News and Events

McKee-Pownall Equine Services has joined with King Equine Veterinary Services and Dr. Galina Bershteyn to create McKee-Pownall Equine Services-Niagara. We look forward to providing services to horses from the Niagara peninsula.

Dr. Mike Pownall (DVM, CF)will be a guest speaker at the 2010 Ontario Farrier's Association Convention Friday March 26th and Saturday March 27th at the Delta Guelph Hotel and Conference Centre.The Ontario Farrier's Association is opening its doors and welcoming the public to join
them for the convention. To learn more about these seminars visit www.ontariofarriers.com

Have you ever wonderered what is involved in becoming a Veterinarian? We have just posted the first of many interesting "Glimpses into the life of a vet student" Check out the latest blog addition!

Strangles is a highly contagious and serious infection of horses and other equids caused by the bacterium Streptococcus equi (S. equi). The disease is characterized by severe inflammation of the mucosa of the head and throat, with extensive swelling and, often, rupture of the lymph nodes that produces large amounts of thick, creamy pus.
The bacteria is highly contagious and can spread rapidly through a barn by both direct (nose to nose) contact, and indirect contact (for example infected stall equipment, water troughs, or on people’s hands or clothing).

Once a case of strangles is confirmed on a farm by way of a nasal swab, it is important to prevent the spread of the bacteria to other horses. Some recommendations include:

-No movement of horses on the property should be allowed for at least 4 weeks after the last symptom is seen.
-Horses from farms with cases of strangles on the property, or suspicious of being infected, should not be taken to or admitted into barns until they have undergone a 2-3 week quarantine period and been tested negative for S. equi.
-Infected horses and those with high exposure (eg. Pasture mates of infected horses) should be isolated and not allowed to come into contact with other horses until they are no longer shedding the bacteria – at least 4 weeks after the last symptom.
-Use separate stall cleaning supplies and personnel for the quarantined animals. Quarantine area staff should change their coveralls and boots before leaving the quarantine area and should wash their arms and hands with antibacterial soap or alcohol-based disinfectant solution.
-Any item coming into contact with an infected horse or its stall (eg. Haynets, water buckets) should be disinfected before being used for another horse.
-Contaminated pasture areas should be rested for at least 4 weeks before using them for normal turnout.

The strangles bacterium is commonly transmitted by silent carrier horses – horses that are not showing symptoms but have the bacteria in their guttural pouches. The bacteria are shed from these horses onto equipment, people or directly to other horses. Mixing of horses from different sources without a quarantine period (eg. horse shows), or the movement of people or equipment between barns, is a common source of bacteria spread.

If you have further questions or concerns, please contact McKee-Pownall, or your veterinarian, for further advice.

McKee-Pownall Equine Services is excited to announce the arrival of Platelet Rich Plasma (PRP) therapy! Blood is composed of three major constituents: plasma (the liquid portion), red and white blood cells, and platelets. While most of us associate platelets with the formation of clots, these tiny fragments also produce growth factors and anti-inflammatory substances to facilitate healing of damaged tissue. This therapy has been used widely in human athletes and has recently shown a lot of promise in the treatment of equine soft tissue and joint disease. PRP is created from the horse’s own blood, placed in a special centrifuge that separates out the platelets and suspends them in a small amount of plasma. The final sample is then injected directly into the injured area using ultrasound guidance. The process takes about 20 minutes so the horse can be diagnosed and treated during one in-clinic appointment, and on farm treatments can be arranged, usually within 24 hours. PRP therapy is indicated for the treatment of suspensory ligament injuries, bowed tendons, and joint disease. Please give us a call if you have questions or think your horse is a candidate for this treatment.

See our "Giving Back" page for the latest information on 2010 Scholarships being offered by McKee-Pownall Equine Services.