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.
Kim DY, Taylor HW, Moore RM, Paulsen DB, Cho DY.Osteoarthritis (OA) is the most common joint disease in horses. Chondrocyte apoptosis has been implicated as a major pathological OA change in humans and experimental animals but no studies have been performed on equine OA. Articular cartilage was collected from three normal and five OA horses. Histopathological changes were scored by a modified Mankin grading system. A terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP nick-end labeling (TUNEL) assay was performed to identify chondrocyte apoptosis. Nitric oxide (NO) production from chondrocytes was indirectly evaluated by immunohistochemistr...
Hada T, Onaka T, Takahashi T, Hiraga A, Yagi K.This study investigated the effects of novelty stress on neuroendocrine activities and running performance in Thoroughbred horses. First, to examine the neuroendocrine responses to novelty stress, we exposed horses to two types of novel environmental stimuli (audiovisual or novel field stimuli). After the stimuli, plasma concentrations of vasopressin, catecholamines and adrenocorticotropin (ACTH), as well as heart rates, were significantly increased in each experiment. Second, we investigated neuroendocrine activities during incremental exercise. Plasma concentrations of vasopressin, catechola...
Carter CA, Jolly DG, Worden CE, Hendren DG, Kane CJ.Nonhealing wounds of the lower equine limb represent a challenging model. The platelet is a natural source of a myriad of growth factors and cytokines that promote wound healing. This study evaluates the potential of platelet derived factors to enhance wound healing in the lower equine limb. Platelets were isolated from horse blood and activated with thrombin, a process known to induce growth factor release. This produced a platelet gel composed of platelet-rich plasma (PRP). To test this all-natural wound healant, 2.5-cm(2) full thickness cutaneous wounds were created below the knee and hock ...
Düsterdieck KF, Pleasant RS, Lanz OI, Saunders G, Howard RD.To evaluate use of the Harmonic Scalpel (Ethicon Endo-Surgery Inc., Cincinnati, OH) for performing laparoscopic bilateral ovariectomy in standing horses. Methods: Experimental study. Methods: Eight mares aged 2-20 years and weighing 410-540 kg. Methods: Standing laparoscopic bilateral ovariectomy was performed in 8 mares with normal reproductive tract anatomy. The Harmonic Scalpel (an ultrasonically activated instrument) was used to simultaneously transect and obtain hemostasis of the ovarian pedicle. Necropsy was performed on 4 mares 3 days after surgery and 4 mares 30 days after surgery. Gro...
Argyle D, Ellsmore V, Gault EA, Munro AF, Nasir L.To determine the role of telomeres in cellular ageing in equids, we analysed telomere lengths in peripheral blood derived DNA samples from a panel of donkeys (Equus asinus) ranging from 2 to 30 years of age. The average telomere lengths ranged from 7 to 21 kbp and a statistically significant inverse correlation between telomere lengths and donor age was demonstrated. Similarly, telomere lengths in primary fibroblasts isolated from a horse (Equus equus) demonstrated telomeric loss with in vitro ageing when cultured to senescence. We extended this study to evaluate activity of the enzyme telomer...
Keoughan CG, Rodgerson DH, Brown MP.To describe a hand-assisted, laparoscopic technique to remove the left kidney in standing horses. Methods: Prospective evaluation. Methods: Eight horses. Methods: Food was withheld for a minimum of 12 hours. Horses were sedated with detomidine hydrochloride (0.01-0.02 mg/kg, intravenously) and restrained in standing stocks. The left paralumbar fossa was prepared for surgery, and the surgical site was infiltrated with 2% mepivacaine. Hand-assisted, laparoscopic removal of the left kidney was performed through an incision in the center of the paralumbar fossa; the surgeon's hand was used to isol...
Koekemoer JJ, Paweska JT, Pretorius PJ, van Dijk AA.We present the first VP2-gene phylogenetic analysis of African horsesickness (AHS) viruses within a serotype. Thirteen AHSV 7 isolates were obtained from cases that occurred in South Africa during 1998-1999, and three were historical AHSV 7 isolates. The goals were to start a database of isolates of known location and time of isolation and to determine if we could identify the origin of an AHS outbreak in the surveillance area in the Western Cape. We prepared full-length cDNA copies of the VP2-genes of the isolates. Nucleic acid sequence data of a 786 bp region was used to characterize the gen...
