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.
White SD, Ghoddusi M, Grooters AM, Jones K.An 18-year-old Arabian mare was examined with a large mass on the left hind pastern and fetlock. The mare was located in the Central Valley of northern California, and had never been out of the state. Routine histopathological processing and examination of biopsy samples from the mass showed several hyphal organisms that were delineated with a silver stain. Using immunohistochemistry the organism was diagnosed as Pythium insidiosum. The owner declined debulking surgery, and despite treatment with an immunotherapeutic vaccine, the horse's condition deteriorated leading to euthanasia.
Dede S, Değer Y, Değer S, Tanritanir P.We have determined the plasma concentrations of copper, zinc, copper/zinc ratio, and carbonic anhydrase activity in horses infected with Babesia equi. The study was conducted in 14 horses with the disease and 10 healthy animals that served as controls. The infection was confirmed by the clinical manifestations of the disease and by Giemsa staining of thin blood smears showing the parasites inside red blood cells. The horses with piroplasmosis had lower plasma levels of zinc, elevated copper, and increased activity of carbonic anhydrase. Consequently, the copper/zinc ratio was also higher than ...
Diallo IS, Hewitson GR, de Jong A, Kelly MA, Wright DJ, Corney BG, Rodwell BJ.Twelve nasal swabs were collected from yearling horses with respiratory distress and tested for equid herpesvirus 1 (EHV-1) and equid herpesvirus 4 (EHV-4) by real-time PCR targeting the glycoprotein B gene. All samples were negative for EHV-1; however, 3 were positive for EHV-4. When these samples were tested for EHV-2 and EHV-5 by PCR, all samples were negative for EHV-2 and 11 were positive for EHV-5. All three samples that were positive for EHV-4 were also positive for EHV-5. These three samples gave a limited CPE in ED cells reminiscent of EHV-4 CPE. EHV-4 CPE was obvious after 3 days and...
von Teichman BF, Smit TK.The polyvalent African Horsesickness (AHS) attenuated live vaccine (ALV) produced by Onderstepoort Biological Products (OBP) Ltd., South Africa, has been associated with some safety concerns and alleged cases of vaccine failure or vaccine-induced disease. The risk of reassortment and reversion to virulence is a common concern associated with the use of ALVs, and a phenomenon reported for viruses with segmented RNA genomes. The purpose of this study was to determine whether or not reassortment of AHS vaccine strains could result in reassortants and reversion to virulence and therefore cause AHS...
Kriegshäuser G, Cullinane A, Kuechler E, Skern T.Equine rhinitis B virus 1 (ERBV1), genus Erbovirus, family Picornaviridae, is a pathogen of horses which causes clinical and subclinical infection of the upper respiratory tract in horses. The virus is widespread in European horse populations and the current standard method for the detection of antibody against ERBV1 is by virus neutralisation (VN). VN tests, however, are labour-intensive and time-consuming, require tissue culture facilities, and generally do not provide same-day results. In this study, a protocol for the high-level expression and purification of recombinant virion protein 1 (...
Ginther OJ, Rodrigues BL, Ferreira JC, Araujo RR, Beg MA.Blood collections for characterising 13,14-dihydro-15-keto-PGF2alpha (PGFM) pulses in mares and colour-Doppler examinations for estimating percentage of corpus luteum with blood-flow signals were done hourly for a 24-h session on Day 15 (ovulation = Day 0; n = 13 mares) or during 12-h sessions from Days 12 to 16 (n= 10 mares). Luteolysis was defined as extending from the beginning of a precipitous decrease in progesterone until progesterone was <2 ng mL(-1). Comparisons were made among preluteolysis, luteolysis, and postluteolysis. Greater prostaglandin F2alpha activity (mean PGFM concentra...
