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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.
Analgesia. Critical to reducing patient morbidity as well as heightened ethical awareness, alleviation of pain in animals has become integral to medical case management and surgical procedures. Pharmacotherapy is directed at peripheral nociceptors, primary and secondary spinal neurons, and pain-processing areas in the CNS. Accordingly, three primary pharmacologic strategies have evolved: drugs that bind to and activate opioid receptors, drugs that bind to and activate alpha 2 receptors, and drugs that reduce de novo prostaglandin synthesis. In horses, the two predominant types of pain encountered are mus...
Renal pharmacology. Pharmacologic treatment of diseases of the urinary tract of horses is limited to administration of antibiotics for treatment of urinary tract infections (UTIs), administration of drugs that alter urine pH, administration of drugs that alter bladder smooth muscle function or urethral sphincter tone, and treatment of acute renal failure. The indications, mechanisms of action, pharmacokinetic characteristics, and adverse effects of these agents in each of these groups are discussed in this article. The use of the agents is discussed within the context of the pathophysiology of the disease being t...
Prevalence of antibodies to Neospora caninum in horses in North America. Serum samples from 296 horses slaughtered for food in the United States were tested for antibodies to Neospora caninum by the Neospora-agglutination test (NAT). Antibodies were found in 69 (23.3%) horses with titers of 1:40 (19 horses), 1:80 (19 horses), 1:100 (3 horses), 1:200 (7 horses), 1:400 (4 horses), and 1:800 (17 horses). This is the first serologic survey for N. caninum antibodies in horses.
Stallion harassment and the mating system of horses. Feral horse, Equus caballus, breeding groups, called bands, usually include one but sometimes up to five stallions. We found that mares were loyal to single-stallion (SS) or multistallion (MS) bands or were social dispersers (maverick mares, Mv). The spacing and social behaviour of mares and stallions in single- and multistallion bands was measured. Indices of mare well-being were also measured including activity budgets (feeding: MS>SS=Mv; resting: MSSS), maternal effort in maintaining contact with foals (MS=Mv>SS), parasite levels in faeces (MS>Mv>SS), body condition (MS=Mv<SS...
Behavior of stabled horses provided continuous or intermittent access to drinking water. To compare quantitative measures and clinical assessments of behavior as an indication of psychologic well-being of stabled horses provided drinking water continuously or via 1 of 3 intermittent delivery systems. Methods: 22 Quarter Horse (QH) or QH-crossbred mares and 17 Belgian or Belgian-crossbred mares (study 1) and 24 QH or QH-crossbred mares and 18 Belgian or Belgian-crossbred mares (study 2). Methods: Stabled horses were provided water continuously or via 1 of 3 intermittent water delivery systems in 2 study periods during a 2-year period. Continuous 24-hour videotaped samples were used...
Responses of horses to trailer design, duration, and floor area during commercial transportation to slaughter. Nine trailer loads of horses (n = 306) transported to slaughter facilities with distances ranging 596 to 2,496 km were studied to characterize the type of horses used in commercial markets and the physiological responses and number of injuries due to transportation under summer environmental conditions. Slaughter horse candidates were middle-aged (11.4+/-.4 yr), possessed moderately fleshy body condition, weighed 432+/-3.3 kg, and were of Quarter Horse or Thoroughbred breeding. The mean weight loss during commercial transport was 4%. The percentage of injured horses was greater (P < .05) fo...
Control of equine piroplasmosis in Brazil. The importance of equine piroplasmosis control in endemic countries has increased in recent years and plays an important role to maintain the international market open to the horse industry. The purpose of this study was to demonstrate the occurrence of equine piroplasmosis (Babesia equi or Theileria equi and Babesia caballi) in Brazil--a country where the disease occurs endemically--in different climatic conditions, and to evaluate the results of a strategy for tick control in order to decrease infection rates. Blood samples were taken from 720 horses on 28 farms from different regions and su...
