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.
Type II renal tubular acidosis in a mare. Persistent, severe metabolic acidosis complicated the operative and postoperative period in a 4-year-old mare with colic. On the basis of clinical and laboratory findings, a renal tubular disorder was diagnosed. Renal tubular acidosis is rare in horses. In the only report found on the subject, type I renal tubular acidosis was described in 2 horses. Bicarbonate titration studies in our case helped document type II renal tubular acidosis in this mare.
Familial congenital occipitoatlantoaxial malformation (OAAM) in the Arabian horse. Familial occipitalization of the atlas with atlantalization of the axis was defined as a single congenital disease in Arabian horses following a clinical, radiologic, and morphologic study of 16 horses with congenital malformations of the occiput, atlas, and axis, and from a study of three reported cases. The constant morphologic features were interpreted as congenital atlantooccipital fusion, hypoplasia of the atlas and dens, malformation of the axis, and modification of the atlantoaxial joint. Atlantoaxial subluxation was also a frequent finding. The clinical syndromes shown by these horses ...
Immunoglobulin and specific antibody responses to Rhodococcus (Corynebacterium) equi infection in foals as measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Humoral immune response to intestinal Rhodococcus (Corynebacterium) equi in horses was studied by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Anti-R. equi immunoglobulin M (IgM), IgG, and IgA antibodies were demonstrated in the healthy horse population. Adult horse levels of anti-R. equi IgM and IgG antibodies were reached by 5 to 9 weeks of age in two healthy newborn foals. R. equi was recovered from the foals in the range of 10(3) to 10(4) per g of intestinal contents. A 1-week-old foal was infected with R. equi by mouth daily for 9 weeks. The foal did not show any clinical signs of illness. Anti-R. ...
Immunodiffusion test for diagnosing and monitoring pythiosis in horses. A practical, sensitive, and specific immunodiffusion test was developed for diagnosing and monitoring pythiosis in horses. Culture filtrates, a soluble cell mass, and trypsinized Pythium sp. antigens were evaluated against prepared rabbit anti-Pythium sp. serum and pythiosis horse case sera. The culture filtrate antigens demonstrated the greatest capacity for detecting precipitins and the greatest stability during storage. In contrast, the trypsinized antigens had the weakest capability for detecting multiple precipitins and the poorest stability. The 13 sera from horses with proven active pyt...
Comparison of the measurement of plasma testosterone and plasma oestrogens for the diagnosis of cryptorchidism in the horse. The results of performing 1720 blood tests for equine cryptorchidism are described. Using the paired sample human chorionic gonadotrophin (hCG) stimulation test and measuring testosterone, 6.7 per cent of tests did not give a clear result. If only the testosterone concentration in the pre-hCG blood sample was used, this percentage rose to 14 per cent. The paired sample hCG stimulation test was 94.6 per cent accurate. A comparison was made between the paired hCG stimulation test and the measurement of conjugated oestrogen in a single sample. The latter did not give as many doubtfuls but gave fa...
Radiographic assessment of navicular bones, based on changes in the distal nutrient foramina. Radiographic examination of the navicular bones of 258 horses was carried out. Of these 258 horses, 83 were sound (Group A), 151 had been diagnosed clinically as having navicular disease (Group B), and 24 had a forefoot lameness of unknown aetiology (Group C). Seven basic shapes of distal nutrient foramina were identified from these radiographs. A scoring system was then developed based on these different types of distal nutrient foramina. When this scoring system was applied to the radiographs of the 258 horses examined significant differences were found between the mean navicular scores of t...
Diurnal variation of dynamic compliance, resistance and viscous work of breathing in normal horses and horses with lung disorders. Dynamic compliance, airway resistance, viscous work and respiratory frequency were measured at intervals in horses over 12 h periods. Variation, daily averages and circadian patterns were recorded. Examinations were performed on 24 horses. They were divided into three groups: Normal horses, horses with chronic latent bronchitis and horses with manifest chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Significant differences were found between the daily averages and the fluctuations when the normal group and the COPD group were compared. In most cases differences between all three groups were sign...
Generation of packaging-defective DNA molecules of equine adenovirus. Equine adenovirus (EAd) DNA prepared from infected bovine kidney (MDBK) cells contained additional sequences of about 100 to 700 bp at the left-hand end of the genome. These aberrant viral genomes were produced even after the first passage of the wild type EAd in MDBK cells and their relative amounts did not change significantly during serial passage. The left terminal fragments of two defective viral DNAs were cloned into the plasmid vector pBR322 and the nucleotide sequences of their terminal regions were analyzed. The data indicate that one viral DNA contained a duplication of the inverted ...
