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.
Klier J, Fuchs S, Winter G, Gehlen H.Severe equine asthma is the most common globally widespread non-infectious equine respiratory disease (together with its mild and moderate form), which is associated with exposure to hay dust and mold spores, has certain similarities to human asthma, and continues to represent a therapeutic problem. Immunomodulatory CpG-ODN, bound to gelatin nanoparticles as a drug delivery system, were successfully administered by inhalation to severe equine asthmatic patients in several studies. It was possible to demonstrate a significant, sustained, and allergen-independent one-to-eight-week improvement in...
Swink JM, Gilsenan WF.Botulism and tetanus are the 2 primary manifestations of neurologic disease caused by clostridial toxins. Only a small dose of clostridial toxin is required to induce severe, and often fatal, disease. Consequently, definitive diagnosis of either disease is nearly impossible to achieve antemortem or postmortem; presumptive diagnosis is usually made based on physical and neurologic examination findings. Because the severity of clinical signs can worsen rapidly, prognosis worsens when therapeutic intervention is delayed. Highly effective vaccines are available against both botulism and tetanus an...
La Rosa L, Twele L, Duchateau L, Gasthuys F, Kästner SB, Schauvliege S.A bolus of 50 mg kg MgSO (treatment Mg) or the same volume of saline (treatment S) was infused over 15 minutes in 5 adult healthy horses. T0 was the end of the infusion. Physiological parameters were recorded throughout the study period. Measurements of electrical, thermal, and mechanical nociceptive thresholds were performed at the pelvic limbs at baseline (before T0), and at specific timepoints. Blood samples were taken at fixed timepoints before, during and until 12 hours after the infusion. For statistical analysis, the 95% confidence intervals (CI's) for the differences in nociceptive th...
Cullier A, Cassé F, Manivong S, Contentin R, Legendre F, Garcia Ac A, Sirois P, Roullin G, Banquy X, Moldovan F, Bertoni L, Audigié F, Galéra P....Osteoarthritis (OA) is a degenerative and heterogeneous disease that affects all types of joint structures. Current clinical treatments are only symptomatic and do not manage the degenerative process in animals or humans. One of the new orthobiological treatment strategies being developed to treat OA is the use of drug delivery systems (DDS) to release bioactive molecules over a long period of time directly into the joint to limit inflammation, control pain, and reduce cartilage degradation. Two vasoactive peptides, endothelin-1 and bradykinin, play important roles in OA pathogenesis. In this ...
Chicca J, Cazeault NR, Rus F, Abraham A, Garceau C, Li H, Atwa SM, Flanagan K, Soto ER, Morrison MS, Gazzola D, Hu Y, Liu DR, Nielsen MK, Urban JF....Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) is a Gram-positive soil bacterium that is widely and safely applied in the environment as an insecticide for combatting insect pests that damage crops or are disease vectors. Dominant active ingredients made by Bt are insect-killing crystal (Cry) proteins released as crystalline inclusions upon bacterial sporulation. Some Bt Cry proteins, e.g., Cry5B (formally Cry5Ba1), target nematodes (roundworms) and show exceptional promise as anthelmintics (cures for parasitic nematode diseases). We have recently described inactivated bacteria with cytosolic crystal(s) (IBaCC) ...
Asin J, Nyaoke AC, Samol MA, Arthur RM, Uzal FA.Epiploic foramen entrapment (EFE) is a common cause of small intestinal colic in horses and may lead to intestinal strangulation. Strangulating intestinal obstruction impairs the gastrointestinal outflow and can lead to secondary gastric rupture and endotoxemia. Clostridioides difficile can cause enterotyphlocolitis with colic in horses of all ages, and the process is commonly referred to as C. difficile-associated disease (CDAD). Here we report the results of the postmortem examination of a 7-y-old Thoroughbred racehorse with concurrent CDAD, EFE, and gastric rupture that was euthanized follo...
Kilcoyne I, Magdesian KG, Guerra M, Dechant JE, Spier SJ, Kass PH.Gastrointestinal disease has been associated with shedding of Salmonella with previous studies demonstrating that horses with colic have a higher risk of acquiring and shedding Salmonella organisms. Objective: The purpose of this study was to determine the prevalence of and risk factors associated with Salmonella shedding in a colic population at a referral clinic. Methods: Retrospective case-control study. Methods: For each colic case that was positive for Salmonella (n = 56), two colic cases (n = 112) that tested negative for Salmonella, were enrolled as controls. Associations between va...
