Omneity® Pellets
All-In-One Vitamin & Mineral Pellet
Topic:Animal Study
Animal studies involving horses encompass a wide range of research activities aimed at understanding various aspects of equine biology, behavior, health, and management. These studies can include investigations into equine physiology, nutrition, reproduction, and disease processes. Research often involves controlled experiments or observational studies to gather data on how horses respond to different interventions, environments, or management practices. This topic includes peer-reviewed research studies and scholarly articles that explore methodologies, findings, and implications of animal studies in equine science, contributing to the broader understanding of horse welfare and management.
Dexamethasone administration transiently increases insulin response to an oral carbohydrate challenge in horses. Dexamethasone is used to experimentally induce insulin resistance; however, its impact on insulin secretion is unclear. This study aimed to assess the responses to oral carbohydrate challenges in dexamethasone-treated horses. Unassigned: 8 healthy Standardbreds received 0.08 mg/kg of dexamethasone IM every 48 hours for 14 days in June 2022 (winter in the Southern hemisphere). Oral glucose tests (OGT) were conducted before treatment (day 1) and on days 8 and 15. Glucose, insulin, triglycerides, total and active glucagon-like peptide-1 (tGLP-1 and aGLP-1) and glucose-dependent insulinotropic pol...
Evaluation of the Effect of Intravenous Mannitol and Hypertonic Saline on Intraocular Pressure and Biometry Parameters in Anesthetized Horses With Experimentally Increased Intracranial Pressure. To evaluate the effect of intravenous mannitol and hypertonic saline (HS) on intraocular pressure (IOP) and biometry parameters of horses with elevated intracranial pressure (ICP). Methods: Seven horses with normal ophthalmic exams were anesthetized and placed in lateral recumbency. A subarachnoid transducer was placed, and the head was lowered until ICP measured 40 mmHg +/- 2 mmHg. Five intravenous boluses of mannitol 20% (0.4 g/kg) or HS 7.2% (1 mL/kg) were administered, each 15 min apart. A 2-day washout period ensued, and the procedure was repeated with the other hyperosmotic age...
Protective efficacy of a bivalent equine influenza H3N8 virus-like particle vaccine in horses. Equine influenza (EI) is a highly contagious acute respiratory disease of wild and domesticated horses, donkeys, mules, and other Equidae. EI is caused by the Equine Influenza virus (EIV), is endemic in many countries and outbreaks still have a severe impact on the equine industry globally. Conventional EI vaccines are widely used, but a need exists for a platform that facilitates prompt manufacturing of a highly immunogenic, antigenically matched, updated vaccine product. Here we developed a plant-produced bivalent EI virus-like particle (VLP) vaccine candidate which lacks the viral genome an...
Safety and immunogenicity of a sarcoid vaccine in horses. Equine sarcoids are the most identified skin tumors of horses, which are highly associated with bovine papillomavirus infection. Sarcoids can impair the use of the horse and are difficult to treat, resulting in significant economic losses and a welfare concern. There is no vaccine available to protect global equines from sarcoids. We aimed to determine the safety and protective antibody response in horses immunized with a recombinant baculovirus vector vaccine expressing the L1 protein of bovine papillomavirus type 1 (BPV1). A group of 10 clinically healthy, sarcoid-free horses were immunized ...
Echocardiographic and clinical effects of two sedative doses of Dexmedetomidine in healthy horses. The effects of dexmedetomidine (DEX), as a sedative drug, on echocardiographic measurements have been investigated in many species but not in horses. Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate the echocardiographic and clinical effects of two sedative doses of DEX in healthy horses. Six female crossbred horses weighted 250-330 kg underwent echocardiography before and after sedation by intravenous administration of a low dose of 3.5 μg/kg (LD) and a high dose of 7 μg/kg (HD) of DEX. A significant increase (p≤ 0.05) was observed in the diameters of the pulmonary artery and the left atrium measu...
Investigation of the role of exercise in the detection of selected respiratory pathogens from nose wipes collected from healthy horses. This study aimed to determine if exercise increases the frequency of selected respiratory viruses/bacteria shedding in non-clinical horses using nose wipes. Nose wipes were taken pre- and post- exercise from 133 healthy horses of various ages and disciplines. Wipes were assayed for the presence of selected common (equine herpesvirus-1 (EHV), EHV-4, S. equi spp equi) and commensal (EHV-2, EHV-5, S. equi spp zooepidemicus) respiratory pathogens. The frequency of detection increased significantly (p < 0.05) in the post-exercise wipes for EHV-1, EHV-2, EHV-5, and S. zooepidemicus. EHV-4 and S. equ...
