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Topic:Clinical Pathology
Clinical pathology in horses involves the study and analysis of biological samples to diagnose and monitor diseases and health conditions. This discipline encompasses various laboratory tests and procedures that assess the physiological and biochemical status of equines. Common analyses include hematology, biochemistry, urinalysis, and cytology, each providing insights into different aspects of equine health. Hematology evaluates blood components, such as red and white blood cells and platelets, to identify conditions like anemia or infection. Biochemistry tests measure enzymes, electrolytes, and metabolites to assess organ function and metabolic status. Urinalysis examines urine samples for indicators of renal function and systemic diseases. Cytology involves the microscopic examination of cells from tissues or fluids to detect abnormalities. This page aggregates peer-reviewed research studies and scholarly articles that explore the methodologies, applications, and diagnostic value of clinical pathology in equine medicine.
Quantitative analysis of cyanogen bromide-cleaved peptides for the assessment of type I: type II collagen ratios in equine articular repair tissue. Cyanogen bromide was used to solubilise and specifically fragment purified equine Type I and II collagen and equine articular surface repair tissue. The resultant peptides were separated by sodium dodecyl sulphate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and quantified by densitometric scanning. Measurement of the relative amounts of the peptides alpha 2(I) CB3, 5 and alpha 1(II)CB10 provided an accurate method of establishing the ratio of Type I to Type II collagen in mixtures of purified equine collagens. The method was sensitive to 6% Type II collagen when the band areas were corrected for peptid...
Ultrasonographic assessment of the proximal digital annular ligament in the equine forelimb. Ultrasonography was used with 6 normal cadaver forelimbs of Dutch Warmblood horses to delineate the ultrasonographic anatomy of the palmar pastern region, with emphasis on the proximal digital annular ligament. Using a 5.5 MHz sector scanner, the thin proximal digital annular ligament was not visible on offset sonograms. Only if the digital sheath in the normal limb was distended was the distal border of this ligament outlined. In all normal limbs the palmarodistal thickness of the combined skin-proximal digital annular ligament layer in the mid-pastern region was 2 mm. The flexor tendons and ...
Efficacy of intravenous plasma to transfer passive immunity in clinically healthy and clinically ill equine neonates with failure of passive transfer. The efficacy intravenous plasma to transfer passive immunity to clinically healthy colostrum-deprived and clinically ill foals with failure of passive transfer was investigated. Efficacy of transfer was evaluated by the elevation of serum IgG per gram of IgG administered as a function of body weight. Colostrum deprived healthy foals had a significantly greater increase in serum IgG than did clinically ill foals with failure of passive transfer. Knowledge of the IgG content of plasma to be administered and the health status of a foal with failure of passive transfer should allow more accurate p...
A herd outbreak of equine leukoencephalomalacia. Equine leukoencephalomalacia (ELEM) affected 6 of 10 pleasure horses in adjacent paddocks at a boarding facility. Four of the 6 affected horses died or were euthanized. Two of 3 horses presented for treatment survived with complete resolution of clinical signs. Treatment was primarily supportive. Dimethyl sulfoxide, dexamethasone, flunixin meglumine and thiamine were administered as anti-inflammatory agents and to decrease or prevent cerebral edema. Fusarium monileforme was cultured from ear corn fed the affected horses. Fumonisin B1, B2 and B3 were isolated.
Susceptibility of ponies to infection with Streptococcus pneumoniae (capsular type 3). Welsh Mountain ponies were inoculated with an isolate of Streptococcus pneumoniae, SPE 1618 (capsular type 3) recovered from the equine respiratory tract: 10 ml of a suspension of 10(8) or 10(9) cfu/ml were instilled intratracheally. Fever was observed after either dose but the greater concentration also produced coughing, ocular and nasal discharge, depression and enlargement of submandibular lymph nodes. Cytological evidence of infection was also observed in tracheal washings during the first week after inoculation and corresponded with isolation of S. pneumoniae from the washes. Morbid anat...
