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.
Van Cleemput J, Poelaert KCK, Laval K, Vanderheijden N, Dhaenens M, Daled S, Boyen F, Pasmans F, Nauwynck HJ.β-Defensins protect the respiratory tract against the myriad of microbial pathogens entering the airways with each breath. However, this potentially hostile environment is known to serve as a portal of entry for herpesviruses. The lack of suitable respiratory model systems has precluded understanding of how herpesvirus virions overcome the abundant mucosal β-defensins during host invasion. We demonstrate how a central alphaherpesvirus, equine herpesvirus type 1 (EHV1), actually exploits β-defensins to invade its host and initiate viral spread. The equine β-defensins (eBDs) eBD1, -2, and -3...
X-ray structures of homopolymeric human L-ferritin and horse spleen ferritin were solved by freezing protein crystals at different time intervals after exposure to a ferric salt and revealed the growth of an octa-nuclear iron cluster on the inner surface of the protein cage with a key role played by some glutamate residues. An atomic resolution view of how the cluster formation develops starting from a (μ -oxo)tris[(μ -glutamato-κO:κO')](glutamato-κO)(diaquo)triiron(III) seed is provided. The results support the idea that iron biomineralization in ferritin is a process initiating at the l...
Yongfeng Y, Xiaobo S, Nan X, Jingwen Z, Wenqiang L.To monitor the occurrence of equine influenza in large-scale donkey farms in Liaocheng City, Shandong Province, serological investigation and sequence analysis of HA/M protein gene of equine influenza virus (EIV) were carried out. Samples (n = 65) of the lung and nasal swab were collected in six different large-scale donkey farms and detected with RT-PCR for HA and M protein gene. The homology and evolution of HA and M genes were analysed with known sequences. Antibody titres of serum samples (n = 120, unvaccinated) level was determined by the HI test. The average seropositive rate was 32....
Alonso JM, Rosa GDS, Santos B, Guerra S, Ribeiro M, Watanabe MJ, Alves A, Rodrigues C, Takahira RK, Hussni CA.Intraperitoneal administration of ceftriaxone maintains therapeutic abdominal concentrations for 24 hours in healthy horses. Therefore, it is a possible treatment for septic peritonitis. The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of ceftriaxone as an adjuvant treatment in horses with septic peritonitis. Methods: Twenty-six horses with clinical signs, sonography and/or laboratory findings of septic peritonitis were included. Peritoneal fluid was collected for microbiological culture and in vitro microbial sensitivity profile assessment. Daily intraperitoneal administration of ceftriax...
Charbonneau ARL, Taylor E, Mitchell CJ, Robinson C, Cain AK, Leigh JA, Maskell DJ, Waller AS.The availability of next-generation sequencing techniques provides an unprecedented opportunity for the assignment of gene function. subspecies is the causative agent of strangles in horses, one of the most prevalent and important diseases of equids worldwide. However, the live attenuated vaccines that are utilized to control this disease cause adverse reactions in some animals. Here, we employ transposon-directed insertion-site sequencing (TraDIS) to identify genes that are required for the fitness of in whole equine blood or in the presence of HO to model selective pressures exerted by th...
Lambertini C, Bombardi C, Zannoni A, Bernardini C, Dondi F, Morini M, Rinnovati R, Spadari A, Romagnoli N.Proteinase activated receptor 4 (PAR) in the gastrointestinal tract is involved in the regulation of inflammation and pain pathways. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the distribution and expression of PAR in the jejunum of healthy horses and in the pathologic tracts from horses undergoing surgery for herniation of the small intestine through the epiploic foramen. Eight healthy horses (Group H) and eight horses with epiploic hernia (Group EH) were included; the jejunum samples were collected at the slaughter or intraoperatively after enterectomy, respectively. To evaluate PAR expres...
Küls N, Trujanovic R, Otero PE, Larenza-Menzies MP.Colic surgery is one of the most painful procedures carried out in horses. Common strategies to alleviate immediate postsurgical abdominal pain include the administration of potent systemic analgesics; however, these may cause unwanted adverse effects such as cardiovascular depression, ileus, and ataxia. The administration of local anesthetics at the incision site in form of an ultrasound-guided subcostal transversus abdominis plane (TAP) block may therefore be preferred to provide adequate analgesia without significant side effects. To date, no technique for a TAP block in horses undergoing m...
