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.
Nunez R, Gomes-Keller MA, Schwarzwald C, Feige K.RATIONALE: Thrombocytopenia is a platelet associated process that occurs in human and animals as result of i) decreased production; ii) increased utilization; iii) increased destruction coupled to the presence of antibodies, within a process know as immune-mediated thrombocytopenia (IMT); or iv) platelet sequestration. Thus, the differentiation of the origin of IMT and the development of reliable diagnostic approaches and methodologies are important in the clarification of IMT pathogenesis. Therefore, there is a growing need in the field for easy to perform assays for assessing platelet morpho...
Harris PA.Equine feeding and stable management practices for horses kept in the UK vary greatly and it is probable that almost any permutation of regimen could be found somewhere. Unfortunately, there is uncertainty about the number of horses in the UK and very limited data are available on the ways horses are being fed and managed. This paper reviews some of the information that is available and provides an outline of some of the factors influencing the practices used. To a certain extent, the way UK horses are fed and managed primarily reflects the purpose for which they are kept (e.g. racing Thorough...
Goodwin D.Domestication has provided the horse with food, shelter, veterinary care and protection, allowing individuals an increased chance of survival. However, the restriction of movement, limited breeding opportunities and a requirement to expend energy, for the benefit of another species, conflict with the evolutionary processes which shaped the behaviour of its predecessors. The behaviour of the horse is defined by its niche as a social prey species but many of the traits which ensured the survival of its ancestors are difficult to accommodate in the domestic environment. There has been a long asso...
Alford P, Geller S, Richrdson B, Slater M, Honnas C, Foreman J, Robinson J, Messer M, Roberts M, Goble D, Hood D, Chaffin M.Risk factors for equine laminitis were examined in a prospective case-control study of the 258 cases seen at six collaborating veterinary teaching hospitals over a 32-month period. Case-control pairs were matched on institution, clinician, and season of diagnosis. The 90% of case-control pairs (78 acute, 155 chronic) that had complete data for age, gender, and breed were used in separate conditional logistic-regression models for acute and chronic laminitis. There was an increase in risk for horses with acute laminitis from 5 to 7 years of age (OR 4.7, 95% CI 1.3-16) and from 13 to 31 years of...
Leroux C, Craigo JK, Issel CJ, Montelaro RC.A primary mechanism of lentivirus persistence is the ability of these viruses to evolve in response to biological and immunological selective pressures with a remarkable array of genetic and antigenic variations that constitute a perpetual natural experiment in genetic engineering. A widely accepted paradigm of lentivirus evolution is that the rate of genetic variation is correlated directly with the levels of virus replication: the greater the viral replication, the more opportunities that exist for genetic modifications and selection of viral variants. To test this hypothesis directly, we ex...
Battsetseg B, Xuan X, Ikadai H, Bautista JL, Byambaa B, Boldbaatar D, Battur B, Battsetseg G, Batsukh Z, Igarashi I, Nagasawa H, Mikami T, Fujisaki K.Ticks play an important role in human and veterinary medicine particularly due to their ability to transmit protozoan pathogens. In this study we have demonstrated that polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and nested PCR methods enabled detection of Babesia caballi and Babesia equi in field isolates of Dermacentor nuttalli adult ticks from Mongolia. Primers specific for 218 bp fragment merozoite antigen 1 (EMA-1) gene of B. equi successfully amplified products from all samples of D. nuttalli adult ticks while primers for the 430 bp fragment product from BC48 gene of B. caballi amplified products fr...
Vanniasinkam T, Barton MD, Heuzenroeder MW.Linear B-cell epitopes of the Rhodococcus equi virulence-associated protein (VapA) were mapped using a synthetic peptide bank in this study. The peptides were screened in an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) with a total of 70 sera from foals with current R. equi disease (51 sera), as well as from foals that had either recovered from R. equi infection 10 months previously (3 sera) or that had no known history of R. equi disease (16 sera). An epitope with the sequence NLQKDEPNGRA was identified and was universally recognized by all 51 sera from foals with R. equi disease and was not rec...