A liquid chromatographic method for the determination of fenoprofen in equine plasma and urine. A high performance liquid chromatographic method to measure plasma and urine fenoprofen levels in equine biofluids is described. Liquid-liquid extraction with diethylether was used to isolate the drug from plasma and urine. The accuracy and reproducibility of the method were within acceptable limits over the concentration range 0-10 micrograms/mL and 0-20 micrograms/mL respectively from plasma and urine. Detection limits were 0.05 microgram/mL (2 mL plasma) and 0.2 microgram/mL (0.5 mL urine). This procedure was applied to ascertain the pharmacokinetics of a 3 g dose of fenoprofen calcium in a...
Imipramine and xylazine-induced ex copula ejaculation in stallions. This study is a part of our ongoing work toward developing pharmacological methods for enhancing and inducing ejaculation in stallions with ejaculatory dysfunction. We evaluated a combination treatment of imipramine hydrochloride followed 10 minutes later by xylazine hydrochloride for the induction of ex copula ejaculation. Eight pony stallions each underwent 6 treatment trials conducted at 4-day intervals. The trials were conducted in the animals' stalls, where they were observed for 90 minutes following treatment. To evaluate the effect of pretreatment sexual stimulation on the rate of ejacu...
Cholinergic activity of intestinal muscle in vitro taken from horses with and without equine grass sickness. Equine grass sickness (EGS) is a pan-dysautonomia of horses that involves central and peripheral neuronal degeneration and ultimately depletion. This is the first reported functional study on the motility of equine intestine taken immediately post mortem from horses with EGS. Strips of smooth muscle from the small intestine of healthy and EGS-affected horses were suspended in an organ bath and their motility was measured isometrically. The activity of the cholinergic system was studied. Physostigmine enhanced the motility of all muscle strips. Tissues taken from horses suffering from acute gra...
[The former place of execution of the Lucerne herd in Emmen (1562-1798)(1562-1798) and slaughter yard belonging to it (1562-1866): pathologico-anatomic findings in excavated animal bones]. During archaeological excavations of the former knackers yard in Emmen (Canton Lucerne) skeletons and individual bones of more than 700 animals were recovered. 110 bone samples had lesions and were examined macroscopically and radiologically, 100 were from horses, 9 from dogs and only one from cattle. According to morphological and etiopathogenetical criteria, lesions are presented in the following groups: tooth irregularities (10), degenerative changes in bones and joints due to overload and aging (80), trauma and infection (10), other lesions (10). Over 80% of pathological bone samples prese...
Kinetics and haematological effects of erythropoietin in horses. A plasma kinetic study of erythropoietin (EPO) was carried out in 4 horses after subcutaneous administration (30 IU/kg bwt) of recombinant human erythropoietin (rhEPO). At standardized intervals for 48 h before injection and for 60 h post-administration, the EPO plasma levels were determined with an immunoradiometric assay based on a sandwich technique. The peak plasma concentration (30-113 mIU/ml) was observed after a delay ranging from 6 to 9 h post-administration and the drug levels reached a physiological value around 60 h following rhEPO injection. Moreover, reference values for plasma EP...
Diagnosis of EDTA-dependent pseudothrombocytopenia in a horse. Thrombocytopenia in horses may be idiopathic or secondary to chronic infectious or inflammatory diseases (eg, equine infectious anemia, lymphosarcoma), drug administration, bone marrow depression, myelophthisic disease, or disseminated intravascular coagulation. This report describes EDTA-dependent pseudothrombocytopenia in a horse. Platelet counts for blood containing EDTA were consistently less than reference range, but platelet counts of blood containing heparin were within reference range. When thrombocytopenia is diagnosed in horses without clinical evidence of a bleeding tendency, EDTA-d...
Equine pituitary neoplasia: a clinical report of 21 cases (1990-1992). The records of 21 horses with an adenoma of the pars intermedia of the pituitary gland were reviewed. The animals comprised nine Dutch warmblood horses and 12 ponies. They ranged in age from 12 to 30 years (mean +/- sem 21 +/- 1.3 years) for 20 of the horses, and comprised 13 geldings and eight mares. All the animals showed hirsutism. In 1991, nine horses were diagnosed as having the adenoma, equivalent to 0.5 per cent of the horses examined in 1991. The mean +/- sem survival time of four of the horses (from discharge to the development of complications which required euthanasia) was 192 +/- 5...
