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.
Shilo Y, Britzi M, Eytan B, Lifschitz T, Soback S, Steinman A.Tramadol is a centrally acting analgesic drug that has been used clinically for the last two decades to treat moderate to moderately severe pain in humans. The present study investigated tramadol administration in horses by intravenous, intramuscular, oral as immediate-release and oral as sustained-release dosage-form routes. Seven horses were used in a four-way crossover study design in which racemic tramadol was administered at 2 mg/kg by each route of administration. Altogether, 23 blood samples were collected between 0 and 2880 min. The concentration of tramadol and its M1 metabolite were ...
Fielding CL, Magdesian KG, Morgan RA, Ruby RE, Sprayberry KA.The characteristics, history, clinical signs, treatment and outcome of nine horses with abscesses caused by Actinomyces species were reviewed. dna sequencing was used to determine the species of one of the isolates. The horses were one to 11 years of age, and the abscesses were most commonly located in the submandibular and retropharyngeal regions. The bacterium was usually cultured as the sole isolate and the horses were most often affected in the autumn. Most of the abscesses were treated with antimicrobials and drainage, but some of them recurred. The horses with submandibular abscesses had...
Traversa D, Fichi G, Campigli M, Rondolotti A, Iorio R, Proudman CJ, Pellegrini D, Perrucci S.Anoplocephala perfoliata (Cestoda, Cyclophyllidea), the commonest intestinal tapeworm of horses, can cause colic, intussusceptions, ileal impactions and intestinal perforations. Common diagnostic techniques for A. perfoliata infection, i.e. coprology and serology, show inherent limitations in terms of sensitivity and specificity and new approaches are thus required. Hence, the present study compared the reliability of coprological, serological (i.e. ELISA) and molecular (i.e. nested PCR) methods in detecting A. perfoliata infection in naturally infected horses and in horses treated with a comb...
Morrell JM, Johannisson A, Dalin AM, Hammar L, Sandebert T, Rodriguez-Martinez H.Artificial insemination is not as widely used in horses as in other domestic species, such as dairy cattle and pigs, partly because of the wide variation in sperm quality between stallion ejaculates and partly due to decreased fertility following the use of cooled transported spermatozoa. Furthermore, predictive tests for sperm fertilising ability are lacking. The objective of the present study was to assess sperm morphology and chromatin integrity in ejaculates obtained from 11 warmblood breeding stallions in Sweden, and to evaluate the relationship of these parameters to pregnancy rates to i...
Varcasia A, Garippa G, Pipia AP, Scala A, Brianti E, Giannetto S, Battelli G, Poglayen G, Micagni G.Between March 2003 and February 2007, the livers and the lungs of 2,231 horses from various Italian regions were examined for cystic echinococcosis presence at the time of slaughter. Hydatid cysts were found in six horses, namely four from Sardinia, one from Sicily, and one from Tuscany. The location, number, morphology, and fertility of the cysts found were determined. DNA was extracted from the germinal layers and protoscoleces of the fertile cysts and polymerase chain reactions (PCR) were performed in order to strain type DNA isolates for reduced nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide dehydrogen...
Taylor NA, Caldwell JN, Dyer R.The hottest months on northern Australian cattle stations are from September to November, and it is during these months that horseback cattle mustering occurs. Stockmen wear clothing that restricts heat loss, and protective helmets have recently been introduced. Anecdotal evidence points to the possibility that helmets may increase the probability of developing heat illness, or reducing workplace performance. In this project, we quantified the working (thermal) environment on such cattle stations, and measured the metabolic demands on, and concurrent physiological strain in stockmen during mus...
Owen KR, Dyson SJ, Parkin TD, Singer ER, Kristoffersen M, Mair TS.Constriction of the digital flexor tendon sheath (DFTS) and its contents by the palmar/plantar annular ligament (PAL) is well recognised. However, primary injury of the PAL has not been well documented. Objective: To describe the clinical features of PAL injury, determine its prevalence with or without subcutaneous fibrosis and/or concurrent injury within the DFTS, and assess response to treatment. Methods: Horses were selected for inclusion based upon clinical features consistent with PAL injury and the presence of a thickened PAL (> or =2 mm) verified ultrasonographically. A retrospective...
