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.
Cousty M, Rossier Y, David F.The traditional techniques for injection of the sacroiliac (SI) region are based on external landmarks. Because of the depth of the SI joint and pathological modifications, SI injections are sometimes challenging in horses. Objective: An ultrasound-guided techniques would allow placement of the needle without depending on external landmarks. Methods: Fourteen pelvic specimens were isolated from mature horses. A 20 cm bent spinal needle was positioned with ultrasonographic guidance under both iliac wings aiming for SI joints using 5 approaches: cranial, craniomedial, medial and 2 caudal approac...
Mattil-Fritz S, Scharner D, Piuko K, Thönes N, Gissmann L, Müller H, Müller M.Equine sarcoids are fibrosarcoma-like skin tumours with a prevalence of approximately 1-2 %. Strong evidence exists for a causative role of bovine papillomavirus (BPV) type 1 or type 2 in the development of sarcoids. No effective treatment of equine sarcoid is available and after surgical excision relapse of the tumours is very frequent. We developed chimeric virus-like particles (CVLPs) of BPV 1 L1-E7 for the immunotherapy of equine sarcoid. In a phase I clinical trial 12 horses suffering from equine sarcoid with an average number of more than 22 tumours per animal were vaccinated in a dose-e...
Hahn CN, Matiasek K, Syrja P, Jokinen TS, Macintyre N, Tulamo RM.A neurological disorder characterised by pelvic limb metatarsophalangeal joint extensor paresis has been observed in numerous horses in Scandinavia for the last decade. Very little has been formally reported and there have been no detailed assessments of the neurological signs or neuropathological lesions. Objective: To describe the epidemiological and pathological features of an outbreak of 'Scandinavian knuckling syndrome' in a riding stable in southern Finland. Methods: Clinical neurological examination of 4 cases and neuropathological assessment of tissues of one case were performed. Resul...
Ashrafi GH, Piuko K, Burden F, Yuan Z, Gault EA, Müller M, Trawford A, Reid SWJ, Nasir L, Campo MS.Equine sarcoids are fibroblastic skin tumours affecting equids worldwide. While the pathogenesis is not entirely understood, infection with bovine papillomavirus (BPV) type 1 (and less commonly type 2) has been implicated as a major factor in the disease process. Sarcoids very seldom regress and in fact often recrudesce following therapy. Nothing is known about the immune response of the equine host to BPV. Given that the viral genes are expressed in sarcoids, it is reasonable to assume that vaccination of animals against the expressed viral proteins would lead to the induction of an immune re...
Du Toit N, Gallagher J, Burden FA, Dixon PM.Dental disorders have recently been recognised as having major clinical and welfare implications in donkeys. However, no investigation appears to have examined the association of dental disorders with managemental factors and any intercurrent illness. Objective: To determine the association of dental disorders observed in a post mortem study with age group, body condition score, time since last dental treatment, feeding and the illness that necessitated euthanasia or caused death. Methods: A prospective study documented the type and prevalence of dental disorders in 349 mainly aged donkeys (me...
Hunt LM, Valberg SJ, Steffenhagen K, McCue ME.There are few detailed reports describing muscular disorders in Warmblood horses. Objective: To determine the types of muscular disorders that occur in Warmblood horses, along with presenting clinical signs, associated risk factors and response to diet and exercise recommendations, and to compare these characteristics between horses diagnosed with polysaccharide storage myopathy (PSSM), those diagnosed with a neuromuscular disorder other than PSSM (non-PSSM) and control horses. Methods: Subject details, muscle biopsy diagnosis and clinical history were compiled for Warmblood horses identified ...
Scorpio DG, Leutenegger C, Berger J, Barat N, Madigan JE, Dumler JS.Anaplasma phagocytophilum causes human granulocytic anaplasmosis by inducing immunopathologic responses. Its immunodominant Msp2 protein is encoded by a family of >100 paralogs. Msp2 (msp2) expression modulates in the absence of immune pressure, and prolonged in vitro passage modulates in vivo virulence. Because programmed MSP2 expression occurs in Anaplasma marginale, we hypothesized a similar event in A. phagocytophilum in vivo, with specific Msp2 expression triggering immunopathologic injury or clinical manifestations of disease. We examined msp2 transcripts in 11 B6 mice and 6 horses inocu...
