VISITS & ROUTINE CARE

Further Information

Vaccination

• Equine Influenza

  • ​Equine Influenza, most commonly referred to as flu, is a highly contagious viral disease of the respiratory tract. The virus can be spread via the airborne route by an infected horse, via direct contact or indirectly by handlers. The incubation period for the disease is between one to five days. This is why an influenza outbreak can quickly spread in unvaccinated horses

  • The disease can debilitate a horse, leaving it susceptible to secondary infections such as bronchitis and pneumonia. Such infections are particularly worrying in young foals or elderly animals and those with a pre-existing respiratory disorder. Permanent lung damage is a risk to unvaccinated horses resulting in the potential loss of their previous athletic ability.

  • Vaccination remains an important practice in efforts to prevent an outbreak of flu; in an unvaccinated population there will be an almost 100 percent infection rate. Estimates suggest that less than 40 percent of the equine population in the UK are vaccinated against influenza. Flu is an adaptive virus, and has evolved to gradually

  • alter through a process known as antigenic drift. Your vet will be best placed to advise on the most current vaccine available.

  • The vaccination programme begins with a series of injections administered over the first year, which is then continued by annual boosters.

    • First Vaccination​ ---> 21 to 92 days --->Second Vaccination ---> 150 to 215 days ---> Third Vaccination ---> Annually thereafter

• Tetanus

  • Horses are the most susceptible of all domestic animals to tetanus due to the environment they live in and the frequency with which they are injured. Tetanus is a disease caused by the bacterium Clostridium tetani which is found in the soil. The bacterium also lives in the horse’s gut which presents no risk to the horse as long as the gut remains healthy. The bacterium can be passed out of the gut and deposited within the horse’s faeces.

  • Tetanus becomes a problem when the bacterium enters the body via a wound. Even the smallest wounds can allow the bacterium to enter the bloodstream, for example, a common site of infection is a puncture wound to the sole of the hoof. Infection can also occur via the intestines if a horse eats contaminated soil or faeces. Newborn foals can be infected by the bacterium via the navel (umbilicus).

  • Tetanus can be easily prevented by establishing and maintaining an effective vaccination programme. The initial course consists of two primary injections four to six weeks apart. The first booster injection must be administered within 12 months of the second primary injection. Subsequent boosters are normally administered every two years – but ensure you check with your vet as products can vary. 

  • Vaccinated pregnant mares should be provided with a tetanus booster four to six weeks pre-foaling

Worm Egg Counts

A targeted approach is the right approach

Dr Emma Batson of Merial Animal Health explains why it is increasingly important to monitor the worm burden of your horse and how a targeted approach to worming is vital for all horse owners.

"We now know that the level of worm infestation can vary considerably from one horse to another – even those kept together on the same yard. As a general rule, it is estimated that 80% of the equine worm population is carried by only 20% of horses, so clearly a blanket approach to worming may be unnecessary for the majority of horses.

Targeted programmes incorporating faecal worm egg counts (WECs) play an important role in managing equine parasites, reducing unnecessary treatments so that each individual horse is only treated as needed."

WECs are easy to undertake, simply take a fresh sample from each horse, send them away to be analysed by your vet or laboratory and the results will be returned, along with a recommendation of whether worming is necessary at that time. WECs are a vital part of EQVALAN®’s SMART worming campaign, which encourages owners and yard managers to Simply Monitor, Assess Risk and, if necessary, Treat with the most appropriate wormer. A simple to use online planner at www.smartworming.co.uk takes the guesswork out of worming.

Target tapeworms too

WECs are a great indicator of most species of adult roundworms; however, immature and encysted small redworm cannot be detected on a WEC test. Tapeworms can only be properly detected with a blood test. Research has shown that tapeworms are associated with certain types of colic and so in the absence of a blood test, it is important to treat these parasites with the right product at the right time.

Whilst traditionally a double dose of pyrantel-based wormer was the only treatment available for tapeworms, more recent developments mean that a single dose of combination wormer such as EQVALAN® Duo which contains both ivermectin and praziquantel – a known tapeworm treatment – is all that is needed.

Twice yearly treatments for tapeworm in the spring and autumn will act as the cornerstone of your programme. So just one dose, twice a year, will help keep the tapeworm burden at bay. An annual treatment for immature and encysted small redworms is also usually recommended during the winter months, and in between times regular WECs recommended every 8-10 weeks can be performed.

The combination of twice yearly tapeworm treatments, an encysted treatment and regular WECs will provide optimal results for all horses, reducing the amount of wormer required as well reducing the threat of worm resistance.

Find out more at www.smartworming.co.uk