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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.
Squamous cell carcinoma as a cause of dyspnea and blindness in a horse. An 8-year-old Quarter Horse mare was examined for chronic nasal discharge and obstruction of both nasal passages. A solid mass lesion was identified in the maxillary sinuses, soft palate, nasal and pharyngeal cavities. Palliative surgery was used to debulk the lesion and facilitate nasal airflow. Squamous cell carcinoma was diagnosed from surgical biopsies. Approximately 7-8 weeks after surgery, the mare was observed to be acutely blind. Ophthalmologic examination revealed central origin blindness and active retinitis. The squamous cell carcinoma had reobstructed the nasal passages. Pressure b...
Pulmonary gas exchange correlated to clinical signs and lung pathology in horses with chronic bronchiolitis. Eight horses (mean weight 438 kg) with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) were studied for clinical signs, ventilation/perfusion relationships (VA/Q) and lung morphology. Four horses were killed and necropsied after the study. In horses with COPD, minute ventilation was almost twice as high as normal, whereas PaO2 was significantly decreased. Cardiac output was normal, but pulmonary artery pressure and pulmonary vascular resistance were significantly increased. The VA/Q distribution was abnormal with an increased scatter of VA/Q ratios. However, shunt (VA/Q = 0) was increased in one ...
Excision of oral squamous cell carcinoma in a horse. A large oral squamous cell carcinoma in a 27-year-old Arabian stallion was removed by partial excision of the incisive bone. There was no gross evidence of recurrence or metastasis 5 months later.
A retrospective study of bronchoalveolar lavage cytology in horses with clinical findings of small airway disease. A retrospective of 69 bronchoalveolar lavages (BAL) on horses was done to investigate the relationship between bronchoalveolar cell types and clinical signs in horses with small airway disease. Horses were grouped according to clinical findings. The groups were as follows: I. cough only (n = 14), II. cough with mucopurulent secretions in the trachea (n = 14), III. cough, mucopurulent secretions in the trachea and abnormal lung sounds (n = 24) and IV., all of the above plus dyspnea at rest (n = 17). An asymptomatic group was formed from horses in the same population to serve as control (n = 8)....
[LDH and CK isoenzyme patterns in the blood plasma of horses with elevated CK, LDH and AST activities]. The distribution of LDH and CK isoenzymes in blood plasma of ten clinically sound Thoroughbreds with reasonable performance and without elevated clinico-chemical blood variables (reference group) was compared with 57 Thoroughbreds, which had histories of mild locomotor disturbances and/or poor performance and had elevated CK, LDH and/or AST activities (trial group). The trial group was subdivided according to the number of altered blood variables and in the groups with two as well as three altered blood variables also according to the extent of alteration of the total CK activity. The pattern ...
Ultrasonographic evaluation of fetlock annular ligament constriction in the horse. The diagnosis of restriction of free movement of the flexor tendons through the fetlock canal usually rests on the characteristic clinical appearance of this condition, or airtendography. In a series of seven normal Warmblood horses and 16 diseased horses of various breeds, the efficacy of ultrasonography in the diagnosis of this condition was determined. In normal limbs, the annular ligament is a very thin structure usually not visible on sonograms. In diseased limbs, ultrasonography outlined flexor tendon injury, distension and thickening of the digital sheath, peritendovaginal tissue prolif...
Histamine inhalation challenge in normal horses and in horses with small airway disease. A histamine inhalation challenge (HIC) procedure was developed to assess hyperreactive states in horses. Following clinical evaluation, percutaneous lung biopsies were performed on nine light breed mares aged 6 to 15 years. Five horses, with normal small airways, were classified as group A and four subjects with small airway disease (SAD) lesions formed group B. Pulmonary mechanics parameters were monitored following an aerosol of 0.9% saline and every 5 min for up to 30 min after HIC with 0.5% w/v of histamine diphosphate, administered through a face mask for 2.5 min. Tidal volume (VT) and ai...
[A horse with Cushing’s disease]. A thirteen-year-old Dutch warmblooded mare was referred to the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine because of a sinusitis. She was thin with a potbellied appearance. Her coat was dull with long wavy hair. Unilateral (left) purulent nasal discharge was evident. A cbc revealed leucopenia (3.9 G.L.-1) and plasma biochemical analysis revealed a plasma glucose concentration of 10.1 mmol.L-1. Thermostable alkaline phosphatase (at 65 degrees C during 2 minutes) could not be demonstrated. Basal plasma cortisol concentration was lowered (114 nmol.L-1) and basal plasma ACTH concentration was highly elevated ...