Boeckh S, Buchanan C, Boeckh A, Wilkie S, Davis C, Buchanan T, Boothe D.Following approval of a concentrated injectable formulation of enrofloxacin for cattle (Baytril 100 Injectable, Bayer Corp. Agricultural Division, Shawnee Mission, KS), equine practitioners have started administering this preparation both parenterally and orally to horses, despite the lack of pharmacokinetic data in this species. Six healthy horses received enrofloxacin at 7.5 mg/kg both orally and intravenously, with the sequence being randomly assigned and at least 1 week of washout allowed between administrations. Blood samples were collected from each horse at various intervals after drug ...
Kim LM, Morley PS, Traub-Dargatz JL, Salman MD, Gentry-Weeks C.To evaluate factors potentially associated with fecal Salmonella shedding among equine patients hospitalized for colic at a veterinary teaching hospital and to determine the effects of probiotic treatment on fecal Salmonella shedding and clinical signs. Methods: Longitudinal study and controlled trial. Methods: 246 equine colic patients. Methods: History and medical information were obtained from patient records. Fecal and environmental samples were submitted for aerobic bacterial culture for Salmonella enterica. Fifty-one patients were treated with a commercially available probiotic; 46 were ...
Hafner S, Harmon BG, King T.Ten cecal tumors were identified during the postmortem examination of seven horse carcasses at slaughter (one horse had three tumors). The multinodular and hemorrhagic tumors ranged from 1 to 10 cm in diameter and consisted of spindle cells arranged in thin, interconnected trabeculae that were often separated by sinuses filled with mucinous fluid, erythrocytes, and siderophages. Spindle cells of all tumors were immunopositive for vimentin, neuron-specific enolase, and c-kit protein but lacked reactivity with antibodies to glial fibrillary acidic protein, S100 protein, and desmin. In one tumor,...
Riley SC, Gibson AH, Leask R, Mauchline DJ, Pedersen HG, Watson ED.Extensive tissue remodelling is required in equine ovaries for follicle growth and development and also migration of the follicle to the ovulatory fossa, where ovulation occurs. The mechanisms for these processes are largely unexplored. Matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) and their endogenous tissue inhibitors (TIMPs) are important for control of breakdown of extracellular matrix during tissue remodelling. The aims of this study were to determine the pattern and sites of secretion of the gelatinases MMP-2 and -9 and TIMPs into follicular fluid during follicle development in mare ovaries. The pred...
Wattle OS.To determine whether there is a change in the expression of cytokeratins in the epidermal cells of the non-weight-bearing parts of the limb in horses with acute laminitis and thus determine whether the morphologic changes that develop in the periople and chestnut (torus carpeus) of horses early in acute laminitis are caused by inhibition of keratinocyte differentiation. Methods: 8 horses with acute laminitis. Methods: Tissue specimens were obtained from the chestnuts of all 8 horses and from the stratum externum of the hoof wall of 3 horses. Tissue specimens were obtained within 48 hours of th...
Ozaki H, Shimizu-Nei A, Sugita S, Sugiura T, Imagawa H, Kida H.To provide information on the antigenic variation of the hemagglutinins (HA) among equine H 3 influenza viruses, 26 strains isolated from horses in different areas in the world during the 1963-1996 period were analyzed using a panel of monoclonal antibodies recognizing at least 7 distinct epitopes on the H 3 HA molecule of the prototype strain A/equine/Miami/1/63 (H 3 N 8). The reactivity patterns of the virus strains with the panel indicate that antigenic drift of the HA has occurred with the year of isolation, but less extensively than that of human H 3 N 2 influenza virus isolates, and diff...
