Omneity® Pellets
All-In-One Vitamin & Mineral Pellet
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.
Rapid LC-MS/MS method for the determination of 4-hydroxycholesterol/cholesterol ratio in serum as endogenous biomarker for CYP3A activity in human and foals. Cytochrome P450 3A (CYP) enzymes are involved in the elimination of many drugs and are known to be regulated by several environmental factors. Thus, it was the aim of this study to develop and validate an analytical method allowing estimation of the hepatic CYP3A enzyme activity using the 4-hydroxycholesterol to cholesterol ratio as an endogenous biomarker in serum. Both compounds were isolated from the biological matrix by liquid-liquid extraction using n-hexane after saponification with ethanolic sodium methoxide solution (2M) to cleave the steroids from their esterified forms without any ki...
Notes from the Field: Fatal Infection Associated with Equine Exposure – King County, Washington, 2016. On March 17, 2016, Public Health-Seattle & King County in Washington was notified of two persons who received a diagnosis of Streptococcus equi subspecies zooepidemicus (S. zooepidemicus) infections. S. zooepidemicus is a zoonotic pathogen that rarely causes human illness and is usually associated with consuming unpasteurized dairy products or with direct horse contact (1). In horses, S. zooepidemicus is a commensal bacterium that can cause respiratory, wound, and uterine infections (2). The health department investigated to determine the magnitude of the outbreak, identify risk factors, and o...
Lubricin/proteoglycan 4 increases in both experimental and naturally occurring equine osteoarthritis. The goals of this study were (1) to quantify proteoglycan 4 (PRG4) gene expression; (2) to assess lubricin immunostaining; and (3) to measure synovial fluid lubricin concentrations in clinical and experimental models of equine carpal osteoarthritis (OA). Lubricin synovial fluid concentrations and cartilage and synovial membrane PRG4 expression were analyzed in research horses undergoing experimental OA induction (n = 8) and in equine clinical patients with carpal OA (n = 58). Lubricin concentrations were measured using a custom sandwich enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, and PRG4 expressio...
RT-qPCR for the diagnosis of dermatophilosis in horses. Dermatophilus congolensis causes a crusting dermatitis that affects horses. Diagnosis requires the identification of the organism with cytological evaluation of crust samples. This method can lack sensitivity in chronic cases. Objective: To develop a probe-based real time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) test to assist with the diagnosis of dermatophilosis in horses. Methods: Twenty six privately owned horses and seven horses from a research colony were used. Methods: Crust samples, collected from 14 horses with suspected dermatophilosis and 12 horses with crusting skin disease...
Using the Horse Grimace Scale (HGS) to Assess Pain Associated with Acute Laminitis in Horses (Equus caballus). Acute laminitis is a common equine disease characterized by intense foot pain, both acutely and chronically. The Obel grading system is the most widely accepted method for describing the severity of laminitis by equine practitioners, however this method requires movement (walk and trot) of the horse, causing further intense pain. The recently developed Horse Grimace Scale (HGS), a facial-expression-based pain coding system, may offer a more effective means of assessing the pain associated with acute laminitis. The aims of this study were: to investigate whether HGS can be usefully applied to a...
Heritability of Recurrent Exertional Rhabdomyolysis in Standardbred and Thoroughbred Racehorses Derived From SNP Genotyping Data. Recurrent exertional rhabdomyolysis (RER) in Thoroughbred and Standardbred racehorses is characterized by episodes of muscle rigidity and cell damage that often recur upon strenuous exercise. The objective was to evaluate the importance of genetic factors in RER by obtaining an unbiased estimate of heritability in cohorts of unrelated Thoroughbred and Standardbred racehorses. Four hundred ninety-one Thoroughbred and 196 Standardbred racehorses were genotyped with the 54K or 74K SNP genotyping arrays. Heritability was calculated from genome-wide SNP data with a mixed linear and Bayesian model, ...
Ovicidal efficacy of fenbendazole after treatment of horses naturally infected with cyathostomins. The ovicidal activity of benzimidazole (BZ) anthelmintics is unique and not seen in other drug classes. Such ovicidal efficacy is not widely reported for equine cyathostomins, nor has this activity been tested in the face of BZ resistance. Although the product label states that fenbendazole is for use against BZ-susceptible cyathostomins, susceptibility testing is rarely performed. In this field-based study, the ovicidal efficacy of fenbendazole in horses (n=39) harbouring BZ-resistant cyathostomins was compared when dosed at 7.5mg/kg body weight (BW) orally, as a single dose per os (n=21) or ...
