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.
Kuroda T, Nagata SI, Tamura N, Kinoshita Y, Niwa H, Mita H, Minami T, Fukuda K, Hobo S, Kuwano A.To determine plasma pharmacokinetics of metronidazole and imipenem following administration of a single dose PO (metronidazole, 15 mg/kg) or IV (imipenem, 10 mg/kg) in healthy Thoroughbreds and simulate pleural fluid concentrations following multiple dose administration every 8 hours. Methods: 4 healthy Thoroughbreds. Methods: Metronidazole and imipenem were administered, and samples of plasma and pleural fluid were collected at predetermined time points. Minimum concentrations of metronidazole and imipenem that inhibited growth of 90% of isolates (MIC90), including 22 clinical Bacteroides iso...
Fesseha H, Mathewos M, Kidanemariam F.Gastrointestinal helminth parasite infection is a major influencing factor against profitability of working equines all over the world. Objective: A study was conducted from October 2016 to May 2017 in and around Hosaena to determine the efficacy of benzimidazole (BZ) and avermectin (AVM) chemical groups against strongyle nematodes in working donkeys. Methods: A total of 230 donkeys from Hosaena, Soro, Anlemo, and Gombora were randomly allocated into 5 groups of 46 donkeys in each group. All groups, except group 1 (control), were treated with ivermectin 1%, ivertong 10%, fenbendazole, and Fena...
Louro LF, Milner PI, Bardell D.Opioid epidural analgesia has been shown to provide effective analgesia in horses. There is a lack of evidence regarding the effect of opioid epidural analgesia on quality of recovery in horses. Objective: Identify whether opioid epidural analgesia influences quality of recovery in horses undergoing general anaesthesia required for management of hindlimb synovial sepsis. Methods: Single-centre retrospective cross-sectional study. Methods: Data were obtained from the clinical records of horses which had undergone arthroscopic or tenoscopic surgery for management of hindlimb synovial sepsis over...
Wu L, Ou J, Cai S, Ji J, Ren Z, Shao R, Li S.Equine Hepacivirus (EqHV) is a newly discovered equine virus that is classified under the Hepacivirus genus of the Flaviviridae family. There are three sub-types of EqHV worldwide namely; sub-types 1-3. The majority of EqHV sub-type 1 strains were found in China. While different sub-types have been found in Japan and USA, therefore, to investigate whether the other sub-types of EqHV strains were present in China, a total of 60 horse serum samples were collected and screened for EqHV RNA through RT-PCR. The results revealed that 19 serum samples were RNA-positive (19/60) and the EqHV detection ...
Santschi EM, Juzwiak JS, Honnas C, Walker WT, Hunter B, Whitman JL, Prichard MA, Morehead JP.The objective of this study is to describe the management and outcomes of eight horses with subchondral lucencies (SCLs) of the medial aspect of the antebrachiocarpal (ABC) joint. The medical records and radiographs of the carpi of 8 horses with SCLs of the medial aspect of the ABC joint were reviewed. Follow-up clinical information was obtained for 6-60 months (the median duration of 14 months). Treatment was successful if radiographic healing was apparent or lameness was reduced or eliminated. Four horses had SCLs in the distomedial radius (DMR) and four in the proximal aspect of the radio...
VanderBroek AR, Engiles JB, Kästner SBR, Kopp V, Verhaar N, Hopster K.Strangulating small intestinal lesions in the horse have increased morbidity and mortality compared to nonstrangulating obstructions due to mucosal barrier disruption and subsequent endotoxaemia. Objective: To investigate protective effects of dexmedetomidine on small intestinal ischaemia-reperfusion injury in the horse. Methods: Randomised, controlled, experimental study. Methods: Eighteen systemically healthy horses were randomly assigned to three groups: control, preconditioning, and post-conditioning. During isoflurane anaesthesia, complete ischaemia was induced in a 1-m segment of jejunum...
