Omneity® Pellets
All-In-One Vitamin & Mineral Pellet
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.
Molecular and morphological characterization of third instar Palaearctic horse stomach bot fly larvae (Oestridae: Gasterophilinae, Gasterophilus). Species of Gasterophilus are obligate parasites of equids and may induce severe, even lethal myiasis. However, identification of the third instar Gasterophilus larva at the species level is still problematic predominantly due to a shortage of diagnostic morphological features and incomplete molecular libraries. Testing the suitability of three different molecular markers showed that the traditional 650 bp barcode region near the 5' terminus of the cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI) served as a better tool for species-level identification than a 663 bp region near the 3' terminus of COI and a...
Pharmacokinetics of harpagoside in horses after intragastric administration of a Devil’s claw (Harpagophytum procumbens) extract. Devil's claw is used for the treatment of inflammatory symptoms and degenerative disorders in horses since many years, but without the substantive pharmacokinetic data. The pharmacokinetic parameters of harpagoside, the main active constituent of Harpagophytum procumbens DC ex Meisn., were evaluated in equine plasma after administration of Harpagophytum extract FB 8858 in an open, single-dose, two-treatment, two-period, randomized cross-over design. Six horses received a single dose of Harpagophytum extract, corresponding to 5 mg/kg BM harpagoside, and after 7 days washout period, 10 mg/kg ...
Comparison of different sucrose-based extenders for stallion sperm vitrification in straws. Vitrification of sperm is based on high-speed freezing by direct exposure to liquid nitrogen using non-permeable cryoprotectants, mainly disaccharides; yet, the concentration of cryoprotectants has a species-specific effect on the sperm cell. The aim of this study was to assess different sucrose concentrations for stallion sperm vitrification. Semen samples (n = 9) were collected from three stallions, centrifuged and resuspended to a concentration of 50 × 10 sperm/ml in a base extender (INRA96 + 1% of bovine serum albumin) with three different sucrose concentrations (Molar): 20 mM (S...
Differences in the equine faecal microbiota between horses presenting to a tertiary referral hospital for colic compared with an elective surgical procedure. The faecal microbiota is emerging as potentially important in intestinal disease. More research is needed to characterise the faecal microbiota from horses with colic. Objective: To compare the relative abundance of bacterial populations comprising the faecal microbiota in horses presenting for colic compared with an elective surgical procedure. Methods: Prospective observational clinical study. Methods: Admission faecal samples were collected from horses presenting for colic and elective surgical procedures. Faecal samples were extracted for genomic DNA, PCR- amplified, sequenced and analysed...
Pharmacokinetics and physiologic/behavioral effects of buprenorphine administered sublingually and intravenously to neonatal foals. Buprenorphine is absorbed following sublingual administration, which would be a low-stress delivery route in foals. However, the pharmacokinetics/pharmacodynamics are not described in foals. Six healthy foals <21 days of age participated in a blinded, randomized, 3-period, 5-sequence, 3-treatment crossover prospective study. Foals received 0.01-0.02 mg/kg buprenorphine administered SL or IV with an equivalent volume of saline administered by the opposite route. Blood was collected from the cephalic vein for pharmacokinetic analysis. Physiologic parameters (HR, RR, body temperature, GI sou...
The magnitude of respiratory sinus arrhythmia of a large mammal (the horse) is like that of humans. Heart rate (FH) accelerates in inspiration and decelerates in expiration, a phenomenon known as Respiratory Sinus Arrhythmia (RSA). Although the presence of RSA has been documented in many species, how its magnitude compares among species is unknown. We asked whether the magnitude of RSA in a large mammal, the horse, differed from that of previously measured humans. From electrocardiogram and pneumography, the peaks and troughs of FH were identified breath-by-breath in four horses (Italian Saddlebred geldings) during resting wakefulness. RSA was computed as the peak-trough FH difference, in pe...
Companion animals and human health: benefits, challenges, and the road ahead for human-animal interaction. There is ample evidence that human-animal interaction (HAI) is associated with health. Studies encompass three general categories: those that compare companion animal owners with individuals who do not own companion animals, those examining brief, 'one-off' contacts with animals, and those that review animal-assisted interventions. The health benefits demonstrated typically include reductions in depression and loneliness, while enhancing social interaction or social skills, and decreasing anxiety and arousal. Other health benefits associated with companion animals include the promotion of exer...
Survey for Equine Herpesviruses in Polar Bears (Ursus maritimus) and Exotic Equids Housed in US AZA Institutions. Infection by equine herpesvirus (EHV) strains (EHV-1, EHV-9) in ursid species, including polar bears ( Ursus maritimus), has been associated with neurological disease and death. A serosurvey of captive exotic equid and polar bear populations in US Association of Zoos and Aquaria institutions was performed to determine the prevalence of EHV strains using quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) tests. Equid species surveyed included zebra ( Equus spp.), Przewalski's wild horse ( Equus ferus przewalskii), Persian onager ( Equus hemionus), and So...
