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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.
Therapy of Non-Dermatophytic Mycoses in Animals. This review focuses on aspects of antimycotic therapy specific to veterinary medicine. In the first part, drug availability, limited mostly by economic consideration but also by clinical applicability and specific adverse effects, is described for polyenes, 5 fluorocytosine, azoles, echinocandins and terbinafine. In the second part, current knowledge and experience in the treatment of selected fungal infections are overviewed. These mycoses include disseminated mold infections in small animals (dogs and cats) and avian species, upper respiratory tract infections of small animals (sino-nasal an...
Moffett’s muted mules: the science of laryngology in the art of war. Mules and other equine species have been used in warfare for thousands of years to transport goods and supplies. Mules are known for 'braying', which is disadvantageous in warfare operations. This article explores the fascinating development of surgical techniques to stop military mules from braying, with particular emphasis on the key role played by the otolaryngologist Arthur James Moffett in devoicing the mules of the second Chindit expedition of World War II. Methods: The PubMed database (1900-2017) and Google search engine were used to identify articles related to devoicing mules in the m...
Hematological and serum biochemical profile values in pregnant and non-pregnant mares. Pregnancy in many mammals, including mares, is associated with physiological changes that are reflected in hematological and biochemical profiles. Understanding those physiological changes and differentiating them from pathological changes is imperative for providing care and medical therapy in pregnant mares. Our objective was to compare normal hematological and biochemical profiles in healthy non-pregnant as well as healthy pregnant mares during the 1st and 2nd trimesters of pregnancy. Blood was collected by jugular venipuncture into ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid and serum tubes. Whole blo...
Treatment of class 2 malocclusion by corrective osteotomy using two short locking compression plates. To describe a symphyseal osteotomy stabilised with two short locking compression plates (LCPs) for treatment of class 2 malocclusions. Methods: Case series. Methods: Five horses (age range 8 months to 5¾ years) with overjets and/or overbites ranging from 6 to 32 mm and from 0 to 60 mm, respectively, were treated by osteotomy through the caudal third of the mandibular symphysis, cranial to the interdental space. After cranial distraction and ventral rotation of the rostral part of the mandible, two short (5/6 hole), bent 3.5 mm LCPs were applied ventro-laterally and secured with two or three l...
Parameters for the Analysis of Social Bonds in Horses. Social bond analysis is of major importance for the evaluation of social relationships in group housed horses. However, in equine behaviour literature, studies on social bond analysis are inconsistent. Mutual grooming (horses standing side by side and gently nipping, nuzzling, or rubbing each other), affiliative approaches (horses approaching each other and staying within one body length), and measurements of spatial proximity (horses standing with body contact or within two horse-lengths) are commonly used. In the present study, we assessed which of the three parameters is most suitable for s...
Establishment of Monoclonal Antibody PMab-202 Against Horse Podoplanin. Podoplanin (PDPN), a type I transmembrane glycoprotein, is expressed in several body tissues, including podocytes of renal glomerulus, type I alveolar cells of lung, and lymphatic endothelial cells. PDPN activates platelet aggregation by binding to C-type lectin-like receptor-2 (CLEC-2) presented on platelets. Monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) against human-, mouse-, rat-, rabbit-, dog-, bovine-, and cat-PDPN have already been established. However, anti-horse PDPN mAbs have not yet been developed. In this study, we immunized mice with synthetic horse PDPN peptides and developed anti-horse PDPN mAbs...
Equine Contribution in Methane Emission and Its Mitigation Strategies. Greenhouses gas emission mitigation is a very important aspect of earth sustainability with greenhouse gasses reduction, a focus of agricultural and petrochemical industries. Methane is produced in nonruminant herbivores such as horses because they undergo hindgut fermentation. Although equine produce less methane than ruminant, increasing population of horses might increase their contribution to the present 1.2 to 1.7 Tg, estimate. Diet, feeding frequency, season, genome, and protozoa population influence methane production equine. In population, Methanomicrobiales, Methanosarcinales, Methan...
