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.
Low dietary silicon supplementation may not affect bone and cartilage in mature, sedentary horses. As osteoarthritis is a major cause of lameness in horses in the United States, improving collagen health prior to onset and increasing collagen turnover within affected joints could improve health- and welfare-related outcomes. Through its positive effects on bone mineral content and density and its role in increasing collagen synthesis, silicon (Si) may slow the development and progression of osteoarthritis, thereby reducing lameness. This study evaluated the hypothesis that Si supplementation would increase cartilage turnover through increased collagen degradation and formation markers, as w...
Evaluation of cardiac troponin I, atrial natriuretic peptide and some oxidative/antioxidative biomarkers in the serum and hemolysate of trained Arabian horses after exercise. Limited information existed on performance tests in Iranian Arab horses. Objective: The objective of this study is to investigate time related changes of cardiac troponin I (cTnI), atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP) and oxidative/antioxidant biomarkers in the serum of Arabian horses before and after regular training. Methods: Blood samples were collected from jugular vein of 25 Arabian horses before exercise; 5 h and 18 h after exercise and used to measure the cTnI, ANP, malondialdehyde (MDA), ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP), glutathione peroxidase (GPX), and superoxide dismutase (SOD) ...
Infrared Thermography Correlates with Lactate Concentration in Blood during Race Training in Horses. In horse racing the most acceptable way to objectively evaluate adaptation to increased exertion is to measure lactate blood concentration. However, this may be stressful for the horse, therefore, a simple, noninvasive procedure to monitor race progress is desirable. Forty Thoroughbreds attended race training, with blood samples collected at rest, immediately after, and 30 min after exercise. The lactate concentration was determined 60 s after blood collection using an Accusport. Thermal imaging of the neck and trunk areas was performed following international veterinary standards from a dista...
Humoral antibody response of 10 horses after vaccination against African horse sickness with an inactivated vaccine containing all 9 serotypes in one injection. African horse sickness (AHS) is a devastating viral disease of equids that was first recorded in 1327. Currently, prevention and control of the disease are based on attenuated vaccines and midge control. It has been shown that attenuated Orbivirus vaccines are not always safe as they may reverse to virulence. Objective: In the Emirate of Dubai, a vaccination experiment was carried out with an inactivated AHS vaccine produced at the Central Veterinary Research Laboratory (CVRL), Dubai, UAE to investigate the humoral antibody response of AHS-naïve horses to this vaccine. Our vaccination experim...
Evaluation of Protein Carbonyl Content in Healthy and Sick Hospitalized Horses. Literature on the protein carbonyl content (PCC) evaluation in horses is scarce, thus the aims were to evaluate the PCC in healthy and SIRS (Systemic Inflammatory Response Syndrome) horses and to investigate the performances of PCC in terms of sensitivity, specificity, and likelihood ratio in identifying SIRS positive and negative horses. A total of 72 adult horses were included. All the horses underwent to a complete physical examination, blood analysis, and were evaluated for the SIRS status. Blood samples were collected once in healthy horses and at admission time, then 24, 48, 72, and 96 h...
The pharmacokinetics and antiparasitic activity of ivermectin in Hutsul and Toric horses. The aim of this study was to compare the pharmacokinetics of ivermectin and its antiparasitic activity in two horse breeds. Eight Hutsul and 14 Toric horses were administered ivermectin orally at a dose of 0.2 mg/kg body weight. Blood samples were collected for 96 hr, and faecal samples were collected one day before and on days 14 and 21 after drug administration. Ivermectin concentrations in plasma samples were determined by high-performance liquid chromatography. Ivermectin concentration was significantly higher in Toric than in Hutsul horses 90 min after ivermectin administration and was...
Serum symmetric dimethylarginine concentration in healthy horses and horses with acute kidney injury. There are limited options to diagnose acute kidney injury (AKI) in horses. Symmetric dimethylarginine (SDMA) is routinely used in human and small animal medicine. The aim of this study was to assess serum SDMA concentrations in healthy horses and horses with AKI. The objective of this study was to evaluate the association of: 1) age, 2) sex, 3) body weight and 4) serum creatinine and urea levels on serum SDMA concentrations. Fifty-three healthy horses, including 17 foals (2-6 months of age) and 36 adult horses (3-29 years of age), and 23 horses with AKI were included in the study based on ...
Evaluation of dried blood spots as an alternative sample matrix for equine antidoping analysis. Controlling the abuse of prohibited substances such as anabolic steroids, selective androgen receptor modulators, β-adrenoceptor agonists, and blood doping agents is of great interest to racing authorities. The use of dried blood spots (DBS) as an alternative sampling approach may be a feasible approach for controlling the use of these agents. To assess the feasibility of using DBS in equine blood, an 11-min liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry method was developed on a triple quadrupole mass spectrometer following extraction from Whatman 903 DBS cards. A total of 50 compounds across multi...