Roberto da Costa RP, Costa AS, Korzekwa AJ, Platek R, Siemieniuch M, Galvão A, Redmer DA, Silva JR, Skarzynski DJ, Ferreira-Dias G.Nitric oxide (NO) plays an important role in prostaglandin secretion and angiogenesis in the reproductive system. In the present study, the roles of the NO donor spermine NONOate and tumour necrosis factor-alpha (TNF; as a positive control) in prostaglandin production and angiogenic activity of equine endometria during the oestrous cycle were evaluated. In addition, the correlation between NO production and the expression of key prostaglandin synthase proteins was determined. The protein expression of prostaglandin F synthase (PGFS) increased in early and mid-luteal stages, whereas that of pro...
Szeredi L, Jánosi S, Tenk M.Klebsiella (K.) oxytoca infection induced the abortion of a female equine fetus in the 10th month of pregnancy. Bacteria were cultured from the liver, lung and stomach content. They were labelled with an anti-Mycobacterium bovis antibody in the thymus, liver and lungs and were stained with Giemsa and Brown-Brenn staining in the thymus and lung. The diffusely consolidated lungs contained numerous grey-whitish foci 2-4 mm in diameter, which corresponded to severe pyogranulomatous pneumonia characterised by numerous intraalveolar neutrophils and macrophages and multinucleated Langhans' giant cell...
Marti E, Gerber V, Wilson AD, Lavoie JP, Horohov D, Crameri R, Lunn DP, Antczak D, Björnsdóttir S, Björnsdóttir TS, Cunningham F, Dérer M....Allergic diseases occur in most mammals, although some species such as humans, dogs and horses seem to be more prone to develop allergies than others. In horses, insect bite hypersensitivity (IBH), an allergic dermatitis caused by bites of midges, and recurrent airway obstruction (RAO), a hyperreactivity to stable born dust and allergens, are the two most prevalent allergic diseases. Allergic diseases involve the interaction of three major factors: (i) genetic constitution, (ii) exposure to allergens, and (iii) a dysregulation of the immune response determined by (i) and (ii). However, other e...
Brindley MA, Zhang B, Montelaro RC, Maury W.Wild-type strains of equine infectious anemia virus (EIAV) prevent superinfection of previously infected cells. A variant strain of virus that spontaneously arose during passage, EIAV(vMA-1c), can circumvent this mechanism in some cells, such as equine dermis (ED) cells, but not in others, such as equine endothelial cells. EIAV(vMA-1c) superinfection of ED cells results in a buildup of unintegrated viral DNA and rapid killing of the cell monolayer. Here, we examined the mechanism of resistance that is used by EIAV to prevent superinfection and explored the means by which EIAV(vMA-1c) overcomes...
Bellone RR, Brooks SA, Sandmeyer L, Murphy BA, Forsyth G, Archer S, Bailey E, Grahn B.The appaloosa coat spotting pattern in horses is caused by a single incomplete dominant gene (LP). Homozygosity for LP (LP/LP) is directly associated with congenital stationary night blindness (CSNB) in Appaloosa horses. LP maps to a 6-cM region on ECA1. We investigated the relative expression of two functional candidate genes located in this LP candidate region (TRPM1 and OCA2), as well as three other linked loci (TJP1, MTMR10, and OTUD7A) by quantitative real-time RT-PCR. No large differences were found for expression levels of TJP1, MTMR10, OTUD7A, and OCA2. However, TRPM1 (Transient Recept...
Carrick JB, Begg AP.Assessment of peripheral blood leukocytes is the most common clinical pathology test in equine practice. It is always a part of complete body function assessment and frequently is used alone, or in conjunction with, fibrinogen to monitor response to treatment.
Zimmerman KL, Crisman MV.This article is presented with two main goals: (1) to provide equine clinicians with a resource for identifying types of serum tests available and (2) to outline briefly the necessary sample type, assay principle, and relative strengths and weakness of the various methods. Specific etiologies are presented and grouped by clinical diagnosis categories, along with brief comments concerning each disorder and its relevant diagnostic assays. This organization provides an abstracted list of infectious disorders commonly considered for the various clinical presentations and a summary of available ser...
Brooks MB.The most common cause of hemorrhage is vascular injury; however, the possibility of hemostatic failure should be considered in the initial differential diagnosis. This article provides an overview of preliminary screening and definitive tests to identify hemostatic defects in horses.