Walter I, Handler J, Reifinger M, Aurich C.Periglandular fibrosis and cystic dilation of uterine glands are associated with equine endometriosis. The presence of extracellular matrix proteins (collagen type I, III and IV, laminin and fibronectin) in healthy and endometriotic specimens was demonstrated by immunohistochemistry. The distribution of collagen I, but not collagen III, was dependent on the stage of the oestrous cycle. The arrangement of collagen I and collagen III in endometriotic specimens was similar to that in normal endometrium. In periglandular fibrosis, collagen IV, laminin and fibronectin deposition outside the basemen...
Bairden K, Brown SR, McGoldrick J, Parker LD, Talty PJ.The efficacy of moxidectin 2 per cent equine gel against naturally acquired strongyle infections was assessed in 18 ponies which had grazed on contaminated pasture before being housed for eight weeks. Twenty-four hours before the treatment, two randomly selected ponies were euthanased and their worm burdens were determined. Eight of the remaining 16 ponies were treated with moxidectin 2 per cent gel while the other eight were given a placebo gel. Eight weeks later the 16 animals were necropsied and their worm burdens established. A 100 per cent efficacy was recorded against adult and lumenal L...
Sentsui H, Inoshima Y, Murakami K, Akashi H, Purevtseren B, Pagmajav O, Sugiura T.Cross reactivity of equine infectious anemia virus (EIAV) antigen prepared using a recombinant baculovirus containing the p26 gene of strain P337-V70 was examined by the agar gel immunodiffusion (AGID) test and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Serum samples serially collected from 13 horses experimentally infected with six different EIAV strains (two or three horses per strain) were subjected to the test. Positive reactions were observed in the AGID test and ELISA before or soon after the first feverish period and continued persistently in most of the horses. The results with recombi...
von Rechenberg B, Leutenegger C, Zlinsky K, McIlwraith CW, Akens MK, Auer JA.This study investigated the potential association of interleukin-1beta (IL-1beta) and interleukin-6 (IL-6) in subchondral cystic lesions (SCL) in horses. With the technique of in situ hybridisation in paraffin sections of fibrous tissue of SCL and quantitative real-time PCR in fresh frozen fibrous tissue and undecalcified bone sections of SCL embedded in acrylic resin, upregulation of mRNA of both cytokines could be demonstrated. mRNA of IL-1beta was upregulated at the periphery of the cystic lesion adjacent to normal bone, whereas IL-6 mRNA was upregulated within the fibrous tissue found with...
Kawcak CE, McIlwraith CW, Norrdin RW, Park RD, James SP.Subchondral bone plays a role in the pathogenesis of osteochondral damage and osteoarthritis in horses and humans. Osteochondral fragmentation and fracture, subchondral bone necrosis and osteoarthritis are common diseases in athletic horses, and subchondral bone is now thought to play an integral role in the pathogenesis of these diseases. There have been numerous research efforts focused on articular cartilage damage and its pathogenesis, yet comparatively little effort focused on subchondral bone pathology or the coordinated disease states of the osteochondral tissues. The purpose of this re...
Olsen TF.A 14-year-old, quarter horse stallion was presented in lateral recumbency, unable to rise. Equine herpesvirus myeloencephalopathy was diagnosed, based on presentation, clinical signs, and the ruling out of other possibilities. After initial rapid improvements, ataxia remained, as did chronic cystitis secondary to bladder paralysis. He was euthanized after 2 months.
McGuigan MP, Wilson AM.Horses with navicular disease have an increased load on the navicular bone in early stance. This has been suggested to be a response to pain in the heel region. Seven horses with clinical, radiographic and scintigraphic signs of navicular disease underwent forceplate and kinematic analysis before and after desensitisation of the heel region with a bilateral palmar digital nerve block. The compressive force exerted on the navicular bone during stance, and stride kinematics, were determined in each state. After regional analgesia of the palmar digital nerves (PDNB) the compressive force on the n...
Wilson AM, McGuigan MP, Fouracre L, MacMahon L.Mechanical overload due to poor conformation or shoeing has been suggested to contribute to the development of navicular disease. While studies have determined the compressive force exerted on the navicular bone in normal horses, this has not been reported for horses with navicular disease. Also, the force has not been converted to stress by correction for contact area. In this study we developed a technique for the determination of the contact area between the deep digital flexor tendon and the navicular bone in vivo, and used a forceplate system to determine the force and stress on the bone ...
