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Topic:Disease Treatment
Disease treatment in horses encompasses a range of medical interventions and management strategies aimed at addressing various health conditions affecting equine species. These treatments can include pharmacological approaches, such as the administration of antibiotics, anti-inflammatory drugs, and antiparasitic medications, as well as non-pharmacological methods like physical therapy, dietary adjustments, and surgical procedures. The selection of appropriate treatments depends on the specific disease, its severity, and the individual needs of the horse. This topic brings together peer-reviewed research studies and scholarly articles that explore the efficacy, safety, and advancements in therapeutic options for equine diseases, providing insights into best practices and emerging trends in equine veterinary medicine.
A potential link between insulin resistance and iron overload disorder in browsing rhinoceroses investigated through the use of an equine model. Iron overload disorder afflicts captive rhinoceros but has not been documented in the wild. The specific cause for the disorder has not been identified but is likely associated with diet and management. Compared with wild counterparts, captive rhinoceros eat diets containing more iron, have greater fat stores, and exercise less. It has been suggested that the problem may be linked to development of insulin resistance in the captive population. Given that controlled experiments with sufficient numbers of rhinoceros are logistically not possible, an equine model was used to look for a relationsh...
Use of a deslorelin implant for influencing sex hormones and male behaviour in a stallion – Case report. This case report describes the use of a subcutaneously applied 4.7-mg deslorelin acetate implant in a three-year-old Arabian crossbred stallion showing unwanted strong male behaviour. Following deslorelin acetate implantation the stallion showed a short transitional increase in male behaviour. A 'gelding-like' behaviour was noted 15 days (D15) after treatment. The horse was surgically castrated at the owners request at D52 after treatment. Serum testosterone, oestradiol-17β and oestrone sulphate values decreased after deslorelin acetate implantation, but serum LH and FSH levels remained uncha...
Changes in Borrelia burgdorferi ELISA antibody over time in both antibiotic treated and untreated horses. Changes in ELISA serology are frequently used to determine antibiotic treatment success for Lyme disease in horses. This concept was based upon a previous report showing a marked decline in ELISA values in experimentally infected and antibiotic-treated ponies. Changes in Lyme serology following antibiotic treatment in naturally infected horses have not been reported. The objective of this study was to compare Borrelia ELISA antibody concentrations in naturally exposed horses both before and following antibiotic treatment for Lyme disease. A retrospective study was performed comparing oxytetrac...
Tenosynoviotomy for sepsis of the digital flexor tendon sheath in 9 horses. To describe a tenosynoviotomy technique for treatment of sepsis of the digital flexor tendon sheath (DFTS) in horses and report long-term outcome. Methods: Case series. Methods: Horses (n = 9). Methods: Horses were positioned in lateral recumbency with the affected limb uppermost. A linear incision was made just lateral to the mesotenon beginning 5 cm proximal to the apices of the proximal sesamoid bones, extending 2 cm distal to the bifurcation of the superficial digital flexor tendon (SDFT). The incision was continued through the skin, subcutaneous tissue, palmar/plantar annular ligament, an...
Population genetics of Parascaris equorum based on DNA fingerprinting. The large roundworm of horses, Parascaris equorum is considered ubiquitous in breeding operations, and is regarded as a most important helminth pathogen of foals. Over the past decade, this parasite has been reported increasingly resistant to anthelmintic drugs worldwide. This paper reports analysis of the population genetic structure of P. equorum. Adult parasites (n=194) collected from Sweden, Norway, Iceland, Germany, Brazil and the USA were investigated by amplified restriction fragment length polymorphism (AFLP) analysis. The genetic variation was low (Hj=0.12-0.4), for the global populat...
