Stopping The Spread Of EHV-1: Five Things To Know About Equine Herpesvirus

A group of brown horses eating in a pasture

Equine Herpesvirus-1 (EHV-1) is a highly contagious virus in horses that can cause respiratory disease, reproductive issues, and neurologic disease. Because infected horses can spread the virus for an extended period of time, it’s especially important that owners take precautions during outbreaks.

Dr. Jared Janke, a clinical associate professor of equine internal medicine at the Texas A&M College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences, shares five things horse owners should know about EHV-1.

1. EHV-1 Can Be Spread In Multiple Ways

EHV-1 spreads between horses through direct contact, airborne transmission in distances less than 30 feet, and indirect transmission by people and equipment.

“Quarantining and reducing exposure is vital because the virus spreads easily and can transmit from horse to horse before any clinical signs appear,” Janke said. “Preventing the movement of exposed horses helps cut off main transmission routes.”

It’s also especially important to avoid sharing any grooming equipment, water and feed sources, or other tools between infected and healthy horses, as the virus can survive in the environment for several weeks.

Likewise, owners and horse handlers should change their clothes and thoroughly wash their hands and arms after caring for infected horses.

2. The Virus Can Cause A Variety Of Clinical Signs

This herpesvirus causes three main categories of symptoms — respiratory, reproductive, and neurologic. The neurologic form, which causes a condition known as Equine Herpes Myeloencephalopathy (EHM), is the most dangerous and transmissible.

If a horse becomes infected with EHV-1, clinical signs typically appear within five to 10 days, but that period may be prolonged in cases of EHM.

EHM signs, caused by damage to blood vessels in the spinal cord and brain, often include high fever, lack of coordination, weakness, urinary dribbling (incontinence), and decreased sensation in the tail and perineal area.

Less commonly, the horse may show symptoms related to the brain, such as neurologic facial signs and head tilt.

Other non-neurologic signs of EHV-1 may include nasal discharge, coughing, and pregnancy loss in broodmares.

“Fever is the most consistent sign identified in EHV-1 infections, but it is usually not persistent,” Janke said. “It can come and go throughout the day, so owners should conduct temperature readings at least twice daily.

“The most concerning signs to watch for include fever, lethargy, limb incoordination, weakness, weak tail tone, and urine dribbling,” he said. “These signs can progress to an inability to stand, known as recumbency.”

3. Diagnosis And Reporting Are Key

If a horse is showing signs of EHV-1, its owner should contact a veterinarian as soon as possible to discuss diagnosis, treatment, and quarantine.

“Any signs of fever along with hindlimb loss of coordination, urine dribbling, or weak tail tone should prompt an owner to isolate the horse, stop the movement of any animals in contact, and reach out to their veterinarian immediately,” Janke said. “Your veterinarian will help ensure that the proper diagnostic tests are performed and will notify their state’s animal health official of the ongoing situation.”

The virus can be diagnosed with a nasal swab and blood test that is sent to a veterinary diagnostic laboratory. Results are typically available in as little as one to two days.

Because the virus has high outbreak potential, the veterinarian will advise quarantining sick horses until diagnostic results are available.

“Owners must recognize that EHM is a reportable disease because of its highly contagious nature and the serious effects outbreaks can have on the horse industry,” Janke said. “Therefore, owners need to follow their veterinarian’s advice and the guidance of state animal health officials.”

4. Treatment Focuses On Managing Symptoms

A horse infected with EHV-1 will be quarantined based on the guidance of state animal health officials. This may include confinement at home or, if symptoms progress, receiving pre-approval to transport the horse to a veterinary facility equipped to isolate and manage EHV-1 infections.

Supportive care remains the primary approach for treating EHM, so infected horses are often given therapies like intravenous fluids and anti-inflammatory medications.

Antiviral medications are commonly considered; however, there remains a significant lack of solid evidence that they are beneficial, according to Janke.

“When these medications are used, they appear to be most beneficial when initiated before clinical signs or at very early stages of disease,” he said.

Unfortunately, once a horse loses its ability to stand, the condition becomes much more difficult to treat.

“The prognosis for horses with EHV-1 infections varies widely; however, most outbreaks of EHM have an overall 70-80% survival rate,” Janke said. “Horses with EHM that can still stand and show only mild to moderate neurologic signs have a good chance of recovery.”

An infected horse may continue shedding the virus even after symptoms are resolved, so it’s important to follow the guidance of your veterinarian and animal health officials. Repeated testing may be necessary before the horse is released from quarantine.

5. Prevention Is The Best Protection

Although EHV-1 vaccines are widely available, it is important to recognize that no current vaccine option directly prevents the clinical signs of EHV-1 infections, particularly EHM.

“The benefit of vaccination is that immunized horses may shed less virus, resulting in less contamination of the environment and other horses,” Janke said. “Your veterinarian can guide you on the selection of appropriate vaccine products for your horses.”

The best form of prevention remains keeping healthy horses away from infected horses and any equipment or people that have come into contact with EHV-1.

If there is an EHV-1 outbreak in your area, avoid traveling with horses until the outbreak is resolved and your local animal health officials have announced that it is safe to travel in the area.

Finally, if a horse is suspected to be sick or has been exposed to EHV-1, begin taking twice-daily rectal temperature readings and immediately separate it from other horses. Monitoring rectal temperatures throughout an outbreak event helps owners identify infected horses early.

“Contact your veterinarian as soon as possible if your horse has been in contact with or is suspected to have been exposed to an infected horse,” Janke said. “This gives you a better chance of intervening early before clinical signs have developed. Your veterinarian can evaluate your horse’s risk of developing the disease and, in some cases, may prescribe preventive medications.”

