Disease diagnosis in horses involves the identification and characterization of illnesses through various diagnostic methods and tools. This process is essential for effective veterinary care and management of equine health. Techniques used in diagnosing diseases in horses include clinical examinations, laboratory tests, imaging modalities such as ultrasonography and radiography, and molecular diagnostics. Blood tests are frequently utilized to assess parameters such as complete blood count and biochemical profiles, which can indicate underlying health issues. Additionally, advancements in genetic testing and biomarker identification have enhanced the ability to detect specific diseases early. This page aggregates peer-reviewed research studies and scholarly articles that explore diagnostic methodologies, their applications, and their impact on equine health management.
Singh K, Holbrook TC, Gilliam LL, Cruz RJ, Duffy J, Confer AW.Multisystemic eosinophilic epitheliotropic disease was diagnosed histologically in a 17-year-old Quarter Horse intact mare that was presented with a chronic history of respiratory distress. At necropsy, the lungs were poorly collapsed and the pulmonary parenchyma contained innumerable, discrete, spherical nodules in a miliary pattern. A few similar nodules were scattered in the liver and the renal lymph nodes. Histologically, these nodules consisted of fibrosing eosinophilic granulomas. Based on histologic findings and the absence of an etiologic agent, a diagnosis of multisystemic eosinophili...
Fjordbakk CT, Kenney DG, Rodriguez-Palacios A, Keller S, Stalker M.An inflammatory aural polyp was identified in a 1-year-old standardbred filly, which presented with otorrhea and head rubbing. The polyp was removed by traction-avulsion, and the filly showed no subsequent signs of otorrhea. Aural polyps have not been reported in horses, but they are commonly seen in companion animals and humans. Un polype auditif inflammatoire a été identifié chez une pouliche Standardbred d’un an présentée pour otorrhée et frottage de tête. Le polype a été retiré par traction-avulsion et la pouliche n’a pas manifesté de signes subséquents d’otorrhée. Les ...
de Cock HE, Affolter VK, Wisner ER, Larson RF, Ferraro GL.Early diagnosis of chronic progressive lymphoedema (CPL) may result in more effective interventions and provide a basis for further investigation of whether early diagnosis could be used as a means of eliminating potential genetic influences by cessation of breeding from affected individuals. Objective: Lymphoscintigraphy may be useful in draught horses to differentiate early lesions of CPL from other conditions in the pastern region. Methods: Forelimbs of 2 normal and 5 CPL-affected draught horses were evaluated with lymphoscintigraphy. Results: Lymphoscintigraphy showed clearly the presence ...
Peregrine AS, McEwen B, Bienzle D, Koch TG, Weese JS.From 1991 to 2003, 24 cases of larval cyathostominosis were diagnosed at postmortem in equids, 15 (63%) from 2001 to 2003. Cases occurred from September to May, the majority from October to December. Median age was 12 mo. Diarrhea, colic, and weight loss were common clinical signs. Hypoalbuminemia and microcytosis were consistent findings. Cyathostominose larvaire chez des chevaux en Ontario: une maladie émergente? De 1991 à 2003, 24 cas de cyathostominose larvaire ont été diagnostiqués à l’examen post mortem chez des équidés dont 15 (63 %) entre 2001 et 2003. Les cas étaient rappor...
Smith MR, Wright IM.Until recently, the pathogenesis of noninfected tenosynovitis of the digital flexor tendon sheath (DFTS) has been considered obscure. With the advent of tenoscopy some inciting causes have been described, but to date few cases with a precise diagnosis have been reported. Objective: Tenoscopic surgery enables accurate diagnosis and facilitates treatment of noninfected tenosynovitis of the DFTS. Methods: The case records of all horses with noninfected tenosynovitis of the DFTS admitted to a referral clinic over a 7-year period were evaluated retrospectively. Follow-up information was obtained by...
