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.
Holmes JR, Alps BJ.Theoretical consideration has been given in two horses to the properties of the electric field created by the equine heart acting as a simple electric generator. The principles of the vectorial theory have been applied to test the validity of application of the dipole concept. The cardiac electric forces, althrough complex in the immediate region of the heart, appear at the body surface in a similar form to those arising from a relatively immobile, single equivalent dipole. The potential value of the technique of vectorcardiography in cardiological investigations is briefly discussed.
Steinhardt J, Hiremath CB.Many of the stability characteristics of horse ferrihemo-globin (Hb+) in acid solutions, such as pH dependence and susceptibility to stabilization by iron ligands, are shared by human ferrihemoglobin, but striking differences between the two proteins exist. The most noticeable is the much greater rate of denaturation of the human protein at all pH values. Other differences include a shift to higher pH in the equi-librium between native and acid-denatured forms, differ-ences in the temperature at which the temperature effect on the equilibrium-pH curve reverses, a complete absence in human Hb+ ...
Shortridge EH.Extract
Recent reviews of brucellosis in horses (Stableforth and Galloway, Citation1959; Mascaro and Hoffman, Citation1963: Ritscher, Citation1963) refer to Brucella abortus associated with fistulous withers, arthritis and debility and emphasize the rarity of abortion caused by this organism. One case of abortion in a mare caused by Br. abortus was reported as having occurred in Iowa, U.S.A. (McNutt and Murray, Citation1924).
Rockey JH.Eight antigenically unique immunoglobulins have been identified in purified equine anti-p-azophenyl-beta-lactoside (Lac) antibody isolated from a single horse. The Fc fragments of the gammaGa-, gammaGb-, gammaGc-, and -gammaA-globulins have been shown to possess unique antigenic determinants. Common gammaG- and gammaA-Fc fragment antigenic determinants, which were absent from the 10Sgamma(1)- and gammaM-globulins, have also been observed. All antibody populations share two antigenically distinct light (B, L) chain variants. The association of anti-Lac antibody with the hapten p-(p-dimethylamin...
Haque RU.A technique for identifying and characterizing staphylococcal hemolysins by first separating them electrophoretically in barbital-buffered agar gel (pH 8.4) at 5 ma/cm for 2 hr and then determining their hemolytic activities by exposing them to human, horse, rabbit, and sheep erythrocytes is described. The alpha-hemolysin produced by a White variant of the Wood 46 strain of Staphylococcus aureus migrated 18 mm towards the cathode, and it lysed horse, rabbit, and sheep erythrocytes, whereas a Clear variant of the Wood 46 strain of S. aureus produced a lysin which migrated similarly to the alpha...
van Loon JP, de Grauw JC, van Oostrom H.The aim of this study was to compare different methods to determine venous admixture (Q˙/Q˙) in anaesthetized horses. The first objective was to estimate Q˙/Q˙ using jugular venous blood oxygen content (Q˙/Q˙), and a fixed value for the oxygen extraction (F-shunt). The second objective was to assess the influence of blood pressure and positioning on oxygen extraction. The third objective was to perform regression analysis between jugular and mixed venous blood oxygen tensions. Methods: Prospective, experimental trial. Methods: The study was performed with seven warmblood horses that were...
Kharchenko VA, Kuzmina TA.The fourth larval stage (L4) of Coronocyclus labratus (Looss, 1900) Hartwich, 1986, one of the common species of the Cyathostominae found in equids, is identified and described. The larvae found were identified as C. labratus by finding moulting forms possessing characters of both larval and adult stages. The larvae are similar to those of Cylicocyclus leptostomum (Kotlán, 1920) Foster, 1936, Cyathostomum catinatum Looss, 1900 and Cylicostephanus goldi (Boulenger, 1917) Lichtenfels, 1975. The buccal capsule (BC) wall of the L4 of Cylicocyclus leptostomum is thinner than that of Coronocyclus l...
