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.
Reinemeyer CR.Efforts to control cyathostome nematodes in temperate climates have not been uniformly successful, as evidenced by contemporary reports of clinical disease and widespread anthelmintic failure. Indeed, effective control is confounded by numerous factors, including ignorance of local transmission patterns, confusing or conflicting control recommendations, and use of ineffective anthelmintics or regimens. Most of these problems are universal rather than being climatically unique, and it is important to recognize that they are mere symptoms of larger and more comprehensive problems. The most basic...
Lafortuna CL, Albertini M, Ferrucci F, Zucca E, Braghieri M, Clement MG, Saibene F.A video-laryngoscopic method, implemented with an algorithm for the correction of the deformation inherent in the endoscope optical system, has been used to measure the dorsoventral diameter (Drg) and the cross-sectional area (CSArg) of the rima glottidis in five healthy workhorses during conscious breathing at rest. Simultaneous recording of the respiratory airflow was also obtained in two horses. Drg measured 82.7 +/- 4.5 mm (mean +/- S.D.) independently of the respiratory phase, and did not differ from the measurement in post-mortem anatomical specimens of the same horses. CSArg ranged from...
Nasir L, Reid SW.The sarcoid is a benign locally invasive dermal fibroblastic lesion, commonly affecting horses and donkeys. The aetiology of the equine sarcoid is equivocal. Bovine papillomaviral (BPV) DNA (type 1/2) is frequently demonstrable in equine sarcoid tumour biopsies. However, the exact role of the virus in the disease process and its contribution to the phenotypic differences in sarcoids is not known. It was sought to assess the transcriptional activity of BPV-1 found in sarcoid tissues. Of 20 tumours examined, 18 were positive for E2 expression and ten positive for L1 expression. Viral oncogenes E...
Wagner IP, Heymering H.This article attempts to provide a historical perspective regarding equine laminitis. It is designed to cover, as completely as possible, the historical record of, and the research advances made, in regards to acute and chronic laminitis. With respect to the historical record, the names given to this disease, the postulated etiologies, and the various treatment protocols are discussed. This article demonstrates the historical longevity of this disease and establishes a background for the current understanding of the disease's pathologic mechanisms and treatments.
Brumbaugh GW, Sumano López H, Hoyas Sepúlveda ML.Each horse with laminitis is presented to the veterinarian at a different stage in progression of the condition and with varying severity. The pathogenic timing is often unknown and is difficult to determine. Because timing and severity are related to both the lesion's severity and responsiveness to treatment, these factors are critical to treatment selection and success. It is erroneous to assume that each horse with laminitis should receive each treatment. It is therefore important to ascertain as logically and objectively as possible the pathophysiological stage of development of each horse...
Hood DM.Many of the difficulties in managing the horse with chronic laminitis are associated with the foot's mechanical failure. The occurrence of digital collapse cannot be viewed in isolation as the primary therapeutic focus. The circulatory, metabolic, and growth pattern changes induced by the foot's mechanical collapse often serve as major limiting factors to successful rehabilitation. From the discussion above, it is obvious that a significant amount of research is needed to better understand the biomechanical pathologies of the failed foot.
Swanson TD.The purpose of this article is to describe the clinical features present in the patient affected with acute laminitis. The variations in the stance and characteristic lameness of the acute disease are described in relation to the disease severity and limb involvement. The elements of establishing a diagnosis including clinical history, physical and radiologic evaluation, and differential diagnosis are discussed. Difficulties and criteria used in establishing a prognosis of the acute phase patient are defined.
Hood DM.This article serves as an introduction to this issue on laminitis. As such, it contains the general perspectives and terminology that will be used in all subsequent articles. This article separates the clinical problem of laminitis into developmental, acute, subacute, and chronic phases and defines the criteria, duration, clinical goals, and implications of these phases. The basis for the significance of laminitis to the horse industry and the horseman is reviewed. Lastly, the organization of this issue is described.
Herthel D, Hood DM.This article focuses on the initial assessment of the horse affected with chronic laminitis. Variations in the clinical presentation and primary considerations in making a differential diagnosis are included. The elements of a clinical history essential to sound, therapeutic management, and prognosis are summarized. The physical and radiographic assessment of the digital lesions and diagnostic approaches to the common systemic aspects of the disease are presented and discussed.
