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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.
Black walnut induced laminitis. A 5-y-old Paint horse gelding was evaluated for acute laminitis after exposure to black walnut shavings. The gelding's feet were previously soaked in an ice bath continuously for approximately 24 h. Treatment consisted of anti-inflammatory and vasodilator therapy. Serial radiographs revealed progressive palmar deviation of the third phalanx and subsolar abscesses in both forefeet. The gelding developed purulent discharge from the right coronary band and the hoof wall detached circumfrentially. Euthanasia was elected after 54 days. Continual exposure of the gelding's feet to ice water temperatu...
Disseminated hemangiosarcoma in the horse: 35 cases. Thirty-five cases of disseminated hemangiosarcoma (21 clinical cases and 14 previously reported cases) were reviewed to describe the disease in horses. Hemangiosarcoma occurred in mature, particularly middle-aged horses, with no apparent sex predilection. Thoroughbreds seemed to be overrepresented (13 cases) but a true breed predilection could not be established. The respiratory and musculoskeletal systems were most commonly affected and presenting complaints included dyspnea (26%), subcutaneous or muscular swelling (24%), epistaxis (17%), and lameness (12%). Heart and respiratory rates were u...
A function for guttural pouches in the horse. Athletic animals must keep their brains cool during exertion because this organ can be damaged irreversibly by hyperthermia. But how horses do this has remained a mystery, as they don't appear to have thermoregulatory dervices like those found in other animals. They do, however, have a unique anatomical arrangement of their internal carotid arteries, which supply blood to the brain: these are enveloped by a pair of air-filled guttural pouches. Here we show that horses use their guttural pouches to cool these important arteries during exercise, keeping the brain from overheating.
Influence of development and joint pathology on stromelysin enzyme activity in equine synovial fluid. To investigate the role of stromelysin (MMP-3) activity in synovial fluid (SF) at different stages of development and in common joint disorders in the horse. Methods: Stromelysin activity was determined with a fluorogenic enzyme activity assay in SF of normal joints of fetal, juvenile and adult horses, and in SF of horses suffering from the developmental orthopaedic disease osteochondrosis (OC) or osteoarthritis (OA). Additionally, MMP-3 activity was expressed as a ratio of previously reported general MMP activity in the same SF samples. Results: The levels of active stromelysin were 30-fold t...
Equine dental disease. Part 3: A long-term study of 400 cases: disorders of wear, traumatic damage and idiopathic fractures, tumours and miscellaneous disorders of the cheek teeth. Of 400 horses referred because of dental disorders, 349 cases were diagnosed as suffering from primary disorders of their cheek teeth. Details of 104 of these cases are presented, including 44 cases with abnormalities of wear, 26 cases with traumatic damage, 24 cases with idiopathic fractures and 10 cases with miscellaneous cheek teeth disorders including oral tumours. The long-term response to treatment was excellent in most cases, even in cases with residual secondary periodontal disease.
Clinical and neuropathological features of West Nile virus equine encephalomyelitis in Italy. West Nile (WN) virus infection is a mosquito-borne flavivirosis endemic in Africa and Asia. Clinical disease is usually rare and mild and only in a few cases the infection causes encephalomyelitis in horses, fever and meningoencephalitis in man. We report here the clinical and pathological findings in an epidemic of the disease involving 14 horses from Tuscany, Italy. All cases were observed from August to October 1998. Affected horses showed ataxia, weakness paresis of the hindlimbs and, in 6 cases, there was paraparesis progressing to tetraplegia and recumbency within 2 to 9 days. Eight anim...
Cartilage oligomeric matrix protein (COMP) levels in digital sheath synovial fluid and serum with tendon injury. Cartilage oligomeric matrix protein (COMP) is a noncollagenous extracellular matrix protein found predominantly in cartilage, but also in tendon, ligament and meniscus. Studies in man have demonstrated that it may be used as a prognostic marker in rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis. The present study investigated whether tendon injury contributes to serum and tendon sheath synovial fluid levels of COMP in horses. COMP levels, analysed by competitive ELISA, in the digital sheath synovial fluid were more than 10-fold higher than in the serum. Levels were significantly raised when tendon dam...
Pathophysiology of dorsal displacement of the soft palate in horses. Dorsal displacement of the soft palate (DDSP) is an intermittent obstructive upper airway condition that occurs in athletic horses during high-intensity exercise. The pathogenesis of this condition is unknown, but may involve epiglottic hypoplasia, malformation, or neuromuscular dysfunction. In this paper, we report on investigations into the pathophysiology of DDSP. In 3 separate experiments, Standardbred horses were exercised on a high-speed treadmill at speeds corresponding to 50, 75 and 100% of maximum heart rate. The upper airway was evaluated by videoendoscopy and measurement of tracheal...
