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.
Drumm NJ, Embertson RM, Woodie JB, Ruggles AJ, Hopper SA, Fimmers R, Handler J.Clinical experience has suggested that foaling rates following colic surgery in the pregnant mare are influenced by days of gestation. This premise has not been supported in previous studies. We also aimed to determine the effects of other potential influencing factors. Objective: To determine the influence of age of gestation on foaling rates in pregnant mares following colic surgery and evaluate the relationships between other factors and foaling rates. Methods: Medical records of Thoroughbred mares, which had colic surgery performed from 1993 to 2007 at the Rood and Riddle Equine Hospital, ...
Gerlach K, Ludewig E, Brehm W, Gerhards H, Delling U.A retrospective analysis of 619 upper and lower cheek teeth from 62 horses was performed. Based on clinical findings, as well as radiographic and magnetic resonance (MR) imaging findings, the teeth were classified into five groups. There were 20 teeth with abnormal MR imaging signals as well as clinical alterations and 599 healthy teeth. Using MR imaging, the appearance of pulp in diseased and disease-free teeth was compared, and the appearance of abnormal pulp was studied. Subsequently, the ability of MR imaging to diagnose pulpitis and pulp necrosis in teeth with normal external appearance w...
Kopke S, Angrisani N, Staszyk C.Recent studies reported on the very complex morphology of the pulp system in equine cheek teeth. The continuous production of secondary dentine leads to distinct age-related changes of the endodontic cavity. Detailed anatomical knowledge of the dental cavities in all ages is required to explain the aetiopathology of typical equine endodontic diseases. Furthermore, data on mandibular and maxillary pulp systems is in high demand to provide a basis for the development of endodontic therapies. However, until now examination of the pulp cavity has been based on either sectioned teeth or clinical co...
Back H, Kendall A, Grandón R, Ullman K, Treiberg-Berndtsson L, Ståhl K, Pringle J.A standardbred gelding with a history of 10 days pyrexia and lethargy was referred to the Equine Hospital at the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences in Uppsala, Sweden.The horse had tachypnea with increased respiratory effort and was in thin body condition. Laboratory findings included leukocytosis, hyperfibrinogenemia and hypoxemia. Thoracic radiographs showed signs of pneumonia with a multifocal nodular pattern, which in combination with lung biopsy findings indicated Equine Multinodular Pulmonary Fibrosis (EMPF). EMPF is a recently described disease in adult horses with clinical s...
Cherry NA, Jones SL, Maggi RG, Davis JL, Breitschwerdt EB.Bartonella species bacteremia has been identified in numerous animal species. These bacteria cause, or have been associated with, a spectrum of clinical manifestations in dogs and human patients. The frequency of exposure to or infection with Bartonella spp. among healthy and sick horses has not been reported. Objective: To test healthy and sick horses and sick foals from the southeastern United States for serological, microbiological, and molecular evidence of Bartonella infection. Methods: Forty-seven healthy horses, 15 sick foals, 22 horses with musculoskeletal manifestations, and 8 horses ...
Ceusters JD, Serteyn DA, Minguet G, de la Rebière de Pouyade G, Romainville J, Deby-Dupont GP, Mouithys-Mickalad AA, Franck TJ.Horses are particularly sensitive and exposed to excessive inflammatory responses evolving toward an important stimulation of polymorphonuclear neutrophils (PMNs). The aim of this work was to stimulate equine neutrophils in whole blood and to evaluate their response by measuring the release of total and active myeloperoxidase (MPO) and total elastase, considered as markers of neutrophil stimulation and degranulation. Because of the critical importance of the concomitant presence of LPS and TNF-α in equine pathological situations, we combined these two natural mediators to stimulate PMN and co...
