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.
You Y, Proctor RM, Haughan J, Missanelli JR, Robinson MA.Fentanyl, a powerful synthetic mu opioid receptor agonist, is banned in equine sports by the Association of Racing Commissioners International and the Fédération Équestre Internationale. The presence of fentanyl in equine blood has been confirmed during routine post-race screening for doping substances in the authors' laboratory. While fentanyl can be detected and confirmed in blood, it is rapidly metabolized, and screening for the metabolite N-[1-(2-phenethy-4-piperidinyl)] maloanilinic acid (PMA) in equine urine is expected to allow for a longer detection time. In this study, a quantitati...
Boisseau M, Mach N, Basiaga M, Kuzmina T, Laugier C, Sallé G.Equine strongyles encompass more than 64 species of nematode worms that are responsible for growth retardation and the death of animals. The factors underpinning variation in the structure of the equine strongyle community remain unknown. Methods: Using horse-based strongyle community data collected after horse deworming (48 horses in Poland, 197 horses in Ukraine), we regressed species richness and the Gini-Simpson index upon the horse's age, faecal egg count, sex and operation of origin. Using the Ukrainian observations, we applied a hierarchical diversity partitioning framework to estimate ...
Rohlf CM, Garcia TC, Fyhrie DP, le Jeune SS, Peterson ML, Stover SM.Mechanical properties of arena surfaces are extrinsic factors for musculoskeletal injury. Vertical impact forces of harrowed and compacted cushion were measured at five locations on 12 arena surfaces (five dirt, seven synthetic [dirt and fiber]). Eight variables related to impact force, displacement, and acceleration were calculated. Surface temperature, cushion depth and moisture content were also measured. The effects of surface material type (dirt/synthetic) and cushion compaction (harrowed/compacted) on vertical impact properties were assessed using an analysis of variance. Relationships o...
de Almeida Campos AC, Cicolo S, de Oliveira CM, Molina CV, Navas-Suárez PE, Dos Santos TP, da Silveira VB, Barbosa CM, Baccarin RYA, Durigon EL....No abstract available
Chans-Veres J, Albiñana-Cunningham J, Quintela JM, Pereira E, Tejero S.Surgery for severe equine cavo-varus is complex and must be individualized. The interindividual phenotypic variability demands a personalized planning of each foot to be operated. The study's primary goal was to evaluate the function and satisfaction of a series of patients with severe equinus cavo-varus deformity who underwent a triplanar tarsectomy and transposition of the posterior tibial tendon in a single stage surgery after a patient specific 3D biomodel planning. A series of 12 feet (5 patients bilaterally) operated with this technique was analyzed. The cohort comprised 2 females (28.5 ...
Curnow B, Rich AF, Ireland J, Correa DC, Dunn J, Jenkins D, Carslake H, Ressel L.Although the equine sarcoid is the most common skin neoplasm in domesticated horses, histopathological characteristics have not previously been evaluated for association with recurrence. The aim of this retrospective cohort study was to investigate clinical and histopathological features of excised equine sarcoids and to evaluate their association with recurrence at the original surgical site and at new sites. Clinical records and excisional biopsies from 106 equine sarcoids from 64 horses referred to Leahurst Equine Hospital, University of Liverpool, between March 2010 and February 2015 were ...
Pusterla N, Barnum S, Lawton K, Wademan C, Corbin R, Hodzic E.Contemporary data on equine herpesvirus-1 (EHV-1) genotype (non-neuropathogenic or N, neuropathogenic or D and new variant or H) in clinically diseased equids is important in order to determine the frequency of these genotypes and their association with disease expression. A total of 297 EHV-1 qPCR-positive swabs collected from 2019 to 2022 from horses with respiratory disease (EHV-1), neurological disease (equine herpesvirus-1 myeloencephalopathy [EHM]) and abortion were tested for the three different EHV-1 genotypes (N, D and H) using qPCR allelic discrimination assays. All submissions origi...
Jammes M, Contentin R, Cassé F, Galéra P.Osteoarthritis (OA) is a degenerative disease that eventually leads to the complete degradation of articular cartilage. Articular cartilage has limited intrinsic capacity for self-repair and, to date, there is no curative treatment for OA. Humans and horses have a similar articular cartilage and OA etiology. Thus, in the context of a One Health approach, progress in the treatment of equine OA can help improve horse health and can also constitute preclinical studies for human medicine. Furthermore, equine OA affects horse welfare and leads to significant financial losses in the equine industry....
