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.
Harding PG, Smith RL, Barakzai SZ.To compare two approaches to performing the inferior alveolar nerve block in the horse and to evaluate the consistency of described topographical landmarks. Methods: Experimental cadaver model. Methods: Eleven cadaver heads were positioned to mimic a standing sedated horse and the position of the mandibular foramen approximated. The vertical approach to the approximate location of the mandibular foramen was undertaken and red dye was deposited. The angled approach was then undertaken and blue ink was used to identify it. The heads were then dissected to determine the location of the dye. Place...
Macpherson ML, Giguère S, Hatzel JN, Pozor M, Benson S, Diaw M, Sanchez LC, Vickroy TW, Tell L, Wetzlich S, Sims J.The objective of this study was to determine the pharmacokinetics of CCFA in mares with placentitis and evaluate the disposition of the drug in fetal fluids, fetal membranes, colostrum, and serum of foals. A secondary objective was to obtain pilot data regarding the efficacy of CCFA for improving foal survival in mares with placentitis. Twelve pregnant pony mares were enrolled in the study, inoculated with Streptococcus zooepidemicus, intracervically and assigned to one of three groups: CEFT (n = 3; administered CCFA only; 6.6 mg/kg, i.m., q96h); COMBO (n = 6; administered combination therapy ...
van Galen G, Marcillaud Pitel C, Saegerman C, Patarin F, Amory H, Baily JD, Cassart D, Gerber V, Hahn C, Harris P, Keen JA, Kirschvink N, Lefere L....Improved understanding of the epidemiology of atypical myopathy (AM) will help to define the environmental factors that permit or support the causal agent(s) to exert toxicity. Objective: This European survey of AM aimed to describe spatiotemporal distribution, survival, clinical signs, circumstances in which AM develops and its different expressions between countries and over time. Methods: The spatiotemporal distribution, history and clinical features of AM cases reported to the Atypical Myopathy Alert Group from 2006 to 2009 were described. Comparisons of data from the most severely affecte...
Ault A, Zajac AM, Kong WP, Gorres JP, Royals M, Wei CJ, Bao S, Yang ZY, Reedy SE, Sturgill TL, Page AE, Donofrio-Newman J, Adams AA, Balasuriya UB....Equine influenza A (H3N8) virus infection is a leading cause of respiratory disease in horses, resulting in widespread morbidity and economic losses. As with influenza in other species, equine influenza strains continuously mutate, often requiring the development of new vaccines. Current inactivated (killed) vaccines, while efficacious, only offer limited protection against diverse subtypes and require frequent boosts. Research into new vaccine technologies, including gene-based vaccines, aims to increase the neutralization potency, breadth, and duration of protective immunity. Here, we demons...
Knox J, Cowan RU, Doyle JS, Ligtermoet MK, Archer JS, Burrow JN, Tong SY, Currie BJ, Mackenzie JS, Smith DW, Catton M, Moran RJ, Aboltins CA....Murray Valley encephalitis virus (MVEV) is a mosquito-borne virus that is found across Australia, Papua New Guinea and Irian Jaya. MVEV is endemic to northern Australia and causes occasional outbreaks across south-eastern Australia. 2011 saw a dramatic increase in MVEV activity in endemic regions and the re-emergence of MVEV in south-eastern Australia. This followed significant regional flooding and increased numbers of the main mosquito vector, Culex annulirostris, and was evident from the widespread seroconversion of sentinel chickens, fatalities among horses and several cases in humans, res...
Sommerauer S, Muelling CK, Seeger J, Schusser GF.Anaesthesia of the external ear canal (external acoustic meatus) is usually performed by blocking both the great and internal auricular nerves by regional infiltration. However, exact landmarks for blocking the internal auricular nerve to accomplish effective anaesthesia have not been described yet. In this study, detailed anatomical dissection of the equine external ear canal and its nerve supply was carried out on fifteen cadaver heads. Tissue samples of the dissected nerves were taken from two cadaver heads processed and were evaluated microscopically. Prior to the dissection, the region of...
