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Topic:Animal Health
Animal Health encompasses a broad range of topics focused on maintaining and improving the well-being of equine species. This field addresses various aspects of horse care, including disease prevention, diagnosis, treatment, and management of health conditions. Key areas of interest include equine nutrition, vaccination protocols, parasite control, dental care, and the management of chronic conditions such as laminitis and colic. Additionally, animal health research in horses investigates the impact of exercise and training on physical health, the role of genetics in disease susceptibility, and the development of new therapeutic approaches. This page compiles peer-reviewed research studies and scholarly articles that explore the latest advancements, challenges, and best practices in preserving and enhancing the health of horses.
Erratum: Saastamoinen, M.; Särkijärvi, S.; Valtonen, E. The Effect of Diet Composition on the Digestibility and Fecal Excretion of Phosphorus in Horses: A Potential Risk of P Leaching? Animals 2020, 10, 140. The authors wish to make the following corrections to their paper[...].
Inspiratory muscle training and testing: Rationale, development and feasibility. Inspiratory muscle training applies a training stimulus directly to the inspiratory muscles and is distinct from whole-body training. The potential benefits of inspiratory muscle training have yet to be explored in horses. Objective: The objectives were as follows: (a) to develop an equine-specific method of testing and training inspiratory muscles; (b) to assess tolerance and feasibility in a pilot study in a commercial Thoroughbred training establishment. Methods: Field study. Methods: A mask was used to interface commercial human inspiratory muscle training equipment. Ten horses undertook i...
Alveolar macrophage phenotypes in severe equine asthma. Because the alveolar macrophage (AM) phenotype of horses with severe equine asthma (SEA) is unknown, the cytokines expressed by M1- and M2-polarized AM were determined and the hypothesis that natural hay/straw challenge (NC) induces divergent AM phenotypes in control horses and horses with SEA was tested. Macrophages from control horses were activated either with eIFNγ + lipolysaccharide (LPS) or eIL-4 to characterize M1- or M2-polarized AM gene expression, respectively and determine the response of polarized cells to pathogen-associated molecular patterns (PAMPS): LPS, zymosan, peptidoglycan...
The influence of a simulated digest of an equine dietary feed additive G’s formula on contractile activity of gastric smooth muscle in vitro. G's Formula is a novel equine feed additive formulated to promote optimal GI function. The objective of this study was to determine whether the addition of a simulated digest of the composite feed additive G's Formula (FA) would alter the contractile response of gastric smooth muscle to acetylcholine (Ach). Smooth muscle strips from porcine stomachs were excised and attached to an isometric force transducer. An experiment was run to compare tissue contraction between tissue exposed to FA (FA; n = 8, simulated digest of FA was added to the bath) and control tissue (CO; n = 8, no additions m...
Effect of Linseed (Linum usitatissimum) Groats-Based Mixed Feed Supplements on Diet Nutrient Digestibility and Blood Parameters of Horses. Linseed (Linum usitatissimum) and its by-products are common supplements used in equine diets and are claimed to have beneficial health effects. In this study, the effect of linseed groat-based fibrous feed supplements on diet digestibility was studied. Also, possible detrimental health effects due to continuous feeding of supplemental feeds containing linseed were examined by evaluating blood parameters. The experimental design was arranged as two balanced 3 × 3 Latin Squares. The horses were individually fed at the maintenance energy level, the forage-to-concentrate ratio being 70:30, with ...
X chromosome aneuploidy and micronuclei in fertile mares. Abnormalities of chromosomes are an important and well documented cause of disorders of sexual development, fertility problems and congenital anomalies in mammals. Detection of low-level 63,X/64,XX mosaicism during routine cytogenetic evaluation is a challenge because its clinical significance is not yet fully clear. This study describes the prevalence and levels of 63,X mosaicism for a cohort of fertile mares and compares the results with eight problem mares for which no clinical cause of sub-fertility was found. The study design allowed for the analysis of micronuclei which are biomarkers of...
