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.
Jejunal intussusception: a complication of functional end-to-end stapled anastomoses in two ponies. Jejunojejunal intussusception occurred after jejunal resection and stapled functional end-to-end anastomosis in two pony mares. In both mares, the lead point of the intussusception was the stapled functional end-to-end (FEE) anastomosis. The stapled free ends of jejunum were oversewn with an inverting suture pattern. A possible explanation for development of the intussusception was the acute angle created in the intestine by the FEE anastomosis. This angulation may have impaired flow of ingesta causing motility changes that predisposed the site to intussusception. Because the oversewn blind in...
The effect of naloxone administration on the secretion of corticotropin-releasing hormone, arginine vasopressin, and adrenocorticotropin in unperturbed horses. We used our nonsurgical method for collecting equine pituitary venous blood to study the role of endogenous opioids in the basal regulation of the hypothalamo-pituitary-adrenal axis. We gave mares the opioid antagonist, naloxone (NAL), at either a high (0.5 mg/kg i.v. bolus, followed by infusion of 0.25 mg/kg.h; n = 4) or low (0.2 mg/kg i.v. bolus; n = 6) dose rate. Pituitary venous blood was collected continuously, divided into 0.5- or 1-min segments for 15-30 min before and 1 h after the NAL bolus, and assayed for CRH, arginine vasopressin (AVP), and ACTH. The mares tolerated NAL administrat...
Gunshot injuries in horses: 22 cases (1971-1993). Twenty-two horses were examined because of firearm injuries. Nine had been shot with .22-caliber bullets, 2 with BB pellets, 6 with buckshot, 1 with a .35-caliber bullet, and 1 with an airgun pellet. Injury was confined to the skin or skeletal muscles in 8 horses. Of these, 7 returned to their previous use. In 14 horses, injuries to additional structures were incurred, including the sinus and pharynx (n = 2), mandible (n = 1), tooth (n = 1), aorta (n = 1), eye (n = 3), tibia (n = 1), gastrointestinal tract (n = 3), joint (n = 1), and trachea (n = 1). The 3 horses that had only eye injuries wer...
Ventral abdominal approach for laparoscopic ovariectomy in horses. Eleven mares and four mules were ovariectomized by a ventral abdominal laparoscopic technique. This approach required tilting the operative table about 30 degrees elevating the pelvis to allow observation of the ovaries. A triangulation technique with a single laparoscopic portal and four instrument portals was used. The ovarian pedicles were ligated and the ovaries were removed through a single enlarged instrument portal. Females ranged in age from 5 months to 18 years. Mean operative time was 44 minutes (range 20 to 90 minutes); mean operative time of the last seven animals was 26 minutes. S...
Biomechanical properties of third carpal articular cartilage in exercised and nonexercised horses. The relevance of site and exercise on the biomechanical properties of the articular cartilage from the equine third carpal bone were assessed by creep indentation testing. Six horses were exercised for 30 minutes three times weekly. Another six horses were housed in box stalls and were not exercised. At the conclusion of the study, one third carpal bone from each horse was harvested and the KLM biphasic material properties of cartilage were determined at 12 sites. There was a significant (p < 0.01) effect of site but not exercise on the cartilage aggregate modulus, which was significantly l...
Effects of gonadal steroids on the opioid regulation of LH and prolactin release in ovariectomized pony mares. The aim of the present study was to investigate the role of ovarian steroids in the opioid regulation of LH and prolactin release in mares. Effects of the opioid antagonist naloxone on LH and prolactin secretion were determined in ovariectomized pony mares. The animals were pretreated with either progesterone (500 micrograms kg-1) or oestradiol benzoate (10 micrograms kg-1) for 8 days and subsequently with a combination of progesterone and oestradiol for an additional 8 days. Naloxone administration (0.5 mg kg-1 i.v.) resulted in a significant release of LH as well as prolactin in mares after ...
Fatigue behavior of the equine third metacarpus: mechanical property analysis. This is the first in a series of experiments to study the fatigue properties of equine cannon (third metacarpal) bone specimens from Thoroughbred racehorses. Monotonic and fatigue tests to failure were performed in four-point bending on diaphyseal specimens in a 37 degrees C saline bath to answer three initial questions. (a) Will a linear variable differential transducer yield the same elastic modulus as strain gauges? (b) Will fatigue results depend on whether the periosteal or endosteal side of the beam is in tension? (c) Are there regional variations in the monotonic and fatigue properties ...
Physiological responses of horses competing at a modified 1 star 3-day-event. The impending 1996 summer Olympic 3-day-event in Atlanta has focused attention on the need to determine what modifications to the demanding Endurance Test will be required to ensure safety of the horses competing. Three groups of horses participated in a Field Trial held in August of 1994 in northern Georgia to determine the safety and feasibility of conducting a modified 3-day-event in hot, humid weather. One group (TD) completed a modified 1 Star 3-day-event test, a control group (HT) completed a Horse Trial identical to the modified 1 Star test except for the omission of Phases B and C and ...