Parks AH, Balch OK, Collier MA.Over the last decade, both the farriery and veterinary professions have greatly increased their collective experience and understanding of the treatment of acute laminitis. Many horses that would have not been considered candidates for treatment 10 to 15 years ago are now saved, and some progress to successful careers as athletes. Unfortunately, the difficulties over prediction of the course of the disease persist, which continues to complicate treatment decisions. By its nature, supportive therapy is designed to make the horse more comfortable and limit further laminar injury by countering ad...
Morgan SJ, Grosenbaugh DA, Hood DM.The potential pathologic manifestations of chronic laminitis are just as varied, and possibly more so, than the list of possible inciting agents of the disease itself. The extent to which rehabilitation and return to normal function can be attained, cannot always be accurately determined by physical examination. It should be remembered that significant physiologic and pathologic alterations occur in chronic laminitis; thus, even if radiographically the patient returns to a normal appearance, residual morphologic and structural defects are likely to remain.
Harvey RG, Hunter PA.The use of the penicillins in veterinary dermatology is discussed. An outline is provided of the main penicillins used in the veterinary field. These include benzyl penicillin, penicillin V, ampicillin, amoxycillin, co-amoxiclav and oxacillin. An increase in β-lactamase production among strains of Staphylococcus intermedius, the principal canine pathogen in pyoderma, has been seen in recent years. Thus only those penicillins with resistance to β-lactamase (co-amoxiclav or isoxazolyl penicillins) are likely to be of value in treating canine pyoderma. However, feline, porcine and equine staphy...
Turell MJ.Experimental studies were undertaken to evaluate the vector competence of selected mosquito species [Aedes taeniorhynchus (Wiedemann), Culex declarator Dyar and Knab, and Mansonia titillans (Walker)] from northwestern Venezuela for the epizootic (IC) strain of Venezuelan equine encephalitis (VEE) virus that was responsible for the 1995 outbreak of VEE in this area. Ae. taeniorhynchus was highly susceptible to infection (94% of 35), and 89% had a disseminated infection. Virus-exposed Ae. taeniorhynchus that refed on susceptible hamsters readily transmitted virus, confirming that this species wa...
Balasuriya UBR, Hedges JF, Nadler SA, McCollum WH, Timoney PJ, MacLachlan NJ.An imported carrier stallion (A) from Europe was implicated in causing an extensive outbreak of equine viral arteritis (EVA) on a Warmblood breeding farm in Pennsylvania, USA. Strains of equine arteritis virus (EAV) present in the semen of two carrier stallions (A and G) on the farm were compared to those in tissues of foals born during the outbreak, as well as viruses present in the semen of two other stallions that became persistently infected carriers of EAV following infection during the outbreak. The 2822 bp segment encompassing ORFs 2-7 (nt 9807-12628; which encode the G(S), GP3, GP4, G(...
Weaver SC, Pfeffer M, Marriott K, Kang W, Kinney RM.Epizootics of Venezuelan equine encephalitis (VEE) involving subtype IAB viruses occurred sporadically in South, Central and North America from 1938 to 1973. Incompletely inactivated vaccines have long been suspected as a source of the later epizootics. We tested this hypothesis by sequencing the PE2 glycoprotein precursor (1,677 nucleotides) or 26S/nonstructural protein 4 (nsP4) genome regions (4,490 nucleotides) for isolates representing most major outbreaks. Two distinct IAB genotypes were identified: 1) 1940s Peruvian strains and 2) 1938-1973 isolates from South, Central, and North America...
Borchers K, Wolfinger U, Ludwig H.Equine herpesvirus type 4 (EHV-4) is a major respiratory pathogen of horses. Unlike most other members of the Alphaherpesvirinae, EHV-4 was regarded as non-neurotropic. Here, neural and lymphoid tissues of 17 horses have been analysed post-mortem. EHV-4 DNA was detected in 11 cases (65%) by PCR, exclusively in the trigeminal ganglia. In order to define the transcriptional activity, RNA preparations of 10 EHV-4 DNA-positive ganglia were investigated by nested RT-PCR. EHV-4-specific transcripts derived from genes 63 [herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) ICPO gene homologue] and 64 (HSV-1 ICP4 gen...