In the event of an EHV-1 outbreak, the best steps an owner can take are closely monitoring their horses and acting immediately if infection is suspected. Simple precautions can make a big difference in stopping an EHV-1 outbreak in its tracks.

Pasture Talk is a service of the College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences, Texas A&M University. Stories can be viewed on the web at vetmed.tamu.edu/news/tag/pasture-talk/. Suggestions for future topics may be directed to vmbs-editor@tamu.edu.

Most Homemade Dog Diets Are Not Nutritionally Complete, Texas A&M Researchers Find

A brown dog being fed a diet of raw meat and fruit

Over the last two decades, homemade diets have seen a rise in popularity among dog owners. However, new research from the Dog Aging Project (DAP) reveals that most homemade diets are missing important nutrients that dogs need in order to lead healthy lives.

In their study, published in the American Journal of Veterinary Research, the team assessed the nutritional completeness of 1,726 homemade diets based on ingredients and preparation methods provided by dog owners.

“We found that only 6% of homemade diets had the potential to be nutritionally complete,” said Dr. Janice O’Brien, a doctoral researcher at the Virginia-Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine at Virginia Tech. “Since our study didn’t include exact ingredient amounts, it’s possible that a smaller percentage than 6% were nutritionally complete.”

Diet information was gathered from open-ended survey responses from owners participating in the DAP, a collaborative initiative led by the Texas A&M College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences (VMBS) and other institutions that studies the effects of aging and what makes a healthy canine life.

Through the DAP, owners of the more than 50,000 dogs from all backgrounds enrolled in the study complete surveys, including on diets. For this study, the diet information was entered into an online tool called Balance It that helps owners create nutritionally complete homemade diets for their pets.

“Balance It is compliant with both the United States Food and Drug Administration and the Association of American Feed Control Officials’ recommendations for canine nutrition,” O’Brien said. “By entering the list of ingredients in each recipe into Balance It, we determined if there were nutrients missing.”

The Importance Of A Complete Meal

Based on the results of the study, dog owners should be aware that choosing to prepare a pet’s meals at home comes with responsibility, according to Dr. Katie Tolbert, a board-certified veterinary nutritionist, small animal internist, and associate professor in VMBS’ Department of Small Animal Clinical Sciences.

“There is a temptation for a lot of dog owners to go off script when preparing meals at home,” said Tolbert, who also is one of the study’s authors. “If you decide to formulate your dog’s food at home, be sure to work with a board-certified veterinary nutritionist and stick to the diet exactly as prescribed. Nothing is considered a ‘filler’ that you can leave out.”

For example, substituting different types of oil can change the nutritional completeness of the diet, and something as simple as a calcium supplement — a common addition in homemade dog food recipes — can cause serious problems if omitted.

“If your dog’s calcium and phosphate levels get out of balance, they can develop bone health problems, including a condition nicknamed ‘rubber jaw’ where the bone starts to become soft, like cartilage,” Tolbert said. “It can also cause problems in the kidneys.”

For dogs with existing illnesses, the stakes of good nutrition are even higher.

“Dogs that are not already in good health can have exacerbated symptoms if they do not receive a balanced diet that is specifically formulated to treat their disease,” Tolbert said.

Tolbert also recommends avoiding adding ingredients that are not safe for dogs, like whole bones or grapes.

“Grapes can be toxic to dogs,” she said. “Whole bones, on the other hand, are risky because dogs can end up with sharp pieces of bone in their stomach.”

Bringing Nutritional Completeness Home

For owners interested in feeding their dogs a homemade meal, the first step is to talk with your local veterinarian about your pet’s specific dietary needs. Then, work with a board-certified veterinary nutritionist to create a healthy diet tailored to your pet.

Board certification ensures that the nutritionist has received advanced training from an accredited program.

If you plan to keep your dog on a homemade diet long-term, Tolbert recommends sending a sample to a food testing laboratory to make sure that the diet is the same in practice as it is on paper.

“It can be helpful to know exactly what is in the food you’re feeding your pet to make sure the recipe is as precise as possible,” Tolbert said.

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For more information about the Texas A&M College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences, please visit our website at vetmed.tamu.edu or join us on Facebook, Instagram, and X.

Contact Information: Jennifer Gauntt, Director of VMBS Communications, Texas A&M College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences, jgauntt@cvm.tamu.edu, 979-862-4216

Thanksgiving Pet Safety Tips: Keeping Your Companions Happy, Healthy, and Stress-Free

A dog stares intently at a platter of turkey and veggies sitting on the edge of a counter

Thanksgiving brings family, friends, and plenty of food to the table — but it can also create unexpected challenges for pets. From tempting treats to bustling gatherings, the holiday can be stressful and, even unsafe, for animals.

Dr. Lori Teller, a clinical professor at the Texas A&M College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences, offers pet safety tips to help owners keep their animals relaxed, healthy, and happy during celebrations from Thanksgiving through the New Year.

Calm Pets, Happy Guests

Whether you host a traditional Thanksgiving or a Friendsgiving, the holidays mean that your home may fill with faces that are unfamiliar to your pets. As such, when guests arrive, it’s important to remember to introduce pets to your visitors on the pet’s terms.

“Some animals are very eager to meet guests and will willingly approach them, but owners may need to help calm an overly excited dog to keep it from jumping on someone, especially if it’s a small kid or a frailer guest,” Teller explained. “On the other hand, pets that are more cautious around people they don’t know will need to be approached slowly.”

Owners can encourage new relationships by helping guests make positive first impressions. 

“An owner can give the guests some treats to share with the pet as encouragement, but if a pet does not want to interact with someone, it should never be forced,” Teller said.

Pets that may not easily adjust to holiday crowds could exhibit various signs of stress.

