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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.
Growth and function of equine endothelial colony forming cells labeled with semiconductor quantum dots. Endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) contribute to neovascularization and vascular repair in vivo and are attractive for clinical use in ischemic disease. Tracking of stem and progenitor cells is essential to determine engraftment after administration. Semiconductor quantum dots (QD) are promising for cell labeling due to their ease of uptake by many cell lines and their continued presence after many cell generations. The purpose of this study was to evaluate function and growth of equine EPCs after QD labeling. Additionally, this study evaluated the duration of QD label retention and mechanism...
Two Multicenter Surveys on Equine Back-Pain 10 Years a Part. Despite back-pain being a common cause of poor performance in sport horses, a tailored diagnostic workflow and a consolidated therapeutic approach are currently lacking in equine medicine. The aim of the study was to assess the evolution in the veterinarian approach to diagnose and treat back-pain over a 10 years period. To investigate this topic, two surveys were addressed to equine veterinarians working in practice throughout Europe 10 years apart (2006 and 2016). The answers were organized in an Excel dataset and analyzed. There were 47 respondents in 2006 and 168 in 2016, from 8 European C...
Outcome of Ventral Fusion of Two or Three Cervical Vertebrae with a Locking Compression Plate for the Treatment of Cervical Stenotic Myelopathy in Eight Horses. It was recently shown that biomechanical stability achieved with a locking compression plate (LCP) for ventral cervical fusion in horses is similar to the commonly used Kerf cut cylinder. The advantages of the LCP system render it an interesting implant for this indication. The goal of this report was to describe surgical technique, complications and outcome of horses that underwent ventral fusion of two or three cervical vertebrae with an LCP. Methods: Medical records of eight horses were reviewed for patient data, history, preoperative grade of ataxia, diagnostic imaging, surgical tech...
Metaphyeal and Diaphyseal Dysplasia of the Third Cervical Vertebra Secondary to Physeal Necrosis in a Quarter Horse Foal. Ischaemia-induced physeal injury has not been described previously in the horse. A 1-month-old Quarter horse foal was submitted for necropsy examination due to an acute onset of ataxia followed by a 4-week history of progressive decline. Focal narrowing of the spinal canal due to ventral compression by the rotation of the cranial aspect of the third cervical vertebra (C3) was observed. The metaphysis and diaphysis of C3 were markedly shortened and white-tan in colour. Microscopically, there was complete loss of the dorsal compact bone of C3 and replacement of 80% of the physis that runs parall...
Acinetobacter in veterinary medicine, with an emphasis on Acinetobacter baumannii. Acinetobacter spp. are aerobic, rod-shaped, Gram-negative bacteria belonging to the Moraxellaceae family of the class Gammaproteobacteria and are considered ubiquitous organisms. Among them, Acinetobacter baumannii is the most clinically significant species with an extraordinary ability to accumulate antimicrobial resistance and to survive in the hospital environment. Recent reports indicate that A. baumannii has also evolved into a veterinary nosocomial pathogen. Although Acinetobacter spp. can be identified to species level using matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionisation time-of-flight mas...
Pancarpal and partial carpal arthrodesis with 3 locking compression plates in 6 horses. To report the outcome of horses after pancarpal or partial carpal arthrodesis with 3 locking compression plates (LCP). Methods: Case series. Methods: Six horses ranging in age from 8 months to 16 years and weighing 227-580 kg with severe carpal pathology including acute fractures, chronic osteoarthritis, and chronic angular limb deformity. Methods: Pancarpal or partial carpal arthrodesis was performed with 3 LCP. Autologous cancellous bone grafts were used in 5 of 6 cases to facilitate joint arthrodesis. Results: External coaptation was maintained for 4 to 6 weeks after surgery. Radiographic...
High field magnetic resonance imaging is comparable with gross anatomy for description of the normal appearance of soft tissues in the equine stifle. High field magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is increasingly used for horses with suspected stifle disease, however there is limited available information on normal imaging anatomy and potential incidental findings. The aim of this prospective, anatomic study was to develop an optimized high field MRI protocol for evaluation of the equine stifle and provide detailed descriptions of the normal MRI appearance of the stifle soft tissues, using ultrasound and gross pathological examination as comparison tests. Nine cadaver limbs were acquired from clinically normal horses. Stifles were evaluated ul...
