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About the Practice
Colts Neck Equine Associates is a four doctor equine veterinary practice. We cover Monmouth, Northern Ocean and Southeastern Middlesex Counties in New Jersey. Currently we are strictly ambulatory in nature; however, plans are underway to build a haul-in lameness center and clinic in Western Monmouth County.
Contact Us
If you have an emergency, or would like to make an appointment, you can reach the office at (732) 938-4240. Please see the Contacts section of the site for addresses, fax numbers, and direct contact information for each of the veterinarians.
Latest News
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| Basic information about the Equine Herpes Virus |
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Equine Herpesvirus (Rhinopneumonitis) (from AAEP website)
Equine herpesvirus type 1 (EHV-1) and equine herpesvirus type 4 (EHV-4) can each infect the respiratory tract, causing disease that varies in severity from sub-clinical to severe and is characterized by fever, lethargy, anorexia, nasal discharge, and cough. Infection of the respiratory tract with EHV-1 and EHV-4 typically first occurs in foals in the first weeks or months of life, but recurrent or recrudescent clinically apparent infections are seen in weanlings, yearlings, and young horses entering training, especially when horses from different sources are commingled. Equine herpesvirus type 1 causes epidemic abortion in mares, the birth of weak nonviable foals, or a sporadic paralytic neurologic disease (myeloencephalopathy) secondary to vasculitis of the spinal cord and brain.
Both EHV-1 and EHV-4 spread via aerosolized secretions from infected coughing horses, by direct and indirect (fomite) contact with nasal secretions, and, in the case of EHV-1, contact with aborted fetuses, fetal fluids, and placentae associated with abortions. Like herpesviruses in other species, these viruses establish latent infection in the majority of horses, which do not show clinical signs but may experience reactivation of infection and shedding of the virus when stressed. Those epidemiologic factors seriously compromise efforts to control these diseases and explain why outbreaks of EHV-1 or EHV-4 can occur in closed populations of horses.
Because both viruses are endemic in most equine populations, most mature horses have developed some immunity through repeated natural exposure; thus, most mature horses do not develop serious respiratory disease when they become infected but may be a source of exposure for other susceptible horses. In contrast, horses are not protected against the abortigenic or neurologic forms of the disease, even after repeated exposure, and mature horses are in fact more commonly affected by the neurologic form of the disease than are juvenile animals.
Recently, a genetic variant of EHV-1 has been described (defined by a single point mutation in the DNA polymerase [DNApol] gene) that is more commonly associated with neurologic disease. This mutation results in the presence of either aspartic acid (D) or an asparagine (N) residue at position 752. The D752 form is associated with neurological disease, and the N752 is not. Molecular diagnostic techniques can identify EHV-1 isolates carrying these genetic markers, although currently the implications of this finding for management of EHV-1 outbreaks, or individual horses actively or latently infected with these isolates, are uncertain. It is important to understand that both isolates can and do cause neurological disease, it is just more common for the D752 isolates to do so (it is estimated that 80-90% of neurological disease is caused by D752 isolates, and 10-20% by N752 isolates). Experts do not currently advise any specific management procedures for horses based on which isolate they are latently infected with, and it is possible that 5-10% of all horses normally carry the D752 form (this estimate is based on limited studies at this time). In the face of an active outbreak of EHV-1 disease, identification of an D752 isolate may be grounds for some increased concern about the risk of development of neurological disease.
Primary indications for use of equine herpesvirus vaccines include prevention of EHV-1-induced abortion in pregnant mares, and reduction of signs and spread respiratory tract disease (rhinopneumonitis) in foals, weanlings, yearlings, young performance and show horses that are at high risk for exposure. Many horses do produce post-vaccinal antibodies against EHV, but the presence of those antibodies does not ensure complete protection. Consistent vaccination appears to reduce the frequency and severity of disease and limit the occurrence of abortion storms but unambiguously compelling evidence is lacking. Management of pregnant mares is of primary importance for control of abortion caused by EHV-1.
