemma Taylor, Education Officer at Blue Cross said: “Over the past five years NEHS has become a crucial information resource for the equestrian industry. It is helping us to steer awareness, education and research with the sole purpose of safeguarding the future healthcare of our horses. By giving five minutes of your time to complete the survey you can help to make a lifetime of difference.”
Visit
www.bluecross.org. uk/NEHS or email NEHS@
bluecross.org.uk to register for NEHS.
Just five minutes will give horses a healthier future
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