Szeredi L, Molnár T, Glávits R, Takai S, Makrai L, Dénes B, Del Piero F.Rhodococcus equi was isolated from lung, liver, spleen, and stomach content of two aborted equine fetuses of 7 and 8 months gestation from two different farms. Lesions included diffuse pyogranulomatous pneumonia with numerous Gram-positive coccobacilli within the cytoplasm of macrophages, multinucleated Langhans giant cells and neutrophils, and enhanced extramedullary hematopoiesis with megakaryocytosis within the liver and spleen. Detection of R. equi was made by bacteriology and immunohistochemistry for R. equi and VapA, the virulence factor of R. equi. R. equi and VapA were identified withi...
Cornelisse CJ, Robinson NE, Berney CA, Eberhart S, Hauptman JE, Derksen FJ.In vitro, glucocorticoids potentiate vasoconstriction of equine digital vessels to catecholamines and this has been implicated as a mechanism of glucocorticoid-induced laminitis. This observation has never been confirmed in vivo. Objective: To study the effects of glucocorticoid therapy on vasoconstrictor responsiveness in the horse in vivo. Methods: In a blinded, randomised cross-over experiment, 9 horses were treated with either dexamethasone (0.1 mg/kg bwt i.v. q. 24 h) or saline i.v. for 6 days. The changes in local average skin temperature before (baseline) and after intradermal injection...
Daly JM, Whitwell KE, Miller J, Dowd G, Cardwell JM, Smith KC.Equine influenza is usually a transient and self-limiting disease. However, during an outbreak of equine influenza in the UK in 2003 there were reports of unusually severe clinical signs among unvaccinated animals. Two influenza-infected horses developed neurological signs, and one was subjected to euthanasia. Post-mortem examination of the brain revealed viral-type non-suppurative encephalitis, and influenza virus antigen was demonstrated by immunolabelling of sections of nasal mucosa. A syndrome known as influenza-associated encephalopathy has been described in man. Although not proved, the ...
Gall Y, Pfister K.According to the results of a questionnaire on equine Lyme borreliosis addressing veterinarians in Germany, the existence of the disease was confirmed by more than half of the 118 participants. Practitioners who regarded Borrelia burgdorferi as a pathogen of horses seemed to be more sensitized in terms of the number of annually diagnosed cases as well as the frequency of occurrence of tick infestation with equine patients or prophylactic treatments against ectoparasites by horse owners. Chronically poor performance and diverse orthopaedic problems were the clinical symptoms most often leading ...
Butler CM, Westermann CM, Koeman JP, Sloet van Oldruitenborgh-Oosterbaan MM.Over the last ten years a fatal syndrome associated with immunodeficiency and severe anaemia has been reported in young Fell pony foals in the UK. Affected foals are usually normal at birth but from the age of 2-4 weeks they progressively lose condition and become severely anaemic. Signs of immunodeficiency become apparent at around 3-4 weeks of age. Morbidity is low but mortality is 100% despite intensive treatment. Affected foals die or are euthanized usually before they reach the age of 3 months. A single autosomal recessive gene is suggested to be on the basis of the syndrome. Recently, af...
Lindsay DS, Mitchell SM, Yang J, Dubey JP, Gogal RM, Witonsky SG.Horses are considered accidental hosts for Sarcocystis neurona and they often develop severe neurological disease when infected with this parasite. Schizont stages develop in the central nervous system (CNS) and cause the neurological lesions associated with equine protozoal myeloencephalitis. The present study was done to examine the ability of S. neurona merozoites to penetrate and develop in equine peripheral blood leukocytes. These infected host cells might serve as a possible transport mechanism into the CNS. S. neurona merozoites penetrated equine leukocytes within 5 min of co-culture. I...
Lischer ChJ, Bischofberger AS, Fürst A, Lang J, Ueltschi G.Lameness in horses due to pain originating from the proximal metacarpal/metatarsal region remains a diagnostic challenge. In cases of obvious lameness the pain can be localised to this region by diagnostic anaesthesia. Because a variety of disorders can cause lameness in this region different imaging modalities including radiography, ultrasonography and scintigraphy should be used to arrive at an accurate diagnosis. Even though a precise anatomic-pathologic diagnosis can still be an enigma, because not only bone and joints, but also soft tissue structures including the proximal suspensory liga...