Ellse L, Burden F, Wall R.Equine pediculosis is a significant health and welfare issue, particularly in elderly and chronically debilitated animals. Currently infestation is controlled predominantly using topically applied pyrethroid insecticides, allowing limited scope for the rotation of drugs and increasing the risk of selection for resistance. Here the insecticidal efficacies of two pyrethroid-based products against the louse Bovicola (Werneckiella) ocellatus collected from donkeys were examined in vitro. The products were cypermethrin (Deosect™, Pfizer Ltd., 5% (w/v) cypermethrin, cutaneous spray) and permethrin...
Schumacher J, Schumacher J, Wilhite R.Clinical experiences indicate that centesis of the lateral compartment of the femorotibial joint is often unsuccessful. Objective: To determine the accuracy of 2 published and 2 unpublished techniques of centesis of the lateral compartment of the femorotibial joint. Objective: It was hypothesised that a drug can be administered into the lateral compartment of the femorotibial joint via a diverticulum of this joint that surrounds the medial aspect of the long digital extensor tendon and that this technique is more accurate than described techniques of centesis of this compartment. Methods: Twen...
Ramey DW.Current economic conditions make the practice of equine medicine challenging, to say the least. The downward trend in the US economy has had a huge impact on horse owners and equine veterinarians alike. Horses are expensive to keep; as such, economics are the driving factor in the problem of the unwanted horse. Under these conditions, efficient equine ambulatory practices are well-suited to weather the economic storm. As contributors to this issue of Veterinary Clinics of North America note, one can practice high-quality medicine and surgery without the overhead and expense of a large clinic. ...
Watts AE, Fubini SL.This report describes a modification of the parainguinal approach for removal of cystic calculi: a ventral midline laparotomy-guided parainguinal laparocystotomy. The ventral midline approach to the abdomen is rapid and routinely used by equine surgeons. With an arm introduced to the abdomen via the ventral midline, the surgeon is able to select the ideal parainguinal laparotomy incision location that allows bladder exteriorisation with the minimum amount of tension. Because the surgeon's hand is introduced via the ventral midline incision, the parainguinal incision can be sized to just allow ...
Roberts VL, Perkins JD, Skärlina E, Gorvy DA, Tremaine WH, Williams A, McKane SA, White I, Knottenbelt DC.Idiopathic headshaking is often a facial pain syndrome, but a diagnostic protocol has not been described. In a previous study, caudal compression of the infraorbital nerve for treatment offered a fair success rate, but low case numbers and short follow-up time were limitations. Objective: To describe a diagnostic protocol for headshaking, examining the role of bilateral local analgesia of the posterior ethmoidal nerve (PET block). To report longer-term follow-up after surgery of the original cases and further cases and to determine whether changes to the technique influence success rates and c...
Denwood MJ, Love S, Innocent GT, Matthews L, McKendrick IJ, Hillary N, Smith A, Reid SW.The faecal egg count (FEC) is the most widely used means of quantifying the nematode burden of horses, and is frequently used in clinical practice to inform treatment and prevention. The statistical process underlying the FEC is complex, comprising a Poisson counting error process for each sample, compounded with an underlying continuous distribution of means between samples. Being able to quantify the sources of variability contributing to this distribution of means is a necessary step towards providing estimates of statistical power for future FEC and FECRT studies, and may help to improve t...
Canisso IF, Beltaire KA, Bedford-Guaus SJ.Premature luteal demise or luteal insufficiency is not well characterised as a cause of pregnancy loss in domestic species, including horses. In this report, a mare inseminated with cooled-transported semen at our facility returned for a routine pregnancy diagnosis at 15 days post ovulation. Ultrasonography per rectum revealed endometrial oedema and the absence of visual indication of a corpus luteum on either ovary. Nonetheless, an embryonic vesicle small for the gestational age was identified. Daily oral altrenogest treatment was implemented immediately. Serum progesterone concentration was ...
