Improving Biosecurity at Equestrian Events: The VetTrue™ System

By Dr. Michael Hurley | Posted on June 21, 2021

Biosecurity at Equestrian events is of critical importance. Large numbers of horses arriving from far and wide to one location creates the potential for the rapid spread of any introduced infectious disease. Accurately monitoring the temperatures of horses before they arrive is therefore crucial. This is because the one clinical sign all equine infectious diseases have in common is a fever. Real-time, 24 hour temperature monitoring, before entry to an equestrian event is far more accurate at detecting fevers than twice daily rectal temperature readings. Take a look at this video demonstrating use of the VetTrue™ System before entry to an equestrian show jumping competition. Simple to use and extremely cost-effective.

#eponabiotec #vettrue #equinebiosecurity #equineinfectiousdisease #equineherpesvirus #strangles #equineinfluenza #shippingfever #horsetemperature #horsemonitoring #itsallaboutthehorse

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Strategic use of the VetTrue™ System in the field

Posted on May 12, 2021

Equine veterinarians commonly treat sick patients ‘in the field’ rather than have them transported to veterinary hospitals for follow-up care and monitoring. If the location of the horse is remote, logistics may dictate it can only be seen once every day or two. Monitoring the patient’s vital signs is of critical importance in assessing the state of health and response to treatment. The VetTrue™ System developed by Epona Biotec is state-of-the-art technology that allows veterinarians access to real-time core body temperature data from their patients in the field. By placing a disposable TailTab sensor beneath the tail, the horse’s body temperature is continually monitored and the data stored. When the veterinarian next visits the patient and opens the VetTrue™ App on their phone, the Tail Tab connects instantly via Bluetooth and downloads all temperature data since the last visit. The veterinarian can now see exactly how the horse is responding to treatment, and adjust antibiotic and anti-inflammatory medications precisely. These point-of-care sensors takes patient care and monitoring to an entirely new level. For further information on how your veterinary practice can improve equine care and monitoring with the applied use of technology visit www.eponabiotec.com.

Elite Thoroughbred Racehorses: The Impact of Shipping Fever on Performance

Posted on May 26, 2021

In 2016 some fascinating research was presented at the 21st International Conference of Racing Analysts and Veterinarians (ICRAV) in Montevideo, Uruguay. Titled “The incidence of shipping fever and the impact on performance in horses travelling to compete in the Hong Kong International Races (2005-2014)”, the research looked at the race results of 282 elite horses imported to race during this ten year period. Of these horses, 33 (11.7%) had developed a fever during the flight to Hong Kong and had displayed mild to moderate clinical signs of shipping fever. Four of these horses were so sick they were withdrawn from racing, but the other 29 went on to compete in the Group 1 races. Of these horses, none won a race and two-thirds of them finished in 10th place or worse.  What this study clearly showed is at the elite level of equine sports competition, everything about the horse needs to be 100% for them to compete to the best of their ability. Even a transient temperature, and mild clinical signs in the week before competition, is enough to affect the performance of a horse. In retrospect, and armed with this knowledge, the connections of these horses would likely have been inclined to withdraw them from racing, especially if a poor result might have impacted future breeding or stud value. Horse Trainers worldwide can incorporate this knowledge into their training preparation to ensure horses reach competition day in peak condition. Whether you are a Thoroughbred, Quarter horse, Arabian, Standardbred or Cross Country trainer, monitoring your horse’s temperature with the VetTrue™ System during travel to, and in the 48 hours before competition, will give you additional confidence the horse has no subtle underlying respiratory condition and can compete to the best of its ability. The VetTrue™ System will provide a complete 24 hour temperature record, and transient fevers will no longer be missed. Give your stable the edge and improve performance results. Contact Epona Biotec today for further information. www.eponabiotec.com #vettrue #eponabiotec #icrav #shippingfever #hkir #hkjc #horsewelfare #horseperformance #itsallaboutthehorse 

Epona Biotec Sponsors Young New Zealand Event Rider Jasmyne Speake

Posted on May 9, 2021

Photo Credit: Take the Moment Photography Epona Biotec is pleased to announce their sponsorship of Cambridge based Event Rider Jasmyne Speake. Jasmyne, who is currently in her first year of study for a Bachelor of Business degree at Waikato University, won the New Zealand National Junior Rider titles in 2018 and 2019.  Her most recent success was winning at the National Young Event Horse Championships having the highest placed 4YO & 5YO, and best placed Thoroughbred.  Currently ranked 131st by the FEI for the South East Asia & Oceania Zone, we look forward to following Jasmyne’s career and keeping her horses safe and well with the VetTrue™️ System, as they travel throughout New Zealand to compete. Photo Credit: Jasmyne Speake

Strategic use of the VetTrue System – Livery Yards

Posted on October 22, 2020

As a livery yard owner, you know the risk - any new horse has the potential to bring a highly contagious infectious disease into your yard, resulting in: your yard in lockdown, sick horses, vet bills, upset clients and a potential PR disaster. Although best practice is to quarantine new horses for at least 10 days, this is often not the most practical approach. So, what can you do? Well, taking your horse’s temperature twice a day is a good start. Chances are that your new horse may look completely fine but is actually brewing a virus and will develop a fever at some point in the next week. If you can identify this early on, you can take action right away and implement measures to stop the infection from spreading throughout your yard. However, recording rectal temperatures twice a day in a busy yard is time consuming and only tells part of the story, as diseases such as Equine Herpes Virus (EHV) cause ‘bi-phasic’ fevers, meaning that measurements taken only in the morning and evening may actually miss fevers occurring at other times of the day. The solution to these problems is now available. The VetTrue System™ from Epona Biotec is state-of-the-art technology that allows you to accurately monitor the temperature of your horses around the clock. The VetTrue System’s™ easy to use TailTab sensors can be attached to all new horses as they arrive and accurate temperature data will then be sent directly to your mobile device via Bluetooth, giving you and your clients confidence that the horse is in good health. Make the VetTrue System™ part of your yard’s standard operating procedure so you can rest assured knowing that our biosecurity technology has you and your horse covered 24/7. To learn more about the VetTrue System™ or to order TailTabs, visit our on page. #itsallaboutthehorse

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