HORSE
H E A LT H
L
I
N
E
S
B r i n g i n g b e t t e r h e a lt h to yo u r h o r s e s
Better Odds for
B A B I ES
WCVM scientists
target advances in
reproduction and
foal health
summer 2007
WESTERN COLLEGE OF VETERINARY MEDICINE • EQUINE HEALTH RESEARCH FUND
5
Ways to Double
Your I m p a c t
ON Horse Health Research
I N S I D E
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Architects of Horse Health
A new research fund awards $410,000 to three WCVM research
teams for multi-year projects addressing critical horse health
issues.
On the Research Road Again
Eight research teams have received $122,000 from the Equine
Health Research Fund — one of its largest annual allotments in
30 years.
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A Horse-powered Life
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Failure of Passive Transfer in Foals
A passion for horses has powered Dr. Fernando Marqués’ life
since the Argentine-born veterinarian and equestrian was eight
years old.
A quick response can save a life when passive transfer of
antibodies fails between a mare and it newborn foal.
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Can eFSH Better the Odds of Embryo Transfer?
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Horse Health Gift is One for the Books
WCVM researchers explore the potential effects of equine follicle
stimulating hormone (eFSH) on embryo transfer.
Cap Munro of North Vancouver, B.C., has come up with a unique
plan for supporting horse health research at WCVM.
FRONT COVER: A curious colt sticks close to his mother, Double Value (Val), at
Shirley and Jack Brodsky’s farm near Saskatoon, Sask. The Paint foal, whose sire is
Far Ute Finale (Finnegan), was born on April 29, 2007.
H O R S E
H E A L T H
L I N E S
Horse Health Lines is produced by the Western College of Veterinary Medicine’s Equine Health
Research Fund. Visit www.ehrf.usask.ca for more information. Please send comments to:
Dr. Hugh Townsend, Editor, Horse Health Lines
WCVM, University of Saskatchewan
52 Campus Drive, Saskatoon, SK S7N 5B4
Tel: 306-966-7453 • Fax: 306-966-7274
wcvm.research@usask.ca
For article reprint information, please contact sm.ridley@sasktel.net.
1
Throw a party! Does someone in your equine organization or
club have a retirement, anniversary or a “big” birthday to celebrate
this year? Why not plan a party? In lieu of gifts, ask guests to make
a donation to equine health research at WCVM in honour of the person’s
longtime passion for horses and involvement in equine activities. Remember,
gifts to the Equine Health Research Fund or to the fund for major equine
health projects at WCVM are tax-creditable!
2
Share your winnings! Are you and your horses having a
great season in the show ring, on the rodeo circuit or on the track?
How about giving a portion of your winnings this year to support
equine health research projects at WCVM? It’s the ideal way to show your
appreciation for your horse’s athletic abilities and exceptional teamwork, plus
your gift will have a positive impact on the quality of health care for all horses
in Western Canada.
3
Give a percentage of your proceeds. Is your horse
club or association hosting one or more equine events this season?
Here’s a suggestion: as part of your event promotions, let your
participants know that a percentage of all entry fees or the event’s profits will be
donated to WCVM’s equine health research and veterinary training programs.
It’s the ideal way for everyone to get involved in supporting the long-term
health of horses!
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Ride for horse health. Do members of your club or local
horse group enjoy spending a day on the trails with their horses? How
about organizing a day-long or weekend trail ride as a fund raising
event for the Equine Health Research Fund? Ask riders to collect pledges from
their family, friends and local businesses — all in the spirit of improving horse
health in Western Canada!
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The possibilities are endless! A club-wide garage sale,
a baking and craft bazaar, a community barbecue, a horse health
seminar, a riding clinic, a pub night, a local gymkhana, a silent
auction . . . there are so many ways that you and your fellow horse enthusiasts
can support WCVM’s equine health research and training programs! Best of
all, your organization’s contributions can double in value — thanks to the
Heather Ryan and L. David Dubé Foundation’s matching gift incentive.
Do you have a great fund raising idea that
you want to share? Send your story to
wcvm.supportus@usask.ca!
U PD ATE
News and kudos about WCVM’s
matching gift incentive program.
POLO PLAYER PONIES UP: The Equine Health Research Fund received
a donation from someone who made quite an impression on the Fund last
fall. Rob Townsend of Saskatoon, Sask., was one of the polo players
who appeared on the Autumn 2006 cover of Horse Health Lines. Townsend
is part of the Saskatoon Polo Club and a frequent rider of polo horses
owned by Heather Ryan and L. David Dubé — creators of the matching
gift incentive program for equine health at WCVM. In fact, Townsend’s
mount in the cover shot was Rosita, a 15-year-old mare that’s owned by
the couple and trained by Ricardo Garcia. This is the first philanthropic
gift for Townsend, who just completed his third year at the U of S College
of Commerce.
WCVM PROMOTES RESEARCH, EDUCATION: In early January,
WCVM’s Dr. Steve Manning and veterinary students Sarah Stewart
and Hayley Lang promoted the College’s equine activities and the
matching gift incentive program during the annual Alberta Horse
Breeders and Owners Conference in Red Deer, Alta. Dr. Hugh
Townsend, a longtime member of EHRF’s management
committee and editor of Horse Health Lines, was also on
hand to give an inspiring presentation on WCVM’s 30-year
record in conducting horse health research and training
Western Canada’s network of equine specialists.
In early March, WCVM faculty were also part of the
Saskatchewan Horse Federation’s annual general meeting in
Saskatoon, Sask. Drs. James Anthony, Katharina Lohmann
and Fernando Marqués gave talks on horse health issues, while
Townsend highlighted the successes and benefits of WCVM’s equine
health program for all SHF members.
PARTY PROCEEDS TO EHRF: Dr. Ross McKague (WCVM ’71) of
Brandon, Man., is a 35-year veteran of the veterinary profession, a racehorse
owner and a keen supporter of Canada’s Thoroughbred racing industry, plus
a longtime member of the Equine Health Research Fund’s advisory board.
When McKague retired from his veterinary practice last year, his clients
organized a party at the Brandon Keystone Centre on October 20, 2006, to
celebrate his career successes and to recognize his many contributions to the
horse industry.
In lieu of gifts, McKague asked that a percentage of the event’s ticket
sales be donated to the EHRF — another example of his resourceful,
steadfast support of the College’s research fund over the past couple of
decades. The result: McKague and party guests raised more than $2,600 for
the Fund. Through the matching gift incentive program, that means more
than $5,000 will
go toward horse
health research
and specialized
veterinary training
at WCVM. Now,
how’s that for a
great ending to a
party?
Give $1, Invest $2 in Horse Health!
Through a new fund raising incentive, the Heather Ryan and
L. David Dubé Foundation has pledged to match any “new” funding
dollars to the College’s equine health research programs. In total, the
Foundation will contribute as much as $500,000 in matching funds over
the next five years.