Hoffman AM.Bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) is a method for the recovery of respiratory secretions that line the peripheral airways and alveoli. Overall, BAL is considered very safe and sufficiently sensitive to detect inflammation at the cytologic level. The good correlation between BAL differential cell counts and exercise-induced hypoxemia or lactic acidosis, airway obstruction, or airway responsiveness attests to the relevance of BAL cytology to the structure and function of the equine airways. Thus, an important advantage of BAL over tracheal wash cytology is that BAL cytology relates well to the clinic...
McGowan C.Clinical pathology is frequently used in racehorses to screen for "fitness" to race and to screen for disease that may affect performance. The role of clinical pathology in exercise testing of racehorses is important, especially in the area of blood lactate responses to exercise. This article discusses the use of resting and dynamic clinical pathology in the racehorse, especially in respect to investigation of the state of training (or fitness) and detection of subclinical performance-limiting disease.
Crisman MV, Scarratt WK.Immunodeficiencies are characterized as primary (genetic) or secondary (acquired). Primary immunodeficiencies are relatively uncommon; however, clinically, they present a significant challenge to the practitioner, especially if the underlying disorder goes unrecognized. Secondary immunodeficiencies may present at any age, but failure of passive transfer in neonatal foals is most commonly encountered. This article provides a general overview of clinical signs and diagnosis of primary and secondary immunodeficiencies currently recognized in horses.
Steel CM.The most important application for synovial fluid (SF) analysis in the horse is in the diagnosis of synovial sepsis. Misdiagnosis of synovial sepsis is costly, and SF analysis makes correct diagnosis more likely, although far from certain. The precision of diagnosis may be increased with polymerase chain reaction analysis for detection of bacterial DNA in SF and with assays for various enzymes and cytokines. These tests are currently not widely available, however, and routine SF analysis remains of prime importance in diagnosis.
Crisman MV, Scarratt WK, Zimmerman KL.Activation of the host response to infection, the "acute-phase response," is a highly organized physiologic reaction that includes changes in concentrations of plasma acute-phase proteins (APPs). The APPs are increasingly being used as markers for prognosis and monitoring response to therapy along with general determinants of equine health. Use of APPs in veterinary medicine is becoming more widespread as more commercial diagnostic kits are being validated. This article reviews the salient features of APPs and examines their current application and potential utility in equine inflammatory diso...
Tornquist SJ.Evaluation of equine bone marrow and lymph node samples can provide the definitive diagnosis in some cases, and may provide useful information in other cases. Some newer techniques, including immunophenotyping of cells and clonality assays, provide the capability to more precisely identify cells, both as to origin and malignancy. Use of these techniques on equine bone marrow and lymph node samples, and compiling of the data, will eventually provide invaluable information about equine neoplasia that will greatly improve the ability to predict tumor behavior and response to therapy.
Lording PM.In this article, the normal kinetics, morphology and other unique characteristics of equine erythrocytes are reviewed, the influence of the spleen on erythrocyte values is discussed, and selected normal reference intervals are presented. In addition, the classification and causes of anemia and polycythemia are reviewed and the appropriate laboratory tests for accurate diagnosis are presented.
Hayes MA, Quinn BA, Keirstead ND, Katavolos P, Waelchli RO, Betteridge KJ.A critical period of early gestation in the mare involves the immobilization (fixation) of the encapsulated conceptus at around days 16-17. We compared the major proteins in the normal equine embryonic capsule and endometrial secretions around the period of fixation with those from pregnancies in the process of termination induced by administration of an analogue of prostaglandin F(2 alpha) (PGF(2 alpha)). Uterocalin and beta(2)-microglobulin (beta(2)M) associated with the embryonic capsule were proteolytically converted to smaller forms during the fixation period. These conversions were simil...
