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.
de Lemos ER, Machado RD, Coura JR, Guimarães MA, Chagas N.In order to obtain information on Brazilian spotted fever, a study in domestic animals was performed in the County of Pedreira, State of São Paulo, Brazil, where 17 human cases had been notified. Serum samples obtained from animals were tested by indirect immunofluorescence for detectable antibodies to spotted fever-group rickettsiae. Seropositivity was revealed in 12 (36.4%) of 33 dogs and seven (77.8%) of nine horses from the endemic area. For comparison, blood samples from dogs and horses from non endemic area were tested and four (12.9%) of 31 dogs and three (27.3%) of 11 horses were posi...
Murray MJ, Eichorn ES, Dubovi EJ, Ley WB, Cavey DM.Whole blood and serum were collected from foals to determine the prevalence of Equine herpesvirus type 2 (EHV 2) infection in foals, age at which infection can first be identified and serological responses to infection. Equine herpesvirus type 2 was isolated from peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) from 68 of 69 foals, 1-8-months-old, sampled once. Virus isolation was performed twice at intervals of 2-7 months on PBMCs from 33 foals and EHV2 was isolated on both occasions in all but one foal (negative, then positive). Regression analysis of log2-transformed reciprocal serum EHV2 virus ne...
Van Hoogmoed L, Snyder JR.Four horses were evaluated for clinical signs consistent with small intestinal disease. During exploratory surgery, primary hematomas in the mesentery were found in 2 horses. The third horse developed a hematoma secondary to a mesenteric rent, whereas in the fourth horse, a hematoma developed secondary to strangulation of the bowel by a mesenteric lipoma. Two horses were euthanatized at surgery, because the extensive nature of the hematoma precluded ligation and there was substantial risk of continued hemorrhage postoperatively. The remaining horses recovered from surgery but developed complic...
Ihler CF, Bjørn H.Ten stables were included in a study to evaluate two in vitro methods for the detection of anthelmintic resistance in cyathostomes by comparing a faecal egg count reduction test (FECRT) to a larval development assay (LDA) and an egg hatch assay (EHA). The LDA was used in seven stables and EHA in the last three. On the basis of FECR values, resistance to benzimidazoles was detected in eight of the ten small strongyle populations. Resistance to pyrantel pamoate and ivermectin was not detected. The mean concentrations that inhibited hatching in 50% of the eggs (EC50), using thiabendazole (TBZ) in...
Van Hoogmoed L, Snyder JR, Christopher M, Vatistas N.To characterize, in mares, changes in peritoneal fluid that occurred within the first 7 days after routine foaling. Methods: Prospective observational trial. Methods: 15 mares. Methods: Abdominocentesis was performed within 10 days before foaling and again 12 hours, 3 days, and 7 days after each horse foaled. Data recorded for each sample included total nucleated cell count, differential cell count, specific gravity, fibrinogen concentration, and total protein concentration. Smears of each sample were examined by a single clinical pathologist. Results: There were not any significant difference...
Gareis M, Seidel KE, Diehl T.268 diagnostic samples from dogs, cats, horses and cattle were examined in a commercially available blood culture system. Samples of blood, liquor, ascites, thorax punctate, synovia and urine were examined with a blood culture system (Oxoid) over a period of two years in cooperation with the veterinary clinical institutes of internal medicine and surgery, Ludwig-Maximilians-University, Munich and different veterinarians. It was shown that this blood culture system, which has been initially developed for the requirements of human bacteriology, can be used for isolation of clinical important mic...
Yamagata M, Wilkie DA, Gilger BC.Eosinophilic keratoconjunctivitis was diagnosed in 7 horses at The Ohio State University between 1976 and 1994. All horses had moderate-to-severe blepharospasm, chemosis, and conjunctival hyperemia; epiphora; and extensive yellow-to-white caseous mucoid discharge. Corneal ulcers associated with this disease were perilimbal and extended centrally. All ulcers were covered with a white necrotic plaque firmly attached to the underlying cornea. Other ophthalmic abnormalities were not detected. Corneal scrapings examined cytologically contained numerous eosinophils interspersed between epithelial ce...