Cheetham J, Radcliffe CR, Ducharme NG, Sanders I, Mu L, Hermanson JW.Studies are required to define more accurately and completely the neuroanatomy of the equine dorsal cricoarytenoid muscle as a prerequisite for developing a neuroprosthesis for recurrent laryngeal neuropathy. Objective: To describe the anatomy, innervation, fibre types and function of the equine dorsal cricoarytenoid muscle. Methods: Thirty-one larynges were collected at necropsy from horses with no history of upper airway disease and 25 subjected to gross dissection. Thereafter, the following preparations were made on a subset of larynges: histochemical staining (n = 5), Sihler's and acetylch...
Herholz C, Füssel AE, Timoney P, Schwermer H, Bruckner L, Leadon D.The past 10-20 years have seen exponential growth in the volume of trade in horses and equine germplasm; and the extent of global horse movements has increased significantly in the last 4 years. In preparing for the transport of elite Olympic horses to Hong Kong in 2008, it will be very important to be as fully informed as possible of the disease situation in both the exporting and importing country, import and re-entry requirements, as well as having a vaccination strategy to protect against particular diseases. In this context the review describes the equine vector-borne disease situation in...
Vanderwall DK, Rasmussen DM, Woods GL.To determine whether IM administration of exogenous oxytocin twice daily on days 7 to 14 after ovulation blocks luteolysis and causes prolonged function of corpora lutea (CL) in mares. Methods: Prospective study. Methods: 12 mares. Methods: Beginning on the day of ovulation (day 0), jugular blood samples were collected every other day until day 40 for determination of progesterone concentration. On day 7, mares (n = 6/group) were treated with saline (0.9% NaCl) solution (control group) or oxytocin. Beginning on day 7, control mares received 3 mL of sterile saline solution every 12 hours, IM, a...
Dixon PM, Barakzai S, Collins N, Yates J.Cheek teeth (CT) diastemata are a significant cause of painful dental disease in horses and limited factual information is available on the treatment of this disorder. Objective: To assess the response to mechanical widening in the treatment of diastema. Methods: Details of the presenting signs and treatment of cases of CT diastema by widening were recorded and the response to treatment of these cases assessed by re-examinations and by obtaining follow-up information from owners. Results: Sixty horses of various breeds, median age 9 years, with clinically significant CT diastemata were classif...
Hornok S, Genchi C, Bazzocchi C, Fok E, Farkas R.Peripheral blood samples were collected randomly from 195 horses in various parts of Hungary, and the presence of microfilariae was evaluated by the Knott technique. On the basis of morphological identification 18 of the horses (9.2 per cent) were infected with Setaria equina, and the infection was confirmed in 10 animals by pcr and sequencing. The level of microfilaraemia was between 1 and 1138 larvae in 2 ml of blood. There was no correlation between the time of sampling or the sex of the animals (stallions versus mares) and the prevalence of infection, but the prevalence decreased with age....
Cohen ND, Mackay RJ, Toby E, Andrews FM, Barr BS, Beech J, Bernard WV, Clark CK, Divers TJ, Furr MO, Kohn CW, Levy M, Reed SM, Seahorn TL, Slovis NM.To identify risk factors for equine protozoal myeloencephalitis (EPM) among horses examined at 11 equine referral hospitals. Methods: Case-control study. Methods: 183 horses with EPM, 297 horses with neurologic disease other than EPM (neurologic controls), and 168 horses with non-neurologic diseases (non-neurologic controls) examined at 11 equine referral hospitals in the United States. Methods: A study data form was completed for all horses. Data were compared between the case group and each of the control groups by means of bivariate and multivariate polytomous logistic regression. Results: ...
Rashid HB, Chaudhry M, Rashid H, Pervez K, Khan MA, Mahmood AK.The present work was conducted to study the comparative efficacy of two anti-protozoan (babesicidal) drugs on the recovery and health of horses. A total of 80 horses, showing typical clinical symptoms of the disease, were selected for this study; the presence of babesiosis was confirmed through blood smear examination. These animals were divided into two groups i.e. A and B. Horses of Group A, were treated with diminazene diaceturate, while horses of Group B were treated with diminazene aceturate. Efficacy of the drugs was determined by the reversal of clinical signs and a negative blood smear...