Physiological effects of shortening steeplechase in a 3-day-event. Various methods for modifying the Speed and Endurance portion (Day 2) of the 3-day-event have been proposed to aid horses in dealing with the hot and humid conditions expected during the next Olympic 3-day-events in Atlanta, Georgia USA in 1996. This study was designed to characterise the effects of shortening the distance required during the steeplechase (Phase B) in the face of Atlanta-like hot and humid weather conditions. Eight conditioned Thoroughbred horses (mean +/- s.e.m. age 3.75 years, range 3-5 years) underwent 3 randomised permutations of a standardised exercise test on a high spee...
Physiological responses to the endurance test of a 3-day-event during hot and cool weather. Physiological data were collected during two 3-day-event competitions: one (H) held in hot and the other (CL) in cool conditions. During H, ambient temperature and relative humidity were 2.5 degrees C-35 degrees C and 74-36% respectively, while during CL, ambient temperature and relative humidity were 7.8 degrees C-8.3 degrees C and 46%-41%, respectively. Rectal temperature, heart and respiratory rates were recorded on arrival at the event, at the end of Phase C and 6 min later, at the end of Phase D and for 30 min at 10 min intervals after each horse finished Phase D (Recovery Period). Becaus...
Analyses of restriction fragment patterns (RFPs) and pathogenicity in baby mice of equine herpesvirus 1 and 4 (EHV-1 and EHV-4) strains circulating in Danish horses. Twenty-five strains of equine herpesvirus 1 (EHV-1) and one strain of equine herpesvirus 4 (EHV-4) isolated from material from various clinical cases in Denmark, together with reference EHV-1 and EHV-4 strains, were compared by restriction fragment pattern (RFP) analysis and inoculation of baby mice. The RFP analyses revealed that all EHV-1 strains belonged to genome type Ip. Four fetal isolates exhibited genomic characteristics that have been suggested as specific markers of the attenuated strain Rac H, widely used as a live vaccine. As the use of five vaccines against EHV-1 and EHV-4 has nev...
Equine pulmonary disease: a case control study of 300 referred cases. Part 2: Details of animals and of historical and clinical findings. Examination of historical and clinical details of 270 adult horses suffering from a variety of mainly chronic pulmonary diseases showed that the chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) group (median age 9 years) were the oldest, and that the COPD, chronic idiopathic hypoxaemia and exercise induced pulmonary haemorrhage (EIPH) groups had the longest duration of disease (median durations 7, 12 and 9 months, respectively) with a median disease duration of 2 months for the remaining horses. A history of antecedent respiratory infection was present in 24.3% of all horses. Six out of 12 horses ...
Complications of celiotomy incisions in horses. Complications of celiotomy incisions were evaluated retrospectively in 274 horses that survived at least 1 month after surgery, or died or were euthanatized within 1 month of surgery, as a direct result of these complications. Horses were divided into four groups; group A, a ventral median celiotomy for intestinal disease; group B, ventral median celiotomy for nonintestinal disease; group C, repair of an umbilical hernia; and group D, celiotomy in a region other than the midline. Specific incisional complications were peri-incisional edema, drainage, incisional abscess, suture sinus, and dehis...
Dose titration of moxidectin oral gel against migrating Strongylus vulgaris and Parascaris equorum larvae in pony foals. Moxidectin was tested for efficacy in ponies against experimental infections of 56 day Strongylus vulgaris larvae and 11 day Parascaris equorum larvae. Three dosages of moxidectin were tested: 300 micrograms per kg live body weight, 400 micrograms per kg, and 500 micrograms per kg, and the vehicle served as control. Ponies were first infected with 600 S. vulgaris third-stage larvae (L3) on Experiment Day 0 and then with 3000 embryonated P. equorum eggs on Day 45. Moxidectin treatments were administered on Day 56 and necropsy examinations were performed on Day 91. Strongylus vulgaris fourth-sta...
Equine sweat composition: effects of adrenaline infusion, exercise and training. Significant alterations in plasma electrolyte concentrations have been reported in horses following prolonged exercise, resulting from loss of hypertonic sweat. Sweat was collected from 10 horses undergoing a 10 week training programme; 5 at moderate intensity, to speeds of 10 m/s and 5 at low intensity, to speeds of 5 m/s. Sweat was collected from 2 sites in response to a submaximal exercise test (30 min at 50% VO2max and during an adrenaline infusion (dose mean +/- s.d.; 0.3 +/- 0.05 g/kg over 30 min). Sweat samples were analysed for sodium, chloride, potassium, protein, magnesium, calcium a...
Osteochondrosis of the articular-epiphyseal cartilage complex in young horses: evidence for a defect in cartilage canal blood supply. The objectives of this study were to determine in horses 1) the ages at which viable cartilage canal vessels are present in the articular-epiphyseal cartilage complex of three predilection sites and one nonpredilection site of osteochondrosis (OC), 2) the prevalence of lesions of OC in these sites, and 3) whether there was an association of lesions of OC with necrotic cartilage canal blood vessels. The medial femoral condyle, lateral femoral trochlear ridge, and distal ends of the tibia and proximal phalanx were examined grossly, microradiographically, and histologically in 35 horses 18 months...