The goal is that this unique incentive will encourage more horse
owners, horse sport groups, breed associations and equine businesses
to support vital equine health research at WCVM. And remember, any
amount that you or your organization can give will make a significant
impact on horse health — especially when it can be doubled! Here’s how
you can double your investment in equine health research:
• BECOME a donor. As a first-time contributor to the Equine Health
Research Fund, your gift will increase the Fund’s annual donations used
to conduct cutting-edge research, to train equine specialists and to
generate valuable horse health information.
• BOOST your annual donation. Every dollar that you give to the
Equine Health Research Fund over and above the amount of your usual
contribution will be matched.
• INVEST in major equine health research projects at WCVM. Besides
its support of the EHRF, the Heather Ryan and L. David Dubé Foundation
is investing in large-scale, collaborative research initiatives at WCVM
over the next five years. The Foundation will donate one dollar for every
dollar that you contribute to supporting these high-priority projects
that focus on critical issues in horse health. For more details, contact
WCVM’s Development Office at 306-966-7450 (wcvm.supportus@
usask.ca).
Above: Dr. Ross McKague and his wife Brenda during his retirement party in
Brandon, Man.
Western College of Vet e r i n a r y Me d i c i n e 3
A rchitects of
Horse Health
Vaccine specialist Dr. Hugh Townsend and Dr. Baljit Singh, a specialist of lung inflammation.
The Heather Ryan and L. David Dubé Veterinary Health and
Research Fund has awarded $410,000 for three cutting-edge
research investigations of equine endotoxemia, neonatal
Rhodococcus equi pneumonia and genetic ocular disorders
at the Western College of Veterinary Medicine.
Six months after Heather Ryan and L. David Dubé created a fund
to support equine research projects at the Western College of Veterinary
Medicine, three teams of scientists received welcome news in early March.
Their projects — each focused on critical issues in horse health — had
received a combined total of $410,000 in new research funding.
“All three projects will be conducted by multi-disciplinary teams of
scientists from WCVM, the University of Saskatchewan and other research
institutions across North America,” says Dr. Norman Rawlings, the
veterinary college’s associate dean of research. “Each collaborative team
brings a great deal of clinical and laboratory expertise to the table, and
we’re very excited about their potential for making real, concrete progress
in overcoming these longstanding issues in horse health.”
These are the first research projects to receive financial support
from the new research fund that was created in August 2006 when the
Heather Ryan and L. David Dubé Foundation contributed $1.07 million
to WCVM’s equine and companion animal health programs. Based on the
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H o r s e H e a l t h L i n e s • S u m m e r 2007
donors’ wishes, the college will use $750,000 of the contribution toward
large-scale, WCVM-based equine research projects over the next five years.
Rawlings says all submitted grants underwent a stringent review
process that was conducted by three prominent Canadian veterinary
scientists. The grant review committee specifically considered the
scientific merit of each grant proposal, the collective expertise of each
research team and the potential impact for each project to improve horse
health care in Canada and around the world.
Novel nanomedicines to treat equine endotoxemia
Endotoxemia is a life-threatening condition that’s associated with
many equine diseases including colic in adult horses and septicemia in
foals. The condition occurs when endotoxins (a toxin that forms part of
the cell wall of certain bacteria) are released into a horse’s circulatory
system. In response, the host’s body launches an excessive immune
response that results in critical tissue damage.
1
Based on past studies, the research team believes that pulmonary
intravascular macrophages (PIMs) play a key role in the development
of endotoxemia. During the next three years, researchers will use a
new class of organic nanotubes called “rosette nanotubes” to destroy
PIMs and curtail the host’s immune response to the endotoxins. This
new therapeutic approach to endotoxemia will target cells that produce
multiple mediators of inflammation versus targeting one mediator at a
time — an exciting difference from previous treatments.
• Principal investigator: Dr. Baljit Singh is a professor in WCVM’s
Department of Veterinary Biomedical Sciences and a recognized research
leader in the mechanisms of lung inflammation.
• Collaborators: Dr. Hicham Fenniri, University of Alberta; and Dr.s
Hugh Townsend and Sarbjeet Suri, WCVM.
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Investigation of the foal’s immune response and
susceptibility to Rhodococcus equi pneumonia
Pneumonia, caused by the soil-borne bacterium Rhodococcus equi,
is a major cause of death in neonatal foals and a critical issue that affects
all sectors of the international horse industry. While the immune systems
of older horses can overcome this infectious disease, young foals seem to
have an age-associated susceptibility to R. equi and to other infectious
agents.
During the next three years, the research team will use a challenge
model of R. equi foal pneumonia to further understand the development
of the foal’s innate and adaptive immune response, and to learn more
about the disease process of R. equi pneumonia. Researchers will also
undertake a preliminary assessment of genetic factors that may be
relevant to the immune competence of foals. Ultimately, the team will
examine novel approaches to enhancing a foal’s protective immune
response and new strategies for vaccinating young foals.
• Principal investigator: Dr. Hugh Townsend is a professor in
WCVM’s Department of Large Animal Clinical Sciences and program
manager of the Vaccine Development Group at the Vaccine and
Infectious Disease Organization (VIDO). Townsend is internationally
known for his expertise in vaccine efficacy and vaccinology.
• Collaborators: Drs. Volker Gerdts, Marianela Lopez and George
Mutwiri, Vaccine and Infectious Disease Organization
(VIDO); and Drs. Katharina Lohmann, Fernando Marqués
and Baljit Singh, WCVM.
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Veterinary ophthalmologist Dr. Bruce Grahn
Identification of the mutations that induce two
equine ocular disorders
This research team will identify the mutations that
induce congenital stationary night blindness (CSNB)
in the Appaloosa breed and anterior segment dysgenesis
(ASD) in the Rocky Mountain horse breed. Based on
WCVM research, it’s estimated that approximately 25
per cent of Appaloosa horses in Western Canada have
CSNB — a disease that causes night blindness, shying
during dim light conditions and other subtle behavioural
characteristics. Although vision in ASD-affected Rocky
Mountain horses is usually normal, retinal detachment
and blindness related to ruptured cysts are problems
detected in the most severely affected horses. The
appearance of these inherited diseases, which are often
overlooked by owners and veterinarians, may also be
related to coat colour.
During the next two years, the research team will
identify the linked markers and mutations responsible for
CSNB in Appaloosa horses and ASD in Rocky Mountain
horses. Researchers will also identify the inheritance
patterns, confirm whether there is a link to coat colour and
describe the pathogenesis of each disease. Once scientists
have identified the mutation responsible for CSNB, future
studies may focus on gene therapy — a first in the horse
industry.
• Principal investigator: Dr. Bruce Grahn is a
professor in WCVM’s Department of Small Animal Clinical
Sciences and board-certified veterinary ophthalmologist
who has research expertise in equine ophthalmic diseases
and inherited ocular diseases.
• Collaborators: Dr. Lynne Sandmeyer, WCVM; Sheila
Archer, The Appaloosa Project; and Dr. Rebecca Bellone,
University of Tampa. H
Western College of Vet e r i n a r y Me d i c i n e 5
On the Research Road Again
As western Canadians hit the road and take their horses to the
trails, show rings and racetracks this summer, the Western College
of Veterinary Medicine’s Equine Health Research Fund is helping
researchers make up some miles on the road to better horse health.