Kellon EM, Gustafson KM.Hyperinsulinemia associated with pituitary pars intermedia dysfunction (PPID) and/or equine metabolic syndrome is well documented to put horses at high risk of laminitis. While dietary control of simple sugars and starch is the most effective therapy to control hyperinsulinemia, some horses fail to respond. Ten horses with hyperinsulinemia refractory to diet control, metformin, levothyroxine, and pergolide (if diagnosed with PPID) were treated with sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 inhibitor canagliflozin (Invokana®). Nine horses were hyperglycemic (>5.5 mmol/l) or had a history of hyperglycemia...
Salinger A, Mochal-King C, Clinton K, Priddy LB, Elder S, Fontenot R, Eddy A, Wills R, Jaffe M.Frontal plane slab fractures account for the majority of third carpal bone (C3) fractures in racing and performance horses. Recommended treatment is stabilization with a lagged AO cortical screw. Associated complications are fragment splitting, fragment spinning, and irritation of dorsal soft tissue structures. A novel, headless, cannulated screw with interlocking threads the Headless Compression Screw Fastener (HCSF) has been developed to resist multidirectional forces and bending moments; however, it has not been applied in the horse. Simulated C3 frontal plane slab fractures were created in...
To describe some cardiorespiratory effects of an inspiratory-to-expiratory (IE) ratio of 1:1 compared with 1:3 in ventilated horses in dorsal recumbency. Methods: Randomized crossover experimental study. Methods: A total of eight anesthetized horses, with 444 (330-485) kg body weight [median (range)]. Methods: Horses were ventilated in dorsal recumbency with a tidal volume of 15 mL kg and a respiratory rate of 8 breaths minute, and IE ratios of 1:1 (IE1:1) and 1:3 (IE1:3) in random order, each for 25 minutes after applying a recruitment maneuver. Spirometry, arterial blood gases and dobutamine...
Rivera-Velez A, Huber L, Sinha S, Cohen ND.Rhodococcus equi is a common cause of severe pneumonia in foals. Emergence of macrolide-resistant R. equi isolated from foals and their environment has been reported in the United States. A novel erm(51) gene was recently identified in R. equi in soil from horse farms in Kentucky. Our objective was to determine the effect of the erm(51) gene and associated rpoB mutation on the fitness of multidrug resistant-R. equi (MDR-R. equi) under different nutrient conditions. Bacterial growth curves were generated for 3 MDR-R. equi isolates and 3 wild-type (WTN) R. equi isolates recovered from environmen...
Sievert M, Schuler G, Wehrend A.Due to the time-limited intestinal uptake of colostral immunoglobulins, the suggested treatment of hypogammaglobulinemia in new-born foals is usually plasma transfusion. The aims of this study were twofold: firstly, to investigate the course of serum IgG concentration after plasma transfusion in newborn foals; and secondly, to determine the amount of transfusion required for a significant increase in serum IgG concentration. For this purpose, the IgG concentration was measured in 23 foals at three different points in time: before transfusion, 1 hour after transfusion, and 24 hours after transf...
Hobbs KJ, Johnson PJ, Wiedmeyer CE, Schultz L, Foote CA.Limited information is available regarding endothelial glycocalyx degradation during sepsis in horses. Plasma syndecan-1 concentrations are increased in consequence of sepsis in other species and have been useful for prognostication. Objective: To determine whether plasma syndecan-1 levels are increased in adult horses affected with sepsis. Methods: Retrospective cohort study. Methods: Adult horses were assigned to one of three groups based on results of physical and laboratory examinations, clinical diagnosis, and results of previously described SIRS classification: Group 1 horses included he...
Cai C, Zhao M, Yao F, Zhu R, Cai H, Shao S, Li XZ, Zhou T.Deoxynivalenol, a mycotoxin that may present in almost all cereal products, can cause huge economic losses in the agriculture industry and seriously endanger food safety and human health. Microbial detoxifications using microbial consortia may provide a safe and effective strategy for DON mitigation. In order to study the interactions involving DON degradation and change in microbial flora, four samples from different natural niches, including a chicken stable (expJ), a sheep stable (expY), a wheat field (expT) and a horse stable (expM) were collected and reacted with purified DON. After being...
