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.
Scantlebury CE, Pinchbeck GL, Loughnane P, Aklilu N, Ashine T, Stringer AP, Gordon L, Marshall M, Christley RM, McCarthy AJ.Histoplasma capsulatum var. farciminosum, the causative agent of epizootic lymphangitis (EZL), is endemic in parts of Africa. Diagnosis based on clinical signs and microscopy lacks specificity and is a barrier to further understanding this neglected disease. Here, a nested PCR method targeting the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region of the rRNA operon was validated for application to equine clinical samples. Twenty-nine horses with signs of EZL from different climatic regions of Ethiopia were clinically examined. Blood samples and aspirates of pus from cutaneous nodules were taken, along ...
McGorum BC, Jago RC, Cillan-Garcia E, Pirie RS, Keen JA, Reardon RJM, Saffu PY, Miller NJ.The aetiology of equine grass sickness (EGS) is currently unknown. We hypothesised that an acute deficiency of niacin (vitamin B3), which plays a key role in neural homeostasis, may contribute to neurodegeneration in EGS. Niacin deficiency can potentially result from ingestion of niacin antagonists produced by pasture mycotoxigenic fungi. Objective: To compare the niacin status of EGS and control grazing horses. A secondary objective was to compare blood concentrations of vitamins B1, B2 and B6 in EGS and control grazing horses to determine if the status of these vitamins was altered in EGS. M...
Elce YA, Laverty S, Almeida da Silveira E, Piat P, Trencart P, Ruzickova P, Reardon RJ.To estimate the frequency of undetected perforations in surgical gloves during equine surgery and to identify risk factors associated with occurrence. Methods: Observational cohort study. Methods: Surgical gloves-292 pairs. Methods: Water leak tests were performed on gloves after equine surgery to detect perforations. Fifty pairs of unused gloves were also tested. Potential risk factors were recorded. Logistic regression was used to explore associations between putative risk factors and perforation. Results: No perforations were detected in the unused gloves. Of 292 pairs of used gloves tested...
Caston SS, Schleining JA, Danielson JA, Kersh KD, Reinertson EL.To determine if instruction using simulated small intestine (SSI) is as effective as using cadaveric small intestine to teach the Gambee suture pattern to second year veterinary students. Methods: Prospective, randomized, blinded study. Methods: Second year veterinary students (n=59). Methods: Students were randomly assigned to groups using SSI or equine cadaver small intestine (CSI) to learn the Gambee suture pattern. The same educator, an experienced surgical instructor, instructed all students. Instruction consisted of verbal description of the technique with a schematic diagram followed by...
Fürst A, Galuppo LD, Judy CE, Auer J, Snyder JR.The incidence of fractures after a kick, coupled with marked soft tissue trauma at the site of injury, suggests that the force of a kick from the hind limb of a horse is enormous. The goal of this study was to measure this force and to investigate whether the Tekscan F-SCAN in-shoe pressure measuring system is suitable for quantification of the impact strength of a kick from a horse. The system was tested in 6 horses that had undergone clinical examination and gait analysis. The sensor-shoe combination was attached to each hind foot and the horse was stimulated to kick against a wall. The F-SC...
Ueno TE, Costa FB, Moraes-Filho J, Agostinho WC, Fernandes WR, Labruna MB.Rickettsia rickettsii is vectored by ticks, and some vertebrate hosts can be sources of infection to ticks during bacteremic periods. In Brazil, the main vector for R. rickettsii is the tick Amblyomma sculptum, a member of the A. cajennense complex. Horses, in turn, are one of the major hosts for A. sculptum. In this study, horses experimentally infected with R. rickettsii were assessed for clinical changes and their capability to transmit the infection to A. sculptum ticks. Four horses were infected with R. rickettsii through either intraperitoneal injection or infestation with R. rickettsii-...
Troillet A, Böttcher D, Brehm W, Scharner D.To describe the presentation, presurgical diagnostic findings, treatment, and outcome of horses with histologically confirmed, unilateral thyroid neoplasia. The complications, particularly laryngeal hemiplegia, were investigated. Retrospective case series. Client-owned horses (n=14). Medical records of horses presenting with a unilateral thyroid mass due to neoplasia from 2003-2015 were reviewed. Horses must have undergone preoperative clinical evaluations that included ultrasound examination of the mass and upper airway endoscopy. Short-term follow-up at 2 weeks after surgery and owner questi...
