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.
Keegan KG, MacAllister CG, Wilson DA, Gedon CA, Kramer J, Yonezawa Y, Maki H, Pai PF.To assess the analytic sensitivity of an inertial sensor system for detection of the more severely affected forelimb in horses with bilateral lameness. Methods: 18 adult horses with forelimb lameness. Methods: Horses were fitted with inertial sensors and evaluated for lameness with a stationary force plate as they were trotted in a straight line. Inertial sensor-derived measurements for vertical head movement asymmetry (HMA) and vector sum (VS) of maximum and minimum head height differences between right and left halves of the stride were used to predict differences in mean peak vertical force...
Inés MM, Fitch G.To report the use of a laparoscopic retrieval device for removal of uroliths via a perineal urethrotomy. Methods: Case report. Methods: A 12-year-old Konenklijk Warmbloed Paardenstamboek Nederland (KWPN) gelding and a 15-year-old Holsteiner gelding. Methods: Perineal urethrotomy was performed on 2 standing sedated geldings and the urolith was removed using a laparoscopic retrieval device. Results: In both cases, uroliths were removed successfully with no short- or long-term complications. The larger of the 2 uroliths measured 6 cm in length and 4.6 cm in width. Conclusions: Removal of a urolit...
Erol E, Locke SJ, Donahoe JK, Mackin MA, Carter CN.The goal of this retrospective study was to have a comprehensive picture of the β-hemolytic streptococci of horses including tissue/organ distributions and susceptibility patterns against specific antimicrobials between January 1, 2000 and December 31, 2010. A total of 2,497 β-hemolytic streptococci were isolated from 2,391 cases, of which Streptococcus equi subsp. zooepidemicus was the most frequent isolate (72.0%). Other species isolated were Streptococcus dysgalactia subsp. equisimilis (21.3%), Streptococcus equi subsp. equi (5.8%), and unidentified β-hemolytic streptococci (0.9%). As ex...
Wahl K, Adams SB, Moore GE.To assess fetlock joint contamination with tissue debris and hair after arthrocentesis. Methods: Experimental. Methods: Fetlock joint tissues (n = 10 horses). Methods: Soft tissue flaps including the joint capsule were dissected from the dorsal fetlock joints of 7 anesthetized horses leaving an intact proximal base. Needles inserted through the tissue flaps were flushed into tissue cell culture plates and examined for debris. Studies were repeated on excised fetlock tissue preparations after being stored for 5 days. Variables included gauge and type of needle, insertion of spinal needles with ...
Hampson BA, de Laat MA, Mills PC, Pollitt CC.To determine the effect of various environmental conditions on the degree of hydration in hoof wall horn tissue from feral horses and investigate the effect of short-term foot soaking on moisture content in hoof wall and sole tissue in domestic horses. Methods: 40 feral horses from 3 environments (wet and boggy [n = 10], partially flooded [20], and constantly dry desert [10]) and 6 nonferal Quarter Horses. Methods: The percentage of moisture content of hoof wall samples from feral horses was measured in vitro. In a separate evaluation, the percentage of moisture content of hoof wall and sole t...
Cebo C, Rebours E, Henry C, Makhzami S, Cosette P, Martin P.Although several studies have been devoted to the colloidal and soluble protein fractions of mare milk (caseins and whey proteins), to date little is known about the milk fat globule membrane (MFGM) protein fraction from mare milk. The objective of this study was thus to describe MFGM proteins from Equidae milk and to compare those proteins to already described MFGM proteins from cow and goat milk. Major MFGM proteins (namely, xanthine oxidase, butyrophilin, lactadherin, and adipophilin) already described in cow or goat milk were identified in mare milk using mass spectrometry. However, specie...
Henry S, Zanella AJ, Sankey C, Richard-Yris MA, Marko A, Hausberger M.The present study aims to investigate whether the presence of unrelated adult horses at weaning would reduce the social stress of weaning and the emergence of undesirable behaviours. We tested this hypothesis in 32 domestic foals by comparing short and medium term behavioural and physiological responses to weaning in foals maintained in homogeneous groups of peers (PW) to those of foals grouped with both peers and unrelated adults (AW). In total, three trials were conducted, which each trial consisting of one AW group and one PW group. In all foals, weaning was followed by increased vocalizati...
