Omneity® Pellets
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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.
Friends, forage, freedom: A cluster analysis investigating horse management styles and welfare in the UK and Ireland. This study aims to improve the welfare and management of recreational horses by identifying how different management styles affect horse health and behaviour. We examined the management styles of recreational horse owners in the UK and Ireland, focusing on social interaction (friends), access to suitable forage (forage), and unrestricted movement (freedom). We collected 1,501 survey responses, distributed via social media, and summarised the characteristics and management choices of the respondents. Using the Divisive ANAlysis cluster package in R, three distinct management styles were identif...
The importance of prebiotics in managing colic in horses: focus on Akkermansia muciniphila and its anti-inflammatory potential. Colic remains one of the most frequent and costly causes of equine morbidity and mortality, with significant welfare and economic implications. Disturbances in the gut microbiome are increasingly recognized as an important contributing factor. In recent years, prebiotics, non-digestible substrates that promote beneficial microbes, have emerged as promising microbiome-targeted strategies. () has gained attention for its unique ability to degrade mucin, maintain epithelial integrity, and exert potent anti-inflammatory effects. Although its benefits are well established in humans and rodent mode...
Adjunctive use of Maggot Debridement Therapy in the treatment of equine cutaneous pythiosis: A case report. Equine cutaneous pythiosis, caused by Pythium insidiosum, is a severe disease in tropical and subtropical regions, often leading to progressive granulomatous lesions with poor response to conventional therapies. Standard treatment includes surgical excision and immunotherapy, but recurrence is common, particularly in distal limb lesions. Maggot Debridement Therapy (MDT) with disinfected Lucilia cuprina larvae provides selective debridement, microbial control, and stimulation of granulation, representing a potential adjunctive option. This report describes the successful use of MDT combined wit...
Antibiofilm and resistance-modulating properties of tt-farnesol against Streptococcus equi subsp. equi and zooepidemicus. The aim of this study was to investigate the antibacterial, antibiofilm and modulating activities of trans-trans-farnesol (tt-farnesol) on two strains of Streptococcus equi subsp. equi and two strains of S. equi subsp. zooepidemicus, pathogenic or commensal bacteria of horses. Tt-farnesol showed bactericidal activity against all tested strains, with a minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC) between 8 and 4 μg/mL. The sesquiterpene caused significant damage to the bacterial membrane, and its antibacterial activity did not appear to depend on oxidat...
Monitoring trace minerals and heavy metals in liver of free-living large herbivores in the Netherlands. Trace minerals are essential for animal health but can also, together with heavy metals, have a negative impact, making their monitoring crucial to assess animal health. These elements were examined through a long-term post-mortem monitoring system based on routine liver sampling for Heck cattle, Konik horses and red deer in place at the Oostvaardersplassen nature reserve in the Netherlands, using data from this system to determine reference intervals and investigate trends in liver trace element concentrations. Throughout the monitoring programme, inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry ...
Pulmonary fibrosis in horses associated with spontaneous Crotalaria juncea intoxication. We report an outbreak of Crotalaria juncea intoxication in horses exhibiting progressive weight loss and respiratory distress in northeastern Brazil. Necropsy revealed firm, non-collapsed lungs with extensive interstitial fibrosis, bronchiolar epithelial hyperplasia with club cells proliferation, and marked pulmonary arterial remodeling. Hepatic lesions consisted primarily of centrilobular necrosis, probably resulting from hypoxic injury related to anemia and prolonged agonic death. Pasture inspection identified significant invasion by shrubs of C. juncea in various phenological stages.
Vaccination-associated lameness in warmblood horses after intramuscular injection. Intramuscular vaccination is a routine component of equine medicine, but local muscle soreness may transiently affect gait symmetry. Objective data on vaccination-associated gait changes in horses are lacking. Objective: To investigate whether intramuscular vaccination induces measurable gait asymmetries depending on injection site, to inform recommendations on vaccination site selection and short-term exercise management. Methods: In this prospective, randomised, blinded, placebo-controlled study, eighteen clinically sound Warmblood horses were enrolled and received an intramuscular vaccinati...
Effect of Croton lechleri sap-based topical treatment, with or without nitroglycerin, on healing of equine metatarsal skin wounds. Skin wounds in horses, particularly in the distal extremities, often heal slowly due to mechanical stress, compromised perfusion, and excessive fibroplasia. This study evaluated the effects of topical Croton lechleri (CL) cream, alone or in combination with nitroglycerin, on the healing of skin wounds in the metatarsal region of horses. Six mares received six standardized wounds in each region and were treated with: saline solution, nitroglycerin (0.1 or 1 mg/mL), CL (1 or 10 µg/mL), or CL + nitroglycerin (10 µg/mL + 1 mg/mL). Wound contraction, histology, and bacterial culture were evaluate...
