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.
Bacterial and viral enterocolitis in horses: a review. Enteritis, colitis, and enterocolitis are considered some of the most common causes of disease and death in horses. Determining the etiology of these conditions is challenging, among other reasons because different causes produce similar clinical signs and lesions, and also because some agents of colitis can be present in the intestine of normal animals. We review here the main bacterial and viral causes of enterocolitis of horses, including Salmonella spp., Clostridium perfringens type A NetF-positive, C. perfringens type C, Clostridioides difficile, Clostridium piliforme, Paeniclostridium so...
Development of a real-time PCR assay to detect the single nucleotide polymorphism causing Warmblood Fragile Foal Syndrome. Warmblood Fragile Foal syndrome (WFFS) is an autosomal recessive condition that affects the maturation of collagen in affected foals. Foals affected with the disease typically die or are euthanised shortly after birth. WFFS is caused by a single nucleotide change at position 2032 of the equine PLOD1 gene, causing an impairment of the wild-type enzyme. A commercial test for the causative genetic mutation is currently available from companies operating under licence from Cornell University but it has limitations. This test requires amplification of a region of the PLOD1 gene encompassing the sit...
A pilot study evaluating the Calibrated Automated Thrombogram assay and application of plasma-thromboelastography for detection of hemostatic aberrations in horses with gastrointestinal disease. Critically ill horses, such as horses with gastrointestinal (GI) disease, often suffer from hemostatic aberrations. Global hemostatic tests examining the initiation of coagulation, clot strength and fibrinolysis, such as the Calibrated Automated Thrombogram (CAT) and plasma-thromboelastography (TEG) have not been evaluated in horses. This study aimed to evaluate CAT and apply plasma-TEG in horses. Test performance of CAT was evaluated on equine platelet poor plasma with intra- and inter-assay variability (CV) and a heparin dilution curve. To examine clinical performance of both tests, group co...
Development of an ICF-based assessment tool for equine-assisted therapy: model structure and reliability. Scientific investigation and documentation of equine-assisted therapy has increased over the past several years. Yet there are no standardized and validated tools for evidence-based measurement of processes and outcomes to assess equine-assisted interventions. Objective: The objective of this cross-sectional survey study was to develop a standardized assessment tool for the effective measurement of equine-assisted therapy based on the common language of the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF) framework of the World Health Organization (WHO). Methods: Cross-...
High prevalence of Mycoplasma equirhinis in Thoroughbred horses with respiratory symptoms in autumn 2018. Mycoplasma species are often isolated from horses with respiratory symptoms; however, the pathogenicity of Mycoplasma is still unclear. In autumn of 2018, we encountered an increase in cases with respiratory symptoms, mainly coughing, in a group of Thoroughbred racehorses in Japan. We examined tracheal wash samples obtained from 40 of those cases. Bacteria and viruses that commonly cause respiratory symptoms were investigated, and anaerobes were detected in only 5 cases and Streptococcus equi subsp. zooepidemicus (S. zooepidemicus) was detected in only 1 case of 40 cases with loop-mediated iso...
Inflammatory bowel disease characterized by multisystemic eosinophilic epitheliotropic disease (MEED) in a horse in Saskatchewan, Canada. A 3-year-old Quarter Horse gelding was evaluated for chronic weight loss, diarrhea, and pruritus. Physical examination revealed several ulcerative lesions on the skin and mucosal membranes. Diagnostic imaging findings were consistent with enteritis, typhlitis, and colitis. Multisystemic eosinophilic epitheliotropic disease (MEED) was diagnosed upon necropsy. This disease may be considered a form of equine inflammatory bowel disease complex which can be challenging to diagnose, requiring histological assessment, and in some cases, the use of immunohistochemical markers. Key clinical message: Mu...
