The Role Of Parasite Control In Horses

Some Soldiers took advantage of horses by not caring for their needs. These poor horses were not well-taken care which contributed to their contraction of diseases and illness. “The ignorance of unqualified inspectors led to the purchase of great numbers of sickly and worn-out horses for the army” (“warhorses”11). The Horses needed to be in perfect shape to fulfill missions. But many horses were put through so much that they would catch diseases by not being well-taken care off. “Even animals that were healthy when purchased were soon reduced to a pitiful condition by the low standards of care they received once in service” (“warhorses”11). The careless soldiers brought up death to their horses by not watching over them or their health. History today discusses how the horse camps were heavily overcrowded and the animals suffer by not being groomed and fed “horses suffered because their injury or illness offered the prospect of furlough to their rider” (Phillips174). This put the horses in a dangerous situation that resulted in their death. The dangerous conditions often put the soldiers in a difficult place. With the death of horses, it halted communication and transportation. Messages weren’t able to be sent quickly which brought problems to the war. Without transportation troops, could travel quickly because horses became unnumbered. While horses were dying off this resulted from a soldier spending more money buying horses. The war was already expensive and this was an unnecessary expense. More soldiers were dying because of the lack of protection because of exhausted

Gut worms are a type of roundworm that infect cattle in their stomach by causing eggs to form in their feces. Also known as Parasitic Gastroenteritis (PGE), this disease causes the cattle industry to lose millions of dollars each year.

Researchers are currently trying to gain knowledge on the extent of the problem; how the parasite works, what species can be infected, and once infected, what species experience the least amount of symptoms. They believe that by infecting native tree frogs with this parasite, they may be able to increase the amount of parasites while decreasing the amount of toads. L.Pizzatto and R. Shine (2011) had three assumptions. “(1) The parasite has no detrimental effect on the frogs; (2) the frogs are capable of maintaining a lungworm infection long term; and (3) infective larvae passed in the frog’s faeces are capable of infecting toads and reducing their viability.” (p.546)

Potomac Horse Fever, also known as “Ditch Fever” is a potentially fatal, non-contagious equine illness caused by the bacterium Neorickettsia risticii (formerly known as Erhlicia risticii) that was first identified in the United States in 1985. With little knowledge of its exact origin, the earliest discussion of symptoms was in the Eastern region in 1979. Additionally, PHF is also a “copy-cat” illness that often imitates symptoms of other diseases, which can lead to a misdiagnosis, which is why it is critical that horse owners understand the threat Potomac Horse Fever is and what procedures should take place to prevent, as well as treat, the illness.

First of all, horse meat is not always safe for human consumption. This is because many horses sent to slaughterhouses were previously given certain drugs that are harmful to humans. One drug in particular called phenylbutazone or PBZ, an anti-inflammatory drug, was proven by Food and Drug Toxicology to be in many American race horses who in end are sent to slaughterhouses once they finish their careers. When ingested by a human, PBZ causes bone marrow toxicity. Although the US Food and Drug Administration banned the use of drugs such as PBZ on horses destined to be slaughtered, there is inadequate testing to ensure that these horses aren't processed into food. These administrations also have no way to track these horses medical

“Whenever horses travel, they can be exposed to disease — either from contact with other horses or disease agents in the area,” says April Knudson, DVM, manager, Veterinary Services, Merial. “Even though they may not travel as often, trail horses can still be at risk for contracting serious equine diseases, including rabies, Potomac horse fever, West Nile virus and equine influenza.”

The first step towards improving the lives of American equines is making the public aware of what constitutes cruelty. Some forms of equine cruelty target specific types of working horses. One example is towards the gaited horses, like Tennessee Walkers. They are the victims of soring, a method of getting the “Big Lick” using chemicals and other techniques that cause intense pain. Chemical soring involves the application of caustics like kerosene, diesel fuel, etc. to the leg, which is then wrapped up to “cook” the chemicals into the skin. Although this produces obvious scars, some owners then apply a stripping agent that gets rid of them; also causing further pain. Mechanical or physical soring involves trimming the hoof or applying devices

