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.
Hoffman AM, Swanson LG, Bruns SJ, Kuehn H, Bedenice D.To determine whether tension of the girth strap of a saddle would sufficiently affect rib motion and reduce lung volume to alter pulmonary resistance in horses. Methods: 10 healthy adult horses. Methods: We used classical techniques to measure the effects of tightening a girth strap (15 kg of tension) on pulmonary dynamics during eupnea and hyperpnea in horses. Respiratory impedance was evaluated by use of oscillometry, and resistance and reactance data were partitioned into lung and chest wall components. Rib cage and abdominal contributions to tidal volume and minute ventilation were measure...
Tell LA.Aspergillosis is relatively uncommon in mammals, but dogs, horses, cows and dolphins are susceptible. On the other hand, aspergillosis is a major cause of mortality in birds. This paper provides an overview of the manifestations of this disease in these animals. Treatment options are still lacking, but the increased incidence of the disease in humans has led to increased study, which may benefit both human and veterinary medicine.
Ordakowski-Burk AL, Kronfeld DS, Williams CA, Gay LS, Sklan DJ.To identify changes in folate status of mares and foals during lactation and growth, respectively. Methods: 20 Thoroughbred mares and foals. Methods: Pregnant mares, and following foaling the same mares with their foals, were maintained on mixed grass-legume pasture and fed either a traditional dietary supplement rich in sugar and starch (SS) or a dietary supplement high in fat and fiber (FF). Blood samples were collected monthly from mares and foals up to 6 months after foaling. Total folate concentration in feed and forage was determined. Analyses of plasma folate, RBC folate, plasma homocys...
Saulez MN, Cebra CK, Dailey M.Fifty-six horses with colic were examined over a period of three months. The concentrations of glucose, lactate, sodium, potassium and chloride, and the pH of samples of blood and peritoneal fluid, were determined with a portable clinical analyser and with an in-house analyser and the results were compared. Compared with the in-house analyser, the portable analyser gave higher pH values for blood and peritoneal fluid with greater variability in the alkaline range, and lower pH values in the acidic range, lower concentrations of glucose in the range below 8.3 mmol/l, and lower concentrations of...
Steinbach F, Stark R, Ibrahim S, Gawad EA, Ludwig H, Walter J, Commandeur U, Mauel S.The myeloid cell system comprises of monocytes, macrophages (MPhi), dendritic cells (DC), Kupffer cells, osteoclasts or microglia and is also known as the mononuclear phagocytic system (MPS). Essential cytokines to differentiate or activate these cells include GM-CSF or IL-4. Important markers for characterization include CD1, CD14, CD68, CD163 and CD206. All these markers, however, were not cloned or further characterized in equids by use of monoclonal antibodies earlier. To overcome this problem with the present study, two approaches were used. First, we cloned equine cytokines and markers, ...
Ducharme-Desjarlais M, Céleste CJ, Lepault E, Theoret CL.To determine the effect of a silicone dressing on the rate and quality of repair of limb wounds and compare microvascular occlusion and apoptosis in wounds treated with the silicone dressing and those treated with a conventional dressing in horses. Methods: 5 horses. Methods: Horses received two 6.25-cm2 wounds on each metacarpus. Ten wounds were treated with a silicone dressing; the other 10 were treated with a control dressing. Quality of repair and wound size were evaluated at each bandage change. Time to healing and the number of excisions of exuberant granulation tissue were recorded. Bio...
Ward MP.Since first being detected in New York in 1999, West Nile virus (WNV) has spread throughout the United States and more than 20,000 cases of equine WNV encephalomyelitis have been reported. A spatial model of disease occurrence was developed, using data from an outbreak of serologically confirmed disease in an unvaccinated population of horses at 108 locations in northern Indiana between 3 August and 17 October 2002. Daily maximum temperature data were recorded at meteorological stations surrounding the study area. The distribution of the total number of degree-days elapsing between July 4 and ...
Lin YL, Brama PA, Kiers GH, van Weeren PR, DeGroot J.The objectives of the present study were to test the hypotheses that: (1) the composition of the extracellular matrix of the equine superficial digital flexor tendon (SDFT) shows great functional similarities with articular cartilage, i.e. that significant differences exist in biochemical composition of differently loaded areas (which in the case of tendons may be more apparent as tendon shows more obvious differences than cartilage); and (2) that, as in articular cartilage, no substantial alterations in biochemical composition take place during ageing once adulthood has been attained. Tendon ...
