Horses and ponies that gain weight are more than twice as likely to develop laminitis than if they lose or maintain their weight, according to new research published last month in BMC Veterinary Research¹.

Carried out by the Royal Veterinary College (RVC), the Animal Health Trust (AHT) and Rossdales Equine Hospital, the study also revealed that the groups particularly at risk were native pony breeds and their crosses, as well as horses and ponies with a history of laminitis and those with lameness or soreness after routine hoof care.

This research, funded by World Horse Welfare, comes from the first ever online study that collected information on laminitis from a group of owners in real time.

The researchers say that the study is also the second largest to identify weight gain as a risk factor for laminitis. Data was collected from the owners of 1,070 horses and ponies in Great Britain, who reported their animal’s management, health and estimated weight via online questionnaires for 29 months. 

Owners were encouraged to use a custom weight tracking tool designed by the study/research team to help regularly track changes in their animal’s weight and body condition. The uptake of this tool was high, with over half of participating owners using it.

The tool is freely available at: www.aht.org.uk/research/lameness/laminitis.

Other study findings included:

• A high risk of laminitis was present in horses shod or trimmed at intervals of more than 8 weeks, and in those that took a long time to return to soundness after a bout of laminitis. 

• Diet, grazing management and health were factors closely associated with the development of laminitis and will be the subject of future investigation. 

• Researchers also noted that weight gain often occurred unintentionally, even when owners were aiming for their animals to maintain or lose it. This reiterates the need to consistently record weight and body condition in order to prevent undesirable weight gain.

Dr. Dee Pollard of the AHT, one of the study’s chief authors, said: "This is one of the largest, and the first, online laminitis studies where we collected regular information from the same group of owners in real-time. We assessed the relationship between laminitis and many potential management and health factors and identified those more likely to be present before a laminitis episode was reported.

"We now have good evidence to develop laminitis prevention guidelines, and a number of different avenues to explore in the future. We cannot emphasise enough how important systematic and regular weight and body condition monitoring are. It’s very easy to miss weight gain when you are just relying on your eyes and you see your horse or pony every day. You need to get hands on, feel for the fat deposits and take measurements, remember the figures don’t lie!"

Reference

1. BMC Veterinary Research: Pollard, D, Wylie, CE, Verheyen, KLP and Newton, JR (2019) Identification of modifiable factors associated with owner-reported equine laminitis in Britain using a web-based cohort study approach. BMC Veterinary Research 15:59. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12917-019-1798-8

A new study published in the Journal of Veterinary Internal Medicine has shown that just 25 minutes of light exercise may have health benefits for horses, even if it doesn’t result in additional weight loss¹.

The study "Influence of dietary restriction and low-intensity exercise on weight loss and insulin sensitivity in obese equids" was carried out by Nick Bamford and colleagues at the University of Melbourne’s Faculty of Veterinary and Agricultural Science, in collaboration with Spillers.

A total of 24 obese horses and ponies were randomly divided into two groups; 'restricted diet only' or 'restricted diet plus exercise'. All horses and ponies were fed the same diet of restricted hay (no grazing), a small amount of alfalfa chaff and soya bean meal, and a vitamin and mineral supplement.

The exercise programme, which was designed following feedback from horse owners to help ensure it could be implemented relatively easily in the real world, consisted of 15 minutes of brisk trotting (with a five minute walk before and after) five days per week for 12 weeks.

The 'restricted diet only' group showed an overall reduction in body weight and body condition score. They had increased levels of adiponectin – a hormone produced by fat cells, low levels of which are a risk factor for laminitis. They had decreased baseline insulin, high levels of which have been linked to an increased risk of laminitis, and decreased leptin, high levels of which are associated with obesity.

Although exercise did not increase weight loss, it did produce additional benefits that were not seen in the 'restricted diet only' group, the most important one being improved insulin sensitivity. More insulin sensitive horses and ponies need to produce less insulin in order to control their blood sugar. This is important because high levels of insulin in the blood and/or reduced insulin sensitivity are risk factors for laminitis. Horses and ponies in the exercise group also had decreased levels of ‘serum amyloid A’, a protein that is a marker for inflammation.

Clare Barfoot RNutr, the research and development manager at Spillers said: "Reducing calorie intake and feeding a diet low in starch and sugar should be the priority for overweight horses and ponies. However, the results of this study suggest that exercise may offer additional health benefits for obese horses and ponies and/or those with ‘EMS’ that cannot be achieved by cutting calories and weight loss alone."