Effect of hepatic isoferritins from iron overloaded rats on lymphocyte proliferative response: role of ferritin iron content. Iron and ferritin impair a variety of immunological functions. To evaluate the effect of ferritin iron content on rat lymphocyte proliferative response, isoferritins that differ in their iron content and isoelectric point (pI) were isolated from iron overload rat livers by ultracentrifugation (isoferritins with high iron content and low pI) or crystallization (isoferritins with low iron content and high pI) methods. Additionally, commercial horse splenic ferritin (with a lower pI and higher iron content than rat isoferritins) was also tested. Proliferative response to Con A was decreased in a ...
Effects of shortening the steeplechase phase (phase B) of a 3-day-event. Thirty-four horses competing in the Endurance Test of a 3-day-event were divided into 3 groups: horses in Group 1 (n = 15) competing in a 3.5 min steeplechase phase; horses in Group 2 (n = 13) in a 3 min steeplechase phase (Phase B) and horses in Group 3 (n = 6) in a 2.5 min steeplechase phase. The shortening of Phase B was associated with a lengthening of Phase C so that the total distance of the event for all horses was 14,940 m. Bodyweight (BW) was measured and total body water (TBW) and water loss estimated. Blood samples were collected from the horses prior to the Endurance Test, at the e...
Plasma volume and ions during exercise in cool, dry; hot, dry; and hot, humid conditions. We studied the effects of heat and relative humidity (RH) on plasma volume (PV) and ion responses to submaximal exercise and 60 min recovery in Thoroughbreds. Five horses were exercised at 50% of peak VO2 in cool, dry (CD, T = 22 degrees C, RH = 45-55%), and hot, humid (HH, T = 30-34 degrees C, RH = 80-85%) conditions until a pulmonary artery temperature of 41.5 degrees C was reached. Blood was obtained from the carotid artery. Body mass was measured at rest and after 30 min of recovery. The thermal conditions had no effect on the PV and ion responses during exercise and initial 30 min of reco...
Variable-temperature study of the heme-reorientation process in equine myoglobin. The redistribution of the initially-formed myoglobin heme-insertion isomers from the initially formed 50/50 mixture to the equilibrium ratio of 90/10 has long been assumed to occur by one of two mechanisms, both of which require the rupture of the heme iron-protein bond (La Mar, G.N., Toi, H. and Krishnamoorthi, K. (1984) J. Am. Chem. Soc. 106, 6395-6401). In this study we compared the use of nuclear magnetic resonance and optical spectroscopic techniques as methods for studying the reorientation of heme within myoglobin. We found that kinetics determinations of the heme insertion isomer redis...
Endoscopy of the auditory tube diverticula in four horses with otitis media/interna. Endoscopic examination of the auditory tube diverticula was a diagnostic aid in the evaluation of 4 horses with otitis media/interna and associated osseous changes of the stylohyoid and petrous temporal. One of the horses was examined because of persistent head shaking; the other 3 were examined because of an acute onset of facial and vestibulocochlear nerve dysfunction. Proliferative lesions involving the petrous temporal bone and proximal portion of the stylohyoid bone were identified endoscopically in all 4 horses. Endoscopy is a noninvasive procedure that provides an alternative to skull r...
Continuous monitoring of ECG in horses at rest and during exercise. A method for the continuous monitoring of the electrocardiogram (ECG) of horses at rest and during exercise was evaluated in five healthy horses. The horses spent 24 hours in a loose box and performed a standardised exercise test on a treadmill during this period. Two bipolar leads were recorded, lead 1 between the xiphoid and the left withers, and lead 2 between the left ventral thorax and the left dorsal thorax, using disposable electrodes. The quality of the ECGs enabled both an 'operator-controlled' and an automatic analysis to be made. Lead 1 was the most stable during exercise and lead 2...
Equine colonic lipomatosis. No abstract available
Detection of Trichinella spiralis muscle larvae in naturally infected horses. Human trichinellosis outbreaks related to horsemeat consumption have been reported in France and Italy in recent years. In order to determine if Trichinella is present in horses slaughtered at an abattoir in the State of Mexico, diaphragm muscle tissue samples (22-37 g) from 80 horses were examined by artificial digestion. Four of these samples had larvae that were characterized as Trichinella sp. by morphological criteria and as Trichinella spiralis by the polymerase chain reaction.
Intestinal fibrosis and vascular remodeling in ten horses and two ponies. No abstract available
Preweaning diet and stall weaning method influences on stress response in foals. The stress response of foals during weaning was examined in terms of a behavioral protocol and the responses of plasma ascorbate, serum cortisol, and the serum cortisol response to an ACTH challenge. The experimental plan was a 2 x 2 factorial of two preweaning diets and two stall weaning methods. Dietary groups included foals raised on pasture supplemented with hay and a pelleted concentrate (PHC) and foals raised on pasture supplemented with hay only (PH). Stall weaning methods included foals placed in stalls singly or in pairs. Sex influences were also examined. The foals exhibited characte...
