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.
Soboll G, Whalley JM, Koen MT, Allen GP, Fraser DG, Macklin MD, Swain WF, Lunn DP.Equine herpesvirus-1 (EHV-1) causes serious disease in horses throughout the world, despite the frequent use of vaccines. CTLs are thought to be critical for protection from primary and reactivating latent EHV-1 infections. However, the antigen-specificity of EHV-1-specific CTLs is unknown. The aim of this study was to identify EHV-1 genes that encode proteins containing CTL epitopes and to determine their MHC I (or ELA-A in the horse) restriction. Equine dendritic cells, transfected with a series of EHV-1 genes, were used to stimulate autologous CTL precursor populations derived from previous...
Bailey SR, Katz LM, Berhane Y, Samuels T, De Brauvere N, Marr CM, Elliott J.To measure concentrations of amines formed in the cecum of clinically normal ponies, determine amine concentrations in plasma samples collected in spring and winter, and compare concentrations of amines and serotonin in plasma samples obtained from clinically normal ponies and ponies predisposed to laminitis. Methods: Cecal contents obtained from 10 ponies euthanatized at an abattoir and blood samples obtained from 42 adult ponies. Methods: Cecal contents were assayed for amines by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). Blood samples were collected at various times of the year from 20 ...
Harder A, Schmitt-Wrede HP, Krücken J, Marinovski P, Wunderlich F, Willson J, Amliwala K, Holden-Dye L, Walker R.There are three major classes of anthelmintics for veterinary use: the benzimidazoles/prebenzimidazoles, the tetrahydropyrimidines/imidazothiazoles, and the macrocyclic lactones. In nematodes, there are five targets for the existing anthelmintics: the nicotinergic acetylcholine receptor which is the target of tetrahydropyrimidines/imidazothiazoles and indirectly that of the acetylcholineesterase inhibitors; the GABA receptor which is the target of piperazine, the glutamate-gated chloride channel as the target of the macrocyclic lactones, and beta-tubulin as the target of prebenzimidazoles/benz...
Radtke CL, Danova NA, Scollay MC, Santschi EM, Markel MD, Da Costa Gómez T, Muir P.To determine changes in the distal ends of the third metacarpal and metatarsal bones (MCIII and MTIII) of Thoroughbred racehorses that had sustained a catastrophic condylar fracture during high-speed exercise. Methods: Fractured and contralateral MCIIIs and MTIIIs from 11 Thoroughbred racehorses that sustained a displaced condylar fracture during racing, both MCIIIs from 5 Thoroughbred racehorses euthanatized because of a catastrophic injury other than a condylar fracture, and both MCIIIs from 5 horses of other breeds that had not been professionally trained or raced. Methods: Macroscopic obse...
Elliott J, Berhane Y, Bailey SR.To determine in vitro vasoactive potency of monoamines formed in the cecum and found in the systemic circulation of horses. Methods: Segments of digital blood vessels obtained from 6 healthy mixed-breed horses and ponies euthanatized at an abattoir and platelets isolated from 4 healthy ponies. Methods: Paired rings of digital artery and vein from the same horse were examined, and isometric tension was recorded. Concentration-response curves for tryptamine (TRP), tyramine (TYR), phenylethylamine (PEA), isoamylamine (IAA), and isobutylamine (IBA) were obtained. Vasoconstrictor mechanisms were in...
Blackmore CG, Stark LM, Jeter WC, Oliveri RL, Brooks RG, Conti LA, Wiersma ST.After West Nile virus (WNV) was first detected in Florida in July 2001, intensive surveillance efforts over the following five months uncovered virus activity in 65 of the state's 67 counties with 1,106 wild birds, 492 horses, 194 sentinel chickens, and 12 people found infected with the virus. Thirteen of 28 mosquito isolations came from Culex mosquitoes. As seen in the northeastern United States, wild bird mortality was the most sensitive surveillance method. However, unlike the predominantly urban 1999 and 2000 epizootics, the Florida transmission foci were rural with most activity detected ...
