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Topic:Equine Medicine
Equine Medicine encompasses the study and application of medical practices specifically related to the health and well-being of horses. This field involves the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of diseases and disorders affecting equine species. It covers a wide range of topics, including internal medicine, surgery, reproduction, and pharmacology. Research in equine medicine often focuses on understanding the physiological and pathological processes unique to horses, as well as developing effective therapeutic interventions. This page aggregates peer-reviewed research studies and scholarly articles that explore various aspects of equine medicine, providing insights into the latest advancements and methodologies in the care and management of horse health.
Recombinant equine lubricin is safe and well tolerated following multiple intra-articular injections in healthy fetlock joints. To assess the safety of recombinant equine lubricin (rEqLub) injections in healthy equine fetlocks using clinical, biochemical, and histological outcomes. Unassigned: 6 adult horses were enrolled (3geldings, 3mares) in a block randomized, controlled experimental study. All 24 fetlocks were assigned to receive an injection of either 2 mL rEqLub (1mg/mL) or PBS at 1 of 3 time points. Recombinant equine lubricin was injected into a randomized forelimb at 28 days and 1 day prior to study completion, and rEqLub and PBS were injected into contralateral hindlimbs at 7 days prior to study completion. ...
Prolonged wireless measurement of intragastric pH and pharmacodynamics of extended-release injectable omeprazole in horses. Adaptation of wireless capsules for intragastric pH measurement in horses has a short, variable attachment duration. Prolonged measurement is important for pharmacodynamic studies. Extended-release injectable omeprazole (ERIO) induces acid suppression for ≤ 7 days. Five-day dosing intervals are now recommended for improved healing rates. Objective: To (1) optimize the methodology to achieve 5-7 days of capsule attachment; (2) determine whether capsules can detect a treatment effect of ERIO; and (3) describe the pharmacodynamics of ERIO. Methods: Twelve healthy adult horses. Methods: Caps...
Sedated dental procedures increase endogenous plasma ACTH concentration in horses in the fall. To measure the effect of sedation with detomidine and butorphanol and a routine dental procedure on endogenous plasma ACTH concentrations of healthy older horses and to determine how long this effect, if any, persists to improve testing recommendations for pituitary pars intermedia dysfunction (PPID). It was hypothesized that a sedated dental procedure would not significantly affect endogenous plasma ACTH concentrations as compared to baseline in healthy adult horses. Unassigned: This prospective crossover study included 12 healthy mares of various breeds, aged 8 to 20 years, from the universi...
Commercially available objective gait evaluation systems show good to excellent reliability in horses across hard-surface types and multiple operators. To evaluate the intrasystem reliability of an AI-based smartphone application Sleip (AI-SPA), the inertial measurement unit (IMU) system Equinosis Q Lameness Locator (LL), and the IMU system Equisym (ES) across 2 different hard surfaces and to assess the interoperator reliability for the 2 IMU systems. Unassigned: 8 mixed-breed research horses, aged 4 to 12 years, with varying degrees of gait asymmetries were utilized. To assess intrasystem reliability, horses were in-hand, straight-line trotted on either epoxy-coated concrete or rubber-coated concrete. Three trials were performed for LL and E...
Mechanical nociceptive thresholds of the foot do not change following anaesthesia of the digital flexor tendon sheath in horses. The selectivity of diagnostic analgesia of the digital flexor tendon sheath (DFTS) in horses remains debated. This study aimed to determine whether intrasynovial administration of 2% lidocaine into the DFTS increases the mechanical nociceptive threshold (MNT) of the dorsal lamellar stratum, sole, coronary band and heel bulbs, with correct placement confirmed by contrast tenography. Unassigned: Six healthy horses with no clinical or radiographic distal limb abnormalities were used. Forelimbs were randomly assigned, with one limb receiving 2% lidocaine and the contralateral limb receiving lactat...
