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.
Surgical and non-surgical egg transfer in horses. Surgical and non-surgical methods used for the recovery and transfer of fertilized horse eggs are described. Sixteen of the twenty-three zygotes recovered surgically between Days 1 to 6 after ovulation from thirty donor mares were transferred surgically to synchronized recipients; seven pregnancies resulted. Seven of the eleven zygotes recovered non-surgically between Days 6 to 8 after ovulation from twenty-eight donor mares were transferred non-surgically to synchronized recipients; five pregnancies resulted.
A survey of eggs in the oviducts of mares. A total of 424 eggs was recovered from flushings of 176 pairs of oviducts. Of these eggs, 324 were in a state of advanced degeneration (Type 4) and ten appeared to have been recently ovulated (Type 1). The number of eggs/oviduct varied from 0 to 13, most being up to 3 eggs, but fifty oviducts contained no eggs. It is widely believed that unfertilized ova are selectively retained in the oviducts but an alternative explanation for their presence is put forward.
Effects of acetylpromazine on ventilatory variables in the horse. The influence of breathing various concentrations of carbon dioxide and oxygen upon minute volume, tidal volume, and respiratory rate were examined in acetylpromazine-tranquilized horses. Responses in the horses before (control period) and after tranquilization were qualitatively similar to increases in carbon dioxide and to alterations in oxygen. The quantitative responses to these changes were less in tranquilized horses than in the same horses studied in the untranquilized state. Tranquilization had its most prominent effect upon respiratory rate in horses breathing room air.
Sperm transport and distribution in the mare. Fifty mares were inseminated on Days 2, 4, 7, 11 or 17 of the oestrous cycle with spermatozoa from one of three stallions to observe the distribution of the spermatozoa in various parts of the reproductive tract 12 hr later (Days 3, 5, 8, 12 and 18). Only 0-06 to 2-21% of inseminated spermatozoa were recovered from the tract. More (P less than 0-05) spermatozoa were recovered from the cervix and uterus on Day 12 than on Days 3, 5, 8 and 18. The mean number of spermatozoa recovered from either or both oviducts was significantly greater (P less than 0-10) on Days 5 and 8 than on Days 3, 12 and 1...
Surfactant studies in the fetal and neonatal foal. Phospholipids in embryonic lung tissue, pulmonary washings and amniotic fluid were measured to study the development of lyng surfactant in the horse. A significant increase in the concentration of total phospholipids in lung tissue and a concomitant rise in the amount of dipalmitoyl lecithin in amniotic fluid between 100 and 150 days of gestation indicated the initial formation of surfactant in the fetal lung during this period.
Aspects of respiration in anaesthetized newborn foals. The arterial oxygen tension (PaO2) in clinically normal newborn foals at 1300 m above sea-level is considerably lower (less than 60 mmHg) than in similarly aged foals at lower altitudes. This figure is further reduced to less than 50 mmHg without adverse effect in newborn foals at 1300 m maintained under pentobarbitone anaesthesia for prolonged periods. Measurement of O2 dissociation curves indicates that haemoglobin becomes saturated at a lower blood O2 tension in newborn foals than adult horses.
Effects of artificial light on the oestrous cycle of the mare. Two groups, each of seven pony mares, were maintained from 17 October to 15 February (120 days) in the University Biotron where temperature and daily photoperiod were regulated to simulate normal conditions for that period (control group) or those normally applicable from 1 March to 1 July (treated group). Follicular growth, ovulation rate and oestrous behaviour were determined daily by rectal palpation, and by teasing with a stallion. By Day 69 of treatment, all ovarian end-points (number of follicles greater than 10 mm, number of follicles greater than 20 mm, average follicle diameter and di...
Patterns of urinary oestrogen excretion in individual pregnant mares. Urine collections (24 hr) were made at weekly intervals from four Pony mares from the 3rd or 4th month of pregnancy until parturition. Separation of oestrogens on Celite columns was followed by Kober measurements of oestrone and equilin. Individual differences were noted in peak amounts of total oestrogens excreted (200 to 800 mg/day), when oestrone constituted 80 to 95% at the 6th to 7th months. Although equilin increased in later gestation, oestrone remained the major product. Total oestrogen values decreased rapidly from the peak and then more gradually towards the end of pregnancy. During ...
