Topic:Clinical Signs
Clinical signs in horses refer to observable physical or behavioral manifestations that may indicate the presence of disease or injury. These signs can include a range of symptoms such as changes in appetite, alterations in gait, abnormal respiratory patterns, or variations in body temperature. Recognizing clinical signs is an integral part of equine veterinary practice, as they provide initial insights into the health status of the animal. Veterinarians rely on these signs to formulate differential diagnoses and guide further diagnostic testing. This page gathers peer-reviewed research studies and scholarly articles that explore the identification, interpretation, and diagnostic value of clinical signs in equine health management.
Rhodococcus equi foal pneumonia. Pneumonia caused by Rhodococcus equi is an important cause of disease and death in foals. This article reviews current knowledge of the epidemiology, clinical signs, diagnosis, treatment, prevention, and control of R equi pneumonia in foals.
Laparoscopic-guided compared to skilled instructor support for student rectal examination training using live horses in the veterinary curriculum. To evaluate the veterinary student learning outcome of 2 methods of equine rectal examination training. Methods: Randomized prospective study. Methods: Veterinary students (3rd and 4th year; n = 40) and practicing equine veterinarians (n = 10). Methods: Year 1: Group 1 (n = 11) and Group 2 students (n = 10) received skilled instructor (SI) and laparoscopic-guidance (LG), respectively, during rectal exam instruction. All students were tested on rectal identification of 4 abdominal organs. Year 2: One group of students (n = 19) was trained and subsequently tested using each technique, first SI, ...
Hand-assisted laparoscopic repair of a grade IV rectal tear in a postparturient mare. An 8-year-old multiparous Thoroughbred broodmare was admitted for evaluation of a rectal tear sustained during parturition. Results: On initial evaluation, the mare had mild signs of abdominal discomfort. A full-thickness rectal tear located 30 cm cranial to the anus and extending approximately 15 cm longitudinally along the surface of the small colon between the 4 and 6 o'clock positions, when viewed from behind, was diagnosed on examination per rectum. Results: Laparoscopic evaluation of the abdomen was performed to assess the tear and extent of peritoneal contamination. A hand-assisted repa...
Pathology of Natural Cases of Equine Endocrinopathic Laminitis Associated With Hyperinsulinemia. Laminitis in equids is a clinical syndrome usually associated with systemic disease. Endocrinopathies recently have been recognized as the most common cause of laminitis, with hyperinsulinemia playing a key role. Descriptions of laminitis-associated lesions have been confusing due to the wide range of experimental models used, failure of adequate clinical documentation for naturally occurring cases, lack of separate analysis of inflammatory and endocrinopathic laminitis, and uncertainty regarding normal morphological variation of lamellae. In this study, lamellar morphology and pathology were ...
Descemet’s membrane detachment in horses; case series and literature review. The aim of this article was to describe Descemet's membrane detachment (DMD) following phacoemulsification in five equine eyes and to review the human literature on this topic. In the last decade, there has been increased reporting of DMD in the human literature, in particular following cataract surgery. The natural history of DMD remains unknown and although various medical and surgical treatments have been advocated there is no recognized 'gold standard' treatment for DMD. This case series reports the diagnosis of DMD in four horses (5 eyes) in association with phacoemulsification surgery. T...
Experimental inoculation of equine coronavirus into Japanese draft horses. Recently, outbreaks associated with equine coronavirus (ECoV) have occurred in Japan and the United States. While ECoV is likely to be pathogenic to horses, it has not been shown that experimental inoculation of horses with ECoV produces clinical signs of disease. In this study, we inoculated three Japanese draft horses with an ECoV-positive diarrheic fecal sample to confirm infection after inoculation and to investigate the clinical course and virus shedding patterns of ECoV. Virus neutralization tests showed that all three horses became infected with ECoV. Two of the three horses developed c...
Efficacy of a Parapoxvirus ovis-based immunomodulator against equine herpesvirus type 1 and Streptococcus equi equi infections in horses. The efficacy of Zylexis®, an immunomodulator in horses based on inactivated Parapoxvirus ovis (iPPVO), was assessed using an equine herpesvirus type 1 (EHV-1) challenge model in the presence of a natural infection with Streptococcus equi equi (S. equi). Eleven horses were treated with iPPVO and twelve were kept as controls. Six horses were challenged with EHV-1 and commingled with the horses on study. Animals were dosed on Days -2, 0 (just before commingling) and Day 7. On Day 11 significantly less nasal discharge, enlarged lymph nodes, EHV-1 shedding and lower rectal temperatures were observ...
Semen quality of stallions challenged with the Kentucky 84 strain of equine arteritis virus. Equine arteritis virus (EAV) is the causal agent of equine viral arteritis (EVA), a respiratory and reproductive disease of equids. Some strains of EAV can cause fever, leukopenia, and dependent edema of the limbs, scrotum, and preputium in the acutely infected stallion. We hypothesized that fever and scrotal edema observed during the acute phase of the infection, but not the presence of EAV, have an adverse effect on semen quality. A group of seven stallions were intranasally inoculated with the Kentucky 84 (KY84) strain of EAV. Stallions were monitored for clinical signs of EVA until 42 days...
