Topic:Blood Analysis
Blood analysis in horses involves the examination of blood samples to assess various physiological and pathological conditions. This process provides insights into the health status of horses by evaluating components such as red and white blood cells, platelets, and various biochemical parameters. Blood analysis can help identify infections, anemia, metabolic disorders, and other health issues. Common tests include complete blood counts (CBC) and blood chemistry panels, which measure electrolytes, enzymes, and other substances. This page aggregates peer-reviewed research studies and scholarly articles that explore methodologies, findings, and implications of blood analysis in equine veterinary medicine.
Circadian rhythms of osteocalcin in equine serum. Correlation with alkaline phosphatase, calcium, phosphate and total protein levels. The purpose of the study was to determine whether there were circadian variations in serum osteocalcin in normal horses and to determine whether it was important to regulate the time of blood sampling in clinical investigations. Osteocalcin or bone Gla-protein (BGP), alkaline phosphatase, total calcium, phosphate and total protein were studied over a 24 h period. Blood samples were taken every 60 min from nine adult Standardbred horses. There was a correlation between serum levels of alkaline phosphatase (r = 0.3, p less than 0.01), phosphate (r = 0.42, p less than 0.01) and serum osteocalcin ...
Influence of pregnancy on diurnal and seasonal changes in cortisol, T3 and T4 levels in the mare blood serum. 1. The diurnal changes in the level of total protein, cortisol, T3 and T4 were studied in four barren and four pregnant standard-bred mares, kept and examined under the same conditions. 2. Blood samples were taken every 4 hr. for one day each month, throughout one year. 3. In barren mares, a diurnal rhythm in cortisol level (acrophase at 0530 hr in summer and at 0830 hr in winter) and in T3 level (acrophase at 1330 hr in summer and at 1800 hr in winter) was found. 4. In pregnant mares, a diurnal rhythm in cortisol level only till 5th month of pregnancy was observed. 5. A diurnal rhythm in T3 l...
Effect of interval between doses on response of the pony to sodium bicarbonate. Three pony geldings were given sodium bicarbonate orally in order to study the effect on blood pH and bicarbonate and to determine if frequency of dosing influences the response. In a preliminary study, it appeared that a carry-over effect might occur if the interval between dosing was only 2 days. The ponies received 2 doses of sodium bicarbonate (400 mg/kg) 7 days apart in trial one and then in trial two they received 2 doses of sodium bicarbonate 4 days apart. The sodium bicarbonate was mixed with 2 liters of warm water and given through a nasogastric tube on each trial day. Blood samples w...
Effect of constant light exposure on circulating gonadotrophin levels and hypothalamic gonadotrophin-releasing hormone (GnRH) content in the ovariectomized pony mare. Melatonin is thought to play a role in relaying photic information to the central nervous system as part of the seasonal reproductive cycle of the mare. However, the mechanisms by which melatonin may act are unknown. Therefore, this study was designed to determine whether exposure to constant light would, by reducing circulating melatonin concentrations, have any effect on hypothalamic gonadotrophin-releasing hormone (GnRH) content and circulating levels of luteinizing hormone (LH) and follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH). Blood samples were collected for 12 h at 15-min intervals from 8 ovariect...
Low dose calcium heparin in horses: plasma heparin concentrations, effects on red blood cell mass and on coagulation variables. Low dose calcium heparin was administered subcutaneously at 12 hourly intervals to six healthy horses at an initial dose of 150 iu of heparin/kg bodyweight (bwt) and at a maintenance dose of 120 iu/kg bwt. All injections were given at 0900 and 2100 h. Blood samples for monitoring plasma heparin concentrations were obtained prior to, at 2 hourly intervals for 84 h (treatment period), and at Hours 24, 32, 48 and 96 of the control period. Blood samples for monitoring red blood cell (RBC) mass, plasma antithrombin III activity (AT III), activated partial thromboplastin time (APTT), and thrombin ti...
Effects of transport and racing on ionic changes in thoroughbred race horses. 1. Packed cell volume (PCV), blood glucose, total plasma proteins (TPP) and plasma electrolytes, osmolality, cortisol and aldosterone alterations produced by transport and racing, were investigated in race horses. 2. Plasma cortisol, sodium and blood glucose, found after transport, were higher, while aldosterone was lower than control levels. 3. After racing, PCV, blood glucose, TPP and plasma cortisol, sodium and osmolality were higher than control, while chloride diminished and aldosterone returned to control values. 4. These results demonstrate that transport and racing are different kinds ...