Diesterbeck U, Distl O.Navicular disease or podotrochlosis has long been known to cause forelimb lameness in horses. It had been proposed that the development of podotrochlosis has similarities to the human osteoarthritis (OA) complex. Alterations of the navicular bone can be made visible early in life only on the basis of radiographs. Reports on the prevalences of navicular disease indicate that radiological alterations in the navicular bone are present in different warmblood populations at frequencies of between 14.9% and 87.6%. Genetic factors play an important role in the development of the radiological signs. E...
Roberto da Costa RP, Serrão PM, Monteiro S, Pessa P, Silva JR, Ferreira-Dias G.Cell proliferation and apoptosis are hormone-dependent physiological processes involved in endometrial growth and regression. The aims of the present study were: (1) to evaluate endometrial cell proliferation using proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) expression; (2) to evaluate the induction of endometrial cell death by the expression of active caspase-3 and the apoptotic phenotype visualised by DNA fragmentation; and (3) to relate these observations to endometrial tissue dynamics in the equine endometrium throughout the oestrous cycle. Endometria were assigned to follicular and luteal p...
Kasashima Y, Takahashi T, Birch HL, Smith RK, Goodship AE.Tendons can be considered in two functional groups, those contributing to energetics of locomotion and those acting solely to position the limb. The energy-storing tendons in both human and equine athletes have a high frequency of injury with similar pathophysiology. In previous studies, high-intensity exercise appears to induce a disruption of the matrix rather than functional adaptation in adults. Here we explore the hypothesis that the introduction of controlled exercise during growth would result in an adaptive response without deleterious effects. Young horses were given a controlled exer...
Hughes TK, Eliashar E, Smith RK.To examine the anatomic relationship of the deep branch of the lateral plantar nerve (DBLPN) with structures of the proximal metatarsal region, and to define the anatomic location of a solution injected using a single injection technique for diagnostic analgesia of the proximal suspensory ligament (PSL). Methods: Descriptive study. Methods: Cadaveric equine pelvic limbs (n=29). Methods: The proximal metatarsal region of both pelvic limbs (n=5 horses, 10 limbs) was dissected and measurements were made of anatomic structures relative to the head of the 4th metatarsal bone (HMT4). A single inject...
Valentine BA, Löhr CV.Three horses with colic, clinical evidence of endotoxaemia and high serum activities of creatine kinase and aspartate aminotransferase were examined postmortem. The horses were diagnosed with severe ulcerative colitis, pyloric ulceration and stenosis with colonic sand impaction, and colonic obstruction due to faecaliths. There was no gross or histological evidence of muscle trauma. Their semimembranosus muscles had scattered acute to subacute segmental necrosis of the myofibres, suggestive of endotoxin-induced muscle injury.
Harper J, Schumacher J, Degraves F, Schramme M, Schumacher J.Specific analgesic techniques are required in diagnosis of lameness to isolate the exact origin of pain to the many structures of the foot that may be involved. Objective: To determine if analgesia of the digital flexor tendon sheath (DFTS) results in anaesthesia of other portions of the foot, such as the sole, distal interphalangeal joint (DIPJ), or navicular bursa (NB). Methods: Lameness caused by pain in the dorsal margin or heel region of the sole of the foot was induced in 18 horses by: using set-screws to create solar pressure (Trial 1: n = 5); or administering endotoxin intrasynovially ...
Lefranc A-, Allen WR.The morphology and surface density of endometrial glands responsible for the nutrition of the placenta requires further study employing computer assisted morphometric analysis. Objective: To analyse changes in the morphology and surface density of endometrial glands situated adjacent to, and remote from, the conceptus during the first 30 days of gestation. Methods: Endometrial biopsies were recovered, under videoendoscopic control, from both nonpregnant and pregnant mares 12 days after ovulation, as well as from pregnant mares on Days 16, 20, 25 and 30 of gestation. One biopsy was taken at the...
Rendle DI, Durham AE, Thompson JC, Archer J, Mitchell M, Saunders K, Millere J, Paillot R, Smith KC, Kydd JH.Lymphoid leukaemia (LL) is rare in equids. In man, immunophenotypic classification identifies distinct leukaemic types with different treatment strategies. Improved understanding and classification of equine LL may allow similar advances. Objective: To document the clinical, immunophenotypic and functional characteristics in 6 cases of equine LL of T-cell origin. Methods: The clinical records and pathological findings from 6 cases of equine LL were analysed. Immunohistochemistry to identify T or B lymphocytes was performed on paraffin embedded tissues in 4 cases. Peripheral blood mononuclear c...