Billinghurst RC, Brama PA, van Weeren PR, Knowlton MS, McIlwraith CW.To identify metabolic biomarkers that can be evaluated in serum for monitoring the effects of exercise on skeletal development in mammals. Methods: Sera of foals from three groups (box-stall rest, pasture and training) were serially collected over the first 5 months of life and assayed for eight biomarkers of cartilage and bone metabolism. Sub-populations from each group were sampled for an additional 6 months of identical exercise. Results: When expressed as a percentage of baseline values, lower serum levels of the carboxy-terminal propeptides of type II collagen (CPII), and higher serum lev...
Nadler SA, Carreno RA, Adams BJ, Kinde H, Baldwin JG, Mundo-Ocampo M.Phylogenetic relationships among six isolates of Halicephalobus gingivalis (Stefanski, 1954), a species with pathogenic potential in horses and humans, were evaluated using DNA sequences from the nuclear large-subunit ribosomal RNA (LSU rDNA) gene. Sequences from nematodes obtained from in vitro cultures (soil or clinical sources), or isolated from infected horse tissues, were compared. Gene sequences from a fatal equine clinical case from southern California and a free-living isolate recovered from southern California soil showed no fixed differences. Sequences from isolates representing two ...
Dowdall SM, Proudman CJ, Love S, Klei TR, Matthews JB.Cyathostomins are important equine gastrointestinal parasites. Mass emergence of mucosal stage larvae causes a potentially fatal colitis. Mucosal stages are undetectable non-invasively. An assay that would estimate mucosal larval stage infection would greatly assist in treatment, control and prognosis. Previously, we identified two putative diagnostic antigens (20 and 25 kDa) in somatic larval preparations. Here, we describe their purification and antigen-specific IgG(T) responses to them. Western blots confirmed the purity of the antigens and showed that epitopes in the 20 kDa complex were sp...
Pruett HE, Thompson DL, Cartmill JA, Williams CC, Gentry LR.Light horse mares, stallions, and geldings were used to 1) extend our observations on the thyrotropin releasing hormone (TRH) inhibition of GH secretion in response to physiologic stimuli and 2) test the hypothesis that stimulation of endogenous TRH would decrease the normal rate of GH secretion. In Exp. 1 and 2, pretreatment of mares with TRH (10 microg/kg BW) decreased (P < 0.001) the GH response to exercise and aspartate infusion. Time analysis in Exp. 3 indicated that the TRH inhibition lasted at least 60 min but was absent by 120 min. Administration of a single injection of TRH to stal...
Hoffman RM, Boston RC, Stefanovski D, Kronfeld DS, Harris PA.Insulin resistance is considered a risk factor in obesity, laminitis, exertional rhabdomyolysis, and osteochondrosis. The objective was to use the minimal model to estimate glucose effectiveness (Sg) and insulin sensitivity (Si) in nonobese to obese horses initially adapted to forage only, then adapted to forage plus supplements rich in starch and sugar (SS) or fiber and fat (FF). Ten Thoroughbred geldings, with BCS of 5 (nonobese), 6 (moderately obese), and 7 to 8 (obese), were adapted to pasture and hay, allocated to two groups, and fed SS or FF in a switch-back design with 8 wk of adaptatio...
Raymond SL, Smith TK, Swamy HV.The feeding of Fusarium mycotoxin-contaminated grains adversely affects the performance of swine and poultry. Very little information is available, however, on adverse effects associated with feeding these mycotoxin-contaminated grains on the performance of horses. An experiment was conducted to investigate the effects of feeding a blend of grains naturally contaminated with Fusarium mycotoxins on feed intake, serum immunoglobulin (Ig) concentrations, serum chemistry, and hematology of horses. A polymeric glucomannan mycotoxin adsorbent (GM polymer) was also tested for efficacy in preventing F...
Massoco C, Palermo-Neto J.Benzodiazepines (BDZ) are among the most frequently used class of psychotropic drugs employed in veterinary medicine in Brazil and worldwide due to their anxiolytic, muscle relaxant and anticonvulsant effects [J. Clin. Pharmacol. 33 (1993) 124]. Peripheral benzodiazepine receptor (PBR) sites were described in peripheral organs, endocrine steroidogenic tissues and immune organs and cells. Midazolam is a mixed-type agonist of PBRs. The present study is focused on the effects of midazolam on equine peripheral blood neutrophils, peritoneal macrophages and cortisol levels in plasma. Adult horses we...
