The study of diseases in horses encompasses a wide range of conditions affecting equine health, including infectious diseases, metabolic disorders, and genetic abnormalities. These diseases can impact various systems within the horse, such as respiratory, gastrointestinal, and musculoskeletal systems, and can lead to significant health challenges. Research in this area focuses on understanding the pathophysiology, diagnosis, prevention, and treatment of equine diseases. Common diseases studied include equine influenza, equine herpesvirus, and laminitis. This page provides access to peer-reviewed research studies and scholarly articles that explore the etiology, clinical presentation, and management strategies of diseases in horses, contributing to the advancement of equine veterinary medicine.
Barta O, Oyekan PP.Lymphocyte transformation test is a powerful tool in laboratory testing of immunologic competence of animals. The impaired function of the lymphocytes or presence of mitogenesis suppressing factors in the patient serum were detected by comparing lymphocyte transformation (expressed as thymidine incorporation) obtained in media containing either autologous, homologous, or fetal calf serum additions. Most valuable results were obtained by using at least two, preferably three, different phytomitogens: concanavalin A (Con A), pokeweed mitogen (PWM), and phytohemagglutinin (PHA) at optimal concentr...
Campbell MD, Bellamy JE, Searcy GP.The microhematocrit heat-precipitation methods of Millar et al (1971) and Schalm et al (1975) were compared with the reference clottable protein method of Ratnoff and Menzie (1951) in the measurement of plasma fibrinogen concentration in horses. The millar et al method was more precise and accurate and showed better positive correlation with the reference method than did the Schalm et al method. There was no significant difference in the plasma fibrinogen concentration between healthy Thoroughbreds and healthy horses of other breeds. Horses with bacterial pneumonia and abscesses had significan...
Kuiper R, Franken P.The course run by the disease is described in a horse which showed the symptom complex of colitis X following treatment with oxytetracycline. Disseminated intravascular coagulation was also observed in this horse. The possibility of disseminated intravascular coagulation being part of colitis X is discussed.
Kroneman J, Goedegebuure SA.The clinical and pathomorfological symptoms of a two month's zinc-overload in a foal are described. After an exposure of about two weeks symptoms of unthriftness and increasing stiffness develope. The stiffness is caused by severe intra-articular damage.
Malan FS, Reinecke RK.A single oral dose of fenbendazole (FBZ) at 10mg/kg body mass was given to 5 donkeys. A further 5 donkeys were dosed with a medicated lick (1 mg FBZ/g lick) until the oral consumption was 10mg/kg body mass. In both trials FBZ was highly effective against adults of the following genera: Cyathostomum, Cylicocyelus, Cylicostephanus, Cylicodontophorus, Poteriostomum, Cabellonema, Craterostomum and Triodontophorus; similarly high efficiency was obtained against the following species: Habronema majus, Habronema musca, Strongylus vulgaris and Oxyuris equi and worms identified as belonging to the subf...
Dutta SK, Myrup A, Bumgardner MK.Six pony foals, experimentally infected with equine herpesvirus 1 (EHV-1), were studied for their lymphocyte responses to EHV-1 and phytohemagglutinin (PHA) stimulations. Lymphocyte blastic transformation in the presence of EHV-1 appeared as early as 2 days after the foals were inoculated, reached a peak in 7 to 10 days, and subsequently decreased. In contrast, the lymphocyte blastic transformation in the presence of PHA increased sharply, reaching a peak in 2 to 3 days, and then decreased to its lowest level in 10 days after which it returned to its near preinoculation level. As for the mecha...
Prescott JF, Ogilvie TH, Markham RJ.A lymphocyte stimulation test using antigens of Corynebacterium equi was used to compare the response of peripheral blood lymphocytes from foals with C equi pneumonia with those of clinically normal foals and adult horses. The test clearly distinguished infected foals from normal foals when tested in animals less than or equal to 2 months old. After the 2nd month, stimulation response from individual normal foals sometimes exceed those from infected foals, but mean stimulation response to C equi antigens was significantly (P less than 0.025) greater in 3- to 5-month-old infected foals when com...
Dabernat HJ, Delmas CF, Tainturier DJ, Lareng MB.The in vitro susceptibility of recent clinical isolates of Haemophilus equigenitalis to various antimicrobial agents was determined by the disk diffusion test and the World Health Organization-International Collaborative Study agar dilution procedure. Ampicillin and tetracycline were the most active drugs. All strains were susceptible to beta-lactam antibiotics, chloramphenicol, trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole, nalidixic acid, nitrofurantoin (Furadantin), and bacitracin. All but two strains were resistant to streptomycin, whereas all strains were susceptible to the other aminocyclitol antibodies...
Taylor TS, Vaughan JT.A study was conducted in an effort to explain why digital necrosis sometimes follows neurectomy in the horse. Six horses were subjected to unilateral section of the medial and lateral palmar nerves. Arteriography was done on each digit prior to surgery. Terminally, arteriography was repeated. Sections of bone, nerve, artery, skin, coronary band, and deep flexor tendon were examined histologically. Changes in arterial pattern and bone quality were noted. During the study, 2 of the horses had clinical signs of digital necrosis. The composite findings suggested trauma or infection, or both, of th...
