Featured Product | Horse Tips | Did You Know? | Meet The Reps | Ron's Corner
MAGA ZINE
ISSUE NO. 1 | Spring 2017
Featured Product
WEST NILE VIRUS PREVENTION REMAINS KEY TO HORSE HEALTH
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lowers aren’t the only thing in bloom. With many parts of the country experiencing a mild winter, mosquito populations may be particularly abundant this spring. That means an increased risk of horses contracting West Nile virus (WNV). No question the number of annual WNV cases in horses has declined significantly since the disease first appeared in the United States in 1999, thanks to vaccination practices; however, the threat remains. In 2016, 377 equine cases of West Nile virus (WNV) were reported from 32 States – that’s 152 more cases than in 2015.1
While there may be some potential vaccination complacency among owners due to a decrease in reported disease incidence, it is paramount to remind them of the many reasons WNV is a core AAEP vaccine recommendation for all horses: - WNV poses a significant threat to unvaccinated horses - WNV is potentially fatal (30 percent mortality rate) - No specific treatment exists for WNV, only supportive care; prevention is critical -O f the horses that do survive, only about 60-80 percent experience a full recovery2 - Horses residing in areas where disease is endemic are particularly susceptible and may require more frequent vaccination - Vaccination is less expensive and time consuming than treating the disease
Safe and efficacious WNV vaccine solutions A vaccine can never be too safe. Formulated to minimize reactions and maximize protection, all Merck Animal Health equine killed vaccines feature the exclusive Havlogen® adjuvant and Antigen Purification System™, which have been in use for more than 20 years. By combining our APS system and Havlogen adjuvant, we feature a line of killed virus vaccines that are highly efficacious and have an exceptional safety profile – shown to be 98% reaction-free in field safety trials.3 -H avlogen stimulates the immune system to produce high, longlasting levels of protection through the slow release and gradual absorption of antigen. Due to the composition of Havlogen, the vaccine maintains suspension without separation and settling in the vial — resulting in consistency and potency in every dose. 2
PARTNERS IN PRACTICE | Spring 2017
Merck Animal Health
HORSE TIPS West Nile Virus Fast Facts - 152 more equine cases of West Nile Virus (WNV) were reported in 2016 than in 20151 - Infection with WNV causes a potentially fatal encephalomyelitis (inflammation of the brain and spinal cord) - Affects a variety of animals, including birds, horses, humans
- The Antigen Purification System removes unwanted protein and cellular debris from the vaccine antigen. Using this method of filtration purification allows concentration of antigen, while minimizing the presence of extraneous protein and cellular debris that can contribute to vaccine associated adverse events. This is why our popular Prestige® and Encevac® combination vaccines have an exceptional safety profile and extremely low reaction rates. Headlined by the tried and true Prestige vaccine line, Merck Animal Health offers customized WNV combinations to meet the needs of any horse: - Prestige V + WNV – shown to be effective against eastern and western encephalomyelitis (EEE, WEE), equine herpesvirus (EHV-1, EHV-4), influenza, tetanus and WNV - Encevac T + WNV – shown to be effective against EEE/WEE, tetanus and WNV - Equi-Nile™ – shown to be effective against WNV
1
USDA APHIS 2016 Summary of West Nile Virus Equine Cases in the United States. February 2017.
2
ilson JH, Davis A, Bender JB, Minicucci, LA. Residual Effects of West Nile Viral Encephalomyelitis W in Horses. In: 49th Annual Convention of the American Association of Equine Practitioners, 2003, New Orleans, Louisiana, (Ed.)
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Data on file. Merck Animal Health.
- Signs of WNV in horses may include depression, low-grade fever, change in behavior, muscle fasciculations (twitching), incoordination/ataxia, cranial nerve deficits (such as head tilt, ear droop, difficulty swallowing), recumbency (inability to rise after laying down) - Diagnosis is generally achieved by one or more blood tests and by ruling out other neurologic diseases - Once a horse is infected and showing clinical signs, mortality rates can reach over 30 percent - Of those horses that do survive, only 59 to 79 percent may experience a full recovery, with many still exhibiting residual effects, such as gait and behavioral abnormalities, six-months after diagnosis2 - There is no treatment for the virus itself, just support for the clinical signs - Annual vaccination, and minimizing your horse’s exposure to mosquitoes are the best methods of prevention
Spring 2017 | PARTNERS IN PRACTICE
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Did You Know?