Spatial Variation in Turf Surface Properties of Polo Pitches: A Case Study of Different Handicaps of Argentina. Polo is a high-speed equestrian sport that imposes mechanical demands on horses and turf, yet limited research has examined the functional behavior of polo playing surfaces. This study characterizes the spatial variability of mechanical surface properties across turf polo pitches representing high-, medium-, and low-handicap categories. Three fields were assessed using lightweight field-based instruments, including the Impact Test Device (ITD), Rotational Peak Shear (RPS) tester, Going Stick© for penetration (GSP) and shear (GSS), and a TDR probe for volumetric moisture content (VMC%). A tota...
Machine learning-based prediction and quantification of OCD surgery and pedigree effects on racehorse performance. Osteochondritis dissecans (OCD) is a common developmental orthopedic condition in Thoroughbred racehorses and although arthroscopic surgery is widely used for treatment, its long-term effects on race performance remain unclear. This retrospective study evaluated the effect of OCD surgery on race performance, compared the predictive power of pedigree and management variables and applied interpretable machine learning methods for forecasting race performance outcomes. Data were collected from 75 Thoroughbreds that underwent OCD surgery between 2015 and 2017 and 257 maternal siblings without reco...
Heart Rate as an Indicator of Stress in Gotland’s Russ Horses. Animal welfare concerns both the physical and mental wellbeing of animals so the assessment of animals kept in captivity, for example zoos, is important and necessary both legally and ethically. Good welfare is especially vital when breeding endangered species as stress impairs reproductive investment. As zoos often have high numbers of visitors, it is important to know if humans and the associated noise might influence the animals' welfare. The aim of this study was to investigate whether the presence of visitors and activities offered to the visitors caused a stress response in horses housed...
Obtention and preliminary clinical evaluation of an equine albumin for intravenous administration in adult Colombian Creole Horses (Equus ferus caballus). Albumin is one of the most abundant and physiologically important blood protein in horses due to its ability to regulate vascular volume and transport blood metabolites or drugs. Despite the importance of this protein, in Colombia there is no previous reference of the use of equine albumin in horses as a pharmacological therapy and there is no available any pharmaceutical preparation of this protein to be administrated in horses. This study aims to evaluate for first time the preliminary clinical response of healthy adult Colombian Creole horses after the intravenous administration of an equin...
Update on Idiopathic Trigeminal-Mediated Headshaking. Idiopathic trigeminal-mediated headshaking is a painful neuropathic disorder characterized by sudden, violent, predominantly vertical head movements of unknown etiology. Clinical signs may be seasonal or persistent and triggered by light, sound, exercise, or tactile nasal stimulation. The pathophysiology is multifactorial, involving abnormal trigeminal nerve excitability influenced by hormonal, environmental, and dietary factors. Treatment is challenging and typically multimodal, aiming to reduce trigeminal hypersensitivity and improve quality of life.
Influence of parasitic load, breed, age, housing and season on skin and hair coat condition in horses. Strongyles are nematode parasites that affect the large intestine and cecum of the horse, with symptoms ranging from poor hair coat to colic. This can influence gut health, nutrient absorption, and overall body condition. Objective: Determine the effects of parasitic load, breed, age, housing, and season on skin and hair coat conditions. We hypothesized that horses with low fecal egg counts would have better hair and skin coat condition compared with those with high fecal egg counts. Methods: A total of forty-five Morgan and 11 Thoroughbred horses were included in this study. We tested the eff...
Fragile foal syndrome: manifestations, heterozygous advantage and the future of breeding policies. Scientific interest in relation to Fragile Foal Syndrome (FFS) has proliferated in the last decade, but before this, many clinical cases were attributed to other similarly presenting equine neonatal disorders. It was thought that FFS-affected foals were mainly miscarried throughout gestation, but recent study results suggest that often, foals are born alive and die shortly after birth. FFS is proposed to have originated as long ago as the Godolphin Arabian, but the definite derivation of the mutant allele is unconfirmed. The discovery that FFS is present in 11-30% of Warmbloods and 2-3% of Tho...