Roxon C, Slack J, Bender S, Burns H, Turner R.A 12-year-old Standardbred stallion presented with a 5-month history of a growing mass in the left testis as well as an overall decrease in left testicular size. Palpation and ultrasonography of the left testis revealed a firm, hypoechoic, clearly delineated soft tissue mass in the craniolateral portion of the testis that measured 2.5 × 2.3 × 1.9 cm. Two smaller, hypoechoic regions also were visible ultrasonographically in the left testis, suggesting the presence of multifocal/multicentric neoplasia. The affected testis was very small (testicular volume of 40.3 cm). The right testis was ...
Bartolome Del Pino LE, Meana A, Zini M, Cersini A.Equine piroplasmosis (EP) is a vector borne disease caused by apicomplexans protists Babesia caballi (Nuttal et Strickland, 1910) and Theileria equi (Laveran, 1901). Carrier mares may transmit the infection transplacental resulting in neonatal piroplasmosis or abortions. This event has been described for T. equi by several authors over the world, but no evidence for B. caballi has been reported in Europe. In this study, vertical transmission for both parasites in an Italian breed mare has been confirmed using molecular and microscopic tools. Transplacental transmission is an underestimated pro...
Klecel W, Drobik-Czwarno W, Martyniuk E.Arabian show horses are well known for their exceptional beauty and elegance. The breed type, body conformation and movement are assessed during horse shows by licensed judges. The 5 judging categories are type, head and neck, body and topline, legs and movement, which are scored on a 20 point scale. It can be hypothesized that the scores in different categories are related to each other, and that the score for the most subjective type category depends on the scores for conformation categories. We analyzed 762 sets of average scores obtained by 583 unique horses at the World Championships. Cor...
Amaral A, Cebola N, Szóstek-Mioduchowska A, Rebordão MR, Kordowitzki P, Skarzynski D, Ferreira-Dias G.Myeloperoxidase is an enzyme released by neutrophils when neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs) are formed. Besides myeloperoxidase activity against pathogens, it was also linked to many diseases, including inflammatory and fibrotic ones. Endometrosis is a fibrotic disease of the mare endometrium, with a large impact on their fertility, where myeloperoxidase was shown to induce fibrosis. Noscapine is an alkaloid with a low toxicity, that has been studied as an anti-cancer drug, and more recently as an anti-fibrotic molecule. This work aims to evaluate noscapine inhibition of collagen type 1 (C...
Willette J, Gerras A, Sledge D, Koch D.A 13-year-old multiparous Quarter Horse mare was presented to the Michigan State University's, Large Animal Emergency service for dystocia. Clinical evaluation revealed a minimally dilated cervix on vaginal examination, with a palpable deceased fetus. Postmortem evaluation following owner-elected humane euthanasia revealed a circumferential, tan, fibrous band at the base of the uterine body that constricted the uterus and was adhered to the left and right ovaries. A routine histologic section of the incarcerating cord attached to the ovary consisted predominately of dense fibrous connective ti...
Assumpção TI, Lançoni R, Foschini M, Vieira CS.This study aimed to select high-quality spermatozoa by sperm separation by magnetic activation of the fresh equine semen, compared to density gradient centrifugation and evaluating cell quality after selection. The semen of 10 stallions was collected by the artificial vagina technique. The samples analyzed were: (1) fresh semen; (2) density gradient centrifugation (DGC); (3) separation by magnetic activation (MASS) (nonapoptotic portion NAP); (4) separation by MASS (apoptotic portion-APT). Was analyzed: motility (light microscopy), concentration (Neubauer chamber), semen morphology (humid cham...
Bertuglia A, Pallante M, Pillon G, Valle D, Pagliara E, Riccio B.This case series describes an alternative surgical technique to obtain reattachment of osteochondritis dissecans (OCD) lesions in the lateral trochlear ridge of the femur (LTRF) as well as the clinical and radiological outcome of treated cases. Four Standardbred yearlings (6 lesions in total) underwent surgical fixation of large OCD defects in the LTRF under arthroscopic guidance. Reattachment of the OCD lesions was obtained using 3.0/3.7 mm headless bio-compression and absorbable poly-l-lactic acid (PLLA) screws, inserted perpendicularly to the cartilage surface through the lesion. All horse...
