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.
Muylle S, Simoens P, Lauwers H.It is generally considered that the age of a horse can be determined by examining its incisor teeth. However, the criteria used to determine age from dental configurations differ widely. The existence of this variety of rules and guidelines was the challenge for the present examination. Detailed descriptions of the incisor teeth of 212 horses of registered age were recorded and the results were compared with the age criteria of various authors. The time at which teeth were shed and the appearance of dental stars seemed to be more reliable features than the disappearance of the cups. The disapp...
Boersema JH, Eysker M, Maas J, van der Aar WM.The reappearance of strongyle eggs in faeces after treatment with ivermectin or pyrantel embonate was investigated in 22 foals, 36 yearlings, and 45 adult horses on five Dutch horse farms. The results confirmed earlier studies which showed an egg reappearance period of 9 and 6 weeks after ivermectin and pyrantel treatment, respectively. There were no differences between the egg reappearance periods of foals, yearlings, and adult horses. The mean egg counts of the yearlings were, however, consistently higher than the mean egg counts of the adult horses and foals in both ivermectin- and pyrantel...
Rezai A, Underwood JL, Jalali GR, Mathias S, Allen WR, Mowbray JF.Recurrent spontaneous abortion occurs in 1 in 500 random matings and usually results in abortion of all pregnancies. If absence of antibody to a paternally derived antigen caused abortion, the woman would be expected to make antibody to the other paternal antigen and abort only half her pregnancies. Methods: Microvesicles were prepared from equine placentae. Acid-eluted IgG antibody was eluted from the polymorphic R80K antigen and used to type the residual R80K antigen on vesicles or on peripheral blood leucocytes. Results: In several equine sibships all the half-sibs had the same paternal R80...
Weiss DJ, Richwagen K, Evanson OA.To evaluate the contribution of hematocrit and RBC deformability to pulmonary vascular pressures of racehorses. Methods: Pony lungs were isolated and right and left lungs were perfused separately with blood. The effects of changing hematocrit and of pentoxifylline treatment were evaluated. Methods: 11 healthy mixed-breed ponies. Methods: Ponies were anesthesized, blood was collected, and lungs were removed and perfused with blood at constant flow rate. Results: Increasing the hematocrit from 35% to 65% resulted in increases in pulmonary arterial pressure (53%, 45%), capillary shear stress (45%...
Johnson GC, Miller MA, Floss JL, Turk JR.The histologic and immunochemical characteristics of benign vascular tumors excised from the skin of seven young horses were evaluated. The patients were male horses of various breeds and were 16 months of age or younger at the time of presentation. Six tumors occurred on the extremities, and one was removed from the lip. Histologically, most tumors consisted of cellular nodules of varying compactness with few to many blood-filled lumina. Nodular growth separated preexisting adnexa and subcutaneous collagen. Some tumors contained or consisted predominantly of loosely packed arrays of ramifying...
Grund CH, Lechman ER, Pezzuolo NA, Issel CJ, Montelaro RC.Equine infectious anaemia virus (EIAV) provides a model for examining the natural immunological control of a persistent lentivirus infection and for evaluating the efficacy of various vaccine strategies. As an initial characterization of antibody responses associated with protective or enhancing immune responses elicited by experimental infections or vaccinations, we have utilized synthetic peptide ELISA to characterize the fine specificity of antibodies to linear determinants of the EIAV surface glycoprotein, gp90. The data indicated that serum antibodies associated with protective or enhanci...
Vatistas NJ, Snyder JR, Wilson WD, Drake C, Hildebrand S.Sixty-seven foals age < 150 days underwent a ventral celiotomy for colic. Of the 67 foals, 51 foals (82%) recovered from anaesthesia and 42 (63%) were subsequently released from the hospital. Three (6%) of the 51 foals were subjected to a repeat celiotomy. Long term follow-up was available on 36 foals. Twenty-nine (57%) of the 51 foals recovered from anaesthesia, were alive at least 2 years following surgery. Adhesions were identified in 8 (17%) of the foals which recovered from general anaesthesia but were subsequently subjected to euthanasia due to recurrent colic. Strangulating lesions were...
