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.
Methodologies to Identify Metabolic Pathway Differences Between Emaciated and Moderately Conditioned Horses: A Review of Multiple Gene Expression Techniques. Starvation in horses presents critical welfare, economic, and management challenges with underlying molecular mechanisms of metabolic modification and recovery left poorly defined. Prolonged caloric deprivation induces significant systemic shifts in carbohydrate, protein, and lipid metabolism, reflected in coordinated changes in tissue-specific gene expression. This review synthesizes current knowledge on equine metabolic responses to starvation, emphasizing pathways found through RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) and real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) studies. Molecular investi...
Dynamic Mobilization Exercises Improve Activity and Stride Parameters Measured with Accelerometry in Sedentary Horses. Dynamic mobilization exercises (DME) are an effective strategy to prevent musculoskeletal injuries and promote back health in sport horses. Previous studies focused mainly on multifidus muscle cross-sectional area, with limited data on locomotion and adaptation timing. This study evaluated locomotor changes using accelerometry, over 8 weeks of DME application in 14 sedentary horses: a DME group ( = 8) performing 10 different DME (3 neck flexions, 1 neck extension and 3 lateral bending exercises to each side), 5 repetitions of each DME per session, 3 sessions/week, and a control group ( = 6), t...
A genome-wide investigation of insidious uveitis in Appaloosa horses. Equine recurrent uveitis (ERU), an inflammatory eye disease, is the leading cause of blindness among horses. Insidious uveitis, a form of ERU, is especially pervasive within the Appaloosa breed and is highly heritable (h = 0.68-1.0). To date only one risk locus, leopard complex (LP), has been identified, and it explained 0.16-0.33 of the heritability estimate, suggesting that insidious uveitis is a complex genetic disease within the Appaloosa horse breed with multiple unknown predisposing loci. Results: A genome-wide association study (GWAS) using relatedness, LP genotype, sex, and age as ...
Equine Metabolism of Voxelotor and Its Impact on Hematological Indices: A Doping Control Perspective. Voxelotor, a therapeutic drug for sickle cell disease, has been reported to elevate serum erythropoietin and hemoglobin levels in healthy individuals. Because of its potential to alter blood parameters, the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) classified voxelotor under category M1 of the 2023 Prohibited List. Despite this classification, little is known about its metabolic behavior in either humans or animals. In this study, the metabolism of voxelotor was investigated in Thoroughbred horses after oral administration. Using liquid chromatography high-resolution mass spectrometry (LC-HRMS), 35 meta...
Antimicrobial use in equine patients at a veterinary teaching hospital in the northeastern United States reveals opportunities for enhanced stewardship. To assess the use of systemic antimicrobial agents in equine patients and identify areas where their use could be reduced. Unassigned: A retrospective study evaluating the electronic medical records for all equine visits in which systemic antimicrobials were given at a veterinary teaching hospital for 1 year (2021). Negative binomial regression analysis was used to evaluate factors associated with antimicrobial prescription rate. Unassigned: Systemic antimicrobials were prescribed for 33.5% (543 of 1,622) of equine visits. For most visits (89.1%), ≤ 3 antimicrobials were given. The antimicro...
Species diversity and within-host tropism for mixed equine strongyle infections using a cytochrome c oxidase subunit I metabarcoding approach. Strongyles, especially non-migratory Strongylidae, are the most common equine gut parasites, and typically occur in mixed infections with 10 - 20 species per host. Current knowledge on strongyle species prevalence and within-host tropism is sparse. Herein species composition of mixed strongyle infections of 12 naturally infected untreated young horses, based on strongyle eggs extracted from faeces, cultured third stage larva and luminal worms collected from ventral and dorsal colon was examined. Species were identified using a cytochrome c oxidase I (COI) metabarcoding approach allowing differ...
Evaluation of Owner-Reported Clinical Signs and Fecal Occult Blood Tests as Predictors of Equine Gastric Ulcer Syndrome in Competition Dressage Horses. Equine gastric ulcer syndrome (EGUS) adversely affects the health, welfare, and performance of sports horses, requiring gastroscopy for definitive diagnosis. Owners frequently consider girth aversion as highly suggestive of EGUS. Objective: To evaluate whether owner-reported clinical signs or fecal occult blood tests (FOBTs) can help identify horses needing gastroscopy for EGUS diagnosis or monitoring treatment, thereby reducing unnecessary procedures in unaffected horses. Methods: Eighty competition dressage horses referred by veterinarians for EGUS evaluation. Methods: Case-control study in...