Perkins GA, Viel L, Wagner B, Hoffman A, Erb HN, Ainsworth DM.In diagnosing inflammatory airway disease (IAD) in performance horses, a histamine bronchoprovocation (HBP) test is often performed. In previously published studies, HBP is usually undertaken prior to cytological examination of the bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) cells. The purpose of this study was to determine if HBP alters (1) the total nucleated cell numbers and distribution in BAL fluid (BALF) and (2) the mRNA and protein concentrations of selected cytokines in BAL cells and BALF, respectively. BALF was initially collected endoscopically from the right middle or diaphragmatic lung lobe in ei...
Maxwell LK, Bentz BG, Bourne DW, Erkert RS.Recent outbreaks of equine herpes virus type-1 infections have stimulated renewed interest in the use of effective antiherpetic drugs in horses. The purpose of this study was to investigate the pharmacokinetics of valacyclovir (VCV), the prodrug of acyclovir (ACV), in horses. Six adult horses were used in a randomized cross-over design. Treatments consisted of 10 mg/kg ACV infused intravenously, 5 g (7.7-11.7 mg/kg) VCV delivered intragastrically (IG) and 15 g (22.7-34.1 mg/kg) VCV administered IG. Serum samples were obtained at predetermined times for acyclovir assay using high-performance li...
Yu M, Wang Z, Robinson NE.To determine the presence and function of alpha 2-adrenoceptors on cholinergic nerves innervating horse airway smooth muscle, the effects of some alpha 2-adrenoceptor agents on contractions of and acetylcholine (ACh) release from equine airway smooth muscle preparations were studied. Muscle contractions were elicited by either electrical field stimulation (EFS) or exogenous ACh. ACh release was induced by EFS and measured by high-pressure liquid chromatography and electrochemical detection. The alpha 2-adrenoceptor agonists clonidine (10(-7) to 10(-5) M) and UK-14,304 (10(-8) to 10(-6) M) conc...
Yazici Z, Albayrak H, Ozan E, Gumusova S.West Nile Virus (WNV) is a mosquito-borne disease that can cause fatal infection in mammals including humans, dogs, horses, birds and reptiles. Although West Nile Virus is an asymptomatic infection, especially it can cause neurologic disorders in humans and horses. The aim of this study was to the investigate virological presence of WNV in horses in the Black Sea Region of Turkey using real time RT-PCR (rRT-PCR). Methods: Totally, 120 horse sera were collected equally from 4 provinces in Middle Black Sea Region of Turkey and investigated for WNV presence by Taqman based rRT-PCR. Results: WNV n...
Sipma KD, Cornillie P, Saulez MN, Stout TA, Voorhout G, Back W.Hydrocephalus is uncommon in horses. However, in recent years, it has become clear that the prevalence of hydrocephalus is greater in Friesian horses than in other breeds probably due to their limited gene pool. Before identification of candidate genes that predispose to the development of hydrocephalus in Friesian horses can be pursued, an in-depth, phenotypic, pathological description of the condition in Friesians would be of great benefit. Our study aimed to characterize the morphology of hydrocephalus in Friesian horses, to support further investigation of the genetic background of this co...
Haussler KK, Behre TH, Hill AE.'Soring' is the term used to describe the application of an irritant to the distal forelimbs of gaited horses with the sole intent of inflicting pain and inducing altered gait, illegally practiced in Tennessee Walking Horses. Objective methods for the detection of limb pain due to this practice are, however, lacking. Objective: To assess whether Tennessee Walking Horses respond to manual pressures<or=10 kg/cm2 and to establish reference mechanical nociceptive thresholds (MNTs) within the pastern region. Methods: In 25 mature Tennessee Walking Horses in which no irritant had been applied, MN...
Sykes BW, Underwood C, Greer R, McGowan CM, Mills PC.Omeprazole is widely used in the treatment of equine gastric ulcer syndrome. To date, little is known about the relative pharmacokinetics of the different formulations making comparisons between products difficult. The objectives of the study were to investigate the relative pharmacokinetics of five commercially available formulations of omeprazole in the horse and to test for bioequivalence of four of the formulations using one of the formulations as a reference standard. Twelve mature Thoroughbred horses were fasted for 16 h then administered 2 g of each formulation in a cross-over design. S...
