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Veterinary checks are vital before traveling with animals
The news that cases of vesicular stomatitis have been confirmed in Colorado could make some breeders nervous, but Tyler Karney of Ordway Feedyard said his activities were going as before.
"If we take horses anywhere, we'll just bring in a veterinarian to conduct a sanitary inspection of the animal," Karney told La Junta Tribune-Democrat.
"Then we do not let new horses into the yard unless they have health papers and they have been checked by a veterinarian."
Sometimes, guys from Ordway Feeders like to take their horses to the rodeo ranch and enjoy the events, said Karney. Whenever they plan to travel with their horses, they must do inspections and obtain temporary documents that clear their livestock for the trip.
"(The veterinarian) does a visual inspection, then every six months they have a blood test," he said.
"It's good for six months, they take blood, send it to the lab and make sure they're negative. It's a normal protocol to do it."
Karney said that when procedures are not properly followed, outbreaks are more likely to occur.
The protocol is similar to another action taken by livestock owners to prevent equine infectious anemia, called the Coggins test.
The Coggins test results are only viable for six months, Karney explained. Assuming that the test results are negative, the livestock owner will receive a card stating that the animal is in good health and free of EIA.
"It's when you travel that you have to have a Coggins and Negative Health Papers.The health papers are only valid for one week and your Coggins are good for six months," said Karney.
Bruce Fickenscher, of CSU Rocky Ford's extension office, told Ag Journal that the mitigation of cattle-to-VSV contacts was summed up in what he calls the biosecurity.
"It's all about not letting your animals share equipment with other animals," Fickenscher said.
Especially in the run-up to the holiday season, breeders and livestock owners must be proactive in having their animals inspected by doctors.
"They just need to call the vet and they can go out and make a health certificate type agreement," Fickenscher said. "I think anyway most of the larger series require a health certificate.In Arkansas Valley Fair, we do not need a health certificate." This goes back to biosecurity . "
As of July 12, there were 26 confirmed cases of VSV in Colorado, in the counties of Weld, Larimer and La Plata, according to the Colorado Department of Agriculture.
A total of 16 locals in these counties have been confirmed for the VSV. Twelve cases have been reported in New Mexico in four counties, and Texas has nine cases in five counties.
Vesicular stomatitis is a viral disease that mainly affects horses and cattle, and sometimes pigs, sheep, goats, llamas and alpacas. The VSV transmission process is not fully understood, but includes vector insects, such as black flies, sandflies and biting midges.
The incubation period varies from 2 to 8 days. Clinical signs include vesicles, erosions and thinning of the skin on the muzzle, tongue, ears, teats and coronary rings.
Excessive salivation is often the first sign of illness, accompanied by a reluctance to eat or drink. Lameness and weight loss can follow.
Humans can become infected when handling affected animals, but this is a rare event. To avoid human exposure, individuals should use personal protection measures when handling affected animals.
There is no vaccination against VSV; the best prevention is strict control of flies.
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