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.
Hampil B, Melnick JL.This paper summarizes the results of the second part of co-operative studies undertaken by the WHO International Reference Centre for Enteroviruses and a number of WHO Regional Virus Reference Centres, WHO Virus Collaborating Laboratories and other laboratories in a comprehensive testing programme of enterovirus equine antisera. The studies were designed to appraise the specificity of immune serum prepared in horses against 16 representative prototype enteroviruses (polioviruses 2 and 3, coxsackieviruses A7, B1, B2, B4, B5 and B6 and echoviruses 1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 9, 12 and 17). Tests for neutrali...
Harada K, Akioka K, Izu I, Sasaki N.Hemorrhage syndrome in adipose tissues in the crest of the neck (HSCN), specifically in hemorrhagic adipose tissues on the longitudinally sectioned surface of the neck fat at the dorsal nuchal ligament, is prevalent in heavy horse breeds. Herein, we aimed to establish an ultrasonographic method to successfully diagnose HSCN in heavy horse breeds and assess its efficacy. Horses with homogeneous echogenicity images were included in the control group, whereas those with linear high-echogenicity images were classified as having HSCN. Horses with confirmed linear high-echogenicity images exhibited ...
EcheverrÃa MG, DÃaz S, Metz GE, Serena MS, Panei CJ, Nosetto E.Equine viral arteritis (EVA) is a contagious viral disease that frequently causes mild or subclinical infections in adult horses. Only one EAV serotype has been described. However, there are differences in antigenicity, pathogenicity and neutralization characteristics of virus field strains. The interaction of two viral proteins, GP5 and M, is critical for infectivity and amino acid changes in the GP5 sequences have an effect on the neutralizing phenotype, regardless the effects of other viral proteins. The objective of the present study was to evaluate the neutralization phenotypes of the 5 u...
Löhr CV, Polster U, Kuhnert P, Karger A, Rurangirwa FR, Teifke JP.Actinobacillus suis-like organisms (ASLOs) have been isolated from the genital, respiratory, and digestive tracts of healthy adult horses, horses with respiratory disease, and septic foals. Two foals with congenital hypothyroidism-dysmaturity syndrome from separate farms developed ASLO infection. At necropsy, both had contracted carpal flexor tendons, thyroid hyperplasia, and thrombotic and necrotizing mesenteric lymphangitis and lymphadenitis; one foal also had mandibular prognathism. Numerous ASLOs were isolated from tissues from both foals, including intestine. Biochemical testing and mass ...
Hauser ML.The diagnostician should be familiar with the normal ultrasound appearance (size, shape, position, and textural quality) of each structure examined. With these factors as reference points, one can describe lesions in the structure involved, the precise location and extent of the lesions, and the degree of structural compromise that is manifested. Documentation of lesions of tendons and ligaments enables one to make an accurate diagnosis and a more precise prognosis. Serial examination during the healing phases allows for a more accurate prediction as to when the structure in question can withs...
The importance of the horse industry to the economy of the United States and the impact of parasitic infections on the industry are well documented. However, contemporary research activity on internal parasites of horses has not kept pace with growth of the horse population. Parasitic infections are a major facet of enteritis and colic in horses. Parasites are also associated with poor growth and development, respiratory tract disease, dermatitis, and CNS lesions. Babesia infections remain a threat to horses imported from some regions of the world. Most research activity has dealt with the dev...
Dyson S.The difficulties associated with the interpretation of the results of regional and intra-articular anaesthesia are discussed with reference to eight lame horses. The clinical and radiographic features of each horse are described, together with the results of anaesthesia. One horse had clinical and radiographic signs consistent with navicular disease but it was not possible to relieve the lameness. Two horses had fractures of bones within the foot but lameness was not improved by palmar (abaxial sesamoid) nerve blocks. One horse had more than one cause of lameness. Four horses had joint patholo...