Jakubek EB, Lundén A, Uggla A.Sera from 414 Swedish horses were investigated for the presence of antibodies to Toxoplasma gondii and Neospora sp. by the T. gondii direct agglutination test (DAT), and an Neospora caninum iscom-ELISA. Five sera (1%) had a titre >1:40 in DAT, but when analysed by immunoblotting against T. gondii antigens only two of them were positive, giving a seroprevalence of 0.5%. Since the Neospora iscom ELISA had not been validated for equine sera it was used for an initial screening, and all sera with an optical density exceeding 0.200 absorbance units were selected for further investigation by immu...
Rubio-Martínez LM, Cruz AM.Regional limb perfusion involves administration of an antimicrobial solution into the vasculature of a selected portion of the limb that has been isolated from the systemic circulation by controlled application of a tourniquet. The technique provides high antimicrobial concentrations in the region of interest and greatly contributes to the elimination of infection.
Magdesian KG, Dujowich M, Madigan JE, Hansen LM, Hirsh DC, Jang SS.To determine molecular characteristics, antimicrobial susceptibility, and toxigenicity of Clostridium difficile isolates from horses in an intensive care unit and evaluate associations among severity of clinical disease with specific strains of C difficile. Methods: Prospective study. Methods: 130 horses. Methods: Feces were collected from horses admitted for acute gastrointestinal tract disease with loose feces and submitted for microbial culture and immunoassay for toxin production. Polymerase chain reaction assays were performed on isolates for toxins A and B genes and strain identification...
Bolam CJ, Hurtig MB, Cruz A, McEwen BJ.To study osteoarthritis in the equine medial femorotibial (MFT) joint after a single traumatic injury. Methods: 10 mature horses. Methods: In vitro explant cultures were used to determine injury threshold for stifle joint cartilage. Contusive impacts were applied to the medial femoral condyle (MFC), and horses were followed for 84 (n = 5) and 180 days (5). Synovial fluid samples were collected every 14 days for determination of sulphated glycosaminoglycan (sGAG) concentrations. Radiographic and lameness evaluations were performed. Gross and histologic descriptions, and immunohistochemistry, ca...
Bonin SJ, Clayton HM, Lanovaz JL, Johnson TJ.To develop a method of measuring 3-dimensional kinematics of the temporomandibular joint (TMJ) in horses chewing sweet feed. Methods: 4 mature horses that had good dental health. Methods: Markers attached to the skin over the skull and mandible were tracked by an optical tracking system. Movements of the mandible relative to the skull were described in terms of 3 rotations and 3 translations. A virtual marker was created on the midline between the rami of the mandibles at the level of the rostral end of the facial crest to facilitate observation of mandibular movements. Results: During the ope...
Ohmura H, Hiraga A, Aida H, Kuwahara M, Tsubone H, Jones JH.To determine whether evaluation of heart rate (HR) and HR variability (HRV) during prolonged road transportation in horses provides a sensitive index of autonomic stimulation. Methods: Five 2-year-old Thoroughbreds. Methods: ECGs were recorded as horses were transported for 21 hours in a 9-horse van. Heart rate, high-frequency (HF) power, low-frequency (LF) power, and LF-to-HF ratio from Fourier spectral analyses of ECGs were calculated and compared with values recorded during a 24-hour period of stall rest preceding transportation. Results: HR, HF power, and LF power had diurnal rhythms durin...
Boswinkel M, Neyens IJ, Sloet van Oldruitenborgh-Oosterbaan MM.A 5-year old Tinker gelding was referred to the Department of Equine Sciences with a left eye uveitis and fever. At presentation the horse showed a mild lethargy, fever and decreased vision of the left eye. Rectal examination revealed an enlarged left kidney, with a hard and an irregular surface. The cranial mesentery artery had an enlarged and irregular aspect. Blood analysis showed anaemia, leucocytosis, increased blood urea nitrogen and creatinine and a hyperproteinemia. Urine analysis repeatedly showed a marked proteinuria and an increased gammaGT/creatinine ratio. The amount of abdominal ...