Diurnal changes in lactic and pyruvic acid levels and pH values in foals during the first 13 weeks of their life and in their lactating mothers. 1. The diurnal changes in the levels of lactic (LA) and pyruvic (PA) acids and values of pH were studied in standard-bred mares and their foals, for 13 weeks of foal life, throughout 2 years. 2. The studies began when a foal was 7 days old and were repeated every 2 weeks until foals reached 13 weeks of age. 3. Blood samples were taken every 4 hr for one day, each second week. 4. In the LA, PA levels and pH values no diurnal rhythm was stated in lactating mares during study periods. 5. In foals the diurnal rhythm in LA and PA occurred in the 3rd month of their life, with the acrophase at night ...
[Reference values for cortisol, T4 and T-uptake in different horse groups using the fluorescence polarization immunoassay (FPIA)]. Reference values for Cortisol, T4 and T-Uptake, determined with the Fluorescence-Polarization-Immunoassays (FPIAs) in blood-plasma of different horse groups were established. The highest Cortisol values were measured in blood samples from thoroughbred racehorses and riding horses taken between 7 and 8 a.m. (181 +/- 37 and 268 +/- 43 nmol/l), the lowest gained between 5 and 6 p.m. (69 +/- 45 and 85 +/- 32 nmol/l respectively). Peak values for T4 in riding horses were found in blood samples collected between 1 and 2 p.m. (28.2 +/- 5.7 nmol/l) followed by the samples taken at 5-6 p.m. and 7-8 a.m...
Cardiopulmonary effects of epidurally administered xylazine in the horse. This study was designed to determine whether the epidural administration of an alpha2 agonist, xylazine, would produce measurable changes in arterial blood pressure, electrocardiographic (ECG) activity and arterial blood gas values in horses. Six horses were given each of four treatments: epidural xylazine, intravenous xylazine, epidural lidocaine and epidural saline. A carotid artery catheter was used to measure arterial blood pressure and to collect samples for blood gas analysis before treatment and at intervals post treatment. Heart rate, arterial pressures, ECG activity and respiratory ra...
Diaphragm does not produce ammonia or lactate during high-intensity short-term exercise. To ascertain whether costal diaphragm engages in ammonia and lactate production (like limb muscles) during high-intensity short-term exercise, experiments were carried out on six healthy trained ponies in which phrenic venous catheters had been implanted 5-9 days earlier. Simultaneous anaerobically obtained blood samples from abdominal aorta and the phrenic vein at rest and during 4 min of exertion at 32 km/h and at a 7% grade were analyzed for blood-gas variables as well as lactate and ammonia concentrations using standard procedures. At rest, heart rate was 47 +/- 4 beats/min and the diaphra...
Clinical exercise testing in the normal thoroughbred racehorse. To evaluate normal cardiorespiratory and metabolic responses of Thoroughbred horses to a standardised treadmill exercise test, we examined 28 horses ranging in age from 1 to 4 years. The group consisted of eight yearlings, eight 2-year-olds and twelve 3 and 4-year-olds. All horses except the yearlings were in training, and either racing or ready to race, at the time of examination. None of the horses had histories of performance problems. On the first day the horses received a full physical examination, resting electrocardiogram, upper respiratory tract endoscopy and either one or two acclimat...
Changes in coagulation and fibrinolysis in horses during exercise. Changes in clotting time (CT) and fibrinolytic activity (FA) were evaluated in 6 mature, female horses during exercise. Two trials were performed on consecutive days, using a randomized crossover design. Each mare was assigned to either an exercise trial or a control trial on the first day, and to the alternate trial 24 hours later. Mares exercised for 20 minutes on a treadmill at an elevation of 2 degrees and a velocity of 5 m/s. Venous blood samples were collected immediately before exercise, at 4, 8, 12, 16 and 20 minutes during exercise, and 15 minutes after cessation of exercise. Blood wa...
Serum lipid and lipoprotein changes in ponies with experimentally induced liver disease. Alterations in serum lipid and lipoprotein concentrations in ponies with experimentally induced liver disease were investigated. Hepatocellular damage was induced, using a nonlethal dose of carbon tetrachloride. In a separate group of ponies, obstructive jaundice was induced by surgical ligation of the common bile duct. Over a 6-day period, blood samples were obtained from ponies after treatment with carbon tetrachloride and for 12 days in ponies subjected to surgery. Serum cholesterol and triglyceride concentrations were unaffected in both groups of ponies, except for significantly (P less th...
Comparison of the adrenocortical response to both pharmacological and physiological stresses in sport horses. Seven sport horses were investigated to compare physiological and pharmacological stresses on the plasma glucocorticosteroid levels. Venous blood was sampled and analysed for cortisol concentrations before and after each type of stress. The physiological stress was induced by the completion of a cross-country and the pharmacological one, by an intravenous ACTH administration (200 micrograms) in the same horses, one week after the course. Both exercise and ACTH injection induced a highly significant cortisol increase of 79 +/- 0.10% and 160 +/- 0.18%, respectively. The relative plasma cortisol ...