Wulijideligen , Asahina T, Hara K, Arakawa K, Nakano H, Miyamoto T.The purification and characterization of a bacteriocin produced by Leuconostoc mesenteroides strain 406 that was isolated from traditional Mongolian fermented mare's milk, airag, were carried out. Leuconostoc mesenteroides strain 406 was identified on the basis of its morphological and biochemical characteristics and carbohydrate fermentation profile and by API 50 CH kit and 16S ribosomal DNA analyses. The neutral-pH cell-free supernatant of this bacterium inhibited the growth of several lactic acid bacteria and food spoilage and pathogenic organisms, including Listeria monocytogenes and Clost...
van Galen G, Saegerman C, Marcillaud Pitel C, Patarin F, Amory H, Baily JD, Cassart D, Gerber V, Hahn C, Harris P, Keen JA, Kirschvink N, Lefere L....Appropriate management of atypical myopathy (AM) requires the establishment of an accurate diagnosis and prognosis. Furthermore, preventive measures to avoid AM need to be refined. Objective: The aims of the study were as follows: 1) to improve the diagnosis of AM; 2) to identify prognostic predictors; and 3) to refine recommended preventive measures based on indicators of risk factors. Methods: An exploratory analysis of cases in Europe between 2006 and 2009 reported to the Atypical Myopathy Alert Group was conducted. Based on clinical data, reported cases were allocated into 2 groups: ...
Galera PD, Brooks DE.Keratomycosis in the horse exists in several unique clinical forms. This paper discusses the diagnosis and clinical management of keratomycosis in the horse associated with tear film instability, epithelial keratopathy, subepithelial infiltrates, superficial and deep ulcers, plaques, melting ulcers, descemetoceles, iris prolapse, and stromal abscesses. Prompt diagnosis and aggressive treatment of equine keratomycosis can make a major difference in the maintenance of a cosmetic and visual eye.
van Loon JP, Menke ES, Doornenbal A, Back W, Hellebrekers LJ.The objective of this study was to evaluate the safety and efficacy of low dose lumbosacral epidural ropivacaine in ponies. Antinociceptive effects of epidural ropivacaine were evaluated by means of mechanical nociceptive thresholds (MNTs) at several spinal levels in conscious ponies. The effects of ropivacaine on nociceptive afferent transmission to the spinal cord were also assessed by measuring spinal cord somatosensory evoked potentials (SSEPs) in anaesthetised ponies. Ataxia scores were determined in conscious ponies to assess the effects on motor function. A randomised, placebo controlle...
Gillen SS.The scope of medical problems encountered by the equine ambulatory practitioner is immense; there is a wealth of information available to ambulatory practitioners pertaining to specific medical topics. It is certainly possible to practice high-quality equine medicine in a field setting. However, hospital referral should be offered to clients for conditions not conducive to successful treatment in the field. Prompt referral of difficult cases is a sign that the practitioner wants the best treatment for the patient and is often gladly accepted by the client. When surgical or hospital referral is...
Bertoni L, Forresu D, Coudry V, Audigie F, Denoix JM.To characterize the clinical features, diagnostic procedures, treatment, and outcome for horses with an exostosis on the palmar or plantar cortex of the third metacarpal bone (MC3) or third metatarsal bone (MT3). Methods: Retrospective case series. Methods: 16 horses. Methods: Records from 2001 through 2010 were evaluated to identify horses with radiographic and ultrasonographic evidence of an exostosis on an MC3 or MT3. Signalment, history, lameness examination results, diagnostic imaging results, surgical and histopathologic findings, treatment, and outcome were evaluated. Results: 9 horses ...
Wahl K, Adams SB, Moore GE.To assess fetlock joint contamination with tissue debris and hair after arthrocentesis. Methods: Experimental. Methods: Fetlock joint tissues (n = 10 horses). Methods: Soft tissue flaps including the joint capsule were dissected from the dorsal fetlock joints of 7 anesthetized horses leaving an intact proximal base. Needles inserted through the tissue flaps were flushed into tissue cell culture plates and examined for debris. Studies were repeated on excised fetlock tissue preparations after being stored for 5 days. Variables included gauge and type of needle, insertion of spinal needles with ...