Martens P, Ihler CF, Rennesund J.A horse with a suspected injury of the distal phalanx was examined using radiography at day two and 19 after the onset of the lameness, with no definite diagnosis. Using computed tomography an incomplete fracture of the lateral wing of the distal phalanx was diagnosed at day 25. Based on computed tomography it was determined that the fracture probably did not enter the joint or involve the palmar cortex throughout its length which were of prognostic importance. The day following the CT examination a new oblique radiographic projection was made. In this radiography which was based on, and never...
Tudor RA, Ramirez O, Tate LP, Gerard MP.A 1-month-old male American Paint Horse was evaluated for a hard swelling on the right side of the maxillary region. On radiographs there was a large, expansile outpouching of the right maxillary bone between the second and third premolar teeth. Computed tomography further characterized the expansile lesion to have a soft tissue component and to originate in the region of a caudal maxillary tooth. Surgical reconstruction of the defect was unsuccessful and the animal was euthanetized. Based on failure to find histopathologic evidence of a neoplasm or cyst, the diagnosis was a congenital malform...
Wooldridge AA, Seahorn TL, Williams J, Taylor HW, Oliver JL, Kim DY, Vicek TJ.A 2-year-old quarter horse gelding presented for evaluation of polyuria and polydipsia. Azotemia was detected on serum chemistry profile. Small, misshapen, hyperechoic kidneys with decreased corticomedullary demarcation, hydronephrosis, and a right nephrolith were noted ultrasonographically. The diagnosis of end-stage kidney disease and dysplasia was made histopathologically using ultrasound-guided biopsy. Two ureteroliths were found in the right ureter via cystoscopy, and a nephrolith was seen in the right kidney at necropsy. Clinical, ultrasonographic, and pathologic features of equine uroli...
House JK, Smith BP, Wildman TR, Carrigan MJ, Kamiya DY.To determine the prevalence of Salmonella infections in horses at necropsy. Methods: Cross-sectional prevalence survey. Methods: 102 horses. Methods: Mesenteric lymph nodes were collected from horses that were necropsied. Horses had died or were euthanatized because of severe disease or at the request of the owner. Twenty-eight of the horses were racehorses euthantized following acute catastrophic injuries on the racetrack. Mesenteric lymph nodes were submitted for Salmonella culture via direct plating of tissue specimens on MacConkey agar and by use of 4 enrichment culture techniques that use...
Henderson K, Stevens S, Bailey C, Hall G, Stewart J, Wards R.The relative merits of measuring blood concentrations of equine chorionic gonadotrophin (eCG, previously known as pregnant mare serum gonadotrophin (PMSG)), or oestrone sulphate (OS), or faecal OS concentrations for determining pregnancy status in miniature horses were investigated. Pregnant mares between 40 and 140 days after mating had serum eCG concentrations > 1 I.U. mL-1, with the highest concentrations occurring between days 50 and 120. However, eCG measurements were susceptible to returning a 'false positive' diagnosis of pregnancy. Plasma OS concentrations ranged from 0.1 to 3.6 ng ...
De Bosschere H, Simoens P, Ducatelle R.A three-day-old foal died from intestinal strangulation due to a remnant of vitelline vein which extended between the umbilicus and the portal vein. The strangulating vein was identified on the basis of its morphological and histological structure. This finding, which is the first reported case of a persistent vitelline vein in a horse, is discussed in relation to the normal development and involution of the vitelline circulation.
Clegg PD, Carter SD.A study was performed to identify the activation status of the gelatinase MMPs, MMP-2 and -9, in both normal and diseased equine articular tissues. In addition, the production and activation status of equine MMP-2 and -9 by equine articular cells and tissues in response to increasing IL-1beta concentrations was assessed. The study was performed to test the hypothesis that activation of MMPs is a fundamental step in the pathogenesis of joint diseases; and that this activation is mediated by the cytokine IL-1. Using purified equine MMP-2 and -9, the molecular weights of the zymogen and activated...
Saville WJ, Hinchcliff KW, Moore BR, Kohn CW, Reed SM, Mitten LA, Rivas LJ.The clinical and clinicopathologic characteristics of fatal necrotizing enterocolitis were examined in 16 horses (age 4 months to 12 years). At initial presentation, 8 of 16 horses were pyrexic (median temperature, 38.4 degrees C; range, 33.8 to 40.6 degrees C); all 16 were tachycardic (median heart rate, 93 bpm, range, 66 to 138 bpm); 13 of 16 were tachypneic (median heart rate, 36 bpm, range, 16 to 80 bpm), dehydrated, and had discolored mucous membranes. All horses that were pyrexic were also tachycardic and tachypneic. PCV was high (> 45%) in 14 horses. Six horses were leukopenic (< 5,000 ...