Reference

1. Bamford NJ, Potter SJ, Baskerville CL, Harris PA, Bailey SR. Influence of dietary restriction and low-intensity exercise on weight loss and insulin sensitivity in obese equids. J Vet Intern Med. 2019;33:280–286. https://doi.org/10.1111/jvim.15374

Photo:  Spillers/Steve Bardens

MSD Animal Health has announced that Horse Health Week, which runs from 25th to 29th March 2019, will focus on helping owners and yards understand infection risk.

It's a subject that will be front of many people's minds following the recent cases of equine flu.

As part of the campaign, MSD has produced a range of veterinary practice support materials to help you engage with owners and yards on the subject of preventative healthcare best practice and compliance.

The range includes shareable social media content, videos, a 'What's Your Risk' practice poster, an online risk assessment tool and a number of downloadable information leaflets. Practices will also be supported through the Keep Britain's Horses Health (KBHH) web page, Facebook page and Twitter.

MSD says there are also planning and evaluation resources to help practices manage an effective campaign.

Vicki Farr, Equine Veterinary Advisor at MSD Animal Health said: "The recent outbreaks of equine flu have rocked the horse-racing world, costing the industry millions and raising important animal welfare issues. Furthermore, they have highlighted the need for good preventative healthcare and, in particular, vaccination.

"HHW will therefore come at a relevant time for horse owners and yards when the impact of equine flu is still at the front of their minds.

"This year HHW will provide vital tools for practices; building on the knowledge and resources we’ve acquired throughout the KBHH campaign and from previous HHWs.

"Our focus is on engaging owners and yards on understanding the risk of disease for their horse, while rewarding them for best practice. We are again providing a wide range of resources for practices to help them create an engaging and successful campaign that helps build knowledge amongst the equine community."

For further information, talk to your MSD Animal Health Equine Account Manager, call 01908 685685 or refer to KBHH social media feeds on Facebook page and Twitter (@keepinghorseshealthy).

The British Horse Society (BHS) and University of Nottingham have launched a new campaign to help veterinary surgeons provide their clients with advice, presentations and resources on all issues related to colic.

The 'Vet REACT Colic Champions', which is being supported by 62 veterinary practices around the country, will help horse owners create a plan of action if their horse develops critical colic and needs referral to an equine hospital.

The campaign follows research conducted by the University of Nottingham which found that one in three emergency call-outs by vets were due to colic and 90% of owners were not confident in spotting its early signs.

Emmeline Hannelly, Welfare Education Manager at the BHS said: "It’s fantastic that so many vets are supporting our 'Vet REACT Colic Champions' scheme – we are delighted to be working with them. We hope that it will help even more owners to make informed decisions related to colic and in turn, improve equine welfare.”

Sarah Freeman, Professor of Veterinary Surgery at the School of Veterinary Science and Medicine, University of Nottingham said: "We are delighted to be working with vet practices on the 'Vet REACT Colic Champions' scheme. Their support and guidance has been a huge help in reaching such a wide population and we hope we can reach even more people in the future."

Alex Kingdon, BVM BVS MRCVS from Avonvale Equine Practice said: "Being part of the 'Vet REACT Colic Champions' scheme is incredibly important to our practice. Colic is by far one of the most common emergency conditions we see and the scheme has already had a huge impact on many horse owners.”

For further details on the 'Vet REACT Colic Champions' scheme and 'React Now to Beat Colic' campaign, visit: www.bhs.org.uk/colic 

Photo: Shutterstock/PJ Photography

Chanelle has announced this morning that 35,000 bottles of IsoVet are now available from wholesalers, with more supplies due in the coming months.

Chanelle's head of sales and marketing, Killian Gaffney said: "The total UK market is around 80,000 bottles annually. However, with the major supplier announcing some re-stocking in March but full availability still under question, there is a real sense of urgency for practitioners.

"The Chanelle team worked throughout December with our manufacturing division to ensure that the UK product shortfall could be alleviated.

"Air freighting supplies seemed the obvious course of action, and ensured we could supply the UK market as quickly as possible."

For further information, contact: Chanelle on 00353 91 841 788.

Aware that many horse owners will be worried about the outbreak of equine flu and want to know more about available vaccines, Zoetis has issued a statement for veterinary professionals about its vaccines, Equip Flu and Equip Flu and Tetanus (Equip F or Equip FT).

The company says that so far, it has had no cases of flu reported in horses vaccinated with Equip F or Equip FT in the UK. However, it cautions that in the present flu outbreak it is not clear if any of the current influenza vaccines will provide complete clinical protection against the mutated strain.