Use of phenytoin to treat horses with Australian stringhalt. Five horses with Australian stringhalt were treated with 15 mg/kg phenytoin orally for 2 weeks. During the second week of the trial, 3 of the horses were given an additional dose of 10 mg/kg phenytoin. The response to treatment was clinically assessed by grading the severity of the gait abnormality at the walk, trot, turning and backing twice daily. There was a significant (P less than 0.05) improvement in the gait abnormality when pre-treatment values were compared with the mean of the last 3 assessments before treatment stopped. When reassessed 2 weeks after treatment ceased, there remained ...
Thoracic radiographic features of silicosis in 19 horses. Clinical records and thoracic radiographs of 19 horses with a confirmed pathologic diagnosis of silicosis were reviewed. These horses had histories of varying degrees of chronic weight loss, exercise intolerance, and respiratory distress. At the time of presentation, two horses were asymptomatic. Ten horses were geldings and nine were female. The mean age of the 19 horses was 10.7 +/- 5.5 years. Fourteen horses were identified as being from the Monterey-Carmel Peninsula of midcoastal California. An abnormal, structured interstitial pulmonary pattern was identified on thoracic radiographs in ea...
Evaluation of transabdominal ultrasound-guided amniocentesis in the late gestational mare. Serial transabdominal amniocentesis was performed on eight mares in late gestation. Ultrasonography was used to identify the two placental fluid sacs and the foetus. A biopsy guide attached to the transducer allowed visualisation of the needle path during insertion. Amniotic fluid was obtained in 85 per cent of the attempts, although as mares approached parturition substantial pools of amniotic fluid were more difficult to locate. Two mares aborted during the study probably because of complications of the procedures, whereas six mares produced normal foals at term. The abortions preclude clini...
Intervertebral disk prolapse and diskospondylitis in a horse. Intervertebral disk prolapse was diagnosed in a mature horse with clinical signs of caudal ataxia. Radiography and myelography demonstrated a collapsed intervertebral space and loss of the dorsal and ventral dye columns. Results of CSF analysis were normal, as were a CBC and serum biochemical profile. High CSF WBC count and high CSF creatine kinase activity were noticed following acute neurologic deterioration. While common in certain breeds of dogs, intervertebral disk prolapse is rarely reported in horses. It should be considered in the differential diagnosis of horses with caudal ataxia.
Clinical relevance of radiographic findings in proximal sesamoid bones of two-year-old standardbreds in their first year of race training. Radiographs of all 4 fetlocks of 71 Standardbred racehorses were obtained at 3-month intervals for 1 year. Radiographic findings in the abaxial surface of the proximal sesamoid bones were classified into 3 types according to the severity of lesions, and correlation was made with clinical findings at time of examination. Type-1 lesions (1 or 2 linear defects less than or equal to 1 mm wide) were detected in 55% of horses at the start of training; clinical signs of disease were not manifested, and lesions did not become clinically relevant. Type-2 lesions (3 or more linear defects less than or e...
Eltenac, a new anti-inflammatory and analgesic drug for horses: clinical aspects. Two controlled studies to determine efficacy in the horse were performed with eltenac, a new injectable, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID). Clinical trials were carried out with a dose rate of 1 mg/kg body weight in a randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind design to assess therapeutic efficacy in acute inflammatory disorders and in animals with orthopaedic conditions. In a preliminary pharmacokinetic investigation in six horses mean elimination half-life was 1.7 h after i.v. administration. In the first clinical study, analgesic activity on pain-related lameness was determined...
Molluscum contagiosum in three horses. Suspected molluscum contagiosum was diagnosed in 3 horses in the Chingola district of Zambia. The horses were found to be suffering from a slow progressive skin disease with lesions on the chest, shoulders, inner and lateral aspects of the fore- and hindlimbs, the face, fetlocks, pasterns and on the lateral surfaces of the body. The lesions varied from 4 to 20mm in diameter, were hairless but covered by soft keratin projections which, when removed, left a raw elevated base tightly adherent to the epidermis. These lesions bled profusely when the animals were groomed. Older lesions were well cir...
Frequency and severity of osteochondrosis in horses with cervical stenotic myelopathy. We compared the frequency and severity of osteochondrosis lesions in young Thoroughbred horses with cervical stenotic myelopathy (CSM) vs that in clinically normal Thoroughbreds of the same age. All lesions of the cervical vertebrae and appendicular skeleton were classified histologically as osteochondrosis or nonosteochondrosis and were measured for severity. Minimal sagittal diameter was significantly smaller in horses with CSM from C2 through C6; no difference was detected at C7. Severity of cervical vertebral osteochondrosis was greater in the horses with CSM, however frequency was not dif...
Use of the cardiopulmonary flow index to evaluate cardiac function in thoroughbred horses. The ratio of the cardiopulmonary blood volume to stroke volume is called the cardiopulmonary flow index (CPFI). The CPFI can be determined indirectly from the simultaneous recording of a radiocardiogram and an electrocardiogram. The CPFI and cardiac output were measured simultaneously in horses (n = 10) that were diagnosed as having cardiac disease. The diseased subjects were probably all exposed to feed contaminated with the ionophore, salinomycin, and all showed clinical signs indicative of chronic toxic myocarditis. The results obtained from these subjects were compared with those from cont...