Saccharomyces boulardii viability and efficacy in horses with antimicrobial-induced diarrhoea. Saccharomyces boulardii has been successfully used in the prevention and treatment of antimicrobial-associated diarrhoea in humans. We hypothesised that a viable, dried lyophilised preparation of S boulardii would survive in the gastrointestinal tract of horses with antimicrobial-associated enterocolitis, and significantly decrease the duration of diarrhoea. Twenty-one horses, over one year of age, with antimicrobial-associated diarrhoea of up to 72 hours duration, were consecutively randomised in a controlled prospective study. The treatment group received S boulardii (25 g, orally, every 12 ...
Challenges and proposed solutions for more accurate serological diagnosis of equine infectious anaemia. Serological diagnosis of equine infectious anaemia virus (EIAV) infections has depended mainly on the agar gel immunodiffusion test (AGIDT). This study documents the presence of EIAV genetic sequences in a number of persistently infected horses and mules whose serums were interpreted as negative/equivocal on AGIDT, but positive on more than one ELISA test and in immunoblot tests. Strategies designed to take advantage of the combined strengths of the ELISA and AGIDT are shown effective in a national surveillance program for EIA in Italy where 17 per cent (25/149) of the equids considered to be ...
The story of equine atypical myopathy: a review from the beginning to a possible end. Atypical myopathy (AM) is a frequently fatal seasonal pasture myopathy that emerges in Europe. Outbreaks are of an acute and unexpected nature and practitioners should be prepared to handle these critically ill patients. This review retraces the history of AM and describes results of epidemiological investigations that were conducted to raise hypotheses concerning the etiology of this devastating disease as well as to be able to suggest potential preventive measures. Also, clinical studies have contributed to a better definition and recognition of the syndrome, whereas elucidation of the patho...
IgG antibodies from dourine infected horses identify a distinctive Trypanosoma equiperdum antigenic pattern of low molecular weight molecules. Diagnosis and control of dourine is strongly based on serological evidence, but knowledge of the humoral response of horses during infection is limited. In this study we developed a chemiluminescent immunoblotting (cIB) assay to characterise the Trypanosoma equiperdum antigen pattern recognised by IgGs from naturally or experimentally dourine-infected horses and analyse the kinetics of IgG humoral response following the infection. One compounding factor is that sera from uninfected animals often cross-react with T. equiperdum antigens. Development of the cIB assay was based on the hypothesis t...
Presumptive bacterial translocation in horses with strangulating small intestinal lesions requiring resection and anastomosis. To document whether presumptive bacterial translocation (PBT) occurs in horses with small intestinal strangulation (SIS). Methods: Prospective clinical cohort study. Methods: University tertiary care facility. Methods: Thirty-six adult horses with SIS (clinical cases) and 10 adult horses without gastrointestinal disease (control cases). Methods: Sterile collection and bacterial culture of samples from peripheral venous blood, mesenteric venous blood, mesenteric lymphatic tissue, and intestinal aspirates from horses with SIS and control horses without gastrointestinal disease. Results: Five of ...
History of Orbivirus research in South Africa. In the early colonial history of South Africa, horses played an important role, both in general transportation and in military operations. Frequent epidemics of African horsesickness (AHS) in the 18th century therefore severely affected the economy. The first scientific research on the disease was carried out by Alexander Edington (1892), the first government bacteriologist of the Cape Colony, who resolved the existing confusion that reigned and established its identity as a separate disease. Bluetongue (BT) was described for the first time by Duncan Hutcheon in 1880, although it was probably ...
Recent advances in diagnosing pathogenic equine gastrointestinal helminths: the challenge of prepatent detection. Parasites infecting horses are ubiquitous and clinically important across the world. The major parasitic threats to equine health are cyathostomins, Parascaris equorum, Anoplocephala perfoliata, and Strongylus vulgaris. Increasing levels of anthelmintic resistance reported world wide in equine parasites have led to recommendations of constructing sustainable parasite control programmes based on systematic surveillance of parasite levels. Regulations at the European Union level now make anthelmintics available on prescription-only basis and disallow prophylactic treatment. This emphasizes the n...