Stange LM, Krieter J, Czycholl I.Equine headshaking syndrome is a problematic behavior that has been described in literature for more than 100 years. The signs of headshaking syndrome appear frequently and violently so that riding the horse can be dangerous. The aim of this research was to gain an overview of the underlying causes of equine headshaking syndrome to identify effective treatment options, reduce the distress of horses and, in a second step, potentially improve therapeutic possibilities for horse owners and veterinarians. Most studies on prevalence originate from Anglo-American countries, so this research was to ...
Tallon R, Hewetson M.Equine glandular gastric disease (EGGD) is recognised as a separate entity to equine squamous gastric disease (ESGD) and it is recommended that lesions are graded differently. Currently, no validated scoring system exists for EGGD. Objective: To determine inter-observer reliability of two previously described grading systems for EGGD and to assess if agreement improved with gastroscopy experience, specialist training or familiarity with the descriptive system. Methods: Cross-sectional survey. Methods: A link to an electronic questionnaire containing 20 images of glandular lesions was circulate...
Angermair J, Bosshardt DD, Nelson K, Flügge TV, Stricker A, Fretwurst T.The aim of this prospective, clinical study was to evaluate the clinical performance and histological outcome of a new equine hydroxyapatite collagenated bone block (eHAC) for horizontal bone grafting prior to implant placement. Methods: Five patients (two male/three female) with a mean age of 51.6 years (range 22-66 years) and a reduced horizontal bone width of the alveolar ridge (mean 3.5 mm) underwent horizontal bone grafting using eHAC at 10 grafting sites. Reentry was performed 6.9 months after the horizontal grafting procedure. Clinical follow-up (mean 28.9 month) considered width g...
Sauermann CW, Leathwick DM, Lieffering M, Nielsen MK.Climate change is likely to influence livestock production by increasing the prevalence of diseases, including parasites. The traditional practice of controlling nematodes in livestock by the application of anthelmintics is, however, increasingly compromised by the development of resistance to these drugs in parasite populations. This study used a previously developed simulation model of the entire equine cyathostomin lifecycle to investigate the effect a changing climate would have on the development of anthelmintic resistance. Climate data from six General Circulation Models based on four di...
Hernández-Avilés C, Love CC, Serafini R, Ramírez-Agámez L, Kelley DE, de Andino EM, Teague SR, LaCaze KA, Brinsko SP, Varner DD.In this study, the effectiveness of supplementing INRA-96® extender (INRA-Control; original antibiotic formulation: potassium penicillin G = 38 μg/mL; gentamicin sulfate = 105 μg/mL; amphotericin B = 0.315 μg/mL) with amikacin sulfate and potassium penicillin G (AP) was determined. In Exp. 1, two sources of amikacin (INRA-AP-Sigma or INRA-AP-GoldBio) in combination with penicillin G were compared with ticarcillin/clavulanate (INRA-Tim) or no-supplemental antibiotics (INRA-Control) to examine effects on sperm quality and commensal bacterial growth. No differences were detected in s...
Droutsas K, Giachos I, Katsiampoula V, Kourti P, Kymionis G, Petrou P.To describe the off-label use of lyophilized equine pericardium for tectonic enhancement of the sclera in a case of progressive scleromalacia perforans. Methods: An 82-year-old woman with a history of varicella zoster virus sclerokeratitis presented with a progressively expanding scleral thinning at the superonasal quadrant of the anterior sclera of her left eye. The eye was blind because of intractable glaucoma. To avoid perforation of the exposed choroid, a single layer of lyophilized equine pericardium was sutured over the scleral perforation. After performing a conjunctival peritomy in the...
Thieulent C, Hue ES, Sutton G, Fortier C, Dallemagne P, Zientara S, Munier-Lehmann H, Hans A, Paillot R, Vidalain PO, Pronost S.Equid herpesvirus-1 infections cause respiratory, neurological and reproductive syndromes. Despite preventive treatments with vaccines, resurgence of EHV-1 infection still constitutes a major threat to equine industry. However, no antiviral compound is available to treat infected horses. In this study, 2891 compounds were screened against EHV-1 using impedance measurement. 22 compounds have been found to be effective in vitro against EHV-1. Valganciclovir, ganciclovir, decitabine, aphidicolin, idoxuridine and pritelivir (BAY 57-1293) are the most effective compounds identified, and their antiv...
van Loon J, Verhaar N, van den Berg E, Ross S, de Grauw J.Pain assessment is very important for monitoring welfare and quality of life in horses. To date, no studies have described pain scales for objective assessment of pain in foals. Studies in other species have shown that facial expression can be used in neonatal animals for objective assessment of acute pain. The aim of the current study was to adapt a facial expression-based pain scale for assessment of acute pain in mature horses for valid pain assessment in foals. The scale was applied to fifty-nine foals (20 patients and 39 healthy controls); animals were assessed from video recordings (30-6...