This spring, EHRF steered $122,000 into WCVM’s equine health
research program — one of the largest annual allotments in the
research fund’s 30-year history. Just how will these research dollars
pick up the pace of improving horse health in Western Canada?
Take a quick spin on the EHRF Trail and discover how eight teams of
WCVM scientists are shifting their research goals into high gear with
the support of Western Canada’s horse industry.
How do follicle stimulating hormones affect transitional mare
fertility?
Drs. Claire Card and Tal Raz
Western Canadian horse owners are eager to find short, reliable and
reasonably priced methods of speeding up the onset of the breeding season
in transitional mares (mares with renewed ovarian activity). Traditionally,
mares are placed under lights in November to get them to cycle early in
the following spring. In their study, WCVM scientists will strive for early
establishment of the estrus cycle, comparing the effects of the two hormonal
treatments on transitional mare fertility rather than using a lighting
program.
Previous studies have shown that equine follicle stimulating hormone
(eFSH) shortens the transitional phase and hastens fertile ovulation.
Anecdotal reports have also highlighted porcine follicle stimulating hormone
(pFSH) as a less expensive hormonal treatment that stimulates follicle
development and increases ovulation rates in mares during breeding season.
But so far, no one has studied the effects of eFSH or pFSH on transitional
mare pregnancy rates.
During the study, the researchers will treat two groups of 10 mares
with the hormonal therapies while a third group will act as a control.
Besides evaluating follicular development, ovulation and pregnancy rates,
the research team will use a treatment protocol where the mares carry their
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H o r s e H e a l t h L i n e s • S u m m e r 2007
own pregnancies so additional information about fertility and embryonic
development can be collected during the investigation.
Can novel adjuvants improve horses’ immune response?
Drs. Fernando Marqués, Marianela Lopez, Katharina Lohmann, Baljit
Singh and Hugh Townsend
Researchers at WCVM and at the Vaccine and Infectious Disease
Organization (VIDO) will evaluate several new vaccine adjuvants that have
shown promise in enhancing and modulating immune responses in other
species. The team’s long-term goal is to develop novel vaccines that stimulate
protective immunity in adult horses and neonatal foals against infectious
disease.
Researchers will test the ability of three novel adjuvants
— CpG olignocleotides (CpG ODN), host defense peptides (HDP) and
polyphosophazenes (PPs) — to enhance and modulate the immune
response in adult horses. During the study, team members will vaccinate
five groups of healthy horses with vaccine formulations consisting of
killed Rhodococcus equi antigen combined with a single adjuvant or a
combination of adjuvants. A sixth group of horses will be inoculated with
the antigen alone while a seventh group will receive a sham vaccine. The
research team will monitor the horses’ serologic responses and the induction
of serum R. equi-specific antibodies over several weeks.
Based on results, researchers will learn more about the ability of
novel adjuvant formulations to stimulate an effective immune response —
information that will be applied to vaccine development and enhancement
trials.
Are headless titanium screws effective for pastern arthrodesis?
Drs. David Wilson and Ryan Wolker
WCVM researchers Drs. David Wilson and Ryan Wolker will conduct
biomechanical testing to evaluate a new design of titanium screw for
potential use in pastern arthrodesis procedures.
Based on preliminary research, scientists believe the tapered screw’s
headless design will cause less irritation to overlying soft tissues. Study results
also show that titanium causes less inflammatory response in comparison to
stainless steel. But so far, no one has evaluated the biomechanical performance
of tapered, titanium screws in the two surgical techniques used for fusing the
pastern joint.
During this study, Wilson and Wolker will test and compare the
biomechanical performance of titanium and stainless steel screws. The
researchers will insert the screws in the limbs of equine cadavers using two
different arthrodesis constructs, then use a materials testing machine at the U
of S College of Engineering to analyze the performance of both types of screws
in combination with the joint fusion techniques.
If titanium screws are biomechanically comparable to stainless steel
screws, they may become a viable alternative for pastern arthrodesis procedures
– especially if they cause less inflammation and irritation to patients than
conventional implants.
What initiates the inflammatory “storm” of laminitis?
Drs. Baljit Singh and Sarabjeet Suri
Scientists agree that laminitis in horses is an inflammatory process, but
so far, there’s no clear consensus on the molecular mechanisms that initiate
this devastating inflammatory “storm” in the hoof.
In this study, WCVM researchers will determine whether horses are
susceptible to laminitis because of the presence of immunity-regulating
genes in the animals’ dermal laminae: specifically, two Toll-like receptors
called TLR4 and TLR2. These molecules, which are part of the body’s innate
immune system, trap endotoxins and initiate cell signalling that leads to an
inflammatory response. In a previous study, Drs. Baljit Singh and Sarabjeet
Suri characterized methods to study the two TLRs and reported expression of
TLR4 and TLR2 in normal and inflamed horse lungs.
Now, the scientists will use those same methods to investigate whether
TLR4 and TLR2 genes are expressed in normal and inflamed dermal laminae
of horses’ hooves. If their hypothesis is correct, results of this study will provide
equine researchers with a greater insight into the molecular mechanisms that
initiate this disease.
How does integrin ανβ3 and angiostatin affect equine neutrophils?
Drs. Baljit Singh and Karin Aharonson
Endotoxemia, a condition that’s associated with colic in horses and
neonatal foal septicemia, is often described as “inflammation gone awry.” But
although endotoxemia is one of the leading causes of mortality and morbidity
in adult horses and foals, researchers still have an incomplete understanding
of its mechanisms.
What scientists do know is that endotoxemia induces an erratic,
overwhelming immune response involving the production of inflammatory
mediators by activated macrophages, endothelial cells and neutrophils. These
short-lived cells are central to host immune response, but when activated, they
live longer and cause extensive tissue damage.
During the next 18 months, a WCVM research team will investigate the
expression and biology of two molecules — integrin ανβ3 and angiostatin
— in normal and activated equine neutrophils. Results of the study will help
scientists gain more understanding of how these molecules affect the lifespan
of neutrophils during endotoxemia.
What’s the epidemiology of equine sarcoids in Western Canada?
Drs. Andrew Allen, Bruce Wobeser and Beverly Kidney
Equine sarcoids are benign, fibroblastic tumours that are diagnosed in
horses around the world. Studies conducted in Europe, the United Kingdom
and the United States have shown that regional variations do exist in the
sarcoids’ epidemiologic features, but so far, no one has specifically described
the tumours’ traits in Western Canada.
During the next year, a team of WCVM researchers will search the
records of the region’s veterinary diagnostic laboratories for equine sarcoid
cases between 1997 and 2006 and develop a “regional profile” of the
tumours. Epidemiological information will include more details about the
age, breed and sex of affected horses, plus the number, location and clinical
type of lesions. Researchers will also test archived tumour samples for the
presence of bovine papillomarvirus (BPV) DNA since previous research has
shown an association between equine sarcoids and two different types of the
virus.
