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.
Equine simplified acute physiology score: Personalised medicine for the equine emergency patient. Scoring models are useful tools that guide the attending clinician in gauging the severity of disease evolution and in evaluating the efficacy of treatment. There are few tools available with this purpose for the non-human patient, including horses. We aimed (i) to adapt the simplified acute physiology score 3 (SAPS-3) model for the equine species, reaching a margin of accuracy greater than 75% in the calculation of the probability of survival/death and (ii) to build a decision tree that helps the attending veterinarian in assessment of the clinical evolution of the equine patient. Methods: Fr...
A composite absorbable implant used to treat subchondral bone cysts in 38 horses. In the last 30 years, several treatments have been proposed to treat subchondral cystic lesions (SCLs) but there have been no randomised studies to compare different methods and there is no consensus as to the optimal treatment. Objective: To evaluate a biocompatible absorbable implant for the treatment of SCLs in young horses in different anatomical locations. Methods: Retrospective case series. Methods: Horses with SCLs were treated with debridement through a trans-cortical extra-articular approach and an absorbable implant was inserted in the cavity. Clinical and radiographic follow-up was...
Stress fracture of the palmar, distal cortex of the third metacarpal bone: A diagnostic challenge with a good prognosis. Transverse stress fracture of the palmar cortex of the distal aspect of the third metacarpal bone (TSF PCD McIII) is poorly documented. Objective: To describe the typical signalment of this injury, the common clinical and radiological signs and prognosis. Methods: A retrospective hospital-based case series with follow-up of racing records. Methods: All cases of TSF PCD McIII diagnosed among racehorses in training at the Hong Kong Jockey Club between 2011 and 2019 were identified. Clinical records were reviewed and documented signs were recorded for each case. Findings from a predefined list of...
Evaluating the efficacy of surgical excision and topical dimethyl sulphoxide (DMSO) in the treatment of equine cutaneous pythiosis. Cutaneous pythiosis in horses is a chronic ulcerative granulomatous disease caused by the oomycete Pythium insidiosum. Objective: The objective of the present study was to evaluate the response of cutaneous pythiosis in horses to surgical excision and topical dimethyl sulphoxide (DMSO). Methods: Thirty horses were presented clinically with pruritus, fistulae discharging serosanguineous fluid, and output kunkers in different body areas (limb, abdomen, neck, and face). The clinical diagnosis was confirmed by isolation of the causative agent and histopathology. All animals were treated by surgica...
Implications of the neuroanatomy of the equine thoracolumbar vertebral column with regional anaesthesia and complications following desmotomy of the interspinous ligament. Impinging/overriding dorsal spinous processes (DSPs) of the thoracolumbar vertebrae are a common cause of poor performance in horses. In the last five decades, numerous surgical treatments have been reported on, from transverse transection of the affected DSPs, and endoscopic resection of the affected DSPs, to transection of the interspinous ligament. Until recently, cosmetic outcomes have been reported as good to excellent in studies. However, a previously unreported complication of neurogenic atrophy of the contralateral epaxial muscle following desmotomy of the interspinous ligament has bee...
Incomplete Ileocecal Bypass for Ileal Pathology in Horses: 21 Cases (2012-2019). Incomplete ileocecal bypass can be performed in cases in which an ileal disfunction is suspected but resection of the diseased ileum is not necessary. Objective: To describe the clinical findings, the surgical technique, and the outcome of 21 cases of colic with ileal pathologies that underwent an incomplete ileocecal bypass. Methods: Historical, clinical, and surgical features of cases diagnosed with pathologies involving the ileum or the ileocecal valve that underwent ileocecal anastomosis without ileal resection were retrieved. Clinical (heart rate, duration of symptoms, presence of reflux,...
Neural changes following equine-assisted therapy for posttraumatic stress disorder: A longitudinal multimodal imaging study. While effective treatments for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) exist, many individuals, including military personnel and veterans fail to respond to them. Equine-assisted therapy (EAT), a novel PTSD treatment, may complement existing PTSD interventions. This study employs longitudinal neuro-imaging, including structural magnetic resonance imaging (sMRI), resting state-fMRI (rs-fMRI), and diffusion tensor imaging (DTI), to determine mechanisms and predictors of EAT outcomes for PTSD. Nineteen veterans with PTSD completed eight weekly group sessions of EAT undergoing multimodal MRI assessme...