Aida H, Mizuno Y, Hobo S, Yoshida K, Fujinaga T.The effects of 1.0, 1.5, and 2.0 minimum alveolar concentration (MAC) of sevoflurane on hemodynamic, pulmonary and blood chemistry variables were measured during spontaneous and controlled ventilation in healthy horses. Sevoflurane was the only anesthetic drug administered to the horses. In a dose-dependent manner, sevoflurane significantly decreased (P < .05) mean arterial blood pressure, cardiac output, and stroke volume. There was a progressive decrease in peripheral vascular resistance and an increase in heart rate as the concentration of sevoflurane was increased, but the differences w...
Watson ED, Thomson SR.The density and distribution of MHC Class II positive cells and subpopulations of lymphocytes were studied in the endometrium of genitally normal mares and mares susceptible to endometritis. In genitally normal mares, more MHC Class II positive cells were present in the epithelium and stratum compactum during oestrus than dioestrus. Significantly more CD4+ and CD8+ lymphocytes were present in the stratum compactum than in the stratum spongiosum. CD4+ lymphocytes were present in greater numbers than CD8+ lymphocytes in the stratum compactum but approximately equal numbers were present in the st...
Stoltz MA, van der Merwe CF, Coetzee J, Huismans H.The subcellular localization of the minor nonstructural protein NS3 of African horsesickness virus (AHSV) has been investigated by means of immunogold electron-microscopical analysis. NS3 was observed in perturbed regions of the plasma membrane of AHSV-infected VERO cells, and its presence appears to be associated with events of viral release. These events are budding, whereby released viruses acquire fragments from the host-cell membrane, as well as by the extrusion of nonenveloped particles through the cell membrane. The membrane association of NS3 was confirmed by its detection in the disru...
Brüning A.Two haemoprotozoan parasites, Babesia caballi and Babesia equi, can cause equine piroplasmosis. Due to the presence of potential tick vectors in areas so far unaffected by equine babesias, import and export regulations often require the serum testing of animals for evidence of infection. Although the complement fixation test (CFT) has been recommended for detecting the presence of antibodies to Babesia spp., it has been demonstrated to have several disadvantages, including false-positive results and low sensitivity for detecting latent infections. An enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) m...
Mätz-Rensing K, Drommer W, Kaup FJ, Gerhards H.Ten horses with partial or total retinal detachment were investigated using light and electron microscopy (TEM, SEM). Several lesions were observed and compared with normal retinal morphology. Three weeks after the initial retinal detachment, hypertrophy of the pigment epithelium with transformation of the apical microvilli could be observed. The lesions were accompanied by progressive degeneration and atrophy of the sensory retina, starting at the photoreceptor outer segments. Hypertrophy of Müller cells was a concomitant finding. Retinal detachment represents a sequel either to inflammatory...
Ito A, Imai S, Ogimoto K, Nakahara M.The composition of intestinal ciliates excreted in the feces of 20 Tokara native ponies kept in Iriki farm of Kagoshima University was surveyed. Eleven genera consisting of 18 species were identified based on the description of Strelkow. One new genus including a new species, Wolskana tokarensis n. gen., n. sp., of the family Buetschliidae was recognized and described. The average ciliate density of all horses was 13.8 x 10(3)/ml. Those of stallions (n = 5), mares (n = 11) and foals (n = 4) were 3.9, 16.1 and 43.3 x 10(3)/ml respectively. The value of stallions was significantly lower and that...
Beelitz P, Göbel E, Gothe R.In this epidemiological study 37 foals and mares were included, which have been coproscopically examined in regular intervals over a period lasting up to 13 months. The animals derived from nine breeding farms. In three of these farms no anthelmintics were used before this investigation, whereas in six farms at least three years before regular prophylactic treatments with anthelmintics have been carried out. This investigation revealed no differences in the species spectrum of endoparasites as well as in the incidence of infections as regards to the breeding farms with and without anthelmintic...