Pearce SG, Hurtig MB, Boure LP, Radcliffe RM, Richardson DW.To investigate the feasibility of resurfacing the equine fetlock joint using cylindrical, orthotopic, press-fit, osteochondral allografts. Methods: Experimental study. Methods: Ten mature, mixed-breed horses. Methods: Cylindrical, osteochondral grafts (6.5-mm diameter) were harvested aseptically from cadaveric equine metatarsophalangeal joints. Allografts were transplanted into 6 horses; 4 horses were sham operated. The surgical approach involved creation of a bone block at the origin of the medial collateral ligament and luxation of the metatarsophalangeal joint. Grafts were placed into the m...
Textor JA, Nixon AJ, Fortier LA.To develop a tenoscopic method to divide the carpal flexor retinaculum and decompress the carpal canal. Methods: Cadaver specimen study and prospective trial. Methods: Twelve cadaveric limbs, 4 clinically normal horses, and 2 clinically affected horses. Methods-A tenoscopic approach to the proximolateral aspect of the carpal sheath was used to identify and facilitate endoscopic division of the inner and outer layers of the carpal flexor retinaculum in cadaver limbs. The technique was further evaluated in 4 normal and 2 clinically affected horses. Results: Anatomic dissection, intraoperative ob...
Malone ED, Les CM, Turner TA.To report a severe form of carpometacarpal osteoarthritis (CMC-OA) affecting primarily older Arabian horses. Methods: Retrospective study. Methods: Thirty-one horses with CMC-OA. Methods: Carpal radiographs (405 sets) from 3 hospitals were evaluated to identify horses with marked osteoproliferative reaction across the medial aspect of the CMC joint. Owners were contacted to obtain detailed histories and status updates. Necropsy specimens of the CMC joint were evaluated at 2 hospitals to determine the prevalence of 2 variations in the articulation between the proximal second and third metacarpa...
Rampersad J, Cesar E, Campbell MD, Samlal M, Ammons D.We report on a study that evaluated the usefulness of PCR for the routine detection of Babesia equi in horses. The blood from a total of 105 horses comprising both sick and apparently healthy animals were examined for the presence of B. equi using both Wright-Giemsa-stained blood smears and PCR. Microscopic analysis of Giemsa-stained blood smears revealed 10/105 animals positive for Babesia, compared to 16/105 for the primary PCR and 36/105 for the nested PCR. Three of the 10 samples positive by Wright-Giemsa-stain were negative by PCR for B. equi. However, evidence is presented that these sam...
Corley KT, Donaldson LL, Durando MM, Birks EK.Critical illness, anesthesia, primary cardiovascular disease, and exercise may result in marked hemodynamic alterations. Measuring cardiac output (CO) is central to defining these alterations for both clinician and researcher. In the past 10 years, several new methods of measuring CO have been developed for the human medical market. Some of these methods are now validated in the horse and are in clinical use. The Fick method has been used in equine research for more than a century. It depends on simultaneous measurement of mixed venous (pulmonary arterial) and peripheral arterial oxygen conten...
Naylor JM, Wolker RE, Pharr JW.Twenty students and 16 diplomates listened to 7 recordings made from 7 horses with either aortic (n = 3) or mitral valve (n = 4) regurgitant murmurs. A total of 30 different terms were used to describe the character of these murmurs. However, only 4 terms were used in a repeatable and consistent manner. Most people described the character of a given mitral or aortic valve murmur with 1 or 2 terms. Diplomates drew from a pool of terms that was about half the size of that used by students--8.1 +/- 2.0 terms for diplomats (mean +/- 1 SD) versus 13.1 +/- 1.8 terms for students (P > .001). Only blo...
van der Linden MA, Laffont CM, Sloet van Oldruitenborgh-Oosterbaan MM.A retrospective study was performed on 649 horses admitted to the Clinic of Equine Internal Medicine (Utrecht University) for gastrointestinal colic. The aim of this study was to provide a better guideline for determining prognosis in horses with colic. Short- and long-term survival were evaluated, and Cox regression analysis was performed to identify the clinical and clinicopathologic variables usable to predict survival. Intestinal displacements and strangulations were the most frequently diagnosed causes of colic. Regarding the surgically treated horses, 54% were discharged and 88% of these...
