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.
Mellor PS.1. 903 horses were examined at 3 abattoirs in South East England. 10(22–7%) of the horses at the London Colney abattoir, 23(13–9%) of those at the Braintree abattoir, Essex, and 90(12–9%) of those at the Islington abattoir, London, were infected with O. cervicalis. All 105 horses examined in Southern Ireland were found to be negative.
2. The adult worms of O. cervicalis were found without exception, in the ligamentum nuchae of infected horses. The suspensory ligaments of the fetlock and flexor tendons were always negative.
3. The microfilariae of O. cervicalis concentrate along the...
Gerger H.Several forms of chronic pulmonary disease in the horse can be differentiated, to some extent, by simple means within the scope of every clinician. The proposed diagnostic system permits more precise diagnoses, which are supported by histopathological evidence. Such diagnoses justify a reasonably accurate prognosis of a horse's chance of recovery. They also have been used as a basis for constructing a pathogenetic model.
Among the factors involved in the pathogenesis of chronic pulmonary disease, ageing has probably been overrated.
Climatic changes influence the symptomatology and the co...
Mason TA.A case of bicipital bursitis in a six-year-old mare is described. The horse was presented with acute lameness, pyrexia and hot swelling over the right shoulder region. Although antibiotic treatment relieved these signs, a firm cold swelling remained which had to be removed by surgical resection and drainage.
Pusterla N, Vaala W, Bain FT, Chappell DE, Craig B, Schneider C, Barnett DC, Gaughan E, Papich MG.Equine protozoal myeloencephalitis (EPM) has remained a devastating neurological disease of the Americas, especially in young performance horses. Prophylactic treatment strategies with diclazuril have shown to reduce seroprevalence and titer levels to Sarcocystis neurona in healthy horses continuously exposed to the apicomplexan parasite. The goal of this study was to determine if the FDA-labeled dose of 1 mg/kg of 1.56% diclazuril (Protazil) given once weekly to healthy adult horses would achieve steady-state concentrations in plasma known to be inhibitory to S. neurona in cell culture. Five ...
Whitehead AE, Whitty J, Scott M, Léguillette R.A gelding was diagnosed with dysphagia and left guttural pouch mycosis. Treatments included topical antifungal drugs, systemic voriconazole, and balloon occlusion of the internal carotid artery. Ongoing dysphagia of neurological origin necessitated extra-oral feeding through an esophagostomy tube. Complementary case management included acupuncture. Clinical remission occurred over 10 weeks. Dysphagie réversible secondaire à une mycose de la poche gutturale chez un hongre traité médicalement avec du voriconazole et chirurgicalement par l’occlusion de la carotide et l’œsophagostomie. Un...
Ortillés Á, Sanmartí J, Ríos J, Armengou L, Peña MT, Leiva M.To evaluate the effect of topical cyclopentolate hydrochloride (CH) on quantitative pupillometric readings (PR), tear production (TP), and intraocular pressure (IOP) in healthy horses. Methods: Fourteen client-owned horses. Methods: In a two-phase design study, each animal received 1% CH ophthalmic solution in the left eye [treated] and 0.9% NaCl in the right eye [control] (0.2 mL each). In the first phase (n = 7), TP, IOP, and PR assessment was performed by Schirmer tear test I, rebound tonometry and static pupillometry, at 1, 8, 24, 48, 72, 96, 120, 148, 172, and 196-hours post-instillati...
Erridge ME, Cox AL, Dixon PM.Peripheral caries of equine cheek teeth is a poorly described disorder and, in particular little is known of its histopathology. Histological examinations of decalcified sections of 21 equine peripheral caries-affected cheek teeth showed two different patterns of cemental lesions; including progressive enlargement of focal, flask-like lesions leading to breakdown of the adjacent cementum, and secondly; a more generalized flaking-off of thin layers of under-run, surface cementum. A thick layer of plaque and food material usually lay on the surface of affected cementum and also within cemental d...
Rutten DR, Chaffaux S, Valon M, Deletang F, De Haas V.In two studies in Holland and France a total of 41 mares found either to be in anoestrus or showing continuous oestrous behaviour during the early part of the covering season were treated with a progesterone releasing intravaginal device. Of the 32 mares in the first study, 24 ovulated after treatment and 11 became pregnant to a covering at the induced oestrus. In the second study all but one of the nine mares showed oestrus, seven ovulated and six became pregnant at the post treatment oestrus. By the end of the covering season 15 of the 21 mares treated for anoestrus and seven of the 11 mares...
Keller H, Hashem A.In a study in the horse, the disposition, the pharmacokinetic parameters and the absorption rates of 3 formulations of phenylbutazone (injection solution, powder and paste suspension) have been determined. After i.v. injection, the half-life time of phenylbutazone has been determined to be 6.6-6.7 h. After oral administration, the absorption of phenylbutazone was found to be faster after administration via stomach tube than after direct application into the mouth. The absorption rat constant of the paste suspension was found to be higher than that of the powder (1.797-2.304 h-1 vs. 0.656-1.197...
