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.
Omer MK, Skjerve E, Holstad G, Woldehiwet Z, Macmillan AP.Samples from 2427 cattle, 661 goats, 104 sheep, 98 camels and 82 horses were screened for brucella infections by the Rose Bengal Test and positive reactors confirmed by the complement fixation test. In cattle, the highest individual seroprevalence was in dairy herds kept under the intensive husbandry system, with an individual prevalence of 8.2% and unit (herd) seroprevalence of 35.9%. This was followed by the pastoral husbandry system in the Western Lowlands with 5.0% individual but a higher unit (vaccination site) prevalence of 46.1%. The lowest was in the mixed crop-livestock system in the ...
Bulone V, Rademaker GJ, Pergantis S, Krogstad-Johnsen T, Smestad-Paulsen B, Thomas-Oates J.Separation of horse dander allergens using two-dimensional PAGE resulted in the identification of 16 proteins that react with allergic patient sera. A sensitive method has been developed for analysing the structures of the glycan chains of individual glycoprotein allergens transferred to blots following two-dimensional PAGE, and has allowed the structural identification of the glycan chains of the most abundant isoforms of Equ c 1, a glycosylated horse dander major allergen. The method involves separation of the allergens by two-dimensional PAGE, transfer to polyvinylidene difluoride membranes...
Poyet JL, Srinivasula SM, Alnemri ES.vCLAP, the E10 gene product of equine herpesvirus-2, is a caspase-recruitment domain (CARD)-containing protein that has been shown to induce both apoptosis and NF-kappaB activation in mammalian cells. vCLAP has a cellular counterpart, Bcl10/cCLAP, which is also an activator of apoptosis and NF-kappaB. Recent studies demonstrated that vCLAP activates NF-kappaB through an IkappaB kinase (IKK)-dependent pathway, but the underlying mechanism remains unknown. In this report, we demonstrate that vCLAP associates stably with the IKK complex through direct binding to the C-terminal region of IKKgamma....
van den Wollenberg L, Sloet van Oldruitenborgh-Oosterbaan MM.Since it has become possible to make an ante-mortem diagnosis of gastric ulceration in horses by means of endoscopy, interest in the presence and treatment of this syndrome has increased. Several endoscopic surveys have indicated that the frequency of gastric ulceration in Thoroughbreds in training is fairly high. Less is known about other breeds and horses that are kept under different (training) conditions. The equine stomach is covered by two different kinds of mucous membranes: squamous and glandular. These two areas differ from one another in the incidence and aetiology of ulceration and,...
Wasfi IA, Abdel Hadi AA, Elghazali M, Boni NS, Alkatheeri NA, Barezaig IM, Al Muharami AM, Hamid AM.The pharmacokinetics of tripelennamine (T) was compared in horses (n = 6) and camels (n = 5) following intravenous (i.v.) administration of a dose of 0.5 mg/kg body weight. Furthermore, the metabolism and urinary detection time was studied in camels. The data obtained (median and range in brackets) in camels and horses, respectively, were as follows: the terminal elimination half-lives were 2.39 (1.91-6.54) and 2.08 (1.31-5.65) h, total body clearances were 0.97 (0.82-1.42) and 0.84 (0.64-1.17)L/h/kg. The volumes of distribution at steady state were 2.87 (1.59-6.67) and 1.69 (1.18-3.50) L/kg, ...
Freeman SL, England GC.The effects of two intravenous doses of romifidine (80 and 120 microg/kg) and one dose of detomidine (20 microg/kg) were compared in a blinded study in 30 horses requiring to be sedated for routine dental treatment. Several physiological parameters were assessed before and for two hours after the administration of the drugs, and the horses' teeth were rasped 30 minutes after they were administered. Romifidine produced a dose-dependent effect on most parameters. Detomidine at 20 microg/kg was similar to romifidine at 120 microg/kg in the magnitude of its sedative effects, but was similar to rom...