Macroscopic, Histologic, and Immunomodulatory Response of Limb Wounds Following Intravenous Allogeneic Cord Blood-Derived Multipotent Mesenchymal Stromal Cell Therapy in Horses. Limb wounds are common in horses and often develop complications. Intravenous multipotent mesenchymal stromal cell (MSC) therapy is promising but has risks associated with intravenous administration and unknown potential to improve cutaneous wound healing. The objectives were to determine the clinical safety of administering large numbers of allogeneic cord blood-derived MSCs intravenously, and if therapy causes clinically adverse reactions, accelerates wound closure, improves histologic healing, and alters mRNA expression of common wound cytokines. Wounds were created on the metacarpus of 12 ...
Head and tail rope-assisted recovery improves quality of recovery from general anaesthesia in horses undergoing emergency exploratory laparotomy. In equine anaesthesia, the recovery period is critical, accounting for most anaesthesia-related fatalities reported. Horses may recover unassisted or may be assisted, for example, using a head and tail rope recovery method. Objective: To compare the impact of head and tail rope and unassisted recovery method on quality of recovery in horses undergoing colic surgery under general anaesthesia (GA). Methods: Single centre retrospective cross-sectional study, with prospective model performance analysis. Methods: Clinical data were obtained from horses undergoing emergency exploratory laparotomy ov...
[Evaluation of clinical examination parameters and a scoring system in equine colic as well as the assessment of their prognostic value]. In horses, colic is associated with relatively high mortality rates. Identification of parameters associated with poor outcome may aid in providing a more accurate prognosis. This study aimed to assess the early prognostic value towards survival of the horse based on parameters of the clinical examination. Methods: In a retrospective study (2013-2017), results of the clinical examination of horses with colic were analyzed. Obtained parameters were categorized from physiologic up to different pathophysiologic manifestations. The risk of death was calculated as odds ratios in comparison to norma...
Comparison of liberal and goal-directed fluid therapy after small intestinal surgery for strangulating lesions in horses. There are few guidelines for the appropriate mode of fluid administration during and after colic surgery, and is challenging to reach the right balance while avoiding overhydration. This study aimed to compare goal-directed fluid therapy (GDFT) and 'liberal' fluid regimens (LFRs) in horses undergoing small intestinal surgery. Methods: Eighteen horses subjected to small intestinal surgery were matched according to the surgical lesion, type of anastomosis, length of resection, and duration of clinical signs. Horses in the LFR group were administered intravenous (IV) fluids for at least 24 h. In ...
Nasal high flow oxygen therapy in hospitalised neonatal foals. Respiratory disease is common in critically ill neonatal foals. Traditional oxygen therapy (TOT) with nasal insufflation of oxygen is often used to provide first-line respiratory support. Mechanical ventilation is used in foals which require a greater level of support but requires specialist expertise and can be associated with significant complications. Non-invasive ventilation (NIV) enables a greater level of respiratory support without the need for intubation. High flow oxygen therapy (HFOT) is a mode of NIV commonly used in human intensive care. Objective: To describe the use of HFOT in ho...
Development of a Colic Scoring System to Predict Outcome in Horses. Acute abdominal pain in the horse is a common emergency presenting to equine practices. The wide variety of etiologies makes prognosticating survival a challenge. A retrospective, multi-institutional clinical study was performed to determine clinical parameters associated with survival of horses with colic, and to use them to develop a colic survival scoring system. The scoring system was then validated using clinical data in the prospective portion of the study. Medical records from 67 horses presenting for acute abdominal pain were evaluated to develop the colic assessment score. Twenty eigh...
Survey of self-reported radiation safety practices among North American veterinary technicians involved in equine radiography using portable x-ray equipment. To describe self-reported radiation safety practices by equine veterinary technicians in North America and identify factors associated with these practices. 154 equine technicians. An electronic questionnaire regarding radiation safety practices during the use of portable x-ray equipment was sent to 884 members of the American Association of Equine Veterinary Technicians and Assistants. Data were summarized, and various factors were evaluated for associations with reported safety practices. 221 of 884 (25.0%) questionnaires were completed, including 154 by equine technicians who had been invol...