Erol E, Locke SJ, Donahoe JK, Mackin MA, Carter CN.The goal of this retrospective study was to have a comprehensive picture of the β-hemolytic streptococci of horses including tissue/organ distributions and susceptibility patterns against specific antimicrobials between January 1, 2000 and December 31, 2010. A total of 2,497 β-hemolytic streptococci were isolated from 2,391 cases, of which Streptococcus equi subsp. zooepidemicus was the most frequent isolate (72.0%). Other species isolated were Streptococcus dysgalactia subsp. equisimilis (21.3%), Streptococcus equi subsp. equi (5.8%), and unidentified β-hemolytic streptococci (0.9%). As ex...
D'Alessandro WB, Humber RA, Luz C.Two isolates of Beauveria bassiana and one of Purpureocillium lilacinum (=Paecilomyces lilacinus) were found infecting Amblyomma cajennense engorged females collected on horses (0.15% infection rate from a total of 1982 specimens) and another two isolates of P. lilacinum and one Metarhizium anisopliae detected in soils (2.1% from 144 samples) collected in typical pasture habitats of this tick in Central Brazil from October 2009 to March 2011. Fungi were isolated from soils with Rhipicephalus sanguineus as surrogate baits. No fungi were found in ticks or soils during the driest months (May to A...
Wada S, Hobo S, Ode H, Niwa H, Moriyama H.To describe the incidence, clinical progress, visual outcome, and laboratory findings of equine keratomycosis in Japan. Methods: Retrospective study of the medical records of horses clinically and mycologically diagnosed with keratomycosis at the Equine Hospitals of the Japan Racing Association from 2005 to 2011. Results: The diagnosis of keratomycosis was confirmed in eight horses (40.0% of the 20 horses with infectious keratitis from which fungi and/or bacteria were isolated). Fungi recovered from corneal swabs were identified as Aspergillus flavus (4), Aspergillus niger (1), Fusarium sol...
Ohya T, Kondo T, Yoshikawa Y, Watanabe K, Orino K.In mammal circulation, various ferritin-binding proteins (FBPs) are thought to be involved in the clearance of circulating ferritin after complex formation with it. However, horse FBPs are known to cause inhibitory effects on ferritin immunoassay due to the concealment of the ferritin molecule to anti-ferritin antibodies used in the ferritin immunoassay. These inhibitory effects are eliminated by heat treatment of horse serum at 75°C for 15 min. The inhibitory effects on ferritin immunoassay in the sera of ten foal sera (5 females and 5 males) from 1 to 18 months were detected during all peri...
Newman JC, Prange T, Jennings S, Barlow BM, Davis JL.The objectives of this study were to examine the pharmacokinetics of tobramycin in the horse following intravenous (IV), intramuscular (IM), and intra-articular (IA) administration. Six mares received 4 mg/kg tobramycin IV, IM, and IV with concurrent IA administration (IV+IA) in a randomized 3-way crossover design. A washout period of at least 7 days was allotted between experiments. After IV administration, the volume of distribution, clearance, and half-life were 0.18 ± 0.04 L/kg, 1.18 ± 0.32 mL·kg/min, and 4.61 ± 1.10 h, respectively. Concurrent IA administration could not be...
Peroni JF, Stick JA.To describe a single-portal cranial arthroscopic approach to the stifle joint in horses and to determine the clinical outcome in horses with femorotibial joint disease in which this approach was used. Methods: Retrospective study. Methods: 23 adult horses. Methods: Medical records were reviewed to obtain information on clinical outcome in horses in which the single-portal cranial arthroscopic approach was used. Results: Twenty-nine stifle joints of 23 horses were examined arthroscopically, using the described approach. Subchondral bone cysts were treated in 19 medial femoral condyles of 12 hor...
Jacobson GA, Pirie A, Edwards S, Hughes KJ, Rendle DI, Davies NW.Pergolide, an ergot-derived dopamine D2 receptor agonist, is used extensively as an orally administered treatment for pituitary pars intermedia dysfunction (PPID) in horses. One of the barriers associated with pergolide determinations in plasma for pharmacokinetic applications has been the technically demanding requirement for sensitivity. The objective of our work was to develop a simple assay for the determination of pergolide in plasma and demonstrate its potential application in the study of pergolide pharmacokinetics (PK) in horses. A UPLC-MS/MS assay was developed with a simple sample pr...