Strand E, Martin GS, Haynes PF, McClure JR, Vice JD.To compare racing performance before and after prosthetic laryngoplasty for treatment of laryngeal neuropathy in inexperienced and experienced Thoroughbred racehorses. Methods: Retrospective study. Methods: 52 Thoroughbred racehorses treated with prosthetic laryngoplasty for laryngeal neuropathy. Methods: Lifetime race records were analyzed by use of a verified regression model. Individual race records and hospital records were also reviewed. Results: Experienced horses had a decline in performance, as measured by performance index, earnings percentage, and mean prediction error, during the 6-...
Hahn CN, Mayhew IG.The effect of an ocular administration of the alpha-1 adrenergic agonist phenylephrine was studied in 23 cases of grass sickness and 12 control horses. In the horses with grass sickness there was a significantly greater mean increase in the size of the palpebral fissure, as measured by the change in the angle of the eyelashes to the head observed from a frontal view.
Aida H, Steffey EP, Pascoe JR, Yarbrough TB, Takahashi T, Hiraga A, Hobo S, Smith BL, Steffey MA, Jones JH.To evaluate sevoflurane as an inhalation anesthetic for thoracotomy in horses. Methods: 18 horses between 2 and 15 years old. Methods: 4 horses were used to develop surgical techniques and were euthanatized at the end of the procedure. The remaining 14 horses were selected, because they had an episode of bleeding from their lungs during strenuous exercise. General anesthesia was induced with xylazine (1.0 mg/kg of body weight, IV) followed by ketamine (2.0 mg/kg, IV). Anesthesia was maintained with sevoflurane in oxygen delivered via a circle anesthetic breathing circuit. Ventilation was contr...
Sweeney CR, Habecker PL, Russell GE.To evaluate the safety of sodium bisulfate for use in horse barn environments by determining its irritant effect on skin and hooves. Methods: 6 female mixed-breed ponies. Methods: Sodium bisulfate was applied to clipped intact skin of 6 ponies to evaluate its irritant effect after single (48 hours) and repetitive (6 h/d for 10 days) applications; similar areas of skin were used as untreated control sites. In addition, sodium bisulfate was applied to the sole of both front hooves of each pony and covered with wet gauze, and the entire hoof was covered with adhesive tape for 48 hours. Results: C...
Meiswinkel R, Baylis M, Labuschagne K.The stabling of horses at night reportedly offers protection from African horse sickness and the most significant vector of the disease, Culicoides imicola Kieffer, has been shown to be exophilic. In certain high-lying regions of South Africa, however, C. bolitinos Meiswinkel, may be the major vector of the disease but its entry behaviour into stables is unknown. Accordingly, in the eastern Free State province of South Africa, light trap catches of C. bolitinos inside stables and outside, were compared. Two horse-baited stables, one traditional, and one modern, were used and combinations of st...
Shearman JP, Hopkins WG.To evaluate the reliability of 2 time-trial protocols, 1 that involved use of a pacemaker and 1 that did not, for assessing performance of Standardbred racehorses. Methods: 3- to 7-year-old Standardbred maiden pacers. Methods: 11 Standardbred pacers were used to determine the reliability of a time-trial protocol that involved use of a galloping pacemaker. All tests were performed by a single driver. Horses were paced for an initial 1,600 m then raced and timed for the final 800 m. They were retested 9 days later. Twenty-two horses were used to determine the reliability of a time-trial protocol...
Blackford J, Doherty TJ, Ferslew KE, Panus PC.In human rehabilitation medicine, dexamethasone-phosphate is theoretically iontophoresed to localized subcutaneous tissue where conversion to dexamethasone occurs. This delivery system has recently been introduced into veterinary medicine for the same purpose. However, the pharmacokinetic justification for parenteral delivery of this prodrug remains undocumented. Utilizing iontophoretic methods that are relevant to both human and veterinary clinical practice, the present investigation compared injection and iontophoresis of dexamethasone-phosphate into the equine tibiotarsal joint, also known ...
Manohar M, Goetz TE, Rothenbaum P, Humphrey S.The present study was carried out to examine whether intravenously administered pentoxifylline-a phosphodiesterase inhibitor which increases red blood cell deformability and decreases blood viscosity-would attenuate the magnitude of exercise-induced pulmonary capillary hypertension in healthy, fit Thoroughbred horses and in turn, diminish the occurrence of exercise-induced pulmonary hemorrhage (EIPH). Experiments were carried out on six healthy, sound, exercise-trained Thoroughbred horses. Hemodynamic data were collected at rest, and during exercise performed at 8 and 14 m/sec on 3.5% uphill g...