Vaccines:
Inactivated vaccines
A variety of inactivated vaccines are available, including those licensed only for protection against respiratory disease, which currently all contain a low antigen load, and two that are licensed for protection against both respiratory disease and abortion which contain a high antigen load. Performance of the inactivated low antigen load respiratory vaccines is variable, with some vaccines outperforming others. Performance of the inactivated high antigen load respiratory/abortion vaccines is superior, resulting in higher antibody responses and some evidence of cellular responses to vaccination. This factor may provide good reason to choose the high antigen load respiratory/abortion vaccines when the slightly higher cost is not a decision factor.
Modified live vaccine
A single manufacturer provides a licensed modified live EHV-1 vaccine, which has never been directly compared to high antigen-load respiratory/abortion vaccines. This modified live vaccine has been shown to offer superior clinical protection and reduce viral shedding in a comparison with a single inactivated low antigen-load respiratory vaccine.
Available vaccines make no label claim to prevent the myeloencephalitic form of EHV-1 infection.
Vaccination against either EHV-1 or EHV-4 can provide partial protection against the heterologous strain; vaccines containing EHV-1 may be superior in this regard.
Vaccination schedules:
Adult, non-breeding, horses previously vaccinated against EHV : Frequent vaccination of non-pregnant mature horses with EHV vaccines is generally not indicated as clinical respiratory disease is infrequent in horses over 4 years of age. In younger/juvenile horses, immunity following vaccination appears to be short-lived. It is recommended that the following horses be revaccinated at 6-month intervals:
•Horses less than 5 years of age.
•Horses on breeding farms or in contact with pregnant mares.
•Horses housed at facilities with frequent equine movement on and off the premises, thus resulting in an increased risk of exposure.
•Performance or show horses in high-risk areas, such as racetracks, more frequent vaccination may be required as a criterion for entry to the facility.
Adult, non-breeding horses unvaccinated or having unknown vaccinal history: Administer a primary series of 3 doses of inactivated EHV-1/EHV-4 vaccine or modified-live EHV-1 vaccine. A 4- to 6-week interval between doses is recommended.
Pregnant mares: Vaccinate during the fifth, seventh, and ninth months of gestation using an inactivated EHV-1 vaccine licensed for prevention of abortion. Many veterinarians also recommend a dose during the third month of gestation and some recommend a dose at the time of breeding.
Vaccination of mares with an inactivated EHV-1/EHV-4 vaccine 4 to 6 weeks before foaling is commonly practiced to enhance concentrations of colostral immunoglobulins for transfer to the foal. Maternal antibody passively transferred to foals from vaccinated mares may decrease the incidence of respiratory disease in foals, but disease can still occur in those foals and infection is common.
Barren mares at breeding facilities: Vaccinate before the start of the breeding season and thereafter based on risk of exposure.
Stallions and teasers: Vaccinate before the start of the breeding season and thereafter based on risk of exposure.
Foals: Administer a primary series of 3 doses of inactivated EHV-1/EHV-4 vaccine or modified-live EHV-1 vaccine, beginning at 4 to 6 months of age and with a 4- to 6-week interval between the first and second doses. Administer the third dose at 10 to 12 months of age.
Immunity following vaccination appears to be short-lived and it is recommended that foals and young horses be revaccinated at 6-month intervals.
The benefit of intensive vaccination programs directed against EHV-1 and EHV-4 in foals and young horses is not clearly defined because, despite frequent vaccination, infection and clinical disease continue to occur.
Outbreak mitigation: In the face of an outbreak, horses at high risk of exposure, and consequent transmission of infection, may be revaccinated. Administration of a booster vaccination is likely to be of some value if there is a history of vaccination. The simplest approach is to vaccinate all horses in the exposure area—independent of their vaccination history. If horses are known to be unvaccinated, the single dose may still produce some protection.
There remain concerns that heavily vaccinated horses may be more susceptible to developing neurological disease caused by EHV-1. This possibility is unsubstantiated and a subject of active investigation. To date, the use of a single vaccine immediately before exposure has not shown any association with an increased incidence of neurological disease.