In Vivo Metabolic Profiling of Suzetrigine in Thoroughbred Horses Following Oral Administration: Implications for Equine Anti-Doping Control. Suzetrigine (VX-548), a selective NaV1.8 sodium channel blocker recently approved for pain management, was investigated for its metabolic fate in Thoroughbred horses using liquid chromatography coupled to high-resolution mass spectrometry (LC-HRMS). Equine urine and plasma samples were collected following administration and processed prior to analysis. Combining the present in vivo data with earlier reported in vitro liver incubations, a total of 12 metabolites (M1-M12) were identified and characterised, comprising nine Phase I and three Phase II biotransformation products. Five Phase I meta...
Blood serotonin, ionized magnesium, cardiac troponin I, N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide concentrations, and mitral valve billowing in horses with mitral valve regurgitation. Serotonin, ionized magnesium (iMg), cardiac biomarkers, and mitral valve prolapse are extensively investigated in humans and dogs with mitral valve regurgitation (MR), but not in horses. Objective: To investigate serotonin, iMg, cardiac troponin I (cTnI), and N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) concentrations and degree of mitral valve billowing (MVB) in horses with MR. Methods: Eighty controls (no/trivial MR), 122 horses with MR (92 mild, 24 moderate, 6 severe). Methods: Prospective cross-sectional observational study. All horses underwent echocardiography with MVB distance a...
A dietary nutraceutical “Succeed Digestive Conditioning ProgramTM” is more effective than omeprazole for managing equine glandular gastric disease. Equine glandular gastric disease (EGGD) responds poorly to proton pump inhibitor therapy, highlighting the need for alternative treatments. Succeed Digestive Conditioning Program (SUC) contains oat-derived ingredients, Saccharomyces cerevisiae, L-glutamine, and L-threonine that may support gastric health. Objective: To compare effects of SUC and omeprazole (OME) on squamous and glandular gastric ulcers in horses. Methods: Fifty-nine horses with squamous gastric lesions (score ≥2/4) completed a 90-day trial. Horses received either OME (4 mg/kg BW/day; n=30) or SUC (27 g/day; n=29). Forty-four...
Investigating horse owners’ confidence, ability and knowledge-seeking behaviour in recognising equine lameness. Undiagnosed lameness is common in horses, but little is known about which aspects of lameness identification owners find difficult. Objective: To explore horse owners' confidence and ability to identify equine lameness, and their knowledge-seeking behaviour. Methods: In this cross-sectional online survey, 509 UK horse/pony owners identified lameness from videos of sound, forelimb, hindlimb and bilaterally lame horses, reported their knowledge of clinical signs and knowledge-seeking behaviour, and rated their confidence (1, not confident at all, to 5, very confident). Mixed-effects logistic reg...
Inter-week Variation in Movement Asymmetry at Trot in Cavalry Horses in Training. The widespread use of objective motion analysis in lameness investigations has raised questions about whether movement asymmetries are caused by pain and when they are indicative of orthopaedic disease. The prevalence of motion asymmetries in horse populations in training is high, but longitudinal studies on variation in movement asymmetry are scarce. Objective: To investigate inter-week variation in movement symmetry during straight-line trot in horses in training over three weeks. Methods: Forty-nine cavalry horses in training were included in a longitudinal study. Horses were equipped with ...
Treatment of a concealed accessory pathway by radiofrequency catheter ablation in a horse. Accessory pathways (APs) are myocardial bundles directly connecting the atria and the ventricles, bypassing the atrioventricular node-His-Purkinje system. Retrograde AP conduction in horses can result in orthodromic atrioventricular re-entry tachycardia or bradycardia. Radiofrequency catheter ablation (RFCA) can provide a permanent treatment by eliminating the retrograde conducting AP, but was previously unsuccessful in one case. Objective: To report the use of three-dimensional electro-anatomical mapping (3D EAM) to identify a concealed AP and treatment by RFCA in a horse. Methods: Retrospect...