Chen C, Montelaro RC.Synthesis of Gag-Pol polyproteins of retroviruses requires ribosomes to shift translational reading frame once or twice in a -1 direction to read through the stop codon in the gag reading frame. It is generally believed that a slippery sequence and a downstream RNA structure are required for the programmed -1 ribosomal frameshifting. However, the mechanism regulating the Gag-Pol frameshifting remains poorly understood. In this report, we have defined specific mRNA elements required for sufficient ribosomal frameshifting in equine anemia infectious virus (EIAV) by using full-length provirus rep...
Cunningham FM, Vandergrifft E, Bailey SR, Sepulveda MF, Goode NT, Horohov DW.The cytokine, interleukin (IL)-5 stimulates eosinophil differentiation, activation and survival and can prime these cells, increasing the response to other mediators. In view of its many effects on eosinophils, IL-5 has been implicated in the pathogenesis of allergic disease in man. Here we report the cloning of equine IL-5 and expression of the recombinant protein by transfection of Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells. The cloned cDNA sequence consisted of 405 nucleotides and encoded a protein of 135 amino acids. There is >85% identity with feline, bovine, ovine, canine, and human IL-5 sequence...
This report summarizes West Nile virus (WNV) surveillance data reported to CDC through ArboNET as of 3 a.m., Mountain Daylight Time, September 10, 2003.
Pfister JA, Stegelmeier BL, Gardner DR, James LF.Spotted locoweed (Astragalus lentiginosus var. diphysus) is a toxic, perennial plant that may, if sufficient precipitation occurs, dominate the herbaceous vegetation of pinyon-juniper woodlands on the Colorado Plateau. Six cow/calf pairs and four horses grazed a 20-ha pasture with dense patches of locoweed in eastern Arizona during spring 1998. Locoweed density was 0.7 plants/m2 in the pasture. Locoweed averaged 30.4% NDF and 18.4% CP. Concentrations of the locoweed toxin, swainsonine, fluctuated from 1.25 to 2 mg/g in locoweed. Horses ate more (P < 0.01) bites of locoweed than did cows (15...
Matthee S.Anthelmintic products form the basis of helminth control practices on horse stud farms at present. Regular evaluation of the efficacy of these products is advisable, as it will provide information on the worm egg reappearance period and the resistance status in the worm population. The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of doramectin, pyrantel pamoate, ivermectin and moxidectin on a Thoroughbred stud farm in the Western Cape Province, South Africa. The study also compared the anthelmintic efficacy of two moxidectin formulations administered at their recommended dosages (an injectab...
Abraham G, Kottke C, Dhein S, Ungemach FR.Although in the respiratory system there is great therapeutic interest in manipulating and understanding the beta-adrenoceptor-G-protein-adenylate cyclase (AC) signal transduction pathway, little is known on segmental differences among lung, bronchus, and trachea with regard to the receptor concentration and interaction to G-proteins and coupling to AC. In this study, patterns of distribution and absolute quantities of beta-adrenoceptor subtypes beta(1) and beta(2) were determined in membranes of equine lung parenchyma, bronchial and tracheal epithelium with the underlying smooth muscle by sat...
Carmalt JL, Townsend HG, Allen AL.To evaluate the effect of dental floating on the position of the mandible relative to the maxilla (a measure of rostrocaudal mobility [RCM] of the mandible) during extension and flexion of the head of horses. Methods: Randomized controlled blinded trial. Methods: 59 horses housed in 1 barn. Methods: Horses were formally randomized into a treatment (n = 33) or control (26) group. All horses were sedated, and the distance between rostral portions of the upper and lower incisor arcades were determined with the head fully extended and flexed at the poll (the difference in measurements represented ...
