Respiratory Diseases Table Topic (AAEP 2010)

Appropriate biosecurity program protocols for respiratory diseases on the farm was the first issue addressed at the table topic on respiratory diseases presented at the 2010 American Association of Equine Practitioners Convention, held Dec. 4-8 in Baltimore, Md. Attendees agreed that segregating new arrivals/horses returning from horse shows and monitoring isolated horses’ temperatures are importa
Share
Favorite
Close

No account yet? Register

ADVERTISEMENT

Appropriate biosecurity program protocols for respiratory diseases on the farm was the first issue addressed at the table topic on respiratory diseases presented at the 2010 American Association of Equine Practitioners Convention, held Dec. 4-8 in Baltimore, Md. Attendees agreed that segregating new arrivals/horses returning from horse shows and monitoring isolated horses' temperatures are important measures for preventing entry of an infectious agent into a herd. A second component is isolation of sick animals. This should include moving the sick horse out of the barn and into a different barn to be isolated and implementing personal protective equipment (gloves, boots , gowns, or coveralls). When instituting a foot dip with disinfectant, dilute bleach works well (1 part bleach, 4 parts water) and should be placed stall side along with a dispenser of hand-sanitizer solution. Education of everyone working on the farm about the importance of biosecurity and following the protocols is the key to successful infectious disease prevention.

 

The second discussion addressed heaves (or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease), focusing primarily on the treatment and management of the disorder. Management of each case differs, but the most important factor is maintaining the horse in an appropriate environment (i.e., on pasture as much as possible or in an area with minimal exposure to particles and allergens). Additional treatments include systemic corticosteroids and inhalation therapy. Allergy testing might be beneficial in some cases to help identify what allergens the horse should avoid, but this should not take the place of environmental management.

Attendees also discussed pneumonia treatment, with a focus on the new antimicrobial agent ceftiofur (Excede). This antibiotic is a sustained-release (long acting) injectable antibiotic that only requires two doses for 10 days of treatment. It is specifically labeled for treatment of lower airway infections caused by Streptococcus zooepidemicus, which is one of the common lower airway infection-causing bacteria. One complication is swelling at the injection site, but this can be avoided by dividing the dose and administering it in two sites

Create a free account with TheHorse.com to view this content.

TheHorse.com is home to thousands of free articles about horse health care. In order to access some of our exclusive free content, you must be signed into TheHorse.com.

Start your free account today!

Already have an account?
and continue reading.

Share

Written by:

Bonnie Bar, VMD, Dipl. ACVIM, is a shareholder at Rood & Riddle Equine Hospital, in Lexington, Kentucky.

Related Articles

Stay on top of the most recent Horse Health news with

FREE weekly newsletters from TheHorse.com

Sponsored Content

Weekly Poll

sponsored by:

Where do you primarily feed your horse?
309 votes · 309 answers

Readers’ Most Popular

Sign In

Don’t have an account? Register for a FREE account here.

Need to update your account?

You need to be logged in to fill out this form

Create a free account with TheHorse.com!