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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.
Respiratory distress due to retropharyngeal and neck swelling in a horse with mediastinal lymphosarcoma. A 9-year-old, 1494-lb (679-kg) Quarter horse gelding in good body condition was admitted to the Veterinary Teaching Hospital, Western College of Veterinary Medicine (WCVM), University of Saskatchewan, for evaluation and treatment of acute respiratory distress. On a trail ride 26 days before presentation, the gelding had been exposed to a horse with clinical signs of an upper respiratory tract infection. The gelding performed well on the trail ride but, 4 days later, developed a mild swelling in the retropharyngeal area and a slight bilateral mucoid nasal discharge. The gelding was examined at ...
Infection of an equine placenta with a novel mycobacterial species leading to abortion. A 25-year-old pregnant American Quarter Horse mare presented with a 1-week history of progressively worsening vaginal discharge. Transrectal ultrasound revealed increased thickness of the combined uterus and placenta with evidence of chorioallantoic edema but no placental separation. A thickened amnion was visible on transabdominal ultrasound. Abortion occurred 2 days after presentation despite medical treatment. At necropsy, the chorioallantois had variable but diffuse thickening with focally extensive browning of the chorionic surface in the right horn and adjacent body. There were fluid-fil...
Detection of copy number variants in the horse genome and examination of their association with recurrent laryngeal neuropathy. We used the data from a recently performed genome-wide association study using the Illumina Equine SNP50 beadchip for the detection of copy number variants (CNVs) and examined their association with recurrent laryngeal neuropathy (RLN), an important equine upper airway disease compromising performance. A total of 2797 CNVs were detected for 477 horses, covering 229 kb and seven SNPs on average. Overlapping CNVs were merged to define 478 CNV regions (CNVRs). CNVRs, particularly deletions, were shown to be significantly depleted in genes. Fifty-two of the 67 common CNVRs (frequency ≥ 1%) we...
Equine subepithelial keratomycosis. To describe clinical findings in equine subepithelial keratomycosis (SEK). Methods: Retrospective medical records study. Methods: Medical records of horses that had subepithelial keratomycosis (SEK) at the University of Florida Veterinary Medical Center from 2007 to 2011 were reviewed. Methods: Data collected from the medical records included signalment, clinical descriptions of ocular lesions, diagnostic techniques, and therapeutic outcomes. Results: Twenty-one horses, consisting of three Quarter horse geldings, two Morgan geldings, one Morgan mare, two Arabian mares, three Arabian geldings, ...
The impact of endophyte-infected fescue consumption on digital circulation and lameness in the distal thoracic limb of the horse. This experiment was conducted to evaluate if consumption of endophyte-infected fescue alters digital circulation in the distal thoracic limb of the horse and to assess if soundness of the hooves of horses is affected by consumption of endophyte-infected fescue. Twelve American Quarter Horses (mean initial BW 459 ± 31 kg), 6 mares and 6 geldings, were used in this 90-d study that comprised high-endophyte (E+) and low-endophyte (E-) treatment groups. Fescue seed was integrated into the E+ diet at a rate sufficient to bring total ergovaline to 200 μg/kg, and endophyte-free fescue seed was incor...
Reduction of biting and chewing of horses using differential reinforcement of other behavior. Biting and chewing by horses on crossties can result in injury to the handler and damage to equipment. Operant-conditioning techniques have been used to train horses and could be used to reduce or eliminate undesirable biting and chewing. Presently, a differential-reinforcement-of-other-behavior (DRO) schedule, in the context of a reversal design, was effective in reducing biting and chewing in two horses. In DRO schedules, a reinforcer is delivered contingent on the absence of a target behavior for a specified interval. Positive-reinforcement procedures offer an alternative to aversive-contro...
Genome-wide association study of insect bite hypersensitivity in Dutch Shetland pony mares. Insect bite hypersensitivity (IBH) is the most common allergic disease present in horses worldwide. It has been shown that IBH is under genetic control, but the knowledge of associated genes is limited. We conducted a genome-wide association study to identify and quantify genomic regions contributing to IBH in the Dutch Shetland pony population. A total of 97 cases and 91 controls were selected and matched on withers height, coat colour and pedigree to minimise the population stratification. A blood sample was collected from participating Shetland pony mares, their IBH phenotype was scored and...
