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.
Weir RC, Porter RR.A study of the chemical structure of the horse immunoglobulins IgG and IgA(T) has shown that the amino acid contents of the peptide chains are very similar. These globulins differ most markedly in the products of papain digestion. IgG gives 3.5s products, whereas IgA(T) gives a 5s fraction and smaller components. This difference appears to be associated with the presence of an additional easily reducible disulphide bond in the Fd fragment of the heavy chain. There is two to three times as much carbohydrate in IgA(T) as in IgG. In both, this is in the heavy chain and in IgA(T) more than half is...
Darlington RW, James C.Darlington, R. W. (St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, Tenn.), and C. James. Biological and morphological aspects of the growth of equine abortion virus. J. Bacteriol. 92:250-257. 1966.-The growth of equine abortion virus (EAV) was studied by bioassay and electron microscopy in L-cell monolayer and suspension cultures, and in HeLa and BHK 21/13 cell monolayers. Results of virus assay (plaque-forming units) indicated that production of cell-associated virus (CAV) began at 6 to 9 hr after infection in all of the cell strains used. Virus release occurred 1 to 2 hr later. By 15 to 20 h...
Bjorck G, Nilsson G.Sixteen cases of chronic hoof changes seen in Standardbred trotters are described. The chief defect is decomposition of the horn. The disease process usually commences on the weight-bearing surface and spreads to underrun both the sole and wall. Histopathological studies revealed marked swelling and vacuolation of the cells of the stratum corneum, increased proliferation in the stratum germinativum, and monocytic infiltration in the corium. Treatment comprised complete removal of underrun horn and exposure of the affected area. In severe cases, a course of penicillin is administered. The lengt...
Campbell TM, Studdert MJ.Severe combined immunodeficiency disease (SCID) in foals is the only known animal model for the autosomal recessive form of primary SCID in man. A major requirement in the treatment of SCID is the maintenance of the patient in a disease free state until definitive therapy can be undertaken. This paper reviews the current status of prophylactic and definitive therapy in man and the horse. Particular emphasis is placed on the methods of reconstitution available, involving foetal tissues and bone marrow.
Spoo W.Poisoning resulting from exposure to a wide variety of industrial chemicals is not a common occurrence in horses, but it does happen on occasion. A wide range of toxicosis can occur from a wide range of industrial pollutants, such as dioxin, carbon tetrachloride, and tetrachloroethylene, to heavy metals, such as cadmium and zinc. The equine practitioner must consider industrial chemical toxicosis in differential diagnoses and work with a reputable veterinary diagnostic laboratory to confirm or rule out industrial chemical poisoning.
Colbourne CM, Rosenstein DS, Steficek BA, Yovich JV, Stick JA.A progressive ethmoidal hematoma (PEH) was treated successfully in a 4-week-old Belgian filly by surgical removal, using a frontonasal bone flap. The filly had respiratory stridor, epistaxis, and facial enlargement over the left paranasal sinuses, which had progressively increased in size since birth. Computed tomographic images of the head obtained with the foal under general anesthesia were useful in determining the extent and nature of the soft-tissue mass and planning surgical intervention. On the basis of the histologic appearance of the mass, a diagnosis of PEH was made. Twelve months af...
Caldwell M, Hathcock T, Brock KV.In this study, equine source polyclonal anti-Bacillus anthracis immunoglobulins were generated and utilized to demonstrate passive protection of mice in a lethal challenge assay. Four horses were hyper-immunized with B. anthracis Sterne strain for approximately one year. The geometric mean anti-PA titer in the horses at maximal response following immunization was 1:77,936 (Log2 mean titer 16.25, SEM ± 0.25 95% CI [15.5 -17.0]). The geometric mean neutralizing titer at maximal response was 1:128 (Log2 mean titer 7, SEM ± 0.0, 95% CI 7). Treatment with hyper-immune plasma or purified immun...