Successful practice of electroacupuncture analgesia in equine surgery. Electroacupuncture analgesia was used for surgery in horses and donkeys. A KWD-808 electrical stimulator was used to incrementally induce a dense, dispersed wave output at frequencies from 20 to 55 Hz, which was maintained at a frequency of 55 Hz, and to change the amplitude of the wave to the best grading number for the suggested operation in each animal. Induction of analgesia lasted for 20-30 minutes, and the effect of analgesia was maintained for 20-45 minutes depending on the type of surgery performed. The exhibited clinical signs, physical examination data, and the responses of all ani...
The role of the Oregon State University Endophyte Service Laboratory in diagnosing clinical cases of endophyte toxicoses. The Oregon State University Colleges of Veterinary Medicine and Agricultural Sciences instituted the Endophyte Service Laboratory to aid in diagnosing toxicity problems associated with cool-season grasses in livestock. The endophyte (Neotyphodium coenophalum) present in tall fescue (Festuca arundinacea) produces ergopeptine alkaloids, of which ergovaline is the molecule used to determine exposure and toxicity thresholds for the vasoconstrictive conditions "fescue foot" and "summer slump". Another vasoconstrictive syndrome, "ergotism," is caused by a parasitic fungus, Claviceps purpurea, and it...
Acute phase proteins in Andalusian horses infected with Theileria equi. Clinical and laboratory findings were determined in 23 Andalusian horses in southern Spain that were positive for Theileria equi by PCR, including 16 mares at pasture (group A1) and seven stabled stallions (group B1). Five healthy mares at pasture (group A2) and five stabled stallions (group B2), all of which were negative for T. equi in Giemsa stained blood smears and by PCR, were used as controls. The most frequent clinical signs were anorexia, anaemia, depression and icterus (group A1), along with loss of performance or failure to train and depression (group B1). Thrombocytopoenia was evi...
Prospective survey of veterinary practitioners’ primary assessment of equine colic: clinical features, diagnoses, and treatment of 120 cases of large colon impaction. Large colon impactions are a common cause of colic in the horse. There are no scientific reports on the clinical presentation, diagnostic tests and treatments used in first opinion practice for large colon impaction cases. The aim of this study was to describe the presentation, diagnostic approach and treatment at the primary assessment of horses with large colon impactions. Methods: Data were collected prospectively from veterinary practitioners on the primary assessment of equine colic cases over a 12 month period. Inclusion criteria were a diagnosis of primary large colon impaction and posi...
The recent European isolate (08P178) of equine arteritis virus causes inflammation but not arteritis in experimentally infected ponies. In the last two decades, outbreaks of equine viral arteritis (EVA) have been reported in Europe, but little is known about these European isolates of equine arteritis virus (EAV). EAV European strain (08P178, EU-1 clade) isolated from one of these recent outbreaks is able to cause clinical signs on experimental infection. The aim of the present study was to investigate the microscopical lesions induced by this isolate after experimental infection of ponies. Animals were killed at 3, 7, 14 and 28 days post infection (dpi). At 3 dpi, lesions were essentially restricted to the respiratory tract a...
Serum amyloid A and haptoglobin concentrations are increased in plasma of mares with ascending placentitis in the absence of changes in peripheral leukocyte counts or fibrinogen concentration. Currently, placentitis, an important cause of late pregnancy loss in mares, is diagnosed by clinical signs and ultrasonography. Acute phase proteins (APP) are mainly produced and secreted by the liver in response to acute inflammatory stimuli. We hypothesized that APP are increased in mares with placentitis. Methods: Concentrations of serum amyloid A (SAA), haptoglobin (Hp), fibrinogen (Fb), and white blood cell counts (WBC) were determined in plasma of mares with experimentally induced placentitis and gestationally age-matched control mares. Placentitis was induced via intracervical inoculati...
Evaluation of the colic in horses: decision for referral. This article presents an overview of key factors that should alert the practitioner toward referral of a colic patient to a facility capable of surgical exploration or intensive medical management. Discussion includes a review of important aspects of colic history, signalment, physical examination findings, and diagnostic test results that indicate that a more serious medical or surgical condition exists, and advanced therapy is necessary.
Equine influenza diagnosis: sample collection and transport. In horses, presumptive diagnosis of equine influenza is commonly made on the basis of clinical signs. This alone is insufficient for confirmation of equine influenza, because other equine infectious respiratory diseases can in some degree have similar clinical presentations. Surveillance and control of equine influenza also necessitate detection of subclinical cases. Effective diagnosis of equine influenza virus infection is critically dependent on obtaining adequate specimens of virus-containing respiratory secretions for testing. These specimens are also valuable as sources for isolation of ...