Luczkowiak J, Radreau P, Nguyen L, Labiod N, Lasala F, Veas F, Herbreteau CH, Delgado R.Several anti-severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) have received emergency authorization for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) treatment. However, most of these mAbs are not active against the highly mutated Omicron SARS-CoV-2 subvariants. We have tested a polyclonal approach of equine anti-SARS-CoV-2 F(ab')2 antibodies that achieved a high level of neutralizing potency against all SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern tested including Omicron BA.1, BA.2, BA.2.12 and BA.4/5. A repertoire of antibodies targeting conserved epitopes in different regi...
Kahn SK, Cohen ND, Bordin AI, Coleman MC, Heird JC, Welsh TH.The bacterium Rhodococcus equi causes pneumonia in foals that is prevalent at breeding farms worldwide. In the absence of an effective vaccine, transfusion of commercial plasma from donor horses hyperimmunised against R. equi is used by many farms to reduce the incidence of pneumonia among foals at farms where the disease is endemic. The effectiveness of hyperimmune plasma for controlling R. equi pneumonia in foals has varied considerably among reports. The purposes of this narrative review are: (1) to review early studies that provided a foundational basis for the practice of transfusion of h...
Steuer AE, Scoggin K, Stewart JC, Barker VD, Adams AA, Loynachan AT, Nielsen MK.This study aimed to collect information on local and systemic inflammatory responses, and goblet cell-associated components, following anthelmintic treatment with moxidectin and ivermectin in horses naturally infected with cyathostomin parasites. Thirty-six horses aged 2-5 years of age were randomly allocated to three groups. Group 1 received ivermectin/praziquantel (0.2 mg/kg), Group 2 received moxidectin/praziquantel (0.4 mg/kg) and Group 3 were untreated controls. Tissue samples from the Cecum, Dorsal and Ventral Colons were used for histopathological evaluation and preserved for RNA is...
Liang W, Zhao S, Wang N, Tang Z, Zhao F, Liu M, Jin W, Meng Y, Jia L.Toxoplasma gondii, one of the important zoonotic parasites, has been detected in lots of hosts including humans, with a widespread prevalence. The products of equids, such as meat and milk, have been closely related to humans' life. As the intermediate hosts, little is known about equids toxoplasmosis in Jilin province. Therefore, the present study aimed to evaluate the occurrence and risk factors of Toxoplasma gondii infections in equids from Jilin, northeastern China. In this study, a total of 245 blood samples of equids (192 horses, 25 donkeys and 28 mules) were collected from six localitie...
Stefanovski D, Robinson MA, Van Eps A.Insulin dysregulation (ID) is the most important risk factor for the development of laminitis in horses and therapies to control it are needed. Objective: To assess the effects of a single dose of the synthetic GLP-1 analog exenatide on postprandial insulin dynamics. We hypothesized that exenatide would improve insulin sensitivity and lower postprandial blood insulin concentrations. Methods: Randomized, crossover, experimental study. Methods: Six horses (3 mares, 3 geldings; 2 with normal insulin regulation [NIR] and 4 with mild ID). Methods: Horses completed both study arms: subcutaneous admi...
Taylor J, Thompson K, Annand EJ, Massey PD, Bennett J, Eden JS, Horsburgh BA, Hodgson E, Wood K, Kerr J, Kirkland P, Finlaison D, Peel AJ, Eby P....In October 2021, the first contemporary detection of Hendra virus genotype 2 (HeV-g2) was made by veterinary priority disease investigation in a horse near Newcastle, New South Wales, Australia, as part of routine veterinary priority disease surveillance. This discovery followed an update of Hendra virus diagnostic assays following retrospective identification of this variant from 2015 via sentinel emerging infectious disease research, enabling timely detection of this case. The sole infected horse was euthanized in moribund condition. As the southernmost recognised HeV spill-over detection to...
Larsen EA, Lack AC, Wassack E.The use of poloxamer 407 gels have been reported in several studies to prolong the release of drugs at the injection site. Oral lesions unrelated to dental disease are rare but may result in ulceration and sequestration of bone. To date, there have been no reports on the use of penicillin G potassium poloxamer 407 gel and its effect on wound healing. The present case report describes the use of a penicillin G potassium poloxamer 407 gel for the treatment of a sublingual abscess involving the mandible in a 20 year old Arabian mare who initially presented with acute onset of dysphagia, hypersali...