By characterizing the occurrence of sarcoids in western Canadian
horses, study results will help to direct further research into the cause,
pathogenesis, prevention and treatment of equine sarcoids specifically for
this region.
Do equine sarcoids know how to evade programmed cell death?
Drs. Andrew Allen, Bruce Wobeser and Beverly Kidney
Researchers know that equine sarcoids develop when fibroblasts
(cells from which connective tissue develops) transform into the common
skin tumours, but they still don’t understand what accounts for fibroblast
proliferation and growth.
Since previous research has shown that sarcoid lesions are not
associated with high levels of cellular proliferation, scientists at WCVM are
now investigating whether the sarcoids’ cells are able to evade apoptosis
(programmed cell death) or whether apoptotic cells are absent from the
tumours.
In this study, WCVM researchers will use existing immunohistochemical
markers to evaluate apoptosis in up to 90 archived tissue samples of equine
sarcoids. The samples, which will be collected from diagnostic laboratories
across Western Canada, will ideally represent the six clinical types of sarcoids
diagnosed in horses. If these markers are expressed by transformed cells, they
may represent possible targets for novel therapies or markers that scientists
could use to predict the prognosis for treated sarcoids.
Does ethyl alcohol facilitate arthrodesis of horses’ pastern joints?
Drs. David Wilson, Ryan Wolker and Andrew Allen
Osteoarthritis of the pastern joint (high ringbone) is a debilitating
disease that typically affects middle-aged horses during their prime
performance years. Surgeons can treat the condition by performing pastern
arthrodesis but surgically fusing the joint carries the risk of infection and
significant post-operative discomfort.
In this study, a WCVM research group will conduct further evaluations
of minimally-invasive treatment options for pastern osteoarthritis. Several
years ago, Dr. Ryan Shoemaker and his WCVM co-investigators revealed
that the injection of ethyl alcohol was effective in promoting fusion of the
lowest hock joint in normal horses. Since these results were reported, several
veterinarians in practice have found that intra-articular injections of alcohol
alleviate patients’ pain within 48 hours — but at least one practitioner
doesn’t believe the treated joints ultimately fuse.
In this study, WCVM scientists will work with a group of horses to
evaluate two options. Besides testing whether ethyl alcohol injections alone
will facilitate fusion, researchers will use a minimally-invasive technique for
bone screw placement 30 days after administering the intra-articular alcohol
injections. If the latter option proves successful, this combined technique
could provide owners with a lower-cost, lower-risk option for treating pastern
osteoarthritis. H
Western College of Vet e r i n a r y Me d i c i n e 7
Stories by David Shield
A Horse-powered Life
No matter how you slice it, Saskatchewan is quite a bit colder than
Argentina. Sitting in his office at the Western College of Veterinary
Medicine (WCVM), Dr. Fernando J. Marqués readily admits
that Saskatoon’s frigid temperatures weren’t the reason
why he moved to the city.
The attraction was purely veterinary medicine.
Graduating from the University of Buenos Aires in
1987, Marqués practised equine medicine for more
than 15 years in Argentina until he moved to the
United States to begin a large animal medicine
residency at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
After completing his residency and
obtaining board certification by the American
College of Veterinary Internal Medicine (ACVIM)
in 2005, Marqués accepted a faculty position in
WCVM’s Department of Large Animal Clinical
Sciences in January 2006.
While Marqués says he enjoyed practicing
veterinary medicine in Argentina, there were
significant drawbacks. One major obstacle is that
veterinarians can only achieve a general DVM (Doctor of
Veterinary Medicine) in Argentina. Any specialized training
(like veterinary internal medicine) must be acquired in another
country. While Marqués says specialists do exist in the country, their
knowledge comes from on-the-job experience rather than formal training.
In Argentina, Marqués primarily worked in the areas of theriogenology
and neonatology on well-established Thoroughbred stud farms and equine
facilities. In addition, Marqués worked in areas related to sports medicine
and lameness: he often performed pre-purchase examinations, routine
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H o r s e H e a l t h L i n e s • S u m m e r 2007
examinations, diagnostics and treatments on Thoroughbreds and
jumping horses.
A self-admitted horse lover, Marqués has been involved
with them since he started show jumping at the age of
eight. Eventually, he rose to the higher echelons of the
Argentine show jumping world. For Marqués, working
with horses has always been a bit of an obsession.
“You see their size and you think they’re
strong — and they are. But on the other hand,
they are incredibly fragile. If you think about the
medicine aspect, they get diseases — sometimes
faster than other species.”
Marqués says large, well-equipped veterinary
centres like WCVM simply don’t exist in Argentina.
As a result, veterinarians generally work without
the aid of sophisticated diagnostic equipment. “I
believed, and I still believe, that this is a great place
to be. I think that I can make an impact by working
here and I can share my experiences with students. I
love working with students and young people.”
Marqués says he chose to specialize in internal
medicine simply because it’s so integral to the health of the
animal. “If you think of the balance of the body, the internal
organs and its delicate relationship, it’s in a very precise balance.
When you break the balance, you get disease. So, it’s nice to know, at least to
me, what level that problem is at,” he says.
Above: Dr. Fernando J. Marqués and one of WCVM’s research horses. Centre:
Fourth-year veterinary student Teresa Bousquet takes a blood sample from a
research horse under Marqués’ watchful eye.
Marqués’ research interests generally involve infectious diseases, sepsis
and inflammation. He’s also interested in exploring the immune response to
infection and in evaluating and developing the formulation of vaccines. His
preference is to take a proactive approach to his research: trying to cure the
disease before it does any damage.
“If you think of me as a rider, I prefer to prevent diseases and not wait
until the horse is sick. I want to move toward the first phases of the problem
and not to wait. That’s how the vaccines and immune system come into
place.”
He says young horses are especially prone to particular diseases.
“Infectious diseases are among the leading causes of death in foals.
There are some specific diseases that are only present in foals such as
Rhodococcus equi pneumonia. That’s a specific disease that adult horses
don’t get unless they’re immune depressed.”
Since foals are notoriously prone to specific diseases, Marqués is
currently examining the immune system of young horses and trying to
discover how their immune systems function. Right now, he’s comparing
the immune responses of mature and young horses and trying to discover
how they differ.
Using immuno-boosters called adjuvants, Marqués hopes to create
better vaccines in the future. “We’re trying to study novel adjuvants and
see what the immune response will be. Going back to the foals, it’s been
proven that foals are lacking one of the main immune responses. If we can
manipulate that response towards one or the other, maybe we can prevent
further diseases,” he says.
Marqués colleagues at WCVM have been very supportive of his research
efforts. Working with Drs. Hugh Townsend, Marianela Lopez, Katharina
Lohmann, Baljit Singh, Volker Gerdts and George Mutwiri, Marqués says the
group is able to explore the immune system in the same research animals
from a variety of angles — multiplying the impact of the research.
“We have people with experience in different fields and different
interests, so we see the same problem through different points of view. I
really like that, and that’s why I’m here at this university because you have
that kind of beauty. You’re not on your own.” H
David Shield writes for Saskatchewan publications and is a casual
reporter for CBC Radio News in Saskatoon, Sask.
