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.
Agius CT, Studdert MJ.This chapter describes the molecular and biological properties of equine herpesviruses (EHV)2 and EHV5. It highlights advances in the study of EHV2 and EHV5. The reclassification of EHV2 and EHV5 as gammaherpesviruses rather than betaherpesviruses has profound implications for future approaches to the study of the two equine herpesviruses. The chapter places emphasis on a comparison between the properties of EHV2 and EHV5 and those of other gammaherpesviruses, especially Epstein-Barr virus (EBV), which is the causative agent of infectious mononucleosis/glandular fever in humans. Studies of the...
Woods PR, Helman RG, Schmitz DG.A 5-year-old Quarter Horse mare was examined because of weight loss of 2 months' duration. The horse was anemic and in poor body condition, and had several areas of cutaneous ulceration, including areas on the muzzle and distal portion of the limbs. Histologic examination of a rectal mucosa biopsy specimen revealed a lymphoplasmacytic infiltrate in the lamina propria mucosa. Results of a glucose absorption test were suggestive of malabsorption. Histologic examination of a biopsy specimen from the cutaneous lesions revealed pronounced arteritis, and weak, patchy immunofluorescent staining for i...
van der Velden MA, Klein WR.Seventy horses surgically treated for colic caused by disorders of the small intestine were included in a randomized blind trial to determine the effects of cisapride (0.1 mg/kg bw intramuscularly at 8-h intervals) on the post-operative restoration of gut motility. Cisapride appeared to reduce the incidence of post-operative ileus. It accelerated the restoration of bowel motility, reducing the period of post-operative intensive care. It is concluded that cisapride is an effective and useful drug in the post-operative treatment of horses after surgery of the small intestine.
Darien BJ, Sims PA, Stone WC, Schilly DR, Dubielzig RR, Albrecht RM.Volvulus of the ascending colon (ACV) in the horse results in microvascular injury and necrosis of the intestinal mucosa. This study investigated the site and type of microvascular injury which occurs within the mucosa and submucosa following ACV. Histopathology of volvulus treated ponies demonstrated mucosal necrosis with microvascular hemorrhage and thrombosis. Thrombi occurred within the subepithelial capillaries and edema and hemorrhage developed throughout the mucosa and submucosa. Vascular casts allowed 3-D viewing of samples obtained from the entire pelvic flexure and demonstrated two d...
Hoffman A, Levi O, Orgad U, Nyska A.Cardiac disease developed several days to weeks after resolution of local inflammation caused by envenoming by Vipera palaestinae in two horses. In one horse (case A), referred to the hospital for recurrent abdominal pain 8 days after envenoming, a tachyarrhythmia was detected; ventricular premature depolarizations were diagnosed by ECG. A second horse (case B) was found dead without premonitory signs 60 days after envenoming. In both horses, there was extensive necrosis of cardiac ventricular tissues.
Watanabe T, Ohta C, Shirahata T, Goto H, Tsunoda N, Tagami M, Akita H.Foal diarrhea due to serotype 3 rotavirus broke out on a foal-raising farm in the years 1987 and 1989. In 1989, all of the foals, regardless of whether or not they suffered from diarrhea, received bovine colostral immunoglobulin (Ig) powder orally for 3 to 5 days during the epidemic. The morbidity of the diarrhea was lower than that observed in 1987, when the Ig powder was not administered to foals. These data suggested that the administration of Ig powder might partially prevent foal diarrhea with rotavirus infection.