Parkinson SD, Zanotto GM, Maldonado MD, King MR, Haussler KK.Neck pain and stiffness are increasingly recognized in horses and often treated using multimodal pharmaceutical and rehabilitation approaches. In humans, deep tissue heating is reported to reduce neck pain and increase flexibility. The objective of this project was to determine the effects of capacitive-resistive electrical therapy on neck pain and stiffness in horses. A blinded, randomized, controlled clinical trial with 10 horses assigned to active and 10 horses assigned to sham treatment groups. Neck pain, stiffness, and muscle hypertonicity were assessed by manual palpation. Forelimb postu...
Ahmadnejad M, Jalilzadeh-Amin G, Sykes BW.Non-Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs (NSAIDs), like phenylbutazone (PBZ), are prescribed to treat pain and inflammation in the equine. However, experimentally their use has been associated with the development of Equine Glandular Gastric Disease (EGGD). To evaluate the prophylactic effects of Glycyrrhiza glabra root extracts (GGRE) on EGGD induction following oral administration of PBZ, 12 donkeys were used. Animals were divided into three equal groups (A, B and C) in a randomized block design. A: placebo, B: PBZ (4.4 mg/kg PO q 12 h) and C: PBZ plus GGRE (17.6 mg/kg PO q 24h). Gastroscopy an...
Divers TJ, Tomlinson JE, Tennant BC.Theiler's disease (serum hepatitis) may occur in outbreaks or as single cases of acute hepatitis and is often associated with prior administration of equine-origin biologics approximately 4-10 weeks before the onset of clinical signs. Cases have also been described without any prior administration of blood products. The clinical disease has a low morbidity but high mortality and only adult horses are affected. The course of the disease is short, with horses either dying or completely recovering in a few days. Pathology in affected horses is predominantly centrilobular hepatocyte necrosis with ...
Haikerwal A, Barrera MD, Bhalla N, Zhou W, Boghdeh N, Anderson C, Alem F, Narayanan A.Acutely infectious new world alphaviruses such as Venezuelan Equine Encephalitis Virus (VEEV) pose important challenges to the human population due to a lack of effective therapeutic intervention strategies. Small interfering RNAs that can selectively target the viral genome (vsiRNAs) has been observed to offer survival advantages in several in vitro and in vivo models of acute virus infections, including alphaviruses such as Chikungunya virus and filoviruses such as Ebola virus. In this study, novel vsiRNAs that targeted conserved regions in the nonstructural and structural genes of the VEEV ...
Anyanwu MU, Jaja IF, Nwobi OC, Mgbeahuruike AC, Ikpendu CN, Okafor NA, Oguttu JW.Mobile colistin resistance () genes (-1 to -10) threaten the efficacy of colistin (COL), a polymyxin antibiotic that is used as a last-line agent for the treatment of deadly infections caused by multidrug-resistant and extensively drug-resistant bacteria in humans and animals. COL has been used for more than 60 years for the prophylactic control and treatment of infections in livestock husbandry but not in horses. Polymyxin B is used for the prophylactic control and empirical treatment of infections in horses without conducting sensitivity tests. The lack of sensitivity testing exerts selectio...
Galecio JS, Escudero E, Badillo E, Marín P.Tildipirosin is a novel semisynthetic macrolide antibiotic exclusively used in veterinary practice to treat respiratory infections. There are no pharmacokinetic or safety information available regarding the use of tildipirosin after intramuscular administration in horses. Thus, the objective of this work was to determine the disposition kinetics of tildipirosin after intravenous (IV) and intramuscular (IM) administration in horses and its potential muscle damage and cardiotoxicity. Six mature, Spanish-breed horses were used in a crossover study with a washout period of 30 days. Tildipirosin (...
Mieszkowska M, Abako J, Mieszkowski M, Zhalniarovich Y.Desmopathy of the collateral ligaments of the equine interphalangeal joint is caused by a combination of factors, including hoof shape, excessive loading and ground surface. This complex problem poses a diagnostic challenge due to the non-specificity of perineural analgesia and the limitations associated with the most popular imaging methods such as radiography and ultrasonography. The aim of this study was to retrospectively determine the prevalence of desmopathy of the collateral ligaments of the equine distal interphalangeal joint in Poland between 2016 and 2019, and to establish the freque...
