Agri Innovations
New App Helps Calculate Your Horse's Risk of Equine Influenza
Mon, 14 Oct 2013 11:02:55 CDT
Trips to shows, training sessions and other events will put horses to the test this fall and winter. Zoetis has developed an app for mobile devices that lets horse owners assess environmental risks that can compromise horse health, costing time and money.
The app prompts users for the approximate cost of vaccination, as well as the potential cost of treatment and the number of days off training in the case of an equine influenza infection. Using this information, the app calculates individual risk based on economic and environmental factors of each horse owner. The Equine Influenza Calculator app is available for free in the Apple® App Store®.
The app can help horse owners determine the economic risk for equine influenza virus (EIV), which causes one of the most common respiratory diseases in horses. This contagious disease can cause fever, coughing and nasal discharge, and it can spread rapidly to other horses. The financial risk of an EIV infection for each horse can reach up to $885 for diagnostics, treatment and days of missed training.*
Risk increases with very young or geriatric horses, as well as horses that are exposed to unfamiliar horses. That is why it is important for horse owners to determine the risk level of each horse and vaccinate accordingly against EIV. Proper vaccination can help protect horses from infection and help horse owners avoid financial loss.
The American Association of Equine Practitioners (AAEP) recommends that at-risk horses be vaccinated every six months. At-risk horses include those that are less than 6 years of age and those that are geriatric, as well as horses that may be frequently exposed to EIV at shows, trail rides or other events. For at-risk horses that are not vaccinated, the risk of contracting EIV can leap to 93.2%.
The best way to help protect your horse against the risk of EIV is to vaccinate before exposure. The Fluvac Innovator® line of vaccines helps deliver demonstrated protection against circulating contemporary EIV strains. Vaccination aids in the prevention of equine influenza due to Type A2 equine influenza viruses. Fluvac Innovator vaccines can also help prevent equine rhinopneumonitis due to equine herpesvirus (EHV) Types 1 and 4; equine encephalomyelitis due to Eastern, Western and Venezuelan encephalomyelitis viruses; and tetanus. They are also the only vaccines shown to help prevent clinical disease in 100% of vaccinated horses following EIV OH '03 challenge.
To ensure peace of mind, the Fluvac Innovator vaccines also are covered by the Equine Immunization Support Guarantee from Zoetis. This guarantee provides up to $5,000 for reasonable diagnostic and treatment costs if a horse properly vaccinated by a veterinarian contracts the corresponding equine disease.
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