Phillips Equine Clinic and Southwest Missouri Stallion Station established as a full-service equine veterinary facility and stallion management station, standing Kat Man Zip. Providing quality equine health care, mare care and stallion breeding for the Southwest Missouri area.

QUESTION: WHY DO I NEED A COGGINS?

ANSWER: EIA or Equine Infectious Anemia is an equine viral disease closely related to HIV virus that causes AIDS in humans. Also called "Swamp Fever", horses can become infected when a blood-sucking insect (mosquitoes, ticks, horseflies) bites an infected horse, then bites and infects another horse. Horse with EIA can die suddenly, become chronically ill, or develop a carrier state where they appear health but carry the virus. The is no cure for EIA. The only way to control the disease is to identify carriers. The presence of the desease is determined with a blood test developed by Dr. Leroy Coggins. A negative Coggins test means there has been no exposure to the virus, and a positive indicates that the horse is infected. Testing laws have nearly eliminated EIA from the United States. A negative Coggins Test is now required for horses travelling and for Health Certificates for travel across state lines. For the majority of states, a yearly negative test is adequate for entry. Some states require a negative test within the last six months for travel.

QUESTION: WHAT IS NAVICULAR DISEASE?

ANSWER: Navicular disease is a slowly progressive arthritic condition of the navicular bone, causes chronic degeneration of the navicular bone in which there is damage to its flexor surface and the overlying flexor tendon in the front feet. There may be accompanying inflammation of the bursa around the navicular bone and formation of bony growths. Navicular disease usually causes intermittent lameness and pointing when the horse is standing. Unfortunately the disease cannot be cured, but a horse suffering from the disease can be treated to relieve associated pain or discomfort. The navicular bone is located directly behind the coffin bone, held in-between the short pastern and coffin bone by tendons and ligaments. If you suspect your horse may have navicular disease you should call your vet. Your vet will discuss with you the various options for treatment.

QUESTION: WHY DO OLDER HORSES NEED SPECIAL CARE?

ANSWER: Most horses require additional nutritional and health care considerations. There are a variety of problems associated with the older horse including dental, declining body condition, hair coat, aging bones & joints, anemia, metabolic and/or hormonal imbalances, allergic respiratory diseases, infectious diseases and reduced digestive efficiency. It is important to watch for these conditions as your horse ages and to take special care with proper nutrition once your horse has reached their late teens and early twenties. Each horse is as different as people in the process of growing older and problems can develop gradually.

QUESTION: WHAT IS STRANGLES?

ANSWER: Strangles is a highly contagious infectious disease caused by a Bacteria called Streptococcus equi. The bacteria affects the lymph nodes and is spread to other horses by direct contact, contaminated food, water, equipment or people's hands/clothing. Horse can also catch the disease by inhalation of the bacteria, but this is less common. The organism can survive for long periods in the carrier horse or in the environment. Strangles is not usually fatal, but if left untreated the lymph nodes can abscessate. The abscesses usually burst and drain away, but in severe cases an abscess can become so large it causes the windpipe to become crushed resulting in suffocation. Occasionally the bacteria will spread systemically throughout the horse. Such overwhelming infection is called "bastard strangles" and rupture of these abnormally placed abscesses can prove fatal. If you suspect strangles, immediately isolate your horse(s) and then call your vet.



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