Kjaer LN, Lungholt MM, Nielsen MK, Olsen SN, Maddox-Hyttel C.Increased knowledge is needed to assist in the interpretation of presently available diagnostic techniques for infection by the tapeworm Anoplocephala perfoliata in horses. Objective: The suggested cut-off level of an A. perfoliata specific ELISA may not adequately reflect the actual infection level. Hence, faecal egg counts may be a more useful diagnostic test for individual horses than previously reported. Methods: Eighty-four horses admitted for slaughter at a Danish abattoir were examined for the presence of A. perfoliata. The number of tapeworms, their stage of development and gross patho...
Butcher MT, Hermanson JW, Ducharme NG, Mitchell LM, Soderholm LV, Bertram JE.Racing and training related lesions of the forelimb superficial digital flexor tendon are a common career ending injury to racehorses but aetiology and/or predisposing causes of the injury are not completely understood. Objective: Although the injury takes place within the tendon, the lesion must be considered within the context of the function of the complete suspensory system of the distal limb, including the associated muscles. Methods: Both muscle and tendon function were investigated in vivo using implanted strain gauges in 3 Thoroughbred horses walking, trotting and cantering on a motori...
Long MT, Gibbs EP, Mellencamp MW, Bowen RA, Seino KK, Zhang S, Beachboard SE, Humphrey PP.West Nile virus (WNF) is a Flavivirus responsible for a life-threatening neurological disease in man and horses. Development of improved vaccines against Flavivirus infections is therefore important. Objective: To establish that a single immunogenicity dose of live Flavivirus chimera (WN-FV) vaccine protects horses from the disease and it induces a protective immune response, and to determine the duration of the protective immunity. Methods: Clinical signs were compared between vaccinated (VACC) and control (CTRL) horses after an intrathecal WNV challenge given at 10 or 28 days, or 12 months p...
Frey J, Eberle S, Stahl C, Mazuet C, Popoff M, Schatzmann E, Gerber V, Dungu B, Straub R.In Europe the incidence of botulism in horses has increased in the last decade due to the growing popularity of haylage feeding. Recombinant vaccines are safer and less expensive to produce and are generally better tolerated than toxoids. Objective: To investigate whether the recombinant C-terminal half of the heavy chain of the botulinum neurotoxin C (Hc BoNT/C) in combination with an immunstimulatory adjuvant is an appropriate vaccine candidate for horses by testing its efficacy to induce neutralising antibodies and by comparing its immunogenic properties and adverse reactions to a commercia...
King JN, Gerring EL.The effect of pre-treatment with a selective platelet-activating factor (PAF) antagonist, WEB 2086, on the actions of low-dose endotoxin was evaluated in ponies prepared with gastrointestinal strain gauges. Endotoxin (0.1 microgram/kg i.v.) produced a marked reduction in gastric contraction amplitude and rate, and an increased frequency and reduced duration of jejunal phase III activity fronts (AFs). WEB 2086 (6.6 mg/kg) administered i.v. 10 min before the endotoxin, produced significant antagonism (P less than 0.001) of the effect of endotoxin on gastric contraction amplitude and rate. The co...
Fugazzola M, Barton AK, Niedorf F, Kietzmann M, Ohnesorge B.Glucocorticoids have been proven to be effective in the therapy of recurrent airway obstruction (RAO) in horses via systemic as well as local (inhalative) administration. Elective analysis of the effects of this drug on bronchoconstriction in viable lung tissue offers an insight into the mechanism of action of the inflammatory cascade occurring during RAO which is still unclear. The mechanism of action of steroids in treatment of RAO is thought to be induced through classical genomic pathways. We aimed at electively studying the effects of the glucocorticoid beclomethasone dipropionate on equi...