Facemire PR, Chilcoat CD, Sojka JE, Adams SB, Irizarry AR, Weirich WE, Morisset SS, Dutweiler VA.A 7-year-old warmblood mare was referred because of a respiratory tract disorder; pulmonary granular cell tumor was diagnosed. Pulmonary granular cell tumor is a locally invasive but rare type of tumor with low metastatic potential. The entire right lung was resected to ensure removal of all neoplastic tissue. The horse recovered well and has minimal difficulties functioning with one lung. Most of these tumors are diagnosed during postmortem examination. To our knowledge, this is the first report of pulmonary granular cell tumor treated by complete lung resection in a horse.
Firth EC.Detecting changes in bone during growth, training, rest from competition (spelling), and disease in horses requires imaging techniques that have a high level of accuracy and precision. Currently, most imaging techniques used in horses do not possess such characteristics and are more suitable for detecting end-stage disease than subtle changes. Some are incapable of detecting changes in bone size. Non-planar techniques should be used for estimating or determining bone strength. This review outlines available imaging techniques and shows why cross-sectional procedures are required to accurately ...
Sanada Y, Noda H, Nagahata H.The blastogenic response of lymphocytes from 16 newborn foals naturally infected with Rhodococcus equi was investigated, in order to evaluate the relationship between R. equi infection and depressed host response. Naturally infected foals showed evidence of R. equi infection at 5-6 weeks of age, as determined by clinical, haematological, bacteriological and serological methods. The blastogenic response of lymphocytes against phytohaemagglutinin was significantly depressed (stimulation index < 1.80; P < 0.01, P < 0.05) in R. equi-infected foals at 5-6 weeks of age compared with those o...
Osame S, Ichijo S.Seven cases of thoroughbred foals kept on a farm in the Hidaka district of Hokkaido showed bilateral thyroid enlargement from 3 or 4 months after birth. Their serum T4 levels were remarkably low, whereas T3 levels were in the normal range. Serum T4 levels were also low in the other clinically normal foals and their dams kept together. Since the iodine content in pasture soil and grass was very low, iodine deficiency was supposed to be the cause of the disease.
Wilson DG, Mays MB, Colahan PT.Seven horses with canker had radical surgical debridement and various irritant substances applied to the wounds. Four of the horses were clinically normal in (mean) 3.6 months, 1 mare was lame, and 2 horses were euthanatized because of complications of their treatments. Seven horses that had minor surgical debridement and antimicrobial agents used systemically and topically were clinically normal in (mean) 1.4 months. Seemingly, canker in horses should be managed using minor surgical debridement and appropriate antimicrobial therapy.
AbouEl Ela NH, El Araby IE, Saleh AA, Abd El-Fattah AH, Hagag NM, Brooks SA, Radwan MA, Kalbfleisch T.Lavender foal syndrome (LFS) is a fatal hereditary condition that is inherited in an autosomal recessive pattern. This detrimental mutation is more common in Arabian foals of Egyptian origin than foals from other bloodlines. Heterozygous horses are carriers of the LFS trait and appear normal, while recessive homozygous foals died shortly after birth due to serious complications. In Egypt, in 2014, an Egyptian foal died after manifestations of neurological signs and abnormal coat colour as LFS signs. Therefore, it is important to identify LFS carriers in the population of Arabian horses in Egyp...
Markel MD, Wheat JD, Jang SS.Nine Thoroughbred racehorses were admitted with cellulitis (of one or more limbs) associated with coagulase-positive staphylococci. The right hindlimb was affected in 4 horses, the right forelimb in 2, the left hindlimb in 1, and both hindlimbs in 2. Typical abnormalities included high values for rectal temperature (9 horses) and heart rate (5 horses), hyperfibrinogenemia (7 horses), leukocytosis (7 horses), and neutrophilia (6 horses). The staphylococcal isolants were speciated in 3 horses and classified as Staphylococcus aureus. Complications included skin loss (5 horses), laminitis of the a...
Volland-Francqueville M, Sabbah A.When medical history and clinical examination for a recurrent or chronic cough reveal the presence of perennial allergy, the practitioner would be advised to look for mites present in the horse's environment. He can propose this service to his clients.