Gerard MP, Bowman KF, Blikslager AT, Tate LP, Bristol DG.To determine whether complete cecal bypass, by jejunocolostomy or ileocolostomy, is an effective treatment for horses with cecal impaction. Methods: Retrospective analysis of medical records. Methods: 9 horses with cecal impaction managed by jejunocolostomy (3) or ileocolostomy (6) performed with or without typhlotomy for evacuation of cecal contents. Methods: Information on age, breed, gender, duration of medical treatment, preoperative abnormalities, surgical procedure, and postoperative complications was retrieved from the medical records. Follow-up data were obtained via telephone intervie...
Haider W, Brehm W, Keller H.An apparently unilateral cryptorchid stallion was referred to the clinic with a history of colic. In the course of laparotomy an ileus caused by strangulation of the small intestine was found and the horse was euthanized because of poor prognosis. During autopsy strictures and ectasia of the jejunum were found as well as hermaphroditism along with male phenotype. The frequency of cryptorchidism in the case of intersexuality is discussed.
Holland RE, Grimes SD, Walker RD, Wilson RA.Hemolytic E. coli strain 807-13, O149:NM:K88(STb+, LT+), was isolated from the feces of a neonatal diarrheic foal. E. coli 807-13 was examined for adhesion to brush border membranes (BBM) from foals, adult horses and pigs, and its pathogenicity was assessed in neonatal foals and pigs. E. coli 807-13 did not adhere to equine BBM but adhered to pig BBM. It did not cause diarrhea nor did it colonize the intestinal epithelium of 3 colostrum-deprived and 3 suckled foals challenged at 24 h of age. Acute ulcerative gastritis and acute suppurative gastritis were observed in 2 colostrum-deprived challe...
Netherwood T, Wood JL, Townsend HG, Mumford JA, Chanter N.A case control study of foal diarrhoea in the United Kingdom was carried out over a 3-year period. Clostridium perfringens was significantly associated with foal diarrhoea (Odds Ratio (OR) = 3.0), being isolated from 57% of 421 animals with diarrhoea but from only 27% of 223 healthy foals. Also, C. perfringens was significantly associated with fatal diarrhoea (OR = 4.5). About half of diarrhoea with a fatal outcome was attributable to this organism. The other pathogens significantly associated with diarrhoea were rotavirus (OR = 5.6), Cryptosporidium spp. (OR = 3.2) and the nematode Strongyloi...
Proudman CJ, Trees AJ.There is increasing interest in the application of serological methods to macro-parasite infections to indicate infection intensity, which in turn is related to pathogenicity. Colic is the single most important cause of mortality in horses and there is evidence that a proportion of colic cases are associated with infection with the intestinal cestode Anoplocephala perfoliata. In order to develop better tools to investigate this association, the correlation between antigen-specific equine IgG and IgG(T) and infection intensity of A. perfoliata was investigated. Affinity purification of a 12/13 ...
Gasser RB, Stevenson LA, Chilton NB, Nansen P, Bucknell DG, Beveridge I.Five species of equine strongyle belonging to the subfamily Strongylinae (Strongylus edentatus, S. equinus, S. vulgaris, Oesophagodontus robustus and Triodontophorus serratus) and 11 species belonging to the subfamily Cyathostominae (Poteriostomum imparidentatum, P. ratzii, Cylicocyclus insignis, Cc. leptostomus, Cc. nassatus, Cylicostephanus calicatus, Cs. longibursatus, Cs. goldi, Cyathostomum catinatum, Cy. labiatum and Cy. pateratum) were characterized using a polymerase chain reaction-linked restriction fragment length polymorphism technique (PCR-RFLP). Internal transcribed spacer ribosom...