Common clinical signs for Hendra virus in horses will include: acute onset illness, increased body temperature, increase heart rate, discomfort/weight shifting between legs, rapid deterioration. Respiratory problems that may occur: pulmonary oedema and congestion, respiratory distress, increased respiratory rate, nasal discharge, weakness, ataxia (the loss of full control of bodily movement), and collapse. Neurological signs include: wobbly gait progressing to ataxia, altered consciousness, and apparent loss of vision in one or both eyes, aimless walking in a dazed state, head tilting, circling, muscle twitching – seen in acutely ill and recovered horses, urinary incontinence, decumbency with inability to rise. Contact with suspected horses should be avoided until a veterinarian has investigated and provided advice on handling affected horses safely. Horses feed and water troughs should not be placed under trees where bats may feed or roost. Hendra is a notifiable emergency animal disease. If you suspect a horse might be infected, you must report it. Even more alarming we now know that infected horses may shed live virus for up to 48 hours before they show any clinical signs of Hendra virus. In addition it appears that the incubation period is increasing – this means that the number of days between when the horse is infected and starts showing signs of disease is increasing. This means that the potential for exposure to Hendra virus exists even in an

In horses, there are many types of colic. Colic is related to many different illnesses and can be a symptom of a variety of diseases. The gastro-intestinal tract is where the pain originates, usually due to microflora, bacteria, microscopic algae, and fungi ("My Horse University.”). The most common types of colic are stomach, displacement, impaction, gas, spasmodic, and enteritis. The large and small intestines are a major problem area when it comes to horse colic. If the

This same type legislation could easily be implemented in all states for the protection of those horses in need of similar protections. Other groups to be considered are the scientific communities themselves. Technicians involved in animal care, veterinarians, researchers in animal husbandry could participate in the implementation of ethical principles that would coincide with the” 3Rs” policies of horse protection.

Since an event in 1977 in which an outbreak of the infection occurred within the United Kingdom and Ireland among Thoroughbred breeding populations, Taylorella equigenitalis has remained an issue within the horse breeding community (Timoney, 1996). In 1978, the microbe entered the United States in Kentucky and had a major economic effect on the state. Missouri and Wisconsin experienced similar reverberations from equine metritis; all three states immediately looked to eradicate this disease from the United States. The eradication was handled correctly, and the United States became a contagious equine metritis-free country. The horse breeding industry, as a whole, was not overwhelmingly affected by the disease. However, in 2008, a stallion in Kentucky tested positive for equine metritis which led to a probe into the industry unveiling twenty-three carrier stallions and five carrier mares belonging to eleven breeds and located in eight states. Oddly, there were no reported clinical symptoms or reduction in pregnancy rates in these infected animals. Nonetheless, the costs associated with the examinations into the horse breeding industry were and are substantial. The main responsibility of regaining the United States’ status as contagious equine metritis-free lies on the backs of those involved in the horse breeding industry. Proper prevention methods as aforementioned must be accomplished at any and all costs to ensure an industry crippling outbreak of this disease will not occur again (Timoney, 2011). If this infection returns as an epidemic, it would have a major economic effect. The horse industry has a major economic influence with close to 112.1 billion dollars in Gross Domestic Product in the United States. With the artificial insemination industry on the rise, breeding genetically superior horses for recreation or sport has become a large industry in the United States with

Horses and other equines were so important and widely used in the war, that they were being targeted for the use of biological warfare. Stated in the book, Chemical and Biological Warfare by Karen Judson, “...German agents deliberately infected horses and cattle in the United States that were to be shipped to France with glanders,

Colic is one of the most common ailments experienced by horses and is more common in horses than any other animal. It is more common at night and is often connected with irregular feeding. This is because of the horses’ inability to vomit and unload the stomach, the small size of the stomach and the great length of the intestines, puckering of the large intestine allowing food to lodge there, the range of movement the large intestine has within the abdomen and finally, the frequency a horse is affected with internal parasites. Colic can be fatal so it is vitally important that a vet should be called if colic is suspected. Colic is a set of symptoms pointing to severe abdominal pain. True colic relates to conditions arising in the intestines

Ascaris is an intestinal parasite of humans and pigs. It is the most common human worm infection. The larvae and adult worms live in the small intestine and can cause intestinal disease (CDC) [Date Unknown].

Eimeria Spp. or coccidiosis is a parasitic disease that is seen universally, most commonly in young animals housed or confined in small areas contaminated with oocysts. Coccidiosis is usually an acute invasion and destruction of intestinal mucosa by protozoa of the genera Eimeria or Isospora. Infection results from ingestion of infective oocysts and can affect all kinds of animals such as cattle, sheep, goats, pigs, poultry and rabbits. Clinical signs of coccidiosis are due to destruction of the intestinal epithelium and, frequently, the underlying connective tissue of the mucosa. Clinical signs include diarrhea, fever, inappetence, weight loss, emaciation, and in extreme cases, death. This may be accompanied by hemorrhage into the lumen of