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.
Santschi EM, Slone DE, Frank WM.During a 28 month period, 82 horses with clinical signs of abdominal pain were examined for left dorsal displacement of the large colon (LDDLC) using percutaneous ultrasound. Left dorsal displacement of the large colon was diagnosed when a gas echo dorsal to the spleen obliterated the dorsal splenic border, or when the colon was observed lateral to the spleen. In 42 horses, ultrasound confirmed a diagnosis of LDDLC and 40 horses had no evidence of LDDLC. There were five false negative results and no false positives. In four horses with LDDLC, the colon was displaced between the spleen and body...
van der Kolk JH, van der Wijden MW, Jongejan F.Equine granulocytic ehrlichiosis (EGE) has been observed in the U.S.A., Brazil, Germany, Sweden, Switzerland and possibly in Great Britain. The causative agent is rickettsia Ehrlichia equi, identified for the first time in 1969. The clinical features of the disease are anorexia, fever, depression, (limb) oedema, icterus, ataxia, petechiae and orchitis. Hematologic changes are leukopenia, thrombocytopenia, anemia and cytoplasmic inclusion bodies in the neutrophils and eosinophils. Vasculitis may be observed at autopsy. Following a positive hematological diagnosis (Giemsa stained blood smear) of...
Benoit P, Barrey E, Regnault JC, Brochet JL.The purpose of this study was to compare the damping effect of 16 types of shoeing by measuring hoof acceleration parameters on two trotting horses. At impact, maximal deceleration had extreme values such as 188 m/s2 (+/- 55) for the most damping combination (p < 0.01) and 746 m/s2 (+/- 14) for the steel shoe (mean = 551 m/s2 +/- 125). After the shock, the hoof was exposed to a mean vibrating acceleration at 418 Hz (+/- 84) which was progressively damped in 37.3 ms (+/- 10.5). According to these results, the damping ability of different farriery products significantly reduces (p < 0.05) shocks...
Habel RE, Budras KD.Analyses of the fibers in the prepubic tendon of the horse and ruminants have shown that it is composed of the crossed and uncrossed tendons of origin of the pectineus muscles, the pelvic tendons of the rectus and obliquus abdominis muscles, and the tendons of origin of the cranial parts of the gracilis muscles. Pelvic attachments of the linea alba and the yellow abdominal tunic are incorporated in it. It is not a transverse ligament, and it is not homologous to the human superior (cranial) pubic ligament. The dog differs in 4 respects: (1) the pectineus tendons do not cross, but each originat...
Evans DR.In reporting the results of the medical examination for purchase, the veterinarian should not make an evaluation as to the animal's suitability for the purpose intended but should rather reveal all of the abnormal and undesirable findings and give his or her opinion as to the effect these findings will have on the performance of the horse for the purpose intended. A written report should be provided, and any factors that have had an influence on the opinion rendered should be a part of the report. A record of all procedures performed, the results of these procedures, the names and addresses of...
Ball BA, Wilker C, Daels PF, Burns PJ.Administration of progesterone in poly(d-,l-lactide) microspheres was used to maintain pregnancy in mares after luteolysis was induced by treatment with prostaglandin F2 alpha at day 14 of pregnancy. Mares were given vehicle only (control, n = 6) or 0.75 g (n = 7), 1.5 g (n = 8), or 2.25 g (n = 5) of microencapsulated progesterone at days 12 and 22 of pregnancy. Serum progesterone concentrations were determined daily, and pregnancy was evaluated by transrectal ultrasonography on alternate days. Significantly (P less than 0.05) more mares given 1.5 or 2.25 g of progesterone (6 of 8 and 4 of 5 m...
Watson TD, Murphy D, Love S.The background, clinical signs, blood biochemistry and management of 18 cases of equine hyperlipaemia are described. Eleven of the animals were Shetland ponies, four were Welsh mountain ponies or their crosses, one was a fell pony and two were riding ponies of mixed breeding. Their average age was nine years. Fourteen of the cases were mares, of which nine were in foal and two were lactating; the remainder were geldings. Underlying or concurrent diseases were identified in only six animals, but in one other animal the hyperlipaemia appeared to have been precipitated by stress, and in another b...