Haemangioma of the guttural pouch of a 16-year-old thoroughbred mare: clinical and pathological findings. A 16-year old thoroughbred mare was presented with dysphagia and food being ejected from the mouth and nostrils. Clinical signs were exhibited for three weeks before it was euthanased on humanitarian grounds. Post mortem examination revealed a soft haemangioma measuring 7 cm X 5 cm suspended from the roof of the medial compartment of the left guttural pouch.
Bacteria in enteric lesions of horses. Thirty-three species of bacteria were isolated from the gastrointestinal mucosa of 23 adult horses and two foals. The bacteria isolated could be related to gross and microscopical lesions in some cases. Clostridium perfringens type A, Actinobacillus equuli, Salmonella typhimurium and Campylobacter coli biotype 1 could all be associated with gastrointestinal lesions. C jejuni biotype 1 and Aeromonas hydrophila were both recovered in this study and have been identified as causes of enteritis in horses or in other species. The case of C coli enteritis appears to be the first such report. The diff...
Gastroenterostomy for treatment of gastroduodenal ulcer disease in 14 foals. Gastroenterostomy was performed in 14 foals to treat gastric outflow obstruction caused by advanced gastroduodenal ulcer disease. The onset of excessive salivation and teeth grinding, without response to medical treatment, combined with endoscopic and radiographic evidence of gastric outflow obstruction, were indications for surgical intervention. Successful outcome in 5 foals was attributed to early diagnosis, patient stabilization, early surgical correction, and postoperative management including antibiotics and antiulcer medication.
Problems associated with the interpretation of the results of regional and intra-articular anaesthesia in the horse. The difficulties associated with the interpretation of the results of regional and intra-articular anaesthesia are discussed with reference to eight lame horses. The clinical and radiographic features of each horse are described, together with the results of anaesthesia. One horse had clinical and radiographic signs consistent with navicular disease but it was not possible to relieve the lameness. Two horses had fractures of bones within the foot but lameness was not improved by palmar (abaxial sesamoid) nerve blocks. One horse had more than one cause of lameness. Four horses had joint patholo...
Nitroblue tetrazolium reduction by neutrophils of newborn foals, adult horses, and a foal infected with Rhodococcus (Corynebacterium) equi. Equine neutrophil function was studied in 24 newborn foals, 10 adult horses, and a foal infected with R. equi by the quantitative nitroblue tetrazolium (NBT) reduction test. There was no difference between results in newborn foals and adult horses. A foal naturally infected with R. equi showed normal values of NBT reduction test at birth, and after the initial clinical signs, the spontaneous reduction of NBT by neutrophils was found to be remarkably increased until a week before death
Heart rate and ECG response to twitching in Thoroughbred foals and mares. Changes of the heart rate and ECG to twitching were examined using 5 Thoroughbred foals at various ages and their mares. The effect of the heart rate decrease to twitching was significantly greater in the foals than in the mares. The decreased heart rate in the foals continued during and after the twitching. Changes of the T wave in the A-B lead ECG shown as enhancement of the negative ingredient of the T wave were observed both in the foals and in the mares, accompanied by a decrease in the heart rate during and/or after the twitching. Two out of the five foals showed second-degree A-V block ...
Bilateral hypoplasia of the soft palate and aryepiglottic entrapment in a horse. Endoscopic examination of a 7-year-old gelding with weight loss indicated a palatal defect with a prominent tissue mass at the caudomedial margin of the defect. At necropsy, the condition was determined to be bilateral hypoplasia of the soft palate.
Definition of diabetes mellitus. The nomenclature of human diabetes mellitus (DM) has been revised, and this classification has been accepted throughout the medical world and literature. The major categories of diabetes are: insulin-dependent DM, type I or IDDM; noninsulin-dependent DM, type II or NIDDM; secondary DM or type S; impaired glucose tolerance, IGT; gestational diabetes; and previous abnormality of glucose tolerance, PrevAGT. A review of the literature has shown that over half of the documented diabetic dogs, with a single medical diagnosis, appear to be type I, IDDM, with a substantial proportion being type S, and...
Diseases of the liver. The ability to image the liver in horses can add valuable diagnostic information or aid in guided biopsy procedures. Anytime the size, shape, position, and texture of the liver can be determined, additional information about the horse's condition is gained. Conditions such as cholelithiasis, neoplasia, fibrosis can be detected ultrasonographically.
Near circumferential retroperitoneal rectal tear in a pony. A 13-year-old, 370-kg, Appaloosa gelding with mild colic of 4 days' duration was found to have a near circumferential retroperitoneal rectal tear. Accumulation of feces at the site of the repair had created a large perirectal cavity. Removal of feces and cleansing of the perirectal cavity were performed daily. Sutures were placed to stabilize, but not reappose, the torn ends of the rectum. The perirectal cavity filled with granulation tissue, and the rectal tear healed.
