Once a horse has contracted EI, when will the horse be ready to return to work?
This is an extremely important question.
The following information has been prepared by Dr Craig Suann, from Racing NSW.
“Trainers are reminded about the importance of ensuring that horses that have previously contracted Equine Influenza (EI) have undergone the appropriate convalescence period and veterinary assessment before being returned to work. Because of the damage to the lining of the airways in the respiratory tract caused by the EI virus, there then must be a prolonged period of rest and a slow return to work before full training can resume. This is to optimise the short and long term health and welfare of the affected horses, and to reduce the possibility of flu related secondary infections and other complications.
The Ausvetplan and standard veterinary texts dealing with Equine Influenza recommend one month’s rest after the last febrile (high temperature) episode during the course of the illness.
During this rest period after the fever has disappeared, horses should be hand walked only, or walked under saddle.
However, if a horse has an elevated temperature for greater than 4 days in the initial phase of the disease, this one month’s period of rest should be extended further (one extra week’s rest for every extra febrile day).
Rest reduces the opportunity for secondary infection and hastens the healing of the respiratory tract mucosa and therefore recovery and return to fitness. At the end of the minimum rest period, it is recommended that the horse undergo a veterinary clinical examination, including a blood test which will give the results of the hemogram and fibrinogen levels.
Endoscopic examination of the lower respiratory tract will also assist in assessing the horse’s readiness to commence slow work on the track.
Following this initial rest period of at least one months, affected horses can then resume slow work (trotting and cantering) for at least another month before they can commence faster work.
One of the complications arising from return to fast work too quickly is myocarditis (inflammation of the heart muscle) which can further prolong recovery and slow the return to normal athletic condition. Another possible complication is an increased tendency for the occurrence of exercise induced pulmonary haemorrhage (“Bleeding”). The road to recovery will vary between horses, depending on the intensity and duration of the initial symptoms, and whether or not complications such as secondary bacterial infections occur. This will require careful monitoring of your horses as they progress through their training program”.
This is an extremely important question.
The following information has been prepared by Dr Craig Suann, from Racing NSW.
“Trainers are reminded about the importance of ensuring that horses that have previously contracted Equine Influenza (EI) have undergone the appropriate convalescence period and veterinary assessment before being returned to work. Because of the damage to the lining of the airways in the respiratory tract caused by the EI virus, there then must be a prolonged period of rest and a slow return to work before full training can resume. This is to optimise the short and long term health and welfare of the affected horses, and to reduce the possibility of flu related secondary infections and other complications.
The Ausvetplan and standard veterinary texts dealing with Equine Influenza recommend one month’s rest after the last febrile (high temperature) episode during the course of the illness.
During this rest period after the fever has disappeared, horses should be hand walked only, or walked under saddle.
However, if a horse has an elevated temperature for greater than 4 days in the initial phase of the disease, this one month’s period of rest should be extended further (one extra week’s rest for every extra febrile day).
Rest reduces the opportunity for secondary infection and hastens the healing of the respiratory tract mucosa and therefore recovery and return to fitness. At the end of the minimum rest period, it is recommended that the horse undergo a veterinary clinical examination, including a blood test which will give the results of the hemogram and fibrinogen levels.
Endoscopic examination of the lower respiratory tract will also assist in assessing the horse’s readiness to commence slow work on the track.
Following this initial rest period of at least one months, affected horses can then resume slow work (trotting and cantering) for at least another month before they can commence faster work.
One of the complications arising from return to fast work too quickly is myocarditis (inflammation of the heart muscle) which can further prolong recovery and slow the return to normal athletic condition. Another possible complication is an increased tendency for the occurrence of exercise induced pulmonary haemorrhage (“Bleeding”). The road to recovery will vary between horses, depending on the intensity and duration of the initial symptoms, and whether or not complications such as secondary bacterial infections occur. This will require careful monitoring of your horses as they progress through their training program”.
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