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Topic:Equine Health
Equine health encompasses the study and management of diseases, disorders, and overall well-being of horses. It involves understanding various physiological systems, preventive care, and treatment strategies to maintain optimal health in equine populations. Common areas of focus include nutrition, infectious diseases, orthopedic conditions, and reproductive health. Research in equine health aims to advance knowledge on diagnostic methods, therapeutic interventions, and management practices that improve horse welfare and performance. This page collects peer-reviewed research studies and scholarly articles that explore the diverse aspects of equine health, offering insights into current findings and advancements in the field.
Evaluation of skin bacterial flora before and after aseptic preparation of clipped and nonclipped arthrocentesis sites in horses. This study evaluates skin bacterial flora before and after aseptic preparation of clipped and nonclipped arthrocentesis sites in horses. Methods: The hair over one midcarpal joint and one distal interphalangeal joint on each horse was clipped. The contralateral joint served as the nonclipped comparison. Methods: Twelve adult horses. Methods: A prescrub sample for microbial culture was taken from the dorsal surface of all four joints for each horse. Each site was aseptically prepared with povidone iodine and 70% alcohol, followed by postscrub sampling for microbial culture. Colony forming units...
Liver biopsy techniques for adult horses and neonatal foals to assess copper status. To evaluate standing, percutaneous, ultrasound-guided, transthoracic liver biopsy in mares, and transabdominal laparoscopically-guided, liver biopsy under general anaesthesia in foals, as techniques for obtaining tissue for assessment of copper status. The techniques were evaluated with respect to ease of use and effect on the animal. Methods: Twenty of 24 Thoroughbred mares and 21 of their foals were biopsied. The animals were part of a larger study of the effect of copper supplementation on copper status and the prevalence of developmental orthopaedic disease. Livers were also collected from...
The hemoglobin polymorphism of the Sardinian wild dwarf horse and the oxygen binding properties of the four different horse hemoglobins. A study was made of the Hb phenotype of the Sardinian dwarfhorse (Equus caballus jara), one of the last surviving wild horse species in Europe. Hb haplotypes and their frequencies were found to be similar to those described in the Arabian horse (BI = 0.551, BII = 0.389, A = 0.036, V = 0.015), which suggests possible introduction onto the island from North Africa. The oxygen binding properties of the whole hemolysates and of the four different horse Hbs, separated by ion-exchange chromatography, were considered with regard to the effect of chloride, 2,3-bisphosphoglycerate and lactate. Results ...
Body weight, fluid, electrolyte, and hormonal changes in horses competing in 50- and 100-mile endurance rides. To investigate effects of prolonged exercise on fluid and electrolyte losses in horses competing in 50- and 100-mile endurance competitions, with emphasis on recovery. Methods: Changes in body weight (BW); PCV; serum osmolality; plasma total protein, lactate, aldosterone, and serum electrolyte concentrations; and exchangeable cation content were measured in 12 and 7 horses before and after and before, during, and after successful completion of 50- and 100-mile endurance rides, respectively. Methods: BW was measured by use of a portable load bar scale, and blood samples were collected during th...
Restriction enzyme analysis of the virulence plasmids of VapA-positive Rhodococcus equi strains isolated from humans and horses. Restriction enzyme digestion patterns of the large virulence plasmids of 8 human and 37 foal isolates of virulence-associated protein (VapA)-positive Rhodococcus equi strains from different sources were compared. Foal isolates came from five continents. Digestion with EcoRI divided these plasmids into three closely related types, and digestion with BamHI divided them into three major types which corresponded to the EcoRI types. The only EcoRI and BamHI type 3 plasmid was from a single foal isolate obtained from Japan. There are thus two major but related virulence plasmids in isolates from foa...
Giardia and Cryptosporidium in Canadian farm animals. Giardia intestinalis and Cryptosporidium spp. are commonly identified intestinal pathogens in humans and animals. In light of the clinical disease, production losses and zoonotic potential of both Giardia and Cryptosporidium infections, a study was undertaken to investigate the prevalence of these parasites in cattle, sheep, pigs and horses in Canadian farms at different geographical locations. A total of 104 cattle, 89 sheep, 236 pigs and 35 horses were sampled from 15 different Canadian geographical locations. Fecal samples were examined after concentration and immunofluorescent staining. Gi...