Optimal contribution selection applied to the Norwegian and the North-Swedish cold-blooded trotter – a feasibility study. The aim of this study was to examine how to apply optimal contribution selection (OCS) in the Norwegian and the North-Swedish cold-blooded trotter and give practical recommendations for the future. OCS was implemented using the software Gencont with overlapping generations and selected a few, but young sires, as these turn over the generations faster and thus is less related to the mare candidates. In addition, a number of Swedish sires were selected as they were less related to the selection candidates. We concluded that implementing OCS is feasible to select sires (there is no selection on m...
CACG: a database for comparative analysis of conjoined genes. A conjoined gene is defined as one formed at the time of transcription by combining at least part of one exon from each of two or more distinct genes that lie on the same chromosome, in the same or opposite orientation, which translate independently into different proteins. We comparatively studied the extent of conjoined genes in thirteen genomes by analyzing the public databases of expressed sequence tags and mRNA sequences using a set of computational tools designed to identify conjoined genes on the same DNA strand or opposite DNA strands of the same genomic locus. The CACG database, avail...
Prevalence of Trypanosoma evansi in horses in Israel evaluated by serology and reverse dot blot. Trypanosoma evansi is the cause of surra in horses, camels and other domestic animals. Following the first outbreak of surra in horses and camels in Israel in 2006, a survey of the prevalence of the parasite in the Israeli horse population was conducted using serology, PCR followed by the reverse dot blot (RDB) technique and blood smear microscopy. In total, 614 horses from 7 regions were sampled. The CATT/T. evansi kit was used for serology for all the horses. Horses from the Arava and Dead Sea region, where the first outbreak occurred, were sampled again one year later and both samples were ...
A comparative study of xylazine-induced mechanical hypoalgesia in donkeys and horses. To compare the effects of xylazine on mechanical nociceptive thresholds in donkeys and horses. Methods: Randomized, controlled, crossover, Latin-square, operator-blinded design. Methods: Six 3.1 ± 0.89 year old standard donkeys weighing 145.0 ± 30.5 kg and six 9.6 ± 4.4 year old Thoroughbred horses weighing 456.0 ± 69.0 kg. Methods: Each animal received one of four doses of xylazine (0.5, 0.7, 0.9, and 1.1 mg kg(-1) ), or acepromazine (0.05 mg kg(-1) ) or saline solution (0.9%) intravenously and mechanical nociceptive thresholds were assessed over 90 minutes. The areas under the threshold ...
Gastric emptying, intestinal absorption of electrolytes and exercise performance in electrolyte-supplemented horses. Horses lose considerably more electrolytes through sweating during prolonged exercise than can be readily replaced through feeds. The present study tested an oral electrolyte supplement (ES) designed to replace sweat electrolyte losses. We measured gastric emptying of 3 litres of ES (using gamma imaging of (99)Tc-sulfide colloid), the absorption of Na(+) and K(+) from the gastrointestinal tract using (24)Na(+) and (42)K(+), and the distribution of these ions in the body by measuring radioactivity within plasma and sweat during exercise. Three litres of ES emptied from the stomach as fast as wa...
Temperatures from 4 to 15 °C are suitable for preserving the fertilizing capacity of stallion semen stored for 22 h or more in INRA96 extender. This study tested whether variable temperatures (from -0.5 to 15 °C) and air exposure could be used under laboratory and under field conditions to store stallion sperm diluted in extender INRA96 without loss of fertility. Experiment 1 (laboratory conditions) measured the effects of two 72 h storage conditions (5 °C with air vs. 15 °C without air). Experiment 2 (fixed field conditions) measured the effects of 22 h of storage without air in disposable containers maintained at four ambient temperatures (7 °C, 17 °C, 27 °C, 39 °C with semen at -0.5 °C to 3 °C, 4 °C to 7 °C, 8 °C to 10 ...