Comparison of different treatments for oestrous induction in seasonally anovulatory mares. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of different treatments for induction and synchronization of oestrus and ovulation in seasonally anovulatory mares. Fifteen mares formed the control group (C), while 26 mares were randomly assigned to three treatment groups. Group T1 (n = 11) were treated with oral altrenogest (0.044 mg/kg; Regumate(®) ) during 11 days. Group T2 (n = 7) was intravaginally treated with 1.38 g of progesterone (CIDR(®) ) for 11 days. In group T3 (n = 8), mares were also treated with CIDR(®) , but only for 8 days. All mares received PGF2α 1 day afte...
Clinical and subclinical infections with Cryptosporidium in animals. Cryptosporidium spp. are frequent parasites of livestock and companion animals, raising questions about the clinical significance of such infections. Cryptosporidium infections have a wide spectrum of clinical signs that can vary from asymptomatic to serious infection to death. In neonatal ruminants, cryptosporidiosis is considered an important disease characterised by diarrhoea and mortality. In companion animals most infections are asymptomatic but severe clinical illness has also been reported in dogs, cats and horses. In birds, three main clinical forms of cryptosporidiosis are primarily s...
A behaviour-based pain scale for horses with acute colic: scale construction. A validated tool for assessing the severity of acute abdominal pain is needed for the effective management of colic in horses. Two behaviour-based colic pain scales were constructed by combining together mathematical and judgemental approaches. The mathematical approach identified easily-recognised pain behaviours to select as items. The judgemental approach further modified the items and weighted them based on expert-opinion. Thirty equine practitioners assessed the level of pain demonstrated in 23 film clips of clinical cases exhibiting signs of acute abdominal pain prospectively using a 10c...
Steroid diffusion into the navicular bursa occurs in horses affected by palmar foot pain. Palmar foot pain is frequently treated by steroid injections into the distal interphalangeal joint (DIPJ) in the anticipation that the steroid will diffuse to the navicular bursa and palmar foot structures. The object of this study was to determine if triamcinolone acetonide (TA) would in fact be able to locally diffuse from the DIPJ into the navicular bursa in horses affected by palmar foot pain. Both forelimb DIPJs (nine horses) were injected with 10 mg of TA. Navicular bursa fluid samples, both forelimb and one hind limb (systemic control), were analysed for TA with high-performance liquid ...
Effectiveness of an antimicrobial treatment scheme in a confined glanders outbreak. Glanders is a contagious and fatal zoonotic disease of solipeds caused by the Gram-negative bacterium Burkholderia (B.) mallei. Although regulations call for culling of diseased animals, certain situations e.g. wild life conservation, highly valuable breeding stock, could benefit from effective treatment schemes and post-exposure prophylaxis. Results: Twenty three culture positive glanderous horses were successfully treated during a confined outbreak by applying a treatment protocol of 12 weeks duration based on the parenteral administration of enrofloxacin and trimethoprim plus sulfadiazine, ...
Clinical outcome of collateral ligament injuries of the tarsus. The significance of collateral ligament desmitis of the tarsocrural joint is often clinically underestimated, because it is an uncommon injury with a guarded prognosis for athletic soundness. The objective of this study was to describe the clinical presentation, treatment, and outcome of 12 horses with collateral ligament desmitis, along with tarsocrural joint synovitis secondary to hemarthrosis. Criteria for inclusion in this study included clinical signs of tarsocrural joint synovitis and sonographic evidence of collateral ligament desmitis. This retrospective study evaluated horses over an ...
Response to injection of the navicular bursa with corticosteroid and hyaluronan following high-field magnetic resonance imaging in horses with signs of navicular syndrome: 101 cases (2000-2008). To determine treatment outcome on the basis of pathological changes identified on MRI and lameness duration in horses with navicular syndrome that underwent injection of corticosteroid and hyaluronan into the navicular bursa. Methods: Retrospective case series. Methods: 101 horses with navicular syndrome. Methods: Medical records of horses with signs of navicular syndrome evaluated between January 2000 and December 2008 were reviewed. Data on signalment, use of the horse, history, affected limbs, duration of lameness, findings on lameness examination, radiographic findings, MRI findings, treat...
