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.
Clinical Signs of Liver Disease in Horses. Clinical signs associated with liver disease in horses are often a reflection of underlying hepatic dysfunction but typically vague rather than pathognomonic. Many observed clinical signs are subtle or not recognizable in the early stages of liver disease and thus may appear acute in onset despite an underlying chronic condition. Clinical signs reported in horses with liver disease include hyporexia or anorexia, weight loss, changes in demeanor, hepatic encephalopathy, colic signs, icterus, photosensitization, diarrhea, clinical coagulopathies, ascites, peripheral edema, steatorrhea, pruritus,...
Epidemiological evidence of anti-Leptospira antibodies in horses at a global level (years 2015 to 2025): a systematic review and meta-analysis. Leptospirosis is a bacterial zoonotic disease with clinical consequences and potential sequelae in horses. Objective: To estimate the pooled global seroprevalence of anti-Leptospira antibodies in horses, detected with the Microscopic Agglutination Test, the frequency by serogroups and serovars, the geographical distribution of studies and the main reported clinical signs and organic manifestations through a systematic review and meta-analysis. Methods: A bibliographic search was conducted for cross-sectional epidemiologic studies published between 2015 and 2025. The risk of bias was determined...
Continuous Bluetooth pulse oximetry monitoring in conscious and anesthetized horses: a pilot study. To assess the feasibility, patient tolerance, and accuracy of a wireless Bluetooth pulse oximeter sensor system on horses for an extended period. Unassigned: A prospective, case-control, unblinded study involved 7 horses at risk of hypoxemia and 7 healthy controls. A wireless Bluetooth transmission sensor was attached to their nostril for a prolonged period. Sensor retention time, patient tolerance, and sensor performance in capturing valid monitoring points were recorded. During the monitoring, 4 samples of arterial blood were collected, and paired measurements (SaO2) and estimations (SpO2) o...
Pharmaceutical and Nutraceutical Therapies for Liver Disease. Liver dysfunction may reduce the metabolism of drugs that undergo extensive hepatic processing. This will lead to reduced clearance and elimination, and can cause accumulation of the drug, increasing the risk of toxicity. Pentoxifylline and ursodeoxycholic acid are 2 pharmaceuticals that can provide benefits for a variety of equine hepatic diseases. Nutraceuticals are frequently used in horses with hepatopathy, targeting oxidative stress, inflammation, and hepatocellular injury. Neutraceuticals such as S-adenosylmethionine, silymarin and vitamin E are most commonly used although extensive rese...
Effect of Antioxidant Supplementation on Systemic Oxidative Status in Breeding Stallions During Intensive Semen Collection. Breeding stallions are subjected to increased metabolic and physiological demands during the reproductive season, which may lead to enhanced production of reactive oxygen species and disruption of redox balance. The present study evaluated the effects of dietary antioxidant supplementation on oxidative status, metabolic profile, and hindgut fermentation in stallions undergoing intensive semen collection activity. Ten adult breeding stallions were assigned either to a control group or to a treatment group receiving a commercial antioxidant supplement (Oxyliver) for 60 days, followed by a 60-day...
Impact of ununited plantar eminence of the first phalanx on early racing performance in North American Standardbreds. To determine the prevalence of ununited plantar eminence (UPE) of the first phalanx (P1) in North American Standardbreds and evaluate its association with early racing performance. Methods: Retrospective cohort study with matched sibling controls. Methods: Imaging records from 1897 yearling Standardbred horses. Methods: Screening images were reviewed for the presence of UPE and other orthopedic abnormalities. Sex, age, sire, gait, and racing performance data were obtained from the United States Trotting Association. Affected horses were compared with unaffected siblings using non-parametric te...
Development of an indirect ELISA for the detection of venezuelan equine encephalitis virus specific antibodies in horses. Venezuelan equine encephalitis virus (VEEV) is a re-emerging zoonotic pathogen to which equines are most susceptible mammals hosts with a high mortality rate raging from19 to 83%. The virus, transmitted between vertebrates and mosquitos, causes unpredictable sporadic epizootic outbreaks in equids and humans across Central and South America. Although VEEV is not currently circulating in Europe the combination of global change, increasing international trade and the presence of potentially competent vectors (mosquitoes of the genera Aedes and Culex), raises a non-negligible risk of its introduct...
A multimodal approach to equine thoracolumbar myofascial pain: integrating clinical examination, AI-based gait analysis, and the ridden horse pain ethogram. Myofascial pain syndrome (MPS) is considered highly prevalent in horses, yet it is frequently underdiagnosed due to limited understanding of its clinical presentation and functional consequences, as well as the inherent challenges associated with its clinical assessment and objective measurement. In equines, the relationship between palpation-based MPS indicators, gait asymmetries, and pain-related behaviours during ridden work remains unclear. The primary aim of this study was to evaluate the association between thoracolumbar palpation pain scores and gait asymmetries measured in-hand and dur...