Stanley S, Wood T, Goodman JP, Henry PA, Woods WE, Chang SL, Tai HH, Watt D, Kwiatkowski S, Blake JW.We have raised antibodies and developed one-step enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISA) for the diuretics ethacrynic acid and bumetanide as part of a panel of pre- and post-race tests for high potency drugs in racing horses. These ELISA tests are rapid (completed within one hour), sensitive, and can be read by eye. The ELISA detects ethacrynic acid at a drug concentration for half-maximal inhibition (I-50) of about 2.5 ng/mL for the parent drug. After dosing horses intravenously with 5 mg ethacrynic acid per horse, the parent drug or its metabolites are detectable in urine for at least 8 h...
Johnson PJ, Allhands RV, Baker GJ, Boero MJ, Foreman JH, Hyyppa T, Huhn JC.Incomplete linear tibial fractures were identified in two horses with the aid of scintigraphy. Both horses were treated successfully by strict stall confinement, and both returned to normal athletic activity. Scintigraphy can be used to facilitate the generally difficult diagnosis of incomplete tibial fractures.
Doran G, Hughes K, Rendle D, Edwards S.Pergolide is used to treat pituitary pars intermedia dysfunction (equine Cushing's Disease), a neurodegenerative condition associated with loss of dopaminergic inhibition of the pituitary in horses. After oral administration, only low concentrations of the drug are achieved in plasma, making drug detection and quantification difficult. While direct analysis of plasma using sensitive MS/MS techniques is possible, dirty plasma samples and mobile phase buffers can cause instrumentation to become rapidly incapacitated. A method using LC with fluorescence detection was developed for pergolide analy...
Wanstrath MA, Bauck AG, Smith AD, Freeman DE.To assess the safety and efficacy of a method for digitally enlarging the caudal aspect of the epiploic foramen (EF). Methods: Healthy horses and clinical cases of EF entrapment (EFE). Methods: Fourteen healthy horses and three clinical cases. Methods: Through a ventral midline celiotomy under general anesthesia, the EF was enlarged by digital separation of the caudal attachments of the caudate lobe of the liver from right dorsal colon, right kidney, gastropancreatic fold, and pancreas. Healthy horses were euthanized under anesthesia, and the enlarged EF was measured at necropsy. Results: The ...
Brook D, Schmidt GR.A case of pre-renal azotaemia is described in a 12 year old pony resulting from oesophageal obstruction of 8 days duration. Blood urea nitrogen, creatinine, calcium, inorganic phosphate, sodium, potassium, chloride and bicarbonate concentrations were monitored throughout the recovery period. After relief of the obstruction normal blood concentrations were quickly restored.
Gürler AT, Bölükbaş CS, Açici M, Umur S.Helminths of equines are one of the most important agents of parasitic diseases. Therefore, many studies have been conducted on helminths of equines in Turkey. In this article, a check list and prevalence rates of helminths of equines in Turkey have been given.
van Veen L, de Greef RJ.A non-displaced radialfracture of a horse was,diagnosed. The horse had an open fracture resulting from external trauma. A diagnosis was made on radiographs taken 48h after trauma. The horse was treated conservatively by box rest and Robert-Jones bandages. After 7 days the wound was opened to let the wound drainage necrotic material and small sequesters and was washed every other day. After 7 weeks, radiographs showed complete consolidation. Four months after the injury the horse was back to work at his former level and is still working two years after the incident.
Ryan D.Outbreaks of equine influenza (EI) cause major disruption to the racing industry, resulting in cessation of racing until affected horses have recovered from the disease. The introduction of EI to a large population of Thoroughbred horses stabled at a Sydney racecourse provided the opportunity to observe clinical signs and monitor the spread of EI in this predominantly naïve population and to assist in determining an endpoint to infection spread to allow resumption of racing events.
Dodman NH.Drugs and drug combinations currently in use for chemical restraint of the horse are discussed with a view to establishing their likely usefulness to the practising veterinary surgeon. Acepromazine maleate and xylazine hydrochloride are considered to be the most useful tranquillisers in spite of their limitations. A xylazine-methadone sequence is described for more profound chemical restraint and the possible future role of ketamine and glyceryl guaiacolate in combination with other agents to produce recumbency is discussed.
Vidović A, Jansen D, Hermeyer K.A 2-year-old Arabian horse was presented with severe colic symptoms. During explorative laparotomy, a jejuno-jejunal invagination secondary to a submucosal intestinal mass was detected. The involved jejunal segment was surgically removed and an end-to-end anastomosis was created. Opening the specimen demonstrated the presence of a nodular mass on the head of the intussusceptum, measuring 10 cm in diameter, and almost completely obliterating the intestinal lumen. Additionally, a severe hyperemia of the jejunal mucosa was visible. Histological examination, which revealed a well-demarcated mass...