In addition, Zoetis highlights that: 

• Equip F and Equip FT are both indicated for reduction in clinical signs caused by Equine Influenza, including Florida Clade 1 strains.

• Cross protection has been demonstrated by virulent challenge for representative strains of Florida Clade 1 (Paillot et al 2008¹, Bryant et al 2010²) and Clade 2 (Paillot et al 2015³).

• Vaccination with Equip F stimulated a flu specific cell-mediated immune response to a Clade 1 strain which was detectable for up to one year after the third vaccination in primary course (Paillot et al 2015³).

Zoetis says it is confident that the Equip range continues to be effective against its licensed indications.

If you have further questions about the vaccines, ring 0845 300 8034 and choose option 1 to speak to Zoetis' technical team.

References

1. Paillot R et al. (2008) Protection, systemic IFNγ, and antibody responses induced by an ISCOM-based vaccine against a recent equine influenza virus in its natural host. Vet. Res. (2008) 39:21
2. Bryant et al (2010) Comparison of two modern vaccines and previous influenza infection against challenge with an equine influenza virus from the Australian 2007 outbreak. Vet. Res. (2010) 41:19
3. Paillot R et al.  (2015) ISCOM-based equine influenza vaccine: Duration of immunity and randomised clinical trials to assess an accelerated schedule of immunisation and efficacy.Trials in Vaccinology, 4 (2015) 61–70

BEVA has announced the launch of CPD courses designed to help equine and mixed vets get back into equine practice after a break from clinical work.

Sarah Gasper, BEVA’S Learning Manager said: "Many of us on the BEVA education team understand exactly what it’s like to return to practice whether after a career break, paternity/maternity or sickness leave. We also understand the specific challenges of moving from mixed into equine practice. 

"We have created these courses to help make the transition back to work as smooth as possible. We’ve tried to incorporate everything we wish we had had access to when we returned to practice!"

Reinvigorate your approach to equine practice will be held on 12th March 2019 at Lythe Hill Hotel, Haslemere. The lecture and forum based course will explore the latest advances in internal medicine, orthopaedics, and sports medicine, and how to apply them to develop evidence-based clinical approaches to common and emergency scenarios in practice. 

Getting (back) into equine practice will be held on 13th March 2019 at Liphook Equine Hospital, Hampshire. This entirely practical day of CPD will all be about improving the confidence of established equine vets and for vets returning to work following a career break. The course will focus on the practical procedures that an established equine ambulatory vet might be expected to perform on a regular basis. In a new approach to CPD we are trialling a system where delegates can shape part of this unique CPD day for themselves, with an online poll pre-course to select from a choice of practicals. 

Both courses will have childcare facilities to help support parents wishing to attend CPD.

BEVA will also be running a course on the fundamentals of sedation, field anaesthesia and castration on 27th and 28th March 2019 at World Horse Welfare, Snetterton, Norfolk. This 'hands-on' course is designed for new or recent graduates or those in mixed practice with varied levels of equine work. It comprises evening lectures on the first day to free up more time for hands-on training on day two. It will cover sedation and field anaesthesia required for common field surgery such as castration, both in theory and in a practical session, with the equine welfare charity venue able to provide a high number of colts for castration work. Nerve blocks and regional anaesthesia for other common procedures will also be covered on cadavers. 

For further information on BEVA’s new CPD courses visit www.beva.org.uk/cpd

Researchers from the University of Melbourne’s Faculty of Veterinary and Agricultural Science, in conjunction with the Waltham Equine Studies Group, have identified a possible mechanistic link between high levels of insulin and equine laminitis.

Their study, which was published in the research journal PeerJ at the end of last year¹, investigated the effects of insulin on equine hoof lamellar cells in the laboratory.

The researchers say that high levels of insulin have been known for some time to cause acute endocrine laminitis, seen when ponies and certain types of horses graze lush pasture or consume a starch- or sugar-rich diet, or when they develop Cushing’s syndrome.

Many ponies and horses at risk of the condition produce large spikes of insulin in their blood stream after consuming meals high in non-structural carbohydrates (in particular starch and simple sugars) which indicates that this could be the way in which they succumb to acute endocrine laminitis.

The mechanism by which insulin can cause effects in the foot leading to laminitis has been the subject of much debate in recent years.

