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.
Elevating the uterus (uteropexy) of five mares by laparoscopically imbricating the mesometrium. There is a need for study of a method for restoring a ventrally positioned uterus to a horizontal position involving fertility of mares with delayed uterine clearance. Objective: A ventrally-angled uterus can be elevated to a horizontal position using a laparoscopic technique. Objective: To develop a laparoscopic technique of imbricating the mesometria to elevate the uterus to a horizontal position. Methods: The right and left mesometria of 5 pluriparous mares, all barren for 1-8 years (mean 3.8 years), with a pendulous, ventrally-angled uterus were shortened laparoscopically, by imbrication, ...
Aqueous 2% geraniol as a mosquito repellent failed against Aedes aegypti on ponies. Organic insect repellents are of interest to many agricultural producers and animal owners. Geraniol, a plant-derived alcohol, is naturally produced by a wide range of plants and is a US Environmental Protection Agency minimum risk pesticide. Previous studies have shown various concentrations of geraniol repel or kill mosquitoes; however, geraniol might cause allergic contact dermatitis in humans or animals. We tested a commercially available 2% aqueous solution of geraniol on ponies as a mosquito repellent. Five trials were conducted on ponies treated with a 60-ml aerosol mist (30 ml per side...
Oral administration of tepoxalin in the horse: a PK/PD study. Tepoxalin is a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug with analgesic, anti-inflammatory, and antipyretic properties and has been recently introduced into veterinary medicine. The aim of this study was to evaluate the pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamic (PK/PD) profile of tepoxalin to assess whether it would be suitable for clinical use in horses. Six female fasting/fed horses were given 10mg/kg tepoxalin orally in a cross-over study. After administration, tepoxalin underwent rapid and extensive hydrolytic conversion to its carboxylic acid metabolite RWJ-20142. In animals that had been fed, the plasm...
Genome sequence conservation of Hendra virus isolates during spillover to horses, Australia. Bat-to-horse transmission of Hendra virus has occurred at least 14 times. Although clinical signs in horses have differed, genome sequencing has demonstrated little variation among the isolates. Our sequencing of 5 isolates from recent Hendra virus outbreaks in horses found no correlation between sequences and time or geographic location of outbreaks.
Pathological changes caused by Anoplocephala perfoliata in the mucosa/submucosa and in the enteric nervous system of equine ileocecal junction. In this study, pathological changes caused by Anoplocephala perfoliata in the ileocecal junction were investigated in 31 regularly slaughtered mixed-breed horses of both sexes. Our results showed a significant relationship between parasite burden and grading of histopathological lesions in the mucosa and submucosa. Hypertrophy of the circular muscle layer was found in infected horses. Moreover, enteric nervous system evaluation showed a significant injury of intestinal nervous elements in the horses with moderate to high parasitism expressed as an increase of degenerative-regressive changes in...
Exon 1 polymorphisms in the equine CSN3 gene: SNPs distribution analysis in Murgese horse breed. The aim of this study was to assess genetic polymorphism at two loci in the exon 1 of the CSN3 gene in Murgese horse breed by PCR-RFLP analysis. The overall frequencies of alleles A and G at c.-66A > G locus were 0.80 and 0.20, respectively, and no GG animals were found in the population. At the c.-36C > A locus allelic frequencies were 0.74 and 0.26 for allele C and A, respectively, and no AA animals were detected. Population genetic indexes, namely gene heterozygosity, gene homozygosity, effective allele numbers, fixation index, and polymorphism information index were calculated. C...
Kinematic analysis of equine masticatory movements: comparison before and after routine dental treatment. The objective of this study was to compare masticatory movements before and after dental treatment using kinematic analysis. The masticatory movements of 15 adult Warmblood horses with mild dental pathology chewing standardised hay were recorded on three consecutive days before and three times after (days 7, 21, 28) dental correction. The results of the leading mandibular tracking marker, located at the caudal edge of the inter-mandibular suture, were compared statistically. Reproducibility of measurements prior to dental treatment was excellent (P<0.05). Rostrocaudal mandibular motion was ...