Yasuda R, Kawano J, Onda H, Takagi M, Shimizu A, Anzai T.To determine patterns of methicillin-resistant staphylococci isolated from apparently healthy horses. Methods: 44 horses from 8 riding clubs in Japan. Methods: Methicill in-resistant staphylococci were isolated from the skin or nares, using a selective medium containing a beta-(symboric) lactam antibiotic, ceftizoxime. Clonality of isolates was determined by use of pulsed-field gel electrophoresis. Detection of mecA, mecl, and mecR1 genes was accomplished by use of polymerase chain reactions. Results: Of the 44 horses, 13 (29.5%) yielded 15 isolates of methicillin-resistant staphylococci. The ...
Hamilton A, Harrington D, Sutcliffe IC.Acid phosphatases hydrolyse phosphomonoesters at acidic pH in a variety of physiological contexts. The recently defined class C family of acid phosphatases includes the 32 kDa LppC lipoprotein of Streptococcus equisimilis. To define further the distribution of acid phosphatases in the genus Streptococcus we have examined the equine pathogens Streptococcus equi subsp. equi and Streptococcus equi subsp. zooepidemicus. Whole cell assays indicated that these organisms possess two acid phosphatases with activity optima at pH 5.0 and pH 6.0-6.5 and that only the former of these was, like LppC, resis...
MacLeay JM, Valberg SJ, Pagan JD, Xue JL, De La Corte FD, Roberts J.To determine the effects of 3 rations (low grain, fat, high grain) on plasma creatine kinase (CK) activity and lactate concentration in Thoroughbred horses with recurrent exertional rhabdomyolysis (RER). Methods: 5 Thoroughbreds with RER and 3 healthy Thoroughbreds (control horses). Methods: Rations were formulated to meet (low-grain and fat rations) or exceed (high-grain ration) daily energy requirements. Each ration was fed to horses in a crossover design for 3 weeks. Horses were exercised on a treadmill Monday through Friday; maximum speed on Monday and Friday was 11 m/s (6% slope), on Tues...
Harkins JD, Robinson NE, Woods WE, Lehner AF, Smith MD, Gates RS, Fisher M, Tobin T.Clenbuterol, a beta2 agonist/antagonist, is the only bronchodilator approved by the US Food and Drug Administration for use in horses. The Association of Racing Commissioners International classifies clenbuterol as a class 3 agent, and, as such, its identification in post-race samples may lead to sanctions. Anecdotal reports suggest that clenbuterol may have been administered by intratracheal (IT) injection to obtain beneficial effects and avoid post-race detection. The objectives of this study were (1) to measure the pharmacological efficacy of IT dose of clenbuterol and (2) to determine the ...
French K, Pollitt CC, Pass MA.Experiments were performed to establish the pharmacokinetics of triamcinolone acetonide and the effects of the glucocorticoid on glucose metabolism in horses. The pharmacokinetics after intravenous (i.v.) dosing was best described by a three-compartment open model. There was rapid distribution from the central compartment followed by two phases of elimination. The half-life of the rapid elimination phase was 83.5 min and of the slower phase was 12 h. The term (Vss/Vc)-1was 12.3 indicating extensive distribution into the tissues. Triamcinolone acetonide given i.v. or intramuscularly (i.m. ) ind...
Sutcliffe IC, Trigg J, Harrington D.Using preparative electrophoresis, a low molecular weight protein has been partially purified from a cell extract of the equine pathogen Streptococcus equi susp. equi. N-terminal sequence analysis and Western blotting revealed the protein to be HPr, a central component of the phosphoenolpyruvate:sugar phosphotransferase system (PTS). Interestingly, the only form of the HPr protein detected in S. equi was one with the amino-terminal methionine removed, a modification that has previously been associated with surface localization of streptococcal HPr proteins.