Heidler B, Parvizi N, Sauerwein H, Bruckmaier RM, Heintges U, Aurich JE, Aurich C.In this study, growth hormone (GH), insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1), leptin, luteinising hormone (LH) and prolactin were analyzed in mares from late pregnancy throughout lactation (group 1, n=46) and in non-lactating mares (group 2, n=11). Plasma GH concentrations in group 1 mares during gestation and lactation were lower than in mares of group 2 (P<0.05). Highest IGF-1 levels were found in lactating mares in the week of foaling. IGF-1 concentrations decreased continuously thereafter. Plasma leptin concentrations decreased after foaling and, for 4 weeks, were lower in lactating than in...
Veronesi MC, Battocchio M, Faustini M, Gandini M, Cairoli F.The aim of this study was to evaluate the possible relationship of pharmacological induction of estrous and/or ovulation with the occurrence of twin pregnancies in Thoroughbred mares. Out of 680 mares, 356 received one of the following treatments during the estrous cycle in which they became pregnant: injection of 0.5mg of cloprostenol at the ultrasonographic detection of a CL (n=86); injection of 5000 IU human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) immediately before mating (n=221); injection of 0.5mg of cloprostenol at the ultrasonographic detection of a CL plus injection of 5000 IU hCG immediately be...
Pirie RS, Dixon PM, McGorum BC.Mould extract inhalation challenges have been used extensively in the investigation of heaves. Such challenges have induced pulmonary neutrophilic inflammation and dysfunction, consistent with, but less severe than the natural disease. However, the method of mould extract production is likely to result in endotoxin contamination. Objective: To investigate whether insufficient dose delivery was responsible for the shortfall in response to inhaled extract compared with natural disease, and whether endotoxin contamination of mould extract contributed to the pulmonary inflammation and dysfunction....
Young LE.Our recent data have confirmed that maximum oxygen delivery in racing Thoroughbreds is positively correlated to left ventricular mass measured by echocardiography. A similar, but weaker relationship also exists between left ventricular mass and Timeform performance rating in commercial racehorses. The relationship of the Thoroughbred heart to racing success and the special problems that selective breeding for aerobic capacity have had in this species are reviewed in this article.
Feng YY, Yang H, Gu XT, Jiang HJ, Lu TH.In this paper, the interaction between Cu(II) ions and Fe-protoporphyrin in horse-heart myoglobin (FePP-Mb) was studied. As a result, some of the Fe(II) ions in FePP-Mb were found to be replaced by Cu(II) ions forming CuPP-Mb, by adding Cu(II) ions into the myoglobin solution. The interaction became stronger when adding more Cu(II) ions into the myoglobin solution. By studying the metal ions' interaction with myoglobin proteins as macromolecules and discussing the interaction mechanism, this work provides a theoretical basis for the further study of hazardous metal ions' interaction with the h...
Cook RF, Cook SJ, Berger SL, Leroux C, Ghabrial NN, Gantz M, Bolin PS, Mousel MR, Montelaro RC, Issel CJ.Pathogenicity was reportedly restored to an avirulent molecular clone of equine infectious anemia virus (EIAV) by substitution of 3' sequences from the pathogenic variant strain (EIAV(PV)). However, the incidence of disease in horses/ponies was found to be significantly lower (P = 0.016) with the chimeric clone (EIAV(UK)) than with EIAV(PV). This was attributable to 3' rather than 5' regions of the proviral genome, where EIAV(UK) differs from the consensus EIAV(PV) sequence by having a 68-bp duplication in the 3' LTR and arginine (R(103)) rather than tryptophan (W(103)) at position 103 in the ...
Mealey RH, Zhang B, Leib SR, Littke MH, McGuire TC.Equine infectious anemia virus (EIAV) is a lentivirus that causes persistent infections in horses. We hypothesized that high-avidity CTL specific for nonvariable epitopes might be associated with low viral load and minimal disease in EIAV-infected horses. To test this hypothesis, memory CTL (CTLm) responses were analyzed in two infected horses with high plasma viral loads and recurrent disease (progressors), and in two infected horses with low-to-undetectable viral loads and mild disease (nonprogressors). High-avidity CTLm in one progressor recognized an envelope gp90 epitope, and the data doc...