Ho EN, Kwok WH, Lau MY, Wong AS, Wan TS, Lam KK, Schiff PJ, Stewart BD.A veterinary preparation known as TB-500 and containing a synthetic version of the naturally occurring peptide LKKTETQ has emerged. The peptide segment (17)LKKTETQ(23) is the active site within the protein thymosin β(4) responsible for actin binding, cell migration and wound healing. The key ingredient of TB-500 is the peptide LKKTETQ with artificial acetylation of the N-terminus. TB-500 is claimed to promote endothelial cell differentiation, angiogenesis in dermal tissues, keratinocyte migration, collagen deposition and decrease inflammation. In order to control the misuse of TB-500 in equin...
Singha H, Gulati BR, Kumar P, Singh BK, Virmani N, Singh RK.The complete genome of the Japanese encephalitis virus (JEV) strain JEV/eq/India/H225/2009(H225), isolated from an infected horse in India, was sequenced and compared to previously published JEV genomes. H225 genome was 10,977-nucleotides long, comprising a single ORF of 10,299-nucleotides, a 5'-UTR of 95 nucleotides and a 3'-UTR of 582 nucleotides. The H225 genome showed high levels of sequence identity with 47 fully sequenced JEV genomes, ranging from 99.3 % to 75.5 % for nucleotides and 99.2 % to 91.5 % for amino acid sequences. Phylogenetic analysis of the full-length sequence indicated th...
Getachew AM, Innocent G, Proudman CJ, Trawford A, Feseha G, Reid SW, Faith B, Love S.The efficacy of an oral formulation of praziquantel (Equitape, Horse paste, Fort Dodge) in the reduction of cestode egg counts and serum antibody level against Anoplocephala perfoliata was assessed in 44 donkeys under field conditions. The donkeys were confirmed both by faecal examination and serum antibody assessed by an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay to have natural infection with tapeworms. The donkeys were randomly allocated into treatment (n = 22) and control (n = 22) groups. The treatment group was treated with both praziquantel and ivermectin (Ivomec, Merial) at a dose rate o...
Fassil H, El Harrak M, Marié JL.Morocco has undergone three outbreaks of West Nile fever. The first, in 1996, began with a case in a horse herd in Benslimane (central region) and spread to neighboring cities (in the central and northwestern regions). The next two outbreaks appeared after identical 7-year epidemiological latency periods (in 2003 and 2010) in the same area and season. The only human case, which was fatal, occurred during the 1996 outbreak. The West Nile virus strains circulating in Morocco are closely related to other western Mediterranean strains and are characterized by high virulence in horses.
Hampson BA, de Laat MA, Mills PC, Pollitt CC.To better understand the morphology of, and the effect of different travel patterns and varying substrate environments on, the feral horse foot to better manage the feet of domestic horses. Methods: The left forefeet of 20 adult feral horses from each of five geographically separated populations in Australia (n = 100) were investigated. Populations were selected on the basis of substrate hardness under foot and the amount of travel typical for the population. Feet were radiographed and photographed and 40 morphometric measurements of each foot were obtained. Results: Of the 40 parameters, 37 d...
Garner DL, Evans KM, Seidel GE.The sex of mammalian offspring can be predetermined by flow sorting relatively pure living populations of X- and Y-chromosome-bearing sperm. This method is based on precise staining of the DNA of sperm with the nucleic acid-specific fluorophore, Hoechst 33342, to differentiate between the subpopulations of X- and Y-sperm. The fluorescently stained sperm are then sex-sorted using a specialized high speed sorter, MoFlo(®) SX XDP, and collected into biologically supportive media prior to reconcentration and cryopreservation in numbers adequate for use with artificial insemination for some specie...
Tessier C, Brühschwein A, Lang J, Konar M, Wilke M, Brehm W, Kircher P.Diseases of paranasal sinuses and nasal passages in horses can be a diagnostic challenge because of the complex anatomy of the head and limitations of many diagnostic modalities. Our hypothesis was that magnetic resonance (MR) imaging would provide excellent anatomical detail and soft tissue resolution, and would be accurate in the diagnosis of diseases of the paranasal sinuses and nasal passages in horses. Fourteen horses were imaged. Inclusion criteria were lesions located to the sinuses or nasal passages that underwent MR imaging and subsequent surgical intervention and/or histopathologic e...