Franchini M, Gill U, von Fellenberg R, Bracher VD.To analyze effects of hay dust exposure on interleukin-8 (IL-8) concentration, percentage of neutrophils, and neutrophil chemotactic activity in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) of horses with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Methods: 16 healthy horses and 29 horses with COPD. Methods: IL-8 concentration, percentage of neutrophils, and neutrophil chemotactic activity in BALF were measured. Values were analyzed with respect to hay dust exposure. These variables were also measured in 5 asymptomatic horses with COPD after the induction of clinical signs by changing feed from silag...
Boerboom D, Pilon N, Behdjani R, Silversides DW, Sirois J.Steroidogenic factor-1 (SF-1, NR5A1a) is a member of the NR5A nuclear receptor subfamily and has been implicated as a key transcriptional regulator of all ovarian steroidogenic genes in vitro. To establish links between the expression of SF-1 and that of the steroidogenic genes in vivo, the objectives of this study were to clone equine SF-1 and examine the regulation of its messenger RNA (mRNA) in follicular cells during human CG (hCG)-induced ovulation. The equine SF-1 primary transcript was cloned by a combination of RT-PCR techniques. Results showed that the transcript was composed of a 5'-...
Haechler S, Van den Ingh TS, Rogivue C, Ehrensperger F, Welle M.Congenital hepatic fibrosis with autosomal recessive or dominant inheritance has been described in humans, cats, piglets, and dogs. In horses, only two cases of congenital hepatic fibrosis have been previously reported. This retrospective study of records from the Institute for Animal Pathology, University of Berne, identified 30 foals with liver lesions compatible with congenital hepatic fibrosis. Anamnestic data revealed clinical signs of severe liver injury in most affected animals. Pathologic examination showed severely enlarged, firm livers with thin-walled cysts. Histologically, the live...
Patterson-Kane JC, Tramontin RR, Giles RC, Harrison LR.A 14-year-old Thoroughbred gelding with a history of acute onset of hematuria was presented for necropsy. Transitional cell carcinoma of the urinary bladder with intra-abdominal dissemination was diagnosed. Tumor masses were observed on the splenic capsule and surrounding the distal abdominal aorta. Tumor cells showed diffuse cytoplasmic reactivity for cytokeratin but were negative for epithelial membrane antigen, carcinoembryonic antigen, tumor-associated glycoprotein 72, and vimentin.
Baumber J, Ball BA, Gravance CG, Medina V, Davies-Morel MC.The objective of this study was to examine the influence of reactive oxygen species (ROS), generated through the use of the xanthine (X)-xanthine oxidase (XO) system, on equine sperm motility, viability, acrosomal integrity, mitochondrial membrane potential, and membrane lipid peroxidation. Equine spermatozoa were separated from seminal plasma on a discontinuous Percoll gradient, and spermatozoa were incubated with 0.6 mM X and 0.05 U/mL XO for 30 minutes. Catalase (150 U/mL), superoxide dismutase (SOD, 150 U/mL), or glutathione (GSH, 1.5 mM) were evaluated for their ability to preserve sperm ...
Del Piero F, Wilkins PA, Timoney PJ, Kadushin J, Vogelbacker H, Lee JW, Berkowitz SJ, La Perle KM.A case of fatal nonneurological equine herpesvirus 1 (EHV-1) infection in a yearling filly is described. Gross lesions included extensive pulmonary edema, prominent laryngeal lymphoid follicles, and congestion and edema of the dorsal third ventricle choroid plexus. Histologically, there was vasculitis, hemorrhage, and edema in the lungs and dorsal third ventricle choroid plexus as well as mild intestinal crypt necrosis with occasional intranuclear inclusion bodies. The perivascular and vascular inflammatory infiltrates were comprised mainly of T lymphocytes and macrophages. EHV-1 antigen was i...
Erickson JD, Lee DV, Bertram JE.The goal of this study was to identify changes in acetabular morphology associated with the use of horses by Native Americans. Previous studies reported "elongate" acetabula in horseback-riding members of the Omaha and Ponca populations. Such a difference in acetabular shape is a potentially useful osteological marker of habitual horseback riding. This report compares acetabula of adult males from two Native American Arikara populations known to have differed substantially in their use of horses. Population samples were from separate sites in South Dakota: Larson (nonriding) and Leavenworth (r...
