Omneity® Pellets
All-In-One Vitamin & Mineral Pellet
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.
In vitro efficacy of an ophthalmic drug combination against corneal pathogens of horses. 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...
Effects of long-term oral administration of levothyroxine sodium on serum thyroid hormone concentrations, clinicopathologic variables, and echocardiographic measurements in healthy adult horses. 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 ...
Frequency of activities and procedures performed in private equine practice and proficiency expected of new veterinary school graduates. 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 […]
Engineering and performance standards parameters for long distance road transport in the United States: the special case of horses. 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...
Bayesian prediction of breeding values for multivariate binary and continuous traits in simulated horse populations using threshold-linear models with Gibbs sampling. 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...
Early migration of Sarcocystis neurona in ponies fed sporocysts. 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 ...
Veterinary management of horse transport. 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...
Incidence of osteochondrosis (dissecans) in Dutch warmblood horses presented for pre-purchase examination. 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...
Historical perspectives on long distance transport of animals. 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...
Joint dependent concentrations of bone alkaline phosphatase in serum and synovial fluids of horses with osteochondral injury: an analytical and clinical validation. 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 ...
Influence of valvular insufficiency and recurrent airway obstruction on haemodynamics and therapy in warmblood horses with atrial fibrillation. 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)...
Partial divergence of cytokine mRNA expression in bronchial tissues compared to bronchoalveolar lavage cells in horses with recurrent airway obstruction. The aim of this study was to investigate mRNA levels of cytokines in bronchial epithelium in horses with recurrent airway obstruction (RAO) during acute crisis and remission. Additionally, cytokine mRNA levels in endobronchial biopsies and bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) cells were compared. Seven RAO horses were examined while in respiratory crisis following provocation and again while in remission after 2 months on pasture, during which time six healthy horses on pasture were also examined. Quantitative real-time PCR (RT-PCR) was used to assess mRNA expression for cytokines IL-5, IL-6, IL-8, IL...
Brown-headed cowbirds (Molothrus ater) harbor Sarcocystis neurona and act as intermediate hosts. We tested the hypothesis that brown-headed cowbirds (Molothrus ater) harbor Sarcocystis neurona, the agent of equine protozoal myeloencephalitis (EPM), and act as intermediate hosts for this parasite. In summer 1999, wild caught brown-headed cowbirds were collected and necropsied to determine infection rate with Sarcocystis spp. by macroscopic inspection. Seven of 381 (1.8%) birds had grossly visible sarcocysts in leg muscles with none in breast muscles. Histopathology revealed two classes of sarcocysts in leg muscles, thin-walled and thick-walled suggesting two species. Electron microscopy sh...
Gabapentin in horses: validation of an analytical method for gabapentin quantitation. Gabapentin [1-(aminomethyl)cyclohexaneacetic acid, Neurontin], is a new anticonvulsant used as adjunctive therapy in the treatment of partial seizures in humans not controlled with standard antiseizure drugs, and it has also been used in veterinary medicine. In performance horses, gabapentin is listed as a class 3 performance-enhancing substance by the Association of Racing Commissioners International, and thus is considered to have the potential to influence the outcome of races. Therefore, we developed and validated a sensitive gas chromatographic-mass spectrometric (GC-MS) method for gabape...
Evaluation of a new strategy to modulate skeletal development in racehorses by imposing track-based exercise during growth: the effects on 2- and 3-year-old racing careers. No data exist on the effects of conditioning exercise at foal age on workload and subsequent clinical injury rate during their 2- and 3-year-old racing careers. Objective: To investigate the effects of subjecting TB foals to conditioning exercise prior to the start of race training on: the workload required to reach a level of fitness sufficient to compete; and the prevalence of orthopaedic injury during the first 2 seasons of their racing careers. Methods: Twenty 18-month-old TBs, 12 subjected to conditioning exercise at foal age (CONDEX) and 8 exercised spontaneously at pasture only (PASTEX)...
Apoptosis and antioxidant status are influenced by age and exercise training in horses. Eight mature (12 +/- 2 yr; MAT) and 5 older (22 +/- 2 yr; OLD) Standardbred mares were used to test the hypothesis that aging and exercise training would alter apoptosis in white blood cells and antioxidant status. The horses were housed indoors overnight (16 h/d) in 3 m x 3 m stalls and were turned out in a drylot during the day. They were fed a diet consisting of total mixed ration, hay cubes fed ad libitum or an equine senior diet plus grass hay. Horses were trained for 20 to 30 min/d, 3 to 5 d/wk for 8 wk at a submaximal work intensity between 60 to 70% of maximal heart rate. A graded exer...