Ainsworth DM, Beck KA, Boatwright CE, Snedden KA, Rebhun WC.The effect of prior Rhodococcus equi-induced pneumonia on pulmonary health was investigated in 5 horses (< 24 months old) using endoscopy, radiography, hematologic and bronchoalveolar lavage analyses, and pulmonary function testing. Rhodococcus equi-induced pneumonia had been diagnosed in principal horses when they were foals. Diagnosis was based on positive results of transtracheal aspiration and thoracic radiography at the time of initial clinical examination. Results of reevaluation of the respiratory system of these horses (R+) were compared with those of 5 age-matched healthy horses (R...
van Nieuwstadt RA, van der Want CJ, Binkhorst GJ.Narcolepsy is an incurable non-progressive disease of the central nervous system. In humans, narcolepsy causes excessive drowsiness during the day (sometimes a sleep-attack occurs), cataplexy (sudden loss of muscle tone), hallucinations, and sleep paralysis. In the horse and other mammals cataplexy is the most frequently observed symptom. Excessive drowsiness can occur but is harder to observe. Cataplexy is caused by a fragmentation of the REM sleep. The etiology of narcolepsy is still subject to debate, partly because normal sleeping patterns are poorly understood. In humans and certain breed...
Hinchcliff KW, Mitten LA.Furosemide and, less commonly, bumetanide and ethacrynic acid are potent diuretics administered to horses for a variety of reasons, including prophylaxis of exercise-induced pulmonary hemorrhage. These drugs affect urine volume and composition, and furosemide has marked effects on plasma volume and composition and on systemic hemodynamics at rest and during exercise.
Dyke TM.Tables of values of pharmacokinetic variables (volume of distribution, total body clearance, and plasma elimination half-life) of drugs frequently administered to performance horses are accompanied by explanatory notes. Drugs described include the nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, corticosteroids, anabolic steroids, central nervous system-modifying drugs, respiratory system drugs, diuretics, local anesthetics, and antibacterial drugs.
Zeilmann M.A literature review of the clinical syndrome HYPP (Hyperkalemic periodic paralysis) affecting Quarter Horses is given. HYPP is characterized by sporadic attacks of muscle tremors, weakness and/or collapse, lasting for variable periods of time. Diagnosis is based on physical findings in association with hyperkalemia. In horses with HYPP, the regulation of ion transport through the sodium channels in the muscle cells occasionally fails, causing uncontrollable muscle twitching. Further investigations into molecular genetics reveals a mutation in the gene responsible for sodium and potassium regul...
Foster AP, Cunningham FM, Andrews MJ, Lees P.The effects of the selective platelet activating factor (PAF) receptor antagonist WEB 2170 on PAF-induced responses in equine cells and tissues have been examined and compared with those of WEB 2086. In initial experiments WEB 2170 was shown to inhibit in vitro platelet aggregation in a dose-dependent, competitive reversible manner (pA2 = 7.21). Co-administration of the antagonists with either PAF or histamine also inhibited PAF, but not histamine, induced wheal formation and PAF-induced neutrophil accumulation in vivo in equine skin. Intravenous (i.v.) administration of both drugs at a dose o...
Fairbairn SM, Lees P, Page CP, Cunningham FM.Antigen-induced airway hyperresponsiveness in allergic horses has previously been demonstrated when clinical signs of acute airway obstruction were apparent, as a consequence of exposure of animals to hay and straw for variable periods of time, and repeat measurements of hyperresponsiveness have been made no earlier than 1 week after challenge. In the present study airway responsiveness to methacholine has been measured in normal horses and allergic horses in clinical remission before and 24, 48 and 72 h after a hay and straw challenge of fixed, short, duration (7 h). Correlations between earl...
Fridell RA, Partin KM, Carpenter S, Cullen BR.Several members of the lentivirus family of complex retroviruses have been shown to encode proteins that are functionally equivalent to the Rev posttranscriptional regulatory protein of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1). Furthermore, the domain organization of HIV-1 Rev, featuring a highly basic N-terminal RNA binding domain and a leucin-rich C-terminal effector domain, has also been shown to be highly conserved among Rev proteins derived from not only the primate but also the ovine and caprine lentiviruses. Although it has therefore appeared highly probable that the lentivirus equin...