Freeman DE, Mooney A, Giguère S, Claire J, Evetts C, Diskant P.Measurements of water consumed by fed healthy horses might not apply to horses that are unwilling or unable to drink or are not fed for any reason. Objective: To examine the effects of feed deprivation on voluntary water consumption compared with fed conditions. Methods: In vivo experiment. Methods: Eight healthy adult Thoroughbred geldings were used in a randomised crossover design so that each horse served as its own control for fed vs feed-deprived conditions. Water intake, bodyweight, physical findings and vital signs were measured during 4 days of feeding and 4 days of feed deprivation....
Mellor DJ.A proposition addressed here is that, although bitted horses are viewed by many equestrians as being largely free of bit-related mouth pain, it seems likely that most behavioural signs of such pain are simply not recognised. Background information is provided on the following: the major features of pain generation and experience; cerebrocortical involvement in the conscious experience of pain by mammals; the numerous other subjective experiences mammals can have; adjunct physiological responses to pain; some general feature of behavioural responses to pain; and the neural bases of sensations g...
Maia MPM, Weber SH, Bastos LFC, Michelotto PV.This study aimed to investigate the prevalence of juvenile osteochondral conditions (JOCCs) in yearling Thoroughbred (TB) racehorses in Southern Brazil, as well as to examine the same animals studied as weanlings by Bastos et al. (2017) and compare the radiographic findings for the two ages. Radiographs of 76 male and female TB yearlings from Paraná State, Southern Brazil, were investigated. The proximal interphalangeal, metacarpophalangeal/metatarsophalangeal (MC/MT), tarsal, and femorotibial (FT) joints were evaluated using 24 radiographic projections. The evaluation consisted of a severit...
Day P, Collins L, Horan K, Weller R, Pfau T.Tungsten road nails are commonly used by farriers to increase grip between the hoof and the ground surface. There is limited evidence relating the use of road nails to the fundamental mechanics of movement. Grip is important for efficient deceleration on landing and subsequent propulsion, but this must be balanced against an amount of slip to divide the landing force into horizontal as well as vertical subcomponents. Here, we conducted an intervention study to quantify the effect of lateral heel road nail placement on weight bearing and propulsion in 10 horses trotting on tarmac. Wireless iner...
Parsons Aubone AM, Bisiau CM, McCue PM, Bouma GJ.Mammals have a circadian rhythm that is synchronized by a master clock located in the hypothalamic suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN). The SCN regulates additional clocks located in peripheral tissues, including some involved in endocrine or reproductive functions. Studies in humans and mice report that molecular clocks also exist in the placenta. However, little is known about the presence of "Clock genes," namely Circadian Locomotor Output Cycles Kaput (CLOCK), Brain and Muscle Arnt-Like 1 (BMAL1), Period 1 (PER1), Period 2 (PER2), Cryptochrome 1 (CRY1), and Cryptochrome 2 (CRY2), in equine place...
Spears JW, Lloyd KE, Siciliano P, Pratt-Phillips S, Goertzen EW, McLeod SJ, Moore J, Krafka K, Hyda J, Rounds W.Forty-eight Quarter Horse geldings (3 to 8 yr of age) were used to determine the effects of dietary chromium (Cr), in the form of Cr propionate (Cr Prop) on insulin sensitivity. Horses were blocked by age, body condition score, and glucose response to concentrate feeding on day 0 and randomly assigned to treatments. Treatments consisted of 0, 2, 4, or 8 mg Cr/d from Cr Prop. Horses were fed daily a concentrate mix at a rate of 0.2 kg/100 kg body weight (BW) and grass hay at 1.75 to 2.0 kg/100 kg BW. All horses were fed the control diet for 7 d prior to the initiation of the study. After an ove...
de Paula VB, Canola PA, Rivera GG, Bonacin YS, Del Rio LA, Canola JC, Ferraudo AS.The objective of this study was to evaluate changes in intra-abdominal pressure (IAP) in horses with colic by associating the underlying etiologies with directly acquired IAP values and survival rate. This is a 2-year cohort study (2014-2016). Horses with clinical signs of colic were admitted to the veterinary teaching hospital during the period 2014-2016. Twenty-eight horses, of different breeds, males (stallions and geldings) and females, aged between 2 and 20 years, and weighing from 300 to 450 kg presenting with clinical signs of colic, were included in the study. IAP was directly acquir...