Plasma progestagens in the pregnant mare in the first and last 90 days of gestation. Plasma progestagens were measured in eighteen pregnant mares to establish normal levels in the first and last 90 days of gestation. Progestagens increased from 25 ng/ml at 90 days before birth to 60 ng/ml at 10 days before birth, decreased to 58 ng/ml at 5 days before, and were 3 ng/ml or less by 5 days after perturition. During the first 90 days of pregnancy, progestagens reflected luteal activity with an increase in plasma levels from Day 30 to Day 60.
Retention of tubal eggs in mares. Genital tracts from 227 mares slaughtered in various reproductive states were investigated to study egg retention in the oviducts. Eggs were found in 88-2% of 212 non-pregnant mares; the number/mare ranged from 0 to 21, and averaged 4-34. Retained eggs were twice as common in heavy as in light breeds and were found more frequently in early than in late pregnancy. Eggs were not found in the oviducts of two anovulatory post-partum mares. A few globular masses, probably consisting of desquamated tubal mucosa, were frequently lodged in the distal region of the ampulla and appeared, to some extent ...
A preliminary report on regenerative healing in the equine tendon. The concept of regenerative healing has been used to manipulate the healing process in experimental animals and clinically to augment bone healing in people after orthopedic operation. An implanted electrical device was used in an attempt to produce regenerative healing in experimentally created equine tendon injury. The bimetallic electrical implant did not produce regenerative healing under the conditions of this experiment. The mechanism of implantation and discussion of the results are included.
Studies on the preservation of raw and frozen horse semen. Retention of high motility of horse spermatozoa preserved at 4 degrees C was improved by a semen extender. Raw semen preserved for 2 to 8 hr at 4 degrees C gave an average conception rate of 67-3% but preservation for 1 to 2 days gave an extremely low conception rate. The conception rate from deep-frozen semen during 8 years was 56-3%.
The site of ovulation in the mare. Serial photography of the ovary of a mare by periodic surgical exteriorization of the ovary and peritonescopy in situ revealed that the ovulatory fossa is the site of ovulation in this species.
Plasma progestagens in pregnant mares. Peripheral plasma progestagens were quantified by a competitive protein-binding assay throughout pregnancy. The level of progesterone increased significantly between Days 0 and 8 (P less than 0-05) and again between Days 28 and 44 and reached a maximum on Day 64. Subsequently, it fell slowly until about Day 300 and then rose again during the last 30 days before reaching a minimum on the day after foaling. Very low concentrations of 17alpha-hydroxyprogesterone were found except between Days 40 and 120 and during the last 30 days before birth. Two unidentified compounds, one eluting slightly bef...
Serum concentrations of FSH, LH and progesterone during the oestrous cycle and early pregnancy in the mare. Heterologous radioimmunoassays were developed for equine FSH and LH. Serum concentrations were measured in twenty-three mares throughout the oestrous cycle and early pregnancy. FSH concentrations were raised fivefold by 'surges' rather than 'spiked', occurring at 10- to 11-day intervals during the oestrous cycle and early pregnancy. The late oestrous/early dioestrous surge of FSH appeared to initiate development of up to twenty follicles. The mid-dioestrous surge may be important for the further development of follicles destined to ovulate 10 to 13 days later. Levels of LH were increasing by t...
The effect of rectal palpation on the fertility of cyclic mares. The effect of rectal palpation of fertility of non-lactating, normal cyclic mares was studied over 3 years. During the first year (1971), the conception rates in mares after daily paplaption during oestrus only, and during oestrus and the first 50 days of pregnancy, were not significantly lower (P greater than 0-05) than the conception rates recorded in mares not palpated. No abortions could be attributed to palpation. Oestrus lasted longer (P less than 0-05) in non-palpated than palpated mares. During the second year (1972), first-cycle pregnancy rates in two groups of mares palpated daily du...
The effect of a corticosteroid (dexamethasone), progesterone, oestrogen and prostaglandin F2alpha on gestation length in normal and ovariectomized mares. Dexamethasone (100 mg/day) injected from Days 318 to 324 of pregnancy induced parturition. Progesterone (500 mg/day) administered daily from Day 318 of pregnancy also shortened gestation while oestrogen (50 mg/day) administered on the same schedule as progesterone had no such effect. Dexamethasone treatment superimposed on the oestrogen or progesterone treatments shortened gestation. Prostaglandin F2alpha alone did not induce parturition, unlike PGF2alpha with dexamethasone, or PGF2alpha given to ovariectomized mares.