Divers TJ, Mongodin EF, Miller CB, Belgrave RL, Gardner RB, Fraser CM, Schutzer SE.Antemortem diagnosis of neuroborreliosis in horses has been hindered by both the low sensitivity of PCR testing for in CSF and the low specificity of serum:CSF ELISA ratios used to determine intrathecal antibody production against the bacterium. PCR testing of the CSF of an adult horse with acute neurologic disease for the flagellin gene was negative. However, we enriched DNA through nucleic acid hybrid capture, followed by next-generation sequencing, and identified in the CSF of the horse, confirming a diagnosis of neuroborreliosis.
French NP, Smith J, Edwards GB, Proudman CJ.The reason for undertaking this study was that postoperative complications of colic surgery lead to patient discomfort, prolonged hospitalisation and increased cost. Potential risk factors for the 6 most common postoperative complications (jugular thrombosis, ileus, re-laparotomy, wound suppuration, incisional herniation and colic) were evaluated using multivariable models. Jugular thrombosis was associated significantly with heart rate greater than 60 beats/min and with increased packed cell volume (PCV) at admission. The risk of postoperative ileus also increased with increasing PCV at admis...
Weiland G.The increasing horse trade requires a reliable immunodiagnosis of equine piroplasma infections due to import restrictions imposed by various countries, including the United States of America. It was the aim of our investigations to establish the suitability of serological tests for the detection of parasite carriers and, eventually, to differentiate between Babesia caballi and B. equi infections. The investigations were carried out on 11 ponies with experimentally-induced B. caballi and/or B. equi infection. The infections were confirmed by the demonstration of parasites in blood smears 2-13 d...
Kumar S, Gupta AK, Pal Y, Dwivedi SK.The therapeutic efficacy of imidocarb, artesunate, arteether, buparvaquone and arteether+buparvaquone combination was evaluated against Babesia equi of Indian origin in splenectomised donkeys with experimentally induced acute infection. Efficacies of these drugs were tested by administering each drug or drug combination to groups of donkeys (having three donkeys each group). One group of donkey was kept as untreated control for comparing the results. Parasitaemia, haematology (WBC, RBC, PCV, granulocytes and haemoglobin), biochemical parameters (SAST, SALT, alkaline phosphatase, albumin/globul...
Mendoza L, Mandy W, Glass R.The immunotherapeutic properties of a new Pythium insidiosum-vaccine formulation (PIV), was evaluated in 18 horses and 6 dogs with proven pythiosis from different enzootic areas in the United States. All injected horses but one responded with a weak (=29 mm, n=3), a mild (30-90 mm, n=7) or a strong (=100 mm, n=7) inflammatory reactions at the site of injection. Three equines with weak or negative reactions at the injection site were not cured. Seven equines with strong reactions at their injection sites, however, were cured. Six of the eight horses with mild reactions were also cured. The rema...
Troedsson MH.Endometritis is a common cause of infertility in broodmares. In the past, the condition was believed to be exclusively the result of bacterial contamination of the uterus. Treatment strategies were focused on preventing bacteria from entering the uterus and on treating mares with signs of endometritis with antibiotics. More recent research on uterine defense mechanisms has increased our understanding of the pathophysiology of equine endometritis. Additional causative agents have been identified, and we have learned to separate uterine infections and a physiologic breeding-induced endometritis ...
Sole A, Spriet M, Galuppo LD, Padgett KA, Borjesson DL, Wisner ER, Brosnan RJ, Vidal MA.Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are commonly injected intralesionally for treatment of soft tissue injuries in the horse. Alternative routes of administration would be beneficial for treatment of lesions that cannot be accessed directly or to limit needle-induced iatrogenic damage to the surrounding tissue. Objective: The purpose of our study was to evaluate MSC distribution after intra-arterial (IA) and intravenous (IV) regional limb perfusions (RLP) using scintigraphy. We hypothesised that MSCs would persist in the distal limb after tourniquet removal and that both techniques would lead to dif...