Trela JM, Dechant JE, Culp WT, Whitcomb MB, Palm CA, Nieto JE.To describe the successful management of a urethral stricture with an absorbable stent in a stallion. Methods: Clinical report. Methods: Stallion with a urethral stricture. Results: A 12-year-old Thoroughbred breeding stallion was evaluated for acute onset of colic. Uroperitoneum because of presumptive urinary bladder rupture, with urethral obstruction by a urethrolith, was diagnosed. The uroperitoneum was treated conservatively. The urethrolith was removed through a perineal urethrotomy. Approximately 15 weeks after urethrolith removal, the stallion presented with a urethral stricture. The st...
Borkent D, Reardon RJM, McLachlan G, Smith S, Dixon PM.Equine peripheral caries (PC) is an increasingly recognised disorder that causes premature wear of teeth and dental fractures and thus has major welfare implications. Little information is available on its prevalence or severity in UK horses and there are no proven associations with any risk factors. Objective: To document the prevalence of PC over a wide area of the UK, assess its intraoral distribution and severity in affected horses and examine for potential risk factors for its development. Methods: Cross sectional study. Methods: Experienced personnel were recruited for a UK wide dental s...
Versnaeyen H, Saey V, Vermeiren D, Chiers K, Ducatelle R.A 7-year-old warmblood mare showed sudden onset of mild intermittent haemoptysis. Clinical examination revealed no significant abnormalities. Haematological examination showed mild anaemia, hypoalbuminaemia and neutrophilia. Coagulation tests were normal. Endoscopic examination revealed unilateral pulmonary haemorrhage with blood clots in the bronchi and trachea. Treatment with antibiotics was started and the horse was given stable rest. Two weeks later, the horse was found dead with blood and frothy sputum leaking from the nostrils. Post-mortem examination revealed a large thoracic aortic ane...
Antunes FN, Pinho ASD, Kleiner AFR, Salazar AP, Eltz GD, de Oliveira Junior AA, Cechetti F, Galli M, Pagnussat AS.Hippotherapy is often carried out for the rehabilitation of children with Cerebral Palsy (CP), with the horse riding at a walking pace. This study aimed to explore the immediate effects of a hippotherapy protocol using a walk-trot pace on spatio-temporal gait parameters and muscle tone in children with Bilateral Spastic CP (BS-CP). Ten children diagnosed with BS-CP and 10 healthy aged-matched children (reference group) took part in this study. The children with BS-CP underwent two sessions of hippotherapy for one week of washout between them. Two protocols (lasting 30min) were applied on separ...
Finno CJ, Kaese HJ, Miller AD, Gianino G, Divers T, Valberg SJ.A pigment retinopathy has been reported in adult horses with equine motor neuron disease (EMND) arising from chronic α-tocopherol (α-TP) deficiency. A pigment retinopathy has not been identified in horses with neuroaxonal dystrophy/equine degenerative myeloencephalopathy (NAD/EDM) that affects genetically susceptible young horses with α-TP deficiency. The objective of this report is to describe, for the first time, a pigment retinopathy in a family of α-TP-deficient Warmbloods (WB) with clinically apparent NAD/EDM or EMND. Unassigned: Twenty-five WB horses from one farm underwent complete ...
Dalla Costa E, Stucke D, Dai F, Minero M, Leach MC, Lebelt D.Acute laminitis is a common equine disease characterized by intense foot pain, both acutely and chronically. The Obel grading system is the most widely accepted method for describing the severity of laminitis by equine practitioners, however this method requires movement (walk and trot) of the horse, causing further intense pain. The recently developed Horse Grimace Scale (HGS), a facial-expression-based pain coding system, may offer a more effective means of assessing the pain associated with acute laminitis. The aims of this study were: to investigate whether HGS can be usefully applied to a...
Canada NC, Beard WL, Guyan ME, White BJ.Currently, there is no objective information quantifying pressures exerted by distal limb bandages. Objective: To quantify the pressure exerted by each compression layer, a polo wrap (DLP), a compression bandage (DLC), and to measure the effect of time on sub-bandage pressure. Methods: Longitudinal observational experiment. Methods: A DLC construct included a cotton roll compressed with brown gauze and elastic layers and the DLP construct included a pillow pad compressed by a cloth wrap. Dorsal and lateral sensors were placed on the mid-metacarpus. In healthy horses, sub-bandage pressures were...