Hormones like insulin must interact with a specific receptor on the surface of cells in order to produce their effects. What has confused researchers in the past is that there appear to be no insulin receptors on the hoof lamellar cells (these cells give the lamellar tissues their strength and changes to their growth or structure weaken the bonds and cause laminitis).

The researchers considered the close similarities between insulin and a growth factor hormone called insulin-like growth factor -1 (IGF-1). There are receptors for IGF-1 on the lamellar cells, and the researchers speculated that high concentrations of insulin might be able to cross-stimulate these cells by activating the IGF-1 receptors. To investigate this possibility PhD student Courtnay Baskerville, together with her supervisor Professor Simon Bailey, developed a method for culturing lamellar epithelial cells in the laboratory, and incubated them with increasing concentrations of insulin.

They found that high concentrations of insulin stimulated the cells to proliferate. Furthermore, this effect could be prevented using an antibody that specifically blocks only the IGF-1 receptor. Further downstream effects within the cells were also shown. The changes seemed to occur mainly at very high concentrations of insulin. Similar concentration levels can be seen in ponies and horses with insulin dysregulation linked to Equine Metabolic Syndrome, but are not commonly seen in normal horses that are considered to be at lower risk of laminitis.

Further work is now ongoing to determine exactly how these cellular changes induced by sustained high insulin concentrations might cause laminitis. However, it seems that targeting the IGF-1 receptor may be an option for developing new drugs to prevent and treat laminitis.

Professor Simon Bailey said: "The information gathered in this study provides the equine industry worldwide with valuable insights into the causes of the common and serious condition of laminitis. The research group would like to acknowledge the support of the Waltham Centre for Pet Nutrition, in particular the involvement of Professor Pat Harris.” 

Reference

1. Baskerville C.L., Chockalingham, S., Harris, P.A., Bailey S.R. (2018). The effect of insulin on equine lamellar basal epithelial cells mediated by the insulin-like growth factor-1 receptor. PeerJ 6:e5945  (DOI 10.7717/peerj.5945).

The RCVS Council has approved a pathway for veterinary and animal health paraprofessionals to become associates of, or accredited by the College and thereby fall within its regulatory remit.

At the June 2017 meeting of RCVS Council, members decided to look into two models by which paraprofessionals working in the veterinary, animal health or related fields, might be regulated by the College under powers granted by the RCVS’s Royal Charter in 2015.

The first was an accreditation model, which would involve the RCVS accrediting an organisation which would regulate the profession in question. The second was an associate/ full regulation model, in which individual paraprofessionals would receive a similar level of regulation to that already received by veterinary surgeons and veterinary nurses.

At its January 2019 meeting, RCVS Council agreed to proceed with both proposed models of paraprofessional regulation, with the suitability of each model being considered on a case-by-case basis, depending on the nature of the profession applying for recognition.

Paraprofessions whose work will need to be underpinned by Schedule 3 reform would need to apply for the associate model, as the RCVS would be required to be directly responsible for the register of any individuals undertaking such minor acts of veterinary surgery.

Two paraprofessional groups that have already expressed an interest in being regulated by the College, namely meat inspectors and animal behaviourists, will now be invited to apply for associate or accredited status.

Eleanor Ferguson, RCVS Registrar, said: "This is a very significant decision by Council to open up a pathway to related paraprofessions to apply to become regulated by the College.

"It is difficult to give a time-frame at this stage as to when these particular professions will be brought on board, as we will have to go through a process of developing a number of new regulatory structures including registration, education and investigation and disciplinary, as well as the appropriate governing bodies for each of the professions.

"However, we are very pleased that the Association of Meat Inspectors (AMI) and the Animal Behaviour and Training Council (ABTC) have expressed an interested in being regulated by the College and we look forward to working with them to make this happen."

David Montgomery, President of the ABTC, said: "The ABTC enthusiastically welcomes the news that the RCVS is expanding its influence to include paraprofessionals. We look forward to exploring the opportunity to demonstrate the professional status of ABTC-registered Animal Trainers and Behaviourists by coming under the regulatory umbrella of the RCVS for the benefit of animal welfare."

Ian Robinson, a Trustee of the AMI, said: "The Association of Meat Inspectors welcome the news that the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons intends to invite paraprofessionals to be regulated under the ambit of the RCVS. We believe it will offer enhanced security, opportunity and status, and we look forward to further dialogue to explore the various models in due course."