Schindler AR, Vögtlin A, Hilbe M, Puorger M, Zlinszky K, Ackermann M, Ehrensperger F.Borna disease is a severe, immunopathological disorder of the central nervous system caused by the infection with the Borna disease virus (BDV). The detection of BDV in diseased animals, mainly sheep and horses, is achieved by histological, immunohistochemical and serological approaches and/or PCR-based technologies. In the present study, reverse transcription, real-time PCR assays were established for the detection of BDV in the brain tissue from sheep and horses, using loci for the p40 (nucleoprotein) and the p24 (phosphoprotein) genes. The PCRs were equally specific and sensitive, detecting...
Jörg A, Pasquier JM, Klebanoff SJ.Eosinophil peroxidase (donor: hydrogen-peroxidase oxidoreductase, EC 1.11.1.7) was isolated in a highly purified form (415/280 nm ratio, 1.05) from horse peripheral blood eosinophil. Eosinophil peroxidase was extracted from intact eosinophils (98-100% purity) or isolated eosinophil granules with 0.05 M acetate buffer (pH 4.7)/0.18 M NaCl and purified by chromatography on Sephadex G-200 and carboxymethylcellulose. Final elution was with 0.05 M acetate buffer (pH 4.7)/ 1 M NaCl. Horse eosinophil peroxidase is a strongly basic protein with bacterial properties when combined with H2O2 and iodide, ...
Stringer AP, Christley RM, Bell CE, Gebreab F, Tefera G, Reed K, Trawford A, Pinchbeck GL.Working horses, donkeys and mules suffer from numerous diseases and clinical problems. However, there is little information on what owners perceive as important health concerns in their working animals. Objective: To identify and prioritise with owners the diseases and other health concerns in working equids in central Ethiopia using participatory methodologies. Methods: Participatory situation analysis (PSA). Methods: The study was conducted with carthorse- and donkey-owners in 16 sites in central Ethiopia. Multiple participatory methodologies were utilised, including ranking, matrices and fo...
Little D, Flowers JR, Hammerberg BH, Gardner SY.Possible anthelmintic resistance on a breeding farm where a rapid rotation anthelmintic programme had been implemented for 9 years was investigated. Cyathostomins resistant to fenbendazole and pyrantel were documented by faecal worm egg count reduction test (FWECRT). Objective: To 1) manage small strongyle transmission in a herd of horses in which resistance to both pyrantel pamoate and fenbendazole was identified and thereby reduce the risk of clinical disease in the individual animal, 2) monitor the change in resistance patterns over time and 3) monitor the efficacy of ivermectin over the st...
van de Water SG, van Gennip RG, Potgieter CA, Wright IM, van Rijn PA.African horse sickness virus (AHSV) is a virus species in the genus Orbivirus of the family Reoviridae. There are nine serotypes of AHSV showing different levels of cross neutralization. AHSV is transmitted by species of Culicoides biting midges and causes African horse sickness (AHS) in equids, with a mortality rate of up to 95% in naive horses. AHS has become a serious threat for countries outside Africa, since endemic Culicoides species in moderate climates appear to be competent vectors for the related bluetongue virus (BTV). To control AHS, live-attenuated vaccines (LAVs) are used in Afri...
Arroyo MG, Slovis NM, Moore GE, Taylor SD.Septic pleuropneumonia is a common cause of morbidity and mortality in horses, but there is limited data available regarding factors associated with survival. Objective: To identify factors predictive of survival in horses with septic pleuropneumonia. Methods: A total of 97 horses with septic pleuropneumonia at 2 referral institutions. Methods: A retrospective study was performed. A diagnosis of septic pleuropneumonia was based on the presence of sepsis, pleural effusion, and positive bacterial culture from tracheal aspiration (TA) or pleural fluid (PF). Results: Thirty-one percent of horses h...
Diouf ND, Etter E, Lo MM, Lo M, Akakpo AJ.Since first being detected in Nigeria in January 2007, African horse sickness virus serotype 2 (AHSV-2) has spread throughout the northern hemisphere, and was first reported in Senegal. A retrospective study was conducted from December 2009 to April 2010 using data collected in the field combined with information available at the Direction of Veterinary Services. The epidemic started in the Dakar region with two outbreaks in March and June 2007, respectively, and spread in several parts of the country between July and November 2007. During this period, 232 outbreaks and 1137 horse deaths were ...