“One of the biggest results of stress in a pet is trying to hide or leave the home, so beware of doors that are left open as people enter and exit,” Teller said. “Dogs may also show stress by trembling, licking their lips, yawning, or avoiding people and activities.”

If a pet is not feeling the holiday, it’s important to not overwhelm them with attention.

“There’s a chance that if guests persist in giving unwanted attention to pets, the dog may growl or bark, or the dog or cat may bite or scratch someone in an effort to remove a perceived threat,” Teller said.

Owners should also evaluate and address their pet’s stress level at multiple points during the festivities so that they may determine the best solution for soothing their anxious companion.

“Some pets may be happier with a special treat or new toy in a quieter part of the home where they can avoid the festivities; others may be happier staying elsewhere, such as a boarding facility or at a friend’s home,” Teller said. “If pets have mild stress during parties or social gatherings, owners can speak with their veterinarian about using a short-acting medication to alleviate the anxiety.”

“In general, it is a good idea to avoid giving table food to your pet. If you feel you must share something, a couple bites of turkey with the skin removed and no gravy, some plain green beans, or a bite of bread can be fine.”

Dr. Lori Teller

Protecting Pets From Dangerous Bites And Chews

With so many moving parts on Thanksgiving Day, distractions are inevitable. Preparing your home can help prevent accidents or unsafe snacking when your attention is on your guests.

These preparations can include ensuring that dangerous decorations and breakable items are kept out of your pet’s reach.

For example, festive plants such as lilies, chrysanthemums, and some varieties of ferns are toxic to cats and dogs. In addition, natural accents like pinecones, acorns, and flint or calico corn — which may become tempting chew toys for pets — can cause choking, gastrointestinal blockages, stomach irritation, and internal injuries.  

Owners may want their pets to join in on the Thanksgiving meal, but they should be careful to avoid common holiday staples that can make pets ill. These include foods containing onions, garlic, grapes, raisins, walnuts, chocolate, or xylitol — which is often found in baked desserts and sugarless goods — as well as anything that is rich, seasoned, or alcoholic.

“In general, it is a good idea to avoid giving table food to your pet,” Teller said. “If you feel you must share something, a couple bites of turkey with the skin removed and no gravy, some plain green beans, or a bite of bread can be fine.”

Turkey should also be thoroughly cooked to prevent salmonella poisoning. Fully cooked and boneless ham also is OK to feed your pet if the ham isn’t seasoned with additional sugars and doesn’t contain a lot of fat.

While it may be tempting to feed your dogs the leftover turkey or ham bones, those present their own potential perils — bones can become lodged in the throat and can be problematic to the digestive tract; a splintered bone may require surgery to remove.

Fatty foods can cause vomiting and diarrhea that can progress into something more serious — like dehydration or pancreatitis — requiring a hospital stay.

Additional important safety measures include keeping food away from the edges of tables and counters; storing trash containers where your pet can’t find them; and keeping plastic, strings, foil, and bags used during cooking out of pets’ reach.

If your pet does get their nose into the wrong dish or decoration, they may exhibit signs of poisoning, including vomiting, diarrhea, depression, and behavioral changes.

If you suspect that your animal has consumed a harmful substance, seek veterinary care as soon as possible. The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) animal poison control center hotline — 888-426-4435 — is also available 24/7, 365 days a year.

Preparing Pets Ahead Of Time

To ensure your furry companions don’t get left out of holiday fun, there are things you can do ahead of time that will benefit your pets and keep them calm during your gathering.

“Taking a long walk before guests arrive can be a great way to tire your dog and minimize stress for both of you,” Teller said. “If your cat likes to chase a laser pointer or other toys, you can do that before guests arrive as well.”

Familiarizing your pets with guests who may visit during the holidays before the big day can also help pets more easily adjust to the festivities.

“Having people visit your home on a regular basis, where your pet can be exposed to guests and get used to the sounds and smells that go along with entertaining, goes a long way to prepare your pet for a gathering,” Teller said.

With a little bit of preparation and attention, you and your pet can have a healthy, happy, and stress-free Thanksgiving surrounded by those you love.

Pet Talk is a service of the College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences, Texas A&M University. Stories can be viewed on the web at vetmed.tamu.edu/news/pet-talk. Suggestions for future topics may be directed to vmbs-editor@tamu.edu.

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Healing The Healer: Texas A&M Helps Irish Wolfhound Fulfill His Life-Saving Mission

A student in pink scrubs and another person in a white doctor's coat petting Mac the Irish Wolfhound
Texas A&M fourth-year veterinary student Morgan Haverstock with MacIntosh
Photos by Beth Sahms

Confronted with a liver shunt too complex for standard treatment, Texas A&M veterinarians across specialties joined forces to pioneer a new approach. 

MacIntosh Otto is hard to miss — he’s a 100-pound, 1-and-a-half-year-old Irish Wolfhound with a calm nature and a nose that can nudge just about anything off a kitchen counter. 

Mac’s owners, Lisa and David Otto, were drawn to his laid-back personality, believing it made him perfect for the meaningful role they envisioned — bringing comfort as a therapy dog. 

Beneath his gentle demeanor, however, was a hidden condition that threatened his health: Mac was born with a liver shunt. 

The Ottos weren’t strangers to the diagnosis; years earlier, they had helped care for another Irish Wolfhound puppy with the same condition and witnessed the successful outcome of treatment at Texas A&M’s Small Animal Teaching Hospital (SATH), so when Mac was diagnosed, they knew where they wanted to turn. 

Thanks to Dr. Genna Atiee, a clinical assistant professor of internal medicine and interventional radiology at the Texas A&M College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences, and collaborative efforts across the hospital, Mac’s case became a first-of-its-kind success that allowed him to live the life he was meant to lead. 