Cytogenetic, genomic, and reproductive characterization of four pura Raza Española mares carrying a 64, X, del(X),t(X; Y) complex karyotype. Chromosomal abnormalities involving the sex chromosomes constitute critical genetic factors influencing fertility in horses. Nevertheless, a substantial proportion of individuals carrying sex chromosomal abnormalities exhibit normal reproductive phenotypes, which complicates their identification until adulthood. Here, we present four mares carrying a complex deletion/translocation rearrangement with the karyotype formula 64, X, del(X)(p∼25),t(X; Y)(p∼25; q∼15). The cases analyzed belong to three unrelated families of Pura Raza Española (PRE), all presenting the same chromosomal abnormal...
Evaluation of Point-of-Care Coagulation Measurement Systems for Activated Clotting Time and Partial Thromboplastin Time in Heparinized and Non-Heparinized Equine Blood. To compare the performance of one point-of-care activated clotting time (ACT) machine (Vet-Tube), one point-of-care activated partial thromboplastin time (aPTT) machine (Coagulation DX), and one bench-top ACT machine (Medtronic ACT II plus) with previously published measurements from stationary devices in whole blood from healthy horses. Methods: Prospective, observational study SETTING: University veterinary teaching hospital, from August 2023 to September 2023. Methods: Thirty healthy university-owned horses. Methods: ACT and aPTT were measured via point-of-care analyzers (ACT POC, aPTT POC)...
A retrospective study of morbidity and mortality in captive Przewalski’s horses (Equus przewalskii) between 1973 and 2021. Przewalski's horses (Equus przewalskii) were declared extinct in the wild in 1996, but reintroduction programmes initiated in 1997 have enabled the re-establishment of free-ranging populations. The maintenance of healthy captive populations remains essential to support these conservation efforts, yet systematic pathological investigations in captive Przewalski's horses are lacking. This study provides the first necropsy-based overview of morbidity and mortality in a captive European population. Pathology reports from 64 horses examined between 1973 and 2021 were reviewed retrospectively. Acros...
Seroprevalence of Leptospira in Lavradeiro horses, a semi-feral ecotype from the Northern Brazilian Amazon. Leptospirosis is a neglected zoonosis with significant impact on public and veterinary health, with equines acting as potential maintenance hosts of infection. This study aimed to investigate the seroprevalence of Leptospira in Lavradeiro horses under semi-feral conditions in Indigenous communities in the state of Roraima, Brazil. A total of 387 serum samples were subjected to the microscopic agglutination test (MAT), using antigens of Leptospira spp. from 18 serogroups. The overall prevalence was 15.8% (95% CI: 12.3-19.8%), with the most frequent serogroups being Australis, Tarassovi, Autumna...
Radiographic identification and description of the equine middle conchal sinus (ethmoidal sinus): Implications for diagnosing middle conchal sinusitis. The middle conchal sinus (MCS) (ethmoidal sinus) remains one of the least understood equine paranasal compartments. Despite recognition of its involvement in sinonasal disease, disorders of the MCS often remain underdiagnosed in the absence of computed tomographic (CT) imaging due to limited anatomical understanding and challenges with radiographic visualisation. Objective: The objectives of the study were (1) to characterise the radiographic features and anatomical location of the MCS in horses and (2) to illustrate the practical relevance of the anatomical and radiographic findings in two cl...
Imaging of the Equine Abdomen Using Point of Care Ultrasound (POCUS)-A Resource for the Equine Practitioner. Wireless ultrasound (US) probes for point of care (POC) evaluation of horses presented for veterinary evaluation of colic have become widely available in recent years. The availability and performance of this technology mean POCUS is readily available to the equine practitioner and the technology is well suited to patient evaluation or serial monitoring in first opinion practice. In human health care and veterinary contexts, it has been suggested that there is a need for practitioners to better appreciate the value of POCUS for assessment of gastrointestinal structure and function. This study ...
Novel technique for correcting urovagina via urethral transposition in the horse. Vesicovaginal reflux is a common cause of infertility in mares. Surgical correction is commonly recommended and involves caudal relocation of the urethral orifice which forces the urine to be expelled caudally. There have been several previously described techniques. Complications associated with caudal urethral extension occur in 11-33.3% of cases. Objective: To identify a novel technique for performing caudal urethral translocation that effectively corrects vesicovaginal reflux with minimal associated complications. Methods: In vivo experiment and clinical case series. Methods: The experimen...