Mejdell CM, Simensen E, Bøe KE.Due to extreme weather conditions, a flock of outwintered Icelandic horses had to manage for several days on snow as the source of free water. They were fed grass silage ad lib, and any change in feed consumption was not observed. After nine days, blood samples were taken and analysed for plasma osmolality, they were subjected to a simple clinical examination, and offered drinking water. Osmolality levels were within normal limits and mean value did not differ significantly from samples which previously were taken of the same individuals. The general condition of the horses was normal, with no...
Zabek T, Nogaj A, Radko A, Nogaj J, Słota E.Genetic variation of endangered Biłgoraj horses and two common Polish horse breeds was compared with the use of 12 microsatellite loci (AHT4, AHT5, ASB2, HMS2, HMS3, HMS6, HMS7, HTG4, HTG6, HTG7, HTG10, VHL20). Lower allelic diversity was detected in all investigated populations in comparison to other studies. Large differences in the frequencies of microsatellite alleles between Biłgoraj horses and two other horse breeds were discovered. In all polymorphic loci all investigated breeds were in the Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium. Mean Fis values and the results of a test for the presence of a rec...
Brink P, Wright JC, Schumacher J.The glutaraldehyde test (GT), a rapid and inexpensive test, has been utilized empirically for many years in bovine practice for diagnosing inflammatory diseases. GT is used primarily to demonstrate increased serum concentrations of fibrinogen and globulin. Glutaraldehyde binds with free amino groups in fibrinogen and immunoglobulin to create a clot in a first degree chemical reaction. The clotting time of the GT estimates the content of proteins produced in response to inflammation. The applicability of GT for diagnosing inflammation in the horse has never been investigated. The objective of t...
Naudé TW, Gerber R, Smith RJ, Botha CJ.Datura poisoning of horses is extensively reviewed. An outbreak of intractable impaction colic affecting 18 of 83 horses was stopped by withdrawing dried tef hay contaminated with young Datura plants. The dried, botanically identified Datura stramonium and D. ferox contained respectively 0.15% mass/mass (m/m) hyoscyamine as well as 0.16% m/m hyoscine (scopolamine) and only hyoscine at a concentration of 0.11% m/m. Immature, unidentifiable plants resembling D. stramonium, contained 0.14% m/m and 0.12% m/m of the 2 respective tropane alkaloids. The outbreak was characterised by protracted and re...
Saulez MN, Slovis NM, Louden AT.Tracheal trauma with resultant rupture is uncommonly reported in veterinary literature. We report the case of a 16-year-old Thoroughbred gelding that sustained a 1 cm longitudinal perforation of the dorsal tracheal membrane in the proximal cervical region. The horse subsequently developed dyspnoea due to acute upper respiratory obstruction secondary to severe emphysema of the guttural pouches. A temporary tracheostomy caudal to the site of tracheal perforation was performed under local anaesthesia. This procedure helped relieve the upper airway obstruction and aided resolution of the injury by...
Kubota M, Nagasaki M, Tokudome M, Shinomiya Y, Ozawa T, Sato Y.The present study was undertaken to analyze the acute and chronic effects of exercise on insulin sensitivity in elder diabetic patients using a horseback riding therapeutic equipment (Joba). The acute effects of exercise were examined by means of a single session of Joba riding that lasted for 30 min. The average glucose infusion rates (GIR) before and during exercise were regarded as an index of the insulin action in peripheral tissues by the euglycemic clamp. The chronic effects of exercise were studied by training the elder diabetic patients for 12 weeks using the Joba apparatus. The insuli...
Soutullo A, García MI, Bailat A, Racca A, Tonarelli G, Malan Borel I.Equine infectious anemia virus (EIAV) is a lentivirus causing a persistent infection in horses characterized by recurrent febrile episodes and high levels of viremia associated with a novel antigenic strain of the virus. The virus contains two envelope glycoproteins, gp90 and gp45, and four internal proteins, p26, p15, p11 and p9. Considering that the most infected horses are able to restrict EIAV replication to very low levels and that gp45 and p26 contain highly conserved epitopes among lentiviruses, it would be necessary to identify those conserved epitopes stimulating cellular and humoral ...