Wada S, Yoshinari M, Katayama Y, Anzai T, Wada R, Akuzawa M.A 2-year-old Thoroughbred filly presented with ocular pain and epiphora of the left eye. The pupil was miotic and the cornea edematous near the ventro-temporal limbus, but did not retain any fluorescein. The topical antibiotics and atropine and diclofenac, and systemic flunixin meglumine and antibiotic therapy did not resolve the condition. A pink and fleshy infiltrate developed near the limbus indicating nonulcerative keratouveitis. The anterior uveitis deteriorated as manifested by the presence of dyscoria, hypopyon, and organized fibrin in the anterior chamber. Ocular signs were improved by...
Choi YH, Love LB, Westhusin ME, Hinrichs K.Early development of embryos produced by transfer of equine nuclei to bovine cytoplasts is superior to that of intraspecies equine nuclear transfer embryos. This may be related to differences in chromatin remodeling or efficiency of activation between the two oocyte types. The pattern of donor nucleus remodeling was examined in equine-equine and equine-bovine reconstructed oocytes. Chromosome condensation occurred in equine cytoplasts by 2 h but was not seen in bovine cytoplasts until 4 h. We investigated the effect of activation of equine-equine reconstructed oocytes at <30 min or at 2 h a...
Adams RJ, Mollenkopf DF, Mathys DA, Whittle A, Ballash GA, Mudge M, Daniels JB, Barr B, Wittum TE.To estimate the prevalence of extended-spectrum cephalosporin-, carbapenem-, and fluoroquinolone-resistant bacteria of the family Enterobacteriaceae in the feces of hospitalized horses and on hospital surfaces. Methods: Fecal and environmental samples were collected from The Ohio State University Galbreath Equine Center (OSUGEC) and a private referral equine hospital in Kentucky (KYEH). Feces were sampled within 24 hours after hospital admission and after 48 hours and 3 to 7 days of hospitalization. Methods: Fecal and environmental samples were enriched, and then selective media were inoculate...
Leadon DP, Jeffcott LB, Rossdale PD.Total calcium, total protein, albumin and globulin content were determined in 49 samples of mammary secretions from 37 crossbred and Thoroughbred mares. The mares were divided into three categories: Group 1--post partum samples from spontaneous full term Thoroughbred deliveries (n = 20); Group 2--pre- and post partum samples from spontaneous full term Thoroughbred deliveries (n = 6); Group 3--pre- and post partum samples from induced premature deliveries in crossbred mares (n = 11). Calcium concentrations of the mammary secretions proved useful in predicting full term and also in assessment of...
Glade MJ.Twelve adult horses were fed a corn-oats-timothy hay diet containing 2.87% nitrogen (N) for 4 wk and were then killed. Fresh digesta samples were immediately harvested from the stomach, duodenum, jejunum, ileum, cecum, large colon, small colon, rectum and feces. Total N content of the digesta (on a dry matter basis) increased from the stomach (2.74%) to the duodenum (5.58%; P less than .01), decreased in the cecum (3.10%, P less than .01), remained constant through the large intestine and decreased in the feces (2.10%; P less than .01). High-speed centrifugation of wet digesta and low-speed ce...
de Waal DT, van Heerden J, Potgieter FT.Serologically negative horses, as determined with the indirect fluorescent antibody test (IFA), were infected with Babesia equi and 60 days later with Babesia caballi. The only clinical signs of disease observed in these animals were a febrile reaction and slight icterus. Haematological changes included a drop in haematocrit and haemoglobin concentration, as well as lowered platelet counts. The serum concentrations of albumin, iron and phosphorus were lowered. Mildly elevated serum bilirubin and fibrinogen concentrations were observed. Antibody titres were determined with the IFA and complemen...
Fritsch H, Pereira FM, Costa EA, Fonseca V, Tosta S, Xavier J, Levy F, Oliveira C, Menezes G, Lima J, Santos L, Silva L, Nardy V, Astete MKG....During these past years, several studies have provided serological evidence regarding the circulation of West Nile virus (WNV) in Brazil. Despite some reports, much is still unknown regarding the genomic diversity and transmission dynamics of this virus in the country. Recently, genomic monitoring activities in horses revealed the circulation of WNV in several Brazilian regions. These findings on the paucity of genomic data reinforce the need for prompt investigation of WNV infection in horses, which may precede human cases of encephalitis in Brazil. Thus, in this study, we retrospectively scr...
