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.
Rodriguez M, Hooghuis H, Castaño M.African horse sickness (AHS) is an infectious, non-contagious, highly fatal viral disease of Equidae, transmitted by arthropod vectors of the genus Culicoides, and endemic in Africa south and east of the Sahara. The disease is caused by a virus of the Reoviridae family, genus Orbivirus, and 9 serotypes have been recognized. Recent outbreaks of AHS in the Iberian peninsula and Northern Africa emphasize the need for accurate diagnosis and rapid implementation of control measures. In this paper, the epizootiological factors, clinical signs and necropsy findings of AHS are discussed, and an update...
Brown MP, Gronwall RR, Cook LK, Houston AE.Ormetoprim (OMP)/sulphadimethoxine (SDM) combinations
have been used in the treatment of fowl cholera, colibacillosis,
salmonellosis, infectious coryza, and other bacterial infections in
poultry (Mitrovic et al. 1969; Maestrone et al. 1979). The drug
combination has also been used in the treatment of colibacillosis
in neonatal pigs (Brandt and Maestrone 1980) and Pasteurella
pneumonia in cattle (Ames et al. 1987). Serum concentrations and
pharmacokinetics of SDM (Oh-Ishi and Nakajima 1964; Durr et
al. 1980) and OMP/SDM (Brown et al. 1989) after intravenous or
oral administration to ad...
Bergentz SE.Jean Martin Charcot was the first to give a detailed description of intermittent claudication, and a correct interpretation of the mechanism behind the symptoms. He borrowed the name of the syndrome from the veterinarian literature, where it had been described to occur in horses, and caused by inflammatory changes in aorta at the origin of the large vessels to the extremities. The case presented by Charcot was a man with a traumatic pseudoaneurysm in his common iliac artery. He had in addition an arterio-enteric fistula, a condition which probably had not been described before.
Soulé C, Dupouy-Camet J, Georges P, Fontaine JJ, Ancelle T, Delvigne A, Perret C, Collobert C.Seven mares were infected with 20,000 Trichinella spiralis larvae; 2 of them were reinfected 22 wk later with the same amount of larvae. The course of infection in horses was assessed by serology (ELISA), biochemistry (aldolase activity), parasitology and histopathology. In each animal, infection was followed by a significant rise in specific antibody titers culminating at 5-10 wk post-infection (pi) and decreasing thereafter. Reinfection was followed by a slight rise in antibody levels. Aldolase activity increased during the first infection, but was not modified by reinfection. The parasite b...
Granstrom DE, Dubey JP, Davis SW, Fayer R, Fox JC, Poonacha KB, Giles RC, Comer PF.Antigens of cultured Sarcocystis neurona merozoites were examined using immunoblot analysis. Blotted proteins were probed with S. cruzi, S. muris, and S. neurona antisera produced in rabbits, S. fayeri (pre- and post-infection) and S. neurona (pre- and post-inoculation) sera produced in horses, immune sera from 7 histologically confirmed cases of equine protozoal myeloencephalitis (EPM), and pre-suckle serum from a newborn foal. Eight proteins, 70, 24, 23.5, 22.5, 13, 11, 10.5, and 10 Kd, were detected only by S. neurona antiserum and/or immune serum from EPM-affected horses. Equine sera were ...
Wilkins PA, Lowe JE.Right dorsal colon fistulas, 2.5 cm in diameter, were created in 2 healthy ponies, using a 2-stage surgical procedure. The first stage consisted of resection of portions of the 16th and 17th ribs on the right side, followed by surgical creation of a 6- to 8-cm-diameter adhesion between the right dorsal colon and the body wall. Fistulas were created approximately 2 weeks after the first surgery by sharp dissection through the adhesion into the lumen of the colon. The fistulas have been satisfactorily maintained for > 2 years by de Pezzer catheters (45 F). Ponies with fistulas have been used ...
Gift LJ, Gaughan EM, DeBowes RM, Pintchuk PA, Nickels FA, Foreman JH.Medical records of 11 adult horses with jejunal intussusception examined at 5 veterinary teaching hospitals between 1981 and 1991 were reviewed. Nine of 11 horses had signs of acute abdominal discomfort for < 24 hours, whereas 2 horses had a history of chronic signs. Five of 11 horses had an intraluminal or intramural mass associated with the jejunal intussusception. Two horses died or were euthanatized prior to surgery. Partial jejunal resection and jejunojejunal anastomosis were performed in 9 horses. One horse died during surgery and 2 were euthanatized prior to hospital discharge because o...
Lepage OM, Laverty S, Drolet R, Lavoie JP.A case of infiltrative lipoma in the left flank of a yearling Quarter Horse is described. Rectal palpation, percutaneous ultrasonographic examination, the marbled appearance and poor delineation from surrounding tissues strongly suggested an infiltrative lipoma. This was confirmed by histological examination. Infiltrative lipomas should be included in the differential diagnosis of soft masses located in equine muscle.