Li B, He X, Zhao Y, Bai D, Li D, Zhou Z, Manglai D.Numerous studies have shown that microRNAs (miRNAs) are essential for testicular development and spermatogenesis. In order to further characterise these physiological processes, three immature and three mature testes of the Mongolian horse were collected and six libraries were established. Using small RNA sequencing technology, 531 mature miRNAs were identified, including 46 novel miRNAs without previously ascribed functions. Among the 531 miRNAs, 421 were expressed in both immature and mature libraries, 65 miRNAs were found solely in immature testis libraries and 45 miRNAs were found solely i...
Marx C, Gardner S, Harman RM, Van de Walle GR.Mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) from various species, such as humans, mice, and horses, were recently found to effectively inhibit the growth of various bacteria associated with chronic infections, such as nonhealing cutaneous wounds, via secretion of antimicrobial peptides. These MSC antimicrobial properties have primarily been studied in the context of the planktonic phenotype, and thus, information on the effects on bacteria in biofilms is largely lacking. The objectives of this study were to evaluate the in vitro efficacy of the MSC secretome against various biofilm-forming wound pathogen...
Rostang A, Desjardins I, Espana B, Panzuti P, Berny P, Prouillac C, Pin D.This study aimed to investigate both the pharmacokinetic behavior and tolerance of methotrexate (MTX) in horses to design a specific dosing regimen as a new immunomodulatory drug for long-term treatment. To determine the primary plasma pharmacokinetic variables after single intravenous, subcutaneous or oral administration, six horses were administered 0.3 mg/kg MTX in a crossover design study. After a 10-week washout, MTX was administered subcutaneously to three of the six previously treated horses at a dose of 0.3 mg/kg once per week for 3 months. In both studies, MTX and metabolite concen...
Jaworska J, Jaworski Z, McDonnell SM, Górecka-Bruzda A.Infanticide, related to a stallion's aggression toward a foal sired by another stallion, and feticide related to a new stallion's aggression and/or pheromonal influence (the Bruce effect) inducing loss of a fetus sired by another stallion, a female's counteraction to infanticide, have been proposed for domestic horses (Equus caballus) in human-managed conditions. The aim of the present study was, in conditions close to natural, to investigate the influence of the natural succession of a harem stallion on the mares' subsequent reproductive performance. In a population of semi-feral Konik polski...
Ballou ME, Mueller MK, Dowling-Guyer S.This study evaluated the experience of 1,448 people in the United States who currently care for or had previously cared for a geriatric horse and how that experience was qualified by the presence or absence of a chronic condition in the horse. An anonymous, online questionnaire was distributed to a cross-country sample to investigate the burden of caregivers from the perspective of owners of geriatric horses. Traumatic events and veterinary care decisions were also explored. Findings from the study supported the hypothesis that owners of geriatric horses with a chronic condition experienced hi...
Vengust M, Jager MC, Zalig V, Cociancich V, Laverack M, Renshaw RW, Dubovi E, Tomlinson JE, Van de Walle GR, Divers TJ.Equine parvovirus-hepatitis (EqPV-H) has been proposed as the aetiological cause of Theiler's disease, also known as serum hepatitis. EqPV-H-associated Theiler's disease has not been previously reported in Europe. Objective: To determine whether EqPV-H infection was associated with a 2018-2019 outbreak of Theiler's disease in four horses on a studfarm. Methods: Descriptive case series. Methods: The medical records of four horses from the same farm diagnosed with fatal Theiler's disease were examined retrospectively. Information collected included a clinical history, physical examination findin...
Verhaar N, Pfarrer C, Neudeck S, König K, Rohn K, Twele L, Kästner S.Pharmacological preconditioning of dexmedetomidine on small intestinal ischaemia/reperfusion injury has been reported in different animal models including horses. Objective: The objective was to assess if xylazine and lidocaine have a preconditioning effect in an experimental model of equine jejunal ischaemia. Methods: Terminal in vivo experiment. Methods: Ten horses under general anaesthesia were either preconditioned with xylazine (group X; n = 5) or lidocaine (group L; n = 5). A historical untreated control group (group C; n = 5) was used for comparison. An established experimental mo...
Guan F, Fay S, Li X, You Y, Robinson MA.Bioactive peptides pose a great threat to sports integrity. The detection of these peptides is essential for enforcing their prohibition in sports. Identifying the catabolites of these peptides that are formed ex vivo in plasma may improve their detection. In the present study, the stability of 27 bioactive peptides with protection at both termini in equine plasma was examined under different incubation conditions, using HILIC coupled to HRMS. Of the 27 peptides, 13 were stable after incubation at 37°C for 72 hr, but the remaining 14 were less stable. Ex vivo catabolites of these 14 peptides ...