Belsito KA, Fischer AT.Fifty-three cases of equine mandibular fractures were managed surgically from 1988-1998, of which 16 (30%) were repaired by external skeletal fixation (ESF). Three surgical methods were utilised: transmandibular 4.76 or 6.35 mm Steinmann pins incorporated into fibreglass casting material or nonsterile dental acrylic (methyl methacrylate - MMA) bars reinforced with steel; transmandibular 9.6 mm self-tapping threaded pins +/- 4.76 or 6.35 mm Steinmann pins incorporated into MMA bars reinforced with steel; and 4.5 mm or 5.5 mm ASIF cortical bone screws incorporated into MMA bars reinforced with s...
Fuller CJ, Barr AR, Dieppe PA.An explant system was used to investigate the hypothesis that cartilage from different equine joints might respond differently to challenge with interleukin-1alpha (IL-1alpha). Pairs of normal cartilage samples were taken from the metacarpophalangeal, proximal interphalangeal and distal interphalangeal joints of six horses. One of each pair was stimulated with 10 ng/ml human recombinant IL-1alpha for three days, and the supernatants and remaining cartilage explants were analysed for their total content of glycosaminoglycans. A significantly higher percentage of glycosaminoglycans was released ...
Smith DJ, Hamblin AS, Edington N.Evidence is presented to show that activation of endothelial and leucoyte adhesion molecules is a key step in transferring virus from infected leucocytes; and determines the restricted tissue tropism. A range of tissues from 2 experimentally infected mares in late pregnancy at 4 and 8 days after infection with EHV-1 were compared with those from normal pregnant and nonpregnant mares. Rabbit antisera to equine activated endothelial cell molecules were used to identify which tissues expressed these molecules in normal nongravid and gravid mares, and to investigate whether the range of tissues wa...
Wyse CA, Murphy DM, Preston T, Morrison DJ, Love S.The aim of this study was to assess the feasibility of applying the 13C-octanoic acid breath test for assessment of gastric emptying in ponies by investigating the pattern of 13C enrichment in breath following the administration of a test meal +/- 13C-octanoic acid. After a 14 h fast, the ponies received either no meal (Test I) or a standardised test meal labelled with 0 mg (Test II), 125 mg (Test III), 250 mg (Test IV) or 500 mg (Test V) 13C-octanoic acid. For each test (I-V), exhaled breath samples were collected in duplicate at 1 h and immediately before ingestion of the test meal and at fr...
Jansson A, Harris P, Davey SL, Luthersson N, Ragnarsson S, Ringmark S.Straw's low energy content means it is a roughage option for horses with low energy requirements. Previously, in a field study, straw was associated with an increased risk for gastric ulcers. This study evaluated the effect on gastric ulcers, metabolic profile and behaviour of replacing, in a forage-only ration, 50% of the daily allowance with wheat straw. Six equines were studied in a 2 × 21-day cross-over design. The control diet (CON: 100% grass forage) and the straw diet (S: 50% grass forage and 50% straw [DM basis]) were iso-energetic. Gastroscopy was performed prior to the study and on ...
Roepstorff C, Imogen Gmel A, Arpagaus S, Manuel Serra Bragança F, Hernlund E, Roepstorff L, Rhodin M, Andreas Weishaupt M.Differences in peak vertical ground reaction forces (dFz) between contralateral forelimbs and hindlimbs are considered the gold standard for quantifying weight-bearing lameness. However, measuring kinematics for the same purpose is more common and practical. Vertical movement asymmetries (VMA) of the horse's upper body have previously been correlated to fore- and hindlimb lameness. But the combined response of head, withers and pelvis VMA to fore- and hindlimb dFz has not yet been thoroughly investigated. Deriving the kinetic responses from kinematics would help the interpretation and understa...
