WHAT DISEASES CAN YOUR HORSE CATCH FROM OTHER ANIMALS?
THREATS
"Biosecurity protocols were largely
designed to help mitigate pathogen
transmission between horses and from
humans to horses, but what proto-
cols do you have in place to protect
horses from diseases that are spread
from wild animals and insects to your
horse?" asks Scott Weese, DVM, DVSc,
Dipl. ACVIM, professor in the Depart-
ment of Pathology at the University of
Guelph's Ontario Veterinary College.
Sure, you use insect repellents and
fly sheets, try to minimize turnout at
dawn and dusk, and seal your barn
from pests in the evening, but is there
more you can do to protect your
horses from critters?
In this article we will review some
of the most common diseases trans-
mitted to horses from other animals
and discuss ways to minimize the
chances of your horses becoming ill.
The Watcher in the Woods
Three days ago your horse was graz-
ing peacefully in his paddock beneath
a dense canopy of fragrant conifers
that provides both natural shade and
a home for squirrels, birds, and rac-
coons. Today, your horse is stumbling,
seems uncoordinated, appears "checked
out," and is drooling profusely.
What could it be? Well, the first
ruleout would likely be rabies, as it
T H R E A T
Interspecies