Equine diseases encompass a wide range of health conditions that can affect horses, including infectious diseases, metabolic disorders, and genetic conditions. These diseases can impact the overall health, performance, and well-being of horses. Common equine diseases include equine influenza, equine herpesvirus, laminitis, and equine metabolic syndrome. Diagnosis and management of these diseases often require a combination of clinical evaluation, laboratory testing, and appropriate treatment strategies. This page gathers peer-reviewed research studies and scholarly articles that explore the etiology, pathophysiology, diagnosis, and treatment options for various equine diseases, providing valuable insights for veterinarians and researchers in the field.
Varnum AT, West AB, Hendrickson DA.Competencies can guide outcomes assessment in veterinary medical education by providing a core set of specific abilities expected of new veterinary graduates. A competency-guided evaluation of Colorado State University's (CSU) equine veterinary curriculum was undertaken via an alumni survey. Published competencies for equine veterinary graduates were used to develop the survey, which was distributed to large animal alumni from CSU's Doctor of Veterinary Medicine program. The results of the survey indicated areas for improvement, specifically in equine business, surgery, dentistry, and radiolog...
Ochi A, Sekiguchi M, Tsujimura K, Kinoshita T, Ueno T, Katayama Y.Equine multinodular pulmonary fibrosis (EMPF) is a recently described form of interstitial pneumonia associated with equine herpesvirus type 5 (EHV-5). This disease has been reported in North and South America, Europe and Oceania but not, to our knowledge, in horses in Japan. We diagnosed EMPF in two Thoroughbred horses in Japan on the basis of gross and histopathological findings. In both cases, significant gross lesions, restricted to the lungs, consisted of numerous firm and coalescing nodules widely distributed throughout the lung. The nodules were <3 cm in diameter and pale white to t...
Berryhill EH, Knych H, Edman JM, Magdesian KG.The neurokinin-1 (NK) receptor antagonist, maropitant citrate, mitigates nausea and vomiting in dogs and cats. Nausea is poorly understood and likely under-recognized in horses. Use of NK-1 receptor antagonists in horses has not been reported. The purpose of this study was to determine the pharmacokinetic profile of maropitant in seven adult horses after single intravenous (IV; 1 mg/kg) and intragastric (IG; 2 mg/kg) doses. A randomized, crossover design was performed. Serial blood samples were collected after dosing; maropitant concentrations were measured using LC-MS/MS. Pharmacokinetic pa...
Sears KP, Kappmeyer LS, Wise LN, Silva M, Ueti MW, White S, Reif KE, Knowles DP.Theileria equi infection, exotic to the United States has reemerged through intravenous (iatrogenic) and tick-borne transmission. Surveillance at the US-Mexico border identified a new species, Theileria haneyi, (T. haneyi) (EP = Eagle Pass, Texas) which warranted additional investigation due to inability to detect by PCR targeting of T. equi ema-1 and EMA-1-cELISA validated for T. equi. Infection dynamics of T. haneyi were evaluated, including ability to superinfect in the presence of T. equi-Texas (T. equi), the isolate responsible for the reemergence of T. equi in the U S. Experimental i...
Duke-Novakovski T.Hemoglobin oxygen saturation (SO) is measured by co-oximetry (SO) or calculated from partial pressure of oxygen (PO) using algorithms (SO). To compare venous and systemic arterial blood sample data retrospectively and to examine whether temperature correction of PO is important. Methods: Retrospective study. Methods: A group of 21 healthy, adult, sedated or anesthetized horses. Methods: Mixed-venous and systemic arterial blood samples (1 mL) were anaerobically collected using commercial preheparinized syringes from the right ventricle and facial artery, respectively. Blood was analyzed using a...
Robert M, Manet H, Manneveau G, Geffroy O. The aim of this study was to describe an ultrasound-guided injection technique of the lumbosacral disc in horses through the cranial vertebral notch of the sacrum and to evaluate both accuracy and potential complications of the technique on equine cadavers. Methods: Twenty-four injections of the lumbosacral area were performed on 12 equine cadavers shortly after euthanasia under ultrasound guidance with the horse in recumbency using two different dyes (one colour for each side). The lumbosacral area was dissected in each horse and the accuracy of the technique, as well as its potential c...