UHVRC SURPASSES $1 MILLION MARK IN MERCK ANIMAL HEALTH VACCINE DONATIONS
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id you know that every time you choose Merck Animal Health vaccines, you’re helping care for a horse in need through the Unwanted Horse Veterinary Relief Campaign (UHVRC)? A nonprofit partnership established in 2008 between Merck Animal Health and AAEP, the UHVRC provides qualifying equine facilities with vaccines to protect against eastern equine encephalomyelitis, western equine encephalomyelitis, equine herpesvirus (EHV-1 and EHV-4), West Nile Virus, equine influenza, tetanus and rabies.
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PARTNERS IN PRACTICE | Spring 2017
Merck Animal Health has donated more than $1 million in vaccine since the program began, providing nearly 25,000 doses to horses in need, protecting their health and making them more adoptable. Some of you already participate in this program as the sponsoring veterinarian for a rescue or retirement facility – thank you for your support of this worthy cause. To qualify for donated vaccines, facilities must have 501(c) (3) tax-exempt status, follow the AAEP Care Guidelines for Equine Rescue and Retirement Facilities, and work with an AAEP member veterinarian to submit an application.
To learn more, visit UHVRC.org, or talk to your Merck Animal Health sales representative.
The Science of Protected From the breeding barn to the show ring and everything in between, we have the vaccines you need to help protect your horse. • Made with the exclusive Antigen Purification System (APS™) • Contains the Havlogen® adjuvant veterinarians know and trust • Delivers core vaccine coverage according to American Association of Equine Practitioners recommendations Now that’s protected.
Ask your veterinarian for Prestige®, Encevac®, Prodigy® and EquiRab® brand vaccines. Visit us at GetVaccinatingRight.com to learn more about Merck Animal Health and the equine products and programs that help keep horses healthy. Every vaccine purchased through Merck supports the plight of the unwanted horse through the Unwanted Horse Veterinary Relief Campaign.
The Science of Healthier Animals 2 Giralda Farms • Madison, NJ 07940 • merck-animal-health-usa.com • 800-521-5767 Copyright © 2016 Intervet Inc., d/b/a/ Merck Animal Health, a subsidiary of Merck & Co., Inc. All rights reserved. 3526 EQ-FP AD Vaccine Line
Meet The Reps
DEANNA CHAPMAN Territory Sales Manager
Illinois, Minnesota, Wisconsin deanna.chapman@merck.com 319-480-5578
Q&A
Tell us a little bit about your horse background. At a very young age, I instantly felt drawn to horses. I’d pick up any horse books I could get my hands on just to learn more about them. My neighbors had some pasture horses that I began playing with. It was here that I taught myself to ride and solidified my love of horses. At this point, my parents knew I was serious about this horse thing and decided to send me to summer camp where I could learn more about horses and horse safety, instead of just trial and error out in an Iowa corn field. I spent the next seven summers attending, and eventually becoming a certified instructor at that camp. Somewhere in those years, I finally raised enough money to get my first horse. I’m fortunate enough to still have my mare, Cindy, and look forward to the many years ahead of us. Horses have played an important part in my life, and I’m not sure I’d be the person I am today without them! If you were a horse, what type of horse would you be? I’d probably be a Thoroughbred. Mainly because as a person I’ve always been short, so it’d be pretty cool to be tall for once! Just don’t tell my Paint mare I said that. Best horse advice you’ve ever received? If you’re not doing it because you love it, it’s time to get out. Oh, and wear a helmet! Outside of the equestrian world, what is your favorite hobby? I love to kayak and spend as much time as possible with my friends and family. How long have you been working for Merck Animal Health? Guess you can say I’m the new kid on the team. I’ve been here just over a month. What is your favorite part of being an equine sales representative? My favorite part thus far is working with such a remarkable group of individuals. Whether that be a colleague lending me words of wisdom, or a veterinarian teaching me more about the equine veterinary industry. I can tell these are genuine and hardworking individuals. If there were one thing you would want your customers to know about you, what would it be? Two of my main passions in life are animals and agricultural advancement. I try to pour my focus and energy into those two things to try and make a difference. I’m also young in my animal health sales career and would love to take any opportunity I can to learn more about the equine industry, so it looks like I’m in the right place!
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PARTNERS IN PRACTICE | Spring 2017
Meet The Reps
MARK WILLIAMS Territory Sales Manager Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Oklahoma, E. Texas mark.williams@merck.com 214-384-4524 Tell us a little bit about your horse background. I had the best childhood. My father managed purebred cattle operations, and we ended up in central Texas on a large cattle ranch. The horse was an integral part of ranch life. We used them daily for work and pleasure. In high school and college, I participated in rodeo, competing in two events -- bareback and team roping. With these events, you could experience two distinct aspects of the horse. One that works in concert with a rider and the other trying to dismount a rider. If you were a horse, what type of horse would you be? At this point in my life I would have to say a retired gelding, respected by his rider, enjoying the rest and all the green grass that the back forty offers. Best horse advice you’ve ever received? Respect the horse, then he will respect you. Outside of the equestrian world, what is your favorite hobby? Our work takes us away from our family, so when I am home we spend time together as a family. How long have you been working for Merck Animal Health? I was fortunate to be hired in 2004. What is your favorite part of being an equine sales representative? Without a doubt, it is the friendships that I have made – within the clinic, on our team, and with our distribution partners. Within the equine business, relationships are still valued. The bottom line is that we are all working for the horse and when that is the common goal, we can work together and form great working relationships.
