Admissions Policy

Coggins Test

• All horses over the age of 6 months old admitted to the hospital must have proof of a negative Coggins test for Equine Infectious Anemia within the past year (12 months).
• If a horse arrives at the hospital without a current Coggins test, one must be submitted before the animal can be discharged.

Other Communicable Diseases

• Special consideration for initial workup and housing locations should be given prior to unloading all animals with histories that suggest they may have a communicable disease (e.g., signs of viral respiratory disease, nasal discharge, anemia without a current negative Coggins test, diarrhea, fever/fever of unknown origin, neutropenia, acutely neurologic/ataxic, rabies, spontaneous abortion, etc.). See Equine infectious Disease Chart.
• Animals with histories or physical signs strongly suggestive of a disease requiring restriction or isolation should be unloaded directly into the appropriate area, preventing possible contamination of central use areas.
• A fecal sample must be collected and submitted for SALM PCR + culture in any horse presenting with a primary complaint of gastrointestinal disease in accordance with EFAVC Biosecurity Surveillance Program Policy.
• Horses recently acquired from higher risk infectious disease populations (e.g., auction, rescue) or with limited known history should be treated with greater caution to prevent infectious disease spread until the work up is completed.
• Grooming utensils for animals with dermatological conditions suspicious of or confirmed with infectious risk must be kept at the individual’s stall and cleaned and disinfected before being returned to general use.