García EDA, Khusro A, Pacheco EBF, Adegbeye MJ, Barbabosa-Pliego A, Lagunas BC, Salas JMC, Mateos RG, Aarti C, Elghandour MMMY.The present context was designed to investigate the efficacy of devil fish (DF; Plecostomus sp.) silage and Staphylococcus saprophyticus on fermentation characteristics as well as greenhouse gases production mitigation attributes in horses. Four levels of ensiled DF at 0 (control DF0), 6 (DF6), 12 (DF12), and 18 (DF18) % were added into the diet. Moreover, three doses of S. saprophyticus (0, 1, and 3 mL/g dry matter [DM]) were used for in vitro fecal fermentation. The use of ensiled DF resulted in increased (P < .0001) pH during fermentation. The asymptotic gas production was the highest (P...
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...
Turner RM.Declining fertility in association with declining testicular function is commonly seen as stallions age and can be the cause of significant economic losses in the equine breeding industry. This manuscript describes how to clinically recognize the signs of age-related declining testicular function (testicular degeneration) and also provides mare and stallion management strategies for improving reproductive outcomes. Finally, the current understanding of the pathophysiology of the disease is presented, including the results of recent studies that are beginning to uncover the underlying causes fo...
Meier A, de Laat M, Pollitt C, Walsh D, McGree J, Reiche DB, von Salis-Soglio M, Wells-Smith L, Mengeler U, Mesa Salas D, Droegemueller S, Sillence MN.Laminitis is a common equine disease characterized by foot pain, and is commonly diagnosed using a five-grade Obel system developed in 1948 using sepsis-related cases. However, endocrinopathic laminitis is now the most common form of the disease and clinical signs may be mild, or spread across two Obel grades. This paper describes a modified method which assigns scores to discreet clinical signs, providing a wider scale suitable for use in a research setting. Methods: The "modified Obel" method was developed using an iterative process. First, a prototype method was developed during the detaile...
Wiklund M, Kellgren M, Wulcan S, Grubb T, Nyman G.Administration of pulsed inhaled nitric oxide (PiNO) improves arterial oxygenation in spontaneously breathing anaesthetised healthy horses and in horses undergoing colic surgery. However, because hypoventilation commonly occurs, horses are often mechanically ventilated to prevent hypercarbia. Objective: To evaluate the effects of PiNO on arterial oxygenation during anaesthesia in mechanically ventilated healthy horses and horses undergoing colic surgery. Methods: Prospective nonblinded clinical trial. Methods: Fifty horses undergoing elective arthroscopy (Group A) and 30 horses undergoing coli...
Riddin MA, Venter GJ, Labuschagne K, Villet MH.African horse sickness (AHS), a disease of equids caused by the AHS virus, is of major concern in South Africa. With mortality reaching up to 95% in susceptible horses and the apparent reoccurrence of cases in regions deemed non-endemic, most particularly the Eastern Cape, epidemiological research into factors contributing to the increase in the range of this economically important virus became imperative. The vectors, Culicoides (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae), are considered unable to proliferate during the unfavourable climatic conditions experienced in winter in the province, although the annua...
Gale AL, Linardi RL, McClung G, Mammone RM, Ortved KF.Focal cartilage injury occurs commonly and often precipitates OA. Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) may be useful for repairing cartilage lesions, thereby preventing joint degeneration. Although MSCs isolated from bone marrow have been shown to have chondrogenic potential, synovial membrane-derived MSCs (SM-MSCs) may have superior chondrogenic abilities due to a common progenitor cell between synovium and cartilage. The objective of this study was to directly compare the immunophenotype, proliferative capabilities, and chondrogenic potential of equine SM-MSCs and bone marrow-derived MSCs (BM-MSCs)...
Valença SRFA, Ribeiro-Andrade M, Moré G, Albuquerque PPF, Pinheiro Júnior JW, Mota RA.The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of infection by Sarcocystis neurona in horses and identify potential risk factors. Were analyzed 427 samples from 36 farms in 21 municipalities in the Alagoas State, Brazil. Presence of anti-S. neurona antibodies was diagnosed by indirect immunofluorescence antibody test (IFAT) and was confirmed using the immunoblot test. Risk factors were assessed through investigative questionnaires on animal management on the farms. The prevalence of anti-S.neurona antibodies was 2.8% (confidence interval, CI: 1.5-4.9%) from IFAT and 1.6% (CI:0.8-3.34%) ...