Lew AM, Thomas LM, Huntington PJ.Sera of sixteen horses with clinical signs of EIA from six different outbreaks and sera of 100 uninfected horses were used to validate an ELISA for EIA diagnosis. The antigen used was a recombinant protein derived from the amino-terminal portion of the transmembrane envelope protein of EIA (gp45). Reactivity between positive and negative sera could be clearly distinguished. Comparison with the traditional agar gel immunodiffusion test (commonly called the Coggins test) showed that the ELISA was superior in sensitivity. Comparison of this ELISA with the FAST-ELISA system showed that the latter ...
Hunt RJ.Case records of 202 horses treated for laminitis were reviewed with the intent of determining the long-term outcome and correlating this with digital radiographic findings and with the degree of pain associated with the laminitis. At long-term follow-up 57 horses had returned to athletic soundness (Group 1), 20 horses were intermittently lame (Group 2), 19 horses had permanent severe lameness (Group 3), 97 were dead (Group 4), and 9 were lost to follow up. Using simple regression analysis, functional outcome did not correlate with the degree of rotation (R2 = 0.004) or the presence of distal d...
Kita J.Epidemiological observations on the course and spread of equine influenza in Poland during the 1969 epizootic were carried out. The dynamics of the spread of the disease in the country are shown graphically by voivodship. The disease incidence and mortality rates for the entire country are also shown. The highest incidence of disease and mortality rates were found to be in November 1969. A/equi-2/Warsaw/69 was identified as the causal virus. It caused the largest epizootic in the country since 1954.
Poole AW, Heath MF, Sage SO, Evans RJ.Equine platelets in platelet-rich plasma were incubated with the fluorescent indicator dye, Fura-2-AM (Fura-2-acetoxymethyl ester) and the degree of loading of the cells with the dye and the extent of hydrolysis of the ester was assessed by quantitative fluorimetry and by thin-layer chromatography respectively. Under these conditions the cells loaded poorly with Fura-2 to a concentration of 4 microM. The technique was validated by demonstrating adequate loading of human platelets with Fura-2, to a concentration of 250-300 microM, using the same method. The removal of plasma from the extracellu...
Kramer J, Tornquist S, Erfle J, Sloeojan G.Large granular lymphocytes (LGL) occur as a leukemic or aleukemic neoplasia in humans,(1) rats,(2) cats,(3,4) dogs,(5) and horses.(6) The single case of equine LGL previously reported was aleukemic.(5) In contrast to this previous report of aleukemic equine LGL neoplasia, the leukemia in the case presented here established the antemortem diagnosis of LGL.
Braun JP, Carstensen CA.Potassium concentrations were measured in the plasma of 336 animals with a new reagent carrier (Reflotron; Boehringer Mannheim) K+ and with an ion-specific electrode system: results were highly correlated (r = 0.991; y = 0.993 x + 0.02) and day-to-day coefficient of variation of the new reagent measurements was lower than 2.5 per cent. This system offers a good alternative to the ion-selective electrode system for plasma potassium measurement in veterinary practice.
Lavoie JP, Morris DD, Zinkl JG, Lloyd K, Divers TJ.Pancytopenia was evaluated in a mature Quarter Horse gelding. A diagnosis of bone marrow aplasia was made on the basis of bone marrow hypocellularity. History of drugs administered included penicillin, oxytetracycline, trimethoprim-sulfadiazine, phenylbutazone, dipyrone, flunixin meglumine, and isoxsuprine. Clinical remission was observed after treatment with glucocorticoids, androgens, and broad-spectrum antimicrobials.
Findley JA, Singer ER, Milner PI, Leeming GH.Soft tissue sarcomas of the equine distal limb associated with joints, sheaths, or bursae have rarely been reported. Accurate diagnosis of these tumors is challenging in both human beings and veterinary species. Immunohistochemical staining and transmission electron microscopy have been used in human beings to reduce misdiagnosis. The current report describes 2 mature horses presenting with lameness and swelling associated with the dorsal aspect of the metacarpo(tarso)phalangeal joint. In both cases, surgical excision was performed with subsequent histological analysis of the masses to determi...
Sikora M, Nowak M, Racheniuk H, Wojtysiak K, Kozdrowski R.Endometritis and endometrosis have been and still are the major reasons for infertility in mares. The diagnosis of endometritis can be based on cytology and microbiology, but endometrial biopsy is still the only way to diagnose endometrosis in the mare. Our study attempted to determine if a single biopsy using his-topathology and immunohistochemistry is sufficient to ascertain reasons for infertility in Icelandic mares. The objectives of this study were to examine the relationship between deviations in endometrial biopsies in terms of prostaglandin-endoperoxide synthase-2 (PTGS-2) and fibronec...