Gy C, Leclere M, Bélanger MC, Allano M, Beauchamp G, Lavoie JP.Monensin is highly toxic to horses and inadvertent ingestion can result in cardiac injury and death. Objective: To describe sequelae of monensin ingestion and to determine clinical predictors of outcome. Methods: Observational clinical study. Methods: Physical examination, electrocardiogram and echocardiography were performed on 76 horses accidentally exposed to monensin-contaminated feed. Four horses were examined within 14 days of exposure (acute period), 29 horses were examined between 15 and 45 days post-exposure (subacute period) and 70 horses were examined 4-10 months after exposure ...
Gurgul A, Jasielczuk I, Semik-Gurgul E, Pawlina-Tyszko K, Szmatoła T, Polak G, Bugno-Poniewierska M.The current role of the horse as a companion animal resulted in a decrease of interest in breeding and usage of draft horses. This meant that the population of cold-blooded horses in Poland has been dramatically reduced during the last decades. To avoid impoverishment of the gene pool of the local horse population, a conservation program was established which involves draft horses and other local horse breeds. The draft horses bred in Poland can be subdivided in a few horse types of which the most widespread and consolidated are Sztumski and Sokólski horses. These two subpopulations are pheno...
Selim A, Radwan A, Arnaout F.West Nile Virus (WNV) is a flavivirus, mosquito-borne infection and have public health importance worldwide. WNV infection have highly significant impact on animal and human health. The virus has been detected serologically in Egypt among equids. Therefore, the aim of the present study to investigate the serological situation of WNV among horse in north of Egypt and identification of WNV in vector. The serological survey was conducted on 500 serum samples that collected from horses from four governorates at north of Egypt. The infection rate was non-significant differed between four localities...
Flores MM, Del Piero F, Habecker PL, Langohr IM.Ocular diseases are an important category in equine medicine; however, most articles regarding histologic ocular lesions in horses are exclusive to a specific condition and do not provide a complete review of clinically significant ocular disease frequency in a diagnostic laboratory. We reviewed sections of equine eyes from 140 cases (98 enucleations [biopsies] and 42 autopsies) with clinically relevant ocular alterations at 2 diagnostic centers in the United States. The most common primary conditions were non-traumatic keratitis (36), equine recurrent uveitis (ERU; 31), traumatic injuries (22...
Atkinson F, Evans R, Guest JE, Bavin EP, Cacador D, Holland C, Guest DJ.Tendon injuries are a common cause of morbidity in humans. They also occur frequently in horses, and the horse provides a relevant, large animal model in which to test novel therapies. To develop novel cell therapies that can aid tendon regeneration and reduce subsequent reinjury rates, the mechanisms that control tendon tissue regeneration and matrix remodelling need to be better understood. Although a range of chemical cues have been explored (growth factors, media etc.), the influence of the mechanical environment on tendon cell culture has yet to be fully elucidated. To mimic the in vivo e...
Crandall A, Hopster K, Grove A, Levine D.In horses undergoing castration, direct comparison of intratesticular lidocaine vs mepivacaine as analgesic adjuncts has not yet been analysed. Objective: To compare the effects of intratesticular lidocaine and mepivacaine during equine castration using the Henderson drill under total intravenous anesthesia. Methods: Randomised, double-blinded clinical study. Methods: Thirty-four stallions were anaesthetised using xylazine-ketamine and randomly selected to receive 10 mL either lidocaine or mepivacaine injected into each testicle. Both surgeon and anaesthetist were blinded to the selected trea...
Bacci B, Stent AW, Walmsley EA.Lymphoma is the most common intestinal neoplasm in horses, but its clinical-pathological features are poorly characterized. Primary intestinal lymphoma was diagnosed in 20 horses on biopsy samples and further confirmed by postmortem examination in 16 cases. Lymphoma was found in the small intestine in 12 of 20 (60%), in the colon in 5 of 20 (25%), and in both small and large intestines in 3 of 20 (15%) cases. Gross findings included thickening of the intestinal wall (45%), mural nodules or masses (30%), and both thickening and nodules (10%). Cases were classified according to the human World H...