Vodkin MH, McLaughlin GL, Day JF, Shope RE, Novak RJ.Eastern equine encephalomyelitis virus (EEEV) has been a low-frequency, but serious human and veterinary health problem. Increased frequency of this mosquito-borne virus is anticipated as wetlands are maintained and re-established. Control of EEEV has depended on mosquito abatement in response to increasing frequency of EEEV in the environment. A coupled reverse transcription/polymerase chain reaction assay was designed to rapidly, sensitively, and specifically detect EEEV RNA. The assay successfully detected the viral RNA in a single-blind study of a set of field samples composed of either po...
Vatistas NJ, Snyder JR, Hildebrand SV, Harmon FA, Woliner MJ, Henry P, Enos LR, Magliano D, Brown SA, Drake C.Sixteen horses were allotted at random to 3 groups: vehicle only; low dosage (vehicle and 3 mg of U-74389G/kg of body weight); high dosage (vehicle and 10 mg of U-74389G/kg). These solutions were given prior to reperfusion. The ascending colon was subjected to 2 hours of ischemia followed by 2 hours of reperfusion. Before, during, and after ischemia, full-thickness colonic tissue biopsy specimens were obtained for measurement of malondealdehyde (MDA) concentration and myeloperoxidase activity and for morphologic evaluation. Although increases were not significant, MDA concentration and myelope...
Howard RD, Stashak TS, Baxter GM.Two 2.5-cm2 full-thickness skin wounds were created surgically over the lateral aspect of the cannon bone of each limb of 6 horses (n = 48 wounds). Dressings evaluated were a nonadherent gauze pad (group 1); a synthetic semiocclusive dressing, (group 2); equine amnion (group 3); and a synthetic fully occlusive dressing (group 4). Wounds were assessed subjectively at each dressing change, and total wound area, area of granulation tissue, and area of epithelium in each wound were determined by computerized digital analysis of photographs of the wounds. Complete healing time (wound covered by epi...
Warko G, Becht H, Bostedt H.Sixteen vital foals with free access to maternal colostrum received a additional non-species-specific commercial colostrum additive within the first 18 hours of their life. The additive had been prepared from bovine colostrum. At birth no bovine IgG was detectable. The concentration of bovine IgG reached its maximum 18 hours post natum with XG = 74.6 mg/dl. 96 hours after birth IgG levels had dropped to XG = 20.9 mg/dl. The correlation of bovine IgG with GGT-activity was highly significant. Formation of antibodies against bovine IgG could not be demonstrated. It is not possible to increase igG...
O'Rielly JL.The IgG concentration of plasma from 13 mares was measured by radial immunodiffusion when fresh and after storage at -4 degrees C and thawing by 3 methods. There was no significant (P > 0.05) reduction in the IgG concentration when plasma was thawed over 6 hours at 22 degrees C (1352.9 +/- 101.6 mg/dL) (mean +/- SEM) compared with the fresh sample (1369.5 +/- 88.1 mg/dL). In contrast, there was a significant (P < 0.05) reduction in the IgG concentration of plasma that was rapidly thawed at 57 degrees C over 50 minutes (1142.9 +/- 66.2 mg/dL), or placed in a microwave oven for 20 to 25 minutes ...
Harkins JD, Carney JM, Tobin T.Corticosteroids possess potent anti-inflammatory activity and are commonly injected intra-articularly for local relief of inflammatory lesions in performance horses. However, the suppression of anabolic activity in the joint may lead to an increased rate of joint breakdown. Complications associated with intra-articular corticosteroid therapy include septic arthritis, which is usually due to inadvertent joint contamination at the time of corticosteroid injection, and steroid arthropathy, which is characterized by an accelerated rate of joint destruction and radiographic evidence of severe degen...