Medical management of a full-thickness tear of the retroperitoneal portion of the rectum in a horse with hyperadrenocorticism. A 30-year-old Morgan-Quarter Horse gelding with hyperadrenocorticism was referred for treatment of a full-thickness tear of the retroperitoneal portion of the rectum. In older horses, the caudal end of the peritoneal space may be farther cranial than is commonly thought. Thus, there is a greater chance that full-thickness rectal tears will involve the retroperitoneal, rather than the peritoneal, portion of the rectum. This horse had a quick recovery and good outcome, despite underlying hyperadrenocorticism that would be expected to impair healing. Although relatively little is known about mana...
Prevalence of fetal maldispositions in equine referral hospital dystocias. A retrospective investigation was performed to determine the population characteristics of horses presented for dystocia at 2 equine referral hospitals and the types of fetal maldispositions among these horses. The study population consisted of a similar number of Thoroughbreds (25%), Standardbreds (24%) and draft horses (22%). Most of the current literature pertaining to equine obstetrics is based on a predominately draft horse population (63%). The latter population appeared to have more transverse presentations (P = 0.06), possibly because of the higher number of draft mares. In our study, ...
Localization of the U2 linkage group of horses to ECA 3 using chromosome painting. The U2 linkage group of horses includes the genes albumin (ALB), vitamin D binding protein (GC), mitochondrial glutamate oxaloacetate transaminase 2 (GOT2), and haptoglobin (HP) which are found on two human chromosomes, namely, 4 (HSA 4) and 16 (HSA 16). Likewise these genes are also found on two different chromosomes in mice, rats, and cattle. Chromosome painting demonstrated that only horse chromosome 3 (ECA 3) hybridized with whole chromosome paints for both HSA 4 and HSA 16. This indicated that the equine U2 linkage group occurs on ECA 3, spanning the centromere. This technique will be use...
Effects of anesthesia of the palmar digital nerves on kinematic gait analysis in horses with and without navicular disease. To determine the effect of local anesthesia of the palmar digital nerves on forelimb kinematics in Quarter Horses with and without navicular disease. Methods: 12 adult Quarter Horses; 5 clinically normal (sound) and 7 with navicular disease. Methods: Kinematic measurements were made on adult horses trotting on a treadmill, before and after palmar digital nerve block (PDNB). Twenty-three displacement, joint angle, and temporal gait measurements of the right forelimb and head were made for 5 strides in each horse. Initial (before local anesthesia) right forelimb measurements were obtained after ...
Genetic markers in standardbred trotters susceptible to the rhabdomyolysis syndrome. The equine rhabdomyolysis syndrome (RHA) is believed to be multifactorial in origin; and could be caused by an interaction between genetic and environmental factors. In order to analyse its genetic background an association study was undertaken. Two sample groups of Standardbreds (Stb) which had suffered from RHA were compared to the total population of Swedish Standardbred trotters using recorded polymorphic genetic markers. The results showed that gene frequencies for several markers in the RHA groups differed significantly from those estimated for the total population. A rhabdomyolysis risk...
[A case of cutaneous epitheliotropic malignant lymphoma (mycosis fungoides) in a horse]. This article describes an eleven year old mare with apathy, fever, enlarged mandibular lymph nodes, skin lesions on the upper lip and edematous, grey-red mucous membranes in the nose, mouth and vulva. Histopathology revealed infiltrates with atypical lymphocytes forming Pautrier's microabscesses. The neoplastic cells had large, often indented nuclei. Immunohistology showed that some cells were CD3-positive (Pan T-cell-marker). The diagnosis of cutaneous epitheliotropic malignant lymphoma (Mycosis fungoides) was made. The etiology in the horse is unknown.