The horse as a model of naturally occurring osteoarthritis. Osteoarthritis (OA) is an important cause of pain, disability and economic loss in humans, and is similarly important in the horse. Recent knowledge on post-traumatic OA has suggested opportunities for early intervention, but it is difficult to identify the appropriate time of these interventions. The horse provides two useful mechanisms to answer these questions: 1) extensive experience with clinical OA in horses; and 2) use of a consistently predictable model of OA that can help study early pathobiological events, define targets for therapeutic intervention and then test these putative thera...
The effect of intravenous lidocaine infusion on bronchoalveolar lavage cytology in equine recurrent airway obstruction. Lidocaine decreases neutrophilic inflammation in models of acute lung injury and decreases inflammation in asthmatic patients. Neutrophilic bronchiolitis develops in recurrent airway obstruction (RAO), but it remains unknown if lidocaine infusion decreases neutrophil migration into the airways. Objective: Lidocaine decreases neutrophilic inflammation as measured in BALF in RAO-affected horses. Methods: Six RAO-susceptible horses in remission. Methods: In a randomized cross-over design, horses received lactated Ringer's solution (LRS) IV or lidocaine hydrochloride IV with a minimum of 4 weeks a...
Induction of double ovulation in mares using deslorelin acetate. This study aimed to determine whether deslorelin acetate could induce double ovulation in mares. In Experiment 1, eight mares were treated with prostaglandin on Day 8 (D8) after ovulation, then treated with saline or with 100 μg of a controlled-release formulation of deslorelin acetate vehicle intramuscularly (IM) every 12h from D8 after ovulation until at least two follicles reached 33 mm. At this time, ovulation was induced with 2500 IU of hCG. Artificial insemination was performed 24h after induction, and embryos were collected on the eighth day after ovulation was first detected. In Exper...
Cardiotoxicity, inflammation, and immune response after rattlesnake envenomation in the horse. Cardiac abnormalities are reported in rattlesnake-bitten horses. The prevalence and cause are unknown. Objective: To detect cardiac damage in rattlesnake-bitten horses by measuring cardiac troponin I (cTnI) and evaluating ECG recordings for presence of arrhythmias, and explore causes of this cardiac damage by measuring venom excretion, anti-venom antibodies, and tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNFα). Methods: A total of 20 adult horses with a clinical diagnosis of rattlesnake bite and 6 healthy adult horses. Methods: In a prospective clinical study, bite site swabs, blood samples, and urine samp...
A predictive model for reproductive performance following abortion in Thoroughbred mares. Pregnancy losses include early embryonic death (EED) and later (postimplantation) abortion. Abortions, particularly Equid herpesvirus (EHV-1) abortion epizootics, cause severe economic and production losses. The long-term effects of EHV-1 and other abortions on subsequent reproductive performance in broodmare populations, however, remain undefined. This study described the relationships of EED and abortion with the following reproductive outcomes in Thoroughbred systems: breeding efficiency, month of last breeding, subsequent pregnancy and live foal rates. A prospective cohort study in broodma...
Guttural pouch mycosis in horses: a retrospective study of 28 cases. The medical records of 28 horses with guttural pouch mycosis were reviewed. The most commonly observed clinical signs were nasal discharge, epistaxis, dysphagia and/or cough. All 28 horses had the disease unilaterally, however, in five of them, it had spread into the contralateral pouch via the mesial septum. Three horses were treated medically, 11 horses underwent surgery and seven horses were treated both medically and surgically. Fifty percent of horses (14/28) were euthanased or died, fifty percent of horses (14/28) survived. There was no significant correlation between treatment method (m...