Moorman VJ, Marshall JF, Jann HW.A 7-year-old sexually intact male Thoroughbred racehorse was evaluated because of exercise intolerance, respiratory tract noise, and coughing when eating. Results: A persistent dorsal displacement of the soft palate was identified during endoscopic examination of the upper portions of the respiratory tract. Radiography of the pharyngeal and laryngeal regions revealed a hypoplastic epiglottis that was ventral to, and not in contact with, the soft palate. The horse was anesthetized, and an oral endoscopic examination revealed a subepiglottic frenulum that had resulted in the dorsal displacement ...
Fenger CK.Technology promises to improve the lifestyle and life quality of humankind. As a rule, wherever human medicine goes, veterinary medicine is sure to follow. Nevertheless, the promise of technologic advances does not shine as bright for veterinarians as for human physicians. This trend is echoed in the business of animal health as pharmaceutic company after pharmaceutic company spins off or otherwise eliminates their animal health division. Instead, a small group of strictly animal health-oriented companies compete for the animal health dollar, promising that fewer and fewer expensive technologi...
Savage CJ, Tidd LC, Ostblom LC, Melsen F, Jeffcott LB.Histomorphometrical analysis of bone biopsies from the wing of ilium in 35 clinically normal horses are reported according to age. The biopsies were collected from 20 mixed-bred foals (mean age 6 +/- 1 months) and 15 older horses (mean age 73 +/- 62 months). No gender differences were found in the group of foals examined, but a significant difference (p less than 0.001) in a number of the primary measurements occurred between them and the older horses. The parameters which altered with age were the extent of osteoid surface (OS/BS), the extent of resorption (erosion) surface (ES/BS), the osteo...
Boswinkel M, Sloet van Oldruitenborgh-Oosterbaan MM.Infection with Rhodococcus equi is an important cause of pneumonia in foals, but other organ systems may also be affected. The intracellular presence of R. equi and the formation of granulomatous and suppurative inflammatory tissue mean that prolonged treatment is needed. The pharmacological properties of the combination of erythromycin and rifampicin have improved the survival of foals infected with R. equi; however, erythromycin can cause adverse reactions in foals and mares, which has prompted the search for alternative therapies. The combination of azithromycin or clarithromycin with rifam...
Bhutia WD, Gupta S, Rani R, Batra K, Sethi K, Kumar S, Kumar R.Trypanosoma evansi is a causative agent of chronic wasting and fatal disease of livestock and wild animals known as surra. In this study, repurposing approach based on drug target was used to investigate the efficacy of kinase inhibitors (Barasertib-HQPA, BAR and Palbociclib isethionate, PAL) and protease inhibitors (Z-pro-prolinal, Z-PRO and Leupeptin hemisulphate, LEU) against T. evansi in HMI-9 medium. BAR, PAL and Z-PRO exhibited IC values of 13.52 µM, 0.6375 µM and 63.20 µM against T. evansi in terms of growth inhibition, in the contrary, LEU failed to exhibit a significant growth i...
Wingfield WE, Miller CW, Voss JL, Bennett DG, Breukels J.Echocardiography is a non-invasive, safe means of assessing intracardiac structures and their motion. In the normal motion of the mitral valve there is anterior motion noted during atrial systole. In 3 horses with atrial fibrillation the mitral valve motion had no anterior motion to correspond with atrial contractions. Quinidine returned the electrocardiogram of one horse to a sinus rhythm after which echocardiography demonstrated the reappearance of the anterior motion of the mitral valve.
Webb AI, Daniel RT, Miller HS, Kosch PC.The capability of a transconjunctival oxygen monitoring system to provide an accurate and reliable means of observing arterial oxygenation trends was evaluated in 12 horse and pony foals between 5 and 20 days of age. Ten of the foals were anesthetized with isoflurane in oxygen and nitrous oxide, and 2 foals were conscious. Inspired oxygen concentration was manipulated by differing proportions of oxygen and nitrous oxide in the fresh gas supplied to the breathing circuit. With arterial oxygen tension values ranging from less than 20 to greater than 400 mm of Hg, all foals had significant positi...
Mishra PC, Leach DH.The venous organisation of the dermal lamellae of the equine hoof wall of 18 pairs of forelimb hooves from clinically healthy horses was studied using plastic vascular corrosion casts, and scanning electron microscopic and histological techniques. A consistent pattern of venous organisation was observed in the dermal lamella of the toe, quarter and heel regions. The lamellar corium had an extensive interconnecting capillary network which drained into axially located veins of the primary dermal lamella. Many of the capillaries had a proximodistal orientation and most of those located at the int...
