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| Author |
Message |
    
Cindy Gagne (Patience)
| | Posted on Sunday, Dec 17, 2000 - 8:06 am: |   |
I didn't find anything at all in this website relating to this medication. I'm hoping someone can shed some light on my question.
My farrier just came to reshoe my horse who foundered in July. (she is recovering wonderfully!) He and I and his helper were talking about my mares prognosis and how my mare has always been very healthy; only had one serious problem, a stomach infection that almost killed her. I did not own her at the time of this infection but was told about it when I purchased the horse from my friend 2 1/2 years ago. The infection happened about 1-2 years previous. My farrier told me that he just read an article about how doctors are now saying that stomach infections can lead to founder. He also mentioned that they have come up with a "cure" for foundered horses. He said that the article referenced Virgina Myacin and that of all the foundered horses that were put on it, none of them ever foundered again. My farrier is going to send me the article in the mail. Has anyone heard of this medication for use in horses? Has anyone read this article? Does anyone know anything at all about this? Is there anyone using this for their foundered horse? Cost?? Any help is appreciated. |
Robert N. Oglesby DVM (Dro)
| | Posted on Sunday, Dec 17, 2000 - 10:13 am: | |
Well not exactly. There has some experimentation with this drug but in a study it was found to be helpful in preventing founder in horses on diets that have a high percentage of grain in them. It has been shown to have no therapeutic value once the founder has started.
Virginiamycin, now marketed as Founderguard® by Vetsearch International of Sydney Australia, has been shown to have the potential to reduce founder when high intakes of grains are fed because the antibiotic reduces fermentative acidosis in the hind gut. In other words it slows down the normal fermentation process.
Also there is a single report that the addition of Founderguard® reduced the incidence of abnormal oral behaviors, such as wood chewing, eating of bedding and stall licking, in horses fed a diet containing 3:1 grain to forage. There is reason to believe this might be true. In an experiment the feces of horses fed the diet without Virginiamycin had a lower pH (more acidic) than when Virginiamycin was fed. It has been reported that horses fed a high concentrate ration had a reduced cecal pH and spent more time chewing wood and engaged in coprophagy than those horses fed hay.
I think there is alot more for us to learn about the possibilities of this antibiotic as a feed additive but for now it seems that its place is for preventing founder in the horse whose diet is 50% grain or higher by dry weight.
DrO |
Cindy Gagne (Patience)
| | Posted on Monday, Dec 18, 2000 - 8:30 am: | |
Thanks Dr. O. for the reply. |
