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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.
Preliminary investigation of somatosensory evoked potentials in equine headshaking. The aim of this study was to develop a technique for recording electrical activity of the equine cerebral cortex following application of a noxious electrical stimulus to the maxillary branch of the trigeminal nerve in order to investigate trigeminal nerve neurophysiology in control and headshaking horses. Triphasic somatosensory evoked potentials (SEPs) were recorded using subcutaneous needle electrodes in four control and four headshaking horses under general anaesthesia. Dural electroencephalography electrodes were used to record SEPs in one further control and one further headshaking horse...
Acupuncture and Chinese herbal medicine for treating horses. Acupuncture exerts diffuse analgesic effects through the release of endogenous opioids and other locally and centrally acting mediators. Successful therapeutic interventions for various musculoskeletal conditions in horses are well documented, and acupuncture may significantly enhance performance. The use of acupuncture is specifically supported in treating nonsurgical gastrointestinal disorders, in which specific techniques can alter motility and contribute to visceral analgesia. This article describes the use of acupuncture and Chinese herbal medicine for equine reproductive management and f...
Serologic prevalence of brucellosis in horse stables in two northern States of Nigeria. Despite the endemicity of brucellosis in Nigeria, reports on equine brucellosis are rare. The Rose Bengal Plate Test (RBPT) was used to determine the serologic prevalence of Brucella abortus antibodies amongst 75 horses from three stables in two States of northern Nigeria. The highest prevalence (22.7%) was recorded in stable C located in Plateau State and the lowest (6.7%) was found in stable B in Kaduna State. The overall prevalence determined was 14.7%. There is need for the inclusion of horses in brucellosis surveillance and control strategies in Nigeria to safeguard people at high risk.
Disparities in TLR5 expression and responsiveness to flagellin in equine neutrophils and mononuclear phagocytes. As sentinel cells of the innate immune system, neutrophils and mononuclear phagocytes use specific TLRs to recognize the conserved molecular patterns that characterize microbes. This study was performed to compare the responses of equine neutrophils and mononuclear phagocytes to LPS and flagellin, components of bacteria that are recognized by TLR4 and TLR5, respectively. Neutrophils and mononuclear phagocytes isolated from healthy horses were incubated in vitro with LPS, flagellin, or pronase-inactivated flagellin in the presence or absence of polymyxin B. Production of reactive oxygen species...
Prevalence of Clostridium difficile in horses. Fecal samples were collected to establish the apparent prevalence of Clostridium difficile shedding in Standardbred and Thoroughbred racehorses housed at 4 racetracks and 2 breeding facilities, and in horses admitted to a referral large animal clinic. Forty-one (7.59%) of 540 racetrack horses, seven (5.83%) of 120 breeding farm horses, and four (4.88%) out of 82 horses admitted to the referral clinic were culture-positive for C. difficile. An overall fecal culture prevalence of 7.01% for C. difficile was identified in 742 fecal samples. PCR-ribotyping and toxin gene identification was performe...
In-vitro hypocoagulability on whole blood thromboelastometry associated with in-vivo expansion of red cell mass in an equine model. In several species, there is a strong correlation between indicators of red cell mass (RCM) and thromboelastometry results. The horse has a reliable, temporary, polycythemia in response to phenylephrine infusion. Our objective was to evaluate the effects of an in-vivo increase in circulating RCM on thromboelastometry results in an equine model of transient polycythemia. Six healthy research horses had whole blood thromboelastometry with contact activator and tissue factor initiation after recalcification of citrated samples. Additional samples were frozen for thrombin-antithrombin (TAT). Compl...
Spinal epidermoid cyst in a SJL mouse: case report and literature review. This report is the first description of a spinal epidermoid cyst (EC) in a SJL mouse and gives an overview on the occurrence of ECs in animals including dogs, horses, mice and rats. The EC was not detected grossly and the mouse did not display clinical signs or an altered rotarod performance. Microscopically, there was an oval cyst lined by stratified squamous epithelium that was attached to the dorsolateral meninges and caused moderate compression of the adjacent lumbar spinal cord. ECs in mice and rats are mainly located in the caudal part of the spinal cord with a variable, strain-dependent...