Pharmacokinetics of flunixin meglumine in donkeys, mules, and horses. To compare serum disposition of flunixin meglumine after i.v. administration of a bolus to horses, donkeys, and mules. Methods: 3 clinically normal horses, 5 clinically normal donkeys, and 5 clinically normal mules. Methods: Blood samples were collected at time zero (before) and 5, 10, 15, 30, and 45 minutes, and at 1, 1.25, 1.5, 1.75, 2, 2.5, 2.75, 3, 3.5, 4, 4.5, 5, 5.5, 6, and 8 hours after i.v. administration of a bolus of flunixin meglumine (1.1 mg/kg of body weight). Serum was analyzed in duplicate by the use of high-performance liquid chromatography for determination of flunixin meglumi...
Metabolic functions of L-carnitine and its effects as feed additive in horses. A review. L-carnitine, a betaine derivative of beta-hydroxybutyrate, is found in virtually all cells of higher animals and also in some microorganisms and plants. In animals it is synthesized almost exclusively in the liver. Two essential amino acids, i.e., lysine and methionine serve as primary substrates for its biosynthesis. Also required for its synthesis are sufficient amounts of vitamin B6, nicotinic acids, vitamin C and folate. The first discovered ergogenic function of L-carnitine is the transfer of activated long-chain fatty acids across the inner mitochondrial membrane into the mitochondrial m...
Exercise-induced haemorrhagic lesions in the dorsocaudal extremities of the caudal lobes of the lungs of young thoroughbred horses. The dorsocaudal extremities of the caudal lobes of the lungs of racehorses are vulnerable to exercise-induced pulmonary haemorrhage (EIPH). The morphology of the lungs at these sites was studied in 13 Thoroughbred horses aged 18 to 22 months. These animals, which had been performing low-intensity exercise on a track at maximum running speeds of approximately 5-8.5 metres/second (m/s), were withdrawn from the racehorse training programme for reasons of unsuitability. Lung lesions observed in the dorsocaudal lung extremities in 10 of the 13 horses were not found in the craniodorsal or craniovent...
Pharmacokinetic interactions between flunixin and sulphadimidine in horses. The pharmacokinetic aspects of sulphadimidine were studied in clinically healthy (control) and Flunixin-medicated horses after a single intravenous and oral administration of 100 mg/kg body weight. Plasma sulphadimidine concentration were determined by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). Following the intravenous injection, all plasma sulphadimidine data were best approximated by a two-compartment open model using sequential, weight non-linear regression. Flunixin induced a 67% increase in the rate of sulphadimidine return to the central compartment from peripheral tissues (K21) and...
Measurement for breath concentration of hydrogen and methane in horses. This study concerns the establishment of a simple testing method for breath concentration of hydrogen and methane in horses. Twenty-eight healthy thoroughbreds and 24 Arabians were used. Breath samples were collected using one-minute closed circulatory respiration through an aluminum bag filled with 10 liters of pure oxygen, which was mounted on the subjects by means of a face mask. Breath samples obtained, were analyzed by gas chromatography. A significant correlation in both hydrogen and methane levels was observed for samples collected at separate times. These findings confirmed the usefuln...
Association of Ixodes pacificus (Acari: ixodidae) with the spatial and temporal distribution of equine granulocytic ehrlichiosis in California. This study was conducted to determine if the biology of certain ticks associated with horses regulates the spatial and temporal distribution of equine granulocytic ehrlichiosis (EGE) in California north of Monterey County. We compared the spatial and temporal distribution of EGE cases with the seasons of activity and life histories of ticks that infest horses. Spatially, cases collected from equine veterinarians clustered around each other in a manner different from the way in which control cities of practice were distributed, with foci limited to the Sierra Nevada and coastal foothills. Cases...
Effect of longeing and glucosamine supplementation on serum markers of bone and joint metabolism in yearling quarter horses. The effect of longeing and glucosamine supplementation on known biological markers of joint disease was studied in yearling quarter horses. Twenty-one yearling quarter horses were randomly assigned to one of 4 treatments: 1) longeing (longeing 20 min daily) supplement control (LN); 2) longeing/glucosamine (LG); 3) walking (mechanical walker for 120 min daily (WN)); and 4) walking/glucosamine (WG). Oral glucosamine was administered at 5.5 g b.i.d. weeks 1-4, 3.5 g b.i.d. during weeks 5-6, and 2.0 g b.i.d. during weeks 7-8. Serum was obtained weekly for 8 wk and analyzed for keratan sulfate and ...