A Lifelong Love For Gentle Giants 

The Ottos had always owned smaller dog breeds, but Lisa’s longtime dream of welcoming a giant breed into their family became a reality when she brought home her first Great Dane for her 50th birthday. 

As her appreciation for large breeds grew, one afternoon at PetSmart, Lisa and her daughter had an unexpected encounter that left a lasting impression.

“An Irish Wolfhound came up to my daughter and just gently reached up and touched her nose,” Lisa said. “She’s nearly 6 feet tall herself, and the Wolfhound wasn’t even on his hind legs.” 

The Ottos fell in love, and soon after, they began their search for an Irish Wolfhound of their own. 

Because the breed is rare — their tragically short lifespans have earned them the nickname “Heartbreak Hounds” — it took two years to find Konnery. During their 10 years with Konnery, he was bred with a friend’s Wolfhound, and it was one of those puppies, Buckley, who introduced the Ottos to liver shunts and Texas A&M’s veterinary expertise. 

“I went to many of Buckley’s appointments,” Lisa said. “He ended up getting adopted by a veterinary technician student who coordinated his surgery through the university. He did so well that he outlived three of his siblings.” 

Meeting MacIntosh 

Lisa Otto pets her Irish Wolfhound, Mac, in a SATH exam room
MacIntosh waits in an exam room with his owner, Lisa Otto.

Years later, the Ottos were ready to welcome another Wolfhound into their family to join their Great Dane, Mabel, and their Schnauzer, Magnolia. They connected with a breeder in Austin and reserved the last male puppy: MacIntosh.

“When we visited Mac, we fell in love,” Lisa said. “He was sweet, calm, and quiet. He just laid in my granddaughter’s arms while all the other puppies were crazy and running around.”

Given her previous experience with Buckley, Lisa asked whether the puppies had been tested for liver shunts, and a few days after bringing Mac home, the breeders’ results arrived — Mac was one out of nine puppies born with the condition. 

A liver shunt affects the way blood flows in the body. Normally, blood from the gastrointestinal tract — which includes nutrients and waste from digestion — travels directly to the liver — which filters and processes this “dirty” blood before it moves into the rest of the body. 

In dogs with a liver shunt, however, there’s an abnormal blood vessel — a connection that shouldn’t exist — that causes this unfiltered blood to bypass the liver entirely.

“Instead of being cleaned, the dirty blood is sent straight into the body’s regular circulation,” Atiee said. “This means the body is exposed to harmful substances and the liver doesn’t get the blood it needs to grow and function properly.” 

Without that critical blood flow, the liver stays small and underdeveloped, and the dog’s overall health begins to suffer.

While most shunts are located outside the liver (extrahepatic) and can often be corrected through surgery, in rarer cases — like Mac’s — the shunt is intrahepatic, or inside the liver, making treatment more complex.

A Challenge Like Never Before 

As soon as MacIntosh was diagnosed, the Ottos scheduled an appointment at Texas A&M; there, the SATH’s interventional radiology team used the standard approach for treating intrahepatic liver shunts: a transvenous percutaneous coil embolization. 

“This is a minimally invasive procedure where a catheter is inserted into a vein and guided to a specific blood vessel using real-time X-ray imaging,” Atiee said. “Once the catheter is in place, small metal coils are placed inside the abnormal vessel, creating a clot that gradually closes off the shunt.”

The team was able to reach Mac’s shunt only with help from the SATH Cardiology Service, which provided catheters large enough for his size. After accessing the vessel, the team placed a stent — a mesh-like tube meant to keep the coils from migrating — but then ran into a problem. 

“Mac’s anatomy was exceptionally complex,” Atiee said. “The opening of his shunt was shared with several other vessels, which made it incredibly difficult to access. This was made worse after placing the stent — we could no longer get into the shunt to place the coils.”

After struggling for a second time to access the vessel, this time using specialized equipment to improve surgical visibility, the team, out of options, made the bold decision to try something that, to their knowledge, had never been done before. With help from the SATH Soft Tissue Surgery Service, they took a different route — directly through the abdomen. 

“We made a small incision and accessed a separate vessel from the other side,” Atiee said. “From there, we navigated into the shunt from the opposite side and were finally able to place the coils.” 

In total, Mac’s treatment spanned more than 10 hours over three separate attempts.

His treatment also reflects what makes a teaching hospital truly special: collaboration, innovation, and an unwavering commitment to helping the patient. 

“We have the luxury of leaning on other services at a moment’s notice. It’s what allows us to do such unique, cutting-edge work,” Atiee said. “The entire hospital rallied around this case, supporting our teams and, most importantly, Mac and his family.” 

Just as important as the teamwork was the trust placed in them by the Otto family.

“We told them we’d never done this before — that there were unknowns — and they still believed in us,” Atiee said. “Even after multiple failed attempts.”

Because of the procedure’s uniqueness and educational value, the hospital was also able to offer financial support through a special fund reserved for educational cases. 

A Higher Calling 

A doctor in a white coat uses a stethoscope to listed to Mac's heartbeat
Dr. Grace Flynn, an intern veterinarian, examines MacIntosh during his check-up.

Mac’s case wasn’t just about solving a medical challenge — it was about helping him step into a role that could change lives. 

“My daughter has special needs, and years ago, when she went nose-to-nose with the Wolfhound at PetSmart, I saw the impact these dogs leave,” Otto said. “After that, I worked with a group called Faithful Paws to train my big giants — my first Great Dane and my first two Wolfhounds — to be therapy dogs.” 

Over the years, those dogs brought joy to patients and families across hospitals, nursing homes, libraries, and rehabilitation centers. 

“Konnery was invited to visit President George H. W. Bush and First Lady Barbara Bush during a hospital stay,” Otto said. “He licked the president from his chin to his forehead — even the Secret Service was laughing.” 

