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Topic:Diagnostic Technique
Diagnostic techniques in equine medicine encompass a range of procedures and tools used to identify diseases, injuries, or other health conditions in horses. These techniques include imaging methods such as radiography, ultrasonography, and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), as well as laboratory tests like blood work and tissue biopsies. Each diagnostic method provides specific information that can aid in the assessment and management of equine health issues. Radiography is commonly used for evaluating bone structures, while ultrasonography is useful for soft tissue examination. MRI offers detailed images of both soft and hard tissues, though its use is limited by cost and availability. Laboratory tests can detect biochemical and hematological changes indicative of disease. This page compiles peer-reviewed research studies and scholarly articles that explore the development, application, and efficacy of various diagnostic techniques in equine veterinary practice.
Follicular and FSH responses to parturition during the anovulatory season in mares. The ovaries of periparturient pony mares (n=9 to 16 parturitions per month for January to April) were scanned ultrasonically on the day of parturition, while those of postpartum and control mares (n=12) were examined at least twice weekly. Four mares had apparent lactational anovulation (incidence, 7%) that corrected spontaneously (1 mare) or within 14 d after the weaning of foals on August 10 (3 mares). All but 2 of the postpartum ovulations occurred after April 29; that is, parturition did not effectively stimulate ovulation in ponies foaling during the anovulatory season. Mean diameter of t...
Detection of Borna disease virus RNA in naturally infected animals by a nested polymerase chain reaction. Borna disease virus in naturally infected horses, a donkey and sheep was detected for the first time by amplification of viral RNA using PCR. In contrast to a control group of healthy horses, brain tissue was positive by this assay in all animals with neurological symptoms. The use of a second round of PCR with nested primers following Southern hybridization confirmed the specificity and increased the sensitivity of the test. Comparison with conventional methods recommends this technique for monitoring of BDV infections at a molecular level.
Enterolithiasis in two zebras. Enterolithiasis, as a cause of colic, was diagnosed and treated during surgical intervention in 2 Grant's zebras (Equus burchelli bohmi). The zebras were part of a wild herd in a zoo in the western United States. The clinical signs of enterolithiasis in both zebras were similar to those reported for horses. Analysis of the enterolith from 1 zebra revealed a composition identical to enteroliths that have been analyzed from horses. Three other zebras from this herd had enteroliths at necropsy. Enterolithiasis should be considered as a differential diagnosis for zebras with low-grade obstructive ...
Effects of heparin, venous strangulation obstruction of the small intestine, and reperfusion of the small intestine on plasma diamine oxidase activity in horses. Diamine oxidase (DAO), an enzyme of small intestinal origin, is released from mucosal storage sites by IV administration of heparin, to yield the plasma postheparin DAO (PHD) curve. The PHD curve is diminished when mucosal surface area is lost, and baseline (without heparin) plasma DAO activity increases when mucosal storage sites are damaged. Plasma DAO activity was measured after 2 doses of heparin were administered IV in healthy, conscious horses. In anesthetized horses, the PHD curve was studied: during sham small intestinal surgery, and during venous strangulation obstruction (VSO) of the...
Comparison of methods of cardiac output measurements determined by dye dilution, pulsed Doppler echocardiography and thermodilution in horses. Cardiac output (CO) measurements by the three methods of dye dilution, pulsed Doppler echocardiography and thermodilution in horses under anesthetized conditions were compared. Although CO determined by the thermodilution method was slightly higher than those obtained by the other two methods, the measurements by all methods showed almost similar results. The coefficients of correlation between the dye dilution and thermodilution methods, the dye dilution and pulsed Doppler echocardiography methods, and the thermodilution and pulsed Doppler echocardiography methods were 0.87, 0.89, and 0.88, r...
[Examination of the ovarian activity of mares using progesterone profiles]. By means of clinical and analytical procedures (enzyme immuno assay for progesterone with microtiterplate method) the ovarian activity from 27 mares was tested over a period of several weeks. The measurement of the progesterone level to determine the time of ovulation was proved as suitable in the period of 1-2 days after ovulation. In normocyclic mares (n = 17) a different development of the progesterone profile was detected, so that an insufficient development of the corpus luteum (35%) could be considered. By means of continuous measurement of progesterone (> or = 30 days) six of ten mares ...
Application to cows and horses of Spotchem, a dry-chemistry blood analyzer for use in veterinary clinics. The usefulness of a dry-chemistry blood analyzer, Spotchem SP-4410 (SP-4410) in a veterinary clinic for analysis of bovine and equine blood chemistry was studied. We quantitated total protein (TP), albumin (Alb), total bilirubin (T-Bil), blood urea nitrogen (BUN), total cholesterol (T-Cho), glucose (Glu), calcium (Ca), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), gamma-glutamyltransferase (GGT), creatinine phosphokinase (CPK), and alkaline phosphatase (ALP) in bovine sera. Each sample was assayed with both the SP-4410 and an automated blood analyzer which served as a wet-chemistry reference system, and t...