Lombardo D, Chapus C, Bourne Y, Cambillau C.Horse (Equus caballus) pancreatic lipase (EC 3.1.1.3) has been crystallized using the hanging drop method of vapour diffusion at 20 degrees C. The best crystals were grown from an 8 mg/ml solution in 10 to 20% (w/v) polyethylene glycol 8000, 10 mM-MgCl2, 0.1 M-NaCl, 0.1 M-Mes buffer (pH 5.6). They reach dimensions of 0.8 mm x 0.4 mm x 0.6 mm. X-ray examination of the lipase crystals shows that they are orthorombic with a space group P2(1)2(1)2(1). Their cell dimensions are a = 79.8 A, b = 97.2 A c = 145.3 A. Two molecules per asymmetric unit give a Vm value of 2.82 A3/dalton (56% water content...
Castro T, Jacob JC, Domingues RR, Ginther OJ.Prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) and prostaglandin F2α (PGF2α) are involved in equine embryo mobility throughout the uterus on Days 11-15 (ovulation = Day 0). On a day (Day 12) of maximal embryo mobility in pregnant mares (n = 13) and before luteolysis in nonbred mares (n = 10), gene expressions were compared between the uterine horns that did and did not contain the mobile embryo and between pregnant and nonbred mares. A cytobrush was used to collect an endometrial sample from the middle of each uterine horn. In nonbred mares, there was no difference for any of the considered gene expressions ...
Wulf M, Wohlsein P, Aurich JE, Nees M, Baumgärtner W, Aurich C.Identification of horses by microchip transponder is mandatory within the European Union with only a few exceptions. In this study, the readability of such microchips in 428 horses with three different scanners (A, B and C) and the histological changes at the implantation site in 16 animals were assessed. Identification of microchips differed between scanners (P<0.001), and with 'side of neck' (P<0.001). Scanners A, B and C identified 93.5%, 89.7% and 100% of microchips, respectively, on the 'chip-bearing' side of the neck. From the contralateral side, scanners A, B a...
Fitzharris LE, Hezzell MJ, McConnell AK, Allen KJ.Limited information exists regarding changes in the size of respiratory and locomotor muscles in response to exercise training in the Thoroughbred racehorse. Objective: To describe and compare the responses of the respiratory and locomotor muscles to conventional exercise training and inspiratory muscle training (IMT). Methods: Prospective randomised controlled trial. Methods: Thoroughbred racehorses, in training for competition in National Hunt races, were recruited from two training establishments. Ultrasonographic images were obtained for selected muscles of the upper airway, diaphragm, acc...
Johannisson A, Gröndahl G, Demmers S, Jensen-Waern M.Methodological aspects of flow-cytometric evaluation of the phagocytic properties of equine neutrophils were elucidated. The kinetics of attachment and ingestion were studied, and the phagocytic process was more rapidly completed when serum-opsonized yeast cells were used than with use of IgG-opsonized yeast cells. Trypan blue was successfully used to quench fluorescence of non-ingested yeast cells. There were only minor differences in the kinetics of phagocytosis between quenched and unquenched samples, indicating that attachment is rapidly followed by ingestion. Trypan blue quenching caused ...
King MR, Seabaugh KA, Frisbie DD.Back pain and inflammation of the epaxial musculature is a significant problem in all equine athletes. Treatment of back pain can be challenging and often requires a multimodal approach. In humans, bio-electromagnetic energy regulation therapy (BEMER) has been reported to be effective in pain modulation. With its increased use in people comes a similar robust application in veterinary medicine unfortunately, there is unsubstantiated evidence for this type of therapy in horses. Objectives of this study were to assess analgesic responses and biomechanical outcome variables using a bio-electromag...
