The embodiment of evil. Photo by Thinkstock
‘Tis the season to vaccinate your horses against West Nile Virus (WNV) and Eastern Equine Encephalitis (EEE)! Veterinarians nationwide are advising horse owners to fight these mosquito-borne diseases with vaccinations and management practices to reduce the mosquito population “by eliminating standing water where mosquitoes lay eggs such as in birdbaths, water tanks and wheelbarrows.” In addition to carrying potentially deadly diseases, mosquitoes are just plain annoying; use a sweat-resistant fly spray to help keep your horses comfortable during hot days or heavy workouts.
This Week in Horse Health News:
Seeing sinuses: German researchers have analyzed CT scans to gain better understanding of the complex structures in equine sinuses. [Horsetalk]
Gelding sires filly: In case you missed this news item from yesterday’s News & Notes, the four-star eventing gelding Thistledown Poposki is the proud daddy of a bay filly out of Bluebell, a dressage and eventing mare. How is this possible, you might ask? The foal was conceived via frozen semen that was collected before Thistledown Poposki was gelded as a two-year-old. [Horse & Hound]
Horses injected with gasoline: In a shocking case of cruelty, two neighboring Florida horses were injected with gasoline, resulting in the euthanasia of one mare and emergency surgery on another. Police are offering a $1000 reward for information on this case. [Horsetalk]
Kiss kissing spines goodbye: A new, minimally-invasive technique has been found to treat impingement of the dorsal spinal processes, more commonly known as kissing spines. [The Horse]
Foal pneumonia linked to genes: Texas researchers have found that genetic factors play a large role in the chances of foals developing pneumonia. [Horsetalk]