Interleukin-1β as an articular process joint intra-articular model induces synovitis and signs of acute neck pain in horses. To develop and define a model of acute neck pain in an equine cervical articular process joint (APJ) using recombinant equine IL-1β (reIL-1β). Unassigned: 12 horses in this experimental study received a randomly assigned, unilateral intra-articular injection of 50 ng (n = 6) or 100 ng (n = 6) of reIL-1β and saline (contralateral side as control) into the C5-to-C6 APJ. Blinded ultrasonographic, clinical, and biomechanical parameters were evaluated between 4 hours and 14 days. Unassigned: There was a significant increase in APJ effusion on ultrasonographic examination that peaked at 24 hours ...
Time but not storage of equine plasma in silicate-coated tubes affects adrenocorticotropic hormone stability. Pituitary pars intermedia dysfunction (PPID) is diagnosed by measuring the ACTH concentrations. Due to the reported instability of ACTH, it is recommended to transfer centrifuged plasma into cryovials; however, in practice, cryovials are infrequently used, and serum (red-top) tubes are used instead. This study investigated whether this procedure affects ACTH concentrations and the diagnosis of PPID. Unassigned: This was a cohort study. Blood was collected into EDTA tubes from 9 horses with PPID and 7 controls. After centrifugation, plasma was either aliquoted into a cryovial or into a serum tu...
Antipredator behaviour in semi-feral horses: innate response and the influence of external factors. Rewilding can play a vital role in safeguarding biodiversity, with the grazing pressure exerted by large ungulates and controlled by their predators being a significant factor, particularly in European contexts. Domestic horses are becoming integral to such ungulates' biomass, but they may differ from truly wild species due to their domesticated origin. This raises concerns about whether feral horses retain adequate antipredator behaviours, especially in the presence of expanding, large predators like wolves. The field of antipredator behaviour research is hampered by inconsistent results and ...
The effect of dietary camelina, flaxseed, and canola oil supplementation on skin fatty acid profile and immune and inflammatory responses in healthy adult horses. Camelina sativa is an oilseed crop rich in α-linolenic acid (ALA), an n-3 fatty acid (FA), and is resistant to harsh climates and pests. Previously, supplementation with camelina oil (CAM) in horses had no adverse effects on basic health parameters and had comparable skin and coat parameters as both flaxseed oil (FLX) and canola oil (OLA). Further, the plasma FA profile of horses was reflective of their respective treatment oil. The objective of this study was to assess the effects of dietary CAM supplementation on skin FA profile, immune, and inflammatory responses as compared to two commonl...
Evaluation of Bacterial Cellulose/Alginate-Based Hydrogel and Frog Skin Dressings in Equine Skin Wound Healing. This study evaluates the wound-healing process in horses following the application of two treatment modalities: bacterial cellulose hydrogel with alginate (BCAW) and frog skin (FSW) dressings on experimentally induced skin wounds. Throughout the experiment, no clinical abnormalities were noted in the horses, although initial wound assessments indicated edema and sensitivity. Local hemorrhage was observed in some cases on Day 0, with granulation tissue formation evident by Day 14. Epithelialization began around Day 14 but did not reach complete healing in any group by Day 28. The analysis showe...
Effects of Exercise Speed and Circle Diameter on Markers of Bone and Joint Health in Juvenile Sheep as an Equine Model. Though circular exercise is commonly used in equestrian disciplines, it may be at the detriment of horses' musculoskeletal system. To investigate the effects of circular exercise on bone and joint health, 42 lambs were randomly assigned to a non-exercised control, straight-line, small circle, or large circle exercise regime at a slow (1.3 m/s) or fast (2.0 m/s) speed for 12 wk. Blood samples were taken biweekly. Animals were humanely euthanized upon study completion, and the fused third and fourth metacarpals were collected for biomechanical testing and bone density analysis. Fast groups were ...
Biomechanical Assessment of the Collateral Ligament of the Distal Interphalangeal Joint of the Horse Following Alterations to the Palmar Angle-A Cadaveric Study. Therapeutic shoeing for horses is used to affect the palmar angle (PA) of the distal phalanx. These changes may influence the strain on the distal interphalangeal joint collateral ligaments (DIJCLs). This cadaveric study aimed to assess DIJCL strain under varying loads and PA adjustments. Using 26 cadaver forelimbs, eight optical markers were placed on one DIJCL for strain measurement under five different loads (1000-5000 newtons) at a neutral PA, followed by PA increases of 2°, 4°, and 6° and decreases of -2° and -4°. The results indicate that increases in PA corresponded to significantl...