Wagner AE, Mama KR, Steffey EP, Hellyer PW.To determine whether infusion of xylazine and ketamine or xylazine and propofol after sevoflurane administration in horses would improve the quality of recovery from anesthesia. Methods: 6 healthy adult horses. Methods: For each horse, anesthesia was induced by administration of xylazine, diazepam, and ketamine and maintained with sevoflurane for approximately 90 minutes (of which the last 60 minutes were under steady-state conditions) 3 times at 1-week intervals. For 1 anesthetic episode, each horse was allowed to recover from sevoflurane anesthesia; for the other 2 episodes, xylazine and ket...
Vaccaro C, Busetto R, Bernardini D, Anselmi C, Zotti A.To evaluate the precision and accuracy of assessing bone mineral density (BMD) by use of mean gray value (MGV) on digitalized and digital images of conventional and digital radiographs, respectively, of ex vivo bovine and equine bone specimens in relation to the gold-standard technique of dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry (DEXA). Methods: Left and right metatarsal bones from 11 beef cattle and right femurs from 2 horses. Methods: Bovine specimens were imaged by use of conventional radiography, whereas equine specimens were imaged by use of computed radiography (digital radiography). Each specim...
Bauer N, Nakagawa J, Dunker C, Failing K, Moritz A.The automated laser-based hematology analyzer Sysmex XT-2000iV™ provides a 5-part differential count and specific cytograms that are of great interest for large veterinary laboratories. The aim of the study was to validate the Sysmex XT-2000iV compared to the laser-based hematology analyzer ADVIA® 2120 and manual differential in dogs, cats, and horses as well as the impact of anticoagulant (heparin, ethylenediamine tetra-acetic acid [EDTA], and citrate) and storage at 22°C and 4°C. Consecutive fresh K(3)-EDTA blood samples from 216 cats, 314 dogs, and 174 horses were included. The impact ...
Ceusters JD, Mouithys-Mickalad AA, de la Rebière de Pouyade G, Franck TJ, Votion DM, Deby-Dupont GP, Serteyn DA.To culture equine myoblasts from muscle microbiopsy specimens, examine myoblast production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in conditions of anoxia followed by reoxygenation, and assess the effects of horseradish peroxidase (HRP) and myeloperoxidase (MPO) on ROS production. Methods: 5 healthy horses (5 to 15 years old). Methods: Equine skeletal myoblast cultures were derived from 1 or 2 microbiopsy specimens obtained from a triceps brachii muscle of each horse. Cultured myoblasts were exposed to conditions of anoxia followed by reoxygenation or to conditions of normoxia (control cells). Cell p...
Dunay MP, Németh T, Makra Z, Izing S, Bodó G.In the present series of cases, 8 laparoscopic cryptorchidectomies and 4 laparoscopic ovariectomies were carried out in sedated standing horses. Sedation involved a lesser anaesthesiological risk than does general anaesthesia. As compared to laparotomic exposure, the minimally invasive laparoscopic intervention provided better visualisation, shorter operative time and faster recovery. The blood vessels supplying the testes and ovaries and the suspensory ligaments of the organs were sealed and cut with EnSeal®, an adaptive bipolar electrosurgical blood vessel- and tissue-sealing device. The cl...
D'Alessandro WB, Humber RA, Luz C.Two isolates of Beauveria bassiana and one of Purpureocillium lilacinum (=Paecilomyces lilacinus) were found infecting Amblyomma cajennense engorged females collected on horses (0.15% infection rate from a total of 1982 specimens) and another two isolates of P. lilacinum and one Metarhizium anisopliae detected in soils (2.1% from 144 samples) collected in typical pasture habitats of this tick in Central Brazil from October 2009 to March 2011. Fungi were isolated from soils with Rhipicephalus sanguineus as surrogate baits. No fungi were found in ticks or soils during the driest months (May to A...
Malik P, Bálint A, Dán A, Pálfi V.Equine herpesvirus-1 (EHV-1) can be classified into distinct groups by single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in their genomes. Only a few of these can be associated with a special attribute of the virus. Differences in the ORF30 region can determine the neuropathogenic potential, while by substitutions in the ORF68 region several strain groups can be made. In previous studies no connection was found between the neuropathogenic potential and the SNPs in ORF68, but the occurrence of members of distinct groups in different outbreaks can facilitate epidemiological investigations because the geogr...