Marsh PS, Palmer JE.To assess microorganisms isolated from blood specimens obtained from critically ill neonatal foals and to evaluate their antimicrobial susceptibility patterns. Methods: Retrospective study. Methods: 543 neonatal foals. Methods: Medical records of foals that were < 1 month old and were admitted to a referral neonatal intensive care unit were reviewed for results of bacteriologic culture of blood and antimicrobial susceptibility patterns. Results: At least 1 microorganism was isolated from 155 of 543 (28.5%) foals. Escherichia coli was the most commonly isolated bacterium. A single gram-posit...
Sullivan KA, Hill AE, Haussler KK.Common methods used to treat back problems in horses need to be assessed objectively. Objective: To measure spinal mechanical nociceptive thresholds (MNTs) and evaluate the effects of chiropractic, massage and phenylbutazone, compared with active and inactive control groups. Methods: Baseline MNTs at 7 sites within the thoracolumbar and sacral regions were measured in 38 healthy mature horses exhibiting no clinical signs of lumbar pain. Horses were assigned to one of 3 treatment groups: instrument-assisted chiropractic treatment, therapeutic massage and phenylbutazone; or 2 control groups: rid...
Furr MO, Lessard P, White NA.Thirty-two physical examination and laboratory variables were recorded during examination of 165 horses admitted for acute abdominal disease. Univariate analyses were performed to determine which of the variables were significantly different between horses that lived or died. Stepwise logistic regression was performed to identify variables with the best predictive value. Four variables (heart rate, peritoneal fluid total protein concentration, blood lactate concentration, and abnormal mucous membrane) remained significant when entered into the model. Histograms for each significant variable we...
Canè V, Botti P, Soana S.The influence of pulsed low-frequency electromagnetic fields (PEMFs) on bone formation was investigated in studies of the healing process of transcortical holes, bored at the diaphyseal region of metacarpal bones of six adult horses, exposed for 30 days to PEMFs (28 G peak amplitude, 1.3 ms rise time, and 75 Hz repetition rate). A pair of Helmholtz coils, continuously powered by a pulse generator, was applied for 30 days to the left metacarpal bone, through which two holes, of equal diameter and depth, had been bored at the diaphyseal region. Two equal holes, bored at the same level in the rig...
Lees P, Higgins AJ.Weak organic acids possessing anti-inflammatory, analgesic and antipyretic properties--commonly known as aspirin-like drugs--have been used in equine medicine for almost 100 years. These non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) may be classified chemically into two groups; the enolic acids such as phenylbutazone and carboxylic acids like flunixin, meclofenamate and naproxen. All NSAIDs have similar and possibly identical modes of action accounting for both their therapeutic and their toxic effects. They block some part of the cyclo-oxygenase enzyme pathway and thereby suppress the synthe...
Wong DM, Belgrave RL, Williams KJ, Del Piero F, Alcott CJ, Bolin SR, Marr CM, Nolen-Walston R, Myers RK, Wilkins PA.5 horses were evaluated because of decreased appetite, weight loss, fever, cough, tachypnea, and respiratory distress. Results: Tachycardia, tachypnea, increased respiratory effort, lethargy, fever, poor body condition, and nasal discharge were detected in various combinations on initial physical examination. Evaluation of the lower portion of the respiratory tract via radiography and ultrasonography revealed a severe nodular interstitial pattern. Histologic examination of lung tissue revealed interstitial expansion of alveolar parenchyma with collagen, intraluminal accumulation of neutrophils...
Egenvall A, Penell JC, Bonnett BN, Olson P, Pringle J.The aim of this study was to evaluate the potential usefulness of the database maintained by the Swedish insurance company Agria for providing mortality statistics on Swedish horses. Mortality statistics (incidence rates and survival) were calculated, both crudely and stratified by sex, age, breed, breed group and diagnosis, for the horses with complete life insurance, which covers most health problems. The total mortality was 415 (95 per cent confidence interval [CI] 399 to 432) deaths per 10,000 horse-years at risk, and the diagnostic mortality, including only deaths with an assigned diagnos...
Donnelly KS, Giuliano EA, Sharm A, Mohan RR.To explore the effect of suberoylanilide hydroxamic acid (SAHA) (i) on corneal fibroblast differentiation, morphology, and viability; and (ii) on the expression levels of matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) 2 and 9 using an in vitro model of equine corneal fibrosis. Methods: Healthy donor corneas were used to generate primary cultures of equine corneal fibroblasts. The fibroblasts were exposed to 5 ng/mL TGFβ1 to induce myofibroblast formation. The cultures were treated with either 5 μm or 10 μm SAHA for 72 h in the presence of TGFβ1. Real-time PCR and immunocytochemistry were used to determi...