Adams A, Hendrickson DA.The advantages of performing standing male urogenital surgeries are numerous when compared with performing the same surgery in the anesthetized animal. Some traditional standing male urogenital surgeries, such as castrations, may be faster and cheaper to perform. Laparoscopic standing male urogenital surgeries may allow for improved visualization of the surgical field, decreased hemorrhage, and decreased morbidity and convalescence. Limitations of standing procedures may include increased danger to the surgeon because of fractious behavior of the patient, and increased expense and training ass...
Malekinejad H, Fink-Gremmels J.Molds and mycotoxins are contaminants of animal feed causing spoilage and clinical intoxication. Animal exposure to mycotoxins reflects diet composition with major differences occurring between animals kept predominantly of pastures, i.e. ruminants and horses, and those consuming formulated feed like pigs and poultry. Mixed feeds are composed of several ingredients, often sourced from different continents. Subsequently, practitioners may confront endemic diseases and signs of toxin exposure related to toxins imported accidentally with contaminated feed materials from other countries and contin...
Kellon EM, Gustafson KM.Sodium-Glucose CoTransporter-2 (SGLT2) inhibitors, the -flozin group of drugs, which block glucose reuptake in the renal proximal tubule, are being increasingly used off-label to treat horses with refractory hyperinsulinemia. After 2 years of use by animals in our group, a horse on canagliflozin was incidentally noted to be hyperlipemic. We have been following a cohort of equines (n = 20) treated with SGLT2 inhibitors due to refractory hyperinsulinemia. The animals are owned by members of the Equine Cushing's and Insulin Resistance Group and treated by their attending veterinarians. The index ...
Visser MB, Pollitt CC.The timing of lamellar basement membrane (BM) changes occurring during laminitis development is incompletely understood. Objective: To determine the temporal progression of lamellar BM changes and whether laminin-332 (Ln-332) γ2 cleavage products are generated during laminitis development. Methods: Eight clinically normal Standardbred horses were allocated into treatment (n = 5) or sham (n = 3) groups. The treatment group received, via nasogastric intubation, an oligofructose (OF) bolus (10 g/kg bwt) while the sham group was given water. Laminitis induction proceeded for 48 h followed by euth...
Costa LR, Eades SC, Venugopal CS, Moore RM.Summer pasture-associated recurrent airway obstruction (SPA-RAO), a seasonal airway obstructive disease of horses, is characterized by clinical exacerbation after exposure to pasture during warm months of the year. Endothelin (ET)-1, potent bronchoconstrictor, mitogen, secretagogue, and proinflammatory mediator, has been implicated in the pathogenesis of asthma and equine heaves. Objective: Immunoreactive ET-1 concentrations increase during clinical exacerbation and return to basal values during periods of disease remission. Methods: Twelve horses, 6 affected with SPA-RAO and 6 nonaffected. Me...
Olbrich VH, Mosing M.To evaluate and compare the effects of caudal epidural administration of methadone (METH) and lidocaine (LIDO) on tolerance to thermal stimulation over the dermatomes of the perineal, sacral, lumbar and thoracic regions in the horse. Methods: A blinded, randomized, prospective, experimental cross-over study. Methods: Seven healthy horses, 15.7 +/- 4.9 years (mean +/- SD) of age, weighing 536 +/- 37 kg. Methods: The horses were randomly assigned to receive two treatments (group M: METH, 0.1 mg kg-1 or group L: LIDO, 0.35 mg kg-1) at intervals of at least 28 days. An 18-gauge 80-mm Tuohy epidura...
Berlin S, Spieckermann L, Oswald S, Keiser M, Lumpe S, Ullrich A, Grube M, Hasan M, Venner M, Siegmund W.Drug interactions often result from multiple pharmacokinetic changes, such as after rifampicin (RIF) and clarithromycin (CLA) in the treatment of abscessing lung diseases. Comedication of RIF may interact with CLA disposition by either induction of presystemic elimination processes and/or inhibition of uptake mechanisms because it regulates gene transcription and modulates function of various CYP enzymes, multidrug efflux and uptake transporters for which CLA is a substrate. To distinguish the transcriptional changes from the modulating interaction components upon CLA absorption and pulmonary ...
