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.
Cheek tooth extraction in geriatric versus non-geriatric horses. Age-related dental changes are major contributors to dental disorders in older horses, and cheek tooth extractions are often required to maintain masticatory function and oral comfort. However, limited information is available on clinical and treatment characteristics in this older patient population. Objective: To describe clinical features, treatments, complication rates and short-term outcomes of horses undergoing oral cheek tooth extraction and treatment of odontogenic sinusitis, and to compare findings between geriatric and non-geriatric horses. Methods: Retrospective analysis of clinical...
Oclacitinib for Controlling Pruritus and Associated Skin Lesions in 16 Horses With Allergic Dermatitis. Oclacitinib is a Janus kinase inhibitor approved for the treatment of pruritus associated with allergic dermatitis in dogs and may be effective in horses. Objective: To evaluate the efficacy of oclacitinib in reducing pruritus and skin lesions in horses with allergic dermatitis. Methods: Sixteen horses aged ≥ 18 months. Methods: Horses received oclacitinib at 0.25 mg/kg orally once daily for 21 days. Changes in haematological and biochemical parameters were measured on Day (D)0 and D21. The owners were instructed to evaluate the horses using the pruritus Visual Analog Scale (PVAS) on...
Laser neoureterocystostomy to treat ectopic ureters. Ureteral ectopia is an uncommon but clinically important congenital abnormality in horses. If left untreated, it can lead to persistent dermatitis, urinary tract infections, and failure to thrive. Surgical correction is necessary, but traditional approaches have produced mixed results with high morbidity. Identification of a minimally invasive, effective technique would significantly improve prognosis. Objective: To describe the procedure and outcomes of cystoscopic guided laser neoureterocystostomy in three fillies. Methods: Case series. Methods: Retrospective review of three cases treated wi...
Pathology of sudden death in racehorses: a review. Sudden death (SD) is the second most important syndrome associated with death in racehorses. The cause of SD in a large number of horses remains undetermined, and, in many of these cases, causes are not found by gross or microscopic postmortem examinations. Among the known causes of SD are traumatic injuries, including fractures of skull, neck, and pelvis; intoxications (e.g., anticoagulant rodenticides); and others. For many cases of SD in which no significant lesions are found, heart failure, probably associated with arrhythmias, is suspected. Precise phenotypic characterization of SD in hor...
Estimating the economic value of working donkeys in Ethiopia. There is limited empirical evidence on the quantitative economic contribution of donkeys to livelihoods, leading to their undervaluation and exclusion from policy. Here an enterprise budget analysis is embedded within a stochastic dynamic population model for three production systems in Ethiopia to evaluate system inputs, outputs and the economic contribution of donkeys. The model was parameterised using data from household surveys, focus group discussions and key informant interviews, supplemented by literature. The economic value of donkeys' (unpaid) homestead and agricultural services was e...
Management of Equine Post-Extraction Cheek Tooth Alveoli: Application of Alveolar Plugs. Preservation of dentition remains the primary goal of equine dentistry; however, cheek tooth extraction is required in cases of severe dental pathology. Following tooth extraction, management of the post-extraction alveolus remains a significant clinical challenge due to its large size and susceptibility to contamination with feed material and bacteria. To mitigate these risks, alveolar plugs are commonly used to protect the alveolus, stabilize the blood clot, and support granulation tissue formation. This review summarizes the current case reports and research articles regarding the use of al...
Evaluation of two point-of-care molecular diagnostic platforms for rapid detection of equine Hendra virus. Hendra virus (HeV) is a lethal zoonotic pathogen endemic to eastern Australia, posing significant risks to equine and human health. Rapid field detection of HeV enables timely intervention and outbreak management. This study evaluated candidate point-of-care (POC) molecular diagnostic platforms for HeV detection in equine samples: including a loop-mediated isothermal amplification (DARQ RT-LAMP) assay and real-time reverse transcription quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR). Comparative analytical evaluation demonstrated that RT-qPCR exhibited superior analytical sensitivity relativ...
Herd-level occurrence and spread of Theileria equi and its associated ticks on an Austrian horse farm. Equine piroplasmosis (EP) is a tick-borne disease caused by the blood parasites Theileria equi, Theileria haneyi, and Babesia caballi transmitted primarily by hard ticks (Ixodidae). The clinical courses of EP range from asymptomatic to severe, and chronic infections for several years support the transmission among hosts. Methods: Over a period of two years, blood and fecal samples were taken from horses (n = 18) on a single farm in eastern Austria, starting with the first confirmed case of T. equi infection. Hard ticks (n = 1525 of Ixodes ricinus, Dermacentor reticulatus and Haemaphysalis ...
