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.
Toth AM, Geisler C, Aumiller JJ, Jarvis DL.In an effort to produce processed, soluble Western equine encephalitis virus (WEEV) glycoproteins for subunit therapeutic vaccine studies, we isolated twelve recombinant baculoviruses designed to express four different WEEV glycoprotein constructs under the transcriptional control of three temporally distinct baculovirus promoters. The WEEV glycoprotein constructs encoded full-length E1, the E1 ectodomain, an E26KE1 polyprotein precursor, and an artificial, secretable E2E1 chimera. The three different promoters induced gene expression during the immediate early (ie1), late (p6.9), and very lat...
De Angelis N, Scivetti M.This paper reports on a patient who underwent horizontal ridge augmentation using recombinant human platelet-derived growth factor BB (rhPDGF-BB) in combination with a collagenate equine block. Ninety days after the first surgery, 8 mm of new bone was noted on a computed tomography scan, and three 5-mm implants were placed. Histology, performed using confocal laser scanning microscopy, showed a large amount of newly formed bone well characterized with osteon and resorption lacunae, which demonstrated the intense bone remodeling. This study supports the use of rhPDGF-BB in combination with allo...
Pease A, Behan A, Bohart G.Horses with intracranial lesions and severe ataxia are not good anesthesia candidates; however, only one method to obtain cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) from the cervical region in a standing horse has been reported. This method is not performed routinely due to the difficulty for sample acquisition. Our hypothesis is that standing cervical centesis can be performed in horses without complication. Ultrasound-guided centesis of the CSF between C1 and C2 in 11 clinically normal horses and two horses with neurologic signs were performed. Horses were sedated and ultrasound was used to identify the suba...
Crabtree J.This paper reviews the equine granulosa cell tumour (GCT) and describes the clinicopathological features, treatment and outcome in seven cases of GCT in mares. Mares were presented with unilateral ovarian enlargement during the 2007 to 2010 breeding seasons. The mean (sd) age of the mares was 11.7 (5.96) years. Three mares were multiparous barren, three were nulliparous and one was primigravida. Behaviour at presentation was 57 per cent anoestrus, 28 per cent with stallion-like behaviour and 14 per cent with persistent oestrus. All mares had unilateral ovarian enlargement. Six non-pregnant mar...
Poore LA, Else RW, Licka TL.Verrucous pastern dermatitis is a progressive inflammatory skin disease commonly involving the palmar or plantar aspects of the pasterns of horses. There are no reports of successful surgical treatment for multifocal circumscribed verrucous masses in the chronic stages of verrucous pastern dermatitis. A combination of sharp dissection and electrocautery was used to resect numerous multifocal circumscribed verrucous masses from the distal hindlimb of an 11-year-old gelding draught horse. There was no evidence of significant regrowth or complications at a 24 month postoperative examination.
Iyer U, Kadambi VJ.Antibody drug conjugates (ADCs) consist of an antibody attached to a cytotoxic drug by means of a linker. ADCs provide a way to couple the specificity of a monoclonal antibody (mAb) to the cytotoxicity of a small-molecule drug and, therefore, are promising new therapies for cancer. ADCs are prodrugs that are inactive in circulation but exert their cytotoxicity upon binding to the target cancer cell. Earlier unsuccessful attempts to generate ADCs with therapeutic value have emphasized the important role each component plays in determining the efficacy and safety of the final ADC. Scientific adv...
Freeman DE, Schaeffer DJ.Although experimental studies have demonstrated differences in performance between methods for handsewn jejunojejunostomy in horses, information on clinical results after different methods of anastomosis are rare. Objective: A continuous Lembert pattern wrapped in a carboxymethylcellulose and hyaluronate membrane would perform better than an interrupted Lembert pattern for jejunojejunostomy in horses. Methods: Data was reviewed on 32 horses that underwent jejunojejunostomy from 1993-2002. Kaplan-Meier analyses and rates for post operative colic and death were used to compare outcomes after an ...