Adair HS, Levine D. The purpose of this study was to examine the tissue temperature changes that occur at various depths during 1.0-MHz ultrasound (US) treatments of the epaxial muscles in horses. Ten healthy adult mares with no lameness or orthopedic disease weighing between 465 and 576 kg were studied. Two 1.0 MHz US treatments, one at an intensity of 1.0 W/cm and one at 2.0 W/cm, were administered to the epaxial region. Needle thermistors were inserted in the epaxial muscles below the skin surface at depths of 1.0, 3.0, and 5.0 cm, directly under the US treatment area. Depths were verified with diagnostic u...
Atkins CA, Pond KR, Madsen CK, Moorman VJ, Roman-Muniz IN, Archibeque SL, Grandin T.The objective of the control study was to assess 2 prominent fluctuations in a single optical signal as being either a true first hoof contact or a last break-over based on descriptive measures. The study builds on initial findings from a preliminary investigation of the embedded-optical-base system's (EOBS) capabilities in signal capturing and feasibility as potential alternative to existing gait technologies, such as piezoelectric (e.g., load cell) systems. Hoof contacts and break-overs were measured (0 to 1 au; arbitrary units) using a 2.4-m (length) × 0.9-m (width) platform containing 1 E...
Stegelmeier BL, Colegate SM, Knoppel EL, Rood KA, Collett MG.Wild parsnip (Pastinaca sativa) has been associated with livestock and human photosensitization. An investigation of a natural occurrence of photosensitization of grazing horses identified wild parsnip as a possible cause. HPLC-MS and MS/MS analysis of this plant identified five furanocoumarins i.e., xanthotoxin, bergapten, isopimpinellin, imperatorin and a putative methoxyimperatorin. Goats fed this wild parsnip were largely unaffected. Xanthotoxin was not detected in the serum of parsnip-fed goats or in the serum of goats dosed orally or intravenous with purified xanthotoxin. Cutaneous appli...
Fernandez NJ, Roy MF.The plasma protein:fibrinogen (PP:F) ratio was introduced to aid interpretation of hyperfibrinogenemia by accounting for dehydration. However, this ratio is inconsistently assessed in practice and its clinical value remains unknown. Our objective was to determine whether the PP:F ratio provides additional information in adult horses beyond fibrinogen concentration alone. Two databases were reviewed to identify 412 hyperfibrinogenemic horses. Plasma protein:fibrinogen ratios were calculated and their interpretation compared to the fibrinogen concentration. Ratios < 15 were supportive of infl...
Trumpp KM, Parsley AL, Lewis MJ, Camp JW, Taylor SD.Tick paralysis has not been reported in horses in North America. Results: Two American Miniature horses were examined for progressive weakness and recumbency. Numerous ticks (Dermacentor variabilis) were found on both horses. Horse 1 was recumbent (grade 5/5 gait deficit) on presentation, whereas Horse 2 was standing but ataxic (grade 4/5 gait deficit) and tetraparetic. Both horses had decreased tongue and tail muscle tone, and had normal spinal reflexes. Cerebrospinal fluid cytology was normal. Equine herpesvirus-1 testing was negative. Unassigned: Ticks were removed within 24 hours of pres...
Kraus MS, Rishniw M, Divers TJ, Reef VB, Gelzer AR.Evaluate accuracy and utility of a smartphone-based ECG device compared to a standard base-apex lead ECG in horses. Methods: ECGs were acquired prospectively from 28 client-owned horses at 2 equine referral hospitals. Twenty-five pairs of 30-s ECG recordings were acquired simultaneously from 23 horses with a smartphone ECG device (a bi-polar single lead recorder coupled to a smartphone with an ECG application) and with a standard base-apex lead ECG; 2 horses provided two pairs of simultaneously acquired ECGs. In one horse, the ECGs pairs were recorded immediately sequentially. An additional 7 ...
Frazer LL, Santschi EM, Fischer KJ.To predict the bone formation stimulus of a transcondylar screw across an equine subchondral bone cyst (SBC) in an equine medial femoral condyle (MFC). Methods: Finite element modeling (FEM) of an equine MFC with a 2 cm SBC under several transcondylar screw conditions. Methods: The right stifle of a yearling thoroughbred without stifle disease that had been euthanized for reasons unrelated to this study and donated to the University. Methods: The FEM was derived from computed tomography of a yearling thoroughbred and analyzed in ABAQUS v6.14. The transcondylar screw was modeled as a 4.5-mm s...