Pereira MR, Trein CR, Webster A, Dallagnol B, Gonchoroski GZ, Pellegrini DP, Doyle R, Klafke G, Reck J.The apicomplexan hemoprotozoan Theileria equi is a tick-borne pathogen that causes disease in equids, and together with Babesia caballi, causes equine piroplasmosis (EP). Many ticks are associated with EP around the world, and in South America three species may be related: Dermacentor nitens, Amblyomma sculptum, and Rhipicephalus microplus, as they are commonly found in horses. Among the species cited above, only R. microplus is found in Rio Grande do Sul state, Southern Brazil. In addition, this state has the only area legally free of R. microplus in Brazil. This study aimed to compare the se...
Karatt TK, Sathiq MA, Laya S, Karakka Kal AK, Subhahar MB, M P MA, Philip M, Graiban FM, Caveney MR.Since 2010, there has been an increasing number of adverse analytical findings related to selective androgen receptor modulators (SARMs) in competitive sports. It emphasizes the importance of comprehensive doping control analytical procedures that are capable of detecting SARM misuse. Methods: In this study, it is described how LY2452473, a SARM, was metabolized in thoroughbred horses after a single-dose oral administration and in vitro with equine liver microsome preparations. An investigation of the metabolism of LY2452473 in horses' urine, plasma, and hair matrices was carried out during th...
Rumpel AS, De Carvalho AL, Vassoler JM, Schmidt ML, Mertz CC, Rozo CAC, Campos JK, Alievi MM. The aim of this study was to compare the biomechanical properties of two minimally invasive arthrodesis techniques of the equine proximal interphalangeal (PIP) joint (three transarticular 5.5-mm cortical screws [AO-3TLS] vs. two transarticular 7.0-mm headless cannulated multi-use compression screws [MUC-2TS]) in dynamic non-destructive testing and compression testing to failure. Methods: The experimental study included six pairs of cadaveric adult equine forelimbs; one limb from each horse was randomly assigned to one of the treatments, and the contralateral limb was submitted to the rem...
Gibson MJ, Legg KA, Gee EK, Rogers CW.Race day fatalities as a consequence of catastrophic musculoskeletal injury and cardiac failure are both a welfare concern and provide a challenge for the social perceptions of equine welfare within the racing industry. To reduce race day fatalities, the risk factors under New Zealand racing conditions need to be identified. The aim of this study was to examine race and horse-level risk factors for fatalities in New Zealand Thoroughbred flat racing using retrospective race day data from the 2011/12-2021/22 racing seasons. Horse and race-level factors associated with a suspected cardiac failure...
Ferreira PFA, Xavier JF, Nunes JF, Fonseca IP, de Mattos de Oliveira Coelho S, Soares de Souza MM, da Silva Coelho I.Livestock waste is widely used in agriculture. Although they provide benefits to the soil, and consequently to plants, they have the potential to contaminate the environment, as they contain pathogenic microorganisms and determinants of antimicrobial resistance, if not properly managed. Therefore, this study aims to evaluate the effect of composting horse bedding and poultry litter in organic and conventional production systems on the occurrence of bacteria in the Enterobacteriales order and to identify their antimicrobial resistance profiles. Bacterial strains were isolated from Salmonella-Sh...
Auffret V, Bonilla AG. The aim of this article was to describe the technique and outcomes of standing surgical management of splint bone fractures and to compare outcome variables and hospitalization cost to a group with similar fractures treated under general anaesthesia. Methods: It is a single-institution retrospective study. Surgical technique, surgical time, hospitalization cost and complications were retrieved from the medical records of horses treated surgically for splint bone fractures (2008-2020). Owner telephone follow-up provided data about athletic outcome, client satisfaction and cosmetic appeara...
