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Topic:Equine Health
Equine health encompasses the study and management of diseases, disorders, and overall well-being of horses. It involves understanding various physiological systems, preventive care, and treatment strategies to maintain optimal health in equine populations. Common areas of focus include nutrition, infectious diseases, orthopedic conditions, and reproductive health. Research in equine health aims to advance knowledge on diagnostic methods, therapeutic interventions, and management practices that improve horse welfare and performance. This page collects peer-reviewed research studies and scholarly articles that explore the diverse aspects of equine health, offering insights into current findings and advancements in the field.
Common variable immunodeficiency in three horses with presumptive bacterial meningitis. Three adult horses were evaluated for signs of musculoskeletal pain, dullness, ataxia, and seizures. A diagnosis of bacterial meningitis was made on the basis of results of CSF analysis. Because primary bacterial meningitis is so rare in adult horses without any history of generalized sepsis or trauma, immune function testing was pursued. Flow cytometric phenotyping of peripheral blood lymphocytes was performed, and proliferation of peripheral blood lymphocytes in response to concanavalin A, phytohemagglutinin, pokeweed mitogen, and lipopolysaccharide was determined. Serum IgA, IgM, and IgG co...
Isolation of equine herpesvirus-1 lacking glycoprotein C from a dead neonatal foal in Japan. We isolated a variant equine herpesvirus-1 (EHV-1), strain 5089, from the lung of a dead neonatal foal in Japan and characterized the biological nature of the virus. The virus spread in cultured cells mainly by cell-to-cell infection, unlike wild-type EHV-1, which spreads efficiently as a cell-free virus. The virus titer in cultured supernatant and the intracellular virus titer were low compared to those of wild-type EHV-1. Heparin treatment of the virus had no effect on viral infectivity in cell culture. Glycoprotein C (gC) was not detected by Western blotting and fluorescent antibody tests i...
Rural cases of equine West Nile virus encephalomyelitis and the normalized difference vegetation index. Data from an outbreak (August to October, 2002) of West Nile virus (WNV) encephalomyelitis in a population of horses located in northern Indiana was scanned for clusters in time and space. One significant (p = 0.04) cluster of case premises was detected, occurring between September 4 and 10 in the south-west part of the study area (85.70 degrees N, 45.50 degrees W). It included 10 case premises (3.67 case premises expected) within a radius of 2264 m. Image data were acquired by the Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometer (AVHRR) sensor onboard a National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration...
Risk factors for musculoskeletal injuries of the lower limbs in Thoroughbred racehorses in New Zealand. To investigate risk factors for injury to musculoskeletal structures of the lower fore- and hind-limbs of Thoroughbred horses training and racing in New Zealand. Methods: A case-control study analysed by logistic regression was used to compare explanatory variables for musculoskeletal injuries (MSI) in racehorses. The first dataset, termed the Training dataset, involved 459 first-occurrence cases of lower-limb MSI in horses in training, and the second, the Starting dataset, comprised a subset of those horses that had started in at least one trial or race in the training preparation that ended ...
Risk factors for injury to the superficial digital flexor tendon and suspensory apparatus in Thoroughbred racehorses in New Zealand. To investigate risk factors for injury to the superficial digital flexor tendon (SDFT) and suspensory apparatus (SA) of the forelimbs in Thoroughbred racehorses in New Zealand. Methods: Poisson and negative binomial regression, with exposure time represented by cumulative training days for each horse, were used to relate explanatory variables to the incidence rate (IR) of cases of inflammation of the SDFT (n=51), and injuries involving the SA (n=48) in a population of 1,571 commercially- trained racehorses over 554,745 study days. Only the first occurrence of an injury for any one horse was el...
Pulmonary oedema associated with anaesthesia for colic surgery in a horse. A 506 kg Warmblood horse with colic was anaesthetized for exploratory celiotomy. Anaesthesia was complicated by arterial hypoxaemia which persisted throughout surgery from the induction of anaesthesia. After endotracheal extubation in the recovery box, a degree of airway obstruction probably occurred during a brief delay in naso-tracheal intubation. Signs of pulmonary oedema were seen shortly afterwards. Furosemide and oxygen were given. Arterial hypoxaemia was present [PaO2: 6.5 kPa (49 mmHg)] when FIO2 was an estimated 0.3. The horse recovered and stood after 45 minutes. It was re-anaestheti...
Immune-mediated keratitis in horses: 19 cases (1998-2004). The purpose of this study is to describe clinical and histologic findings, treatment, and outcome of horses with suspected immune-mediated keratitis (IMMK). Methods: Retrospective study. Methods: Nineteen horses that presented to NCSU-VTH from 1998 to 2004 with IMMK. Procedures Information retrieved from the medical records included signalment, duration of clinical signs, therapy prior to initial examination, ophthalmic abnormalities, diagnostics performed, therapy instituted, and long-term vision. Results: Nineteen horses (22 eyes) were diagnosed with IMMK. Three distinct clinical groups were...