A Safety and Efficacy Study of a Synthetic Biolubricant in an Equine Model of Post-Traumatic Osteoarthritis. Post-traumatic osteoarthritis (PTOA) is a common cause of lameness in the horse. There is no cure, therefore treatments are aimed at reducing pain and improving the joint environment by modifying inflammatory pathways or by viscosupplementation. Here, we report the safety and efficacy of the biolubricant (poly(2-methacryloyloxyethyl phosphorylcholine; pMPC) to mitigate the physical, gross, histological, and biochemical effects of arthritis. We created an osteochondral fragment in the middle carpal joint of one limb in 16 horses to induce PTOA; the contralateral limb served as a sham-operated j...
The concurrent use of 2.5% polyacrylamide hydrogel and betamethasone esters for intra-articular injection is well tolerated in 10 healthy horses. This study assessed the safety and tolerability of concurrent intra-articular (IA) injection of 2.5% polyacrylamide hydrogel (2.5% iPAAG) and betamethasone sodium phosphate and betamethasone acetate esters (BME) in the metacarpophalangeal joints (MCPJs) of healthy horses. Methods: 10 healthy therapeutic riding horses were enrolled in this open-label safety study from August 1 to September 14, 2023. Inclusion criteria required normal physical examinations, insulin level, hematology, biochemistry, soundness at all gaits, and negative forelimb flexion tests. Screening occurred from days -14 to -0...
Laparoscopic Inguinal Hernioplasty with a Polyether Ether Ketone Anchoring Device in Intact Male Horses Does Not Compromise Testicular Perfusion, Sperm Production or Motility Characteristics. A new surgical technique using a polyether ether ketone (PEEK) anchoring device for testicle-sparing laparoscopic inguinal hernioplasty in stallions was described in 2023 and is known as the PEEK harpoon technique (PHT). In breeding stallions, it is essential that the surgery is effective in preventing inguinal hernia but also that it does not impair the testicular function. This study aims to evaluate whether the PHT may affect testicular function. To achieve that, changes in the testicular blood flow, sperm production and motility characteristics were assessed 28 days after use of the PHT. S...
Remodelling of the healthy foal’s conjunctival microbiome in the first two months of life. The aim of the study was to explore and characterise healthy foals' eye microbiomes in the first two months of life. Unassigned: Conjunctival swabs were collected three times, not later than 12 h after delivery and again at the end of the first and the second months of life from six clinically healthy foals of the Polish Konik breed. The average interval between the first and second samplings was 33.3 days and between the second and third was 35.6 days. Next-generation sequencing performed on a MiSeq sequencer in paired-end technology was used to analyse the composition of the conjunctival mic...
Theileria cervi in Amblyomma neumanni (Acari: Ixodida, Ixodidae) collected on horses from North-western Argentina. ticks collected on horses from the North-West of Argentina were analyzed for the presence of the Piroplasm agents and . A total of 97 adult ticks from four different provinces (Jujuy, Santiago del Estero, Salta, Tucumán) were included in this study. Genomic DNA was isolated, and conventional PCR assays were applied for the detection of the 18S rDNA gene of and species. One sample corresponding to a male of collected in Tapia, Tucumán Province, resulted positive. Phylogenetic analyses carried out with the obtained 18S rDNA partial gene sequences resulted in the identification of . Althou...
Equine autologous blood-based products contain variable quantities of transforming growth factor-β1, interleukin-1 receptor antagonist, and α2-macroglobulin. Quantify the concentration of α2-macroglobulin (A2M), immunomodulatory cytokines, and TGF-β1 factors in 4 commercially available autologous blood-based products including conditioned A2M (CA2M; Alpha2EQ; Astaria Global), autologous protein solution (APS; Pro-Stride; Zoetis), platelet-rich plasma (PRP; Restigen; Zoetis), and autologous conditioned plasma (ACP; Arthrex ACP). We hypothesized that CA2M would have higher concentrations of A2M and lower concentrations of cytokines and growth factors compared to APS, PRP, and ACP. Unassigned: Blood was obtained from 6 healthy, adult horses and proc...
Effect of an adjustable ceiling to prevent premature rising attempts after general anesthesia in healthy ponies and horses: A pilot study. This study aimed to assess and compare the recovery of ponies and horses following general anesthesia in two different settings: a recovery box with an inflexible, adjustable ceiling, and free recovery without restraints. Our primary objective was to evaluate the effect of adjustable ceilings on the prevention of premature attempts to rise during recovery. The secondary aim was to compare the physiological stress indicators during recovery. Methods: Prospective, randomized, experimental study. Methods: Six healthy ponies and 10 healthy horses. Methods: This study used a crossover design with t...
Effect of the intrinsic and extrinsic factors on the growth and development of young foals under subtropical conditions of Pakistan. This study was designed to explore the impact of intrinsic (breed of foal, age of dam, and age of foal at weaning) and extrinsic (season of birth and housing type) factors on the growth and survival of foals in the subtropical conditions of Pakistan. For the growth study, retrospective data analysis of foals (n = 150) born from purebred brood mares of Thoroughbred, Arabs, and Percheron breeds (n1, n2, and n3 = 50 each) was made. Six hundred and twenty-four (n = 624) foals born between 2020 to 2022 were observed for the study of foal survival rate. The survival of these foals till the age of on...