Perkins GA, Nydam DV, Flaminio MJ, Ainsworth DM.The purposes of this study were to (1) prospectively establish serum IgM and IgG concentrations in normal, fit, adult horses over time and (2) determine the accuracy of serum IgM concentrations for diagnosing lymphoma. Serial IgM and IgG concentrations were measured with a radial immunodiffusion assay in 25 regularly exercised horses at 6-week intervals. Horses had serum IgM concentrations ranging from 50 to 242 mg/dL over 5 months, with 20% of horses having IgM < or = 60 mg/dL. The normal range for IgM in fit horses should be considered 103 +/- 40 mg/dL and a cut-point for an IgM deficiency, ...
Albihn A, Waelchli RO, Samper J, Oriol JG, Croy BA, Betteridge KJ.A novel xenogeneic transplantation approach was used to determine whether it is embryonic or maternal tissue that produces the material that gives rise to the mucin-like glycoprotein of the equine embryonic capsule. Endometrial biopsy samples and conceptuses from six mares at days 13-15 after ovulation were prepared as 1 mm(3) grafts of endometrium, trophoblast and capsule for transplantation, alone or in combination, into various sites in 88 immunodeficient (severe combined immunodeficient or RAG2/gamma(c) double mutant) mice. The overall recovery rate of grafts was over 50%, reaching 100% wi...
Johnson CA, Thompson DL, Cartmill JA.Three experiments were performed to test the following hypotheses: 1) stallions and/or progesterone-estradiol-treated geldings could serve as models for the effects of a single implant of the GnRH analog, deslorelin acetate, on LH and FSH secretion by mares; and 2) multiple implants of deslorelin acetate could be used as a means of inducing ovarian atrophy in mares for future study of the mechanisms involved in the atrophy observed in some mares after a single implant. In Exp. 1, nine light horse stallions received either a single deslorelin implant (n = 5) or a sham injection (n = 4) on d 0. ...
Stevenson RA, Hartley CA, Huang JA, Studdert MJ, Crabb BS, Warner S.Equine rhinitis A virus (ERAV) is an important respiratory pathogen of horses and is of additional interest because of its close relationship and common classification with foot-and-mouth disease virus (FMDV). As is the case with FMDV, the VP1 capsid protein of ERAV has been shown to be a target of neutralizing antibodies. In FMDV VP1, such antibodies commonly recognize linear epitopes present in the betaG-betaH loop region. To map linear B cell epitopes in ERAV VP1, overlapping fragments spanning its length were expressed in Escherichia coli as glutathione S-transferase (GST) fusion proteins....
Marchal R, Caillaud M, Martoriati A, Gérard N, Mermillod P, Goudet G.The aim of this study was to investigate the role of growth hormone (GH) on in vitro cumulus expansion and oocyte maturation in equine and porcine cumulus-oocyte complexes (COCs), and to approach its way of action. Equine COCs were cultured in a control medium (TCM199, 5 mg/ml BSA, 1 microg/ml estradiol, and antibiotics) supplemented with either 0.5 microg/ml equine GH or 5 microg/ml equine LH. Porcine COCs were cultured in a basal medium (TCM199 with 570 microM cysteamine) supplemented with 0, 0.1, 0.5, or 1 microg/ml porcine GH or in a control medium (basal medium with 10 ng/ml epidermal gro...
Martin CA, Kerr CL, Pearce SG, Lansdowne JL, Bouré LP.To determine reasons for epidural catheter placement among horses examined at a veterinary teaching hospital, efficacy of epidural administration of analgesics, duration of catheter placement, reasons for catheter removal, and complications encountered. Methods: Retrospective study. Methods: 43 horses. Methods: Medical records were reviewed. Results: A total of 50 epidural catheters were placed in the 43 horses. Underlying conditions included fractures, lacerations, septic arthritis, myositis, perineal injuries, and cellulitis. Horses ranged from 2 to 21 years old and weighed between 365 and 7...
