Disease management in horses encompasses the strategies and practices employed to prevent, control, and treat diseases affecting equine populations. This field involves understanding the etiology, transmission, and clinical presentation of various equine diseases, as well as implementing biosecurity measures and therapeutic interventions. Common diseases in horses include equine influenza, strangles, and equine herpesvirus. Effective disease management relies on accurate diagnosis, vaccination protocols, and the use of antimicrobials and other treatments. This page compiles peer-reviewed research studies and scholarly articles that explore the methodologies, challenges, and advancements in managing diseases in equine health.
Bucca S.Identification of a compromised pregnancy in the mare requires the exhaustive collection of a database that includes past and recent reproductive and medical histories and a variety of parameters indicating fetal distress and possibly suggesting neonatal compromise.Judicious interpretation of findings and serial recording of data throughout gestation may help in the early detection of abnormal fetomaternal exchange pathways. Some sources of compromise may be identified, and the impact on fetomaternal well-being maybe calculated. Appropriate preventive or corrective measures may then be impleme...
von Samson-Himmelstjerna G, Fritzen B, Demeler J, Schürmann S, Rohn K, Schnieder T, Epe C.In 2003 and 2004, on a total of 63 different German horse farms, a survey using the faecal egg count reduction (FECR) test was performed to investigate the efficacy of ivermectin (IVM, Ivomec) and pyrantel (PYR, Banminth) treatment against gastro-intestinal nematodes in a total of 767 horses. IVM treatment resulted in 100% reduction of the cyathostomin egg production 14 and 21 days post-treatment (d.p.t.) on 37 farms. On the remaining five farms, the mean faecal egg count reduction ranged between 97.7 and 99.9%. The mean cyathostomin FECR following PYR treatment ranged between 92.2 and 100% on...
Barros AT, Foil LD.Two studies evaluated the potential use of spatial barriers to reduce the mechanical transmission of disease agents by tabanids in the Pantanal region of Brazil. Tabanids at stations separated by four different distances (5, 10, 25, and 50m) were marked. In the first study, tabanids were marked and allowed to feed until engorgement or natural interruption occurred and captured if they transferred to the other horse. A total of 2847 tabanids belonging to nine different species were marked. The percentage of tabanids that moved between horses was 10.5 at 5m, 6.8 at 10m, and 4.6 at 25m. In the se...
Wagner ML, Valberg SJ, Ames EG, Bauer MM, Wiseman JA, Penedo MC, Kinde H, Abbitt B, Mickelson JR.Glycogen Branching Enzyme Deficiency (GBED), a fatal condition recently identified in fetuses and neonatal foals of the Quarter Horse and Paint Horse lineages, is caused by a nonsense mutation in codon 34 of the GBE1 gene, which prevents the synthesis of a functional GBE protein and severely disrupts glycogen metabolism. The aims of this project were to determine the mutant GBE1 allele frequency in random samples from the major relevant horse breeds, as well as the frequency with which GBED is associated with abortion and early neonatal death using the tissue archives from veterinary diagnosti...
Morgan D.Although there is no recognized transmission of human arboviral infections in the UK, concerns about the possible spread of West Nile virus (WNV) have precipitated coordinated activities around both surveillance and response. The Department of Health has chaired a UK WNV task force since the end of 2000. This is a multidisciplinary group of senior representatives from Agencies and Government Departments involved in human and animal health, entomology and academic departments. Activities include surveillance for WNV infections in humans, and in dead birds, mosquitoes and horses. All have been n...
Bicout DJ, Carvalho R, Chalvet-Monfray K, Sabatier P.The paper examines the prevalence of equine infectious anemia (EIA) in horse populations in the northern part (comprising 89 cities) of Minas Gerais State, Brazil, from January 2002 to December 2004. Data on 8,981 agar gel immunodiffusion test results from the region were used as input for a statistical and autoregressive analysis model to construct a city-level map of the distribution of EIA prevalence. The following EIA prevalence (P) levels were found: 49 cities with 0 < P < or = 0.5%, 26 with 0.5% < P < or = 1.5%, 10 with 1.5% < P < or = 5%, and 4 with 5% < P < or = 25%.