Baker SJ, Gerring EL.We investigated the effects of a range of IV administered doses of omeprazole (0.125 to 2.0 mg/kg of body weight) on gastric pH (monitored by indwelling electrode) and plasma gastrin concentration, compared with those of IV administered ranitidine (1.0 mg/kg) in 4 Welsh mountain-type ponies. Pharmacokinetic variables of IV administered omeprazole also were examined. Episodes of high gastric pH in the basal state obscured the effect of acid suppression on intragastric pH; however, omeprazole induced dose-dependent increase in mean gastric pH (P < 0.01) during the 11 hours after its administr...
Lester GD, Alleman AR, Raskin RE, Meyer JC.Pancytopenia was observed in two 3-year-old geldings and one 11-year-old mare. All horses had a brief history (2 days to 4 weeks) of fever, anorexia, and depression. One of the three horses had blast cells present on a peripheral blood smear. Examination of the bone marrow showed substantial infiltration with neoplastic lymphoid cells. At necropsy, neoplastic cells were restricted to the bone marrow in one horse, present in bone marrow, liver, and spleen in the second horse, and reported in multiple tissues in the third horse, including bone marrow, kidneys, lung, myocardium and lymph nodes. T...
Leach DH.The future directions of navicular disease research are unclear. Often researchers investigate only one of the multitude of factors likely to be important in understanding the disease. Two exceptions to this is work done by Wright in this issue of EVJ and by MacGregor (1988) who compared a number of the treatment regimens (e.g. rest, warfarin, isoxsuprine, shoeing with egg bars) and found that approximately 75% of the horses improved in their performance. Perhaps this percentage of 'recovered' horses from this disease is what can be realistically expected, as often horses with navicular diseas...
Yan J, Sun D, Jiang Z, Zhou L, Gao X.Infundibular caries (IC) affects donkeys of all ages and causes pain, difficulty in mastication and weight loss. The study aimed to determine the epidemiology of IC in donkeys and examine the potential risk factors associated with the disease development. A total of 2118 donkeys in Inner Mongolia were sampled. The first section of the survey was performed by veterinarians and included the oral health of the donkeys. A survey on the donkey's signalment, diet, and husbandry was also conducted. The risk factors associated with IC were assessed using multivariable logistic regression analysis. Uni...
Dart A, Tee E, Brennan M, Dart C, Perkins N, Chapman S, Debney S.To assess the effect of 1 or 2 laryngeal prosthetic sutures on rima glottidis areas in equine laryngeal specimens. Methods: Experimental, randomized design. Methods: Cadaveric equine larynges (n=16). Methods: Larynges were collected from 10 horses; 2 sutures each were preplaced in the right and left sides of each larynx. A dorsal suture (DS) was placed through the caudal rim of the dorsal midline of the cricoid cartilage, under the cricopharyngeus muscle and through the proximal and rostral aspect of the muscular process. A lateral suture (LS) was placed 1.5 cm lateral to the DS and through th...
Frosth S, Morris ERA, Wilson H, Frykberg L, Jacobsson K, Parkhill J, Flock JI, Wood T, Guss B, Aanensen DM, Boyle AG, Riihimäki M, Cohen ND....Streptococcus equi subspecies equi (S equi) is the cause of Strangles, one of the most prevalent diseases of horses worldwide. Variation within the immunodominant SeM protein has been documented, but a new eight-component fusion protein vaccine, Strangvac, does not contain live S equi or SeM and conservation of the antigens it contains have not been reported. Objective: To define the diversity of the eight Strangvac antigens across a diverse S equi population. Methods: Genomic description. Methods: Antigen sequences from the genomes of 759 S equi isolates from 19 countries, recovered between 1...
Della-Porta AJ.There has been concern that the present nomenclature system for the members of the Reoviridae family, and particularly the Orbivirus genus, does not represent the actual relationships exhibited between the members. In order to follow the conventions established by the International Committee for the Taxonomy of Viruses (ICTV), it is tentatively proposed that the present Reoviridae genera be upgraded in status to the following sub-families: reovirinae, orbivirinae, Fijivirinae, cypovirinae, rotavirinae, coltivirinae and phytoreovirinae. Below the sub-family level, divisions of genus (equivalent...