Bauer N, Nakagawa J, Dunker C, Failing K, Moritz A.The automated laser-based hematology analyzer Sysmex XT-2000iV™ providing a complete blood cell count (CBC) and 5-part differential has been introduced in large veterinary laboratories. The aim of the current study was to determine precision, linearity, and accuracy of the Sysmex analyzer. Reference method for the accuracy study was the laser-based hematology analyzer ADVIA® 2120. For evaluation of accuracy, consecutive fresh blood samples from healthy and diseased cats (n = 216), dogs (n = 314), and horses (n = 174) were included. A low intra-assay coefficient of variation (CV) of approxim...
Reardon RJ, Boden LA, Mellor DJ, Love S, Newton JR, Stirk AJ, Parkin TD.Superficial digital flexor (SDF) tendinopathy is a common injury in Thoroughbred horses racing over hurdles. Identification of risk factors may allow the introduction of measures to minimise the incidence of this injury. Objective: To identify risk factors for SDF tendinopathy in Thoroughbred horses in hurdle races in the UK. Methods: Potential risk factors for SDF tendinopathy were studied between 1 January 2001 and 31 December 2009 using a retrospective cohort study design with 1031 case starts and 168,637 control starts. Potential risk factors were screened using univariable logistic regres...
Takasu M, Hiramatsu N, Tozaki T, Kakoi H, Hasegawa T, Maeda M, Kusuda S, Doi O, Murase T, Mukoyama H.The objective of this study was to clarify the current status of endangered Kiso horse, population statistics and biological traits, in order to take a step for the conservation by scientific approach. We surveyed 125 Kiso horses (86.2% of the whole breed), analyzed the construction of the population, and calculated the coefficient of inbreeding and effective population size. Moreover, we confirmed coat color variations and the traditional traits of the Kiso horse, and measured their height at the withers and chest circumference to clarify their physical characteristics. The population pyramid...
Wada S, Hobo S, Ode H, Niwa H, Moriyama H.To describe the incidence, clinical progress, visual outcome, and laboratory findings of equine keratomycosis in Japan. Methods: Retrospective study of the medical records of horses clinically and mycologically diagnosed with keratomycosis at the Equine Hospitals of the Japan Racing Association from 2005 to 2011. Results: The diagnosis of keratomycosis was confirmed in eight horses (40.0% of the 20 horses with infectious keratitis from which fungi and/or bacteria were isolated). Fungi recovered from corneal swabs were identified as Aspergillus flavus (4), Aspergillus niger (1), Fusarium sol...
Vendrig JC, Fink-Gremmels J.Gastrointestinal defence in the new-born is limited in comparison to adults, due to an immature epithelial barrier function and deficits in both innate and adaptive immune responses. Consequently, neonates (including foals) are at increased risk of disturbance to mucosal homeostasis during initial intestinal colonisation that may lead to excessive inflammation and bacterial translocation into the bloodstream, resulting in septicaemia. Bacterial recognition by Pattern Recognition Receptors (PRRs) and their downstream regulation of cytokine release have been shown to be pivotal for gastrointesti...
Ohya T, Kondo T, Yoshikawa Y, Watanabe K, Orino K.In mammal circulation, various ferritin-binding proteins (FBPs) are thought to be involved in the clearance of circulating ferritin after complex formation with it. However, horse FBPs are known to cause inhibitory effects on ferritin immunoassay due to the concealment of the ferritin molecule to anti-ferritin antibodies used in the ferritin immunoassay. These inhibitory effects are eliminated by heat treatment of horse serum at 75°C for 15 min. The inhibitory effects on ferritin immunoassay in the sera of ten foal sera (5 females and 5 males) from 1 to 18 months were detected during all peri...
Hinz K, O'Connor PM, Huppertz T, Ross RP, Kelly AL.Proteomic analysis of bovine, caprine, buffalo, equine and camel milk highlighted significant interspecies differences. Camel milk was found to be devoid of β-lactoglobulin, whereas β-lactoglobulin was the major whey protein in bovine, buffalo, caprine, and equine milk. Five different isoforms of κ-casein were found in camel milk, analogous to the micro-heterogeneity observed for bovine κ-casein. Several spots observed in 2D-electrophoretograms of milk of all species could tentatively be identified as polypeptides arising from the enzymatic hydrolysis of caseins. The understanding gained f...