Preston SA, Trumble TN, Zimmel DN, Chmielewski TL, Brown MP, Hernandez JA.To characterize lameness during training and compare exercise variables and financial returns among yearling Thoroughbreds that were bought for the purpose of resale for profit. Methods: 40 yearling Thoroughbreds. Methods: Prospective study. Methods: Horses purchased at yearling sales (summer 2004) were trained prior to resale at 2-year-olds in training sales (spring 2005). Horses were monitored daily for diagnosis and treatment of lameness during training. Selected variables, including sex, age, purchase price, lameness, distance (No. of furlongs) galloped during training, and financial retur...
Bailey SR, Habershon-Butcher JL, Ransom KJ, Elliott J, Menzies-Gow NJ.To determine the metabolic phenotype of a group of laminitis-prone ponies when at pasture in summer, compared with when at pasture in winter. Methods: 40 ponies of various breeds predisposed to recurrent pasture-associated laminitis and 40 unaffected control ponies. Methods: Body condition score and size of the crest of the neck were assessed, blood samples obtained, and blood pressure measured by use of an indirect oscillometric technique, while ponies were kept on winter pasture (last week of November or beginning of December) and again on summer pasture (June). Serum insulin concentration a...
Haerdi-Landerer MC, Suter MM, Steiner A, Wittenbrink MM, Pickl A, Gander BA.For the treatment of septic arthritis in large animals, the local application of antibiotics as a slow release system may be an appropriate means to reach high local bioactivity and low systemic side effects and drug residues. In this study, doxycycline microspheres were developed and tested in vitro for their drug-release properties, suitability for intra-articular application and antimicrobial activity. Methods: The development of a slow release system was achieved by microencapsulation of the drug into poly(lactide-co-glycolide) microspheres by a novel ultrasonic atomization method. Drug el...
Tiley HA, Geor RJ, McCutcheon LJ.To determine the effects of dexamethasone treatment on selected components of insulin signaling and glucose metabolism in skeletal muscle obtained from horses before and after administration of a euglycemic-hyperinsulinemic clamp (EHC). Methods: 6 adult Standardbreds. Methods: In a balanced crossover study, horses received either dexamethasone (0.08 mg/kg, IV, q 48 h) or an equivalent volume of saline (0.9% NaCl) solution, IV, for 21 days. A 2-hour EHC was administered for measurement of insulin sensitivity 1 day after treatment. Muscle biopsy specimens obtained before and after the EHC were a...
Frank N, Elliott SB, Boston RC.To determine the effects of long-term oral administration of levothyroxine sodium (L-T(4)) on glucose dynamics in adult euthyroid horses. Methods: 6 healthy adult mares. Methods: Horses received L-T(4) (48 mg/d) orally for 48 weeks. Frequently sampled IV glucose tolerance test procedures were performed on 3 occasions (24-hour intervals) before and at 16, 32, and 48 weeks during the treatment period. Data were assessed via minimal model analysis. The repeatability of measurements was evaluated. Results: During treatment, body weight decreased significantly from the pretreatment value; mean +/- ...
Ginther OJ, Jacob JC, Gastal MO, Gastal EL, Beg MA.The characteristics of ovulatory follicular waves were studied for spontaneous waves and waves induced during the next estrous cycle by ovarian follicle ablations and administration of PGF2alpha 10 days after ovulation in 21 mares. In the induced group, both the days of the FSH surge and day of deviation were more synchronized, LH concentrations were greater before and after deviation, estradiol concentrations were greater after deviation, and the ovulatory follicle grew at a faster rate (3.4+/-0.2 compared with 2.7+/-0.1 mm/day). The frequency of two dominant follicles/wave was not different ...
Tóth F, Frank N, Elliott SB, Geor RJ, Boston RC.To evaluate the effects of endotoxin administered IV on glucose and insulin dynamics in horses. Methods: 16 healthy adult mares. Methods: Each week of a 2-week randomized crossover study, each horse received an IV injection (duration, 30 minutes) of Escherichia coli O55:B5 lipopolysaccharide (LPS) in 60 mL of sterile saline (0.9% NaCl) solution (20 ng/kg) or sterile saline solution alone (control treatment). Frequently sampled IV glucose tolerance test procedures were performed at 24 hours before (baseline) and 24 and 48 hours after injection; glucose and insulin dynamics were assessed via min...