Survey of Zoonotic and Non-zoonotic Vector-Borne Pathogens in Military Horses in Lisbon, Portugal. Vector-borne diseases of zoonotic and/or veterinary relevance have been increasingly reported in horses globally, although data regarding working and military horses is lacking. Portuguese military horses may constitute a risk group for these pathogens, as they frequently work outdoors in various regions of the country. This study included 101 apparently healthy horses belonging to the Portuguese National Republican Guard. Blood samples were analyzed to determine the presence and prevalence of piroplasms, Anaplasmataceae, Rickettsia spp., and filarioid helminths. Overall 32.7% of the horses ga...
High Seroprevalence Against Lawsonia intracellularis Among Adult Horses in Belgium. Lawsonia intracellularis (LI) is an obligate intracellular gram-negative rod causing equine proliferative enteropathy (EPE). Occasional cases of EPE have been reported in foals living in Belgium, but the seroprevalence of equine LI in this country is unknown. The target population included clinically healthy adult horses, whose blood samples were collected and analyzed for specific IgG antibodies against LI using a blocking enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay test. The results were expressed as percentage of inhibition (PI). Samples that had a PI <20% were judged as negative, those between 20 an...
Evaluating Stress in Riding Horses: Part One-Behavior Assessment and Serum Cortisol. Stress can impact the health and well-being of animals negatively. Behavioral and physiological changes, particularly serum cortisol, offer objective and easy-to-use methods of evaluating stress in horses. However, limited studies support a positive relationship between changes in stress-related serum cortisol concentrations and stress-related behaviors in horses. This study assessed differences in stress-related behaviors and serum cortisol concentrations in horses used in a therapeutic riding program (TRH) or university riding program (UNI). Riders were grouped by disability type (TRH) or by...
Circannual variation in plasma adrenocorticotropic hormone concentrations and dexamethasone suppression test results in Standardbred horses, Andalusian horses and mixed-breed ponies. To compare circannual plasma concentrations of adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) and seasonal dexamethasone suppression test (DST) results between three different equine breed groups. Methods: Six Standardbred horses, six Andalusian horses and six mixed-breed ponies were followed over a 1-year period, during which time groups were managed identically. Blood samples were collected monthly (around the autumn equinox) or in every second month (other times of the year) for the determination of plasma ACTH concentrations using a chemiluminescent immunoassay. Overnight DSTs were performed quarterly...
Venous Blood Acid-Base Status in Show Jumper Horses Subjected to Different Physical Exercises. The aim of this study was to assess whether acid-base profile exhibits changes in regularly trained show jumping horses undergoing increasing exercise workloads. Seven female Italian saddle horses were subjected to three different physical exercise trials of increasing workload identified as three exercise phases (EPs). During EPI horses were subjected to a standardized exercise test consisting of 15 minutes of treadmill, during EPII horses were subjected to a show jumping test (height, 0.9-1.1 m; course length, 300 m), during EPIII horses underwent two jumping sessions carried out over two...
Venous blood gas parameters, electrolytes, glucose and lactate concentration in sick neonatal foals: Direct venipuncture versus push-pull technique. Blood collection by indwelling intravenous catheter (IVC) avoids repeated venipuncture, which could cause thrombophlebitis risk, anxiety and pain in patients. Objective: To compare blood gas parameters, electrolytes, glucose, lactate and haematocrit concentration obtained from venous blood samples collected via a jugular IVC by push-pull (PP) technique to those obtained by venipuncture in hospitalised foals, at the time of catheter placement (T0) and 24 hours after the beginning of intravenous therapy (T24). Methods: Prospective observational study. Methods: Paired blood samples were drawn fr...
Concentration profiles and safety of topically applied betulinic acid and NVX-207 in eight healthy horses-A randomized, blinded, placebo-controlled, crossover pilot study. The naturally occurring betulinic acid (BA) and its derivative NVX-207 show anticancer effects against equine malignant melanoma (EMM) cells and a potent permeation in isolated equine skin in vitro. The aim of the study was to determine the in vivo concentration profiles of BA and NVX-207 in equine skin and assess the compounds' local and systemic tolerability with the intent of developing a topical therapy against EMM. Eight horses were treated percutaneously in a crossover design with 1% BA, 1% NVX-207 or a placebo in a respective vehicle twice a day for seven consecutive days with a seven-d...