Prevalence, genomic diversity and emerging antimicrobial resistance of Taylorella asinigenitalis in Grand Noir du Berry breeding donkeys. Taylorella asinigenitalis is a fastidious Gram-negative bacterium of the equine genital tract, found more commonly in donkeys than horses. Although considered non-pathogenic, it is closely related to Taylorella equigenitalis, the agent of contagious equine metritis, and has been linked to experimental and natural cases of endometritis. The SAFRAN project (French acronym for "Sauvegarde de la fertilité de l'âne", meaning "Preservation of donkey fertility"), launched in 2024 by the French National Research Institute for Agriculture, Food and Environment (INRAE) with support from the Centre-Val...
Impact of collagen supplementation on the fecal microbiome of young horses in training. Intense training in athletic foals may alter fecal microbiota, highlighting the need for nutritional strategies such as hydrolyzed collagen supplementation. Objective: This study aimed to evaluate the effects of dietary hydrolyzed collagen on the fecal microbiome of weanlings in training. Methods: Twenty Mangalarga Marchador foals (206 ± 18 kg; 7 ± 1 mo age) were assigned to two groups: a supplemented group (50 g/day of hydrolyzed collagen for 180 days) and a control group. A completely randomized design with repeated measures over time was used. Foals were exercised five consecutive days pe...
Estrous cycle-dependent changes in platelet indices in healthy mares. Platelets (PLTs) are key regulators of hemostasis, inflammation, and tissue remodeling, and their phenotype is known to fluctuate with sex steroid concentrations in several species. However, the influence of the estrous cycle on PLT characteristics in mares has not been investigated. We hypothesized that PLT indices vary between reproductive phases in association with changes in estradiol-17β (E2) and progesterone (P4). The aim of this study was to characterize PLT indices in estrus and diestrus and to determine how these hematological parameters relate to circulating E2 and P4 concentrations...
Comparison of Magnetic Resonance Imaging and Computed Tomography for Evaluation of Cervical Vertebral Nerves and Synovial Tissues in Horses with Cervical Spinal Disease. Pathology of the cervical spine is an important cause of poor performance in sport horses. Computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) have improved musculoskeletal diagnostic capabilities. CT is well-suited to assess osseous pathology, although it is limited for assessing soft tissues. MRI, the gold standard for imaging soft tissues, cannot be used for antemortem imaging of the equine cervical spine. The diagnostic potential of CT for evaluating soft tissues of the equine cervical spine compared to MRI is not well-defined and warrants investigation. Postmortem MRI was perfor...
Reduced centrifugation duration improves diagnostic performance of an equine tapeworm egg counting technique. Anoplocephala perfoliata, can cause severe health problems in horses. Standard coprological tests have performed poorly for detecting A. perfoliata, and while a centrifugation-enhanced flotation technique is superior to other techniques, it is time consuming due to three 10-minute centrifugation steps. This study aimed to evaluate modifications of this technique that reduce the centrifugation durations to 5 and 1 min, respectively. Fecal samples were collected from ten adult A. perfoliata egg count positive mares and divided into 9 subsamples to allow for three replicate counts for each of th...
Thermal Thresholds and Genetic Sensitivity in Barrel Racing Performance of Quarter Horses Across Temperature-Humidity Indices. Heat stress is an increasingly important challenge for the performance and welfare of equine athletes, particularly in competitions conducted across diverse climatic conditions. Understanding the genetic basis of performance responses to increasing thermal load is therefore essential to support robust genetic evaluation and sustainable selection strategies. The objective of this study was to evaluate barrel racing performance of Brazilian Quarter Horses across thermal environments defined by two widely used indicators, the temperature-humidity index (THI) and the wet bulb globe temperature (WB...
Evidence of Physiological Comodulation During Human-Animal Interaction: A Systematic Review. This review examines the evidence in the literature for physiological co-modulation during human-animal interaction, identifying studies that assessed comodulation via simultaneous measurement of physiological signals in both species, performing quantitative comparisons. We searched (last search: August 5, 2025) PubMed, EMBASE, Scopus, Google Scholar, Animal Studies Repository, Cochrane, and the Consensus App academic search engine. Risk of bias was assessed using an adapted version of the ROBINS-I V2 tool. The results, grouped by data analysis method, interaction context, and physiological pa...
