Clinical examination in horses involves a systematic evaluation of the animal to assess its health status and identify any potential medical issues. This process typically includes a thorough physical assessment, which may cover observation of behavior and posture, palpation of body structures, auscultation of heart and lung sounds, and examination of the skin, eyes, and mucous membranes. Additional diagnostic tools such as thermography, endoscopy, or imaging techniques may be utilized to gather more detailed information. Clinical examination serves as a foundational step in veterinary diagnostics, aiding in the detection and management of diseases or injuries in horses. This page compiles peer-reviewed research studies and scholarly articles that explore methodologies, advancements, and findings related to clinical examination practices in equine medicine.
Webbon PM.The radiography of horses on behalf of a purchaser has become an inevitable part of a veterinarian's work. Radiography should, in theory, pose no more problems than a general clinical examination. In practice, difficulties arise when insufficient or inadequate films are taken or the films are misinterpreted. Radiographs of a diagnostic quality need to be taken and interpreted by a veterinarian who is reasonably well versed in radiological interpretation. Occasionally a lesion will be overlooked or misinterpreted and the radiographs will be retained so that the veterinarian's judgement can be c...
Grodzki K.The receptor theory of the action of catecholamines as well as the synthesis and production of beta-adrenolytics gave new perspectives for the treatment of circulatory diseases and enabled to use the beta-adrenergic blockade in electrocardiographic diagnosis. The aim of this work was to study whether it is possible to modify the oral method of administration used in human beings, into intravenous one, and what an information could be obtained as to actual heart condition after practolol injection. The results can be summarized as follows:--Practolol-Polfa injected intravenously in amounts of 3...
Jeffcott LB.The survey comprised 443 horses, referred to the clinical department of the Equine Research Station, with a history of a thoracolumbar (TL) complaint. A wide range of lesions were capable of producing back problems and more than one condition or site of injury was found in 75 animals (17 per cent). There were 103 horses (19.7 per cent) with no evidence of damage to the TL spine or its associated structures. In 66 of these cases, clinical signs were attributed to a variety of hindlimb lamenesses and, in 37, no specific diagnosis could be made. Soft tissue injury was diagnosed in 203 cases (38.8...
Littlejohn A.Twenty cases of chronic cough originating in the lung and associated with loss of performance were clinically examined. The physical signs observed were compared with those observed in a control series of 38 clinically normal horses. Reduced work tolerance, coughing for more than 3 months and abnormal pulmonary sounds (râles) were primary signs of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Forced abdominal expiratory efforts and pumping of the anus were regarded as confirmatory signs. Neither nasal discharge nor increased marginal distance was found to be a reliable sign of COPD. The mean ...
Hussein KH, Elmeligy E, Khalphallah A, Al-Lethie AA.This study was performed to investigate the effects of cyclopentolate on ultrasonographic parameters of eye structures, intraocular pressure (IOP), tear production, and pupil size in normal donkeys. Sixteen eyes of eight clinically healthy adult donkeys (2-2.5 years old) weighing 295 ± 34 kg (mean ± standard deviation) were used in this study. Cyclopentolate hydrochloride 1% was instilled in a randomly selected eye and the other eye received normal saline drops as a control. The effect of cyclopentolate was evaluated by ultrasonography. Additionally, changes in IOP and tear production were ...
Neuhauser S, Gösele P, Handler J.During the peripartal period, interpretation of basic clinical signs may be challenging. In the present study, heart rate (HR), respiratory rate (RR) and body temperature (BT) were evaluated in healthy mares of different breed types and compared to reference values for adult horses from the literature. Methods: During daily physical exams of periparturient mares, the HR, RR and BT were evaluated. Differences according to the horse's size were investigated and in large breeds, the influence of dystocia or retained placenta was analysed. Results: During the last weeks before parturition (a. p.),...
Stadtbäumer G.Pleural effusion in the horse can be caused by diseases such as pneumonia, trauma, pulmonary abscesses and thoracic neoplasms. Besides clinical (auscultation, percussion) and radiographic diagnostic procedures, the ultrasonic examination represents a method that supplies detailed information on quantity and location of fluid in the pleural space. By means of ultrasonic examination the most favourable position for a thoracentesis can be determined. Control of thoracentesis' efficiency as well as exact supervision of the disease's course are made feasible by repeated sonographic examinations.
Normandeau J.A 16-year-old Quarter Horse was examined and observed to have acute signs of colic, pyrexia, and diarrhea. A nephrosplenic entrapment was detected via rectal palpation and confirmed with abdominal ultrasound. The nephrosplenic entrapment was resolved non-surgically with jogging and anti-inflammatory medication. Concurrent colitis, toxic laminitis, and inappetence were managed and the horse made a full recovery. Correction non chirurgicale d’emprisonnement néphro-splénique et de la colite chez un Quarter Horse. Un Quarter Horse âgé de 16 ans a été examiné et on a observé des signes ai...
Caron JP.Laparoscopic removal of the gonads from male and female horses is regularly performed for a variety of reasons. In female horses, common indications for ovariectomy include behavioral problems and signs of abdominal pain that are linked to estrus. Another indication is an abnormal, enlarged ovary, typically due to ovarian neoplasia, the most common being granulosa thecal cell tumor. Ovariectomy is also a treatment option for ovarian hematomas and other abnormalities. In addition, ovariectomy is used to sterilize mares intended for artificial insemination or embryo transfer programs.
Williams DL, Barnett KC.A thoroughbred colt had bilateral but unequal microphthalmos together with microcornea, abnormalities of the iris and lens and posterior segment colobomas. The case is compared with other reports of microphthalmos and coloboma in horses.
McCoy DJ, Beasley R.Hypercalcemia associated with malignancy was diagnosed in a 2-year-old Thoroughbred filly admitted because of weight loss and reduced exercise tolerance of approximately 2 months' duration. Laboratory findings included hypercalcemia, hypophosphatemia, anemia, marked neutrophilia with lymphopenia and eosinopenia, and normal immunoreactive parathyroid hormone concentration. At necropsy, a 53.6-kg tumor was located in the cranioventral aspect of the abdominal cavity. Gross renal lesions were not noticed. Bone tissue appeared to be normal on gross and histologic examinations. The parathyroid gland...
Jaeschke G, Rudolph R.Clinicopathological aspects of equine leukosis are discussed in a review. Among various other findings, only hypercalcaemia accompanied by paraneoplastic syndrome in the course of equine leukosis, increased values of alkaline phosphatase as usual in tumorous diseases, and hypalbuminaemia and hypergammaglobulinaemia in mesentric and intestinal forms of equine leukosis seem to have some diagnostic and pathogenetic significance. Changed values of further parameters are more or less non-specific concomitant signs, indicating that other organs or organ systems have been affected. However, in case o...
Baker GJ.The objectives of the equine dental physical examination are to detect and quantify oral and dental disorders, to propose and carry out their treatment, and to implement management programs. The veterinarian should be able to offer a prognosis and to detail any future treatment or management plans that may be required. These objectives should take into account the cost of these procedures, and the veterinarian should be prepared to offer a cost-benefit analysis of the problem and the proposed cures.