Naranjo Cerrillo G, Soler Rodríguez F, Gómez Gordo L, Hermoso de Mendoza Salcedo M, Roncero Cordero V.In 1988 an outbreak of leukoencephalomalacia was diagnosed in equids that had eaten corn with a pinkish fungal growth. The fungus was then identified as Fusarium moniliforme. The main symptoms observed appeared acutely and were overexcitement, blindness, incoordination, facial paralysis and death within 24 h. The main pathological changes were restricted to the central nervous system. Macroscopically they consisted of hyperemia and haemorrhages, the consistency was friable and the gyri were somewhat flattened. Microscopically, the lesions were profuse and had extensive haemorrhages, and numero...
Ragle CA, Southwood LL, Hopper SA, Buote PL.Two mares were admitted for ovariectomy of unilateral granulosa cell tumors. Both mares were ovariectomized (1 unilateral and 1 bilateral) by use of a ventral abdominal laparoscopic technique. This approach required tilting the operative table 30 degrees to elevate the pelvis and to allow observation of the ovaries. Using a single laparoscopic portal and 3 to 4 instrument portals, a triangulation technique was used. The ovarian pedicles were isolated and secured via loop ligation. The ovaries then were divided from the ligated pedicle and placed within specimen bags for extraction. The specime...
Friedhoff KT, Soulé C.A review of the distribution of Babesia equi and Babesia caballi, the
transmission of these protozoa by ticks and the immune response of infected
horses, in addition to a brief survey of diagnostic. tests and chemotherapy.
Mills PC, Roberts CA, Smith NC.To investigate the effects of ozone and airway inflammation on indices of oxidant injury in horses. Methods: 5 clinically normal horses and 25 horses referred for poor performance. Methods: Blood, tracheal wash, and bronchoalveolar lavage fluid samples were collected before and after ozone exposure (n = 5) or from clinical cases (n = 25), and were analyzed for reduced glutathione (GSH), glutathione disulfide (GSSG), and free and total iron (Fe) values. A scoring system (0 to 5) was used to assess airway inflammation on the basis of clinical signs and cytologic analysis of the tracheal wash and...
Paweska JT, Aitchison H, Chirnside ED, Barnard BJ.Lateral and sexual transmission of EAV among horses and lateral transmission between donkeys and horses were attempted by experimental infection with the South African asinine strain. Clinical, immunological and virological responses were evaluated. All intramuscularly inoculated horses developed very mild clinical signs, were viraemic, shed virus from nasopharynx, and seroconverted. Lateral infection was demonstrated in one in-contact mare. Reinfection of two stallions by intranasal instillation was shown by virus recovery from buffy-coat cultures. After nasal instillation of virus, one stall...
Simoens P, Muylle S, Lauwers H.Orbital and intrabulbar arteries were studied in 20 equine eyes by means of latex injections and methylmethacrylate casts. The orbital branches of the external ophthalmic artery arise far caudal to the posterior pole of the eyeball and present a variable topographic arrangement. The intrabulbar arteries are supplied by ciliary and choroidoretinal arteries. Dependent on their entrance into the eyeball, the ciliary arteries are subdivided into a posterior and an anterior group. The posterior ciliary arteries perforate the sclera post equatorially and consist of 4 major vessels that penetrate in ...
Park RD, Morgan JP, O'Brien T.The incidence of chip fractures in carpal bones and the distal end of the radius in the horse was determined. The radial carpal bone was involved 50% of the time, with the distal end of the radius and intermediate and 3rd carpal bones being involved less frequently. Nine locations were designated where chip fractures in the carpus occurred most often.
A higher incidence of fractures was noticed from the right carpus, with slab fractures of the 3rd carpal bone being noticed more frequently on the right front limb.
Taylor AW.The possible sequelae of traumatic perforation
of the reticulum of cattle are described by Blood
and Henderson (1963). Traumatic splenitis and
hepatitis following perforation of the reticulum
have also been described in detail (Blood and
Hutchins 1955).