Fagerness AJ, Flaherty MT, Perry ST, Jia B, Payne SL, Fuller FJ.Equine infectious anemia virus (EIAV) is a macrophage-tropic lentivirus that persistently infects horses and causes a disease that is characterized by periodic episodes of fever, thrombocytopenia, and viremia. EIAV encodes only four regulatory/accessory genes, (tat, rev, ttm, and S2) and is the least genetically complex of all known lentiviruses. We sought to determine the role of the EIAV S2 accessory gene of EIAV by introducing mutations that would prevent S2 expression on the p19/wenv17 infectious molecular clone. Virus derived from the p19/wenv17 molecular clone is highly virulent and rout...
Uilenberg G.The history of the genus Babesia is briefly outlined. The classical differences with the main other genus of non-pigment-forming hemoparasites, Theileria, are the absence of extra-erythrocytic multiplication (schizogony) in Babesia and the cycle in the vector tick, which includes transovarial transmission in Babesia but only transstadial transmission in Theileria. Also, the multiplication in the red cell of Babesia, by budding, most often results in two daughter cells (merozoites), while that of Theileria gives four merozoites, often as a Maltese cross. In particular this means that what is st...
Liang H, He X, Shen RX, Shen T, Tong X, Ma Y, Xiang WH, Zhang XY, Shao YM.The Chinese equine infectious anemia virus (EIAV) donkey-leukocyte attenuated vaccine (DLV) provides a unique natural model system to study the attenuation mechanism and immunological control of lentivirus replication. Critical consensus mutations were identified between virulent Chinese EIAV strains and vaccine strains. Based on a full-length infectious clone of EIAV vaccine strain pLGFD3, two molecular clones, mFD5-4-7 and mFD7-2-11, were successfully constructed, in which 4 and 6 critical consensus mutations in the env gene of the vaccine strain were point-mutated to the wild-type sequence,...
Gardner RB, Hart KA, Stokol T, Divers TJ, Flaminio MJ.A 5-week-old Fell Pony colt was examined for fever, lethargy, and anemia. The colt had been lethargic for 1 week before examination, had continued to nurse, had a temperature of 104°F (40°C), and was treated with ceftiofur (5 mg/kg IM q12h). Approximately 36 hours before examination, the colt developed watery diarrhea. Blood work performed by the referring veterinarian on the day of admission revealed a PCV of 10%.
Burke MJ, Tomlinson JE, Blikslager AT, Johnson AL, Dallap-Schaer BL.Continuous digital cryotherapy experimentally prevents development and reduces severity of sepsis-associated laminitis. A sleeve style ice boot where ice is in direct contact with the skin, and water drains from the boot is being used clinically for distal limb cryotherapy. The degree of cooling achieved by this boot is unknown. Objective: Evaluate skin and lamellar cooling after application of the ice sleeve in healthy horses, and the same horses during an endotoxaemia model. Methods: Prospective study, crossover design. Methods: In eight healthy horses thermocouples were inserted into dorsal...
Duran MC, Willenbrock S, Müller JM, Nolte I, Feige K, Murua Escobar H.Interleukin-12 (IL-12) and interferon gamma (IFN-γ) are key cytokines in immunemediated equine melanoma therapy. Currently, a method for accurate simultaneous quantification of these equine cytokines is lacking. Therefore, we sought to establish an assay that allows for accurate and simultaneous quantification of equine IL-12 (eIL-12) and IFN-γ (eIFN-γ). Methods: Several antibodies were evaluated for cross-reactivity to eIL-12 and eIFN-γ and were used to establish a bead-based Luminex assay, which was subsequently applied to quantify cytokine concentrations in biological samples. Results: ...
Silva Serra AC, Júnior EC, Cruz JF, Lobo PS, Júnior ET, Bandeira RS, Bezerra DA, Mascarenhas JD, Santos Guerra SF, Soares LS. To perform a molecular analysis of rotavirus A (RVA) G3P[6] strains detected in 2012 and 2017 in the Amazon region of Brazil. Eighteen RVA G3P[6] strains were collected from children aged under 10 years hospitalized with acute gastroenteritis, and partial sequencing of each segment genome was performed using Sanger sequencing. Phylogenetic analysis showed that all G3P[6] strains had a DS-1-like genotype constellation. Two strains had the highest nucleotide identities with equine-like G3P[6]/G3P[8] genotypes. Several amino acid alterations in VP4 and VP7 neutralizing epitopes of equine-l...
