Health

New resources for horse vets aim to tackle the “ticking time bomb” of equine obesity in Britain.

“If not treated quickly and aggressively, fungal keratitis can lead to loss of vision or even loss of the eye itself.”

Researchers show that certain equine gut bacteria produce chemical signals that communicate with mitochondria in horse cells that regulate and generate energy.

All countries need to be encouraged to participate in the sharing of disease events, says Professor Peter Timoney.

It is an important drug for treating equine uveitis, but can have effects on gut action, increasing the risk of colic.

“Location of lesions influenced their impact on performance and could affect several measures of racing performance,” researchers report.

“In simple terms, Equine Metabolic Syndrome (EMS) means your horse has a set of factors that place him or her at higher risk of getting laminitis. It is important that you manage as many of these risk factors as you can, the most obvious two being weight and diet.”

Many of the issues that plague equine clinicians mirror those in human medicine, the review team says.

“Current evidence indicates a significant potential of equine mesenchymal stem cells to enlarge their range of application.”

Scientific evidence supporting their use in animals remains limited, and vets should be very cautious over their off-label use.

“We need to get a broader sense of what is working for horse owners so that we can improve health outcomes for these animals.”