Bell SA, Pusterla N, Balasuriya UB, Mapes SM, Nyberg NL, MacLachlan NJ.Equids are commonly infected by herpesviruses, but isolation of herpesviruses from mules has apparently not been previously reported. Furthermore, the genomic relationships among the various equid herpesviruses are poorly characterized. We describe the isolation and preliminary characterization of a mule gammaherpesvirus tentatively identified as asinine herpesvirus-2 (AHV-2; also designated equid herpesvirus-7 (EHV-7)) from the nasal secretions (NS) of a healthy mule in northern California. The virus was initially identified by transmission electron microscopic examination of lysates of cell ...
Espino-Solis GP, Osuna-Quintero J, Possani LD.This work reports the cloning and sequence determination of the horse alpha subunit of the integrin CD11c/CD18, a marker of dendritic cells. A cDNA clone of 4582 base pairs was obtained. It encodes a protein segment of 1086 amino acid residues of the extracellular domain with 10 potential sites of glycosylation, a transmembrane domain of 32 residues and a C-terminal cytoplasmic tail of 24 residues. A phylogenetic analysis of this integrin shows close similarity (83%) with that of Canis familiaris.
Holder TE, Schumacher J, Donnell RL, Rohrbach BW, Adair HS.To determine the effects of hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) on full-thickness skin grafts applied to fresh and granulating wounds of horses. Methods: 6 horses. Methods: On day 0, two 4-cm-diameter circular sections of full-thickness skin were removed from each of 2 randomly selected limbs of each horse, and two 4-cm-diameter circular skin grafts were harvested from the pectoral region. A skin graft was applied to 1 randomly selected wound on each limb, leaving the 2 nongrafted wounds to heal by second intention. On day 7, 2 grafts were harvested from the pectoral region and applied to the gra...
Vick MM, Murphy BA, Sessions DR, Reedy SE, Kennedy EL, Horohov DW, Cook RF, Fitzgerald BP.To determine whether an inflammatory challenge induces insulin resistance in horses and examine possible contributions of adipose tissue to inflammatory cytokine production. Methods: 15 adult mares. Methods: Lipopolysaccharide (0.045 mug/kg, IV) or saline solution was administered, and insulin sensitivity was determined by means of the hyperinsulinemic, euglycemic clamp procedure or an adipose tissue biopsy was performed. Adipose tissue samples were collected, and mature adipocytes were obtained. Mature adipocytes were stimulated with lipopolysaccharide or dedifferentiated into preadipocytes a...
Doucet MY, Bertone AL, Hendrickson D, Hughes F, Macallister C, McClure S, Reinemeyer C, Rossier Y, Sifferman R, Vrins AA, White G, Kunkle B, Alva R....To compare efficacy and safety of paste formulations of firocoxib and phenylbutazone in horses with naturally occurring osteoarthritis. Methods: Randomized controlled clinical trial. Methods: 253 client-owned horses with naturally occurring osteoarthritis. Methods: Horses were treated with firocoxib (0.1 mg/kg [0.045 mg/lb], PO, q 24 h) or phenylbutazone (4.4 mg/kg [2 mg/lb], PO, q 24 h) for 14 days. Physical examinations and lameness evaluations were performed prior to treatment and after 7 and 14 days. Clinical improvement was defined as a reduction of at least 1 lameness grade or a combined...
Scotty NC, Brooks DE, Schuman Rose CD.To evaluate the in vitro efficacy of an ophthalmic drug combination against common corneal pathogens of horses. Methods: Representative isolates of 3 bacterial and 2 fungal corneal pathogens of horses. Methods: Pathogens were subjected to minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) testing of a drug combination that consisted of equal volumes of natamycin 3.33%, tobramycin 0.3%, cefazolin 5.5%, and equine serum. Proteinase inhibitory activity of the drug combination was assessed by use of a fluorescence microplate assay with gelatin and collagen I as substrates. The MICs of the drug combination wer...