Horse vision and obstacle visibility in horseracing. Visual information is key to how many animals interact with their environment, and much research has investigated how animals respond to colour and brightness information in the natural world. Understanding the visibility of features in anthropogenic environments, and how animals respond to these, is also important, not least for the welfare and safety of animals and the humans they co-exist with, but has received comparatively less attention. One area where this is particularly pertinent is animal sports such as horseracing. Here there is a need to understand how horses see and respond to obs...
Interleukin 31 in insect bite hypersensitivity-Alleviating clinical symptoms by active vaccination against itch. Insect bite hypersensitivity (IBH) is the most common seasonal pruritic allergic dermatitis of horses occurring upon insect bites. In recent years, a major role for IL-31 in allergic pruritus of humans, monkeys, dogs, and mice was acknowledged. Here, we investigate the role of IL-31 in IBH of horses and developed a therapeutic vaccine against equine IL-31 (eIL-31). IL-31 levels were quantified in allergen-stimulated peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) and skin punch biopsies of IBH lesions and healthy skin from IBH-affected and healthy horses. The vaccine consisted of eIL-31 covalently ...
Doppler evaluation of renal resistivity index in healthy conscious horses and donkeys. The renal resistive index (RRI) is used as a measurement of downstream resistance in arteries. The aim of this study was to assess the RRI of the arcuate arteries by pulsed-wave Doppler ultrasonography in healthy conscious horses and donkeys, and to verify any differences related to age, breed, bodyweight (BW) or body condition (BCS). Thirty-three healthy conscious horses and nine donkeys had their systolic and diastolic flow velocities at the level of the arcuate arteries estimated by pulsed-wave Doppler ultrasound, and the RRI was calculated. The relationship of RRI with age, breed (Trotters...
Methyl-coenzyme M Reductase (MCR) Receptor as Potential Drug Target for Inhibiting Methanogenesis in Horses Using Moringa oleifera L.: An in Silico Docking Study. Methane (CH) emission from nonruminant livestock, particularly equines, is a colossal burden for veterinarians worldwide. In view of this, the present context was investigated to predict the antimethanogenic attributes of Moringa oleifera L. associated phytocomponents by targeting methyl-coenzyme M reductase (MCR) receptor in horses using in silico tools. Initially, the pharmacokinetics and ADME (absorption, distribution, metabolism, and excretion) properties of 26 phytocomponents were analyzed using Lipinski's rule of five and Swiss ADME tool, respectively. Among all the tested phytocomponent...
Critical Evaluation of Whole-Body Cryostimulation Protocol in Race Horses. Cold therapy is commonly used to relieve pain and inflammation and to aid in muscle recovery after exercise in human medicine. A number of applications have also been observed in veterinary practice. In this article, a critical evaluation of equine protocol applied with a new commercial concept of equine whole-body cryostimulation (WBC) was made. With this new concept of WBC, the protocol usually utilized for relieving pain and discomfort in humans has been extended to horses. The investigations described herein focus on the reduction of horse skin temperature when applying human WBC protocols...
Effects of transportation on gastric pH and gastric ulceration in mares. Transportation has been suggested as a risk factor for gastric ulceration in horses, but limited evidence supports this assumption. Methods: Twenty-six Standardbred, Thoroughbred, and Warmblood mares from a university teaching herd. Methods: Twelve mares were confined for 12 hours, overnight, in reproductive stocks with indwelling nasogastric tubes (NGTs) to assess pH of gastric fluid (GF). Gastric ulceration was assessed endoscopically before and after confinement. Subsequently, 26 horses were transported for 12 hours, overnight, in 2 consignments. During transportation, GF was aspirated ...
Novel Variants in the HMGA2 Gene Are Associated With Withers Height in Debao Pony. The Debao pony is a well-known dwarf horse breed in China. High-mobility group AT-hook 2 (HMGA2) gene is regarded as one of the important candidate genes regulating body height in horses. The aim of this study was to study the association between mutations in HMGA2 gene and withers height in Debao ponies. The polymorphisms in all exons and partial introns of the HMGA2 gene were screened with sequencing across 180 Debao ponies. And the association between the DNA variants and withers height was analyzed. Seven genetic variants were identified in HMGA2 gene, including six novel variants. Among t...