Towards an improved pain assessment in castrated horses using facial expressions (HGS) and circulating miRNAs. Pain in horses is an emergent welfare concern, and its assessment represents a challenge for equine clinicians. This study aimed at improving pain assessment in horses through a convergent validation of existing tools: we investigated whether an effective analgesic treatment influences the horse grimace scale (HGS) and the concentration of specific circulating microRNAs (miRNAs). Eleven stallions underwent routine surgical castration under general anaesthesia. They were divided into two analgesic treatment groups: castration with the administration of preoperative flunixin and castration with ...
Isolation of equid alphaherpesvirus 3 from a horse in Iceland with equine coital exanthema. Equine coital exanthema (ECE) caused by equid alphaherpesvirus 3 (EHV-3) is a contagious venereal disease. It is characterized by the formation of papules, vesicles, pustules and ulcers on the external genitals of both mares and stallions. The Icelandic horse is the only breed in Iceland and has lived isolated in the country for over 1000 years. Three types of equine herpesviruses (EHV) have been found in Iceland, EHV-4, EHV-2 and EHV-5, while EHV-1 has never been detected. Symptoms resembling ECE have previous been observed in horses in Iceland, arousing suspicion of EHV-3 infection, but thi...
Investigation of the effects of orally administered trazodone on intraocular pressure, pupil diameter, physical examination variables, and sedation level in healthy equids. To investigate the effects of orally administered trazodone on intraocular pressure (IOP), pupil diameter measured in the vertical plane (ie, vertical pupil diameter [VPD]), selected physical examination variables, and sedation level in healthy equids. Methods: 7 horses and 1 pony. Methods: Food was withheld for 12 hours prior to drug administration. After baseline (time 0) sedation scoring, physical examination, and measurement of IOP and VPD, equids received 1 dose (approx 6 mg/kg) of trazodone orally. Examination and measurement procedures were repeated 0.5, 1, 2, 4, 8, 12, and 24 hours aft...
Surfactant protein D concentrations in serum and bronchoalveolar lavage fluid from young healthy horses on pasture and in a barn environment. To evaluate surfactant protein D (SP-D) concentrations in serum and bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) from young healthy horses on pasture or housed in a typical barn. Methods: 20 young healthy horses. Methods: Horses were randomly assigned to 1 of 2 groups (pasture, n = 10; barn, 10), and serum and BALF samples were collected for SP-D determination at baseline (all horses on pasture) and 2 weeks and 4 weeks after the barn group of horses was relocated from the pasture to the barn. Other evaluations included physical and tracheoscopic examinations. Findings were compared within and between g...
Clinical Factors Associated With Survival Outcomes in Starved Equids: A Retrospective Case Series. Each year in the United States, unwanted horses may become neglected, starved, or abandoned. Recovery therapies include refeeding and veterinary care, often requiring substantial time and financial investments. To better understand the likelihood for starved horses to successfully survive the first 100 days after initial evaluation, a retrospective case series was performed using hospital records of starved horses at the University of Tennessee College of Veterinary Medicine. A body condition score (BCS) of 3 or less and a malnourished diagnosis were utilized to select case records from an 11...
Effects of Leaving Amputated Ovaries Intra-Abdominally during Elective Bilateral Standing Laparoscopic Ovariectomy in Equids. There is risk of dropping an amputated ovary within the abdomen during standing laparoscopic ovariectomies in mares. If the ovary can no longer be directly visualized with the laparoscope, the procedure is then converted to a flank laparotomy for manual retrieval of the ovary which negates the minimally invasive nature of the laparoscopic procedure. The objective was to identify if ovaries left in the abdomen after amputation would atrophy or if they re-vascularize. Standing bilateral ovariectomies were performed in mature mares, but after transection of the ovarian pedicle, the ovaries were i...
Clinical Observations After Prebreeding Intrauterine Plasma Infusion in 18 Mares Inseminated With Thawed Frozen Semen. The use of autologous blood processing tools including platelet-rich plasma (PRP) devices is increasingly widespread in veterinary medicine. In equine reproduction, a number of studies have explored the effects of intrauterine infusion of PRP on persistent mating-induced endometritis. Artificial insemination with thawed frozen semen incites an intrauterine inflammatory response and we sought to extend the applications of intrauterine PRP to normal mares being inseminated with frozen semen. We investigated a subset of our normal breeding population to observe the clinical effects of prebreeding...
Surgical Repair of a Unicortical Condylar Fracture in a Thoroughbred Racehorse Using a Bioabsorbable Screw. Surgical repair of unicortical fractures of the distal condyles of the third metacarpal/metatarsal bones (MCIII/MTIII) has been described. In the present case, a bioabsorbable screw was used to stabilize a unicortical fracture in the palmar aspect of the medial condyle of MCIII in a National Hunt Thoroughbred racehorse. The clinical, radiographic, and magnetic resonance imaging findings before and after surgery were recorded. Eighteen weeks after surgery, the lameness had resolved and the bone surrounding the fracture had recovered its normal architecture. One year after surgery, the horse was...
