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.
Younglai EV.Follicular fluid from individual follicles was collected from nine mares in oestrus and the concentration of the following steroids determined by gas—liquid chromatography: progesterone, 17α-hydroxyprogesterone, androstenedione, 19-norandrostenedione, epitestosterone, oestrone and oestradiol. The most vascular follicles, which were probably those destined to ovulate, tended to have the highest steroid concentrations. In these vascular follicles oestradiol was the main steroid found with an average concentration of 151 μg/100 ml.
In two out of three samples of follicular fluid taken from...
Dunnett M.N-alpha-Acetyl-L-carnosine (NAcCAR) in perchloric acid extracts of equine plasma was assayed by high-performance liquid chromatography on a 3 microns Hypersil ODS (150 x 4.6 mm I.D.) column eluted with 5 mM phosphoric acid-1 mM triethylamine, pH 2.58. NAcCAR was isolated by solid-phase extraction on Isolute PRS (propylsulphonyl) columns. The HPLC mean retention time for NAcCAR was 5.9 +/- 0.2 min. The recovery from plasma by solid-phase extraction was 93.9-99.7% and lower limit of detection in plasma was 0.18 microM. The normal NAcCAR concentration in equine plasma was 2.4 +/- 0.3 microM. The ...
Zakia LS, Palumbo MIP, Teixeira RBC, Resende LAL, Soares MP, de Oliveira-Filho JP, Amorim RM, Borges AS.This article describes the clinical and electromyographic findings of neuromyotonia in a 19-month-old male crossbred Quarter Horse that presented with stiffness and muscle asymmetry in the hind limbs as well as sacrococcygeal, paravertebral, and gluteal myokymia. An electromyographic study showed spontaneous continuous muscle fiber activity with high-frequency discharges, fibrillations, positive sharp waves, fasciculation potentials, and complex repetitive discharges. Histological examination of the gluteal muscle showed a mixed neurogenic and myopathic pattern. The findings are consistent wit...
Strömberg B.Thermography in veterinary medicine has hitherto been proven to be a method of great value in the detection of orthopaedic lesions in racehorses. Lesions of the musculo-skeletal system affecting tendons, joints, bones and skeletal muscle can be demonstrated and documented at an early stage thereby preventing the development of more serious lesions.
Attenburrow DP, Flack FC, Portergill MJ.The technique of impedance plethysmography is described and its application to observation of lung volume changes in the horse at exercise is discussed. The results from horse at rest show that there is a close relationship between rate of lung volume change (flow rate) and the associated impedance changes during both inspiration and expiration. Impedance changes during exercise were related to inspiration and expiration by observation of associated respiratory sounds. Artefacts related to technical difficulties are also indicated.
Lang G.Equine kidney cells disaggregated by treatment with 0.01% collagenase were used in the preparation of primary monolayer cell cultures. The primary cells could be stored for long periods in liquid nitrogen and subsequently subcultivated. These techniques provided a long-term supply of equine kidney cells, free of apparent contamination, from the kidneys of a single fetus.
Lü Y, Wang H, Yang J.A direct high-performance gel permeation chromatographic (HPGPC) method for the determination of immunoglobulin G in mare colostrum was established. HPGPC separation was performed on a TOSOH TSK-G4000PW(XL) column (300 mm x 7.8 mm, 5 microm) with 0.05 mol/L phosphate buffer solution (pH 6.9) as the mobile phase at a flow rate of 0.8 mL/min, and the column temperature was maintained at 25 degrees C. The injection volume was 20 microL. At the detection wavelength of 280 nm, the linear range was from 0.2 to 3.0 g/L (r2 = 0.999 5) with a detection limit of 0.08 mg/L (S/N = 10). The recovery was 97...
Lamar CH, Masty J, Adams SB, Tacker WA.Myoelectrical and myomechanical activities of the distal portion of the jejunum and pelvic flexure were studied in 7 ponies, using permanently implanted monopolar and bipolar stainless steel electrodes. Dental acrylic embedded recording electrodes were surgically sutured to the serosal surface of the distal portion of the jejunum and pelvic flexure. Myoelectrically, regular spike bursts and irregular spike bursts were observed in the jejunum. Short spike bursts and long spike bursts were recorded and associated with spike potentials, using impedance recording techniques. Electrical and mechani...
