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Topic:Diagnosis
Diagnosis in horses involves the systematic identification of diseases and conditions affecting equine health. This process relies on a combination of clinical evaluations, laboratory tests, imaging techniques, and other diagnostic tools to assess the health status of horses. Veterinarians utilize these methods to identify symptoms, determine the underlying causes of health issues, and formulate appropriate treatment plans. Diagnostic procedures in equine medicine can include blood tests, ultrasound, radiography, endoscopy, and more specialized tests such as genetic screening or advanced imaging modalities like MRI and CT scans. This page aggregates peer-reviewed research studies and scholarly articles that explore various diagnostic techniques, their applications, and advancements in the field of equine veterinary medicine.
Rare Finding of a Full Nuchal Ligament Lamellae With Attachment Points From C2-C7 in One Australian Stock Horse. For over 200 years, equine anatomic literature has chiefly portrayed the attachment points of the nuchal ligament lamellae (NLL) from the second to the seventh cervical vertebrae (C2-C7). However, recent studies have shown that the modern domestic horse, Equus caballus, primarily exhibits the attachments points from C2-C5. Here we present the rare finding of a complete NLL attached from C2-C7 in one Australian Stock Horse (ASH) and discuss the potential implications of these findings. Previously, this trait has only been confirmed among close descendants of Equus ferus ferus; namely the primi...
The Contribution of Specific and Nonspecific Biomarkers in Diagnosis of Equine Gastric Ulcer Syndrome (EGUS) Under Field Condition. The aim of this study is to investigate the diagnostic efficiency of gastrin, pepsinogen, proinflammatory cytokines (TNF-α, IL-6), and oxidative stress biomarkers in horses with equine gastric ulcer syndrome (EGUS). Thirty horses diagnosed with gastroscopic EGUS and 15 clinically healthy horses were selected for this study. The serum levels of gastrin, pepsinogen showed nonsignificant changes in horses with EGUS when compared with healthy horses. The serum levels of TNF-α, IL-6 revealed a significant increase in horses with EGUS when compared with healthy ones. Oxidative stress is evident in...
Molecular Characterization of the Major Open Reading Frames (ORFs) and Enhancer Elements From Four Geographically Distinct North American Equine Infectious Anemia Virus (EIAV) Isolates. Although the equine lentivirus (equine infectious anemia virus [EIAV]) poses a major threat to equid populations throughout most regions of the world, detailed knowledge concerning its molecular epidemiology is still in its infancy. Such information is important because the few studies conducted to date suggest there is extensive genetic variation between viral isolates that if confirmed has significant implications for future vaccine design and development of newer diagnostic procedures. Here, we avoid potential assembly artifacts inherent in composite sequencing techniques by using long-rang...
Serum Chemistry and Hematology Changes in Neonatal Stock-Type Foals During the First 72 Hours of Life. Limited research has characterized blood chemistry in healthy stock-type foals. Our objectives were to determine foal serum chemistry and hematology changes during the first 72 hours postnatal and compare these with adult horse reference ranges. Over 3 foaling seasons, serum chemistry and hematology were determined for 16 healthy stock-type foals born to similarly managed mares. Blood was collected at 0 hours (before nursing but after standing, within 85 minutes of birth) and 6, 12, 24, 48, and 72 hours after initial sampling. Data were analyzed with sampling hour, year, and their interact...
Correction: A 1D computer model of the arterial circulation in horses: An important resource for studying global interactions between heart and vessels under normal and pathological conditions. [This corrects the article DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0221425.].
Equid Herpesvirus 1 Targets the Sensitization and Induction Steps To Inhibit the Type I Interferon Response in Equine Endothelial Cells. Equid herpesvirus 1 (EHV-1) is a viral pathogen of horse populations worldwide spread by the respiratory route and is known for causing outbreaks of neurologic syndromes and abortion storms. Previously, we demonstrated that an EHV-1 strain of the neuropathogenic genotype, T953, downregulates the beta interferon (IFN-β) response in equine endothelial cells (EECs) at 12 h postinfection (hpi). In the present study, we explored the molecular correlates of this inhibition as clues toward an understanding of the mechanism. Data from our study revealed that EHV-1 infection of EECs significantly red...
