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EmailIphone Application    Posted: 2019-02-01
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Temperature ranges to monitor horse health ‘may be inaccurate’
The aim is to repeat the study on a number of other equine yards across the UK to review the overall normal range.
Study suggests traditional ranges may need reviewing

Temperature ranges that are traditionally used to monitor horse health may be inaccurate, new research suggests.

Rectal temperature is vital for monitoring equine wellness and allows for early detection of infections and assessment of disorders including colic.

Whilst books and other sources have provided ‘normal’ temperature ranges for many years, there has been no recent published work to determine whether these values are representative of healthy horses.

Researchers from Nottingham Trent University (NTU), working with the Royal Agricultural University, investigated the normal body temperature of 41 horses on the NTU yard, using more than 600 measurements.

Findings show that the upper limit of the ‘normal’ range published previously (38.5ºC), is typically 0.5ºC higher than the results from clinically normal horses in this study. Researchers found the normal temperature range for horses on this yard to be 36-38ºC.

The study, which has been published in the Journal of Equine Veterinary Science, suggests that the temperature ranges cited in textbooks may need reviewing and updating. The aim is to repeat the study on a number of other equine yards across the UK to review the overall normal range.

Lead author and veterinary surgeon Emily Hall said: "Due to factors such as antibiotic resistance, climate change, and ever-increasing movement of horses, it is increasingly important that early signs of ill-health or disease are picked up as early as possible.

“By establishing a reference range specific to the yard at NTU, we can now be more confident in identifying horses that are too hot, or too cold, and take appropriate action.”

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Endangered turtles rescued from smugglers

News Story 1
 A group of endangered turtles have found a new home at London Zoo after being rescued from smugglers.

The four big-headed turtles arrived at the zoo at the end of last year, after smugglers tried to illegally import them to Canada, labelled as toys.

One of the turtles, named Lady Triệu after a Vietnamese warrioress, has moved to a new exhibit in the zoo’s reptile house. She is the only one of her kind in a UK zoo.

Big-headed turtles have such large heads that they cannot pull them back into their shells. To compensate, they have armour plating from head to tail and a very sharp beak to fend off predators. They are ranked number 18 on ZSL’s EDGE of Existence reptile list, which puts threatened species at the forefront of conservation action. Image © ZSL  

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RCVS Fellowship board chair elections get underway

Voting for the 2019 RCVS Fellowship Chair election is now underway. This year four candidates are standing for election, including Dr Robert Huey, Professor John Innes, Professor Liz Mossop and Professor Ian Ramsey.

The Chair will attend and preside over Fellowship meetings and take the lead in consolidating the Fellowship’s position as the learned society of the RCVS. Fellows will receive an email containing a link to the online voting form, as well as candidates’ details and manifestos. Voting closes at 5pm on Thursday, 5 September.