Equine Mesenchymal Stem Cells: Properties, Sources, Characterization, and Potential Therapeutic Applications. Properties like sustained multiplication and self-renewal, and homing and multilineage differentiation to undertake repair of the damaged tissues make stem cells the lifeline for any living system. Therefore, stem cell therapy is regarded to carry immense therapeutic potential. Though the dearth of understanding about the basic biological properties and pathways involved in therapeutic benefits currently limit the application of stem cells in humans as well as animals, there are innumerable reports that suggest clinical benefits of stem cell therapy in equine. Among various stem cell sources, ...
Equine Methicillin-Resistant Sequence Type 398 Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) Harbor Mobile Genetic Elements Promoting Host Adaptation. Continuing introduction of multi-drug resistant, zoonotic pathogens such as methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) in horse clinics challenges the biosafety of employees and animal patients. This study was aimed to determine the occurrence of mobile genetic elements facilitating survival in the early stages of invasive infection in different host species, including humans and horses, in MRSA carried by equine patients admitted to a large horse clinic. A total of 341 equine patients were investigated for carriage of MRSA by hygiene screening directly at hospital admission. MRSA were...
The Effects of Various Levels of Docosahexaenoic Acid on Inflammatory Markers in Conditioned Horses During Lactate Threshold Tests. Exercise stimulates the release of inflammatory cytokines and supplementation with n-3 fatty acids reduces inflammation. The effects of different doses of docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) on inflammation in polo horses submitted to field lactate threshold tests (LT) were analyzed. We hypothesized that higher doses of DHA would reduce postexercise inflammation. Twenty polo horses were assigned to different treatments: control group fed (n = 5) grain and hay, 3 treatment groups (n = 5) fed 10, 20, or 50 g/day of DHA with grain and free choice hay during 60 days. Horses underwent LT tests before st...
SNP-based heritability and genetic architecture of tarsal osteochondrosis in North American Standardbred horses. Osteochondrosis is a common developmental orthopedic disease characterized by a failure of endochondral ossification. Standardbred horses are recognized as being predisposed to tarsal osteochondrosis. Prior heritability estimates for tarsal osteochondrosis in European Standardbreds and related trotting breeds have been based on pedigree data and range from 17-29%. Here, we report on genetic architecture and heritability based on high-density genotyping data in a cohort of North American Standardbreds (n = 479) stringently phenotyped for tarsal osteochondrosis. Whole-genome array genotyping d...
Ultrasonography guidance for total splenectomy in donkeys. There are varieties of surgical approaches reported for equine splenectomy and all of them were dealing with the most reachable situation of splenic hilus and easy handling of the spleen. The aim of this work was to establish the normal ultrasound parameters of spleen in donkeys (normal echogenicity, hilus situation, topographic location and correlation with neighboring organs) as a guide to select the best approach for total splenectomy in donkeys. Splenic ultrasound was carried out on six normal donkeys before experimental total splenectomy in the standing position. The splenic topographic l...
Assessment of systematic reviews and meta-analyses available for bovine and equine veterinarians and quality of abstract reporting: A scoping review. Evidence-based medicine (EBM) is used in various areas including veterinary medicine. The assessment of the quality of systematic review and meta-analyses (SR-MA) despite their importance in the EBM process is uncommonly performed in veterinary medicine due to the absence of specific dedicated tools. The main objective of this observational study was to examine the extent and nature of SR-MA that can be available online to an equine or bovine veterinarian. Secondary objectives included: (1) to determine if A MeaSurement Tool to Assess systematic Reviews (AMSTAR) tool can be used for equine and...
Tamoxifen inhibits chemokinesis in equine neutrophils. Neutrophils are terminally differentiated innate effector cells at the first line of host defense. Neutrophil migration within tissues is complex and involves several steps, during which these cells must be able to interpret a variety of chemical and physical signals. Exacerbated neutrophil activity can be harmful to surrounding tissues; this is important in a range of diseases, including equine asthma. Tamoxifen (TX) is a non-steroidal estrogen receptor modulator with effects on cell growth and survival. Previous studies showed that TX treatment in horses with induced acute pulmonary inflamma...
