The Horse:Your Guide To Equine Health Care provides monthly equine health care information to horse owners, breeders, veterinarians, barn/farm managers, trainer/riding instructors, and others involved in the hands-on care of the horse.
Issue link: https://thehorse.epubxp.com/i/636486
21 February 2016 THE HORSE TheHorse.com EQUIDONE Gel (domperidone) For oral use in horses only. Brief Summary (For full prescribing information, see package insert.) Caution: Federal (USA) law restricts this drug to use by or on the order of a licensed veterinarian. Description: Dompe ridone is a D 2 dopamine receptor antagonist. The chemical formula is 6-chloro-3-[1-[3-(2-oxo-3H-benzimidazol-1-yl) propyl]piperidin-4-yl]-1H-benzimidazol-2-one. Indication: For prevention of fescue toxicosis in periparturient mares. Contraindication: Horses with hypersensitivity to domperidone should not receive EQUIDONE Gel. Warnings: Failure of passive transfer of immunoglobulins (IgG) may occur when using EQUIDONE Gel even in the absence of leakage of colostrum or milk. All foals born to mares treated with EQUIDONE Gel should be tested for serum IgG concentrations. Do not use in horses intended for human consumption. Human Warnings: Not for use in humans. For oral use in animals only. Keep this and all drugs out of the reach of children. Pregnant and lactating women should use caution when handling EQUIDONE Gel, as systemic exposure to domperidone may affect reproductive hormones. Consult a physician in case of accidental human exposure. Precautions: EQUIDONE Gel may lead to premature birth, low birth weight foals or foal morbidity if administered >15 days prior to the expected foaling date. Accurate breeding date(s) and an expected foaling date are needed for the safe use of EQUIDONE Gel. Do not use in horses with suspected or confrmed gastrointestinal blockage, as domperidone is a prokinetic drug (it stimulates gut motility). ADVERSE REACTIONS The most common adverse reactions associated with treatment with EQUIDONE Gel are premature lactation (dripping of milk prior to foaling) and failure of passive transfer. Distributed by: Dechra Veterinary Products 7015 College Boulevard,Suite 525 Overland Park, KS 66211 www.dechra-us.com EQUIDONE is a trademark of Dechra Ltd © 2010 Dechra Ltd NADA 141-314, Approved by FDA ACVIM, Dipl. ACT, of Rood & Riddle Equine Hospital, in Lexington, Kentucky. The Neighboring Livestock Your beloved broodmare is in the third trimester of her pregnancy when she aborts suddenly and inexplicably. She's otherwise healthy, so what could have gone wrong? As you examine her pasture for clues, you remember that the creek you're stepping over is downstream from a cattle and farm. In addition to Salmonella spp, other pathogens can spread from cows and pigs to horses: Leptospira interogans and Lawsonia intracellularis, respectively. Livestock and wildlife can excrete Leptospira spp capable of infecting horses. Many animals carrying the pathogen appear healthy, making this disease dif- ficult to spot and prevent. Horses become infected by ingesting water (such as standing water in pastures) contaminated with the bacteria from infected animals' urine. Infection can cause abortion, kid- ney disease, and recurrent equine uveitis (also called moon blindness, an important cause of vision loss). Veterinarians might administer antibiotics in some cases and/ or the recently released vaccine to at-risk horses (see TheHorse.com/36714). To further prevent this disease, don't pasture your horses downstream from cattle. L. intracellularis can cause equine pro- liferative enteropathy (EPE). A common disease of pigs, proliferative enteropathy has been diagnosed more frequently in horses for more than a decade now. Infection causes a thickening of the small intestine, resulting in ill thrift, weight loss, poor hair coats, and mild to moderate di- arrhea in young horses. While researchers have not yet determined the exact means by which L. intracellularis is transmitted to horses, certain wildlife, livestock, and domestic animals might serve as reser- voirs. Appropriate biosecurity and rodent/ wildlife control measures are likely the best means of decreasing the likelihood of disease transmission to horses. Horses are also at risk of contracting the fungal infection ringworm from cows housed on the property. Veterinarians most commonly diagnose ringworm in young or debilitated horses, rather than healthy adults residing in barns with ap- propriate biosecurity protocols (designat- ed tack, brushes, etc., for each horse). "I think the concept of 'keep like with like' is always good," says Weese. "Whether that's keeping broodmares together and away from yearlings, or all horses together but away from cattle, the same basic aspects apply." So while your horse isn't going to catch mad cow disease from nosing the cute calf over the fence next door, it never hurts to be aware of the risks farm ani- mals can pose if unhealthy. Take-Home Message "The major message of these stories is to vaccinate horses annually with all core vaccines recommended by the American Association of Equine Practitioners, in- cluding rabies and West Nile virus," says Pelzel-McCluskey. "In addition, discuss- ing the risk-based vaccines, such as … Po- tomac horse fever, might be beneficial." The second line of defense against animal-borne illness is to protect horses from insects and from contact with wild- life, with the help of fences, doors, and feed bin lids. Wildlife removal services are options for some regions and situa- tions. For more information on control- ling nondomestic animal populations on your property, contact your local animal control agency or Extension office. h Horses can become infected with leptospirosis by ingesting water that's contaminated with bacteria from infected animals' urine.