Health Seminar Provides Real Education For Horse Owners ?????? ??? According to veterinarian Kevin Hankins, the internet can be a treasure trove of information on equine health. Unfortunately, not all of it is true and it may not be the right information for any given horse owner. ?????? ??? ???????? ??????????? ??? ??? ???? ?? ?? ??? ??? ?? ???? ?????? ??? ?????? ?????? ????? ?? ???? ?? ???? ??? ???? ?????? ???? ????? ???? ?? ???????? ???? ?? ??? ????? ?? ??? ????? ??? ???????? ?? ?? ?? ????? ?????†???? ???????? ????? ? ?????????? ???? ?? ?????? ???? ??? ?? ??? ?? ????? ??????? You can also find out that approximately half of the horses in this country will never be examined by a veterinarian during their lives. And, despite all the data out there pertaining to horse health, Haney reminded the audience that there is no substitute for an ongoing relationship with your local vet. “They know your horse, they know the area and environment, and they know your management style,” he said. “They have the information you need.” He called veterinarians the “key component” in any equine wellness program. ?????????????? ? ?????? ?????? ?? ?? ???? ??????? ?? ? ??????? ?????? ?? ? ?????? ???????? ??????? ?? ??? ???????? ????? ???????? ?? ???????? ????????? ?? ????? ?? ??? ???????? ????? ???????? ? ?????? ???????????? ???????? ??? ????????? ?? ??? ????? ?????? ??????? ???? ?????? ?????????? ????????? ??? ??? ?????? ???????? ??? ???? ???? ???????? ???? ?? ??? ??? ??????? ????? ????????? ??? ?? ??? ???????? ?? ????? ??? ????? ??????? ???????? ?????????? ???? ????????? ???? ?? ????????? ????? ?????? ?? ???????????? ?????? ???????????? ?? ??? ??????? ??????? ??? ???????? Hankins noted that the increased longevity is not the result of any single factor, but the combination of many, and outlined most of those as the components of the Health Wellness Program. Hankins, who is a member of the American Association of Equine Practitioners, said the new guidelines are now available on the organization’s web site at www.aaep.org. ???????? ???????? ???? ???????? ????????????? ?? ????? ??????? ???? ???? ? ?????? ???????? ???? ?? ????? ???? ?? ????? ????? ? ??? ???? ?? ???????? ????? ???????? ????? ??????? Dental care is another area of equine health which has seen great advances in recent years, and maintaining a healthy set of teeth and gums goes a long way toward improving the overall condition of the horse. Where dental work was once done without anesthesia, today’s horse can be worked on “under the influence,” and can even be fitted with braces to correct an unsightly and poorly-functioning set of ivories. ??? ???? ????????? ?????? ????? ?????????? ?????? ??????????? ????? ?????? ?? ????? ?????? ???? ? ?????? ???????? ?? ?????????? ???????? ?????? ?? ???? ???? ????????? ?????????? ???? ?? ??? ????? ??????????? ???? ?????? ???? ?? ?? ??????? ????? ??????†?? ????? ?????? ???? ???? ?? ???? ???? ???? ?????? ??????????????? ??? ???? ?????????? ??? ???????????? ??? ????? ?? ??? ?????? ???? ?? ????? ?? Hankins, who hails from Kansas and said his regional focus is the Mid-West, kept his discussion general in nature, touching on subjects that could affect horses and their owners in nearly all regions of the country. ???????? ???? ???? ?????? ?????? ??? ???? ?????????? ?? ??? ?????? ???????? ??????? ???? ???? ? ???????? ?????????? ???????? ?? ???????????†??????????? ??? ???? ??????? ?????? ?????? ??? ????? ?????? ???????????? ?? Despite the longer lives of today’s horses, Hankins said the age at which one becomes a “senior” animal is about 18 years, noting that scientific testing has shown a distinct change in metabolism at around that age in most animals. He also noted that horses in the “senior” category are most at risk for infectious disease, because their immune systems become compromised more quickly, and that surveys have shown they are the most susceptible to neurological herpes. ????? ??? ??? ?? ? ?????? ??????? ??????????? ?????????????? ??????? ?????? ??? ???????? ??????? ? ??????? ???? ?? ??? ??????†???????? ???? ??? ?????? ?????? ?? ????????? ????? ?????? ??? ??????????? ?????? ???????? ??? ???????????? ??????? ???? ????????? ?????????? ?? ??????? ??????????? ?? ???????? ?????? ????? ????????? ?????????? ????? ????? ?? ????????? ??? ????????? ?? ?????? ?????? ?? ????? ??? ????????? ?????????? ???? ?????? ?????? ??? ??????? ???? ????? ?????????? ???? ?? ???? ?? ????? ?? ???? ????? ???? ??? ??????????