The Effect of Fasting Duration on Baseline Blood Glucose Concentration, Blood Insulin Concentration, Glucose/Insulin Ratio, Oral Sugar Test, and Insulin Response Test Results in Horses. Published descriptions of the oral sugar test (OST) and insulin response test (IRT) have been inconsistent when specifying the protocol for fasting horses before testing. The purpose of our study was to examine the effect of fasting duration on blood glucose concentration, blood insulin concentration, glucose/insulin ratio, OST, and IRT results in horses. Methods: Ten healthy adult horses. Methods: Both OST and IRT were performed on horses without fasting and after fasting for 3, 6, and 12 hours. Thus, 8 tests were performed per horse in a randomized order. Blood collected at the initial time ...
Acute Phase Proteins as a Marker of Respiratory Inflammation in Przewalski’s Horse (Equus ferus przewalskii). Acute phase proteins are sensitive markers of inflammation, which are highly conserved across taxa. Although the utility of these proteins are becoming well defined in human and domestic animal medical fields, their role in nondomestic species remains unclear. In this communication, a 20-yr-old Przewalski's horse was presented for unresolving aspiration pneumonia, which cultured a unique Actinomyces-like bacteria. Despite waxing and waning clinical signs and minimal changes on baseline hematologic analysis, protein electrophoresis, serum amyloid A, and surfactant protein D serum concentrations...
Full-Genome Sequence of a Neuroinvasive West Nile Virus Lineage 2 Strain from a Fatal Horse Infection in South Africa. We report here the complete genome sequence of a lineage 2 West Nile virus (WNV) strain that resulted in fatal neurological disease in a horse in South Africa. Several recent reports exist of neurological disease associated with lineage 2 WNV in humans and horses in South Africa and Europe; however, there are a lack of sequencing data from recent fatal cases in Southern Africa, where these strains likely originate. A better understanding of the genetic composition of highly neuroinvasive lineage 2 strains may facilitate the identification of putative genetic factors associated with increased v...
Dental Disease in Aged Horses and Its Management. Improved recognition of equine geriatric conditions has resulted in a surge in our aged population with a concurrent escalation of many age-related dental pathologies. Prevention of these disorder is the ultimate aim but early identification and appropriate management can increase an animal's oral comfort and maximise its masticatory ability. There is only a finite amount of tooth available for eruption in the horse and therefore as the teeth become worn and less efficient as a grinding unit, dietary modification becomes a paramount consideration to accommodate this. Geriatric animals have dif...
Effects of fentanyl administration on locomotor response in horses with the G57C μ-opioid receptor polymorphism. OBJECTIVE To determine the locomotor response to the administration of fentanyl in horses with and without the G57C polymorphism of the μ-opioid receptor. ANIMALS 20 horses of various breeds and ages (10 horses heterozygous for the G57C polymorphism and 10 age-, breed-, and sex-matched horses that did not have the G57C polymorphism). PROCEDURES The number of steps each horse took was counted over consecutive 2-minute periods for 20 minutes to determine a baseline value. The horse then received a bolus of fentanyl (20 μg/kg, IV), and the number of steps was again counted during consecutive 2-...
Endocrine Disease in Aged Horses. Aging horses may be at particular risk of endocrine disease. Two major equine endocrinopathies, pituitary pars intermedia dysfunction and equine metabolic syndrome, are commonly encountered in an aging population and may present with several recognizable signs, including laminitis. Investigation, treatment, and management of these diseases are discussed. Additionally, aging may be associated with development of rarer endocrinopathic problems, often associated with neoplasia, including diabetes mellitus and other confounders of glucose homeostasis, as well as thyroid, parathyroid, and adrenal d...
Risk Factors for Equine Gastric Glandular Disease: A Case-Control Study in a Finnish Referral Hospital Population. Equine gastric glandular disease (EGGD) is a term used to classify erosive and ulcerative diseases of the glandular mucosa of the equine stomach. Epidemiologic studies of risk factors for EGGD have not been reported. Objective: To determine risk factors for EGGD. Methods: Cases (n = 83) had endoscopic evidence of EGGD; controls (n = 34) included healthy horses and horses with equine squamous gastric disease (ESGD) without EGGD. Methods: Retrospective case-control study. The data were analyzed by multivariable logistic regression modeling. Analysis was performed on the full dataset. An addi...