Deletion of the ORF2 gene of the neuropathogenic equine herpesvirus type 1 strain Ab4 reduces virulence while maintaining strong immunogenicity. Equine herpesvirus type 1 (EHV-1) induces respiratory infection, abortion, and neurologic disease with significant impact. Virulence factors contributing to infection and immune evasion are of particular interest. A potential virulence factor of the neuropathogenic EHV-1 strain Ab4 is ORF2. This study on 24 Icelandic horses, 2 to 4 years of age, describes the infection with EHV-1 Ab4, or its deletion mutant devoid of ORF2 (Ab4ΔORF2) compared to non-infected controls (each group n = 8). The horses' clinical presentation, virus shedding, viremia, antibody and cellular immune responses were...
Lipid peroxidation biomarkers for evaluating oxidative stress in equine neuroaxonal dystrophy. Equine neuroaxonal dystrophy/equine degenerative myeloencephalopathy (eNAD/EDM) is a neurodegenerative disorder affecting genetically predisposed foals maintained on an α-tocopherol (α-TOH) deficient diet. Currently no antemortem diagnostic test for eNAD/EDM is available. Objective: Because α-TOH deficiency is associated with increased lipid peroxidation, it was hypothesized that F2 -isoprostanes (F2 IsoP), F4 -neuroprostanes (F4 NP) and oxysterols derived from free radical oxidation would be increased in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and neural tissue of eNAD/EDM affected horses and could ...
A comparison of methanogens of different regions of the equine hindgut. The diversity of the methanogenic archaea associated with the six segments of the horse and donkey hindgut (caecum, right ventral colon, left ventral colon, left dorsal colon, right dorsal colon, and rectum) was analyzed using 16S rDNA gene clone library. A total of 641 positive clones, 321 from the horse and 320 from the donkey hindgut, were examined by the RFLP, revealing 9 different ribotypes, 8 in the horse and 5 in the donkey hindgut. In both the animals Methanobacteriales (Methanobrevibacter-like sequences) and Methanomicrobiales (Methanocorpusculum-like sequences) were detected as the d...
Identification of third stage larval types of cyathostomins of equids: An improved perspective. Cyathostomins comprise around 50 parasite species of equids, offering a great challenge regarding their individual identification. The objective of our work was to improve identification of infective third stage larvae (L3) with a morphological key supplemented with detailed scientific illustrations based on our research and available literature. The highlighted features were; the number, arrangement, and shape of intestinal cells (IC), general features and the total body length of the eight different Cyathostomin sensu latum types (Type A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H), Gyalocephalus capitatus, and Po...
Exploring genetic diversity in an Italian horse native breed to develop strategies for preservation and management. Genetic diversity is a key factor for both adaptation and response to selection. The loss of genetic diversity causes a decrease in individual fitness, and it has a dramatically negative effect on population lifespan in the long term. This study aimed at exploring the genetic diversity at pedigree level of the Bardigiano horse breed, which is a native breed from Italy shaped for living in rural areas. In 1977, the Bardigiano studbook was founded to preserve the breed and for improving its use for riding and draft purposes. Pedigree data contained 9,469 horses, of which 3,416 were alive. Demog...
Antifungal non-invasive soak under general anaesthetic to treat fungal rhinitis in an Australian Quarter Horse gelding at pasture. Mycotic rhinitis is a rare disease in horses, with few cases reported worldwide and none reported in Australia. Fungal infection of the upper respiratory tract can occur in all species, but its prevalence in horses is considerably lower than in canines or humans. The disease is linked to a variety of pathogens and the clinical signs are associated with subsequent upper respiratory tract damage. Methods: A 6-year-old Quarter Horse gelding in Queensland, Australia, was presented with chronic nasal discharge and dyspnoea following previous unsuccessful medical treatment of 9 months' duration. C...
Genetic diversity of common Gasterophilus spp. from distinct habitats in China. Gasterophilus species are widely distributed around the world. The larvae of these flies parasitize the digestive tract of equids and cause damage, hindering horse breeding and protection of endangered species. However, study of the genetic structure of geographically distinct Gasterophilus populations is lacking. Here, we analyzed the genetic diversity of Gasterophilus pecorum, G. intestinalis, G. nasalis and G. nigricornis from three typical grasslands (meadow, desert and alpine steppes) in China as compared to published sequences from Italy, Poland and China (Daqing and Yili), based on the ...