Q&A
If there were one thing you would want your customers to know about you, what would it be? I am working for you.
Contact your Merck Animal Health Rep to find out about any special offers. Spring 2017 | PARTNERS IN PRACTICE
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Ron's Corner
RON ’S C OR N E R Volume 1: Passion
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’m not sure why the editor chose to call this Ron’s Corner, but I suspect it’s because I spent a lot of time there when I was in elementary school. When I wasn’t in the corner, I could often be found at the blackboard, standing on my tiptoes to keep my nose in the circle the teacher drew just high enough to make it somewhat uncomfortable to reach. Those forms of discipline today would be considered archaic, to say the least, but it was a different time and effective for an ornery boy like me. Regardless of any supposed hardships I encountered, the vast majority of which were self-imposed, I surprised most folks and turned out to be more productive than most folks thought. I’m grateful and consider myself blessed to have spent my entire career in animal health. The last 12 years I’ve had the privilege to lead a team of talented and passionate people focused on serving and working with equine veterinarians. That’s what I want to focus on for a few moments… passion for what we do! I recently returned from the Fisher Poets Gathering (FPG) (http://www.fisherpoets.org/) held in Astoria, Ore. I’m honored to have performed there for 11 years in a row. As the only “cowboy poet,” I often write and recite poetry that compares and contrasts our lifestyles. One of the many things we have in common is our passion for what we do. The Fisher Poets Gathering was conceived and created by fisherman Jon Broderick, now a close friend of mine. It’s a place where the men and women who risk their lives to fish on the ocean can come and share their stories through poetry and song. Commercial fishing is hard, dangerous work not for the faint of heart. The ocean is no respecter of men and she exacts her
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PARTNERS IN PRACTICE | Spring 2017
Fisher Poets Gathering
toll each year, taking lives of some of the men and women who would dare to harvest fish from her depths. And yet, with all the danger and hardships, most of the fishermen (the women who fish prefer to be called fishermen as well) wouldn’t think of doing anything else. The passion they have for fishing is what drives them year after year to leave their communities, families, and loved ones to brave the unpredictable hardships and danger of the ocean. As a younger man playing football, I saw teammates with an incredible drive; what I now realize was passion. Back then coaches called it “a fire in the belly.” They pushed themselves to be better, stronger, and faster to be the best they could be in the position they were assigned to play. Many of their teammates followed their lead and that’s when I realized passion is contagious! Though my illustrations to this point have been about fishermen and athletes, I suggest to you that I’ve not been around a profession more passionate about what they do than the equine
veterinarian. The years of formal education, internships, CE credits, long hours, late nights, and weekends require a dedication few are willing to make. It is at times dangerous, challenging, and heart-breaking. And yet, the passion you have for the horse is displayed time and time again. And that passion is contagious! It inspires your team, your clients, and those of us blessed to make our living in the horse industry.
“ As you know, when you help the horse, you help us. The horse is good medicine for mankind, helping us mentally and physically.” Dave Stamey, Western Music Artist of the Year, once said “without horses, cowboys would just be farmers with cows.” While I mean no disrespect to farmers, there is something empowering about doing a job horseback. Flying over a rail on the back of a Warmblood, or seeing beautiful country while astride a solid trail horse is something I wish everyone could experience.
And more people can because of you. Horses are living longer, more productive lives because of the dedicated medicine you practice. Therapeutic riding centers, where children and adults can find mental and physical healing through horses are growing and Time To Ride, an initiative between the American Horse Council and industry, continues to expose more people to the joys and benefits of horses. Your passion is the cornerstone of this relationship between us and the horse. Thank you for inspiring us with your contagious passion! Now carry on good and faithful servants to the horse and those of us who love them! Until next time, happy trails,
Ron McDaniel Director, Equine Sales
Spring 2017 | PARTNERS IN PRACTICE
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The Science of Healthier Animals 2 Giralda Farms • Madison, NJ 07940 • merck-animal-health-usa.com • 800-521-5767 Copyright © 2017 Intervet Inc., d/b/a/ Merck Animal Health, a subsidiary of Merck & Co., Inc. All rights reserved. 3627-EQUINE-PIP-NEWSLETTER