Dolby CA, Hannant D, Mumford JA.Five yearling ponies were vaccinated with inactivated Equid herpesvirus type 1 (EHV-1) in Freund's complete adjuvant as a double emulsion and revaccinated 6 weeks later with EHV-1 in Freund's incomplete adjuvant. These ponies and three age-matched controls were challenged intra-nasally after a further 6 weeks with homologous live virus and monitored clinically, biologically and serologically. After challenge, clinical signs were mild in both groups. No cell-associated viraemias were detected in vaccinated ponies. Vaccination induced high levels of complement-fixing (CF) and virus-neutralizing ...
Ireland JL, McGorum BC, Proudman CJ, Newton JR.Without an experimental model of equine grass sickness (EGS), a randomised controlled field trial (RCT) represents the only method of evaluating the efficacy of Clostridium botulinum type C vaccination in preventing naturally occurring disease. Clinical trial feasibility is an important aspect of preliminary work undertaken prior to initiating RCTs, estimating parameters that are important for study design. This cross-sectional study aimed to assess the feasibility of conducting a nationwide RCT of a candidate vaccine for EGS based on responses from a sample of British equine veterinary practi...
Epstein KL, Brainard BM.Accurate measurement of plasma fibrinogen concentrations is an important tool for assessment of horses with inflammatory diseases. Objective: To determine the precision and accuracy of a benchtop instrument using both fresh and frozen equine plasma by comparing the plasma fibrinogen concentration measured by a benchtop instrument to 2 separate laboratory standard methods (ACL 100 and STA Compact) for fibrinogen measurement. Methods: Accuracy and precision of the VSPro was evaluated using both human fibrinogen standards and samples from horses. Fifty frozen samples from horses with gastrointest...
Sod GA, Riggs LM, Mitchell CF, Martin GS.To compare in vitro monotonic biomechanical properties of an axial 3-hole, 4.5 mm narrow locking compression plate (ELCP) using 5.0 mm locking screws and 5.5 mm cortical screws in conjunction with 2 abaxial transarticular 5.5 mm cortical screws inserted in lag fashion (ELCP-TLS) with an axial 3-hole, 4.5 mm narrow dynamic compression plate (DCP) using 5.5 mm cortical screws in conjunction with 2 abaxial transarticular 5.5 mm cortical screws inserted in lag fashion (DCP-TLS) for equine proximal interphalangeal (PIP) joint arthrodesis. Methods: Experimental. Methods: Cadaveric adult equine forel...
Esser AF, Tarnuzzer RW, Tomlinson S, Tatar LD, Stanley KK.Lack of hemolytic activity of horse serum is an inherent property of horse C9. To understand the molecular reasons for this deficiency we have cloned C9 cDNA from a horse liver cDNA library and have sequenced the cDNA yielding the complete coding sequence for horse C9. Purification of C9 from horse plasma and microsequencing established the N-terminus of the mature protein and verified that the correct horse C9 cDNA clone had been isolated. The deduced amino acid sequence corresponds to a mature protein of 526 amino acids that is 77% identical to human C9. It has the same domain structure as h...
Patton ME, Andrews FM, Bogers SH, Wong D, McKenzie HC, Werre SR, Byron CR.Ileus is a common life-threatening problem in horses, and currently available treatments may be ineffective. The purpose of this study was to determine whether bit chewing, a form of sham feeding, decreases the gastric emptying time (GET), small intestinal transit time (SITT), and total orocecal transit time (OCTT) in clinically normal horses in a prospective crossover study. Nine healthy horses were acclimated and fed a standardized diet. Following 24 h of fasting, self-contained video endoscopy capsules and acetaminophen were administered into the stomach via a nasogastric tube. Each horse u...
Jones I, Madej A.Microtitre plates were coated with antiserum against oestradiol-17 beta-6-(O-carboxymethyl)-oxime bovine serum albumin raised in sheep. The plasma samples (0.2-1.0 ml) were extracted with peroxide-free diethyl ether prepared daily by treatment with Al2O3. The enzyme conjugate was prepared by coupling oestradiol-17 beta-6-(O-carboxymethyl)-oxime to horse-radish peroxidase. The conjugate was chromatographed on a Sephadex G-25 column. The standard curve ranged from 0.37 to 18.40 fmol/well of oestradiol-17 beta. The amount of oestradiol-17 beta causing a 50% reduction of maximum binding was 4.4 fm...