Sewgobind S, Johnson N, Mansfield KL.Japanese encephalitis (JE) is an infection that occurs predominantly in Asia and the Pacific Islands. It is transmitted by mosquito bites, with the main vector being Culex tritaeniorhynchus, and is maintained in enzootic cycles involving pigs, wild birds and mosquitoes. JE is caused by infection with Japanese encephalitis virus (JEV), a zoonotic pathogen that also causes disease in mammals such as pigs and horses. In humans, most symptoms are mild or flu-like but can progress to encephalitis. Pigs are considered amplification hosts, and sows may have gestational complications. Horses may exhib...
Fukushi N, Badr Y, Fukushi H.Equine herpesvirus type 1 (EHV-1) UL11 is a 74-amino-acid (aa) protein encoded by ORF51. UL11 is modified by acylation including myristoylation and palmitoylation. Myristoylation of EHV-1 UL11 is assumed to occur on the N-terminal glycine, while palmitoylation is assumed to occur on the seventh and ninth cysteines. ORF51, which encodes the first 24 aa, overlaps ORF50 encoding UL12. We previously demonstrated that UL11 was essential for EHV-1 replication in cultured cells and that UL11 was localized at the Golgi apparatus where herpesviruses obtain their final envelope. It is unclear whether th...
Elghryani N, McOwan T, Mincher C, Duggan V, de Waal T.Gastrointestinal helminths are ubiquitous in horse populations across the world. Intensive anthelmintic treatments have succeeded in controlling some of the pathogenic effects of these parasites. However, the success of anthelmintic drugs has been threatened by the development of widespread resistance to those most commonly used. To develop improved control strategies, information on helminth distribution patterns is needed, which can be obtained by identifying animals regarded as high egg shedders and taking age, gender, and other risk factors into account. The aim of this study was to determ...
Seo MG, Ouh IO, Kwak D.A clinical case of was reported for the first time in our previous study (2019) in a horse, a nondefinitive host. Although is a ruminant and not a zoonotic pathogen, it is responsible for persistent infections in horses. In this follow-up study, the prevalence of spp., including , was assessed in horse blood and lung tissue samples to fully understand spp. pathogen distribution and the potential risk factors of infection. Among 1696 samples, including 1433 blood samples from farms nationwide and 263 lung tissue samples from horse abattoirs on Jeju Island, a total of 29 samples (1.7%) teste...
Cunha RZ, Felisardo LL, Salamanca G, Marchioni GG, Neto OI, Chiocchetti R.Behaviour is the response of living things to their environment and external stimulation, and is one of the parameters to be observed when assessing animal welfare. Any alteration from the conditions found in nature can lead to the occurrence of some specific behaviours, called stereotypies which are characterised as repetitive, consistent patterns of behaviour usually defined as having no apparent ultimate or proximal functions. It has been reported that once stabled or subjected to stressful activities, horses have more susceptibility of developing behavioural disturbances; therefore, behavi...
Fanelli D, Moroni R, Bocci C, Camillo F, Rota A, Panzani D.Horses and donkeys differ phenotypically and karyotypically, although they can interbreed freely. Eight Standardbred mares and nine Amiata donkey jennies were included in the study. Semen was collected from two horses and two donkey stallions of proven fertility. A first pregnancy diagnosis was performed on day 10 after ovulation and repeated every day until embryo detection or until day 16. Irrespectively of the sire species, pregnancy rates in horse females (20/30, 66.7%) were significantly higher than in donkey females (19/70, 27.1%) (p < 0.05), while horse and donkey males did not affect p...
Rochais C, Lerch N, Gueguen L, Schmidlin M, Bonamy O, Grandgeorge M, Hausberger M.Tactile perception in humans varies between individuals and could depend on extrinsic factors such as working activity. In animals, there is no study relating the influence of animals' work and their tactile reactivity . We investigated horses' tactile reactivity using von Frey filament in different body areas and compared horses working only in equine-assisted interventions (EAI), in riding school (RS) lessons, and in both activities (EAI-RS). We further compared tactile actions by people with or without mental and/or developmental disorders during brushing sessions. The results indicated tha...
Hepworth-Warren KL, Nelson NC, Dembek KA, Young KAS.To compare thoracic ultrasonographic findings in healthy horses before and after general anesthesia for elective MRI utilizing a recently developed ultrasonographic scoring system to aid clinicians in the early identification of pneumonia following anesthesia. 13 adult horses > 3 years of age. Prior to anesthesia, horses underwent a thorough physical examination, CBC, thoracic radiography, and thoracic ultrasonography. Horses were then anesthetized for elective MRI, and thoracic ultrasonography was repeated within 3 hours after recovery. Thoracic ultrasonographic findings were scored utilizing...