Valdéz-Cruz MP, Hernández-Gil M, Galindo-Rodríguez L, Alonso-Díaz MA.The east coast of Veracruz, Mexico, has an important equine population used for working in rural production systems. The objectives of this study were (1) to calculate the prevalence of tropical working equids (donkeys, mules and horses) infected with gastrointestinal nematodes (GINs) and the GINs involved, and (2) to measure the body condition score (BCS) and haematological values for each working equid and its relationship with faecal worm egg count (EPG). One hundred and forty working equids were randomly selected from five different villages along the central coast of the state of Veracruz...
Hansson I, Johansson KE, Persson M, Riihimäki M.Nicoletella semolina, a member of the family Pasteurellaceae, can be isolated from the airways of horses with respiratory disorders. However, its role as a potential or opportunistic pathogen is not clear nor is its presence as part of the normal flora. We therefore investigated the presence and bacterial load of N. semolina in healthy and diseased horses. Samples from a healthy control group were compared with samples from the routine analysis of horses with a clinical history of respiratory disorders. A total of 1770 nose swabs and 1132 tracheal aspirate samples were analysed and subjected t...
Suthers JM, Pinchbeck GL, Proudman CJ, Archer DC.The pattern of long-term survival and specific factors associated with long-term survival have not previously been evaluated in horses with a strangulating large colon volvulus (LCV). Objective: To provide data on the long-term survival of horses with LCV and to identify pre-, intra- and post operative variables associated with survival. Methods: Clinical data and long-term follow-up information were obtained from 116 horses with a strangulating LCV (≥360°) undergoing general anaesthesia. Two multivariable Cox proportional hazards models for post operative survival time were developed: Mode...
Talbot WA, Pinchbeck GL, Knottenbelt DC, Graham H, McKane SA.Feed supplements are commonly used by owners to alleviate headshaking; however, randomised, controlled trials are required to assess their efficacy. Objective: To determine the efficacy of a feed supplement for alleviation of the clinical signs of headshaking using a randomised, blinded, placebo-controlled trial. Methods: Using a crossover design, 44 horses previously diagnosed with chronic idiopathic headshaking received both the supplement and a matching placebo per os for 28 days with a washout period between of 14 days. Video recordings were taken at rest and exercise prior to the study an...
Durán MC, Willenbrock S, Carlson R, Feige K, Nolte I, Murua Escobar H.CD14 positive (CD14+) cells are the precursor cells of monocyte-derived dendritic cells (DCs). In horses their potent antigen-presenting capacity and ability to induce an effective immune response classify these cells suitable for several therapeutic approaches such as for equine sarcoid. However, in horses, the generation efficiency of DCs from adherent peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) is currently still poor. Objective: Establishment of a simple short protocol to enhance DC generation in horses by using a human CD14 monoclonal antibody (mAb) and an automated magnetic activated cell...
Hughes LA, Pinchbeck G, Callaby R, Dawson S, Clegg P, Williams N.Antimicrobial use is known to select for the emergence of resistant strains of bacteria; therefore prudent use in both human and veterinary medicine is essential to preserve their efficacy. Objective: To characterise antimicrobial prescribing patterns in UK equine practice and evaluate factors associated with prescribing. Methods: A postal questionnaire including 4 clinical scenarios was sent to 740 veterinary surgeons that treat horses. Data were collected on the clinician, their practice and sources of information regarding antimicrobials and their use. Multivariable logistic regression anal...
Bartolomé E, Menéndez-Buxadera A, Valera M, Cervantes I, Molina A.The purpose of this study was to study phenotypic plasticity ability for Show Jumping performance in horses according to age differences. For this study, 11 352 participations, belonging to 1085 horses grouped by age (4-, 5- or 6-year olds), were analysed. repeatability animal models (RAM) and multiple trait animal models (MTAM) were compared. RAM assumed the same covariance components for all age groups, whereas MTAM considered the results of every animal at every age group as different (but correlated) traits. The age, sex, starting order and training level were included as fixed effects. T...