Comparative analysis of 3 qPCR primer-probe sets for the detection of equid alphaherpesvirus 1. With the revision of the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH) Terrestrial Manual on equine rhinopneumonitis in 2024, 3 recommended qPCR primer-probe sets were added for the detection of equid alphaherpesvirus 1 (EqAHV1; formerly equine herpesvirus 1 [EHV1]; family , taxon species ), also known as equine abortion virus. We compared the sensitivity and specificity of the 3 qPCR primer-probe sets to determine the most reliable set. Sets gB1H and gB1P, which target the glycoprotein B () gene of EqAHV1, detected all 10 copies and even lower copy numbers. In contrast, set gC1 (ISO 17025-accre...
Complications in Theriogenology. This article explores key complications in equine reproduction, focusing on their causes, diagnosis, treatment, and prevention. It emphasizes the risks associated with common procedures, particularly those that are iatrogenic, meaning caused by medical intervention. The discussion highlights how understanding these risks can help in early detection and management, ultimately improving reproductive success and animal welfare. The article also provides insights into best practices to minimize complications, ensuring safer procedures and better outcomes for breeding horses.
Adverse Effects of Antimicrobial Drugs Use in Horses. Antimicrobial drug therapy in horses can lead to adverse effects across multiple body systems, with specific age groups, such as foals, at particular risk. Certain antimicrobial drugs, such as penicillins, aminoglycosides, macrolides, tetracyclines, and trimethoprim-sulfonamide combinations, are commonly implicated. This review explores the mechanisms behind these adverse reactions, emphasizing the importance of judicious antimicrobial drug use. This review also underscores the need for a centralized pharmacovigilance system to improve drug safety and adverse event reporting for veterinary med...
Preanesthetic Administration of Trazodone Does Not Impact Anesthetic Recovery Scores in Horses. Trazodone is administered to hospitalized equine patients to aid in behavioral management, but the effects on the anesthetic recovery period have not been investigated. This study sought to determine if there is an association between trazodone administration and recovery quality, recovery time, need for sedation, or need for reversal agent administration. We hypothesized that there would be no difference in recovery scores, recovery time, additional sedation, or reversal agent administration between horses that received preanesthetic trazodone and horses that did not. Records were reviewed to...
Intraday and Interday Evaluation of pH and Hydrogen Peroxide in the Exhaled Breath Condensate of Horses Using A Portable Device. The analysis of equine exhaled breath condensate (EBC) lacks standardized methodology, and current collection devices are often adapted for research. This study evaluates a novel horse-specific EBC collector and assesses the variability of EBC pH and hydrogen peroxide (HO) levels, exploring potential correlations with bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) and tracheal wash (TW) cytology. Eleven healthy mixed-breed mares from a teaching herd, with no evidence of airway abnormalities, were included in this randomized observational study. The collection efficiency of the proposed device was assessed, and ...
Influence of Extended Photoperiod Using Blue Light Masks on Hypertrichosis, Coat Condition and General Health Parameters in Horses with Pituitary Pars Intermedia Dysfunction. Fifty-two horses aged >15 years, diagnosed with pituitary pars intermedia dysfunction (PPID), and displaying hypertrichosis were recruited via an online survey of PPID horse owners. From mid-December, group T ( = 29) wore Equilume light masks extending photoperiod to 15 h daily, while group C1 ( = 23) remained under natural photoperiod. As 85% (44/52) of recruited study horses received pergolide medication, a second unmedicated PPID research herd (C2; = 17) was recruited and remained under natural photoperiod. Hair coat samples, shedding and body condition scores were collected monthly by own...
Multi-centre clinical audit of oxygen and inhalant anaesthetic usage in equine anaesthesia: The potential benefits of training and low-flow techniques. The healthcare sector contributes significantly to global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, with anaesthetic gases being a notable contributor. Implementing sustainable practices in equine anaesthesia, such as low-flow anaesthesia, offers potential benefits. Objective: To audit oxygen and isoflurane usage in five equine hospitals, their associated GHG emissions, and the impact of anaesthesia training on mitigating these emissions. Methods: Multi-centre clinical audit. Methods: This audit covered two periods: study period one (1 June-30 September 2022) and study period two (1 June-30 September 20...
