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Facility Management, Horse Breeding, Horse Care, Horse Feed & Nutrition, Horse Health, Horse Ownership in Colorado
Locoweed and Horses: A Toxic Combo
Locoweed, also known as crazyweed, is a type of plant that belongs to the pea family (Fabaceae) and is native to North and Central America. It is known for its toxic properties, which can cause serious health issues in livestock and wildlife that consume it. Locoweed contains toxic alkaloids, such as swainsonine and selenium, which can cause a range of symptoms in animals that ingest it, including neurological, reproductive, and digestive problems. The plant is commonly found in rangelands and pastures, and can be ingested by grazing animals, such as cattle, horses, and sheep, when other forage is scarce. The toxic effects of locoweed can vary depending on the species…
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Colorado Equine Health Alert: Equine Herpesvirus – Neurologic
Two horses were confirmed positive for Equine Herpesvirus – Neurologic on 3/17/2023 in Pueblo County, CO. For more information go to: https://www.equinediseasecc.org/equine-herpesvirus Location: Pueblo CountySource: State VeterinarianNumber Confirmed: 2Number Suspected: 2Number Exposed: 20Facility Type: Boarding Facility EQUINES AFFECTED:Age: 10; Gender: Gelding; Breed: Quarter Horse (QH); Usage: Horse Show; Onset of Clinical Signs: 3/13/2023;Confirmation Date: 3/17/2023; Horse Status: Quarantined; Age: 11; Gender: Gelding; Breed: Warmblood (WB); Usage: Pleasure Riding; Onset of Clinical Signs: 3/7/2023;Confirmation Date: 3/17/2023; Horse Status: Quarantined;
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FDA Cautions Horse Owners Not to Feed Recalled Lots of Top of the Rockies Alfalfa Cubes due to Reports of Illness and Death
UPDATE On January 19, 2023, FDA finalized laboratory testing of samples of Top of the Rockies alfalfa cubes that confirmed the presence of Clostridium botulinum type C, a bacteria that can lead to botulism. Fast Facts What is the problem? On December 17, 2022, the U.S. FDA cautioned horse owners not to feed recalled Top of the Rockies alfalfa cubes with the date codes 111222, 111322, 111422, 111522, and 111622. Some of the alfalfa cubes have been reported to contain what appears to be fur and animal tissues, indicating that material from an animal or animals may have been incorporated into the cubes during alfalfa harvesting. Some people have reported…
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Foxtail and Horses in Colorado
You may have heard about foxtail and that it poses a danger to horses. But did you know it can actually get embedded in their mouth needing veterinary removal? It even poses dangers to dogs and other outdoor pets, and can get embedded in their paws. First, what is Foxtail? Foxtail Barley (hordeum jubatum) is a showy short-lived native perennial cool-season bunchgrass that belongs to the grass tribe Triticeae. This plant ranges in height from one to three feet tall at maturity. Livestock can safely graze foxtail barley prior to seed development. Once the seeds develop, livestock and other animals should no longer have access, as the seeds form awns…
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Zycosan is the first injectable pentosan product to receive FDA approval for use in horses.
In December 2022, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved Zycosan (pentosan polysulfate sodium injection) for the control of clinical signs associated with osteoarthritis in horses. The FDA wants to remind you of the benefits of FDA approval. Drug Information Zycosan is the first injectable pentosan product to receive FDA approval for use in horses. Zycosan is FDA-approved for intramuscular use in horses. Zycosan is a heparin-like compound with anticoagulant and fibrinolytic effects. The mechanism of action for pentosan polysulfate sodium is unknown but is thought to include stimulation of hyaluronic acid and glycosaminoglycan synthesis in damaged joints, inhibition of proteolytic enzymes, and scavenging of free radicals. Pentosan polysulfate…
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Tips for Taking care of your Horses and Equines with -50°F Temperatures
If you haven’t seen yet, Wednesday night through Friday morning, we are supposed to get a MAJOR freeze event in Colorado. They are predicting -12°F as the high in places with a -50°F windchill. This means exposed skin (human and horse alike) can get frostbite in as little as 5 minutes. Not to mention our normal concerns for colic during these drastic weather changes. Important things to consider for your horse and equine friends: Some tips for humans during this cold snap: Thanks to Dr. Kieran Smith from Vetwerx Equine South for providing some of these helpful tips for our horses and equines! If you have other recommendations, be sure…
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USDA warning: Colorado firm’s alfalfa cubes may kill horses
BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) — State and federal officials are warning horse owners not to feed their animals Top of the Rockies brand alfalfa cubes after nearly 100 horses developed neurologic illnesses — 45 of which have died or been euthanized. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration issued the warning Saturday. The agency said it’s working with state agriculture departments in Colorado, Louisiana, New Mexico and Texas to investigate the horse deaths. Manzanola Feeds of Manzanola, Colorado, recalled the cubes Friday. The company warns that certain batches may contain bacteria that cause botulism, a fatal paralytic disease. The FDA said more testing is ongoing to confirm the causes of reported illnesses. The company…
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Colorado Equine Health Alert: Strangles
A horse was confirmed positive for Strangles (Streptococcus equi spp equi) on November 24, 2022 in Douglas County, CO. For more information, go to: Strangles factsheet. Location: Douglas CountySource: Attending VeterinarianNumber Confirmed: 1Number Suspected: UnknownNumber Exposed: UnknownFacility Type: Boarding Facility
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Stem Cells as a Potential Future Treatment for Equine Asthma
The study could one day help horses and even humans suffering from asthma utilizing biologic therapy. Asthma usually ends a horse’s athletic career, but stem cell therapy could be a promising treatment option in the future. Heaves is a disease that can leave a horse struggling to breathe. It can end athletic careers and even render a pleasure horse unsuitable for riding. Commonly known today as equine asthma, it’s irreversible and brought on by repeated exposure to dust and molds. Ontario Veterinary College researcher Doctor Bienzle has a long history of primary and collaborative work studying asthma in horses. Her most recent contributions include working with a group of researchers in Slovenia. These…
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Making ‘true’ equine IVF a reproducible success
By: Katherine Unger Baillie | Kbaillie@Upenn.Edu Assisted reproduction has become an invaluable technique for horse owners hoping to pass on to another generation the characteristics of cherished and successful animals. But for decades, one of the most common methods used in assisted reproduction in humans and other animals—standard in vitro fertilization (IVF)—has been stubbornly difficult to achieve. “It’s a frustrating thing,” says Katrin Hinrichs, professor of reproduction at the University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine, who, alongside her other research programs, has tried for more than three decades to tackle conventional equine IVF, in essence, convincing a sperm to fertilize an egg in a Petri dish. “When we put horse sperm with eggs, they…
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