Actinomyces denticolens as a causative agent of actinomycosis in animals. The name "Actinomyces suis" was applied to each actinomycete isolate from swine actinomycosis by Grässer in 1962 and Franke in 1973. Nevertheless, this specific species was not included in the "Approved List of Bacterial Name" due to absence of the type cultures. Therefore, "Actinomyces suis" based on the description of Franke 1973 has been considered as "species incertae sedis". We isolated a number of Actinomyces strains from swine. The representative strains of them was designated as Chiba 101 that was closely similar to the description in "Actinomyces suis" reported by Franke in 1973. Int...
The sodium-glucose co-transporter 2 inhibitor velagliflozin reduces hyperinsulinemia and prevents laminitis in insulin-dysregulated ponies. There are no registered veterinary drugs for treating insulin dysregulation and preventing insulin-associated laminitis in horses. Velagliflozin is a sodium-glucose co-transport 2 inhibitor that reduces renal glucose reabsorption, promotes glucosuria, and consequently, decreases blood glucose and insulin concentrations. This study aimed to determine if velagliflozin reduced hyperinsulinemia and prevented laminitis in insulin-dysregulated ponies fed a challenge diet high in non-structural carbohydrates (NSC). An oral glucose test (1 g dextrose/kg BW) was used to screen 75 ponies for insulin dys...
Snort acoustic structure codes for positive emotions in horses. While the vocal coding of human and animal internal states has been widely studied, the possible acoustic expression of "positive" emotions remains poorly known. Recent studies suggest that snorts (non-vocal sounds produced by the air expiration through the nostrils) appear to be reliable indicators of positive internal states in several ungulate species. Here, we hypothesised in horses that the acoustic structure of the snort could vary with the subjects' current emotional state. Indeed, a preliminary sound analysis of snorts let us suggest structure variations related to the presence of puls...
The effect of cut-off frequency when high-pass filtering equine sEMG signals during locomotion. High-pass filtering (HPF) is a fundamental signal processing method for the attenuation of low-frequency noise contamination, namely baseline noise and movement artefact noise, in human surface electromyography (sEMG) research. Despite this, HPF is largely overlooked in equine sEMG research, with many studies not applying, or failing to describe, the application of HPF. An optimal HPF cut-off frequency maximally attenuates noise while minimally affecting sEMG signal power, but this has not been investigated for equine sEMG signals. The aim of this study was to determine the optimal cut-off fre...
Why do veterinarians ask for antimicrobial susceptibility testing? A qualitative study exploring determinants and evaluating the impact of antibiotic reduction policy. For public health reasons, increasing attention has focused on more rational use of antimicrobials in farm animals. Guidance concerning the prescription of antibiotics and antimicrobial susceptibility testing (antibiograms in this case) are beneficial tools to help control the development of antimicrobial resistance. Nevertheless, even though there are already several qualitative studies analysing the determinants of antimicrobial prescription and use in veterinary medicine, little is known about decision-making concerning the use of antibiograms. The aim of this study was to provide a better ...
Effects of two equine digestive aid supplements on hindgut health. Gastrointestinal disease is the number one killer of horses. Little is known about the maintenance of microbes in the equine hindgut and how to distinguish a healthy gut in a live horse. Utilization of internal and external digestibility markers and starch fermentation has been extensively studied in ruminants and is the basis for research conducted on horses. The aims of this study were to investigate the effects of two equine feed digestive aid supplements on hindgut health () as reflected in fecal pH and digestibility and to compare and validate DM digestibility measurements through the use...
Assessment of equine alpha-fetoprotein levels in mares and newborn foals in the periparturient period. Alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) is best known in human obstetrics for its association with fetal anomalies recognized in the 1970s. Although this fetal protein had been shown to be present in the sera of many mammalian species, its possible diagnostic role in the detection of abnormalities was evaluated only later, when a research laboratory published variable levels of AFP in different groups of mares with pregnancy problems (twins, conception failure, placentitis, embryonic loss), and subsequently differences were demonstrated in its serum levels between aborted and healthy mares. In this study, per...
Equine degenerative myeloencephalopathy: prevalence, impact, and management. Equine neuroaxonal dystrophy/equine degenerative myeloencephalopathy is an inherited neurodegenerative disorder affecting many horse breeds. Clinical signs include a symmetric ataxia and an abnormal stance at rest, similar to cervical vertebral compressive myelopathy, equine protozoal myeloencephalitis, and equine herpesvirus 1 myeloencephalopathy. This review will provide an update on the disease prevalence, management, impact, and ongoing research.