Avison A.Umbilical hernias are among the most common congenital defects in horses. Complications of umbilical hernias are uncommon, and Richter's hernias are rare. This report describes a case of Richter's hernia in a 3-month-old colt that was presented with signs of acute colic. The foal underwent a herniorrhaphy with intestinal resection and anastomosis. Hernie de Richter chez un poulain âgé de 3 mois — une rare manifestation. Les hernies ombilicales figurent parmi les défauts congénitaux les plus communs chez les chevaux. Les complications des hernies ombilicales sont peu fréquentes et les he...
Jaeschke G, Rudolph R.In a review supplementary to prior evaluations further hematological or cytodiagnostic aspects respectively of equine leucosis are discussed. Leukemic nature of the disease is characterized by increased count of normal blood cells or by the presence of morphologically non-differentiated cells in circulating blood or by disorder or loss of function of blood cells respectively. Thrombocytopenia in the most cases is accompanied by anemia, leukemia and tumor cell infiltration in bone marrow. Tumor cells in circulating blood indicate their presence in bone marrow too. In cases of equine leucosis wi...
Oikawa MA, Kamada M, Yoshihara T, Kaneko M, Yoshikawa T.To elucidate the current status of foal diseases in Japan, clinico-pathological analysis was conducted on 237 foal autopsy cases. As a result, bacterial infection was identified as an important cause of foal death. Most of the bacteria isolated from these cases were ubiquitous, opportunistic, environmental organisms, known to be non-pathogenic to mature animals. Most of cases with bacterial infection were diagnosed as having hypogammaglobulinemia, i.e., failure of passive transfer. In addition, the mean weight of thymuses in foals affected by bacterial infection tended to be lower than that of...
Kaneko JJ, Rudolph WG, Wilson DW, Carlson GP.Serum bile acids were fractionated by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) in 13 control and 8 cases of liver disease in horses. The severity and type of liver injury was determined by histopathological examination of biopsy and/or necropsy specimens. The total serum bile acids (tSBA) were determined in these horses by an enzymatic method (SBA-EA) and by summation of the bile acids (SBA-LC) as fractionated by the HPLC. The SBA-LC were generally higher than the SBA-EA in both the controls and liver disease and they did not parallel each other. The primary bile acids, total cholates and...
Abu-Seida A.Diaphragmatic hernia (DH) represents an acute abdominal crisis, but respiratory symptoms may be occurring. Different types of diaphragmatic hernias (DHs) like typical DH, Morgagni hernia, hiatal hernia and diaphragmatic diverticulum have been recorded in equids. These DHs have various clinical presentations and prognoses. Early diagnosis and prompt surgical repair are highly recommended in order to diminish the ischemic changes to thoracic and abdominal viscera, thus improving the overall prognosis of equids with DH. Over last decade, the prognosis of DH in equids was better than previously be...
Moorman VJ, Marshall JF, Devine DV, Payton M, Jann HW, Bahr R.Radiographic diagnosis of equine bone disease using digital radiography is prevalent in veterinary practice. However, the diagnostic quality of digital vs. conventional radiography has not been compared systematically. We hypothesized that digital radiography would be superior to film-screen radiography for detection of subtle lesions of the equine third metacarpal bone. Twenty-four third metacarpal bones were collected from horses euthanized for reasons other than orthopedic disease. Bones were dissected free of soft tissue and computed tomography was performed to ensure that no osseous abnor...
Beinlich CP, Nixon AJ.To clarify the diagnosis of avulsion of the lateral palmar intercarpal ligament (LPICL), correlate avulsion of this ligament with lameness, determine the prevalence of avulsion of the LPICL in a hospital population, and evaluate the response to surgical removal of the avulsion fragment in horses. Methods: Retrospective study. Methods: 37 horses with avulsion of the LPICL. Methods: Medical records and radiographs of horses with avulsion of the LPICL were reviewed; follow-up information was obtained from race records and from owners via a telephone survey. Results: Of 6,418 horses evaluated for ...