Lascola KM, Clark-Price SC, Joslyn SK, Mitchell MA, O'Brien RT, Hartman SK, Kline KH.OBJECTIVE To evaluate use of single manual alveolar recruitment maneuvers (ARMs) to eliminate atelectasis during CT of anesthetized foals. ANIMALS 6 neonatal Standardbred foals. PROCEDURES Thoracic CT was performed on spontaneously breathing anesthetized foals positioned in sternal (n = 3) or dorsal (3) recumbency when foals were 24 to 36 hours old (time 1), 4 days old (time 2), 7 days old (time 3), and 10 days old (time 4). The CT images were collected without ARMs (all times) and during ARMs with an internal airway pressure of 10, 20, and 30 cm HO (times 2 and 3). Quantitative analysis of CT...
de Vries A, Taylor PM, Troughton G, Liu B, Fowden AL, Sear JW.This study examined the pharmacokinetics of propofol by infusion in ponies using an analyser for the rapid measurement of propofol concentrations. The analyser (Pelorus 1000; Sphere Medical Ltd., Cambridge, UK) has a measurement cycle of approximately five minutes. Ten Welsh-cross ponies (weighing 135-300 kg) undergoing minor procedures were studied after premedication with acepromazine 0.03 mg/kg and detomidine 0.015 mg/kg. Anaesthesia was induced with ketamine 2 mg/kg and diazepam 0.03 mg/kg, and maintained with an infusion of propofol at an initial rate of 0.16 mg/kg/min for the first thirt...
Sobel JH, Thibodeau CA, Kolks MA, Canfield RE.Immunochemical studies of equine fibrinogen were conducted to characterize the structural basis for the immunologic cross-reactivity observed between human and equine A alpha chains when employing an antiserum to the 26K, human cyanogen bromide (CNBr) fragment, A alpha 241-476 (CNBr VIII). A 38K, equine CNBr fragment that reacts with this antiserum was isolated from CNBr-digested equine fibrinogen by Sephadex G-100 gel filtration. It was further purified by sequential hydrophobic chromatography on phenyl-Sepharose CL-4B, followed by reversed-phased (C-8) high-performance liquid chromatography ...
Mari G, Iacono E, Merlo B, Castagnetti C.Diagnosis and management of twin pregnancies in the mare are an ongoing challenge in equine reproduction. Early detection of twin and manual crush of one vesicle are the main steps in the management of twins. Few studies were carried out about the use of transvaginal ultrasound-guided aspiration (TUGA) for reduction of twins in the mare. In this study, the efficiency of TUGA for management of twin pregnancies was investigated. Reduction of unicornuate twins between 16 and 25 days of gestation gave a success rate of 70.0% (14 viable foals/20 twin pregnancies); when reduction was performed after...
Kinoshita Y, Takechi M, Uchida-Fujii E, Miyazawa K, Nukada T, Niwa H.Bacterial placentitis in horses commonly results in abortion, premature birth or compromised neonatal foal health. Although mycobacterial infections are generally uncommon in horses, 10 equine abortion cases caused by Mycobacterium avium subsp. hominissuis (MAH) infections occurred between 2018 and 2019 in Japan. They occurred on seven Thoroughbred horse farms in the Hidaka district of Hokkaido, but direct contact among the mares on different farms was not recorded. Most cases were characterized by extensive pathological lesions of the placenta, which are not typical in cases of common pathoge...
Lecis R, Tore G, Scagliarini A, Antuofermo E, Dedola C, Cacciotto C, Dore GM, Coradduzza E, Gallina L, Battilani M, Anfossi AG, Muzzeddu M, Chessa B....We detected a novel papillomavirus (EaPV1) from healthy skin and from sun associated cutaneous lesions of an Asinara (Sardinia, Italy) white donkey reared in captivity in a wildlife recovery centre. The entire genome of EaPV1 was cloned, sequenced, and characterised. Genome is 7467 bp long, and shows some characteristic elements of horse papillomaviruses, including a small untranslated region between the early and late regions and the lack of the retinoblastoma tumour suppressor binding domain LXCXE in E7. Additionally, a typical E6 ORF is missing. EaPV1 DNA was detected in low copies in norma...