Pilot Study of an Alpha-2-Macroglobulin-Enriched Plasma-Derived Orthobiologic Preparation in Sport Horses with Chronic Degenerative Joint Disease. Chronic joint disease is a major cause of lameness and reduced performance in sport horses and is characterized by persistent synovial inflammation and protease-mediated matrix degradation. This exploratory prospective pilot study investigated clinical outcomes and synovial biomarker changes following intra-articular administration of an α-2-macroglobulin plasma-derived preparation. Twenty client-owned sport horses were observed in the treatment group (n = 10) or a comparison group (n = 10) and monitored for up to 180 days under field conditions. Clinical outcomes were assessed longitudinally...
Recent Advances in Natural Products for Colitis: Mechanisms and Translational Perspectives. Colitis is a chronic relapsing inflammatory disorder characterized by persistent mucosal inflammation, epithelial barrier disruption, oxidative stress, immune dysregulation, and gut microbiota imbalance. Although current therapies have improved disease management, their long-term use is still limited by incomplete response, relapse, adverse effects, and high cost. Natural products have attracted increasing attention as promising candidates for colitis intervention because of their structural diversity, broad bioactivity, and multitarget regulatory potential. In veterinary medicine, colitis and...
Efficacy of 0.5% Tretinoin in the Treatment of Equine Aural Plaques. Equine aural plaques are a benign form of auricular papillomatosis caused by equine papillomavirus. Despite the efficacy of 5% imiquimod cream, a marked local reaction is frequently observed during therapy, often requiring sedation before application. Objective: The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy and potential adverse effects of 0.5% topical tretinoin in the treatment of equine aural plaques. We hypothesised that tretinoin would be effective, with fewer adverse effects compared to imiquimod. Methods: The study included 10 horses of both sexes, aged between 7 months and 15 y...
Horse species symposium: Current and future outlook on equine industry, research trends, and opportunities: How to promote a sustainable field into the future. The equine industry represents a complex and evolving sector with substantial economic, social, and scientific significance, yet it faces growing challenges related to funding constraints, societal expectations for animal welfare, regulatory pressures, and rapid scientific and technological change. This article synthesizes perspectives presented at the 2025 Horse Species Symposium, held during the joint Annual Meeting of the American Society of Animal Science and Canadian Society of Animal Science, which convened experts from academia, government, and industry to evaluate the current state and...
Do Polish Konik Horses Find Soaked Hay to Be Palatable? Frequently, equine diseases necessitate the moistening or soaking of hay for the horses. It was assumed that this treatment would not reduce the willingness of the Polish Konik horses with low nutritional requirements to consume the hay. Furthermore, it was believed that moistening would increase the palatability of this feed. The aim of this study was to determine time and frequency parameters and the amount of unconsumed dry, moist, or soaked hay. The research material comprised 12 Polish Konik horses consuming either 1 kg of dry hay, 2.1 kg of moist hay, or 3.3 kg of soaked hay on three sub...
Association Between Vaquejada Practice and Biomarkers of Oxidative Stress, Inflammation, and Muscle Damage in Quarter Horses. Vaquejada (VQ) is a traditional Brazilian sport demanding high performance from Quarter Horse (QH) athletes. This study aimed to identify modifications in hematological, biochemical, inflammatory, and oxidative stress biomarkers associated with VQ training, comparing conditioned and non-conditioned horses. Blood samples were collected at rest from 70 healthy QH horses: 60 athletes (VQ-conditioned athlete group-AG) and 10 sedentary controls (breeding horses-CG). Using Linear Mixed Models alongside comprehensive hematological and biochemical analyses, the study found that AG horses exhibited an ...
Miscellaneous Equine Liver Conditions. Miscellaneous equine liver conditions not covered in other chapters include chronic active hepatitis, Tyzzer's disease, seasonal idiopathic hepatitis, neoplasia, and idiopathic persistent hyperbilirubinemia. Chronic active hepatitis refers to inflammatory and fibrotic liver disease with an unknown cause. Treatment is aimed at reducing inflammation. Tyzzer's disease is caused by Clostridium piliforme infection and causes acute necrotizing hepatitis in foals. Successful treatment with antimicrobial therapy and supportive care is rare. Seasonal idiopathic hepatitis is a winter disease of Midweste...