Geotrichum candidum as etiological agent of horse dermatomycosis. Fungi of the genus Geotrichum are commonly found in the environment and, in some circumstances, they may cause diseases in humans and animals. Although these fungi have been isolated from skin lesions of some animal species, their pathogenic role in horses remains uncertain. With the aim to investigate the role of Geotrichum candidum as etiological agent of dermatomycoses, a retrospective study of 64 horses presenting skin lesions and suspected to have fungal infections was carried out. For each animal, anamnestic data were recorded and fungal culture were performed using hair. Out of 64 cases...
Gene dropping analysis of ancestral contributions and allele survival in Japanese thoroughbred population. Genetic contributions of nine historically important ancestors and allelic diversity in the Japanese Thoroughbred population were examined by applying the gene dropping simulation to the foals produced from 1978 to 2005. Full pedigree records traced to ancestors (base animals) born around 1890 were used for the simulation. Alleles originated from some of the historically important ancestors were found to be at risk of future extinction, although their genetic contributions to the foal population have increased during the last three decades. The proportion of surviving alleles to the total alle...
Using magnetic resonance imaging to diagnose nondisplaced fractures of the second phalanx in horses. Two horses presented with a history of severe lameness that was localised to the area around the second phalanx (P2) of one forelimb. Radiographs of the second phalanx of both horses were unremarkable, apart from some smooth periosteal new bone production on the dorsum of P2. Magnetic resonance imaging revealed a non-displaced fracture of P2 in both horses. One horse was euthanased because of a poor prognosis for racing, but the second horse was treated conservatively and salvaged for breeding. Magnetic resonance imaging is a newer imaging modality in horses and may be useful in diagnosing cas...
[The occurence of the hindgut ciliate Hemiprorodon gymnoposthium (Ciliophora: Buetschliidae) from domestic horses in Cyprus]. Hemiprorodon gymnoposthium was investigated in the intestine of horses, found in Cyprus. It was found in four of fifth horses examined and thus had a frequency of appearence of 80%. This study reports for the first time the presence of Hemiprorodon gymnoposthium in the intestine of Equids in Cyprus. In addition, it is the second report from the world. Specimens were found to be similar to the original description on the basis of morphological characters and biometric data.
Rickettsial infections of dogs, horses and ticks in Juiz de Fora, southeastern Brazil, and isolation of Rickettsia rickettsii from Rhipicephalus sanguineus ticks. The present study was performed in an area endemic for Brazilian spotted fever (BSF) in Juiz de Fora, state of Minas Gerais, Brazil, during the years 2007 and 2008, when fatal cases of BSF (caused by Rickettsia rickettsii) were reported. Adult ticks (Acari: Ixodidae) identified as Rhipicephalus sanguineus (Latreille) and Amblyomma cajennense (Fabricius) were collected from dogs and horses, respectively, and tested by polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Overall, 13.1% of the Rh. sanguineus ticks and none of the A. cajennense were found to be infected with R. rickettsii. Two isolates of R. ricketts...
Radiation therapy in horses. Although the diagnosis of cancer is relatively uncommon in horses, tumors do occur in this species. Surgery, radiation, and chemotherapy are traditional cancer treatments in all species. In equine patients, surgery has often been the only treatment offered; however, not all tumors can be controlled with surgery alone. In small animal oncology, newer and better therapies are in demand and available. Radiation therapy is often used to control or palliate tumors locally, especially to satisfy clients who demand sophisticated treatments. The large size of equine patients can make radiation therapy...
Cytochromes: Reactivity of the “dark side” of the heme. Ligand binding to the heme distal side is a paradigm of heme-protein biochemistry, the proximal axial ligand being in most cases a His residue. NO binds to the ferrous heme-Fe-atom giving rise to hexa-coordinated adducts (as in myoglobin and hemoglobin) with His and NO as proximal and distal axial ligands, respectively, or to penta-coordinated adducts (as in soluble guanylate cyclase) with NO as the axial distal ligand. Recently, the ferrous derivative of Alcaligenes xylosoxidans cytochrome c' (Axcyt c') and of cardiolipin-bound horse heart cytochrome c (CL-hhcyt c) have been reported to bind ...