Jesty SA, Kraus MS, Gelzer AR, Rishniw M, Moise NS.Whether electrical cardioversion of cardiac arrhythmias results in cardiomyocyte damage is unknown. Objective: To describe effect of transvenous electrical cardioversion (TVEC) on plasma cardiac troponin I (cTnI) concentration in horses. Methods: All horses presented to the Cornell University Hospital for Animals for cardioversion of atrial fibrillation between May 2006 and October 2008 were eligible for inclusion in the study. Owners of 14 horses elected for TVEC and each horse was then enrolled (16 procedures). Methods: Prospective observational study measuring concentrations of plasma cTnI ...
Piviani M, Segura D, Monreal L, Bach-Raich E, Mesalles M, Pastor J.Two neutrophilic indices reported by the ADVIA 120 Hematology Analyzer, neutrophilic myeloperoxidase index (MPXI), and mean light absorbance (neutrophil X mean [NXM]) have been proposed as indicators of systemic inflammatory disease in horses and of neutrophil activation in coronary ischemic syndromes in people. Objective: The aim of this study was to evaluate NXM and MPXI in healthy, sick nonseptic, and sick septic foals to determine whether conditions likely associated with neutrophil activation result in decreases in these variables. Methods: In this retrospective study, CBC data from 61 ne...
Andrew SE, Ramsey DT, Hauptman JG, Brooks DE.To determine density of corneal endothelial cells and corneal thickness in eyes of euthanatized horses. Methods: 52 normal eyes from 26 horses. Methods: Eyes were enucleated after horses were euthanatized. Eyes were examined to determine that they did not have visible ocular defects. Noncontact specular microscopy was used to determine density of corneal endothelial cells. Corneal thickness was measured, using ultrasonic pachymetry or specular microscopy. Results: Mean density of corneal endothelial cells was 3,155 cells/mm2. Cell density decreased with age, but sex did not affect cell density...
Vincze B, Gáspárdy A, Kulcsár M, Baska F, Bálint Á, Hegedűs GT, Szenci O.Alpha-fetoprotein has proved to be a good indicator of fetal well-being in human medicine for decades. Although this molecule is present in most of the mammalian species including horses, reference values in healthy and high-risk pregnant mares have not yet been published. The aim of the present study was to determine whether equine alpha-fetoprotein (eqAFP) is a good indicator of complicated pregnancies in Lipizzaner mares. A total of 111 serum samples from 30 mares have been analyzed for eqAFP levels throughout gestation (Days 60-325). After the pregnancy was confirmed, 23 mares had normal p...
Choi YH, Love CC, Varner DD, Thompson JA, Hinrichs K.Two different culture media (TCM-199 and follicular fluid), two activation treatments (10 and 50 micromol calcium ionophore l(-1)) and three culture periods with cycloheximide were evaluated to find effective culture conditions for activation of cumulus-free equine oocytes. Oocytes were collected by scraping the follicle walls of ovaries obtained from an abattoir. Oocytes with expanded cumuli were matured at 38.2 degrees C in a humidified atmosphere of 5% CO(2) in air, in either TCM-199 with 10% fetal bovine serum (FBS) and 5 microU FSH ml(-1), or in 100% follicular fluid derived from a preovu...
Lorenzo JM, Guedes CM, Agregán R, Sarriés MV, Franco D, Silva SR.This work represents the first contribution for the application of the video image analysis (VIA) technology in predicting lean meat and fat composition in the equine species. Images of left sides of the carcass (n=42) were captured from the dorsal, lateral and medial views using a high-resolution digital camera. A total of 41 measurements (angles, lengths, widths and areas) were obtained by VIA. The variation of percentage of lean meat obtained from the forequarter (FQ) and hindquarter (HQ) carcass ranged between 5.86% and 7.83%. However, the percentage of fat (FAT) obtained from the FQ and H...
Seghrouchni M, Bollo E, Piro M, Alyakine H, Bouayad H, Chakir J, Azrib R, Allali KE.This study aimed at describing anatomo-histopathological and imaging features, using computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging on six forelimbs of Tbourida horses, that presented a particular bone exostosis on the dorsal and proximal part of the first phalanx, diagnosed by X-ray. Gross anatomy of the bone exostosis revealed an irregular surface with poly-lobulated tissue masses showing a cauliflower shape. The diameter/depth varied from 0.5 to 5.1 cm with a mean of 3.9 ± 0.9 cm. The capsule of the metacarpophalangeal joint was hypertrophic and showed many invaginations in the inner ...