Finger MA, Biava JS, Dornbusch PT, Perotta JH, Ullmann LS, Serpa PBDS, Kmetiuk LB, Dos Santos AP, Biondo AW, Leutenegger C, Filho IRB.Molecular approaches to diagnose respiratory viruses have provided an opportunity for early and subclinical pathogen detection, particularly in samples from the upper respiratory tract. This study aimed to investigate the presence of herpesviruses, particularly equid herpesvirus (EHV)-2 and EHV-5, in samples from the lower respiratory tract of healthy racehorses from Southern Brazil. Unassigned: Samples from the lower respiratory tract (i.e., bronchoalveolar lavage fluid [BALF]) were assessed by video endoscopy, cytological evaluation of BALF, and tracheal aspirates (TA), along with quantitati...
Desmaizières LM, Cauvin ER.The radiographic and ultrasonographic findings in three horses with severe damage to the collateral ligaments of the carpus, associated with degenerative joint disease, are described. The horses remained lame despite prolonged rest and medical management, primarily because of the progression of the joint disease. Ultrasonography was found to be an accurate method for diagnosing the injury to the ligaments and is recommended as part of a routine examination in suspected carpal injuries.
Ellis PM.An accurate modified auscultatory technique for the indirect measurement of arterial pressure in the horse is described. Limitations of the method were sensitivity to external motion in nervous, conscious horses, and the failure to detect Korotkoff sounds in shocked, anaesthetized surgical cases. The apparatus required for the method is expensive and is probably impractical for routine monitoring during anaesthesia.
Cothran EG, Henney PJ, King JA.The inheritance of the equine Tf F3 allele was examined in 39 parent-offspring combinations. For 26 of the cases the allele inherited by the offspring from the heterozygous parent could be determined. The proportion of individuals that inherited the F3 variant compared to the alternative allele was exactly 1:1. In five cases the parental phenotype was identical to that of the offspring. For the remaining eight cases the parent was homozygous for the F3 allele and all offspring had the F3 allele. The results were consistent with Mendelian inheritance.
Breeze RG, Brown CM, Turk MA.3-methylindole was administered orally and intravenously to horses and ponies in order to determine the ability of this chemical to provide a model of equine pulmonary disease. Both routes produced a severe and sometimes fatal pulmonary disease, characterised by bronchiolitis. Clinical signs developed 48 to 72 h after dosing and were most severe between Days 4 and 10 post dosing. Intravenous administration of 3-methylindole produced lung injury more rapidly and at a lower dose rate than the oral route. It is suggested that the respiratory condition induced by this chemical could become a metho...
McGavin MD, Knake R.A 35-kg Duroc pig died 3 days after eating a ration containing aflatoxin B1, B2, G1, and G2. It had hemorrhagic enteritis and extensive midzonal necrosis in the liver. A 13-year-old Quarterhorse that died 2 days after eating moldy hay had hemorrhagic enteritis, fatty degeneration of the myocardium and renal tubules, and extensive total midzonal necrosis of the liver.
Suarez-Fuentes DG, Caston SS, Tatarniuk DM, Kersh KD, Ferrero NR.Contaminated or septic navicular bursitis has been reported to have a guarded prognosis after surgical treatment with navicular bursotomy only. In our experience, the use of navicular bursotomy for the treatment of this disease in combination with systemic and local delivery of antimicrobials can provide a good prognosis, even in horses with chronic disease. Objective: To report the outcome of horses undergoing navicular bursotomy for the treatment of contaminated or septic navicular bursitis. Methods: Descriptive case series. Methods: Navicular bursotomy was performed in combination with syst...
Vermedal H, Strand E.To report dynamic laryngeal collapse (DLC) associated with poll flexion as a potential complication of the laryngeal tie-forward procedure (LTFP) in harness racehorses. Methods: Short case series. Methods: Three harness racehorses. Methods: Preoperative and postoperative medical records of all harness racehorses that underwent the LTFP were reviewed, as were high-speed treadmill videoendoscopy recordings of 35 horses that returned for upper airway evaluation postoperatively. Results: One standardbred and two Norwegian coldblooded trotters in which dorsal displacement of the soft palate had bee...