Evaluation of hyaluronidase activity in equine and bovine sera and equine synovial fluid samples by use of enzyme zymography. To investigate the activities of hyaluronidases in equine sera and synovial fluid samples and sera from fetal and adult bovids and evaluate the extent to which the degradation of hyaluronan is influenced by chondrocytes. Methods: Commercial and noncommercial samples of equine (n = 6) and bovine (6) sera and 16 synovial fluid samples from horses. Methods: Hyaluronidase activities in sera and synovial fluid samples were assessed via enzyme zymography (performed at pH 4, 5, 6, or 7). Chondrocytes were isolated from equine cartilage and cultured with or without hyaluronan (1 mg/mL); the degradatio...
Evaluation of xylazine and ketamine for total intravenous anesthesia in horses. To evaluate the use of xylazine and ketamine for total i.v. anesthesia in horses. Methods: 8 horses. Methods: Anesthetic induction was performed on 4 occasions in each horse with xylazine (0.75 mg/kg, i.v.), guaifenesin (75 mg/kg, i.v.), and ketamine (2 mg/kg, i.v.). Intravenous infusions of xylazine and ketamine were then started by use of 1 of 6 treatments as follows for which 35, 90, 120, and 150 represent infusion dosages (microg/kg/min) and X and K represent xylazine and ketamine, respectively: X35 + K90 with 100% inspired oxygen (O2), X35 + K120-(O2), X35 + K150-(O2), X70 + K90-(O2), K15...
Superficial keratectomy and cryosurgery as therapy for limbal neoplasms in 13 horses. To determine the usefulness and clinical outcome of a combined procedure of superficial keratectomy and cryosurgery as a treatment for limbal neoplasms in horses. Methods: Retrospective study. Methods: Thirteen horses with 14 limbal tumors. Methods: Medical records of all patients with limbal tumors, referred to the Department of Equine Sciences of Utrecht University between 1995 and 2002, were retrieved. Patient data were analyzed with respect to signalment, tumor surface area and histologic diagnosis. Surgery, performed under general anesthesia, included surgical debulking of the tumor follo...
Kinetics of pulmonary neutrophil recruitment and clearance in a natural and spontaneously resolving model of airway inflammation. Neutrophil apoptosis and phagocytic clearance have been proposed as key determinants affecting the resolution of airway inflammation. Objective To determine the kinetics of neutrophil priming, recruitment, activation and subsequent clearance in a naturally occurring equine disease model of neutrophilic pulmonary inflammation. Results: A 5 h mouldy hay/straw challenge in hypersensitive horses induced transient pulmonary dysfunction lasting 4 days. At 24 h circulating neutrophils were primed and displayed delayed rates of spontaneous apoptosis in vitro. Neutrophil numbers in the airspaces peaked...
Ocular parameters related to drug delivery in the canine and equine eye: aqueous and vitreous humor volume and scleral surface area and thickness. To measure the ocular surface area, scleral thickness, and the aqueous and vitreous humor volumes in the canine and equine eye. Animals studied Fourteen canine and 16 equine cadaver eyes. Methods: Eyes were measured either fresh or following fixation in formalin. Ocular surface area was calculated using the fluid displacement method. Globes were hemisected and aqueous and vitreous humor were collected and quantitated. Scleral thickness was measured by digital caliper, by image projection, and by ultrasonic biomicroscopy (UBM). Results: Mean +/- standard deviation (SD) scleral surface areas in ...
Evaluation of iatrogenic hemarthrosis of the metacarpophalangeal joint as a method of induction of temporary reversible lameness in horses. To determine whether iatrogenic hemarthrosis of the metacarpophalangeal joint could be used as a model for temporary reversible joint pain in horses. Methods: 8 adult horses. Methods: Each horse was evaluated on a treadmill before and after injection of 1 metacarpophalangeal joint with 10 mL of autogenous blood. Horses were evaluated subjectively and objectively by use of a computerized force measurement system at intervals until lameness abated. The mean force difference between injected and noninjected limbs at all time periods after injection was compared with the difference between limbs a...
Post-anaesthetic pulmonary oedema in horses: a review. To review information on the pathogenesis, diagnosis and treatment of post-anaesthetic pulmonary oedema in horses. Methods: Pubmed 1970-present, personal files.