Wilks CR, Coggins L.Twenty-two ponies were examined for serum-neutralizing (SN) antibody to equine herpesvirus type 1 and for in vitro lymphocyte transformation in the presence of viral antigen. Six ponies had undetectable levels of neutralizing antibody (titer less than 1:2) and had lymphocytes which did not respond in culture with viral antigen (stimulation index less than 2.0). Four ponies which had SN antibody to equine herpesvirus type 1 did not manifest lymphocyte transformation in vitro. The 12 remaining seropositive ponies had lymphocyte transformation with viral antigen in vitro (stimulation indexes from...
Galosi CM, Vila Roza MV, Oliva GA, Pecoraro MR, Echeverría MG, Corva S, Etcheverrigaray ME.Equine herpesvirus 1 (EHV-1) is the causative agent of abortion, perinatal foal mortality, neurological and acute respiratory diseases in horses. Conventional laboratory diagnosis involving viral isolation from aborted foetuses is laborious and lengthy and requires processing of samples within 24 h of collection, which is problematic for samples that come from long distances. The aim of this study was to develop a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assay useful in Argentina to detect DNA sequences of EHV-1 in different tissues from aborted equine foetuses with variable quality of preservation and...
Wheeler SJ.This study aimed to establish a clinically reproducible method of evaluation of sensory nerve conduction in the horse and to provide reference values in a group of normal horses. Age-related changes in the sensory nerve conduction velocity were of particular interest. Sensory nerve conduction was performed in the lateral palmar nerve. The results revealed an increase in velocity over the first year of life and a subsequent decrease in velocity in older horses. The effect of age must be considered if results from horses in which peripheral nerve disease is suspected are to be interpreted correc...
Brazik EL, Luquire JT, Little D.16 horses treated daily with pyrantel tartrate (2.64 mg/kg [1.2 mg/lb], PO) as part of a prophylactic anthelmintic program. Results: Fecal worm egg counts (FWECs) were obtained on all 16 horses. Mean FWEC was 478 eggs/g (epg; range, 0 to 4,075 epg). Three of the 16 horses were responsible for 85% of the total fecal egg output for the herd on the day of sampling. Six horses had FWECs < 200 epg. Three horses that had arrived within 4 months of the sampling date had FWECs 100 epg (9 horses) were treated with pyrantel pamoate (6.6 mg/kg [3 mg/lb], PO), and 14 days later, the FWEC was repeated....
van Doorn DC, Eysker M, Kooyman FN, Wagenaar JA, Ploeger HW.A study was conducted to evaluate the occurrence of resistance against, in particular, ivermectin in cyathostomins in the Netherlands. Seventy horse farms were visited between October 2007 and November 2009. In initial screening, faecal samples were collected 2 weeks after deworming with either ivermectin, moxidectin or doramectin. Pooled faecal samples from a maximum of 10 horses were examined for worm eggs using a modified McMaster technique and for worm larvae after faecal larval cultures. In total 931 horses were involved. On 15 of 70 farms eggs and/or larvae were found. On 8 of these 15 f...
Rovel T, Coudry V, Denoix JM, Audigie F.CASE DESCRIPTION Over a 2-year period, 6 horses (4 Selle Français, 1 Hanoverian, and 1 Thoroughbred) were referred for evaluation of forelimb lameness. All horses had radiographic evidence of synostosis of the first and second ribs (SFSR). CLINICAL FINDINGS For 1 horse, the SFSR was considered the probable cause of the lameness (grade 3/5), with a shortening of the cranial phase of the stride in the affected limb. For 3 horses, it was considered a possible cause of the lameness (grade 1/5) for the same reason. For 2 horses, SFSR was considered an incidental finding unassociated with any clini...
Peyrou M, Higgins R, Lavoie JP.Evolution of bacterial resistance to certain antibacterial agents in horses in a veterinary hospital. A total of 255 antibiograms, conducted according to the Kirby-Bauer method from bacterial isolates collected from horses at the Hôpital Vétérinaire d'Enseignement at the Université de Montréal between 1996 and 1998 were compared with the results obtained about 10 years ago with corresponding bacterial species. A significant increase in the percentage of strains resistant to trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole (TMP-SXT), penicilline, tetracycline, and to gentamicin was observed. The percentages ...