The Jump from Show
Ring to Classroom
When eight-year-old Fernando Marqués received a horse as a
surprise gift from his parents, it was the beginning of his lifelong
passion for horses.
Besides sparking his interests in veterinary medicine and equine
health research, Marqués’ fascination with horses led to his exciting
career in Argentina’s show jumping rings. Ranked in the second of eight
levels of show jumping in Argentina (one being the highest), Marqués
has experienced an inexplicable bond with the horses he has ridden.
“You have to communicate with your horse. When riding, you and
your horse have to be one being, and that’s what I always taught my
students. If you teach your horses that you are there and they are here,
it’s over. You have to feel like one unit.”
A number of factors go into a successful racehorse, but the
chief factor is a successful combination of mind and body, points out
Marqués. “You can see from famous athletes that their minds were
kind of extraordinary, and maybe that’s why they did better than (their
peers). They had the same body characteristics or the same training, but
the mind was outstanding at that point, so it’s a combination of mind
and body.”
Of course, being a veterinarian, Marques is also very conscious
of a horse’s conditioning. “Your horse should be healthy to ensure that
it can perform as well as you would like. Because if your horse has an
injury, it’s not like it could perform — it simply can’t. So, if you had a
knee that hurts you, I couldn’t ask you to run the 100-metre-dash.”
An accomplished jumper in his own right, Marques also enjoyed
teaching equestrian sports and acted as a coach and trainer for many
years. But at first, he wasn’t so sure about getting involved.
“My career in coaching started in my club where I had my horses.
One of the coaches took off for a couple of weeks and asked me to give
lessons to people. I didn’t have enough time, but I said that I would give
them. I told the riders, ‘It’s not my area of expertise, but I will try.’ They
said, ‘You’ll do fine, you’ve been a champion for many years, just do it
for us.’ I did it, and I realized I really enjoyed it. It was great.”
Marqués has worked with riders of all ages, but he particularly
enjoys working with young people. In fact, that’s why he likes teaching
classes at WCVM. “I always link the two of them together because I
feel that I’m still coaching my students. I have a good interaction, good
feedback with them.”
As a coach, Marques managed to lead his team of young jumpers
to three prominent victories in Argentina, winning trips to watch
prestigious show jumping events at Wellington, Florida. “It’s very nice
when you see young riders and students succeed. It was a team approach
— not just an individual approach. We felt like a team, and that was how I
always tried to work.”
While Marques says he would like to re-enter the world of show
jumping, horses and stable fees are considerably more expensive here
than in Argentina. Still, he certainly wouldn’t turn the opportunity down
if it came up. “I’m planning that someone will read this article and invite
me riding,” he says, laughing.
ABOVE left to right: Dr. Fernando Marqués, fourth-year student Stephen
Atkinson, large animal resident Dr. Brandy Burgess and fourth-year student
Robyn Kopala conduct a bronchoalveolar lavage on a horse at WCVM.
Western College of Vet e r i n a r y Me d i c i n e 9
Failure of passive transfer in foals
When passive transfer of antibodies fails between a mare
and its newborn foal, veterinarians and horse owners
must act quickly to save the newborn’s life.
By Drs. Claudia Richter and Katharina Lohmann.
It’s a critical countdown that
can mean the difference between life
or death for a newborn foal: born
with little immunity, a foal needs
to drink its mother’s colostrum
(first milk) to gain protection from
infection and disease. Colostrum,
which is produced by the mare in the
last two to four weeks of gestation,
contains high levels of immunoglobulin G (IgG) and other antibodies
that provide adequate protection until the foal’s own immune response
fully develops.
In the ideal scenario, a foal receives colostrum within the first
three hours of its life and specialized epithelial cells in its small intestine
absorb the antibodies. By the time the foal is six hours old, antibodies
from the mare’s colostrum can be detected in its blood and antibody
absorption is almost complete within 24 hours. However, the foal’s ability
to absorb colostrum decreases dramatically after the first six to eight
hours of life. By 24 to 36 hours, most of the specialized cells in the lining
of the foal’s small intestine have been replaced with mature cells.
If passive transfer of protective antibodies doesn’t occur during
that small window of time, the foal’s life is in danger. Failure of passive
transfer is a major predisposing factor for a variety of conditions
including pneumonia, diarrhea and sepsis — the major killer of
neonatal foals.
10
H o r s e H e a l t h L i n e s • S u m m e r 2007
What can go wrong?
A number of factors can cause failure of passive transfer:
• it’s a common complication with placentitis, twin pregnancies or
premature placental separation since premature lactation (when the
mare prematurely drips milk before foaling) is often associated with
these conditions.
• in rare cases, a mare’s first milk may not have high enough levels of
antibodies or she may not produce enough colostrum. These situations
often occur in older mares (15 years and older), those that foal earlier
in the year, and in Standardbred mares. Colostrum quality can be
monitored using a colostrometer to measure specific gravity: a specific
gravity equal or higher than 1.060 indicates good quality colostrum.
• inadequate amounts of antibodies in colostrum may occur if a
pregnant mare is seriously ill before foaling or if labour is induced.
• mares may reject their healthy foals — preventing them from
receiving enough colostrum.
• premature foals, foals born with congenital defects, or ill foals may
not be strong enough to suckle. In other cases, foals’ ability to absorb
colostrum antibodies may be reduced.
Diagnosis and treatment
Veterinarians diagnose failure of passive transfer by measuring the
IgG concentration in a foal’s serum. The following values apply to foals
between 18 and 24 hours old (blood samples that are taken before 18
hours of life may show a lower IgG concentration since the antibodies are
still being absorbed):
• optimal: serum IgG concentrations above 10 to 12 grams per litre
• adequate: serum IgG concentrations higher than eight grams per litre
• partial failure: serum IgG concentrations between two and eight
grams per litre
• complete failure: serum IgG concentrations below two grams per litre.
Since a newborn foal’s ability to absorb antibodies from orallyadministered colostrum decreases dramatically after six to eight hours,
it’s important to treat failure of passive transfer as soon as possible and to
choose a treatment approach based on the age of the foal.
• Foals less than 12 hours old: Oral supplementation is still
a possibility at this point. If the mare is nervous or in pain from a swollen
udder, a veterinarian can sedate or restrain the mother so the foal can
suck with some assistance. In other cases, it may work better to collect
colostrum from the mother and bottle-feed the foal. If the newborn foal
won’t drink from the mare or a bottle, a veterinarian can use a stomach
tube to ensure that the animal ingests enough colostrum.
How much colostrum is enough? The quantity depends on the foal’s
size. For a foal weighing 40 to 50 kilograms, one to two litres fed in 500
millilitre increments — one hour apart — as soon as possible after
birth is recommended. This will provide the foal with about one gram per
kilogram of IgG — the recommended dose to raise IgG levels to more
than four grams per litre. However, it’s important to remember that a
foal suffering from sepsis or another illness will need more IgG than a
healthy foal because the antibodies will be used more rapidly.