Prevalence, survival analysis and multimorbidity of chronic diseases in the general veterinarian-attended horse population of the UK. The average age of the global human population is increasing, leading to increased interest in the effects of chronic disease and multimorbidity on health resources and patient welfare. It has been posited that the average age of the general veterinarian-attended horse population of the UK is also increasing, and therefore it could be assumed that chronic diseases and multimorbidity would pose an increasing risk here also. However, evidence for this trend in ageing is very limited, and the current prevalence of many chronic diseases, and of multimorbidity, is unknown. Using text mining of firs...
Species composition of larvae cultured after anthelmintic treatment indicates reduced moxidectin susceptibility of immature Cylicocyclus species in horses. For the control of cyathostomins in horses, the macrocyclic lactones (MLs), moxidectin (MOX) and ivermectin (IVM) are the most commonly used anthelmintics. However, reduced activity, observed as shortening of the egg reappearance period (ERP) has been described. Shortening of the ERP may be caused by a decreased susceptibility of immature worms for MLs. Alternatively, immature worms may develop faster into egg producing adults as a result of repeated ML treatments. The species composition of the larval cultures obtained shortly after ML and pyrantel (PYR) treatment can confirm the hypothesis o...
Finite-Element Analysis of Bone Stresses on Primary Impact in a Large-Animal Model: The Distal End of the Equine Third Metacarpal. To assess whether the transient stresses of foot impact with the ground are similar to those found during midstance loading and if the location of high stress correlate with the sites most commonly associated with mechanically induced osteoarthritis (OA). We compared impact stresses in subchondral bone between two subject-specific, three-dimensional, finite-element models of the equine metacarpophalangeal (MCP) joint-one with advanced OA and one healthy, and with similar published data on the stresses that occur at midstance. Methods: Two right MCP joints (third metacarpal and proximal phalanx...
Treatment of endotoxaemia and septicaemia in the equine patient. Endotoxins, constituents of the cell wall of gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria, regularly result in severe illness and death in horses. In endotoxaemia, these constituents are present in the systemic circulation; in septicaemia, whole microbes invade normally sterile parts of the body. Interaction of these endotoxins with pathogen recognition receptors leads to an inflammatory response that cannot always be sufficiently contained and hence needs direct treatment. Over the last decennia, our understanding of the pathophysiology of endotoxaemia and septicaemia has significantly increased....
Use of a laparoscopic specimen retrieval pouch to facilitate removal of intact or fragmented cystic calculi from standing sedated horses: 8 cases (2012-2015). OBJECTIVE To evaluate the use of a laparoscopic specimen retrieval pouch for removal of intact or fragmented cystic calculi from standing horses. DESIGN Retrospective case series. ANIMALS 8 horses (5 geldings and 3 mares) with cystic calculi. PROCEDURES Physical examination and cystoscopic, ultrasonographic, and hematologic evaluations of urinary tract function were performed for each horse. A diagnosis of cystic calculus was made on the basis of results of cystoscopy and ultrasonography. Concurrent urolithiasis or other urinary tract abnormalities identified during preoperative evaluation wer...
Establishment of an equine tetanus antitoxin reference standard for veterinary use in Japan. To establish the first National Veterinary Assay Laboratory (NVAL) equine tetanus antitoxin reference standard for veterinary use, we manufactured vials of a candidate antitoxin. These were quality tested for moisture content, vacuum, colour, clarity, and the presence of foreign objects. Ultimately, 115 quality-controlled vials were prepared. To estimate the antitoxin potency of the candidate standard, three different laboratories conducted parallel line assays alongside the existing antitoxin standard. These potency estimates ranged from 38 to 42 IU. This activity was maintained for two years...
Treatment of sarcoids in equids: 230 cases (2008-2013). OBJECTIVE To evaluate outcomes following treatment of sarcoids in equids and to identify risk factors for treatment failure in these patients. DESIGN Retrospective case series. ANIMALS 230 equids with 614 sarcoids. PROCEDURES Records were searched to identify equids treated for ≥ 1 sarcoid between 2008 and 2013. A standardized protocol was used to determine treatment choice (electrosurgery, electrosurgery with intralesional placement of cisplatin-containing beads, topical administration of imiquimod or acyclovir, cryosurgery, bacillus Calmette-Guerin vaccine injection, or intralesional injec...