Frank N, Buchanan BR, Elliott SB.To determine the effects of long-term oral levothyroxine sodium (L-T(4)) administration on serum thyroid hormone concentrations, thyroid gland function, clinicopathologic variables, and echocardiographic examination measurements in adult euthyroid horses. Methods: 6 healthy adult mares. Methods: Horses received L-T(4) (48 mg/d) orally for 48 weeks. Every 4 weeks, physical examinations were performed; blood samples were collected for CBC, plasma biochemical analyses, and assessments of serum total triiodothyronine (tT(3)) and thyroxine (tT(4)) concentrations. Plasma creatine kinase MB activity ...
Hubbell JA, Saville WJ, Moore RM.The research article is focused on understanding and documenting the common tasks and proficiency level required for recent veterinary graduates in private equine (horse) practice. Study Context The study was […]
Stull CL.The transportation conditions of slaughter horses for human consumption have become a public and regulatory issue in the United States in the last two decades. Federal regulations were developed partially using the results of funded research projects that examined the types of vehicles, characteristics of slaughter horse candidates, types of injuries during transport, duration of transit, stocking densities and other behavioural and physiological indices during long-distance road transport. Additionally, the physiological responses of horses travelling long distances in vans while cross-tied b...
Stock KF, Distl O, Hoeschele I.Simulated data were used to determine the properties of multivariate prediction of breeding values for categorical and continuous traits using phenotypic, molecular genetic and pedigree information by mixed linear-threshold animal models via Gibbs sampling. Simulation parameters were chosen such that the data resembled situations encountered in Warmblood horse populations. Genetic evaluation was performed in the context of the radiographic findings in the equine limbs. The simulated pedigree comprised seven generations and 40 000 animals per generation. The simulated data included additive gen...
Elitsur E, Marsh AE, Reed SM, Dubey JP, Oglesbee MJ, Murphy JE, Saville WJ.Sarcocystis neurona is the most important cause of equine protozoal myeloencephalitis (EPM), a neurologic disease of the horse. In the present work, the kinetics of S. neurona invasion is determined in the equine model. Six ponies were orally inoculated with 250 x 10(6) S. neurona sporocysts via nasogastric intubation and killed on days 1, 2, 3, 5, 7, and 9 postinoculation (PI). At necropsy, tissue samples were examined for S. neurona infection. The parasite was isolated from the mesenteric lymph nodes at 1, 2, and 7 days PI; the liver at 2, 5, and 7 days PI; and the lungs at 5, 7, and 9 days ...
Leadon D, Waran N, Herholz C, Klay M.Enormous numbers of horses are transported locally, nationally and internationally every year. National legislation and international guidelines set standards for the health and welfare of animals during transport. As a consequence, equine clinicians have major responsibilities in safeguarding the horse industry against the spread of disease and in being aware of the problems inherent in horse transport. The authors explore road, sea and air transport and their effect on horses. Various types of road transport are available and there are various sources of impact on horses. These include loadi...
Blancou J, Parsonson I.Since Roman Antiquity, domestic and wild animals have been transported over long distances for purposes as different as improvement of livestock production, food supply, scientific interest, public entertainment, war and numerous other purposes. This long distance transportation was originally limited to the Mediterranean area but, during the Middle Ages extended to the rest of Europe. The conquest of the New World was the first major occasion to transport large numbers of horses and other livestock across the oceans. Domestic animals were necessary for the new colonies and their armies. Europ...
Vos NJ.Data are lacking in the literature regarding the incidence of osteochondrosis (dissecans) [OC(D)] in relation to lameness evaluation in Dutch Warmblood horses. The objective of this retrospective study was to assess the incidence of radiological abnormalities consistent with osteochondrosis or osteochondrosis dissecans in 1,231 sound Dutch Warmblood (DW) horses presented for pre-purchase examination. Standardised (Dutch) pre-purchase examination protocols were evaluated. The pre-purchase examination included a clinical, lameness and radiological evaluation, performed at a private equine clinic...
Trumble TN, Brown MP, Merritt KA, Billinghurst RC.Validate use of a commercially available immunoassay for measurement of bone alkaline phosphatase (BAP) in equine serum and synovial fluid (SF), and investigate the effects of osteochondral (OC) injury in horses on BAP concentrations in serum and SF. Methods: SF was collected from 37 joints of 34 Thoroughbred (TB) racehorses undergoing arthroscopic surgery for the removal of OC fragments from either the carpal joints (n=18) or the metacarpo-/metatarsophalangeal (MP) joints (n=19). SF was also obtained from 52 joints of 16 normal TB horses, collected bilaterally from carpal joints of 10 horses ...