Kobayashi K, Jackowiak H, Frackowiak H, Yoshimura K, Kumakura M, Kobayashi K.A common characteristic of horses, Rocky Mountain goats, and cattle is that they all have a well developed lingual prominence on the dorsal surface of the posterior area of the tongue. Foliate papillae were found in the horse studied but not in the goat or in cattle. The horse filiform papillae had a long and slender external form with a thin and slender CTC, while in the goat and cattle the external form consisted of a large thick main process and the CTC consisted of a bundle of numerous rod-shaped protrusions. The special papilla found on the lingual prominence resembled larger filiform-lik...
Cooper C, Sears W, Bienzle D.Availability of recombinant human erythropoietin (EPO) has facilitated use to enhance red blood cell production, and therefore aerobic performance, in human and equine athletes. Recombinant human EPO promotes growth and differentiation of equine erythroid precursor cells, but in some horses repeat administration induces immune interference with endogenous EPO resulting in fatal anemia. Although blood reticulocyte parameters acquire unique changes in humans treated with EPO, with manual enumeration methods, horses were not considered to release reticulocytes from the bone marrow into circulatio...
Morton HC.The biological role of IgA depends, at least partly, on the interaction with specific receptors (FcalphaRs) on the surface of leukocytes. The human FcalphaR, CD89, was the first IgA Fc receptor to be identified, and binding of IgA-coated particles to CD89 triggers numerous cellular effector functions including phagocytosis, antibody-dependent cell-mediated cytotoxicity (ADCC), and release of inflammatory mediators. Recently, CD89 orthologs have been identified in a number of other species, including cows and horses. This brief review will summarize our current knowledge regarding the structure...
Desmaizières LM, Cauvin ER.The radiographic and ultrasonographic findings in three horses with severe damage to the collateral ligaments of the carpus, associated with degenerative joint disease, are described. The horses remained lame despite prolonged rest and medical management, primarily because of the progression of the joint disease. Ultrasonography was found to be an accurate method for diagnosing the injury to the ligaments and is recommended as part of a routine examination in suspected carpal injuries.
Horohov DW, Beadle RE, Mouch S, Pourciau SS.Acute and chronic inflammation of the airway remains an important health problem for equids. "Heaves" or recurrent airway obstruction (RAO) remains one of the most commonly diagnosed conditions affecting the lung of older horses in Europe and the United States. The typical clinical signs of RAO include non-productive coughing, serous nasal discharge, labored expiratory effort, and flaring of the nostrils. Auscultation of the lungs of the affected horse often reveals abnormal respiratory sounds, described as crackles and wheezes, throughout the area of the lung field. These clinical signs occur...
Elsheikha HM, Lacher DW, Mansfield LS.Phylogenetic analyses based on sequences of the nuclear-encoded small subunit rRNA (ssurRNA) gene were performed to examine the origin, phylogeny, and biogeographic relationships of Sarcocystis neurona isolates from opossums and horses from the State of Michigan, USA, in relation to other cyst-forming coccidia. A total of 31 taxa representing all recognized subfamilies and genera of Sarcocystidae were included in the analyses with clonal isolates of two opossum and two horse S. neurona. Phylogenies obtained by the four tree-building methods were consistent with the classical taxonomy based on ...
Alvarenga MA, Papa FO, Landim-Alvarenga FC, Medeiros AS.Stallion semen cryopreservation, despite its impact on the horse industry, is not an established technology. During the last years, a number of modifications have been proposed to the freezing process, however, a large population of stallions still have poor semen quality and fertility after frozen-thawed. Glycerol toxicity could be a reason for the variation on stallion sperm freezability. There are limited publications concerning the use of alternative cryoprotectants for equine sperm. Glycerol is contraceptive for some species and other cryoprotectors, such as amides, have been show to be a...
Weidenhöfer V, Martin H, Peters J.Since the late 9th century, scientific literature in Arabian language, based on the translation and compilation of works of the Classical, Persian and Indian culture considerably increased. This also applies to the field of veterinary medicine, as is illustrated by a number of hippological and hippiatric treatises. Affinities between texts on horse medicine in Antiquity and in Arabian literature have been mentioned by philologists, but the degree of dependence on classical texts could not be verified due to the lack of translations of the Arabian texts. In this respect, the oldest available te...
