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.
Kemen MJ, McClain DS, Matthysse JG.Equine infectious anemia virus was transmitted from an acutely ill and an inapparently infected pony to uninfected ponies by the interrupted feeding of horse flies (tabanids). Transmission from acutely ill ponies was not accomplished following: (1) the interrupted feeding of a single horse fly, (2) bites of horse flies that had fed on an acutely affected pony 24 hours earlier, (3) bites of horse flies that had oviposited after feeding on an acutely affected pony, or (4) the inoculation of larval material derived from horse flies that had fed to repletion. It was concluded that horse fly transm...
Perryman LE, McGuire TC.Combined immunodeficiency in horses is a genetic disorder in which there is a defect in the production of committed B and T lymphocytes. In this study, peripheral blood mononuclear leukocytes from foals with combined immunodeficiency were examined for their capacity to stimulate and respond in one-way mixed lymphocyte cultures. Irradiated cells from combined immunodeficient foals were uniformly capable of stimulating cells from unrelated horses. However, none were able to respond to allogeneic stimulation. Examination of cells from known carrier horses revealed no difference in capacity to sti...
Dickie CW, Regnier JO.Myositis and septicemia caused by Acinetobacter calcoaceticus were diagnosed in a mare. The infection was characterized clinically by ventral swelling and edema, diarrhea, listlessness, and rectal temperature of 39.4 C. The mare was treated symptomatically for 2 days but died on the 3rd day. Conditions seen at necropsy were myositis, enteritis, typhlitis, colitis, and hepatitis. Lymph nodes were moderately enlarged throughout the body. Gross lesions in musculature were edema, scarring, petechiae, and an occasional exxhymosis. The enteritis was catarrhal, with excessive mucus and moderate hyper...
Rico AG, Braun JP, Benard P, Bardies J, Thouvenot JP, Periquet B, Plantavid M.A wide blood serum biochemical profile, concerning especially blood lipids has been performed in 31 apparently healthy Shetland and Potiock ponies. These blood standard values will be useful for studies on ponies' hyperlipemia.
Roberts SJ, Hillman RB.Various common problems encountered daily pleasure horse practice will be discussed covering diagnosis, treatment and prevention.
McPherson EA, Lawson GH, Murphy JR, Nicholson JM, Fraser JA, Breeze RG, Pirie HM.Mean normal values for PaO, and max A Ppl for horses were determined. Using 2 standard deviations below (Pa0,) and above (max A Ppl) the mean normal values as a guide, horses affected with COPD were satisfactorily distinguished from other horses in a series of 100 animals. The frequency of occurrence of 20 different clinical parameters in affected, not affected and possibly affected horses was examined statistically. Poor work performance and a history of previous febrile illness occurred more often in COPD horses than in others. The presence of a chronic cough, dyspnoea, double expiratory eff...
Smith DF.The pathophysiology, diagnostic evaluation and medical management of the horse with intestinal obstruction is outlined. Emphasis is on early and accurate determination of the need for surgery and on providing optimal preoperative medical support.
McBeath DG, Best JM, Preston NK, Duncan JL.Examination of faecal egg counts in horses and ponies has shown that after treatment with fenbendazole at dose levels of 7.5, 45 and 60 mg/kg, faeces remained free from strongyle eggs for periods of 6 to 18 weeks. The significance of these results is discussed in relation to routine anthelmintic treatment of horses. In particular, the activity of fenbendazole against mucosal stages of strongyle parasites allows for treatment to be recommended at less frequent intervals than when using other anthelmintics.
Weitkamp LR.Polymorphism of equine Gc protein was demonstrated by immunofixation electrophoresis with a goat anti-human Gc antibody. Three different phenotypes, F, FS and S, were found. Family data supported the genetic theory of two autosomal codominant alleles, GcF and GcS. Both alleles occurred in Standardbred, Thoroughbred and Arabian horses and in Shetland ponies. A frequency of 0.23 for GcS in the American Standardbred horse indicates the system should be useful for problems of identification and parentage.
Brown CM, Holmes JR.In horses experimental right and left heart catheterization using a catheter with two microtransducers 9 cm apart, usually in a transvalval position produced pressure and sound artifacts that confounded the diagnosis. Most were probably due to malpositioning resulting in movement through a valve during recording or impingement on the valve cusps or the chordae tendineae or lodgement in the apex of the heart. The recognition of these artifacts is particularly important in studies of large animals in which catheter siting cannot be monitored by radiography.
Fisher RA, Scott AM.A new method for separating the isozymes of horse serum esterase is described. The improved resolution has enabled us to detect several previously undescribed phenotypes. This method has also been used to detect two different apparently 'silent' alleles.
McClintock SA, Hutchins DR, Laing EA, Brownlow MA.Six adult horses with normal blood gas values, normal thoracic radiographs and free from overt signs of respiratory disease were confined in flotation tanks for periods from one to seven weeks. With one exception, they all coughed, had a variable amount of nasal discharge and, at autopsy, showed cranio-ventral alterations to their lungs which were characterised by patchy irregular areas of absorption atelectasis with or without an inflammatory reaction and an accompanying alveolar emphysema.
Brown CM, Holmes JR.In horses experimental right and left heart catheterization using a catheter with two microtransducers 9 cm apart, usually in a transvalval position produced pressure and sound artifacts that confounded the diagnosis. Most were probably due to malpositioning resulting in movement through a valve during recording or impingement on the valve cusps or the chordae tendineae or lodgement in the apex of the heart. The recognition of these artifacts is particularly important in studies of large animals in which catheter siting cannot be monitored by radiography.
Pycock JF, Allen WE.The neutrophil is involved in the defence of the mare's uterus against micro-organisms. The ability of Streptococcus zooepidemicus and its growth products to induce shape changes or directional locomotion (chemotaxis) of equine neutrophils was investigated; no effect was found.
Sánchez-Pacheco UA, Bahena-Mondragón BM, Hernández-Piedras FR, Soria-Osorio R, Meneses-Acosta A.The immunotherapy agents derived from horses are biological products that allow the neutralization of clinically relevant immunogens, such as the SARS-CoV-2 virus that causes COVID-19, or the neutralization of toxins present in the venoms of snakes, spiders, and other poisonous animals. Due to their importance, detecting adventitious viruses in equine hyperimmune serum (raw material in industrial processes) is a critical step to support the safety of products for human use, and, in consequence, it is a requirement for commercialization and distribution. The safety of the finished product is ba...
Equine infectious anaemia in Europe Equine herpesvirus in the UK Summary of surveillance testing, July to September 2012 These are among matters discussed in the quarterly equine disease surveillance report for July to September 2012, prepared by Defra, the Animal Health Trust and the British Equine Veterinary Association.