Time-dependent antiarrhythmic effects of flecainide on induced atrial fibrillation in horses. Pharmacological treatment of atrial fibrillation (AF) in horses can be challenging because of low efficacy and adverse effects. Flecainide has been tested with variable efficacy. Objective: To test whether the efficacy of flecainide is dependent on AF duration. Methods: Nine Standardbred mares. Methods: Factorial study design. All horses were instrumented with a pacemaker and assigned to a control or an AF group. On day 0, all horses were in sinus rhythm and received 2 mg/kg flecainide IV. Atrial fibrillation subsequently was induced in the AF group by pacemaker stimulation. On days 3, 9, 27, ...
Effect of bandaging techniques on sub-bandage pressures in the equine distal limb, carpus, and tarsus. To determine the influence of 3 types of bandages on sub-bandage pressures over the distal limb, carpus, and tarsus. Methods: Observational study. Methods: Eight healthy horses. Methods: Each of the 6 following bandages was applied on each horse in randomized order: (1) distal limb compression bandage (DLC), (2) double layer bandage (DL), (3) inner sanctum bandage (IS), (4) carpal compression bandage (CC), (5) tarsal compression bandage (TC), and (6) adhesive elastic carpal bandage (C-ELA). Sub-bandage pressures were measured with the Picopress compression measuring system (Microlab Electonica...
Environmental stressors may cause equine herpesvirus reactivation in captive Grévy’s zebras (Equus grevyi). Equine Herpesviruses (EHV) are common and often latent pathogens of equids which can cause fatalities when transmitted to non-equids. Stress and elevated glucocorticoids have been associated with EHV reactivation in domestic horses, but little is known about the correlation between stress and viral reactivation in wild equids. We investigated the effect of an environmental stressor (social group restructuring following a translocation event) on EHV reactivation in captive Grévy's zebras (). A mare was translocated by road transport from Zoo Mulhouse, France, to join a resident group of three ...
Bronchoalveolar lavage fluid cytology and airway hyper-reactivity in clinically normal horses. To characterise the relationship between bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) cytology and pulmonary function testing with histamine bronchoprovocation (HBP) methods in a population of clinically normal horses. Methods: Cross-sectional study METHODS: Clinically normal adult horses (n = 33) underwent pulmonary function testing and HBP with a commercial flowmetric plethysmography system. BAL was performed 1-5 days later. Statistical analysis was used to assess associations between BALF cell concentration, relative inflammatory cell percentages and categorisation, and airway hyper-reactivity...
Proportion of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug prescription in equine practice. There is little knowledge of the prescription of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) and whether their prescription varies between countries. Objective: To describe prescription practices of NSAIDs in equids in the United Kingdom (UK), United States of America (USA) and Canada. Methods: Descriptive observational study. Methods: Free-text electronic medical records from 141,543 equids from 10 equine practices in the UK, 255,777 equids from 7 equine practices with 20 branches from the USA and 2 practices with 7 branches from Canada were evaluated. A validated text-mining technique was ...
Validity of an established metabolic disorder index as a predictor for metabolic eliminations in endurance horses. Endurance horses are usually eliminated from the race due to lameness, metabolic ailments or technical reasons. The purpose of the study was to determine the validity and reliability of the metabolic disorder index (MDI) in predicting metabolic eliminations in endurance horses during an endurance race. Fifty-four endurance horses competing on two local endurance tracks were involved in the study. Blood samples were collected a day prior to the event to determine packed cell volume (PCV), chloride (Cl), interleukin-6 (IL-6), creatine kinase (CK) and glutathione reductase (GR) concentrations fro...
Dynamic flexion/extension and non-weight bearing ultrasonography is helpful for identifying manica flexoria tears in horses. Lesions of the manica flexoria are a tenoscopic finding in horses with digital flexor tendon sheath tenosynovitis. This retrospective case series study describes the ultrasonographic findings in seven horses admitted for digital flexor tendon sheath swelling associated with lameness and tenoscopic confirmation of a manica flexoria tear. Six horses had a partial manica flexoria tear, one a complete rupture. The ultrasonographic examination included a static examination on the weight and non-weight bearing limb and a dynamic limb assessment during flexion and extension. The main ultrasonographic...
Sympathetic Innervation and Adrenergic Receptors in Equine Deep Digital Flexor Tendinopathy: Preliminary Results. The aim of this study was to delineate the pattern of sympathetic innervation in the suprasesamoidean region of the deep digital flexor tendon (DDFT) in horses with tendinopathy by immunohistochemical labelling for tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) and α-1 adrenergic receptor (α1-AR). Twelve forelimbs were obtained from 10 horses with DDFT tendinopathy and six feet obtained from six horses were used as healthy controls. Post-mortem radiographic, ultrasonographic and gross examinations were performed on the suprasesamoidean area of the DDFT to assess the presence of tendinopathy. Longitudinal section...
