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.
Chapman MR, Klei TR, French DD.A critical trial was performed with five ponies 6-9 months of age and raised on a horse farm with demonstrated benzimidazole-resistant cyathostomes. Eleven species of cyathostomes were recovered, seven of which had resistance to thiabendazole. Degrees of resistance varied among ponies and from species to species. Resistant species were Cyathostomum coronatum, Cyathostomum catinatum, Cylicostephanus minutus, Cylicostephanus calicatus, Cylicostephanus longibursatus, Cylicostephanus goldi and Cylicocylus nassatus. This is the first study identifying resistant cyathostome species in the Gulf Coast...
Bigbie RB, Schumacher J, Swaim SF, Purohit RC, Wright JC.Equine amnion and live yeast cell derivative were evaluated as a biological dressing and as a topical wound medicament respectively, in the treatment of granulating wounds of the distal portion of the limbs of horses. Wounds measuring 2.5 x 2.5 cm were created on the dorsomedial aspect of the metacarpal and metatarsal region of all 4 limbs of 9 horses. Each wound was assigned randomly to 1 of 3 treatment groups: group C, treated with a nonadherent bandage as a control; group A, treated with amnion beneath a nonadherent bandage; and group L, treated with live yeast cell derivative beneath a non...
Gasthuys F, de Moor A, Parmentier D.The influence of different rates of dopamine and dobutamine on the cardiovascular depression during a standard halothane anesthesia was studied in dorsally recumbent ventilated ponies. Haemodynamic and respiratory responses were investigated by means of cardiac output (CO) determination (thermodilution technique), mean systemic (MAP) and pulmonary artery pressure (MPAP) (direct intravascular method) and arterial blood analysis (blood gases and packed cell volume). An important cardiopulmonary depression characterized by decreases (55% of the standing values) in CO, cardiac index (CI), MAP, MPA...
O'Callaghan MW.There is increasing demand on equine practitioners to provide confirmation of their diagnoses. For obscure lameness and for many of the more difficult locomotory problems presented in referral hospitals, the question to be answered is not only how to make the most accurate diagnosis but also how to document the findings so that there is less doubt in the mind of the client. This article describes a quasi algorithmic approach to choosing the best combinations of the increasingly sophisticated imaging methods available for evaluation of orthopedic disease.
Dieckmann M, Deegen E.Twelve horses with clinical symptoms of a gastric disorder were studied by gastroscopy. Symptoms of gastric disorders were periprandial colic, bruxism, ructus and reflux. Preliminary to gastroscopy the horses were fasted for 24 h. Access to water was not restricted. The gastroscopy could be conducted easily using a fiberscope 2.5 m in length and 11 mm in outer diameter. While ulcers were present in the squamous fundus of all horses only one horse showed ulceration of the glandular fundus. Solitary ulcers near the margo plicatus were found in horses with mild clinical symptoms. In contrast, dif...
Steckel RR.Bone scanning to help diagnose orthopedic disease has been used in human patients for over two decades. The value of this diagnostic tool has been well established in helping to identify a variety of musculoskeletal conditions. It has only recently been used by veterinarians for more accurate characterization of equine musculoskeletal disease. The technique offers the major advantage of increased sensitivity over standard radiographic imaging. The case material illustrated here shows that except for consistent identification of bone cysts, most of the pathologic changes to the horse's musculos...
Reef VB.A wide variety of ultrasonographic equipment currently is available for use in equine practice, but no one machine is optimal for every type of imaging. Image quality is the most important factor in equipment selection once the needs of the practitioner are ascertained. The transducer frequencies available, transducer footprints, depth of field displayed, frame rate, gray scale, simultaneous electrocardiography, Doppler, and functions to modify the image are all important considerations. The ability to make measurements off of videocassette recorder playback and future upgradability should be ...
Padilla AW, Foote RH.Slow-cooled stallion spermatozoa, with and without seminal plasma removed by centrifugation, were diluted in Kenney's extender (KE) containing nonfat dry skim milk with glucose and antibiotics or in KE supplemented by adding a modified high-potassium Tyrode's medium (KMT). Four ejaculates from each of four stallions were collected and divided factorially across these four treatments. Percentage of motile sperm, path velocity, and linearity immediately after treatment (0 h) and after storage at 4 degrees C for 24, 48, and 72 h were evaluated objectively by use of a HTM-2030 sperm motility analy...