†?????? ?? ???? ???????? ??? ???????? ?????????? ???? ???? ???? ????? ???? ?? ?????? ?????? ?? ??? ???? ?????? ??? ??? ???????? ?? ????? ?? ??????? ?? ???? ???? ?? ????????????? In comparing equine medical science to that of humans, Hankins said that horses actually have it better than we do. Vaccination success in horses ranges from 80-100%, whereas in humans a 40-50% efficacy rate is considered “pretty good.” ?????? ??? ?????????? ???? ? ???? ??? ?? ??????? ?????? ???????? ???????? ?? ????? ???????? ?? ??? ???? ???????? ?? ???? ?????? ?????????? ???? ???? ????????? ???????? ??? ??????? ?????? ????????? ????????? ????? ????? ?????????? ???????????? ???? ???? ?????????? ??? ???????? ??? ???? ???? ??? ????????????? ?? ????????? ?? ????? ??? ????? ?????? ? ????? ???? ??? ?????????? ????????? ?? ?????? ? ???????????? ??????? ???? ?? ?????? ??? ? ??????†???? ?? ??????? ??????? ???? ???? ? ?????? ?? ?????????? ?? ???? ????? (continued from page 10) ???? ???? ?????? ???? ??????? ?? ??? ???????? ??? ???????? ???? ??? ?????? ?? ?????? ????????? ??? ????? ?? ??? ??????†?????? ?? ???????? ?? ???? ??????? Rabies is on the upswing in this country, due to the increasing range and population of bats. Hankins said rabies was unheard in the northwestern U.S. just a few years ago, but more than 500 cases were diagnosed in Washington state last year. “Bats are notorious (for carrying rabies). They don’t just eat bugs and insects, when they’re rabid they’ll bite warm-blooded animals.” ?? ??????? ????? ??????????? ?? ??????? ????? ??????? ???????????? ?? ??? ??????? ??? ??????? ???? ???? ????? ?? ?????? ???? ?? ?????? ???????? ???? ????????? ??? ???? ??? ????? ??? ?????? ???? ?? ?? ????? ?? ???????? ????? ???? ?? ?????????? ?????? ?????? ???????? ???? ???? ?? ????????? ?? ????????? ?? ????? ???? ? ????? ????????? ? ??????? ?? ????? ????? ?? ???????? ????? ??????? ??????? ??? ?????? ????? ?? ???????? ???? ??? ???? ??? ?? ???? ? ?????? ?? ???? ????? ??? ? ????? ?? ? ??? ??? ???? ?? ??? ????? ?? ????? ???? ?? ??? ????? ?? ????? ????? ??? ???????????? ??? ?????????? ?????? ?? ????????? ???? ????? ??????†??? ???????????? ?????? ??????????? ??????????? ?? ??? ?????? ???? ??? ???? ?? ??? ??????? ?????? ??? ?? ????????? ?? ?????? ??? ??? ???????? ?????? ?? ?? ????????? ?? ??? ??????????? ?? ?????? ???? ??????????? There was a great deal of detailed information about how to protect your horse’s health and, following Hankins presentation, Jim McPeake of Pet Health Systems introduced the audience to a new tool that can help develop a “snapshot” of an animal’s wellness quotient and environment. The process begins with one of three levels of blood testing by the veterinarian, and the owner then goes online to fill out an extensive questionaire about the animal’s “lifestyle” and surroundings. ??????? ??? ???????? ??? ??????? ?? ? ?????? ?? ?????????? ???? ???? ???????????? ?? ????? ???????? ????? ??? ?? ?????? ????? ??? ??????????? ?? ????????? ???? ? ???????????? ????? ???? ????? ??????? ?? ?????? ?? ??? ????????†????? ?? ?? ???? ??? ?? ??????? ??????????? ????????? ????????????? ??????? ???? ??????????? ?? ??????????? ?? ??? ????????????? ????????? ???????? ??????????? ???? ?? ?? ??? ?? ?????? ?? ?? ???????? ? ???????? ???? ?????? ?? ??? ??? ????? ????????????????????????? ???????? ? ??? ?????? ????? ?? ?????? ???? ??? ??????? ?? ??? ????? ??????? McPeake has run similar programs for humans and canines over the last 15 years, and noted that the equine version was being debuted at the April 8 seminar and that the Mid-Southerners in attendance would be the first in the nation to utilize it. ??? ??? ??????? ????????? ??? ???? ???? ???????? ??? ???????? ???? ???? ????????? ?????? ???? ??? ?? ??? ?? ??????? ?????? ?? ????? ???? ???? ? ????? ??????†?? ???? ??? ???? ???????? ?? ??? ???????????? ???????? ????????? ?????????? ??????????? ???? ????? ??? ???? ???? ????????? ????? ?? ?? ????????? ??? ?????????? ????? ??????? ?? ??? ??? ??????? ?? ???? ?????? ????? ??????? ??????? ?? For more information on Ft. Dodge Animal Health research and products, visit their web site at www.wyeth.com. ??? ??????? ??? ????? ???? ? ?????????? ?? ????? ??? ??? ???? ?? ??????????????????? ???? ?????? ?????????? ???????? ?? ??????? ?? ??? ?????? ???? ???? ?? ????? ??????? ???????????? ??