Effects of exercise on tenocyte cellularity and tenocyte nuclear morphology in immature and mature equine digital tendons. The injury-prone, energy-storing equine superficial digital flexor tendon (SDFT) of the mature performance horse has a limited ability to respond to exercise in contrast with the noninjury-prone, anatomically opposing common digital extensor tendon (CDET). Previous studies have indicated low levels of cellular activity in the mature SDFT, but in foal tendons the tenocytes may still have the ability to adapt positively to increased exercise. Objective: To measure tenocyte densities and types in histological sections from the SDFT and CDET of horses from controlled long-term, short-term and foal...
Detection of secondary biomarker of met-eGH as a strategy to screen for somatotropin misuse in horseracing. Since the Australian commercialisation of the recombinant equine growth hormone (reGH) in 1998 (EquiGen-5), Bresagen), this reGH, which differs only from eGH by an additional methionine at the N-terminal end (met-eGH), is worldwide suspected to be administered to racehorses as a doping agent. Indeed, the use of this biological drug is considered as a threat to horseracing since it acts both on growth, development or reproductive functions, and on the improvement of performances. In this work, we describe two reliable techniques based on surface plasmon resonance biosensor immunoassay (SPR-BIA)...
Evaluation of a new strategy to modulate skeletal development in Thoroughbred performance horses by imposing track-based exercise during growth. No data exist on the intensity of exercise required or on possible harmful effects of increasing exercise in foals over the natural level when free at pasture. Objective: To investigate whether an increase in workload over free pasture exercise in the period from directly after birth to the start of training is tolerated by Thoroughbred (TB) foals without increasing injury rate or producing other undesired side effects. Methods: Thirty-three TB foals were allocated to one of 2 exercise groups directly after birth. One group (PASTEX) was raised on pasture and the other (CONDEX) kept under ident...
Early exercise advances the maturation of glycosaminoglycans and collagen in the extracellular matrix of articular cartilage in the horse. Training at a very young age may influence the characteristics of the collagen network of articular cartilage extracellular matrix (ECM) in horses. Objective: To investigate whether increasing workload of foals results in significant changes in the biochemical composition of articular cartilage ECM. Methods: Thoroughbred foals (n = 33) were divided into 2 different exercise groups from age 10 days-18 months. One group (PASTEX; n = 15) was reared at pasture; the other (CONDEX; n = 18) underwent a specific additional training programme that increased workload by 30%. At mean age 18 months, 6 ani...
Virus recovery rates for wild-type and live-attenuated vaccine strains of African horse sickness virus serotype 7 in orally infected South African Culicoides species. Previously reported virus recovery rates from Culicoides (Avaritia) imicola Kieffer and Culicoides (Avaritia) bolitinos Meiswinkel (Diptera, Ceratopogonidae) orally infected with vaccine strain of African horse sickness virus serotype 7 (AHSV-7) were compared with results obtained from concurrently conducted oral infections with five recent AHSV-7 isolates from naturally infected horses from various localities in South Africa. Culicoides were fed sheep bloods spiked with 10(7.6) TCID(50)/mL of a live-attenuated vaccine strain AHSV-7, and with five field isolates in which virus titre in the blo...
The influence of exercise during growth on ultrasonographic parameters of the superficial digital flexor tendon of young Thoroughbred horses. Conditioning by early training may influence the composition of certain musculoskeletal tissues, but very few data exist on its effect during growth on tendon structure and function. Objective: To investigate whether conditioning exercise in young foals would lead to any ultrasonographically detectable damage to the superficial digital flexor tendon or an increase in cross-sectional area (CSA). Methods: Thirty-three Thoroughbred foals reared at pasture were allocated to 2 groups: control (PASTEX) allowed exercise freely at pasture; and CONDEX, also at pasture, began conditioning exercise from ...
Rickettsia infection in five areas of the state of São Paulo, Brazil. This study investigated rickettsial infection in animals, humans, ticks, and fleas collected in five areas of the state of São Paulo. Eight flea species (Adoratopsylla antiquorum antiquorum, Ctenocephalides felis felis, Polygenis atopus, Polygenis rimatus, Polygenis roberti roberti, Polygenis tripus, Rhopalopsyllus lugubris, and Rhopalopsyllus lutzi lutzi), and five tick species (Amblyomma aureolatum, Amblyomma cajennense, Amblyomma dubitatum, Ixodes loricatus, and Rhipicephalus sanguineus) were collected from dogs, cats, and opossums. Rickettsia felis was the only rickettsia found infecting ...