Gaughan EM, Gift LJ, Frank RK.Tubular duplication of the cervical portion of the esophagus was diagnosed in a 10-day-old female Quarter Horse. The foal was examined because of the development of a 12- to 15-cm diameter mass at the caudal aspect of the mandible after suckling. The foal was dyspneic when in lateral recumbency. Radiography and ultrasonography revealed a fluid- and gas-filled mass. Endoscopy revealed a normal-appearing upper airway and esophagus. Complete surgical resection of the mass was successful. The mass had a 3-mm diameter communication with the esophageal lumen at the pharyngoesophageal oriface. Histol...
Hildebrand SV, Howitt GA.Succinylcholine was administered by infusion to halothane-anesthetized ponies to determine dosage requirements for surgical relaxation up to 3 hours' duration. This was not possible to do, since 4 of 6 ponies studied developed severe reactions characterized by prolonged muscle fasciculations after the initial succinylcholine dose, muscle rigidity, hyperthermia, hypercapnia, tachycardia, increasing pulse pressure, and metabolic acidosis. The reactions resembled those associated with malignant hyperthermia, a disease recognized in persons and swine. Two ponies showed signs of the phase II or des...
Begg LM, Hughes KJ, Kessell A, Krockenberger MB, Wigney DI, Malik R.A 20-year-old Welsh Mountain Pony (212 kg) mare was initially presented for a chronic cough, fever, weight loss and low grade abdominal pain. She later developed dyspnoea, tachypnoea and exercise intolerance. The presence of multiple masses (up to 17 cm diameter) in the pulmonary parenchyma was established using lateral thoracic radiography and transthoracic ultrasonography. Encapsulated, budding yeasts were observed in smears made from transtracheal washings and needle aspirates of the pulmonary lesions. Cryptococcus gattii (synonym: Cryptococcus neoformans variety gattii; Cryptococcus bacill...
Mohammed HO, Divers TJ, Kwak J, Omar AH, White ME, de Lahunta A.To investigate the influence of oxidative stress in terms of antioxidant capacity and lipid peroxidation on the probability of motor neuron disease (MND) in horses. Methods: 88 horses with MND (cases) and 49 controls. Methods: Blood samples were collected from all horses enrolled, and RBCs and plasma were harvested. Activity of the enzyme erythrocytic superoxide dismutase 1 (SOD1) was determined in the RBCs. Plasma concentrations of α-tocopherols and β-carotenes and activity of glutathione peroxidase were also evaluated. Degree of lipid peroxidation was measured by determining plasma concent...
Davies T, Skelly C, Puggioni A, D'Helft C, Connolly S, Hoey S.Multiple published studies involving computed tomographic (CT) examinations of the equine head utilise a wide range of mAs parameters for image acquisition. This prospective, experimental study assessed the effects of lowering mAs during CT image acquisition on image quality and scatter radiation on 10 cadaver equine heads. Each head was scanned three times at 300, 225, and 150 mAs, with all other scanning parameters remaining constant between series. An anthropomorphic phantom was positioned adjacent to each equine head during image acquisition, mimicking a human bystander, with an ionizatio...
Davidson EJ, Martin BB, Boston RC, Parente EJ.Although well documented in racehorses, there is paucity in the literature regarding the prevalence of dynamic upper airway abnormalities in nonracing performance horses. Objective: To describe upper airway function of nonracing performance horses with abnormal respiratory noise and/or poor performance via exercising upper airway videoendoscopy. Methods: Medical records of nonracing performance horses admitted for exercising evaluation with a chief complaint of abnormal respiratory noise and/or poor performance were reviewed. All horses had video recordings of resting and exercising upper airw...