Davis E, Rush BR, Herr LG, Ewert KM.Successful clinical management of bacterial pneumonia in horses depends on the administration of an appropriate antimicrobial agent at an adequate dosage and frequency, given by the correct route of administration for an adequate duration. Empiric antimicrobial therapy should be based on the clinician's experience and current veterinary literature. Based on the frequency of Gram-positive bacterial pathogens isolated from horses with bacterial pneumonia, every effort should be made to provide antimicrobial coverage for this class of pathogens. Gram-negative pathogens may co-exist; therefore, br...
Radcliffe CH, Woodie JB, Hackett RP, Ainsworth DM, Erb HN, Mitchell LM, Soderholm LV, Ducharme NG.To compare upper airway mechanics, arterial blood gases, and tracheal contamination in horses with induced left laryngeal hemiplegia (recurrent laryngeal neuropathy [RLN]) treated by laryngoplasty/vocal cordectomy (LPVC) or modified partial arytenoidectomy (MPA). Methods: Repeated measures under the following conditions: Control, RLN, LPVC, and MPA. Methods: Six horses. Methods: Two trials were conducted under all conditions at 80% and 100% of maximal heart rate (HR(max)). In Trial 1, arterial blood gases, tracheal and pharyngeal pressures, and laryngeal videoendoscopy were recorded. In Trial ...
Vlaminck LE, Huys L, Maes D, Steenhaut ML, Gasthuys F.To evaluate the effect of alveolar bone substitute on post-extraction drift of maxillary cheek teeth in ponies. Methods: In vivo longitudinal experimental study. Methods: Five ponies (5-7 years) with a healthy dentition. Methods: Both maxillary 4th premolar teeth (Triadan 08) were surgically removed. One alveolus was filled with a biocompatible non-resorbable bone substitute (Bioplant 24), whereas the other healed by second intention. A polyvinylsiloxane plug and spring wire isolated the bone substitute from the oral environment. Pathologic changes to dentition and adjacent soft tissue were re...
Dao S, Abdillahi AM, Bougoudogo F, Toure K, Simbe C.The district of Bamako is the political and economical capital city of Mali with 1,800,000 inhabitants. The goal of the present retrospective study was to determine the frequency of animal bites, human and animal rabies on the one hand and to determine the frequency and the nature of mad animals on the other hand from January 2000 to December 2003 (4 years). To achieve this goal, we have analysed registers and documents related to rabies in the department of prevention and fight against diseases, the central veterinary laboratory, and also at the lazaret clinic involved in caring for human rab...
Byam-Cook KL, Henson FM, Slater JD.Treatment of the equine sarcoid has posed a significant challenge to clinicians for years and many different methods have been tried with varying success, including ionising radiation. The aim of this study was to review the efficacy of iridium-192 interstitial brachytherapy for the treatment of eight periocular sarcoids and 15 non-ocular sarcoids on 18 horses. All the periocular sarcoids and 13 of the 15 non-ocular sarcoids were treated successfully.
Higgins JC, Leith GS, Pappagianis D, Pusterla N.Pulmonary coccidioidomycosis in horses can often lead to severe systemic disease and its treatment has previously been expensive and has carried a poor prognosis. This paper describes the successful treatment of two horses with pulmonary coccidioidomycosis with a fluconazole product produced by a compounding pharmacy.
Darghouth MA.Several species of piroplasms of livestock are present in Tunisia; some of them are of high veterinary importance. This paper reviews the species already reported in Tunisia on the basis of clinical observations, parasitological routine diagnostic and serological surveys, as well as those considered as potentially present according to epidemiological argumentations. The genus Theileria includes four species reported in Tunisia: T. annulata, T. buffeli, T. ovis, and T. equi. The ovine malignant theileriosis agent, T. lestoquardi, appears to be absent in Tunisia. Five species belonging to the ge...