If the mare isn’t producing enough colostrum, other options for
oral supplementation are freeze-dried IgG products that can be given
orally and intravenously. In emergency situations, equine plasma can be
given orally if IV administration isn’t possible — but very large volumes
are needed (two to four litres) to raise the serum IgG concentration
of the foal. When using plasma, intravenous administration is always
preferable.
• Foals more than 12 hours old: At this stage, intravenous
plasma treatment is recommended since the foal’s ability to absorb
antibodies in orally-administered colostrum is diminished or has ended.
Veterinarians can administer commercial equine plasma or serum
products. Or, they can draw blood from a healthy, recently vaccinated
horse on the same farm — preferably a gelding or mare that has
never been used for breeding and has never received blood or plasma
transfusions. Ideally, a cross-match should be performed to ensure
compatibility between the donor and receiving foal.
One litre of average quality plasma should raise the foal’s IgG
concentration by about two grams per litre. Repeated measurements of
the foal’s serum IgG concentration are critical since additional plasma
transfusions may be needed during the first three weeks to provide
complete protection.
Large Animal Veterinary Rounds
Keen to know more about the failure of passive transfer in foals?
Curious to discover a reliable information source for other horse health
issues?
Then it’s time you checked out Large Animal Veterinary Rounds,
an exceptional veterinary information source that’s available online at
www.canadianveterinarians.net/larounds. LAVR’s primary audience is
large animal veterinarians across Canada, but the monthly articles are
also informative for the public — presenting important scientific and
clinical developments in food animal and equine veterinary medicine.
Led by editor Dr. David Wilson, the publication’s editorial
content is mainly developed by faculty and graduate students at the
Western College of Veterinary Medicine along with guest contributors.
The production of Large Animal Veterinary Rounds (online and
published versions) is made possible through an educational grant
provided by Schering-Plough Canada Inc. and the co-operation of the
Canadian Veterinary Medical Association.
Since horses make up a large part of large animal veterinary
medicine in Canada, the publication regularly features equine health
topics. For example, recent issues focus on equine gastric ulcer
syndrome, osteochondrosis in horses, ulcerative keratitis, equine
joint disease and strangles.
For more details, please visit the publication’s web site and click
on the archives section to read the original articles. As well, watch for
more summaries of equine-related topics in future issues of Horse
Health Lines.
Prevention is key
Horse owners can help to prevent failure of passive transfer by
taking the following steps:
• make sure to vaccinate all mares regularly and follow regionspecific vaccination programs.
• house pregnant mares in the area where they will foal for at least
four weeks in advance of foaling. This will help their immune system
to produce environment-specific antibodies and to provide optimal
protection for their newborn foals.
• a mare’s udder and perineal region as well as her stall or paddock
should be kept clean at all times especially around foaling time.
• supervise foaling so you can detect or correct problems as soon as
possible.
• keep a supply of frozen colostrum on your farm in case a mare
has poor quality or inadequate amounts of first milk. Colostrum can
be milked and stored frozen for 18 months without significant loss of
antibodies. The quality of stored colostrum should be evaluated before
administration.
Richter C, Lohmann KL. “Failure of passive transfer in foals:
a review.” Large Animal Veterinary Rounds. 5(10). 1-6. Original
article summarized by Sylvia MacBean and Myrna MacDonald. H
Previous page: A Paint colt gets a warm drink from his mother, Brokers
Babe (Babe). Owned by Shirley and Jack Brodsky of Saskatoon, Sask., the son
of Far Ute Finale (Finnegan) was born on April 30, 2007.
Western College of Vet e r i n a r y Me d i c i n e 1 1
Equine follicle stimulating hormone
(eFSH) has been shown to increase
the rates of ovulation and embryo
recoveries in mares — but will its use
translate into more foals?
Can eFSH better the odds of
By Matt Barron
embryo transfer?
Embryo transfer has been available to horse breeders for more than two
decades, but despite technical improvements, the procedure’s less-than-inspiring
results and its associated costs have discouraged many horse owners from
considering the option.
The statistics tell the story: the procedure’s embryo recovery rate is about 50
per cent with a recipient pregnancy rate hovering between 50 to 65 per cent per
transferred embryo. When mares are bred, they conceive only about half the time
— resulting in no embryo available to transfer. And if an embryo is produced and
transferred, it often doesn’t survive the process.
Where there’s room for improvement is in the ability to induce multiple
ovulations or superovulation in donor mares: the more ovulations, the better the
odds are for conception and successfully transferring an embryo from a donor
12
H o r s e H e a l t h L i n e s • S u m m e r 2007
mare to the recipient mare. But it isn’t as simple as it sounds. Researchers
have found that superovulatory treatments haven’t worked as efficiently in
mares as they do in cattle and other domestic species.
That situation may change with the increasing use of a superovulatory
drug called equine follicle stimulating hormone (eFSH) — a purified
pituitary extract product that has been shown to increase the rates of
ovulation and embryo recoveries in donor mares. However, researchers still
have many questions about the effects of eFSH on embryo quality as well as
on post-transfer pregnancy rates in recipient mares.
Those questions spurred on a research study that was conducted by Drs.
Tal Raz, Jodyne Green, Mark Corrigan and Claire Card at WCVM’s Goodale
Research Farm. “We wanted to check those parameters to see what we can
offer to clients when they come to us for embryo transfer services,” explains
Raz, a theriogenology resident and PhD student in WCVM’s Department
of Large Animal Clinical Sciences. Raz’s graduate supervisor is Card — a
specialist in equine reproduction at the veterinary college.
During the project, the research team monitored the reproductive
activity of 12 donor mares and 37 recipient mares throughout two
consecutive estrus cycles. In the first “control” cycle, donor mares were
artificially inseminated after researchers administered human chorionic
gonadotropin (hCG is a hormone used to induce ovulation). Eight days after
the first ovulation, the donor mares were flushed for embryos.
Once the recovered embryos were transferred to a petri dish and
examined for quality, each one was injected into a recipient mare’s uterus. To
prepare for this process, the researchers used a combination of hormones to
synchronize the estrus cycles of both donor and recipient mares: two to three
recipient mares were synchronized for each donor mare. Once the embryos
were collected, the team used recipient mares that had ovulated in a range of
two days before to two days after the donor mares had ovulated.
During the second cycle, the main difference was that members of the
research team initiated eFSH treatments when the donor mares’ follicles were
more than 25 millimetres in diameter. The animals received intramuscular
injections of eFSH (12.5 milligrams) twice a day until researchers detected
one or more follicles at more than 35 mm. At that point, the mares were
given hCG treatment and were artificially inseminated. Just as in the mares’
first cycle, the researchers collected and transferred embryos approximately
eight days after their first ovulation.
The control cycle treatment resulted in 18 ovulations, six embryos and
four recipient pregnancies, while the second eFSH cycle treatment resulted
in 28 ovulations, 15 embryos and five recipient pregnancies. All 12 mares
completed the eFSH treatments in the second cycle, but two didn’t ovulate
— meaning that the embryo transfer statistics only reflect results from 10
mares.