Cypher EE, Kendall AT, Panizzi L, Stewart AJ, Taylor SL, Bodaan CJ, Riley CB, Gordon SJ, Whitfield LK.A 4-year-old Arabian-cross mare was examined because of a 48-hour history of pyrexia, lethargy, and signs of abdominal discomfort. Results: On initial evaluation, the horse was in good body condition, but febrile, tachycardic, tachypneic, and icteric and had signs of colic. Findings on CBC and serum biochemical analysis indicated marked systemic inflammation and hepatocellular damage. Serial abdominal ultrasonographic examinations revealed progressive, localized hepatic parenchymal abnormalities in the left ventral aspect of the abdomen in proximity to the left liver lobes, and eventual identi...
Hughes KJ, Dowling BA, Matthews SA, Dart AJ.To report on the outcome of surgical treatment of acute abdominal crises in miniature breed horses. Methods: Retrospective case series of miniature horses presented to the University Veterinary Centre, Camden with an acute abdominal crisis. Methods: Hospital records of all miniature horses that underwent ventral midline laparotomy for acute abdominal crisis between 1997 and 2001 were reviewed. The signalment, history, clinical signs, results of ancillary diagnostic procedures, location and type of intestinal lesion, treatment and outcome were retrieved from each case record. Long-term survival...
Rubio-Martínez LM, Carstens A.Increased intraosseous pressure (IOP) is a well-characterized source of pain in humans that can be successfully treated by medullary decompression. This report describes the clinical and diagnostic findings, treatment and successful outcome of a horse with a four week long, non-weight bearing lameness secondary to suspected traumatically-induced increased IOP in the left radius. Scintigraphic examination characterized by severe increase in radiopharmaceutical uptake within the affected radius aided in the initial localization of the source of lameness. Decompression of the affected radius was ...
Ragle CA, Snyder JR, Meagher DM, Honnas CM.A study of 15 American miniature horses (AMH) that underwent surgical treatment for colic was performed. Information obtained from the medical records included signalment, clinical signs, type and location of gastrointestinal lesion, and postoperative complications. All 15 AMH had intraluminal obstructions, attributable to feed impactions (11 horses), enteroliths (2), and sand (2). The most common location of obstruction was the small colon, which was involved in 9 of the 15 cases. All 15 AMH survived and were discharged from the hospital. Six of the 15 AMH underwent subsequent surgical treatm...
Waterman A.Disturbances of fluid and electrolyte balance may occur in the horse as a consequence of many disease processes. Disorders may be classified into 3 main categories, primary water loss, mixed water and electrolyte depletion and acid base disturbances. This paper reviews the changes which occur with each type of disorder and discusses methods of diagnosis and assessment of such imbalances. The principles of treatment are described and the management of fluid replacement therapy in 3 of the disorders, mainly acute intestinal obstruction, inability to drink and diarrohea is discussed.
Buckingham SH, Jeffcott LB, Anderson GA, McCartney RN.The in vivo precision of ultrasound velocity measurement and single photon absorptiometry for the assessment of equine bone quality is discussed. In vivo precisions for ultrasound velocity measurements were less than 0.5 per cent, whereas cortical cross-sectional area, compact bone density and modulus of elasticity were around 1 per cent, and bone mineral content and density were just over 2 per cent. Except for ultrasound velocity, substantial improvements could be achieved by taking the mean of five readings for each measurement. The long-term precision of the techniques was also high, with ...
Dawson K.Sourcing of horses naturally infected with parasites such as Anoplocephala perfoliata and Gasterophilus intestinalis for antiparasitic efficacy slaughter studies is often difficult, expensive, and usually excessive numbers of animals must be slaughtered before significant data can be obtained. To overcome this problem a "Modified Critical Treatment Method" was developed. This method does not require the horses to be sacrificed, but relies on the collection and processing of all faecal material containing expelled parasites from test animals. Efficacy is assessed by comparing, in the same horse...
