As horse owners, we are entirely responsible for maintaining the health, safety, and well-being of our animals. This includes protecting our horses against the diseases that have the potential to cause them pain, suffering, or even death. One of the most effective ways that an owner can guard their horse against such a fate is by ensuring an appropriate vaccination program. In the words of Benjamin Franklin, “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.”

Could bacteria resistant to antimicrobial drugs routinely used in both human and veterinary medicine be found in wild horses on a remote island in the Atlantic Ocean? By answering this question, Dr. Joe Rubin and members of his research team at the Western College of Veterinary Medicine (WCVM) hope to gain a better understanding of how bacteria carrying acquired resistance genes are passed between humans, domestic animals, and wildlife species.

Researchers at the University of Guelph have made an equine breakthrough that can change the health of newborn foals. Led by John Prescott, pathobiology researcher and former professor, the research team identified an uncommon, but deadly bacterium that causes necrotizing enteritis disease in very young foals, and has already created a vaccine for further research. For years, an unknown strain of this intestinal bacterium has been killing foals within the first week of life. Prescott and his team have worked for several years to understand the cause of necrotizing enteritis in foals and recently identified the bacterial agent and its deadly toxin, which they have called NetF.

Accurate diagnosis is critical - A lame horse often means a sudden change in plans, and a lameness diagnosis during the summer is an especially disappointing way to end the show season for a horse and its rider. In addition to conventional lameness therapies, newer treatments such as shock wave therapy, cold compression therapy, and regenerative therapies that use the body’s natural ability to heal may help to return horses to the show ring more quickly.