Raftery AG, Garcia NC, Thompson H, Sutton DG.A 15-year-old Clydesdale cross gelding was investigated and managed over a 2-year period for intermittent collapse. The horse presented initially after an observed episode of collapse at rest, and had a resting tachycardia, elevated Cardiac Troponin I and polycythaemia. Multiple dysrhythmias were detected on telemetric electrocardiography. Vital parameters, cardiac rhythm and red cell count returned to reference range with prolonged rest but further resting syncopal episodes were observed, and due to safety concerns and limited treatment options the horse was euthanased. Post mortem evaluation...
Garrett KS, Embertson RM, Woodie JB, Cheetham J.Laryngeal ultrasonography can provide valuable information when considering a diagnosis of arytenoid chondritis, but specific ultrasonographic parameters have not been defined. Objective: To compare ultrasonographic findings of the arytenoid cartilages in horses with endoscopically diagnosed arytenoid chondritis with ultrasonographic findings of the arytenoid cartilages in normal horses. Methods: Ultrasound images of the larynx were obtained at the level of the arytenoid cartilages in horses with endoscopically diagnosed arytenoid chondritis and horses with normal arytenoid cartilage structure...
Holcombe SJ, Hurcombe SD, Barr BS, Schott HC.Dysphagia due to pharyngeal dysfunction occurs in human neonates and is associated with prematurity and hypoxic episodes. This syndrome probably occurs in neonatal foals but has not been reported. Objective: The objectives of this study were to describe 1) a series of neonatal foals with dysphagia due to pharyngeal dysfunction; 2) the progression, treatment and resolution of the dysphagia; 3) the comorbidities; and 4) the prognosis for life and athleticism for affected foals. Methods: Records from 3 referral equine hospitals were reviewed from neonatal foals with dysphagia of pharyngeal origin...
Lai AC, Lin YP, Powell DG, Shortridge KF, Webster RG, Daly J, Chambers TM.An outbreak of influenza occurred among thoroughbred racehorses in Hong Kong in November-December 1992, with morbidity of 37%. All horses involved had been vaccinated against equine-1 and equine-2 influenza viruses but not against the virus responsible for the 1989 equine influenza outbreak in northern China (influenza A/equine/Jilin/89, subtype H3N8). Therefore the source and nature of the virus causing the Hong Kong outbreak was investigated. Virus isolated from a horse infected during the outbreak was used for genetic analysis. All the viral gene segments were similar to those of equine-2 (...
Kisthardt KK, Schumacher J, Finn-Bodner ST, Carson-Dunkerley S, Williams MA.Case records of 7 horses diagnosed with pyelonephritis were reviewed to determine common features that might aid in diagnosis, treatment, and prognosis of this disease. All 7 horses had been admitted for evaluation of hematuria. During cystoscopy of 5 horses, hemorrhage was observed from one or both ureters. Renal biopsy of 1 horse, laboratory analysis of ureteral discharge of 2 horses, and renal ultrasonography of all horses indicated that pyelonephritis was the cause of hemorrhage. Sonographic renal changes included decreased length, increased echogenicity, abnormal outline, loss of corticom...
Travers CW, van den Berg JS.This paper describes the case histories of two Thoroughbred horses, a 2-year-old colt in training and a 7-year-old broodmare, that were presented with histories of weight loss, exercise intolerance, intermittent fever, limb oedema and anaemia. Vegetative endocarditis of the mitral and tricuspid valves was diagnosed in the colt by means of echocardiography. Pseudomonas sp. endocarditis of the mitral valve was diagnosed in the mare using echocardiography and bacterial culture. The colt had secondary congestive heart failure and was euthanased on humane grounds. Pseudomonas cepacia was isolated f...
Crecan CM, Morar IA, Lupsan AF, Repciuc CC, Rus MA, Pestean CP.Both as an aid for less experienced clinicians and to enhance objectivity and sharp clinical skills in professionals, quantitative technologies currently bring the equine lameness diagnostic closer to evidence-based veterinary medicine. The present paper describes an original, inertial sensor-based wireless device system, the Lameness Detector 0.1, used in ten horses with different lameness degrees in one fore- or hind-leg. By recording the impulses on three axes of the incorporated accelerometer in each leg of the assessed horse, and then processing the data using custom-designed software, th...
