Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
organic waste on the ground. It is strongly advised to avoid using pastures
surrounded by or containing trees, and this measure counts especially for the
maple tree.
3.
M
ANAGEMENT OF
C
OGRAZERS AT
P
ASTURE WITH A
C
ASE OF
A
TYPICAL
M
YOPATHY
When AM declares on a pasture, it is strongly advised to check the
seemingly healthy co-grazers of the affected horse. These co-grazers most
likely have also been in contact with the causative agent and are often
submitted to the same predisposing and/or contributing factors. They are thus
at risk to develop the disease in the following hours or days, or already suffer
from subclinical disease (Delguste et al. 2002; Votion et al. 2007). They merit
special attention concerning prevention.
Without creating stress for these co-grazers, the same preventive measures
as discussed before should be applied as good as possible to them, even if this
might sound like ―last minute‖ prevention. More specifically, co-grazers
should be removed from the pasture where AM declared; ideally they should
be stabled full time, at least during the risk period. After a couple of days of
heavy frost, horses can be turned out again. Placing them on another parcel
and limiting pasturing (< 6H per day or weather dependant) can also be an
option. Stress, such as transport, anaesthesia or exercise, should be avoided as
much as possible to limit energetic deficits that favour clinical disease in
subclinical
affected
animals.
Without
excess,
they
should
receive
supplementary
food,
by
preference
carbohydrate
rich
food,
such
as
concentrates.
These co-grazers should also be placed under close clinical surveillance
and serum levels of CK should regularly be measured since these horses can
develop clinical AM in the following hours and days with a maximum up to 4
days after being stabled (van Galen et al. 2010). As soon as the serum levels of
CK are increased or if clinical signs are noted, the horse should receive
supportive treatment to limit any further muscle damage. Vitamin B, C and E,
selenium and carnitine can be already administered as preventive therapy to
support muscle mitochondrial metabolism, moreover since this was the only
treatment category that increased survival in clinical AM cases (van Galen et
al. 2011b).