Hoskinson JJ, Wooten P, Evans R.Nonsurgical, percutaneous, transvenous removal of a catheter fragment embolus was performed in a 14-day-old Thoroughbred foal. A basket retrieval catheter was introduced into the jugular vein and manipulated under fluoroscopic guidance to remove the fragment from the right side of the heart. Percutaneous retrieval should be considered as an alternative to thoracotomy for retrieval of intracardiac or intravascular foreign bodies.
Sivula NJ.Between 1984 and 1989, 33 horses were diagnosed with renosplenic entrapment of the large colon. Duration of colic, signalment, physical findings, and laboratory values were determined, and treatment methods were evaluated. Nonsurgical correction was attempted in 22 of the horses with suspected renosplenic entrapment of the large colon and was successful in 11 cases. Survival and complication rates also were determined. Nonsurgical correction is a viable alternative to immediate surgery for renosplenic entrapment of the large colon, if cases are selected properly.
van der Kolk JH, de Groot J.Serological surveys showed that equine monocytic ehrlichiosis (EME) occurs in the USA, Canada and Europe. The causative agent is Rickettsia Ehrlichia risticii, isolated for the first time in 1984. The clinical features of the disease are sluggishness, anorexia, colic and fever, possibly followed by watery diarrhoea. Complications of an infection with E. risticii are laminitis and abortion. Colitis of the ascending colon may be observed at autopsy. Following a positive serological diagnosis (IgM ELISA) of EME, treatment with oxytetracycline can be initiated. It is also important to restore the ...
Charlton C, Tulleners E.Two male racehorses (1 Standardbred, 1 Thoroughbred) were examined because of intraluminal cervical tracheal lesions, located 60 to 70 cm from the nares. A contact neodymium:yttrium aluminum garnet laser with a chisel probe attached to the fiber end was used to transendoscopically debride a nonhealing tracheal ulcer and to excise a pyogranulomatous mass. In both horses, the surgical sites healed quickly and the lesions did not redevelop.
Knowles DP, Perryman LE, Goff WL, Miller CD, Harrington RD, Gorham JR.Babesiosis is a tick-borne hemoparasitic disease affecting horses worldwide. To investigate mechanisms of immunity to this parasite, the antibody response of infected horses to Babesia equi merozoite proteins was evaluated. Immunoprecipitation of B. equi merozoite antigens with sera from infected horses revealed 11 major proteins of 210, 144, 108, 88, 70, 56, 44, 36, 34, 28, and 25 kDa. Monoclonal antibody (MAb) 36/133.97, which binds to live merozoites, immunoprecipitated proteins of 44, 36, 34, and 28 kDa. When immunoprecipitations were performed with in vitro translation products of merozoi...
Nyman G, Lindberg R, Weckner D, Björk M, Kvart C, Persson SG, Gustafsson H, Hedenstierna G.Eight horses (mean weight 438 kg) with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) were studied for clinical signs, ventilation/perfusion relationships (VA/Q) and lung morphology. Four horses were killed and necropsied after the study. In horses with COPD, minute ventilation was almost twice as high as normal, whereas PaO2 was significantly decreased. Cardiac output was normal, but pulmonary artery pressure and pulmonary vascular resistance were significantly increased. The VA/Q distribution was abnormal with an increased scatter of VA/Q ratios. However, shunt (VA/Q = 0) was increased in one ...
Bohanon TC, Schneider RK, Weisbrode SE.Six normal horses received 3 intra-articular injections of sodium monoiodoacetate (MIA) in the distal intertarsal (DIT) and tarsometatarsal (TMT) joints of one hindlimb. Injections were at three week intervals, and post injection pain was controlled with routine administration of phenylbutazone for five days following each injection. All horses underwent a gradually increasing exercise programme consisting of walking and trotting beginning one week after the first injection and continuing for 24 weeks. All treated joints showed increasingly severe radiographic evidence of degenerative joint di...
Orsini JA, Nunamaker DM, Jones CJ, Acland HM.A large oral squamous cell carcinoma in a 27-year-old Arabian stallion was removed by partial excision of the incisive bone. There was no gross evidence of recurrence or metastasis 5 months later.