Treatment with Ca(OH)2 for inactivation of Salmonella Typhimurium and Enterococcus faecalis in soil contaminated with infected horse manure. To investigate the inactivation of Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium and the faecal indicator Enterococcus faecalis in horse manure:soil mixtures by application of hydrated lime (Ca(OH)(2)). Results: In laboratory incubations, the inhibitory effect of different concentrations of Ca(OH)(2), as well as different application techniques, was tested. Other variables were horse manure:soil ratio, incubation temperature (6 and 14°C) and soil type (sand/clay). Bacterial enumeration by the plate count method in samples taken at increasing intervals revealed that Ca(OH)(2) effectively reduced Sal...
The effect of ocular blinkers on the horses’ reactions to four different visual and audible stimuli: results of a crossover trial. To determine the effect of ocular blinkers on driving horses' reactions to visual and audible stimuli. Methods: Balanced crossover trial with horses randomly assigned to either wear blinkers or not wear blinkers first or second, then subjected to repeated sequences of four distinct stimuli (chain rattle, cap gun, umbrella opening, and shaking of an aluminum can containing coins). Two weeks later, this process was repeated with the ordering of wearing blinkers reversed. Methods: Eight driving horses of various breeds. Methods: Responses were recorded quantitatively as inter-beat times (the time...
Continuous peripheral neural blockade to alleviate signs of experimentally induced severe forelimb pain in horses. To investigate the efficacy and safety of a low-volume, single-catheter, continuous peripheral neural blockade (CPNB) technique to locally deliver bupivacaine to alleviate signs of severe forelimb pain resulting from experimentally induced tendonitis in horses. Methods: Randomized controlled experimental trial. Methods: 14 horses and 5 forelimbs from equine cadavers. Methods: Horses underwent collagenase-induced superficial digital flexor tendonitis in the midmetacarpal region of 1 forelimb. To deliver analgesia, a closed-tip catheter was placed from lateral to medial, approximately 12 cm dist...
Pharmacokinetics of oral terbinafine in horses and Greyhound dogs. The objective of the study was to assess the pharmacokinetics of terbinafine administered orally to horses and Greyhound dogs. A secondary objective was to assess terbinafine metabolites. Six healthy horses and six healthy Greyhound dogs were included in the pharmacokinetic data. The targeted dose of terbinafine was 20 and 30 mg/kg for horses and dogs, respectively. Blood was collected at predetermined intervals for the quantification of terbinafine concentrations with liquid chromatography and mass spectrometry. The half-life (geometric mean) was 8.1 and 8.6 h for horses and Greyhounds, respe...
Exercise affects both ovarian follicular dynamics and hormone concentrations in mares. The objectives were to evaluate the effects of exercise on ovarian folliculogenesis and related hormones in mares. Mares (n = 11) were randomly assigned into a control (non-exercised) or treatment (exercised) group. Treatment mares (n = 5) were moderately exercised for 30 min, 6 d/wk. All mares underwent daily transrectal ultrasonographic examinations and ovarian follicles > 6 mm were measured. Blood samples were collected during the first (Cycle 1) and last (Cycle 4) cycle, and serum concentrations of cortisol, LH, and FSH were determined. Mean cortisol concentrations were elevated (P <...
Feasibility of the Ussing chamber technique for the determination of in vitro jejunal permeability of passively absorbed compounds in different animal species. The aim of this study was to assess the feasibility of the Ussing chamber technique for the determination of the jejunal permeability of passively absorbed, high permeability model compounds (acetaminophen and ketoprofen) in different animal species. Additionally, electrophysiological measurements and histological examination of pre- and post-incubation tissue specimens were performed. Apparent permeability coefficients of turkey and dog jejunum were low and highly variable due to tissue fragility caused by differences in thickness of the remaining intestinal layers after stripping and resulti...