Riley CB, Jenvey CJ, Baker FJ, Corripio A. To determine if an ELISA for measurement of IgA in equine serum could be used to measure concentrations of IgA in foal faeces and to determine correlations with concentrations in the milk of the dam. Faeces from 20 Welsh Cob and Welsh Pony foals and milk from their dams were collected within 12 hours (Day 0) and at 6 days after parturition (Day 6). On Day 6, faeces could not be collected from 2/20 foals, and milk samples could not be collected from 3/20 mares. An equine IgA ELISA validated for serum and plasma was used to measure concentrations of IgA in all samples in triplicate. The preci...
Murase H, Endo Y, Tsuchiya T, Kotoyori Y, Shikichi M, Ito K, Sato F, Nambo Y.It has not been common to perform regular ultrasound examination of the fetus in equine practice, due to the increasing volume of the uterus caused by fetal development. The convex three-dimensional transducer is bulb-shaped and is able to observe wide areas. In addition, its operation is simple, making it easy to create appropriate angles for various indices using a transrectal approach. The aim of this study was to measure Thoroughbred fetal growth indices throughout gestation using a convex transducer and to clarify the detectable period of some indices for clinical use. We demonstrated cha...
Takasu M, Nagatani N, Tozaki T, Kakoi H, Maeda M, Murase T, Mukoyama H.To establish blood and biochemical references for the endangered Kiso horse, blood samples were collected from 111 adult Kiso horses, 74.5% of the existing breed. The samples were analyzed for 23 hematological and biochemical parameters to determine their means and standard deviations (SD). We compared the mean ± 2SD with the reference values cited in one of the most commonly used veterinary textbooks in Japan. The hematology of Kiso horses is characterized by lower erythrocyte count and hematocrit and hemoglobin levels. In addition, their serum biochemistry showed lower levels of aspartate t...
Mills DS, Taylor K.Thirty-six owners of seasonally headshaking horses took part in a trial to compare the effectiveness of three types of nose net, a traditional cylindrical net (full net) and two forms of larger mesh nets which cover only the nostrils and dorsorostral muzzle (half nets). Baseline data relating to the overall severity of the problem and 18 specific behaviours describing the nature of the problem were recorded on a check sheet by the owners. A within-subjects repeated measures design experiment, with each net used for a week before reassessment, was then used to assess the effect of the nets on t...
Diab SS, Poppenga R, Uzal FA.In racehorses, sudden death (SD) associated with exercise poses a serious risk to jockeys and adversely affects racehorse welfare and the public perception of horse racing. In a majority of cases of exercise-associated sudden death (EASD), there are no gross lesions to explain the cause of death, and an examination of the cardiovascular system and a toxicologic screen are warranted. Cases of EASD without gross lesions are often presumed to be sudden cardiac deaths (SCD). We describe an equine SD autopsy protocol, with emphasis on histologic examination of the heart ("cardiac histology protocol...
Grinninger P, Skalicky M, Nell B.To assess natural variations in degree of refraction, corneal curvature, corneal astigmatism, corneal radius, and intraocular distance of healthy equine eyes. Methods: 159 horses with healthy eyes that were admitted to a veterinary teaching hospital for nonophthalmic surgeries. Methods: Eyes of horses were examined with a retinoscope prior to anesthesia and with a keratograph and A- and B-scan ultrasonographic biometers during surgery. In addition, manual caliper measurements of horizontal and vertical corneal radii were obtained. Results: Mean +/- SD degree of refraction in the horizontal mer...
Tzipori S, Walker M.A rotavirus, morphologically similar to other known rotaviruses, was demonstrated in the faeces of 5 foals with diarrhoea on two properties. Four of these 5 samples produced specific intracytoplasmic fluorescence in cell culture when reacted with calf rotavirus antiserum conjugate. Sixteen affected foals from both properties were depressed, did not suckle and became recumbent. Most had a watery diarrhoea which lasted for 3 days and resulted in some dehydration and loss of body condition. Sick foals were separated from their mothers following the onset of diarrhoea and given fluid therapy and a...
Elce YA.This article addresses the pathophysiology, diagnosis, management, and prognosis of several different infections within the equine abdomen and pelvic region. The latest advances in the diagnosis and treatment of perirectal abscesses, umbilical infections, and local and diffuse peritonitis are discussed. Emphasis is placed on recent advances in diagnostics and therapeutics with reference to human literature that may be useful in equine practice.
