Equine passports Flashcards
UK vaccines are available for which equine diseases?
- Equine influenza
- Tetanus
- Herpes 1 and 4
- Strangles
- Rotavirus
- West Nile virus
- Equine viral arteritis
What are the two most commonly prescribed equine vaccines?
Influenza
Tetanus
Why is equine influenza so important to vaccinate against?
- Highly contagious respiratory disease with high morbidity and low mortality
- Main reason for control is the economic impact of an outbreak
What is the only equine disease that various competition bodies require horses to be vaccinated against before competition?
Influenza
Which sub-types should be included in equine influenza vaccines?
Clade 1 and 2
Name the Equine influenza vaccine that complies with OIE recommendations and contains Clade 1 and 2
Proteq-flu
Describe the 3 jab equine influenza vaccination course for a competition horse
- 1 jab
- 2nd jab 21-92 days later
- 3rd jab 150-215 days after that
When should equine influenza boosters be given after the 3 jab course?
At intervals of not more than one year apart
What are the two main sets of competition regulations in UK?
- Jockey club rules (local)
- FEI rules (larger organisations e.g. Olympics)
What are the Jockey club vaccination rules?
The horse must have had the two initial vaccines (plus 6 days) before it can compete. Boosters on the anniversary date are acceptable
What are the FEI vaccination rules?
Require a flu booster every 6 months and it can’t be within 7 days of a competition
What does the Proteq-Flu datasheet say regarding influenza vaccine?
- First injection from 5-6 months of age
- 2nd 4-6 weeks later
- Revaccinate 5 months after primary injection
The horse is one day late for the vaccination – can I “back date” the passport?
No. That would be false certification and therefore an offence.
I’ve made a mistake entering the vaccine details on the passport – what do I do?
Strike out the whole wrong entry with a single line (so it still can be read) and fill in a whole new entry in the next line.
Don’t just try and amend the error.
Countersign and date where you’ve struck out the whole entry.
I’ve been asked to fill in the details of a vaccination that a colleague did – can I do this?
Yes – as long as you can be certain that the vaccine has been given the horse in question – perhaps by checking the practice records or consulting with the colleague
- If you are not certain of the details you should not fill in the certificate
What are the clinical signs of a horse infected with Tetanus?
- 3rd eyelid prolapse
- Sweating
- Trembling
- Ears pulled back
- Staring eyes
- Rigid
- Distressed
- Tail elevation
- Locked jaw and hypersalivation
Tetanus vaccines referred to as ?
Tetanus toxoid
What is the name of the most common brand of tetanus vaccine?
Equilis TE
Describe the course of tetanus vaccines
- Can be given from 6 months of age
- 2 vaccines 4-6 weeks apart then third booster within 12 or 17 months of the first
- Boosters every 2 years
How can foals receive passive tetanus immunity?
Booster given 4-6 weeks before foaling may give foal passive immunity for up to 6 months
What is a tetanus antitoxin?
Premade antibodies to tetanus – provide immediate cover for wounds, foot abscesses, newborn foals etc
- not required if tetanus vaccination status is up to date
Compare an antitoxin and a toxoid
Antitoxin = antibodies Toxoid = vaccination
What must all horses, ponies, donkeys, mules and related animals have in the UK unless they are truly wild?
A horse passport and be microchipped
Who can implant microchips into horses?
Veterinary surgeons
What are the exemptions to a horse not being accompanied by its passport?
- Emergency situations
- When the horse is stabled or at pasture
- Being moved on foot
- Participating in a competition/event which requires the horse to leave the venue
At what age must a horse have a passport?
Needs to be issued within six months of birth or by 31 December of the year of birth – whatever date is latest
- No minimum age
When a vet is presented with a passport, he/she should carefully check?
- The passport belongs to the horse
- The horse is signed out of the food chain (when using certain medications e.g. phenylbutazone)
- Whether the vaccinations are up to date
Name the two most commonly used equine NSAIDs that cannot be used if a horse hasn’t been signed out of the food chain?
Phenylbutazone
Flunixin
What if you want to give bute or flunixin and…The passport is present but unsigned?
Ask the owner if they consent to you signing the passport. Sign the passport then give bute/flunixin.
What if you want to give bute or flunixin and…the passport is not present?
- If you know the passport has been signed (e.g, if medical records declare it has been signed) you can administer bute/flunixin.
- If not you can only administer substances suitable for food producing animals
When must a horse owner give the buyer a horses passport?
At the time of the sale
The buyer of a horse must notify the transaction to the passport issuing organisation for registration of the new ownership within how long?
30 days
What can you not apply for a horse passport without?
A microchip
What is the site of microchip placement?
Nuchal ligament in the middle third of the crest on the left side
Describe the microchip procedure in a horse
- Scan to ensure it doesn’t already have a chip
- scan the new chip to make sure it works and the numbers correlate
- Clip the microchip site and clean with chlorhexidine
- Insert 2-3mls local anaesthetic (e.g., lidocaine) subcutaneously over site then scrub with chlorhexidine.
- Insert microchip, apply digital pressure afterwards to prevent bleeding.
- Scan chip to confirm.
- Fill out ID form.
How must a passport be filled out after microchipping?
Place microchip number on the passport ID section and indicate the position of the implant with a capital ‘M’ with a circle around it on the silhouette and sign and stamp it
How are the following noted on a passport:
- whorl
- white areas
- white hoof
- acquired marks
- prophets thumb
- microchip
- X
- Red and hatched
- Red
- Black arrow
- Black triangle
- M in a circle with a line to the location
Describe the colouring of a bay horse
The body is brown although the shade of brown may vary from very pale brown to very dark. The mane and tail are black. The legs are black from above the knee downwards
Compare chestnut, dun and palomino colourings
Chestnut - body and legs are golden/ginger, mane and tail are usually the same
Dun - The body is golden although it may vary from very pale to a rich gold. The mane and tail are black and there can be a black line running down the back (dorsal strip)
Palomino - The body is golden although the shade can vary from very pale golden to a rich golden. The mane and tail are white.
Describe roan colouring
Roan - The body is coloured with white hairs through the coat. The colouring on the body can be any colour
Compare piebald and skewbald colourings
Piebald: Piebald is a black and white patched horse.
Skewbald: Skewbald is a coloured and white patched horse
Where are the following markings:
- snip
- star
- stripe
- blaze
- White mark between the nostrils, sometimes extending into the nostrils
- A white mark on the forehead
- A narrow white mark down the face
- A broad white mark down the face, extending wider than the bridge of the nose.
What is a fleshmark?
Non-pigmented areas of thin haired skin often near the nostrils or lips.
Solid red triangle or draw accurate shape if possible.
What markings on the legs need to be described and how should they be described?
- Colour of hoof: black, white, striped
- Describe white markings as “White to mid-cannon” or “white to fetlock”, but do not forget hoof colour! E.g., “White to fetlock, striped hoof”.
What is an Ermine mark?
black spots on legs, usually on the coronet band or pastern
What is prophet’s thumbprint?
- How is it drawn on a passport?
A muscular depression seen usually in the neck but sometimes in the shoulders or hindquarters.
Drawn as a black triangle.