Rose PL, Schumacher J, Taylor TS.An extensive stricture of the left dorsal colon in a Thoroughbred colt was resected and the colon was anastomosed. In two horses, circumferential strictures at the pelvic flexure 2.5 to 3 cm long were corrected with a modified Heineke-Mikulicz pyloroplasty technique. The horses were reported to be doing well at 6, 8, and 45 months, respectively.
Smyth GB.A 4-year-old Quarter horse gelding presented with a swelling in the soft tissues over the junction of the body and ramus of the left mandible. Radiography showed a well circumscribed lytic area within the mandible surrounded by sclerosis unassociated with any tooth. Aspiration of the lesion yielded pus. The abscess cavity was opened, curetted and lavaged. A Penrose drain was placed in the abscess cavity for 10 days. Bacteriological culture of the exudate and soft tissues from the abscess produced a few colonies of Staphylococcus intermedius. Histopathology showed chronic pyogenic infection. Th...
Ross PF, Rice LG, Reagor JC, Osweiler GD, Wilson TM, Nelson HA, Owens DL, Plattner RD, Harlin KA, Richard JL.During the fall of 1989 and winter of 1990, numerous reports of equine leukoencephalomalacia (ELEM) occurred from many regions of the United States. Typically, horses were consuming feed partially or entirely composed of corn and/or corn screenings. From October 1989 through May 1990, samples from 55 confirmed or suspected ELEM cases were received at the National Veterinary Services Laboratories, Ames, Iowa, for fumonisin B1 analysis. Samples from 9 cases in 1984-1985 were also obtained. Fumonisin B1, a mycotoxin produced by Fusarium moniliforme, causes ELEM, but little is known of naturally o...
Misheff MM, Stover SM.Because arthrocentesis of the metacarpophalangeal joint through the proximal palmar pouch may induce synovial haemorrhage, this study evaluated arthrocentesis through the lateral collateral sesamoidean ligament. The proximal palmar pouch and collateral sesamoidean ligament approaches were used in contralateral forelimbs to obtain paired initial synovial fluid samples from 16 horses 12 to 15 h before being killed. Synovial fluid samples also were collected from the same joints at necropsy and the subcutis, synovium and articular cartilage were evaluated. Metacarpophalangeal joint arthrocentesis...
Doucet MY, Vrins AA, Ford-Hutchinson AW.A histamine inhalation challenge (HIC) procedure was developed to assess hyperreactive states in horses. Following clinical evaluation, percutaneous lung biopsies were performed on nine light breed mares aged 6 to 15 years. Five horses, with normal small airways, were classified as group A and four subjects with small airway disease (SAD) lesions formed group B. Pulmonary mechanics parameters were monitored following an aerosol of 0.9% saline and every 5 min for up to 30 min after HIC with 0.5% w/v of histamine diphosphate, administered through a face mask for 2.5 min. Tidal volume (VT) and ai...
van der Kolk JH, Klein WR, van der Putten SW, Mol JA.A thirteen-year-old Dutch warmblooded mare was referred to the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine because of a sinusitis. She was thin with a potbellied appearance. Her coat was dull with long wavy hair. Unilateral (left) purulent nasal discharge was evident. A cbc revealed leucopenia (3.9 G.L.-1) and plasma biochemical analysis revealed a plasma glucose concentration of 10.1 mmol.L-1. Thermostable alkaline phosphatase (at 65 degrees C during 2 minutes) could not be demonstrated. Basal plasma cortisol concentration was lowered (114 nmol.L-1) and basal plasma ACTH concentration was highly elevated ...
Huntington PJ, Seneque S, Slocombe RF, Jeffcott LB, McLean A, Luff AR.Five horses with Australian stringhalt were treated with 15 mg/kg phenytoin orally for 2 weeks. During the second week of the trial, 3 of the horses were given an additional dose of 10 mg/kg phenytoin. The response to treatment was clinically assessed by grading the severity of the gait abnormality at the walk, trot, turning and backing twice daily. There was a significant (P less than 0.05) improvement in the gait abnormality when pre-treatment values were compared with the mean of the last 3 assessments before treatment stopped. When reassessed 2 weeks after treatment ceased, there remained ...