Ludvikova E, Nishino S, Sakai N, Jahn P.The occurrence of sleep disorder in three half sibling Lipizzaner is described. Sleepiness, swaying, stumbling, carpal joints buckling and falling down onto the carpal joints had been present since early foal age in all of them. Clinical signs had gradually reduced since the age of 2 years in cases 1 and 3. Sleepiness was induced by going out from the stable in adulthood. A physostigmine test was performed in all three affected horses and produced positive results in cases 1 and 3. The result of the test in case 2 was unclear due to the almost continuous sleepiness of the foal. Hypocretin-1 co...
Mömke S, Distl O.Chronic pastern dermatitis predominantly affects draft horses, and this condition is characterized by hyperkeratotic-hyperplastic dermal alterations. Chronic pastern dermatitis resembles the acral-hemorrhagic phenotype of Darier-White disease in humans. The ATP2A2 gene has been shown to be responsible for human Darier-White. Thus, we chose ATP2A2 on equine chromosome 8 (ECA8) as candidate for chronic pastern dermatitis in coldblood horses. A linkage analysis was performed in 10 paternal half-sib families consisting of 85 German coldblood horses using a microsatellite closely linked to ATP2A2, ...
Björnsdóttir S, Arnason T, Lord P.A survival analysis was used to compare the culling rate of Icelandic horses due to the presence of radiographic and clinical signs of bone spavin. A follow-up study of 508 horses from a survey five years earlier was performed. In the original survey 46% of the horses had radiographic signs of bone spavin (RS) and/or lameness after flexion test of the tarsus. The horse owners were interviewed by telephone. The owners were asked if the horses were still used for riding and if not, they were regarded as culled. The owners were then asked when and why the horses were culled. During the 5 years, 9...
Moens Y.Arterial-alveolar carbon dioxide tension differences (a-A) PCO2 and alveolar dead space were measured during clinical halothane anaesthesia of 110 horses with the help of continuous infra-red carbon dioxide analysis of expiratory gas. Mean (a-A) PCO2 was 1.6 +/- 0.8 kPa. Alveolar dead space expressed as a percentage of alveolar tidal volume had a mean value of 23 +/- 13 per cent. Influence on (a-A) PCO2 and alveolar dead space of the following variables was tested statistically: age, weight, body position, respiration mode and duration of anaesthesia. (a-A) PCO2 was influenced positively by we...
McKane SA, Slocombe RF.Necropsy studies of horses suffering exercise-induced pulmonary haemorrhage (EIPH) have identified mild inflammatory lesions with evidence of alveolar fibrosis and bronchiolitis. These lesions were thought to be the result of viral infections that predisposed the affected regions of the lung to EIPH. We have shown previously that during erythrophagocytosis in the alveolar space, there is a prolonged period of macrophage influx and activation. This present study used morphometric analysis to quantify the effects of macrophage activity during erythrophagocytosis, on the alveolar cell population ...
D'Août C, Nisolle JF, Navez M, Perrin R, Launois T, Brogniez L, Clegg P, Hontoir F, Vandeweerd JM.Traumatic and infectious diseases of the eye and orbit can occur in horses. For diagnosis and monitoring of such diseases, medical imaging is useful including computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). The aim of the current study was to describe CT and MRI anatomy of the equine orbit and ocular globe. The heads from four adult horses were scanned with a 6-slice Emotion 6 CT (Siemens, Erlangen), and a 3.0 Tesla Siemens Verio 6 MRI using T1 and T2-weighted sequences. To validate CT and MR reference images, these were compared with anatomical models and gross anatomical secti...
Roger T, Ruckebusch Y.The contractile activity of the equine large intestine exhibited a biphasic response to feeding: enhancement of migrating complexes passing along the colon and an increase of 50% in cyclic variations in smooth muscle at intervals of 20 min on the left ventral colon for a period of 5 to 7 h postfeeding. The cholinergic agonist, bethanechol (50 micrograms/kg subcutaneously), induced both the migrating complexes and the cyclic variations at intervals of 10-15 min. In contrast, the intra-arterial infusion of PGF2 alpha (3 micrograms/kg/min) increased the contractile activity during infusion, but w...