Pearce SG, Firth EC, Grace ND, Fennessy PF.The effect of copper status on the evidence of bone and cartilage lesions was investigated in 21 Thoroughbred foals. The foals and their dams were grazed on pasture containing 4.4-8.6 mg Cu/kg dry matter (DM). Four treatment groups were created by randomly allocating mares and their foals to either copper supplemented (0.5 mg Cu/kg liveweight (LW)/day), or control (pasture only) groups. This experimental design allowed the effect of copper supplementation of mare and foal to be examined independently. Parameters of bone and cartilage development were assessed in the foals both in vivo, and at ...
Semevolos SA, Nixon AJ, Goodrich LR, Ducharme NG.To determine clinical and radiographic findings in and treatment and outcome of large animals with shoulder joint luxations. Methods: Retrospective study. Methods: 5 horses, 3 goats, 1 calf, 1 sheep, 1 Himalayan tahr, 1 pot-bellied pig, 1 reindeer, and 1 white-tailed deer. Methods: Medical records and radiographs were reviewed to determine signalment, history, physical examination findings, type of luxation, treatment, and outcome. Owners and referring veterinarians were contracted for follow-up information. Results: Goats, sexually intact males, and animals < 1 year old were overrepresente...
Clem MF, DeBowes RM, Douglass JP, Leipold HW, Chalman JA.The effects of radioulnar fixation were studied in 21 Quarter horse foals by applying a bone plate to the caudal aspect of the proximal part of the ulna, with screws engaging both the radius and the ulna. The plates were applied at 1 month of age in six foals (group I), 5 months of age in six foals (group II), and 7 months of age in three foals (group III). Six foals underwent sham operations at 1 month of age to serve as controls (group IV). Ulnar dysplasia and elbow subluxation developed in all treated foals. The magnitude of ulnar dysplasia was inversely related to the patient's age at fixa...
Koch DW, Easley JT, Nelson BB, Delcambre JJ, McCready EG, Hackett ES.Auditory tube diverticula, also known as guttural pouches, are naturally occurring dilations of the auditory tube in horses that communicate with the nasopharynx through a small ostium. Infection and select other conditions can result in inflammation and narrowing of the nasopharyngeal ostium, which prevents drainage of fluid or egress of air and can lead to persistent infection or guttural pouch tympany. Auditory tube diverticulotomy allows continuous egress from the auditory tube diverticula and is a feature of disease treatment in horses, in which medical treatment alone is not successful. ...
Bailey MT, Christman SA, Wheaton JE, Troedsson MH, O'Brien TD, Ababneh MM, Santschi E.The aim of this study was to examine inhibin production in granulosa-theca cell tumours (GTCT). The experimental aims were: (i) to determine GTCT cell types that produce inhibin alpha- and betaA-subunits; (ii) to determine whether alpha- and betaA-subunit forms differ in GTCT fluid and normal equine follicular fluid (eFF); and (iii) to determine whether dimeric inhibin (alpha betaA) is present in GTCT plasma and tumour fluid. Plasma, tumour fluid and tumour tissue were collected from mares (n=6) with GTCT. Plasma and eFF were collected during the follicular phase from mares (n=4) undergoing no...
Winter J, Kershaw O, Schmitz R, Gehlen H.Equine leukaemic lymphoma is a rare disease of the haematopoetic tissue. It results from neoplastic degradation of B- and T-lymphocytes and their occurrence in the blood. Clinical signs are often unspecific and include chronic weight loss, ventral oedema at the thorax and abdomen and regional lymphadenopathy. Horses are often presented late in the course of the disease and therapy is rarely successful. This review summarizes the clinical pathologic findings of equine leukaemic lymphoma and the findings of laboratory testing and other diagnostic measures, and presents treatment options describe...