Johnson JE, Beech J, Saik JE.A 6.5-year-old horse with a history of exercise-induced pulmonary hemorrhage was admitted because of acute onset of epistaxis, dyspnea, high respiratory rate, pale mucous membranes, and dark feces. There was no clinical or laboratory evidence of a bleeding disorder, and the horse's anemia was considered to be secondary to pulmonary hemorrhage. The cause of the hemorrhage was not found on thoracic sonograms or from cytologic examination of transtracheal aspirates. Despite supportive care, the horse's health deteriorated, and it was euthanatized. Necropsy revealed blood in the thoracic and perit...
Hobbs SJ, Mather J, Rolph C, Bower JA, Matuszewski B.Strains during stance on the hoof wall surface have been measured by a number of authors in vitro and in vivo. Histological structure and mechanical properties vary through the wall thickness (radially); radial strain measurements may therefore aid the understanding of mechanical function of the capsule and adjacent tissues. Objective: To develop instrumentation capable of measuring internal hoof strain, and to carry out a preliminary comparison of normal and laminitic hooves. Methods: Six forelimbs from 4 horses, including 2 with laminitis from the same horse, were tested using an Instron tes...
Boy MG, Palmer JE, Heyer G, Hamir AN.Gastric leiomyosarcoma was diagnosed in a 12-year-old Thoroughbred gelding. The horse was examined because of anorexia, weight loss, and intermittent fever of 1.5 months' duration. Antemortem diagnostic testing was extensive, but a definitive diagnosis could not be reached with noninvasive methods. Exploratory celiotomy confirmed an intra-abdominal mass, and the horse was euthanatized. Necropsy revealed a firm mass associated with the distal portion of the esophagus, cranial two thirds of the stomach, and visceral surface of the liver. The histopathologic diagnosis was leiomyosarcoma.
Lee ZY, Zylstra R, Haritou SJ.Elevated concentrations of plasma adrenocorticotrophic hormone (ACTH) in horses with pituitary disturbances are often associated with dysfunction of the pituitary's pars intermedia. The majority of such animals exhibit an increased susceptibility to laminitis, particularly during the autumn. The 24h plasma ACTH profiles of horses with pituitary pars intermedia dysfunction (PPID), and those of matched controls, were determined in March, June, September and December. Differences in ACTH concentrations between the groups were significant (P<0.0001), regardless of photoperiod, and persisted thr...
Awan AR, Baxi M, Field HJ.The most important consequence of equine herpesvirus-1 (EHV-1) infection is abortion. The object of the present study was to characteristic further a murine EHV-1 abortion model and to make comparisons with the natural host with particular reference to the stage of gestation during which the infection occurs. BALB/c mice at different stages of pregnancy were infected intranasally with EHV-1 (strain AB4); they suffered respiratory distress, weight loss, and other constitutional signs of infection. When the virus was inoculated in the late second or early third week of gestation dead or dying fe...
Borkent D, Smith S, Dixon PM.Peripheral caries (PC) has recently been shown to affect over half of UK and Australian horses. Objective: To examine affected cheek teeth histologically and ultrastructurally, to assess the possible route(s) of carious infection into the dental tissues and to further describe the pathological changes in affected teeth. Methods: Descriptive pathological study. Methods: Four control and 16 cheek teeth with different grades of PC were examined grossly, histologically and by electron microscopy. Results: Cariogenic bacteria from plaque entered peripheral cementum perpendicular to the sides of tee...
Molla AM, Jemberu WT, Fentahun T.Epizootic lymphangitis (EZL) is a chronic, contagious disease of equids caused by the fungus Histoplasma capsulatum var. farciminosum. The disease is often prevalent in cart pulling equids in developing countries. This study was undertaken in Central and South Gondar zones of Amhara region, Ethiopia with the objectives of estimating the prevalence of EZL in cart pulling horses and mules and identifying the risk factors of the disease. Two towns, one high altitude and one mid altitude, from each of the two zones were included for the study. A total of 528 cart pulling horses and mules from the ...