Cuervo-Arango J, Aguilar JJ, Vettorazzi ML, Martínez-Boví R.The present study characterizes the relationship between the levels of eCG, ovarian morphology, resumption of cyclicity, and fertility in postaborted embryo transfer recipient mares. A total of 32 pregnant recipient mares carrying a male fetus were aborted at approximately 65 days of gestation by single transcervical administration of cloprostenol. In addition, 25 gestation age-matched mares were used as nonaborted controls. The concentration of progesterone, but not of eCG, differed significantly between controls and aborted mares 48 hours after abortion. Of treated mares, 84.4% (27 of 32) ex...
Moorthy AR, Spradbrow PB.Mycoplasmas were isolated from two of 43 nasal swabs taken from live horses, and from one of 28 tracheal swabs taken from slaughtered horses. The slaughtered horse that yielded mycoplasmas had no gross pathological changes in the respiratory tract, but the nasal isolations were made from horses with rhinitis. The three mycoplasmas could be distinguished by cultural characteristics, and probably they represent three different species.
Short CR, Sams RA, Soma LR, Tobin T.The primary reason for developing the ARCI Uniform Classification of Foreign Substances was to give stewards and other racing regulators guidelines to assist them in understanding the relative performance effects and general offensiveness to the Rules of Racing of various drugs and medications. As such, these guidelines have been very useful in the world of racing regulation--officially or unofficially--because this classification system, for the first time, places a relative number on the inappropriateness of any one of more than 750 agents appearing in forensic samples taken from racing hors...
Vice JD, Shoemaker RS, Cho DY.A 2-year old Thoroughbred filly was examined for a 1-month history of persistent nasal discharge. Contrast radiography revealed a circumscribed mass within the right maxillary sinus which extended to the frontal sinus and ethmoid labyrinth. A discrete attachment of the mass to the ethmoid labyrinth was identified at surgery. Surgical removal of the mass eliminated the nasal discharge. On gross examination, the external structure of the mass was similar to a turbinate with a thin bony wall covered by a smooth mucosal membrane. The internal structure of the lesion had a lining membrane with mult...
Anderson SL, Blackford JT, Kelmer SG.This study describes the outcome and complications in horses that had a closed, one-stage, stapled, functional, end-to-end (COSFE) jejuno-ileal anastomosis (JIA) following resection of compromised small intestine. Medical records were reviewed to identify all horses that had a COSFE JIA performed during exploratory laparotomy and to determine post-operative complications and final outcome. All 5 horses that were identified had successful COSFE JIA with resection of various amounts of distal jejunum and proximal ileum. Post-operative ileus occurred in 1 of the 5 horses. All horses survived at l...
Jacklin B.Ben Jacklin is equine director and consultant veterinary surgeon at CVS UK. He is a diplomate of the European College of Veterinary Surgeons and an RCVS and ECVS Specialist in equine surgery.
Sonnichsen HV.Dexon is a new, synthetic, absorbable suture material. Its applicability for suturing distally in the extremities of horses was tested in 65 cases. The indications included burried sutures as well as skin closure. It was concluded that the material can be used with advantage in cases traditionally sutured with catgut, vetafil or mersilene. It is technically a pleasant material and has further the advantage that it shall not be removed.
Flanders JA, Wack RF, Pusterla N, Mapes SM, Collins D, Gamble KC.Infection by equine herpesvirus (EHV) strains (EHV-1, EHV-9) in ursid species, including polar bears ( Ursus maritimus), has been associated with neurological disease and death. A serosurvey of captive exotic equid and polar bear populations in US Association of Zoos and Aquaria institutions was performed to determine the prevalence of EHV strains using quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) tests. Equid species surveyed included zebra ( Equus spp.), Przewalski's wild horse ( Equus ferus przewalskii), Persian onager ( Equus hemionus), and So...