Bickhardt K, Carstensen CA.The Reflotron-CK test was evaluated with blood samples of healthy and diseased pigs, sheep, cattle, horses and dogs in relation to the standard CK-NAC test (UV-method). The precision within the series on the day of blood sampling was better than VK = 7.5% (coefficient of variation) with both methods. The day to day precision was estimated by using deep frozen plasma and was in the same order of magnitude with the Reflotron-CK and the UV-method (CV less than 10%). While fresh whole blood of sheep, cattle, horses and dogs respectively should be applied directly onto the dry reagent carrier with ...
Gift LJ, DeBowes RM, Clem MF, Rashmir-Raven A, Nyrop KA.The medical records of 20 horses admitted to the veterinary medical center with a diagnosis of brachygnathia over a 10-year period (1979 to 1989) were reviewed. The study included 18 foals and 2 adult horses. Males were affected 5.7 times more frequently than females. The amount of disparity between the mandible and premaxilla varied between 0.75 and 3 cm. Sixteen foals were treated surgically with the temporary application of premaxillary tension band devices. Thirteen of the 16 surgical cases were available for follow-up evaluation. All of the surgically treated animals had improved incisive...
Yovich JV, Gould DH, LeCouteur RA.The distribution and morphology of fibrous astrocytes in the cervical spinal cord of normal horses and horses with chronic compressive myelopathy were demonstrated using immunohistochemical staining for glial fibrillary acidic protein. In the spinal cord from normal horses, astrocytes with stellate cell bodies and short processes were irregularly distributed in grey matter. In the white matter, their cell bodies were small and angular in areas adjacent to grey matter and larger and more stellate-shaped in the subpial area. Astrocyte processes were fine, and evenly distributed in a predominantl...
Kot K, Tischner M.The aim of the experiment was to determine the effect of a year-to-year prolonged daylength on the patterns of equine reproductive activity and results of embryo recovery. Experiments using Konik Polski mares were conducted over four reproduction seasons. Five mares were exposed to a regimen of artificially prolonged daylength (APD) and another five mares in a control group were kept under conditions of natural daylight. Both the control and experimental groups were examined for appearance of estrus, ovulation and also for the state of their coats. A single stallion was used for breeding all o...
Anderson DR, Woo SL, Kwan MK, Gershuni DH.Recent studies have shown that the meniscus is highly anisotropic in tension and that its compressive creep behavior can be modeled using biphasic theory. In this study, an alternative approach is used, where viscoelastic shear properties of the meniscal fibrocartilage are measured to determine the anisotropy and inhomogeneity of this tissue with respect to specimen location and fiber orientation. Medial menisci were obtained from eight skeletally-mature horses. Nine test specimens were taken from the circumferential midsubstance of each meniscus, at three circumferential and three axial posit...
Schönherr W.Francis CLATER presumably was born in 1754 near Nottingham. He became farrier after years of apprenticeships at Newark and Retford. In 1783 the first edition of his book "Every man his own farrier" was published. Within 50 years at least 30 editions were printed. This book was translated by PRETOT into French (1822), by S. von TENNECKER (1823) and by LENTIN (1834) into German and by TURNE (1838) into Russian language. Contents of some editions are compared and valued.
Paradis MR, Breeze RG, Bayly WM, Counts DF, Laegreid WW.The hematologic and pathologic effects of orally administered L-tryptophan and indoleactic acid and of L-tryptophan administered IV were studied in ponies. Sixteen adult Shetland ponies were allotted into 4 experimental groups. Group 1 consisted of 5 ponies (1-5) given 0.6 g of tryptophan/kg of body weight in a water slurry via stomach tube. Group 2 included 4 ponies (6-9) given 0.35 g of tryptophan/kg orally. Group-3 ponies (10-13) were given 0.35 g of indoleacetic acid/kg orally. Group 4 consisted of 3 ponies (14-16) given a single 4-hour IV infusion of 0.1 g of tryptophan/kg. Restlessness, ...
Miksík I, Deyl Z.Skin and aorta collagen specimens of Wistar rats, white mice, beagle dogs, cats, horses, and human necropsies of different ages were examined with respect to the content of glycated products. The data presented show that (a) glycation and accumulation of the chromophore(s) are comparable in collagen samples from different species of comparable age; (b) glycation and pigmented accumulation increase markedly during the first 5-10 years of age; (c) the extent of glycation is different in different tissues (in particular, glycation of aortal collagen is about twice that of skin collagen); and (d) ...