Gharekhani J, Yakhchali M, Berahmat R.Knowledge on neosporosis and associated risk factors in different species of animals are so important for designing the control programs and reduce the economic losses globally. This literature review targeted for evaluating the infection rate of in animals in Iran. Until April 2020, all of published documents in the main English and Persian-language databases were searched. A total number of 110 documents (English = 85 and Persian = 25) were extracted. Most of reports were sero-epidemiological studies using ELISA in Iranian cattle population. The range of infection was 3.8-76.2% in ...
De Ridder T, Ruppin M, Wheeless M, Williams S, Reddell P.Tigilanol tiglate is a novel small molecule approved as a veterinary pharmaceutical in Europe for intratumoural treatment of non-metastatic, non-resectable canine mast cell tumors. The drug has a "tumor agnostic" mode of action associated with induction of an acute inflammatory response at the treatment site, immune cell recruitment, and disruption of tumor vasculature. Consequently, tigilanol tiglate has potential in treating a range of tumor types in humans and companion animals. However, it is likely that species-specific dosing and concomitant medication protocols will be required, especia...
Tahoun A, Elnafarawy HK, Elmahallawy EK, Abdelhady A, Rizk AM, El-Sharkawy H, Youssef MA, El-Khodery S, Ibrahim HMM.Diagnosis and treatment of ocular fungal infection in equine seems very challenging for owners and clinicians. The present study aimed to identify and characterize fungal species isolated from the eyes of clinically healthy and diseased equines (N = 100) from Dakahlia Governorate, Egypt. The work also involved morphological and molecular characterization of the major fungal species. In addition, correlations between the occurrence of isolated fungi and some of the potential risk factors were also investigated. Interestingly, the prevalence rate of ocular mycosis in all examined equines in the ...
Abigail McGlennon of the Animal Health Trust and Andrea Vilela of the Redwings Horse Sanctuary describe the creation and impact of a new initiative to tackle strangles in UK horses.
Delvescovo B, Mullen KR, Eicker SW, Ivanek R, Ainsworth DM.Previously we described a clustering of dysphagic foal cases on a Pennsylvania (PA) Standardbred farm which was associated with exposure of pregnant mares to high concentrations of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in the well water. The effect of dysphagia on future athleticism was uncertain. Objective: To determine if, as adults, dysphagic foals were less likely to race and if athleticism (age of first race, Speed Index and Earnings Per Start Index) differed from that of healthy foals that raced as adults. Methods: Prospective cohort study. Methods: All foals born during the study peri...
Mustikka MP, Pietilä EM, Mykkänen AK, Grönthal TSC.To obtain a reference range for evaluation of intraocular pressure (IOP) in horses using Tonovet Plus , to compare the IOP readings obtained with Tonovet and Tonovet Plus , and to evaluate the repeatability of readings. Unassigned: Intraocular pressure of 30 client-owned horses (60 eyes) with no signs of illness or ocular disease was evaluated using Tonovet and Tonovet Plus rebound tonometers. Horses' mean age was 10.7 (range 6-17) years. Triplicate measurements were performed without using sedatives or local anesthetics, with minimal restraint. Results: Calculated reference intervals (the CLS...
Coultous RM, Leadon DP, Shiels BR, Sutton D, Weir W.Equine piroplasmosis (EP) is a notifiable disease in Ireland and a significant concern to domestic and international equine industries. Information regarding EP presence in Ireland is currently limited. This retrospective surveillance study describes a serological and molecular analysis of blood samples submitted to the Irish Equine Centre for EP testing between January 2013 and April 2016. Methods: Following serological testing, seropositive samples were screened using a PCR targeting the 18S ribosomal RNA gene. Amplicon sequences were bioinformatically analysed to identify the parasite speci...