First serological evidence of equine coronavirus and severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 in horses in North Africa. Viral diseases cause significant economic losses within the equine population. Horses are susceptible to equine coronavirus (ECoV) and severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2), although only ECoV has been associated to clinical disease. The aim of this study was to investigate, for the first time in Algeria, the seroprevalence of ECoV and SARS-CoV-2 antibodies and the prevalence of ECoV infection in horses. In 2022, a total of 299 serum samples was collected from horses aged 1 to 27 years. Serological analysis for the presence of ECoV and SARS-CoV-2 was performed using a va...
Risk factors for strangulating lipoma obstruction and lipomata in horses. Strangulating lipoma obstruction (SLO) is the most common cause of equine small intestinal strangulation and is fatal without surgery. Currently, epidemiological information is primarily limited to signalment-related risk factors and requires further investigation. Objective: To identify horse-level risk factors for SLO and/or abdominal lipoma(s) (LP) formation in horses with acute colic that underwent surgery or post-mortem examination at participating equine clinics. Methods: Prospective, international, multicentre, epidemiological study. Methods: An epidemiological study was conducted over ...
Cytochrome c oxidase I deep amplicon sequencing for metabarcoding of equine strongyle communities: unexpectedly high Strongylus spp. prevalence in treated horses. Equines are parasitized by complex communities of Strongylidae (Nematoda) comprising multi-species infections. Currently, Cyathostominae are most prevalent, while Strongylus species are only rarely detected. Since eggs and, in most cases, infective larvae cannot be differentiated to species level, except for Strongylus spp., species-specific knowledge of the pathology, epidemiology and ecology of these parasitic nematodes is limited. Reference sequence data for several cyathostomin species are limited or missing. Deep amplicon sequencing of internal transcribed spacer 2 (ITS-2) regions of nema...
Pharmacokinetics and preliminary safety of single-dose oral fluralaner at 10 and 25 mg/kg in healthy horses revealed no adverse reactions. To determine the safety and pharmacokinetics of a single dose of the oral ectoparasiticide fluralaner at 10 and 25 mg/kg in healthy horses. Unassigned: 12 clinically healthy university-owned horses, 9 to 17 years of age, were administered a single oral dose of fluralaner at 10 or 25 mg/kg. Physical examinations, neurological examinations, plasma samples, hematology and biochemistry panels, and skin biopsies were collected throughout the 84-day trial period. Fluralaner concentrations were measured in plasma and skin by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry, and pharmacokinetics were ev...
Hematological and blood biochemical parameters of Tokara horses in Kaimon Foothills Nature Park. The Tokara horse is a breed of native Japanese horse, for which hematological and biochemical data are lacking. The aim of this study was to obtain current hematological and biochemical data on Tokara horses. We enrolled 90 Tokara horses kept at the Kaimon Foothills Nature Park (Kagoshima) that underwent physical examinations and blood sampling between 2022 and 2024. All horses in this study were regarded as clinically healthy, based on physical examinations. Hematological and biochemical parameters also showed no abnormal values. Based on the above results, we consider that the data from this...
Newly isolated bacteriophages show efficacy and phage-antibiotic synergy in vitro against the equine genital pathogens Klebsiella pneumoniae and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Bacterial infections of the genital tract are a severe problem in equine reproduction. Biofilms produced by Klebsiella (K.) pneumoniae and Pseudomonas (P.) aeruginosa present further concerns in such cases as they can limit the success of antibiotic treatments. Alternative treatment approaches are urgently needed for treating bacterial equine genital tract infections and thus, reduce antibiotic use. The present study reports on the bactericidal efficacy of both, novel K. pneumoniae- and P. aeruginosa-specific phages, in a biofilm model and in conjunction with antibiotic drugs as tested in vitr...
Plate fixation of small metacarpal and metatarsal bone fractures in 27 horses. To present fracture cases selected for plate fixation (PF), describe surgical techniques and assess their association with postoperative complications and return-to-work outcomes in horses undergoing PF for small metacarpal/metatarsal (SMCT) fractures. Methods: Multicenter retrospective study. Methods: A total of 27 horses. Methods: Horses treated with PF of a SMCT fracture between 2008 and 2023 across three hospitals were included. Medical records and imaging were reviewed. Long-term outcomes were established by readmission to the hospital, telephone interviews, and/or race records. Univariab...