Jordana M, Oosterlinck M, Pille F, Valère A, Martens A.To compare four different techniques for synoviocentesis of the equine digital flexor tendon sheath (DFTS). Methods: Fifteen inexperienced operators performed each of the following injection techniques on two cadaveric limbs: Proximal (at the proximal recess of the DFTS), Axial (axial to the proximal sesamoid bone), Base (at the base of the proximal sesamoid bone), and Distal (at the pastern). The number of attempts needed before the needle was assumed to be correctly positioned into the DFTS was recorded and 10 ml of methylene blue was injected. The limbs were dissected to determine the prese...
McGivney BA, Browne JA, Fonseca RG, Katz LM, Machugh DE, Whiston R, Hill EW.Myostatin, encoded by the MSTN gene, is a member of the TGF-β superfamily that regulates skeletal muscle development. A MSTN SNP significantly associated with Thoroughbred horse racing phenotypes has recently been identified as well as significant reductions in Thoroughbred skeletal muscle gene expression for three transcripts 400-1500 base pairs downstream of the MSTN gene following a period of training. Together, these findings indicate that MSTN genotypes may influence MSTN gene expression. To investigate this, MSTN mRNA expression was measured in biopsies from the middle gluteal muscle fr...
Cohen JM, Southwood LL, Engiles J, Leitch M, Nunamaker DM.To examine the efficacy and biocompatibility of a thiolated gelatin-thiolated carboxymethyl hyaluronan (CMHA-SGX) sponge as an osteoconductive device in an equine second and fourth metacarpal bone defect model. Methods: Seven millimetre segmental ostectomies were created bilaterally in the second and fourth metacarpal bones of four horses. The left and right metacarpal defects were randomly assigned to (1) be filled with a CMHA-SGX sponge (treated) or (2) were left unfilled (control). The duration of the study was nine weeks. Bone healing was evaluated using serial radiology, as well as histol...
McCormack J, Stover SM, Gibeling JC, Fyhrie DP.We recently developed a method to measure cortical bone fracture initiation toughness using a double-notched beam in four-point bending. This method was used to test the hypothesis that mineralization around the two notch roots is correlated with fracture toughness and crack extension (physical damage). Total energy absorbed to failure negatively correlated with average mineralization of the beam (r(2)=0.62), but not with notch root mineralization. Fracture initiation toughness was positively correlated to mineralization at the broken notch root (r(2)=0.34). Crack length extension at the unbro...
Terkawi MA, Alhasan H, Ueno A, Ratthanophart J, Luo Y, Cao S, Kamyingkird K, Aboulaila M, Youn-Kyoung G, Nishikawa Y, Yokoyama N, Xuan X, Igarashi I.A recombinant C-terminal antigen derived from Babesia caballi 48-kDa rhoptry protein (rBc48/CT) was made for the development of a serologically diagnostic test. Antiserum raised against the rBc48/CT reacted specifically with the corresponding native protein by Western blotting and the indirect fluorescent antibody test (IFAT). Next, an indirect enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (Bc48/CT-ELISA) and an immunochromatographic test based on the Bc48/CT (Bc48/CT-ICT) were constructed and employed for the detection of an antibody to B. caballi in a variety of equine sera. The results of Bc48/CT-ELISA...
Dwyer AE.Equine practitioners examine patient eyes on a daily basis. Indications range from inspection of normal anatomy to treatment of traumatized eyes to workups of sight threatening inflammatory or neoplastic ocular conditions. Assessment of equine eyes requires practitioners to take time to create a good "exam room" in the field and administer appropriate restraint, sedation and/or regional anesthesia to facilitate thorough examination. Accurate diagnosis and treatment of equine eye problems requires skill in ocular surface staining and cytology, and basic proficiency in standing surgery. Expertis...
Malikides N, Mollison PJ, Reid SW, Murray M.The haematological response of regular, repeated blood harvesting was investigated in 40 Thoroughbred and non-Thoroughbred horses that donate 8 litres of blood every 3 weeks for the purposes of commercial blood production. When this volume of blood was removed on five occasions over 12 weeks, no adverse effect on packed cell volume (PCV), haemoglobin (HB), and red blood cell count (RCC) was observed. Although PCV, RCC and Hb values decreased during the first week after blood collection, followed by a gradual increase in values until the next harvest time, all values remained within published r...