Shaw DJ, Rosanowski SM.Epiglottic entrapment is a condition in racing horses, associated with abnormal respiratory noises and exercise intolerance. Epiglottic entrapment has been linked to both poor and superior athletic performance, leading to concerns regarding whether surgery is indicated, and whether surgical correction may have a deleterious effect on future race performance. The objective of the current study was to assess the race-day performance of horses racing with epiglottic entrapment and the effect of surgical correction on performance outcomes using an intra-oral technique in anaesthetised horses. A ca...
Uzal FA, Woodman MP, Giraudo CG, Robles CA, Doxey DL.'Mal seco' is an almost invariably fatal disease of horses in Argentina and Chile, which resembles grass sickness, a dysautonomia of horses in Europe. The aetiology of mal seco remains unknown. An attempt to reproduce the disease was made by feeding horses with Festuca argentina, a plant considered to be toxic to animals and which was consistently found in the diet of nine horses suffering from mal seco. Three horses were fed with F argentina ad libitum for 28 days. The plant was infected with an endophytic fungus, whose morphological characteristics were in agreement with descriptions of Acre...
Finco DR, Groves C.Free-flow and stop-flow procedures conducted on 2 female and 2 testosterone-treated castrated male ponies indicated that [14C]inulin and exogenous creatinine clearance values were the same. These results indicated that creatinine was neither reabsorbed nor secreted by the renal tubules and that exogenous creatinine clearance was an accurate method for determining glomerular filtration rate. As in other species which have been studied, endogenous creatinine clearance probably underestimated glomerular filtration rate because of the presence of noncreatinine chromogens in plasma.
Tanner JM, Traub-Dargatz JL, Hill AE, Van Campen H, Knight AP, Cunningham WE, Salman MD.To describe the prevalence of West Nile virus (WNV) infection and evaluate factors associated with positive IgM capture ELISA results in equids with clinical signs compatible with WNV infection. Methods: Retrospective case series. Methods: Laboratory submission forms from 1,104 equids tested for WNV in Colorado in 2003. Methods: Submission forms accompanying samples submitted for detection of WNV via IgM capture ELISA were obtained from the Colorado state veterinarian and diagnostic laboratories performing the tests. Data on signalment, clinical signs, history of vaccination against WNV, and a...
Carver C, Bruemmer J, Coleman S, Landolt G, Hess T.Laminitis associated with equine metabolic syndrome causes significant economic losses in the equine industry. Diets high in non-structural carbohydrates (NSC) have been linked to insulin resistance and laminitis in horses. Nutrigenomic studies analyzing the interaction of diets high in NSCs and gene expression regulating endogenous microRNAs (miRNA) are rare. This study's objectives were to determine whether miRNAs from dietary corn can be detected in equine serum and muscle and its impacts on endogenous miRNA. Twelve mares were blocked by age, body condition score, and weight and assigned to...
Harrison IW, Cartee RE.A nine-year-old gelding was presented to the Auburn University Large Animal Clinic with discharge of saliva and food material from both nostrils. A diagnosis of esophageal diverticulum was made; treatment is described.
Glendinning SA.The author considers some of the difficulties the clinician may be faced with when giving an opinion on a horse with a cardiac abnormality. The 3 types of cardiological cases presented to the practitioner are described. The first 2 categories both exhibit a reduction in performance either with loss of bodily conduction or without it. The third group, which is the most troublesome for the clinician, involves the horse which shows a cardiological abnormality but is otherwise apparently normal.
Matthews JB, Dowdall SM, Baudena MA, Klei TR, Kaplan RM, von Samson-Himmelstjerna G, Drögemüller M, Schnieder T.This collection of articles provides an in depth account of five presentations delivered during the Symposium on Equine Cyathostomins held at the 19th International Conference of the World Association for the Advancement of Veterinary Parasitology (WAAVP), New Orleans, Louisiana,10–14 August 2003. The symposium was organized and chaired by Ray M. Kaplan and Jacqui B. Matthews and focused on new developments in two major areas of current importance: the immunobiology of cyathostomin–horse interactions and anthelmintic resistance.
Shawley RV, Rolf LL.Crystalline cantharidin in an alfalfa cake or in aqueous suspension was given to 8 horses at a dosage level of 450 to 489 micrograms/kg of body weight (group 1) and 2 horses at a dosage level of 720 micrograms/kg (group 2) via nasogastric tube. Both group 2 horses and 1 group 1 horse died. Horses were evaluated at 6-hour intervals for 36 hours and then again at postcantharidin hours 48. Data evaluation consisted of a comparison of the nonsurvival and survival data to one another and their respective base-line values at each sampling period, irrespective of the route of administration and dosag...
Putt W, Fisher RA.In this paper we describe seven enzymes, NP, GOTM, PGM2, alpha FUC, PEP A, ADA and MPI which are found in the white cells of horses, including 39 British crossbred ponies and 16 crossbred horses, 30 Mongolian ponies and 10 Icelandic ponies. Two of these enzymes--alpha FUC and MPI--were polymorphic in all the populations of horses studied and could prove useful as additional markers in the paternity testing of horses. PEP A and GOTM were also polymorphic in two of the populations studied and could be used as further markers in these populations.