Backer JA, Nodelijk G.African horse sickness (AHS) is an equine viral disease that is spread by Culicoides spp. Since the closely related disease bluetongue established itself in The Netherlands in 2006, AHS is considered a potential threat for the Dutch horse population. A vector-host model that incorporates the current knowledge of the infection biology is used to explore the effect of different parameters on whether and how the disease will spread, and to assess the effect of control measures. The time of introduction is an important determinant whether and how the disease will spread, depending on temperature a...
Lindegaard C, Ekstrøm CT, Wulf SB, Vendelbo JM, Andersen PH.Previous studies indicate similar overall survival of horses with nephrosplenic entrapment of the large colon (NSE), regardless of treatment strategy. Short-term survival of a primarily conservative treatment strategy without rolling under general anaesthesia (GA) and a low proportion of surgical intervention as well as indicators of short-term nonsurvival has not been documented. Objective: To document short-term survival of horses with NSE treated in a university referral hospital with a low rate of surgical interventions and to determine factors associated with the decision of treatment and...
Marshall JF, Bhatnagar AS, Bowman SG, Morris NN, Skorich DA, Redding CD, Blikslager AT.Flunixin meglumine is used for treatment of equine colic despite evidence of inhibited recovery of mucosal barrier function following small intestinal ischaemic injury. This study aimed to characterise an alternative treatment (AHI-805) for abdominal pain in the horse. Objective: To determine the effect of AHI-805, an aza-thia-benzoazulene derivative, on the cyclooxygenase enzymes and the recovery of mucosal barrier function following ischaemic injury. Methods: Effect of AHI-805 on in vitro COX-1 and COX-2 activity was determined by measuring coagulation-induced thromboxane B(2) (TXB(2)) and l...
Marshall JF, Blikslager AT.Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) are commonly used in the management of pain and endotoxaemia associated with colic in the horse. While NSAIDs effectively treat the symptoms of colic, there is evidence to suggest that their administration is associated with adverse gastrointestinal effects including right dorsal colitis and inhibition of mucosal barrier healing. Several studies have examined the pathophysiology of NSAID associated effects on the large and small intestine in an effort to avoid these complications and identify effective alternative medications. Differences in the re...
Noschka E, Werre SR, Crisman MV, Thatcher CD, Milne GL, Dahlgren LA.F2-isoprostanes have been used extensively to quantify lipid peroxidation in association with risk factors in various diseases. Horses with colic may have intestinal ischaemia and/or inflammation characterised by oxidative stress and increased production of isoprostanes. Objective: To gather preliminary data regarding the feasibility of using urine F2-isoprostanes and isoprostane metabolites as early screening tools for the presence of gastrointestinal disease requiring surgical intervention in horses and ultimately develop a stall-side test capable of identifying these horses as early as poss...
Watson J, Daniels P, Kirkland P, Carroll A, Jeggo M.In August 2007 Australia experienced its first outbreak of equine influenza. The disease occurred first in a quarantine station for imported horses near Sydney and subsequently escaped into the general horse population. After an extensive campaign the disease was eradicated and Australia is again recognised as free of this disease. Equine influenza was then, and is now, recognised to be the major disease risk associated with live horse imports into Australia and measures designed to mitigate this risk formed the basis of the quarantine protocols then in place. Subsequent investigations into th...
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 ...
Mair TS, Sherlock CE.Six mature horses with large abdominal abscesses (defined as an abscess >15-20 cm in at least one dimension) were treated by surgical drainage and post operative lavage. The abscess was associated with previous intestinal surgery in one horse, and with Streptococcus equi spp. equi infection in the other 5. A Foley catheter was used to drain and lavage the abscess in all cases. The abscess was accessed by a ventral midline laparotomy in 5 cases and by standing flank laparoscopy in one. Two horses were subjected to euthanasia within 7 days due to persistent or recurrent colic. The other 4 hor...
Grenager NS, Durham MG.This report describes the use of ultrasound to diagnose right dorsal displacement of the large colon (RDDLC) in 13 horses prior to surgery. Horses had ultrasonographic examinations performed of the right lateroventral aspect of the abdomen upon admission to the hospital with a 2-5 MHz broadband curvilinear sector scanning transducer after alcohol was used to wet the hair. First, the caecal vessels were identified in the right flank and followed medially and cranially. Next, each intercostal space, from caudal to cranial, was scanned from dorsal to ventral evaluating for abnormally-located mese...