Differential expression of miRNAs in experimental metacarpal and lumbar wounds in horses. Distal limb wounds in horses exhibit delayed healing and a predisposition to exuberant granulation tissue (EGT) formation, associated with hypoxia and persistent inflammation. The involvement of microRNAs (miRNAs) in this process in this species remains poorly elucidated. Objective: To determine the differential expression of miRNAs in experimental metacarpal and lumbar wounds in horses, based on the hypothesis that distinct anatomical regions present specific post-transcriptional regulation profiles. Methods: A controlled experimental study involving four healthy adult horses. Standardized cu...
Managing equine asthma: Owner adherence, practical constraints and environmental protocol evaluation. Adherence to recommendations for environmental management is central to equine asthma (EA) treatment. Reasons for non-adherence warrant further investigation. Objective: To: (1) evaluate adherence to recommendations for environmental changes, identify reasons for incomplete implementation, assess changes in clinical signs and medication use; (2) evaluate owner acceptability, practicality and perceived usefulness of a structured stable-side protocol. Methods: (1) Retrospective online survey and (2) prospective onsite testing with owners of EA-affected horses. Methods: (1) Online survey on imple...
Uncovering cardiac molecular remodelling in racing Thoroughbreds with paroxysmal atrial fibrillation. Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most common arrhythmia in both humans and horses, with a comparable prevalence of ~2%. In horses, AF is a major cause of poor athletic performance and linked to sudden cardiac death, yet its underlying molecular mechanisms remain poorly understood. Objective: To investigate transcriptomic remodelling associated with spontaneous paroxysmal AF (PAF). Methods: Case-control study. Methods: We performed RNA sequencing on left atrial (LA) tissue from three Thoroughbred racehorses with PAF and four matched controls. All horses were euthanised due to musculoskeletal rea...
Infection and abduction loss predict equine laryngoplasty failure. Prosthetic laryngoplasty (PL) is the most common surgical treatment for recurrent laryngeal neuropathy (RLN) in horses. Post-operative complications may compromise outcomes, and the influence of breed and anaesthetic approach remains unclear. Objective: To evaluate factors associated with surgical outcome at 3 months following PL, focusing on post-operative complications, anaesthetic modality and breed (particularly Iberian baroque breeds). Methods: Multicentre retrospective cohort study. Methods: Medical records from 181 horses across 7 equine hospitals using the same standardised surgical ...
Exostosis of the sustentaculum tali causing tibiotarsal joint pathology in a Standardbred racehorse trotter. This report describes a novel case of exostosis on the medial aspect of the sustentaculum tali, (ST) associated with tibiotarsal joint (TTJ) pathology, without involvement of the tarsal sheath or lateral digital flexor tendon. A 5-year-old Standardbred gelding was presented with right TTJ effusion and exercise-induced hind-limb lameness. Diagnostic imaging identified a columnar periosteal proliferation on the medial ST, accompanied by synovial effusion and joint capsule thickening; however, the tarsal sheath and lateral digital flexor tendon remained unremarkable. Although TTJ arthroscopy conf...
The influence of a systemic non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug on growth factors and cytokines in equine plasma, solid platelet-rich fibrin (PRF), and liquid PRF. Platelet-rich fibrin (PRF) is a second-generation platelet concentrate that contains growth factors and cytokines within a fibrin matrix, allowing prolonged release and supporting its use as a regenerative therapy for corneal wound healing. Horses with ulcerative keratitis are commonly treated with systemic NSAIDs; therefore, it is clinically important to determine whether prolonged flunixin meglumine alters the composition of PRF or plasma. Objective: To evaluate the effects of systemic NSAID administration on bio-analyte concentrations in equine plasma, solid PRF, and liquid PRF, and to comp...