Jacobs AA, Goovaerts D, Nuijten PJ, Theelen RP, Hartford OM, Foster TJ.As part of a search for a safe and efficacious strangles vaccine, several different vaccines and different vaccination routes were tested in foals. The degree of protection was evaluated after an intranasal challenge with virulent Streptococcus equi by clinical, postmortem and bacteriological examinations. Inactivated vaccines containing either native purified M-protein (500 microg per dose) or whole S equi cells (10(10) cells per dose) administered at least twice intramuscularly at intervals of four weeks, did not protect against challenge. Different live attenuated S equi mutants administere...
Pitts JB, Kramer J, Reed SK, Schiltz P, Thombs L, Keegan KG.This study has investigated the immediate effect of induced hindlimb length difference on hindlimb lameness measured as differences in minimum (Pmin) and maximum (Pmax) pelvic heights in 16 horses trotting in a straight line and lungeing on both hard and soft surfaces with body-mounted inertial sensors. Hindlimb length differences were induced by applying an Easyboot Glue-on shoe to one hindlimb. Changes in Pmin and Pmax with induced hindlimb length difference were assessed with a two-way repeated-measures ANOVA with trial (straight, lunge with inside limb elevation, lunge with outside limb el...
Teixeira Neto FJ, McDonell WN, Black WD, Moraes AN, Duronghphongtorn S.To evaluate the cardiorespiratory and intestinal effects of the muscarinic type-2 (M2) antagonist, methoctramine, in anesthetized horses. Methods: 6 horses. Methods: Horses were allocated to 2 treatments in a randomized complete block design. Anesthesia was maintained with halothane (1% end-tidal concentration) combined with a constant-rate infusion of xylazine hydrochloride (1 mg/kg/h, i.v.) and mechanical ventilation. Hemodynamic variables were monitored after induction of anesthesia and for 120 minutes after administration of methoctramine or saline (0.9% NaCl) solution (control treatment)....
Watkins JP, Taylor TS, Day WC, Varner DD, Schumacher J, Baird AN, Welch RD.From 1980 to 1989, 8 cesarean sections were performed on an elective basis in 5 mares. Four mares had partially obstructed pelvic canals; 2 of these mares had previously lost foals because of dystocia. Cervical adhesions that might obstruct passage of the fetus through the pelvic canal was suspected in the fifth mare. Cesarean section was performed prior to mares entering the first stage of labor. Readiness for birth was estimated by development of the mare's mammary gland and the presence of colostrum in the udder. A ventral midline celiotomy provided excellent exposure and healed without com...
Wilson DV, Stick JA.The role of platelet-activating factor in mediating the cardiovascular and peripheral cellular responses to large-colon ischemia and reperfusion, was explored in anesthetized ponies. A specific platelet-activating factor (PAF) antagonist (WEB 2086) was administered to a group of 6 ponies, and another 6 ponies (controls) were given an equivalent volume of saline solution, prior to 1 hour of large-colon torsion. After correction of the torsion, ponies were monitored during the reperfusion period. Significant (P < 0.05) hypotension and metabolic acidosis developed in all ponies after correction o...
Mirza MH, Seahorn TL, Oliver JL, Hosgood G, Moore RM.The objective of the study was to determine whether nitric oxide (NO) is present in clinically healthy horses (control) under basal conditions, and if it increases secondary to naturally acquired strangulating large colon volvulus (affected). Eleven affected horses and 10 controls were studied. Jugular venous blood, abdominal fluid, and urine were collected. The NO concentrations were standardized to the creatinine concentration in the respective samples. A biopsy specimen collected from the large colon pelvic flexure at surgery was divided into subsections for processing for inducible nitric ...