Morphology of the infective larval stage of the equid parasite Habronema muscae (Spirurida: Habronematidae), from houseflies (Musca domestica). The infective larva of the spirurid nematode Habronema muscae, a parasite of houseflies, was measured and specimens fixed in Karnovsky's fluid were examined by scanning electron microscopy. The oral opening contains six teeth and is surrounded by large bilobed dorsal and ventral lips and smaller lateral lips. A pair of amphids lie behind the lateral lips. There are two rows of four cephalic papillae. The body is deeply ridged, both transversely and longitudinally. The caudal end of the worm is studded by small papillae. The position of the anal opening is somewhat ambiguous. These larval morph...
Ocular manifestations of systemic disease in horses. Ocular manifestations may develop in many systemic diseases of horses; however, signs may not be observed unless ophthalmological examination is specifically undertaken. Recognition and assessment of ocular lesions in horses with systemic disease is desirable to facilitate diagnosis and determination of treatment options and diagnosis for both the underlying systemic disease and ocular manifestations. The purpose of this article is to review systemic diseases of horses that may have ocular signs as part of the disease process. Systemic diseases are discussed in categories of pathways for devel...
Targeted lamellar keratoplasty in the horse: a paradigm shift in equine corneal transplantation. Many equine keratopathies primarily affect individual layers of the cornea. Targeted lamellar keratoplasty rather than full thickness penetrating keratoplasty (PK) seems most appropriate to the microsurgical management of many of these equine keratopathies. Despite the positive results with PK in the horse the author now suggests that this procedure should be rarely utilised in the treatment of equine keratitis. Selective lamellar surgical replacement of only the diseased corneal layers while retaining unaffected normal corneal layers represents a new paradigm shift in the field of corneal tra...
Prevalence of and risk factors for MRSA carriage in companion animals: a survey of dogs, cats and horses. We investigated the prevalence of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) carriage in a convenience sample of purposely selected populations of dogs, cats and horses in the Greater London area. Swabs from carriage sites were pooled, enriched and processed by standard bacteriological methods. The presence of nuc and mecA was confirmed for MRSA. Risk factors were investigated among veterinary treatment group animals using exact logistic regression analysis. Twenty-six (1.53%) MRSA carriers were identified in the 1692 animals (15/704 dogs, 8/540 cats, 3/152 horses). Animals presenting ...
Biological control of cyathostomin (Nematoda: Cyathostominae) with nematophagous fungus Monacrosporium thaumasium in tropical southeastern Brazil. Horses are hosts to a wide variety of helminthes; the most important are the cyathostomin, or small strongyles. The viability of a fungal formulation (pellets) using the nematode-trapping fungus Monacrosporium thaumasium was assessed in biological control of horse cyathostomin. Two groups (fungus-treated and control) consisted of six mares in each group, crossbred (ages of 2.5 and 3.5 years), were placed in pastures of Cynodon sp. naturally infected with horse cyathostomin larvae. In the treated group, each animal received 1g/10 kg body weight (0.2g/10 kg live weight of fungus) of pellets of s...
Pharmacokinetics of metformin after enteral administration in insulin-resistant ponies. To determine pharmacokinetics and plasma steady-state kinetics of metformin after oral or nasogastric administration in insulin-resistant (IR) ponies. Methods: 8 IR ponies. Methods: Metformin (30 mg/kg) was administered to 8 ponies via nasogastric tube Blood samples were collected at intervals for 24 hours. Plasma concentrations of metformin were measured via liquid chromatography-electrospray tandem mass spectroscopy Pharmacokinetic variables were determined via noncompartmental analysis. Metformin (15 mg/kg, PO, twice daily [8 am and 5 pm]) was administered to 4 ponies for an additional 20 d...
Heart rate variability after horse trekking in leading and following horses. Horse trekking (HT) is having a stroll on a horse along a walking trail in a forest, field, and/or sandy beach. Generally in HT, horses exercise in tandem line outside the riding facilities. Because the leading horse will be confronted with stressors in the forefront, we hypothesized that the leading horse shows higher stress responses than the following one. In order to verify the hypothesis, we compared short-term stress responses between each position in six horses. Exercise consisted of 15 min of ground riding and 45 min of HT with walking and trotting. Heart rate variability was analyzed ...