Pinchbeck GL, Clegg PD, Proudman CJ, Morgan KL, French NP.Between March 1, 2000 and August 31, 2001, a case-control study was conducted on 12 racecourses in England and Wales to identify and quantify the risk factors associated with horse falls in hurdle races. The cases and controls were defined so that variables relating to the horse, the jockey, the race and racecourse, and the jump could be considered. The cases were defined as a jumping effort at a hurdle flight that resulted in a fall, and the controls were defined as a successful jump over a hurdle at any of the 12 racecourses within 14 days before or after the case fall. Conditional logistic ...
Zicker SC, Brumbaugh GW.The effect of phenylbutazone (4.4 mg/kg of body weight, IV, q 24 h, for 5 days) on glucose tolerance and on secretion of insulin in 6 healthy geldings was determined. Phenylbutazone significantly lowered fasting concentrations of glucose in plasma but did not significantly change the concentration of insulin in serum. There was no significant effect of phenylbutazone on glucose tolerance, on secretion of insulin, or on the area under the insulin/glucose ratio vs time curve in healthy geldings, as determined by paired t test analysis.
Lunn P, Vagnoni KE, Ginther OJ.Out of all the areas of comparative immunological study in the horse, the field of reproductive immunology has proven to be one of the most fertile and exciting. Maternal immunological interactions with the fetus involve a set of events which prevent maternal rejection of trophoblastic tissue invading the uterus, and at the same time control this invasion to regulate growth and prevent damage to maternal tissues. Unique features of equine placentation make it exceptionally well-suited to studying these immunological interactions.
Ramires Neto C, Monteiro GA, Soares RF, Pedrazzi C, Dell'aqua JA, Papa FO, Castro-Chaves MM, Alvarenga MA.Seminal plasma removal, an indispensable step in equine semen cryopreservation, is usually done by centrifugation, but this might cause mechanical damage to sperm. A new method for seminal plasma removal from stallion semen, namely a filter composed of a synthetic hydrophilic membrane (Sperm Filter, BotuPharma, Botucatu, Sao Paulo, Brazil), was recently proposed. The objective of this study was to test the use of the Sperm Filter in the removal of seminal plasma before freezing stallion semen. Ejaculates from 31 stallions were divided into two groups and cryopreserved. In group 1 (G1), seminal...
Raidal SL, McTaggart C, Penhale J.To quantify absorption of colostral IgG by healthy neonatal foals and to test the hypothesis that delayed ingestion of macromolecules prolongs the duration of intestinal permeability to immunoglobulins (Ig) in newborn foals. Methods: Thirteen mixed breed foals. Methods: Foals were randomly assigned to two treatment groups, which were fed either a glucose-electrolyte solution or a commercial milk replacer for 12 h after birth, before being fed a known amount of colostral IgG. A control group was fed a known amount of colostral IgG from birth. The efficiency of IgG absorption was calculated foll...
Powell SE.Multidetector-row computed tomographic contrast angiography (MDCTA) is routinely employed to investigate vascular masses in human patients but, to date, the use of this technique to investigate an aneurysmal mass has not been reported in an equine case. The potential of MDCTA to investigate a right-sided parapharyngeal mass in a 6-week-old Thoroughbred foal was therefore investigated. A 4-slice helical computed tomography scanner was used on a superficial, firm, ovoid mass yielding arterial blood on fine needle aspiration. MDCTA enabled identification of the vessels involved thus assisting in ...
Sancler-Silva YFR, Monteiro GA, Ramires-Neto C, Freitas-Dell'aqua CP, Crespilho AM, Franco MMJ, Silva-Junior ER, Cavalero TMS, Scheeren VFC, Papa FO.Inflammation of the seminal vesicle interferes with fertility and is a persistent problem that is difficult to treat. The aim of this study was to evaluate the semen quality of 5 stallions with seminal vesiculitis before and after local treatment. All stallions were endoscopically treated for seminal vesiculitis during 10 consecutive days. The glandular lumen was accessed and flushed with a Ringer Lactate solution prior to antibiotic infusion. The antibiotic was selected based on the antibiogram from bacterial culture of samples previously collected from the seminal vesicles. The kinetic param...