Ross MW, Gentile DG, Evans LE.Transoral axial division was performed, using endoscopic guidance, in 20 horses with epiglottic entrapment. Mean age of affected horses was 3 years (range, 2 to 5 years), and there were 18 Standardbreds and 2 Thoroughbreds. Standardbreds and female horses were significantly overrepresented when compared with a reference population. Upper respiratory noise prompted endoscopic examination before surgery in 16 horses, but noise was not heard in 4 horses. Ten horses had entrapment by thin tissue without ulceration, 6 horses had entrapment by thin tissue with small, partial-thickness ulceration, 3 ...
Corradini I, Fernández-Ruiz A, Barba M, Engel-Manchado J.Comparisons between smartphone ECG (SpECG) recordings obtained from the right and left sides of the thorax have not been reported in animals. Objective: To evaluate the screening potential of a SpECG obtained from both sides of the thorax and to compare the degree of agreement between the SpECG and a reference ECG (rECG) for measurement of the duration of baseline electrical deflections recorded over both sides of the thorax. Methods: Fifty horses admitted to the equine hospital, university-owned horses, and horses from an endurance riding facility. Methods: Prospective observational study. Si...
ERas is a new gene of the Ras family found in murine embryonic stem (ES) cells. Its human ortholog is not expressed in human ES cells. So far ERas gene has only been found to be expressed in the tissues of adult cynomolgus monkeys and cattle; however, information about ERAS expression or its potential functions in equine tissues is lacking. This study was performed to investigate whether Eras is an equine functional gene and whether ERAS is expressed in the tissues of adult horses and determine its potential physiological role. Expression of the ERas gene was detected in all examined adult tis...
Neil KM, Axon JE, Todhunter PG, Adams PL, Caron JP, Adkins AR.To determine the clinical characteristics and outcome of foals with septic osteitis of the distal phalanx. Methods: Retrospective case series. Methods: 22 foals. Methods: Information obtained from medical records included signalment; clinical, laboratory, and radiographic findings; treatment method; and outcome. Foals included in the study had lameness referable to the foot, radiographic evidence of localized lysis or focal loss of bone density of the distal phalanx, and suppurative discharge or necrosis of the affected bone evident at surgery. Foals with a history or evidence of penetrating w...
Dowling PM, Williams MA, Clark TP.Adrenal insufficiency was diagnosed in a 9-year-old American Quarter Horse gelding that had received monthly injections of stanozolol for 8 years. After the injections were abruptly discontinued, the horse developed anorexia, lethargy, weight loss, and bilateral forelimb lameness. Secondary hypoadrenocorticism was diagnosed on the basis of clinical signs, lack of high endogenous plasma ACTH concentration, and lack of cortisol response to administration of ACTH. Because the medical history did not include glucocorticoid administration, the cause was determined to be excessive administration of ...
Hoffman AM, Viel L, Juniper E, Prescott JF.Respiratory tract infections are prevalent in foals, yet the frequency with which the distal airways are affected in clinical episodes of respiratory tract disease has not been evaluated to our knowledge. The objective of the study was to determine the incidence of distal respiratory tract infection (DRTI) in foals on a sample of Thoroughbred breeding farms (n = 10) in Ontario. In a pilot study, clinical criteria commonly used to select foals for antimicrobial treatment (detection of abnormal lung sounds, plus nasal discharge, cough, fever, tachypnea, and/or lethargy) were found to segregate f...
Levasseur A, Arsenault J, Paré J.West Nile virus (WNV) became notifiable in horses in 2003 in Canada and has been reported every year since. The objective of this study was to describe the spatiotemporal distribution of WNV in horses between 2003 and 2020 in Canada. Methods: The 848 symptomatic and laboratory-confirmed WNV cases in horses reported to the Canadian Food Inspection Agency between 2003 and 2020. Methods: Canada was divided into eastern and western regions for analysis. For each case, location and date of notification were captured. Triennial maps were made to describe the spatiotemporal distribution and expansion...
Southwood LL, Lindborg S, Myers M, Aceto HW.To compare long-term outcome of Salmonella-positive versus Salmonella-negative horses discharged from hospital after colic surgery. Methods: Retrospective case-control. Methods: Horses discharged from the hospital after colic surgery. For each horse with positive culture for Salmonella enterica (SAL-POS, n = 59), at least 2 horses testing negative for S. enterica (SAL-NEG, n = 119) were enrolled. Methods: Owners were interviewed via phone at least 12 months after surgery regarding: (1) complications after discharge from the hospital; (2) duration of survival; and (3) return to prior or...