Minimally invasive cranial ostectomy for the treatment of impinging dorsal spinous processes in 102 standing horses. To describe a minimally invasive cranial ostectomy for the treatment of impingement of dorsal spinous processes (DSPs) in the standing horse. Methods: Retrospective study. Methods: One hundred two horses with impinging DSPs. Methods: The case records of all horses that had the described technique between 2011 and 2019 were reviewed. All sites of impinging DSPs were treated under standing sedation and local anesthesia. The minimally invasive cranial ostectomy of the caudal DSP was performed with bone rongeurs through multiple small incisions. Results: Of the 102 horses treated with this techniq...
A retrospective study of twin pregnancy management in mares. The aim of the study was to compare three methods of reducing twin pregnancy in mares to maintain a single pregnancy. As multiple pregnancies in mare are always undesirable, early ultrasound diagnosis makes possible management of twin pregnancies and extra embryo removal. In years 2010-2018, 16494 mares were sonographically tested for early pregnancy, finding 868 cases of twins (471 bilateral and 397 unilateral). 260 mares with a confirmed bilateral tween pregnancy were subjected to manual crushing of one embryo and administration of flunixin at a dose of 1.1 mg/kg BW. 186 mares were subjecte...
Variables Affecting Veterinary Students’ Ability to Accurately Interpret Ovulation in Live Mare Palpation. In a veterinary medicine curriculum, students' hands-on practice is essential but is still considered one of the major deficiencies in veterinary schools in Europe. After theoretical and basic practical training, students, under the control of experienced veterinarians (supervisors), monitored the reproductive cycle of embryo recipients by transrectal palpation and ultrasound. To evaluate the skills of students, the question "Has she ovulated?" was posed when a dominant follicle ≥ 35 mm was recorded in the previous day's examination and a score of 1 or 0 was assigned in the case of a correct...
A Systematic Review of Musculoskeletal Mobilization and Manipulation Techniques Used in Veterinary Medicine. Mobilization and manipulation techniques are often used in small animal and equine practice; however, questions remain concerning indications, dosing and efficacy. A bibliographic search was performed to identify peer-reviewed publications from 1980 to 2020 that evaluated the clinical effects of musculoskeletal mobilization and manipulation techniques in dogs, cats and horses. The search strategy identified 883 papers for review. Inclusion and exclusion criteria were applied. The clinical indications, dosages, outcome parameters, and reported efficacy within each publication were recorded and ...
The accuracy of ACTH as a biomarker for pituitary pars intermedia dysfunction in horses: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Accuracy of baseline ACTH for the diagnosis of PPID in horses varies between studies. Objective: To estimate the diagnostic accuracy of ACTH as a biomarker for PPID in adult horses and appraise potential causes of heterogeneity. Methods: Systematic review and meta-analysis. Methods: A literature review identified studies reporting diagnostic accuracy data for extraction. Risk of bias was evaluated using QUADAS-2. Two random-effects models, the hierarchical summary receiver operating curve (HSROC) and the bivariate binomial normal model (BBN) were used to pool accuracy measurements. We performe...
Fecal PCR testing for detection of Clostridium perfringens and Clostridioides difficile toxin genes and other pathogens in foals with diarrhea: 28 cases. and cause significant morbidity and mortality in foals. Antemortem diagnosis of infection has been complicated by a paucity of tests available for toxin detection. Fecal PCR panels have assays for a variety of toxin gene sequences as well as for several other foal gastrointestinal pathogens. We evaluated results of a comprehensive fecal diarrhea PCR panel in 28 foals that had been presented to a referral hospital because of diarrhea. Sixteen (57%) foals were positive for and/or toxin gene sequences on fecal PCR, including 3 foals positive for NetF toxin. These foals were younger ( = ...
Measurement of Tissue Oximetry in Standing Unsedated and Sedated Horses. Near infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) noninvasively measures peripheral tissue oxygen saturation (StO) and may be useful to detect early changes in StO in anaesthetized and critically ill horses. This study aimed to identify the muscle belly that provided the highest percentage of successful StO readings and the highest mean StO value. Fifty adult horses were enrolled in a prospective controlled study. StO was measured at six different muscles in each horse, for each intervention: hair overlying the muscle was clipped (post clipping: PC), clipped skin was cleaned with chlorhexidine (post-surgical ...
