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Topic:Clinical Findings
Clinical findings in horses encompass a range of observable signs and symptoms identified during veterinary examinations that contribute to diagnosing and managing equine health conditions. These findings can include physical observations, such as changes in behavior, posture, or gait, as well as physiological measurements like heart rate, respiratory rate, and temperature. Diagnostics may also involve laboratory tests, imaging, and other diagnostic procedures to assess organ function and detect abnormalities. Recognizing and interpreting clinical findings are essential components of veterinary practice, aiding in the identification of diseases, monitoring treatment progress, and guiding therapeutic interventions. This page brings together peer-reviewed research studies and scholarly articles that explore the methodologies, interpretations, and implications of clinical findings in the context of equine health care.
Use of dressings and bandages in equine wound management. The use and aims of various wound dressings are discussed. Application and indications in the horse vary according to the type and location of the wound as well as the nature and availability of the dressing material. Coaptation and immobilization are essential to promote healing in certain locations. Techniques used for bandage application in horses are described, with special emphasis on problem areas.
The pathophysiology of wound repair. The equine practitioner who is presented with a wounded horse should fully understand the physiologic mechanisms involved in repair so as to design an appropriate treatment plan. In the following articles of this issue,experienced authors share their thoughts on the management of specific injuries, and the reader should benefit from acquisition of knowledge about the different phases of healing as well as the cytokines that regulate them,because these data dictate the approach to follow, particularly in com-plicated wounds, such as those afflicted by chronic inflammation and/or an excessive pr...
Microbiologic and pathologic findings in an epidemic of equine pericarditis. During the spring and summer of 2001 and in association with the mare reproductive loss syndrome, 22 terminal and 12 clinical cases of equine pericarditis were diagnosed in central Kentucky. Actinobacillus species were the principal isolates from 8 of 10 nontreated, terminally affected and 3 of 10 clinically affected horses. Enterococcus faecalis and Streptococcus zooepidemicus were cultured from the remaining 2 nontreated terminal cases. No viruses were isolated in tissue culture. Nucleic acid of equine herpesvirus-2 was detected in pericardial and tracheal wash fluids of 3 and 1 individuals,...
The effects of automated plasmapheresis on clinical, haematological, biochemical and coagulation variables in horses. The goal of this study was to determine the effects of plasmapheresis on the behaviour, general condition, haematological, biochemical and coagulation variables of donor horses for 32 days following the procedure. Twenty millilitres of plasma/kg body weight were collected via plasmapheresis in six clinically healthy horses. The general behaviour and condition of the horses was not affected by the procedure. During plasmapheresis, there was a mild increase in the haematocrit, haemoglobin concentration and total erythrocyte and leucocyte counts (P < 0.01). The mean concentrations of total pro...
Behavior and misbehavior of the horse. For decades after the discipline of psychiatry had been established as an accepted specialty, many medical schools continued to fail to train their students in the fundamentals of this discipline. Medical students all have at least cursory exposure to psychiatric principles and basic psychology. Unfortunately, the veterinary profession has lagged behind human medicine in this regard. Until recently, veterinary students received no training in animal behavior, and there were no available residencies within our schools for developing board-certified behavioral specialists.
Look before you leap. Learning to critically evaluate therapeutic claims is vital to the success of the practicing veterinarian and the veterinary profession as a whole. Until such time as good scientific data in support of therapies are obtained, veterinarians should be careful in their advocacy and employment of new and unproved practices. They should also be aware of the many reasons why therapeutic "success" may be the result of a variety of factors unrelated to the treatment modality itself. Only by relying on rigorous standards of evidence can equine veterinarians prevent a return to the sincere but misguided...
Practice management software for the equine practitioner. Practice management software benefits the equine practitioner in many ways. Ready access to patient records, rapid entry and lookup of clinical findings, easy invoicing and monitoring of revenues, inventory management, rapid search and sorting of data, reminder and recall maintenance, and integrated word processing are just some of the software functions that assist the successful practitioner. Computer use in veterinary practice may have seemed to many to be a gimmick at one time. Now that computers have become a part of our everyday life, it is clear that they can be an essential component o...
[A horse with a badly-healing wound? A case report]. A 14-year-old Haflinger mare was presented with a wound on the right metatarsus which it had sustained 3 years earlier. The wound had never completely healed but had only recently become a problem. Over a period of several months, the wound became larger, produced a lot of exudate, and the horse became lame on the affected limb. Clinical examination and radiographs failed to reveal the cause of the deterioration. Histological evaluation of tissue removed during debridement of the wound revealed squamous cell carcinoma. Because the tumour had already invaded the bone, the prognosis was unfavour...