Peng TL, Armiladiana MM, Ruhil HH, Maizan M, Choong SS.The occurrence of Setaria digitata in a horse is reported for the first time in Malaysia. An 8-year-old Thoroughbred cross mare was referred to the University Veterinary Clinic with the primary complaint of corneal opacity and excessive eye discharge. After initial treatment with Terramycin eye ointment, corneal opacity cleared partially to reveal a moving thread-like cylindrical worm in the anterior chamber of the eye. The parasite was successfully removed surgically, and examination under the light microscope revealed that the isolated worm (length = 45 mm) was a 5th stage larva of S. ...
Hemingway A, Carter S, Callaway A, Kavanagh E, Ellis S.Though long alluded to, there is now an accumulation of evidence of the vital contribution that emotion makes to learning. Within this broad advance in understanding is a growing body of research emphasising the embodied nature of this emotion-based learning. The study presented here is a pilot study using a mixed-method approach (combining both physiological and experiential methodologies) to give a picture of the "emotional landscape" of people's learning through the intervention under study. This has allowed researchers to examine mediating pathways that may underlie any effects of an equin...
Spence KL, Slater J, Rosanowski SM, Cardwell JM.The international nature of the equine industry provides opportunities for the spread of infectious diseases between countries. While incursions of exotic diseases into the United Kingdom (UK) equine population have been rare, the potential socioeconomic and welfare impacts are a significant concern. However, little is known about leisure horse owners' ability or willingness to prepare for an exotic disease incursion. The objectives of this study were to describe UK leisure horse owners' awareness and perceptions of exotic diseases, and to identify clusters of horse owners characterised by the...
Tanner RB, Hubbell JAE.Regional anesthesia of the equine head is commonly performed to allow oral extraction of diseased teeth in the standing horse. The use of 4 blocks (infraorbital nerve, maxillary nerve, mental nerve, and mandibular nerve) is well documented for desensitization of dental quadrants for oral surgery for exodontia, but descriptions of associated complications are limited. A total of 270 regional nerve blocks were performed on 162 equine patients in a second opinion referral hospital setting. Criteria for inclusion in the study included a 24-hour stay in hospital, that the blocks be performed by one...
Johnson JP, Peckham RK, Rowan C, Wolfe A, O'Leary JM.Blinded techniques to desensitize the inferior alveolar nerve (IAN) include intraoral, angled, and vertical extraoral approaches with reported success rates of 100%, 73%, and 59%, respectively. It has not been determined whether an ultrasound-guided extraoral approach is feasible. Further, the fascicular nature of the inferior alveolar and lingual nerves of the horse has not been described. The objectives of this study were to describe a low-volume ultrasound-guided vertical extraoral inferior alveolar nerve block technique and to describe the fascicular nature of these nerves. An ultrasound-g...
Ellerbrock RE, Canisso IF, Roady PJ, Litsky A, Durgam S, Podico G, Li Z, Lima FS.A recent study demonstrated that enrofloxacin and ciprofloxacin cross the equine placenta without causing gross cartilage or tendon lesions in the 9-month fetus; however, long-term effects of in utero fluoroquinolone exposure remain unknown. Objective: To assess effects of fetal exposure to enrofloxacin on the resulting foal's cartilage and tendon strength. Methods: Healthy mares at 280 days' gestation were allocated into four groups: untreated (n = 5), therapeutic treatment (7.5 mg/kg enrofloxacin, PO × 14 days, n = 6), supratherapeutic treatment (15 mg/kg, PO × 14 days, n = ...
Huszar G, Patrizio P, Vigue L, Willets M, Wilker C, Adhoot D, Johnson L.Although in several species there is a relationship between epididymal sperm transport and fertility, in human in vitro fertilization (IVF), spermatozoa recovered from the caput epididymidis or even the rete testis are fertile. We studied two objective markers of sperm maturity in the sperm of men and stallions: creatine kinase (CK) concentrations, which are a measure of cytoplasmic retention in immature spermatozoa, and the ratio of CK-M and CK-B isoforms (% CK-M/[CK-M + CK-B]), which is proportional to the incidence of mature sperm. The CK markers and the fertilizing function are closely rel...