Medica DL, Sukhdeo MV.Infective larvae (L3) of Strongylus vulgaris have limited energy stores for host finding and for infection. For transmission to occur, the larvae must have sufficient energy to (a) migrate onto grass, where they are ingested by their equine host (host finding), and (b) penetrate into the host gut. This study is designed to test the hypothesis that L3 larvae of S. vulgaris partition their energy stores between locomotory activity (used in host finding) and infection activity (penetration). Chronic locomotory activity was stimulated by incubating S. vulgaris L3 larvae at a constant temperature (...
Ebisuda Y, Mukai K, Takahashi Y, Yoshida T, Kawano A, Matsuhashi T, Miyata H, Kuwahara M, Ohmura H.Heat acclimatization or acclimation training in horses is practiced to reduce physiological strain and improve exercise performance in the heat, which can involve metabolic improvement in skeletal muscle. However, there is limited information concerning the acute signaling responses of equine skeletal muscle after exercise in a hot environment. The purpose of this study was to investigate the hypothesis that exercise in hot conditions induces greater changes in heat shock proteins and mitochondrial-related signaling in equine skeletal muscle compared with exercise in cool conditions. Fifteen t...
Lohmann KL, Bahr A, Cohen ND, Boothe DM, Roussel AJ.To evaluate the correlation between the half-time of liquid-phase gastric emptying (T50) determined by use of nuclear scintigraphy, using technetiumTc 99m pentetate, and absorption variables of orally administered acetaminophen in horses with experimentally delayed gastric emptying. Methods: 6 mature horses. Methods: Delayed gastric emptying was induced by IV injection of atropine sulfate. Twenty minutes later, acetaminophen and technetium Tc 99m pentetate were administered simultaneously via nasogastric tube. Serial lateral images of the stomach region were obtained, using a gamma camera. Pow...
Wilsher S, Lefranc AC, Allen WR.During embryo transfer (ET) the equine embryo can tolerate a wide degree of negative asynchrony but positive asynchrony of >2 days usually results in embryonic death. There is still confusion over whether this is due to the inability of the embryo to induce luteostasis or to an inappropriate uterine environment. Objective: To assess embryo survival and development in an advanced uterine environment. Objective: Embryo-uterine asynchrony, not the embryo's inability to induce luteostasis, is responsible for embryonic death in recipient mares with a >2 days chronologically advanced uterus. Methods...
Read MR, Read EK, Duke T, Wilson DG.To compare induction and recovery characteristics and cardiopulmonary effects of isoflurane and sevoflurane in foals. Methods: Prospective crossover study. Methods: 6 healthy foals. Methods: Foals were anesthetized twice (once at 1 month of age and again at 3 months of age). Anesthesia was induced by administration of the agent in oxygen through a nasotracheal tube. During maintenance of anesthesia, foals were positioned in dorsal recumbency; intermittent positive-pressure ventilation was performed. Characteristics of induction and recovery were recorded. Cardiopulmonary variables were recorde...
Franson JC, Hofmeister EK, Collins GH, Dusek RJ.We screened 1,397 feral horses (Equus caballus) on Sheldon National Wildlife Refuge, Nevada, United States, for IgM and IgG against flavivirus during 2004-2006, 2008, and 2009. Positive serum samples were tested for neutralizing antibodies to West Nile virus (WNV) and St. Louis encephalitis virus (SLEV). One animal was positive for antibody against WNV in 2004, but all others tested in 2004-2006 were negative. In 2008 and 2009, we found evidence of increasing seropositive horses with age, whereas seroprevalence of WNV decreased from 19% in 2008 to 7.2% in 2009. No horses were positive for anti...
Martens RJ, Martens JG, Renshaw HW, Hietala SK.The opsonic capacity of serum containing R. equi-specific antibody was compared with antibody-deficient sera using luminol-dependent chemilumenscence (LDCL) and bactericidal assays. These assays incorporated peripheral blood polymorphonuclear neutrophilic leukocytes (PMNL) exposed to R. equi opsonized with neonatal equine pre-colostral serum (control) or serum from foals with R. equi infections (principal). All sera were complement inactivated at 56 degrees C for 30 min. Bacteria were obtained from the lung of a foal with R. equi pneumonia. Neutrophils were obtained from one adult horse for LD...
