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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.
80 causes, predispositions, and pathways of laminitis. For most of history, the causes of laminitis have been based on observations. In the last 30 years or so, however, the number of theories has exploded, with only a few being confirmed by experiments. This article highlights these theories.
Home care for horses with chronic laminitis. Home care for horses with chronic laminitis has been discussed rarely in the veterinary literature even though, at any given time, most of us have at least 1 chronic laminitis case in our care that is being managed at home by the owner. Almost all of our knowledge on this aspect of laminitis treatment has been gleaned through experience, by individually working through the medical, ethical, financial, and emotional challenges these cases can present. Much has already been presented on the medical management of the laminitic horse and on strategies for trimming and shoeing the laminitic foot. T...
Isolation rates of meticillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus in dogs, cats and horses in Ireland. A retrospective analysis and prospective surveillance study were conducted to determine isolation rates of meticillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) in dogs, cats and horses in Ireland. Clinical samples that had been submitted to University College Dublin (UCD) for routine microbiological examination over a four-year period (2003 to 2006) were analysed in the retrospective analysis, which included clinical samples from 3866 animals. In the prospective surveillance study, samples from healthy animals presenting for elective surgery as well as from animals with a clinical presentation su...
Laminitis treatment: a personal memoir. The author has completed 40 years as a veterinarian treating horses with laminitis. The article is a recollection of his experiences with laminitis and the various treatment methods he came across while trying to treat the disease.
Determination of ivermectin efficacy against cyathostomins and Parascaris equorum on horse farms using selective therapy. Ivermectin resistance has recently been described in Parascaris equorum and there have been reports from several countries of a shortened egg reappearance period (ERP) following ivermectin treatment for cyathostomins. This study was aimed at determining the efficacy of ivermectin in treating cyathostomins and P. equorum in Danish horses. A total of 196 animals were selected from 52 farms, all of which were using a selective anthelmintic treatment strategy. ERP was investigated with weekly samples from 96 horses from nine farms. Horses were treated with ivermectin oral paste by their owners at ...
Effects of early exercise on metacarpophalangeal joints in horses. To determine the effects of exercise at an early age on tissues in the metacarpophalangeal joints of horses. Methods: Twelve 18-month-old horses. Methods: All horses were pasture reared, but 6 horses had additional exercise starting at 3 weeks of age until 18 months of age. At that time, computed tomography, articular cartilage metabolism evaluation, and histologic assessments of synovial membrane, articular cartilage, and subchondral bone were performed. Results: Exercised horses had fewer gross lesions, less articular cartilage matrix staining in the dorsal aspect of the condyle, greater bon...
Clinical aspects of multinodular pulmonary fibrosis in two warmblood horses. Two warmblood horses with a history of chronic weight loss and inappetence were referred to the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ludwig-Maximilians University of Munich, Germany, for further examination. The clinical signs in horse 1 were fever, tachycardia and tachypnoea, and chronic ulcerative keratopathy of both eyes. Horse 2 had severe oral ulcerations and was coughing during feeding. In both horses, increased bronchovesicular sounds were heard during auscultation of the lungs. Laboratory findings included mild anaemia, lymphopenia and hypoalbuminaemia. Radiographic examination of the thora...
In vitro predatory activity of nematophagous fungi and after passing through gastrointestinal tract of equine on infective larvae of Strongyloides westeri. Three isolates of predator fungi Duddingtonia flagrans (AC001), Monacrosporium thaumasium (NF34), and Arthrobotrys robusta (I-31) were assessed in in vitro test regarding the capacity of prey infective larvae (L(3)) Strongyloides westeri. Compared to control, without fungus, there was a significant decrease (P 0.01) in vitro test. Linear regression coefficients of treated and control groups were -0.21 for control, -0.32 for D. flagrans, -0.34 for M. thaumasium, and -0.22 for A. robusta. In the following, isolates AC001 and NF34 were assessed in vivo regarding the capacity of supporting the pa...
Validation of a digital audio recording method for the objective assessment of cough in the horse. To validate the use of digital audio recording and analysis for quantification of coughing in horses. Methods: Part A: Nine simultaneous digital audio and video recordings were collected individually from seven stabled horses over a 1 h period using a digital audio recorder attached to the halter. Audio files were analysed using audio analysis software. Video and audio recordings were analysed for cough count and timing by two blinded operators on two occasions using a randomised study design for determination of intra-operator and inter-operator agreement. Part B: Seventy-eight hours of audio...