Tulleners EP, Harrison IW, Raker CW.By use of endoscopy, 75 horses with respiratory noise and/or exercise intolerance were determined to have structural arytenoid cartilage abnormalities (60 primary, 11 after previous laryngeal surgery), or failed left laryngoplasty (4 horses) for laryngeal hemiplegia in which the arytenoid cartilage still appeared normal. Eighty-eight percent of the horses were either Thoroughbred (54 horses; 72%) or Standardbred (12 horses; 16%) racehorses; only 9 horses (12%) had occupations not related to racing. Seventy-six percent of the racehorses were 2 to 4 years old; all non-racehorses were greater tha...
Turner AS, White N, Ismay J.Thirty-five horses with a history of crib biting or wind sucking were treated with a modification of the Forssell procedure. The technique involved bilateral neurectomy of the ventral branch of the accessory nerve combined with excision of a portion of the omohyoideus, sternohyoideus, and sternothyroideus muscles. Twenty horses became free of the vice, while in 11 there was a noticeable reduction in frequency of the vice. Four horses returned to crib biting/wind sucking at the same intensity as before surgery. The observation time following each operation was at least 12 months. Complications ...
Kosec M, Mrkun J.Methods for elimination of one of two embryos in twin pregnancies of mares were studied. Transvaginal ultrasound guided punction of yolk sac or allantoic cavity with fluid aspiration was used. Punction was done in 8 mares, pregnant between 22 and 46 days. In six cases, pregnancy did continue normally with one embryo only while in two cases, both embryos died following the procedure.
Taylor FG, Cooke BJ.The fragility of erythrocytes is easily demonstrated by their ability to withstand osmotic swelling and lysis in solutions of increasingly hypotonic saline. In healthy animals a plot of percentage haemolysis against increasing hypotonicity produces a sigmoid curve. Using the same data a derivative curve calculated from haemolytic increments shows a normal distribution of fragility within samples. In enhanced fragility due to immune-mediated haemolytic anaemia, these profiles of haemolysis are markedly altered and the derivative curve becomes multiphasic, indicating the presence of subpopulatio...
Mullaney TP, Brown CM, Watson GL, Brandt LA.An apparently new and emerging fatal hepatic disease affecting foals is described. Characteristics included evidence of hepatic failure, marked biliary hyperplasia, hepatocellular necrosis and occasionally fibrosis. Generally, the features of the disease appear to differ markedly from other hepatic diseases of neonatal foals.
An outbreak of equine viral arteritis in the American state of Kentucky led to a temporary ban being imposed by France, Ireland and the UK on the importation of horses from the USA during 1984. Sporadic cases of influenza caused by the type 2 strain of the virus were confirmed in France throughout the year and cases of strangles in thoroughbred mares and foals were reported from all three countries. No cases of contagious equine metritis were confirmed among the thoroughbred breeding population, although a number of outbreaks of the abortion form of rhinopneumonitis occurred. A small number of...
Azzie MA.The clinical effects and therapeutic value of a 500 mg implant of oestradiol benzoate was observed in thirty-nine Thoroughbred brood mares showing various abnormalities of the ovary and/or the reproductive tract. Sixteen similarly affected, untreated mares acted as controls. The implant was inserted during the early part of the normal anoestrous period and was removed 6 to 10 weeks later. The conception rate among the treated group (59%) during the onset of the ensuing breeding season was significantly higher (P less than 0-02) than that in the control group. The value of this form of treatmen...
O'Callaghan MW.We live in an age in which highly sophisticated computerized equipment and imaging methods are becoming increasingly available. Demand from clients requires that we as veterinary professionals keep our eyes on the future potential of these technologies for diagnosis and treatment. This article briefly reviews some of the techniques that are just around the corner for the progressive equine practitioner.
Bohanon TC, Beard WL, Robertson JT.Case records of 27 draft horses with laryngeal hemiplegia were reviewed. Twenty-one horses were treated by ventriculectomy with or without prosthetic laryngoplasty, and 17 owners were contacted to determine the results. Fifteen horses improved after surgery and were able to perform to the owners' expectations. Performance improved significantly and hospitalization was shorter after ventriculectomy alone. Results of this study indicate that the clinical signs of exercise intolerance and excessive inspiratory noise associated with left laryngeal hemiplegia in draft horses can be treated successf...
Riggs C, Whitley RD.Intraocular silicone prostheses were implanted in the eyes of a horse and a dog with traumatic corneal lacerations and protrusion of intraocular contents. Several months after surgery, the horse and dog were tolerating the intraocular prostheses, and the appearance was cosmetically acceptable. This contradicts earlier reports that have cited corneal disease as a contraindication for implantation of intraocular silicone prostheses.
Luna SP, Taylor PM.Halothane depresses cardiorespiratory function and activates the pituitary-adrenal axis, increasing beta endorphin. In horses, beta endorphin may enhance the anaesthetic-associated cardiorespiratory depression and mortality risk. The authors studied endogenous opioid effects on cardiorespiratory function and pituitary-adrenal activity in halothane-anaesthetised ponies by investigating opioid antagonism by naloxone. Six ponies were anaesthetised three times (crossover design). Anaesthesia was induced with thiopentone and maintained with 1.2 per cent halothane for 2 hours. Immediately after indu...
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...