Woods J, Rigby S, Brinsko S, Stephens R, Varner D, Blanchard T.Two trials were conducted to investigate the effects of intrauterine infusion of PGE2 and uterine horn insemination on pregnancy rates in mares achieved by breeding with a suboptimal number of normal spermatozoa. Estrus was synchronized and mares were teased daily with a stallion to detect estrus. Mares in estrus were examined by transrectal palpation and ultrasonography to monitor follicular status. On the first day a 35-mm diameter follicle was present, hCG (1500 IU, iv) was administered and the mares were bred the next day. Mares (Trial 1, n = 34; Trial 2, n = 28) were inseminated with 25 m...
Fürer F, Fraefel C, Lechmann J.Equid gammaherpesvirus 2 (EHV-2) and 5 (EHV-5) are widely distributed in the equines. Although their pathogenic potential is not yet fully understood, they appear to play a role in disease patterns like equine multinodular pulmonary fibrosis. In this study, a multiplex real-time PCR (rtPCR) was designed to detect DNA of the glycoprotein H (EHV-2) and E11 gene (EHV-5). Analytical specificity was determined by testing DNA of other herpesviruses by SYBR Green rtPCR and melting curve analysis, as well as Sanger sequencing of positive field samples. Analytical sensitivity was assessed by stand...
Leishman D, Miller RB, Doig PA.The density of uterine glands, height of surface epithelium, numbers of hemosiderin laden macrophages, inflammatory cells and layers of periglandular fibrosis were evaluated in uterine biopsies from 40 mares. These features were found to be highly variable in normal equine endometrium. Minor pathological changes appeared to be masked by this normal variability. Atrophy of uterine glands was recognized in mares which had been barren for more than three years. No significant differences were found between barren and normal mares in the height of epithelium, number of hemosiderin laden macrophage...
Corcoran BM, Jarvis S, Hahn CN, Mayhew IG.The autonomic innervation of the mammalian respiratory system is complex, and involves a wide variety of peptide and non-peptide neurotransmitters which will have an important role in normal laryngeal function and the response to disease. This innervation has been partially described in the horse airway and lung, but there is no information on the equine larynx. This paper describes the expression and distribution of nerve fibres immunoreactive for vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP), calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP), substance P (SP) and the adrenergic enzymatic marker dopamine beta-hyd...
Holland RE, Grimes SD, Walker RD, Wilson RA.Hemolytic E. coli strain 807-13, O149:NM:K88(STb+, LT+), was isolated from the feces of a neonatal diarrheic foal. E. coli 807-13 was examined for adhesion to brush border membranes (BBM) from foals, adult horses and pigs, and its pathogenicity was assessed in neonatal foals and pigs. E. coli 807-13 did not adhere to equine BBM but adhered to pig BBM. It did not cause diarrhea nor did it colonize the intestinal epithelium of 3 colostrum-deprived and 3 suckled foals challenged at 24 h of age. Acute ulcerative gastritis and acute suppurative gastritis were observed in 2 colostrum-deprived challe...
Marais HJ, Page PC.Equine sarcoid has been diagnosed in endangered Cape mountain zebra (Equus zebra zebra) in at least two game reserves in South Africa, with prevalence as high as 53% in Bontebok National Park. Seven Cape mountain zebras with sarcoids were treated with either surgical excision, 5-fluorouracil, allogenous vaccine, or a combination of 5-fluorouracil and allogenous vaccine. One of the two sarcoids on one of the 5-fluorouracil-treated zebras was left untreated. The microscopic features of the tumors evaluated showed either all or most of the typical epidermal and dermal histologic features of equin...