Uzal FA, Robles CA.Mal seco is a grass sickness-like syndrome of horses which has mainly been observed in Patagonia, Argentina, although some reports indicate that the disease may exist in other Argentinian provinces and in the south of Chile. The aetiology of mal seco remains unknown but the disease seems to be restricted to animals grazing on natural pastures and not receiving supplementary feeding. Mal seco is clinically characterized by total or partial bowel stasis and the main findings at post-mortem examination are almost exclusively restricted to the bowel. The most striking histopathological changes fou...
Diaw M, Salgado RM, Canesin HS, Gridley N, Hinrichs K.Intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) is an important tool for equine embryo production in both clinical and research settings. In clinical ICSI programs, immature equine cumulus-oocyte complexes (COCs) are often collected at the mare's location and shipped to the ICSI laboratory. To simplify shipment and aid scheduling of subsequent procedures, COCs can be held overnight at room temperature (∼22 °C) before placement into maturation culture, with no detrimental effect on meiotic or developmental competence. A recent study indicated that it might be possible to hold COCs overnight at col...
Heckenbichler S, Deichsel K, Peters P, Aurich C.Stallion semen processing is far from standardized and differs substantially between AI centers. Suboptimal pregnancy rates in equine AI may primarily result from breeding with low quality semen not adequately processed for shipment. It was the aim of the study to evaluate quality and fertility of cooled-shipped equine semen provided for breeding of client mares by commercial semen collection centers in Europe. Cooled shipped semen (n = 201 doses) from 67 stallions and 36 different EU-approved semen collection centers was evaluated. At arrival, semen temperature was 9.8 ± 0.2 °C, mean sperm ...
Kranenburg LC, van der Poel SH, Warmelink TS, van Doorn DA, van den Boom R.Equine squamous gastric disease (ESGD) is common in horses and poses a serious welfare problem. Several risk factors have been identified and ESGD is routinely treated with omeprazole. Fourteen mares, previously used as embryo recipients and diagnosed with ESGD, were selected. Horses were confined to individual stalls, exercised once daily, and fed ad libitum hay, 1 kg of a low starch compound complementary feed and a mineral supplement. Half of the horses received a compound containing hydrolysed collagen (supplement) and the other half did not (control). At the start of the study, ESGD score...
Little E, Yvorchuk-St Jean K, Little W, Sithole F, St Jean G.Oxybuprocaine hydrochloride ophthalmic solution has been widely used off-label in horses and donkeys, despite lack of data demonstrating efficacy and safety in these species. The objective of this study was to assess anesthetic efficacy of 0.4% oxybuprocaine hydrochloride ophthalmic solution in horses ( = 5) and donkeys ( = 24) and compare the effects with 0.5% proparacaine hydrochloride ophthalmic solution. The baseline corneal touch threshold (CTT) was measured with a Cochet-Bonnet esthesiometer. Donkeys ( = 12) and horses ( = 5) in group A received sterile ophthalmic solutions 0.4% oxybupro...
Gonzalez-Castro RA, Carnevale EM.Limited clinical information is available regarding sperm population parameters that are important for use with equine intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI). Therefore, the appropriateness of a sample of sperm is typically not known before ICSI. The aim of our study was to determine which sperm population characteristics were predictive of ICSI outcome. Frozen-thawed sperm samples (n = 114) from 37 stallions in a clinical program were analyzed after ICSI for percentages of normal morphology (MORPH+), live as assessed by eosin/nigrosin stain (LIVE+), membrane intact as assessed by hypoosmot...
Bowles KS, Beadle RE, Mouch S, Pourciau SS, Littlefield-Chabaud MA, Le Blanc C, Mistric L, Fermaglich D, Horohov DW.Equine recurrent airway obstruction (RAO; a term combining both chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and summer pasture associated obstructive pulmonary disease (SPAOPD)) is one of the most common equine respiratory diseases with up to 50% of horses affected worldwide. The etiopathogenesis of RAO is unknown although pulmonary hypersensitivity to inhaled mold antigens may be involved. Recent work in our laboratory demonstrating elevated levels of IL-4 and IL-13 mRNA in the airways and peripheral blood of horses with RAO is consistent with an atopic component to RAO. Little is known rega...