Dumasia MC, Houghton E.A method for the screening and confirmatory analysis of beta-agonists and -antagonists in equine urine is described. Following initial enzymic hydrolysis, the basic drugs and metabolites are extracted using Clean Screen DAU or Bond Elut Certify cartridges, and analysed as their trimethylsilyl ether or 2-(dimethyl) silamorpholine derivatives by capillary gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. The method proved to be very sensitive and selective for basic drugs. After administration of therapeutic doses of propranolol, metoprolol, timolol, isoxsuprine and clenbuterol to thoroughbred horses, the p...
Rottman JB, Roberts MC, Cullen JM.Rectal palpation of a 30-year-old mixed-breed mare with chronic weight loss and intermittent, refractory abdominal pain revealed a mass in the right caudoventral portion of the abdomen. Hematologic and serum biochemical findings were normal except for slight mature neutrophilia and mildly high alkaline phosphatase activity and total bilirubin concentration. Cytologic examination of a specimen obtained by abdominocentesis revealed equal numbers of nondegenerative neutrophils and macrophages, but no evidence of neoplastic cells. The mare continued to have signs of abdominal discomfort and was eu...
Fernández-Villa C, Miranda M, Rigueira L, Martinez L, Villanueva B, Freire S, López-Alonso M.Serum mineral concentrations are key indicators of nutritional status, metabolic function and health in horses; however, contemporary reference intervals (RI) derived from large, well-characterised populations remain scarce. Objective: To establish serum RI for macro- and microminerals in clinically healthy horses in Northwestern Spain and to evaluate the influence of sex, age, breed and diet on mineral status. Methods: Blood samples were collected from clinically healthy horses (n = 211), and serum concentrations of essential macrominerals (calcium [Ca]; phosphorous [P]; magnesium [Mg]; sodiu...
Rogers CM, Ledbetter EC, Reid AM, Scott EM, Knickelbein KE.Use of photodynamic therapy (PDT) for the treatment of immune-mediated keratitis (IMMK) in horses is becoming common. The safety and morphologic impact on the normal equine cornea have not been investigated, and the mechanism of its efficacy is unknown. Objective: To investigate the morphologic effects and safety of in vivo PDT on healthy equine corneas. Methods: In vivo experiment. Methods: Six university-owned horses underwent unilateral corneal PDT with intrastromal infracyanine green (EmunDo®) and photoactivation with an 810 nm diode laser (500 mW for 2.5 min = 75 Joules). Compl...
Dörsam K, Nischang V, Büttner K, Fey K, Werz O, Jordan PM.Equine asthma (EA) is a chronic inflammatory disease of the lower respiratory tract in horses, which is mainly triggered by dusty hay. EA is becoming increasingly acknowledged as a valuable animal model for studying human asthma. Research on the pathogenesis of EA has primarily focused on the associated cells and cytokines involved. However, the role of inflammation-related lipid mediators (LM) in the development and progression of equine asthma remains elusive. LMs are categorized into pro-inflammatory arachidonic acid (AA)-derived leukotrienes (LTs) and prostaglandins (PGs), as well as infla...
Alonso MA, Dos Santos GR, Fonte JS, Marques PC, Pereira DD, Toral FLB, Bordignon V, Junior JB, Squires E, Fernandes CB.This retrospective study evaluated whether different reproductive biotechnologies influence neonatal behaviour parameters in foals. Data from 102 foalings in two commercial breeding farms were analysed, including foals conceived by artificial insemination (AI), conventional embryo transfer (ET) and intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI). Neonatal parameters recorded were birth weight, time to achieve sternal recumbency, time to stand, time to nurse and time to meconium elimination. Mixed statistical models were applied to assess the influence of reproductive technique, breed, sex and farm. Si...
Cottone A, Seiter K, Thomas B, Schank N, Wulf M, Miller L, Anderson S, Munkhsaikhan U, Verma A, Abidi AH, Kassan M.Colic remains one of the most frequent and costly causes of equine morbidity and mortality, with significant welfare and economic implications. Disturbances in the gut microbiome are increasingly recognized as an important contributing factor. In recent years, prebiotics, non-digestible substrates that promote beneficial microbes, have emerged as promising microbiome-targeted strategies. () has gained attention for its unique ability to degrade mucin, maintain epithelial integrity, and exert potent anti-inflammatory effects. Although its benefits are well established in humans and rodent mode...