Gehlen H, Bubeck K, Rohn K, Stadler P.The aim of this study was to investigate the potential haemodynamic effects of valvular insufficiency and recurrent airway obstruction (RAO) in horses with atrial fibrillation (AF). Therefore in ten healthy horses (group 1) and 40 horses with AF a clinical examination, a lung examination, echocardiography and right heart catheterization for measurement of intracardic and pulmonary pressures were performed. According to the clinical findings the horses with AF were subdivided into 4 groups (group 2: AF; group 3: AF/valvular insufficiency; group 4: AF/RAO; group 5: AF/valvular insufficiency/RAO)...
Zaitseva S, Dagurova O, Radnagurueva A, Kozlova A, Izotova A, Krylova A, Noskov S, Begmatov S, Patutina E, Barkhutova DD.The Buryatian horse is an ancient breed and, as an indigenous breed, they have unique adaptive abilities to use scarce pastures, graze in winter, and survive in harsh conditions with minimal human care. In this study, fecal microbiota of Buryatian horses grazing in the warm and cold seasons were investigated using NGS technology on the Illumina MiSeq platform. We hypothesized that the composition of microbial communities in the feces of horses maintained on pasture would change in the different seasons, depending on the grass availability and different plant diets. We conducted microhistologic...
Agass R, Dixon J, Fraser B.Pre-surgical investigation of digital flexor tendon sheath pathology remains challenging with current standard imaging techniques. The aim of this prospective, anatomical, pilot study was to describe the anatomy of the equine hind limb digital flexor tendon sheath using a combination of computed tomography (CT) and computed tomographic contrast tenography in clinically normal cadaver limbs. Ten pairs of hind limbs with no external abnormalities were examined from the level of the tarsometatarsal joint distally. Limbs initially underwent non-contrast CT examination using 120 kVp, 300 mAs, and...
Kovacs S, Racz B, Sotonyi P, Bakos Z.Atrial fibrillation is the most common arrhythmia in horses causing poor performance. The role of pulmonary vein triggers in the pathogenesis has been identified in horses. Ablation methods have been investigated, but the available information on anatomical, histological and immunohistochemical assessment of the pulmonary vein ostia and the conduction system of the myocardial sleeve is still limited. Objective: The aim of the study was to describe the morphological properties of the myocardial sleeve in healthy horses. Methods: Cross-sectional. Methods: Eighty-three equine hearts were dissecte...
Coad CT, Robinson NM, Wilhelmus KR.We evaluated 31 fungal specimens obtained from equine corneas over a 10-year period, 1973 to 1983. More than half were received in late summer and early autumn, and the number tended to increase in frequency during the 1980s. These isolates included 13 different genera and 20 different species. The prevalent genus was Aspergillus (35%). On the basis of examinations for tube-dilution minimal inhibitory concentrations and minimal fungicidal concentrations of 16 fungal isolates, the imidazole antibiotics such as miconazole and ketoconazole consistently showed the lowest geometric mean titers for ...
Aguiar FLN, Gastal GDA, Ishak GM, Gastal MO, Teixeira DIA, Feugang JM, Figueiredo JR, Gastal EL.The effect of FSH supplementation on an enriched cultured medium containing insulin (10 ng/mL) and EGF (50 ng/mL) was investigated on in vitro culture of equine ovarian biopsy tissue. Ovarian tissue fragments were collected from mares (n = 10) and distributed in the following treatments: noncultured control, cultured control, and cultured + FSH. Both treated groups were cultured for 7 or 15 days. The end points evaluated were: follicular morphology, estradiol levels in the culture medium, fluorescence intensity for TUNEL, EGFR and Ki-67 detection, and gene expression of GDF-9, BMP-15, a...
Cauvin ER, Munroe GA, Boyd JS, Paterson C.The aim of this study was to determine the normal ultrasonographic features of the cranial and caudal aspects of the femorotibial articulation and, in particular, to establish a method of examining the menisci, cruciate and meniscal ligaments ultrasonographically. Twenty hindlimbs isolated post mortem from 10 horses were used to study the normal ultrasonographic and gross anatomy of the femorotibial joint. Five stifles from 3 normal, live horses were also examined with B-mode, real-time ultrasound imaging. The results of the anatomical study are presented. The joint surfaces, menisci, cruciate...