Zoonotic potential of Enterocytozoon bieneusi and Giardia duodenalis in horses and donkeys in northern China. Limited data are available on infection rates and genetic identity of Enterocytozoon bieneusi and Giardia duodenalis in horses and donkeys. In this study, 865 fecal specimens were collected from donkeys (n = 540) and horses (n = 325) in three provinces and autonomous regions in northern China during 2015-2019. Enterocytozoon bieneusi was detected and genotyped by PCR and sequence analyses of the ribosomal internal transcribed spacer (ITS) and G. duodenalis was detected and genotyped by PCR and sequence analyses of the β-giardin, glutamate dehydrogenase, and triosephosphate isomerase g...
Evaluation of three ligatures in simulated equine open castration. To compare three surgical knots for preventing leakage from the vascular bundle during ligation in simulated equine open castrations. Methods: Randomized, case-control, in vitro study. Methods: Testes (N = 60) collected from 30 horses. Methods: Testes were collected from 30 horses and randomly assigned to one of three groups: group G (friction, giant knot), group T (modified transfixing knot), or group S (sliding, strangle knot; n = 20/group). The assigned knot was used to ligate the vascular bundle during open castration. The length of suture material used and the leak pressure of the testicu...
Factors Influencing Equine Gut Microbiota: Current Knowledge. Gastrointestinal microbiota play a crucial role in nutrient digestion, maintaining animal health and welfare. Various factors may affect microbial balance often leading to disturbances that may result in debilitating conditions such as colic and laminitis. The invention of next-generation sequencing technologies and bioinformatics has provided valuable information on the effects of factors influencing equine gut microbiota. Among those factors are nutrition and management (e.g., diet, supplements, exercise), medical substances (e.g., antimicrobials, anthelmintics, anesthetics), animal-related ...
Preservation of Epididymal Stallion Sperm in Liquid and Frozen States: Effects of Seminal Plasma on Sperm Function and Fertility. Three separate experiments were conducted to improve preservation of stallion epididymal sperm. In the first one, two different cooling extenders (Kenney and Gent) were compared. Sperm viability and motility patterns were assessed in 10 different epididymal sperm samples after 0 hours, 24 hours, 48 hours, 72 hours, and 96 hours of preservation at 4°C. No significant differences were observed in any of the evaluated parameters either between extenders or throughout the storage period. The second set of experiments was designed to determine whether supplementing thawing medium (INRA Freeze...
Sniff, look and loop excursions as the unit of “exploration” in the horse (Equus ferus caballis) when free or under saddle in an equestrian arena. Spontaneous locomotor behavior in a novel space reveals insights into an animal's world view or Umwelt. For example, in many animal species, spontaneous behavior in a novel environment is parsed into activities at a home base and excursions from the home base. Domestic horses (Equus ferus caballas) are frequently ridden for recreation or in performance events in an equestrian arena but there has been no description of horse behavior in an arena when they are unconstrained and "exploring" or when moving freely under saddle. The present examination of exploration provides insights into horse ada...
ASlive: a database for alternative splicing atlas in livestock animals. Alternative splicing is an important biological process whose precision must be tightly regulated during growth and development. Although there are species, disease (e.g. cancers), or study specific databases available in many organisms, no database exists in livestock animals specifically tailored for alternative splicing. Methods: We present in this study the development and implementation of a database for alternative splicing atlas in livestock animals (ASlive.org). Using publicly available RNASeq data sets across many tissues, cell types, and biological conditions totaling 28.6 T bases,...
Special Issue “Equine Viruses”: Old “Friends” and New Foes? The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations has recently estimated that the world equid population exceeds 110 million (FAOSTAT 2017).[...].
Massive Africanized honeybee stings in two hair sheep and a mare. The findings of massive Africanized honeybee stings in two hair sheep and a mare are reported. One sheep died 15 h after attack, and the survivors developed skin necrosis on the sting sites. Pathological evaluation revealed necrosis in the dermis, degeneration of the tubular epithelial cells, and multifocal hemorrhages in heart and spleen. The massive attack by Africanized honeybees induced lesions in the skin, heart, muscles, kidneys, and lungs.