While it was no surprise that the number of ovulations was higher
during the eFSH-treated cycle, ovulation results for the untreated control
cycle were quite high as well and were somewhat better than expected. “I
don’t know why, but sometimes the mares don’t read the book,” says Raz.
However, the number of embryos recovered during the mares’ eFSH
cycle differed little from the established success rate of 50 per cent embryo
recovery rate per ovulation.
Two-thirds of the control embryos resulted in pregnancies, but only
a third of the embryos collected after the eFSH treatment cycle led to
pregnancies in the recipient mares. Those results were significantly lower
than the 50 to 65 per cent pregnancy rate per transferred embryo that’s
expected in commercial embryo transfer operations. “That was a big
disappointment for us,” acknowledges Raz.
What caused the lower pregnancy rates in the recipient mares? One
potential issue could have been some variability in the overall uterine
condition of the study’s donor and recipient mares. But the most prominent
factor was the quality of the embryos: the average embryo quality score was
lower for embryos resulting from the eFSH-treated cycle. As Raz explains,
the embryos collected in the control cycle looked as round and clear as
new contact lenses, while the embryos collected from eFSH-treated cycle
resembled discolored contact lenses that had scalloped with age.
Embryo quality concerns linked to eFSH use aren’t unique to
horses. Previous studies have shown that FSH treatments for ovarian
superstimulation affect embryo quality and quantity in other species as well.
The study’s overall results reflect the need for more investigations into
how eFSH treatments can be fine-tuned to increase ovulation rates and
embryo numbers — and whether its effect on embryo quality and pregnancy
rates can be overcome. Raz points out that the study’s outcome also indicates
something that horse breeders and veterinarians can’t forget: each mare
reacts differently to eFSH, to other hormone therapies, and to the embryo
transfer process in general. For example, mares in other WCVM studies have
produced four to seven embryos per cycle for transfer, while others have
produced none whatsoever.
“Usually when horse owners come here and ask about eFSH and
embryo transfer, we tell them the realities of the procedure — and we tell
them that’s it all going to cost $500 to $600,” says Raz. “In the end, we let
the client decide.”
Matt Barron has written for regional and national magazines,
including Up Here magazine, Outdoor Canada, and Canadian
Geographic. He works part-time on web projects for the Vaccine and
Infectious Disease Organization in Saskatoon. H
Previous Page Left: Second-year veterinary student Bruce Stover conducts a
rectal palpation on one of the mares involved in a study comparing the effects
of equine follicle stimulating hormone (eFSH) and porcine follicle stimulating
hormone (pFSH). Top: PhD student Dr. Tal Raz uses ultrasonography to confirm a
mare’s pregnancy. Centre: Dr. Tal Raz with one of his study’s mares. Bottom:
Dr. Raz rubs noses with one of the study’s mares.
This page: Mariana Amorim, a veterinary student from Brazil’s Universidade
Federal Rural de Pernambuco (UFRPE), records results.
Western College of Vet e r i n a r y Me d i c i n e 1 3
Western College of Vet e r i n a r y Me d i c i n e 1 3
Dreamer’s mother was a Quarter horse-Arabian mare,
but based on Caprice (Cap) Munro’s description, her 16.2hand, dark brown gelding definitely favours his sire’s side
of the family. The horse is the old-fashioned Holsteiner type
— a solid, big-boned, good-natured fellow with a bit of an
attitude — and he has played a large role in Munro’s life for
close to 20 years.
“Dreamer was five years old when I got him, and I was
in my thirties. I had been riding horses all of my life, but he
was the first horse I ever bought,” recalls Munro. Based on
that shared history, the North Vancouver, B.C., resident has
made financial and practical provisions for Dreamer’s care
in her long-term plans: “He’s been a good friend, and when
I came to draw up my will, making sure he would be looked
after was my first consideration.”
But even after Munro had taken care of Dreamer’s
needs, she wanted to do more to care for all horses — not just
her own: “I felt that I wanted to do something that would be
of long-term benefit to horses in general. I just had to decide
how to go about it.”
Munro’s history with horses goes back a long way: as a
girl, she rode whenever she had the chance and most of her
riding time was spent in a Western saddle. Her interest in the
English disciplines (particularly dressage) didn’t begin until
later in life she went on a couple of European riding vacations
— first in Spain and then in France — and the experience
inspired her to sign up for
English riding lessons. Later,
when the opportunity came
up to buy Dreamer, she seized
it even though the timing
wasn’t ideal.
“I couldn’t really afford
him at the time. But I took
out a loan to make up his
purchase price, and I worked
in the stables to help pay for
his board,” says Munro.
Dreamer’s former owners continued to show him over fences while
Munro and her horse participated in dressage tests. The duo have even
competed occasionally in Western classes, and Munro points out that
Dreamer is an excellent trail horse except for one idiosyncrasy: he doesn’t
like cows.
But horses are far from her only interest. A graduate of Simon
Fraser University, Munro has a degree in education but has spent much
of her working life in the book trade where her focus is on rare and
antiquarian books. Bill Hoffer, a well-known Vancouver bookseller and
Munro’s employer for 12 years, was the person who prompted her to
specialize in horse books.
When Hoffer moved to Russia, she took over the extensive collection
of horse books that they had accumulated. Several years later, Hoffer died
in Victoria, B.C., and Munro received the collection in recompense for her
years of working with the bookseller.
On top of the equine books, she has another large and valuable
collection of English Civil War books. “My first thought was to leave my
books to Simon Fraser University — and I will donate some to their
Horse Health Gift is
One for the Books
Cap Munro’s unique plans for donating to the Western College of
Veterinary Medicine’s Equine Health Research Fund combine two of
her life’s great passions: books and horses. By Roberta Pattison
14 H o r s e H e a l t h L i n e s • S u m m e r 2007
archives. But I want the rest to go back into the world and be read,”
explains Munro. “These two main collections will be sold, and the
proceeds will go to the WCVM Equine Health Research Fund.”
That decision came after considerable and careful deliberation,
and Munro’s source of inspiration was the bequest of a friend, Doreen
Margetts, who shared her passion for horses. Besides breeding horses
in England, Australia and New Zealand, Margetts wrote The Palomino
Horse (under her maiden name, Doreen Norton) — the definitive book
on the colour breed. When Margetts died several years ago, she made
a substantial donation to the University of Guelph’s Ontario Veterinary
College. As part of her bequest, some of her paintings — originals
by British equestrian artist Sir Alfred Munnings — were sold and the
proceeds were donated to support equine research at OVC.
“I want to be sure the money will be used to help horses in some
way,” stresses Munro. “I’ve chosen the WCVM partly because it’s in
Western Canada and partly because my long-time veterinarian, Dr. Bob
Moats (WCVM ’74), and his wife Marian (Dr. Marian Dobson, WCVM ’74)
are graduates of the College. They’re great veterinarians and I very much
respect what they do. They speak highly of the education they received
at the College. I’ve read about the worthwhile work that the Equine
Health Research Fund has sponsored and I know my gift will go toward
actual research — not administrative costs. In another sense, it’s also
appropriate that the money should go there because Bill Hoffer attended
the University of Saskatchewan.”
