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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.
Immunofluorescent evaluation of the lower respiratory tract of healthy horses and of horses with chronic bronchiolitis. Pulmonary parenchymal tissues from 6 healthy horses and from 9 horses with chronic bronchiolitis were evaluated by use of an indirect immunofluorescent technique. In horses of both groups, the diffuse interstitial immunofluorescence was most intense for immunoglobulin (Ig)G, moderate for IgA, and minimal for IgM. Intensity of fluorescence was increased markedly in diseased lungs exposed to anti-IgA and anti-IgG. Around small bronchi and large bronchioles of healthy horses, IgA-containing cells generally were more numerous than were IgG-Fc fragment (Fc)-containing cells; in small bronchioles, h...
Critical test and safety evaluations of an oral paste preparation of mebendazole and trichlorfon in horses. Critical tests were done on 24 naturally parasitized horses to compare the antiparasitic activity of an oral paste preparation of mebendazole and trichlorfon with that of the marketed powder formulation. Each formulation was administered at the recommended dosages of 8.8 mg of mebendazole and 40 mg of trichlorfon/kg of body weight. Efficacy of the paste formulation ranged from 97.7% to 100% against 2nd- and 3rd-stage Gasterophilus spp, adult Strongylus vulgaris, S edentatus, Parascaris equorum, small strongyles; and larval and adult forms of Oxyuris equi. Adverse effects were generally limited...
Toxoplasma-like sporozoa in an aborted equine fetus. Multifocal areas of necrosis and infiltrations of mononuclear cells were seen in lung specimens of an equine fetus aborted 2 months before term. Extracellular and intracellular protozoa were seen in the alveolar tissue. Individual organisms were 4 microns by 2.5 microns, and cyst-like structures were 25 microns by 18 microns. Organisms did not stain with periodic acid-Schiff or by use of the immunoperoxidase and peroxidase-antiperoxidase method for Toxoplasma gondii. Twelve days after abortion, the mare had serum antibody titer of less than 1:10 against T gondii.
Prevalence of carpal fractures in thoroughbred and standardbred racehorses. The prevalence of carpal fractures was determined for 211 thoroughbred and 75 standardbred racehorses. Statistically significant differences were found in the location of fractures between the 2 breeds. In the thoroughbred and standardbred groups, total fractures (460) were distributed nearly equally between the left (224) and right (236) carpi. The most common site of fracture in the thoroughbred group was the distal aspect of the radiocarpal bone (112), whereas the most common site of fracture in standardbred horses was the proximal surface of the third carpal bone (61). Slab fractures were ...
Chronic granulomatous bowel disease in three sibling horses. Chronic granulomatous bowel disease was diagnosed in 3 sibling Standardbred horses. Clinical signs included weight loss, loose feces, and decreased appetite in the terminal stage of the disease. Abnormal laboratory findings included hypoproteinemia and low xylose absorption. Necropsy revealed granulomatous inflammation of the intestines, mesenteric lymph nodes, and liver. Eosinophilic infiltration of the granulomatous lesions was a prominent finding in one horse. A causative agent was not detected by special histochemical staining or bacteriologic culturing.
Interpretation of laryngeal function tests in the horse. Idiopathic left-sided laryngeal paralysis was present in 14 of 169 horses on a thoroughbred horse farm (8.3 per cent). In nine animals, it was evident only after exercise and arytenoid abduction and adduction were normal at rest. Asynchronous movement of the arytenoid cartilages was observed in 94 horses at rest (55.6 per cent), 86 of which were considered to be normal after exercise. Conversely, synchronous movement of the arytenoids was noted when at rest in six of the 14 animals diagnosed as having laryngeal hemiplegia after exercise. An abnormal inspiratory noise during exercise was detect...
Two cases of abnormal equine pregnancy associated with excess foetal fluid. THE accumulation of a gross excess of fluid in the amniotic or
allantoic cavities is not uncommon in bovidae, although the
latter occurs most frequently. The resulting pathological
conditions are usually referred to as hydrops amnii and
hydroallantois, respectively. They are often associated with
abnormalities of the foetus in cattle (Vandeplassche el ul1965;
Roberts 1971) and hydro-allantois is quite common in twin
pregnancies (Roberts 1971).
This article describes two cases of excess foetal fluid in the
mare, both of which were associated with abnormal
pregnancies.