Larsdotter S, Ley C, Pringle J.An 8-month-old Arabian-warmblood cross colt was evaluated for overt hematuria. The horse was severely anemic on presentation. A unilateral intrarenal vascular anomaly with unilateral pyelonephritis was diagnosed. Nephrectomy was attempted but was unsuccessful, and postmortem examination demonstrated the presence of an intrarenal pseudoaneurysm. Un poulain arabe de race croisée âgé de 8 mois a été évalué pour une hématurie patente. Le cheval était gravement anémique à la présentation. Une anomalie vasculaire unilatérale intrarénale avec une pyélonéphrite unilatérale a été di...
Nielsen K, Vibe-Petersen G.A description is given of 46 cases of non-parasitic enteritis, treated in the Large Animal Clinic during the period 1965--77. A group of 12 horses showed an acute or peracute clinical course with rapid development of shock and high lethality (83 per cent). A smaller group of 9 horses showed a subacute course while 22 horses had chronic enteritis with intermittent diarrhoea--often semisolid like cow's dung--increased peristalsis, weight loss and, in some cases, hypoproteinaemia with subcutaneous edema. Lethality rate in this group was appr. 40 per cent. Predisposing factors--especially physical...
Louie EW, Berryhill EH, Nieto J, Wensley F, Knych H, Finno CJ, Morgan JM.Gastric ulceration can be induced by athletic training and is a significant welfare concern. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of gastric ulcer induction on heart rate variability (HRV) in the horse. We hypothesized that induction of gastric ulcers would decrease HRV and increase low frequency fluctuations, consistent with increased sympathetic tone. A convenience sample of 8 horses in a larger study were enrolled. Horses were randomly assigned to receive water or 2 mg/kg omeprazole orally once daily for 28 days. Gastric ulcers were induced through intermittent feed withho...
Chiaradia E, Pepe M, Orvietani PL, Renzone G, Magini A, Sforna M, Emiliani C, Di Meo A, Scaloni A.Osteochondrosis is a failure of the endochondral ossification that affects developing joints in humans and several animal species. It is a localized idiopathic joint disorder characterized by focal chondronecrosis and growing cartilage retention, which can lead to the formation of fissures, subchondral bone cysts, or intra-articular fragments. Osteochondrosis is a complex multifactorial disease associated with extracellular matrix alterations and failure in chondrocyte differentiation, mainly due to genetic, biochemical, and nutritional factors, as well as traumas. This study describes the mai...
McCann JL, Dixon PM, Mayhew IG.Disorders of the equine sphenopalatine sinus, including empyema and neoplasia, have been reported to cause damage to cranial nerves II and V. However, the clinical anatomy of these sinuses is not well described in horses. Objective: To examine the anatomy of the sphenopalatine sinuses in a range of equidae and, in particular, to examine the relationship of these sinuses to adjacent major nerves and vessels. Methods: The anatomy of the sphenoidal and palatine paranasal sinuses was examined in 16 equidae, primarily using transverse skull sections. Relevant structures were documented and photogra...
Meichner K, Kraszeski BH, Durrant JR, Grindem CB, Breuhaus BA, Moore PF, Neel JA, Linder KE, Borst LB, Fogle JE, Tarigo JL.An 11-year-old, 443-kg Haflinger mare was presented to the North Carolina State University Veterinary Teaching Hospital with a 2-week history of lethargy and a 3-day duration of anorexia, pyrexia, tachycardia, and ventral edema. Severe pitting edema, peripheral lymphadenopathy, and a caudal abdominal mass were noted on physical examination. An extreme leukocytosis (154.3 × 103 /μL) and microscopic hematologic findings suggestive of myelomonocytic leukemia were observed. Serum protein electrophoresis revealed a monoclonal gammopathy and urine protein electrophoresis revealed a monoclonal ligh...
Heffron B, Taddei L, Benoit M, Negrusz A.The use of nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drugs in racehorses is allowed under most jurisdictions. Furosemide is administered to treat exercise-induced pulmonary hemorrhage. To help distinguish between therapeutic and illegal uses, racing regulatory bodies have set thresholds in serum for several drugs. The method for the simultaneous detection and quantification of furosemide, flunixin, ketoprofen, phenylbutazone and oxyphenbutazone using 500 µL of serum, and liquid extraction using diethyl ether : hexanes : dichloromethane followed by liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry quantitati...