Otten N, Marti E, Söderström C, Amtmann E, Burger D, Gerber H, Lazary S.A xanthate compound with antiviral and antitumoural activities, tricyclodecan-9-yl-xanthogenate (D609) in combination with the potassium salt of the lauric acid (KC12) and, in a further investigation, the above-mentioned substances together with recombinant human TNF alpha (rh-TNF alpha), were tested on equine sarcoid tumours for therapeutic efficacy. A pilot investigation on 5 healthy horses showed that the compounds were well-tolerated; apart from a local, temporary oedema at the injection site, no other clinical symptoms were observed after subcutaneous administration of volumes from 0.1 to...
Verwilghen D, Ponthier J, Van Galen G, Salciccia A, Sandersen C, Serteyn D, Grulke S.Radial extracorporeal shockwave therapy (ESWT) is widely used in equine practice for the treatment of orthopedic problems. However, its original use as a lithotripsy device in human and canine urology led us to postulate that it could be used as an alternative to the surgical treatment of urethral calculi in horses. Objective: Radial ESWT can easily and safely fragment calculi in the distal urethra of the horse. Methods: Two postmortem cases and 1 live case of obstructive urinary disease admitted at the Veterinary Teaching Hospital of Liege. Methods: A radial shockwave device was directly appl...
Geurden T, Smith ER, Vercruysse J, Yazwinski T, Rehbein S, Nielsen MK.This reflection paper complements the WAAVP (World Association for the Advancement of Veterinary Parasitology) general anthelmintic efficacy guideline, which outlines the general principles of anthelmintic efficacy evaluation across all animal host species. It provides background to the recommendations made in the WAAVP general anthelmintic efficacy guideline, with insights into the discussions leading to specific recommendations in the general guideline or the absence thereof. Furthermore, this paper discusses recent technological advancements with potential value to the evaluation of anthelm...
Duesterdieck-Zellmer KF, Moneta L, Ott JF, Larson MK, Gorman EM, Hunter B, Löhr CV, Payton ME, Morré JT, Maier CS.To determine effects of intraarticularly administered tiludronate on articular cartilage in vivo, eight healthy horses were injected once with tiludronate (low dose tiludronate [LDT] 0.017 mg, n = 4; high dose tiludronate [HDT] 50 mg, n = 4) into one middle carpal joint and with saline into the contralateral joint. Arthrocentesis of both middle carpal joints was performed pre-treatment, and 10 min, 24 h, 48 h, 7 and 14 days after treatment. Synovial nucleated cell counts and total solids, tiludronate, sulfated glycosaminoglycan (sGAG), chondroitin sulfate 846 epitope (CS-846, a measure of aggr...
McAleese SM, Brown JK, Macrae AI, Mackellar A, Huntley JF, Miller HR.The high-affinity receptor for IgE (FcepsilonRI) plays a central role in IgE-mediated allergic reactions. Cross-linking of FcepsilonRI by IgE-antigen complexes results in the activation of mast cells and basophils and is thought to contribute to the immunopathology of Heaves, a chronic obstructive pulmonary disease of horses. Recombinant protein corresponding to the extra-cellular portion of the FcepsilonRI alpha subunit, cloned and sequenced previously, was expressed using both mammalian cells and insect cells. The yield of expressed protein was considerably greater using insect cells and the...
Gabriel CR, Marta P.A two-month-old, Spanish breed, foal was referred with right hind limb lameness of two weeks duration. Clinical examinations confirmed a complex combination of lesions within the lateral femorotibial joint, including a subchondral bone cyst in the lateral femoral condyle, a severe popliteal tendonitis, and a delayed cartilage detachment of the lateral femoral condyle. Because of the complex association of these lesions, poor prognosis for an athletic career was given to the owner. Four years later, the filly is pasture sound. Lesions of the popliteal tendon in the horse are uncommon. The popli...
