Bayhill Fall Newsletter

8/13/2019 Bayhill Fall Newsletter

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In This Issue:

Bayhill Equine

Autumn is here!

Whats New at Bayhill Equine?

Protecting YourHorse[Page 2]Learn aboutZylexis, the equineimmunemodulator!

Equine GastricUlcer Syndrome[Page 3]An overview ofEGUS, and whatyou can do to helpyour horse.

New ThermalRegulations[Page 6]

Head to HITSprepared with thehelp of BayhillEquine!

F A L L 2 0 1 3

Age F/R EWT WNV RA STR0-5 Spring

FallSpring Spring

FallFall Fall

5-15 SpringFall

Spring Spring Fall Fall

15+ Spring

Fall

Spring Spring

Fall

Fall Fall

Is your horse up to date onvaccinations?

Newsletter

Follow our newsletters to learn about interesting cases,Bayhill announcements, and the latest news in equinemedicine.

In this issue, learn about the immune-modulator Zylexis, animmune-stimulator that can boost your horses immunesystem. Read up about Equine Gastric Ulcer Syndrome[EGUS]. If you have a performance horse and are planningon going to HITS Thermal, check out the new regulationsand make sure your horse is well prepared.

The table below displays the recommendedvaccination schedule for horses inCalifornia:

Deworming : Due to recent studies of resistance- building in parasites, Bayhill veterinariansrecommend deworming your horse twice ayear: once in the spring with Ivermectin plusPraziquantel to target large and smallstrongyles, pinworms, ascarids, lung worms,threadworms, bots, and tapeworms; and oncein the fall with Pyrantel, which is effectiveagainst large strongyles, pinworms, andascarids. In addition, we also suggest rotatingwith a Panacur Power Pack or Quest annuallyto target encysted small stronglyes. If youarent sure which dewormer to use, we can runa fecal test to determine the best dewormer foryour horse. If the test is negative, we can re-test the fecal in 6 months.

Key: F/R : Influenza/Rhinoneumonitis (EHV-1 and EHV-4) EWT : Eastern/Western Encephalomyelitis and TetanusWNV : West Nile Virus RA: RabiesSTR : Strangles


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BAYHILL EQUINE FALL 2013

ZylexisA vaccination by Zoetis that boosts

the immune system

What does the vaccine do?Zylexis helps reduce upper respiratory diseases associatedwith rhinoneumonitis, or EHV-1 and EHV-4. It containsinactivated parapox ovis virus (ippov), a super antigen that

boosts the horses immune system to reduce the effects ofinfectious respiratory diseases. Research has shown a 40.3%reduction in clinical signs and duration of respiratory diseasein young horses in conditions of crowding and stress, and asignificant reduction of purulent nasal discharge when usingZylexis.

Why would my horse need it?A horses immune system can be weakened by many factors,including age, exposure to a certain virus, trailering,competition, environmental changes, and other stressors.

How is it administered?Zylexis is given intramuscularly in a series of threeshots: Day 0, Day 2, and Day 9. Your Veterinarian cancome out to do the vaccines for you so that you donthave to worry about it. If you feel comfortable givingIM shots yourself, speak with your veterinarian.

Got Zylexis? For more information on Zylexis, or to schedule anappointment to have your horse given extra protectionfor an upcoming stressful event, please contact ouroffice.

*All information regarding Zylexis provided by Pfizer Animal Health Study 1-98


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Equine Gastric Ulcer Syndrome [EGUS]Horses can develop gastric ulcers at any point throughout their lives. Untreated ulcerscan cause episodes of colic, changes in temperament or behavior, poor appetite, poorperformance, poor body condition, weight loss, and a multitude of other issues.

This article will address the reasons horses develop ulcers, the risk factors that can

predispose certain horses to developing ulcers, and how to diagnose and treat gastriculcers.

Why do horses develop gastric ulcers?The horses stomach is divided into two regions, the non-glandular region and the glandularregion. The non-glandular region has squamous mucosa that covers approximately one-third of theequine stomach. The glandular region covers the remaining two-thirds and contains glands thatsecrete Hydrochloric Acid, pepsin, bicarbonate, and mucus. A sharp demarcation called the margoplicatus separates the two regions. Due to the highly acidic content of their stomachs, horses

balance the pH of their stomachs through the saliva they create while eating; when they stopeating, the stomach quickly becomes acidic again. This high acidity can damage the sensitivelining of the horses stomach within 30 minutes, which over time, causes the development ofulcers. Gastric ulcers are commonly found in the non-glandular region of the stomach adjacent tothe margo plicatus.

What factors predispose a horse to developing gastric ulcers?Stress is the key factor in putting your horse at risk of developing ulcers. Stress can be caused bymany factors depending on the personality of your horse, including: stall confinement,withholding feed from horses, trailering, competition, intense or lengthy performance, and basicstresses around the barn such as separation from the herd. The incidence of gastric ulcers in horsesexposed to ulcerogenic stresses has been reported to range from 70%-86%.