Laseca N, Anaya G, Peña Z, Pirosanto Y, Molina A, Demyda Peyrás S.Fertility is one of the key factors in the economic and productive success of the equine industry. Despite this, studies on the genetic causes affecting reproductive performance are scarce, especially in mares, where the genetic architecture of the reproductive traits is extremely complex. Today, with the increasing availability of new genomic methodologies for this species, we are presented with an interesting opportunity to understand the genetic basis of equine reproductive disorders. These include, among others, novel techniques for detecting chromosomal abnormalities, whose association wi...
Tydén E, Jansson A, Ringmark S.Horse grazing can be favorable from a biological diversity perspective. This study documented the occurrence of endo- and ectoparasites and sought to reduce parasite egg excretion with the anthelmintic drug pyrantel in 12 Gotlandsruss stallions maintained in a year-round grazing system for 2.5 years. Feces samples were collected monthly and all horses were treated with pyrantel, the anthelmintic drug of choice in biological diversity preservation, at study population mean cyathostomin eggs per gram (EPG) of >200. The relationship between cyathostomin EPG and body condition was studied, as was ...
Thomas PG, Ball BA, Brinsko SP.Regulation of attachment of equine spermatozoa to homologous oviduct epithelium was investigated by co-culture of spermatozoa with oviductal epithelial cell explants. Stallion spermatozoa were incubated with explants derived from the isthmus and ampulla of follicular, postovulatory, and diestrous mares. Steroid treatments (estradiol, progesterone, or control) were applied across all explant groups. Estimates of motility and total numbers of attached spermatozoa were made 0.5, 24, and 48 h after initiation of co-culture. Equine spermatozoa attached by their rostral acrosomal region to both cili...
Thompson GM, Jess S, Murchie AK.African horse sickness is an economically highly important non-contagious but infectious Orbivirus disease that is transmitted by various species of Culicoides midges. The equids most severely affected by the virus are horses, ponies, and European donkeys; mules are somewhat less susceptible, and African donkeys and zebra are refractory to the devastating consequences of infection. In recent years, Bluetongue virus, an Orbivirus similar to African horse sickness, which also utilises Culicoides spp. as its vector, has drastically increased its range into previously unaffected regions in norther...
Van Hecke L, Magri C, Duchateau L, Beerts C, Geburek F, Suls M, Da Dalt L, Patruno M, Saunders J, Broeckx SY, Depuydt E, Spaas JH.The use of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) for the treatment of equine joint disease is widely investigated because of their regenerative and immunomodulatory potential. Allogeneic MSCs provide a promising alternative to autologous MSCs, since the former are immediately available and enable a thorough donor screening. However, questions have been raised concerning the immunogenic potential of allogeneic MSCs, especially after repeated administration. Methods: Current retrospective study assessed the cellular and humoral immunogenicity of ten jumping and dressage horses with naturally occurring d...
Geor RJ.Epidemiologic studies indicate that most laminitis cases occur in horses and ponies kept at pasture, hence the term 'pasture-associated laminitis'. Clinical cases of laminitis most often occur under conditions that favor accumulation of rapidly fermentable nonstructural carbohydrates (fructans, simple sugars, or starches) in pasture, and animals with an equine metabolic syndrome (EMS) phenotype (insulin resistance, abnormal insulin dynamics, +/- obesity) seem to be at highest risk for developing the condition. Although the mechanisms linking consumption of pasture forage with development of la...
Suthers JM, Pinchbeck GL, Proudman CJ, Archer DC.The pattern of long-term survival and specific factors associated with long-term survival have not previously been evaluated in horses with a strangulating large colon volvulus (LCV). Objective: To provide data on the long-term survival of horses with LCV and to identify pre-, intra- and post operative variables associated with survival. Methods: Clinical data and long-term follow-up information were obtained from 116 horses with a strangulating LCV (≥360°) undergoing general anaesthesia. Two multivariable Cox proportional hazards models for post operative survival time were developed: Mode...