Assessment of clinical and microbiota responses to fecal microbial transplantation in adult horses with diarrhea. Fecal microbial transplantation (FMT) is empirically implemented in horses with colitis to facilitate resolution of diarrhea. The purpose of this study was to assess FMT as a clinical treatment and modulator of fecal microbiota in hospitalized horses with colitis. A total of 22 horses with moderate to severe diarrhea, consistent with a diagnosis of colitis, were enrolled at two referral hospitals (L1: n = 12; L2: n = 10). FMT was performed in all 12 patients on 3 consecutive days at L1, while treatment at L2 consisted of standard care without FMT. Manure was collected once daily for 4 days fro...
Evaluation of Overground Endoscopy Findings in Colombian Criollo Paso Horses. The dynamic upper airway functional (URT) problems of Colombian paso horses (CPH) have not been investigated in literature up to date. These horses perform special walking gaits with high poll flexion of the neck. Our goal is to evaluate the upper airway mechanics in CPH, showing abnormal respiratory sounds and poor performance during exercise. Resting and overground endoscopy was performed in 40 CPHs. Statistical analyses were performed using the sciPy package. One-tailed Fisher exact tests were used to check for positive contingency between each pair of upper respiratory tract disorder (P < ...
Successful vitrification of manually punctured equine embryos. Successful vitrification of equine expanded blastocysts requires collapse of the blastocoele cavity using a micromanipulator-mounted biopsy pipette on an inverted microscope. Such equipment is expensive and requires user skill. Objective: To develop a manual method of blastocoele collapse prior to vitrification using commercial products. Methods: In vivo experiment. Methods: Seventy-nine Day 7 or 8 embryos were measured and graded. Twenty were vitrified following micromanipulator-assisted puncture and aspiration before being used to validate commercial human vitrification and warming kits cont...
Radiological prevalence of osteoarthritis of the cervical region in 104 performing Warmblood jumpers. Cervical osteoarthritis (OA) has been documented as a potential source of pain and poor performance in sport horses. Objective: To assess the prevalence of cervical OA in a population of Warmblood jumpers and its correlation with age, level of performance, neck pain and mobility. Methods: Descriptive observational study. Methods: Warmblood jumpers free of lameness or neurological disorders were selected. Cervical pain and range of motion of the neck were subjectively assessed. Left to right lateral views were taken at C3-C4, C4-C5, C5-C6 and C6-C7. The presence of OA at the cervical articular ...
Relationship between atrial fibrillatory rate based on analysis of a modified base-apex surface electrocardiogram analysis and the results of transvenous electrical cardioversion in horses with spontaneous atrial fibrillation. 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...
Feasibility, indications, and radiographically confirmed diagnoses of standing extremity cone beam computed tomography in the horse. To report on the feasibility, indications, and diagnostic yield of cone beam computed tomography (CBCT) of horses' extremities performed under standing sedation. Methods: Retrospective clinical case series. Methods: Fifty-nine CBCT examinations in 58 horses. Methods: Examinations were categorized for indications for CBCT dependent on a suspicion, presence, or absence of a diagnosis prior to CBCT. The number of acquisitions per examination, total time for the examination, diagnostic score of each acquisition (diagnostic, diagnostic-compromised, nondiagnostic), and additional diagnostic informat...
Chronic Collateral Sesamoidean Desmopathy in Draft Horses: Magnetic Resonance Imaging and Histopathological Findings. Desmopathy of the collateral sesamoidean ligament (CSL) is an unusual disorder in draft horses. This study records the magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) features of chronic CSL desmopathy in eight draft horses and confirms these features by histopathology. The recorded chronic CSL desmopathy has usually affected the forelimbs (100%) and commonly bilateral (62.5%). All horses showed positive proximal digital nerve block, positive front digital flexion test, and negative interphalangeal extension test. Radiography revealed no osseous abnormalities in all feet. MRI features of chronic CSL desmopat...
Effectiveness of a digital interactive multimedia tutorial for preparing veterinary students to perform ultrasonography in horses. To determine the effectiveness of a digital interactive multimedia tutorial (DIMT) for preparing veterinary students to perform ultrasonography in horses. Methods: 42 third-year veterinary students. Methods: Students were randomly assigned to 3 instructional methods: independent study (ie, 45 minutes to read a highlighted textbook chapter), lecture (ie, 45-minute lecture by a faculty member), or digital interactive multimedia tutorial (DIMT; ie, 45-minute narrated, interactive module). Written and practical tests were administered after each instruction session. For the practical test, each st...