Uses of ultrasound in equine internal medicine. Ultrasound examination allows the diagnostician to examine peripheral soft tissues and many internal organs in a noninvasive manner. In most instances, ultrasound can be utilized to complement other diagnostic aids, but its increased use has revealed the unique advantages of this technique over more established diagnostic tools. The ease with which ultrasound interpretation can be learned and the increased availability of instruments make this approach to diagnosis a valuable asset in the diagnosis of many equine medical diseases.
Quantitative aspects of fecal Rhodococcus (Corynebacterium) equi in foals. Quantitative aspects of fecal Rhodococcus (Corynebacterium) equi in newborn foals for 12 weeks after birth were investigated on two horse breeding farms. R. equi was found in the feces of foals during week 1 of life. The greatest numbers of R. equi were present in the feces of foals during the first 8 weeks of their lives, which coincides with the age when foals are most liable to be exposed to R. equi.
[Determination of the standard oxyhemoglobin dissociation curve in horses. Effects of temperature, pH and diphosphoglycerate]. The equine blood oxyhemoglobin dissociation curve has been traced in its entirety in standard conditions and the effects of temperature, pH and 2,3-diphosphoglycerate on this curve have been measured. When compared to that of human blood, the curve showed a higher oxygen affinity of hemoglobin (23.8 +/- 0.8 versus 26.6 mm Hg). The effect of the pH, expressed by d log P50/dpH, was found to be identical in man and horse (-0.47). The effect of temperature, however, expressed by d log P50/dT, proved to be lower in the horse (0.016 versus 0.024). The P50 showed an increase of 1 mm Hg each time 2,3-...
Diseases of the kidneys. Ultrasound examination offers important diagnostic and prognostic information in renal disease of the horse. Differentiation between acute nephrosis and chronic renal disease can usually be made because of the advanced degree of morphologic change usually prevalent in chronic conditions. Dilatations of the recesses and pelvis (hydronephrosis) as well as the relative thickness of the renal cortex and medulla are readily determined. Mineral densities (calculi) are recognizable by their characteristic acoustic shadowing.
Ultrasound science for the veterinarian. In order to successfully sort out the information, both real and bogus, in an ultrasonic image, one must have a fundamental understanding of the physical and electronic events that produced the image. We have looked at the basic science, signal processing, some case examples of ultrasound science in practice, and some popular illusions. It is a good starting place for the newcomer to ultrasonic imaging.
Lung sounds in cattle, horses, sheep and goats. The purpose of this paper is to emphasize the importance of pulmonary auscultation for the clinician. It suggests a clarification and simplification of the terminology to be used which would be helpful to veterinary students and allow better communications between veterinarians. The interpretation of these sounds and the relationships to conditions and diseases of the lungs in cattle, horses, sheep and goats are discussed.
Ultrasound-guided renal and hepatic biopsy techniques. Diagnostic ultrasound is an easy, accurate method of locating both kidneys and liver in the horse. Good contact between the transducer and body wall is essential for clear, precise images. The greatest limitation to ultrasonic organ localization and biopsy guidance is the inability of ultrasound to transmit through gas-filled structures and bone. These structures act as barriers to sound-beam penetration and prevent visualization of soft-tissue structures deep to them. Organ parenchyma can be evaluated with ultrasonography. Focal and/or diffuse lesions can alter the normal parenchymal pattern ...
Ultrasonographic appearance and correlative anatomy of the soft tissues of the distal extremities in the horse. The diagnostician should be familiar with the normal ultrasound appearance (size, shape, position, and textural quality) of each structure examined. With these factors as reference points, one can describe lesions in the structure involved, the precise location and extent of the lesions, and the degree of structural compromise that is manifested. Documentation of lesions of tendons and ligaments enables one to make an accurate diagnosis and a more precise prognosis. Serial examination during the healing phases allows for a more accurate prediction as to when the structure in question can withs...
Equine thyroid function assessment with the thyrotropin-releasing hormone response test. The effect of thyrotropin-releasing hormone (TRH) on equine thyroid function was determined by quantifying serum thyroxine (T4) and 3,5,3'-triiodothyronine (T3) before and after TRH administration. Thyrotropin-releasing hormone was administered IV to adult horses (n = 5) and ponies (n = 6) at a dose of 1 mg or 0.5 mg, respectively. Serum T4 and T3 concentrations were determined before and 0.25, 0.5, 1, 2, 4, 6, 8, 12, and 24 hours after TRH administration. Serum T4 increased from a basal concentration of 24.4 +/- 8.7 ng/ml (mean +/- SD) to a maximum value of 48.2 +/- 10.2 by 4 hours after TRH ...