Johns I, Stephen JO, Del Piero F, Richardson DW, Wilkins PA.Hemangiosarcoma is a rare neoplasm of horses and hemangiosarcoma in young horses might behave differently than in mature horses. The purpose of this study was to identify the characteristics of hemangiosarcoma occurring in horses < or = 3 years of age. Medical records from 1982 to 2004 were searched for horses < or = 3 years of age with a histopathologic diagnosis of hemangiosarcoma. Eleven records were identified. Thoroughbred and Thoroughbred crosses predominated. Age ranged from 9 days to 3 years. All horses presented with cutaneous or leg swellings or joint effusion. Physical examina...
Giguère S, Knowles HA, Valverde A, Bucki E, Young L.The objectives of this study were to assess, in anesthetized neonatal foals, the accuracy of 2 automated indirect oscillometric monitors for measurement of mean arterial pressure (MAP), to determine the optimal site of cuff placement for MAP monitoring, and to determine the relationship between arterial blood pressure and cardiac output. Ten neonatal foals were anesthetized and instrumented with a catheter in the metatarsal artery for direct MAP monitoring and measurement of cardiac output by lithium dilution. Concurrent MAP measurements were obtained with Cardell and Dinamap oscillometric mon...
Slack JA, McGuirk SM, Erb HN, Lien L, Coombs D, Semrad SD, Riseberg A, Marques F, Darien B, Fallon L, Burns P, Murakami MA, Apple FS, Peek SF.The cardiac biomarkers cardiac troponin T (cTnT) and I (cTnI) and the cardiac isoenzyme of creatine kinase (CKMB) are used extensively in human medicine to diagnose and provide valuable prognostic information in patients with ischemic, traumatic, and septic myocardial injury. We designed a study to establish normal values for these markers in healthy, neonatal foals and to compare them with values obtained from septic neonates in a referral hospital population. The 25th, 50th, 75th, and 95th percentiles for cTnI and CKMB in the healthy-foal population were 0.08, 0.14, 0.25, 0.49 ng/mL and 1.4,...
Perelygin AA, Lear TL, Zharkikh AA, Brinton MA.Mammalian 2'-5' oligoadenylate (2-5A) synthetases are important mediators of the antiviral activity of interferons. Both human and mouse 2-5A synthetase gene families encode four forms of enzymes: small, medium, large and ubiquitin-like. In this study, the structures of four equine OAS genes were determined using DNA sequences derived from fifteen cDNA and four BAC clones. Composition of the equine OAS gene family is more similar to that of the human OAS family than the mouse Oas family. Two OAS-containing bovine BAC clones were identified in GenBank. Both equine and bovine BAC clones were phy...
Penedo MC, Millon LV, Bernoco D, Bailey E, Binns M, Cholewinski G, Ellis N, Flynn J, Gralak B, Guthrie A, Hasegawa T, Lindgren G, Lyons LA, Røed KH....A comprehensive male linkage map was generated by adding 359 new, informative microsatellites to the International Equine Gene Map half-sibling reference families and by combining genotype data from three independent mapping resources: a full sibling family created at the Animal Health Trust in Newmarket, United Kingdom, eight half-sibling families from Sweden and two half-sibling families from the University of California, Davis. Because the combined data were derived primarily from half-sibling families, only autosomal markers were analyzed. The map was constructed from a total of 766 marker...
Engelbert TA, Tate LP.Three horses examined for complaints of ptyalism and dysphagia were found to have metallic lingual foreign bodies. Metallic foreign bodies were located by oral examination combined with radiography. In 1 horse clinical signs resolved without removal of the foreign body. The foreign body was extracted via an oral approach in the second horse; a mandibular symphysiotomy and radiographic guidance were necessary for removal in the third horse. In all 3 cases, the presenting clinical signs subsided.
Melo UP, Palhares MS, Ferreira C, Leme FOP, Gheller VA.This study aimed to evaluate the effects of the total parenteral nutrition associated with glutamine, enteral fluid therapy with or without glutamine, and fluid therapy on the acid-base and electrolyte balance of horses starved after exploratory laparotomy. Sixteen healthy male and female adult horses of mixed breed, aged between 4 and 14 years, and having a mean body weight of 248.40 ± 2.28 kg and a body score index of 3-4 (scale of 1-5) were divided into four groups with four animals per group. After an adaptation period of 30 days, they were randomly divided into four experimental groups: ...