Exploring the Abnormal Characteristics of the Ovaries During the Estrus Period of Kazakh Horses Based on Single-Cell Transcriptome Technology. The ovary is among the earliest organs to undergo age-related degeneration, limiting the reproductive potential of elite horses and constraining the growth of the equine industry. Follicular development during estrus is a key determinant of fertility, yet the molecular mechanisms underlying its decline, particularly at the level of specific ovarian cell types, remain poorly understood in equids. Here, we constructed a single-cell transcriptomic atlas to investigate ovarian changes in Kazakh horses. Using single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq), we profiled 112,861 cells from follicle-containing...
Effectiveness of a screening protocol employed at a UK rescue centre to prevent introduction of strangles. Infection with Streptococcus equi subspecies equi (S. equi) is characterised by acute disease, with about 10% of infected animals remaining persistently infected. Clinically, infection with S. equi cannot readily be distinguished from infection caused by other respiratory pathogens, including Streptococcus equi subspecies zooepidemicus (S. zooepidemicus), equine influenza virus, and equine herpes virus. Screening protocols, with appropriate quarantining facilities, are important to detect horses infected with S. equi and avoid strangles outbreaks. Virulent strains of S. zooepidemicus can also ...
Pre-operative feeding effects on post-anaesthetic colic and faecal output in horses. Post-anaesthetic colic (PAC) is a complication in horses undergoing general anaesthesia (GA). Various preoperative feeding strategies are used in equine practice, yet their impact on PAC remains unclear. Objective: To identify perioperative risk factors associated with PAC and evaluate the influence of preoperative fasting on PAC prevalence and faecal output. Methods: Retrospective cohort study. Methods: Medical records of horses undergoing non-abdominal surgery under GA were reviewed. Horses were categorised into fasted and non-fasted groups based on their pre-anaesthetic feeding regimen. Mul...
Streptococcus equi subsp. equi isolated from horses in Southern Brazil: molecular and phenotypic analyses. Streptococcus equi subsp. equi (S. equi) is the etiological agent of strangles, a contagious equine disease characterized by lymph node abscess and respiratory complications. To clarify the epidemiology and virulence factors of isolates, this study demonstrated phenotypic and genotypic differences between S. equi obtained from nasal secretions and lymph node aspirates of clinical strangles cases. Additionally, circulating alleles were differentiated through sequencing of the 5' end of the seM gene. A total of 23 clinical isolates collected from horses with strangles over the past decade were a...
First report of West Nile virus infections in horses in Tunisia from 2018 to 2023. West Nile virus (WNV) is an arthropod borne virus, the most widely distributed of the encephalitic Orthoflaviviruses. It can cause severe neurological symptoms in both humans and horses. It poses an emerging threat to both public and animal health. In this study, we retrospectively screened 25 suspected WNV samples collected from 2018 to 2023. Methods: A total number of 25 samples (brain tissue and blood) were collected from clinically affected horses and those already deceased across several locations in Tunisia. All samples were tested for the presence of WNV NS2A gene using qRT-PCR. Eleven ...
A high proportion of bacterial isolates from septic neonatal foals in Ontario express multidrug resistance and low susceptibility to first-line antimicrobials. To describe common bacterial isolates cultured from sick neonatal foals and their antimicrobial susceptibility and resistance patterns. Unassigned: Medical records of foals ≤ 30 days of age, admitted to the Ontario Veterinary College from 2020 to 2023, and with a positive aerobic bacterial culture and susceptibility testing performed (Kirby-Bauer method) were included. A descriptive analysis of species isolated and antimicrobial and multidrug resistance profiles was performed. Unassigned: 62 samples from 60 predominantly Thoroughbred (42% [25 of 60]) neonatal foals (median age, 8 days) yield...
Complications of the Recumbent Horse: Diagnosis and Management. This issue focuses on the potential complications caused by prolonged recumbency in horses. It discusses how managing a recumbent horse involves treating the primary illness while also preventing and addressing secondary issues that can arise from recumbency itself. The authors explore the underlying pathophysiology of these complications, along with strategies for prevention and treatment. By understanding these aspects, veterinarians can improve care and outcomes for horses that are immobilized for extended periods. The issue provides insights into the most common complications and emphasize...