Aufox EE, Frank LA, May ER, Kania SA.Dermatophilus congolensis is a facultative anaerobic actinomycete that causes papular to exudative dermatitis with crusting in horses. This organism is frequently implicated as a cause of pastern dermatitis, but few data are available validating the organism's association with this disease. Objective: The aim of this study was to evaluate if D. congolensis is associated with pastern dermatitis in horses utilizing RT-qPCR. Methods: Fifteen client-owned horses diagnosed with pastern dermatitis and eight client-owned unaffected control horses were utilized for this study. Methods: A cross-sectio...
Wong JKY, Chan GHM, Choi TLS, Kwok KY, Lau MY, Leung GNW, Wan TSM, Ho ENM.A high-throughput method has been developed for the doping control analysis of 124 drug targets, processing up to 154 horse urine samples in as short as 4.5 h, from the time the samples arrive at the laboratory to the reporting deadline of 30 min before the first race, including sample receipt and registration, preparation and instrument analysis and data vetting time. Sample preparation involves a brief enzyme hydrolysis step (30 min) to detect both free and glucuronide-conjugated drug targets. This is followed by extraction using solid-supported liquid extraction (SLE) and analysis using liq...
Elsheikha HM, Mansfield LS.Sarcocystis neurona has become recognized as the major causative agent of equine protozoal myeloencephalitis (EPM) in the Americas. At least 3 pathogenic species of Sarcocystis, including S. neurona, can be isolated from opossums. Methods are needed to ascertain whether these isolates are viable and capable of causing infections. In this study, the nuclear stain propidium iodide (PI) was used to differentiate between live (viable) and heat-killed (nonviable) S. neurona sporocysts. PI was excluded by live sporocysts but penetrated compromised sporocyst membrane and stained sporozoite nuclei of ...
Mullaney TP, Brown CM.Newborn Shetland foals died of acute hepatic failure following oral administration of approximately 16 mg/kg body weight ferrous fumarate. Lesions in these foals were indistinguishable from lesions in foals given an oral digestive inoculant containing ferrous fumarate and were also similar to the syndrome characterised as 'toxic hepatopathy' in foals in the United States in 1983. We conclude that foals are susceptible to toxicity from low doses of iron compounds in the first few days of life. Vitamin E and selenium deficiency may contribute to this susceptibility.
Johnson L, Carter GK, Varner DD, Taylor TS, Blanchard TL, Rembert MS.The number of Sertoli cells is important in spermatogenesis as noted by significant correlations between the number of Sertoli cells and the number of germ cells observed as early as type B2 spermatogonia in the horse. However, the stage within spermatocytogenesis at which these relationships first occur is unclear. The relationships between the number of Sertoli cells and parenchymal weight and the number of germ cells during the mitosis of spermatogenesis were determined in 184 adult horses to identify the developmental stage (that is, the earliest germ cell) at which significant relationshi...
Singer E, Garcia T, Stover S.Sagittal fractures of the proximal phalanx (P1) in the racehorse appear to be associated with turf racing surfaces, which are known to restrict forward slide of the foot at impact. We hypothesized that restriction of forward foot slip would result in higher P1 bone strains during metacarpophalangeal joint (MCPJ) hyperextension. Unilateral limbs from six equine cadavers were instrumented with strain gauges and bone reference markers to measure dorsoproximal P1 bone strains and MCPJ extension, collateromotion and axial rotation during in vitro limb loading to 10,500 N. By limiting movement of th...
Høie S, Fossum K.An agar diffusion method using microtiter plates was used to detect antibodies to the DNases produced by Staphylococcus aureus, S. intermedius, and S. hyicus. Antibodies to DNase from S. aureus were demonstrated in most of the sera from the species investigated, except dogs, only 11% of whose sera were positive. Positive titers to S. intermedius DNase were found in 84% of deg sera, 61% of Icelandic pony sera, 41% of pig sera, 21% of human sera, and 20% of cow sera but in only 2 and 4% of goat and sheep sera, respectively. Although antibodies to DNase from S. hyicus were not found in sera from ...