Summerhays GE.Eight horses with synovial sepsis induced by trauma were treated by arthroscopic/tenoscopic debridement and lavage followed by the implantation of a gentamicin-impregnated collagen sponge. Seven of them responded favourably and were sound six months after treatment. The other underwent a further surgical procedure and recovered. Gentamicin-impregnated collagen sponges appear to be a safe and useful adjunct in the treatment of septic joints and tendon sheaths, and have the advantage of being bioabsorbable.
Swor TM, Whittenburg JL, Chaffin MK.3 adult Quarter Horses were evaluated for acute, progressive neurologic signs 18 hours after oral administration of 1 dose of 1.87% ivermectin paste. Results: Clinical signs included depression, forelimb and hind limb ataxia, drooping of the superior and inferior lips, and muscle fasciculations. Bilateral mydriasis, decreased pupillary light reflexes, and absent menace reflexes were evident. Clinical signs progressed in severity for 36 hours after administration of the ivermectin. Results: All horses were treated supportively with IV administration of fluids and anti-inflammatory medications. ...
Rendle DI, Hughes KJ.Intracameral injection of tissue plasminogen activator has been suggested as a means of hastening the clearance of blood from the anterior chamber and reducing the risk of synechia and fibrotic membrane formation in horses with hyphaema. The following report describes a case of ocular trauma in which intracameral injection of tenecteplase (TNK), a new-generation plasminogen activator, resulted in rapid resolution of hyphaema and successful outcome. However, a large dose (1 mg) was administered and may have been associated with retinopathy and keratopathy. TNK may be an effective treatment for ...
Rodriguez Galarza RM, McMullen RJ.To describe the clinical presentation, diagnostic imaging results, and treatment outcomes of a series of presumed spontaneous Descemet's membrane detachments (DMD), ruptures, or separations (DMRS) in the adult horse. Methods: Ten adult horses of various breeds with DMD or DMRS. Methods: Descemet's membrane detachments/DMRS were diagnosed via slit lamp biomicroscopy, ultrasound biomicroscopy (UBM), and/or optical coherence tomography (OCT). Penetrating keratoplasty (PK) with heterologous corneal donor tissue (n = 1), superficial lamellar keratectomy, and Gundersen inlay flaps alone (GF, n =Â...
Wattle O, Ekfalck A, Funkquist B, Obel N.The authors postulated that a period of forced recumbency during an acute attack of laminitis may counteract the disabling effects on the secondary epidermal laminae. On the basis of this concept a study was made of the behavior of three healthy Shetland ponies when placed in a box in which the ceiling was too low for a standing position but allowed comfortable sternal recumbency. When the height of the box was about 125% of the vertical distance between the withers and the sternum, the ponies lay calmly during most of the experimental period and the rare attempts at rising did not seem to put...
Secombe CJ, Firth EC, Perkins NR, Anderson BH.Third carpal bone (C3) disease is a significant cause of lameness in Standardbred and Thoroughbred horses. The bone density of C3 increases as a result of exercise, reducing the compliance of the bone and predisposing it to injury. Currently, the most widely used method of diagnosis is subjective radiography using the tangential view. Radiographically, increases in bone mineral density (BMD) appear as sclerosis but it is not known at what point increases in sclerosis indicate the onset of disease or increased risk of C3 fracture. A quantitative assessment of the BMD of C3 in horses would impro...
Smith MA, Ross MW.To determine features of postoperative wound infection caused by Actinobacillus spp in horses undergoing clean, elective surgery and to evaluate bacterial susceptibility profiles of bacteria isolated. Methods: Retrospective study. Methods: 10 horses. Methods: Data were retrieved from medical records and the microbiology laboratory database. Results: 1,604 horses underwent clean, elective surgical procedures during the study period. Of these, 23 (1.43%) had postoperative wound infections, and Actinobacillus spp was isolated from 10 of these 23 (43%). Surgical procedures in these 10 horses inclu...