Munro continues to be involved in the book trade although it’s
become more of a sideline for the BC Hydro employee. “It’s not as much
fun as it used to be — largely because of the Internet. The business has
become more impersonal: you don’t get to meet people face to face as
much as you used to,” she says regretfully.
However, Munro still deals in new books for clients who don’t have
online access, and she’s always willing to hunt down specific books for
people’s collections. Whether the “hunt” is for something as common
as a copy of George Morris’s Hunter Seat Equitation or for something
as rare as an early edition of the Duke of Newcastle’s book, A General
System of Horsemanship, she’s happy to oblige.
These days, much of Munro’s free time is spent at the Laura Lynn
Equestrian Centre in North Vancouver, B.C., where Dreamer lives under
the watchful eye of barn manager Wendy Cathcart. Though he’s now in
his early twenties, the big horse is still going strong and Munro hopes
that he’ll be around for many years yet. She has occasionally nursed him
through illness and injury, and she thoroughly appreciates the work done
by equine practitioners and researchers to improve horse health.
If you’re interested in leaving a legacy that
supports horse health, why not take the next
step? Call Patti Tweed, WCVM’s development
officer (306-966-7450) or email wcvm.
supportus@usask.ca for more information.
The fact that her collections of books will eventually contribute to
that goal of better health for all horses is another thought that pleases
Munro. “My donation won’t be the largest that the Equine Health
Research Fund has ever received, but I know the money will be used well
and that it will make a difference.”
Roberta Pattison is a freelance writer who is a regular
contributor to the national publication, Dogs in Canada. Recently
retired from grain farming, she still lives on her farm near Delisle,
Saskatchewan. H
Previous page: Cap Munro and her horse Dreamer at Laura Lynn Equestrian
Centre in North Vancouver, B.C. Below: Munro and Dreamer alongside barn
manager Wendy Cathcart and Willy — Dreamer’s longtime stablemate. Photos:
Olivia Fraguas.
Western College of Vet e r i n a r y Me d i c i n e 1 5
G A L L O P I N G GAZETTE
WCVM STUDENT AWARDED: Thera (Tee)
Fox, a fourth-year student at WCVM, was the
recipient of a $2,500 scholarship from the
American Association of Equine Practitioners
and the American Live Stock Insurance
Company. Fox was the only Canadian among
the eight scholarship winners for 2006.
Fox, who graduated from WCVM in
June 2007, is originally from Wapella, Sask. A
long-time 4-H member, she has been an active
participant in WCVM’s Equine Club and served
as the student representative on the Equine
Health Research Fund’s advisory board for two
years.
The annual AAEP/ALSIC scholarships
are awarded to fourth-year veterinary students
across North America who have demonstrated
a strong desire to pursue a career in equine
medicine. Since the scholarship program’s
creation in 1989, more than $300,000 has been
awarded to veterinary students who plan to be
equine practitioners. For more information,
visit www.aaep.org.
WCVM IN PRINT: Equine health research
conducted at WCVM has resulted in a number
of publications:
• Bell, C. “Pharyngeal neuromuscular
dysfunction associated with bilateral guttural
pouch tympany in a foal.” Canadian
Veterinary Journal. Feb. 2007. 48(2): 192-4.
• Sandmeyer LS, Grahn BH, Breaux CB.
“Diagnostic ophthalmology. Anterior and
posterior uveitis with inflammatory retinal
detachment, most likely secondary to equine
recurrent uveitis.” Canadian Veterinary
Journal. Jan. 2007. 48(1): 97-8.
• Postey RC, Appleyard GD, Kidney BA.
“Evaluation of equine papillomas, aural
plaques, and sarcoids for the presence of equine
papillomavirus DNA and papillomavirus
antigen.” Canadian Journal of Veterinary
Research. Jan. 2007. 71(1): 28-33.
• Sandmeyer LS, Grahn BH, Breaux
CB. “Diagnostic ophthalmology. Congenital
stationary night blindness (CSNB).” Canadian
Veterinary Journal. Nov. 2006. 47(11): 1131,
1133.
• Carmalt JL, Allen AL. “Effect of
rostrocaudal mobility of the mandible on feed
digestibility and fecal particle size in horses.”
Journal of American Veterinary Medical
Association. October 2006. 229(8): 1275-8.
EQUINE SEMINAR: Students involved in the
WCVM Equine Club, a student chapter of the
American Association of Equine Practitioners,
organized a one-day equine seminar for local
Pony Club and 4-H Club members of all ages
on February 3.
Despite frigid temperatures of -40°C,
more than 200 club members, parents and
chaperones took in presentations on a variety of
equine-related topics including reproduction,
lameness, health care basics and management,
colic and performance training.
The one-day seminar is an annual event
for the WCVM Equine Club whose members
organized, prepared and presented all of the
day’s activities for the young horse enthusiasts.
Vi s i t H o r s e H e a l t h L i n e s o n l i n e a t w w w. e h r f . u s a s k . c a
PUBLICATIONS MAIL AGREEMENT NO. 40112792
RETURN UNDELIVERABLE CANADIAN ADDRESSES TO:
Research Office, WCVM
University of Saskatchewan
52 Campus Drive
Saskatoon, SK S7N 5B4
wcvm.research@usask.ca
EHRF FELLOWS: This spring, members of the
EHRF management committee and advisory board
agreed to expand the Fund’s fellowship program so
it could financially support the training of three
EHRF Fellows at WCVM in 2007-08. Creation of
an additional fellowship became possible after
the Fund received a $125,000 contribution from
the Heather Ryan and L. David Dubé Foundation in
August 2006.
• Dr. Luca Panizzi, one of the 2006-07 EHRF
Fellows, is in the second year of his large animal
surgical residency under Dr. Spencer Barber’s
supervision. Panizzi graduated from the University
of Parma, Italy, in 2003, then completed an
internship and fellowship at Chino Valley Equine in
Chino, Calif., before coming to WCVM in 2006. As
part of his graduate program, Panizzi will evaluate
a minimally invasive arthrodesis technique for the
carpometacarpal joint.
• Dr. Tal Raz is a PhD student and an equine
theriogenology resident under Dr. Claire Card’s
supervision. Raz, who received his veterinary
degree from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem’s
Koret School of Veterinary Medicine, has been a
graduate student at WCVM since 2004 and has
conducted several investigations on the use of
different hormone therapies and protocols for
early transitional mares.
• Dr. Chris Bell of Balzac, Alta., graduated
with Distinction from WCVM in 2006. After
receiving his DVM, Bell conducted a one-year
clinical internship at Arizona Equine Medical &
Surgical Centre in Gilbert, Ariz. before returning to
WCVM this summer. Bell is a large animal surgery
resident and MVetSc graduate student under Dr.
David Wilson’s supervision.
• EHRF undergraduate research: Hayley
Lang, a first-year WCVM student from Humboldt,
Sask. has been selected as the EHRF undergraduate
summer research student. Lang’s mentor is large
animal surgeon Dr. Spencer Barber.
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