Whitfield-Cargile CM, Rakestraw PC, Hardy J, Cohen ND, Davis BE.Repair of incisional hernias in horses has been described previously; however, this report describes the outcome of primary closure of incisional hernias in a large number of horses and compares these results with those of mesh implantation. Objective: To report the perioperative care, complications and long-term outcome of primary closure of incisional hernias in horses and to compare these results with a second population of horses in which prosthetic mesh was used. Methods: Medical records of horses undergoing an incisional herniorrhaphy between 1998 and 2009 were reviewed. Information obta...
Dixon PM, Parkin TD, Collins N, Hawkes C, Townsend N, Tremaine WH, Fisher G, Ealey R, Barakzai SZ.There is limited objective information available on the treatment and the long-term response to treatment of the different types of equine sinus disease. Objective: To document the treatments and long-term response to these treatments in 200 cases of equine sinus disease (1997-2009). Methods: The treatments of horses affected with subacute primary sinusitis (n = 52); chronic primary sinusitis (n = 37); dental sinusitis (n = 40); sinus cyst (n = 26); traumatic (n = 13); dental-related oromaxillary fistula (n = 8); sinus neoplasia (n = 10); mycotic sinus disease (n = 7); and intrasinus progressi...
Morton AJ, Varney CR, Ekiri AB, Grosche A.N-butylscopolammonium bromide (NBB) and xylazine are commonly used medications for the treatment of spasmodic colic and other forms of abdominal pain in horses. Both NBB and xylazine exert significant effects on the cardiovascular system and other vital systems of horses. Objective: To evaluate the effects of i.v. administration of NBB, xylazine, and the combination of NBB and xylazine on heart rate, other commonly measured physiological parameters, cardiac rhythm and blood pressure. Methods: Six mature horses of mixed breed were used. In a random cross-over design, each horse was given 0.3 mg...
Mair TS, Pearson GR, Scase TJ.Three mature horses presented with progressive weight loss, inappetence, ventral abdominal oedema and lethargy. Two of the animals had intermittent signs of low grade abdominal pain. At presentation, all 3 had hypoalbuminaemia; 2 had hyperfibrinogenaemia and the other had neutrophilia. An oral glucose tolerance test was performed in 2 cases, both of which demonstrated impaired glucose absorption. One pony treated with corticosteroids failed to improve and developed peritonitis and was subjected to euthanasia after 2 weeks. One pony had small intestinal biopsies obtained via a standing flank la...
Morton AJ, Grosche A, Matyjaszek SA, Polyak MM, Freeman DE.The effects of prostaglandins and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) on repair of equine intestinal mucosa are important since most horses with gastrointestinal diseases are routinely treated with NSAIDs, such as flunixin meglumine (FM), and these drugs can be toxic to equine gastrointestinal mucosa. Objective: Flunixin meglumine would not affect recovery of equine colonic mucosa in vitro, 18 h after a reversible ischaemic injury. Methods: In 14 anaesthetised horses, a segment of pelvic flexure was subjected to 2 h of ischaemia and the horses were allowed to recover for 18 h. Seven ...
Clayton HM, Gray S, Kaiser LJ, Bowker RM.To monitor changes in hoof morphology in response to barefoot trimming. Methods: Seven horses were trimmed every 6 weeks according to barefoot trimming principles, which involved levelling the hoof to live sole, lowering the heels, bevelling the toe and rounding the peripheral wall, while leaving the sole, frog and bars intact. A 4-month period was allowed to lower the heels sufficiently to achieve a hoof shape representative of the barefoot trim. This was regarded as the starting point for morphological adaptations in response to maintenance of the trim. Hoof morphology was measured from late...
Parmar J, Winterbottom A, Cooke F, Lever AM, Gaunt M.Streptococcus equi is a common equine infectious disease, but transmission to man is rare and confined to those who commonly come into close contact with horses. Similarly, prosthetic stent graft infection is a rare complication of endovascular aortic aneurysm repair. We describe the first reported case of aortic stent graft with S. equi occurring in a professional racehorse trainer. Clinical presentation, investigations, imaging and management of this case are described. In conclusion, clinicians should consider infection with rare organisms in patients with prosthetic implants who regularly ...