In vitro evaluation of the contractile response to endothelin-1 of the circular and longitudinal myometrial layers of the uterine horn of nongravid mares. To characterize the in vitro response of circular and longitudinal myometrial layers of the uterine horn (CMLH and LMLH, respectively) of horses to endothelin (ET)-1 by use of specific ETA (BQ-123) and ETB (IRL-1038) receptor antagonists. Methods: Uteruses from 10 nongravid mares in anestrus. Methods: Muscle strips from the CMLH and LMLH were suspended in tissue baths and connected to force-displacement transducers interfaced with a polygraph. Strips were incubated for 45-minute intervals with no antagonist (control specimens), and 3 concentrations (10(-9), 10(-7), and 10(-5)M) of BQ-123, IRL-...
Effects of oral administration of levothyroxine sodium on concentrations of plasma lipids, concentration and composition of very-low-density lipoproteins, and glucose dynamics in healthy adult mares. To evaluate glucose and lipid metabolism in healthy adult horses administered levothyroxine sodium (L-T4). Methods: 12 healthy adult mares. Methods: 8 horses received an incrementally increasing dosage of L-T4 (24, 48, 72, or 96 mg of L-T4/d) for weeks 1 to 8. Each dose was provide between 7 AM and 8 AM in the morning grain meal for 2 weeks. Four additional horses remained untreated. Serum concentrations of nonesterified fatty acids, triglyceride (TG), total cholesterol (TC), and very-low-density lipoprotein (VLDL) were measured and composition of VLDL examined in samples obtained between 8 AM...
The development and application of the modern reproductive technologies to horse breeding. Although the horse was probably the first animal to experience and benefit from artificial insemination, it trailed the field somewhat with regard to the application of embryo transfer and other oocyte and embryo-related modern breeding technologies. But with a late run it is now back in mid-field and gaining fast on the other large domestic species in the application of the many technological advances of the past 20 years to sound breeding practice. Improvements in extenders and cryoprotectants have resulted in a veritable upsurge in the transport and insemination of cooled and frozen stallio...
Effects of oral administration of levothyroxine sodium on serum concentrations of thyroid gland hormones and responses to injections of thyrotropin-releasing hormone in healthy adult mares. To determine the effects of levothyroxine sodium (L-T4) on serum concentrations of thyroid gland hormones and responses to injections of thyrotropin-releasing hormone (TRH) in euthyroid horses. Methods: 12 healthy adult mares. Methods: 8 horses received an incrementally increasing dosage of L-T4 (24, 48, 72, or 96 mg of L-T4/d) for weeks 1 to 8. Each dose was provided for 2 weeks. Four additional horses remained untreated. Serum concentrations of total triiodothyronine (tT3), total thyroxine (tT4), free T3 (fT3), free T4 (fT4), and thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) were measured in samples obt...
Use of lithium dilution and pulse contour analysis cardiac output determination in anaesthetized horses: a clinical evaluation. To assess the suitability of a human algorithm for calculation of continuous cardiac output from the arterial pulse waveform, in anaesthetized horses. Methods: Prospective clinical study. Methods: Twenty-four clinical cases undergoing anaesthesia for various conditions. Methods: Cardiac output (Qt), measured by lithium dilution (QtLiDCO), was compared with a preceding, calibrated Qt measured from the pulse waveform (QtPulse). These comparisons were repeated every 20-30 minutes. Positive inotropes or vasopressors were administered when clinically indicated. Cardiac indices from 30.7 to 114.9 mL...
Characterization of an A-kinase anchor protein in equine spermatozoa and examination of the effect of semen cooling and cryopreservation on the binding of that protein to the regulatory subunit of protein kinase-A. To determine whether a homologue of A-kinase anchor protein 4 (AKAP4) is present and functional as an AKAP in equine spermatozoa and examine the effect of semen cooling and cryopreservation on binding of equine AKAP4 to the regulatory (RII) subunit of protein kinase-A (PK-A). Methods: Ejaculated semen collected from 2 fertile stallions, 3 bulls, and 3 humans. Methods: Identification of an equine homologue of AKAP4 was investigated via DNA sequencing. Protein was extracted from the spermatozoa of each species for immunoblot analysis to identify AKAP4 and its precursor protein, pro-AKAP4; immuno...
Response of Tabanidae (Diptera) to natural and synthetic olfactory attractants. The attraction of female tabanids to Malaise traps and canopy traps baited with aged horse urine, 1-octen-3-ol, or a combination of aged horse urine and acetone was studied in the Kopacki rit Nature Park in Eastern Croatia. Malaise traps captured very few tabanids relative to canopy traps. The number of females of Tabanus tergestinus and Haematopotapluvialis collected from 1-octen-3-ol baited canopy traps differed significantly from traps baited with aged horse urine. However, the number of females of Tabanus bromius, Atylotus loewianus, and Tabanus maculicornis collected from canopy traps bai...
