Equine

National Report -- An outbreak of contagious equine metritis (CEM) that began more than three months ago now involves 711 horses in 46 states, as state and federal veterinary investigators continue to look for the source.

Schaumburg, Ill. -- To better coordinate animal-rescue efforts during times of disaster, a decade-old "statement of understanding" between the AVMA, AVMF and the American Red Cross has been formalized.

Reno, Nev. -- An offer from Madeleine Pickens to create a million-acre sanctuary for up to 30,000 wild horses could cost the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) more than it presently pays for long-term holding facilities for horses removed from public lands, according to the veterinary representative on the National Wild Horse and Burro Advisory Board.

Bismarck, N.D. - Veterinarians, ranchers and horse breeders packed the state's House Agriculture Committee meeting to urge passage of a bill to study the feasibility of building a horse meat-processing plant.

Miami Beach - The American Association of Equine Practitioners On Call program, which provides veterinary expertise to the media at racing events, received the Thoroughbred racing industry's prestigious Eclipse Special Award.

Lexington, KY. - The Thoroughbred racing industry has been on a mission following a Congressional hearing last year to prove that it can improve safety and medication issues without government regulation.

Columbia, S.C. - Veterinarians and animal-welfare groups are among those named in civil lawsuits filed by two members of a South Carolina family after they were charged with animal abuse.

National Report - Federal and state veterinary officials continue to look for the source of an outbreak of contagious equine metritis that now affects at least 575 horses in 45 states.

Sacramento, Calif. -- A California lawmaker is seeking to make cattle tail docking illegal.

U.S. Army veterinarians saved a horse, monitored dogs, and inspected the food supply.

Lexington, Ky. -- The American Association of Equine Practitioners (AAEP) is throwing its support behind industry efforts to improve the safety and welfare of racehorses by issuing a white paper containing veterinary guidelines for racing.

National Report -- Federal and state veterinary officials continue to look for the source of an outbreak of contagious equine metritis (CEM) that now affects at least 563 horses in 46 states.

Meridian, ID -- MWI's stock shot up 28 percent today in trading after the veterinary distributor announced 14 percent growth in fourth-quarter revenues over the same period last year.

Columbia, S.C. -- Veterinarians and animal-welfare groups are among those named in civil lawsuits filed by two members of a South Carolina family who seek more than $300 million in damages, fees and restitution for what they claim are unjustified animal-cruelty charges brought against them last year.

Brunswick, Ga. - Charged with improperly disposing of two dead horses, citizens spoke up to vindicate this veterinarian.

Reno, NV. - The spiraling nationwide problem of how to deal with thousands of unwanted horses isn't just about domesticated horses.

National Report - Investigators tracing a wide-ranging outbreak of contagious equine metritis (CEM) made important discoveries and took steps to halt the infectious reproductive disease, but after nearly two months the origin remains elusive and quarantines and testings continue.

Washington - It took three veterinarians and a dozen other workers two hours to free a 10-year-old horse at the start of the inauguration parade Jan. 20.

Bismarck, N.D. -- The nation's last three horse slaughterhouses closed in 2007, but a new one could be built in North Dakota, depending on the outcome of a feasibility study requested by two state legislators.

Fort Collins, Colo. -- A blood test that can show whether a horse has minor bone damage long before it develops into more serious problems shows a high success rate in tests and should be coming to the market soon.

Baton Rouge, La. -- A barn at the New Orleans Fair Grounds Race Course was placed under quarantine Dec. 26 after two horses tested positive for the equine herpes virus (EHV-1).

Columbus, Ohio -- For more than 12 years, Dr. James Belknap has lead the way in laminitis research. His work is being rewarded with more work in the form of an $82,000 grant to continue his research on laminitis.

National report -- Four confirmed cases of contagious equine metritis (CEM) in Kentucky last month triggered an investigation that so far involves all but 12 states, according to the USDA's Animal and Plant Health inspection Service (APHIS).

College Station, Texas - Veterinary medicine is changing, and Texas A&M University's College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences' new dean Dr. Eleanor M. Green, is ready to address that change.

Millsboro, Del. - Intervet/Schering-Plough Animal Health and the American Association of Equine Practitioners are launching a nonprofit program that will provide vaccines to qualified equine rescue and retirement facilities nationwide.

The 54th annual AAEP meeting last month was the group's third largest.

Davis, Calif. - A faculty organization at the University of California-Davis has come up with a proposal for dealing with unwanted horses and intends to create a template that communities anywhere in the country could follow.

Reno, Nev. - Thousands of unadoptable wild horses in U.S. Bureau of Land Management (BLM) holding facilities could be saved from possible euthanasia or slaughter if the agency decides to accept an offer for a sanctuary.