Type II renal tubular acidosis in a mare. Persistent, severe metabolic acidosis complicated the operative and postoperative period in a 4-year-old mare with colic. On the basis of clinical and laboratory findings, a renal tubular disorder was diagnosed. Renal tubular acidosis is rare in horses. In the only report found on the subject, type I renal tubular acidosis was described in 2 horses. Bicarbonate titration studies in our case helped document type II renal tubular acidosis in this mare.
Isolation of Streptococcus pneumoniae from the respiratory tract of horses. Streptococcus pneumoniae was isolated from nasopharyngeal swabs and tracheal washings taken from Thoroughbred horses in training at three of four separate stables that were sampled during investigations into respiratory disease. The growth of Strep pneumoniae in culture was enhanced by an environment enriched with carbon dioxide. In one stable, five of 15 horses that were sampled repeatedly were found to carry the organism for at least four months. There was an apparent association between lower respiratory tract inflammatory disease and heavy growths (10(6) to 10(8) colony forming units/ml) p...
Familial congenital occipitoatlantoaxial malformation (OAAM) in the Arabian horse. Familial occipitalization of the atlas with atlantalization of the axis was defined as a single congenital disease in Arabian horses following a clinical, radiologic, and morphologic study of 16 horses with congenital malformations of the occiput, atlas, and axis, and from a study of three reported cases. The constant morphologic features were interpreted as congenital atlantooccipital fusion, hypoplasia of the atlas and dens, malformation of the axis, and modification of the atlantoaxial joint. Atlantoaxial subluxation was also a frequent finding. The clinical syndromes shown by these horses ...
Evaluation of leukapheresis and thrombocytapheresis in the horse. Continuous-flow centrifugation leukapheresis techniques were used to collect 300-ml volumes of leukocyte-rich plasma from 5 nonmedicated horses and from 5 corticosteroid-stimulated horses. White blood cell counts and differential counts were performed on the horses before (base line) and up to 48 hours after leukapheresis. Systemic administration of hydrocortisone increased numbers of total WBC and neutrophils and improved harvest of these cells. Nonmedicated horses had a mean yield of 3.38 X 10(10) leukocytes in the 300-ml volume. Stimulated horses yielded a mean of 6.88 X 10(10) leukocytes. ...
Effects of spontaneous, assisted, and controlled ventilatory modes in halothane-anesthetized geldings. Cardiopulmonary effects of spontaneous, assisted, and controlled ventilatory modes were determined with 6 young, healthy geldings anesthetized with halothane at a constant dose (1.3 minimum alveolar concentration). All horses were in lateral recumbency, and all modes of ventilation were studied at least once during each anesthetic exposure. Cardiac output did not differ between spontaneous and assisted ventilation modes, but both modes were associated with significantly (P less than 0.05) higher cardiac output than that with controlled ventilation. The PaCO2 differed significantly (P less than...
Radiographic assessment of navicular bones, based on changes in the distal nutrient foramina. Radiographic examination of the navicular bones of 258 horses was carried out. Of these 258 horses, 83 were sound (Group A), 151 had been diagnosed clinically as having navicular disease (Group B), and 24 had a forefoot lameness of unknown aetiology (Group C). Seven basic shapes of distal nutrient foramina were identified from these radiographs. A scoring system was then developed based on these different types of distal nutrient foramina. When this scoring system was applied to the radiographs of the 258 horses examined significant differences were found between the mean navicular scores of t...
Ground reaction force patterns of Dutch Warmblood horses at normal walk. The ground reaction force patterns from 20 clinically sound Dutch Warmblood horses (Group A) were recorded at the normal walk. The data from four to 10 stance phases of each limb were computer averaged after normalisation to the animal's body mass and to the stance time. This analysis method allowed comparison of data from left and right fore- and hindlimbs within and between horses. The left-to-right symmetry in the reaction force peaks of contralateral limbs of one horse exceeded 90 per cent. The time in the stance phase at which the peaks occur were even more symmetrically distributed. A ch...
Haemangioma of the guttural pouch of a 16-year-old thoroughbred mare: clinical and pathological findings. A 16-year old thoroughbred mare was presented with dysphagia and food being ejected from the mouth and nostrils. Clinical signs were exhibited for three weeks before it was euthanased on humanitarian grounds. Post mortem examination revealed a soft haemangioma measuring 7 cm X 5 cm suspended from the roof of the medial compartment of the left guttural pouch.
Bilateral hypoplasia of the soft palate and aryepiglottic entrapment in a horse. Endoscopic examination of a 7-year-old gelding with weight loss indicated a palatal defect with a prominent tissue mass at the caudomedial margin of the defect. At necropsy, the condition was determined to be bilateral hypoplasia of the soft palate.