Stadler P, Weinberger T, Kinkel N, Deegen E.B- and M-mode echocardiography was performed on 38 horses. 34 patients had systolic heart murmur with the point of maximal intensity over mitral valve. Additionally, 17 of these patients were examined with the pulsed wave doppler echocardiography (Vingmed 200). In 26 patients with cardiac murmur and in 4 patients without cardiac murmur a mitral valve insufficiency was diagnosed by echocardiography. In 8 horses with a systolic murmur over mitral valve M- and B-mode evaluation could not reveal a haemodynamic importance of the murmur. The diagnosis of MVI was based on a dilation of left atrium wi...
Kelley DE, Schnobrich MR, Gayer S, Scoggin C, Bradcamp E, Canisso IF.The objective of this study was to compare a commercially available leukocyte esterase strip test with endometrial cytology in diagnosing endometritis and establish a cutoff point, sensitivity, and specificity for the leukocyte esterase test (LET). Forty-six light breed mares presented for breeding management were enrolled in this study. Transrectal palpation and ultrasonography examinations were performed to determine when the mares were in estrus. Kalayjian endometrial swabs were used for culture, cytology, and the LET by using the cap to retrieve an endometrial scraping. Thirty-six mares ha...
Attenburrow DP, Bowring CS, Vennart W.The detection of radionuclide activity in the living equine skeleton, using bone seeking radiopharmaceuticals and a hand-held radiation detector, is reported. Pathological changes in bone can be detected and subsequent development monitored. The availability and use of this diagnostic technique in equine practice is discussed.
Ineson AC, Rogers CW, Firth EC, Gee EK.To compare subjective and quantitative methods of assessing physeal swelling of the distal third metacarpal (Mc3) and metatarsal (Mt3) bones of Thoroughbred foals. Methods: The fetlocks of 16 Thoroughbred foals were filmed on five occasions over a period of 5 months and the video images were transferred to computer and digitised. The rate of change of each of the medial and lateral contours of the distal Mc3 and Mt3 bones was determined by calculating values for the second derivative of the contour. The degree of physeal swelling at the same site was subjectively assessed and allocated a grade...
Gerlach K, Mader D, Delling U, Theuß T, Müller K, Offhaus J, Berner D.The aim of the present study was to verify the diagnostic validity of low-field magnetic-resonance-imaging (MRI) findings in septic diseases of the foot region following penetrating sole injuries caused by nails. Methods: MRI examinations were performed in 10 horses with injuries in the foot region. The diagnostic findings were validated by conventional methods (clinical, surgical, radiological, sonographic, and computed tomographic findings and/or post-mortem histological examination). Results: Navicular bone involvement was revealed most accurately, with a high degree of predictability, and ...
Drommer W, Damsch S, Winkelmeyer S, Hertsch B, Kaup FJ.In 25 adult horses the podotrochlea of 49 forelimbs was examined by means of light and electron microscopy in order to correlate clinical and morphological findings. According to the clinical diagnosis the animals were divided into three groups: lameness due to syndrome of podotrochlosis (group 1) or due to tendopathy (group 2) and horses without lameness (group 3). The most striking pathological findings of the navicular bone and the opposite surface of the deep flexor tendon were found in horses with podotrochlosis, consisting of loss of cartilage and tendon matrix with denudation of collage...
Southwood LL, Lindermann J, Zarucco L, Driessen B, Olander H, Habecker P, Birks EK, Frisbie DD.Growth factors (GF) are important for maintenance and repair of intestinal mucosal structure and function, but there have been no studies investigating growth factor (GF) or growth factor receptor (GF-R) mRNA expression in the intestine of horses with large colon volvulus (LCV). Objective: (1) To determine mRNA expression for epidermal growth factor (EGF), EGF receptor (EGF-R), insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF), IGF receptor (IGF-R), vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and VEGF receptor (VEGF-R) in the intestine of horses with an LCV compared to normal intestine. (2) To measure the corr...