A Revised View on Equine Hypertriglyceridemia, Hyperlipidemia, and Hyperlipemia. Hypertriglyceridemia, also known as hyperlipidemia or hyperlipemia, affects equids of all breeds and ages, mostly secondary to a negative energy balance triggered by a disease process. Increased triglyceride concentrations (TG) have been described in well-eating equids with endocrinopathies, atypical myopathy, severe liver disease, and after treatment with sodium-glucose transporter 2 inhibitors. The fact that equids can have substantially increased TG without showing clinical signs prompted reevaluation of the clinical effects of hypertriglyceridemia. As long as the consequences of high TG ar...
Prognosis of Equine Liver Diseases. Prognostic information in equine liver disease can be gleaned from historical, clinical, clinicopathological, ultrasonographic, and histopathological features. However, given the multiple causes and subtypes of liver disease affecting horses worldwide, prognostic data might not be suitable for universal application across all cases. Most evidence has been established for horses with chronic hepatopathies and extrapolation to acute cases should be avoided. In chronic liver disease the presence and severity of clinical signs and serum markers including total globulins, albumin, and bile acids ar...
Seroprevalence of Orthoflaviviruses in horses in 3 different Algerian climatic zones between 2021 and 2023. Orthoflaviviruses are etiological agents of neurological diseases in equines. Horses are susceptible to equine Tick-borne encephalitis virus (TBEV), Usutu virus (USUV), and West Nile virus (WNV), although mostly WNV has been associated with clinical disease. The aim of the present study was to estimate the prevalence of TBEV, USUV and WNV in 289 healthy horses from nine provinces of Algeria. This study was conducted between March 2021 and December 2023. Sera that tested positive, doubtful, or negative close to the doubtful threshold in the Orthoflavivirus-ELISA were further tested by the virus...
Topical betulinic acid for treatment of equine melanoma and sarcoid. Betulinic acid, a natural pentacyclic triterpenoid, has demonstrated anti-inflammatory and anti-tumor properties in vitro, including activity against equine melanoma and sarcoid. However, there is limited in vivo evidence evaluating its clinical efficacy. The objective of this study was to assess the safety and efficacy of a compounded 1% betulinic acid cream for the treatment of equine cutaneous melanoma and sarcoid. Unassigned: This prospective, randomized, double-blinded, placebo-controlled clinical trial enrolled client-owned horses with melanoma or sarcoid tumors. Horses received either a...
Evaluation of doppler indexes of the lateral palmar digital artery in lame sport horses. Although lateral palmar digital artery (LPDA) flow velocity does not differ between forelimbs, horses with lameness typically reduce loading of the affected limb during the weight-bearing phase. This study aimed to assess whether Pulsed-Wave (PW) Doppler indices of the (LPDA) blood flow differ between the two forelimbs in horses with unilateral forelimb lameness, and whether these differences correlate with lameness severity. Twenty-seven lame and 15 healthy horses were enrolled. All Doppler ultrasonographic examinations were performed by a single operator, blinded to both the presence or abse...
Integrative and conjugative elements carrying high-level gentamicin resistance genes in Streptococcus dysgalactiae subsp. equisimilis from horses. In streptococci, the acquisition of high-level gentamicin resistance (HLGR) abolishes the synergy with beta-lactams, constituting a medical concern for humans and animals. This synergy between gentamicin and beta-lactams is useful to treat severe infections like endocarditis, among others. HLGR has been characterized mostly in roup B Streptococci mediated by the bi-functional gene (6)-(2).HLGR- subsp. () (=27) were isolated from the uterus of mares during a routine screening before fecundation. One HLGR- was isolated from a lymph node of a mare. The mares resided in six different studs locat...
The Role of Omega-3 Fatty Acids in Horses’ Nutrition-A Review. This narrative review presents examples of omega-3 fatty acids supplementation in horse nutrition. Fats are essential in equine nutrition, serving not only as an energy source but also as functional components influencing health. Among them, omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs), particularly EPA and DHA, play a key role in modulating inflammatory and metabolic processes. This review summarizes their effects on respiratory health, equine metabolic syndrome (EMS), musculoskeletal function, reproduction, and early development. Omega-3 supplementation has been shown to support airway inflam...
Isolation and Identification of Emerging Equine Encephalosis Virus Serotype 6 in Israel, 2023. Equine encephalosis (EE) is an arthropod-borne viral disease resembling a mild form of African horse sickness disease, which affects all species of equids. Previously, only EEV serotype 4 (EEV-4) caused sporadic outbreaks of the disease in Israel. In the summer of 2023, EE was clinically diagnosed in horses and donkeys in Israel. For laboratory confirmation, tissue cultures were inoculated with whole-blood samples obtained from sick animals. Five EEV isolates were successfully recovered in tissue and confirmed by conventional RT-PCR and Sanger sequencing of several viral genes. BLAST analysis ...