First Report Regarding the Simultaneous Molecular Detection of Anaplasma marginale and Theileria annulata in Equine Blood Samples Collected from Southern Punjab in Pakistan. The present study was designed to check the molecular detection of Anaplasma marginale and Theileria annulata in blood samples of horses and donkeys collected from Dera Ghazi Khan District in Punjab and to document their phylogenetic origin and their association with studied epidemiological factors (sex and age) and complete blood count parameters, if any. Results: A total of 195 blood samples were collected from apparently healthy horses (N = 141) and donkeys (N = 54). A. marginale DNA was detected by PCR in 4.9% (7/141) horse and in 9.2% (5/54) of donkey blood samples. Prevalence of ...
Equine herpesvirus-1 genotype did not significantly affect clinical signs and disease outcome in 65 horses diagnosed with equine herpesvirus-1 myeloencephalopathy. The objective of this study was to determine if the genotype of equine herpesvirus-1 (EHV-1) impacted clinical disease and outcome of horses with laboratory confirmed equine herpesvirus myeloencephalopathy (EHM). Medical records from 65 horses diagnosed with EHM from 2011 to 2019 were reviewed for signalment, presence and severity of clinical signs (lethargy, fever, ataxia, urinary incontinence) and outcome. Horses were further grouped based on the EHV-1 genotype into neuropathic (D) or non-neuropathic (N) EHV-1 infection. Between the two EHV-1 genotype groups, age and sex distributions were s...
Equine bronchial fibroblasts enhance proliferation and differentiation of primary equine bronchial epithelial cells co-cultured under air-liquid interface. Interaction between epithelial cells and fibroblasts play a key role in wound repair and remodelling in the asthmatic airway epithelium. We present the establishment of a co-culture model using primary equine bronchial epithelial cells (EBECs) and equine bronchial fibroblasts (EBFs). EBFs at passage between 4 and 8 were seeded on the bottom of 24-well plates and treated with mitomycin C at 80% confluency. Then, freshly isolated (P0) or passaged (P1) EBECs were seeded on the upper surface of membrane inserts that had been placed inside the EBF-containing well plates and grown first under liquid...
The gut microbiome of horses: current research on equine enteral microbiota and future perspectives. Understanding the complex interactions of microbial communities including bacteria, archaea, parasites, viruses and fungi of the gastrointestinal tract (GIT) associated with states of either health or disease is still an expanding research field in both, human and veterinary medicine. GIT disorders and their consequences are among the most important diseases of domesticated Equidae, but current gaps of knowledge hinder adequate progress with respect to disease prevention and microbiome-based interventions. Current literature on enteral microbiomes mirrors a vast data and knowledge imbalance, w...
Primary Hyperparathyroidism Associated With Atypical Headshaking Behavior in a Warmblood Gelding. A 14-year-old Zweibrücker Warmblood gelding was presented for evaluation of lethargy and headshaking. The horse had a history of bouts of lameness in different limbs and back problems. It also had many mild colic episodes in the past. Results of repeat laboratory tests had shown persistent hypercalcemia (4.8 mmol/L; reference interval [RI]: 2.0-3.2 mmol/L) for 1.5 years and later on hypophosphatemia (0.4 mmol/L; RI: 0.5-1.3 mmol/L) and mild hypermagnesemia (1.0 mmol/L; RI: 0.5-0.9 mmol/L). Parathyroid hormone (PTH) concentration was within the RI. Other causes of hypercalcemia, such as...
Hematological and Biochemical Reference Intervals for Mules in Chile. Hematological and biochemical reference intervals are an important tool for health assessment and treatment decision-making in veterinary medicine. Lack of information about reference intervals (RI) in mules force professionals to apply reference intervals developed for horses or donkeys, with the risk of misinterpretation. Thus, the aim of this study was to determine hematological and biochemical RI for healthy mules and compare them with those proposed in literature for horses, donkeys and mules. A total of 142 healthy mules (mixed breed mares × Baudet du Poitou) of both sex, all between 7 ...