Development and Evaluation of a Muscle Atrophy Scoring System (MASS) for Horses. Loss of skeletal muscle mass likely compromises performance and welfare in horses and thus routine monitoring would be valuable. Currently available methods to assess muscle mass require expert knowledge and are often expensive. To provide a simple method, a muscle atrophy scoring system (MASS) was created and tested by three evaluators (raters) in 38 horses of varying age, breed, and health status. Inter-rater agreement on atrophy scores was in the good-to-excellent range for ratings of the neck (ICC = 0.62), back (ICC = 0.62) and hind (ICC = 0.76) regions but was poor for the abdominal...
Subleukaemic T-Lymphoblastic Leukaemia in a Horse. A 20-year-old Dutch Warmblood gelding was referred with clinical signs of anorexia, weight loss, intermittent fever, cough, subcutaneous oedema and exercise intolerance. Haematological examination revealed the presence of blast cells, decreased lymphocytes, mild thrombocytopenia and anaemia but no leucocytosis. Serum analyses detected elevated aspartate aminotransferase and gamma-glutamyl transferase activities and triglyceride concentrations. Twenty-two days after the initial visit, the horse died after showing clinical signs of decreased appetite, increased body temperature, tachypnoea and t...
Surface topography as a tool to detect early changes in a posttraumatic equine model of osteoarthritis. The equine model of posttraumatic osteoarthritis (OA) mimics certain aspects of the naturally occurring disease, both in horses and humans. The objective of this study was to assess articular cartilage degeneration in a posttraumatic OA model using the established macroscopic and microscopic scoring systems and compare them with a novel surface topography analysis. OA was induced in the carpal joint of 15 (n = 15) mixed breed horses. Surface changes on the articular cartilage were characterized using osteochondral blocks from the third carpal bone (C3) and radial carpal bone using surface...
Exercise-induced airflow changes in horses with asthma measured by electrical impedance tomography. Equine asthma (EA) causes airflow impairment, which increases in severity with exercise. Electrical impedance tomography (EIT) is an imaging technique that can detect airflow changes in standing healthy horses during a histamine provocation test. Objective: To explore EIT-calculated flow variables before and after exercise in healthy horses and horses with mild-to-moderate (MEA) and severe equine asthma (SEA). Methods: Nine healthy horses 9 horses diagnosed with MEA and 5 with SEA were prospectively included. Methods: Recordings were performed before and after 15 minutes of lunging. Absolute...
Collection of cerebrospinal fluid in 50 adult healthy donkeys (Equus asinus): clinical complications, and cytological and biochemical constituents. Diseases of the central nervous system are a well-recognized cause of morbidity and mortality in equine. Collection and analysis of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) give information about the type and stage of degenerative and inflammatory diseases in central nervous system (CNS). The present research aimed to assess the clinical complications of CSF collections and to establish range values of cytological and biochemical parameters of CSF in adult healthy donkeys (Equus asinus). The CSF samples were collected from fifty healthy donkeys at the lumbosacral (LS) and atlanto-occipital (AO) sites. Result...
Accuracy and trending capability of haemoglobin measurement by noninvasive pulse co-oximetry in anaesthetized horses. To assess the accuracy and trending capability of continuous measurement of haemoglobin concentration [Hb], haemoglobin oxygen saturation (SaO) and oxygen content (CaO) measured by the Masimo Radical-7 pulse co-oximeter in horses undergoing inhalational anaesthesia. Methods: Prospective observational clinical study. Methods: A group of 23 anaesthetized adult horses. Methods: In 23 healthy adult horses undergoing elective surgical procedures, paired measurements of pulse co-oximetry-based haemoglobin concentration (SpHb), SaO (SpO), and CaO (SpOC) and simultaneous arterial blood samples were co...