Heart rate and ECG response to twitching in Thoroughbred foals and mares. Changes of the heart rate and ECG to twitching were examined using 5 Thoroughbred foals at various ages and their mares. The effect of the heart rate decrease to twitching was significantly greater in the foals than in the mares. The decreased heart rate in the foals continued during and after the twitching. Changes of the T wave in the A-B lead ECG shown as enhancement of the negative ingredient of the T wave were observed both in the foals and in the mares, accompanied by a decrease in the heart rate during and/or after the twitching. Two out of the five foals showed second-degree A-V block ...
Lung sounds in cattle, horses, sheep and goats. The purpose of this paper is to emphasize the importance of pulmonary auscultation for the clinician. It suggests a clarification and simplification of the terminology to be used which would be helpful to veterinary students and allow better communications between veterinarians. The interpretation of these sounds and the relationships to conditions and diseases of the lungs in cattle, horses, sheep and goats are discussed.
Anti-strongyle activity of a propylene glycol-glycerol formal formulation of ivermectin in horses (mares). Four groups of 10 horses (mares) each were treated with a 1% solution of ivermectin (200 micrograms/kg of body weight) in a propylene glycol-glycerol formal base orally, a 1% solution of ivermectin (200 micrograms/kg) in a propylene glycol-glycerol formal base via nasogastric tube, a 1.87% paste of ivermectin (200 micrograms/kg) orally, or a 22.7% paste of oxibendazole (10 mg/kg) orally. Fecal examinations were done before treatment and on posttreatment days (PTD) 14, 28, 42, 56, and 70. Strongyle egg per gram counts and sugar flotation fecal examinations were performed. Results of fecal exami...
Diabetes mellitus associated with bilateral granulosa cell tumors in a mare. Both ovaries in a 10-year-old American Saddle Horse mare were determined to be larger than normal. The mare had problems with infertility during the preceding 3 years. Clinical evaluation revealed that the mare was polyuric, polydypsic, hyperinsulinemic, and hyperglycemic, and had reduced tolerance to exogenous glucose. Bilateral granulosa cell tumors were identified on histologic examination of the ovaries. The precise mechanism for the secondary diabetes mellitus was not determined; however, the cause was suspected to be a result of the synthesis and release of a hormonal substance by the tu...
Serum concentrations of prolactin, thyroxine and triiodothyronine relative to season and the estrous cycle in the mare. Studies were conducted to characterize circulating concentrations of prolactin, thyroxine (T4) and triiodothyronine (T3) relative to season and the estrous cycle, and to evaluate the ability of thyrotropin-releasing hormone (TRH) to induce prolactin secretion in the horse mare. The increase in serum prolactin following the iv injection of 0, 5, 50 and 500 micrograms TRH was dose-related, while all three doses of TRH induced a significant and comparable increase in serum T4. Seasonal variations in serum prolactin were directly correlated (P less than .001) with changes in photoperiod (r = .80) ...
Diagnostic ultrasonography of equine limbs. In our 3 years of clinical experience, we have found that diagnostic ultrasound provides the veterinarian with a valuable diagnostic tool. It allows the clinician to quantify morphologic change that has occurred as a result of soft-tissue injuries, even when the clinical findings are ambiguous or insufficient. In cases in which aggressive postinjury therapy has been instituted prior to presentation, diagnostic ultrasound is often the only noninvasive method that can ascertain the extent of the horse's injury. Diagnostic ultrasound provides the technology to detect injuries before they become p...
Diseases of the heart. Diagnostic ultrasound has allowed significant findings to be made in the investigation of cardiac disease in the horse. Because of the limited value of thoracic radiography in the adult horse with cardiac disease, ultrasound is the method of choice to document chamber enlargement, pericardial effusion, valvular abnormalities, and decreased contractility of the myocardium. The apparent changes in the flow characteristics and suspicion of abnormality in the right heart of racehorses need further investigation to fully document the etiopathogenesis of spontaneous contrast.
Vertebral body osteomyelitis in the horse. Over a 4-year period, vertebral body abscess was diagnosed in 5 young cattle. The laboratory findings in most of these cases did not suggest a diagnosis of vertebral body abscess. The most important basis for diagnosis of this condition was a thorough neurologic examination. In 4 cases, necropsy revealed abscesses in the lungs or thoracic cavity as well, suggesting that a history of pneumonia preceding paresis may favor the diagnosis of vertebral body abscess.