Use of transendoscopic contact neodymium:yttrium aluminum garnet laser to drain dorsal epiglottic abscesses in two horses. A submucosal abscess, located on the dorsal surface of the epiglottis, was diagnosed in 2 Thoroughbred racehorses by use of endoscopy. Both horses had exercise intolerance. One horse had intermittent dorsal displacement of the soft palate, coughed while eating and galloping, and made an abnormal respiratory noise. Both abscesses were drained transendoscopically by use of a contact neodymium:yttrium aluminum garnet laser. Eleven days after surgery, the surgical sites appeared to have healed. Clinical signs resolved permanently, and both horses returned to successful racing careers.
Use of phacofragmentation for cataract removal in horses: 12 cases (1985-1989). The medical records of 12 horses that had cataracts removed by use of phacofragmentation were reviewed. Cataracts were removed from 16 eyes in horses ranging in age from 2 months to 15 years. Complications after surgery included corneal ulcers in 13 eyes, diffuse corneal edema in 5 eyes, and uncontrollable uveitis in 3 eyes. Follow-up information was obtained in all horses from 1 month to 3.5 years after surgery. Visual results were judged good by owners or veterinarians in 10 of the horses.
Anatomical and functional communications between the synovial sacs of the equine stifle joint. The anatomical and functional communications of the synovial sacs of the equine stifle joint were evaluated in 50 stifle joints of 25 horses. Femoropatellar joint (FPJ) sacs were injected with 50 ml of gelatin-based dye and horses were then walked for 50 m. Horses were subsequently killed, the stifle joints dissected and the location of the dye recorded. Twenty-three horses (46 joints) had clinically normal stifle joints and in this group, anatomical communications of the stifle joints were bilaterally symmetrical in each horse. In 15 of these 23 horses (65 per cent), direct anatomical communi...
Bilateral hypoplasia of the soft palate in a foal. Bilateral hypoplasia of the soft palate and aspiration pneumonia occurred in a Standardbred foal. The filly was presented with a history of illthrift, dyspnoea, coughing and bilateral nasal discharge. Abnormal sounds (crackels and wheezes) were auscultated over all lung fields and the cervical trachea. Endoscopy revealed a shortened soft palate with a uvula-like mass protruding from the free border into the nasopharynx. Mucopurulent material was present in the trachea. Samples obtained by tracheal wash were submitted for cytology, culture and sensitivity testing. Results indicated a septic inf...
Fibronectin concentration in plasma of mares and neonatal foals. Plasma fibronectin concentrations were measured in clinically healthy mares and their neonatal foals, using a modified human fibronectin competitive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Ranges of plasma fibronectin were established in clinically healthy horses, and the assay was reliable and reproducible. Plasma fibronectin concentrations were similar in mares and foals, both before and after colostrum ingestion.
Osteochondritis dissecans of the tarsocrural joint: results of treatment with arthroscopic surgery. The technique and results of arthroscopic surgery for the treatment of osteochondritis dissecans in 318 tarsocrural joints in 225 horses are reported. Of the 225 horses, 154 were racehorses or intended for racing. Arthroscopic surgery was an effective technique for treating osteochondritis dissecans of the tarsocrural joint. The overall functional ability and cosmetic appearance of the limbs were excellent. Post surgical follow-up information was obtained for 183 horses, of which 140 (76.5 per cent) raced successfully or performed their intended use following surgery. Of the remaining 43, 11 w...
Antithrombin III activity in horses with colic: an analysis of 46 cases. Antithrombin-III (AT-III) activity was measured at the time of admission in 46 horses referred with colic. Differences in AT-III activities between animals treated medically or surgically and survivors or non-survivors were compared. The mean AT-III values for the horses treated medically (76.2 per cent), surgical survivors (69.5 per cent) and surgical non-survivors (55.9 per cent) were significantly different from the reference value for healthy adults (92 to 108 per cent). The mean AT-III activity of the survivors was significantly (P less than 0.01) greater than that of the nonsurvivors. Th...
The microflora of the lower respiratory tract of the horse: an autopsy study. A series of 31 thoroughbreds and 18 non-thoroughbreds was examined post mortem to assess what bacteria might be present in the lower respiratory tract, and to assess their significance by correlating the bacteriological findings with histological changes in the lung. The distal trachea and seven representative lung sites were swabbed in each case. Sixty-six per cent of the sites were sterile with remaining sites producing scanty growths of mainly coagulase negative Staphylococcus spp., E. coli, Bacillus spp. and Pseudomonas spp. Anaerobes, mainly Clostridium perfringens, Bacteroides fragilis a...