Attenburrow DP.The development of a radio-stethoscope for horses is described. The equipment consisted of a sound transducer applied to the skin adjacent to the trachea and a radio transmitter attached to the saddle. The signals emitted were detected by telemetry and recorded on a magnetic tape-recorder. The recorder incorporated a monitor earphone so that sounds could be reproduced at the time of recording. The frequency response obtainable ranged from a few Hz to 4 KHz. This technique provided an objective means of studying the respiratory sounds generated during exercise although absolute values could not...
Rossdale PD, Jeffcott LB, Leadon DP.The development and design of a project in collaborative research which originated from a problem identified in practice, namely prematurity in the newly born foal, is described here. The project established a model of equine prematurity for the purpose of studying the diagnosis, pathogenesis and treatment of the condition. It involved practitioners and full time research workers in a number of veterinary and medical institutes.
Gruys E, Beynen AC, Binkhorst GJ, van Dijk S, Koeman JP, Stolk P.The most important neurodegenerative diseases of the horse are reviewed. In addition to the literature, neurodegenerative diseases occurring in patients (horses, Mongolian Przewalski-horses, and two zebras) referred to the Utrecht Veterinary Faculty are mentioned. Neurodegenerative diseases described are: I. ataxia associated with: A/ static stenosis, B/ dynamic stenosis, C/ lesions at various locations in the central nervous system, D/ equine herpesvirus infections, E/ equine degenerative myelo-encephalopathy, or F/ cerebellar abiotrophy; II. equine motor neuron disease; III. grass sickness o...
Koch DW, Schnabel LV, Reynolds J, Berry CR.Limb lymphedema in horses can be debilitating and painful. Pneumatic compression therapy has shown significant benefits for people suffering from lymphedema. The objective of this study was to determine the effect of a novel, equine-specific pneumatic compression device on the lymphatic flow of healthy horse forelimbs as determined by Tc-99m sulfur colloid lymphoscintigraphy. Methods: 6 healthy Thoroughbreds. Methods: In a randomized crossover design, horses underwent bilateral forelimb lymphoscintigraphy following subcutaneous injection of Tc-99m sulfur colloid at the coronary band as untreat...
Bjorck G, Nilsson G.Sixteen cases of chronic hoof changes seen in Standardbred trotters are described. The chief defect is decomposition of the horn. The disease process usually commences on the weight-bearing surface and spreads to underrun both the sole and wall. Histopathological studies revealed marked swelling and vacuolation of the cells of the stratum corneum, increased proliferation in the stratum germinativum, and monocytic infiltration in the corium. Treatment comprised complete removal of underrun horn and exposure of the affected area. In severe cases, a course of penicillin is administered. The lengt...
Scott DW, Walton DK, Smith CA, Lewis RM.Indirect immunofluorescence testing for pemphigus-like antibodies was performed on 79 horses: 28 horses with various nonpemphigus dermatologic diseases, 21 horses with various nondermatologic diseases, and 30 normal horses. Pemphigus-like antibodies were detected in 6 horses: 3 normal horses with titers of 1:40, 2 horses with dermatophilosis at titers of 1:10 and 1:80, and 1 horse with lymphosarcoma at a titer of 1:320. It was concluded that equine pemphigus-like antibodies are a potential source of misinterpretation and misdiagnosis in indirect immunofluorescence testing. Direct immunofluores...
Hanson PD, Bartz TA, Stone WC, Darien BJ, Markel MD.A modification of the Roux-en-Y anastomosis procedure was used to bypass a pyloroduodenal mass in a 12-year-old Arabian stallion. Clinical signs had consisted of a 4-week progression of ventral and hind limb edema, hypoproteinemia, fecal occult blood, intermittent abdominal pain, weight loss, and gastric reflux. On exploratory celiotomy, an obstructive mass was found in the pylorus and proximal portion of the duodenum. Gastrojejunostomy and duodenojejunostomy were performed by use of stapled side-to-side anastomosis techniques. Inaccessibility of the obstructed pyloric region prevented resecti...
Spoo W.Poisoning resulting from exposure to a wide variety of industrial chemicals is not a common occurrence in horses, but it does happen on occasion. A wide range of toxicosis can occur from a wide range of industrial pollutants, such as dioxin, carbon tetrachloride, and tetrachloroethylene, to heavy metals, such as cadmium and zinc. The equine practitioner must consider industrial chemical toxicosis in differential diagnoses and work with a reputable veterinary diagnostic laboratory to confirm or rule out industrial chemical poisoning.