Granulomatous enteritis and cutaneous arteritis in a horse. A 5-year-old Quarter Horse mare was examined because of weight loss of 2 months' duration. The horse was anemic and in poor body condition, and had several areas of cutaneous ulceration, including areas on the muzzle and distal portion of the limbs. Histologic examination of a rectal mucosa biopsy specimen revealed a lymphoplasmacytic infiltrate in the lamina propria mucosa. Results of a glucose absorption test were suggestive of malabsorption. Histologic examination of a biopsy specimen from the cutaneous lesions revealed pronounced arteritis, and weak, patchy immunofluorescent staining for i...
The effects of cisapride on the restoration of gut motility after surgery of the small intestine in horses; a clinical trial. Seventy horses surgically treated for colic caused by disorders of the small intestine were included in a randomized blind trial to determine the effects of cisapride (0.1 mg/kg bw intramuscularly at 8-h intervals) on the post-operative restoration of gut motility. Cisapride appeared to reduce the incidence of post-operative ileus. It accelerated the restoration of bowel motility, reducing the period of post-operative intensive care. It is concluded that cisapride is an effective and useful drug in the post-operative treatment of horses after surgery of the small intestine.
Evaluation of serum amyloid A protein as an acute-phase reactive protein in horses. Serum amyloid A protein (SAA) was isolated from equine acute-phase serum by repeating Sephadex G-75 gel filtration 3 times. Quantitative measurement of equine SAA was performed by the single radial immunodiffusion technique with rabbit anti-equine SAA serum. In clinically normal horses, the SAA concentration remained relatively high from immediately after birth up to 1 week of age. After this the concentration showed periodic fluctiation in the range of approximately 13 to 30 micrograms/ml. The mean (+/- SD) concentration of SAA in foals ( or = 18 months old) was 19.37 +/- 9.41 and 21.53 +/- 9...
Lack of residual lung damage in horses in which Rhodococcus equi-induced pneumonia had been diagnosed. The effect of prior Rhodococcus equi-induced pneumonia on pulmonary health was investigated in 5 horses (< 24 months old) using endoscopy, radiography, hematologic and bronchoalveolar lavage analyses, and pulmonary function testing. Rhodococcus equi-induced pneumonia had been diagnosed in principal horses when they were foals. Diagnosis was based on positive results of transtracheal aspiration and thoracic radiography at the time of initial clinical examination. Results of reevaluation of the respiratory system of these horses (R+) were compared with those of 5 age-matched healthy horses (R...
Effects of atropine on the arrhythmogenic dose of dobutamine in xylazine-thiamylal-halothane-anesthetized horses. We investigated the influence of parasympathetic tone on the arrhythmogenic dose of dobutamine in horses premedicated with xylazine, anesthetized with guaifenesin and thiamylal, and maintained on halothane in oxygen. Six horses were used in 12 randomized trials. In each trial, after end-tidal halothane concentration was stabilized at 1.1% (1.25 times minimum alveolar concentration [MAC]) in oxygen, either saline solution (0.02 ml/kg of body weight) or atropine (0.04 mg/kg) was administered IV. Five minutes later, dobutamine infusion was started at dosage of 2.5 micrograms/kg/min, IV. The dobut...
Pharmacokinetics of and serum thromboxane suppression by flunixin meglumine in healthy foals during the first month of life. Age and species reportedly affect the pharmacokinetic variables of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. We determined the effect of age on flunixin pharmacokinetic variables in foals during the first month of life. We also estimated the physiologic activity of the drug in neonatal foals by determining the effect of flunixin on thromboxane production during clotting of blood taken from the foals. Flunixin disposition and clearance were determined after IV administration of 1.1 mg of drug/kg of body weight to 5 healthy foals when they were 24 to 28 hours, 10 to 11 days, and 27 to 28 days old. T...