[The applicability of a detection method independent of a laboratory for progesterone in the blood plasma of mares (Hygia progesterone test)]. A rapid progesterone assay for cow's milk was checked as to whether it was applicable to mares' blood plasma. The "Hygia Progesterone-Test" is an on-farm test which serves for qualitative analysis. It is generally unusable for mares' plasma but sufficiently precise only in cases of larger or smaller progesterone levels. In cases of moderate amounts of progesterone the test is imprecise. The test can be carried out quickly and easily, but the preparation of blood samples takes more time than preparation of milk samples. The test can be recommended for usage in veterinary practice only, but not ...
Serologic survey for Borrelia burgdorferi antibody in horses referred to a mid-Atlantic veterinary teaching hospital. Blood samples obtained from 13 of 100 (13%) and 6 of 91 (7%) horses at the George D. Widener Hospital for Large Animals in the months of June and October, respectively, had antibody to Borrelia burgdorferi as determined by ELISA. Horses from the states of New York, Maryland, Delaware, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania were seropositive for B burgdorferi. The frequency of antibody response in horses from New Jersey was greater (P less than 0.05) than the frequency of antibody response in horses from Pennsylvania or that of horses from the other states combined. Statistically significant difference w...
Haematological measurements as an aid to early diagnosis and prognosis of respiratory viral infections in thoroughbred horses. In late November 1988 large numbers of thoroughbred horses in training in Hong Kong developed a transient pyrexia with, in some cases, the clinical signs of viral respiratory disease. Serial blood samples for haematological examination were taken from 10 of the horses which were stabled in six different blocks. They had developed a high temperature within three days of each other and subsequently seroconverted to equine herpes virus 1 (EHV1). The absolute monocyte count was more than 0.5 x 10(9)/litre in all 10 within the first five days, and nine of them had a high neutrophil/lymphocyte ratio...
Effect of transportation on the estrous cycle and concentrations of hormones in mares. Effect of transportation on estrous behavior, duration of the estrous cycle, ovulation, pregnancy rates and concentrations of serum cortisol, plasma ascorbic acid (AA), LH, estradiol and progesterone in mares was investigated. Fifteen mares were transported for 792 km (12 h) during the preovulatory stage of estrus. Transported mares were bled immediately before transport (baseline), at midtrip and 0, 12, 24, 48 and 72 h post-transport and twice daily from d 1 before transport to d 1 (estrogen) or 3 (LH) post-ovulation. Blood samples also were taken for progesterone on d 0, 2, 6, 10, 15, 16, 17...
In vivo regulation of plasma [H+] in ponies during acute changes in PCO2. The major objective of this study was to test the hypothesis that in ponies the change in plasma [H+] resulting from a change in PCO2 (delta H+/delta PCO2) is less under acute in vivo conditions than under in vitro conditions. Elevation of inspired CO2 and lowering of inspired O2 (causing hyperventilation) were used to respectively increase and decrease arterial PCO2 (Paco2) by 5-8 Torr from normal. Arterial and mixed venous blood were simultaneously sampled in 12 ponies during eucapnia and 5-60 min after Paco2 had changed. In vitro data were obtained by equilibrating blood in a tonometer at f...
Diurnal changes in the haemoglobin level, red blood cell number and mean corpuscular haemoglobin in foals during the first 13 weeks of life and in their lactating mothers. 1. In six foals and their mothers (of Standard breed) diurnal changes in the haemoglobin level, red blood cell number and mean corpuscular haemoglobin during the first 13 weeks of foal life were studied. 2. Studies begun when a foal reached 7 days of age and were repeated every two weeks till 13 weeks of foal life. Blood was taken every 6 hr in foals and every 4 hr in mares. 3. No diurnal rhythmicity in parameters studied either in foals or in mares was found. 4. Decrease of haemoglobin level in lactating mares (14.0-12.5 g/100 ml) without changes in red blood cell number were observed. Mean c...
The effect of phenothiazine on plasma prolactin levels in non-pregnant mares. Sixteen non-pregnant pony mares were divided into four groups of similar age and bodyweight (bwt). Groups were randomly assigned to one of four treatments consisting of oral administration of perphenazine (0.5 and 1.0 mg/kg bwt, phenothiazine (10 mg/kg bwt) and a control group. Blood samples were taken by jugular venepuncture and plasma prolactin concentrations measured using an homologous assay for equine prolactin. Analysis of variance was conducted on data designed as a split plot over time. Perphenazine given orally (0.5 and 1.0 mg/kg bwt) increased plasma prolactin concentrations when mea...