Comparison of loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) and PCR for the diagnosis of infection with Trypanosoma brucei ssp. in equids in The Gambia. Infection of equids with Trypanosoma brucei (T. brucei) ssp. is of socioeconomic importance across sub-Saharan Africa as the disease often progresses to cause fatal meningoencephalitis. Loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) has been developed as a cost-effective molecular diagnostic test and is potentially applicable for use in field-based laboratories. Threshold levels for T. brucei ssp. detection by LAMP were determined using whole equine blood specimens spiked with known concentrations of parasites. Results were compared to OIE antemortem gold standard of T. brucei-PCR (TBR-PCR). Th...
Plasma prolactin, thyroid-stimulating hormone, melanocyte-stimulating hormone, and adrenocorticotropin responses to thyrotropin-releasing hormone in mares treated with detomidine and butorphanol. Stress or excitement is a concern when performing endocrine tests on fractious horses. Sedation may be a solution; however, perturbation of test results may preclude useful information. Thyrotropin-releasing hormone (TRH) is a known stimulator of prolactin, thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH), melanocyte-stimulating hormone (MSH), and ACTH. Thyrotropin-releasing hormone-induced ACTH is a diagnostic tool for the assessment of endocrinopathies such as pituitary pars intermedia dysfunction. It is unknown if drugs commonly used for sedation alter endocrine responses. The objective of this study was ...
Age- and Sex-Related Modifications of Hematology in Spanish Purebred Horse. The purpose of this study was to test the hypothesis that age and sex significantly modulate the changes in hematological parameters of physiologically healthy Spanish Purebred horse, establishing the reference values. Blood samples were obtained on a total of 159 horses (n = 77 males and n = 82 females), classified in four age groups: group A (1-2 years; n = 39), group B (>2-3 years; n = 38), group C (>3-4 years; n = 41), and group D (>4-7 years; n = 41). By means ADVIA 2020i, red blood cell (RBC), hemoglobin concentration (HB), packed cell volume, mean corpuscular volume (MCV), mea...
Bovine and equine trypanosomosis in Northwest Ethiopia: Prevalence, density of vectors and control measures. A cross-sectional study was carried out from November 2016 to May 2017 in selected districts of Northwest Ethiopia (Jawi, South Achefer, Dembecha and Jabitehenan) with the aim of determining the prevalence of bovine and equine trypanosomosis, estimating the apparent density of vectors and assessing the effectiveness of control measures of the disease. A total of 1257 animals of which 803 bovine and 454 equine were examined for the determination of prevalence using blood sample collected from ear vein of animals. The buffy coat technique was employed to determine the prevalence and the packed c...
Genotype-specific neutralizing antibody titers against Japanese encephalitis virus genotypes 1 and 3 in horses immunized with a genotype 3 vaccine. Japanese encephalitis is one of the most important mosquito-borne and zoonotic diseases in Asia and the Pacific region. Although the dominant Japanese encephalitis virus (JEV) genotype has shifted from G3 to G1 in Korea since 1990, a G3 strain (Anyang 300) has been used in vaccines for horses for almost 40 years. This study aimed to investigate the seroconversion rates and geometric mean titers (GMTs) of virus-neutralizing antibodies (VNAs) against JEV G1 and G3 in horses immunized with the G3 vaccine. Methods: Serum samples of 1,231 horses immunized with the Anyang 300 vaccine were collected ...
Seroprevalence of Antibodies Against Anaplasma Phagocytophilum and Borrelia Burgdorferi in Horses (Equus Caballus) from Northern Algeria. Horses (Equus caballus) are susceptible to tick-borne diseases. Two of them, Lyme borreliosis due to Borrelia burgdorferi and granulocytic anaplasmosis due to Anaplasma phagocytophilum were investigated in Algerian horses. The diseases have been less extensively studied in horses and results pertinent to Algeria have not been published. Methods: Blood samples were obtained from 128 horses. IgG antibodies directed against Anaplasma phagocytophilum and Borrelia burgdorferi were detected by an indirect immunofluorescence antibody test (IFAT) and ELISA. The potential effects of age, gender, breed,...
Response of Sport Horses to Different Formulations of Equine Influenza Vaccine. The international governing body of equestrian sports requires that horses be vaccinated against equine influenza within 6 months and 21 days of competing. The aim of this study was to compare the antibody response of young sport horses to six-monthly booster vaccination with equine influenza vaccines of different formulations. An inactivated vaccine was allocated to 35 horses and subunit and recombinant vaccines were allocated to 34 horses each. After vaccination, all horses were monitored for evidence of adverse reactions. Whole blood samples were collected at the time of vaccination and on ...
Molecular detection of Theileria species and Babesia caballi from horses in Nigeria. Equine piroplasmosis (EP) is an infectious, tick-borne disease caused by the hemoprotozoan parasites, Theileria equi, Babesia caballi, and a recently reported new species, T. haneyi. Infections by these apicomplexan parasites limit performance and cause economic losses for the horse industry. Equine piroplasmosis is widespread in the northern regions of Nigeria, where an increasing portion of the animal population is composed of horses. This disease has remained epidemiologically challenging, especially as the movement of horses increases across Nigeria. In this study, blood samples from 300 h...