Soutullo A, Verwimp V, Riveros M, Pauli R, Tonarelli G.Three peptides derived from the equine infectious anemia virus (EIAV) surface proteins were synthesized to design and validate an ELISA for EIA diagnosis. Peptides identified as gp90-I and gp90-II correspond to the N- and C-terminal part of the surface glycoprotein gp90. Peptide gp45-1 overlaps the immunodominant epitope CIERTHVFC of the transmembrane glycoprotein gp45, and includes a hydrophilic chain close to the N-terminal end of this nonapeptide loop. Serum samples from 140 naturally infected horses with EIAV and a panel of 167 non-immune equine sera obtained from non-infected animals were...
Varley G, Bowen IM, Habershon-Butcher JL, Nicholls V, Hallowell GD.Previous studies have demonstrated a poor response to healing of gastric glandular lesions with oral omeprazole and other medications. Objective: To evaluate the efficacy of two novel treatments (misoprostol [M] and combined omeprazole-sucralfate [OS]) in horses for gastric glandular disease. Methods: Prospective, clinical study. Methods: Sixty-three sports horses with grade >1/4 glandular disease were identified by gastroscopy. Horses received either 5 μg/kg of misoprostol per os BID 1 h prior to feeding or a combination of 4 mg/kg enteric coated omeprazole per os SID and 12 mg/kg sucral...
Episodic collapse in horses has equine welfare and human safety implications. There are, however, no published case series describing this syndrome. Objective: To characterize the cause and outcomes for horses referred for investigation of episodic collapse. Methods: Twenty-five horses referred for investigation of single or multiple episodes of collapse. Methods: Retrospective study. Clinical records from the Dick Vet Equine Hospital, University of Edinburgh from November 1995 to July 2009 were searched using the following keywords: collapse, collapsing, fall, syncope. Collapse was defined as...
Muttini A, Salini V, Valbonetti L, Abate M.The ideal strategy for tendon healing has not been identified to date. Recently, the use of stem cells based therapy has been proposed, due to their ability to proliferate and to differentiate towards specific connective tissues lineages. Embryonic stem cells should be considered the ideal cell source for regenerative therapies, but ethical factors limit their use in humans. Mesenchymal stem cells are more easily available and can be obtained by different sources. Amnion derived stem cells can differentiate towards all three germ layers, and can be used for allogeneic transplantation and store...
Coombs DK, Patton T, Kohler AK, Soboll G, Breathnach C, Townsend HG, Lunn DP.Protecting equids against equine herpesvirus-1 (EHV-1) infection remains an elusive goal. Repeated infection with EHV-1 leads to protective immunity against clinical respiratory disease, and a study was conducted to measure the regulatory cytokine response (IFN-gamma and IL-4) in repeatedly infected immune ponies compared to non-immune ponies. Two groups of four ponies were established. Group 1 ponies had previously been infected on two occasions, and most recently 7 months before this study. Group 2 ponies had no history no vaccination or challenge infection prior to this study. Both groups w...
Liu MA.Gene-based vaccines are under development for a broad variety of applications, ranging from vaccines to immunotherapies for infectious diseases, cancer, autoimmune diseases and allergy. In addition, following the licensing of DNA vaccines for use in fish and horses, and DNA immunotherapy for the treatment of cancer in dogs, several veterinary uses of vaccines have been demonstrated for species ranging from fish and shrimp to cattle and horses. A variety of publications describing preclinical and clinical studies of the technologies used to increase the potency of gene-based vaccines, and resea...
Getachew AM, Innocent GT, Trawford AF, Feseha G, Reid SJ, Love S.A cross-sectional coprological survey in the regions of Ada, Akaki, Bereh and Boset, and a retrospective postmortem investigation were conducted to study the epidemiology of Parascaris equorum in donkeys and horses in Ethiopia. Faecal samples from 803 working donkeys and 402 horses were collected, and the numbers of worms recovered from 112 donkeys examined postmortem between 1995 and 2004 were analysed. There was a high prevalence of infection and faecal egg output of P equorum in both donkeys and horses, and the severity of the infection in donkeys was increased irrespective of their age. Th...
Tanner J, Rogers C, Bolwell C, Cogger N, Gee E, Mcllwraith W.The objective was to describe the incidence of failure to finish a race in flat-racing Thoroughbreds in New Zealand as these are summary indicators of falls, injuries and poor performance. Retrospective data on six complete flat racing seasons (n = 188,615 race starts) of all Thoroughbred flat race starts from 1 August 2005 to 31 July 2011 were obtained. The incidence of failure to finish events and binomial exact 95% confidence intervals were calculated per 1000 horse starts. The association between horse-, rider- and race-level variables with the outcomes failure to finish, pulled-up/fell an...