Radiological Evaluation of Juvenile osteochondral Conditions in Brazilian Warmblood Horse. The term juvenile osteochondral condition (JOCC) has been used to identify developmental changes in the growth plates. The condition is characterized by a set of changes with similar pathogenesis that affect the immature skeleton and joints of growing foals. The aim of the current study is to investigate the prevalence and degree of severity of osteochondral changes in Brazilian warmblood (BW) foals in two farms in the south of Brazil. Radiological evaluation was applied to the metacarpophalangeal (MCP), carpal (C), metatarsophalangeal (MTP), tarsal (T), and femorotibiopatellar (FTP) joints of...
Uterine Inertia due to Severe Selenium Deficiency in a Parturient Mare. A 12-year-old, multiparous, parturient show jumper embryo-recipient mare presented at a veterinary hospital, seven days past her due date and with a dilated cervix, for evaluation of mild colic. Gastrointestinal or metabolic abnormalities and fetal maldispositions were excluded as causes of dystocia, and a diagnosis of uterine inertia was made. There was no uterine response to oxytocin treatment. A live filly was delivered via C-section, and severe selenium deficiency was eventually confirmed in the mare, her offspring, and in the herd of origin. The filly was born with severe white muscle dis...
Effect of inclusion or exclusion of epithelial cells in equine respiratory cytology analysis. Published studies vary as to whether epithelial cells are included in differential counts for tracheal wash (TW) and bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) cytology in horses. The aim of this study was to determine whether inclusion or exclusion of epithelial cells affects interpretation of airway cytology. Using criteria of >20% TW neutrophils, >10% BAL neutrophils and/or >5% BAL mast cells to indicate airway inflammation, there was a change in categorisation from 'normal' to 'abnormal' in 21%, 4% and 8% horses, respectively, when epithelial cells were excluded from differential counts. It is ...
Blood Response to Mercury Exposure in Athletic Horse From Messina, Italy. Mercury (Hg) exists in various chemical forms, and it is different to health effects. The most toxic effects occur in the central nervous system during fetal development with irreversible alterations of the nerve cells of the cerebral cortex and, it is essential to monitor the tissue residues of Hg to protect the animal's health. The present investigation was carried out during May 2019 in 20 horses located in equine sport center near the area of Milazzo, Messina, that is a part of Sicilian territory heavily polluted by many toxic substances. The purpose of this study was to determine the conc...
Radiographic tracheal lumen to vertebral ratios in the normal American Miniature Horse. Tracheal collapse in horses is reportedly uncommon; however, American Miniature Horses are more commonly affected. There is no description of the tracheal luminal diameter of American Miniature Horses, making early detection of tracheal luminal narrowing difficult. Objective: To 1) describe radiographic tracheal luminal diameter in clinically normal American Miniature Horses, 2) report the prevalence of subclinical tracheal collapse in a population of American Miniature Horses, and 3) use tracheal videofluoroscopy to quantify variation in tracheal luminal diameter throughout the respiratory c...
Development of membrane-based flow-through assay for detection of trypanosomosis in equines. A rapid flow-through immunoassay using protein A labeled gold nanoparticles (GNPs) for the qualitative detection of trypanosomosis in equine serum samples was developed. The flow-through device consisted of antigen-coated nitrocellulose membrane fixed on absorbent pads. The GNPs based detection probe was used as the colored marker. The assay can be employed for the detection of specific antibodies at 14 days post-infection in the infected pooled serum samples of equines. The assay can be conducted in < 5 min. The results of the flow-through assay were comparable with the methods like E...
[Equine Infectious Anaemia – a review from an official veterinary perspective]. Equine infectious anaemia (EIA) is a sporadic viral disease in many countries. Every single case has, however, a dramatic impact: infected animals have to be put down, and quarantine restrictions on horse movements lasting three months lead to substantial economic losses. In Switzerland, the mandatory notification was introduced in 1994 in order to facilitate international traffic. A year later, the "new" Ordinance on epizootics of 1995 classified EIA as a "disease to be eradicated". An infected polo horse in the canton of Argovia in summer 2017 thus represented Switzerland's first official ca...