Efficacy of Cymelarsan and Diminasan against Trypanosoma equiperdum infections in mice and horses. Trypanocidal sensitivity studies were conducted to assess the efficacy of Diminazene diaceturate (Diminasan) and Bis (aminoethylthio) 4-melaminophenylarsine dihydrochloride (Cymelarsan) against Trypanosoma equiperdum (isolated from two mares with chronic cases of dourine) 713/943 and 834/940 Dodola strains in experimentally infected mice and horses. Diminasan at doses from 3.5 mg/kg to 28 mg/kg and Cymelarsan at doses of 0.25 mg/kg and 0.5 mg/kg body weight failed to cure any of the mice, indicating a clear dose dependent relationship in the mean time of relapse observed in mice. Indeed, mice ...
Check list of the helminths of equines in Turkey. Helminths of equines are one of the most important agents of parasitic diseases. Therefore, many studies have been conducted on helminths of equines in Turkey. In this article, a check list and prevalence rates of helminths of equines in Turkey have been given.
[A survey on anthelmintic resistance in Strongyles to ivermectin and pyrantel and macrocyclic lactone-resistance in Parascaris equorum]. This survey was carried out on a horse farm in order to acquire recent data on macrocyclic lactone-resistant Parascaris equorum which had been previously detected on this farm and to determine efficacies of ivermectin and pyrantel against strongyles in order to determine whether a resistance problem also exists in these parasites. In the first part of the study, abamectin was given to horses infected with P. equorum. In 11 out of 12 horses, zero efficacy (0%) was seen against P. equorum. Subsequently, horses which were Parascaris-positive after abamectin treatment received pyrantel pamoate and...
[Progress on horse genome project]. There is unique genetic information belonging to various kinds of living beings. Understanding of the formation process of organisms and a variety of vital movement is associated with the achievements of genome study. As horse has a notable health condition and great record of the genealogy in the world, thus it becomes a valuable model animal for studying life science. Despite of a late start, the map of the horse genome has undergone unprecedented expansion during the last few years. The current progresses of the horse genome, including genetic map, physical map, comparative genomic map, and...
Endoscopic evaluation of arytenoid function and epiglottic structure in Thoroughbred yearlings and association with racing performance at two to four years of age: 2,954 cases (1998-2001). OBJECTIVE-To determine the association between results of endoscopic evaluation of arytenoid function (AF) and epiglottic structure (ES) in Thoroughbred yearlings and racing performance at 2 to 4 years of age. DESIGN-Retrospective case series. ANIMALS-2,954 Thoroughbred yearlings. Procedures-Records of yearlings that had endoscopic evaluation of the larynx between 1998 and 2001 were obtained, and results were graded by use of standardized scales. A modified Havemeyer scale (grade I, II.1, II.2, III, or IV) was used to evaluate AF; ES was graded on a scale of 0 to IV. Records were annotated if ...
Multiple isotope forensics of nitrate in a wild horse poisoning incident. Multiple stable isotope analysis can be a powerful technique in forensic sciences. Oxygen and nitrogen isotopes were used to determine the source of nitrate that was responsible for the poisoning deaths of 71 wild horses in the Nevada desert. The nitrate was present in a water-filled hole known as 'the Main Lake depression.' Nitrate from the Main Lake depression had delta(18)O and delta(15)N values that were very positive (+32 per thousand, +37 per thousand), and Delta(17)O values of approximately +2 per thousand. The isotopic data suggested that the most probable source of the nitrate was nit...
Determination of oral tramadol pharmacokinetics in horses. The determination of the pharmacokinetic parameters of tramadol in plasma and a better characterization of its metabolites after oral administration to horses is necessary to design dosage regimens to achieve target plasma concentrations that are associated with analgesia. The purpose of this study was to determine the pharmacokinetics and elimination pattern in urine of tramadol and its metabolites after oral administration to horses. Tramadol was administered orally to six horses and its half-life, T(max) and C(max) in plasma were 10.1, 0.59 h, and 132.7 ng/mL, respectively. The half-life, T...
[Receptors for animal retroviruses]. Diseases caused by animal retroviruses have been recognized since 19th century in veterinary field. Most livestock and companion animals have own retroviruses. To disclose the receptors for these retroviruses will be useful for understanding retroviral pathogenesis, developments of anti-retroviral drugs and vectors for human and animal gene therapies. Of retroviruses in veterinary field, receptors for the following viruses have been identified; equine infectious anemia virus, feline immunodeficiency virus, feline leukemia virus subgroups A, B, C, and T, Jaagsiekte sheep retrovirus, enzootic na...