Flaminio MJ, Rush BR, Davis EG, Hennessy K, Shuman W, Wilkerson MJ.This paper describes a method for simultaneously measuring phagocytosis and oxidative burst activity in equine peripheral blood leukocytes by flow cytometry. Opsonized propidium iodide-labelled Staphylococcus aureus (PI-Sa) was used to measure the uptake of bacteria by equine phacocytes and the oxidative burst activity by oxidation of dihydrorhodamine 123. The requirements to achieve optimal activity of phagocytosis and oxidative burst are described. The advantage of the simultaneous technique is that it provides both independent and comparative values for phagocytosis and the oxidative burst,...
Smit IH, Hernlund E, Persson-Sjodin E, Björnsdóttir S, Gunnarsdottir H, Gunnarsson V, Rhodin M, Serra Braganca FM.Lameness assessment in the gaited Icelandic horse is complex. We aimed to describe their kinematic and temporal adaptation strategies in response to forelimb lameness at walk, trot and tölt. Methods: In vivo experiment. Methods: Ten clinically non-lame Icelandic horses were measured before and after reversible forelimb lameness induction. Upper body and limb kinematics were measured using 11 inertial measurement units mounted on the poll, withers, pelvis (tubera sacrale) and all four limbs and hoofs (Equimoves®, 500 Hz). Horses were measured on a straight line at walk and trot in-hand and ...
Glade MJ, Krook L.Changes in the developing femoral epiphysis, especially those concerning the osteocytes, were examined in pony foals systemically treated with daily intramuscular injections of either 0.5 or 5.0 mg of dexamethasone per 100 kg bodyweight for either 3, 8 or 11 months. Midsagittal sections of proximal femur from animals treated for 3 months contained significantly more bone tissue subchondrally and epiphyseally than did sections from untreated ponies. Large portions of the bone tissue appeared necrotic, although osteoblasts and patent capillaries were abundant. After 8 months the bone sections re...
Morris ERA, Schroeder ME, Ferro PJ, Waller AS, McGlennon AA, Bustos CP, Gressler LT, Wu J, Lawhon SD, Boyle AG, Lingsweiler S, Paul N, Dimitrov K....Strangles is a contagious bacterial disease of horses caused by Streptococcus equi subspecies equi (SEE) that occurs globally. Rapid and accurate identification of infected horses is essential for controlling strangles. Because of limitations of existing PCR assays for SEE, we sought to identify novel primers and probes that enable simultaneous detection and differentiation of infection with SEE and S. equi subsp. zooepidemicus (SEZ). Comparative genomics of U.S. strains of SEE and SEZ (n = 50 each) identified SE00768 from SEE and comB from SEZ as target genes. Primers and probes for real-ti...
Yadav SC, Kumar R, Kumar J, Singh M, Bera BC, Kumar R, Tatu U, Tehri K.Trypanosoma evansi is a haemo-protozoan parasite responsible for the disease surra, an economically important disease of wide range of domestic and wild animals. The present diagnostic methods using soluble antigens have inherent problems like lack of standardized and reproducible antigens, as well as ethical issues. This entails further efforts for search of defined antigenic molecules with satisfying sensitivity and specificity for sero-epidemiology of trypanosomosis. In present investigation, we have identified and purified 52-55kDa immuno-dominant protein cluster in molecular mass ranges b...
Goulden BE, Anderson LJ.Some clinical features of laryngeal hemiplegia in 127 horses are described. Possible aetiologic factors were found in only 11% of affected animals. The onset of clinical signs was either sudden or insidious. The majority of cases were presented because of an abnormal respiratory noise made at exercise. Other clinical signs, particularly those usually attributed to laryngopalatal dislocation, were observed in a substantial proportion of affected animals. In all cases surveyed the left arytenoid was affected, although in 3 animals a bilateral laryngeal dysfunction was noted. Thirty of 65 animals...
Wright AL, Earley ET, Austin C, Arora M.Equine Odontoclastic Tooth Resorption and Hypercementosis (EOTRH) is a common, painful and poorly understood disease. Enamel, dentin and cementum accumulate both essential and toxic trace elements during mineralization. Characterization of the spatial accumulation pattern of trace elements may provide insight into the role that toxic elements play and inform biological processes affecting these hard dental tissues for future research. Laser ablation-inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS) was used to map the distribution of multiple trace elements and heavy metals across equin...