Knowing the blessing these dogs bring, the Ottos had no doubt that Mac was worth the investment. 

“There is a special love that these guys give,” Otto said. “When I take them to the library, I lay a blanket on the floor, they lay down, and kids come up and lay against them like a chair and read to them. For these kids — especially children who have dyslexia and are afraid to read out loud — these guys are amazing.”

When Atiee learned what Otto hoped for Mac, the case took on a new meaning. 

“To be able to help this owner in such a noble quest was particularly motivating,” Atiee said. “I’m a mother of a special needs child and we frequent Texas Children’s, so I’ve seen firsthand what a difference these dogs can make in kids’ lives. I knew I couldn’t fail this dog.”

A New Chapter 

Today, Mac is thriving. He’s off all medications except one he’ll likely take for the rest of his life — a small tradeoff considering where he started. 

Best of all, he’s back with his siblings, including a very special one. 

Just weeks after welcoming Mac into their home, the Ottos got an unexpected call from the breeder. One of Mac’s littermates — Falkor — had been returned, and the breeder offered him to the Ottos as a gift. 

With Mac and Falkor now reunited — and Mabel the Great Dane leading the mischief — life in the Otto household is as energetic as ever. From flipping couches to stealing snacks off the kitchen counter, there’s always something going on. 

The Ottos also are working to get the entire crew of gentle giants certified as therapy dogs. 

“There’s no telling how many people these dogs are going to bless,” Otto said. “They’re more than just pets. They’re family. They’re healers. They’re hope.”

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For more information about the Texas A&M College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences, please visit our website at vetmed.tamu.edu or join us on Facebook, Instagram, and X.

Contact Information: Jennifer Gauntt, Director of VMBS Communications, Texas A&M College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences, jgauntt@cvm.tamu.edu, 979-862-4216

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VMBS Recognizes Staff Members For Outstanding Performance At Annual Ceremony

Dean Bonnie Rush and staff award recipients holding their plaques

The Texas A&M College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences (VMBS) recognized 12 staff members for their outstanding performance and accomplishments at the 2025 Staff Awards Ceremony on Nov. 13.

Winners of the Staff Recognition Award include:

  • Amy Boedeker, a research associate in the Department of Veterinary Pathobiology
  • Maggi Carmichael, a DVM Program Coordinator for the Professional Programs Office
  • Elaine Graves, a senior administrative coordinator for Small Animal Client Services
  • Jaye Jones, an administrative coordinator II for the Veterinary Education, Research, & Outreach program
  • Erin Lester, a manager P12 for the Department of Large Animal Clinical Sciences (VLCS)
  • April Orcutt, a graduate program coordinator II for the Research and Graduate Studies Office
  • Lacey Richards, an executive assistant for VLCS
  • Scott Skrla, an academic advisor III for the Biomedical Sciences Office
  • Jennifer Sowinski, a veterinary technician II for the Food Animal Medicine Service
  • Darlene Whyte, a business administrator I for the Finance Department

In addition, Mike Hawkins, a professional counselor IV in the Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital, received the W. Terry Stiles Service Award and Trudy Bennett, the assistant department head for Veterinary Physiology and Pharmacology, received the Pearl Enfield Staff Leadership Award.

Other VMBS staff members were also recognized with longevity awards for up to 25 years of service at the college.

The five-year longevity award recipients were Megan Adair, Alma Arenas, Maggi Carmichael, Desiree de Jongh, Arielle Domio, Pamela Douglas, Sudipta Dutta, Haley Ellis, Lynsey Engel, Austin Fivash, Courtney Franks, Lorna Harper, Min Jung Lee, Emily Marquez, Rockelle Martinez, Danielle McKinley, Thu Thuy Nguyen, Brian Okosun, Sarah Read, Kari Roig, Ceasar Saenz, Bridget Savitske, Salena Scott, and Sarah Vincenzo.

The 10-year longevity award recipients were Kristina Agan, Delia Argundiz, Amanda Blake, Sean Carroll, Demetria Cooper, Hsing Fann, Kristen Flitcroft, Laura Hammons, Mildred Mattox, James Mazurkiewicz, Chelsea Michalak, JohnRoss Pike, Emily Sanchez, Sabryna Scott, Jennifer Sowinski, Scott Wedeking, Martha White, Mingquan Yan, and Katherine Zimmel-Scaturro.

The 15-year longevity award recipients were Sarah Christian, Robynne Gomez, Julie Grinde, Alen Merdzo, and Gene Wood.

The 20-year longevity award recipients were Ross Clubb, Kimberly Koehler, Darla Montalvo, Kimberly Muth, and Ashley Gustafson Seabury.

The 25-year longevity award recipients were Deborah Daniel, Dennis Hargett, Jennifer Sheldon, and Jeff Skelton.

Finally, a 30-year longevity award was given to Yolanda Brinkman, 35-year longevity awards were given to Joe Hinton III and Beverly Wymola, and a 40-year longevity award was given to Galen Pahl.

View photos from the event on PhotoShelter.

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For more information about the Texas A&M College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences, please visit our website at vetmed.tamu.edu or join us on Facebook, Instagram, and X.

Contact Information: Jennifer Gauntt, Director of VMBS Communications, Texas A&M College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences, jgauntt@cvm.tamu.edu, 979-862-4216

Meet The Texas A&M Researchers Reshaping Care For Traumatic Injuries

Finding better ways to treat traumatic injuries and blood loss is crucial for saving lives, but it’s also incredibly difficult to research — understandably, few people arriving at the emergency room after a horrible accident would want to discuss participating in clinical research.

But Texas A&M biomedical researchers are finding ways to make the impossible possible by developing both life-saving equipment for emergency teams and tools that will make testing new medical devices more efficient. 

