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.
Purohit RC, McCoy MD, Bergfeld WA.Lateral and frontal thermographic patterns of the head of normal horses before and after exercise were characterized to aid the diagnosis of diseases of the head. Surgical induction of Horner's syndrome was done in four horses by isolation and transection of the vagosympathetic trunk. One clinical case and the surgically induced cases of Horner's syndrome were evaluated clinically. Thermographic findings of the clinical case were similar to the experimental cases.
Purohit RC, McCoy MD.To evaluate the use of thermography in equine medicine, a three-phase study was conducted. In the first phase, six horses were examined thermographically, before and after exercise, to determine a normal thermal pattern. In the second phase, nine horses with acute and chronic inflammatory processes were examined thermographically. In the third phase, thermography was used to evaluate the effectiveness of anti-inflammatory drugs on chemically induced inflammatory reactions. All normal horses tested had similar infrared emission patterns. There was a high degree of symmetry between right and lef...
Lew AM, Hosking CS, Studdert MJ.Tests for T- and B-cell quantitation and immune function were developed, and their application in the diagnosis of primary severe combined immunodeficiency disease (CID) in Arabian foals was investigated. Foals with CID had severe lymphopenia and had small or zero numbers of B cells, as shown by immunofluorescence of surface immunoglobulin (Ig), erythrocyte-antibody-complement rosetting, and staphylococcal protein A rosetting. Serum IgM was undetectable in four CID foals 25 to 71 days old. Demonstrable antibody responses were not elicited in CID foals by phage phi X-174, a potent antigen in no...
Barth AD, Barber SM, McKenzie NT.A two month old Thoroughbred filly was presented with signs of depression, grinding of the teeth, frothing of the mouth and abdominal pain. These signs had persisted for two weeks despite treatment with mineral oil, dioctyl sodium sulfosuccinate, meperidine and antibiotics. A variety of diagnostic tests were done, the only abnormal finding was a stress leukon. On exploratory laparotomy the stomach was dilated with fluid and gas and the pyloric canal was constricted. Pyloroplasty resulted in correction of the condition. The etiological possibilities are discussed. This is believed to be the fir...
Locke KB, McEwan DR, Hamdorf IJ.Horses and cattle fed swainsona (Swainsona canescens var horniana) over a period of 8 to 10 weeks lost condition and became incoordinated and hypersensitive. Histological examination of tissues from affected animals revealed the characteristic changes of widespread cellular vacuolation and axonal spheroids in the CNS. Cattle withdrawn from the toxic plant after being fed for varying periods up to 8 weeks returned to normal. Serum alpha-mannosidase activity declined significantly in cattle during the test period, whereas in horses that activity rose. Serum alkaline phosphatase levels increased ...
Simpson CF, Taylor WJ, Kitchen H.Four splenectomized Welsh ponies were infected with Babesia equi. Two ponies were treated with imidocarb dipropionate, and two were not treated. By light microscopic examination, 1% to 2% of the parasitized erythrocytes of treated ponies contained crystalline inclusions. The crystals were rectangular, diamond, or burr shaped. They occupied most of the erythrocytic cytoplasm, and, as a result, the remainder of the pale staining cytoplasm was inconspicuous in Wright-Giemsa-stained blood smears. The size and shape of intraerythrocytic inclusions varied when examined by electron microscopy, but in...
The Journal of protozoologyAugust 1, 1980
Volume 27, Issue 3 288-292 doi: 10.1111/j.1550-7408.1980.tb04259.x
Simpson CF, Mayhew IG.Equine protozoal myeloencephalitis (EPM) was diagnosed in 10 horses. By electron microscopy, schizonts were found in intact host cells of the spinal cords or, more frequently, free in the extracellular spaces. Developmental stages of schizonts differed morphologically, and the late stage of schizogony was characterized by endopolygeny. These findings permitted tentative identification of the protozoon as a Sarcocystis sp. Free merozoites were present in the extracellular spaces or in cells of the spinal cord. Pericytes of capillaries were most frequently parasitized by merozoites were present ...
Buss DD, Asbury AC, Chevalier L.Technical and interpretive limitations of equine fetal electrocardiography were evaluated in recordings obtained from 45 pregnant mares. Technical limitations were related to the small amplitude of the fetal electrocardiogram and the variability in the lead configuration providing the best recording. It was found that recording the fetal electrocardiogram at high sensitivity and high base-line fidelity in several different leads was necessary to obtain satisfactory tracings. Interpretive limitations were related in part to the small amplitude of the fetal electrocardiogram and to the marked va...
Akinboade OA, Awani O, Best O, Cole T.Summary Twelve (12) heavy horses of the Shire breed imported into Nigeria in 1974 died within two months after importation. This was because of inclement weather and non-availability of AHS vaccine.