Parasite management practices used by owners of Australian Pony Club horses and the factors influencing their decision-making processes. There is a lack of information on horse parasite management practices currently used by individual horse owners in Australia. A voluntary, anonymous online survey was developed for and distributed by Pony Club Australia to its members seeking information on horse population; housing; paddock, manure and parasite management; and owner attitudes. From a total of 98 completed responses, 95/98 of participants indicated their horses spent time in paddocks, 91/98 administered anthelmintics, 42/98 guessed their horse's body weight for dosing, 78/98 recalled the dewormer brand or active ingredient las...
Effect of feeder style on intake rate of equine concentrates. There are many different concentrate feeders available to horse owners, but little data exists on feeder effect of equine intake rate. Rapid consumption ("bolting") is associated with issues such as esophageal obstruction. Objective: The objective of this study was to evaluate three common concentrate feeders on intake rate. We hypothesized horses would have the slowest intake rate when fed from the trough. Methods: Four geldings were fed 0.454 kg of concentrate from a pan on the ground (P), shallow trough (T), or hanging feeder (H). Horses were randomly assigned a first feeder and then rotate...
Facial hair whorl location, behavior, and ocular temperature as a physiological stress indicator in young Pura Raza Española dressage horses. Behavioral and emotional reactivity assessment in sport horses is essential for optimizing their management and sports performance, particularly in equestrian disciplines such as Dressage. This study investigates, in Pura Raza Española (PRE) horses, the association between facial hair whorl (FHW) patterns, behavioral traits, and physiological stress responses using ocular temperature (OT) assessed with infrared thermography as, an objective, non-invasive physiological stress indicator. Unassigned: A total of 98 male PRE horses, aged 4-6 years old and all gray coated, were evaluated during the...
Physiological adaptations to 6 weeks of high-intensity interval and moderate-intensity continuous training in horses: A randomized crossover study. This study tested the hypothesis that 6 weeks of high-intensity interval training (HIIT) would induce greater physiological adaptations than moderate-intensity continuous training (MICT) in Thoroughbred horses. Seven untrained horses completed two distance-matched treadmill training protocols (three sessions per week) in a randomized crossover design, separated by a three-month washout: MICT (6 min at 70% ) and HIIT (6 × [30 s at 100% with 30 s at 30% ]). Incremental exercise tests were conducted at weeks 0, 3, and 6 to assess exercise performance and physiological responses. M...
Optimising Camera-ChArUco Geometry for Motion Compensation in Standing Equine CT: A CT-Motivated Benchtop Study. Standing equine computed tomography (CT) acquisitions are susceptible to residual postural sway, which can introduce view-inconsistent motion and degrade image quality. External optical tracking based on ChArUco fiducials is a promising, low-cost strategy to enable projection-wise motion compensation, yet quantitative guidance on how camera-marker geometry affects pose-estimation performance remains limited. This CT-motivated benchtop study characterizes how the relative camera-ChArUco configuration influences both the accuracy (bias with respect to ground truth) and the precision (repeatabili...
A Survey of Trainers on the Health and Welfare of Standardbred Racehorses in Prince Edward Island. The Standardbred racing industry plays an important role in the North American economy and is expected to continue operating and growing. However, public perception is often unfavorable, with increasing concern about the health and welfare of Standardbred racehorses. Despite this, limited research has examined Standardbred well-being. To address this gap, a survey of equine trainers on Prince Edward Island (PEI) was conducted to evaluate key health and welfare issues during racing careers. Results showed that over one quarter of respondents had at least one horse displaying stereotypic behavio...
Short- and Long-Term Outcomes in Horses Following Laparoscopic Nephrosplenic Space Ablation. Left dorsal displacement of the large colon (LDDLC) is a common cause of colic in horses and it is frequently associated with recurrent episodes, with significant implications for horse management, athletic performance, and owner satisfaction. Laparoscopic nephrosplenic space (NSS) ablation is a preventive surgical technique aimed at reducing recurrence in horses with a history of medically or surgically treated LDDLC. This retrospective study evaluated 48 horses that underwent laparoscopic NSS ablation in two Italian Veterinary Teaching Hospitals between 2016 and 2024. Short-term outcomes, in...
Equine dental destructive disorders: an epidemiological survey in northern Germany. Destructive lesions of the peripheral and infundibular cementum are increasingly recognized in equine dentistry. While similarities to human caries have been noted, current evidence does not conclusively support this classification. This study aims to assess the prevalence, distribution, and potential risk factors associated with these lesions in a defined horse population. Unassigned: A total of 114 horses from northern Germany underwent standardized oral examination between 2021 and 2023. Clinical data on peripheral and infundibular lesions, diastemata, and influencing factors such as age an...