Decloedt A, Borowicz H, Slowikowska M, Chiers K, van Loon G, Niedzwiedz A.Pulmonary hypertension has been described in horses with severe equine asthma, but its effect on the right ventricle has not been fully elucidated. Objective: To evaluate right ventricular structure and function after a 1-week period of pulmonary hypertension secondary to acute exacerbation of severe equine asthma. Methods: Prospective study. Methods: A clinical episode of severe equine asthma was induced experimentally in six susceptible horses. Examinations in remission and on day 7 of the clinical episode included a physical examination with clinical scoring, echocardiography, arterial bloo...
Berruex F, Gerber V, Wohlfender FD, Burger D, Koch C.The progression of equine sarcoids (ES) is notoriously unpredictable. Making a choice for the appropriate treatment is challenging when dealing with milder manifestations of ES. Objective: The aim of this study was to investigate the clinical course of ES in young horses. Methods: A cohort of 61 ES-affected three-year-old Franches-Montagnes horses and a breed-, age- and geographically matched control group of 75 ES-free peers were examined twice over a period of 5-7 years. Owners and caretakers were queried, using a standardized questionnaire. Results: More than half of the 38/61 (62%) horses...
Pusterla N, Gebhart C.Equine proliferative enteropathy (EPE) is a disease of foals caused by the obligate intracellular organism Lawsonia intracellularis. This emerging disease affects mainly weanling foals and causes fever, lethargy, peripheral oedema, diarrhoea, colic and weight loss. The diagnosis of EPE may be challenging and relies on the presence of hypoproteinaemia, thickening of segments of the small intestinal wall observed on abdominal ultrasonography, positive serology and molecular detection of L. intracellularis in faeces. Although the clinical entity, diagnostic work-up and treatment of EPE are well e...
da Costa CF, Samesima N, Pastore CA.Different methodologies for electrocardiographic acquisition in horses have been used since the first ECG recordings in equines were reported early in the last century. This study aimed to determine the best ECG electrodes positioning method and the most reliable calculation of mean cardiac axis (MEA) in equines. Methods: We evaluated the electrocardiographic profile of 53 clinically healthy Thoroughbreds, 38 males and 15 females, with ages ranging 2-7 years old, all reared at the São Paulo Jockey Club, in Brazil. Two ECG tracings were recorded from each animal, one using the Dubois lead posi...
Votion DM, François AC, Kruse C, Renaud B, Farinelle A, Bouquieaux MC, Marcillaud-Pitel C, Gustin P.In 2014, atypical myopathy (AM) was linked to Acer pseudoplatanus (sycamore maple) in Europe. The emergence of this seasonal intoxication caused by a native tree has raised many questions. This manuscript aims at answering the five most frequently asked questions (FAQs) regarding (1) identification of toxic trees; reduction of risk at the level of (2) pastures and (3) equids; (4) the risk associated with pastures with sycamores that have always been used without horses being poisoned and (5) the length of the risk periods. Answers were found in a literature review and data gathered by AM surve...
Naem S.Habronema muscae (Spirurida: Habronematidae) occurs in the stomach of equids, is transmitted by adult muscid dipterans and causes gastric habronemiasis. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) was used to study the morphological aspects of adult worms of this nematode in detail. The worms possess two trilobed lateral lips. The buccal cavity was cylindrical, with thick walls and without teeth. Around the mouth, four submedian cephalic papillae and two amphids were seen. A pair of lateral cervical papillae was present. There was a single lateral ala and in the female the vulva was situated in the mid...
Liepman RS, Dembek KA, Slovis NM, Reed SM, Toribio RE.Serum immunoglobulin (IgG) assessment in neonatal foals is considered standard care in equine hospitals to determine immunity and overall health. However, cut-off values of IgG to predict complete or partial failure of transfer of passive immunity (FTPI) were developed 30 years ago and are largely empirical with little prospective or statistical data to support their use or association with outcome. Objective: To critically evaluate the traditional cut-off values of IgG in the assessment of FTPI (IgG 8 g/l as adequate transfer of passive immunity (ATPI). Odds of nonsurvival increased in propo...