Davis JL.In summary, peritonitis in the horse is a potentially life-threatening disease that must be treated promptly and aggressively. Therapy should be aimed at reducing systemic shock and hypovolemia, correction of the primary cause, antibiotic and anti-inflammatory therapy, and abdominal drainage and lavage. The prognosis depends on the ability to diagnose and treat the underlying cause and prevent the development of complications. Mortality rates can be as high as 59.7%, with horses developing postoperative peritonitis having a 56% mortality rate. Long-term complications like adhesion formation or...
Kendall A, Anagrius K, Gånheim A, Rosanowski SM, Bergström K.Recommendations for prophylactic vaccination against tetanus in horses vary greatly between countries and have scarce scientific support in the peer-reviewed literature. In human medicine, recommended booster vaccination intervals are also very variable, but are considerably longer than for horses. More information is needed about the duration of immunity induced by modern vaccines. Objective: To investigate if the duration of antibody titres previously determined to be protective against tetanus differ from what is indicated by recommended vaccination intervals for horses. Methods: Prospectiv...
Beyer MJ, Freestone JF, Reimer JM, Bernard WV, Rueve ER.Five thoroughbred foals (4 fillies and 1 colt), all in good to excellent body condition, ranging in age from 4 days to 5 weeks at the time of onset of signs, were presented to 2 Kentucky equine hospitals from 1992 through 1996. All 5 foals presented with tachycardia, hyperhidrosis, diarrhea or a recent history of diarrhea, and muscle rigidity or stiff gait. Four of the 5 foals presented for recumbency, seizure-like activity with opisthotonos, or pronounced extensor muscle rigidity. All 5 foals were hypocalcemic. All foals either died or had euthanasia performed. None responded to oral calcium ...
Cilliers I, Williams J, Carstens A, Duncan NM.Four horses were presented to the Onderstepoort Veterinary Academic Hospital with histories of facial asymmetry, nasal discharge or obstruction of normal nasal passage airflow. Radiographic examination of the maxillary sinuses of 2 cases revealed well circumscribed, unilateral, mineralised masses; the other 2 cases showed less mineralisation. The masses were accessed for further investigation by surgically created frontonasal bone flaps or trephination of the maxillary sinuses. Diagnosis of osteoma was confirmed histopathologically in 3 of the cases and of ossifying fibroma in the 4th. Two hor...
Brilhante RSN, Bittencourt PV, de Souza Collares Castelo-Branco D, de Melo Guedes GM, de Oliveira JS, Alencar LP, de Aguiar Cordeiro R, Pinheiro M....This study aimed to assess the biofilm-forming ability of Candida spp. from the ocular conjunctiva of horses and to investigate the antifungal susceptibility of these biofilms. Methods: Initially, the biofilm-forming ability of 15 strains was assessed by crystal violet staining, which reveals the fungal biomass adhered to the polystyrene plates, and scanning electron microscopy. Then, the minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) of amphotericin B, fluconazole, itraconazole, and caspofungin were initially determined against strains in planktonic form. Afterward, antifungal susceptibility of mat...
Bristol DG.The anion gap was calculated for each of 90 horses with signs of abdominal pain, using laboratory data obtained shortly after admission. The anion gap was defined as the difference between the sodium concentration (mEq/L) and the sum of the chloride and bicarbonate concentrations. To evaluate the use of the anion gap as a prognostic indicator, the survival rates were calculated for horses whose anion gap concentrations were within various ranges. It was found that the probability of survival decreased as the anion gap progressively increased about 20 mEq/L. The survival rates for increasing ra...
Tóth F, Schumacher J, Castro F, Perkins J.To describe and evaluate full-thickness skin grafting of equine wounds. Methods: Case series. Methods: Adult horses (n=6). Methods: A full-thickness graft was harvested from the pectoral region with the horse anesthetized or standing and sedated after local anesthetic infiltration. Grafts were attached to the cutaneous margin of the wound with staples and/or sutures if the horse was anesthetized or if the recipient site was desensitized. Cyanoacrylate glue was used to attach the grafts to the cutaneous margin of the wound of 3 horses. Medical records were reviewed for history, physical examina...