Archer DC, Pinchbeck GL, Proudman CJ, Clough HE.Colic is an important cause of mortality and morbidity in domesticated horses yet many questions about this condition remain to be answered. One such question is: does season have an effect on the occurrence of colic? Time-series analysis provides a rigorous statistical approach to this question but until now, to our knowledge, it has not been used in this context. Traditional time-series modelling approaches have limited applicability in the case of relatively rare diseases, such as specific types of equine colic. In this paper we present a modelling approach that respects the discrete nature...
Franck T, Kohnen S, Deby-Dupont G, Grulke S, Deby C, Serteyn D.An original method called SIEFED (specific immunological extraction followed by enzymatic detection) was developed for the specific detection of the activity of equine myeloperoxidase (MPO). The method consists of the extraction of MPO from aqueous solutions by immobilized anti-MPO antibodies followed by washing (to eliminate proteins and interfering molecules) and measurement of MPO activity using a detection system containing a fluorogenic substrate, hydrogen peroxide, and nitrite as reaction enhancer. The SIEFED technique was applied to study active MPO in horse biological fluids and the ef...
Eysker M, van Doorn DC, Lems SN, Weteling A, Ploeger HW.Due to excessive and inappropriate use of dewormers anthelmintic resistance has developed as a significant problem in horse parasites in the Netherlands. Since it is unlikely that new classes of anthelmintics against horse nematodes will be introduced in the near future, it is important to use the present drugs wisely. Veterinarians should advice horse owners about worm control programs with a more targeted approach. The number of anthelmintic treatments should be reduced and, through selective anthelmintic treatments, further development of anthelmintic resistance should be delayed. Preferabl...
Romaniuk K.The Diptera attacked domestic animals in Poland are: Simuliidae, Culicidae, Tabanidae, Gasterophilidae, Hypoder-matidae and Muscidae. The insect assail the crazing animals, mostly during sunny day dna at close of day. Lack of effective repelents and also difficulties with their usage, makes it impossible to complete extermination of parasitic insects in the environment. It is posible to effectively fight against Hypoderma bovis and Gasterophilus spp.
Pellegrini-Masini A, Livesey LC.This article provides an overview of meningitis and encephalomyelitis in horses, including diagnostic tests, treatment developments, and preventative measures reported in the equine and human medical literature of the past few years.
Donahue JM, Sells SF, Bolin DC.To identify Actinobacillus spp isolates recovered from fetuses and pericardial fluid from horses affected with mare reproductive loss syndrome (MRLS) and determine whether these bacterial species are the same as those isolated from clinically normal horses. Methods: Isolates of actinobacilli recovered from 18 horses with pericarditis and 109 fetuses aborted by mares affected by MRLS. Procedures-Actinobacillus spp isolates were identified to the level of species or subspecies by use of conventional phenotypic tests and biochemical and enzyme test kits. The 16S rRNA gene from selected isolates w...
Hartmann FA, West SE.Phenotypic and molecular techniques, including antimicrobial susceptibility testing, plasmid analysis, and pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) were used to characterize 15 isolates of multidrug-resistant (MDR) Salmonella anatum cultured during a 16 mo period from horses and a veterinary clinic environment. The isolates were resistant to multiple antimicrobial agents and could be placed into 4 groups based on their antimicrobial resistance patterns. The isolates contained multiple plasmids ranging in size from 2 to > 100 kb that could be grouped into 3 different plasmid profile patterns;...
Waggett BE, McGorum BC, Shaw DJ, Pirie RS, MacIntyre N, Wernery U, Milne EM.It has been proposed that synaptophysin, an abundant integral membrane protein of synaptic vesicles, is an immunohistochemical marker for degenerating neurons in equine grass sickness (GS). In the present study, a statistically generated decision tree based on assessment of synaptophysin-immunolabelled ileal sections facilitated correct differentiation of all 20 cases of GS and 24 cases of non-GS disease (comprising eight horses with colic, six with neuroparalytic botulism and 10 controls). This technique also facilitated correct diagnosis of GS in all three cases that had been erroneously cla...