Pastoret PP.Veterinary vaccinology is a very interesting and rapidly developing field. In fact veterinary vaccines are not only used for the prevention of infectious diseases in the animal health sector, but also help to solve problems of public health, to reduce detrimental environmental impact of the use of some veterinary drugs and prevent the emergence of resistance of micro-organisms or parasites. After a short introduction, this paper will deal with the use of vaccines for animal health and welfare, including new developments in the veterinary field such as marker vaccines and vectored vaccines, the...
Naranjo Cerrillo G, Soler Rodríguez F, Gómez Gordo L, Hermoso de Mendoza Salcedo M, Roncero Cordero V.In 1988 an outbreak of leukoencephalomalacia was diagnosed in equids that had eaten corn with a pinkish fungal growth. The fungus was then identified as Fusarium moniliforme. The main symptoms observed appeared acutely and were overexcitement, blindness, incoordination, facial paralysis and death within 24 h. The main pathological changes were restricted to the central nervous system. Macroscopically they consisted of hyperemia and haemorrhages, the consistency was friable and the gyri were somewhat flattened. Microscopically, the lesions were profuse and had extensive haemorrhages, and numero...
Lacourt M, MacDonald M, Rossier Y, Laverty S.To report the clinical findings, diagnosis, treatment and outcome of equine patients with articular synovial cysts. Methods: Retrospective case series. Methods: Horses (n = 16) with articular synovial cysts. Methods: Horses diagnosed with articular synovial cysts (1988-2009) at 2 veterinary teaching hospitals were studied. Signalment, history, clinical signs, diagnostic methods and treatment were retrieved and telephone follow-up was obtained. Results: Sixteen horses with articular synovial cysts were identified. Lameness was the reason for referral in most (n = 9) horses. Diagnosis was based ...
Hansson E, Skiöldebrand E.To treat osteoarthritic chondrocytes and thereby reduce the inflammation with a drug combination that primarily affects 5-HT- and ATP-evoked Ca2+ signaling. In osteoarthritic chondrocytes, Ca2+ signaling is elevated, resulting in increased production of ATP and inflammatory mediators. The expression of TLR4 and Na+/K+-ATPase was used to evaluate the inflammatory status of the cells. Methods: Equine chondrocytes were collected from joints with mild structural osteoarthritic changes and cultured in monolayers. The cells were treated with a combination of bupivacaine (1 pM) and sildenafil (1 ...
Jaramillo FM, Piñeros DDV, Corrêa RR, Pogliani FC, Cogliati B, Baccarin RYA.Despite hepatotoxic effects, imidocarb dipropionate is the drug of choice for treatment of equine piroplasmosis. It is important, therefore, to identify adjuvant therapies that may improve the safety of imidocarb dipropionate by reducing the risk of liver damage during its use. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the hepatoprotective and hepatoregulatory effects of treatment with and during administration of imidocarb dipropionate. Methods: Ten healthy horses, seroconverted to by C-ELISA, were treated with 5 mg/kg/day of imidocarb dipropionate for three consecutive days. The study ...
Comino F, Pollock PJ, Fulton I, Hewitt-Dedman C, Handel I, Gorvy DA.To achieve an excellent functional and cosmetic result, primary closure is preferred over leaving wounds to heal by secondary intention. However, traumatic wounds are often under excessive tension during wound closure and incorrect suture technique can compromise microcirculation, leading to skin necrosis and impaired wound healing. Objective: To describe an inexpensive and effective tension relief technique that helps the successful primary closure of a variety of equine wounds at high risk of dehiscence. Methods: Retrospective case series. Methods: All wounds that were managed with the Tensi...
Maes A, Baert K, Croubels S, De Clercq D, van Loon G, Deprez P, De Backer P.A rapid method for the quantification of amiodarone and desethylamiodarone in animal plasma using high-performance liquid chromatography combined with UV detection (HPLC-UV) is presented. The sample preparation includes a simple deproteinisation step with acetonitrile. In addition, a sensitive method for the quantification of amiodarone and desethylamiodarone in horse plasma and urine using high-performance liquid chromatography combined with electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry (LC-ESI-MS/MS) is described. The sample preparation includes a solid-phase extraction (SPE) with a SCX c...
Mathie RT, Hansen L, Elliott MF, Hoare J.Targeted research development in veterinary homeopathy is properly informed by the systematic collection and analysis of relevant clinical data obtained by its practitioners. We organised a pilot data collection study, in which 8 Faculty of Homeopathy veterinarians collected practice-based clinical and outcomes data over a 6-month period. Methods: A specifically designed Excel spreadsheet enabled recording of consecutive clinical appointments under the following headings: date; identity of patient and owner (anonymised); age, sex and species of patient; medical condition/complaint treated; whe...