Isolates of fungi from symptomatic carthorses in Awassa, Ethiopia. Samples were collected from clinically infected carthorses in Awassa. Fungus species affecting the carthorses were identified. Eight genera of fungal groups were isolated from swabs and skin scrapes taken from symptomatic horses. These included Aspergillus spp., Histoplasma spp., Penicillium spp., Microsporum spp., Trichophyton spp., yeast cells of Candida spp., Cryptococcus spp. and Geotrichum spp. The most frequent isolates were from the genera Aspergillus (48%), Penicillium (39.2%) and Trichophyton (31.6%). Clinical findings are reported, the economic, zoonotic and pathogenetic importance o...
Predilection sites of Trichinella spiralis larvae in naturally infected horses. A total of 120 muscle tissues from three horses naturally infected with Trichinella spiralis were examined. The head was the most infected site. In particular, the muscles harbouring the highest number of larvae were: musculus buccinator (12, 411 and 1183 larvae g-1), the tongue (11, 615 and 1749 larvae g-1), m. levator labii maxillaris (17,582 and 1676 larvae g-1), and the masseter (4.9, 289 and 821 larvae g-1). Compared with the diaphragm, the number of larvae per gram was from 3.5 to 6.8 times higher in the tongue, from 3.5 to 6.5 higher in m. levator labii maxillaris, and from 2.5 to 4.6 h...
Congenital atresia of the parotid duct in a horse. Congenital anomalies of the equine salivary glands and their ductal systems are rare. In man, parotid duct atresia is thought to be due to a congenital malformation of the first branchial arch. One horse with unilateral parotid salivary duct atresia is described. Imaging modalities available for accurate diagnosis, and treatment options, are reviewed.
Characterization of a Sarcocystis neurona isolate (SN6) from a naturally infected horse from Oregon. An isolate of Sarcocystis neurona (SN6) was obtained from the spinal cord of a horse from Oregon with neurologic signs. The parasite was isolated in cultures of bovine monocytes and equine spleen cells. The parasite divided by endopolygeny and completed at least one asexual cycle in cell cultures in three days. Two gamma interferon knockout mice inoculated with cell culture-derived merozoites became ill 35 d later and S. neurona schizonts and merozoites were found in encephalitic lesions. The parasite in tissue sections of mice reacted with S. neurona-specific antibodies and S. neurona was rei...
Experimental cross-infections with Ehrlichia phagocytophila and human granulocytic ehrlichia-like agent in cows and horses. Four cows and four horses were infected experimentally with Ehrlichia phagocytophila, the cause of tickborne fever in ruminants, and with human granulocytic ehrlichia-like agent, a recently discovered species that infects people, horses and dogs in the USA and Europe. They were infected in either order, 30 days apart, to investigate serological cross-reactivity within the Ephagocytophila genogroup. The course of infection was assessed by routine clinical, haematological, serological and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) examinations. Two of the cows infected with Ephagocytophila and two of the h...
Cardiovascular demands of competition on low-goal (non-elite) polo ponies. Knowledge of the competitive demands of different sports or activities is important for designing appropriate training programmes to ensure that animals reach a sufficient level of fitness to reduce the risk of overexertion and injury or illness and to achieve the best possible performance in relation to an individual's genetic potential. Whilst the physiological demands of many equestrian sports have been described, to the best of our knowledge the cardiovascular demands of polo have not. The aims of the present study were therefore to record heart rate during and after competitive polo games...
[Mutations in the US2 and glycoprotein B genes of the equine herpesvirus 1 vaccine strain RacH have no effects on its attenuation]. The equine herpesvirus 1 (EHV-1) modified live vaccine strain RacH is apathogenic for both laboratory animals and the natural host. The apathogenicity of RacH was caused by serial passages of the virus in heterologous cells. When compared to the virulent parental strain RacL11 several changes in the RacH genome occurred. Previous results have shown that the loss of the IR6 gene correlated with the loss of virulence. Additional important mutations were observed within the US2 gene which is directly adjacent to the IR6 gene and within the glycoprotein B (gB) gene. To answer the question whether ...