Antibody directed against plasma membrane components of equine spermatozoa inhibits adhesion of spermatozoa to oviduct epithelial cells in vitro. Before fertilization, equine spermatozoa adhere to oviduct epithelial cells (OEC) of the mare. The biochemical basis for this adhesion has not been determined. Our objective was to produce an antiserum to block this interaction. Ejaculated spermatozoa were subjected to nitrogen cavitation and spermatozoal plasma membranes enriched by sucrose density gradient centrifugation; membrane enrichment was confirmed by comparative alkaline phosphatase analysis, electron microscopy, and one- and two-dimensional PAGE. Periacrosomal plasma membrane was used as an immunogen for the production of an antiser...
Sensory epithelium of the vomeronasal organ express TrkA-like and epidermal growth factor receptor in adulthood. An immunohistochemical study in the horse. The medial wall of the vomeronasal organ (VNO) is lined with a sensory epithelium that is closely related to the olfactory epithelium, which is developed from the olfactory placode. It undergoes continuous replacement during its life span. In other sensory epithelia, cell proliferation is under the control of some trophic factors. Whether these proteins are involved in the continuous turnover of the VNO epithelium is unknown. This study approaches this topic by analyzing the occurrence of signal-transducing receptor proteins for neurotrophins (Trk proteins) and epidermal growth factor (EGFr). ...
Effect of bilateral tenectomy of the tensor veli palatini muscle on soft palate function in horses. To determine the effect of bilateral tenectomy of the tensor veli palatini muscle on soft palate and nasopharyngeal function in exercising horses. Methods: 5 Standardbreds. Methods: Treadmill videoendoscopy was performed on 5 Standardbreds exercising at 50, 75, and 100% of the speed that produced maximum heart rate; tracheal and pharyngeal pressures were measured before and after surgery. Tenectomy of the tensor veli palatini muscle was performed bilaterally on each horse while under general anesthesia, using a transoral approach. Results: Peak inspiratory tracheal pressures were significantly...
Monoclonal gammopathy in a Dutch warmblood mare. A 15-year-old Dutch warmblood mare was presented because of lethargy, which had been present for several weeks, and severe anaemia. Total protein was high and serum electrophoresis revealed a monoclonal peak in the alpha-2 region. Monoclonal immunoglobulin, IgG(T), was detected by immuno-electrophoresis in serum and urine. Postmortem examination revealed a relatively large number of plasmacytoid cells in the bone marrow and a monotonous population of plasmacytoid cells in the spleen. These findings are suggestive of a plasma cell myeloma.
Pregnancies from imipramine and xylazine-induced ex copula ejaculation in a disabled stallion. Breeding or semen collection was attempted using: natural cover, manual stimulation, artificial vagina, pharmacologic induction of ejaculation, and electroejaculation. Sperm cells were recovered from the ductus deferens and epididymides post mortem. Only semen collected ex copula by imipramine and xylazine treatment resulted in conceptions (4/5). This is the first report of pregnancies in horses from ex copula semen collection.
[Observations of the development of the equine distal interphalangeal joint cavity concerning the pelvic limb of fetuses, fillies and adult horses]. Ten horses, younger than 1 year, were used to investigate the articulatio interphalangea distalis of the pelvic limb. The expansion of the dorsal recess was compared to those of adult horses. The recessus dorsalis always formed a shape like the letter 'm' or like a triangle with oblique angles. Consequently the great proximo-distal expansion on the medial side of the dorsal recess very probably has nothing to do with the age of horses.
Biochemical changes in the equine capsule following prostaglandin-induced pregnancy failure. The equine embryonic capsule, an acellular covering that envelops the conceptus during the second and third weeks of pregnancy, is composed of mucin-like glycoproteins. Its structure is consistent with a dual role during early pregnancy: protection of the conceptus, and communication between the embryo and the mother. Loss of sialic acid from the capsular glycoproteins at day 16 correlates with the time of "fixation," or loss of conceptus mobility throughout the uterine horns. This study investigated how the structure of the capsule is linked to the maintenance of pregnancy. Six pregnancies, c...
