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.
Horses’ (Equus caballus) Ability to Solve Visible but Not Invisible Displacement Tasks Is Associated With Frustration Behavior and Heart Rate. Many frameworks have assessed the ultimate and ontogenetic underpinnings in the development of object permanence, but less is known about whether individual characteristics, such as sex or training level, as well as proximate factors, such as arousal or emotional state, affect performance in these tasks. The current study investigated horses' performance in visible and invisible displacement tasks and assessed whether specific ontogenetic, behavioral, and physiological factors were associated with performance. The study included 39 Icelandic horses aged 2-25 years, of varying training levels. ...
Hospitalisation and Disease Severity Alter the Resting Pattern of Horses. In humans, hospitalisation, disease type, and environmental factors evidently affect the quality of sleep, further influencing patient recovery. The objective of the present study was to report the resting and lying behaviour of hospitalised horses, and whether lying behaviours differ depending on the physiological severity of joint damage. We hypothesised that the resting and lying behaviour can change during the hospitalisation and physiological severity of joint damage affect the time of rest in horses. A descriptive observational study was performed to evaluate the effect of hospitalisatio...
Spaced training enhances equine learning performance. This field experiment examined whether the well-documented benefit of spaced over massed training for humans and other animals generalizes to horses. Twenty-nine randomly selected horses (Equus ferus caballus) repeatedly encountered a novel obstacle-crossing task while under saddle. Horses were randomly assigned to the spaced-training condition (2 min work, 2 min rest, 2 min work, 2 min rest) or the massed-training condition (4 min work, 4 min rest). Total training time per session and total rest per session were held constant. Days between sessions (M = 3) were held as consistent as...
[Effects of oral manganese supplementation with different compounds on the manganese whole blood and serum concentrations of broodmares and their suckling foals]. This study aimed to examine the effects of an oral supplementation on manganese (Mn) concentrations in the blood of lactating warm-blood broodmares. Furthermore, the potential relationship between Mn supply of the lactating mare and its suckling foal was investigated. Methods: During the 90-day trial, lactating mares were divided into 3 groups and daily received a daily dose of either a placebo (n = 11) or a Mn supplement of 560 mg Mn as Mn sulfate (n = 11) or Mn chelate (n = 11) in addition to the Mn intake from the basal ration (hay ad libitum, total mixed ration: Mn intake ~ 1...
Impact of glyphosate and its formulation Roundup® on stallion spermatozoa. The growing and widespread use of glyphosate-based herbicides (GBHs) has raised an intense public debate about the impact of environmental contamination on animal and human health, including male fertility. The aim of this study was to deepen the impact of glyphosate (Gly) and GBHs on mammalian sperm investigating the effect of in vitro exposure of stallion spermatozoa to Gly and to its commercial formulation Roundup® (R). Spermatozoa were incubated at 37 °C with different Gly or R concentrations (from 0.5 to 720 μg/mL Gly or R at the same Gly-equivalent concentrations). After 1 h of in...
Addition of Reduced Glutathione (GSH) to Freezing Medium Reduces Intracellular ROS Levels in Donkey Sperm. In donkeys, the use of frozen-thawed sperm for artificial insemination (AI) leads to low fertility rates. Furthermore, donkey sperm produce a large amount of reactive oxygen species (ROS), and post-AI inflammation induces the formation of neutrophil extracellular traps (NETosis), which further generates many more ROS. These high ROS levels may induce lipid peroxidation in the sperm plasma membrane, thus affecting its integrity. Enzymatic and non-enzymatic antioxidants, mainly found in the seminal plasma (SP), are responsible for maintaining the redox balance. However, this fluid is removed pri...
How Much Energy Vaquejada Horses Spend in a Field Simulation Test? Vaquejada is a high-intensity and short-duration exercise in which helper horses (HH) are responsible to keep a bull running in a line while pull horses (PH) work to put the bull down after 100 m of running. The purpose of this study was to quantify and compare energy expenditures (EE), transport costs (COT) and metabolic energy requirements (Pmet) of horses used in Vaquejada. Thus, eight Quarter Horses, in randomly formed pairs, performed a vaquejada simulation test (VST), which consisted of three races on a sand track (130-150 m), with a 5-min interval between them. All horses used an integr...