Black JB, Frampton AR.Equine herpesvirus type 1 (EHV-1) is a highly transmissible pathogen that leads to a variety of clinical disease outcomes in infected horses. A major sequela that can occur after an EHV-1 infection is a neurological disease termed equine herpesvirus myeloencephalopathy (EHM). Clinical manifestations of EHM include fever, ataxia, incontinence, and partial to full paralysis, which may ultimately lead to the euthanization of the infected horse. To develop an effective treatment strategy for EHM, it is critical that the specific virus-host interactions that lead to EHM be investigated so that safe...
Tate LP.The advantages and disadvantages of various surgical lasers are discussed. Included are aspects of laser safety, anesthesia and analgesia considerations for laser surgery, and diagnostic considerations. Horses with lesions such as ethmoid hematomas, nasal polyps, and lymphoid masses are ideal candidates for laser treatment. Other conditions that are suitably treated with lasers, such as dorsal displacement of the soft palate and entrapment of the epiglottis, are described.
Needles RK, Dubois MS.This case report documents an unusual case of persistent colic in a horse caused by an anomalous vascularized band of tissue running between the visceral surface of the liver and the mesentery of the large colon at the level of the sternal/diaphragmatic flexures. The horse was presented with a history of exhibiting signs of mild persistent colic that were suspected to be caused by displacement of the large colon. Volvulus of the large colon was identified during exploratory celiotomy. The band of tissue was transected, and the displacement corrected. The horse made an uneventful recovery. Trai...
Ijpma G, Liang CQ, Kachmar L, Panariti A, Benedetti A, Lavoie JP, Lauzon AM.Isolated human airway smooth muscle (ASM) tissue contractility studies are essential for understanding the role of ASM in respiratory disease, but limited availability and cost render storage options necessary for optimal use. However, to our knowledge, no comprehensive study of cryopreservation protocols for isolated ASM has been performed to date. We tested several cryostorage protocols on equine trachealis ASM using different cryostorage media [1.8 M dimethyl sulfoxide and fetal bovine serum (FBS) or Krebs-Henseleit (KH)] and different degrees of dissection (with or without epithelium and c...
Hedell R, Andersson MG, Faverjon C, Marcillaud-Pitel C, Leblond A, Mostad P.A potentially sensitive way to detect disease outbreaks is syndromic surveillance, i.e. monitoring the number of syndromes reported in the population of interest, comparing it to the baseline rate, and drawing conclusions about outbreaks using statistical methods. A decision maker may use the results to take disease control actions or to initiate enhanced epidemiological investigations. In addition to the total count of syndromes there are often additional pieces of information to consider when assessing the probability of an outbreak. This includes clustering of syndromes in space and time as...
Cohen JM, Schneider RK, Zubrod CJ, Sampson SN, Tucker RL.(1) To describe the clinical signs and abnormalities observed on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in 7 horses with desmitis of the distal digital annular ligament (DDAL); (2) to describe the normal magnetic resonance (MR) appearance and thickness of the DDAL in health; and (3) to describe a tenoscopic surgical technique for treating horses with desmitis of the DDAL. Methods: Retrospective study. Methods: Horses (n=7) with desmitis of the DDAL. Methods: MR examinations of 20 sound horses were reviewed to determine the normal appearance of the DDAL. Dimensions obtained from these images were com...
Chung C, Wilson C, Timoney P, Adams E, Adams DS, Chung JS, Evermann JF, Shuck K, Lee SS, McGuire TC.Equine arteritis virus (EAV) causes contagious equine viral arteritis, characterized by fever, anorexia, conjunctivitis, nasal discharge, dependent edema, abortion, infrequent death in foals, and establishment of the carrier state in stallions. The World Organization for Animal Health (OIE) defines a horse as seropositive if the serum neutralization (SN) antibody titer is ≥1:4 to EAV. However, determining the SN titer is time-consuming and requires specific laboratory facilities, equipment, and technical expertise to perform. Furthermore, interpretation of the SN titer of some sera can be di...