Sierra-Rodriguez T, Groover ES, Lascola KM, Mora-Pereira M, Lee YH, Duran SH, Ravis WR, Spangler E, Hathcock T, Wooldridge AA.Voriconazole (VRC) is a potential treatment for pneumomycosis in horses. The objectives of this study were to determine if the delivery of Vfend using a Flexineb nebulizer produced clinically significant [VRC] in lower airways. The hypothesis was that [VRC] after delivery by nebulization would be greater in the pulmonary epithelial lining fluid than plasma. A secondary objective was to determine [VRC] in upper airways through the collection of nasopharyngeal wash (NPW) samples. Voriconazole solution [Vfend-6.25 mg/mL, 100 (n = 2), 200 (n = 3), 500 (n = 1) mg] was nebulized once in 6 health...
Pluim M, Martens A, Vanderperren K, van Weeren R, Oosterlinck M, Dewulf J, Kichouh M, Van Thielen B, Koene MHW, Luciani A, Plancke L, Delesalle C.High-power laser therapy is often used as a treatment for human sport injuries but controlled standardized studies on its efficacy are lacking. The technique has also been introduced in the equine field and recently promising results were reported in a retrospective study focusing on 150 sporthorses suffering from tendinopathy and desmopathy of the SDFT, DDFT, suspensory ligament, and suspensory branches. The goal of the present study was to evaluate the effect of high-power laser in a standardized lesion model in horses. Lesions were created in all lateral suspensory branches of 12 warmblood ...
Villar T, Pascoli AL, Chaulagain S, Fadl-Alla BA, Martins BC.Corneal neovascularization can result from many pathological processes affecting the ocular surface leading to disturbances and opacifications that reduce corneal clarity and may impact vision. In veterinary medicine, the use of topical corticosteroid is contraindicated in the presence of ulcerative keratitis, and there is sparse research regarding safe medical alternatives to inhibit corneal neovascularization in dogs to improve visual outcome. To investigate the pigment epithelium-derived factor (PEDF) concentration in equine amniotic membrane homogenate (EAMH) and its in-vitro vascular endo...
Ferreira JF, Albuquerque ALH, Amorim RM, Ferreira RS, Takahira RK, Borges AS, Oliveira-Filho JP.In this retrospective study, clinical records of nine horses with a diagnosis of Bothrops envenomation were investigated. The accidents were classified as severe (5/9), moderate (2/9), or mild (2/9) according to the adapted bothropic snakebite severity score (BSSS). All snakebites were on the head region. The main clinical signs were local edema, blood coagulation disorders, and respiratory distress. The whole-blood clotting time (WBCT) was prolonged in all horses, and five horses presented with uncoagulable blood. All horses received specific snake antivenom according to the BSSS (six vials f...
Gehlen H, Faust MD, Grzeskowiak RM, Trachsel DS.Heart rate variability (HRV) is a noninvasive technique to detect changes in the autonomous nervous system. It has rarely been investigated in horses with colic. Therefore, the objective was to assess the evolution of HRV parameters and cortisol concentrations in horses with colic. The 43 horses included in this study were categorized into three groups according to the treatment (1, surgical; 2, conservative; 3, euthanized). The HRV and laboratory variables were measured at admission (T1), the day after admission (T2), and at discharge (T3) and compared between groups and over time with an ANO...
Kabir A, Lamichhane B, Habib T, Adams A, El-Sheikh Ali H, Slovis NM, Troedsson MHT, Helmy YA.The equine industry holds substantial economic importance not only in the USA but worldwide. The occurrence of various infectious bacterial diseases in horses can lead to severe health issues, economic losses, and restrictions on horse movement and trade. Effective management and control of these diseases are therefore crucial for the growth and sustainability of the equine industry. While antibiotics constitute the primary treatment strategy for any bacterial infections in horses, developing resistance to clinically important antibiotics poses significant challenges to equine health and welfa...