Williams LB, Co C, Koenig JB, Tse C, Lindsay E, Koch TG.Equine mesenchymal stromal cells (MSC) are commonly transported, chilled or frozen, to veterinary clinics. These MSC must remain viable and minimally affected by culture, transport, or injection processes. The safety of two carrier solutions developed for optimal viability and excipient use were evaluated in ponies, with and without allogeneic cord blood-derived (CB) MSC. We hypothesized that neither the carrier solutions nor CB-MSC would elicit measurable changes in clinical, hematological, or biochemical parameters. In nine ponies (study 1), a bolus of HypoThermosol(®) FRS (HTS-FRS), CryoSt...
Hirano F, Imamura S, Sasaki Y, Takikawa N, Sawata A, Yamamoto A, Uchiyama M, Shimazaki Y, Kojima A, Nagai H.To establish the first National Veterinary Assay Laboratory (NVAL) equine tetanus antitoxin reference standard for veterinary use, we manufactured vials of a candidate antitoxin. These were quality tested for moisture content, vacuum, colour, clarity, and the presence of foreign objects. Ultimately, 115 quality-controlled vials were prepared. To estimate the antitoxin potency of the candidate standard, three different laboratories conducted parallel line assays alongside the existing antitoxin standard. These potency estimates ranged from 38 to 42 IU. This activity was maintained for two years...
Herbig LE, Köhler L, Eule JC.The aim was to describe the use of the DUB®-SkinScanner v3.9 (taberna pro medicum GmbH, Lueneburg, Germany) for the examination of the equine cornea. Methods: Using the DUB®-SkinScanner v3.9 various pathological corneal conditions were pictured in the A- and B-mode at a frequency of 22 and/or 50 MHz in nine eyes of eight horses. Scans were obtained from standing horses or from horses under general anesthesia non-related to image acquisition. Results: The examination allowed real time imaging and measurement of the equine cornea in vivo. Compared to slit-lamp biomicroscopy additional informa...
Pihl TH, Scheepers E, Sanz M, Goddard A, Page P, Toft N, Kjelgaard-Hansen M, Andersen PH, Jacobsen S.To investigate the diagnostic potential of the concentrations of acute-phase proteins serum amyloid A (SAA), haptoglobin (Hp), and fibrinogen in blood and peritoneal fluid (PF) for differentiating horses with inflammatory colic (entero-colitis and peritonitis) from those with surgical colic. Methods: Prospective observational multicenter study. Methods: Two university referral hospitals. Methods: Horses referred for severe acute abdominal pain to Hospital 1 (n = 148) or Hospital 2 (n = 78). Methods: Blood and PF samples collected at admission were used for acute-phase protein concentration...
Shrauner B, Blikslager A, Davis J, Campbell N, Law M, Lustgarten M, Prange T.The large size of the adult horse prevents the use of advanced imaging modalities in most areas of the axial skeleton, including the lumbosacral vertebral column. Traditional imaging techniques are frequently unable to pinpoint the underlying pathology in horses with caudal back pain. In man, lumbosacral epiduroscopy is used to diagnose and treat subjects with chronic back and leg pain. This technique may close the diagnostic gap in horses with similar clinical signs. Objective: To evaluate the safety and feasibility of lumbosacral epiduroscopy in the standing adult horse. Methods: Descriptive...
Garvican ER, Wylie CE, Payne RJ, Smith RK, Head MJ.To document the clinical presentation, diagnosis, and surgical treatment of mineralization of the equine palmar/plantar annular ligament (PAL). Methods: Retrospective study. Methods: Ponies (n=7). Methods: Case records from 2 referral hospitals were examined to identify cases with lameness associated with PAL mineralization treated surgically. Follow-up information was obtained from the owners by telephone questionnaire. Results: Duration of lameness before referral ranged from 5 weeks to 6 months, and degree of lameness from grade 1 to 5 out of 10. In 3 cases, records noted obvious pain when ...