Ulrich R, Eydner M, Grün A, Haydn J, Baumgärtner W.This report describes the macroscopic, histologic, immunohistologic and ultrastructural characteristics ofa biphasic malignant mesothelioma in the peritoneal and pleural cavity of a 13-year-old Icelandic pony mare, which exhibited recurrent ascites clinically. Immunohistology was performed employing multiple monoclonal antibodies against cytokeratins (CK) and vimentin. The ultrastructural examination included the quantitative evaluation of the length to diameter ratio of the microvilli. Post mortem examination revealed a severe ascites and hydrothorax. The serosal surfaces of the peritoneum an...
Prades M, Grant BD, Turner TA, Nixon AJ, Brown MP.The clinical, radiographic, arthroscopic and pathological findings of 10 horses with injury to the cranial cruciate ligament are presented. The most consistent clinical signs included moderate to severe distension of the femoropatellar joint and a Grade III to a Grade V out of V lameness. Craniocaudal instability could be elicited in five horses under general anaesthesia and in one conscious horse. Radiographic evaluation of the stifles revealed that avulsion fracture of the medial intercondylar eminence was the most common finding in six out of 10 horses. Arthroscopic examination of the affec...
Gnagey L, Clayton HM, Lanovaz JL.The tarsal joint is a frequent site of lameness, but little objective information is available regarding the effects of tarsal conformation on joint movements or forces. Objective: To compare tarsal kinematics and kinetics in horses with large, intermediate and small tarsal angles. Methods: Sagittal plane standing angle of the right tarsal joint was measured in 16 horses as they stood squarely with the hind hooves vertically beneath the hip joint. Tarsal angles were classified as small (< 155.5 degrees), intermediate (155.5-165.5 degrees) or large (> 165.5 degrees). Reflective markers, attache...
Schoeb TR, Panciera RJ.Case records of 21 horses with acute illness following ingestion of hay containing dead striped blister beetles (Epicauta spp) were selected for review. Abdominal pain, fever, depression, frequent urination, shock, and, occasionally, synchronous diaphragmatic flutter characterized clinical illness. Hematologic findings included hemoconcentration, neutrophilic leukocytosis, and hypocalcemia. Hematuria and low urine specific gravity were abnormal urinalysis results. Sloughing of the epithelium of the esophageal part of the stomach, hemorrhagic and ulcerative cystitis, enterocolitis, and myocardi...
Minuto J, Bedenice D, Ceresia M, Zaghloul I, Böhlke M, Mazan MR.Nebulized lidocaine appears promising as a novel corticosteroid-sparing therapeutic for equine asthma, but its safety and pharmacokinetic behavior have yet to be confirmed. Unassigned: To describe the effect of nebulized lidocaine on upper airway sensitivity, lung mechanics, and lower respiratory cellular response of healthy horses, as well as delivery of lidocaine to lower airways, and its subsequent absorption, clearance, and duration of detectability. Unassigned: Six healthy university- and client-owned horses with normal physical examination and serum amyloid A, and no history of respirato...
Muylle S, Desmet P, Simoens P, Lauwers H, Vlaminck L.The innervation pattern of the interosseus muscle of the forelimb was studied in two ponies and two horses. The nerves of the suspensory ligament were studied histologically after neurectomy of the ulnar and median nerve branches proximal to the carpal joint. The results demonstrated that the interosseus muscle is innervated by the deep branch of the lateral palmar nerve which emerges at the level of the midcarpal region and contains fibres from the ulnar and the median nerve. These findings provide evidence that an ulnar nerve block proximal to the accessory bone would fail to anaesthetise th...
McLellan J, Plevin S.Upper respiratory tract (URT) endoscopic examination is a routine part of prepurchase examinations. Discrepancies have been documented in the assessment of arytenoid function grades (AFG) between veterinarians. Objective: To document intra- and interobserver agreement for a population of multi-experience level veterinarians for assessment of AFG of 2-year-old Thoroughbreds. Methods: Observational cohort study. Methods: One-hundred and fourteen URT videoendoscopic examinations were evaluated by 10 veterinarians. Veterinarians were categorised based on experience, into five groups, each group wi...