Dexmedetomidine prolongs the duration of action of mepivacaine on anesthesia of the palmar digital nerves of horses. To determine whether palmar digital nerve (PDN) blockade in horses with a combination of dexmedetomidine and mepivacaine would block the response to mechanical force applied to the digit longer than would anesthetizing these nerves with mepivacaine alone or dexmedetomidine alone. Methods: 8 mares with no signs of lameness. Methods: In a randomized, crossover, blinded, experimental study, both PDNs of the same forelimb of each horse were anesthetized by perineural injection with either 30 mg mepivacaine alone, 250 µg of dexmedetomidine alone, or 30 mg mepivacaine combined with 250 µg of dexme...
Age estimation of Arabian mares by incisors morphometry and dentition changes. Accurate estimation of a horse's age based on the condition of the tooth status is necessary as a scientific and artistic technique, which has not been performed so far in pure Arabian horses of Khuzestan (southern west of Iran). This study aimed to investigate the age-dependent changes in the morphology and morphometry of the incisors in Arabian mares of Khuzestan to estimate age and to compare the estimated dental age and actual age. In this study, 78 Arabian mares of Khuzestan were examined in several equestrian clubs. Then, images were taken with a digital camera from the vestibular and oc...
Comparison of Threshold and Tolerance Nociceptive Withdrawal Reflexes in Horses. The nociceptive withdrawal reflex (NWR) is used to investigate nociception in horses. The NWR threshold is a classical model endpoint. The aims of this study were to determine NWR tolerance and to compare threshold and tolerance reflexes in horses. In 12 horses, the NWR was evoked through electrical stimulation of the digital nerve and recorded via electromyography from the deltoid. Behavioral reactions were scored from 0 to 5 (tolerance). First, the individual NWR threshold was defined, then stimulation intensity was increased to tolerance. The median NWR threshold was 7.0 mA, whereas NWR tol...
Equine chorionic gonadotropin pretreatment 15 days before fixed-time artificial insemination improves the reproductive performance of replacement gilts. Fixed-time artificial insemination (FTAI) technology uses exogenous reproductive hormones to regulate the sexual cycle and ovulation of sows without oestrus identification, which improves the sow breeding utilisation rate, reduces the number of non-productive days, and elevates the efficiency of pig farm management. In this study, we aimed to optimise FTAI procedures. Healthy 190-day-old and about 90 kg Large White × Landrace crossing breed replacement gilts (n = 166) which were of unknown reproductive status were randomly selected and divided into three groups: a control group (n = 62...
Effects of forages, dust exposure and proresolving lipids on airway inflammation in horses. To investigate the role of omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (Ω-3)-derived proresolving lipid mediators (PRLM) in the resolution of mild airway inflammation in horses. Methods: 20 horses with mild airway inflammation. Methods: Horses previously eating hay were fed hay pellets (low Ω-3 content; n = 10) or haylage (high Ω-3 content; 9) for 6 weeks. Dust exposure was measured in the breathing zone with a real-time particulate monitor. Bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) was performed at baseline, week 3, and week 6. The effect of PRLM on neutrophil apoptosis and efferocytosis was examined in vitro....
Ultrasonographic examination of equine fetal growth parameters throughout gestation in pony for Equine-Assisted Therapy. Equine-Assisted Therapy (EAT) is gaining popularity. Ultrasound examination is used to decrease the abortion rate in horses. In this study, to monitor fetal well-being throughout the gestation for EAT, we measured fetal heart rate (FHR), fetal eye orbit (FEO), fetal gonad length (FGL), fetal kidney length (FKL), and the combined thickness of the uterus and placenta (CTUP) by ultrasonography in pony mares. Additionally, we measured the plasma progesterone (P4) and estradiol (E2) concentrations in pregnant horses using enzyme immunoassay. The FGL peaked at week 32 and then decreased to term, and...
A Systematic Review of Complementary and Alternative Veterinary Medicine: “Miscellaneous Therapies”. There is an increasing interest in complementary and alternative veterinary medicine (CAVM). There is, however, an uncertainty of the efficacy of these methods. Therefore, the aim of this systematic literature review is to assess the evidence for clinical efficacy of 24 CAVM therapies used in cats, dogs, and horses. A bibliographic search, restricted to studies in cats, dogs, and horses, was performed on Web of Science Core Collection, CABI, and PubMed. Relevant articles were assessed for scientific quality, and information was extracted on study characteristics, species, type of treatment, in...