Azarvandi A, Khosravi AR, Shokri H, Talebkhan Garoussi M, Gharahgouzlou F, Vahedi G, Sharifzadeh A.Yeasts are commensal organisms found in the reproductive and gastrointestinal tracts, and on the skin and other mucosa in mammals. Objective: The purpose of this study was to isolate and identify yeast flora in the caudal reproductive tract in healthy female horses. Methods: Longitudinal study. Methods: A total of 453 samples were collected using double-guarded swabs from the vestibule, clitoral fossa and vagina in 151 horses. All samples were cultured on Sabouraud 4% dextrose agar and incubated at 35°C for 7-10 days. Isolates were identified according to their morphological characteristics a...
The Journal of physiologyAugust 1, 1971
Volume 216, Issue 3 659-682 doi: 10.1113/jphysiol.1971.sp009546
Comline RS, Silver M.1. The content and output of adrenaline and noradrenaline from the equine adrenal medulla has been investigated under different conditions in foetuses, foals and adult mares.2. In the foetus only small amounts of both amines were secreted in response to stimulation of the peripheral ends of the splanchnic nerves to the gland; during anoxia the adrenal discharge was far greater and was independent of any nervous mechanism.3. Whereas in the ruminant a direct adrenal response to low P(O2) is confined to the noradrenaline cells during foetal life only, the adrenal medulla of the foetal foal secret...
MacFarlane PD, Mosing M.This case series is the first report of the use of CPAP (continuous positive airway pressure) ventilation in adult horses. Two horses and 3 ponies anesthetized for orthopedic procedures in lateral recumbency received 10 cm H(2)O CPAP. During anesthesia, arterial oxygen partial pressure tended to increase and arterial carbon dioxide pressure tended to increase despite increased minute ventilation index. The measured cardiovascular parameters were within physiologic limits. Cette série de cas est le premier rapport sur l’utilisation de la ventilation spontanée en pression positive continue ...
Zakia LS, Arroyo LG, Gomez DE, Boerlin P, Surette MG, Lillie BN.Equine enterotyphlocolitis is an inflammatory process of the intestinal tract of horses that is associated with multiple etiologic agents and risk factors. Most clinical cases do not have an etiologic diagnosis. We describe here the pathogens detected and the histologic lesions found in horses with enterotyphlocolitis in Ontario that were submitted for postmortem examination, 2007-2019. We reviewed the medical records of 208 horses that fulfilled inclusion criteria. Cultures were positive in 67 of 208 (32%) equids for Clostridium perfringens, in 16 of 208 (8%) for Clostridioides difficile, and...
Kuuranne T, Thomas A, Leinonen A, Delahaut P, Bosseloir A, Schänzer W, Thevis M.Insulin is a peptide hormone consisting of two peptide chains (A- and B-chain) that are cross-linked by two disulfide bonds. To obtain improved pharmacokinetic onset of action profiles of insulin treatment in diabetic patients, recombinant long-, intermediate-, and rapid-acting insulin analogs are produced, in which the C-terminal end of the B-chain plays an especially important role.A review of the veterinary literature reveals the low prevalence of equine type I diabetes mellitus, which indicates that the therapeutic use of insulin in racing horses is unlikely. Although there is no unequivoc...
Diaz F, Bondiolli K, Paccamonti D, Gentry GT.Pregnancy rates after cryopreservation of large equine blastocyst stage embryos have remained lower than other domesticated livestock species. It is generally accepted that the embryonic capsule is the primary barrier to cryoprotectant entry into the embryo proper and techniques need to be developed to circumvent this obstacle. Therefore, the objective of this study was to develop an efficient Day 8 equine embryo cryopreservation protocol through blastocyst micromanipulation and vitrification. Grade 1 and 2 embryos recovered from mares (n = 15) 8 days after ovulation were used in these experim...