Pharmacokinetics of Detomidine and Vatinoxan in Horses. The pharmacokinetics of detomidine, vatinoxan, and their combination have not been previously characterized in detail in horses. Detomidine (20 μg/kg), vatinoxan (200 μg/kg), or their combination was administered intravenously to six horses according to a Latin square design. Blood was sampled at various times up to 480 min following administration. Plasma concentrations of detomidine, OH-detomidine, COOH-detomidine, and vatinoxan were measured using liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry. Compartmental models were fitted to the time-concentration data using nonlinear mixed-eff...
Anatomical and computed tomographic study of equine cervical spinal nerves and intervertebral foramina. Osseous enlargement of the cervical articular process joints due to osteoarthropathy or developmental hypertrophy can narrow the intervertebral foramen (IF), resulting in compression and neuritis of the exiting spinal nerves. Associated clinical signs may include neck pain, forelimb lameness or muscle atrophy. Computed tomography (CT) is the gold standard for IF evaluation; however, to date, visualisation of the equine spinal nerves based on CT imaging is insufficient. Objective: To improve the diagnostic accuracy of foraminal stenosis and cervical spinal nerve (CSN) compression based on CT, t...
Inter- and intra-rater reliability of two grading systems for equine gastric glandular disease. The recommended combined descriptive terminology scoring system for equine gastric glandular disease has poor reliability whereas a published numerical scoring system has substantial reliability. Descriptive terminology appears more affected by clinical experience than numerical scoring. Individual descriptive terminologies have previously correlated with descriptions of severity. Objective: To compare the reliability of two scoring systems across varied clinical experience and between numerical scores and descriptive terms. The hypothesis was that the numerical scoring system would have bette...
Feasibility of Enucleation in Standing Sedated Horses With Retrobulbar Anesthesia and Auriculopalpebral Nerve Block: Impact of Ultrasound Guidance in a Case Series. Examining the feasibility of enucleation in standing sedated horses with dorsal retrobulbar anesthesia (RBA) and auriculopalpebral (AP) nerve block and the impact of ultrasound (US) guidance on RBA success. Methods: Thirty horses. Methods: In a prospective clinical case series, horses (n = 15/group) received standardized sedation, dorsal RBA (12 mL mepivacaine) and AP nerve block (4 mL lidocaine). Group 1 received US-assisted RBA (10 MHz linear probe), Group 2 underwent blind RBA subsequently. Needle positioning time was recorded. Eyelid sensitivity was measured before (t) and 20 m...
Evaluation of the sterility and clinical use of a disposable spray cap for ophthalmic medication delivery in equine patients. To evaluate the sterility of a commercially available disposable spray cap in an equine barn environment and assess its clinical use. Unassigned: This pilot study included an ex vivo microbiological study and an in vivo usability study. Ex vivo study: diclofenac 0.1% ophthalmic solution and neomycin-polymyxin B-dexamethasone 0.1% ophthalmic suspension were evaluated using either a traditional dropper or spray cap treatment method. Bottles were stored in an equine veterinary hospital barn and dispensed every 12 hours. Samples collected on day 0 and the final study day were analyzed for microbia...
Use of 2.5% polyacrylamide hydrogel mitigates joint capsule stiffness and cartilage degradation in experimental equine osteoarthritis. To evaluate the symptom- and disease-modifying effects of injectable 2.5% polyacrylamide gel (iPAAG) in an experimental model of equine osteoarthritis (OA). Unassigned: 16 horses underwent osteochondral fragment creation (day 0) in 1 randomly-selected middle carpal joint (MCJ). On day 14, the MCJ was injected with 2 mL of phosphate-buffered saline (n = 8) or 2.5% iPAAG (8); high-speed treadmill exercise commenced on day 16 to induce OA. Clinical parameters (lameness, joint effusion, range of motion, flexion response) and synovial fluid were collected weekly and biweekly, respectively. Radiogra...