Capistrano da Silva E, Gibson DJ, Jeong S, Zimmerman KL, Smith-Fleming KM, Martins BDC.Matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs)-2 and -9 are present in corneal ulcers, and an imbalance between MMPs and tissue inhibitors of metalloproteinases (TIMPs) leads to further corneal degradation. Amniotic membrane homogenate (AMH) has proteolytic properties beneficial for corneal healing, but it is unknown whether AMH possesses TIMPs or effectively inhibits MMP-2 and MMP-9 activity. Objective: To determine if bovine and equine AMH reduce in vitro MMP-2 and MMP-9 activities associated with the presence of TIMPs. Methods: Undiluted and diluted twofold series (0-fold to 16-fold dilutions) of equine ...
Roska S, Morello S, Rajamanickam V, Smith LJ.Effects of lactated Ringer's solution (LRS) and hetastarch 130/0.4 (HES) on colloid osmotic pressure (COP), plasma osmolality (OSM) and total protein (TP) were investigated in 18 inhalational-anaesthetised healthy horses. Horses received 4-6 ml/kg LRS (LRS; n=9) or HES (HES; n=9) from anaesthesia induction through 60 min, after which all were administered LRS. COP, TP and OSM were measured before premedication (baseline), postinduction and 30 (n=18), 60 (n=18), 90 (n=18) and 120 (n=12) minutes. Baseline COP, OSM and TP were not different between groups. TP decreased in both groups at all t...
Tong P, Ren M, Xu X, Song X, Zhang L, Kuang L, Xie J.Multiple novel circular replication-associated protein (Rep)-encoding single stranded (CRESS) DNA viruses have been extensively identified in the feces of humans and animals. Here, we first detected CRESS DNA virus (named Horse-CRESS DNA-like virus, HCLV) in two fecal samples from 10 imported thoroughbred (TB) horses in the customs quarantine station in North Xinjiang province, China. Additionally, we found that this virus was not detected in local breeds (LBs) (0/41) and was found only in imported TB horses (2/73). We obtained the whole-genome sequences of four viruses (HCLV ALSK-3-4, ALSK-13...
Shih AC, Giguère S, Sanchez LC, Valverde A, Jankunas HJ, Robertson SA.To compare cardiac output (CO) measured by lithium arterial pressure waveform analysis (PULSECO) and CO measured by transpulmonary pulse contour analysis (PICCO) in anesthetized foals, with CO measured by use of lithium dilution (LIDCO) considered the criterion-referenced standard. Methods: 6 neonatal (1- to 4-day-old) foals that weighed 38 to 45 kg. Procedures-Foals were anesthetized and instrumented to measure direct blood pressure, heart rate, arterial blood gases, and CO. The CO was measured by use of PULSECO, PICCO, and LIDCO techniques. Measurements were converted to specific CO (sCO) va...
Kinoshita Y, Niwa H, Uchida-Fujii E, Nukada T.The incidence of equine proliferative enteropathy, caused by Lawsonia intracellularis, is increasing around the world. To investigate the relationships of variable-number tandem repeat (VNTR) patterns with host species and clinical status in horses, multilocus VNTR analysis (MLVA) was applied to 98 L. intracellularis samples collected from horses, seven from pigs, seven from wildlife, one vaccine strain, and 17 public strains. The VNTR patterns were highly diverse: a total of 130 samples identified 99 distinct patterns, and the 98 horses were classified into 71 different patterns. A phylogen...
Sargent SJ, Frank LA, Buchanan BR, Donnell RL, Morandi F.Otoscopic examination and cytology of the equine ear would be beneficial in diseases such as head trauma, headshaking, otitis externa secondary to otitis media, vestibular disease, aural neoplasia and aural pruritus secondary to parasites. In practice, otic examinations of horses are rarely done due to the perceived difficulty in visualizing the equine external ear canal and tympanic membrane, as well as the need for chemical restraint. In this study, the proximal external ear canal was examined in live horses using a handheld otoscope and in cadaver heads using video otoscopy. Visualization o...