Nawalinski T, Theodorides VJ.Twenty ponies were allotted to 4 groups of 5 ponies each, and oxibendazole was orally administered at dose levels of 5, 10, 15, and 20 mg/kg. In the 3 groups of ponies given the largest doses, efficacy against 3 species of Strongylus was between 92 and 100% and that against small strongylids of the genera Cyathostomum, Cylicocyclus, Cylicodontophorus, and Cylicostephanus was more than 99%. All adults and 95 to 100% of larvae of the pinworm Oxyuris equi were removed. In the group of ponies given 5 mg/kg, 86 to 100% of the large strongylids and 84 to 100% of the small strongylids were removed, a...
Beccati F, Pepe M, Di Meo A, Davanzo S, Moriconi F.To evaluate changes in the cortical bone of the proximal phalanx of the fore-limbs of Thoroughbreds in response to training. Methods: Twenty-seven 2-year-old Thoroughbreds (20 females, 2 males, and 5 geldings). Methods: Horses were principally in training for races in a straight line and in a clockwise direction. Lateromedial and dorsopalmar radiographic views of each metacarpophalangeal joint were obtained before the horses started training and 1 year after starting exercise and racing. Width of the dorsal, palmar, lateral, and medial cortex and the width and thickness of the medulla were mea...
Lehner AF, Stewart J, Dafalla A, Ely KJ, Connerly AL, Jones CN, ElkHoly H, Thompson K, Tobin T, Dirikolu L.Gabapentin [1-(aminomethyl)cyclohexaneacetic acid, Neurontin], is a new anticonvulsant used as adjunctive therapy in the treatment of partial seizures in humans not controlled with standard antiseizure drugs, and it has also been used in veterinary medicine. In performance horses, gabapentin is listed as a class 3 performance-enhancing substance by the Association of Racing Commissioners International, and thus is considered to have the potential to influence the outcome of races. Therefore, we developed and validated a sensitive gas chromatographic-mass spectrometric (GC-MS) method for gabape...
Smith JE, Kiefer S, Lee M.1. Reduced glutathione regeneration rates as measured in erythro- cytes of ten horses were considerably lower than rates reported in human and sheep erythrocytes.
2. Theactivityofenzymesinvolvedinreducedglutathioneregenerationwas at least three times the observed reduction rate.
3. Despitehighglucose-6-phosphatedehydrogenaseactivity,equineerythro- cytes could not adequately accelerate the hexose monophosphate pathway.
4. Activities of enzymes involved in regulating the glycolytie pathway were less than 5/~moles/min per g hemoglobin; of other glycolytic enzymes greater than 10/~moles/min per...
Hinrichs K, Kenney RM.Ovariectomized recipient mares were divided into two groups. Group A mares received 300 mg progesterone in oil i.m. daily starting 5 days before transfer of a 7-day embryo. Group B mares received the same dose of progesterone, but starting at least 4 days before donor ovulation. Presence of an embryonic vesicle was determined by ultrasonography; mares were considered to be pregnant if they had normal vesicle development to Day 18. Pregnancy rates were: Group A, 6/8; Group B, 1/12 (P less than 0.01). An additional 4 mares in Group B had a vesicle visible at 14 days which degenerated or did not ...
Knych HK, Arthur RM, Kanarr KL, McKemie DS, Kass PH.Methamphetamine is a central and peripheral nervous system stimulant. There is only a single study that describes exposure to and disposition of this compound in horses. The potential for abuse and inadvertent exposure in equine athletes along with the limited data available necessitates further study. The objectives of the current study were to describe drug and metabolite concentrations, develop an analytical method that could be used to regulate its use, and describe selected pharmacodynamic effects. In phase 1, six horses were randomized into three transmucosal dose groups (n = 2/group; ...
Attenburrow DP.A graphic representation is presented of respiratory sounds recorded by a radio-stethoscope from normal horses exercised at the walk, trot, canter and gallop. Methods whereby inspiratory and expiratory sounds were distinguished are discussed. The form of amplitude envelopes of the sounds recorded at different gaits are compared. Certain measurements of relative amplitudes and the form of amplitude envelopes of the recorded respiratory sounds can be recognised as typical of normal horses when exercised at the canter and gallop. The influence of some physiological events (e.g. deglutition on the...