Maggi R, Mudimba D, Marruchella G.A 11-year-old, Haflinger breed mare developed a slowly growing mass, protruding on the ventral aspect of the mandible. On palpation, the lesion was pedunculated, very firm, cold and not painful. Radiographic examinations showed a radiopaque, multi-lobular, "mushroom-like" lesion, which arose from the mandibular cortex without involving the bone marrow cavity. Thereafter, the mass was excised for cosmetic purposes. Microscopically, the lesion mainly consisted of bone trabeculae, covered by a thick layer of connective tissue resembling the periosteum. History and clinical findings allowed the te...
Johnson S, Symons J.Equine athletes can incur musculoskeletal injuries due to repetitive loading during training and competition. Prior to signs of lameness, horse trainers and veterinarians may observe swelling in the distal limbs, where injuries most frequently occur. Early observations may guide modulation of training to manage physiological stress and mitigate risk of injury. However, these observations of changing limb volume can be subjective and imprecise. The aim of this study was to assess the accuracy and applicability of a tablet-mounted, 3D scanner to measure and record distal limb volumes of horses b...
Günay Uçmak Z, Kurban I, Uçmak M.Endometritis is a major cause of infertility in mares. The aim of this study is to evaluate the preovulatory follicle (POF) vascularization (A mix, A red, A blue), POF diameter, POF wall thickness, and uterine diameters in mares with or without endometritis. Ten healthy mares and 10 mares with endometritis diagnosed by the combination of transrectal palpation, ultrasonographic examination, and cytology brush were enrolled in the study. Data of the groups obtained at 2 days before the ovulation (day -2) were compared with Student's t-test. Correlations of the parameters were determined by the ...
Darenius K.Fifteen mares which had each lost their pregnancies 2 to 8 times during the preceding 6 years were used in a study comprising 1 or 2 breeding seasons for each mare. During the research period all 15 mares conceived and 10 of the mares had normal pregnancies in the 1st experimental year. Five mares resorbed/aborted once or twice during the 1st year. This was followed by a pregnancy that terminated in a live foal. Histopathological examinations of uterine biopsies showed a wide range of histopathological conditions, from absence of changes excessive for the mare's age and parity to the most seve...
Barrett EJ, Munsterman AS, Hanson RR.To determine the effect of gastric distension on intraabdominal pressures (IAP) measured directly from the intraperitoneal space. Methods: Prospective, experimental study. Methods: A university-based equine research facility. Methods: Ten healthy adult horses, 5 males and 5 females. Methods: Intraabdominal pressures were measured through an intraperitoneal cannula zeroed at a height midway between the height of the tuber ishii and point of the shoulder at 6 time points: at rest, after placement of a nasogastric tube, and after instillation of each 5 L increment up to a total of 20 L of water. ...
Deegen E, Müller P, Petzoldt K.On the basis of cytological similarities in chronic obstructive disease (COPD) in human beings and in horses during 1981 a total number of 144 horses with COPD were examined. Bronchial secretions were taken under endoscopic control and stained with a modified Hansel staining procedure. Whereas 26 horses did not exhibit signs of allergic reactions cytologically and 94 horses showed low amounts of eosinocytes and/or mast cells in their secretion; only the secretions of 24 horses (16,67%) were characterized by fairly high contents of these allergy associated cells and low numbers of neutrophilic ...
Durham AE.Outbreaks of liver disease in horses are common but the etiology of most remains unknown. Forage mycotoxins have been suspected to be a cause. Objective: To examine the association between outbreaks of liver disease and the presence of mycotoxins in forage stored on the same premises. Methods: Premises were identified where ≥4 horses were contemporaneously affected by liver disease, and a control group was formed from premises where ≥4 horses had been examined and found to have no evidence of liver disease. Methods: Forage was collected from 29 case and 12 control premises. The forage was ...