Effect of topical application of 0.5% proparacaine on corneal culture results from 33 dogs, 12 cats, and 19 horses with spontaneously arising ulcerative keratitis. To investigate the effect of topically applied proparacaine on bacterial and fungal culture results and to compare cytologic and culture results in patients with ulcerative keratitis. Methods: Corneal samples were collected from 33 dogs, 19 horses, and 12 cats with spontaneously arising ulcerative keratitis. Samples for bacterial (dogs, cats, horses) and fungal (horses) cultures were collected prior to and following application of 0.5% proparacaine or saline. All patients then received a topical anesthetic, and samples were collected for cytology. Frequency of cultivatable bacteria before (Swa...
Effect of intravenous glucose and combined glucose-insulin challenges on energy-regulating hormones concentrations in donkeys. Metabolic disorders are highly prevalent in donkeys. Differences in energy regulatory hormones and glucose dynamic testing, including the intravenous glucose tolerance test (IVGTT) and combined glucose-insulin test (CGIT), have been documented between donkeys and horses. The aims of this study were to characterise the insulin:glucagon (IGR) and glucagon:insulin (GIR) molar ratios, at baseline and in response to the IVGTT and CGIT in healthy donkeys, and to determine their correlation with endocrine (leptin, ghrelin and adiponectin) and morphometric variables. Median values and interquartile ra...
Lung Microbiome Is Influenced by the Environment and Asthmatic Status in an Equine Model of Asthma. There is evidence that the lung microbiome differs between patients with asthma and healthy humans, but the effect of environmental conditions and medication is unknown and difficult to study. Equine asthma is a naturally occurring chronic airway disease characterized by reversible airway inflammation and bronchoconstriction upon exposure to inhaled antigens. In the present study, we evaluated the effect that environmental conditions and disease status have on pulmonary, nasal, and oral microbiomes. Six asthmatic and six healthy horses were studied while at pasture ("low antigen exposure"), as...
A Comprehensive Review on Equine Influenza Virus: Etiology, Epidemiology, Pathobiology, Advances in Developing Diagnostics, Vaccines, and Control Strategies. Among all the emerging and re-emerging animal diseases, influenza group is the prototype member associated with severe respiratory infections in wide host species. Wherein, Equine influenza (EI) is the main cause of respiratory illness in equines across globe and is caused by equine influenza A virus (EIV-A) which has impacted the equine industry internationally due to high morbidity and marginal morality. The virus transmits easily by direct contact and inhalation making its spread global and leaving only limited areas untouched. Hitherto reports confirm that this virus crosses the species ba...
Social Learning in Horses-Fact or Fiction? Prima facie, the acquisition of novel behaviors in animals through observation of conspecifics seems straightforward. There are, however, various mechanisms through which the behavior of animals can be altered from observing others. These mechanisms range from simple hard-wired contagious processes to genuine learning by observation, which differ fundamentally in cognitive complexity. They range from social facilitation and local enhancement to true social learning. The different learning mechanisms are the subject of this review, largely because research on learning by observation can be conf...
Personality, abnormal behaviour, and health: An evaluation of the welfare of police horses. An animal's welfare depends on an individual's capacity to adapt to the environment in which it lives. This adaptation is directly associated with the quality of the environment and to the possibility of expressing natural behaviours. Horses kept in stables often display a range of abnormal behaviours related to lack of control over their environment, which can lead to behavioural and health problems. An individual's personality also plays an important role in its susceptibility and resilience to the development of diseases and abnormal behaviour; thus, an evaluation of horses' personalities c...
Krogh’s principle for musculoskeletal physiology and pathology. August Krogh was a comparative physiologist who used frogs, guinea pigs, cats, dogs, and horses in his research that led to his Nobel Prize on muscle physiology. His idea to choose the most relevant organism to study problems in physiology has become known as Krogh's principle. Indeed, many important discoveries in physiology have been made using naturally occurring animal models. However, the majority of research today utilizes laboratory mouse and rat models to study problems in physiology. This paper discusses how Krogh's principle can be invoked in musculoskeletal research as a complementa...
Evaluation of titanium dioxide and chromic oxide as digestibility markers in ponies fed alfalfa hay in relation to marker dosing frequency. In equines, Cr2O3 is widely accepted as an indigestible marker, but there are health concerns regarding the carcinogenic properties of Cr2O3. Recently, TiO2 has been suggested to be an alternative digestibility marker in equines. However, a comparison between Cr2O3 and TiO2 has not been made in equines. Six Welsh pony geldings (initial BW: 254±3 kg; 7 years of age) fed chopped alfalfa hay were used to evaluate the use of TiO2 (Ti) and Cr2O3 (Cr) as markers for calculating apparent digestibility and to investigate the effect of frequency of marker administration on the measurement of digestibi...