Prevalence of strongyles and efficacy of fenbendazole and ivermectin in working horses in El Sauce, Nicaragua. Horses, mules and donkeys are indispensable farming and working animals in many developing countries, and their health status is important to the farmers. Strongyle parasites are ubiquitous in grazing horses world-wide and are known to constitute a threat to equine health. This study determined the prevalence of strongyle infection, the efficacy of ivermectin and fenbendazole treatment, and strongyle re-infection rates of working horses during the dry months in Nicaragua. One hundred and five horses used by farmers for transport of people and goods were randomly allocated into three treatment ...
Melatonin reduces lipid peroxidation and apoptotic-like changes in stallion spermatozoa. Lipid peroxidation (LPO) has been claimed as a major factor involved in stallion damage during storage or cryopreservation. Because melatonin is a well-known potent antioxidant, the aim of the present study was to investigate the effect of melatonin during in vitro incubation. Furthermore, we investigated the presence of specific melatonin receptors (MT1 and MT2) using specific polyclonal antibodies and western blotting. Stallion spermatozoa were incubated up to 3 hr at 37°C in the presence of different concentrations of melatonin (0, 50 pm, 100 pm, 200 pm, or 1 μm). At the beginning and at ...
Assessment of the sedative effects of buprenorphine administered with 20 microg/kg detomidine in horses. The aim of this randomised, observer-blinded, crossover study was to compare the effects of four treatments, administered intravenously to six horses: saline and saline; 10 µg/kg detomidine and 7.5 µg/kg buprenorphine; 20 µg/kg detomidine and 7.5 µg/kg buprenorphine; and 20 µg/kg detomidine and 10 µg/kg buprenorphine. Sedation was subjectively assessed and recorded on a visual analogue scale. Peak sedation and duration of sedation were investigated using a univariate general linear model with post-hoc Tukey tests (P<0.05). Increasing the dose of detomidine from 10 to 20 µg/kg increas...
A case-control study of risk factors for equine influenza spread onto horse premises during the 2007 epidemic in Australia. The 2007 epidemic of equine influenza in Australia provided an opportunity to investigate the effectiveness of on-farm biosecurity measures in preventing the spread of a novel pathogen in a largely naive population. We conducted a case-control study of 200 horse premises from highly affected regions of the state of New South Wales (NSW), to investigate risk factors for the spread of equine influenza onto horse premises, specifically, non-compliance with biosecurity measures recommended to horse owners by the relevant animal health authority, the NSW Department of Primary Industries. The study ...
Sedative and cardiopulmonary effects of buprenorphine and xylazine in horses. This study investigated the sedative, cardiopulmonary, and gastrointestinal effects produced by buprenorphine and xylazine given in combination to horses. Six healthy adult horses underwent 4 randomized treatments, with an interval of 1 wk between treatments. A control group was given a saline solution intravenously (IV) and the experimental groups received buprenorphine [10 μg/kg bodyweight (BW)] in combination with 1 of 3 different doses of xylazine: 0.25 mg/kg BW (BX25), 0.50 mg/kg BW (BX50), or 0.75 mg/kg BW (BX75), all of them by IV. Cardiopulmonary parameters were evaluated for 120 min ...
Serological survey of African horse sickness in selected districts of Jimma zone, Southwestern Ethiopia. A cross-sectional serological survey was undertaken in selected districts of different agro-ecology of Jimma zone (Dedo, Yebu, Seka, Serbo, and Jimma town) from November 2009 to February 2010 to determine the seroprevalence of African horse sickness virus and associated risk factors of the disease. Two hundred seventy-four equids (189 horses, 43 mules, and 47 donkeys) with a history of non-vaccination for at least 2 years were selected randomly from the above areas. Sera samples were collected and assayed for the presence of specific antibody against African horse sickness virus using blocking...