Mair TS, Pearson GR.A 3 1/2-year-old bay gelding of the cob type showed nervous signs and coughing associated with breaking-in and exercise. At post-mortem examination, heavy melanin pigmentation of the meninges of the hind brain and the medulla was identified and, on histological examination, melanin-containing cells were found within connective tissue extending into the medulla. The lesion was considered to be a melanotic hamartoma.
Grulke S, Salciccia A, Arévalo Rodríguez JM, Sandersen C, Caudron I, Serteyn D, de la Rebière de Pouyade G.Epiploic foramen entrapment (EFE) of small intestine is a severe cause of strangulating small intestinal obstruction (SSI) with long-term survival seeming lower than for other causes of SSI in horses. Different techniques via laparoscopy or laparotomy for epiploic foramen (EF) closure have been developed. This study describes a technique of peroperative mesh closure of the EF in clinical cases and their long-term follow up. In the study period of 5.5 years, 36 horses were admitted to the clinic with EFE. Of these, 17 horses had peroperative mesh closure, with resection anastomosis in 4 cases a...
Su XZ, Morris DD, McGraw RA.We report the molecular cloning and nucleotide sequence of the equine gene encoding tumor necrosis factor alpha. The 2610-bp genomic sequence was derived from three overlapping polymerase chain reaction products.
Weiblen R, Rabuske M, Rebelatto MC, Nobre VM, Canabarro TF.We report an outbreak of abortion due to equine herpesvirus (EHV) in 5 mares between 9 and 11 months of gestation, from a herd of 22 Thoroughbred mares. Equine herpesvirus was isolated from extracts of the liver, spleen and thymus but not from the lungs of a 9-month fetus grown in Rabbit Kidney (RK13) cells. The virus was identified by electron microscopy, where virus particles could be seen in the nucleus of infected cells, and by the fluorescent antibody technique with polyclonal antibodies against the whole virus. Anamnesis, necropsy, histopathology, bacteriology, and virology data suggest ...
Menassé I.After a brief reference to the importance of the non-parenteral route of vaccination of domestic animals in general, the author deals, for each animal species separately, with the most important vaccines utilised by this method of administration. On the basis of bibliographical data, he describes the history of this use, discusses the results of the application in the field and draws the relative conclusions.
Harrison LJ, May SA.A three-month-old foal was presented with subluxation of the proximal interphalangeal joint in both forelimbs. The condition, which was considered to represent an unusual manifestation of breakdown of the suspensory apparatus, appeared to have developed as a consequence of extreme overexertion, 10 days previously. This had resulted in rupture of the palmar supporting structures of the joint; namely, the superficial distal sesamoidean ligament, the insertion of the superficial digital flexor tendon and the palmar joint capsule. Severe laxity of the flexor tendons had been present in the neonata...
Hart JC, Smith C, Mogg TD.A 12-day-old Standardbred filly foal was presented with an acute onset hindlimb lameness of 24 hours duration. Initial ultrasonographic evaluation of the right gluteal region revealed oedematous change to the muscle architecture. Conservative therapy consisting of antimicrobials and stall rest was initiated. Forty-eight hours after admission a localised gluteal pyomyositis had developed. This was drained twice by percutaneous aspiration. Four days after admission the foal was euthanased. Necropsy examination revealed a septic proximal femoral physis with no grossly apparent joint involvement.
Lopes CA, Moreno G, Curi PR.The susceptibilities of 760 Staphylococcus aureus strains isolated from animal infections (400), human infections (300) and healthy human carriers (60) to seven antibiotics were determined by an agar dilution technique. The isolates from human infections were more resistant to a wider spectrum of antibiotics than were the strains from animal infections and healthy human carriers. Amikacin and gentamicin were the most active drugs against all groups of strains.
Legrottaglie R, Agrimi P.Electrophoretic analysis in polyacrylamide gel (PAGE) of the equine rotavirus 106/88/LI/EQ, isolated from the diarrhea of an 18 day old foal was compared to the bovine strain NCDV. There was a notable difference in the migration of some segments of the viral RNA. Bands 2 and 3 of the equine rotavirus comigrated while there was a clear separation of segments 7, 8 and 9. Moreover, the migration of segments 1, 4 and 5 revealed a lower molecular weight than the corresponding segments of NCDV.