Ertapenem Pharmacokinetics in Equine Plasma and Synovial Fluid Following a Single Intravenous Dose. This study describes the pharmacokinetics of ertapenem, a carbapenem antimicrobial that has not been previously studied in equids. Administered as a 30 mg/kg intravenous bolus to six healthy horses, serial blood and synovial samples were obtained over 8 h after administration. Pharmacokinetic analysis of plasma and synovial fluid was performed. In plasma, the AUC was 353.10 h × μg/mL (CV = 49.02%), Vss 79.34 mL/kg (CV = 22.85%), CL 84.96 mL/h/kg (CV = 31.31%) and t1/2 2.03 h (CV = 15.32%). In synovial fluid, the AUC was 524.10 h × μg/mL (CV = 16.03...
Verifying thoroughbred racehorse fatalities through Equibase chart review. Equibase (EQB) race charts provide the official record of North American Thoroughbred races and often document catastrophic injury, euthanasia, or equine-ambulance transport. Because chart documentation and regulatory classification differ, fatalities occurring > 72 hours after a race fall outside international regulatory definitions applied by the Equine Injury Database (EID) and may not appear in EID aggregates. EQB charts confirm horse identity, race participation, finishing status, and last recorded start. Horseracing Wrongs (HRW), an advocacy group, publishes horse-level fatality data tha...
Radiographic findings of candidate stallions presented for licensing at all German Warmblood horse-breeding associations in 2018-2020. Current studies on the health status of young German Warmblood stallions are lacking. Objective: To evaluate the prevalence of radiographic findings at licensing examinations of Warmblood candidate stallions and quantify the environmental influences on the distribution of recorded findings. Methods: In this retrospective observational study, records of 1693 radiographic examinations performed on 1678 German Warmblood stallions presented for licensing in 2018-2020 were reviewed. Data were provided by all German Warmblood horse-breeding associations and their official veterinarians. The collecti...
In vitro anthelmintic activity of extracts and bioactive compounds from Azadirachta indica and Cnidoscolus angustidens on strongyles L3 larvae in horses. Gastrointestinal endoparasitic diseases, particularly those caused by some strongyles, represent one of the main health challenges in equine production. The prolonged use of synthetic anthelmintics has led to the development of resistance, which has prompted the search for more sustainable therapeutic alternatives. However, plant extracts rich in secondary metabolites are emerging as a promising option. Objective: The objective of this study was to evaluate the in vitro anthelmintic activity of aqueous extracts and bioactive compounds (total phenols and saponins) from Azadirachta indica and Cn...
“Synthetic gp90 peptide ELISA for equine infectious anemia virus: Improved sensitivity and risk factor insights”. Equine infectious anemia virus (EIAV) is a globally significant equine pathogen, and its control relies on effective serological surveillance. The agar gel immunodiffusion (AGID) test, the WOAH-prescribed method, has limitations in sensitivity. This study developed and validated an indirect ELISA using a synthetic peptide derived from a conserved region of the EIAV gp90 surface glycoprotein. The assay was evaluated using 773 horse sera from the Metropolitan Zone of the Valley of Mexico and compared to the AGID test. The gp90-EIAV ELISA demonstrated a sensitivity of 85.3 % and a specificity o...
Characterization of the Endometrial Microbiota of Healthy Mares Across the Estrous Cycle. In the past, bacteria detected in the mare's uterus were generally interpreted as a sign of endometritis, since the uterus was considered a sterile environment. This assumption has been challenged by the introduction of culture-independent molecular techniques, particularly 16S rRNA amplicon sequencing, which have demonstrated that healthy mares harbor an endometrial microbiota. The aim of this study was to characterize the endometrial microbiota of healthy mares and to determine whether microbial composition differs between estrus and diestrus. Endometrial samples were collected from eleven h...
[Pigmentation disorders in the nasal vestibule of horses with nasal discharge]. The nasal vestibule of numerous horses is pigmented. In the ventral part of the nasal vestibule, this pigmentation is often disturbed resulting in a clearly depigmented area. As nasal discharge passes this area, our study aimed at the practical quantification of the depigmented area in the nasal vestibule of horses and the analysis of its relation to nasal discharge and other parameters.This study included 74 horses (59 warmblood horses, 15 ponies) with pigmented nasal vestibule. When a depigmentation was found to be present in the ventral part, this area was photographed and quantified by use...