Duration of antigen-induced hyperresponsiveness in horses with allergic respiratory disease and possible links with early airway obstruction. Antigen-induced airway hyperresponsiveness in allergic horses has previously been demonstrated when clinical signs of acute airway obstruction were apparent, as a consequence of exposure of animals to hay and straw for variable periods of time, and repeat measurements of hyperresponsiveness have been made no earlier than 1 week after challenge. In the present study airway responsiveness to methacholine has been measured in normal horses and allergic horses in clinical remission before and 24, 48 and 72 h after a hay and straw challenge of fixed, short, duration (7 h). Correlations between earl...
Effects of sympathomimetic and sympatholytic drugs on exercise performance. This article has presented information on the importance of the sympathetic nervous system in the response to exercise. The authors have reviewed the very limited information on the effects of sympathomimetic and sympatholytic drugs on exercise performance in the horse. Most of these drugs are specifically prohibited under the rules of racing, and they have significant side effects that either decrease performance or make their use dangerous to both the horse and horse-man. Additionally, all of these drugs or their metabolites are readily detected by current drug testing protocols. Further inf...
Evaluation of occlusive dressings for management of full-thickness excisional wounds on the distal portion of the limbs of horses. Two 2.5-cm2 full-thickness skin wounds were created surgically over the lateral aspect of the cannon bone of each limb of 6 horses (n = 48 wounds). Dressings evaluated were a nonadherent gauze pad (group 1); a synthetic semiocclusive dressing, (group 2); equine amnion (group 3); and a synthetic fully occlusive dressing (group 4). Wounds were assessed subjectively at each dressing change, and total wound area, area of granulation tissue, and area of epithelium in each wound were determined by computerized digital analysis of photographs of the wounds. Complete healing time (wound covered by epi...
Short echo time magnetic resonance imaging of tendon. Current clinical magnetic resonance (MR) imaging studies provide almost no useful signal from normal tendon and have no clear advantage over other imaging modalities in the evaluation of tendon injuries. The authors believe that tendon MR signal may be T2-limited, and, if so, could be enhanced by short echo time (TE) pulse sequences. The relationship of tendon signal intensity and tendon infrastructure conspicuity to TE was assessed at three different field strengths. Methods: Magnetic resonance imaging studies were performed on samples of normal equine tendon at 3 different field strengths wi...
Determination of alclofenac in equine plasma and urine by high-performance liquid chromatography. A high-performance liquid chromatographic method to measure plasma and urinary alclofenac levels in equine biofluids is described. Isolation of the drug from plasma is achieved using liquid-liquid extraction with diethyl ether. Reversed-phase C18 solid phase extraction is used for the extraction of free and conjugated alclofenac from urine. The reproducibility and accuracy of the method were well within acceptable limits over the concentration ranges 0-10 and 0-20 micrograms/ml, respectively, for plasma and urine. Starting with 2 ml of plasma, a concentration of 0.1 microgram/ml could easily b...
Biochemical and haematological changes following prolonged halothane anaesthesia in horses. Six healthy horses were anaesthetised with halothane (1.2 times the horse minimal alveolar concentration) in oxygen for more than 12 hours. Serum bilirubin, aspartate aminotransferase, alkaline phosphatase and L-iditol dehydrogenase values were significantly (P < 0.05) increased for up to nine days after anaesthesia. These changes suggest an anaesthesia related liver dysfunction. Creatine kinase increased to an average of more than 1400 IU litre-1 24 hours after anaesthesia and this change is indicative of muscle cell disruption. Renal-associated biochemical results, (that is serum creatinine ...
Pancytopenia secondary to lymphoid leukemia in three horses. Pancytopenia was observed in two 3-year-old geldings and one 11-year-old mare. All horses had a brief history (2 days to 4 weeks) of fever, anorexia, and depression. One of the three horses had blast cells present on a peripheral blood smear. Examination of the bone marrow showed substantial infiltration with neoplastic lymphoid cells. At necropsy, neoplastic cells were restricted to the bone marrow in one horse, present in bone marrow, liver, and spleen in the second horse, and reported in multiple tissues in the third horse, including bone marrow, kidneys, lung, myocardium and lymph nodes. T...