Does Experience Make Hucul Horses More Resistant to Stress? A Pilot Study. The aim of the study was to determine whether experience related to horse age and number of starts in championships influences stress level, measured by salivary cortisol concentration. The study involved 18 clinically healthy Hucul mares who participated in the Polish Championships for Hucul Horses. Evaluation of performance value was carried out in accordance with the guidelines specified in the breeding and genetic resources conservation program for this breed. The championship lasted two days, consisting of conformation evaluation, endurance, and Hucul path. Saliva was collected at baselin...
Seasonal content of heavy metals in the “soil-feed-milk-manure” system in horse husbandry in Kazakhstan. The quality of food, especially animal-based food, is crucial for human health. However, the quality of milk and other animal products has become an acute cause for concern in Kazakhstan. Technogenic dispersion of heavy metals (HMs) causes adverse effects on living organisms and creates unfavorable conditions for the existence of humans, animals, and plants. The purpose of this study was to analyze the content of several HMs in samples of soil, horse feed (hay, mixed feed, and bran), mare's milk, and manure to assess bioaccumulation and possible adverse effects on the bodies of horses. An addi...
Neospora caninum, a cause of abortion in donkeys (Equus asinus) in Iran. Neospora caninum is an Apicomplexan parasite that can cause enormous economic losses due to abortions in cattle. The present study investigated the role of Neospora spp. infection in equine abortion in Iranian donkeys using molecular and phylogenetic analyses. Twenty-nine-aborted fetuses and 29 blood samples from their dams were collected from six different regions in the West and Northwest of Iran. They were tested for N. caninum by PCR at the Nc5 locus, followed by sequencing of five of the PCR products. The overall molecular prevalence was 34.5% in blood samples and the prevalence by DNA de...
Effects of 0.0015% preservative-free tafluprost on the equine eye. The purpose of this study was to determine the effects and potential side effects of topical preservative-free (PF) tafluprost 0.0015% in ophthalmologically normal horses. Methods: Five adult grade horses. Methods: One of the eyes of each horse was randomly chosen as the "treatment" eye, and consequently, the contralateral eye served as the "control." A single dose of PF tafluprost 0.0015% (0.2 mL) was instilled in the treated eye of each horse. Intraocular pressure (IOP), Schirmer's tear test (STT) levels of each eye, and an ophthalmic examination were performed at T0 (baseline), T30, T120, ...
First molecular survey of animal trypanosomes in Paraguayan horses. Despite the epidemic situation of animal trypanosomosis caused by Trypanosoma evansi, Trypanosoma equiperdum and Trypanosoma vivax in South American countries, there are no reports for the prevalence of animal trypanosomes in Paraguay. In this study, 408 blood samples were obtained from apparently healthy horses from sixteen departments of Paraguay, for routine medical check-up from August to September 2019, and a polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-based cross-sectional study was carried out to identify trypanosome prevalence. The prevalence of Trypanozoon (T. evansi and T. equiperdum) and T. viv...
Application of locking compression plates as type 1 external fixators to treat unilateral mandibular fractures in four equids and one dromedary. To describe a novel fixation of open, unstable, unilateral mandibular fractures applying a locking compression plate as an external skeletal fixator (ESF-LCP). Methods: Four horses and one dromedary. Methods: Short case series. Methods: Animals presented with unstable, open, unilateral fractures of the mandible. Fracture fixation was performed under general anesthesia. A 4.5/5.5 narrow LCP was applied externally above the level of the skin and combined with intraoral tension band wiring. Results: Fracture fixation was achieved successfully using an ESF-LCP. Minimal tissue manipulation was requ...
First clinical expression of equine insect bite hypersensitivity is associated with co-sensitization to multiple Culicoides allergens. Insect bite hypersensitivity (IBH) is an IgE-mediated allergic dermatitis in horses incited by salivary allergens from Culicoides spp. IBH does not occur in Iceland, as the causative agents are absent, however a high prevalence is seen in horses exported to Culicoides-rich environments. To study the natural course of sensitization to Culicoides allergens and identify the primary sensitizing allergen(s) in horses exported from Iceland utilizing a comprehensive panel of Culicoides recombinant (r-) allergens. IgE microarray profiling to 27 Culicoides r-allergens was conducted on 110 serological s...