Viu J, Armengou L, Decloedt A, Jose-Cunilleras E.Two horses referred to the Unitat Equina, Fundació Hospital Clínic Veterinari, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, for unrelated clinical problems, and with no previous history of cardiac disease exhibited an intermittent ventricular pre-excitation electrocardiographic pattern during hospitalization. Both animals showed decreased plasma total and ionized magnesium concentrations, but no other relevant electrolyte disturbances were detected. Altered interventricular septal motion associated with ventricular pre-excitation beats (VPBs) was detected on M-mode echocardiography in both horses. Th...
Sallé G, Cabaret J.In-depth knowledge of the use of anthelminthics in the field, especially by veterinarians, is required to design more sustainable parasite control strategies. Methods: An online survey was sent by e-mail to 940 equine veterinary practitioners to describe their equine practice, their awareness about parasites and the management strategies they apply. Results: Gastrointestinal parasites were generally considered (68%) as an issue of moderate importance. Drug efficacy failure was a minor or moderate issue for 47% and 48% of responders, respectively. Parasite management mostly relied on the use of...
Gibson JS, Slater JD, Field HJ.The activity of the nucleotide analogue, (S)-1-[(3-hydroxy-2-phosphonyl methoxy) propyl] cytosine (HPMPC), against equine herpesvirus-1 (EHV-1) was tested in cell culture, mice and foals. The ED50 for plaque reduction was found to be 0.07 and 0.03 microgram/ml in RK-13 and EEL cells respectively. In mice, a single administration of HPMPC (20 mg/kg, s.c.) was very effective at reducing clinical signs and virus replication if given on the day before intranasal inoculation with EHV-1. Treatment on the day of infection or day 1 p.i. was less effective, but still significantly reduced clinical sign...
Barton AK, Heinemann H, Schenk I, Machnik M, Gehlen H.OBJECTIVE To evaluate the influence of respiratory tract disease (ie, recurrent airway obstruction [RAO]) and mode of inhalation on detectability of inhaled budesonide in equine plasma and urine samples. ANIMALS 16 horses (8 healthy control horses and 8 horses affected by RAO, as determined by results of clinical examination, blood gas analysis, bronchoscopy, and cytologic examination of bronchoalveolar lavage fluid). PROCEDURES 4 horses of each group inhaled budesonide (3 μg/kg) twice daily for 10 days while at rest, and the remaining 4 horses of each group inhaled budesonide during lunging ...
Bezerra PS, Driemeier D, Loretti AP, Riet-Correa F, Kamphues J, de Barros CS.Three outbreaks of monensin poisoning caused 12 deaths in 16 horses. The illnesses were associated with the ingestion of the same batch of a commercial ration labeled for feeder calves which contained 180 +/- 20 ppm sodium monensin. The morbidity rate was 100% and lethality was 60%, 75%, and 100%. Clinical signs were tachycardia and cardiac arrythmia, groaning, incoordination, sudoresis, recumbency, and paddling movements with the limbs before death. Two horses had dark discolored urine (myoglobinuria). Serum levels of creatine phosphokinase activity were increased. Main necropsy findings were...
Sherlock C, Lee W, Mueller PO, Eggleston R, Epstein K.Although single layer techniques are preferred in man and small animals for small intestinal end-to-end anastomoses, double layer techniques are more popular in equine surgery. This study was undertaken to evaluate the ex vivo characteristics of 2 single layer anastomoses in comparison to the traditionally performed double layer anastomosis in equine jejunum. Objective: To compare ex vivo: 1) construction time; 2) bursting pressure; and 3) lumen size reduction of 3 suture patterns (double layer simple continuous/Cushing pattern [2C]; single layer Lembert pattern [1L]; and single layer Cushing ...