The use of intravascular catheters for long-term studies on the mare and fetus. Methods developed for the insertion of catheters into the umbilical artery and vein and the uterine vein of the pregnancy mare are described. The technique requires careful anaesthesia and the maintenance of normal blood gas tensions, pH and arterial blood pressure. Fetal survival was variable: three mares delivered live foals and six fetuses survived more than 15 days with a maximal period of 41 days. The erythrocytes sedimentation rate (ESR) of the fetal foal was always very low at operation but subsequently increased slightly; a sudden large rise in ESR usually indicated imminent fetal deat...
The influence of intrauterine saline infusion on luteal function and cyclical activity in the mare. Intrauterine saline infusion in the dioestrous mare shortened the ovulatory interval by inducing premature luteolysis. Plasma progestagen levels began to decrease approximately 1 day after the infusion and had declined to less than 1-0 ng/ml in 4 days. The CL, including others formed from ovulations during dioestrus, must be 4 to 5 days old before intrauterine saline will induce luteolysis. Of 10 mares infused on Day 4 or 5 after ovulation, only six had a shortened ovulatory interval. Of 10 mares infused on Day 6 or 7 after ovulation, seven had a shortened ovulatory interval and three failed t...
Studies on mild composition and lactogenic hormones in the mare. Small samples of mammary secretion were collected from eight Thoroughbred mares during the last week of pregnancy, at foaling and after 1 week of lactation. Specific assays showed the presence of both lactose and triglyceride in all samples before birth and progressive increases in their concentrations in colostrum and in milk. Levels of 6-0 g lactose/100 ml and 1-8 g triglyceride/100 ml were present in milk at 7 to 9 days post partum. The secretory capacity of the udder is thus normally established well before parturition in the mare. Attempts to demonstrate the occurrence of a placental lact...
Cardiopulmonary effects of positive end-expiratory pressure in anesthetized horses. The cardiopulmonary effects of 0, 5, 10, and 15 cm of H2O positive end-expiratory pressures (PEEP) were determined in anesthetized, spontaneously breathing horses, using a 4 by 4 Latin-square design with one repetition. Cardiac output, alveolar-arterial oxygen tension difference, alveolar ventilation, dead space/tidal volume ratio, and carbon dioxide elimination were not significantly altered by the procedure. As PEEP was increased, alveolar and arterial oxygen tensions, respiratory exchange ratio, and pH decreased, whereas arterial carbon dioxide tension and oxygen consumption increased. Thes...
The effect of HCG on duration of oestrus, ovulation time and fertility in mares. Two experiments were conducted to determine the effects of HCG on duration of oestrus, dioestrus, the length of the oestrous cycle, the time of ovulation and fertility in non-lactating mares. In the first experiment, the injection of HCG was repeated for three successive cycles. Mares injected with 2000 i.u. HCG on Day 2 of oestrus during their first cycle had a shorter oestrus and ovulated sooner than untreated control mares, but in the third cycle, treated mares had a longer oestrus and ovulated longer after the onset of oestrus than controls. In the second experiment, one intramuscular inje...
Survey of reproductive efficiency in the Quarter-horse and Thoroughbred. Reproductive efficiency was evaluated for 838 Quarter-horse mare-years on five farms and 939 Thoroughbred mare-years on seven farms over 4 years. The pregnancy rate from first service was 51% for Quarter-horse mares and 43% for Thoroughbred mares (P less than 0-05). The cumulative pregnancy rate after five services was 85% for Quarter-horse and 77% for Thoroughbred mares (P less than 0-05). First-service-period pregnancy rates were 44, 40 and 54% for maiden, barren and foaling mares, respectively. Cumulative pregnancy rates after five service-periods were 84, 74 and 84% for maiden, barren and ...
Mammalian erythrocyte glutathione reductase: kinetic constants and saturation with cofactor. Glutathione reductase (GR) was studied in erythrocytes of horses, cats, dogs, and man. Glutathione reductase activity was measured in hemolysates with and without preincubation of hemolysates with flavinadenine dinucleotide. The percentage saturation of GR apoenzyme with cofactor (flavin-adenine dinucleotide) was lower in cats and dogs than in horses or man. The greatest amount of inactive apoenzyme was in feline erythrocytes. Total GR activity listed in order by species is cat greater than man greater than dog greater than horse. Kinetic constants for oxidized glutathione and reduced nicotina...