Shimojima M, Nagao Y, Shimoda H, Tamaru S, Yamanaka T, Matsumura T, Kondo T, Maeda K.In the past 25 years, there has been only one case of Japanese encephalitis in horses in Japan. We determined the full genome sequence of the Japanese encephalitis virus (JEV) strain JEV/eq/Tottori/2003 isolated from an afflicted horse and also analyzed its virulence in mice. The sequence analysis showed that the genome of JEV/eq/Tottori/2003 is similar to that of genotype I, a dominant genotype of JEV presently circulating in Japan. Its neurovirulence, but not neuroinvasiveness, was still as high as it was for genotype III, thus indicating the necessity for continuation of a vaccination progr...
Schumacher J, Hardin DK.Priapism occurred in a stallion after the administration of acetylpromazine. When conservative measures failed, the corpus cavernosum penis (CCP) was drained and irrigated, and a vascular shunt between the erectile bodies was created. Subsidence of erection resulted, but subsequently, the stallion was unable to retract or erect the penis. The stallion was castrated and the penis was surgically retracted into the sheath.
Sosnowski J, Lechniak D, Brzozowska M, Switoński M.This paper presents the results of recovering horse oocytes by aspiration and maturation in vitro for 24, 30, 36 or 42 h. A total of 522 oocytes were recovered from 221 ovaries (2.4 per ovary) and 271 oocytes (51.9%) were selected for in vitro maturation (IVM). Oocytes were cultured in maturation medium (TCM 199 + estrus cow serum [ECS] + follicle-stimulating hormone [FSH] + 17 beta-estradiol + gentamycin). One hundred and seventy oocytes were cytogenetically analysed (68.3%). Cytogenetic analysis showed that the stage of maturation (first telophase-TI or second metaphase-MII) for fertilizatio...
Okada T, Shimomuro T, Oikawa M, Nambo Y, Kiso Y, Morikawa Y, Liptrap RM, Yamashiro S, Little PB, Sasaki F.To analyze and characterize adenoma and hyperplasia of the pars intermedia (PI) of Thoroughbred mares. Methods: 165 Thoroughbred mares, without clinical signs of hyperadrenocorticism that had been euthanatized or had died, of causes such as sudden death, colic, pneumonia, or trauma, and were necropsied. Five of those horses, 17 to 25 years old, had a large pituitary gland at necropsy. Eight mares, 5 to 15 years old with normal-size pituitary gland, were selected at random for comparison. Methods: A morphologic comparison of the pituitary gland between horses with and without tumors of the PI w...
Mömke S, Distl O.The mammalian ATP2A2 gene encodes a P-type cation pump located in the sarcoplasmic or endoplasmic reticula of muscle cells. We isolated one bacterial artificial chromosome (BAC) clone containing the equine ATP2A2 gene and determined the complete coding sequence of this gene. Cloning and characterization of the equine ATP2A2 gene revealed that the equine ATP2A2 gene consists of 20 exons. In total, 32 horses out of 16 breeds were analyzed for single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs). A mutation scan for SNPs included ten exons and their flanking introns. We detected in total 17 SNPs, 14 of which w...
Smith MR, Stevens KB, Durham AE, Marr CM.Liver disease is fairly common in horses and, although previous literature suggests that fatality rates are high, impressions gained from current clinical practice suggest that this is no longer the case. Objective: A case-control study was undertaken in 2 hospitals to investigate whether age, gender or breed type predisposed horses to developing hepatic disease, with the additional aim of determining whether these factors and disease category had any effect on outcome. Methods: Eighty-eight cases were identified by review of computerised archives at 2 hospitals. Three cases admitted immediate...
Li 李靖 J, Liu B, Yu F, Liu T, Peng Y, Fu Y.Hereditary equine regional dermal asthenia (HERDA) is an autosomal recessive inheritable disorder described in the Quarter Horses and related breeds. In this case report, a 2-year-old Quarter Horse filly was diagnosed with HERDA based on clinical findings and genetic testing. The observed clinical signs were stretchy, loose and thin skin, and open wounds on the upper body. Skin biopsy results were consistent with the common findings previously described in the literature. This is the first HERDA case report in China (and in Asia). Genetic testing protocols should be implemented for breeding fa...