Destrez A, Grimm P, Julliand V.The bidirectional communication between the central and the enteric nervous system named the gut-brain axis has been widely recognized. The gut microbiota has been implicated in a variety of stress-related conditions including anxiety, depression and irritable bowel syndrome based on rodent studies or correlative analysis in human patients. The aim of the present study was to investigate to what extent changes in behavior during stressful events and in the microbial composition of the colonic ecosystem were associated in horses. The microbiota alterations were induced by a change from a high-f...
Yamanaka T, Nemoto M, Tsujimura K, Kondo T, Matsumura T.In horse populations, influenza A virus subtype H3N8 (equine influenza virus, EIV) is a very important pathogen that leads to acute respiratory disease. Recently, EIV has emerged in dogs, and has become widespread among the canine population in the United States. The interspecies transmission route had thus far remained unclear. Here, we tested whether the interspecies transmission of EIV to dogs could occur as a result of close contact with experimentally EIV-infected horses. Three pairs consisting of an EIV-infected horse and a healthy dog were kept together in individual stalls for 15 conse...
Chiaradia E, Avellini L, Rueca F, Spaterna A, Porciello F, Antonioni MT, Gaiti A.Since it has been suggested that lipid peroxidation following free radical overproduction may be one of the causes of physical exercise-induced myopathies and hemolysis in horses, we looked for the possible relationships between these phenomena and muscle fiber damage. We use a homogeneous group of Maremmana stallions which, after a 3-month training period, underwent a series of physical exercises of increasing intensity. We determined the contents of malondialdehyde (MDA), one of the main lipid peroxidation end-products, and glutathione the substrate of one of the most important free radical ...
Long KJ, Bonagura JD, Darke PG.Eighteen echocardiographic images useful for diagnostic imaging, M-mode echocardiography, and Doppler echocardiography of the equine heart were standardised by relating the position of the axial beam to various intracardiac landmarks. The transducer orientation required for each image was recorded in 14 adult horses by describing the degree of sector rotation and the orientation of the axial beam relative to the thorax. Repeatable images could be obtained within narrow limits of angulation and rotation for 14 of the 18 standardised images evaluated. Twenty-seven National Hunt horses were subse...
Stringer AP, Christley RM, Bell CE, Gebreab F, Tefera G, Reed K, Trawford A, Pinchbeck GL.Working horses, donkeys and mules suffer from numerous diseases and clinical problems. However, there is little information on what owners perceive as important health concerns in their working animals. Objective: To identify and prioritise with owners the diseases and other health concerns in working equids in central Ethiopia using participatory methodologies. Methods: Participatory situation analysis (PSA). Methods: The study was conducted with carthorse- and donkey-owners in 16 sites in central Ethiopia. Multiple participatory methodologies were utilised, including ranking, matrices and fo...
Little D, Flowers JR, Hammerberg BH, Gardner SY.Possible anthelmintic resistance on a breeding farm where a rapid rotation anthelmintic programme had been implemented for 9 years was investigated. Cyathostomins resistant to fenbendazole and pyrantel were documented by faecal worm egg count reduction test (FWECRT). Objective: To 1) manage small strongyle transmission in a herd of horses in which resistance to both pyrantel pamoate and fenbendazole was identified and thereby reduce the risk of clinical disease in the individual animal, 2) monitor the change in resistance patterns over time and 3) monitor the efficacy of ivermectin over the st...
Snow DH, Guy PS.Skeletal muscle of the equine was differentiated into three fibre types according to myosin ATPase (pH 9.4) and succinic dehydrogenase activity. The percentage of these types was determined in the musculus deltoideus, m triceps brachii caput longum, m gluteus medius, m semitendinosis, m biceps femoris and m vastus lateralis of the thoroughbred, Shetland pony, pony, heavy hunter and donkey. In addition the m gluteus medius was examined in the arab and American racing quarterhorse. High myosin ATPase activity fibres varied from a mean of 93.2 per cent in the m gluteus medius of the quarterhorse ...