mRNA transcription of prostaglandin synthases and their products in the equine endometrium in the course of fibrosis. Accurate regulation of the reproductive cycle and successful implantation depend on proper functioning of the endometrium. The aim of this study was to determine whether mRNA transcription of specific enzymes responsible for prostaglandin (PG) synthesis (prostaglandin-endoperoxide synthase, PTGS-2; prostaglandin F(2α) synthase, PGFS; and prostaglandin E(2) synthases, PGES) and PG concentrations in endometrial extracts would change in moderate (Kenney's Category II) and severe phases of fibrosis (Kenney's Category III; endometrosis), compared with healthy endometrium (Kenney's Category I), dur...
Effects of hypercapnic hyperpnea on recovery from isoflurane or sevoflurane anesthesia in horses. To test the hypothesis that hypercapnic hyperpnea produced using endotracheal insufflation with 5-10% CO(2) in oxygen could be used to shorten anesthetic recovery time in horses, and that recovery from sevoflurane would be faster than from isoflurane. Methods: Randomized crossover study design. Methods: Eight healthy adult horses. Methods: After 2 hours' administration of constant 1.2 times MAC isoflurane or sevoflurane, horses were disconnected from the anesthetic circuit and administered 0, 5, or 10% CO(2) in balance O(2) via endotracheal tube insufflation. End-tidal gas samples were collect...
Osmotic shock induces structural damage on equine spermatozoa plasmalemma and mitochondria. The present study aimed to elucidate the effects that osmotic shock exerts on equine spermatozoa. To achieve this goal, a retrospective study of the cellular volume of 40 equine ejaculates subjected to osmolarities ranging from 75 to 900 mOsm in Biggers-Whitten-Whittingham (BWW) media was performed using a Multisizer3 Coulter Counter®. The 300 mOsm BWW solution was used as control. The sperm volume ranged between 37.93±0.6 (mean±Standard Error of the Mean (SEM)) in 75 mOsm BWW to 21.61±0.27 (mean±SEM) for 900 mOsm BWW. Thus the spermatozoa behaved as linear osmometers when adjusted to the...
Bioassay for follicle stimulating activity of equine gonadotropic hormone in mare serum using frozen/thawed transiently transfected reporter cells. The objective was to establish a cell line-based bioassay for FSH in horse serum for screening samples with high eCG bioactivity. A cell line (HEK293) was transiently cotransfected with an FSH reporter expression plasmid and a cAMP-responsive β-galactosidase reporter plasmid. Cells were bulk frozen, and thawed for assay purposes. This assay was specific for FSH, with no cross-reaction with LH or insulin-like growth factor-1. Standard curves (eCG) and serum samples from pregnant mares passed parallel line bioassay validity tests (linearity and parallelism). Estimates of bioactivity with this b...
Morphometrical study of bony elements of the forelimb fetlock joints in horses. There are many reports describing fractures in the bony elements of the equine fetlock joint and a few of these discuss possible relationships of these fractures to the mechanical loading of these bones. The likelihood of fracture must be related to the size and shape of bones involved, but information concerning the normal range in size and shape of these bones in horses is lacking. This study aimed to identify morphometrical variations of these bones within different groups of horses. Right and left metacarpal, proximal phalangeal and proximal sesamoid bones were collected from 10 Thoroughbr...
Body condition scoring as a predictor of body fat in horses and ponies. Body condition scoring systems were originally developed to quantify flesh cover in food animals and are commonly used to evaluate body fat in Equidae. The relationship between concurrent estimates of body fat content (eTBF%, deuterium oxide dilution; range, 2.7-35.6%) and subjective appraisals of body 'fatness' (body condition score, BCS; range, 1.25-9/9), was investigated in 77 mature horses and ponies. Univariate (UVM, r(2)=0.79) and multivariable (MVM, r(2)=0.86) linear regression models described the association, where BCS and eTBF% were explanatory and outcome variables, respectively. Ot...