Kelleher ME, Brosnan RJ, Kass PH, le Jeune SS.To determine if preoperative physical examination and blood work values, intraoperative physiologic variables, and intraoperative treatments can be correlated with survival to anesthetic recovery and short-term survival to hospital discharge in horses that undergo exploratory celiotomy for large colon volvulus (LCV) with and without colon resection. Methods: Retrospective case series. Methods: Horses (n = 156) undergoing exploratory celiotomy for correction of LCV ≥ 360(ο) . Methods: Medical records (January 2000-December 2009) of horses that had surgical correction of LCV ≥ 360(ο) were ...
Perez JA, Weber KL, Bender SJ, Wulster KB, Parente EJ.To describe the use and outcome of sclerotherapy with intralesional doxycycline foam in a horse with a mandibular aneurysmal bone cyst. Methods: Case report. Methods: Client-owned 1 year old Standardbred filly. Methods: The horse presented for progressive mandibular swelling. A 10 mg/mL doxycycline foam was prepared for intralesional injection. Three doses were injected into the lesion under computed tomographic guidance at 6 and 15 weeks after initial treatment. Volume reduction was monitored after each treatment with 3D volumetric rendering and region of interest segmentation using commer...
Baldani CD, Nakaghi AC, Machado RZ.Blood and serum samples from 170 horses raised in the Jaboticabal microregion, São Paulo State, Brazil, were collected and tested by microscopic examination of blood smears, indirect fluorescent antibody test (IFAT) and nested polymerase chain reaction (nPCR) for Theileria equi infections. The association among the test results was verified by the McNemar test. During the examination of thin blood smears, parasites were detected in six (3.52%) horses. Anti-T. equi antibodies were detected in 100% sera samples, with titers ranging between 1:80 and 1:5120. The nPCR based on the T. equi merozoit...
Turlo AJ, Cywinska A, Frisbie DD.High prevalence of musculoskeletal disorders in racehorses and its impact on horse welfare and racing economics call for improved measures of injury diagnosis and prevention. Serum biomarkers of bone and cartilage metabolism have previously shown promise in prediction of musculoskeletal injuries in horses. This study aimed to re-evaluate usability of the predictive serum biomarkers identified in North American Thoroughbred racehorses in a geographically distinct group of Polish Thoroughbreds. Results: Serum concentrations of bone and cartilage biomarkers: osteocalcin, c-terminal telopeptide of...
Rocha T.Contagious equine metritis (CEM), a highly contagious bacterial venereal infection of equids, caused by Taylorella equigenitalis, is of major international concern, causing short-term infertility in mares. Portugal has a long tradition of horse breeding and exportation and until recently was considered CEM-free. However, in 2008, T. equigenitalis was isolated at our laboratory from a recently imported stallion and 2 mares from the same stud. Following this first reported outbreak, the Portuguese Veterinary Authority (DGVA) performed mandatory testing on all remaining equines at the stud (n=30)...
Hines MT, Palmer GH, Byrne KM, Brassfield AL, McGuire TC.Bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) and peripheral blood were obtained from each of 17 adult Arabian mares and absolute numbers and relative lymphocyte proportions were determined for total T lymphocytes, using CD2 as a marker, CD4 + T lymphocytes, CD8 + T lymphocytes, CD5 + lymphocytes, and sIgM + B lymphocytes. The marked variation in BALF cell recovery resulted in wide variation in absolute values for each lymphocyte subset. The relative proportions of gated BALF lymphocytes were much less variable and provided a basis for comparison of lymphocyte subsets between the BALF and peripheral blo...
Delesalle C, Dewulf J, Lefebvre RA, Schuurkes JA, Van Vlierbergen B, Deprez P.Hypocalcaemia is a common finding in horses with enterocolitis and severe gastrointestinal disorders. The aims of this study were to investigate in colic horses 1)the parameters related to hypocalcaemia, 2)the influence of hypocalcaemia on outcome and 3)the possible beneficial effect of Ca2+ substitution. Methods: Randomized controlled trial. Methods: Intensive care unit. Methods: One hundred forty-four horses that were admitted with an acute abdomen during a 1.5 year period were enrolled and daily evaluated for clinical criteria and whole blood ionized Ca2+ levels. Colic horses with hypocalca...