Faleiros RR, Leise BS, Watts M, Johnson PJ, Black SJ, Belknap JK.Chemokines play a vital role in leukocyte activation and emigration that reportedly plays a central role in laminar injury in equine laminitis. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the pattern of laminar chemokine expression in horses in the classical carbohydrate overload (CHO)-model of laminitis. Laminar samples were obtained 24h following water administration in the control group (CON, n=8), and at the onset of fever (≥ 102°F, 12-22 h post CHO, DEV group, n=8) and at the onset of lameness (20-48 h post CHO, LAM group, n=8) in induced horses. Real time quantitative PCR was performed ...
Marfe G, Massaro-Giordano M, Ranalli M, Cozzoli E, Di Stefano C, Malafoglia V, Polettini M, Gambacurta A.Stem cell technology has evoked considerable excitement among people interested in the welfare of animals, as it has suggested the potential availability of new tools for several pathologies, including eye disease, which in many cases is considered incurable. One such example is ulcerative keratitis, which is very frequent in horses. Because some of these corneal ulcers can be very severe, progress rapidly and, therefore, can be a possible cause of vision loss, it is important to diagnose them at an early stage and administer an appropriate treatment, which can be medical, surgical, or a combi...
Tamzali Y, Borde L, Rols MP, Golzio M, Lyazrhi F, Teissie J.Sarcoids are the commonest form of equine skin tumour. Several therapeutic measures have been described but none is considered to be universally effective. Electrochemotherapy (ECT) is a new anticancer therapy that utilises electrical field pulses to induce increased cell membrane permeability to antitumour hydrophilic drugs, such as cisplatin. The increased intracellular concentration of the drugs has a significant therapeutic benefit. The procedure has not been previously reported in a large number of horses. Objective: To validate ECT as a novel alternative treatment for equine sarcoids. Me...
Biggi M, Dyson S.The significance of distal border fragments of the navicular bone is not well understood. There are also no objective data about changes in thickness and proximal/distal extension of the palmar cortex of the navicular bone. Objective: To describe the distribution of distal border fragments and their association with other radiological abnormalities of the navicular bone and describe the shape of the navicular bone in sound horses and horses with foot-related lameness, including navicular pathology. Methods: Sound horses had radiographs acquired as part of a prepurchase examination. Lame horses...
Green SL, Conlon PD, Mama K, Baird JD.The effects of hypoxia and azotaemia on the pharmacokinetics of amikacin were evaluated in 20 full-term neonatal critically ill foals which required 24-h supportive care, antibiotics and dextrose-supplemented polyionic fluids given intravenously, nasal insufflation with oxygen and nutritional supplementation. There was no association between sepsis score or survival and pharmacokinetic parameters. Concurrent hypoxia and azotaemia were associated with significantly decreased clearance and increased peak and trough serum concentrations of amikacin; however, peaks or troughs did not exceed toxic ...
Mainguy-Seers S, Bessonnat A, Picotte K, Lavoie JP.Inhaled corticosteroids are effective in the treatment of equine asthma. A recent study reported that nebulisation of injectable dexamethasone had low systemic bioavailability in healthy horses and could represent a cost-effective therapy for equine inflammatory lung diseases. Objective: To determine the effects of dexamethasone nebulisation on lung function in severe asthmatic horses. It was hypothesised that dexamethasone administered by nebulisation would be more effective than the same dose administered orally. Methods: Randomised blinded experimental study in severe asthmatic horses. Meth...
McMullen RJ, Davidson MG, Gilger BC.To determine the effects of tropicamide 1% on the refractive state of the adult equine globe and identify the most appropriate time period (in relation to mydriasis) to perform streak retinoscopy. Methods: Eight university-owned mares of various ages and breeds. Methods: Topical tropicamide 1% was applied to one randomly selected eye from each of the horses to induce mydriasis and cycloplegia. The contralateral eyes served as controls. Streak retinoscopy and pupillometry were performed prior to, and every 5 min after tropicamide 1% installation for 90 min. Results: All values are expressed as ...