Sanders RK, Martyn B, Joseph R, Peacock ML.In a two-year study of 322 conservatively treated, consecutive cases of tetanus in a rural hospital (all over twelve months old), intrathecal administration of 200 units of antitetanus serum (A.T.S.) (horse) reduced the overall mortality of 4-5% (5/110) compared with 14-5% (16/111) in the control series. 200 units intrathecal A.T.S. (horse) gave better results than 1500 units A.T.S. (horse). The results with lumbar and cisternal administration did not differ. It is suggested that tetanus is a polysystemic condition requiring polysystemic therapy. A regimen in which intrathecal A.T.S. is given ...
Miller JE, Mann S, Fettelschoss-Gabriel A, Wagner B.Culicoides hypersensitivity (CH), an intensely pruritic and seasonal allergic dermatitis, is a common allergic disease affecting horses worldwide. Currently, there is no validated clinical scoring system for the quantification of clinical signs associated with CH. Objective: To (i) determine the best cut-off point of three scoring systems, (ii) test the accuracy of each system when compared to the clinical diagnosis of an experienced veterinarian and (iii) assess agreement between systems. Methods: Icelandic horses (n = 20); eight with CH and 12 unaffected, from a research herd receiving no ...
Calzetta L, Roncada P, di Cave D, Bonizzi L, Urbani A, Pistocchini E, Rogliani P, Matera MG.Equine asthma is a disease characterised by reversible airflow obstruction, bronchial hyper-responsiveness and airway inflammation following exposure of susceptible horses to specific airborne agents. Although clinical remission can be achieved in a low-airborne dust environment, repeated exacerbations may lead to irreversible airway remodelling. The available data on the pharmacotherapy of equine asthma result from several small studies, and no head-to-head clinical trials have been conducted among the available medications. Objective: To assess the impact of the pharmacological interventions...
Millares-Ramirez EM, Le Jeune SS.Girth aversion or girthiness is a nonspecific clinical sign anecdotally associated with multiple conditions in the horse (behavioral problems, gastric ulcers, back pain); however, studies have not been conducted to definitively correlate this clinical sign to specific pathologies. This retrospective study aims to describe the clinical signs and final diagnoses of 37 horses evaluated at the University of California, Davis with a presenting complaint of girthiness. Medical records of all horses presented to the veterinary hospital between 2004 and 2016 for girthiness were reviewed. Twelve horses...
Bourdon B, Contentin R, Cassé F, Maspimby C, Oddoux S, Noël A, Legendre F, Gruchy N, Galéra P.Articular cartilage experiences mechanical constraints leading to chondral defects that inevitably evolve into osteoarthritis (OA), because cartilage has poor intrinsic repair capacity. Although OA is an incurable degenerative disease, several dietary supplements may help improve OA outcomes. In this study, we investigated the effects of Dielen® hydrolyzed fish collagens from skin (Promerim®30 and Promerim®60) and cartilage (Promerim®40) to analyze the phenotype and metabolism of equine articular chondrocytes (eACs) cultured as organoids. Here, our findings demonstrated the absence of cyto...
Nasisse MP, Nelms S.Ulcerative keratitis is one of the most common vision-threatening diseases of the horse. Successful therapy, however, can be achieved in the majority of cases provided the diagnosis is made early and the treatment is specific for the disease. This article reviews the pathophysiology, clinical signs, and contemporary medical and surgical approaches to bacterial and fungal ulcerative keratitis in the horse.
van Eps A, Collins SN, Pollitt CC.Supporting limb laminitis poses a threat to all horses suffering from severe unilateral lameness. Despite its devastating effects, relatively little is known about the precise pathologic processes that lead to its development. This article reviews the potential mechanisms of supporting limb laminitis, and the authors present some preliminary data based on advanced imaging and computer-based modeling techniques aimed at further elucidating the etiology of this unique form of laminitis. Gaining a better understanding of the pathologic processes that lead to supporting limb laminitis is essential...