Polymorphism in the coding sequence of the horse transferrin gene. Transferrin, the iron transport protein of the blood, is highly polymorphic in many species, including the horse. A number of sequence polymorphisms that distinguish several of the variants of horse transferrin are reported here. Previous studies indicated that exons 12 and 15 were likely to be polymorphic. Sequencing regions of exons 12 and 15 from D and R variants revealed 10 nucleotide substitutions that encoded six amino acid replacements. The F1, F2, H2, and * variants were identical to D, and the O variant was almost identical to R, in the regions studied. The data indicated that the hor...
Sedation of horses with romifidine and butorphanol. Combinations of romifidine and butorphanol were used to sedate 55 horses for a variety of surgical, therapeutic and diagnostic procedures. Eighteen of the horses were given the drugs separately, romifidine first followed by butorphanol four minutes later, and 37 were given the drugs together. The levels of sedation and ataxia were assessed and graded, and there were no statistically significant differences between the two methods of administration. The side effects were typical of the alpha-2 agonists, including bradycardia, heart block and some sweating. Box-walking was observed in one horse....
Follicular fluid lipoproteins in the mare: evaluation of HDL transfer from plasma to follicular fluid. Using a density gradient ultracentrifugal procedure, we have separated equine plasma and follicular fluid high-density lipoproteins (HDL). The density distribution of the follicular fluid HDL was clearly displaced towards the highest densities in comparison with that of plasma HDL. Similarly, an analysis of size distributions showed a decrease in follicular fluid HDL diameters (4.2 to 9.2 nm) compared to plasma HDL (5.5 to 9.5 nm). HDL were isolated into three subfractions on the basis of the disposition of the Sudan Black stained bands in the centrifuge tubes. Concentrations of each subfracti...
Isolation of Bacteroides ureolyticus from the equine endometrium. No abstract available
[Trichinellosis in slaughtered and wild animals in Switzerland using a digestion method and a serologic method (E/S-ELISA)]. For many decades trichinellosis has not been reported among Swiss domestic pigs. Considering the fact that Trichinella occurs in a sylvatic cycle in Switzerland, a study was designed to reevaluate the present epidemiologic situation by investigating 10,904 fattening pigs, 218 pigs with free access to pasturage or being kept on an alp, 104 domestic boars, 106 horses, 44 wild boars and 538 foxes using a direct and an indirect diagnostic technique (digestion method and serology with ELISA and an excretory/secretory antigen, respectively). The digestion method was performed according to EC-guideli...
Natural outcome and ultrasonic identification of equine fetal twins. The natural outcome of bilateral twins (one in each uterine horn) that were viable on Day 40 was studied in 15 pony mares. Fetuses were monitored by transrectal ultrasonography until the outcome was determinable. One fetus (2 mares) or both fetuses (8 mares) died (cessation of heartbeats) during Months 2 and 3. Loss of fetuses was externally observed in 4 additional mares during the late fetal stage (Months 8 to 11); 2 mares lost 1 fetus and 2 lost both fetuses. Birth of 2 live foals occurred in only 1 of 15 mares (7%) First day of detected apposition between portions of the 2 allantochorions ...
Measurements of urethral pressure profiles in the male horse. Urinary tract pressure profiles were evaluated in 6 clinically normal geldings over 3 consecutive days. This was performed by introducing a 1.3 m-long cuffed catheter into the urinary tract, under xylazine sedation (0.8 mg/kg, iv). The method was reproducible. The mean (+/- sd) intra-vesicular pressure (IVP) and maximal urethral closure pressures (MUCP) were 10.3 (+/- 1.7) and 129.8 (+/- 19.6) cmH2O, respectively, and the ratio between MUCP and IVP was 13.2 (+/- 2.5). A gelding with urinary incontinence showed a significantly lower MUCP (73.4 cmH2O), and an MUCP to IVP ratio of 8.0. It was con...
Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia in thoroughbred foals: identification of a genetically distinct organism by DNA amplification. Genetically distinct forms of Pneumocystis carinii infect several mammalian hosts. We report the amplification of P. carinii DNA from samples of two infected thoroughbred foal lungs by using primers designed from the sequence of a P. carinii mitochondrial rRNA gene; these primers also prime the amplification of P. carinii DNA from other hosts. The nucleotide sequence of part of the mitochondrial rRNA gene amplified from P. carinii infecting one of the foals was determined and found to be distinct from that of published rat-, rabbit-, ferret-, and human-derived P. carinii sequences.