The College says it is also in touch with a number of other paraprofessional groups, including those representing animal musculoskeletal practitioners and equine dental technicians, about the future of paraprofessional regulation. However, before such professions could become associates, there would need to be reform of the Veterinary Surgeons Act in order to remedy some of the deficiencies of the current legislative regime and make sure that these groups have appropriate legal underpinning for their work. This, says the College, complements ongoing discussions on changes to the legislative framework to bolster the role of veterinary nurses. 

On particular issue that the College says the new proposals are designed to remedy is that of equine dental procedures being carried out by well-trained but nevertheless unregulated paraprofessionals. Neil Townsend, Chair of the British Equine Veterinary Association’s (BEVA) Allied Professional Committee, said: "Change to the current situation, where legislative enforcement is impossible, horse owners are confused, and horse welfare is compromised, is long overdue. BEVA is really pleased that the RCVS has listened and is supporting a proposal for regulation of all equine dental procedures. We hope that Government will act."

RCVS President Amanda Boag, said: "This is a real milestone in the history of the RCVS and represents quite possibly the biggest change to our regulatory role since the introduction of the Register of veterinary nurses in 2007, and should Schedule 3 reform be achieved it would be the most significant change since the role of veterinary nurses was first recognised in law in 1991. It is particularly befitting for our 175^th anniversary year, as it demonstrates we are an organisation that can evolve to meet the changes occurring in the wider veterinary and animal health sector and use our regulatory experience and expertise to ensure that animal health and welfare and public health is safeguarded in different, but related fields of endeavour."

The full approved paper regarding the review of the minor procedures regime and paraprofessional regulation can be found on the RCVS website at: https://www.rcvs.org.uk/news-and-views/policy/veterinary-legislation-review/ 

The National Office of Animal Health (NOAH) has published the 2019 edition of its Compendium of Data Sheets for Animal Medicines and updated the accompanying app.

A free copy of the compendium has been sent to every veterinary practice in the UK, and it is also available online at: www.noahcompendium.co.uk. A special edition of the book commissioned by AMTRA will also be available for its SQPs shortly.

NOAH chief executive Dawn Howard said: "The NOAH Compendium, in all its formats, remains a major part of NOAH’s efforts to ensure appropriate access and responsible use of medicines for all animals. We are pleased it is even more comprehensive this year, as we continue to expand its list of contributors.

"Every NOAH member, as well as the non-member participants in the NOAH Compendium, is a signatory to the NOAH Code of Practice on Promotion, which demonstrates their commitment to operate above and beyond any regulatory requirements."

She added: “As well as product datasheets, the Compendium includes another vital resource – the contact details for each participating company. Company veterinary and technical advisors have detailed knowledge about their company’s medicines. The NOAH Code includes the requirement for NCAH qualification for NOAH staff in technical dialogue with prescribers and users of animal medicines – meaning their advice can be regarded as a valuable and trusted resource. They are ready to talk to prescribers about the use of a medicine in a particular animal or in a particular situation, as well as to explain any queries about the data sheet."

Veterinary practices that have not yet received a copy, perhaps because they are new or have changed address in the past year should contact NOAH (noah@noah.co.uk). 

Extra copies are also available to order, for £47.50. Special prices are also available for bulk orders.

Zoetis reports that its stock of Equip Artervac, its Equine Viral Arteritis (EVA) vaccine, is due to expire on 13th December, and new stocks are not expected before February 2019.

Equip Artervac is indicated for the active immunisation for horses against equine arteritis virus to reduce the clinical signs and shedding of virus in nasal secretions following infection.

Zoetis says it is working hard to resolve the situation and apologises for any convenience caused.

For more information, contact your Zoetis Account Manager or the Zoetis Technical Team on customersupportUK@zoetis.com or 0845 300 9084 choosing option 1. 

MSD Animal Health is reminding veterinary surgeons that the deadline to apply for one of its £4000 2018 research bursaries is drawing near.

There are three awards on offer: two ruminant bursaries and one companion animal bursary. Applications must be in by 30th November 2018. 

Each project should be completed within one to two years and the vet practitioner proposals will be judged by university academics to ensure independent assessment.

The companion animal research bursary will be assessed by the University of Nottingham Centre for Evidence-based Veterinary Medicine and the ruminant research bursary applications will be assessed by academic staff from the University of Bristol School of Veterinary Science. 

Michelle Townley, veterinary advisor at MSD Animal Health (pictured right) said: "New knowledge and good research skills form the lifeblood of the industry so we’re keen to get as many applications as possible as part of our commitment to encouraging research in the veterinary industry."

For further details go to the MSD Animal Health Research Bursary website: www.msdahresearchbursary.co.uk.