Innes JF, Clegg P.Examples of naturally occurring musculoskeletal disorders are extremely common in veterinary species and provide a valuable comparative research resource, which can provide compelling comparative data on the aetiopathogenesis and treatment of many common human musculoskeletal diseases. In particular, orthopaedic diseases are a common morbidity in both dogs and horses. In this review, we give an overview of the common musculoskeletal diseases encountered in these species: for instance, tendon and ligament injuries, arthropathies and stress fractures, as well as an insight into the basic biology...
Raabe MR, Issel CJ, Montelaro RC.Equine infectious anemia virus (EIAV) has been shown to infect cells of monocyte/macrophage lineage. These primary cells are intrinsically difficult to obtain, to purify and to culture in vitro for extended periods of time. As a result, most in vitro studies concerning this lentivirus make use of primary equine fibroblasts or transformed canine or feline cell lines. We describe methods that yield reproducibly pure cultures of equine blood monocytes from peripheral blood mononuclear cells. The in vitro differentiation of these cells into mature equine macrophage was verified using various cytoc...
van de Water SG, van Gennip RG, Potgieter CA, Wright IM, van Rijn PA.African horse sickness virus (AHSV) is a virus species in the genus Orbivirus of the family Reoviridae. There are nine serotypes of AHSV showing different levels of cross neutralization. AHSV is transmitted by species of Culicoides biting midges and causes African horse sickness (AHS) in equids, with a mortality rate of up to 95% in naive horses. AHS has become a serious threat for countries outside Africa, since endemic Culicoides species in moderate climates appear to be competent vectors for the related bluetongue virus (BTV). To control AHS, live-attenuated vaccines (LAVs) are used in Afri...
Hestand MS, Kalbfleisch TS, Coleman SJ, Zeng Z, Liu J, Orlando L, MacLeod JN.Current gene annotation of the horse genome is largely derived from in silico predictions and cross-species alignments. Only a small number of genes are annotated based on equine EST and mRNA sequences. To expand the number of equine genes annotated from equine experimental evidence, we sequenced mRNA from a pool of forty-three different tissues. From these, we derived the structures of 68,594 transcripts. In addition, we identified 301,829 positions with SNPs or small indels within these transcripts relative to EquCab2. Interestingly, 780 variants extend the open reading frame of the transcri...
Arroyo MG, Slovis NM, Moore GE, Taylor SD.Septic pleuropneumonia is a common cause of morbidity and mortality in horses, but there is limited data available regarding factors associated with survival. Objective: To identify factors predictive of survival in horses with septic pleuropneumonia. Methods: A total of 97 horses with septic pleuropneumonia at 2 referral institutions. Methods: A retrospective study was performed. A diagnosis of septic pleuropneumonia was based on the presence of sepsis, pleural effusion, and positive bacterial culture from tracheal aspiration (TA) or pleural fluid (PF). Results: Thirty-one percent of horses h...
Shrivastava SK, Kailash .Extracorporeal shock wave therapy in orthopedics and traumatology is still a young therapy method. Since the last few years the development of shock wave therapy has progressed rapidly. Shock waves have changed the treatment of urolithiasis substantially. Today shock waves are the first choice to treat kidney and urethral stones. Urology has long been the only medical field for shock waves in medicine. Meanwhile shock waves have been used in orthopedics and traumatology to treat insertion tendinitis, avascular necrosis of the head of femur and other necrotic bone alterations. Another field of ...
Diouf ND, Etter E, Lo MM, Lo M, Akakpo AJ.Since first being detected in Nigeria in January 2007, African horse sickness virus serotype 2 (AHSV-2) has spread throughout the northern hemisphere, and was first reported in Senegal. A retrospective study was conducted from December 2009 to April 2010 using data collected in the field combined with information available at the Direction of Veterinary Services. The epidemic started in the Dakar region with two outbreaks in March and June 2007, respectively, and spread in several parts of the country between July and November 2007. During this period, 232 outbreaks and 1137 horse deaths were ...