Rejnö S.Synovial fluid samples from 51 light horses were examined with respect to their rhéologie properties. The analyses were made with a Rotovisco RV3 rotational viscosimeter. Samples from carpal, stifle and hock joints and from healthy joints, joints with synovitis and joints with infectious arthritis were studied. The analyses showed that synovial fluids from both healthy and diseased joints have complex rhéologie properties. In most samples the viscosity varied with the shear rates, the main exceptions being synovial fluids from joints with infectious arthritis. Flow curves (flow behaviour), r...
McD￮ LA, Stover SM, Bach JM, Taylor KT.To determine the mechanical properties of Equine Interlocking Nail (EIN; JD Wheat Veterinary Orthopedic Research Laboratory, University of California, Davis) stabilized osteotomized tibiae and compare these variables with estimated in vivo loads. Methods: In vitro biomechanical investigation. Methods: Twelve adult equine cadaveric tibiae. Methods: EIN-stabilized tibiae were tested monotonically under compression, 3- and 4-point bending, and torsion. Mechanical properties were compared with estimated in vivo loads. Results: EIN-tibial composite mean compressive yield load (11 kN) and bending mo...
Lavoie-Lamoureux A, Martin JG, Lavoie JP.Neutrophils are the predominant cells recruited in the airways of horses suffering from heaves. These cells have been shown to express arginase in some species. The metabolism of l-arginine is thought to be involved in chronic inflammation, and airway obstruction and remodeling. The aim of this study was to assess the expression, regulation, activity, and functional role of arginase isoforms in equine neutrophils. Arginase I, arginase II, ornithine decarboxylase (ODC) and ornithine aminotransferase (OAT) expression were assessed in resting and stimulated (IL-4, LPS/fMLP, PMA; 5 and 18 h) blood...
Szczerba-Turek A, Siemionek J, Wasowicz K, Szweda W, Raś A, Platt-Samoraj A.BPV-1 is now recognized as a main etiological agent of equine sarcoids. The etiopathogenesis of the equine sarcoids is equivocal and is not yet fully understood. The aim of the present study was to analyse a partial sequence of the L1 gene of BPV associated with equine sarcoids in Polish horses. After clinical diagnosis, 40 skin lesions obtained from 29 horses were collected. The amplicons of a fragment of BPV L1 DNA were detected using PCR with MY09/MY11 primers in 31 specimens. All of them were recognized as BPV-1. Phylogenetic analysis has allowed the amplicons of partial L1 gene to be divi...
Lesser FR, Cowles RR.In this article, the author discusses the design of an equine ambulatory practice. He suggests a more systematic approach to the design of an ambulatory practice that should answer the needs of group and solo practices. Today's practitioners must actively manage their practices so that their resources can be leveraged in such a fashion that a return can be realized on their capital investment and the hours spent in practice.
Pozio E, Tamburrini A, Sacchi L, Gomez Morales MA, Corona S, Goffredo E, La Rosa G.Routine examination for Trichinella infection by artificial digestion of 5-g samples of muscle tissue revealed the presence of muscle larvae in one out of 28 horses imported from Romania to an abattoir in Italy. The parasite, identified as Trichinella spiralis by the polymerase chain reaction, showed a reproductive capacity index of 68 in Swiss mice. Light microscope examination of 200 nurse cell-larva complexes showed that 22% of them were calcified and that the capsules of the non-calcified nurse cells were 17.5-27.5 microns (s = 22.67 microns) thick and had very few cellular infiltrates. Th...
Dolente BA, Seco OM, Lewis ML.A 14-year-old horse was admitted to the veterinary hospital for treatment of tachycardia and lethargy. Initial diagnoses were ventricular tachycardia and renal dysfunction. During hospitalization other findings included fever, renal failure, hepatic failure, hypotension, and intermittent ventricular arrhythmias. Bacteriologic culture of 2 blood samples collected during febrile crises 7 days apart yielded Streptococcus mitis. These culture results along with other clinical and physical examination findings fulfill the criteria for a diagnosis of streptococcal toxic shock syndrome, previously de...
