![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
I have some Constant Readers out there who share their lives with animals, hence today's postings about dogs and horses.
http://www.horsetalk.co.nz/news/2009/07/003.shtml
Apparently, horses can catch HPV. It's known as aural plaques and is spread to them through biting flies and affects their ears (the link has a picture). It is extremely resistent to treatment and causes some horses to become very head-shy and difficult to bridle.
But in a recent study, doctors used 5% strength imiquimod cream (marketed as Aldera) to treat aural plaques (which is typically used on humans to treat HPV warts) on 16 horses and the lesions cleared up on all 16 horses. They were treated 3 times a week on alternate weeks for 6 weeks to 8 months and the lesions only returned on 2 horses after 12 months.
Unfortunately, it's expensive. A 2-month supply costs $250. The horses ears became sensitive during treatment and they didn't like the crusties scraped off, and the cream caused an inflamatory response. However, after treatment, the horses' whose ears were bothering them before treatment all improved, got less head-shy, less ear-sensitive, and easier to bridle.
Says one doctor, "Luckily they seem to forgive us!"
http://www.horsetalk.co.nz/news/2009/07/003.shtml
Apparently, horses can catch HPV. It's known as aural plaques and is spread to them through biting flies and affects their ears (the link has a picture). It is extremely resistent to treatment and causes some horses to become very head-shy and difficult to bridle.
But in a recent study, doctors used 5% strength imiquimod cream (marketed as Aldera) to treat aural plaques (which is typically used on humans to treat HPV warts) on 16 horses and the lesions cleared up on all 16 horses. They were treated 3 times a week on alternate weeks for 6 weeks to 8 months and the lesions only returned on 2 horses after 12 months.
Unfortunately, it's expensive. A 2-month supply costs $250. The horses ears became sensitive during treatment and they didn't like the crusties scraped off, and the cream caused an inflamatory response. However, after treatment, the horses' whose ears were bothering them before treatment all improved, got less head-shy, less ear-sensitive, and easier to bridle.
Says one doctor, "Luckily they seem to forgive us!"