Bolt DM, Burba DJ, Hubert JD, Pettifer GR, Hosgood GL.Extracorporeal shock wave therapy is becoming increasingly used in equine practice to treat musculoskeletal disorders. Although the exact effects of extracorporeal shock waves on tissues still need to be elucidated, transient cutaneous analgesia has been observed within treated areas in humans and horses. The purpose of this study was to determine the onset, magnitude, and duration of cutaneous analgesia after non-focused extracorporeal shock wave (ESW) application by comparing the limb withdrawal reflex latency (LWRL) in treated and untreated areas on the metacarpus of horses, using a focused...
Hildebrandt M.The advanced therapy medicinal products (ATMPs) landscape is entirely different from classical drug development. Academia has been the major source of ATMP development, and academic hospitals act as trial sites for the clinical testing of ATMPs, including early academic-led trials as well as industry-sponsored trials that pursue the full developmental pathway to market authorization. The recent breakthrough developments in some ATMPs, such as genetically engineered immune cells, have confronted academic hospitals with a substantial amount of public demand, competitive pressure, and costs. At t...
Rumbaugh GE, Smith BP, Carlson GP.internal abdominal abscesses in 25 horses, including 8 horses that died or were euthanatized, were found to be caused by Streptococcus equi, Streptococcus zooepidemicus, or Corynebacterium pseudotuberculosis. Breed or sex predilection was not found. Although horses of all ages were affected, those under 5 years of age were more commonly affected. Nearly all of the horses had a history of respiratory catarrh or lymphadenitis. Horses with internal abdominal abscesses also had intermittent, prolonged colic or chronic weight loss. Most horses had increased rectal temperature, increased heart and r...
Torbert BJ, Kramer BS, Klei TR.A controlled test was used in ponies to compare the antiparasitic efficacy of ivermectin (22,23-dihydro-avermectin B1) in an injectable micelle solution administered IM with the efficacy of the same drug in an oral paste formulation. Parasite infections were naturally acquired in southern Louisiana. The drug was tested in both formulations at a dosage level of 0.2 mg/kg of body weight. Ivermectin in both formulations tested had an efficacy greater than 98% against Gasterophilus intestinalis and G nasalis larvae. Trichostrongylus axei, Habronema spp, Strongylus vulgaris, S. edentatus, and speci...
Caston S, McClure S, Beug J, Kersh K, Reinertson E, Wang C.While surgical arthrodesis is the treatment of choice for osteoarthritis of the proximal interphalangeal joint, some clients are unable to pursue surgery due to costs. A more economical technique was sought using intra-articular ethyl alcohol injections to facilitate ankylosis. Objective: To describe the technique and outcome of intra-articular ethyl alcohol injections for facilitated ankylosis of proximal interphalangeal joints with osteoarthritis. Methods: As a retrospective case series, the medical records (2006-2012) of clinical cases diagnosed with proximal interphalangeal joint osteoarth...
Vitale V, Viu J, Armengou L, Ríos J, Jose-Cunilleras E.To evaluate the prognostic value of measuring heart rate variability (HRV) in horses with colic at the time of admission to a referral hospital. Methods: 51 horses > 1 year of age with colic (41 that survived [survivors] and 10 that died or were euthanized [nonsurvivors]). Methods: HRV was recorded within 1 hour after admission by use of heart rate sensors with horses restrained in stocks. A 5-minute recording period was analyzed to obtain HRV measurements (eg, SD of R-R intervals [SDRR], root mean square of successive differences between R-R intervals [RMSSD], and geometric SDs determined ...
Hall LW, Taylor PM.One hundred anaesthetics were administered in a clinical trial to 95 equine patients, ranging in age from nine months to 19 years and in weight from 140 to 1270 kg, undergoing a variety of surgical procedures. Acepromazine maleate premedication (0.01 to 0.03 mg per kg intramuscularly) was given to seven animals, the remainder were not premedicated. Xylazine (1.1 mg per kg) was injected intravenously over a two minute period and after a pause of two minutes ketamine (2.2 mg per kg) was injected rapidly by the same route. For 30 procedures no other anaesthetic was given but in 59 cases anaesthes...
