Newsdate: Friday, July 14, 2023 - 9:00 am
Location: DENVER, Colorado

Morris Animal Foundation announced it is funding seven new studies focused on equid health, including pain management, vaccine development and foal sepsis.

Injured foal receiving first aid.

Seven new studies including pain management, vaccine development and foal sepsis will be funded to bridge science and resources to advance equine health.
© 2016 by Keith Bowers New window.

“We are thrilled to be able to support these seven research projects, each focusing on major equid health issues,” said Dr. Kathy Tietje, Chief Program Officer at Morris Animal Foundation. “The Foundation continues to prioritize the health and welfare of horses through financial support for these innovative studies.”

The studies are slated to begin this year and will investigate a variety of equid health issues including:

    •    Dr. Nicholas Frank, Mississippi State University – Explore impact of cyproheptadine on blood variables and clinical signs of pituitary pars intermedia dysfunction in horses already receiving the drug pergolide.

    •    Dr. Noah Cohen, Texas A&M University – Develop an effective vaccine against strangles that can be administered intramuscularly to horses based on the “S” protein of Streptococcus equi subspecies equi (SEE) that can differentiate infected horses from vaccinated animals.
 
    •    Dr. Dianne McFarlane, University of Florida – Develop and apply a novel diagnostic test for equine pituitary pars intermedia dysfunction.
 
    •    Dr. Katarzyna Dembek, North Carolina State University – Increase understanding of foal sepsis and possible new treatment options.
 
    •    Dr. Canaan M. Whitfield-Cargile, University of Georgia – Examine the ability of a fecal-based test to aid in the diagnosis of gastric ulcers in horses.
 
    •    Dr. Hope Douglas, University of Pennsylvania – Study remote behavioral and physiologic monitoring to quantify and qualify changes in demonstrated equine discomfort behaviors and their association with epidural morphine administration.
 
    •    Dr. Constantinos Kurt Wibmer, University of the Witwatersrand, South Africa – Investigate drugs that will target the non-structural protein 4 of African horse sickness.

About Morris Animal Foundation

Morris Animal Foundation’s mission is to bridge science and resources to advance the health of animals. Founded in 1948 and headquartered in Denver, Colorado, it is one of the largest nonprofit animal health research organizations in the world, funding more than $149 million in nearly 3,000 critical studies to date across a broad range of species. Learn more at morrisanimalfoundation.org.

Press release by Annie Mehl