Thurmon JC, Steffey EP, Zinkl JG, Woliner M, Howland D.Xylazine given IV at doses of 0.5, 1.0, and 1.5 mg/kg to mares caused a significant (P less than 0.05) dose-related increase in serum glucose concentration and urine volume. Serum glucose concentrations as much as 150 mg/dl were recorded in mares after they were given the largest xylazine dose. The greatest urine volume, similar to changes in peak glucose concentration, always occurred during the first hour after dosing with xylazine and averaged 1.82, 3.93, and 5.68 ml/kg/hour after the 0.5-, 1.0-, and 1.5-mg/kg doses, respectively, were given. Urine osmolality and specific gravity were signi...
Krecek RC, Reinecke RK, Horak IG.Between 1980 and 1982, the gastrointestinal tracts of 17 horses which had been grazing on mixed grassveld at Potchefstroom and bushveld at Onderstepoort in the province of Transvaal, Republic of South Africa, were examined at necropsy and processed for parasite recovery. The large strongyles and their prevalences were as follows: Strongylus vulgaris and associated lesions (88-94%), Strongylus edentatus (24%), Strongylus equinus (30%), Triodontophorus nipponicus (35%) and Craterostomum acuticaudatum (18%). The seven most prevalent and abundant cyathostomes collected were Cylicostephanus longibu...
Lefebvre D, Pirie RS, Handel IG, Tremaine WH, Hudson NP.There is a need for an improved understanding of equine post operative ileus (POI), in terms of both clinical definition and optimal management. Although the pharmacological strategies that are used to treat POI continue to evolve, little is known about the supplementary strategies used to prevent and manage this condition. Objective: To report the current strategies used to diagnose, prevent and manage POI following emergency abdominal surgeries. Methods: Cross-sectional survey. Methods: An electronic survey invitation was sent by email to 306 European college diplomates (European Colleges of...
Hainisch EK, Abel-Reichwald H, Shafti-Keramat S, Pratscher B, Corteggio A, Borzacchiello G, Wetzig M, Jindra C, Tichy A, Kirnbauer R, Brandt S.We have previously shown that immunization of horses with bovine papillomavirus type 1 (BPV1) L1 virus-like particles (VLPs) is safe and highly immunogenic and that BPV1 and bovine papillomavirus type 2 (BPV2) are closely related serotypes. Here we evaluated the protective potential of a BPV1 L1 VLP vaccine against experimental BPV1 and BPV2 challenge and studied the safety and immunogenicity of a bivalent equine papillomavirus type 2 (EcPV2)/BPV1 L1 VLP vaccine. Fourteen healthy horses were immunized with BPV1 L1 VLPs (100 µg per injection) plus adjuvant on days 0 and 28, while seven remai...
Trager LR, Funk RA, Clapp KS, Dahlgren LA, Werre SR, Hodgson DR, Pleasant RS.Although extracorporeal shockwave therapy (ESWT) is a common treatment for horses with back pain, effects on mechanical nociceptive threshold (MNT) and multifidus muscle cross sectional area (CSA) in the spine are unknown. Objective: To evaluate effects of ESWT on spinal MNT and multifidus muscle CSA in horses with thoracolumbar pain. Methods: Non-randomised trial. Methods: Thoracolumbar spines of 12 horses with thoracolumbar pain were radiographed to document existing pathology. Each horse received three ESWT treatments, 2 weeks apart (days 0, 14, 28). Palpation scores were documented (days ...
Windley Z, Weller R, Tremaine WH, Perkins JD.Dental disorders are of major clinical importance in equine practice; however, the knowledge of normal dental anatomy, especially that of the pulp remains incomplete. Computed tomography (CT) is being used increasingly in the diagnosis of dental disease, although the normal 2- (2D) and 3-dimensional (3D) CT anatomy has not yet been fully described. Objective: To describe the 2D and 3D CT appearance of the enamel, infundibulae and pulp of normal equine cheek teeth. Methods: One-hundred-and-twenty-six cadaveric cheek teeth with eruption ages of 0.5-19 years were evaluated; CT scans of each tooth...
DeBowes RM, Grant BD, Bagby GW, Gallina AM, Sande RD, Ratzlaff MH.A modified form of the Cloward technique for anterior cervical fusion in human beings was used in the application of different grafts for evaluation of their effectiveness in stabilizing equine cervical vertebrae. Results of bovine xenograft implants in 8 horses were compared with results of stainless steel baskets (SSB) packed with cancellous autogenous bone in 8 horses. Graft material was incorporated in all cases. Evidence of graft rejection was not present. Both forms of implants decreased the mobility of the intervertebral space in which they were implanted. A fibrous connective tissue un...