Delarocque J, Frers F, Huber K, Feige K, Warnken T.Insulin dysregulation (ID) goes along with lasting or transient hyperinsulinemia able to trigger equine laminitis, a painful and crippling foot condition. Promoting weight loss through dietary changes and physical activity is currently the main option to prevent this disease. This study aimed at describing the relationship between weight variations and the level of ID as determined by oral glucose tests (OGT). Therefore, the insulin response of 19 Icelandic horses to repeated OGTs was retrospectively analysed considering the variations in their body weight. Results: There was a strong linear r...
Lacombe VA, Mayes M, Mosseri S, Reed SM, Ou TH.Although many studies have been performed to classify seizures by type in man and small animals, a similar study in horses is lacking. Objective: The aims of this study were as follows: 1) to characterise the distribution of seizure types in 104 horses presented for seizure disorders to a referral veterinary hospital; and 2) to characterise the various types of seizures by identifying associated clinical factors. Methods: Retrospective analysis of clinical records. Methods: Seizures were classified based on seizure type, according to the most recent accepted definitions in both human and small...
Ross SE, Duz M, Rendle DI.Antimicrobial stewardship within the veterinary profession is recognised by governing and professional bodies as being important; the attitudes and behaviour of veterinary surgeons merit investigation. Objective: To investigate levels of protected antimicrobial use and accuracy of antimicrobial dosing in a common clinical scenario in equine practice. Methods: Retrospective cohort study. Methods: Antimicrobial use was evaluated retrospectively in 113 cases subsequently referred to a single referral hospital for the treatment of limb wounds over a 20-month period. Antimicrobial classification (f...
Ryu SH, Koo HC, Park YK, Kim JM, Jung WK, Davis WC, Park YH, Lee CW.Equine respiratory disease is a common cause of poor performance and training interruptions. The higher incidence rate of infectious upper respiratory disease (IURD) in thoroughbred racehorses at the Seoul Race Park coincided with the frequent stabling season, shorter stabling periods, and younger ages in this study. Incidence rates were also correlated with significantly lower proportions of cells expressing MHC class II-, CD2 antigen-, CD4+- or CD8+-T lymphocyte-, and B lymphocyte in IURD patients compared with healthy control groups in the summer and fall and in 2-and-3-year-old groups. The...
Elata A, Galon EM, Moumouni PFA, Ybanez RHD, Mossaad E, Salces CB, Bajenting GP, Ybanez AP, Xuan X, Inoue N, Suganuma K.Animal trypanosomosis is one of the most important parasitic diseases significantly affecting the Philippine economy. It is considered by the government to be the second most important disease of livestock after fasciolosis. A PCR-based molecular survey for trypanosomes in different animals in Bohol, Philippines, was performed to assess the prevalence of trypanosomosis in the area during the rainy and dry season. Methods: A total of 269 blood samples were collected in two batches in rainy and dry season from different animal species in Ubay Stock Farm in Ubay, Bohol, the Philippines, including...
Barrett RS, Wiethoelter A, Halpin K.To elucidate veterinarians' and horse owners' perceptions towards the use of Hendra virus (HeV) antibody titre testing and how it influences veterinary advice. Methods: Six semi-structured phone interviews were conducted with veterinarians who have submitted samples for HeV antibody titre testing. Interviews were recorded, transcribed and thematically analysed to identify and report common themes within the data. Results: Veterinarians are predominantly using the titre tests as an alternative to vaccination due to clients' fear of vaccine reactions. The high cost of titre testing, the difficul...
Reinemeyer CR.Efforts to control cyathostome nematodes in temperate climates have not been uniformly successful, as evidenced by contemporary reports of clinical disease and widespread anthelmintic failure. Indeed, effective control is confounded by numerous factors, including ignorance of local transmission patterns, confusing or conflicting control recommendations, and use of ineffective anthelmintics or regimens. Most of these problems are universal rather than being climatically unique, and it is important to recognize that they are mere symptoms of larger and more comprehensive problems. The most basic...