Redding WR, O'Grady SE.Hoof abscesses are probably the most common cause of acute severe lameness in horses encountered by veterinarians and farriers. Most affected horses show sudden, severe (acute) lameness; the degree of lameness varies from being subtle in the early stages to non-weight bearing. There is still debate between the veterinary and farrier professions as to who should treat a hoof abscess and the best method to resolve the abscess. Puncture wounds to the sole of the foot can introduce bacteria and debris to the solar surface of the distal phalanx and produce a fracture or a septic pedal osteitis.
Chalmers HJ, Yeager AE, Cheetham J, Ducharme N.Recurrent laryngeal neuropathy (RLN) is the most common cause of laryngeal hemiplegia in horses and causes neurogenic atrophy of the intrinsic laryngeal muscles, including the cricoarytenoideus lateralis muscle. Recurrent laryngeal neuropathy results in paresis to paralysis of the vocal fold and arytenoid cartilage, which limits performance through respiratory compromise. Ultrasound has previously been reported to be a useful diagnostic technique in horses with RLN. In this report, the diagnostic sensitivity of subjective and quantitative laryngeal ultrasonography was evaluated in 154 horses p...
Castelijns HH.Domesticated horses need hoof care, because it is rare for wear and growth of the hooves to be in perfect equilibrium. During the shoeing interval, the hoof grows downwards and forward in the direction of the horn tubules, losing some degree of angle. Few horses have perfect limb conformation. The shape of a hoof of a limb with conformation defects adapts in a predictable way. If, for therapeutic or performance reasons, the hoof-shoe combination is modified, there is a not a lot of leeway in the trim of a particular foot, whereas the applied shoe type, placement, and adjustments provide endles...
Thompson NN, Auguste AJ, Coombs D, Blitvich BJ, Carrington CV, da Rosa AP, Wang E, Chadee DD, Drebot MA, Tesh RB, Weaver SC, Adesiyun AA.Seroprevalence rates of selected arboviruses in animal populations in Trinidad were determined using serum samples collected between 2006 and 2009 from horses (n=506), cattle (n=163), sheep (n=198), goats (n=82), pigs (n=184), birds (n=140), rodents (n=116), and other vertebrates (n=23). The sera were screened for antibodies to West Nile virus (WNV), St. Louis encephalitis virus (SLEV), Ilheus virus (ILHV), Bussuquara virus (BSQV), Venezuelan equine encephalitis virus (VEEV), eastern equine encephalitis virus (EEEV), and western equine encephalitis virus (WEEV), using hemagglutination inhibiti...
Baker WR.Laminitis is typically classified into developmental or prodromal, acute, subacute, and chronic phases. Scientific evidence regarding the pathophysiology of laminitis does exist, but it is often conflicting and dependent on the clinician's interpretation/understanding of the study or the model used for inducing laminitis. The diagnosis of laminitis consists of obtaining an accurate history, performing a thorough physical examination, and taking good-quality radiographs. The use of radiographs for diagnosis and interpretation of laminitis is an absolute necessity for the clinician. Laminitis is...
Hunt RJ.Underrun heels are common and involve hoof capsule distortion in which the horn tubules of the heels undergo bending and lengthening, resulting in decreased strength and functionality. The syndrome varies in clinical presentation, depending on duration, severity of distortion, presence of secondary problems, and presence of lameness. Primary treatment goals are to maintain soundness and functional integrity of the foot and to establish a normal hoof capsule. Resolution of the problem is generally not achieved in horses in a heavy work schedule, and realistic goals in this situation are to main...
Dicken M, Gee EK, Rogers CW, Mayhew IG.To examine the gestation lengths and occurrence of daytime foaling of Standardbred mares foaling outdoors at stud farms in Southland, New Zealand (latitude 45˚S). Methods: Data were collected prospectively at two commercial Standardbred stud farms (Farms A and B), during the 2008/9 and 2009/10 breeding seasons (October to February). For each foaling, the identity of the mare, date and time of foaling, gender of foal, time the mare passed the fetal membranes, time the foal stood, and foaling problems including dystocias, were recorded. The effect of farm, season, gender of foal, month of artif...