Their work has the potential to reshape medical care for traumatic injuries — the leading cause of death in people under 45.

“Most people think of heart disease and cancer when they think of the leading causes of death, but trauma is actually the No. 1 cause in young people,” said Dr. Ellie Rahbar, a joint associate professor in the College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences and College of Engineering.

“It’s not something that only happens to military personnel, especially with the rise in motor vehicle accidents,” she said. “It’s much more common than many people realize.”

A Rising Tide For Trauma Research

Dr. Ellie Rahbar in her lab
Dr. Ellie Rahbar.
Photo by Nadya Pichkasova, College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences

Figuring out how to better help people on what could be the worst day of their lives has many challenges that Rahbar and her team are working hard to overcome.

“When engineers, physicians, or any other research group comes up with an idea, we have to test it, but testing with human patients often isn’t feasible or ethical because the priority is saving their life, not conducting research,” she said. “However, testing is essential for getting through the FDA approval process, so we rely heavily on bench research in laboratories or using data from animals.”

Thanks to a $1.5 million grant from the National Institutes of Health, Rahbar is developing a new computer-based model that may help accelerate the process for testing new medical device prototypes, shortening the amount of time until they become available to patients.

“Our goal is to develop a model of the entire cardiovascular system under many different kinds of stress, which will allow us to test how these devices would work in a human patient,” Rahbar said. “If we’re successful, it will be helpful not only to trauma researchers but also to anyone wanting to understand acute physiology, like in response to exercise or other short-term exposures.”

One additional challenge is ensuring that the model accounts for variation in human patients.

“No two people respond to traumatic injury in the same way — not even identical twins,” Rahbar said. “So, we are trying to build that variation into our model.”

Overcoming Challenges With Creativity

While people are treated for traumatic injuries every day, scientists and physicians haven’t always known exactly how the body responds to problems like acute bleeding, which is something that Rahbar and her team hope to change.

“The modern era of trauma medicine began after World War II, when the first hospital emergency departments opened in the U.S., and there have been several advances in medical transport and therapies for emergency trauma care since then,” Rahbar said. “When I was a postdoctoral researcher, I was initially surprised by how little we actually knew about blood transfusions and effective evidence-based treatments for hemorrhagic shock, but it makes sense because people can die very quickly from their injuries.”

As an engineer, Rahbar brings a unique perspective to trauma research.

“I’m very interested in connecting mechanical changes in the body to biological changes and vice versa,” Rahbar said. “In my lab, we do this by creating benchtop simulations and computerized models that mimic how blood flows through the heart so we can see things like what happens during a sudden drop in pressure or increase in heartrate, as well as how different techniques for stabilizing a patient might work for varying types of injuries.

“It’s a holistic view of traumatic injury,” she said.

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For more information about the Texas A&M College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences, please visit our website at vetmed.tamu.edu or join us on Facebook, Instagram, and X.

Contact Information: Jennifer Gauntt, Director of VMBS Communications, Texas A&M College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences, jgauntt@cvm.tamu.edu, 979-862-4216

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Texas A&M Clinical Trial Transforming Care For Equine Sepsis Patients

Dr. Kallie Hobbs and a tan horse standing outside
Dr. Kallie Hobbs with April, the first horse treated with hemoperfusion

Sepsis, a severe reaction to a bacterial infection, is among the most common and life-threatening conditions in horses. Foals are especially vulnerable because their immune systems are still developing; they can be exposed to bacteria either through their mother before birth or from the environment shortly after being born.

When a foal or adult horse is septic, its body’s immune system releases inflammatory signals called cytokines to help regulate the immune response. However, this unregulated release often causes a dangerous overproduction in cytokines, called a cytokine storm, that overwhelms the immune system and leaves it unable to fight off the very infection it was trying to stop — often resulting in death of the horse.

That’s why Dr. Kallie Hobbs, an assistant professor of equine and food animal internal medicine at the Texas A&M College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences, is exploring hemoperfusion, a method of cleaning the blood to help restore the body’s natural ability to fight off infection.

“This process involves a catheter that draws blood from the horse, which then passes through a hemoperfusion column filled with adsorbent material,” Hobbs said. “After being filtered, the blood is returned to the animal without excess inflammatory signals.”

This technology — originally developed to treat severe COVID-19 cases in humans — is still new in the veterinary world, and now, Texas A&M is one of the only programs in the country offering this treatment for large animals.

“This is considered part of standard care in humans,” Hobbs said. “And now it’s starting to become part of cutting-edge care in veterinary medicine, too.”

As part of the Texas A&M Large Animal Teaching Hospital’s clinical trial, the hemoperfusion treatment itself is currently free, thanks to industry support and research funding. Owners are only responsible for the horse’s hospital stay, diagnostics, and supportive care.

Dr. Kallie Hobbs with two hemoperfusion machines
Hobbs with Texas A&M’s hemoperfusion equipment

“In return, we’re able to document those animals in case reports and track their progress,” Hobbs said. “For some owners, it might be the only chance to save a horse that’s not responding to anything else. I’ve filtered blood in several horses with sepsis and have noted a rapid improvement in their clinical signs.”

While sepsis is the trial’s central focus, Hobbs and her team have started applying hemoperfusion to other emergencies, like toxicity cases involving rat bait ingestion or snake envenomation — instances where dangerous substances can be physically removed from the bloodstream.

Behind the scenes, the success of the trial is powered by cross-hospital collaboration. Hobbs has partnered with Drs. Igor Yankin and Lance Wheeler, at Texas A&M’s Small Animal Teaching Hospital, where hemoperfusion has recently become a new treatment option for dogs in the Emergency and Critical Care Services.