Adams SB, Fessler JF, Rebar AH.Cytologic examination of serial peritoneal fluid samples of nine experimental ponies was performed during a 72 hour period following laparotomy. Six of the ponies had jejunal infarction induced by occlusion of the corresponding vasculature. Cytologic examination was also performed on the peritoneal fluid of a series of horses with naturally occurring abdominal crises presented to the Large Animal Clinic. A rapid staining technique allowed evaluation of smears within 5 minutes of obtaining the fluid. Alterations in peritoneal fluid of the experimental and clinical cases reflected an acute infla...
Chhabra MB, Gautam OP.The prevalence of antibodies to Toxoplasma gondii was investigated among equids in 3 localities of north India, using the direct haemagglutination test. Of the 603 animals sampled, titres ranging from 1:8 to 1:512 were found in 71 (11.8 per cent). Specific titres of 1:64 or more were found in 34 (5.6 per cent) sera. The number of positive titres at Babugarh (Uttar Pradesh) was considerably higher than at 2 other localities. Although the likelihood of positive sera appeared to increased with age, the animal's sex appeared to have little influence. Subjects with reproductive disorders or eye ail...
Scott EA, Sandler GA.Blood flow (milliliter/minute) was measured in the medial palmar artery of 12 horses, using electromagnetic flow equipment. Extraluminal flow probes were surgically placed around the artery and base-line blood flows were recorded during surgical manipulation. After horses had recovered from anesthesia, blood flows were recorded each day for 11 days. According to mean average blood flows, horses were allotted to two groups: group 1--those with predominately normal flow characteristics, and group 2--those horses with predominately abnormal flow features. Average daily mean blood flows in the med...
Arko RJ, Wong KH.An infection model in laboratory mice for studying the bacterium (proposed name Haemophilus equigenitalis) causing contagious equine metritis is described. Small porous chambers were implanted subcutaneously into mice and after 1 to 3 weeks were inoculated with H equigenitalis. Infections that persisted for > 30 days were established by direct transfer of infective chamber fluid or by injection of laboratory-grown cultures. Immunization of mice with formaldehyde-treated cells induced significant, strain-related immunity to infection and did not appear to require complement as a protection medi...
Kochanowska IE, Kuropatwa M, Szewczuk A.It was noted that human and horse sera as well as human heart and skeletal muscle homogenates or extracts distinctly decrease immunoassays of purified myoglobins. The assays of homogenate and extract myoglobins could be many times increased by precipitation certain proteins with concentrated ammonium sulfate or sodium chloride. Also in homogenates and extracts incubated for several days increased assays of myoglobins were noted. The obtained results indicate that both myoglobins occur in complex with other tissue component(s).
Embertson RM, Hodge RJ, Vachon AM.A 13-year-old, 370-kg, Appaloosa gelding with mild colic of 4 days' duration was found to have a near circumferential retroperitoneal rectal tear. Accumulation of feces at the site of the repair had created a large perirectal cavity. Removal of feces and cleansing of the perirectal cavity were performed daily. Sutures were placed to stabilize, but not reappose, the torn ends of the rectum. The perirectal cavity filled with granulation tissue, and the rectal tear healed.
Nixon AJ, Spencer CP.Techniques and normal radiographic anatomy for positive and double contrast shoulder arthrography in horses were evaluated. General anaesthesia was used for most radiographic projections of the shoulder. The mediolateral projection provided the most information during arthrography, although the supinated mediolateral view occasionally allowed better definition of the cartilage surfaces on the medial aspects of the humeral head. The craniocaudal mediolateral oblique and caudocranial projections provided limited additional information. Water soluble non-ionic contrast agents, such as metrizamide...
Bouquet Y, Van Zeveren A, Van de Weghe A, Mériaux JC.The inheritance of a new D system red cell antigen, factor 22, is described. It has also been possible to discriminate more efficiently between D system phenogroups enabling genotypes to be identified from phenotypes in the majority of cases. This improves the accuracy of animal identification and gene frequency estimates.
Rosendal S, Blackwell TE, Lumsden JH, Physick-Sheard PW, Viel L, Watson S, Woods P.Mycoplasma felis has been isolated from horses with pleuritis, and limited research indicates that mycoplasma pleuritis can be reproduced in horses. The serodiagnostic potential of the indirect hemagglutination and the metabolism-inhibition tests was evaluated by testing 177 horses for antibodies to M felis. Seven horses with M felis pleuritis developed antibodies, and 6 horses with sterile or bacterial pleuritis had high titers suggesting a previous M felis infection. Six horses with pleuritis (one sterile and five bacterial) had low or no titers to M felis. Only one of 30 horses with conditi...