Stewart MC, Hodgson JL, Kim H, Hutchins DR, Hodgson DR.Eighty-six horses presented for examination at the Rural Veterinary Centre between January 1986 to December 1991 with acute diarrhoea. The average age of affected horses was 3.2 +/- 0.2 years (mean +/- SE), with 69% three years or younger. Sixty-one horses were male (36 stallions, 25 geldings) and 83 horses were Thoroughbreds (47) or Standardbreds (36). Sixty-six horses were undergoing routine training at the time of onset of diarrhoea. Eight horses were afflicted with a non-specific illness within one to five days before the onset of diarrhoea, whereas eight horses developed diarrhoea during ...
Gozalo-Marcilla M, de Oliveira AR, Fonseca MW, Possebon FS, Pelligand L, Taylor PM, Luna SPL.Standing surgery avoids the risks of general anaesthesia in horses. Objective: To assess sedation, antinociception and gastrointestinal motility in standing horses after a detomidine loading dose and 2-h constant rate intravenous (i.v.) infusion, with or without methadone. Methods: Blinded, randomised, crossover with seven healthy adult cross-bred horses, three geldings and four females (404 ± 22 kg). Methods: Five i.v. treatments were administered to all horses with 1-week washout period: saline (SAL), detomidine low (2.5 μg/kg bwt + 6.25 μg/kg bwt/h) (DL) and high doses (5 μg/kg ...
Ghosh S, Taniguchi K, Aida S, Ganesh B, Kobayashi N.Equine group A rotaviruses (RVA) are a major cause of severe diarrhea in foals. The whole genomes of only six common and three unusual equine RVA strains have been analyzed so far. To date, there are no reports on whole genomic analyses of equine RVAs from Asian countries. We report here the whole genomic analyses of three common (strains RVA/Horse-tc/JPN/BI/1981/G3P[12], RVA/Horse-tc/JPN/HH-22/1989/G3P[12] and RVA/Horse-tc/JPN/CH-3/1987/G14P[12]) and an unusual (RVA/Horse-tc/JPN/OH-4/1982/G6P[5]) equine RVA strains isolated from diarrheic foals in Japan. Strains BI, HH-22 and CH-3 shared a la...
Mitchell CF, Fugler LA, Eades SC.Laminitis is an extremely painful condition resulting in damage to the soft tissues anchoring the third phalanx to the hoof, which can result in life-threatening debilitation. Specific therapy is not available. The most important principles of therapy include aggressive nutritional and medical management of primary disease processes, cryotherapy, anti-inflammatory therapy, pain management, and biomechanical support. This review focuses on the principles of evidenced-based therapies.
Reubel GH, Barlough JE, Madigan JE.We report on the production and characterization of Ehrlichia risticii, the agent of Potomac horse fever (PHF), from snails (Pleuroceridae: Juga spp.) maintained in aquarium culture and compare it genetically to equine strains. Snails were collected from stream waters on a pasture in Siskiyou County, Calif., where PHF is enzootic and were maintained for several weeks in freshwater aquaria in the laboratory. Upon exposure to temperatures above 22 degrees C the snails released trematode cercariae tentatively identified as virgulate cercariae. Fragments of three different genes (genes for 16S rRN...
Aharonson-Raz K, Lohmann KL, Townsend HG, Marques F, Singh B.Heaves, an obstructive neutrophilic airway inflammation of horses, is triggered by dust components such as endotoxin and has similarities to human asthma. Pulmonary intravascular macrophages (PIMs) increase horses' sensitivity to endotoxin-induced lung inflammation; however, their role in an airborne pathology remains unknown. Therefore, we investigated the role of PIMs in the development of heaves in horses. Clinical and inflammatory responses were evaluated following induction of heaves by moldy hay exposure and PIM depletion with gadolinium chloride (GC). Mares (N = 9) were exposed to four ...
Ball BA, Almeida J, Conley AJ.Endocrinological assays are important for evaluation of mares with granulosa-cell tumours (GCTs), and our research in mares indicates that anti-Müllerian hormone (AMH) may be a good biomarker for this type of ovarian tumour. Objective: To evaluate the use of serum AMH concentrations for endocrine diagnosis of GCTs in mares. Methods: Archived serum samples (n = 403) previously assayed for determination of serum inhibin, testosterone and progesterone concentrations (GCT panel) were assayed for serum AMH concentrations using a heterologous enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay previously validated b...