Sellon DC, Russell KE, Monroe VL, Walker KM.Seven ponies were infected with the virulent wild-type Wyoming strain of equine infectious anaemia virus (EIAV). Infection status was monitored by serum reverse transcriptase activity, rectal temperature, and complete blood count. Preinfection serum and serum obtained during the initial febrile episode following infection were assayed for interleukin 6 (IL-6) activity. Postinfection IL-6 activity was significantly increased as compared to preinfection values. The magnitude of increase in IL-6 was positively correlated with reverse transcriptase activity (an indirect measure of viraemia) but wa...
Wong SS, Ngan AH, Riggs CM, Teng JL, Choi GK, Poon RW, Hui JJ, Low FJ, Luk A, Yuen KY.The newly described brittle tail syndrome causes weakening and breakage of the tail hair of horses. Extensive mycological and molecular studies showed that a novel fungus Equicapillimyces hongkongensis gen. nov., sp. nov. is the most likely cause of this syndrome. It is a septate branching hyaline mould which grows optimally at 30°C, requires nicotinic acid but is inhibited by cycloheximide, and specifically infects horse hair. Hyphae fill the core of infected hair shafts with short-necked structures resembling ascomata containing banana-shaped septate ascospore-like structures perforating th...
Klinkhamer K, Menheere PP, van der Kolk JH.Glucocorticoids are suggested to precipitate laminitis and induce insulin resistance in horses. Objective: To assess insulin sensitivity and the basal amount of glucose metabolized in equine pituitary pars intermedia dysfunction (PPID). Methods: The euglycaemic hyperinsulinaemic clamp (EHC) technique was performed in seven horses with a diagnosis of PPID based on the presence of hypertrichosis and positive dexamethasone suppression-test results comprising one gelding and six mares with a mean age of 21.1 ± 5.8 (SD; range 15-34) years. Results were compared with those from five negative (h...
Gilbert RO.Luteolysis with subsequent shortening of diestrus has been reported to follow equine endometrial biopsy performed early in the luteal phase of the estrous cycle, but a comprehensive study of the effect of endometrial biopsy on cycle length at different times of the cycle has not been reported. In this study, endometrial biopsies were obtained from four different pony mares on each of Days 0, 4, 8, 12, 16 and 20 after ovulation as determined by serial palpation per rectum. Compared with control cycles in the same mares, the ovulatory interval was shortened in mares from which biopsies were obta...
Ross C, Haussler KK, Kenney JD, Marks D, Bertone JJ, Henneman K, May KJ.Vigorous and prolonged effort is required to gain true mastery of the healing arts. Conventional and complementary medicine have complementary strengths and weaknesses. Like the yin and yang of traditional Chinese medicine, they naturally flow into one another by a process of induction, creating balance. Integrative medicine is the frontier; it is the future. If we are to progress beyond our current understanding and ability to heal, we must work with theoretic models that allow us and our perception to operate "outside the box." For some, this understanding is intuitive. It is through coopera...
Hoque S, Senba H, Tsunoda N, Derar RI, Watanabe G, Taya K, Osawa T, Miyake Y.To clarify the endocrinological characteristics of the mares with granulosa theca cell tumor (GTCT), peripheral plasma samples from the 6 mares affected with GTCT were collected before and after the surgical removal of the affected ovary. Concentrations of testosterone (T), follicle stimulating hormone (FSH), luteinizing hormone (LH), immunoreactive-inhibin (ir-INH), progesterone (P) and estradiol-17beta (E(2)) in the plasma samples were measured by radioimmunoassay. Before removal of GTCT in all cases, the concentrations of T were significantly higher than those of normal mares at the breedin...
Ramírez-Hernández A, Polo G, Robayo-Sánchez LN, Cruz-Maldonado OA, Imbacuán-Pantoja WO, Cortés-Vecino JA.Working equids are used in different countries for numerous purposes and regularly are crucial for multiple communities' income and profit. Historically, in Bogotá D.C. they were used as animal-powered vehicles but in 2013 it was initiated a substitution and adoption program as a result of society pressure and lawful processes. Infectious diseases and mainly parasitic diseases, poses a threat in the health and productivity of these animals. Our aim was to identify, by coproparasitological methods, the gastrointestinal and pulmonary parasite species infecting working horses submitted to the me...