Seroprevalence of equine glanders in horses in the central and eastern parts of Mongolia. Glanders is a contagious and fatal equine disease caused by the gram-negative bacterium Burkholderia mallei. B. mallei is prevalent among horse populations in Asia, the Middle East, and South America. More than four million horses have been registered in Mongolia in 2020. However, the recent prevalence of glanders has not been well investigated. In this study, we aimed to investigate the seropositivity of B. mallei in horse populations in Mongolia using the complement fixation test (CFT) and Rose Bengal plate agglutination test (RBT). We randomly collected blood samples from horses in central ...
Serum concentrations, pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamic modeling, and effects of dexamethasone on inflammatory mediators following intravenous and oral administration to exercised horses. Corticosteroids are potent anti-inflammatory drugs and as such are commonly administered to performance and racehorses. The objectives of the current study were to describe blood and urine concentrations and the pharmacokinetics and effects on cortisol and inflammatory mediator concentrations, following intravenous and oral administration to 12 exercised horses. Horses received an intravenous administration of 40 mg of dexamethasone sodium phosphate and 20 mg of dexamethasone tablets with a 4 week washout in between administrations. Blood and urine samples were collected prior to and for up to...
Transient suppression of ovulatory ovarian function in pony mares after treatment with slow-release deslorelin implants. Behavior during the estrous cycle of mares can affect their performance and therefore inhibition of cyclical ovarian activity is indicated. We hypothesized that implants containing the GnRH analog deslorelin downregulate GnRH receptors and inhibit ovulation in mares. The estrous cycles of Shetland mares were synchronized with 2 injections of a PGF analog. One day after the second injection (day 0), mares received 9.4 (group D1, n = 6) and 4.7 mg deslorelin (D2, n = 5) as slow-release implants or 1.25 mg short-acting deslorelin as a control (C, n = 5). Ultrasonography of the reproductive trac...
Twenty-four-hour rhythm patterns of plasma melatonin in short-day and long-day breeders maintained under natural environmental conditions. Photoperiodic treatments have been of practical interest in controlling seasonal reproduction in sheep, goats and horses. Melatonin is the principal mediator of the environmental photoperiodic message. To investigate the intra- and inter-subject variability of melatonin 24 h rhythm, ten female Italian Saddle horses (8-10 yrs old, mean body weight 525 ± 30 kg), ten female Sarda breed sheep (2-3 yrs old, mean body weight 40.5 ± 2.8 kg) and ten female Sarda breed goats (3-4 yrs old, mean body weight 38.9 ± 4.1 kg), housed individually in a 4 × 4 m soundproof box equipped with 50 ...
Physiologic effects of furosemide in combination with water restriction when administered at 4 and 24 hours prior to high-intensity treadmill training. Although controversial, due to its reported effectiveness in attenuating bleeding associated with exercise-induced pulmonary hemorrhage (EIPH), furosemide is currently a permitted race day medication in most North American racing jurisdictions. The objective of this study was to assess the efficacy of furosemide in reducing the presence and severity of EIPH when administered 24 hr prior to strenuous treadmill exercise. Eight exercised Thoroughbred horses received saline or 250 mg of furosemide either 4 or 24 hr prior to high-speed treadmill exercise in a balanced 3-way cross-over design. Bl...
Anthelmintic Efficacy and Pharmacokinetics of Ivermectin Paste after Oral Administration in Mules Infected by Cyathostomins. Ivermectin (IVM) is an anthelmintic compound commonly used off-label in mules due to its broad-spectrum of activity. Despite the general use of IVM in mules with the same dose and route of administration licensed for horses, significant pharmacokinetic differences might exist between horses and mules, as already observed for donkeys. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the pharmacokinetic profile and anthelmintic efficacy of an oral paste of IVM in mules naturally infected with cyathostomins. Fifteen adult mules with fecal egg counts (FEC) ≥200 eggs per gram (EPG), with exclusive pr...
Form of Vitamin E Supplementation Affects Oxidative and Inflammatory Response in Exercising Horses. Vitamin E is an essential antioxidant that may benefit athletes by reducing oxidative stress and influencing cytokine expression. Supplements can be derived from natural or manufactured synthetic sources. This study aimed to determine (1) if supplemental vitamin E is beneficial to exercising horses and (2) if there is a benefit of natural versus synthetic vitamin E. After 2 weeks on the control diet (vitamin E-deficient grain and hay), 18 horses were divided into three groups and fed the control diet plus (1) 1000 IU/d synthetic α-tocopherol (SYN-L), (2) 4000 IU/d synthetic α-tocopherol (SYN...