“If people see that we saved a dog’s life with this, they’re more willing to try it for their horse,” Hobbs said. “It helps validate the whole process.”

Looking ahead, Hobbs hopes to develop protocols to better refine treatment of sepsis and determine which types of infections respond best to hemoperfusion.

“My hope is that hemoperfusion becomes a management strategy we can use early, instead of waiting until everything else has failed,” she said.

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For more information about the Texas A&M College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences, please visit our website at vetmed.tamu.edu or join us on Facebook, Instagram, and X.

Contact Information: Jennifer Gauntt, Director of VMBS Communications, Texas A&M College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences, jgauntt@cvm.tamu.edu, 979-862-4216

The Barn Fire Survival Guide: How To Protect Large Animals In A Fire Emergency

A fire as seen through the open door of a wooden barn

The winter chill has begun to blow through the U.S., and the comfort of a warm fire is a welcome respite. But as owners move their large animals into their barn to protect them from the elements, there are a number of factors that could lead to an unwanted fire, which can threaten the health and safety of the horses and livestock seeking shelter within them.

Dr. Kyle Johnson, a clinical assistant professor at the Texas A&M College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences, offers advice on how owners can shield their barns — and their large animals — from this threat by providing a plan to execute if the danger of fire engulfs their property.

Preventive Fire Measures

Horse barns and other agricultural buildings are often full of flammable items such as hay and shavings. Even the barn itself — if constructed of wood — can serve as fuel for a fire.

“Over 80% of barn fires are caused by electrical malfunctions or human errors,” Johnson said. “Such errors may include improper disposal of a cigarette or placing a heat source — such as a space heater or hot equipment — near flammable material.”

Another risk factor to consider is the weather, as lightning strikes are also a common cause of barn fires.

“To combat this worry, barns should have professionally installed lightning protection systems, which are designed to provide lightning with a safe path to follow into the ground,” Johnson said.

Because many barns and other agricultural buildings are located in rural areas, where emergency and firefighter response may be delayed, preventing fire is key, according to Johnson.

“Fire prevention is focused on keeping sources of ignition away from fuel sources and reducing the amount of those fuel sources as much as possible,” he said.

Methods to reduce the risk of barn fires include:

  • Prohibiting smoking in or around the barn
  • Ensuring electrical wiring is functioning properly
  • Avoiding electrical outlet overloading
  • Prohibiting welding or torch cutting in or around the barn
  • Storing hay and straw in a separate structure from gasoline and diesel
  • Removing cobwebs and dusting regularly

“Residential smoke detectors often do not work well in barns because of high humidity and high particulate matter in the air,” Johnson said. “Instead, rely on carbon monoxide detectors or other commercially installed fire detection alarms. Systems that connect directly to a security system company or the local fire department are ideal — such devices can improve response times.”

Urgent Evacuations

Even with the most thorough preparations, a fire may still occur that could threaten the safety of your horses and livestock.

“If a fire starts in a barn, it can move very quickly and there may be only minutes to act,” Johnson said. “When ignited, hay, straw, and shavings can reach nearly 300°F in less than five minutes — meaning each second is precious to save an animal’s life.

“It is important to have a properly charged ABC fire extinguisher at each of the barn’s entrances and ensure everyone knows how to operate them,” Johnson said.

In a barn fire situation, calling 911 and evacuating is the best thing an owner can do. As with house fires, no one should enter; doing so could result in serious injury or death from the fire or smoke.

“In addition, the threat of heat, carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, and other toxic fumes produced by the burning of plastics and other materials can cause horses and livestock to suffocate,” Johnson said.

Fires can also weaken a barn, thus making it more likely to collapse. With that in mind, it is essential to have an evacuation plan in place ahead of time.

Making A Plan

Johnson recommends evacuating large animals using the following steps:

  • Keep a halter or lead rope close to each stall
  • Calmly but quickly lead animals away from the fire
  • Contain the animals in a designated paddock or pasture
  • Hose the animals off thoroughly

“Hosing animals off can remove any hot embers or fire material and can also decontaminate them,” Johnson said. “Soot from fires contains a lot of nasty substances that can be toxic to horses and humans.”

Following evacuation, all animals involved in or near the flames should be promptly evaluated by a veterinarian.

“Even if a horse doesn’t have evidence of burns, they may have inhaled super-heated air and smoke, which can be deadly,” Johnson said. “Horses may appear healthy at first, but the injuries to the lungs and other tissues can manifest 12-24 hours later as pneumonia.”

Proactive Planning

Approaching the threat of fire without a plan not only endangers yourself, but also your property, livestock, horses, and other loved ones; having a barn fire plan is not just a recommendation — it is a necessity.

“Write it down, discuss it with everyone at your barn, and practice it,” Johnson said. “A plan that isn’t written down and rehearsed is only an idea.”

Emergencies can be extremely stressful for humans and animals alike, but being prepared with an evacuation plan can ensure that everyone emerges from a barn fire unharmed.

Pasture Talk is a service of the College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences, Texas A&M University. Stories can be viewed on the web at vetmed.tamu.edu/news/tag/pasture-talk/. Suggestions for future topics may be directed to vmbs-editor@tamu.edu.

Texas A&M Researchers Use AI To Identify Genetic ‘Time Capsule’ That Distinguishes Species

Two researchers looking and pointing at a computer screen covered in colorful data
Drs. William Murphy and Nicole Foley

A new study, published in Nature, reveals a conserved genetic region that preserves species history through waves of gene flow and may be crucial to the development of some common X-linked diseases.

In a groundbreaking study, scientists from the Texas A&M College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences (VMBS) have utilized cutting-edge artificial intelligence methods to identify a region of the X chromosome that has maintained the distinctiveness of mammal species for millions of years.