Morton JM, Dups JN, Anthony ND, Dwyer JF.The risk of individuals becoming infected during an epidemic of infectious disease can vary as the disease progresses. Monitoring this risk may provide information about the dynamics of transmission. This study describes the epidemic curve for an epidemic of equine influenza (EI) in a closed population of horses predominantly immunologically naïve to EI at a 3-day event at Morgan Park in southern Queensland, Australia. The hazard function suggested that a subset of horses were at reduced risk of becoming infected. This highlights the importance, when modelling infectious disease in population...
Walshe N, Burrell A, Kenny U, Mulcahy G, Duggan V, Regan A.In view of the rising threat of anthelmintic resistance in parasite populations and the planned change of classification of anthelmintics in Ireland for food animals to prescription-only medicines, there is a need for increased focus on parasite control strategies for horses. Effective parasite control programs (PCPs) are complex, necessitating the application of risk-assessment based on host immune status, infection pressure, type of parasite and seasonality to determine the requirement for anthelmintic administration and an understanding of parasite biology to employ effective, non- therapeu...
Webbon P.The understanding and application of genetics have grown extremely quickly since it has become possible to sequence the whole genome of an organism. The human genome sequence was completed in 2001 and that of the horse in 2007. The significance of this is that it makes it more feasible to explain how both genetically simple and complex traits are transmitted from one generation to the next and, therefore, to make informed breeding decisions, modify how horses are managed and trained to minimise the risk of disease and injury, and improve methods of prevention, diagnosis and treatment of many c...
Parvini P, Mihatovic I, Sahin D, Becker J, Schwarz F.To assess the clinical performance of an equine-derived collagen-containing bone block (CXBB) for lateral alveolar ridge augmentation and staged implant placement. Methods: A total of n = 16 patients (16 implants) had received a modified surgical protocol for lateral ridge augmentation using a size-adapted rigidly fixed CXBB and contour augmentation. After 26 weeks of submerged healing, the primary endpoint was defined as the final ridge width (RW26) sufficient to place an adequately dimensioned titanium implant at the respective sites. Secondary outcomes included the gain in ridge width (R...
Buchanan AM, Davis DC, Pedersen NC, Beaman BL.L-phase (CWD) broth and plate media were used in parallel with conventional microbiological media during a 3-year period for culturing synovial and pleural fluids of animals. Two kinds of recoveries were obtained where parallel conventional methods were negative: (1) parent or normal bacteria, in very low numbers; and (2) Type B CWD variants in equally low numbers. Organisms in group 1 were: Streptococcus zooepidemicus from horses (2x); beta-hemolytic streptococci, Lancefield Gp. G (2x); Staphylococcus aureus; Actinobacillus, and Actinomyces viscosus. Group 2 consisted of Bacteroides sp., Prop...
Kilgour R.Modern pastoral farming has radically transformed the niche where agricultural animals live. Recent trends in husbandry tend to give as much emphasis to economic profit and human convenience, as do a concern for the farmed species. Most of the traditional ways of handling sheep, cattle, goats, horses and pigs, like castration, ear tagging, tail-docking or horse breaking, have been accepted by the public with little concern. Inevitably, as renewed public interest focuses on intensive farming, some questions are directed towards extensive pastoral farming practices, particularly in newly-farmed ...
Birkmann K, Jebbawi F, Waldern N, Hug S, Inversini V, Keller G, Holm A, Grest P, Canonica F, Schmid-Grendelmeier P, Fettelschoss-Gabriel A.Urticaria, independent of or associated with allergies, is commonly seen in horses and often shows a high reoccurrence rate. Managing these horses is discouraging, and efficient treatment options are lacking. Due to an incidental finding in a study on horses affected by insect bite hypersensitivity using the eosinophil-targeting eIL-5-CuMV-TT vaccine, we observed the prevention of reoccurring seasonal urticaria in four subsequent years with re-vaccination. In an exploratory case series of horses affected with non-seasonal urticaria, we aimed to investigate the role of eosinophils in urticaria....