Bedford SJ, Gowdy HL, Hinrichs K.This study was designed to compare the effects of different media and containers on longevity of motility of spermatozoa during in vitro incubation at 38 degrees C in either air or 5% CO2 atmosphere. Three ejaculates were collected from each of 4 stallions. The media tested were skim milk-glucose, modified Krebs/Ringer and Hank's salts solution for incubation in an air atmosphere, and modified Krebs/Ringer and Brackett and Oliphant (BO) defined medium for incubation in a 5% CO2 atmosphere. All samples were incubated in 5-mL borosilicate glass tubes filled with 3 mL of extended spermatozoa, 5-m...
Votion DM, Habyarimana JA, Scippo ML, Richard EA, Marcillaud-Pitel C, Erpicum M, Gustin P.Equine atypical myopathy in Europe results from hypoglycin A (HGA) exposure through the ingestion of samaras or seedlings of the sycamore maple tree. This pilot study aimed at better defining sources of HGA intoxication in spring. Samaras fallen on the ground and then seedlings were collected at two-week intervals from sycamore, Norway, and field maple trees over the spring 2016. In early April, rainwater from wet seedlings collected after a rainy night was harvested to be analysed. Mid-May, samaras of the box elder, common ash, and inflorescences of sycamore maples were collected on the tree....
Essén-Gustavsson B, Jensen-Waern M.Glycogenolysis and lipolysis are essential for energy production in muscle during prolonged exercise but less is known about the role of amino acid metabolism. The aim was to study the effect of an endurance race on pro- and macroglycogen, triglycerides and amino acid concentrations in muscle and on selected blood parameters, especially the amino acid response in the blood during the recovery phase. Seven endurance-trained horses completed a race covering 100-120 km. Blood samples were collected one day before the race, after the finish and 1 and 8 days after the race. Needle biopsy specimens ...
Kutasi O, Vörös K, Biksi I, Szenci O, Sötonyi P.This paper presents the embryological and pathological features as well as the terminology and classification of common atrioventricular canal, a type of endocardial cushion defect. The authors give a complete description of an extremely rare congenital cardiac malformation in an equine neonate. The diagnosis of a complete, balanced common atrioventricular canal of type C in Rastelli's classification scheme was based on two-dimensional, contrast and colour Doppler echocardiography and subsequent postmortem gross pathology. To support our diagnosis and study the pathophysiological effect of the...
Whitehair KJ, Steffey EP, Woliner MJ, Willits NH.To study the effects of inhalation anesthetic agents on the response of horses to 3 hours of hypoxemia. Methods: Controlled crossover study. Methods: Five healthy adult horses. Methods: Horses were anesthetized twice: once with halothane, and once with isoflurane in O2. Anesthetized horses were positioned in left lateral recumbency. Constant conditions for the study began at 2 hours of anesthesia. A constant agent dose of 1.2 minimum alveolar concentration, PaO2 of 50 +/- 5 mm of Hg, and PaCO2 of 45 +/- 5 mm of Hg were maintained for 3 hours. Circulatory measurements were made at 0.5, 1, 2, an...
Korosue K, Murase H, Sato F, Ishimaru M, Harada T, Watanabe G, Taya K, Nambo Y.The purpose of this study was to demonstrate that a barren parous Thoroughbred mare with lactation induced by hormonal treatment can be introduced to an orphan foal at the same farm and that the mare can become pregnant after the end of the hormonal treatment. An additional purpose was to investigate the changes in the plasma concentrations of prolactin, estradiol-17β, progesterone, follicle-stimulating hormone, and luteinizing hormone before, during, and after hormonal treatment. The difference in body weight between the adopted foal and the control foals, which were at the same farm and rai...
Suk MH, Kwon JY. To determine the effects of an equine-assisted activities and therapies (EAAT) program on cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) in children with cerebral palsy (CP). An evaluator-blinded, parallel, two-arm, randomized controlled clinical trial with 1:1 randomization. A tertiary university hospital and a local arena. Forty-six children with CP (24 boys and 22 girls) classified as Gross Motor Function Classification System levels I, II, or III were included. The EAAT program was conducted for 40 min twice a week for 16 weeks (32 lessons). Clinical global impression scales, motor capacity, cardi...