Clinical and diagnostic findings, treatment, and short- and long-term survival in horses with peritonitis: 72 cases (2007-2017). To identify etiology, clinical findings, diagnostic results, treatment, and short- and long-term survival and to report factors associated with nonsurvival and survival in horses with peritonitis. Methods: Retrospective study. Methods: Horses (n = 72). Methods: Medical records at William R. Pritchard Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital from 2007-2017 were reviewed for horses diagnosed with peritonitis. The essential inclusion criterion was a peritoneal nucleated cell count of ≥25 000 cells/μL. Gastrointestinal rupture and cases in which peritonitis occurred after abdominal surgery or cas...
Applicability of commercial clinical chemistry test kits for horse serum. Validation of a test method is critical for confirming that the test can generate accurate and precise data. Although commercial biochemical test kits exist there are no specific and validated commercial clinical chemistry test kits designed for horses. The aim of this study was to validate commercial clinical chemistry test kits designed for a human serum for use in horses. Results: Blood samples were collected from 29 apparently healthy adult male horses and pooled serum was prepared. Validation comprises replication and recovery experiments. Total observable error (TE), sigma (σ) metrics, ...
Effects of Intravenous Flunixin Meglumine, Phenylbutazone, and Acupuncture on Ocular Pain Scores in the Horse: A Pilot Study. In this controlled, blinded, randomized block pilot study, the main objective was to evaluate the effectiveness of intravenous flunixin meglumine, phenylbutazone, and acupuncture on ocular pain relief using a multifactorial pain scale in the horse. Four experimental horses underwent corneal epithelial debridement in four sessions, when a randomly selected treatment or a control was used. All horses were pain scored before corneal wounding, then at 18 time points, when 11 parameters were allocated. Differences in the area under the curve of pain scores between the treatment groups were analyzed...
Evaluation of a novel ambulatory electrocardiogram monitor (the Carnation Ambulatory Monitor) for use in horses. Short-term electrocardiogram (ECG) examinations of horses may not detect paroxysmal arrhythmias. Twenty-four hour Holter equipment can be unwieldy and inconvenient for long-term use. This study evaluated a novel long-term ECG patch recorder, the Carnation Ambulatory Monitor (CAM) in horses, determining ideal placement, practicality, durability and performance. Methods: Twenty-one adult mixed-breed horses. Methods: Prospective observational study. Three horses had ECG patches fitted at selected sites (phase 1); the two most promising sites were used for further wear testing (phase 2) and the b...
Nonclassified Lymphoma as a Cause of Radial Nerve Paralysis in a Horse. A 4-year-old American Quarter Horse gelding was evaluated for acute non-weight-bearing lameness of the right thoracic limb with swelling in the right shoulder region. Physical examination revealed radial nerve paralysis of unknown etiology. The primary differential diagnosis was musculoskeletal trauma. Ultrasonography of the right shoulder region identified a heterogeneous mass that extended from the point of the shoulder to the thoracic inlet. Cytologic analysis of fluid collected by fine needle aspirate of the mass was consistent with large cell lymphoma. Based on the cytological findings, l...
Fibro-Osseous Lesions Of The Craniofacial Complex In Horses: 30 Cases (2001-2019). To describe the presentation, diagnosis, treatment, and outcome for horses with fibro-osseous lesions of the craniofacial complex. Methods: Retrospective multicenter case series. Methods: Thirty horses evaluated for fibro-osseous lesions of the skull from January 1, 2001 through December 31, 2019 in four centers. Methods: Medical records were reviewed for signalment, clinical presentation, histological and diagnostic imaging findings, treatment instituted, and outcome. Long-term outcome information was obtained by owner questionnaire or the medical record. Results: Diagnoses included ossifying...
Epidemiology and Clinical Presentation of West Nile Virus Infection in Horses in South Africa, 2016-2017. Although West Nile virus (WNV) is endemic to South Africa (RSA), it has only become recognized as a significant cause of neurological disease in humans and horses locally in the past 2 decades, as it emerged globally. This article describes the epidemiological and clinical presentation of WNV in horses across RSA during 2016-2017. In total, 54 WNV-positive cases were identified by passive surveillance in horses with febrile and/or neurological signs at the Centre for Viral Zoonoses, University of Pretoria. They were followed up and compared to 120 randomly selected WNV-negative controls with t...