Mactaggart AG, Phillips CJC.We validated a Thoroughbred racehorse welfare index, developed initially from expert opinion, by relating it to horse behaviour recorded in a range of training stables and surveying trainers to investigate the environment and management systems for Thoroughbred racehorses. Relationships between the index scores and horse behaviour were observed. Then, an Australia-wide survey of racing industry stakeholders was conducted to identify which parameters are important for welfare in a training stable. Trainers performed well on horsemanship and health/disease aspects. Provisions for ventilation, tr...
Santschi EM, Juzwiak JS, Moll HD, Slone DE.This clinical report describes surgical correction of diaphragmatic hernia in three young horses. Methods: Retrospective investigation of medical records and subsequent racing performance. Methods: Three young horses with diaphragmatic hernia. Results: Three young horses with signs of abdominal pain had diaphragmatic hernia causing small intestinal strangulation. The strangulated small intestine was resected and an end-to-end jejuno-jejunal (two horses) or a side-to-side jejuno-cecal anastomosis (one horse) was performed. Diaphragmatic hernias were closed with a continuous suture pattern. All ...
Yamada K, Sato F, Horiuchi N, Higuchi T, Kobayashi Y, Sasaki N, Nambo Y.Autopsy imaging (Ai), postmortem imaging before necropsy, is used in human forensic medicine. Ai was performed using computed tomography (CT) for a 1-month-old Thoroughbred foal cadaver found in a pasture. CT revealed pericardial effusion, collapse of the aorta, bleeding in the lung lobe, gas in the ventricles and liver parenchyma, and distension of the digestive tract. Rupture in the left auricle was confirmed by necropsy; however, it was not depicted on CT. Therefore, Ai and conventional necropsy are considered to complement each other. The cause of death was determined to be traumatic cardi...
Dixon PM, McGorum BC, Railton DI, Hawe C, Tremaine WH, Dacre K, McCann J.There is continuing debate on the clinical benefit of laryngoplasty (LP) in the treatment of equine laryngeal paralysis. In particular, there is little information available on the clinical value of this surgery in older horses, in non-Thoroughbreds or in sports or pleasure horses; nor on the relationship between the degree of LP abduction achieved and the clinical value of LP. Objective: To evaluate the owner's assessment of the value of LP (and combined ventriculocordectomy) in an older, mixed breed and mixed workload population of horses and to also assess the relationship between the degre...
Koenig JB, Westlund A, Nykamp S, Kenney DG, Melville L, Cribb N, Oberbichler D.The accuracy of using radiographs to diagnose cervical facet osteoarthritis (CFA) in horses is undetermined. Further investigation is required to determine the clinical significance of radiographic evidence of CFA, the prevalence of radiographic changes in horses without clinical signs, and the long-term efficacy of intra-articular CFA treatment. The objectives of this study is to compare degenerative changes of the cervical facet joints of the cervical vertebrae on radiographs of horses with clinical signs of CFA with healthy cohort-matched horses, to compare clinical findings between groups,...
Mendoza FJ, Perez-Ecija RA, Monreal L, Estepa JC.Coagulation disorders are frequently diagnosed, especially in hospitalized equidae, and result in increased morbidity and mortality. However, hemostatic reference intervals have not been established for donkeys yet. Objective: To determine whether the most common coagulation parameters used in equine practice are different between healthy donkeys and horses. Methods: Thirty-eight healthy donkeys and 29 healthy horses. Methods: Blood samples were collected to assess both coagulation and fibrinolytic systems by determination of platelet count, fibrinogen concentration, clotting times (prothrombi...
