Equine

OCEANPORT, N.J. - When an equine injury or death occurs at a racetrack, especially during a high-profile event like the Breeders' Cup Championships, accurate reporting of health-status issues to the public is critical - perhaps as important as dealing with the injury itself, says one of the nation's leading equine veterinarians.

Leesburg, Va. - Dr. Jennifer G. Barrett joined Virginia Tech's Marion duPont Scott Equine Medical Center as an assistant professor of equine surgery.

College Station, Texas - A horse owner whose mare was treated at Texas A&M University's College of Veterinary Medicine & Biological Sciences decided to show his appreciation in a unique way.

Baton Rouge - 11/28/07 - Louisiana State University and University of Georgia researchers will head two equine laminitis-focused projects, with the more than $100,000 total costs to be funded by donations from the National Thoroughbred Racing Association (NTRA) in memory of Kentucky Derby winner Barbaro.

Rockville, MD - 11/19/07 - It's official. Charles Raker, VMD, Dipl. ACVS is a legend in veterinary surgery.

College Station, Tx. - 11/7/07 - A horse owner is showing his appreciation to the Texas A&M University College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences by donating a hand-made saddle for auction to benefit the school's equine program.

Jefferson City, Mo. - Missouri Gov. Matt Blunt signed legislation at press time to create the Large Animal Veterinary Student Loan Program and wants to earmark $500,000 to pay for it.

Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) poses a greater risk to equine veterinarians and to other people who work with horses than to the general population, a recent report suggests.

Jackson, Miss. - Cases of Eastern equine encephalitis (EEE) and West Nile virus (WNV) are up sharply in Mississippi this year, with EEE cases already more than double the 2006 totals, according to State Veterinarian Jim Watson, DVM.

Red-maple hybrids should be considered toxic until proven otherwise.

San Diego - 10/29/07 - With the worst of the unprecedented wildfires extinguished throughout the county, relief and recovery efforts and now the primary focus of volunteers and the industry, who aim to get the more than 500,000 displaced residents and thousands of pets reunited and home.

Lexington, Ky. - 10/25/07 - The American Horse Council's National Issues Fall Forum will host a session on equine piroplasmosis (EP) and related issues, presented by Kent Fowler, DVM and chief of the Animal Health Branch at the California Department of Food and Agriculture.

San Diego -- 10/25/07 - Wind-whipped wildfires have swallowed Southern California, leaving roughly half a million acres blackened, almost 1,600 homes destroyed, more than 500,000 residents evacuated and thousands of animals abandoned.

Washington - Dr. Michael Blackwell isn't ungrateful. But the $500,000 grants tied to the U.S. Senate's version of the Veterinary Public Health Workforce Expansion Act, passed in July, will do little to add seats to the University of Tennessee's (UT) veterinary program. Such funds fall short of expanding even one classroom, and neglect the public's need for more DVMs, the veterinary college dean explains.

Lexington, Ky. - For the last five years, Dr. William A. Rood, co-founder and director of Rood & Riddle Equine Hospital, has been doing some proselytizing - seeking to convert as many young veterinary students as he can to the practice of equine medicine.

Austin, Texas - Veterinary regulators employ a "monopolistic licensing scheme" to put lay equine dentists out of business. Their anti-competition tactics are unconstitutional, punishing those with skills that "far exceed that of nearly every veterinarian in the state of Texas."

Minneapolis - For 59 years, Dr. Carl Seemann practiced as northern Minnesota's surgical "spine man," a solo generalist who, at age 84, saw three clients a day until Christmas last year.

Seattle - Just over two years ago, Dr. Mark Dedomenico, MD, a renowned cardiovascular surgeon with a passion for developing elite equine athletes, opened one of the nation's most luxurious and state-of-the-art equine training and rehabilitation facilities.

The AHC says the horse industry has a direct impact of $3.9 billion on the U.S. economy.

Live foals throughout North America so far in 2007, as reported to the Jockey Club, are running slightly behind last year's pace, but the organization says that, with additional reports in the next few months, its previously announced projection of 37,500 registered live foals in 2007 is likely to be on target.

DeKalb, Ill. - 9/24/07 - The nation's last horse slaughter plant will again shut down after a court ruled against their appeal to a state law banning the practice.

Leesburg, Va. - 9/21/07 - Dr. Jennifer G. Barrett joined Virginia Tech's Marion duPont Scott Equine Medical Center as an assistant professor of equine surgery.

Orlando, Fla. - 9/13/07 - More than 3,000 equine practitioners, veterinary students, technicians and horse owners are expected to attend the 53rd annual convention of the American Association of Equine Practitioners (AAEP) Dec. 1-5 at Orlando's Gaylord Palms Resort and Convention Center.

Fort Collins, Colo. - Two dozen of the nation's top experts in equine medicine identified five key areas of lameness research that should get priority attention during the next five to 10 years.

On June 9, 2007, Rags to Riches nosed out Preakness winner Curlin in a courageous duel down the stretch to become the first filly in 102 years to win the Belmont Stakes, and only the third filly to do so in its 139-year history.

This is the second in a series of articles introducing the toxic plants most likely to poison horses in North America.

Athens, Ga. - 8/27/2007 - A University of Georgia alumnus with a lifelong love of horses donated $1 million to the university's College of Veterinary Medicine to endow a chair in equine studies.

Louisiana - 8/20/2007 - The state is urging horse owners to vaccinate their animals after the mosquito-borne virus Eastern equine encephalitis (EEE) caused the deaths of at least eight horses in Lafourche Parish, La.

During the initial five-year operational phase, the center will focus on diagnostics and orthopedics.