Katila T.This review suggests a classification for uterine diseases of mares. Information is presented on the prevalence of endometritis in the past and at present. The review describes uterine sampling techniques for mares: swabbing, cytobrushing, low volume lavage and biopsy. The performance of culture, cytology and histology and threshold values is discussed. Correlations between different diagnostic methods and fertility are presented, as well as specificities, sensitivities and positive and negative predictive values of the diagnostic methods. The necessity for double-guarded techniques is emphasi...
McConaghy FF, Green LA, Colgan S, Morris LH.To investigate the efficacy and safety of the long-acting altrenogest injection (NV Readyserve® injection) for horses. Methods: A single-dose pharmacokinetic (PK) study was conducted. The in vivo efficacy study was a blinded, repeated measures design evaluating behaviour scores. The safety study was a non-blinded, controlled, parallel-group, randomised-block design as per the VICH protocol. Methods: In the PK study, serial blood samples were obtained for analysis of plasma altrenogest for 150 h following the injection and a non-compartmental PK analysis was performed. For the efficacy study, ...
Malalana F.Ocular abnormalities are a common finding in aged horses. Although these seldom cause overt visual deficits detected by their owners, they can be a source of chronic or acute discomfort so early detection, and treatment when available, is essential. Some of these abnormalities are specific to old horses, whereas others are a result of ongoing disease or inflammation that started earlier in life but that becomes more evident when the damage sustained to the eye is advanced. If vision is significantly affected, consideration of human safety and animal welfare is paramount.
Bodaan CJ, Riley CB, Engeli E.The objectives of this study were to evaluate the likelihood of successful arthrocentesis of the equine elbow joint using the caudolateral approach and to determine if the deep branch of the radial nerve (DBRN) varies in its proximity to the site of centesis. Methylene blue (MB) was injected into 71 elbow joint specimens immediately caudal to the lateral collateral ligament using a 3.8-cm needle advanced to its hub. The elbow joints were dissected, staining of the synovial structures assessed and the proximity of DBRN to the site of centesis evaluated. The articular cartilage of all 71 joints ...
Léguillette R, Steinmann M, Bond SL, Stanton B.Poor performance is often suspected to be associated with EIPH in barrel racing horses; however, there are no published reports of EIPH for this discipline. The prevalence of EIPH in barrel racing horses is also unknown. Objective: This study was performed to determine the prevalence of EIPH and signs of airway inflammation in barrel racing horses under normal racing conditions in Alberta. Methods: About 170 barrel racing horses. Methods: Observational cross-sectional study. Tracheobronchoscopic examinations were performed at least 30 minutes postrace. Video recordings were scored off-site ind...
Torres BT, Dover RK, Sapora JA, Sandberg GS, Budsberg SC.To document the publication rate of abstracts presented at 10 ACVS conferences and report the time required for publication and level of evidence. Methods: Literature review. Methods: All scientific abstracts published in the ACVS proceedings from 2001 to 2010 were reviewed. The level of evidence of each abstract was evaluated and scored (1-4). Publication information was determined after a broad bibliographic search through multiple online databases. Results: The overall publication rate for ACVS abstracts (n=1,395) was 66% and 11% were published before conference presentation. The majority o...
Duran MC, Starrak G, Dickinson R, Montgomery J.After physical examination, ultrasonographic evaluation of thorax and abdomen, and peritoneal fluid analysis, gastrointestinal neoplasia with suspected diffuse peritoneal metastasis was diagnosed in a 17-year-old Arabian gelding. The owner elected euthanasia and declined postmortem examination. Immunocytochemistry analysis of the peritoneal fluid resulted in a diagnosis of B-cell lymphoma. Immunocytochimie du liquide péritonéal utilisée pour le diagnostic d’un cas possible de lymphome gastro-intestinal à cellules B. Après un examen physique, une évaluation échographique du thorax et d...