Nitric oxide production by equine articular cells in vitro. Recent research in several species has suggested nitric oxide (NO) as a mediator of articular cartilage damage and an inhibitor of cartilage matrix neosynthesis. This study investigated NO production by cultured equine articular chondrocytes in response to 2 arthritogenic molecules, namely lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and interleukin-1 beta (IL-1 beta), and compared NO production by cultured equine synoviocytes stimulated with LPS. Synoviocytes exhibited a low basal level of NO synthesis (measured as nitrite, a NO metabolite) that was neither significantly increased nor decreased by exposure to LP...
Amantadine and equine influenza: pharmacology, pharmacokinetics and neurological effects in the horse. Amantadine is an antiviral agent effective against influenza A viruses. We investigated 1) the antiviral efficacy, 2) analytical detection, 3) bioavailability and disposition, 4) pharmacokinetic modelling and 5) adverse reactions of amantadine in the horse. In vitro, amantadine and its derivative rimantadine suppressed the replication of recent isolates of equine-2 influenza virus with effective doses (EDs) of less than 30 ng/ml. Rimantadine was more effective than amantadine against most viral isolates; we suggest a minimum plasma concentration of 300 ng/ml of amantadine for therapeutic effic...
Ultrasonographic examination of the proximal scutum in the horse. Normal and abnormal ultrasonographic images are presented of the proximal scutum (proximal sesamoid bones and palmar ligament) in the horse. Comparison between anatomical sections, MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) and ultrasound scans enabled the authors to establish the normal ultrasonographic anatomy of the palmar fetlock. Nine cases of proximal scutum injuries were identified ultrasonographically, of which 4 are illustrated. On normal limbs, the facies flexoria of the proximal sesamoid bones appeared as a thin and regular hyperechoic line and the palmar ligament was regularly echogenic. Les...
A pharmacodynamic study of propofol or propofol and ketamine infusions in ponies undergoing surgery. The pharmacodynamics of infusions of propofol alone (group 1) were compared with the pharmacodynamics of infusions of propofol and ketamine together (group 2) in eight ponies undergoing castration. Anaesthesia was induced with detomidine, 20 micrograms kg-1, followed by ketamine, 2.2 mg kg-1. Subsequently, a bolus dose of propofol, 0.5 mg kg-1, was administered intravenously to both groups, and an infusion of propofol was given for an average of 74 minutes to group 1, and an infusion of propofol and ketamine was given for 60 minutes to group 2. The mean (SD) infusion rates of propofol were 0.3...
Determination of an effective dose of eltenac and its comparison with that of flunixin meglumine in horses after experimentally induced carpitis. To titrate a clinically effective eltenac dosage (0.1, 0.5, and 1.0 mg/kg of body weight), compared with vehicle only, and to compare efficacy of the most effective eltenac dosage with that of 1.1 mg of flunixin meglumine/kg. Methods: 40 healthy horses, ranked after model induction on the basis of lameness severity, were randomly assigned to 5 treatment groups, with 4 replicates of 10 horses each. Methods: On day -5, after surgical preparation of the left carpal region, 0.7 ml of Freund's complete adjuvant was injected into the intercarpal space. Horses were observed daily, from the day of car...
Comparison of collagen fibril populations in the superficial digital flexor tendons of exercised and nonexercised thoroughbreds. This study was undertaken to test the hypothesis that collagen fibrils, the submicroscopic units of strength in tendon, would hypertrophy in response to a specific defined training programme. Fibril diameters were measured in central and peripheral regions of superficial digital flexor tendon (SDFT) samples from five 18-month-old horses which underwent a subsequent 18 month training programme and 6 age- and sex-matched controls. Central region fibrils from the trained horses had a mass-average diameter (MAD) of 105.3 nm, which was significantly lower (P < 0.01) than that of 131.7 nm for the...
Orbital neuroendocrine tumors in three horses. Three horses were examined because of exophthalmos and others signs indicative of a space-occupying orbital mass. In 2 horses, exenteration was used to remove the orbital mass. In a third horse, an orbital tumor and lung metastases were found at necropsy. Routine histologic and Grimelius' histochemical staining were used on fixed tissues; immunohistochemical staining for chromogranin and electron microscopy also were performed. Masses were orbital neuroendocrine tumors. Horses that underwent exenteration were alive 19 and 24 months after surgery. Hypotension was encountered at surgery in both ...