Long A, Nolen-Walston R.Serum amyloid A (SAA) is a marker of inflammation and infection in the horse that can be assessed in the field, with rapid and marked changes seen following initiation of an inflammatory stimulus. This quality of SAA also makes its clinical use challenging, because even small inflammatory conditions can cause large changes in SAA levels. Review of the current literature provides guidelines for responses of SAA to various conditions, which can be applied to specific clinical cases. The practitioner is encouraged to use SAA in conjunction with physical examination and other diagnostic modalities...
Marsh PS, Palmer JE.To assess microorganisms isolated from blood specimens obtained from critically ill neonatal foals and to evaluate their antimicrobial susceptibility patterns. Methods: Retrospective study. Methods: 543 neonatal foals. Methods: Medical records of foals that were < 1 month old and were admitted to a referral neonatal intensive care unit were reviewed for results of bacteriologic culture of blood and antimicrobial susceptibility patterns. Results: At least 1 microorganism was isolated from 155 of 543 (28.5%) foals. Escherichia coli was the most commonly isolated bacterium. A single gram-posit...
Ho JX, Holowachuk EW, Norton EJ, Twigg PD, Carter DC.The amino-acid sequence and three-dimensional structure of equine serum albumin have been determined. The amino-acid sequence was deduced from cDNA isolated from equine liver. Comparisons of the primary structure of equine serum albumin with human serum albumin and bovine serum albumin reveal 76.1% and 73.9% sequence identity, respectively. The three-dimensional structure was determined crystallographically by the molecular-replacement method using molecular coordinates from the previously determined structure of human serum albumin, to a resolution of 0.27 nm. In accordance with the primary s...
Sullivan KA, Hill AE, Haussler KK.Common methods used to treat back problems in horses need to be assessed objectively. Objective: To measure spinal mechanical nociceptive thresholds (MNTs) and evaluate the effects of chiropractic, massage and phenylbutazone, compared with active and inactive control groups. Methods: Baseline MNTs at 7 sites within the thoracolumbar and sacral regions were measured in 38 healthy mature horses exhibiting no clinical signs of lumbar pain. Horses were assigned to one of 3 treatment groups: instrument-assisted chiropractic treatment, therapeutic massage and phenylbutazone; or 2 control groups: rid...
Heinrichs M, Baumgärtner W, Capen CC.Adenomas of the pars intermedia from 19 horses and normal pituitary glands from seven horses were evaluated histologically and immunocytochemically for adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH), alpha-melanocyte-stimulating hormone (alpha-MSH), beta-endorphin (beta-END), proopiomelanocortin (POMC), prolactin, neuron specific enolase, and glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP). The 26 horses ranged in age from 7 to 31 years. Histologically, all adenomas had a uniform pattern characterized by cords of large columnar cells forming palisades and pseudoacini separated by a delicate fibrovascular stroma. I...
Furr MO, Lessard P, White NA.Thirty-two physical examination and laboratory variables were recorded during examination of 165 horses admitted for acute abdominal disease. Univariate analyses were performed to determine which of the variables were significantly different between horses that lived or died. Stepwise logistic regression was performed to identify variables with the best predictive value. Four variables (heart rate, peritoneal fluid total protein concentration, blood lactate concentration, and abnormal mucous membrane) remained significant when entered into the model. Histograms for each significant variable we...
Zak A, Siwinska N, Elzinga S, Barker VD, Stefaniak T, Schanbacher BJ, Place NJ, Niedzwiedz A, Adams AA.Obesity and metabolic disorders are associated with systemic low-grade chronic inflammation, both in humans and animals. The aim of the study is to assess the effects of obesity and hyperinsulinemia on individual components of the acute-phase reaction in equine metabolic syndrome (EMS) horses. Eight mixed-breed EMS and six control, age-matched horses of both sexes were included in the study. Animals were classified as EMS or control based on the assessment of BCS, cresty neck score, and basal insulin >50 μU/mL and/or insulin responses to the oral sugar test (OST) >60 μU/mL. Peripheral ...
Dutto DJ, Hoyt DF, Clayton HM, Cogger EA, Wickler SJ.The net work of the limbs during constant speed over level ground should be zero. However, the partitioning of negative and positive work between the fore- and hindlimbs of a quadruped is not likely to be equal because the forelimb produces a net braking force while the hindlimb produces a net propulsive force. It was hypothesized that the forelimb would do net negative work while the hindlimb did net positive work during trotting in the horse. Because vertical and horizontal impulses remain unchanged across speeds it was hypothesized that net work of both limbs would be independent of speed. ...