McKeever KH, McNally BA, Hinchcliff KW, Lehnhard RA, Poole DC.To test the hypotheses that erythropoietin (rhuEPO) treatment increases systemic hematocrit, maximal O2 uptake (VO2max, by elevated perfusive and diffusive O2 conductances) and performance five female horses (4-13 years) received 15 IU/kg rhuEPO (erythropoietin) three times per week for three weeks. These horses had been splenectomized over 1 year previously to avoid confounding effects from the mobilization of splenic red blood cell reserves. Each horse performed three maximal exercise tests (one per month) on an inclined (4°) treadmill to the limit of tolerance; two control trials and one f...
Denis HM.Corneal disease is common in equine ophthalmology and requires vigilant monitoring and appropriate therapy to optimize the outcome. Many equine corneal diseases, particularly those that progress rapidly, may benefit from surgical intervention. These include descemetoceles, deep corneal lacerations and ulcers, corneal perforation/iris prolapse, ulcerative keratitis, corneal stromal abscesses, and corneoscleral neoplasia. Indications for corneal transplantation include optical, tectonic, therapeutic, and cosmetic purposes. Corneal transplantation is most often implemented in equine patients for ...
MacMillan AP, Cockrem DS.Five mares and a stallion were studied from three to 30 months after experimental infection with Brucella abortus strain 544. The mares bred normally. No organisms were recovered from horses or from pregnant Friesian heifer contacts. Titres of serum antibody in the antiglobulin (Coombs) and complement fixation tests fell more slowly than those assessed by other tests. The serum of one foal yielded maternal antibody. An intradermal test was positive in infected adults only, and negative in all foals.
Tanaka Y, Taniyama H, Tsunoda N, Herath CB, Nakai R, Shinbo H, Nagamine N, Nambo Y, Nagata S, Watanabe G, Groome NP, Taya K.To clarify the source of inhibins in equine female fetuses, concentrations of immunoreactive (ir-) inhibin, inhibin pro-alphaC, and inhibin A in both fetal and maternal circulation and in fetal ovaries were measured. In addition, the localization of inhibin alpha and inhibin/activin beta(A), and beta(B) subunits and the expression of inhibin alpha(A) and inhibin/activin beta(A) subunit mRNA in fetal ovaries were investigated using immunohistochemistry and in situ hybridization. Concentrations of circulating ir-inhibin, inhibin pro-alphaC, and inhibin A were remarkably more elevated in the feta...
McGlinchey L, Boone LH, Munsterman AS, Coleridge MOD, Rosanowski SM, Farag R, Hanson RR.To evaluate the effect of exposure to a balanced electrolyte solution (BES), or equine abdominal fat on the knot-holding capacity (KHC), relative knot security (RKS), weight, and volume of forwarder knots versus surgeon's knots. Methods: 315 knots tied and tested in vitro. Methods: United States Pharmacopeia size-3 polyglactin 910 suture exposed to air (dry [control]), equine abdominal fat (fat-exposed), or BES (BES-exposed) was used to tie forwarder knots with 2, 3, and 4 throws and surgeon's knots with 5, 6, 7, and 8 throws. A universal materials testing machine was used to test the tensile ...
Ellerbrock M, Wehrend A.In horses, birth is classified as dystocia when the process of parturition threatens to inflict damage onto the mare or the foal, when assistance is required to complete the process of parturition, or when there are temporal deviations in the physiological duration of the first and/or second parturition stages. In this, the duration of the second stage is an important indicator in identifying dystocia, as this phase is easily discernible by the mare's behavior. Equine dystocia is classified as an emergency with life-threatening consequences for mare and foal. A large degree of variation has be...
Houpt KA, Zahorik DM, Swartzman-Andert JA.The ability of ponies to learn to avoid a relatively novel food associated with illness was tested in three situations: when illness occurred immediately after consuming a feed; when illness occurred 30 min after consuming a feed; and when illness was contingent upon eating one of three feeds offered simultaneously. Apomorphine was used to produce illness. The feeds associated with illness were corn, alfalfa pellets, sweet feed and a complete pelleted feed. The ponies learned to avoid all the fees except the complete feed when apomorphine injection immediately followed consumption of the feed....