Boero MJ, Kneller SK, Baker GJ, Metcalf MR, Twardock AR.Injury of the lateral collateral ligaments of the tarsocrural joints was diagnosed in nine Standardbred pacers. The average age was 4.9 years. The severity of the lameness varied from severe to subtle and joint effusion was seen in eight of 10 tarsocrural joints. A positive hindlimb flexion test was seen in four of six cases in which results were recorded. The identification of the site of involvement was based on a focal intense 'hot spot' seen on scintigraphy, and new bone formation seen radiographically at the anatomical sites of insertion of the long lateral collateral ligament of the tars...
Baratt R.Although diagnostic images can be obtained with traditional rare-earth film-screen combinations, digital radiography (DR) has enhanced the ability of the general practitioner to obtain diagnostic radiographs of the equine head. With the widespread availability of DR in equine practices, the practitioner can more readily learn the correct positioning for the various projections of the equine head that are used to evaluate the dentition and sinuses. Digital systems provide rapid processing of the image, enabling the practitioner to correct positioning errors and retake the image without signific...
Haffner JC, Fecteau KA, Held JP, Eiler H.Under laboratory conditions and in clinical experiments, bacterial collagenase has proven to be effective in hydrolyzing placenta and detaching cotyledon from caruncle in the bovine species. Laboratory studies in which placental samples were incubated with collagenase have also demonstrated that collagenase is 3.7 times more effective in hydrolyzing equine placenta than bovine placenta. This led to the hypothesis that collagenase may be a potential treatment for mares with retained placenta. However, that collagenase may hydrolyze the uterine wall and perforate the uterus was a concern. It was...
Bailey SR, Elliott J.Endotoxin has been implicated in the pathophysiology of acute laminitis. The aim of this study was to examine the direct effects of endotoxin on isolated equine digital blood vessels. Equine digital veins (EDV), incubated in Krebs-Henseleit solution containing lipopolysaccharide (LPS) (1 microg/ml) became hyporesponsive to 5-HT after 16 h. Cycloheximide and ibuprofen blocked this effect of LPS and increased the maximum response obtained to 5-HT when compared to control vessels. L-nitroarginine methyl ester (L-NAME) reversed the hyporesponsiveness caused by LPS. Vessels maintained in culture me...
Krueger K, Gruentjens T, Hempel E.Wolves returned to Germany in 2000, leading to fear in German horse owners that their horses could be in danger of wolf attacks or panic-like escapes from pastures when sighting wolves. However, reports from southern European countries indicate that wolf predation on horses diminishes with increasing presence of wildlife. Therefore, we conducted a long-term, filed observation between January 2015 and July 2022 on 13 non breeding riding horses, mares and geldings, kept permanently on two pastures within the range of wildlife and a stable wolf pack with annual offspring. Wildlife cameras at the ...
Hamanaka S, Handa S, Inoue J, Hasegawa A, Yamakawa T.The ganglioside patterns of erythrocytes from individual horses and cattle were examined. Variations in the ganglioside patterns were found in both horses and cattle. In the erythrocytes of most horses examined, NeuGc-Gal-Glc-ceramide (NeuGc-GM3) of 25 horses examined had only NeuGc-GM3 with no 4-O-Ac-NeuGc-GM3. The erythrocytes of various breeds of cattle had a characteristic ganglioside pattern, but they could be divided into 4 types on the basis of the composition of their gangliosides.
Schmidbauer SM, Venner M, von Samson-Himmelstjerna G, Drommer W, Gruber AD.Interstitial lung disease with chronic fibrosis is a frequent cause of reduced performance in horses. The aim of this study was to establish a model of acute alveolar damage and interstitial lung disease in horses that could be used to monitor the histopathological lesions and changes in expression levels of genes relevant to pulmonary fibrosis. Six adult horses were given a single intravenous injection (6 mg per kg body weight) of perilla mint ketone (PMK). Transthoracic lung biopsy samples (1 x 0.2 x 0.2 cm) were collected before and after (days 1, 4, 8, 11, 15, 18, 22, 25 and 29) the admini...
Marolf V, Mirra A, Fouché N, Navas de Solis C.A 3-day-old Swiss Warmblood colt was diagnosed with uroabdomen after urinary bladder rupture. The foal had classical electrolyte abnormalities (hyponatremia, hypochloremia and hyperkalemia) on presentation. The foal was supported prior to surgery with intravenous fluids and the electrolyte abnormalities were treated with physiologic saline, glucose and insulin. Urine could not be drained from the abdomen prior to surgery because the omentum was continuously occluding the drainage cannula and due to progressive abdominal distension, it was decided to pursue surgery without further correction of...