Starke SD, Oosterlinck M.Visual equine lameness assessment is often unreliable, yet the full understanding of this issue is missing. Here, we investigate visual lameness assessment using near-realistic, three-dimensional horse animations presenting with 0-60 per cent movement asymmetry. Animations were scored at an equine veterinary seminar by attendees with various expertise levels. Results showed that years of experience and exposure to a low, medium or high case load had no significant effect on correct assessment of lame (P>0.149) or sound horses (P≥0.412), with the exception of a significant effect of case l...
Canè V, Botti P, Soana S.The influence of pulsed low-frequency electromagnetic fields (PEMFs) on bone formation was investigated in studies of the healing process of transcortical holes, bored at the diaphyseal region of metacarpal bones of six adult horses, exposed for 30 days to PEMFs (28 G peak amplitude, 1.3 ms rise time, and 75 Hz repetition rate). A pair of Helmholtz coils, continuously powered by a pulse generator, was applied for 30 days to the left metacarpal bone, through which two holes, of equal diameter and depth, had been bored at the diaphyseal region. Two equal holes, bored at the same level in the rig...
Witkowski L, Cywinska A, Paschalis-Trela K, Crisman M, Kita J.Equine recurrent uveitis (ERU) has various etiologies, with Leptospira infection and genetic predisposition being the leading risk factors. Regardless of etiology, expression of ocular proteins associated with maintenance of the blood-ocular barrier is impaired in ERU. The recurring-remitting cycle of ERU repeatedly disrupts the blood-ocular barrier, allowing the previously immune-privileged ocular environment to become the site of a progressive local autoimmune pathology that ultimately results in tissue destruction and vision loss. The immune-mediated process involves humoral and cellular me...
Williams A, Smith JR, Allaway D, Harris P, Liddell S, Mobasheri A.Arthritic diseases are characterized by the degradation of collagenous and noncollagenous extracellular matrix (ECM) components in articular cartilage. The increased expression and activity of matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) is partly responsible for cartilage degradation. This study used proteomics to identify inflammatory proteins and catabolic enzymes released in a serum-free explant model of articular cartilage stimulated with the pro-inflammatory cytokine interleukin 1β (IL-1β). Western blotting was used to quantify the release of selected proteins in the presence or absence of the cyc...
Lees P, Higgins AJ.Weak organic acids possessing anti-inflammatory, analgesic and antipyretic properties--commonly known as aspirin-like drugs--have been used in equine medicine for almost 100 years. These non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) may be classified chemically into two groups; the enolic acids such as phenylbutazone and carboxylic acids like flunixin, meclofenamate and naproxen. All NSAIDs have similar and possibly identical modes of action accounting for both their therapeutic and their toxic effects. They block some part of the cyclo-oxygenase enzyme pathway and thereby suppress the synthe...
Derksen FJ, Brown CM, Sonea I, Darien BJ, Robinson NE.Comparisons were made between transtracheal aspirate (TTA) and bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) cytology obtained from 50 horses with chronic lung disease and from 10 control horses. There was no significant correlation between the TTA cytology and the BAL cytology, suggesting that the cell population in the trachea is not representative of the cell population in the lower airways. In control horses the range of differential cell counts obtained from TTA fluid was remarkably large, whereas the variability in cell populations observed in BAL fluid was smaller. In the principal horses the total and ...
Mancini IAD, Vindas Bolaños RA, Brommer H, Castilho M, Ribeiro A, van Loon JPAM, Mensinga A, van Rijen MHP, Malda J, van Weeren R.To report on the experiences with the use of commercial and autologous fibrin glue (AFG) and of an alternative method based on a 3D-printed polycaprolactone (PCL) anchor for the fixation of hydrogel-based scaffolds in an equine model for cartilage repair. In a first study, three different hydrogel-based materials were orthotopically implanted in nine horses for 1-4 weeks in 6 mm diameter full-thickness cartilage defects in the medial femoral trochlear ridge and fixated with commercially available fibrin glue (CFG). One defect was filled with CFG only as a control. In a second study, CFG and ...