Spreading of West Nile virus infection in Croatia. West Nile virus (WNV) is an emerging zoonotic pathogen with rapid global expansion. The virus circulation is confirmed in many countries of Mediterranean Basin and Southern and Central Europe. In our study detection of specific WNV antibodies was performed in horses and cattle sera samples collected from October 2010 to April 2011. Serum samples were randomly taken from different parts of Croatia and tested by IgG and IgM ELISA. Positive serological results were confirmed by virus neutralization assay (VN-assay) and plaque reduction neutralization test (PRNT). Results showed that WNV antibodie...
Use of pelvic flexure biopsy scores to predict short-term survival after large colon volvulus. To (1) determine if histologic scores of pelvic flexure biopsies can predict short-term survival in horses with large colon volvulus (LCV) and (2) identify clinical variables predictive of short-term survival. Methods: Case series. Methods: Horses (n = 28) with LCV (≥ 360°). Methods: Medical records (January 2000-February 2008) of 28 horses were reviewed and clinical data recorded. Pelvic flexure biopsies were reviewed by 2 board-certified veterinary pathologists, unaware of clinical history and outcome, using 2 scoring systems. Exact logistic regression analysis was used to determine the r...
Strongylus vulgaris associated with usage of selective therapy on Danish horse farms-is it reemerging? Nematodes belonging to the order Strongylida are ubiquitous in grazing horses, and the large strongyle Strongylus vulgaris is considered the most pathogenic. This parasite was originally described widely prevalent in equine establishments, but decades of frequent anthelmintic treatment appears to have reduced the prevalence dramatically. Increasing levels of anthelmintic resistance in cyathostomin parasites have led to implementation of selective therapy to reduce further development of resistance. It has been hypothesized that S. vulgaris could reoccur under these less intensive treatment cir...
Use of serial measurements of peritoneal fluid lactate concentration to identify strangulating intestinal lesions in referred horses with signs of colic. To determine the value of serial measurements of peritoneal fluid lactate concentration (PFL) for detecting strangulating intestinal lesions (SLs) in referred horses with signs of colic. Methods: Retrospective cohort study. Methods: 94 horses with signs of colic. Methods: Medical records of horses evaluated between September 2006 and February 2010 because of signs of colic were reviewed. All included horses had ≥ 2 peritoneal fluid samples collected, including one at admission and another within 1 to 6 hours after admission. Of the 94 horses, 26 were assigned to the SL group on the basis of ...
Concurrent patellar fracture and lateral collateral ligament avulsion as a result of trauma in three horses. 3 horses were evaluated because of lameness and swelling of the stifle joint subsequent to trauma. Results: All horses had characteristic clinical signs of stifle joint pain and effusion. A medial patellar fracture and lateral collateral ligament avulsion fracture were visible ultrasonographically in each. Radiography, including standard as well as flexed lateromedial, cranioproximal-craniodistal oblique (skyline patellar), and laterally stressed caudocranial views, revealed similar findings. Results: Arthroscopic surgery to remove the patellar fracture was attempted in 1 horse with severe des...
Effects of mesenchymal stem cells isolated from amniotic fluid and platelet-rich plasma gel on severe decubitus ulcers in a septic neonatal foal. This paper documents the treatment of severe decubitus ulcers with amniotic fluid mesenchymal stem cells and platelets rich plasma (PRP) gel in a septic neonatal foal. The colt needed 25 days of hospitalization: during this period ulcers were treated for 15 days with mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) plus PRP, PRP gel alone, or aloe gel. Healing was faster using MSCs+PRP, and at 7 months an ulcer treated with aloe gel was still not completely healed.
Comparative performance of macrocyclic lactones against large strongyles in horses. Several formulations of macrocyclic lactones (abamectin, ivermectin, moxidectin), including ivermectin combined with pyrantel (tetrahydropyrimidine) and ivermectin combined with praziquantel (pyrazinoisoquinolin derivative), were tested regarding their efficacy to control gastrointestinal nematodes of horses on a stud farm in southern Brazil. In addition, we tested a pharmaceutically produced generic paste containing ivermectin 4%. Similar formulations of avermectins had different efficacies measured by reduction of EPG. Levels of efficacy of the tested drugs varied against Strongylus edentatu...
