Page 932 - The Veterinary Care of the Horse

and application of an antibiotic ointment for 5–7 days following removal of all accumulated

smegma.
VetBooks.ir cleaning of the clitoral region and topical antibiotic treatment. With stubborn infections that
Mares with endometritis are treated with intrauterine infusions of antibiotic, thorough

are difficult to clear, surgical removal of the clitoris may be performed.

Freedom from infection in mares is confirmed by 3 negative clitoral swabs taken at
intervals of at least 7 days and 3 negative endometrial swabs taken during successive

oestrous periods. The first set of post treatment swabs is not taken until 7 or more days after
treatment has ended.

Stallions require 3 sets of negative swabs taken at intervals of at least 7 days before they
can be confirmed free of infection. In addition, the first 3 mares mated or inseminated by the

stallion should have clitoral swabs taken 3 times at intervals of at least 7 days, starting 2 days
after mating or insemination. These must be negative.

CONTROL

If a case is confirmed, there is a Code of Practice published by the Horserace Betting Levy
Board (HBLB) (www.hblb.org.uk) that must be strictly adhered to. This includes:

• stopping all breeding activity immediately

• isolation and swabbing of infected horses

• swabbing of at-risk contacts
• notification of owners of mares who have left the premises, are booked to the stallion or

have been inseminated with semen

• testing of stored semen
• foaling of pregnant mares that have been exposed to the infection in isolation; the

placenta must be burned and both filly and colt foals swabbed.

Breeding should not be resumed until the premises are confirmed as free from the
disease.

PREVENTION

The disease can be prevented by strict adherence to the recommendations for swabbing in the
HBLB Code of Practice. The swabs should be taken from mares and stallions after 1st

January of the year in which breeding activity is planned. Additional swabs are taken from
stallions in the middle of the breeding season.