Objective assessment of acute pain in foals using a facial expression-based pain scale. Pain assessment based on facial expressions has been described in foals. Objective: To extend previous pilot findings of the Equine Utrecht University Scale for Facial Assessment of Pain in Foals (EQUUS-FAP FOAL). Methods: Prospective blinded case-control study (known groups analysis). Methods: Video recordings (30-60 s) of n = 100 foals (38 patients and 62 controls) were collected. Videos were randomised and scored by two observers, blinded for the condition of the animals. Inter- and intra-observer agreement was tested by Intra Class Correlation (ICC) analysis. Differences between pati...
Genome sequence of Equine Erythroparvovirus 1, identified in the United States. is a parvovirus that was identified in the blood of four horses in the United States. Here, we report one genome from a horse in New York State. This genome may represent a new species within the genus .
Administration Studies in Equine Antidoping Research: Designing Scientific Investigations to Effectively Direct Medication Control in Racehorses. Pharmacokinetics is the study of the movement of drug in the body and includes the processes of absorption, distribution, metabolism, and excretion. Pharmacodynamics is the pharmacologic effect of the drug on the body. The pharmacokinetics of a drug determines its pharmacologic effect. Pharmacokinetic studies describe drug concentrations while pharmacodynamics allow for assessment of drug effects. Combined pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamic studies allow for integration of drug concentrations with pharmacologic effect. Data generated from pharmacokinetic studies can be especially useful in establ...
Association between fungal detection, airways inflammation and diagnosis of moderate to severe asthma in horses. Fungi are ubiquitous in horses' environment. Their contribution to the pathophysiology of severe asthma (SA) is acknowledged, while controversies remain for mild-moderate asthma (MA). Objective: We hypothesised that fungi are a risk factor for asthma. Our objective was to compare different combinations of analytical methods (cytology, culture) and sampling sites (tracheal wash (TW), bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF)) in relation to clinical status (control, MA, SA). Methods: Prospective cross-sectional study. Methods: The study population included asymptomatic racing horses in the field and ...
Use of full-thickness mesh grafts and full-thickness meek micrografts in five horses with ear skin defects caused by trauma or neoplasm resection. To report the management and outcomes of five horses with ear skin defects treated with the use of full-thickness mesh grafts and full-thickness Meek micrografts. Methods: Five horses with acute or granulating pinna skin wounds. Methods: Short case series. Methods: A full-thickness graft was harvested from the pectoral region under general anesthesia. The sheet graft was stretched on a sterile plastic board with the epidermal side facing down. The subcutaneous fat and fascia were removed by sharp dissection. The skin graft was then meshed by hand or using a block mesher, or manually cut into m...
Assessment of tree-associated atypical myopathy risk factors in Acer pseudoplatanus (sycamore) seeds and leaves. Sycamore tree-derived hypoglycin A (HGA) toxin causes atypical myopathy (AM), an acute, equine pasture-associated rhabdomyolysis but incidence fluctuates. Objective: Investigate whether tree or environmental factors influence HGA concentration in sycamore material and are associated with AM relative risk. Methods: Retrospective and experimental prospective study. Methods: UK sycamore population, seed production and AM incidence data were obtained. HGA concentration was measured in seeds from trees from 10 different central UK locations. The effect of tar spot infection, seed maturity, tree tru...
Nebulization of 2% lidocaine has no detectable impact on the healthy equine respiratory microbiota. Glucocorticosteroids remain the most common pharmaceutical approach for the treatment of equine asthma but can be associated with significant side effects, including respiratory microbiome alterations. The goal of the study was to assess the impact of 2% lidocaine nebulization, a projected alternative treatment of equine asthma, on the healthy equine respiratory microbiota. A prospective, randomized, controlled, blinded, 2-way crossover study was performed, to assess the effect of 1 mg/kg 2% lidocaine (7 treatments over 4 days) on the equine respiratory microbiota compared to control horses (s...
Oxidative stress in critically ill neonatal foals. Oxidative injury occurs in septic people, but the role of oxidative stress and antioxidants has rarely been evaluated in foals. Objective: To measure reactive oxygen species (ROS), biomarkers of oxidative injury, and antioxidants in neonatal foals. We hypothesized that ill foals would have higher blood concentrations of ROS and biomarkers of oxidative injury and lower concentrations of antioxidants compared to healthy foals. Methods: Seventy-two hospitalized and 21 healthy neonatal foals. Methods: Prospective cohort study. Reactive oxygen species (hydrogen peroxide [HO]), biomarkers of oxidati...