Pader K, Lescun TB, Freeman LJ.To develop and assess the feasibility of standing transvaginal Natural Orifice Transluminal Endoscopic Surgery (NOTES®) ovariectomy in the mare. Methods: Descriptive study. Methods: Mares (n=10). Methods: The technique was developed in 6 mares and then evaluated in a short-term study in 4 mares. Abdominal access was developed using controlled access vaginal cannula placement under endoscopic guidance. With viewing provided by a flexible endoscope, hemostasis, and transection of ovarian pedicles was performed using a customized bipolar vessel-sealing device. The ovaries were retrieved and the ...
Consuegra C, Crespo F, Dorado J, Diaz-Jimenez M, Pereira B, Hidalgo M.Lipids and proteins can be used for sperm vitrification to preserve the integrity of sperm membranes or to increase the viscosity of the medium. This study evaluated the effect of low-density lipoproteins (LDL) and milk serum proteins (Pronexcell) for stallion sperm vitrification. Hippex extender (Barex Biochemical Products, The Netherlands), plus 1% of bovine serum albumin and 100 mM of trehalose, was used as control for sperm vitrification. In experiment 1, different concentrations of LDL (L1 = 0.25, L2 = 0.5, L3 = 1%) and in experiment 2 of Pronexcell (P1 = 1, P2 = 5, P3 = 10%)...
Chalder R, Housby-Skeggs N, Clark C, Pollard D, Hartley C, Blacklock B.There are a growing number of horses, ponies, and donkeys aged 15 years or older in the United Kingdom, yet there have been no studies utilising a complete ophthalmic examination to investigate the prevalence of ophthalmic pathology within this population. Objective: To investigate the prevalence of ophthalmic pathology and associations with signalment, in a convenience sample of geriatric equids in the United Kingdom. Methods: Cross sectional. Methods: Horses, ponies, and donkeys aged 15 years or older based at The Horse Trust charity underwent a full ophthalmic examination including slit...
Graham RJTY, Rosanowski SM, McILWRAITH CW.Osteochondral fragmentation of the carpus is a common cause of lameness in racehorses. Prognosis following arthroscopic removal of the fragments was reported in 1987, but little is known of recent success rates. Objective: To identify associations between the severity and location of osteochondral fragments in the carpus, and to describe the racing performance of horses pre- and post-surgery in Thoroughbreds and Quarter Horses. To identify factors associated with a horse racing post-surgery. Methods: Retrospective study of clinical records (2006-2016). Methods: Surgical and racing records for ...
Janeczek M, Chrószcz A, Onar V, Henklewski R, Skalec A.Animal remains that are unearthed during archaeological excavations often provide useful information about socio-cultural context, including human habits, beliefs, and ancestral relationships. In this report, we present pathologically altered equine first and second phalanges from an 11th century specimen that was excavated at Wrocław Cathedral Island, Poland. The results of gross examination, radiography, and computed tomography, indicate osteoarthritis of the proximal interphalangeal joint, with partial ankylosis. Based on comparison with living modern horses undergoing lameness examination...
Hall MS, Vasey JR, Russell JW, Russell T.To evaluate the racing performance of horses that underwent ultrasound-guided intralesional injection of autologous bone marrow aspirate for treatment of selected forelimb suspensory ligament (body or branch) core lesions. Methods: Retrospective cohort study of 13 Standardbred and 17 Thoroughbred race horses. Methods: Autologous bone marrow aspirated from the sternebrae was injected, under ultrasound guidance, into suspensory ligament core lesions (body or branch). Racing records were reviewed for a comparison of performance before and after surgery. Results: Of the 13 Standardbreds, 9 (69%) h...
Escribano BM, Molina A, Valera M, Tovar P, Agüera EI, Santisteban R, Vivo R, Agüera S, Rubio MD.The novel aim of this study was to describe the reference values of different haematological and biochemical parameters in the Spanish purebred horse (Andalusian, SPB) in each of the stages of a programmed exercise on a treadmill system, and to establish heritability and genetic correlations for these haematological and biochemical parameters. For this, 94 young SPB male horses (4.22 ± 2.27 years old) were used. An increasing intensity exercise test at 4, 5, 6 and 7 m/s was carried out on a treadmill (6% inclination). Total red blood cells, total white blood cells, neutrophils and lymphocytes...