An epidemiological study of myopathies in Warmblood horses. There are few detailed reports describing muscular disorders in Warmblood horses. Objective: To determine the types of muscular disorders that occur in Warmblood horses, along with presenting clinical signs, associated risk factors and response to diet and exercise recommendations, and to compare these characteristics between horses diagnosed with polysaccharide storage myopathy (PSSM), those diagnosed with a neuromuscular disorder other than PSSM (non-PSSM) and control horses. Methods: Subject details, muscle biopsy diagnosis and clinical history were compiled for Warmblood horses identified ...
Determination of MMP-2 and -9 activities in synovial fluid of horses with osteoarthritic and arthritic joint diseases using gelatin zymography and immunocapture activity assays. Matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs)-2 and -9 activities have been found elevated in synovial fluid from various joint diseases in man. However, in the horse few data are available. Objective: To explore the clinical significance of MMP-2 and -9 activities in synovial fluid of horses with different forms of joint diseases. Methods: Gelatin zymography and MMP-2 and -9 immunocapture activity assays were applied on synovial fluids from control joints and joints with aseptic joint disease (AJD) and septic arthritis (SA). Additionally, MMP-2 and -9 activities were measured in samples from SA to monitor...
The effect of oral sodium acetate administration on plasma acetate concentration and acid-base state in horses. Sodium acetate (NaAcetate) has received some attention as an alkalinizing agent and possible alternative energy source for the horse, however the effects of oral administration remain largely unknown. The present study used the physicochemical approach to characterize the changes in acid-base status occurring after oral NaAcetate/acetic acid (NAA) administration in horses. Methods: Jugular venous blood was sampled from 9 exercise-conditioned horses on 2 separate occasions, at rest and for 24 h following a competition exercise test (CET) designed to simulate the speed and endurance test of 3-da...
Ultrasound-guided periarticular injections of the sacroiliac region in horses: a cadaveric study. The traditional techniques for injection of the sacroiliac (SI) region are based on external landmarks. Because of the depth of the SI joint and pathological modifications, SI injections are sometimes challenging in horses. Objective: An ultrasound-guided techniques would allow placement of the needle without depending on external landmarks. Methods: Fourteen pelvic specimens were isolated from mature horses. A 20 cm bent spinal needle was positioned with ultrasonographic guidance under both iliac wings aiming for SI joints using 5 approaches: cranial, craniomedial, medial and 2 caudal approac...
Aldosterone plasma concentration in horses with heart valve insufficiencies. In humans and small animals, heart disease can lead to an increase in aldosterone, and the aldosterone level correlates with the severity of the heart disease. In horses similar interactions may be possible and may lead to an increase in aldosterone in horses with heart valve insufficiencies. In a prospective clinical trial eight healthy horses (control group) and 40 horses with heart valve disease were examined. In all horses, a clinical (auscultation), electro- and echocardiographic examination was performed and aldosterone plasma concentration was determined. The median aldosterone plasma c...
Prevalence of latent, neuropathogenic equine herpesvirus-1 in the Thoroughbred broodmare population of central Kentucky. An emerging problem of equine herpesvirus-1 (EHV-1) infection in horses in the USA is a high-mortality myeloencephalopathy that commonly occurs where large numbers of horses are stabled. EHV-1 isolates recovered from recent neurological outbreaks represent a mutant virus strain that possesses enhanced neuropathogenicity. A central question of EHV-1 myeloencephalopathy is the latency carriage rate for these mutants of EHV-1 in USA horse populations. Objective: To estimate the prevalence of neuropathogenic strains of EHV-1 as latent infections in the Thoroughbred broodmare population of central ...
Arthroscopic injection of corticosteroids into the fibrous tissue of subchondral cystic lesions of the medial femoral condyle in horses: a retrospective study of 52 cases (2001-2006). There are no published results of subchondral cystic lesions (SCLs) in the medial femoral condyle (MFC) treated with arthroscopic injection of corticosteroids into the lining of the cyst. Objective: 1) To determine the success rate for treatment of SCLs in the MFC with arthroscopic injection of the fibrous tissue of the cyst with corticosteroids. 2) To identify any factors that may predict outcome. Objective: Injection of the fibrous tissue of SCLs of the MFC with corticosteroids utilising arthroscopic guidance yields a similar or higher chance for intended performance than does arthroscopic d...