Glanders and the risk for its introduction through the international movement of horses. Glanders is the contagious zoonotic disease caused by infection with Burkholderia mallei. It affects primarily horses, donkeys and mules. The disease was eradicated from large areas of the Western world in the early 20th century, but, over the last 10-20 years, has emerged and re-emerged in areas in which it was previously unknown or had been eradicated. Although glanders was previously thought to manifest in only acute or chronic presentations, it now appears that B. mallei can produce latent infections similar to those caused by Burkholderia pseudomallei. These latent infections may or may...
African horse sickness: The potential for an outbreak in disease-free regions and current disease control and elimination techniques. African horse sickness (AHS) is an arboviral disease of equids transmitted by Culicoides biting midges. The virus is endemic in parts of sub-Saharan Africa and official AHS disease-free status can be obtained from the World Organization for Animal Health on fulfilment of a number of criteria. AHS is associated with case fatality rates of up to 95%, making an outbreak among naïve horses both a welfare and economic disaster. The worldwide distributions of similar vector-borne diseases (particularly bluetongue disease of ruminants) are changing rapidly, probably due to a combination of globalisa...
Identification of copy number variations in three Chinese horse breeds using 70K single nucleotide polymorphism BeadChip array. Copy number variation (CNV), an essential form of genetic variation, has been increasingly recognized as one promising genetic marker in the analysis of animal genomes. Here, we used the Equine 70K single nucleotide polymorphism genotyping array for the genome-wide detection of CNVs in 96 horses from three diverse Chinese breeds: Debao pony (DB), Mongolian horse (MG) and Yili horse (YL). A total of 287 CNVs were determined and merged into 122 CNV regions (CNVRs) ranging from 199 bp to 2344 kb in size and distributed in a heterogeneous manner on chromosomes. These CNVRs were integrated with s...
Equine motor neuron disease in 2 horses from Saskatchewan. Two horses from Saskatchewan were presented with signs of sweating, muscle fasciculations, weight loss, and generalized weakness. The horses were diagnosed with equine motor neuron disease (EMND), by histological assessment of a spinal accessory nerve or sacrocaudalis dorsalis medialis muscle biopsy. This is the first report of EMND in western Canada. Maladie équine des motoneurones chez 2 chevaux de la Saskatchewan. Deux chevaux de la Saskatchewan ont été présentés avec des signes de sudation, de fibrillations musculaires, de perte de poids et de faiblesse généralisée. On a diagnostiq...
Evolution of in vitro antimicrobial resistance in an equine hospital over 3 decades. This study identified antimicrobial resistance patterns of commonly isolated bacteria at the Equine Hospital of the Université de Montréal between 2007 and 2013, and compared the results with the resistance patterns observed in tests performed in previous decades in the same hospital. A total of 396 antimicrobial susceptibility tests were analyzed by the Kirby-Bauer method during the period 2007 to 2013 and compared to 233 and 255 tests completed in 1986 to 1988 and 1996 to 1998, respectively. The most common bacteria were Streptococcus equi subsp. zooepidemicus (S. zooepidemicus) and Escher...
Citrobacter freundii induced endocarditis in a yearling colt. Endocarditis is a rare pathology in horses and the clinical signs can be misleading. We describe the clinical, echocardiographic, and pathological features of Citrobacter freundii induced bacterial endocarditis in a horse. This bacterium has never been reported before as an agent of vegetative endocarditis in the horse. L’endocardite est une pathologie rare chez les chevaux et les signes cliniques peuvent être trompeurs. Nous décrivons les caractéristiques cliniques, échographiques et pathologiques d’une endocardite bactérienne induite par chez un cheval. Cette bactérie n’a jamai...
Clinical behavior of intraocular teratoid medulloepithelioma in two-related Quarter Horses. The objective of this paper is to describe clinical behavior, histopathologic features, and immunohistochemical staining of two-related horses with intraocular teratoid medulloepithelioma. Two-related Quarter Horses with similar intraocular masses presented to the UF-CVM Comparative Ophthalmology Service for evaluation and treatment. The first horse, a 3-year-old gelding, had glaucoma and a cyst-like mass in the anterior chamber. Enucleation was performed. Histopathology revealed a teratoid medulloepithelioma. The tumor was considered to be completely excised. Fifteen months later, the gelding...