Zak A, Siwinska N, Slowikowska M, Borowicz H, Ploneczka-Janeczko K, Chorbinski P, Niedzwiedz A.Commensal bacterial and fungal flora of the conjunctival sac has been described in horses and other animals. The identification of commensal flora of the conjunctival sac may aid in the diagnosis of ocular inflammatory diseases, such as conjunctivitis or more severe ulcerative keratitis, common in horses. Moreover, damage of ocular protective barriers may lead to an opportunistic infection. The study was carried out in Silesian horses kept at a single breeding center in South-western Poland, in order to limit any breed-dependant and climate-dependant variables affecting the results. Following ...
Gressler LT, Machado G, da Silveira BP, Cohen ND, Corbellini LG, Leotti VB, Diehl GN, Dos Santos LC, de Vargas AC.Rhodococcus equi is an important cause of foal pneumonia. While its isolation from different sources has been widely evaluated, there is a need to better understand the R. equi epidemiology from samples of the nasal cavity of healthy horses. Objective: To determine the prevalence of R. equi from the nasal cavity of healthy horses, along with its virulence profile, antimicrobial susceptibility and environmental variables associated. Methods: Cross-sectional study. Methods: Swabs from the nasal cavity of 1010 apparently healthy horses from 341 farms were submitted for bacteriological analyses. T...
Burns TA.Endocrine diseases, such as equine metabolic syndrome and pituitary pars intermedia dysfunction, are common in domesticated horse populations, and the frequency with which these diseases are encountered and managed by equine veterinary practitioners is expected to increase as the population ages. As clinicians learn more about the effects of these diseases on equine reproductive physiology and efficiency (including effects on reproductive seasonality, ovulation efficiency, implantation, early pregnancy loss, duration of pregnancy, and lactation), strategies and guidelines for improving fertili...
Bucki EP, Giguère S, Macpherson M, Davis R.The objectives of this study were to investigate the pharmacokinetics of once-daily amikacin in healthy neonates, to determine amikacin concentrations in hospitalized foals, and to determine the minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) of amikacin against gram-negative isolates from blood cultures in septic foals. Median half-life, clearance, and volume of distribution of amikacin in healthy 2- to 3-day-old foals after administration of an intravenous bolus of amikacin (25 mg/kg) were 5.07 hours (4.86-5.45 hours), 1.82 mL/min/kg (1.35-1.97 mL/min/kg), and 0.785 L/kg (0.638-0.862 L/kg), respect...
Lane JG, Longstaffe JA, Gibbs C.The clinical and radiographic features of 15 cases of paranasal sinus cysts are described. Breed, sex and side frequency were unremarkable but two distinct categories of age incidence emerged. Onset of signs had occurred before one year of age in three cases, while all but two of the remaining 12 animals were older than nine years. The most common clinical signs were nasal airway obstruction, facial swelling and nasal discharge, often occurring in combination. Radiographic changes were recorded in all horses. Sinus opacification was a consistent finding and in several cases the bone surroundin...
Klein CE, Bramlage LR, Stefanovski D, Ruggles AJ, Embertson RM, Hopper SA.To compare 3 different methods for treatment of medial femoral condyle (MFC) subchondral cystic lesions in Thoroughbred horses <24 months old based on the criterion of ability to race post-treatment. Methods: Retrospective cohort study. Methods: Thoroughbreds (n = 107, age < 24 months) diagnosed with MFC subchondral cystic lesions. Methods: Medical records between January 2004 and December 2017 were reviewed. Three treatment methods were used in these horses during that time frame: arthroscopic debridement, intralesional autologous mesenchymal stem cell (MSC) injection, and int...
Box JR, Karikoski NP, Tanskanen HE, Raekallio MR.Alpha-2-adrenoceptor agonists are sedatives that can cause fluctuations in serum insulin and blood glucose (BG) concentrations in horses. The objectives of this study were to investigate the effects of detomidine and vatinoxan on BG, insulin, and glucagon concentrations in horses with and without insulin dysregulation (ID). In a blinded cross-over design, eight horses with ID and eight horses without ID were assigned to each of four treatments: detomidine (0.02 mg/kg; DET), vatinoxan (0.2 mg/kg; VAT), detomidine + vatinoxan (DET + VAT), and saline control (SAL). Blood samples were taken at 0, ...