Effect of exercise and COPD crisis on isoprostane concentration in plasma and bronchoalveolar lavage fluid in horses. To test whether isoprostanes could be used as markers of oxidative stress in horses, their concentration was determined in plasma and in pulmonary epithelial lining fluid (PELF) in 3 models of oxidative stress: (1) strenuous exercise, (2) acute COPD crisis and (3) exercise combined with COPD crisis. Four horses were investigated twice, once in crisis and once in remission. The animals underwent a standardised treadmill exercise test. Isoprostane assessment was performed in plasma and bronchoalveolar lavage fluid 24 h before and 1 h after exercise and in plasma also immediately after exercise. ...
Sedation and antisedation as tools in equine lameness examination. A kinematic study was performed to establish the locomotion pattern of horses under detomidine sedation and the effects of antagonization for possible use during lameness examinations in uncooperative horses. The kinematics of 17 Warmblood horses (9 sound, 8 lame with chronic forelimb lameness) were recorded on 2 days using a high-speed video system while trotting (3.9 m/s) on a treadmill. On each day a control measurement was carried out prior to sedation with detomidine (10 micrograms/kg bwt) and repeated recordings at 15, 25, 35, 45 and 60 min after sedation. On the second day, sedation was...
Cardiorespiratory measurements and indices of oxidative stress in exercising COPD horses. The effect of a COPD crisis on arterial blood gases, heart rate, lactate and indices of oxidative stress were investigated before, during and 1 h after a 'run up to fatigue' in 6 COPD horses. They were investigated twice, randomly: once in acute crisis (C) and once in clinical remission (R). Arterial and mixed venous blood samples were collected and analysed for partial pressures in O2 and CO2. The mixed venous blood was also analysed for plasma lactate (LA) and packed cell volume (PCV), as well as for indices of oxidative stress, i.e. reduced glutathione, glutathione disulphide, glutathione r...
Exertional rhabdomyolysis in quarter horses and thoroughbreds: one syndrome, multiple aetiologies. The purpose of this study was to determine if chronic exertional rhabdomyolysis (ER) in Quarter Horses and Thoroughbreds represents one or several distinct myopathies. Eighteen Quarter Horses and 18 Thoroughbreds with ER were selected from cases presented to the Veterinary Hospital on the basis of a history of ER, assessment of muscle histopathology, and serum CK activity before and 4 h post exercise. In addition, 2 of 3 of the following parameters were evaluated: muscle glycogen concentrations, thyroid hormones (T3, T4), fractional excretion (FE) of sodium, potassium and chloride. The CK resp...
Plasma glutamine status in the equine at rest, during exercise and following viral challenge. The variation over 24 h of plasma glutamine concentration in nonexercising horses was studied in 3 Thoroughbreds (TB) fed at 1600 h and 0700 h. This indicated a small but regular change associated with feeding. Starting at a mean of 482 mumol/l at 1600 h the concentration increased to 522 mumol/l at 2000 h, falling to 476 mumol/l at 1600 h and increasing again to 525 mumol/l at 2000 h. 'Normal' values were established in 19 part-bred TB horses, lacking clinical signs or remarkable pathology and in light training, by sampling weekly at 1000 h over a 10 week period. The mean concentration was 49...
Gas exchange during exercise in standardbred trotters with mild bronchiolitis. To investigate the gas exchange response during exercise in horses with mild bronchiolitis (MB), we studied 7 Standardbred trotters. In order to determine pulmonary gas exchange and red cell volume in relation to bodyweight (CV/BW), submaximal graded exercise tests were performed. VO2 was monitored from an open bias flow system without valves. Heart rate, respiratory rate and mean pulmonary and systemic artery pressures were measured. Cardiac output and alveolar ventilation were calculated. Arterial and mixed venous blood were drawn for blood gas analysis and pH measurements. Pulmonary gas exc...
Sweating and skin temperature responses of normal and anhidrotic horses to intravenous adrenaline. Anhidrosis has been recognised for over half a century, but despite some excellent epidemiological studies, there has been little progress in understanding the aetiology of the condition. Using a modified ventilated capsule, we obtained dynamic, quantitative data on sweating responses in anhidrotic horses and normal sweating controls from the same environment. Ten horses with current seasonal anhidrosis and 10 matched normal sweating controls were selected. Each horse was given two 10 min infusions of 1 and 2 micrograms/kg/min adrenaline, separated by at least 6 h. Sweating responses and skin ...