Statistics provided by source: Smith, Bradford. Large Animal Internal Medicine, 2008


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Signs and Symptoms of EGUS! Girth-sensitivity

! Frequent colic

! Pawing! Stretching

! Grumpy demeanor

! Abdominal discomfort

! Weight loss and poor body condition

! Poor hair coat

! Poor appetite! Lethargy

! Poor performance

! Diarrhea

The diagnosis of EGUS is based on thepresence of clinical signs andconfirmation with an endoscopicexamination. Bayhill Equine has the only3 meter portable endoscope in the bayarea, allowing us to examine the stomach

from right inside their stall. With a lightsedative, we send the scope down theesophagus and into the horses stomach,allowing visualization of your horsesstomach.

Left: Dr. Browning and Bayhill technicianVictor scope a horse for gastric ulcers inthe comfort of the horses own stall.

How to Diagnose EGUS

The Normal Equine Stomach

Left: A view of the equine esophagus as thecamera travels into the stomach. We look at theesophagus for ulcers and anything else

abnormal.

Right: A normal equine stomach.Here you can see the pale squamous,non-glandular mucosa, and healthypink color of the glandular mucosa.


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Treatment

The only way to treat ulcers is to neutralizegastric acidity in the horses stomach.Gastrogard is the only medication that is provenand approved by the FDA to treat equinestomach ulcers. Omeprazole is a proton-pumpinhibitor that blocks gastric secretion for up to24 hours. In horses however, in order for theomeprazole to reach the acid pump, it must be

protected from stomach acid, which is why itrequires the specific formula of Gastrogard orUlcergard. The human form of Omeprazole isineffective in treating and preventing ulcers inhorses because high acidity of the equinestomach breaks down the Omeprazole before itcan be properly metabolized. Gastrogard has

been specially formulated by Merial to remainstabilized in the highly acidic equine stomach.

A full 28-day treatment with Gastrogard orUlcergard is the only curative treatment ofGastric ulcers. At Bayhill Equine, werecommend rescoping a horse with knownulcers to make sure that all of the ulcers havehealed. Once the ulcers have resolved, it is bestto reduce any risk of stressors that may haveoriginally caused the ulcers to form.

Prevention

There are many ways that you can help preventyour horse from getting ulcers. For horsesexposed to ulcerogenic stressors, a daily dose ofUlcergard is effective at preventing stomachulcers in healthy horses at risk of developingulcers.

Other preventative tactics are to limit theamount of stressors in a horses life on a day-to-day basis. For instance, a horse who is stressedfrom stall confinement may do better with someturnout time during the day, where they canroam and play and eat. Allowing your horse tograze throughout the day is very beneficial, astheir saliva counteracts the stomach acid andneutralizes the pH of their stomach. More barnsare using slow feeders to make their horsesmeals last longer throughout the day; this slows

them down and helps to prevent boredom.Other Preventative Medications

Acid suppressing drugs such as Ranitidine,which is a histamine blocking drug, can also begiven as a preventative.

Treatment and Prevention

Grade 0 no ulceration

detected

Grade 1 stomach lining isintact but thereareas of redness

Grade 2 stomach lining has

small single ormultiple ulcers

Grade 3 stomach has

extensive deepulcerations

Ulcer Grading Scale


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Changes to HITS Thermal RegulationsFor those of you competing at Thermal this year, some of the requirements have changed. Check it out,and make sure that youre prepared with everything your horse needs to get through smoothly.

VaccinationsEach participant will need a signed letterheadfrom your attending Veterinarian, stating thateach horse(s) has been vaccinated againstInfluenza within 6 months of the show, andEHV-1 and EHV-4 (Rhinoneumonitis) within3 months of the show. In addition, each horseneeds to be current on all other vaccinations up

through the end of the show, i.e. if the horsewill become overdue for any vaccine duringthe time it will be showing, it must bevaccinated prior to the show. To find out ifyour horse will need any vaccinations beforeyou leave for Thermal, call our office at (650)851-2300.

CogginsCoggins testing is no longer required forThermal. Good news for horses travelinginto California: Effective August 2013,the requirement for a negative cogginstest has been extended from 6 months toa full year.

Tara Couch and Barca Van Het Eikelbos, photo by Leigh Birch


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123 Belmont AveRedwood City, CA 94061

Office 650.851.2300Fax 650.367.7760

www.ba hille uine.com


Thanks for your support!We love to hear what the clients have to say. If you haveany feedback for us, please e-mail us at

[email protected] or call our office.

Congratulations!To Jeannie Scalise of Avalon Hunters on her

purchase of the beautiful Jackie-O,

to Marissa Yolken of Black DiamondEquestrian on her purchase of the lovely

Bella,

and to Lynn Scrivner on her purchase ofthe darling Tonks!

Bayhill Fall Newsletter

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