Perryman LE, Magnuson NS.Significant contributions to understanding the role of lymphocyte subpopulations in the immune response and to the characterization of immunodeficiencies in children have been achieved through study of animal models of immunodeficiency. Additional contributions can be made in two important areas. One is through identification of relevant, naturally-occurring models of adenosine deaminase deficiency and purine nucleoside phosphorylase deficiency. The second, and potentially more important contribution, would be the identification of the metabolic basis for existing immune deficiencies. The nece...
Taylor D, Hood DM, Wagner IP.To evaluate the short-term effects of 4 therapeutic shoeing systems on lameness and voluntary limb-load distribution in horses with chronic laminitis. Methods: 10 horses with chronic laminitis. Methods: A clinical trial was conducted that used a concurrent control, crossover design to evaluate the relative effectiveness of a standard flat shoe, fullered egg-bar shoe, heart-bar shoe, and modified equine digital support system to alleviate chronic lameness in horses. Therapeutic success was assessed during a 7-day period by use of subjective (Obel grade and clinical score) and objective (force-p...
Mason JB, Gurda BL, Van Wettere A, Engiles JB, Wilson JM, Richardson DW.Our long-term aim is to develop a gene therapy approach for the prevention of laminitis in the contralateral foot of horses with major musculoskeletal injuries and non-weightbearing lameness. Objective: The goal of this study was to develop a practical method to efficiently deliver therapeutic proteins deep within the equine foot. Methods: Randomised in vivo experiment. Methods: We used recombinant adeno-associated viral vectors (rAAVs) to deliver marker genes using regional limb perfusion through the palmar digital artery of the horse. Results: Vector serotypes rAAV2/1, 2/8 and 2/9 all succes...
Tantawichien T, Benjavongkulchai M, Wilde H, Jaijaroensup W, Siakasem A, Chareonwai S, Yountong C, Sitprija V.The high cost of postexposure prophylaxis for rabies is one reason that treatment is inadequate in developing countries. This problem has kindled interest in the use of equine rabies immune globulin, which is a less expensive, yet effective, substitute for human rabies immune globulin. Fatal anaphylaxis is a feared complication of the administration of heterologous serum; therefore, authoritative sources recommend prior skin testing. However, recommendations for methods of administering such a skin test and for its interpretation vary greatly. We embarked on a long-term study to develop guidel...
Dash RF, Minshall GJ, Wright IM.Slab fractures of the third carpal bone (C3) are a common cause of lameness in Thoroughbred racehorses. Information on fracture morphology is commonly obtained from radiographs or CT. This retrospective, methods comparison aimed to explore the agreement between radiography and CT for imaging C3 slab fractures and discuss the contribution of the latter to clinical case management. Thoroughbred racehorses with a slab or incomplete slab fracture of C3 identified on radiographs that subsequently underwent CT examination were included. Fracture characteristics (location, plane, classification, disp...
Bergfelt DR, Meira C, Fleury JJ, Fleury PD, Dell'Aqua JA, Adams GP.A regimen of progesterone plus estradiol (P&E) was used as a standard for ovarian synchronization to test the efficacy and evaluate the commercial application of ultrasound-guided follicle ablation as a non-steroidal alternative for ovulation synchronization in mares. Recipient mares at a private embryo transfer facility were at unknown stages of the estrous cycle at the start of the experiment on Day 1 when they were randomly assigned to an ablation group (n=18-21 mares) or to a P&E group (n=20-21 mares). In the ablation group, mares were lightly sedated and all follicles > or = 10...
Finch SC, Munday JS, Sutherland BL, Vlaming JB, Fletcher LR.AIMS To determine if equine fescue oedema (EFO) induced by grazing Mediterranean-type tall fescue (Lolium arundinaceum) infected with selected endophytes (Epichloë coenophiala) could be prevented by treatment with the corticosteroid, methylprednisolone, and anti-histamine, cetirizine, and to determine concentrations of lolines, specifically N-acetyl norloline (NANL), in grasses grazed by horses that did and did not develop EFO. METHODS Four horses were grazed on AR542-infected Mediterranean tall fescue pasture (from Day 0) for 7 days prior to being subjected to euthanasia. Two of these horses...