Dembek KA, Hurcombe SD, Schober KE, Toribio RE.To describe a case of supraventricular tachycardia and sudden death in a horse following administration of flecainide acetate. Methods: An 8-year-old Hanoverian warmblood gelding was treated for chronic, naturally occurring, supraventricular tachycardia with digoxin, procainamide hydrochloride, quinidine sulfate, and flecainide acetate. After oral administration of flecainide, polymorphic ventricular tachycardia (torsades de pointes) and ventricular fibrillation developed, leading to cardiovascular collapse and death. Conclusions: Atrial fibrillation is the most commonly diagnosed dysrhythmia ...
Robinson NE, Derksen FJ, Olszewski M, Berney C, Boehler D, Matson C, Hakala J.In six COPD-affected horses, we analysed the factors responsible for the changes in pleural pressure (delta Pplmax) that occur during tidal breathing. Four-hundred-and-sixty-eight measurements of each parameter: pulmonary resistance (RL), dynamic elastance (Edyn), air flow rates, and the timing of breathing, were gathered during a trial of the bronchodilator pirbuterol. Data were placed into seven ranks, based on the magnitude of delta Pplmax; rank 1: 5-15; rank 2: 15-25; rank 3: 25-35; rank 4: 35-45; rank 5: 45-55; rank 6: 55-65; and rank 7 > 65 cm H2O. Up to rank 4 (45 cm H2O), the increa...
Rossol M, Gygax D, Andritzky-Waas J, Zheng G, Lischer CJ, Zhang X, Auer JA.To (1) evaluate and compare computer-assisted surgery (CAS) with conventional screw insertion (conventional osteosynthesis [COS]) for treatment of equine abaxial distal phalanx fractures; (2) compare planned screw position with actual postoperative position; and (3) determine preferred screw insertion direction. Methods: Experimental study. Methods: Cadaveric equine limbs (n=32). Methods: In 8 specimens each, a 4.5 mm cortex bone screw was inserted in lag fashion in dorsopalmar (plantar) direction using CAS or COS. In 2 other groups of 8, the screws were inserted in opposite direction. Precisi...
Lyons ET, Dorton AR, Tolliver SC.Activity of fenbendazole (FBZ), oxibendazole (OBZ), piperazine (PIP) and pyrantel pamoate (PRT) alone and combinations of OBZ and PIP and of OBZ and PRT was evaluated against parascarids, strongyles and strongyloides in horse foals (n=281).This was on two farms - Farm A - mixed light-horses (n=26) and Farm B-Thoroughbreds (n=255) - in Central Kentucky in field tests in 2014 and 2015. Foals on both farms were treated one to three times each; an exception was that seven foals on Farm A were nontreated controls. Before treatment, the foals on Farm A were all weighed on scales but weights for Farm...
Pereira BC, Ortiz I, Dorado J, Consuegra C, Diaz-Jimenez M, Demyda-Peyras S, Gosalvez J, Hidalgo M.DNA fragmentation of granulosa cells might be related to developmental competence of the equine oocyte. Granulosa cells are commonly stored before DNA fragmentation assessment, but the effect of preservation methods on this parameter remains unexplored. The aim of this study was to evaluate whether or not cryopreservation of granulosa cells affects the DNA damage. Equine oocytes were recovered from postmortem ovaries of five mares. Granulosa cells were washed by centrifugation and then analyzed (control) or stored in cryovials following four different protocols: P1 = directly plunged in liqui...
Slocombe JO, McCraw BM.Four pony foals were inoculated with Strongylus edentatus infective larvae and on days 3 and 4 postinfection two of the ponies were treated with thiabendazole, each at the rate of 440 mg/kg of body weight. Total circulating eosinophil counts in untreated ponies increased to over 1700 per cu mm after the second week postinfection. In the treated ponies as well as in an uninfected untreated pony eosinophil counts did not increase beyond 100 per cu mm. At necropsy on day 35 postinfection the cecum, colon and omentum of treated ponies were normal and few tracks were present on the surface of the l...