Their findings shed new light on how species maintain their genetic identity, even when hybridization acts to homogenize their gene pools.

“We know that species like big cats; wolves, dogs, and coyotes; and even whales and dolphins have interbred to create hybrid offspring. What has been less clear has been why, despite all this interbreeding, these animals have remained separate species,” said Dr. Nicole Foley, a research assistant professor in the VMBS’ Department of Veterinary Integrative Biosciences and the study’s lead author.  

The mixing of DNA between species is common across the Tree of Life and often helps species survive as they explore new environments and encounter new pathogens or environmental conditions.

A major obstacle has been the lack of detailed genetic recombination maps, which are crucial for understanding how the shuffling of genes during reproduction, together with natural selection, influences the emergence of reproductive barriers in nature. This genetic swapping makes it more challenging for scientists to accurately map out species relationships, which are crucial for understanding the evolutionary history of animals.

Now, using AI-driven genome analysis, researchers can unlock this hidden blueprint of mammalian evolution.

A Time Capsule in the Genome

A major discovery from these studies is the identification of a massive region on the X chromosome that is shared across most mammalian species for more than 100 million years.

Dubbed the X-linked recombination desert (XLRD), this region spans nearly 30% of the X chromosome. It serves as a powerful reproductive barrier and plays a crucial role in preserving the true evolutionary relationships among species, even when widespread genetic exchange clouds the rest of the genome.

Two researchers looking and pointing at a computer screen covered in colorful data

“Remarkably, the XLRD appears to be a recurrent and ancient feature in mammals, functioning almost like a genomic ‘time capsule’ that records deep evolutionary history,” Foley said.

“We were unable to see this before because we never had this diversity of recombination maps,” she continued. “When we lined up all of the X chromosomes for those 22 species and we looked at the recombination map, it was pretty much the same map – it dipped in the exact same place, so we knew there was something functionally important going on in this part of the chromosome.”

“We had some evidence from previous studies based on a small handful of species that the XLRD exists, but we were very surprised to discover that this region was so conserved and so ancient,” said Dr. Bill Murphy, a distinguished professor in the VMBS and director of the Texas A&M Center for Comparative Genomics.

This discovery was especially exciting because the XLRD appears to play a key role in speciation — the process by which one species evolves into distinct new species through the development of reproductive barriers.

The XLRD’s Reproductive Role

The researchers also discovered that the XLRD region is notably enriched with genes related to male and female reproduction and sex chromosome silencing; this suggest that genetic switches relevant to X chromosome regulation in both sexes, which are embedded within and around the XLRD, may play a larger role in infertility as well as in human conditions like polycystic ovarian syndrome, an endocrine disorder that has been linked to reproductive and metabolic issues.

“This is one of the more novel findings because it has been thought that reproductive barriers arise rapidly and from unique genetic sources across different groups of species. Our results suggest this is not the case,” Murphy said. “For all the reasons, it looks like the XLRD is a key region associated with reproductive dysfunction in hybrids and reproductive isolation in nature.”

These discoveries open new avenues for understanding problems — and finding solutions — related to human reproduction and fertility.

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For more information about the Texas A&M College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences, please visit our website at vetmed.tamu.edu or join us on Facebook, Instagram, and X.

Contact Information: Jennifer Gauntt, Director of VMBS Communications, Texas A&M College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences, jgauntt@cvm.tamu.edu, 979-862-4216

Research Breakthrough From Texas A&M Could Help Regrow Lost Limbs

Four researchers in a lab
Biomedical sciences Ph.D. student Sarah Wolff; Dr. Lindsay Dawson; VTPP research associate professor Dr. Ling Yu; and senior research associate Mingquan Yan

Researchers at Texas A&M University have uncovered a key element of joint cartilage regrowth, which brings them one step closer to regrowing entire human limbs.

Their goal is to help the 2.1 million people in the United States living with limb loss, a population expected to more than triple by the year 2060 because of the increase in vascular diseases like diabetes.

Unlike some popular animals like the axolotl, a type of salamander that can regrow lost limbs, humans can only regrow the very tips of their fingers — and only under certain circumstances.

But now, researchers at the College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences (VMBS) have discovered a fibroblast growth factor (FGF) — a type of protein — capable of regenerating an entire finger joint, including articular cartilage, tendons and ligaments.

“We know that bone regeneration requires many different factors, one of which is FGFs,” said Dr. Lindsay Dawson, assistant professor in the VMBS’ Department of Veterinary Physiology & Pharmacology. “We were able to implant different FGFs into tissues that normally do not regenerate and we found one — FGF8 — that can regenerate a complete joint and the beginnings of a fingertip.”

Graduate student Sarah Wolff looks into a microscope as Dr. Lindsay Dawson watches
Wolff and Dawson

While FGF8 can’t regenerate some recognizable elements like a fingernail, its discovery is an important step toward full-limb regeneration.

“Our expectation is that if we can figure out all the factors that regenerate a finger, then we could apply those factors anywhere on the rest of the arm, or even a leg, and regrow a limb,” Dawson said.

“This study is a proof of concept. These cells would normally undergo scar formation, but FGF8 tells them to do something else and they end up making five tissues. We were amazed at how much this one factor can do,” she said.

Dawson’s graduate student, Sarah Wolff, is excited to continue the studies.

“We’ve discovered that joint regeneration is associated with less mature tissues,” she said. “What I’m really driven to understand is how can we stimulate joint regeneration across the lifespan.”

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For more information about the Texas A&M College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences, please visit our website at vetmed.tamu.edu or join us on Facebook, Instagram, and X.

Contact Information: Jennifer Gauntt, Director of VMBS Communications, Texas A&M College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences, jgauntt@cvm.tamu.edu, 979-862-4216