Steelman SM, Michael-Eller EM, Gibbs PG, Potter GD.Energy is an essential nutrient for all horses, and it is especially important in performance horses, pregnant and lactating mares, and young growing horses. A negative energy balance in horses such as these may result in unsatisfactory performance, decreased fertility, or slow growth. Therefore, ensuring adequate energy intake is an important aspect of the nutritional management of the equine. This study was undertaken to investigate the effects of feeding large, carbohydrate-rich, concentrate meals on the satiety-inducing hormone, leptin. Three groups of yearling horses were rotated through ...
Grant DM, Macedo A, Toms D, Klein C.Preimplantation equine embryos synthesize and secrete fibrinogen, which is a peculiar finding as fibrinogen synthesis almost exclusively occurs in the liver. This study investigated the hypothesis that conceptus-derived fibrinogen mediates cell adhesion during fixation. On day 21 of pregnancy, five integrin subunits, including ITGA5, ITGB1, ITGAV, and ITGB1, displayed significantly higher transcript abundance than on day 16 of pregnancy. Endometrial epithelial cells adhered to fibrinogen in an integrin-dependent manner in an in vitro cell adhesion assay. Bilaminar trophoblast and allantochorio...
Murata D, Misumi K, Fujiki M.We hypothesized that semi-quantitative determinations of changeable blood flows in granulation and scar tissues during tendon healing could be helpful for differentiation between the acute phase rich in blood vessels and the remodeling phase with fewer vessels. Ten Thoroughbreds with injured superficial digital flexor tendon (SDFT) in a forelimb were used for evaluation of blood flows in the injured tendons of racehorses using color Doppler (CD) ultrasonography. Using longitudinal CD images, features of maximum color activities were defined. These were rhythmically blinking, tiny to small sign...
van Bergen T, Haspeslagh M, Wiemer P, Swagemakers M, van Loon G, Martens A.To report the clinical features, outcomes, and prognostic factors associated with the surgical treatment of epiploic foramen entrapment (EFE). Methods: Retrospective study at a single referral hospital. Methods: Horses (n = 142) undergoing surgery (n = 145) for EFE. Methods: Preoperative, perioperative, and postoperative data of surgeries on horses that underwent exploratory laparotomy for EFE were obtained. The postoperative outcome was assessed by follow-up telephone calls with the owners/caregivers. Factors associated with postoperative reflux (POR), relaparotomy, hospital discharge...
Cuvelliez SG, Eicker SW, McLauchlan C, Brunson DB.Anesthesia of equids is associated with pulmonary dysfunction. Cardiovascular and respiratory effects of inhalation anesthetic agents and duration of anesthesia have been studied, using oxygen as the carrier gas. To our knowledge, the effects of inspired oxygen have not been determined. We studied the cardiovascular and respiratory effects of 2 inspired oxygen fractions (0.30 and greater than 0.85) in 5 laterally recumbent, halothane-anesthetized horses. Mean systemic arterial blood pressure, cardiac output, central venous pressure, pulmonary arterial pressure, arterial pH, and arterial base e...
Humblet MF, Saegerman C.The present paper proposes a tool to follow up the compliance of staff and students with biosecurity rules, as enforced in a veterinary faculty, i.e., animal clinics, teaching laboratories, dissection rooms, and educational pig herd and farm. Unassigned: Starting from a generic list of items gathered into several categories (personal dress and equipment, animal-related items, infrastructures, waste management, management of material/equipment and behavior), a checklist was created for each sector/activity mentioned above, based on the rules and procedures compiled in the Faculty biosecurity st...
Jelinski MD, Schreiner B, Neale A, Townsend HGG.A workforce survey of private veterinary practices in western Canada was conducted in 2020. Data were obtained on 526 practices (response rate = 39.5%) and 1445 individual veterinary practitioners. Overall, 68.4% of practitioners identified as female, with 4 times as many females as males comprising the youngest age cohorts (26 to 35 y) of the profession. The majority of practices (67.9%) were companion animal, followed by mixed animal (21.9%) and food animal (10.2%). Most females (77.2%) and males (57.8%) were engaged in companion animal practice, whereas 23.5% of males and 6.0% of females we...
Brangsch H, Singha H, Laroucau K, Elschner M.Although glanders has been eradicated in most of the developed world, the disease still persists in various countries such as Brazil, India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal, Iran, Bahrain, UAE and Turkey. It is one of the notifiable diseases listed by the World Organization for Animal Health. Occurrence of glanders imposes restriction on equestrian events and restricts equine movement, thus causing economic losses to equine industry. The genetic diversity and global distribution of the causing agent, Burkholderia (B.) mallei, have not been assessed in detail and are complicated by the high clonali...