Fultz LE, Peloso JG, Giguère S, Adams AR.To compare the outcome of horses with nephrosplenic entrapment of the large colon (NSELC) that were treated nonsurgically by IV administration of phenylephrine and exercise with that of horses treated by IV administration of phenylephrine and a rolling procedure under general anesthesia. Methods: Retrospective case series. Methods: 88 horses with NSELC. Methods: Horses examined between 2004 and 2010 because of acute abdominal pain that had NSELC on the basis of findings on abdominal palpation per rectum, abdominal ultrasonography, or both were included. Medical records were reviewed to obtain ...
Ellerbrock RE, Curcio BR, Zhong L, Honoroto J, Wilkins P, Lima FS, Giguere S, Canisso IF.Enrofloxacin may be an alternative antimicrobial for unresponsive cases of severe bacterial infections in pregnant mares. As pregnancy may affect drug bioavailability, distribution, metabolism and excretion, dose adjustment might be necessary. Objective: To determine the disposition of orally and intravenously administered enrofloxacin in pregnant and non-pregnant mares. Methods: Randomised cross-over experiment. Methods: Six light-breed, healthy pregnant mares (260 days gestation) were given a single dose of either intravenous (5 mg/kg bwt) or oral compounded (7.5 mg/kg bwt) enrofloxacin, ...
Uzcanga GL, Bubis J.Two horses were infected with distinct non-tsetse transmitted Venezuelan stocks, namely TeAp-N/D1 and TeAp-El Frio01 . Preceding reports have revealed that a 64-kDa antigenic glycopolypeptide (p64), which is the soluble form of the predominant variant surface glycoprotein from TeAp-N/D1 , can be used as a good antigen for immunodiagnosis of animal trypanosomosis. Here, the course of the experimental acute infection in both horses was monitored by evaluating total anti-p64 IgG and particular anti-p64 γ-specific IgG and μ-specific IgM isotypes in sera using indirect enzyme-linked immunoso...
Traversa D.The recognition that the health and welfare of some humans are improved through contact and relationships with animals is now established. Two commonly recognized assistance animals are dogs and horses. Both provide therapeutic benefits to humans with some physical and mental illnesses and both assist people with disabilities. Moreover, the public and scientific attention to the health and conservation of many animal breeds is also increasing worldwide. In the past few years, two potentially life-threatening nematode infections that can induce tumours or tumour-like masses in canids and equids...
Farrall H, Handscombe MC.More work is necessary to establish corneal dimensions and retinal structure and neural organisation in the equine eye. This paper reports a case of surgical management of bilateral cataracts in a pony and the results of a survey of refractive error in normal horses. Aspects of accommodation are discussed. It is suggested that a difference in retinal receptor organisation between horse and human eyes could explain the good visual performance of the aphakic pony; and that the degree of blurring of vision in the aphakic situation is less, both in absolute terms and in proportion to presumed norm...
Wilkins PA.Rapid evaluation and intervention is a requirement and a characteristic of patient management in neonatal intensive care units, and this applies for equine neonates also. Appropriate interventions are based on solid knowledge of age, maturity, and species-specific differences in reference ranges. Point-of-care (POC) testing devices speedup decision making regarding treatments and interventions. However, there are potential limitations of these devices when applied to age groups and species beyond those they were specifically developed for. This article discusses the age-specific differences in...
Hasegawa M, Amano A, Muraoka H, Kobayashi I, Kimoto M, Kato M, Fujioka T, Nasu M.We conducted a study for the growth of and selectivity for the desired microorganisms using a newly developed selective culture medium for Helicobacter pylori, Columbia horse blood agar HP (CHBHP), at three different Japanese clinical laboratories, Hokkaido, Kanto and Kyusyu. When standard strains and clinical isolates of H. pylori were examined, the recovery of the organism on the CHBHP media was comparable to that of conventional selective and nonselective media. However, colonies were obviously larger on the CHBHP media. These media yielded the highest H. pylori positive rate for clinical s...
Rosskopf U, Noeske K, Werner E.This paper describes a double antigen ELISA (DAE) for rapid, specific and reliable assessment of the antitetanus immune status of horses and sheep. Compared with the indirect ELISA, the double antigen ELISA has the advantage of species-independent testing of sera. Thanks to its test design, it is more specific since the detected antibodies are forced to bind tetanus toxoid twice. In addition, it is very sensitive to tetanus antibodies, enabling the detection of low antibody titres, in range which is relevant for the assessment of the protective status (tetanus toxin neutralising antibodies). T...