Skarda RT, Tejwani GA, Muir WW.To determine cutaneous analgesia, hemodynamic and respiratory effects, and beta-endorphin concentration in spinal fluid and plasma of horses after acupuncture and electroacupuncture (EA). Methods: 8 healthy 10- to 20-year-old mares that weighed between 470 and 600 kg. Methods: Each horse received 2 hours of acupuncture and 2 hours of PAES at acupoints Bladder 18, 23, 25, and 28 on both sides of the vertebral column as well as sham needle placement (control treatment). Each treatment was administered in a random order. At least 7 days elapsed between treatments. Nociceptive cutaneous pain thres...
Whitfield CT, Schoonover MJ, Holbrook TC, Payton ME, Sippel KM.To determine effects of 2 tiludronate administration protocols on measures of lameness in horses with navicular syndrome (NS). Methods: 12 horses with bilateral forelimb NS. Methods: Horses were randomly assigned to receive tiludronate (1 mg/kg), diluted in 5 L of isotonic electrolyte solution and delivered through a jugular vein catheter (systemic treatment group; n = 6), or tiludronate (0.1 mg/kg), diluted with saline (0.9% NaCl) solution to a total volume of 35 mL and delivered into the lateral digital vein of each forelimb with an IV regional limb perfusion (IVRLP) technique (IVRLP group; ...
Hess MF, Roser JF.There are several hormones and local testicular factors involved in the initiation and control of steroidogenesis and spermatogenesis during puberty. GH and its mediator, IGF-I, increase substantially during puberty, and in addition to LH, these growth-promoting hormones can have direct effects upon testicular function. The objective of this work was to investigate the effects of eLH, eGH and hrIGF-I upon Leydig cells derived from testes of colts and stallions representing different stages of development. Testes were obtained from 48 light horse colts and stallions at the time of routine castr...
Brown-Douglas CG, Parkinson TJ, Firth EC, Fennessy PF.To examine the growth of spring- and autumn-born Thoroughbred foals raised on pasture. Methods: Bodyweight and growth rates were measured in pasture-raised Thoroughbred horses, born in either spring (n=56) or autumn (n=7), from birth to approximately 13 and 17 months of age. Results: Birthweight tended to be lower in autumn- than spring-born foals (54.4, SD 7.92 kg vs 57.3, SD 5.90 kg; p=0.08). Between birth and 6 months of age, there was no difference in growth rate at equivalent ages between horses born in spring and autumn. Spring-born horses, which were weaned in the autumn, had lower post...
Freeman SL, Bowen IM, Bettschart-Wolfensberger R, Alibhai HI, England GC.The cardiovascular effects of romifidine, an alpha-2 adrenoreceptor agonist, were investigated in six horses using two doses (80 and 120 microg kg(-1)) in a cross-over study design. Cardiac index and mixed venous oxygenation were significantly decreased at 15 and 30 minutes after both doses of romifidine. Systemic vascular resistance was significantly increased with romifidine (120 microg kg(-1)). Arterial blood pressure increased initially and then gradually decreased; the doses of decrease was significant at 90 and 120 minutes with romifidine 80 and 120 microg kg(-1). There were minimal diff...
Miagkoff L, Bonilla AG.To investigate the use of a needle arthroscope for diagnostic tenoscopy of the carpal sheath in standing horses. Methods: Experimental study. Methods: Six forelimbs for the cadaveric part of the study and six horses for the in vivo part of the study. Methods: Six cadaveric limbs were used to perform carpal sheath tenoscopy with a 1.2-mm-diameter needle arthroscope (65 and 100 mm long), followed by tenoscopy with a 4-mm arthroscope through a standard proximolateral approach. Then, unilateral standing carpal sheath tenoscopy was performed in six healthy sedated horses with a 65-mm-long needle ...
Davitkov D, Davitkov D, Vucicevic M, Stanisic L, Radakovic M, Glavinic U, Stanimirovic Z.Equine piroplasmosis in donkeys has been recognised as a serious problem of major economic importance. The present molecular study is the first investigation of the presence of Theileria equi and Babesia caballi in Balkan donkeys and of the possible haematological alterations related to it. A total of 70 apparently healthy donkeys from Serbia were included in this study. The overall prevalence of T. equi infection in donkeys tested with multiplex PCR was 50%. There was no B. caballi-positive sample. Infections in donkeys included in this study seem to be associated with decreased red blood cel...