Kaiser-Thom S, Hilty M, Axiak S, Gerber V.Equine pastern dermatitis (EPD), a multifactorial syndrome, manifests as skin lesions of variable severity in the pastern area. Despite the widespread use of antibacterial therapy for treating this condition, little is known about the contributing bacteria. Objective: To investigate the bacterial skin microbiota in EPD-affected and unaffected (control) pasterns. Methods: Case-control study with 80 client-owned horses; each with at least one EPD-affected and one control pastern. Methods: Horses were grouped by the form of EPD (mild, exudative or proliferative), the assigned severity grade and t...
Kay AT, Bolt DM, Ishihara A, Rajala-Schultz PJ, Bertone AL.To assess analgesia, inflammation, potency, and duration of action associated with intra-articular injection of triamcinolone acetonide (TA), mepivacaine hydrochloride, or both in metacarpophalangeal (MCP) joints of horses with experimentally induced acute synovitis. Methods: 18 horses. Methods: Both forelimbs of each horse were injected with lipopolysaccharide (LPS) 3 times. After the first LPS injection, 1 forelimb of each horse was treated with intra-articular injection of mepivacaine (80 mg; n=6), TA (9 mg; 6), or mepivacaine with TA (same doses of each; 6) 12 hours after the initial LPS i...
Grinberg A, Pomroy WE, Carslake HB, Shi Y, Gibson IR, Drayton BM.To assess the occurrence of Cryptosporidium oocysts in faecal specimens from foals, and investigate an outbreak of neonatal cryptosporidiosis in foals revealed in the course of the study. Methods: Faecal specimens from foals received by a diagnostic veterinary laboratory in New Zealand between 2006 and 2007 were submitted to Massey University and tested microscopically for the presence of Cryptosporidium oocysts. The Cryptosporidium isolates in the oocyst-positive specimens were genetically identified to species level. In addition, specimen submission data from the participating laboratory for...
Anstey S, Lizárraga D, Nyari S, Chalmers G, Carrick J, Chicken C, Jenkins C, Perkins N, Timms P, Jelocnik M.Late-term foal loss due to the traditional avian pathogen Chlamydia psittaci recently emerged as a threat to the Australian Thoroughbred industry. A longitudinal study of 14 stud farms was undertaken to better understand C. psittaci infection in pregnant mares and their foals by evaluating C. psittaci prevalence, equine herpesvirus-1 (EHV-1) co-infection, avian reservoirs, and potential risk factors. Mucosal swabs taken from 228 healthy pregnant mares and their foals were tested for C. psittaci and EHV-1 using species-specific qPCR assays. No foal loss was recorded due to either pathogen, and ...
Larsen ML, Ritz C, Petersen SL, Nielsen MK.Ivermectin resistance has recently been described in Parascaris equorum and there have been reports from several countries of a shortened egg reappearance period (ERP) following ivermectin treatment for cyathostomins. This study was aimed at determining the efficacy of ivermectin in treating cyathostomins and P. equorum in Danish horses. A total of 196 animals were selected from 52 farms, all of which were using a selective anthelmintic treatment strategy. ERP was investigated with weekly samples from 96 horses from nine farms. Horses were treated with ivermectin oral paste by their owners at ...
Dickey EJ, Long SN, Hunt RW.Hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy (HIE) is a condition that occurs in both human newborns and foals. The condition is the subject of extensive current research in human infants, but there have been no direct studies of HIE in foals, and hence, knowledge of the condition has been extrapolated from studies in humans and other animal models. The purpose of this review article is to highlight the most up-to-date and relevant research in the human field, and discuss how this potentially might have an impact in the management of foals with HIE.
von Rechenberg B, Leutenegger C, Zlinsky K, McIlwraith CW, Akens MK, Auer JA.This study investigated the potential association of interleukin-1beta (IL-1beta) and interleukin-6 (IL-6) in subchondral cystic lesions (SCL) in horses. With the technique of in situ hybridisation in paraffin sections of fibrous tissue of SCL and quantitative real-time PCR in fresh frozen fibrous tissue and undecalcified bone sections of SCL embedded in acrylic resin, upregulation of mRNA of both cytokines could be demonstrated. mRNA of IL-1beta was upregulated at the periphery of the cystic lesion adjacent to normal bone, whereas IL-6 mRNA was upregulated within the fibrous tissue found with...