Wilson JW.Creatine phosphokinase activity was determined in cerebrospinal fluid samples submitted for analysis from 126 animals suspected of having central nervous system disease. Values less than 1 sigma unit/ml were obtained on 32 samples and values less than or equal to 1 sigma unit/ml were obtained on 94 samples. The creatine phosphokinase values were increased in all cases of feline toxoplasmosis and feline infectious peritonitis. From other cases, especially seizure disorders and suspected poisonings, and apparent aid in prognosis for future cases was identified.
Easley JT, Freeman DE.The diagnosis and treatment of equine dental-related sinus disease is often challenging. Dental-related sinus disease is common and knowledge of these diseases is becoming increasingly important in veterinary medicine. Diagnostic capabilities are continually improving, leading to early diagnostic and therapeutic successes. With advanced imaging modalities, such as computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging, understanding of the intimate anatomic relationship between teeth and the paranasal sinuses continues to progress. There are many therapeutic options available for the treatment of ...
Heinrich A, Riethmüller D, Gloger M, Schusser GF, Giese M, Ulbert S.Equine Arteritis Virus (EAV) belongs to the Arteriviridae and causes viral arteritis in horses. In an attempt to develop novel and save therapies against the infection it was tested whether EAV is susceptible to RNA interference (RNAi) in an equine in vitro system. Horse cells were transfected with chemically synthesized small interfering RNA oligonucleotides (siRNAs) and challenged with EAV. Application of these siRNAs led to a significant protection of the cells, and virus titers decreased drastically. siRNAs derived from DNA plasmids expressing small hairpin RNAs (shRNAs) were also effectiv...
Craigo JK, Ezzelarab C, Cook SJ, Chong L, Horohov D, Issel CJ, Montelaro RC.Lentiviral envelope (Env) antigenic variation and associated immune evasion present major obstacles to vaccine development. The concept that Env is a critical determinant for vaccine efficacy is well accepted, however defined correlates of protection associated with Env variation have yet to be determined. We reported an attenuated equine infectious anemia virus (EIAV) vaccine study that directly examined the effect of lentiviral Env sequence variation on vaccine efficacy. The study identified a significant, inverse, linear correlation between vaccine efficacy and increasing divergence of the ...
Skalka B.The occurrence of equi-factor antibodies in sera of mares and their foals was studied on two horse breeding farms, one of which (Farm A) had a positive and the other (farm B) a negative history of R. equi infection of foals. The equi-factor neutralization (EFN) and the reverse Elek-Ouchterlony (REO) precipitation were used as assays. On Farm A, 25 mares positive in both tests (EFN+ REO+) and 25 mares negative in both tests (EFN- REO-) was chosen. On Farm B, a group of 25 EFN- REO+ mares and a group of 25 EFN- REO- mares were studied. The first serum samplings in mares were 1 week ante partum a...
Cornick JL, Seahorn TL.During a 3 1/2-year period, cardiac arrhythmias were identified in 6 of 67 horses diagnosed with duodenitis/proximal jejunitis (DPJ). Arrhythmias were detected by auscultation of irregular cardiac rhythm and subsequently were characterized by electrocardiographic evaluation. Arrhythmias included frequent second-degree atrioventricular block, ventricular ectopic depolarizations, and atrioventricular conduction disturbance. In 4 horses, arrhythmias resolved with recovery from the primary problem. One horse died suddenly 66 hours after admission, and another was euthanatized at 72 hours after adm...
Zielińska P, Soroko-Dubrovina M, Dudek K, Ruzhanova-Gospodinova IS.The reason for undertaking this study was to investigate soft tissue response to high-intensity laser therapy (HILT) by measuring changes in skin surface temperature and longissimus dorsi muscle tone in the thoracolumbar back area in Thoroughbreds with back pain and diagnosed with and without Kissing Spines Syndrome (KSS). Thoroughbreds aged 3-4 years with clinically presented back pain underwent a radiological examination (to assess a lack or presence of KSS) and longissimus dorsi muscle palpation (to assess muscle tone and pain degree). The subjects were divided into two groups, those with K...