Development of diurnal rhythm in some metabolic parameters in foals. 1. The development of diurnal rhythm activity of FDPA, AspAT and A1AT and in levels of cortisol, T3 and T4 was observed in the blood serum of six foals. 2. The studies began when a foal was 7 days old and were repeated every month until foals reached 1 year of age. Blood samples were taken every 4 hr for one day each month. 3. As a control group four barren mares were used, kept and examined in the same conditions. 4. In mature mares, diurnal rhythms in activity of A1AT (acrophase at 2200 hr), AspAt (2400 hr) and cortisol (0630 hr) but in T3 only in summer months (acrophase at 0100 hr) were ob...
[Antibodies against Venezuelan equine encephalitis in the human population of the Mara district of the state of Zulia, Venezuela]. Antibodies against Venezuelan Equine Encephalitis Virus (VEEV) were studied in the human population of Mara District, Zulia State, Venezuela. Two hundred thirty nine blood samples were taken from the towns of San Rafael de Mara, Santa Cruz de Mara, La Sierrita-4 Bocas, Carrasquero, Isla de San Carlos e Isla de Toas, during june, july and september, 1988. Donors samples were classified by age, sex and serological titres. Eighty nine were less than 15 years old (37.2%) and 150, over 15 years old (62.7%). From the 239 samples, 224 were negative (93.7%) and 15 positive (6.3%). Our results indicate...
Changes in circulating equine erythrocytes induced by brief, high-speed exercise. Five horses were exercised at 10m/sec at a 3 degree incline for 2 mins. Packed cell volume, erythrocyte count, haemoglobin concentration, mean corpuscular volume, plasma protein, total white cell count and lymphocytes increased significantly in blood samples taken after exercise, compared with those taken before exercise; but mean corpuscular haemoglobin and mean corpuscular haemoglobin concentration decreased. Erythrocytes were more resistant to osmotic stress after exercise, but their shape and degree of deformity were unaffected by exercise.
Characterization of plasma progesterone concentrations for two distinct luteal morphologies in mares. Plasma progesterone concentrations in mares were determined in two experiments during the time that the luteal glands were detectable by transrectal ultrasonography. In both experiments, corpora lutea were classified into two types of morphologies based on their ultrasonic appearance: centrally nonechogenic luteal glands (fluid-filled) and uniformly echogenic luteal glands (non-fluid-filled). In Experiment 1, daily blood samples were taken from horse mares during August through October and May through July. There were no significant effects of season or luteal morphology on progesterone concen...
Postprandial serum gastrin concentrations in normal foals. Postprandial gastrin concentrations were assayed in serum samples from a group of six foals at one day, one week, one month and three months of age. Before sampling, each foal was prevented from feeding for 2 h and was then allowed to suck for 15 mins. Blood samples were taken at the start of the meal and at 30 min intervals for the next 3 h. Feeding increased serum gastrin concentrations at one day, one week and one month, with the greatest increases detected at one day. Mean pre-feeding gastrin concentrations were 25.2 +/- 2.3 pg/ml at one day, 22.8 +/- 3.9 pg/ml at one week, 15.2 +/- 2.3 pg...
Predicting ovulation in the mare on the basis of follicular growth and serum oestrone sulphate and progesterone levels. Follicular growth and hormone determinations were used to predict ovulation in the mare. Thirty Finnhorse mares were used for the investigation and 38 oestrous cycles were studied. The mares were examined by rectal palpation and ultrasonography every 6 hours during late oestrus. Daily blood samples were obtained for progesterone and oestrone sulphate determination. The preovulatory follicle grew 3 mm a day up to 2 days before ovulation. The size then remained constant, before diminishing by 2-3 mm during the last 12 hours. The maximal diameter of the follicle was 43 +/- 4 mm. In 89% of the fol...
Clinical and pathological effects of flunixin meglumine administration to neonatal foals. The effects of daily intravenous administration of flunixin meglumine at dosages of 0.55, 1.1, 2.2 and 6.6 mg/kg for five days were examined in neonatal foals. Six two day old foals were used to evaluate the effect of each dosage. Foals were examined every day and blood samples collected on days 1, 3 and 6. All foals were euthanized after six days, necropsied and examined for lesions. The major clinical abnormality was diarrhea, but the incidence was not related to the dosage of flunixin meglumine administered. The foals receiving 6.6 mg/kg of flunixin meglumine had significantly more gastroin...
Hydrocortisone secretion: production rate and pulse characterization by numerical deconvolution. Based on serial blood sampling over 24 h, hydrocortisone was shown to be secreted episodically in the horse. The purpose of the present experiment was to characterize peaks and troughs by analyzing the instantaneous secretion rate profile obtained by a deconvolution technique rather than from the plasma concentration time profile. Kinetic parameters of hydrocortisone were determined following intravenous bolus and intravenous perfusion of hydrocortisone. Stationary and nonlinearity of hydrocortisone disposition were demonstrated. With the use of clearance values calculated from constant perfus...