Rohrbach BW, Buchanan BR, Drake JM, Andrews FM, Bain FT, Byars DT, Bernard WV, Furr MO, Paradis MR, Lawler J, Giguère S, Dunkel B.To create a mathematical model to assist in early prediction of the probability of discharge in hospitalized foals < or= 7 days old. Methods: Prospective study. Methods: 1,073 foals. Methods: Medical records from 910 hospitalized foals < or = 7 days old for which outcome was recorded as died or discharged alive were reviewed. Thirty-four variables including historical information, physical examination findings, and laboratory results were examined for association with survival. Variables associated with being discharged alive were entered into a multivariable logistic regression model. A...
Guillaume-Vasselin V, Lemaitre L, Dhondt KP, Tedeschi L, Poulard A, Charreyre C, Horvat B.Hendra virus (HeV) is an emerging zoonotic pathogen, which causes severe respiratory illness and encephalitis in humans and horses. Since its first appearance in 1994, spillovers of HeV from its natural reservoir fruit bats occur on almost an annual basis. The high mortality rate in both humans and horses and the wide-ranging reservoir distribution are making HeV a serious public health problem, especially for people exposed to sick horses. This study has aimed to develop an efficient low-cost HeV vaccine for horses based on Canarypox recombinant vector expressing HeV glycoproteins, attachment...
Pollitt CC, Visser MB.In acute laminitis, the suspensory apparatus of the distal phalanx fails at the lamellar dermal/epidermal interface. A grading system for the histopathology of laminitis is based on the consistent pattern of histologic changes to the secondary epidermal lamellae, basal cells, and basement membrane that occur as carbohydrate-induced laminitis develops. The actual trigger factors of carbohydrate-induced laminitis remain unidentified.
van Duijkeren E, Wannet WJ, Heck ME, van Pelt W, Sloet van Oldruitenborgh-Oosterbaan MM, Smit JA, Houwers DJ.We studied 232 Salmonella strains from horses with salmonellosis in The Netherlands, isolated in the period from 1993 to 2000 in order to provide insight in the dynamics of sero-, phage types (pt) and antibiotic susceptibilities over time. The strains were tested for susceptibility to seven antimicrobial agents using the agar diffusion method. In addition, the isolates were sero typed and Salmonella enterica subspecies enterica Typhimurium and Enteritidis strains were further phage typed. S. Typhimurium strains of phage type 506 and 401 (both classified as DT 104 in the English phage typing sy...
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...
Parry BW, Anderson GA, Gay CC.The individual merit of the use of 43 variables to assess the prognosis of equine colic cases was examined. The following variables revealed highly significant (P less than 0.001) differences between cases which survived and those which died: blood pressure; heart rate; oral mucosal capillary refill time; degree of mental depression; venous haemoglobin concentration, haematocrit, erythrocyte count, urea concentration and lactate concentration; peritoneal fluid lactate concentration; and haematocrit/plasma protein and serum protein concentration ratios. Thus, in general, variables which assesse...
Womble A, Giguère S, Lee EA.The objective of this study was to determine the disposition of orally administered doxycycline in foals. Six healthy 4- to 8-week-old foals were used. Doxycycline was administered to each foal via the intragastric (IG) route at dosages of 10 and 20 mg/kg, in a cross-over design. After the first 10 mg/kg dose, five additional doses were administered at 12-h intervals. A microbiological assay was used to measure doxycycline activity in serum, urine, peritoneal fluid, synovial fluid, cerebrospinal (CSF), pulmonary epithelial lining fluid (PELF), and bronchoalveolar (BAL) cells. Following adminis...
van Eps A, Collins SN, Pollitt CC.Supporting limb laminitis poses a threat to all horses suffering from severe unilateral lameness. Despite its devastating effects, relatively little is known about the precise pathologic processes that lead to its development. This article reviews the potential mechanisms of supporting limb laminitis, and the authors present some preliminary data based on advanced imaging and computer-based modeling techniques aimed at further elucidating the etiology of this unique form of laminitis. Gaining a better understanding of the pathologic processes that lead to supporting limb laminitis is essential...