Pearson RA, Lawrence PR, Smith AJ.Draught animal research carried out by scientists at the Centre for Topical Veterinary Medicine (CTVM) in Edinburgh and overseas is reviewed and the major findings are reported. The remit for the work has been to provide basic information on draught animals which can be applied by researchers and extension workers to their own geographic situations. Instrumentation is described which has been designed and manufactured to assist in the measurement of draught animal performance, particularly work output and energy consumption. Energy requirements of cattle, buffaloes and equids for work and ways...
Roberts H, Lopez M, Hartley M.African swine fever in the Caucasus and Leningrad regions of Russia. Equine infectious anaemia in several EU member states. Foot-and-mouth disease in Bulgaria--the first in an EU member state since 2007. Highly pathogenic avian influenza H5N1 in the Far East. West Nile virus in southern Europe. These are among matters discussed in the international disease monitoring report for October to December 2010, prepared by Defra's Food and Farming Group, Veterinary Science Team.
Zapf AM, Fey K, Büttner K, Gröf M, Staszyk C.Pituitary pars intermedia dysfunction (PPID) and dental disorders are of major concern in horses older than 15 years. Although PPID in geriatric horses and dental disorders in all age groups are well described, a connection between this endocrine disease and pathological changes in equine dental structures has not yet been investigated. In humans, periodontitis is considered to be a complication of systemic diseases like diabetes mellitus type 2, obesity and various conditions leading to an impaired immune response. In PPID, cross links to insulin and immune dysregulations are proven. The aim ...
Manley SV.The objectives of monitoring are to gain much information as possible about the anesthetized horse and to follow changes in that information, with the ultimate aim of making anesthesia and surgery as safe as possible for the horse. Information necessary to achieve that aim will vary depending on patient category. For example, a young, healthy horse undergoing a short elective procedure can be clinically well monitored by patient signs, electrocardiogram, and indirect blood pressure response. More invasive monitoring is justified and warranted if the health status of the horse is in question. T...
King JN, Gerring EL.Characteristic motility patterns were seen throughout the gastrointestinal tract in a pony prepared chronically with electromechanical recording devices after developing a simple obstruction of the small intestine. Gross distension of the stomach with fluid produced loss of gastric contractile activity and a chaotic electrogram. These changes were reversed instantaneously when the stomach was decompressed. In the jejunum, proximal to the obstruction, the unique 'colic motor complex' was observed with contractions of longer duration arranged in characteristic pulses of activity. The left dorsal...
Davis LE.Adverse drug reactions occasionally occur in the horse. The majority can be anticipated and avoided. The practicing veterinarian should understand the various types of adverse reactions as well as their mechanisms so that should such a reaction occur, the practitioner can promptly recognize the problem and institute corrective measures.
Höglund J, Nilsson O, Ljungström BL, Hellander J, Lind EO, Uggla A.The egg output and humoral antibody response to scolex antigens of the equine tapeworm Anoplocephala perfoliata were monitored in naturally infected foals by an egg flotation/centrifugation method and an indirect enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The study was performed on a stud farm in south-western Sweden between May 1994 and April 1995. Sequential blood and faecal samples were taken from 21 foals during their first summer on pasture and until tapeworm eggs were detected. Results were expressed separately for 10 and 11 foals born before and after the end of April 1994, respectively...
Elitsur E, Marsh AE, Reed SM, Dubey JP, Oglesbee MJ, Murphy JE, Saville WJ.Sarcocystis neurona is the most important cause of equine protozoal myeloencephalitis (EPM), a neurologic disease of the horse. In the present work, the kinetics of S. neurona invasion is determined in the equine model. Six ponies were orally inoculated with 250 x 10(6) S. neurona sporocysts via nasogastric intubation and killed on days 1, 2, 3, 5, 7, and 9 postinoculation (PI). At necropsy, tissue samples were examined for S. neurona infection. The parasite was isolated from the mesenteric lymph nodes at 1, 2, and 7 days PI; the liver at 2, 5, and 7 days PI; and the lungs at 5, 7, and 9 days ...