Thieme K, Mesquita L, Lieberth S, Dancker C, Doherr MG, Eule JC.There is limited knowledge regarding the safety and accuracy of ultrasound-guided retrobulbar nerve blocks in horses. The aim of this study was to compare these parameters between blind and ultrasound-guided injection techniques for the dorsal retrobulbar nerve block in horses. Methods: Equine cadaver heads were used to inject the retrobulbar space with contrast medium (CM). Injections were performed either blindly based on anatomic landmarks (blind group, n = 44) or under ultrasonographic guidance (US-group, n = 44), equally divided between an experienced and unexperienced operator. Needl...
Dirks E, de Heus P, Joachim A, Cavalleri JV, Schwendenwein I, Melchert M, Fuehrer HP.A 23-year-old pregnant warmblood mare from Güssing, Eastern Austria, presented with apathy, anemia, fever, tachycardia and tachypnoea, and a severely elevated serum amyloid A concentration. The horse had a poor body condition and showed thoracic and pericardial effusions, and later dependent edema and icteric mucous membranes. Blood smear and molecular analyses revealed an infection with . Upon treatment with imidocarb diproprionate, the mare improved clinically, parasites were undetectable in blood smears, and 19 days after hospitalization the horse was discharged from hospital. However, 89 ...
Elnady FA, Sheta E, Khalifa AK, Rizk H.Endoscopy of the upper respiratory tract (URT) is one of the minimally invasive techniques used for diagnosis and treatment of diseases in horses. Training in the use of an endoscope follows an apprenticeship approach, with extensive practice needed to help achieve effective skills acquisition. The use of live animals for training presents the risk of injury to both the animal and the trainee. The increased number of students and practitioners, a shortage of facilities, and limited time available from expert clinicians add more challenges to the training process. In this work, we focused on th...
Piva S, Caffara M, Pasquali F, Castagnetti C, Iacono E, Massella E, Zanoni RG, Galuppi R.The presence of Cryptosporidium in institutions such as veterinary teaching hospitals, where students and staff are in frequent contact with animals, could represent a serious public health risk. In this study the detection and quantification of the Cryptosporidium oocysts present on the environmental surfaces of an Equine Perinatology Unit (EPU) were investigated. During 3 foaling seasons 175 samples obtained by swabbing an area of the floor and walls of boxes and utility rooms of EPU with sterile gauze, in 3 different moments. Samples were collected at the end of foaling season (July), after...
Coleman MC, Walzem RL, Kieffer AJ, Minamoto T, Suchodolski J, Cohen ND.Lipoproteins are water-miscible macromolecules enabling the transport of lipids in blood. In humans, altered proportions of lipoproteins are used to detect and classify metabolic diseases. Obesity and obesity-related comorbidities are common in horses. The pathophysiology of obesity is poorly understood and likely multifactorial. Development of new diagnostic tests to identify horses at risk of developing obesity to implement preventative measures is critical; however, a necessary first step to accomplish this goal is to improve our understanding of the pathophysiology of disease. Thus, the ob...
Merriam JG.There is a lot of room for us to become the central source of medical information regarding shoeing and lameness in our own practice area. This takes a good bit of effort and a real "outreach" to client and farrier. It can be done with the one tool we are best at--the acquisition and careful dispensing of information that we can put together regarding the health of the foot. Such information includes the following: 1. Radiographically guided hoof trimming and shoeing. 2. Ultrasonography. 3. Digital radiography. 4. Thermography. 5. Nutritional and health counseling. Become the "local" expert in...