Witte TH, Mohammed HO, Radcliffe CH, Hackett RP, Ducharme NG.The success of combined prosthetic laryngoplasty with ipsilateral ventriculocordectomy (LPVC) has not been compared to that of partial arytenoidectomy (PA) in a clinical population. Objective: In Thoroughbred (TB) racehorses: (1) earnings after LPVC are unaffected by the severity of recurrent laryngeal neuropathy (RLN) (laryngeal grade III vs. grade IV); (2) LPVC and PA yield similar results in the treatment of grade III RLN; (3) performance outcome following PA is independent of diagnosis (RLN vs. unilateral arytenoid chondritis [UAC]); and (4) neither LPVC nor PA returns horses to the level ...
Gygax D, Lischer C, Auer JA.To compare the precision of computer-assisted surgery with a conventional technique (CV) using a special guiding device for screw insertion into the distal sesamoid bone in horses. Methods: In vitro experimental study. Methods: Cadaveric forelimb specimens. Methods: Insertion of a 3.5 mm cortex screw in lag fashion along the longitudinal axis of intact (non-fractured) distal sesamoid bones was evaluated in 2 groups (8 limbs each): CV and computer-assisted surgery (CAS). For CV, the screw was inserted using a special guiding device and fluoroscopy, whereas for CAS, the screw was inserted using ...
Braucke AFGV, Frederiksen NL, Berg LC, Aarsvold S, Müller FC, Boesen MP, Lindegaard C.Joint pain and osteoarthritis (OA) are some of the most common causes of lameness in horses, and most of the available treatments focus on symptomatic relief without a disease-modifying effect. TRPV1 is a potential target for treating joint diseases, including OA, and the present study aims to investigate if the TRPV1 receptor is present in equine articular tissue and determine whether the number of receptors is upregulated in joint inflammation. Metacarpo/metatarsophalangeal (MCP/MTP) joints from 15 horses euthanised for reasons unrelated to this study were included. Based on synovial fluid a...
Slack J, Risdahl JM, Valberg SJ, Murphy MJ, Schram BR, Lunn DP.To determine the effects of dexamethasone on development of IgG subclass responses following vaccination of healthy horses. Methods: 11 mature Thoroughbreds. Methods: Horses received 2 IM injections at 2-week intervals of a vaccine containing inactivated infectious bovine rhinotracheitis, bovine viral diarrhea, and parainfluenza-3 viral antigens and were then randomly assigned to 2 groups. Six horses received dexamethasone (0.2 mg/kg of body weight, IM) twice weekly for 8 weeks starting the day of the first vaccination. Five control horses received an equivalent volume of saline (0.9% NaCl) so...
Cable CS, Fubini SL, Erb HN, Hakes JE.The case records of 119 young horses (all less than age one year) that underwent an exploratory celiotomy during a 17 year period were examined to determine the surgical findings, short- and long-term outcome, and prevalence of small intestinal disease compared to previous reports in the mature horse. Physical and laboratory values were compared for long-term survivors vs. nonsurvivors and the frequency of post operative intra-abdominal adhesions was determined. The most common cause for exploratory celiotomy was small intestinal strangulation, followed by enteritis and uroperitoneum. Six hors...
Sim RR, Joyner PH, Padilla LR, Anikis P, Aitken-Palmer C.Anaplasma phagocytophilum is a tick-borne pathogen of domestic horses and the causative agent of equine granulocytic anaplasmosis. This case series describes three confirmed cases of clinical anaplasmosis, and a fourth case of presumptive anaplasmosis in Przewalski's horses ( Equus ferus przewalskii) housed at the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute from 2008 to 2014. Clinical signs varied among individuals with affected horses exhibiting lethargy, weakness, pyrexia, hypophagia, reluctance to move, or ataxia. Anaplasmosis cases were confirmed with a combination of identification of neut...