Amann RP, Thompson DL, Squires EL, Pickett BW.Extragonadal reserves totalled 89 X 10(9) spermatozoa for 5--16-year-old sexually rested stallions and 60 X 10(9) for 2--4-year-olds. Regardless of age, the cauda epididymidis contained 62% of the total reserves and the vas deferens, including the ampulla, contained 7% of the total reserves of spermatozoa. The caput plus corpus epididymidis from 5--16-year-old stallions (N = 41) contained 14.9 X 10(9) spermatozoa per side as compared (P less than 0.01) to 8.5 X 10(9) for 2--4-year olds (N = 30). Frequency of ejaculation did not influence the number of spermatozoa found in caput plus corpus epi...
Neustädter LT, Kamphues J, Ratert C.In this study, influences of a reduced macromineral intake on the trace element metabolism in horses at maintenance were investigated. Background of this study is the revised recommendation on the macromineral supply for horses (GfE ). Balance studies on three adult pony geldings with body weights of 405 / 348 / 384 kg were performed to obtain data on apparent digestibility (aD), retention and serum concentrations of different trace elements (Cu, Zn, Se) at different dietary macromineral levels. A mineral supplement or a complementary feed-with a reduced macromineral content-was added to a ha...
Olszewski MA, Robinson NE, Zhu FX, Zhang XY, Tithof PK.Neutrophilic inflammation in small airways (SA) and bronchospasm mediated via muscarinic receptors are features of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease in horses (COPD). Histamine, serotonin, and leukotrienes (LTs) are reported to be involved in the exacerbation of COPD, and currently, histamine has been shown to increase tension response to electrical field simulation (EFS) in equine SA. We tested the effects of these mediators and the effects of activated neutrophils on the cholinergic responses in SA. Histamine, serotonin, and LTD4 had a synergistic effect on EFS responses and only an addi...
Jaafar SE, Al-Bayti AAH, Abdullah SI.High-power laser therapy has been used as a treatment to cure sports injuries; however, there are no controlled standardized studies on its efficacy. Moreover, high-power laser therapy has been applied for the sport horses field. This study aimed to investigate whether high-power laser therapy can cure tendon disorders and reduce the pain in tendon lesions in injured horses and also to examine the effect of laser therapy on injured horses. This retroactive experiential clinical research was performed on50 racing horses between 5 and 15 years old. They were diagnosed with neither superficial di...
Sundra TM, Harrison JL, Lester GD, Raidal SL, Phillips JK.The effects of hyoscine-N-butylbromide (hyoscine) and propantheline-bromide (propantheline) on heart rate (HR), HR variability (HRV) and gastrointestinal tract (GIT) contractions in the normal horse were determined. Five adult horses had ECG recordings for 180 min after treatment with propantheline (100mg), hyoscine (120 mg) or saline. Both propantheline and hyoscine reduced GIT sounds, with propantheline having a longer duration of effect (≥120 min). Both drugs elevated HR relative to the control baseline period (P<0.05), with the effects of propantheline again being of longer duration. ...
Mellish MA, Lucas ZN, Puchalski SM, Kusch TA.Laminitis is a painful condition that causes lameness in horses. However, monitoring this condition in feral horses is logistically difficult. Laminitis can be detected postmortem, as inflammation of the sensitive laminae of the hoof changes the relative location of the bony structures within the hoof capsule. Thus, evaluation of cadavers may be used to estimate laminitis prevalence in feral populations of horses. The objective of this study was to estimate the prevalence of laminitis in feral horses inhabiting the Sable Island National Park Reserve, Canada, using radiographic imagery on the h...
Cox L, Vanderwall DK, Parkinson KC, Sweat A, Isom SC.There is compelling evidence that oocytes from mares >18 years of age have a high incidence of inherent defects that result in early embryonic loss. In women, an age-related decrease in oocyte quality is associated with an increased incidence of aneuploidy and it has recently been determined that the gene expression profile of human oocytes is altered with advancing age. We hypothesised that similar age-related aberrations in gene expression occur in equine oocytes. Therefore, the aim of the present study was to compare gene expression profiles of individual oocytes and cumulus cells from y...