Kydd JH, Davis-Poynter NJ, Birch J, Hannant D, Minke J, Audonnet JC, Antczak DF, Ellis SA.Equine herpesvirus 1 (EHV-1) causes respiratory and neurological disease and abortion in horses. Animals with high frequencies of cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTL) show reduced severity of respiratory disease and frequency of abortion, probably by CTL-mediated control of cell-associated viraemia. This study aimed to identify CTL epitopes restricted by selected major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class I alleles expressed in the equine leukocyte antigen (ELA) A3 haplotype. Effector CTL were induced from EHV-1-primed ponies and thoroughbreds with characterized MHC class I haplotypes and screened ...
Eckert RE, Neuder LE, Bell JL, Trujillo JC, Jones SL.The goal of this study was to define the role for p38 mitogen-activated kinase (MAPK) in the signaling mechanism regulating pro-inflammatory cyclooxygenase (COX) gene expression in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-activated equine leukocytes for the purposes of identifying novel targets for anti-inflammatory therapy in endotoxemic horses. The p38 MAPK has been shown to positively regulate inflammatory gene expression in human leukocytes and can be activated by a variety of stimuli including LPS, TNF-alpha, and IL-1. Activation-associated phosphorylated p38 MAPK has been implicated in the up-regulation...
Gutiérrez-Cepeda L, Fernández A, Crespo F, Gosálvez J, Serres C.For many years in human assisted-reproduction procedures there have been special protocols to prepare and improve sperm quality. Colloidal centrifugation (CC) is a useful technique that has been proved to enhance semen quality by selection of the best spermatozoa for different species. Its use is recommended to improve fertility of subfertile stallions but current CC protocols are clinically complicated in the equine sperm processing technique due to economic and technical difficulties. The aim of this study was to determine the optimal processing procedures to adapt the use of a CC product (E...
Rayner SG, Van Zyl N.To assess the effectiveness of topical mitomycin C application as an alternative adjunctive therapy to CO2 laser ablation in the treatment of equine ocular squamous cell carcinoma. Methods: A retrospective clinical study of eight client owned horses in which 10 affected eyes were treated for ocular squamous cell carcinoma over a 17 month period. (March 2003 to August 2004). Methods: Each horse was given a general anaesthetic to allow CO2 laser ablation of the lesion(s). Mitomycin C at a concentration of 0.4 mg/mL was then applied intraoperatively to the affected areas for 1 or 5 minutes. Posto...
Stanek KA, Nagle FJ, Bisgard GE, Byrnes WC.Published reports of oxygen consumption (VO2) during exercise in hyperoxia are equivocal. By and large, when measured at the lung using respiratory gas equations, VO2 is elevated in hyperoxia and, when measured at the blood-tissue level using the cardiovascular Fick (CVF) equation, it is unchanged. We sought to provide some insight into this problem by making through the use of both equations simultaneous determinations of VO2 during hyperoxia in exercising ponies. In normoxia, during treadmill exercise (115 m/min, 10% grade) of seven ponies, there was no difference in exercise VO2, whether it...
Chope KB.Cardiac murmurs are not uncommonly detected in the equine athlete. Although most are benign in nature, differentiation and quantification of murmurs due to valvular regurgitation are important for prognosis and recommendations. Arrhythmias can be associated with structural disease or occur independently and may range in severity from minimal clinical effect to poor performance to presenting a safety risk to rider and horse. This article discusses commonly encountered cardiac conditions in the sport horse. Physical examination, diagnostic approach, valvular disease, and arrhythmias with an impa...