Frank (1959) described and illustrated both
thrombus formation and stricture of the posterior
vena cava following traumatic reticulitis with subsequent abscess formation. The proximity of the
abscess to the posterior vena cava apparently
caused erosion of the vessel wall, and the inflammatory reaction initiated the formation of a
thr...
Burbidge HM, Kannegieter N, Dickson LR, Goulden BE, Badcoe L.Iohexol, a water soluble non-ionic contrast agent, was evaluated for myelography in the horse. Both 300 and 350 mg iodine/ml iohexol gave diagnostic cervical myelograms. Pathological changes were limited to extradural oedema and an increase in the number of white blood cells and specific gravity in the cerebrospinal fluid two days after myelography. This increase in white blood cells in the cerebrospinal fluid was, however, much less than that recorded by other authors using metrizamide and iopamidol contrast media. These findings indicate that iohexol is a less irritant myelographic contrast ...
Uhlinger C.Leukoencephalomalacia in horses is caused by fumonisins. These mycotoxins are produced by Fusarium spp. that contaminate corn and corn byproducts while in the field. The most common clinical presentation is a multifocal neurologic disease that affects multiple horses in a herd. Although the majority of affected horses die, treatment directed at decreasing inflammation and edema in the CNS may result in recovery in some animals.
Leonel JAF, Tannihão B, Arantes JA, Vioti G, Benassi JC, Brandi RA, Ferreira HL, Keid LB, Soares RM, Oliveira TMFS.Visceral leishmaniasis (VL) is a neglected tropical disease caused by the Leishmania infantum parasite. The protozoan is able to infect several domestic and wild mammals. Since the first report on Leishmania spp. infection in horses in South America, leishmaniasis in equids has been highlighted in Brazil. A molecular epidemiological survey was carried out to verify the occurrence of Leishmania spp. DNA in horses and donkeys, in leishmaniases endemic areas in Sao Paulo State, Brazil. To this end, blood samples were obtained from 107 horses and 36 donkeys and subjected to DNA extraction followed...
Parks AH, Scott EA, Cox JE, Stick JA.Six horses with monorchidism, identified at surgery for cryptorchidectomy, are reported. All six presented with a single scrotal testis. Following surgical removal of one testis, they were either hormonally, anatomically or behaviourally determined to be geldings. Three other horses reported in the literature are reviewed. Of these nine cases of monorchidism, eight were thought to be caused by testicular degeneration and one by testicular agenesis. The vaginal process was present in all of the former and absent in the latter. The left side was involved in five of these eight horses. In seven, ...
Adams R, Koterba AM, Brown MP, Cudd TC, Baker WA.The medical records of 20 neonatal foals in which exploratory celiotomies were performed for gastrointestinal disease were reviewed. In all 20 foals, persistent pain and/or progressive abdominal distension were the primary clinical findings influencing the decision to operate. However, ancilliary laboratory data were important to the proper medical management of these foals during anaesthesia and following surgery. Surgical diagnoses of the 20 foals included ileus (nine foals; 45 per cent), small colon obstruction (five foals; 25 per cent), large colon displacement (three foals; 15 per cent), ...
Perkins NR, Robertson JT, Colon LA.A 15-year-old Standard-bred mare was examined because of signs of abdominal discomfort in late gestation. Palpation per rectum revealed tight broad ligaments above and below the uterus, with the right broad ligament running across the top of the uterine body down toward the left, ventral side of the abdomen. A diagnosis of counterclockwise uterine torsion was made and surgical correction was approached via a left, flank laparotomy with the horse standing. The uterus was repositioned and a uterine tear encompassing 180 degrees of the uterine surface was found in the lateral, uterine body just c...
Morris DD.This article reviews normal hemostasis in order to provide the reader with the basis for understanding the pathogenesis and manifestations (both clinical and laboratory) of disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC) in horses. DIC is subsequently discussed. The diagnosis and treatment of DIC in horses are also described.