Evaluation of virulence factor profiling in the characterization of veterinary Escherichia coli isolates. Escherichia coli has been used as an indicator organism for fecal contamination of water and other environments and is often a commensal organism in healthy animals, yet a number of strains can cause disease in young or immunocompromised animals. In this study, 281 E. coli isolates from bovine, porcine, chicken, canine, equine, feline, and other veterinary sources were analyzed by BOXA1R PCR and by virulence factor profiling of 35 factors to determine whether they had utility in identifying the animal source of the isolates. The results of BOXA1R PCR analysis demonstrated a high degree of dive...
A comparison of the occurrence of common dental abnormalities in stabled and free-grazing horses. The purpose of this study was to gain evidence on the prevalence of dental abnormalities in stable-kept horses in comparison with free-living horses. It is expected that free-living horses that graze for as much as 16 h/day will have fewer dental abnormalities than stable-kept horses. In this study, the latter group was fed a diet that was based on a relatively high-energy, cereal-based feed. This was thought to be a representative of common practice in domesticated, stable-kept horses. Compound diets such as this have previously been shown to increase the frequency of chewing cycles and decre...
Comparison between blood serum and salivary cortisol concentrations in horses using an adrenocorticotropic hormone challenge. In horses, serum cortisol concentration is considered to provide an indirect measurement of stress. However, it includes both free and bound fractions. The sampling method is also invasive and often stressful. This is not the case for salivary cortisol, which is collected using a more welfare-friendly method and represents a part of the free cortisol fraction, which is the biologically active form. Objective: To compare salivary and serum cortisol assays in horses, in a wide range of concentrations, using an adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) stimulation test, in order to validate salivary cor...
Effects of a supplement containing chromium and magnesium on morphometric measurements, resting glucose, insulin concentrations and insulin sensitivity in laminitic obese horses. Obesity and insulin resistance are risk factors for laminitis in equids and supplements containing chromium and magnesium might improve insulin sensitivity. Objective: A supplement containing chromium, magnesium and other nutraceuticals would alter morphometric measurements, blood variables, and insulin sensitivity in laminitic obese horses. Methods: Twelve previously laminitic obese (body condition score ≥ 7/9) horses were randomly allocated to treatment (n = 6) and control (n = 6) groups and 2 obese horses with clinical laminitis were included in the treatment group. Treated animals receiv...
Effect of passive pneumoperitoneum on oesophageal pressure, cardiovascular parameters and blood gas analysis in horses. Standing surgical procedures are being employed to an ever-greater extent in horses. Pneumoperitoneum during abdominal surgery might adversely affect the work of breathing. Objective: To determine whether development of pneumoperitoneum during abdominal surgery adversely influences the work of breathing. Methods: Eight healthy mature horses were equipped with carotid artery and thoracic vena cava catheters and an intraluminal manometry system. The following measurements were obtained before and at +5, +10, +15 and +30 min following establishment of pneumoperitoneum by paralumbar puncture using...
Cyclooxygenase-2 expression in animal cancers. Cyclooxygenase (COX; also known as prostaglandin endoperoxide synthase) is a key enzyme in the biochemical pathway leading to the synthesis of prostaglandins. A large amount of epidemiological and experimental evidence supports a role for COX-2, the inducible form of the enzyme, in human tumorigenesis, notably in colorectal cancer. COX-2 mediates this role through the production of PGE(2) that acts to inhibit apoptosis, promote cell proliferation, stimulate angiogenesis, and decrease immunity. Similarly, COX-2 is believed to be involved in the oncogenesis of some cancers in domestic animals. H...
A pressure plate study on fore and hindlimb loading and the association with hoof contact area in sound ponies at the walk and trot. The aim of this study was to evaluate the association between fore- and hind-hoof contact area and limb loading. Data from a previous study on forelimb loading and symmetry were compared with data on hindlimb kinetics, and the fore- and hind-hoof contact area at the walk and trot was evaluated. Five sound ponies, selected for symmetrical feet, were walked and trotted over a pressure plate embedded in a custom-made runway. The hindlimb peak vertical force (PVF) and vertical impulse (VI) were found to be significantly lower than in the forelimb, whereas their high symmetry ratios (>95%) did n...