Ababneh M, Ababneh H, Shidaifat F.Phospholipase A2 (PLA2) is a key enzyme for biosynthesis of PGF2α. Real-time RT-PCR and immunohistochemistry were used to determine transcription and cellular distribution of cytosolic PLA2 (cPLA2) in the equine endometrium during the oestrous cycle and early pregnancy. Endometrial biopsy and blood samples were collected from cycling mares on days (d) 8, 11, 15 and 18 (oestrus) (Day 0 = Day of ovulation; n = 5 for each day) and from pregnant mares (n = 4) on d15. Except for mares on d18 and some cyclic mares (n = 2) on d15 with low progesterone (P₄) concentrations (< 3.18 nm), P₄ conce...
Hernández-Vidal G, Jeffcott LB, Davies ME.A polyclonal antiserum raised in sheep against human cathepsin B was tested for specificity and cross-reactivity with the horse homologue by SDS-PAGE and Western blotting, prior to being used for immunolocalization of the enzyme in equine articular cartilage. In Western blots, the antiserum recognized the 30 kDa single chain and 25 kDa heavy chain of the mature enzyme in purified bovine cathepsin B, and corresponding bands at 32 and 27 kDa in equine chondrocyte and fibroblast lysates. This antiserum was then used to compare the expression and distribution of cathepsin B in normal and dyschondr...
Farrar RG, Klei TR.Strongylus edentatus was successfully cultured in vitro to the fourth larval stage (L4). Some growth continued for periods of 40-50 days at which time reductions in viability were observed in some of the culture systems tested. Various combinations of media, sera, buffers and organ explant cultures were tested. All cultures were incubated at 37 C in an atmosphere of 95% air and 5% CO2. Larvae underwent growth and differentiation to the L4 in all medium-serum combinations with and without organ explant cultures. Development and growth did occur but viability was reduced to insignificant levels ...
McCormack J, Stover SM, Gibeling JC, Fyhrie DP.We recently developed a method to measure cortical bone fracture initiation toughness using a double-notched beam in four-point bending. This method was used to test the hypothesis that mineralization around the two notch roots is correlated with fracture toughness and crack extension (physical damage). Total energy absorbed to failure negatively correlated with average mineralization of the beam (r(2)=0.62), but not with notch root mineralization. Fracture initiation toughness was positively correlated to mineralization at the broken notch root (r(2)=0.34). Crack length extension at the unbro...
Stewart RC, Nelson BB, Kawcak CE, Freedman JD, Snyder BD, Goodrich LR, Grinstaff MW.Early detection of osteoarthritis (OA) remains a diagnostic challenge owing to insensitive diagnostic techniques currently available. Herein a new semiquantitative scoring system, based upon contrast-enhanced computed tomographic (CECT) imaging, is described for further refinement of early OA disease staging. Trochlear ridge cartilage defects were surgically created in the femoropatellar joint of an adult horse (ACUC approved protocols). Seven weeks post-surgery, CECT imaging was performed on a clinical scanner after intra-articular injection of a cationic iodinated contrast agent, CA4+, into ...
Geiger T, Gerhards H, Bjelica B, Mackenthun E, Wollanke B.In the equine clinic of the LMU in Munich, therapeutic vitrectomies have been routinely performed in horses for three decades. The vitreous samples obtained during vitrectomies were usually tested for anti-Leptospira antibodies and for more than 20 years also by PCR for leptospiral DNA. If the indication for surgery was ophthalmologically inconclusive, an aqueous humor was collected preoperatively and examined for evidence of leptospiral infection. In this study, medical records from 2002 to 2017 were analyzed. Records for 1387 eyes affected by equine recurrent uveitis (ERU) and 237 eyes affec...
Bousfield GR, Liu WK, Ward DN.LH hybrids were prepared by combining eLH alpha and eLH beta with the corresponding subunits of oLH, pLH and hCG. Recombinants were isolated by gel filtration and assessed by SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis under both dissociating and non-dissociating conditions. All combinations of subunits produced hybrid LH molecules. Hybrids prepared by combining eLH beta with oLH alpha, pLH alpha or hCG alpha were very inactive in rat radioligand and Leydig cell in vitro bioassays. Hybrids prepared with eLH alpha were very active in both assays. The greatest potentiating activity was observed when ...