Response to thyrotropin-releasing hormone (TRH) in a horse with hyperthyroidism associated with a functional thyroid adenoma. A 16-year-old American Paint Horse gelding was presented for evaluation of weight loss and high serum thyroid hormone concentrations resulting from a functional thyroid adenoma. The horse showed no response to a thyrotropin-releasing hormone (TRH) stimulation test. Clinical signs resolved following surgical removal of the adenoma. . Un cheval American Paint Horse hongre âgé de 16 ans fut présenté pour évaluation à la suite d’une perte de poids et d’une concentration sérique élevée d’hormone thyroïdienne résultant d’un adénome thyroïdien fonctionnel. Le cheval ne démontrai...
Disease investigations for equine infectious anemia in Canada (2009-2012) – Retrospective evaluation and risk factor analysis. This retrospective study describes the detection of equine infectious anemia (EIA) during Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) disease investigations in Canada, examines aspects of importance for disease control, and evaluates potential animal-level risk factors for EIA in high-risk horses. Based on review of all EIA-positive samples and all samples collected during disease investigations (N = 4553) over a 4-year period (2009 to 2012), 409 EIA cases were detected. Horse owners with EIA cases owned between 1 and 60 affected animals, and 49 horses seroconverted during a disease investigation p...
Serum protein concentrations and protein fractions in clinically healthy Italian Heavy Draft Horses using agarose gel electrophoresis. Serum protein electrophoresis (SPE) reference intervals (RIs) have been evaluated in different horses, but no specific values are shown for equine breeds as previously described in other species (dogs, cats), and no studies have been performed on SPE in draft horses. Objective: This study aimed to determine RIs for SPE in heavy draft horses (Italian Heavy Draft Horse-IHDH) living in central Italy. A comparison between different physiologic states (pregnancy and no pregnancy) and ages (foals and adults) was executed. Methods: Blood samples were collected from 215 apparently healthy horses (mare...
Skin Disorders of the Donkey and Mule. Skin disease in donkeys is less common than in horses, but is easily overlooked. Little published material exists on this important area of equine medicine. Skin tumors continue to challenge veterinarians working with donkeys. This article outlines the main disease entities that the author has encountered, although there are many other diseases and disorders that occur in different parts of the world that are not yet appreciated. When investigating a skin disease, a logical and comprehensive clinical approach should always be made; many conditions are similar in clinical presentation or are co...
The effect of equine herpesvirus type 4 on type-I interferon signaling molecules. Equine herpesvirus type 4 (EHV-4) is mildly pathogenic but is a common cause of respiratory disease in horses worldwide. We previously demonstrated that unlike EHV-1, EHV-4 is not a potent inducer of type-I IFN and does not suppress that IFN response, especially during late infection, when compared to EHV-1 infection in equine endothelial cells (EECs). Here, we investigated the impact of EHV-4 infection in EECs on type-I IFN signaling molecules at 3, 6, and 12 hpi. Findings from our study revealed that EHV-4 did not induce nor suppress TLR3 and TLR4 expression in EECs at all the studied time...
Donkey and Mule Behavior. Donkeys and mules often are misunderstood because of their behavioral differences compared with horses. Working with these animals requires more patience and ability to notice the slightest changes in behavior to diagnose disease. Mules and donkeys form strong bonds and trust with familiar people and other equids. Training mules and hinnies from an early age is key to modifying behavior and acceptance of unfamiliar people. Reproductive behavior is different from that of horses and requires more patience when collecting jacks. Practitioners working with mules and donkeys should take a methodolo...
Clinical Pathology of Donkeys and Mules. Given the stoic nature of donkeys and their hybrids, it is important to consider the significance of diagnostic testing modalities that can provide objective health status information beyond the basic physical examination findings. However, clinical pathology assays are also fraught with significant limitations because the results for donkeys, mules, and hinnies can be difficult to interpret, and transference of data from the horse is not always applicable. This article presents considerations for sample collection, storage, analysis, and interpretation strategies for clinical pathology testin...