Saetang T, Treamwattana N, Suttijitpaisal P, Ratanabanangkoon K.A quantitative comparison was made on the fractionation of pepsin-digested horse antivenoms by ammonium sulfate (AS) fractional precipitation and ion-exchange chromatography on Q-Sepharose. In the precipitation process, pepsin digested horse anti-Naja kaouthia serum was precipitated by 30% saturated AS followed by 50% saturated AS. The recovery of antibody activity [as measured by an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) against the cobra postsynaptic neurotoxin 3] from the 30-50% saturated AS precipitate was 53% with a 1.93-fold purification. For the chromatographic process, the behavior ...
Burns RE, Pesavento PA, McElliott VR, Ortega J, Affolter VK.Three horses presented with variably painful, nonulcerated masses of the head or neck that were diagnosed as glomus tumours. Grossly, they were fleshy, pink to tan masses ranging from 0.4 to 9 cm in diameter, involving either the deep dermis and subcutis or the subcutis and underlying skeletal muscle. Microscopically, neoplastic epithelioid cells were arranged in sheets, cords and packets within lobules. The neoplastic cells frequently abutted and formed nodular bulges into large endothelium-lined vascular spaces, especially around the tumour periphery. Large nerve branches were associated wit...
Colles CM.In a survey of 95 control horses and 16 horses with navicular disease, the incidence of erosions and discoloration of the flexor cartilage of the navicular bone was no different between the control horses and those with navicular disease. All cases of navicular disease showed thrombosis of the distal navicular nutrient arteries and this could be related to a change to a rounded or flask shape of the distal nutrient foramen of the navicular bone. Erosions and discoloration of the navicular bone are therefore of no significance in navicular disease. Previously described lines of treatment are of...
Pitzer JB, Kaufman PE, Hogsette JA, Geden CJ, Tenbroeck SH.Beginning in November 2007 and continuing until December 2009, weekly stable fly, Stomoxys calcitrans (L.), surveillance was conducted at four equine facilities near Ocala, FL, by using alsynite sticky traps for adults and by searching immature developmental sites for pupae. Adult stable fly trap captures were highly variable throughout the year, ranging from 0 to 1,400 flies per trap per farm. The greatest adult stable fly activity was observed during the spring months of March and April, with weekly three-trap means of 121 and 136 flies per farm, respectively. The importance of cultural cont...
Wijnberg ID, Schrama SE, Elgersma AE, Maree JT, de Cocq P, Back W.Therapeutic options for stringhalt in horses are limited, whereas medical experiences with botulinum toxin type A (Botox) have been positive. To evaluate its effectiveness in horses, surface electromyography (sEMG) signals before and after injection need to be quantified. Objective: Treatment of healthy ponies and cases with Botox should reduce muscle activity in injected muscles and reduce spastic movements without adverse side effects. Methods: Unilaterally, the extensor digitorum longus, extensor digitorum lateralis and lateral vastus muscles of 6 healthy mature Shetland ponies and 2 talent...
Sampieri F, Allen AL, Pusterla N, Vannucci FA, Antonopoulos AJ, Ball KR, Thompson J, Dowling PM, Hamilton DL, Gebhart CJ.The objective of this study was to demonstrate the susceptibility of rabbits to Lawsonia intracellularis obtained from a case of clinical equine proliferative enteropathy (EPE). This is a preliminary step toward developing a rabbit infection model for studying pathogenesis and therapy of EPE in horses. Nine does were equally assigned to 3 groups. Animals in 2 groups (Group 1 and Group 2) were orally inoculated with different doses of cell-cultured L. intracellularis. Controls (Group 3) were sham-inoculated. Feces and blood were collected before the rabbits were infected and at 7, 14, and 21 da...
Caron JP, Fretz PB, Bailey JV, Barber SM.Arthrodesis of the proximal interphalangeal joint was used to treat lameness resulting from osteoarthrosis and for closed subluxation in 35 horses. Six horses had bilateral arthrodeses. Several conventional internal fixation techniques and a three converging screw method were used. Criteria for success included the horse performing its previous or intended athletic activity and the owner being satisfied with the outcome. Using these criteria, a successful outcome was obtained in 65% of the 26 animals in which adequate follow-up was available. A successful outcome was observed in four of six ho...