Mańkowska A, Witkowska D.Equine asthma is a popular subject of research. Many factors influencing the methods used to improve the welfare of asthmatic horses remain unclear. This study reviews scientific articles published after 2000 to collect the most important information on the terminology, symptoms, and potential environmental factors influencing the development and course of equine asthma. Our work highlights the impact of environmental factors on the severity of equine asthma and why these factors should be controlled to improve treatment outcomes. The present article provides horse owners and veterinarians wit...
Ramsay L, Eberhardt C, Schoster A.Reports of leptospirosis in horses are limited. Objective: To describe the clinical and diagnostic findings of acute systemic leptospirosis in horses. Methods: Eleven client-owned horses presented to an equine hospital because of acute onset of disease between 2015 and 2023. Methods: Retrospective case series. Horses diagnosed with leptospirosis by 1 or more of urine PCR, serologic microscopic agglutination test (MAT), and histopathology. Results: Common clinical signs included lethargy (10), anorexia (10), fever (9), tachypnea (9), abnormal lung sounds (9), and epistaxis (6). Acute kidney inj...
Laseca N, Molina A, Perdomo-González D, Ziadi C, Azor PJ, Valera M.Vitiligo is a depigmentation autoimmune disorder characterized by the progressive loss of melanocytes leading to the appearance of patchy depigmentation of the skin. The presence of vitiligo in horses is greater in those with grey coats. The aim of this study was therefore to perform a genome-wide association study (GWAS) to identify genomic regions and putative candidate loci associated with vitiligo depigmentation and susceptibility in the Pura Raza Español population. For this purpose, we performed a wssGBLUP (weighted single step genomic best linear unbiased prediction) using data from a ...
Li Z, Luo Z, Hu D.Diarrhea serves as a vital health indicator for assessing wildlife populations post-reintroduction. Upon release into the wild, wild animals undergo adaptation to diverse habitats and dietary patterns. While such changes prompt adaptive responses in the fecal microbiota, they also render these animals susceptible to gastrointestinal diseases, particularly diarrhea. This study investigates variations in fecal microorganisms and hormone levels between diarrhea-afflicted and healthy Przewalski's horses. The results demonstrate a significant reduction in the alpha diversity of the fecal bacterial ...
Malekipour F, Whitton RC, Lee PV.This review synthesizes recent advancements in understanding subchondral bone (SCB) biomechanics using computed tomography (CT) and micro-computed tomography (micro-CT) imaging in large animal models, particularly horses. Results: Recent studies highlight the complexity of SCB biomechanics, revealing variability in density, microstructure, and biomechanical properties across the depth of SCB from the joint surface, as well as at different joint locations. Early SCB abnormalities have been identified as predictive markers for both osteoarthritis (OA) and stress fractures. The development of sta...
Herbst C, Hartmann KS, Brown DO, Malinowski K.To stay up-to-date with the demographics, interests, and needs of the equine community, equine extension programs commonly conduct so called "needs assessment surveys". The main goals of the 2022 Rutgers Equine Science Center (ESC) needs assessment survey were to: 1) characterize the equine community, 2) identify information sources used by the equine community, 3) assess the usefulness of selected equine-related services and programs, and 4) determine the perceived importance of selected equine-related issues. An anonymous online survey was distributed through the Rutgers ESC's email list, a ...
Meiseberg LK, Delarocque J, de Buhr N, Ohnesorge B.Equine asthma is a common, non-infectious, chronic lung disease that affects up to 80% of the horse population. Strict phenotyping and identification of subclinically asthmatic horses can be challenging. The aim of this study was to describe equine asthma phenotypes (mild, moderate, and severe asthma) defined by BALF cytology and occurrence of clinical signs in a population of privately owned horses and to identify the variables and examination steps with best discriminative potential. The standardised examination protocol included clinical examinations, blood work, airway endoscopy with bronc...