Leiberich M, Marais HJ, Naidoo V.The plight of the white rhinoceros () and the increasing need of treatment options for injured poaching victims led to the necessity to expand the knowledge on applicable drugs in this endangered species. With very little information available on drug pharmacokinetics in rhino, veterinarians have to rely on information generated from other species. The horse being a closely related species, has served as the model for dose extrapolations. However, from recent research on enrofloxacin and carprofen, the white rhino showed considerable differences in the pharmacokinetic properties of these drugs...
Beadle RE, Robinson NE, Sorenson PR.The cardiopulmonary effects of 0, 5, 10, and 15 cm of H2O positive end-expiratory pressures (PEEP) were determined in anesthetized, spontaneously breathing horses, using a 4 by 4 Latin-square design with one repetition. Cardiac output, alveolar-arterial oxygen tension difference, alveolar ventilation, dead space/tidal volume ratio, and carbon dioxide elimination were not significantly altered by the procedure. As PEEP was increased, alveolar and arterial oxygen tensions, respiratory exchange ratio, and pH decreased, whereas arterial carbon dioxide tension and oxygen consumption increased. Thes...
Thomas GW, Bell SC, Phythian C, Taylor P, Knottenbelt DC, Carter SD.Fell pony foals are affected by a congenital fatal immunodeficiency that commonly leads to anaemia and lymphopenia. Previous work has shown that the foals' circulating subpopulations of CD4 and CD8 T lymphocytes are unaffected. In this study it was shown that the mean population of B lymphocytes in 10 affected foals was less than 10 per cent of that in normal foals.
Porter BF, Storts RW, Payne HR, Edwards JF.Ganglioneuromas are complex tumors that arise in peripheral ganglia and are composed of well-differentiated neurons, nerve processes, Schwann cells, and enteric glial cells. The term ganglioneuromatosis (GN) denotes a regional or segmental proliferation of ganglioneuromatous tissue. This report describes an 8-year-old mixed breed horse with GN in a 25-cm segment of small colon. Grossly, the lesion consisted of numerous sessile to pedunculated nodules extending from the serosal surface. Histologic examination revealed the nodules to consist of fascicles of spindle-shaped cells consistent with S...
Bello AC, Da Cunha AP, Leite RC, Oliveira PR, Ribeiro AC, Domingues LN, De Freitas CM, Bastianetto E, Dalla Rosa RC.This trial evaluated control practices of Anocentor nitens on equines, using spraying devices and application of acaricide paste formulation in the auricular pavilion and nasal diverticulum. The study was carried out from October 2003 to March of 2008 and the evaluations had been divided in the following stages: Phase 1--out/03 mar/04 and Phases 2, 3, 4 and 5, respectively, correspondents to the month's periods until março/08. It was used score of 0 to 3 to classify infestation levels. From abr/04 to mar/06 was implanted a schedule of acaricide sprayings every seven days and divided in two se...
Ricard RM, Burton J, Chow-Lockerbie B, Wobeser B.Chlamydiae are reported to cause abortion in several species, however the association between Chlamydia sp. and equine abortions is poorly understood. A zoonotic transfer event of C. psittaci from aborted equine tissues in Australia has emphasized the need to better understand the prevalence of this pathogen in equine populations. The prevalence of chlamydia in equine abortions in North America has not been investigated thoroughly. We examined 99 formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded placental samples submitted between 2009 and 2020 from equine abortions in Western Canada using chlamydia-specific ...
Wentink GH.The locomotor pattern of the hind limb of seven horses has been studied in intact animals and after transection of the following structures: the peroneus tertius tendon, the cranial tibial muscle, both cranial tibial muscle and peroneus tertius tendon, and the superficial digital flexor tendon. The investigation was carried out by high speed cinematography and electromyography. It is concluded that (1) the muscles and tendons over the cranial aspect of the tibia play an important role during the support phase; (2) the movements of the hind limb may be performed without the action of the crania...