Equine Wound Management: Bandages, Casts, and External Support. Successful management of equine wounds relies on knowledge of the stages of wound healing, factors that can alter those stages, how healing stages can be manipulated, and adherence to the principles of wound healing. Challenges that complicate wound management include the inability to immobilize and/or confine equine patients, and maintain a clean environment during the critical initial stages of healing. Because of these challenges, the equine practitioner relies heavily on bandaging and external coaptation techniques to successfully treat and manage wounds. The type of bandage used is dictat...
Stereotypic horses (Equus caballus) are not cognitively impaired. Stereotypies in animals are thought to arise from an interaction between genetic predisposition and sub-optimal housing conditions. In domestic horses, a well-studied stereotypy is crib-biting, an abnormal behaviour that appears to help individuals to cope with stressful situations. One prominent hypothesis states that animals affected by stereotypies are cognitively less flexible compared to healthy controls, due to sensitization of a specific brain area, the basal ganglia. The aim of this study was to test this hypothesis in crib-biting and healthy controls, using a cognitive task, reversa...
Species distribution and seasonal dynamics of equine tick infestation in two Mediterranean climate niches in Israel. Ticks are important ectoparasites of horses that can affect animal welfare and vector several infectious, including zoonotic, diseases. In order to investigate the species distribution, epidemiology and seasonal dynamics of ticks infesting horses in Israel, 3267 ticks were collected from 396 horses in 24 farms across the country from July 2014 to June 2015. Results: Ticks were found on 50% of the farms and on 25% of the horses, with Hyalomma being the most prevalent genus (70% of ticks). Pasture was the most prominent risk factor for tick infestation (99% of ticks, P < 0.001), and is repres...
Influence of age and experience rider on differentiate the behaviour of recreational horses being prepared for use. The aim of the study was to determine the effect of selected rider-related factors (riders' age and experience, type of preparatory activities, test variant) on the behaviour of recreational horses being prepared for use. Six adult, hot-blooded recreational horses were handled by two female riders that the horses knew and by another two that the horses did not know (two of them were aged 12 and two aged 30). The horses were assessed by a behaviourist for their behaviour during the pre-training activities (entering the box, grooming, cleaning the hooves, bridling, saddling up, taking a horse to...
5′-flanking variants of equine casein genes (CSN1S1, CSN1S2, CSN2, CSN3) and their relationship with gene expression and milk composition. Genes encoding casein proteins are important candidates for milk composition traits in mammals. In the case of the domestic horse, our knowledge of casein genes is limited mainly to coding sequence variants. This study involved screening for polymorphism in 5'-flanking regions of four genes encoding equine caseins (CSN1S1, CSN1S2, CSN2, and CSN3) and making a preliminary assessment of their effect on the gene expression (on the mRNA and protein levels) and milk composition traits in selected horse breeds. Altogether, 23 polymorphisms (21 described previously SNPs and two novel InDels) were fou...
Safety and immunogenicity of plant-produced African horse sickness virus-like particles in horses. African horse sickness (AHS) is caused by multiple serotypes of the dsRNA AHSV and is a major scourge of domestic equids in Africa. While there are well established commercial live attenuated vaccines produced in South Africa, risks associated with these have encouraged attempts to develop new and safer recombinant vaccines. Previously, we reported on the immunogenicity of a plant-produced AHS serotype 5 virus-like particle (VLP) vaccine, which stimulated high titres of AHS serotype 5-specific neutralizing antibodies in guinea pigs. Here, we report a similar response to the vaccine in horses. ...
Digital PCR detection of plasmid DNA administered to the skeletal muscle of a microminipig: a model case study for gene doping detection. Doping control is an important and indispensable aspect of fair horse racing; genetic doping has been recently included to this. In this study, we aimed to develop a detection method of gene doping. A plasmid cloned with human erythropoietin gene (p.hEPO, 250 μg/head) was intramuscularly injected into a microminipig. Subsequently, p.hEPO was extracted from 1 mL of plasma and detected by droplet digital polymerase chain reaction. Results: The results confirmed that the maximum amount of plasmid was detected at 15 min after administration and the majority of the plasmid was degraded in the b...