Chung C, Mealey RH, McGuire TC.Cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTL) are important for controlling equine infectious anemia virus (EIAV). Because Gag matrix (MA) and capsid (CA) are the most frequently recognized proteins, the hypothesis that CTL from EIAV-infected horses with diverse MHC class I alleles recognize epitope clusters (EC) in these proteins was tested. Four EC were identified by CTL from 15 horses and 8 of these horses had diverse MHC class I alleles. Two of the eight had CTL to EC1, six to EC2, five to EC3, and four to EC4. Because EC2-4 were recognized by CTL from >50% of horses with diverse alleles, the hypothesi...
Kapteijn CM, Frippiat T, van Beckhoven C, van Lith HA, Endenburg N, Vermetten E, Rodenburg TB.Measuring physiological parameters of stress in horses during groundwork, for example when involved in equine-assisted interventions, is important to gain insight into the stress levels of the horses. Heart rate and heart rate variability can be used as physiological indicators of stress in horses. Heart rate monitors could be easily incorporated into practice, as they are not expensive and easy to use. However, it is questionable whether heart rate monitors present accurate heart rate variability results in exercising horses, similar to electrocardiograms. The aim of this study was to determi...
Dias NM, de Andrade DGA, Teixeira-Neto AR, Trinque CM, Oliveira-Filho JP, Winand NJ, Araújo JP, Borges AS.Warmblood Fragile Foal Syndrome (WFFS) is an autosomal recessive genetic disorder caused by a mutation in the procollagen-lysine, 2-oxoglutarate 5-dioxygenase 1 (PLOD1) gene, associated with collagen biosynthesis. WFFS causes lesions and malformations of the skin in neonatal foals, and abortion. The objective of this study was to investigate the allelic frequency of the single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) c.2032G>A in the PLOD1 gene in warmblood samples from Brazil. Of the 374 Warmblood horses tested, 41 animals (11%) were identified as heterozygous for the WFFS SNP and 333 (89%) were homozyg...
Sironi G, Riccaboni P, Mertel L, Cammarata G, Brooks DE.The expression of p53 protein was investigated in eight formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded conjunctival squamous cell carcinomas of five horses and one cow, dog and cat each by an immunohistochemical procedure in order to evaluate protein overexpression. Anti-human p53 protein mouse monoclonal antibodies known to be cross-reactive with p53 protein of the animal species examined were used. Positive p53 nuclear immunostaining was detected in five equine, one bovine and one feline cases. Conversely, no p53 immunostaining was found in the only canine case examined. These results demonstrate a frequ...
Auty H, Mundy A, Fyumagwa RD, Picozzi K, Welburn S, Hoare R.Horses kept for recreational riding purposes by a wildlife tourism company in a heavily tsetse fly-infested region of north-western Tanzania were systematically monitored to investigate the occurrence, presentation and management of tsetse-transmitted trypanosomosis. During a 23-month period, 18 clinical cases were diagnosed (Trypanosoma brucei or Trypanosoma congolense were identified) and treated and trypanosomes were implicated of involvement in four deaths. Pyrexia consistently aided early detection (17 cases). Ataxia, weight loss and anaemia were seen in chronic cases and conferred a poor...
Akkutay AZ, Osterrieder N, Damiani A, Tischer BK, Borchers K, Alkan F.Equine herpesvirus type 2 (EHV-2) and EHV-5 are members of the subfamily Gammaherpesvirinae. The viruses are detected in horses with upper respiratory tract disease and are associated with low performance in racehorses. The aim of the current study was to use nested PCR to investigate the epidemiology of EHV-2 and EHV-5 in Arabian horse populations from breeding farms located in three different cities (Eskişehir, Malatya, and Bursa) in Turkey, using a real-time quantitative PCR (qPCR) with a TaqMan® minor-groove-binder (MGB) probe to detect EHV-5. Screening of blood and ocular and nasal swab...
Byström A, Roepstroff L, Geser-von Peinen K, Weishaupt MA, Rhodin M.Collection is a central term in equine dressage, defined as a shortening of the horse's stride length with retained energy and hind limb activity. How collection is induced by the rider has yet not been investigated objectively. The aim of this study was therefore to compare the movement pattern of high-level dressage riders between free trot (loose reins), passage and a range of three speeds in collected trot. Both at higher speed in collected trot and in passage, the rider's pelvis became more caudally rotated and the rider's lumbar back became more flexed. However, in passage there was also...