Sequential changes in bronchoalveolar cytology after autologous blood inoculation. Six horses, free of recent exercise-induced pulmonary haemorrhage (EIPH), each had 8 bronchial segments inoculated with 40 ml of autologous blood lavaged on Days 3, 5, 7, 10, 14 and 21 after inoculation. The bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) fluid samples were analysed, and total leucocyte counts and differential cell percentages determined. Statistical analysis of the differences between the 8 post inoculation and 1 pre-inoculation (control) lavage sites demonstrated an early neutrophilic response, rising from < 5% of alveolar leucocytes to 10% by 24-48 h post inoculation. As this response wane...
Racing performance in red blood cell hypervolaemic standardbred trotters. The association between red blood cell hypervolaemia (RCHV) and racing performance was examined in 116 Standardbred trotters referred to the clinic during a 5 year period with histories of impaired racing performance. Red cell hypervolaemia was the only significant abnormality detected in a thorough clinical examination, cell volumes ranging 116-178% of the predicted normal values. They were also compared with the performance traits of the contemporary Swedish Standardbred trotter population (n = 58,058). The performance traits were based on earnings per year and start, best annual racing time...
Sonographic observations of the peripheral vasculature of the equine thoracic limb. Investigations of the equine peripheral vascular system have been constrained by the lack of a non-invasive method of examining the arteries and veins of the limbs of the conscious horse. Precise correlations were established between the gross anatomical features of the peripheral vessels and their B-mode sonographic appearance in each thoracic limb of 35 horses. A sonographic imaging protocol was established. Additional Doppler sonographic recordings defined the arterial waveforms and demonstrated that blood flow to the foot could be evaluated in the lateral proper digital artery, distal to t...
Effects of analgesia of the distal interphalangeal joint or palmar digital nerves on lameness caused by solar pain in horses. To determine if pain of the dorsal margin of the sole in horses can be attenuated by anesthesia of either the distal interphalangeal (DIP) joint or the palmar digital (PD) nerves. Methods: A unilateral forelimb lameness was induced by creating solar pain. Response to administration of local anesthetic or saline solution into the DIP joint and to administration of local anesthetic around the PD nerves was evaluated. Methods: Six horses. Methods: Lameness was induced by creating pressure on the dorsal margin of the sole by screwing set-screws into a nut welded to the inside of each branch of a s...
The effect of compacted cancellous bone grafting on the healing of subchondral bone defects of the medial femoral condyle in horses. To compare the quality of second-intention healing and that of compacting sternally harvested cancellous bone into subchondral bone defects of the medial femoral condyle in horses. Methods: A controlled experiment using a surgical technique that minimizes soft tissue trauma, customized for consistency among horses. Methods: Ten horses, aged 2 to 5 years, free of hindlimb lameness and with radiographically normal stifles. Methods: After a 12.7-mm-diameter x 19-mm-deep defect was created into randomly selected medial femoral condyles, bone and cartilage healing was evaluated over a 6-month perio...
Zymographic analysis of equine laminitis. To investigate the role of matrix metalloproteinase (MMP) activity in the pathophysiology of equine laminitis, the techniques of in situ zymography and quantitative SDS-PAGE zymography were used to analyse the lamellae and plasma and serum of horses with carbohydrate overload-induced laminitis. The gelatinase activity localised within the epidermal lamellae of laminitic hooves did not differ significantly from normal hooves. In laminitis sections there was an increase in vascular gelatinase activity, possibly associated with the perivascular cuffing of polymorphonucleocytes. Both plasma and se...
Development of a PCR test for rapid diagnosis of contagious equine metritis. In order to establish a rapid diagnostic method for contagious equine metritis (CEM), we developed and evaluated a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test. Species-specific PCR primer sets were derived from the DNA sequence of a cloned DNA fragment of Taylorella equigenitalis that did not hybridize with the genome of a taxomonically related species, Oligella urethralis. Single step PCR with primer set P1-N2 and two-step semi-nested PCR with primer sets P1-N2 and P2-N2 detected as low as 100 and 10 CFU of the bacteria, respectively. Single-step PCR detected T. equigenitalis from genital swabs of e...
Spinal cord compression secondary to hemangiosarcoma in a saddlebred stallion. Hemangiosarcoma in the spinal canal was diagnosed in a 25-year-old stallion showing progressive and symmetrical 4-limb ataxia, proprioceptive deficits, and weakness. On necropsy, an extradural mass consisting of spindle-shaped cells and numerous free erythrocytes was found at the level of C7-T1. Immunohistochemical staining confirmed a neoplasm of endothelial origin.