Casey MB, Tremaine WH.With the advent of detailed oral examination in horses using dental mirrors and rigid endoscopy, secondary dentinal lesions are observed more frequently. More information regarding the association of secondary dentinal defects with apical dental disease would improve the sensitivity of oral examination as a diagnostic aid for pulpitis. Objective: To assess prevalence and severity of secondary dentinal defects observed on examination of occlusal surfaces of cheek teeth (CT) from horses showing clinical signs of pulpitis compared to asymptomatic controls. Methods: Records from all cases of equin...
de la Concha-Bermejillo A, Kennedy PC.A retrospective analysis was made of 79 endometrial biopsy specimens obtained from mares with histories of infertility. The specimens were classified into 3 standard prognostic categories, according to the severity of the histologic changes. The 36 mares that had few endometrial lesions (category I) had a foaling rate of 78%. The 29 mares that had more severe endometrial changes (category II) had a foaling rate of 55%. The 14 mares with the most severe endometrial lesions (category III) had a foaling rate of 35%. The pregnancy losses for each category were 9.7%, 23.8%, and 44.4%, respectively....
Kloock T, Pickles KJ, Roberts V, Uhlendorf F, Twele L, Wilkens HL, Stehle E, Feige K, Niebuhr T.In horses with trigeminal-mediated headshaking (TMHS), clinical signs are likely to be expression of neuropathic facial pain. Currently, subjective assessment of disease severity is used as measure of compromise of animal's welfare. Objective: To develop and validate a precise scoring system for TMHS: History, Rest and Exercise Score (HRE-S). The HRE-S consists of three subscores: history score (H-S), resting score (R-S) and exercise score (E-S). Methods: Retrospective observational study. Methods: Seven masked observers with different experience used HRE-S to score 40 video recordings taken d...
Spadavecchia C, Andersen OK, Arendt-Nielsen L, Spadavecchia L, Doherr M, Schatzmann U.To investigate whether facilitation of the nociceptive withdrawal reflex (NWR) can be evoked and quantified as a measure of temporal summation from the distal aspect of the left forelimb and hind limb in standing nonsedated horses via repeated stimulations of various subthreshold intensities and frequencies. Methods: 10 adult horses. Methods: Surface electromyographic activity evoked by stimulation of the digital palmar and plantar nerves was recorded from the common digital extensor and cranial tibial muscles. For each horse, the NWR threshold intensity to a single stimulus was determined for...
Viesselmann LC, Flatland B, Stokol T, Sisson S, Schaefer DMW.Accurate erythrocyte measurements with ADVIA hematology analyzers require isovolumetric cell sphering in one reaction and hemolysis in another. However, camelid erythrocytes are resistant to sphering and osmotic lysis, and no published evaluation of ADVIA methods for camelids exists. Objective: The objectives were to demonstrate whether camelid erythrocytes sphere in the ADVIA red blood cell/platelet (RBC/PLT) reagent and lyse in the ADVIA cyanide HGB reagent, and to determine optimal ADVIA settings for camelids. Methods: Camelid and canine blood were diluted to 1:625 in RBC/PLT reagent and ev...
Grubb TL, Kurkowski D, Sellon DC, Seino KK, Coffey T, Davis JL.Buprenorphine is absorbed following sublingual administration, which would be a low-stress delivery route in foals. However, the pharmacokinetics/pharmacodynamics are not described in foals. Six healthy foals <21 days of age participated in a blinded, randomized, 3-period, 5-sequence, 3-treatment crossover prospective study. Foals received 0.01-0.02 mg/kg buprenorphine administered SL or IV with an equivalent volume of saline administered by the opposite route. Blood was collected from the cephalic vein for pharmacokinetic analysis. Physiologic parameters (HR, RR, body temperature, GI sou...
Ibrahim HMM, El-Ashker MR.The present study aimed to provide reference ranges for the wall thickness and motility pattern of the gastrointestinal tract from a sample of donkeys (Equus asinus) population using B-mode ultrasonography. In the present study, 30 clinically healthy donkeys (Equus asinus) (15 males and 15 females), aged 2-20 year old and weighed 100-280 kg were randomly selected for B-mode ultrasonographic scanning of the abdomen. The wall thickness of the stomach, duodenum, jejunum, left colon, right colon, and cecum was assessed. Moreover, the motility pattern of the duodenum, jejunum, left colon, right c...
Colgan SA, Hecker AT, Kirker-Head CA, Hayes WC.To determine risk of failure of the Synthes 4.5-mm cannulated screw system instrumentation in equine bone and to compare its application with the Synthes 4.5-mm standard cortex screw system. Methods: The maximum insertion torque of the cannulated and standard cortex screw systems were compared with the ultimate torsional strengths of the equipment. Pullout strength and ultimate tensile load of cannulated and standard cortex screws were also determined. Methods: Paired equine cadaver third metacarpal and third carpal bones. Methods: Maximum insertion torque and ultimate torsional strengths were...