Bryans JT.The immunogenic potency and safety of a chemically inactivated equine herpesvirus 1 vaccine with added adjuvant was evaluated by testing serum-neutralizing and complement-fixation antibody responses of pregnant Thoroughbred mares. The vaccinated population comprised 321 pregnant mares on 7 farms; 3 in Normandy, France; 1 in Kildare, Ireland; and 3 in central Kentucky. The pattern of antibody response to vaccination was found qualitatively and quantitatively similar to that of pregnant mares previously vaccinated and determined by challenge exposure to be immune to abortigenic infection under e...
Trommershausen-Smith A.Dead or deformed foals produced by purebred parents represent an economic and emotional loss to the horse breeder. To avoid repeating production of such defective foals, the breeder may seek assistance in identifying the possible environmental or genetic causes for such animals. Only a few genetic diseases of the horse have been rigorously defined. Selected rare genetic diseases that prevent reproduction, cause the natural death or necessitate the humane destruction of a foal before it fulfills its intended purpose serve as examples for the definition of genetics of other deleterious diseases ...
Donnelly J, Joyner LP, Frank C.Racehorses imported into Kuwait were tested for serum antibodies to Babesia equi and B. caballi by complement fixation (CF) and indirect fluorescent antibody (IFA) tests. The prevalence of B. equi was high (77.1% by IFA) whereas that of B. caballi was much lower (11.4%). Data for B. equi showed that infection was acquired after about 6 months at risk and that in the following 12 months animals had antibody levels detectable by both CF and IFA tests by 24 months the CF reaction was no longer detectable. Estimates of incidence and inoculation rates were calculated and found to be consistent with...
Ochoa R, Kern SR.Severe abdominal pain, classic colic signs and hemorrhagic gastro-entero-cecocolitis were induced in three conventional Shetland ponies by intravenous injection with Clostridium perfringens Type A enterotoxin. Histological examination showed marked congestion, edema and hemorrhage of the large and small intestine and sloughing of the tips of the intestinal villi. Marked vacuolar degeneration of hepatocytes with dilatation of the spaces of Disse also was found. Clinical changes consisted of severe hypoglycemia, markedly increased aspartate aminotransferase levels and leukopenia that occurred ra...
Bowling AT.Dead or deformed foals produced by purebred parents represent an economic and emotional loss to the horse breeder. In order to avoid producing such defective foals in the future, the breeder may seek guidance in determining whether their origin is environmental or genetic. Only a few genetic diseases of horses have been rigorously defined. Selected, rare genetic diseases that prevent reproduction, cause the natural death, or necessitate the humane destruction of a foal before it fulfills its intended purpose serve as examples for collecting evidence to define the genetics of other deleterious ...
Stewart RH, Bertone JJ, Yvorchuk-St Jean K, Reed SM, Neil WH.Hyperkalemic periodic paralysis (HPP), characterized by intermittent episodes of muscle fasciculations, profound muscle weakness, and hyperkalemia, has been described in Quarter Horses, Appaloosas, and Paints. In previous reports, the hallmark of this syndrome has been the development of hyperkalemia during each episode. Two affected horses had episodes of paralysis without associated hyperkalemia, demonstrating that normokalemia during an episode otherwise consistent with HPP does not eliminate HPP as a diagnosis. This clinical presentation appeared to be a variant of HPP.
Willsallen H, Yang PJ, Jacobs KA.This case report describes the accidental intramuscular administration of 20 mL Gudair® vaccine to a 7-year-old Standardbred mare and successful treatment of the resulting inflammatory reaction by radical surgical resection.
Jeffcott LB, Rossdale PD.The current knowledge of the clinical signs, epidemiology and pathogenesis of abortion due to the equid herpesvirus (EHV 1) is reviewed. The relationship between the respiratory and abortigenic forms of the disease is discussed as well as the low incidence of virus abortion in the UK compared to some other parts of the world. Some practical aspects of the disease as they affect stud management are considered including methods of diagnosis, prophylaxis and the necessary action to be taken to prevent spread of infection.
Roberts MC, Seawright AA, Ng JC.Phenylmercuric acetate (PMA) was administered orally to a horse over a period of 27 weeks (190 days) at a dose rate of 0.4 mg Hg/kg per day. The effects produced were consistent with those of chronic inorganic mercury intoxication. The clinical features included masseter muscle atrophy, difficulty in prehension and mastication, malodorous breath, reduced appetite and weight loss, and reflected significant pathological changes involving the buccal, mandibular and dental tissues. Renal dysfunction was evident terminally and there was degeration and necrosis of the proximal tubular epithelium. Ne...
Petzoldt K, Merkt H, Müller E, Kirpal G.Over the last years the percentage of foals lost by EHV at term or close to term seems to be higher than in former years. Furthermore, the pathological findings seem to shift from liver to lung. So far there has been no explanation for this phenomenon.
Kannegieter NJ, Ecke P.A Thoroughbred gelding was referred for treatment of a parotid duct fistula. This had developed after the referring veterinarian had excised a portion of the duct, and ligated the proximal end, as a means of treating a recurring sialocoele. This report describes the successful surgical reconstruction of the excised 15 cm portion of the parotid duct using an interposition polytetrafluoroethylene tube graft.