Urinary concentration of corticoids in normal horses and horses with hyperadrenocorticism. The urinary corticoid:creatinine (c:c) ratio was determined in eight horses with hyperadrenocorticism (HAC). The mean (+/- SD) urinary c:c ratio of the eight horses with HAC (29 +/- 14 x 10(-6)) was significantly (P < 0.05) greater than the ratio in seven control horses (11 +/- 4.3 x 10(-6)). The urinary concentration of corticoids in control horses (201 +/- 60.4 nmol litre-1) was significantly (P 0.05) between both groups. As both false negative and false positive cases were found, it is concluded that a measurement of the urinary c:c ratio in the horse should not be used as the sole test...
[Ultrasonography of ovarian pathology in the mare: a review for the practitioner]. The aim of this review is to give the practitioner the ability to be familiar with the echographic exam of ovarian abnormalities. He should be able to recognize different stages of the development of these important structures and to estimate the effect that they can have on the normal cycle of the mare. Various specific criteria and details regarding the equine echography of ovarian abnormalities are reported and illustrated, using the last scientific data published on that particular topic.
[Ultrasonography of the formation and development of the corpus luteum in the mare: review for the practitioner]. Because of the anatomical position of the Corpus luteum within the ovary, rectal palpation is of little value for identification and evaluation. The aim of this review is to familiarize the practitioner with the echographic examination of the Cl. He should be able to recognize different stages of this important structure and to correlate ovulation and the existence of the Cl. Various specific criteria and details regarding equine echography are reported and illustrated, using the the most recently published scientific data.
Squamous cell carcinoma of the larynx and pharynx in horses. Medical records were reviewed for 11 horses with squamous cell carcinoma of the larynx and/or pharynx. The average age at presentation was 15.3 years. No breed or sex predilection was present. At presentation, 6 of 11 horses were dyspneic and 4 horses had inspiratory stridor. Endoscopy was performed in all cases and was more useful in demonstrating a mass in the laryngopharyngeal region than laryngeal or guttural pouch radiography. Surgical excision was attempted in 3 horses and in 1 horse alleviated clinical signs for 4 months. Ten horses were euthanatized and 1 horse died. Results of this st...
Penetration injury of the pyramis caused by a kick from a racehorse. A 56-year-old man presented with an unusual cranial penetration injury due to a horse's hoof. The CT number of the hoof was 269, and thus clearly not that of a wooden fragment or bone. An emergency operation was performed to remove the foreign body. The operation went well, and no infection developed. Eight months later he could walk unaided and had only mild disorientation.
[Hematological reference values for foals in the first two months of life]. Hematologic reference values were established in 18 healthy foals in the first two months of life. Blood samples were collected prior to colostrum consumption and at 30 hours, 1 week, 3, 5, 7 and 9 weeks of age. PCV, Hb and RBC decreased during the first week and RBC, but not PCV and Hb, increased toward the end of the second month. With the exception of the sample at 1 week, the foals had mean RBC values significantly higher than those of controls. Mean MCV and MCH did not change during the first week, but decreased slightly thereafter; all means were smaller than in controls. The numbers of ...
[The genital microflora in the stallion–microbiological study of presecretion samples from 1972 to 1991]. From 1972 to 1991, presecretion on an average of 183 stallions per year had been examined. Facultatively pathogenic germs were ascertained in 13.5% of the samples. However, the portion showed considerable annual fluctuation, as did the percentage of the different kinds of germs. In most of the cases, only minimal growth had been observed in culture. Except for the total percentage, these results are contradictory to those we found during the examination of cervical swabs of mares. In order to ascertain the importance of the respective results and to render possible a correct interpretation, th...
Equine fetal kinetics: entry and retention of fetal hind limbs in a uterine horn. Transrectal ultrasonic examinations were made in 31 pregnant pony mares once a week during Months 6 to 11. Each uterine horn was divided into 3 approximately equal segments (caudal, middle, cranial). The percentage of examinations with cranial fetal presentation increased (P<0.05) progressively from 58% at Month 6 to 99% at Month 9 and was followed in all mares by entry of the fetal hind limbs into one uterine horn. The mean number of uterinehorn segments with limb parts increased (P<0.05) between each set of consecutive months from Month 6 to Month 10. Initially (Months 7 and 8), retrac...
Ultrasonographic assessment of the proximal digital annular ligament in the equine forelimb. Ultrasonography was used with 6 normal cadaver forelimbs of Dutch Warmblood horses to delineate the ultrasonographic anatomy of the palmar pastern region, with emphasis on the proximal digital annular ligament. Using a 5.5 MHz sector scanner, the thin proximal digital annular ligament was not visible on offset sonograms. Only if the digital sheath in the normal limb was distended was the distal border of this ligament outlined. In all normal limbs the palmarodistal thickness of the combined skin-proximal digital annular ligament layer in the mid-pastern region was 2 mm. The flexor tendons and ...