Bertone AL, Bramlage LR, McIlwraith CW, Malemud CJ.To compare articular cartilage from horses with naturally developing osteochondrosis (OC) with normal articular cartilage and healing cartilage obtained from horses with experimentally induced osteochondral fractures. Methods: 109 specimens of articular cartilage from 78 horses. Methods: Morphologic characteristics, proteoglycan (PG), and type II collagen were analyzed in articular cartilage of OC specimens (group 1), matched healing cartilage obtained 40 days after experimentally induced osteochondral fractures (group 2), and matched normal cartilage from the same sites (group 3). Results: 79...
Madigan JE, Valberg SJ, Ragle C, Moody JL.Severe muscle cramping not associated with exercise was observed in 5 horses. Focal muscle groups in various regions underwent intermittent visible contraction. Intermittent prolapse of the third eyelid, sweating, pawing, muscle tremors, and muscle fasciculations also were observed. Clinical signs often were misconstrued as signs of colic. Percussion of muscle induced contraction of muscle groups. Concentrations of serum electrolytes and the acid-base balance were within reference limits, but activities of creatine kinase and aspartate transaminase were moderately high. Muscle biopsy revealed ...
Loftus JP, Williams JM, Belknap JK, Black SJ.Laminitis is a crippling disease of horses characterized by an inflammatory response in the tissue that suspends the axial skeleton within the hoof. Pain is a common feature of laminitic pathology and its management is an important component of the treatment regime for this disease. Systemic lidocaine administration is commonly utilized to manage pain in equine laminitis; however, the potential anti-inflammatory effects of this drug during the treatment of equine laminitis have not been investigated. Here, we sought to determine if lidocaine concentrations achieved in the plasma (therapeutic c...
Tirosh-Levy S, Steinman A, Einhorn A, Apanaskevich DA, Mumcuoglu KY, Gottlieb Y.Theileria equi Mehlhorn and Schein, 1998 (Piroplasmida: Babesiidae) is an important tick-borne pathogen of horses that is highly endemic in many parts of the world, including Israel. The present study evaluated the potential roles of five hard tick species [Hyalomma excavatum Koch, 1844; Hyalomma marginatum Koch, 1844; Rhipicephalus turanicus Pomerantsev 1936; Rhipicephalus annulatus Say, 1821; Haemaphysalis parva (Neumann, 1897) (all: Ixodida: Ixodidae)], previously found to infest horses in Israel, in acting as vectors for piroplasmosis. For this, DNA was extracted from whole ticks and, when...
Munsterman AS, Dias Moreira AS, Marqués FJ.Wei Le San (WLS) is a Chinese herbal formula comprised of 9 herbs selected for their putative anti-inflammatory effects. Objective: To evaluate the effects of WLS administration in horses with nonglandular gastric ulcers. Methods: Ten mixed breed mares (aged 7-21 years, 401-567 kg body weight). Methods: Experimental design was a blinded, prospective, 2-period crossover study. All horses received a placebo (25 mL dextrose-based syrup; n = 10) and the treatment (WLS, 5 g in 25 mL dextrose-based syrup; n = 10), administered twice daily. Horses underwent a 1-week, alternating feed-depriv...
Pille F, Martens A, Schouls LM, Peelman L, Gasthuys F, Schot CS, De Baere C, Desmet P, Vandenberghe F.Standard culturing techniques are often unrewarding in confirming diagnosis of synovial infection in the equine patient. Several human studies report the use of sensitive polymerase chain reaction (PCR) techniques for the detection of bacterial involvement in acute synovitis. However, successful extraction of bacterial DNA directly from clinical samples from horses without prior culture has not been reported yet. The goal of this study was to develop a sensitive and reliable method for molecular detection and identification of bacterial species in synovial fluid from horses with infectious syn...
Roy RC, Cockram MS.Concern has been expressed over the welfare of horses transported from the USA for slaughter in Canada. United States Department of Agriculture owner/shipper certificates for the year 2009 were analyzed to provide quantitative information on the patterns and durations of these journeys. In 2009, horses from 16 states in the northern USA were transported to 6 equine slaughter plants in Canada. Thirty-two percent of loads were from auction centers, 33% from feedlots, and 35% from horse collection centers. The median duration of the journey was 19 h. Thirty-six percent of horses were transported ...