Laan TT, van Nieuwstadt RA, Sloet van Oldruitenborgh-Oosterbaan MM, Breukink HJ.Equine pulmonary disease and especially the terminology of lower airway disease have been subject to discussion. Besides established terms such as 'Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease' (COPD) and Chronic bronchitis, the term 'small airway disease' (SAD) has been introduced, for respiratory disease with inflammation in the lower airways in combination with exercise intolerance. Bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) enables the practitioner to diagnose SAD in an early stage when there are no other signs such as coughing or exudate in the trachea. The BAL fluid is microscopically examined after centrifu...
Wensvoort P, Steenbergen-Botterweg WA.When adipose tissues of horses and ponies affected with generalized steatitis were extracted by acetone, methanol and chloroform, non-extractable lipids were found to be present, which had become insoluble as a result of peroxidation and polymerization and had acquired autofluorescent characteristics. The origin of these lipids varies. Peroxidation occurs in three different lipid compartments, namely in the cytoplasm of the necrotized adipose cells, in the macrophagess and in the fat globules present in stroma.
Divers TJ, Byars TD, Murch O, Sigel CW.Proteus mirabilis cystitis was induced in 9 ponies by chemically eroding the bladder mucosa before the organism was inoculated. Comparisons were made in the treatment of P mirabilis cystitis between ponies treated daily for 13 days with a trimethoprim-sulfadiazine (TMP-SDZ) paste and both positive and negative controls. Urine cultures from ponies treated with TMP-SDZ became negative for P mirabilis between days 3 and 9 after the start of the treatment, whereas positive controls remained infected until day 13. Urine cultures from all ponies were negative for P mirabilis on day 28. Urine concent...
Davies MR.Despite tight biosecurity measures, an outbreak of respiratory disease rapidly spread across the Icelandic equine population in 2010. Horse transportation was brought to a halt in order to contain the spread of the infectious agent. In a recent article, Björnsdóttir and colleagues (S. Björnsdóttir et al., mBio 8:e00826-17, 2017, https://doi.org/10.1128/mBio.00826-17) employ the power and resolution of "genomic epidemiology," the combination of whole genomic sequencing and epidemiological approaches, to examine the source and spread of the outbreak. Intriguingly, the outbreak was not viral ...
Scardia A, Mariani Pimenta EL, Ross Russell RI, Jones GJ, Staffieri F.The aim of this study was to evaluate the validity of the SpO/FiO diagram in estimating gas exchange in horses under general anaesthesia. In this prospective, controlled clinical study were included 10 horses under general anaesthesia. FiO was progressively reduced with the following steps: 0.6, 0.4, 0.3 and 0.21; SpO was recorded at each step. An arterial blood sample was collected at the steps of 1.0 and 0.21, to calculate intrapulmonary shunt with the Fshunt formula. The Fshunt value calculated at 0.21 FiO was defined as "Fshunt 0.21", the one calculated at 1.0 FiO as "Fshunt 1.0". The FiO ...
Cartee RE, Cowles WR.To determine the lines of maximum extensibility of the skin over the equine carpus, round puncture wounds were made 2.0 cm apart over the carpal area of 5 horses (7 carpi). The direction of elongation of the round puncture wound was observed and photographed. Lines of maximum extensibility that occurred over the surfaces of the equine carpus were determined to be proximal to distal, except in a small area over the accessory carpal bone where a state of anisotropism existed. In an immobilized carpus, direction of a surgical incision was not as important as it was in a mobile carpus, in which th...
O'Grady SE, Dryden VC.A club foot or flexural deformity may affect a horse at any stage of life from neonate through adulthood. The emphasis of this article is on defining and recommending the appropriate farriery for flexural deformities involving the deep digital flexor tendon and the distal interphalangeal joint. Clinical management of the flexural deformity is influenced by the severity, duration, and etiology of the club foot as well as the degree and source of lameness. Also discussed is the management of mismatched hoof angles, which remains a controversial subject for both farrier and veterinarian.