Hodson DJ, Townsend J, Gregory SJ, Walters C, Tortonese DJ.A combined suppressive effect of prolactin (PRL) and dopamine on the secretion of luteinising hormone (LH) at the level of the pituitary gland has been identified in sheep, a short-day breeder. However, little is known about the role of PRL in the intra-pituitary regulation of the gonadotrophic axis in long-day breeders. In the present study, we investigated the effects of PRL on LH and follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) secretion during the equine annual reproductive cycle. Horse pituitaries were obtained during the breeding season (BS) and nonbreeding season (NBS). Cells were dispersed, plat...
Benredouane K, Lepage O.To develop transarterial coil embolization (TACE) for occlusion of the internal carotid artery (ICA), in normal standing horses, and to evaluate it use for prevention of hemorrhage in horses with guttural pouch mycosis (GPM). Methods: Prospective study. Methods: Normal horses (n = 8) and 5 with GPM. Methods: Horses had TACE of the ICA in standing position under fluoroscopic guidance. Four normal horses were euthanatized 2 weeks after TACE for morphologic assessment and 4 were followed for 6 months. The 5 clinically affected horses were evaluated for long-term (10-12 months) success rate and co...
Hermans WA, Kersjes AW, van der Mey GJ, Dik KJ.A breeding experiment was carried out in a group of Shetland ponies in order to investigate the heredity of congenital lateral patellar (sub)luxation. A breeding herd was established and consisted of stallions and mares acquired at different times. Some were free from, and others were affected by lateral patellar (sub)luxation in either one or both femoropatellar joints. Over a period of 20 years, 49 foals were born from different mating combinations. Some offspring were free from the defect and others showed the abnormality. Though the number of foals bred during the experiment is rather smal...
McKenzie RK, Hill FI, Habyarimana JA, Boemer F, Votion DM.During April and May 2014 four horses aged between 5 months and 9 years, located in the Canterbury, Marlborough and Southland regions, presented with a variety of clinical signs including recumbency, stiffness, lethargy, dehydration, depression, and myoglobinuria suggestive of acute muscle damage. Two horses were subjected to euthanasia and two recovered. In all cases seeds of sycamore maple (Acer pseudoplatanus) or box elder (A. negundo) were present in the area where the horse had been grazing. Unassigned: The samaras (seeds) of some Acer spp. may contain hypoglycin A, that has been associat...
Bowling AT, Millon L, Hughes JP.Chromosomal abnormality was detectable in 98 of 180 mares aged 3 years or over with gonadal dysgenesis. The most common abnormality was X monosomy (63,X). The second most common abnormality was a karyotype indistinguishable by G- or C-banding from that of a male horse (64,XY). Two mares demonstrated structural abnormality of one X chromosome [64,X,del(Xp)] which has not previously been reported in horses. One of these foaled a filly with the same karyotype as her dam. Blood typing confirmed parentage of the foal. This is the only example in our experience of fertility in a mare with gonadal dy...
Matthews AG, Imlah P, McPherson EA.The demonstration of a reagin-like antibody against Culicoides pulicaris extract in the serum of horses and ponies affected with recurrent seasonal dermatitis (sweet itch) is reported. This antibody can confer Prauznitz-Küstner (P-K) sensitivity on homologous skin for up to 5 days and, like human IgE, is thermolabile and susceptible to 2-mercaptoethanol reduction. It is eluted on diethylaminoethyl dextran-52 anion exchange chromatography independently of IgG, IgG(T) and IgM, and its elution characteristics indicate similarity in net molecular charge to human IgE. The P-K response observed in ...
Soana S, Gnudi G, Bertoni G.The aim of this work was to study the ontogenetic process in teeth from their early appearance in the ossifying matrix of the mandible and maxilla, in different foetuses of scalar ages. Radiographic examinations of the skull and mandible hemisections were performed and the latero-medial (LM) and dorsoventral (DV) projections for the skull and mandible were analysed. A high-definition film-screen combination was used for this study. The exposure values ranged from 35 kV/6 mAs to 58 kV/10 mAs, according to the size of the skulls and their degree of ossification. The first dental germ observed wa...
