Internal Medicine & Nutrition Program

 

17 CE Total Hours

September 23rd - 25th, 2010

Groton, Connecticut

Pre-Registration Ends September 1st, 2010

 

Welcome to the NEAEP’s 2010 Internal Medicine Program.  This year’s program will focus on infectious diseases.  Leaders in the field of infectious disease will present current information on the diagnosis, treatment and management of some of the more prevalent infectious diseases encountered in the field.  The goal of these lectures is to enhance the clinician’s ability to recognize and diagnose certain conditions, and to take appropriate steps when necessary to prevent the spread of certain diseases.

Updates on some of the more commonly encountered infectious, but not contagious, diseases such as Lyme Disease, Potomac Horse Fever and Anaplasma phagocytophilium will also be presented. The Program additionally will feature informative practical sessions on frequently encountered endocrinological disorders such as Pituitary Pars Intermedia Dysfunction and Equine Metabolic Syndrome.

     

  Internal Medicine & Nutrition Schedule

Speakers & Topics

Rob Holland, DVM

Sponsored By:

 

Upper Respiratory Tract Viral Infections - Diagnosing and Containing the Spread

Upper respiratory tract viruses can propagate through an equine population very rapidly, leaving in their wake, multiple debilitated animals. It can also have a debilitating financial effect on the affected premise. This lecture will focus on the identification and treatment the more common upper respiratory tract viruses and steps that can be taken to limit the spread of disease.

 

Diagnosis and management of Streptococcus equi - To scope the pouches or not?

Streptococcus equi was first described in 1251. Up to this day outbreaks of the disease continue to have a significant impact on horse populations, financially crippling some premises on which the outbreaks occur. This lecture will review the diagnosis and management of the disease, focusing on the less commonly recognized manifestation of the disease, guttural pouch empyema.

 

Streptococcus equi - How to approach an outbreak

This lecture will focus on the logistical steps that should be taken to limit the spread of disease when first encountering a patient with Strangles.

 

Tom Divers, DVM, Dip. ACVIM, Dip. ACVECC

 

Sponsored By:

 

Lyme Disease-  What do we know about Borrelia burgdorferi infection in the horse?

Characterization of Lyme Disease in the horse has been difficult. Many horses in the northeastern U.S. have been infected and most do not show obvious clinical signs. Mild pathology in the skin, nerves and synovial membranes have been reported in experimentally infected ponies. The pathology in those ponies may help explain some of the clinical signs associated with equine Lyme disease. The most commonly used diagnostic tests do not distinguish between past infection and current infection. In addition the antibody response to Borrelia infection in the horse may be prolonged, making it difficult to determine when to treat and for how long. Doxycycline and tetracycline should be effective treatments in horses that have been infected for only several weeks.

 

Leptospirosis- An emerging disease in the horse?

Leptospira pomona is the most common pathogenic Leptospira serovar infecting horses in North America. L. pomona most commonly causes disease of the reproductive tract in females, the kidney in foals and young adults and the eye in adult horses. L. pomona and less commonly other serovars, are proven causes of late term abortion in mares and incidence may vary considerably between years. Recently infected horses generally  shed Leptospira in the urine from 2 weeks to 3 months and should be considered infectious during that time. Leptospira pomona is sensitive to several commonly used antibiotics. There is no approved equine vaccine. The most controversial aspect of equine leptospirosis is the association with equine recurrent uveitis.

Steeve Giguere, DVM, PhD, Dip. ACVIM

Sponsored By:

 

Update on infections caused by Rhodococcus equi in foals

An evidence based session on the diagnosis, pathogenesis, immunity, epidemiology, therapy, and control of the disease.

 

Respiratory Disorders of the Neonatal foal

The detection of respiratory disease in the newborn foal can be challenging. Clinical signs that are often associated with pulmonary tract disease in older foals and adult horses are typically lacking in the sick neonatal foal.  The transition from the fluid-filled lung of the foal to an organ that is responsible for efficient gas exchange is both rapid and complex. The process can be complicated by a number of factors, including prematurity or dysmaturity, thoracic trauma, aspiration of meconium or milk, and bacterial or viral infection.