Pozor M.Although ultrasound evaluation of the reproductive tract of stallions was introduced to veterinary practice long ago, this examination is not always conducted during routine breeding soundness evaluation. The objective of this study was to investigate the clinical relevance of routine ultrasound evaluation of the stallion's reproductive tract. Breeding soundness evaluation of 113 stallions was performed, including ultrasonography of external and internal genitalia. Various pathological conditions were detected using this technique, with the most frequent being varicocele, thickened vaginal tun...
Rijckaert J, Raes E, Buczinski S, Dumoulin M, Deprez P, Van Ham L, van Loon G, Pardon B.Spinal cord dysfunction/compression and ataxia are common in horses. Presumptive diagnosis is most commonly based on neurological examination and cervical radiography, but the interest into the diagnostic value of transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) with recording of magnetic motor evoked potentials has increased. The problem for the evaluation of diagnostic tests for spinal cord dysfunction is the absence of a gold standard in the living animal. Objective: To compare diagnostic accuracy of TMS, cervical radiography, and neurological examination. Methods: One hundred seventy-four horses ad...
Dixon PM, Railton DI, McGorum BC.Three-hundred adult horses, referred from 1990 to 1993 inclusively, for pulmonary examination were assessed using standardised history taking and clinical, intrapleural pressure, arterial blood gases and pH, bronchoscopic and tracheal and broncho-alveolar lavage fluid (BALF) cytological examinations. Two-hundred and thirty-five cases were referred with overt signs of pulmonary disease and the remaining 65 cases were referred for pulmonary examination because of reduced exercise (usually racing) performance or prolonged dyspnoea after racing. No pulmonary disease was detected in 30 cases. The 2...
Judy CE, Galuppo LD, Snyder JR, Willits NH.To develop an objective, accurate method for quantifying forelimb ground reaction forces in horses by adapting a human in-shoe pressure measurement system and determine the reliability of the system for shod and unshod horses. Methods: 6 adult Thoroughbreds. Methods: Horses were instrumented with a human in-shoe pressure measurement system and evaluated at a trot (3 m/s) on a motorized treadmill. Maximum force, stance time, and peak contact area were evaluated for shod and unshod horses. Three trials were performed for shod and unshod horses, and differences in the measured values were examine...
Kos VK, Kramaric P, Brloznik M.The objective of this prospective case-control study of 125 horses with gastrointestinal tract-induced colic was to determine whether heart rate (HR) and packed cell volume (PCV) can predict surgical medical treatment and its short-term survival (time of discharge of the patient). Sixty-four horses were treated medically and 61 surgically (29 small intestinal and 32 large intestinal cases). At admission, both PCV and HR were higher in horses treated surgically than in horses treated medically; however, with longer duration of colic before presentation, the PCV was higher in the small intestin...
Curran JM, Sutherland RJ, Peet RL.To evaluate various biochemical tests as indicators of subclinical liver disease in horses exposed to pyrrolizidine alkaloid toxicosis. Methods: A clinical pathology field study. Methods: Twenty-two clinically normal horses from four properties in the Kimberley region of Western Australia. Methods: Serum samples from each horse were assayed for gamma glutamyltransferase, alkaline phosphatase and aspartate aminotransferase activities, and for serum bile acid concentration, albumin and total protein. Serum protein electrophoresis was performed and their amino acid profiles determined. Bromosulph...
Cawdell-Smith AJ, Todhunter KH, Perkins NR, Bryden WL.Equine amnionitis and fetal loss (EAFL) is an unusual form of abortion in mid- to late-gestation mares, first identified in Australia in 2004. It has been shown that both whole processionary caterpillars (Ochrogaster lunifer) and their shed exoskeletons can induce abortion in mares during midgestation. These abortions exhibited gross pathology and bacteriology results consistent with field cases of EAFL. Objective: To determine whether exposure of mares to the shed exoskeletons of processionary caterpillars can induce abortion in the preplacentation (<35 days' gestation) and early plac...