Stack JD, Bergamino C, Sanders R, Fogarty U, Puggioni A, Kearney C, David F.To compare the accuracy and distribution of injectate for cranial (CR) and caudomedial (CM) ultrasound-guided injections of equine sacroiliac joints. Methods: Both sacroiliac joints from 10 lumbosacropelvic specimens were injected using cranial parasagittal (CR; curved 18 gauge, 25 cm spinal needles) and caudomedial (CM; straight 18 gauge, 15 cm spinal needles) ultrasound-guided approaches. Injectate consisted of 4 ml iodinated contrast and 2 ml methylene blue. Computed tomographical (CT) scans were performed before and after injections. Time for needle guidance and repositioning attempts were...
Arlas TR, Wolf CA, Petrucci BP, Estanislau JF, Gregory RM, Jobim MI, Mattos RC.Corticotherapy is a common treatment in mares susceptible to endometritis. Isoflupredone improves pregnancy rates and affects the protein profile of endometrial fluid in comparison to untreated mares. Dexamethasone decreases postbreeding fluid accumulation and uterine edema; however, its effects on the protein profile of the endometrial fluid have not yet been studied. The aim of the present study was to verify the effect of dexamethasone on the protein profile of endometrial fluid, in the presence or absence of infection, from mares susceptible to persistent postbreeding endometritis. Nine su...
Chaney KP, Holcombe SJ, Schott HC, Barr BS.To (1) determine the occurrence of spurious hypercreatininemia in a population of hospitalized foals<2 days old, (2) assess the resolution of the hypercreatininemia, and (3) determine its association with survival in these foals. Methods: Retrospective case series. Methods: 2 Referral hospitals. Methods: Foals442 micromol/L (>5.0 mg/dL) from 2 referral hospitals. Methods: None. Results: The medical records of 33 foals were reviewed. Twenty-eight had spurious hypercreatininemia and 5 had acute renal failure. Admission creatinine was not significantly different between the 2 groups (mean [...
Frippiat T, Art T, Tosi I.Airway hyperresponsiveness (AHR) and inflammation are both observed in human and equine asthma. The aim of this study was to assess the timeline and relationship of both features at the subclinical onset of severe equine asthma (SEA). First, the repeatability of the pulmonary function test (PFT) using impulse oscillometry system, and the methacholine bronchoprovocation test (BPT) were assessed at a 1-day interval on six SEA horses in clinical remission and six control horses. Then, clinical and ancillary tests were performed before and after a 1-week low-dust environmental challenge, including...
Marttinen PH, Raulo SM, Suominen MM, Tulamo RM.The objective here was to evaluate the acute effects of induced arthritis on synovial fluid (SF) levels of matrix metalloproteinases (MMP) -2, -8 and -9 in horses. To evaluate MMP-2 and -9 activities and the effect of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) bufexamac during remission from acute arthritis. Aseptic arthritis was induced in 24 Standardbred horses using 20 mg of amphotericin B as a single intra-articular (IA) injection in the right intercarpal joint. After 1 week and 2 weeks, horses were treated intra-articularly with 10, 20, or 40 mg of bufexamac suspension or with sterile s...
Skarda RT, Muir WW.To determine the analgesic, hemodynamic, and respiratory effects induced by caudal epidural administration of meperidine hydrochloride in mares. Methods: 7 healthy mares. Methods: Each mare received meperidine (5%; 0.8 mg/kg of body weight) or saline (0.9% NaCl) solution via caudal epidural injection on 2 occasions. At least 2 weeks elapsed between treatments. Degree of analgesia in response to noxious electrical, thermal, and skin and muscle prick stimuli was determined before and for 5 hours after treatment. In addition, cardiovascular and respiratory variables were measured and degree of se...
Caldwell FJ, Mueller PO, Lynn RC, Budsberg SC.To determine whether 1% diclofenac liposomal suspension (DLS) ointment would be absorbed transdermally and attenuate experimentally induced subcutaneous inflammation in horses. Methods: 7 healthy adult horses. Methods: Inflammation was produced by injecting 1% sterile carrageenan into subcutaneously implanted tissue cages 8 hours before (time -8) and at the time of application of test ointment. A crossover design was used. Horses received 1 of 2 treatments (topically administered control or DLS ointments) during 48 hours of carrageenan-induced subcutaneous inflammation. A single application of...