Burn JF, Franklin SH.The presence of abnormal respiratory sounds is commonly associated with obstructions of the upper respiratory tract. In order to establish their clinical significance measurements are required of both normal and abnormal respiratory sounds produced by horses exercising over-ground. Objective: To determine whether high quality recordings of respiratory sound can be made during over-ground exercise, and to develop a convenient measurement system that can be used to obtain respiratory sounds from horses exercising in field conditions. Methods: A range of prototypes was evaluated against the requi...
Schürmann C, Loose M, Failing K, Wehrend A.The aim of this study was to analyze data concerning history, clinical course, and prognosis of retained fetal membranes in mares. Methods: Patient records of 121 hospitalized mares with retained placenta were evaluated. In 82 cases, additional blood examinations were performed and analyzed. Results: There was no significant correlation between age, parity or course of parturition and retained placenta. Eighty-one mares (66.9 %) were presented solely with retained fetal membranes, 40 mares (33.1 %) had additional diseases at presentation, most commonly injuries of the labia, followed by perine...
Greet TR, Bathe AP.This paper describes the use of a linear stapling device as an aid to unilateral ovariectomy in nine mares with granulosa thecal cell tumours. The intraoperative and postoperative complications are described and follow up details on each case are presented.
de Laat MA, Spence RJ, Sillence MN, Pollitt CC.Equine laminitis is a disease of the digital epidermal lamellae typified by epidermal cell proliferation and structural collapse. Most commonly the disease is caused by hyperinsulinemia, although the pathogenesis is incompletely understood. Insulin can activate the epidermal growth factor (EGF) system in other species and the present study tested the hypothesis that upregulation of EGF receptor (EGFR) signalling is a key factor in laminitis pathophysiology. First, we examined lamellar tissue from healthy Standardbred horses and those with induced hyperinsulinemia and laminitis for EGFR distrib...
Schumacher J, Wilson RC, Spano JS, Hammond LS, McGuire J, Duran SH, Kemppainen RJ, Hughes FE.Gentamicin sulfate-induced nephrotoxicosis was compared in 2 groups of horses fed different rations. Four horses were fed only alfalfa hay, and 4 other horses were fed only whole oats. Seven days after initiation of the diet, all horses were given gentamicin IV (5 mg/kg of body weight) every 12 hours for 22 days. Urinary gamma-glutamyl-transferase to urinary creatinine (UGGT:UCr) ratio was calculated daily, and serum concentration of gentamicin was measured at 1 and 12 hours after drug administration. Results indicated that horses fed oats had greater renal tubular damage than did horses fed a...
Church S.Three Quarter Horse stallions and 5 of their 11 tested progeny were diagnosed as affected with the inherited autosomal dominant defect hyperkalaemic periodic paralysis in Victoria in 1992. The diagnoses were based on the appearance of clinical signs and associated increased plasma potassium concentrations in response to oral potassium loading. All affected horses were descendants of the American Quarter Horse Impressive. Indirect evidence indicates that at least 3 other affected Quarter Horse stallions have stood or are standing at stud in Australia. The clinical details of the affected horses...
 The aim of the present study is to assess an arthrographic technique based on the access to the equine tarsus via distal intertarsal and on the existence and frequency of communication between distal and tarsocrural joints in the tarsus of Crioulo horses. Methods:  Fifty Crioulo horses of both sexes from 3 to 8 years old were included in the experiment. Animals with radiographic signs of tarsal osteoarthritis and joint space loss were excluded from the experiment. Contrast was injected in the distal intertarsal joint and radiographs were taken at two different times - Time 0 (after contra...
Frank N, Hermida P, Sanchez-Londoño A, Singh R, Gradil CM, Uricchio CK.Octreotide is a somatostatin analog that suppresses insulin secretion. Objective: We hypothesized that octreotide would suppress insulin concentrations in horses and that normal (N) horses and those with insulin dysregulation (ID) would differ significantly in their plasma glucose and insulin responses to administration of octreotide. Methods: Twelve horses, N = 5, ID = 7. Methods: Prospective study. An oral sugar test was performed to assign horses to N and ID groups. Octreotide (1.0 μg/kg IV) was then administered, and blood was collected at 0, 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, 45, 60, 75, and 90 minu...