Monitoring of tidal ventilation by electrical impedance tomography in anaesthetised horses. Electrical impedance tomography (EIT) is a method to measure regional impedance changes within the thorax. The total tidal impedance variation has been used to measure changes in tidal volumes in pigs, dogs and men. Objective: To assess the ability of EIT to quantify changes in tidal volume in anaesthetised mechanically ventilated horses. Methods: In vivo experimental study. Methods: Six horses (mean ± s.d.: age 11.5 ± 7.5 years and body weight 491 ± 40 kg) were anaesthetised using isoflurane in oxygen. The lungs were mechanically ventilated using a volume-controlled mode. With an end-tidal...
Comparison of the methods for platelet rich plasma preparation in horses. Platelet rich plasma (PRP) is popularly used in the horse industry to enhance regeneration of tissue injury that has limitation of blood supply. This study aimed to compare the methods for platelet rich plasma preparation since they has not been established yet. Blood was collected from six horses and platelets were concentrated by three different methods (2-step centrifugation, separated centrifugation and separated centrifugation using histopaque). Concentrated blood was analyzed using Advia hematology systems. In the result, separated centrifugation with histopaque showed the significantly ...
Determination of the specific gravity of eggs of equine strongylids, Parascaris spp., and Anoplocephala perfoliata. Given the ever-increasing levels of anthelmintic resistance in livestock parasites globally, it is recommended to use parasite fecal egg counts to make treatment decisions and to evaluate treatment efficacy. The consensus in equine parasitology is to use a flotation medium with a specific gravity (SG) of ≥ 1.20 to float the main parasite egg types of interest in egg counting techniques. However, the density of common equine endoparasite eggs has been sparsely investigated. Equine tapeworm eggs are known to be particularly difficult to determine and count in fecal samples. It is unknown wheth...
Interaction of septin 7 and DOCK8 in equine lymphocytes reveals novel insights into signaling pathways associated with autoimmunity. The GTP-binding protein septin 7 is involved in various cellular processes, including cytoskeleton organization, migration and the regulation of cell shape. Septin 7 function in lymphocytes, however, is poorly characterized. Since the intracellular signaling role of septin 7 is dependent on its interaction network, interaction proteomics was applied to attain novel knowledge about septin 7 function in hematopoietic cells. Our previous finding of decreased septin 7 expression in blood-derived lymphocytes in ERU, a spontaneous animal model for autoimmune uveitis in man, extended the role of sept...
Assessment of effectiveness and safety of repeat administration of proinflammatory primed allogeneic mesenchymal stem cells in an equine model of chemically induced osteoarthritis. This study aimed at assessing the effectiveness and safety of repeated administrations of allogeneic bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells (BM-MSCs) primed with tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α and interferon-γ in an equine model of chemically-induced osteoarthritis. Arthritis was induced in both radio-carpal (RC)-joints by amphotericin-B in 18 ponies, divided into three groups depending on the treatment injected: MSC-naïve (n = 7), MSC-primed (n = 7) and control (n = 4). The study consisted of two phases and used one RC-joint of each animal in each phase, with four months tim...
Synostosis of the first and second ribs in six horses. CASE DESCRIPTION Over a 2-year period, 6 horses (4 Selle Français, 1 Hanoverian, and 1 Thoroughbred) were referred for evaluation of forelimb lameness. All horses had radiographic evidence of synostosis of the first and second ribs (SFSR). CLINICAL FINDINGS For 1 horse, the SFSR was considered the probable cause of the lameness (grade 3/5), with a shortening of the cranial phase of the stride in the affected limb. For 3 horses, it was considered a possible cause of the lameness (grade 1/5) for the same reason. For 2 horses, SFSR was considered an incidental finding unassociated with any clini...
A mini-STR typing system for degraded equine DNA. Degraded biological samples are a challenge for testing laboratories. Genotyping success can be improved through the use of mini-STRs, by which primers are placed adjacent to the repeat motifs to reduce amplicon size. Here, we present a genetic profiling system comprising 13 autosomal and one X-linked dinucleotide-repeat markers and the SRY gene based on the internationally accepted equine parentage panel. The markers are divided into two panels with all alleles falling at or below 182 bp. The application of this method significantly increases the ability to profile difficult samples and to p...