Henry RW, Diesem CD.Radial and median motor nerve conduction velocities were determined on 10 clinically healthy 1- to 11-year-old ponies. These velocities were obtained by stimulation at the brachial plexus directly through a surgical incision and later in the ambulatory pony via implanted Formvar-coated wire electrodes. Percutaneous stimulation was used at the cubital region in both anesthetized and ambulatory ponies. The values for radial motor nerve fibers ranged from 96.4 to 100 m/s. These were 15.3% faster than previously reported distal values. Median motor nerve fiber values ranged from 86.8 to 90.2 m/s, ...
Yuen KY, Gibson JS, Hinrichsen S, Medina-Torres CE, Bertin FR, Stewart AJ.Prudent use of antimicrobials is paramount to slow the development of resistance and for successful treatment. The use of cumulative antibiograms will allow evidence-based antimicrobial selection with consideration of local resistance patterns. We generated a "first-isolate-per-patient" cumulative antibiogram for a regional equine referral hospital. Bacterial organisms cultured from horses between 2011 and 2018, sample origin, antimicrobial susceptibilities, and multidrug-resistant (MDR) status were tabulated. Of 1,176 samples, 50% were culture positive. Overall, 93 of 374 (25%) were MDR. Of t...
Karns PA, Luther DG.In a survey of 13 Louisiana equine practices, it was determined that 366 of 3,316 horses developed adverse reactions following use of ivermectin, with 3 of the horses having more than 1 reaction. Almost all of the reactions were of minor to moderate concern; however, 1 death was reported. Three hundred and thirty-two (91% of all reactions) were reported as ventral midline pruritus or edema (10% of all doses). Fifteen (0.45%) were transient injection site swelling and/or stiffness. Eleven horses (0.33%) developed limb edema. Eyelid edema was reported in 4 horses (0.12%). Two horses (0.06%) had ...
Estell K.Acute central nervous system (CNS) trauma in the field is best approached by a systematic and thorough physical and neurologic examination that allows the practitioner to localize the brain or spinal cord injury. The skull and vertebral canal are complex 3-dimensional structures, and orthogonal radiographic views are necessary for an accurate diagnosis. Therapeutics aimed at decreasing pain, inflammation, and edema or increased intracranial pressure in the case of traumatic brain injury should be administered. Survival and return to athleticism can be achieved even in moderate-to-severe trauma...
Isgren CM, Salem SE, Singer ER, Wylie CE, Lipreri G, Graham RJTY, Bladon B, Boswell JC, Fiske-Jackson AR, Mair TS, Rubio-Martínez LM.Previous studies investigating factors associated with survival following endoscopic treatment of contamination/sepsis of the calcaneal bursa are limited. Objective: To investigate the factors associated with survival in horses with contamination/sepsis of the calcaneal bursae treated endoscopically and to describe the bacterial isolates involved in the synovial infections. Methods: Retrospective analysis of clinical records. Methods: Medical records from 128 horses with contamination/sepsis of the calcaneal bursae treated by endoscopic lavage at seven equine hospitals were reviewed. A follow-...
Pritchard A, Nielsen BD, Robison C, Spooner H.Previous research documented that furosemide negatively impacted calcium balance for 3 days but did not determine when calcium balance returned to baseline. This study hypothesized that furosemide's impact on calcium would return to control values before 7 days post-administration. Ten mature geldings were assigned to either control (CON, n = 5) or treatment (FUR, n = 5) for the first of two 8-day total collections in crossover design. Treatment horses received one administration of furosemide (1 mg/kg, IV). A 10% sample of pooled faeces and urine from each day was kept. Calcium concent...
Nash DM, Sheldon IM, Herath S, Lane EA.Mating-induced endometritis (MIE) is ubiquitous in the horse after natural mating and artificial insemination with frozen/thawed semen causing the most aggressive response. The majority of mares eliminate MIE 24-48 h after insemination. An endometrial explant culture was tested as a potential in vitro exemplar for sperm-induced MIE. Endometrial prostaglandin F(2alpha) (PGF(2alpha)) secretion and expression of interleukin-8 (IL-8) were used as markers of inflammation. Endometrial explants were cultured from uteri collected from follicular phase mares. Explants were challenged with 1 or 10 x 10(...