Effects of cyclooxygenase inhibitors flunixin and deracoxib on permeability of ischaemic-injured equine jejunum. Recent studies have shown that flunixin prevented recovery of equine jejunum post ischaemia. However, the use of a purported cyclooxygenase (COX)-2 preferential inhibitor, etodolac, also prevented recovery. These findings may have implications for the use of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs in colic patients. Objective: To compare the effects of deracoxib, a highly selective canine COX-2 inhibitor, with flunixin on in vitro recovery of ischaemic-injured equine jejunum. Methods: Six horses underwent 2 h jejunal ischaemia, after which mucosa was mounted in Ussing chambers and recovered for 2...
Arterial lactate concentration, hospital survival, sepsis and SIRS in critically ill neonatal foals. Blood lactate concentration has been shown to be a useful clinical indicator in human patients, but has not been formally investigated in critically ill foals. Objective: To investigate the association of blood lactate with hospital survival, markers of cardiovascular status, metabolic acid base status, sepsis and systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS). Methods: A database containing clinical, haematological, plasma biochemical and hospital outcome data on neonatal foals referred to an intensive care unit in 2000-2001 was analysed. Seventy-two foals for which arterial lactate was measu...
Colorectal distention in the horse: visceral sensitivity, rectal compliance and effect of i.v. xylazine or intrarectal lidocaine. Most current models of visceral sensitivity testing in the horse have required visceral cannulation. Colorectal distention (CRD) is a widely used, noninvasive method for testing in other species and could be adapted for use in horses. Objective: To develop a protocol of controlled CRD in the conscious horse and to evaluate the effect of i.v. xylazine or intrarectal lidocaine on CRD threshold and rectal compliance. Methods: Eight horses were used for baseline studies (3 trials each) and 6 horses to evaluate treatments (4 trials, 2 per treatment). A 45 cm diameter polyvinyl balloon attached to p...
SNARE proteins and caveolin-1 in stallion spermatozoa: possible implications for fertility. Proteins implicated in the "SNARE hypothesis" for membrane fusion have been characterized in the acrosome of several mammalian species, and a functional role for these proteins during the acrosome reaction has been proposed. We have investigated the presence of SNAREs in equine sperm, using semen samples obtained from stallions with varying fertility. Immunocytochemical analysis revealed that members of different SNARE families can be detected on the acrosome of equine sperm, notably in the acrosomal cap and equatorial segment. These proteins include the t-SNARE syntaxin, the v-SNARE synaptobr...
Entrapment of the small intestine in the epiploic foramen in horses: a retrospective analysis of 71 cases recorded between 1991 and 2001. The clinical features of 71 cases in 70 horses in which part of the small intestine became entrapped in the epiploic foramen are described. The horses' sex, age and breed, the month during which they were affected, and whether they exhibited stereotypic behaviour were compared with the same variables in 1279 horses which suffered other types of surgical colic during the same period. Thoroughbred and thoroughbred cross horses were over-represented among the 70 affected horses. There was no age or sex predilection. Fifty-five (77.5 per cent) of the cases occurred between October and March and 15...
Unilateral nephrectomy as a treatment for renal trauma in a foal. A 2-day-old Warmblood colt foal was referred for evaluation of progressive abdominal distension and lethargy. Haemoperitoneum was diagnosed and a ventral midline laparotomy revealed capsular rupture, sub capsular haematoma and haemorrhage of the left kidney. Unilateral nephrectomy was performed and the foal recovered uneventfully, with no reported complications 1 year later.
Unusual vascular ring anomaly in a foal. A 2.5-month-old filly was presented with signs of esophageal obstruction. The filly was euthanized and postmortem examination revealed a vascular ring anomaly. The vascular ring anomaly was not caused by a persistent right aortic arch, which is the only vascular ring anomaly reported to occur in horses. Une pouliche de 2 1/2 mois a été présentée avec des signes d’obstruction œsophagienne. Après euthanasie, l’examen a révélé une malformation vasculaire annulaire. L’anomalie vasculaire annulaire n’était pas due à la persistance de l’arc aortique droit, seule malformation va...
Primary desmitis of the palmar and plantar annular ligaments in horses: 25 cases (1990-2003). To determine clinical and ultrasonographic abnormalities in horses with primary desmitis of the palmar or plantar annular ligament (PAL) and the response to treatment. Methods: Retrospective study. Methods: 25 horses. Methods: Data collected from medical records included signalment, horse use, affected limb, severity and duration of lameness, results of diagnostic tests performed, ultrasonographic findings, treatment, and outcome. Results: All horses had a prominent swelling in the region of the affected PAL, and signs of pain were evident during palpation of the swelling. In all horses, the a...
Occurrence of equine coital exanthema in pastured draft horses and isolation of equine herpesvirus 3 from progenital lesions. During the period from 2001 to the following year, progenital diseases had been epidemic among the draft stallions and mares pastured together in Iwate Prefecture, the northeastern district of Japan. A stallion and 8 of 31 mares were affected in 2001, and 1 of 2 stallions and 10 of 36 mares in 2002. The clinical symptoms consisted of the formation of papules, pustules, ulcers and scabs on the progenital skin and mucosa in stallions and mares. In 2002, Equine herpesvirus 3 (EHV3) was isolated from 2 mares and the glycoprotein G gene of the virus detected from a stallion and 4 mares by polymeras...