Steuer A, Fritzler J, Boggan S, Daniel I, Cowles B, Penn C, Goldstein R, Lin D.Current methods for obtaining fecal egg counts in horses are often inaccurate and variable depending on the analyst's skill and experience. Automated digital scanning of fecal sample slides integrated with analysis by an artificial intelligence (AI) algorithm is a viable, emerging alternative that can mitigate operator variation compared to conventional methods in companion animal fecal parasite diagnostics. Vetscan Imagyst is a novel fecal parasite detection system that uploads the scanned image to the cloud where proprietary software analyzes captured images for diagnostic recognition by a d...
Thomson P, Garrido D, Santibáñez R, Lara F.The gut microbiome plays a critical role in maintaining horse health, influencing digestion, immunity, and overall well-being. However, in certain conditions like colic, there is evidence of significant alterations in the microbial community. To analyze the composition of the fecal microbiome and the enriched predicted metabolic functions of horses with colic compared to a control group, 14 horses with colic and 14 control horses were recruited. From a stool sample, DNA extraction was carried out for subsequent 16S rRNA metagenomic analysis. The composition of the microbiome was analyzed from ...
Nassar AFC, Chiebao DP, Fava CD, Miyashiro S, Castro V, Ogata RA, Yamamora JM, Monteiro CAS, Monteiro EJB.Glanders is a zoonotic disease of equids caused by the bacterium Burkholderia mallei, responsible for considerable economic loss. This study aimed to describe the clinical manifestations, pathological findings, and also bacteriological and molecular methods for agent detection in naturally infected animals (16 adult horses and one fetus) detected by serological survey from three glanders outbreaks. Of the 16 horses, 6 (37.5%) did not show clinical signs. After necropsy,samples of organs, lymph nodes, lesions and secretions were collectedfor histopathology, bacterial isolation, and PCR. The cli...
Torcivia C, McDonnell SM.Gastric ulcer disease and other potentially painful gastric conditions are among the most common afflictions adversely affecting the welfare of domestic equids. A large percentage of affected animals may not display the classic signs of gastric disease, such as unexplained weight loss, poor hair coat, and inappetence until the disease becomes severe. As a clinical service within our equine referral hospital, we routinely evaluate 24-h video recorded samples of horses to assist clinicians in identifying subtle discomfort and potential sources or to scan for infrequent neurologic or cardiac-rela...
Nielsen SS, Alvarez J, Boklund A, Dippel S, Dorea F, Figuerola J, Herskin M, Miranda Chueca MA, Nannoni E, Nonno R, Riber A, Stahl K, Stegeman JA....Horses of different ages may have to be killed on-farm for purposes other than slaughter (where slaughter is defined as killing for human consumption) either individually (i.e. on-farm killing of unproductive, injured or terminally ill animals) or on a large-scale (i.e. depopulation for disease control purposes and other situations, such as environmental contamination, disaster management, etc.). The purpose of this opinion is to assess the hazards and welfare consequences associated with the on-farm killing of horses. The killing procedure is divided into Phase 1 (pre-killing), which includes...
Cetintav B, Yalcin A.Colic is a leading cause of mortality in horses, demanding precise and timely interventions. This study integrates machine learning and explainable artificial intelligence (XAI) to predict survival outcomes in horses with colic, using clinical, procedural, and diagnostic data. Random forest and XGBoost emerged as top-performing models, achieving F1 scores of 85.9% and 86.1%, respectively. SHAP (Shapley additive explanations) was employed to provide interpretable insights, offering both global and local explanations for model predictions. The analysis revealed that key features, such as pulse r...
Sheahan BJ, Schubert AG, Schubert W, Sheats MK, Schnabel LV, Gilbertie JM.Neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs) play a significant role in response to a variety of infectious and inflammatory stimuli in human and veterinary medicine. Although entrapment of bacteria can be an important function of NETs, the exuberant release of DNA and other intracellular molecules has also been negatively implicated in the pathogenesis of different diseases. Thus, NET formation must be tightly controlled and represents an opportunity for therapeutic interventions. Horses are particularly sensitive to bacterial stimuli that have previously been shown to cause NETs in other species, b...