Schulman ML, Bolton LA.A sunflower-based feed supplement grossly contaminated with the seed of a Datura sp. resulted in severe signs of poisoning in 2 horses. One horse died peracutely of acute gastric dilatation and rupture following ingestion of the contaminated feed. The 2nd horse developed unresponsive paralytic ileus that led to euthanasia. Examination of the feed and gastrointestinal contents of both horses showed a high proportion of the characteristic Datura sp. seeds. The clinical signs and pathology in both cases were consistent with intoxication by the parasympatholytic alkaloid components of Datura sp.
Kosiniak K.The use of an 'open' artificial vagina made it possible to separate the individual jets in the ejaculate of the stallion. A total of 132 jets were collected in this way from twenty-one ejaculates. After macro- and microscopic examination and sperm counting, glycerylphosphorylcholine (GPC), ergothioneine and fructose levels were determined for every jet. The values obtained for the first three jets were similar and accounted for about 76% of all spermatozoa, and 70% of GPC. These jets also contained the highest concentration of ergothioneine and fructose.
Weber JA, Woods GL.This article reviews the capabilities of transrectal ultrasonography for determining the distribution of fluid and tissue within stallion accessory sex glands. Emphasis is placed on describing the normal ultrasonographic appearance of the accessory sex glands, excurrent ducts, and pelvic urethra of stallions during rest, after teasing, and after ejaculation and using this information to detect glandular abnormalities.
Tesarowski DB, Viel L, McDonell WN, Newhouse MT.The purpose of the study was to administer therapeutic aerosol generated by metered-dose inhalers to horses exhibiting clinical signs of heaves using a compact inhalation device developed for human medicine. It was fitted to a custom face mask in order to study the effect of an inhaled beta 2-agonist, fenoterol. Pulmonary function testing was performed on six horses following an acute exacerbation of heaves, characterized by tachypnea, wheezes, crackles, and spasmodic cough. Horses inhaled fenoterol in 1 mg increments administered as one 200 microgram puff every 5-10 s with the recording of da...
Maher O, Puchalski SM, Drake C, le Jeune SS.To evaluate the sensitivity and specificity of abdominal computed radiography (CR) for the diagnosis of enterolithiasis in horses and to examine how these parameters are affected by the number and anatomic location of enteroliths and by gas distension of the gastrointestinal tract. Methods: Retrospective case series. Methods: Horses ? 1 year old that underwent abdominal CR and subsequent exploratory laparotomy or postmortem examination. Methods: 3 reviewers blinded to signalment, history, clinical signs, and diagnoses separately evaluated abdominal computed radiographs of horses included in th...
Silvina Fernández A, Henningsen E, Larsen M, Nansen P, Grønvold J, Søndergaard J.An experiment was carried out in 1997 to test the efficacy of an isolate of the microfungus Duddingtonia flagrans against free-living stages of horse strongyles under conditions in the field and to assess the eventual effect of the fungus on the normal degradation of faeces. Faecal pats were made from faeces of a naturally strongyle infected horse, which had been fed fungal material at a dose level of 106 fungal unit/kg bwt. Control pats without fungi were made from faeces collected from the same animal just before being fed fungi. Faecal cultures set up for both groups of faeces to monitor th...
Wolf L.The locomotor system requires normal movement for normal function. Movement restrictions of soft tissues and joints stimulate nociceptive pathways in the corresponding vertebral segment. Reflex-induced alterations of sensory and motor neuron activity within the segment lead to detrimental changes within many of the tissues associated with and distant from the area. Manual therapy is utilized in both diagnosis and treatment of tissue and joint movement restrictions. Early recognition and treatment of dysfunction in the equine athlete prevents permanent pathology and facilitates performance exce...