Popot MA, Bonnaire Y, Guéchot J, Toutain PL.Hyaluronic acid (HA) is an endogenous glycosaminoglycan used in the treatment of joint diseases, but medication control is required by horseracing authorities. Therefore, a medication control policy needs to be established. Objective: To establish physiological plasma HA concentrations in post race horses, determine the HA endogenous production rate and document the disposition of HA after i.v. and intra-articular hyaluronic acid administration at recommended therapeutic doses. Methods: Hyaluronan concentrations in plasma were determined using an ELISA specific test; concentrations in synovial...
Sullins KE, White NA, Lundin CS, Dabareiner R, Gaulin G.Treatments addressing variously theorised pathophysiological mechanisms of small intestinal adhesions have been reported. This study applied those classes of treatments to the most clinically relevant aetiology of post operative adhesions. Objective: Treatments addressing the pathophysiology of ischaemia-reperfusion induced adhesions would accordingly reduce the incidence of adhesions from this model. Methods: Four classes of treatments were administered for 72 h to 16 foals subjected to complete ischaemia followed by reperfusion to create peritoneal adhesions. These groups were: 1) FPG group-...
Traub-Dargatz JL, Weese JS, Rousseau JD, Dunowska M, Morley PS, Dargatz DA.Reduction factors (RFs) for bacterial counts on examiners' hands were compared when performing a standardized equine physical examination, followed by the use of one of 3 hand-hygiene protocols (washing with soap, ethanol gel application, and chlorohexidine-ethanol application). The mean RFs were 1.29 log10 and 1.44 log10 at 2 study sites for the alcohol-gel (62% ethyl alcohol active ingredient) protocols and 1.47 log10 and 1.94 log10 at 2 study sites for the chlorhexidine-alcohol (61% ethyl alcohol plus 1% chlorhexidine active ingredients) protocols, respectively. The RFs were significantly d...
Orsztynowicz M, Pawlak P, Podstawski Z, Nizanski W, Partyka A, Gotowiecka M, Kosiniak-Kamysz K, Lechniak D.Predicting male fertility on non-invasive sperm traits is of big importance to human and animal reproduction strategies. Combining the wide range of parameters monitored by computer-assisted sperm analysis (CASA) with some molecular traits (e.g. mtDNA content) may help to identify markers of the male fertility. The aim of this study was to characterize variation in the mtDNA copy number in equine sperm and to investigate whether mtDNA content is correlated with quality traits of stallion spermatozoa and the age of the male. Ejaculates collected from 53 fertile stallions were divided into four ...
Ibañez LI, Caldevilla CA, Paredes Rojas Y, Mattion N.H3N8 influenza virus strains have been associated with infectious disease in equine populations throughout the world. Although current vaccines for equine influenza stimulate a protective humoral immune response against the surface glycoproteins, disease in vaccinated horses has been frequently reported, probably due to poor induction of cross-reactive antibodies against non-matching strains. This work describes the performance of a recombinant protein vaccine expressed in prokaryotic cells (ΔHAp) and of a genetic vaccine (ΔHAe), both based on the conserved stem region of influenza hemagglut...
Samol MA, Uzal FA, Hill AE, Arthur RM, Stover SM.Tibial fractures cause ~3% of racehorse deaths. Pre-existing stress fractures have been associated with multiple racing and training fractures, but not complete tibial fractures. Objective: To describe racehorse tibial fractures and compare signalment and exercise histories of affected and control racehorses. Methods: Retrospective analysis of necropsy reports. Methods: Racehorses that had a complete tibial fracture (1990-2018) were retrospectively reviewed. Signalment and exercise histories of affected horses were compared to 1) racehorses that died because of non-tibial musculoskeletal injur...
Manohar M.Previous studies of pulmonary vascular pressures have utilised gradual incremental step exercise protocols, but in competitive racing at the track, horses perform rapid acceleration high-intensity exercise. The rate of rise in pulmonary vascular pressures under conditions of quick onset high-intensity exercise is unknown. Catheter mounted manometers, whose in vivo signals were matched with pressure signals obtained via transducers connected to fluid-filled lumens from same cardiovascular sites, were used to compare right heart and pulmonary vascular pressures in 8 healthy Thoroughbreds perform...