Doucet MY, Vrins AA, Dionne R, Alva R, Ericsson G.The efficacy of a paste formulation of the H+, K+, -ATPase inhibitor omeprazole was evaluated in standardbred racehorses for the treatment and prevention of gastric ulcers. Twenty standardbred racehorses in training, aged 2 to 9 years, were enrolled from 2 training centres in this field trial. Endoscopic examinations confirmed the presence of gastric ulcers in all horses, prior to allocation and treatment and on day 0. Lesions were scored on a scale of 0 to 3 (intact epithelium to extensive ulceration). Replicates were formed, based on training level and location. Within replicates, 1 horse wa...
Palmer SE.Ten clinically healthy adult horses were examined with the portable infrared thermometer at ambient temperatures of 5, 15, and 25 C to evaluate the thermal response of limbs of the horse to variations of ambient temperature. Limb surface temperature varied in direct proportion to changes in the ambient temperature, with considerable variation occurring among individual horses, especially at the lower temperatures. Areas of proximal parts of the limbs were more resistant to temperature variation than were distal parts. Ambient temperature had a statistically significant, but clinically unimport...
Journée SL, Journée HL, de Bruijn CM, Delesalle CJG.There are indications that transcranial electrical stimulation (TES) assesses the motor function of the spinal cord in horses in a more sensitive and reproducible fashion than transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS). However, no normative data of TES evoked motor potentials (MEP) is available. Results: In this prospective study normative data of TES induced MEP wave characteristics (motor latency times (MLT); amplitude and waveform) was obtained from the extensor carpi radialis (ECR) and tibial cranialis (TC) muscles in a group of healthy horses to create a reference frame for functional diagn...
Hassel DM, Smith PA, Nieto JE, Beldomenico P, Spier SJ.The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of a commercially available di-tri-octahedral (DTO) smectite product on clinical signs and prevalence of post-operative diarrhea in horses with colic associated with disease of the large intestine. Sixty-seven horses with surgical disease of the large intestine were randomly assigned to be treated with DTO smectite (n=37; 0.5 kg via nasogastric intubation every 24 h for 3 days post-operatively) or a placebo (n=30). The effect of treatment on fecal scores and clinical and hematological parameters, including heart rate, mucous membrane color, tem...
Wylie CE, Shaw DJ, Verheyen KL, Newton JR.The objective of this cross-sectional study was to compare the prevalence of selected clinical signs in laminitis cases and non-laminitic but lame controls to evaluate their capability to discriminate laminitis from other causes of lameness. Participating veterinary practitioners completed a checklist of laminitis-associated clinical signs identified by literature review. Cases were defined as horses/ponies with veterinary-diagnosed, clinically apparent laminitis; controls were horses/ponies with any lameness other than laminitis. Associations were tested by logistic regression with adjusted o...
Ehrhardt EE, Lowe JE.The reliability of abdominal auscultation was investigated via an observer variation study. Clinicians listened to a variety of minute-long equine gut sound recordings. They evaluated the amount of gut sounds as 'absent', 'decreased', 'normal', or 'increased'. They subsequently evaluated the same recordings replayed in a different order. Intra- and inter-observer agreement was measured by the statistic kappa. There was significant intra-observer (kappa 0.57) agreement, but less agreement between observers (kappa 0.37). The best agreement was on the classification of sound tracks as 'absent' (i...
Gy C, Leclere M, Bélanger MC, Allano M, Beauchamp G, Lavoie JP.Monensin is highly toxic to horses and inadvertent ingestion can result in cardiac injury and death. Objective: To describe sequelae of monensin ingestion and to determine clinical predictors of outcome. Methods: Observational clinical study. Methods: Physical examination, electrocardiogram and echocardiography were performed on 76 horses accidentally exposed to monensin-contaminated feed. Four horses were examined within 14 days of exposure (acute period), 29 horses were examined between 15 and 45 days post-exposure (subacute period) and 70 horses were examined 4-10 months after exposure ...
Vezzosi T, Vitale V, Sgorbini M, Tognetti R, Bonelli F.Continuous electrocardiography (ECG) monitoring is the gold standard for diagnosing arrhythmias that occur intermittently or under exercise. The aim of this study was to compare two different methods for 24-hour Holter monitoring in horses, a 7-electrode system (7-ES) versus a 4-electrode system (4-ES), assessing the recording performance at rest and during exercise. Six standardbred horses were included in the present prospective study. Two different methods for 24-hour Holter monitoring were used in each horse with a washout period of one week between each recording method. In the first 15 ...
