16 Tex. Admin. Code § 319.111 - Bleeders and Furosemide Program
(a)
Diagnosis of EIPH.
(1) A bleeder is a horse
that experiences Exercise Induced Pulmonary Hemorrhage (EIPH). Except as
otherwise provided by this subsection, the medical diagnosis of EIPH may be
made only by a commission veterinarian or a veterinarian currently licensed by
the Commission. If the first EIPH event experienced by a horse occurs in
another pari-mutuel racing jurisdiction, certification of the horse as a
bleeder by that foreign jurisdiction will also constitute a first report of a
diagnosed EIPH event for purposes of this section. A veterinarian who diagnoses
an EIPH event in a horse participating in pari-mutuel racing in this state
shall report the event to the commission veterinarian in a format prescribed by
the executive director. On receipt of the first report of a diagnosed EIPH
event for a horse, the commission veterinarian shall certify the horse as a
bleeder.
(2) A trainer may request
that a commission veterinarian reconsider the commission veterinarian's
diagnosis of an EIPH event by presenting the horse for re-examination within
four hours of the initial diagnosis, or within one hour after a performance's
last race, whichever occurs sooner. To receive reconsideration, the trainer
must present the horse to the commission veterinarian for endoscopic
examination as performed by a commission-licensed veterinarian.
(b) Admission to Furosemide
Program.
(1) A trainer may admit a horse to
the furosemide program by stating at time of entry that the horse will compete
with furosemide.
(2) A horse that
competed with furosemide in its most recent start out-of-state must compete on
furosemide in Texas unless withdrawn from the furosemide program at time of
entry.
(3) The voluntary
administration of furosemide without an external bleeding incident shall not
subject the horse to an initial period of ineligibility under subsection (g) of
this section.
(c)
Administration of Furosemide. Furosemide shall be administered to a horse in
the furosemide program not later than four hours before the published post time
for the race the horse is entered to run. The furosemide must be administered
intravenously by a veterinarian licensed by the Commission. The executive
director shall periodically publish the permissible blood levels of furosemide
in post-race specimens and shall post the levels at each licensed
racetrack.
(d) Requirement to Use
Furosemide. A horse in the furosemide program in Texas must compete with
furosemide until withdrawn from the program.
(e) Withdrawal from Furosemide Program.
(1) To withdraw a horse from the furosemide
program, the trainer must state his/her intention to race the horse without
furosemide at the time of entry.
(2) A horse in the furosemide program that
competes out-of-state without furosemide as a condition of the race is
considered to have been removed from the Texas furosemide program effective the
date of its first race without furosemide.
(3) Withdrawal from the furosemide program
does not prohibit a horse from subsequent readmission to the program in
accordance with this section.
(f) Readmission to the Furosemide Program. A
horse may be readmitted to the furosemide program if:
(1) at least 30 days have elapsed prior to
the subsequent day of intended race since the horse was voluntarily withdrawn
from the program as described in subsection (e)(1) of this section;
(2) the horse is required to compete with
furosemide pursuant to subsection (b)(2) of this section;
(3) a commission veterinarian, association
veterinarian, or practicing veterinarian diagnoses the horse with another EIPH
event within 4 hours of official works, recorded timed works, or live race;
or
(4) at least 14 days have
elapsed since the horse competed out of state without furosemide under
subsection (e)(2) of this section.
(g) Bleeders List.
(1) The commission veterinarian shall
maintain a list of horses that have been certified as bleeders and a list of
horses that have been admitted to the furosemide program.
(2) On receipt of a report of a diagnosed
EIPH event, the commission veterinarian shall place the horse on the
veterinarian's list and the horse shall be ineligible to race for the following
time periods:
(A) First incident - 14
days;
(B) Second incident within
365 days of previous incident - 30 days;
(C) Third incident within 365 days of
previous incident - 180 days;
(D)
Fourth incident within 365 days of previous incident - lifetime ban from racing
in this state.
(3) A
horse with fewer than four EIPH events that has not had a diagnosed EIPH event
for a period of 365 consecutive days is considered a non-bleeder for purposes
of this subsection. The report of a diagnosed EIPH event from any pari-mutuel
jurisdiction which officially records EIPH events will be recognized as an EIPH
event by the Commission.
(4)
Notwithstanding the foregoing, if after reviewing a report of a diagnosed EIPH
event the commission veterinarian determines additional days on the
veterinarian's list are essential to the health and safety of the horse, the
commission veterinarian may extend the number of days the horse is on the
veterinarian's list. The commission veterinarian shall record the medical
reasons for the additional days.
(h) Report by Veterinarian. A veterinarian
who administers furosemide to a horse that has been admitted to the furosemide
program shall report the administration on a form prescribed by the Commission.
A report made under this subsection must be filed with the test barn supervisor
not later than one hour before post time for the first race of that
day.
Notes
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