Page 126 - 2021 Barrel Stallion Register
P. 126

                 VETERINARY VIEWS
 In response to widespread use of antimicrobials, many infectious organisms have adapted and developed resistance that protects them from succumbing to the killing effects of antimicrobial medications.
 Biosecurity practices are essential to minimize infectious disease entry onto a property. Good hygiene in the horse’s stabling environment along with daily grooming are sensible strategies that not only prevent infections but also enable an owner to identify a problem early on. Antimicro- bial drugs aren’t necessary for minor superficial wounds and should not substitute for appropriate wound cleansing and topical treatment. If there
is any doubt about the severity of a wound, it is smart to obtain your veterinarian’s assessment and expertise. For other illness concerns, also consult with your veterinarian.
While you may have a bottle of antibiotics kicking around in your equine medicine chest, it is always prudent to consult with your veterinar- ian before beginning treatment. In addition,
any outdated antibiotic medication may lose
its efficacy and therefore should be discarded. Reduced efficacy means the drug won’t work well, which delays recovery, and it also selects for anti- microbial resistant bacterial genes.
Because of the concern about on-going develop- ment of antibiotic resistance, be circumspect about using antibiotics in your horses without first having an appropriate diagnosis. Ideally, bacterial culture
and sensitivity of an infected wound, body part, or from a blood culture is a prelude to implementing a course of antibiotic therapy. Serious conditions may need to be managed initially with a choice of broad- spectrum antibiotic(s) while awaiting confirmation from the lab as to which medication is best to target a specific infection. Your veterinarian can help with this decision-making process.
Furthermore, proper use of antibiotics relies on appropriate dosing, frequency, and duration of treatment. Once a horse is started on a treat- ment course, it is important that antibiotics are administered in the proper amount relative to the horse’s body weight, and that the recommended route of administration and frequency of medi- cating are followed. Even if the horse seems to improve within a short few days, it is important to finish out the full course of treatment for the recommended number of days, which is usually
a minimum of five days. In some cases, antibiotic treatment may be required for weeks or months.
In all instances, working with your veterinar- ian on when to implement antibiotic therapy, how much and for how long will go a long way to helping to remedy the problem of antibiotic resistance related to overuse or misuse.
INADVERTENT SIDE EFFECTS OF ANTIBIOTIC USE
Antimicrobials themselves have the po- tential to induce gastrointestinal disturbances with subsequent diarrhea, referred to as antibiotic-associated diarrhea (AAD). A study focused on non-hospitalized horses over weanling age that developed diarrhea while being treated with antibiotics for non-gastro- intestinal problems. Subsequently, these 32 cases were admitted to a referral hospital. Age of the horses, mostly Thoroughbreds, ranged from four months to 28 years. Of these horses, 18 had received a single antimicrobial drug while 14 had received a combination
of two antibiotics. The target of the original antibiotic treatment was mostly aimed at respiratory problems.
Yet, antimicrobial drugs given for some non-intestinal malady can kill off some of the “good” bacteria that normally live in the intestine. This creates a void that is taken ad- vantage of by other “bad” or bacteria, such as Salmonella and Clostridia that become patho- genic when they overgrow. Equine patients treated with antimicrobial drugs are more
In deciding what is best for a horse in need of treatment, it’s important to consider the potential for harm along with the potential for benefit from antimicrobial drug treatment.
  The Center for Disease Control (CDC) notes that up to one half of antibiotic use in humans and much of antibiotic use in animals is inappropriate and unnecessary.
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