Clinical Sentinel Surveillance of Equine West Nile Fever, Spain. West Nile fever (WNF) is a viral zoonotic infection caused by a mosquito-borne flavivirus of the Flaviviridae family. According to a comparative study, the passive surveillance of horses by equine veterinarians appeared to be the most cost-effective system in the European context of WNF. Clinical data issued from a passive epidemiosurveillance network from September 2010 to December 2011 on horses in Spain were statistically compared and used to develop a predictive diagnostic decision tree, both with the aim to improve the early clinical detection of WNF in horses. Although clinical signs wer...
Brainstem auditory evoked responses in an equine patient population: part I–adult horses. Brainstem auditory evoked response has been an underused diagnostic modality in horses as evidenced by few reports on the subject. Objective: To describe BAER findings, common clinical signs, and causes of hearing loss in adult horses. Methods: Study group, 76 horses; control group, 8 horses. Methods: Retrospective. BAER records from the Clinical Neurophysiology Laboratory were reviewed from the years of 1982 to 2013. Peak latencies, amplitudes, and interpeak intervals were measured when visible. Horses were grouped under disease categories. Descriptive statistics and a posthoc Bonferroni test...
Coagulopathies in horses. Although primary coagulopathies are rare in horses, changes in coagulation and fibrinolysis are commonly associated with inflammatory diseases. A clear understanding of the pathophysiology of normal and abnormal hemostasis is required to be able to choose and interpret diagnostic tests evaluating coagulation and fibrinolysis. After diagnosis, treatment of the underlying disease must occur regardless of whether clinical manifestations (excessive bleeding or thrombosis) of the coagulopathy are present or not. Specific treatment may be initiated if there are clinical signs of coagulopathy.
Epidemiology of shivering (shivers) in horses. Investigating the epidemiology of shivering in horses. Objective: The purpose of this study was to characterise the signalment, clinical signs and management factors associated with shivering (also known as shivers), a relatively rare, poorly defined movement disorder in horses. Methods: Web-based case series survey and case-control study. Methods: A Web-based survey was used to obtain information from owners, worldwide, who suspected that their horse had shivering. Survey respondents were asked to answer standardised questions and to provide a video of the horse. Authors reviewed the surveys ...
Serological survey for antibody to Encephalitozoon cuniculi in horses in the USA. Encephalitozoon cuniculi is an obligate intracellular microsporidian parasite that can result in clinical and subclinical infection in many species. In the present study, a serological survey was conducted using samples from 105 horses in the state of New Jersey; 49 of the samples were obtained from clinically abnormal animals. Five or 4.8% of 105 serum samples were found to demonstrate reactivity by ELISA with titers of 1:64 to 1:1,024. One of the samples was obtained from a clinically normal horse. Clinical signs and diagnoses from the other animals included lameness, colic, osteochondritis ...
Factors associated with Culicoides Obsoletus complex spp.-specific IgE reactivity in Icelandic horses and Shetland ponies. Insect bite hypersensitivity (IBH) is a common allergic skin disease in horses, caused by biting insects of the Culicoides spp. In The Netherlands, Culicoides spp. of the Obsoletus complex are the most important midges involved in IBH. The aim of the present study was to identify and quantify associations between several endogenous (host) and exogenous (environmental) factors and immunoglobulin E (IgE) reactivity against Obsoletus complex-derived whole body extract or seven recombinant allergens, measured by ELISA. Data from 143 Icelandic horses and 177 Shetland ponies were analysed using mult...
Efficacy of a non-updated, Matrix-C-based equine influenza subunit-tetanus vaccine following Florida sublineage clade 2 challenge. Assessing the ability of current equine influenza vaccines to provide cross-protection against emerging strains is important. Horses not vaccinated previously and seronegative for equine influenza based on haemagglutination inhibition (HI) assay were assigned at random to vaccinated (n=7) or non-vaccinated (control, n=5) groups. Vaccination was performed twice four weeks apart with a 1 ml influenza subunit (A/eq/Prague/1/56, A/eq/Newmarket/1/93, A/eq/Newmarket/2/93), tetanus toxoid vaccine with Matrix-C adjuvant (EquilisPrequenza Te). All the horses were challenged individually by aerosol wi...
Mass envenomation of a mare and foal by bees. The clinical course of toxic envenomation of a mare and her foal after an attack by a swarm of bees in the Upper Hunter Valley of New South Wales is described. Early agitation and urticaria were followed by more severe systemic clinical signs within 18 h. There was severe, generalised angioedema, rhabdomyolysis, hypovolaemia, gastrointestinal stasis and renal injury. A particular feature in the mare was almost maniacal behaviour during the first 48 h. Clinical pathological examination showed evidence of haemoconcentration, intravascular haemolysis, thrombocytopenia, azotaemia, rhabdomyolysis a...
Equine grass sickness. Equine grass sickness (EGS; equine dysautonomia) is a polyneuronopathy affecting both the central and the peripheral nervous systems of horses. As the name implies, EGS almost exclusively affects grazing horses, resulting in the development of a characteristic array of clinical signs, most of which can be attributed to neuronal degeneration in the autonomic and enteric nervous systems. Varying disease severities occur, largely determined by the extent of neuronal degeneration in the myenteric and submucous plexuses of the enteric nervous system. Extensive neuronal degeneration, as seen in acut...