Anatomical distribution of meconium detected by focused abdominal ultrasound in hospitalized healthy and sick neonatal foals. Meconium impaction is a common cause of neonatal colic in foals, yet its ultrasonographic appearance and distribution remain poorly characterized. Objective: This study aimed to describe the frequency, distribution, and ultrasonographic appearance of meconium in hospitalized neonatal foals using a standardized focused ultrasound (FUS) abdominal protocol. Methods: The FUS protocol included 9 acoustic windows (3 left-sided, 3 ventral, 3 right-sided) and was performed once during hospitalization by a single operator using a curvilinear transducer. Results: Thirty-six foals (16 healthy and 20 sick...
Retained fetal membranes in light breed mares hospitalized for attended parturition. Retention of fetal membranes (RFM) is well described in draft breeds, whereas data on light breed mares remains limited and inconsistent. Objective: This retrospective study aimed to describe the frequency, associated factors, treatments, and consequences of RFM in light breed mares hospitalized for attended parturition. Methods: Medical records of 321 light breed mares hospitalized for attended parturition at the Veterinary Teaching Hospital, University of Bologna, were retrospectively reviewed. Data collected included: breed, previous history of RFM, age, parity, assisted reproductive techni...
Derivation of Equine Mesenchymal Stem/Stromal Cells from Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells via the Neural Crest Pathway and Characterisation by Immunophenotype and Tri-Lineage Differentiation. Mesenchymal stem/stromal cells (MSCs) hold promise for treating different equine conditions but enter senescence during culture. Using induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) to derive MSC-like cells (iMSCs) can increase cell availability and diminish the need for invasive and repeated tissue harvesting. While human iMSCs are intensively studied, research on equine iMSCs (eqiMSCs) is very limited and has focused on strategies for spontaneous differentiation to obtain these cells. The aim of this study was to obtain MSC-like cells from equine iPSCs (eqiPSCs) by directing their differentiation vi...
Surveillance of equine glanders in India (2019-2023): Prevalence estimate, risk analysis and future strategy. Equine glanders, a notifiable zoonotic disease caused by Burkholderia mallei, continues to pose a significant health and regulatory challenge in India. This study summarizes the outcomes of a nationwide sero surveillance programme conducted between January 2019 and December 2023 to assess the distribution and temporal trends of glanders in equid populations. A total of 158,798 serum samples collected from 391 districts across 19 states and three union territories were screened using Hcp1-based indirect ELISA, followed by confirmatory testing through the complement fixation test. During the fiv...
A Surgical Technique for Removal of Setaria digitata From the Anterior Chamber Under Standing Sedation: Outcomes in 12 Horses. To describe a rapid surgical technique for removal of the intraocular nematode Setaria digitata from the anterior chamber of horses under standing sedation and to report clinical outcomes. Methods: Twelve client-owned horses (2021-2026) presented with a motile intracameral worm. Methods: All surgeries were performed under field conditions using standing sedation (xylazine 1.1 mg kg and butorphanol 0.1 mg kg IV), regional nerve blocks (lidocaine 2%), and topical anesthesia (proparacaine). A 2.8 mm uniplanar oblique (~45°) corneal incision was created ventrolaterally approximately 2...
Theileria equi sensu lato genetic diversity and phylogeny: new insights from mitochondrion, apicoplast and nucleus multilocus gene analysis. Equine piroplasmosis is a significant tick-borne disease with a global distribution. Among the two causative agents, Theileria equi has undergone numerous taxonomic reclassifications over time, reflecting advances in our understanding of its biology, molecular characteristics, and phylogenetic relationships. Formerly named Babesia equi, now classified in the Equus group apart from Babesia and Theileria species, its genus name will again certainly change. The genetic diversity also within T. equi lead to the renaming of one lineage as Theileria haneyi. Theileria equi should better now be consid...
Activity of 1,2-o-dilauryl-rac-glycero-3-glutaric acid-(6′-methylresorufin) ester lipase in peritoneal fluid may be associated with strangulating lesions, pancreatic fibrosis, and negative outcome in horses with colic. To compare plasma and peritoneal 1,2-o-dilauryl-rac-glycero-3-glutaric acid-(6'-methylresorufin) ester (DGGR) lipase activity between horses with and without colic signs and document pancreatic histopathology in a subset of horses. Unassigned: This prospective, cross-sectional study included university-owned or donated healthy horses and client-owned horses presenting to the veterinary teaching hospital for colic. Peritoneal WBC and lactate concentrations and plasma and peritoneal DGGR lipase activity were measured. Pancreatic tissue was collected via convenience sampling. Pancreatic fibrosis ...