Verdegaal EJMM, Delesalle C, Caraguel CGB, Folwell LE, McWhorter TJ, Howarth GS, Franklin SH.OBJECTIVE To evaluate use of a telemetric gastrointestinal (GI) pill to continuously monitor GI temperature in horses at rest and during exercise and to compare time profiles of GI temperature and rectal temperature. ANIMALS 8 Standardbred horses. PROCEDURES Accuracy and precision of the GI pill and a rectal probe were determined in vitro by comparing temperature measurements with values obtained by a certified resistance temperature detector (RTD) in water baths at various temperatures (37°, 39°, and 41°C). Subsequently, both GI and rectal temperature were recorded in vivo in 8 horses over...
VanderBroek AR, Reef VB, Aitken MR, Stefanovski D, Southwood LL.Auscultation and ultrasonography are noninvasive techniques used to assess gastrointestinal motility in horses. Recently, noninvasive acoustic gastrointestinal surveillance (AGIS) biosensors evaluating intestinal motility have been validated in humans. Objective: To compare AGIS to auscultation and ultrasonography for detecting decreased motility after xylazine administration. Methods: Randomised, blinded, controlled cross-over proof of principle study. Methods: Six healthy horses were evaluated under fasted and nonfasted conditions and randomly assigned to receive treatment with 0.4 mg/kg xyl...
Teixeira-Soares CM, Viana AGA, Ribeiro IM, Silva KDP, Sancler-Silva YFR, Machado-Neves M.Endometritis is a relevant cause of subfertility in mares. However, the accurate diagnosis, essential for effective treatment, can be difficult due to the variability of results and interpretations resulting from different examination methods and sample collection techniques. The present work compared gynecological evaluation methods and sample collection techniques to diagnose endometritis in subfertile mares. Forty animals with a history of subfertility were selected for gynecological evaluation using clinical methodologies, such as perineal conformation, transrectal palpation and ultrasonog...
Jeffcott LB.This article is presented as an introduction to the complex subject of back pain and its management in horses. It considers some of the historical perspectives and deals with some of the limiting factors when attempting to evaluate back pain. The clinical indications of a back problem are considered, as is the important distinction of primary versus secondary back pain. Finally, a list of considerations capable of causing back pain and impaired performance is included.
Van Steenkiste G, Carlson J, Decloedt A, Vera L, Buhl R, Platonov PG, van Loon G.To compare the atrial fibrillatory rate (AFR) derived from a local right atrial intracardiac recording (RA-FR) and from a single-lead surface electrocardiogram (ECG) during atrial fibrillation (AF) and to evaluate the correlation with transvenous electrical cardioversion (TVEC) threshold (in Joules), number of shocks and cardioversion success rate in horses. Methods: ECGs and clinical records of horses with AF treated by TVEC. Horses were included if a simultaneous recording of the right atrial intracardiac electrogram and a modified base-apex ECG were available. Methods: Clinical records of h...
de Linde Henriksen M, Brooks DE.Standing ophthalmic surgery without general anesthesia allows for several routine ophthalmic procedures including eyelid lacerations and enucleations to be performed in the horse, but does contain increased risk of causing tissue damage arising from the inability to eliminate eye and head movements. Heavy sedation and local nerve blocks of the involved motor and sensory nerves are essential in achieving a good outcome from ophthalmic surgery in the nonanesthetized horse. The inability to use an operating microscope in standing surgery in horses prevents performing precise corneal and intraocul...
Bell C, Tatarniuk D, Carmalt J.To describe and evaluate an endoscope-guided balloon sinuplasty technique for dilation of the equine nasomaxillary opening (NMO). Methods: Experimental study. Methods: Equine cadaver heads (n=5); Quarter Horses (n=4). Methods: A custom rigid balloon introducer was passed into position within the NMO at the caudal recess of the middle meatus. Under endoscopic guidance, a balloon catheter was passed via the introducer into the NMO and inflated to 6 atmospheres, for 30 seconds 3 times, to dilate the NMO. Drainage rates after sinuplasty were evaluated for the caudal maxillary sinus in 5 cadaver he...