Genetics of Thoroughbred Racehorse Performance. Thoroughbred horses have been selected for racing performance for more than 400 years. Despite continued selection, race times have not improved significantly during the past 60 years, raising the question of whether genetic variation for racing performance still exists. Studies using phenotypes such as race time, money earned, and handicapping, however, demonstrate that there is extensive variation within these traits and that they are heritable. Even so, these are poor measures of racing success since Thoroughbreds race at different ages and distances and on different types of tracks, and so...
The effects of bit chewing on borborygmi, duodenal motility, and gastrointestinal transit time in clinically normal horses. To determine the influence of bit chewing on gastrointestinal transit in clinically normal horses. Methods: Prospective crossover designed study. Methods: Six healthy adult horses. Methods: Horses were assigned randomly to treatment (apple flavored bit) and control (no-bit) groups and studied for 2 × 1-week trial periods with a 2-week washout period between trials. Horses were fasted for 24 h and slowly refed over 3 days. The bit was placed for 20 min every 6 h. Duodenal contractions and borborygmi auscultations were evaluated every 12 h, approximately 5 min following bit placemen...
Evaluation of growth, viability, and structural integrity of equine endometrial organoids following cryopreservation. Reproductive diseases in mares are a significant cause of subfertility and profound economic loss in the equine industry. Utilizing a 3D in vitro cell culture system that recapitulates the in vivo physiology will reduce time, cost, and welfare concerns associated with in vivo reproductive research in mares. If this 3D model is combined with effective cryopreservation, reproductive research on mares can occur year-round, which is not currently possible in this seasonal species. Endometrial organoids, 3D in vitro cell clusters that exhibit in vivo uterine physiology, have been established in mic...
An Update on Semen Physiology, Technologies, and Selection Techniques for the Advancement of In Vitro Equine Embryo Production: Section I. As the use of assisted reproductive technologies (ART) and in vitro embryo production (IVP) expand in the equine industry, it has become necessary to further our understanding of semen physiology as it applies to overall fertility. This segment of our two-section review will focus on normal sperm parameters, beginning with development and extending through the basic morphology of mature spermatozoa, as well as common issues with male factor infertility in IVP. Ultimately, the relevance of sperm parameters to overall male factor fertility in equine IVP will be assessed.
The Dynamic Equine Embryo from Postfixation (Day 17) to the End of the Embryo Stage (Day 40). After the cessation of equine embryo mobility (fixation) on mean Day 16, the embryonic vesicle is rotated or oriented so that the pole with the embryo proper is opposite to the mesometrial attachment. Orientation involves massage of the vesicle by contractions of the turgid uterine horn and greater thickening of the vesicle at the pole with the embryo proper. Thickening of the dorsal endometrium (encroachment) especially on each side of the mesometrial attachment accounts for a guitar-pick shape of the vesicle when viewed in cross section of the uterine horn. On Days 21-40, the allantoic sac e...
Tooth Elongation of Maxillary Second Premolars and Mandibular Third Molars and Associated Periodontal Disease in Horses: A Retrospective Study. Periodontal disease has been identified in horses and donkeys through the millennia at a prevalence of up to 75% and is a leading cause of tooth loss in horses. We hypothesize that there is a correlation between tooth elongations and periodontal disease. Dental records of all client owned horses examined by a single AVDC/equine board certified practitioner in 2016-2018 were analyzed. Inclusion criteria consisted of the examination finding of tooth elongation of one of the following teeth pairs 106/107, 206/207, 310/311, or 410-411. The included cases were then examined for the finding of perio...
Edible bird’s nest supplementation in chilled and cryopreserved Arabian stallion semen. Diluents and various biological products have been used in different animal species, with promising outcomes in post-thaw sperm quality. Nevertheless, only a few reports are available for the semen of Arabian horses. Edible bird's nest (EBN) - a product of the salivary secretions of swiftlet species is widely known to have both antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. Presently, there is no data available on the role of EBN supplemented in different extenders and its effect on semen quality in stallion semen. Two in vitro experiments were conducted to examine the effects of edible bird's ...
Susceptibility of livestock to SARS-CoV-2 infection. We report pilot studies to evaluate the susceptibility of common domestic livestock (cattle, sheep, goat, alpaca, rabbit, and horse) to intranasal infection with SARS-CoV-2. None of the infected animals shed infectious virus via nasal, oral, or faecal routes, although viral RNA was detected in several animals. Further, neutralizing antibody titres were low or non-existent one month following infection. These results suggest that domestic livestock are unlikely to contribute to SARS-CoV-2 epidemiology.