Comparison of the morphology of the limbs of juvenile and adult horses (Equus caballus) and their implications on the locomotor biomechanics. We analyzed the morphology and the walk-trot and trot-gallop transition velocities of nine juvenile horses and compared them with their mothers. We also compared the relative stride length and the duty factor of the juveniles with respect to adults at three equivalent trotting speeds (Froude numbers 0.5, 0.75, and 1.0), to determine dynamic similarity. Juveniles had a negative allometry in their leg bones, mainly because of little size changes of the distal portions. The negative allometry of extremities allows juveniles to increase stride length without increasing step frequency, which can be...
Virulence determinants of equine infectious anemia virus. Equine infectious anemia virus (EIAV) is a macrophage-tropic lentivirus that rapidly Induces disease in experimentally infected horses. Because EIAV infection and replication is centered on the monocyte/macrophage and has a pronounced acute disease stage, it is a useful model system for understanding the contribution of monocyte/macrophages to other lentivirus-induced diseases. Genetic mapping studies utilizing chimeric proviruses in which parental viruses are acutely virulent or avirulent have allowed the identification of important regions that influence acute virulence. U3 regions in the vi...
Changes in serum mineral concentrations, biochemical and hematological parameters in horses with pica. The aim of this study was to compare hematological, some biochemical parameters, and serum trace element concentrations in horses with or without pica. Fifteen horses with pica (group I) and another 15 healthy horses without pica (group II) were used. The hematological parameters were not changed between the two groups. In group I, hemoglobin values were lower than those of group II. However, the difference in hemoglobin values between the two groups was not significant (P > 0.05). Serum iron and copper concentrations and the copper/zinc ratio were lower in group I than those of group I...
Probiotics in animal nutrition and health. The use of probiotics for farm animals has increased considerably over the last 15 years. Probiotics are defined as live microorganisms which can confer a health benefit for the host when administered in appropriate and regular quantities. Once ingested, the probiotic microorganisms can modulate the balance and activities of the gastrointestinal microbiota, whose role is fundamental to gut homeostasis. It has been demonstrated that numerous factors, such as dietary and management constraints, can strongly affect the structure and activities of the gut microbial communities, leading to impaired...
Influence of sward structure on daily intake and foraging behaviour by horses. The spatial heterogeneity of grasslands determines the abundance and quality of food resources for grazing animals. As plants mature, they increase in mass, which allows greater instantaneous intake rates, but the cell wall concentrations increase too, reducing diet quality. In ruminants, daily intake rates are often constrained by the time needed for the ingesta to pass through the rumen, which is influenced by the rate of digestion. It has been suggested that the digestive constraint should have much less effect on hindgut fermenters such as equids. Horses play an increasing role in the mana...
An open study to evaluate topical treatment of equine chorioptic mange with shampooing and lime sulphur solution. Chorioptic mange caused by Chorioptes bovis is a common pruritic skin condition of the horse. This surface-browsing parasite usually affects the lower legs (leg mange) but can present as a generalized skin disease. Numerous anecdotal reports exist in the literature about the benefit of lime sulphur as a treatment for surface ectoparasites in the horse. This report studies the use of lime sulphur when applied as a 5% solution, some with and some without prior shampooing and clipping, to treat confirmed cases of chorioptic mange in 22 horses. Horses included in the trial had clinical signs indic...
Risk of equine infectious disease transmission by non-race horse movements in Japan. For determining surveillance programs or infectious disease countermeasures, risk evaluation approaches have been recently undertaken in the field of animal health. In the present study, to help establish efficient and effective surveillance and countermeasures for equine infectious diseases, we evaluated the potential risk of equine infectious disease transmission in non-race horses from the viewpoints of horse movements and health management practices by conducting a survey of non-race horse holdings. From the survey, the non-race horse population was classified into the following five secto...
Comparative rheumatology: what can be learnt from naturally occurring musculoskeletal disorders in domestic animals? Examples of naturally occurring musculoskeletal disorders are extremely common in veterinary species and provide a valuable comparative research resource, which can provide compelling comparative data on the aetiopathogenesis and treatment of many common human musculoskeletal diseases. In particular, orthopaedic diseases are a common morbidity in both dogs and horses. In this review, we give an overview of the common musculoskeletal diseases encountered in these species: for instance, tendon and ligament injuries, arthropathies and stress fractures, as well as an insight into the basic biology...