Case Report: Incidental finding of a perforating wooden foreign body in the jejunum during surgical treatment of colic in a horse: use of intraoperative infrared thermography. Equine gastrointestinal tract perforation by a foreign body is a rare cause of colic. Assessment of intestinal viability during exploratory laparotomy is crucial and is usually performed using subjective parameters (color, motility, pulse). Infrared thermography (IRT) offers an objective, noninvasive method for assessing tissue surface temperature in real time, as it correlates with local blood perfusion. Unassigned: In this case, a 13-year-old Italian Saddle mare was admitted with a 24-h history of acute, progressive abdominal pain unresponsive to medical therapy. Clinical examination reveale...
Catastrophic distal sesamoidean ligament rupture in 72 racehorses in California. Rupture of major distal sesamoidean ligaments (DSLs) in racehorses results in suspensory apparatus failure. Our objective was to describe postmortem findings and exercise histories for Thoroughbred (TB) and Quarter Horse racehorses that had DSL rupture as the sole cause of catastrophic musculoskeletal and suspensory apparatus failure. We described horse signalment, activity at the time of injury, and postmortem findings and compared the exercise histories with those of event-matched control horses. In 72 racehorses, predominantly ≥4-y-old, catastrophic rupture of forelimb DSLs (41 left, 29 r...
Duration of post-ovulation uterine fluid in mares with persistent mating-induced endometritis predicts pregnancy rate, and earlier mating shifts fluid persistence relative to ovulation. Persistent mating-induced endometritis commonly causes subfertility in mares. We assessed 313 natural-cover breeding cycles from 192 mares examined daily until at least day 5 after ovulation, establishing the last day post-ovulation on which uterine fluid remained detectable. Fluid was detected after ovulation in 52.4% of all cycles. The longer fluid persisted the lower the pregnancy rate: 73.8% with no post-ovulation fluid, 32.0% when fluid was last detected on day 2 post-ovulation, and 17.6% when fluid persisted to day 3 or beyond. Each additional day fluid persisted post-ovulation was assoc...
Risk factors and long-term prognosis of catheter-associated thrombophlebitis in neonatal foals. Thrombophlebitis is a possible complication of the use of indwelling catheters in hospitalized neonatal foals. Limited data are available concerning associated risk factors, and long-term prognosis regarding vein patency is currently unknown. Objective: Identify risk factors for catheter-associated thrombophlebitis in neonatal foals and assess long-term prognosis in a small subset. Methods: Two hundred twenty-three foals < 31 days of age, hospitalized in Utrecht University Equine Hospital between 2019 and 2024. Methods: Retrospective review of medical records. Foals that received an indw...
Harnessing the Horse for Human Osteoarthritis: microRNA-181a-5p Antisense Oligonucleotides in Clinically Normal Equine Fetlock Joints Are Safe and Well Tolerated. Horses serve as a translational model for human osteoarthritis (OA) due to their comparable joint size, cartilage thickness, and incidence of naturally occurring disease. Overexpression of microRNA-181a-5p has been implicated in cartilage degradation in OA, and its inhibition using locked nucleic acid antisense oligonucleotides (LNA-miR-181a-5p ASOs) represents a potential therapeutic strategy. This study evaluated the safety of intraarticular (IA) LNA-miR-181a-5p ASO injection in clinically normal horse fetlock joints. Twelve horses were randomized to receive two IA injections, 28 days apart,...
Clinical tolerability and reproductive outcomes following intrauterine administration of allogeneic platelet lysate in mares resistant to post-breeding induced endometritis. Platelet-based therapies have gained interest in broodmare practice due to their immunomodulatory and antimicrobial effects. Platelet lysate (PL) is produced by freeze-thawing platelet-rich plasma (PRP), releasing growth factors and cytokines. As an acellular product, PL reduces immunogenic risk, allows long-term storage, and enables allogeneic use, supporting its application in human and veterinary medicine. Therefore, this study evaluated the safety and post-breeding reproductive outcomes in mares treated with allogeneic PL. Platelet lysate (PL) was prepared from 11 healthy mares using a dou...