Lynn RC, Hepler DI, Kelch WJ, Bertone JJ, Smith BL, Vatistas NJ.A topical 1% diclofenac liposomal cream proved to be safe, easy to use, and effective in reducing equine lameness caused by degenerative joint disease. Diclofenac liposomal cream was shown to reduce lameness as graded by owners and veterinarians, regardless of the severity or chronicity of the clinical condition. Topical application allowed for more convenient administration than oral or injectable agents, and no clinically relevant hematologic or serum biochemical changes were noted. The liposomal cream provided a delivery system for diclofenac, an NSAID, to achieve therapeutic levels locally...
Carson RL, Ganjam VK, Hudson RS, McLeod C, Kwapien R.Intact and ovariectomized pony mares were treated with either progesterone in-oil or repositol progesterone. Serum progesterone, endometrial progesterone and endometrial histology were examined. There were no differences in serum or tissue progesterone between intact and ovariectomized mares. Serum and tissue progesterone were greater for progesterone in-oil treated mares than for repositol treated mares. Both progesterone in-oil and repositol progesterone initiated endometrial gland proliferation with no difference in response observed between the two preparations.
Seahorn TL, Gaunt SD, Berry C.Hematologic and rheologic variables were examined in a group of 13 horses with intestinal colic and a control group of 6 horses. All horses had been recently transported to the veterinary teaching hospital, and blood samples were obtained during initial examination. There were no significant differences in blood neutrophil count or plasma fibrinogen concentration between the groups, and PCV was significantly increased in horses with intestinal colic. Cell filterability was measured by passing uniform concentrations of blood, erythrocytes, and neutrophils through micropore filters. There were n...
Ogden NKE, Milner PI, Stack JD, Talbot AM.Identification and characterization of foreign bodies in the distal limb of horses poses a diagnostic challenge. The aims of this prospective experimental cadaver study were to describe the appearance of five foreign body materials within the equine hoof using CT, MRI, and digital radiography (DR) and to compare interrater agreement among three reviewers. Fifty foreign bodies consisting of five materials were implanted at a solar location or a coronary location in 25 equine cadaver feet. The images were reviewed by three equine veterinarians experienced in advanced imaging interpretation, who ...
Blanchard TL, Orsini JA, Garcia MC, Elmore RG, Youngquist RS, Bierschwal CJ.A retrospective study was done on total white blood cell (WBC) and blood neutrophil counts of 41 mares referred to one of two veterinary hospitals for correction of dystocia. The mares were 2 to 19 years of age and included draft, light, and pony breeds. The WBC and neutrophil counts were performed at varying intervals from time of admission to 10 d after delivery of the feti. Retrospective analyses of WBC and neutrophil counts from 10 normal foaling mares from two Pennsylvania breeding farms (Thoroughbred and Trakehner) and from 14 normal foaling pony mares were done as controls. Mean WBC (10...
Ingle-Fehr JE, Baxter GM.To quantitate blood flow in the palmar digital artery and dorsal laminae of the hoof in standing, unmedicated, nonsedated horses, and in horses treated with oral isoxsuprine, oral pentoxifylline, and intravenous acetylpromazine as a positive control. Methods: Experimental study; treatments administered in a random cross-over design. Methods: A total of 6 healthy horses selected with at least one nonpigmented forelimb hoof wall and determined to be free of laminitis. Methods: All horses were instrumented with a flow probe placed around one palmar digital artery under general anesthesia and a la...
Alves NC, Diniz SA, Viegas RN, Arigoni AL, Freitas MM, Lana ÂQ, Lagares MA.Cryopreservation of equine semen is crucial to semen commercialization. However, it reduces sperm motility and longevity. Thus, sperm selection methods and addition of motility-activating substances to sperm, such as caffeine, may improve sperm quality of equine frozen semen. The objective of the current work was to evaluate the effects of caffeine on recovery and quality parameters of frozen-thawed sperm subjected to swim-up selection to be used in intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) in assisted reproductive techniques. Stallion semen were frozen and after thawing different caffeine conce...