Pommer AC, Rutllant J, Meyers SA.Cryopreservation requires exposure of sperm to extreme variations in temperature and osmolality. The goal of this experiment was to determine the osmotic tolerance levels of equine sperm by analyzing motility, viability, mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP), and mean cell volume (MCV). Spermatozoa were incubated at 22 degrees C for 10 min in isosmolal TALP (300 mOsm/kg), or a range of anisosmolal TALP solutions (75-900 mOsm/kg), for initial analysis, and then returned to isosmolal conditions for 10 min for further analysis. Total sperm motility was lower (P < 0.05) in anisosmolal conditio...
Zhu H, Gifford RJ, Murcia PR.The evolution of mammalian genomes has been shaped by interactions with endogenous retroviruses (ERVs). In this study, we investigated the distribution and diversity of ERVs in the mammalian order , with a view to understanding their impact on the evolution of modern equids (family ). We characterize the major ERV lineages in the horse genome in terms of their genomic distribution, ancestral genome organization, and time of activity. Our results show that subsequent to their ancestral divergence from rhinoceroses and tapirs, equids acquired four novel ERV lineages. We show that two of these ER...
Verheyen T, Decloedt A, De Clercq D, van Loon G.Atypical myopathy (AM) is an acute, fatal rhabdomyolysis in grazing horses that mainly affects skeletal muscles. Postmortem examinations have shown that myocardial damage also occurs. Limited information is available on the effect of AM on cardiac function in affected and surviving horses. Objective: To describe electrocardiographic and echocardiographic changes associated with AM in the acute stage of the disease and after follow-up. Methods: Horses (n = 12) diagnosed with AM in which cardiac ultrasound examination and ECG recording were available. Methods: All horses underwent clinical exami...
Faleiros RR, Johnson PJ, Nuovo GJ, Messer NT, Black SJ, Belknap JK.While there is evidence of laminar leukocyte infiltration in black walnut extract (BWE)-induced laminitis, there is no such evidence for carbohydrate overload (CHO) laminitis. Objective: To assess presence of leukocytes and signs of epidermal stress/injury in the laminar tissue from horses with CHO-induced laminitis. Methods: Twenty-four adult horses. Methods: Immunohistochemistry for myeloid cell markers calprotectin (CP) and monocyte-specific marker (CD163) was performed on laminar sections obtained from 2 groups of horses in the CHO model: the developmental time point (DTP) group (n = 6) an...
Layman QD, Rezabek GB, Ramachandran A, Love BC, Confer AW.Several Actinobacillus spp. are common commensal bacteria of the oral cavity, gastrointestinal tract, and reproductive tract of horses and can cause disease in both foals and adults. The current retrospective study was designed to review Actinobacillus spp. isolated from clinical samples or necropsies of 99 horses during 1999-2011. The cases consisted of 43 foals (2 years of age), 2 aborted fetuses, and 11 with unspecified ages. Clinical history, signs, bacterial species isolated, and associated lesions were documented. Actinobacillus spp. were isolated 111 times. The most common isolates were...
Patton JF, Balasuriya UB, Hedges JF, Schweidler TM, Hullinger PJ, MacLachlan NJ.An avirulent, novel variant of equine arteritis virus (EAV; CA95G) was isolated from the semen of a persistently infected Standardbred stallion. The CA95G virus caused subclinical infection and seroconversion in susceptible horses, and virus was isolated only once from blood and nasal secretions collected from 6 experimentally infected horses. Sequence analysis of genes encoding the known EAV structural proteins shows that this highly attenuated strain of EAV is genetically similar to virulent field strains of EAV and, in particular, to a strain of EAV that was isolated during an outbreak of e...
Mustikka MP, Grönthal TSC, Pietilä EM.To retrospectively describe laboratory findings, treatment, and outcome associated with equine infectious keratitis in Finland. Unassigned: Medical records of horses diagnosed with infectious keratitis in University of Helsinki Equine Hospital from January 2007 to June 2018 were reviewed. Results: Forty-seven cases were included. Keratomycosis was diagnosed in 27 eyes and bacterial keratitis in 20 eyes. Aspergillus flavus was the most frequent fungal isolate (9/17, 53%), followed by Cylindrocarpon sp. (3/17, 18%) and Aspergillus fumigatus (2/17, 12%). Susceptibility was tested for 10/11 Asperg...