Objective pain assessment in horses (2014-2018). In recent decades, much effort has been invested in scientific studies of objective and reliable assessment of pain in horses. Various types of pain assessment tools have been described and (partly) validated for different types of pain in horses. Currently, composite pain scales and facial expression-based pain scales seem to be the most promising tools for pain assessment in horses and numerous studies have recently been published on the use of these pain scales in horses. Therefore, this narrative review mainly focusses on these two types of pain scales and on the studies that have appeared...
Phylogenetic analysis of the cytochrome P450 (CYP450) nucleotide sequences of the horse and predicted CYP450s of the white rhinoceros (Ceratotherium simum) and other mammalian species. The plight of the white rhinoceros () and the increasing need of treatment options for injured poaching victims led to the necessity to expand the knowledge on applicable drugs in this endangered species. With very little information available on drug pharmacokinetics in rhino, veterinarians have to rely on information generated from other species. The horse being a closely related species, has served as the model for dose extrapolations. However, from recent research on enrofloxacin and carprofen, the white rhino showed considerable differences in the pharmacokinetic properties of these drugs...
Assessment of a Rabies Virus Rapid Diagnostic Test for the Detection of Australian Bat Lyssavirus. Australian bat lyssavirus (ABLV) is closely related to the classical rabies virus and has been associated with three human fatalities and two equine fatalities in Australia. ABLV infection in humans causes encephalomyelitis, resulting in fatal disease, but has no effective therapy. The virus is maintained in enzootic circulation within fruit bats ( spp.) and at least one insectivorous bat variety ( ). Most frequently, laboratory testing is conducted on pteropodid bat brains, either following a potential human exposure through bites, scratches and other direct contacts with bats, or as opportun...
Facial expression and oxytocin as possible markers of positive emotions in horses. Behavioural and physiological markers of discrete positive emotions remain little investigated in animals. To characterise new markers in horses, we used tactile stimulations to induce emotional situation of contrasting valence. In the Gentle grooming group (G, N = 13) horses were gently groomed during 11 sessions on the body areas they appreciated the most. Horses in the Standard grooming group (S, N = 14) were groomed using a fixed procedure, reported to induce avoidance reactions in some horses. At session 11, G horses expressed significantly more contact-seeking behaviours than S h...
Horses Referred to a Teaching Hospital Exclusively for Acupuncture and Herbs: A Three-Year Retrospective Analysis. Equine acupuncture and herbal medicine are increasingly popular and have been anecdotally used in the treatment of a number of conditions. There is, however, a lack of data on the most commonly treated conditions in horses. The medical records of 164 horses presented exclusively for acupuncture and herbal therapy over a three-year period from October 2012 to October 2015 were evaluated from a mixed animal integrative medicine service at a veterinary academic teaching hospital. Horses were presented primarily for musculoskeletal conditions (62.0%), gastrointestinal disorders (9.5%), and anhydro...
The effect of flunixin meglumine, firocoxib and meloxicam on the uterine mobility of equine embryos. Embryo mobility occurs as a result of prostaglandin production by the embryo and endometrium, promoting uterine smooth muscle contractions, which propels the embryonic vesicle through the lumen. Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), as flunixin meglumine, are routinely used in equine medicine and can alter the conceptus mobility if applied in early pregnancy, which may impair maternal recognition of pregnancy. The objective of this study was to evaluate and compare the effect of flunixin meglumine (FM; 1.1 mg/kg IV), firocoxib (FIRO; 0.2 mg/kg PO), and meloxicam (ML; 0.6 mg/kg,...
Magnetic motor evoked potentials of cervical muscles in horses. When surgical treatment of cervical vertebral malformation is considered, precise localization of compression sites is essential, but remains challenging. Magnetic motor evoked potentials (mMEP) from paravertebral muscles are useful in localizing spinal cord lesions, but no information about cervical muscle mMEP in horses is available yet. Therefore, the aim of this study was to determine the possibility, normal values, inter- and intra-observer agreement and factors that have an effect on cervical mMEP in healthy horses. Methods: Transcranial magnetic stimulation was performed on 50 normal ho...