Investigation of the EEG effects of intravenous lidocaine during halothane anaesthesia in ponies. To record the electroencephalographic changes during castration in ponies anaesthetized with halothane and given intravenous (IV) lidocaine by infusion. The hypothesis tested was that in ponies, IV lidocaine is antinociceptive and would therefore obtund EEG changes during castration. Methods: Ten Welsh mountain ponies referred to the Department of Clinical Veterinary Medicine, Cambridge for castration under general anaesthesia. Methods: Following pre-anaesthetic medication with intramuscular acepromazine (0.02 mg kg(-1)) anaesthesia was induced with IV guaiphenesin (60 mg kg(-1)) and thiopenta...
Osteon interfacial strength and histomorphometry of equine cortical bone. The interfacial strength of secondary osteons from the diaphysis of the Thoroughbred equine third metacarpal was evaluated using the fiber pushout test. The pushout was performed on 300-500 microm sections of 4x4x15 mm bone blocks machined from four anatomic regions of the cortex. Pushout strength was evaluated from proximal to distal location within the diaphysis on four osteon types classified under polarized light on adjacent histologic sections from each block. The shear strength of the interfaces were estimated from shear lag theory. Differences were found in the interfacial strength of o...
Low-dose insemination–why, when and how. The typical dose for insemination into the uterine body of the mare is > 300 x 10(6) progressively motile spermatozoa (PMS) and an insemination dose of > 200 x 10(6) PMS is recommended for frozen-thawed semen. Low-dose insemination techniques allow for a drastic reduction in the numbers of spermatozoa required to achieve pregnancy. Acceptable pregnancy rates can be achieved with doses ranging from 1 to 25 x 10(6) PMS in volumes ranging from 20 to 1000 microL. Two techniques have been described: hysteroscopic insemination and transrectally guided deep horn insemination using a pipette. Similar ...
Molecular characterisation of equine group A rotavirus, Nasuno, isolated in Tochigi Prefecture, Japan. In this study, equine group A rotavirus (RV-A), Nasuno, isolated from foal diarrhoea in Tochigi Prefecture, Japan was characterised genetically by sequence analysis of the genome segments encoding VP4 and VP7. The nucleotide and deduced amino acid sequences revealed high homology with P[12] RV-As (94.0-99.3% and 94.9-99.4%) and G3 RV-As (86.9-99.5% and 91.1-99.4%). Nasuno was also classified into P[12] and G3 in the phylogenetic analysis of the nucleotide sequences of the genome segments encoding VP4 and VP7.
Ultrastructural immunolocalization of cartilage oligomeric matrix protein (COMP) in relation to collagen fibrils in the equine tendon. The structure and organisation of the extracellular matrix, and in particular the axial alignment of type I collagen fibrils, are essential for the tensile strength of tendons. The resident tenocytes synthesize and maintain the composition of the extracellular matrix, which changes with age and maturation. Other components of the extracellular matrix include less abundant collagen types II, III, V, VI, XII, proteoglycans and glycoproteins. Cartilage oligomeric matrix protein (COMP) is an abundant non-collagenous pentameric glycoprotein in the tendon, which can bind to collagen types I and II. ...
Saddle pressure measuring: validity, reliability and power to discriminate between different saddle-fits. Saddle-fit is recognised as an important factor in the pathogenesis of back problems in horses and is empirically being evaluated by pressure measurements in clinical practice, although not much is known about the validity, reliability and usability of these devices in the equine field. This study was conducted to assess critically a pressure measurement system marketed for evaluating saddle fit. Validity was tested by calculating the correlation coefficient between total measured pressure and the weight of 28 different riders. Reliability and discriminative power with respect to different sad...
Quantitative assessment of the risks of reducing the routine swabbing requirements for the detection of Taylorella equigenitalis. The transmission of contagious equine metritis (CEM) on stud farms in Britain, Ireland and other European countries is prevented by following the recommendations in the Horserace Betting Levy Board's Code of Practice on CEM. A quantitative risk assessment was undertaken to estimate the likely impact of removing the recommendation, from the 2002 code, to culture endometrial or cervical swabs microaerophilically for the presence of Taylorella equigenitalis, the causative organism. The scientific literature was reviewed for evidence about the anatomical distribution of T. equigenitalis at differe...
Macroscopical and histopathological changes in regressing primary and recurrent equine sarcoids during active specific bio-immunotherapy. Healing sarcoids were followed in 18 horses which had taken part in previous clinical studies on a total of 29 horses suffering from either primary or recurrent sarcoids, treated with bio-immunotherapy. In the present study, attention was paid to changes observed in these fibroblastic skin tumours during their regression. The tumours were surgically debulked leaving the base in the skin. The horses were immunized according to bio-immunotherapy at 2- to 4-week intervals with an autogenous vaccine made from the excised part of the tumour until the base had visibly regressed. Healing was followed...
