It is now recognized that NSAIDs cause side effects in the gastrointestinal tract of the horse such as stomach ulcers, severe inflammation and injury to the colon, and damage to the kidneys particularly when horses are dehydrated.
Disease outbreaks have cost the industry millions of dollars for the care of horses, implementation of biosecurity, and lost revenue in the form of cancelled or restricted commercial equine activities.
Research and improvements in methods of treating laminitis with everything from digital radiography to cold therapy are helping horses beat the disease.
The AAEP's 2013 series of summer continuing education meetings will impart the latest trends and best practices in the diagnosis and treatment of core areas of equine health.
Fears are growing that African horse sickness, which kills 95 per cent of infected animals, may be brought to Britain by wind-borne insects, just as the Schmallenberg virus was last year, and the Bluetongue virus before that.
Compounding pharmacies, including those that produce equine medications, are going largely untracked, unregulated and under-inspected by states across America, according to a new report.
NSAIDs can contribute to GI ulcers, diarrhea from colitis and colic, triggering bouts of laminitis and short term NSAID use has the potential for renal (kidney) and liver toxicity.
APHIS is conducting the Equine Herpesvirus Myeloencephalopathy Study as part of an ongoing series of NAHMS studies on the U.S. livestock population and the spread of disease.
Currently, the US is considered equine piroplasmosis-free, but it is possible that, without proactive measures, the disease could gain a foothold and many more testing regulations would be required.
Subtle early signs of ill health in horses are easily missed without a daily inspection, yet early detection is essential, and the more quickly appropriate remedial care is taken, or treatment applied, the better.