Horses having been naturally infected and recovered: Horses with a history of EHV infection and disease, including neurological disease, are likely to have immunity consequent to the infection that can be expected to last for 3 to 6 months (longer in older horses). Booster vaccination can be resumed 6 months after the disease occurrence.
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| Equine Piroplasmosis Reported in New Jersey |
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by: Erin Ryder, TheHorse.com News Editor
November 11 2009, Article # 15262
Two horses in New Jersey have tested positive for equine piroplasmosis. The animals were among four purchased in 2008 from a ranch in South Texas on which 288 horses have now tested positive for the tick-borne disease.
"Additional testing on the imported horses and contact horses is under way," noted a statement from the New Jersey Department of Agriculture. "Quarantines have been placed on the affected premises and precautions implemented to prevent the spread of this disease to other horses."
New Jersey Secretary of Agriculture Douglas H. Fisher asked horse owners and veterinarians to be vigilant for signs of equine piroplasmosis, which can include a host of nonspecific clinical signs, such as fever or anemia. But some infected horses might appear well. Blood tests are needed to diagnosis the disease.
A Nov. 6 report by John Clifford, DVM, deputy administrator of the USDA's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, gave more details on the ongoing Texas investigation. As of Nov. 4 the National Veterinary Services Laboratory had confirmed the disease in 288 horses on the property. Investigators were continuing to test horses there as well as epidemiologically linked animals.
The only treatment for equine piroplasmosis is a potent type of chemotherapy that can have serious side effects in some horses. The disease is spread by as many as 15 species of ticks, the use of contaminated needles, and possibly through blood-contaminated semen of infected stallions. Officials in the United States have screened all imported horses for piroplasmosis for nearly 30 years. The disease was officially eradicated from the United States in 1988.
As a result of the current investigation, Canada and several states have restricted the importation of horses from Texas. Bob Hillman, DVM, Texas' state veterinarian and head of the Texas Animal Health Commission, urged horse owners and veterinarians to check with animal health officials for any state of destination to ensure the animals have met all entry requirements.
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| 9 cases of EEE reported in New Jersey |
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Seventeen states have reported 140 cases of Eastern equine encephalitis (EEE) so far this season based on the latest tally from the USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) and some individual state reports. Eastern Equine Encephalitis has also been reported in New Jersey, as close as Howell Township. This is a preventable disease that we routinely vaccinate against. The horse that tested positive in Howell had not been vaccinated. Remember to vaccinate your horses for EEE, WEE, and tetanus at least annually, and if you live in a wet, swampy area ask your veterinarian about boosting your horse's EEE protection in the fall.
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| Continuing education is a priority at Colts Neck Equine |
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At Colts Neck Equine we believe in making every effort to remain up to date with new methods of diagnosing and treating diseases and injuries, in order to provide the best care for your horses. To this end we routinely attend continuing education seminars and conferences, such as the one sponsored by the American Association of Equine Practitioners, which Dr. Miller recently returned from. This four-day conference focused entirely on recent advances made in the field of equine veterinary medicine, and Dr. Miller returned with new knowledge to enhance our pratice. We are fortunate to have a large enough practice to enable us to send veterinarians to conferences such as this, in order to continue to improve our practice, with no interruption in service to our clients.
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| Colts Neck Equine's first annual educational seminar |
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On April 17, 2009, Colts Neck Equine, along with Victory Stable and Sandstone Stable, sponsored an educational seminar at the Colts Neck Firehouse, to benefit Special Strides. Dr. Carrie Williams from Rutgers University spoke about the equine digestive system, and our own Dr. Paula Miller gave a very interesting presentation on her recent veterinary mission trip to Haiti. There was yummy food from Rosalia's Pizzaria, and afterward there was dancing and socializing to tunes provided by J the DJ. Fort Dodge sponsored door prizes, and there was plenty of audience participation. We'll soon be announcing the date of our next seminar - don't miss it!
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