Insulin and glucose regulation. Abnormally high or low blood glucose and insulin concentrations after standardized glucose tolerance tests can reflect disorders such as pituitary dysfunction, polysaccharide storage myopathies, and other clinical disorders. Glucose and insulin responses, however, are modified by the diet to which the animal has adapted, time since it was last fed, and what it was fed. Body fat (obesity), fitness level, physiologic status, and stress also alter glucose and insulin metabolism. Therefore, it is important to consider these factors when evaluating glucose and insulin tests, especially if only one ...
Equine thyroid dysfunction. Hypothyroidism is the most common type of thyroid gland dysfunction reported in horses. Primary, secondary, and tertiary causes of hypothyroidism are discussed. Equine hypothyroidism remains a controversial endocrine disorder because extrathyroidal factors, including the administration of drugs and systemic diseases, affect serum triiodothyronine (T3) and thyroxine (T3) concentrations in horses. Accurate diagnosis of hypothyroidism therefore requires assessment of the hypothalamic-pituitary-thyroid axis. Diagnostic procedures for evaluating thyroid gland function are outlined and results of st...
Effects of treatment with and without adjuvant radiation therapy on recurrence of ocular and adnexal squamous cell carcinoma in horses: 157 cases (1985-2002). To determine the effects of treatment with and without adjuvant radiation therapy on recurrence of ocular and adnexal squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) at specific anatomic locations in horses. Methods: Retrospective study. Methods: 91 horses. Methods: Medical records of horses with histologically confirmed ocular and adnexal SCC evaluated from 1985 to 2002 were reviewed. Sex, breed, age, type of treatment, location, and recurrence of SCC were recorded. Two treatment groups determined by recurrence of SCCs treated with and without adjuvant radiation therapy were established. Results: The anatomic ...
Motion-correction techniques for standing equine MRI. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the distal extremities of the standing, sedated horse would be desirable if diagnostic quality images could be obtained. With the availability of extremity and special purpose magnet designs on the market, a system to safely accommodate the standing horse may gain increasing popularity. This paper considers the issue of motion that will need to be addressed to achieve successful, diagnostic quality images. The motion of the carpus and tarsus of five standing, sedated horses was quantified. The obtained motion records were then used to induce motion in cadave...
The intra- and inter-assessor reliability of measurement of functional outcome by lameness scoring in horses. The objective of this study was to assess the reliability of lameness scoring in horses. One veterinary surgeon examined nineteen lame horses on four occasions. Gait was recorded by camcorder, and scored from 0 to 10 ranging from sound to non-weight bearing lameness. A global score of overall change in lameness during the study was also determined for each horse. To measure intra-assessor reliability of the scoring systems, one veterinary surgeon scored videotapes of the horses' gaits on two occasions. To measure inter-assessor reliability, three veterinary surgeons viewed the videotapes, assi...
A cross-sectional study of epizootic lymphangitis in cart-mules in western Ethiopia. A cross-sectional study was conducted to determine the prevalence of epizootic lymphangitis (EL) in 309 cart-mules (cart-pulling mules) in Bako and Ejaji towns, Western Ethiopia using clinical and microbiological examinations, between November 2002 and April 2003. The overall prevalence was 21% (CI=16.6-26%). The clinical, histological and mycological characteristics of EL in a cart-mule were similar with those in a horse. There was significant (chi2=133.5, P=0.001) association between tick infestation and EL lesions in study cart-mules. Amblyoma coherence and Boophilus genera were the ticks c...
The role of conformation in musculoskeletal problems in the racing Thoroughbred. The relationship of conformation to future potential injury is a standard approach in practise but, at present, is largely based on subjective observations. Objective: To measure conformation in 3-year-old Thoroughbreds and objectively test its relationship with the occurrence of musculoskeletal problems. Methods: Conformation measurements were taken from photographs using specific reference points marked on the horses and processed on the computer. Clinical observations were recorded for each horse on a regular basis. Stepwise (forward) logistic regression analysis was performed to investigat...
Respiratory and metabolic effects of massive administration of isotonic saline solution in heaves-affected and control horses. It has been suggested that rapid administration of isotonic saline solution relieves airway obstruction in heaves-affected horses, but the efficacy and tolerability of this treatment is poorly documented. Objective: To determine the respiratory and metabolic effects of a rapid administration of isotonic saline solution in control horses and those with heaves. Methods: Thirty litres isotonic saline solution were administered i.v. to 5 control (Group C) and 9 heaves-affected horses (Group H). Pulmonary function testing and arterial blood gas analysis were performed prior to saline infusion, at 9...