Syndrome of High Gamma-Glutamyl Transferase in Racehorses. Horses in racing and race training can develop high gamma-glutamyl transferase (GGT) syndrome (HGS), or increased GGT without overt evidence of primary liver disease. Current evidence points toward overtraining and a response to oxidative stress, but the etiology is incompletely understood. Evidence for an association of HGS with poor performance is mixed. Without a clear understanding of the etiology, the only evidence-based treatment option is rest or reduced training intensity. More research is needed to determine whether HGS is a physiologic adaptation, perhaps indicative of overtraining b...
Cervical spinal cord compression may affect anesthetic recovery quality and seizure incidence in horses after myelography. To compare anesthetic recovery quality and seizure incidence after cervical myelography in horses with or without cervical spinal cord compression. Unassigned: Anesthesia and medical records from January 2017 to December 2022 of horses anesthetized for myelography were retrieved. Patients with incomplete records, equine protozoal myeloencephalitis diagnosis, or an anesthetic protocol outside an established standard were excluded. Demographic analysis, ataxia score, and anesthetic management variables were recorded in an observational retrospective fashion. Each variable was compared between gr...
Physiological determinants of plasma biochemical parameters in horses: a structured review. The biochemical profile of horses is a cornerstone in equine clinical diagnostics, offering valuable insights into health status, disease progression, and physiological adaptation to internal and external stimuli. However, the interpretation of these biochemical parameters is far from straightforward, as they are subject to significant variation influenced by a range of physiological factors. Age, sex, breed, level of physical activity, nutritional condition, and reproductive status can all modulate baseline biochemical values, potentially leading to diagnostic inaccuracies if not properly con...
Morbidity associated with inhalation anesthesia in horses: the role of opioid use in a university teaching hospital. Despite concerns among equine practitioners, the effects of opioid administration on intraoperative complications during inhalation anesthesia remain incompletely characterized. This retrospective study evaluated intraoperative complications and perianesthetic mortality in horses undergoing inhalation anesthesia according to opioid use. Medical records from a university veterinary hospital were reviewed (2014-2025) and grouped based on opioid inclusion in anesthetic protocols and surgery type (colic vs. non-colic). Intraoperative hypotension (MAP < 70 mmHg), hypothermia (temperature 65 mmH...
Evaluation of autologous fecal microbiota transplantation for restoring equine gut microbiota after antibiotic-induced dysbiosis. Microbial resilience is important to maintain a healthy gut environment in horses, especially after antibiotic administration, but the efficacies of post-antibiotic recovery strategies remain poorly characterized. We used microbial amplicon sequencing to compare spontaneous recovery, autologous fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT), and probiotic administration in 18 horses following antibiotic-induced dysbiosis. Clinically healthy horses received a combination of cephalothin and minocycline for 5 consecutive days before intervention. Fecal microbial recovery was longitudinally evaluated by u...
OPTIMIZING EXTRACTION AND CONCENTRATION METHODS FOR LC-MS/MS ANALYSIS OF VETERINARY PHARMACEUTICALS IN EQUINE-ASSOCIATED ENVIRONMENTAL MATRICES. This study developed a method for the simultaneous quantification of six potentially environmentally toxic veterinary drugs: benzylpenicillin, acepromazine, flunixin, dexamethasone, ketamine and romifidine, in soils, sediments, equine faeces and natural waters. Three methods were compared for their extraction from solid matrices: Ultrasonic extraction (USE), QuEChERS and Accelerated Solvent Extraction (ASE). ASE method was optimized according to temperature and extraction cycles. Quantification was performed by LC-MS/MS. LC and MS parameters were optimized. The method was validated according t...
Genomic diversity of multidrug-resistant Rhodococcus equi: novel sequence types, pangenome architecture, and phylogenomic evolution. Rhodococcus equi is a major cause of life-threatening pneumonia in foals under 6 months of age and an opportunistic pathogen in immunocompromised humans. Although common in soil and equine farm environments, its evolutionary dynamics, virulence architecture, and pathways of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) emergence remain poorly understood. This study integrated phenotypic characterization and whole-genome sequencing of 46 R. equi isolates from horses submitted for necropsy (n = 45) and equine fecal samples (n = 1) in Kentucky between January 2022 and December 2023 to define their resistance la...
Psycho-Spiritual Reflections on the Horse/Human Relationship. This essay offers a psycho-spiritual and psychoanalytic meditation on the horse-human relationship as a nonverbal site of attunement, regulation, and meaning-making. Drawing on autobiographical clinical narrative, it explores how horseback riding became a medium for experiencing and reflecting upon embodied connection, mutual responsiveness, and contemplative presence. Encounters with horses illuminate forms of reciprocity that preceded and exceed speech, while also opening reflection on maternal attachment, separation, loss, and the emergence of selfhood. In dialogue with Freud, Winnicott, Pi...