Effect of work on body language of ranch horses in Brazil. The horses' responses to exercise are commonly monitored using physiological variables, nonetheless physical and mental states can also be expressed through body language. The aims of this study were: (i) to identify how facial expressions and other behavioural variables change in ranch horses after a routine workday, and (ii) to investigate if these changes can be used as indicators of physical tiredness by relating them to known variables of physical fitness and workload. Fourteen crossbred ranch horses were assessed pre- and post-workday on two farms, recording the body language, physiologi...
In-Person Caretaker Visits Disrupt Ongoing Discomfort Behavior in Hospitalized Equine Orthopedic Surgical Patients. Horses have evolved to show little indication of discomfort or disability when in the presence of potential predators, including humans. This natural characteristic complicates the recognition of pain in equine patients. It has been our clinical impression that, whenever a person is present, horses tend to "perk up" and ongoing discomfort behavior (DB) more or less ceases. The objective of this study was to quantitatively evaluate and describe this effect. For each of 20 orthopedic surgical patients, continuous 24-h video was reviewed to record all occurrences of DB during a caretaker visit (3...
Drug Efficacy of Ivermectin Against Primary Nematodes Parasitizing Captive Przewalski’s Horse (Equus Ferus Przewalskii) after Ten Years of Annually Treatment. Reintroduction of endangered species to natural habitat is considered as an important tool for conservation. The effect of drug management on captive population of reintroduced species is largely neglected. Decreased drug efficacy could pose a substantial threat to health of animals. More importantly, captive population without proper drug administration could act as transmission medium of resistance nematodes to wild population, making it important to delay the occurrence of drug resistance in captive population. Ivermectin have been used in captive Przewalski's horse () to eradicate intestin...
Clinical Pathology of the Racehorse. The assessment of blood analytes in racehorses can provide useful data on performance and health. The horses' adaptive responses to training that occur to optimize performance should be considered when interpreting alterations seen on laboratory results. Similarly, the alterations observed in laboratory test results can identify subclinical and clinical disease and be helpful for identifying organ dysfunction and, in many cases, monitoring progress and response to treatment. This article discusses hematologic and biochemical tests that are important in the evaluation of performance and health ...
Evaluation of a Marketed Polyherbal Dewormer Against Intestinal Strongyles in Naturally Infected Donkeys. The study evaluated the effectiveness of a commercially available polyherbal dewormer to control intestinal strongyles in naturally infected donkeys. The animals were allotted to two groups: treated with the herbal dewormer (n=8) according to manufacturer recommendations and untreated control group (n=6). Fecal samples were taken from each animal on days 0 (day of treatment), 14, 21 (day of second additional treatment), 35, and 42. Faecal egg count reduction tests showed very negligible or no reduction in number of strongyle eggs for donkeys in the phytotherapeutic treatment group compared to ...
The role of seminal plasma in the liquid storage of spermatozoa. Ongoing progress in proteomic characterization of seminal plasma has stimulated research on the identification of biomarkers for male fertility and sperm preservability. So far, many studies have evaluated the benefits of reconstituting cryopreserved or sex-sorted semen with seminal plasma. Less information is available about the effect of remaining or added seminal plasma in liquid preserved semen. The interaction between seminal plasma and spermatozoa is species -specific, and within species often complex and ambiguous. This article aims to review the action of seminal plasma on sperm functi...
Coagulation Assessment in the Equine Patient. Horses with clinical signs of unprovoked or excessive hemorrhage should be evaluated for underlying platelet defects or coagulopathies. This article provides an overview of preliminary screening and definitive tests to assess coagulation and identify hemostatic defects in horses, as well as a review of the hemostatic disorders most frequently encountered in clinical practice.
Overview of spatio-temporal distribution inferred by multi-locus sequence typing of Taylorella equigenitalis isolated worldwide from 1977 to 2018 in equidae. The accurate identification of Taylorella equigenitalis strains is essential to improve worldwide prevention and control strategies for contagious equine metritis (CEM). This study compared 367 worldwide equine strains using multilocus sequence typing according to the geographical origin, isolation year and equine breed. The strains were divided into 49 sequence types (STs), including 10 described for the first time. Three major and three minor clonal complexes (CCs), and 11 singletons, were identified. The genetic heterogeneity was low (0.13 STs/strain) despite the wide diversity of geographi...