McClanahan S, Hunter J, Murphy M, Valberg S.Propylene glycol and mineral oil are commonly used in the veterinary profession for treatment of bovine ketosis and equine impactions, respectively. Accidental administration of 6.0 ml propylene glycol/kg of body weight in horses causes severe depression, ataxia and malodorous breath and feces. However, appropriate medical therapy can result in successful treatment of this toxicosis.
Kumar P, Timoney JF.The tubal tonsil of the horse surrounds the pharyngeal opening of the eustachian tube and is lined by pseudostratified columnar ciliated epithelium interspersed with areas of follicle-associated epithelium (FAE) heavily infiltrated by lymphocytes but devoid of goblet and ciliated cells. Scanning and transmission electron microscopy revealed microvillous cells and cells with features characteristic of M cells such as reduced microvilli or depressed bare surface, more numerous mitochondria, small vesicles and lysosomes, as well as vimentin filaments and epitopes specific for GS 1-B4 as previousl...
Irwin DH, Howell DW.Several indications for swimming horses are recalled. A satisfactory pool and the technique for its use are described. Some observations on the effect on swimming are offered.
Hinchcliff KW, Kociba GJ, Mitten LA.Thrombocytopenia in horses may be idiopathic or secondary to chronic infectious or inflammatory diseases (eg, equine infectious anemia, lymphosarcoma), drug administration, bone marrow depression, myelophthisic disease, or disseminated intravascular coagulation. This report describes EDTA-dependent pseudothrombocytopenia in a horse. Platelet counts for blood containing EDTA were consistently less than reference range, but platelet counts of blood containing heparin were within reference range. When thrombocytopenia is diagnosed in horses without clinical evidence of a bleeding tendency, EDTA-d...
Kelmer G, Doherty TJ, Elliott S, Saxton A, Fry MM, Andrews FM.Endotoxaemia is one of the most severe and ubiquitous disease processes in horses. Although dimethyl sulphoxide (DMSO) is used clinically in horses, there is no study indicating its efficacy in endotoxaemic horses. Objective: DMSO ameliorates the clinical response to i.v. lipopolysaccharide (LPS) administration. Methods: Eighteen horses were assigned randomly to one of 4 groups: Normosol-LPS (0.2 mug/kg bwt, i.v.); DMSO (1 g/kg bwt, i.v.)-saline; high-dose DMSO (1 g/kg bwt, i.v.)LPS; low-dose DMSO (20 mg/kg bwt, i.v.)-LPS. Horses participating in the DMSO-saline group were later assigned rando...
King JN, Gerring EL.Dopamine was infused intravenously (1, 5 and 10 micrograms/kg/min) for 60 min in three fasted ponies. A dose-dependent increase in heart rate occurred that was rapid in onset and termination at the start and end of the infusions, respectively. Dose-dependent changes in gastric and small intestinal motility were observed. An initial marked inhibition of gastric contraction amplitude was followed by a secondary prolonged period of activity. At the same time the small intestine showed a prolonged period of irregular activity (phase II) and a marked increase in the interval between successive phas...
Youngblood RC, Filipov NM, Rude BJ, Christiansen DL, Hopper RM, Gerard PD, Hill NS, Fitzgerald BP, Ryan PL.Consumption of wild-type (toxic) endophyte-infected tall fescue (E+) by horses during late gestation is known to adversely affect pregnancy outcome; however, little is known of the potential disruptive consequences of E+ consumption by mares during the critical phases of placentation and fetal development in early pregnancy. The objective of this study was to evaluate the detrimental effects of feeding E+ to mares during early gestation. Mares (n = 12) paired by stage of gestation (d 65 to 100) were assigned to diets (six per diet) consisting of endophyte-free (E-) or E+ tall fescue seed (50% ...
Meister U, Görig C, Murphy CJ, Haan H, Ohnesorge B, Boevé MH.Phacoemulsification and intraocular lens (IOL) implantation during cataract surgery in horses occur with increasing frequency. To reduce the postoperative refractive error it is necessary to determine the proper IOL power. In the present study retinoscopy, keratometry and ultrasonographic biometry were performed on 98 healthy equine eyes from 49 horses. The refractive state, corneal curvature (keratometry) and the axial location of all optical interfaces (biometry) were measured. The influences of breed, height at the withers, gender and age on values obtained and the comparison between the le...