Snyder JR, Pascoe JR, Meagher DM, Thurmond MC.Surface oximetry was used to evaluate viability of the ascending colon in 60 horses with naturally occurring colonic volvulus or displacement. Tissue surface oxygen tension (PsO2) was measured on the serosal surface of the pelvic flexure after anatomic correction of the colonic obstruction. Horses with PsO2 > 20 mm of Hg were predicted to have viable colon; whereas, horses with PsO2 < or = 20 mm of Hg were predicted to have nonviable colon. Results of surface oximetry were compared with final outcome. For surface oximetry, sensitivity (ability to accurately identify colon that was nonvia...
Lillich JD, Bertone AL, Malemud CJ, Weisbrode SE, Ruggles AJ, Stevenson S.To compare the biochemical, histochemical, and immunohistochemical profiles of articular cartilage from horses with naturally acquired distal tibial osteochondrosis (OC) with cartilage from a similar location in clinically normal horses. Methods: 9 affected horses (group 1, 16 OC lesions) and 4 control horses (group 2, 8 normal osteochondral specimens). Methods: OC specimens were collected during arthroscopic removal of the fragment, and control specimens were collected by aseptic osteotomy. Uronic acid, total protein, total glycosaminoglycan (GAG), chondroitin sulfate (CS), and keratan sulfat...
Miagkoff L, Bonilla AG.The effect of intrathecal anaesthesia of the carpal sheath on distal forelimb sensitivity in horses remains unknown. Objective: To assess the effect of carpal sheath anaesthesia on skin sensitivity of the distal forelimb and to determine potential locations for desensitisation of palmar nerves. Methods: In vivo experimental and descriptive anatomical studies. Methods: Mepivacaine hydrochloride 2% (0.6 mg/kg) was injected unilaterally in the carpal sheath of 8 horses. Mechanical nociception of the distal forelimb was measured with a dynamometer and compared with the control limb at t0, t15, t3...
Silva CJD, Lima KPB, Monteiro JFDCLS, Silva AKSFD, Silva FJD, Pereira AMS, Hernandes VP, Silva EDD, Silva CSAGE, Brandão Filho SP, Brito MEF.American cutaneous leishmaniasis is a commonly neglected, vector-borne tropical parasitic disease that is a major public health concern in Brazil. Leishmania (Viannia) braziliensis is the main species associated with the disease. Accurate diagnosis is based on epidemiological surveillance, clinical assessment, and laboratory testing. Leishmania (V.) braziliensis has been detected in several wild and synanthropic mammals. Their epidemiological role has not been entirely elucidated. This study aimed to assess potential L. braziliensis infections in asymptomatic domestic animals, by molecular and...
Podico G, Ellerbrock RE, Curcio BR, Cheong SH, Lima FS, Canisso IF.Urospermia is a major ejaculatory dysfunction affecting stallions. It has been thought that urine-contaminated semen should not be cryopreserved; however, on select cases, urine contamination of semen cannot be avoided. A recent study suggested that urospermic semen can be cryopreserved after cushion centrifugation and extension. Thus, this study aimed to assess the use of single-layer colloid centrifugation (SLC) to process frozen-thawed urine-contaminated stallion semen. Raw ejaculates (n = 55) from eight stallions were split into three groups: no urine, low (20%), or high (50%) urine conta...
Baker WR.Laminitis is typically classified into developmental or prodromal, acute, subacute, and chronic phases. Scientific evidence regarding the pathophysiology of laminitis does exist, but it is often conflicting and dependent on the clinician's interpretation/understanding of the study or the model used for inducing laminitis. The diagnosis of laminitis consists of obtaining an accurate history, performing a thorough physical examination, and taking good-quality radiographs. The use of radiographs for diagnosis and interpretation of laminitis is an absolute necessity for the clinician. Laminitis is...
Platt D, Wells T, Bayliss MT.Equine chondrocytes were cultured in vitro for 30 days in ionically gelled alginate beads. The alginate polymerises into a stable gel in the presence of divalent cations (calcium), and rapid depolymerisation in the presence of a calcium chelator releases the viable chondrocytes. The chondrocytes maintained a spherical appearance for 30 days in culture, in marked contrast to monolayer cultures, which develop a dedifferentiated fibroblastic morphology. The major proteoglycan molecule produced by the encapsulated chondrocytes was aggrecan, of similar hydrodynamic size to aggrecan molecules presen...