 

Respiratory diseases of older foals

Respiratory disease is one of the leading cause of morbidity and mortality in older foals.  Common infectious and noninfectious respiratory disorders of older foals will be reviewed with a special emphasis on diagnostic and therapeutic measures.

Gillian Perkins, DVM, Dip. ACVIM

Sponsored By:

 

 

 

Update on Potomac Horse Fever

Potomac Horse Fever (Neorickettsia risticii) causes high fevers, inappetence and colitis and is frequently accompanied by electrolyte derangements, dehydration and protein loss.  Laminitis is often a secondary sequelae.  The disease is oxytetracycline-responsive, especially if treated early.  This talk will focus on experiences managing cases at the Cornell University Hospital for Animals along with an overview of the epidemiology and pathophysiology.

 

Anaplasma phagocytophilum:  A complex pathogen

Anaplasma phagocytophilum, previously known as Ehrlichia equi, is a common tick-borne disease encountered in the North East.  The symptoms most commonly are fever, inappetence, petechiae and limb edema, however, rhabdomyolysis, mild ataxia and seizures have been documented.   Thrombocytopenia, mild anemia and leucopenia are seen along with inclusions in the neutrophils depending on where in the course of the disease the blood sample is submitted.    A review of the literature and discussion of clinical symptoms, diagnosis and treatment will be presented.

 

Harold C. Schott II, DVM, PhD, Dip. ACVIM

Sponsored By:

 

 

 

Equine Metabolic Syndrome: Pathophysiology, Diagnosis and Management:

A syndrome of middle-aged obesity accompanied by insidious-onset laminitis has been recognized by equine practitioners for decades. Equine metabolic syndrome (EMS) is a recently coined name that has gained acceptance to describe this condition that is associated with insulin resistance. Clinical signs of laminitis commonly develop while horses are grazing spring pasture but can also occur at other times of the year and in horses without pasture access. 

 

Diagnosis and Management of Pituitary Pars Intermedia Dysfunction (PPID):

Increased recognition of PPID is a consequence of clients maintaining their horses to more advanced ages as well as improved health care being provided to older horses. Diagnosis of PPID in advanced cases with hirsutism is straightforward but diagnosis of earlier stages of the disease remains challenging. The dopaminergic drug pergolide has clearly been demonstrated to be an effective treatment for PPID but do all horses with PPID need to be treated?

 

Rodney Belgrave, DVM, MS, Dip. ACVIM

 

Sponsored By:

 

 

Diagnosis, Treatment and Management of Bacterial Pneumonia/Pleuropneumonia

This presentation will focus on the diagnosis and medical management of the more common causes of bacterial pneumonia.  The discussion will include the clinical examination findings of affected patients, the typical ultrasonographic and radiographic findings seen in bacterial pneumonia, the collection of samples from the respiratory tract, and therapeutic management of cases in the field and in hospital.

 

 

 

Randel Raub, Ph.D

Sponsored By:

Feeding The Sick Horse

Nutritional research and recommendations will be presented as related to specific disease conditions, and to facilitate recovery of the convalescent horse.

 

Horse Feed Safety, Quality And Ingredient Issues

How ingredient specifications, quality and their use in formulation can impact feed performance will be discussed. In addition, technologies and programs that effect horse feed safety and quality will be presented. Attendees will learn what specific questions they should ask to better understand the safety and quality of the horse feed they may be buying.

 

 

Marybeth Gordon, PhD.

Sponsored By:

Feeding For Athletic Performance

The nutritional demands of competition horses can be greatly elevated. Feeding strategies to optimize performance will be outlined, including a discussion of how to critically evaluate the proper usage of dietary supplements

 

Feeding back to health the malnourished and starved horse

Practitioners will unfortunately be faced with treating the malnourished and starved horse at some time or another. How to avoid complications such as re-feeding syndrome while bringing a horse back to optimal body condition will be discussed. Feeding strategies for different classes of horses and special cases will also be covered.