Kasper CA, Clayton HM, Wright AK, Skuba EV, Petrie L.Thirteen clinically normal Belgian-type foals were used to study the effects of high doses of oxytetracycline on metacarpophalangeal joint kinematics. Seven foals (treatment group) received 2 doses of oxytetracycline (3 g, IV). The first dose was given when foals were 4 days old; the second dose was given 24 hours later. Six foals (control group) received 2 doses of saline (0.9% NaCl) solution (15 ml, IV) at equivalent time periods. All foals were videotaped at a walk twice: immediately prior to the first treatment and 24 hours after the second treatment. The tapes were digitized, and metacarp...
Ford EJ, Adam SE.In the horse, 5'-nucleotidase (5'-NT) activity is found mainly in homogenates of lung, kidney, small intestine, mammary gland, liver and pancreas. Lower activities are present in brain and muscle. Activity can be demonstrated histochemically in the glomeruli and tubules of the kidney, in the sinusoidal borders of the hepatocytes and the bile duct epithelium as well as in the blood vessels of all organs. There is no significant difference between the 5'-NT activity in serum and plasma of normal horses and of horses suffering from a range of orthopaedic conditions. Previous findings that gamma g...
Berryhill EH, Magdesian KG, Kass PH, Edman JE.Few studies have evaluated the effects of age and illness on serum triglyceride concentrations in neonatal foals. The objectives of this study were to evaluate triglyceride concentrations in neonatal foals and their dams through serial measurement immediately postpartum and at 1-2 days and 10-12 days of age, as well as to measure them in sick foals. Serially measured serum triglycerides in seven healthy foals varied with age. Median (range) triglyceride concentrations were 28mg/dL (12-50mg/dL), 89mg/dL (51-264mg/dL), and 60mg/dL (28-135mg/dL) immediately postpartum, at 1-2 days of age, and 10-...
Verheyen T, Decloedt A, De Clercq D, Sys S, Van Loon G.In human medicine, oesophageal electrocardiography (ECG) is a well-established technique that magnifies P waves with respect to the QRS complex. Objective: To investigate the feasibility of oesophageal ECG recording in horses and its ability to produce larger P waves compared with base-apex and unipolar recordings. Methods: Bipolar and unipolar ECG were performed using oesophageal and surface electrodes. Oesophageal ECG was obtained from 6 different recording configurations at different oesophageal depths. Amplitudes of P, Q, R, S and T waves were measured from 3 different cardiac cycles for e...
Mathes RL, Reber AJ, Hurley DJ, Dietrich UM.To evaluate the effects of topical antifungal drugs and delivery vehicles on the morphology and proliferation rate of cultured equine keratocytes. Methods: 16 corneas obtained from 8 apparently ophthalmologically normal horses < 0.5 hours after euthanasia for reasons unrelated to the study. Methods: Primary cultures of equine keratocytes were obtained from corneal stroma and were exposed to several concentrations of 3 commonly used, topically applied antifungals: natamycin, itraconazole, and miconazole. In addition, effects of drug delivery vehicles DMSO, benzalkonium chloride, and carboxym...
van Weeren PR, Knaap J, Firth EC.To elucidate the highly contentious role of copper in the pathogenesis of osteochondrosis. Objective: There would be no relationship between liver copper concentration of mares and foals and incidence of radiographically detectable osteochondrotic lesions in foals and yearlings was tested. Methods: Liver copper concentration was assessed in biopsies taken within 4 days after birth from both mares and foals and from the same foals at age 5 months. Biopsies were taken in the standing, sedated animal under ultrasonographic guidance. Radiographs were taken of both hocks (lateromedial, dorsoplantar...
Burke MJ, Parente EJ.To report surgical complications, occurrence of post-obliteration colic, long term outcome, and return to previous function for horses treated with prosthetic mesh obliteration of the nephrosplenic space. Methods: Retrospective study. Methods: Horses (n = 26) having nephrosplenic space obliteration using prosthetic mesh. Methods: Horses undergoing mesh obliteration between January 2006 and May 2013 were included. A Proxplast™ mesh was secured to the nephrosplenic space with titanium helical coils in standing horses using laparoscopic technique. Perioperative data were obtained from the m...