Geurden T, van Doorn D, Claerebout E, Kooyman F, De Keersmaecker S, Vercruysse J, Besognet B, Vanimisetti B, di Regalbono AF, Beraldo P, Di Cesare A....The objective of the present study was to evaluate the efficacy of an oral treatment with ivermectin (IVM) or moxidectin (MOX) against gastro-intestinal strongyles in naturally infected horses by performing a faecal egg count reduction test (FECRT) and by monitoring the egg reappearance period (ERP) after treatment. Therefore, a field efficacy study with a randomised complete block design for each study site was conducted, with the individual animal as the experimental unit. At least 10 study sites in Italy, Belgium and The Netherlands were selected and animals were allocated to one of the two...
Hines SA, Ramsay JD, Kappmeyer LS, Lau AO, Ojo KK, Van Voorhis WC, Knowles DP, Mealey RH.The apicomplexan hemoparasite Theileria equi is a causative agent of equine piroplasmosis, eradicated from the United States in 1988. However, recent outbreaks have sparked renewed interest in treatment options for infected horses. Imidocarb dipropionate is the current drug of choice, however variation in clinical response to therapy has been observed. Methods: We quantified the in vitro susceptibility of two T. equi isolates and a lab generated variant to both imidocarb dipropionate and a bumped kinase inhibitor compound 1294. We also evaluated the capacity of in vitro imidocarb dipropionate ...
Hearn FP, Peregrine AS.During September 2002, routine fecal examinations performed on 16 Thoroughbred foals residing on a farm outside Toronto, Ontario, Canada, revealed low to moderate numbers of Parascaris equorum eggs in feces from 9 of the 16. All foals were then treated with ivermectin at a dose of 220 to 280 microg/kg (100 to 127 microg/lb), p.o., and fecal egg counts were repeated 12 days later. Fecal P. equorum egg counts increased between the first and second fecal examination in 7 foals, were unchanged in 1, and decreased in 5. Fecal samples were collected 13 days after treatment from 21 additional foals t...
Netherwood T, Wood JL, Townsend HG, Mumford JA, Chanter N.A case control study of foal diarrhoea in the United Kingdom was carried out over a 3-year period. Clostridium perfringens was significantly associated with foal diarrhoea (Odds Ratio (OR) = 3.0), being isolated from 57% of 421 animals with diarrhoea but from only 27% of 223 healthy foals. Also, C. perfringens was significantly associated with fatal diarrhoea (OR = 4.5). About half of diarrhoea with a fatal outcome was attributable to this organism. The other pathogens significantly associated with diarrhoea were rotavirus (OR = 5.6), Cryptosporidium spp. (OR = 3.2) and the nematode Strongyloi...
Pezzanite LM, Chow L, Johnson V, Griffenhagen GM, Goodrich L, Dow S.To evaluate effects of Toll-like and nucleotide-binding oligomerization domain (NOD)-like receptor (TLR, NLR) ligand stimulation of equine mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) on antibacterial and immunomodulatory properties in vitro. Methods: Controlled laboratory study. Methods: Equine bone-marrow-derived MSCs (three horses). Methods: MSCs were stimulated with TLR (polyinosinic:polycytidylic acid [pIC] and lipopolysaccharide [LPS]) and NLR agonists (γ-d-Glu-mDAP [IE-DAP]) for 2 h, and plated at 1 × 105 cells/well 24 h. MSC-conditioned media (MSC-CM) were collected and assessed for antimicr...
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...
van Loon JPAM, Van Dierendonck MC.Objective pain assessment is important to guide and tailor therapy in clinical practice. This study describes the clinical applicability and validity of two pain scales, the Composite Pain Scale (CPS) and the Equine Utrecht University Scale for Facial Assessment of Pain (EQUUS-FAP) in horses with orthopaedic trauma or after orthopaedic surgery. A cohort follow-up study was performed using 77 adult horses (n=43 with orthopaedic trauma or injury; n=34 controls). Composite and facial expression-based pain scores were assessed by direct observations of pairs of two independent observers. All horse...