Medica AJ, Gibb Z, Ortiz-Rodriguez JM, Swegen A.Heavy use of antioxidants in equine in vitro fertilisation (IVF) media may suppress the reactive oxygen species (ROS) signals stallion sperm need for capacitation, which depends on high mitochondrial activity and a well-maintained endogenous redox homeostasis. A species-specific approach balancing oxidative protection with controlled ROS signalling could improve fertilisation efficiency and reduce prolonged incubation times.
Dillmann JB, Dos Santos TS, Dos Santos RC, Monteiro SG.Equine cutaneous pythiosis, caused by Pythium insidiosum, is a severe disease in tropical and subtropical regions, often leading to progressive granulomatous lesions with poor response to conventional therapies. Standard treatment includes surgical excision and immunotherapy, but recurrence is common, particularly in distal limb lesions. Maggot Debridement Therapy (MDT) with disinfected Lucilia cuprina larvae provides selective debridement, microbial control, and stimulation of granulation, representing a potential adjunctive option. This report describes the successful use of MDT combined wit...
Byrne J, Guedes AG, Hickey C, Hatschbach E, Walters B, Rendahl A, Tearney C.To evaluate the utility of the dynamic indices, systolic pressure variation (SPV%), pulse pressure variation (PPV%) and plethysmographic variability index (PVI%) during induced hypovolemia, and to determine their correlation with cardiac output (CO) in anesthetized horses. Methods: Prospective experimental study. Methods: A group of eight healthy adult research horses. Methods: After sedation with intravenous (IV) xylazine, anesthesia was induced with IV ketamine and diazepam and maintained with constant-dose isoflurane delivered in 100% oxygen. Horses were positioned in dorsal recumbency, par...
Hiney K, Anderson K, Brady C.Accurate interpretation of affective state (AS) of animals is critical to assessment of their wellbeing. Although horse owners may appreciate the importance of this skill, many lack the ability to interpret AS accurately. Objective: To test if the online course Recognizing Affective States in Equine (RAiSE) improves participants' assessment of AS in horses and increases use of AS in management. Methods: Participants completed pre (PRE), post (POST), and 90 day post (90POST) course surveys to assess accuracy in identifying AS in 20 videos, as well as use of AS in their horse interactions. Pre/p...
Rakowska A, Biazik A, Sobuś M, Cywińska A.The article aimed to review the current literature analysing the complexity of an exercise-induced acute phase response in athletic horses undergoing intense training and endurance competitions. Since the endurance discipline demands physical fitness, exceptional health and excellent adaptation to an increasing workload, diagnostic methods of assessing the factors mentioned above are highly required. Athletic horses in endurance training undergo numerous metabolic but also immune adaptations, including changes in pro-inflammatory and anti-inflammatory cytokine levels. The inflammatory reaction...
Nascimento C, Braz AL, Barbosa I, Freire G, Nicolau M, Silvestre F, Filho HM, Simões J, Estepa JC, Clayton H, Coelho C.This study aimed to investigate cardiac adaptations and energy expenditure of jumping horses after water treadmill (WT) training. Six trained horses were evaluated before (PRETR) and after (TR) a WT training (20 min, twice/week, water at carpus height) for 10 weeks. Transthoracic echocardiography was performed at PRETR and TR with phased array transducer (1.9-4 MHz) to obtain interventricular septal thickness (IVS), LV internal diameter (LVID), and posterior wall thickness (LVPW) at end-diastole (d) and systole (s) and heart rate (HR). Left ventricule end diastolic volume (Vd) and end syst...
Kwon YS, Jeong H, Kim J, Kim J, Chun K, Yang SK, Kim B.Osteoarthritis is a leading cause of equine lameness, yet pragmatic evidence for nutraceuticals in horses remains limited. Unassigned: We prospectively evaluated 12 weeks of daily natural eggshell membrane (NEM; 12 mg/kg, orally) supplementation in Warmblood horses with chronic lameness using a single-arm before-after design. Ten horses were enrolled and prespecified paired contrasts compared visit 3 (V3, week 12) with baseline (V1). Outcomes included rider-reported under-saddle function (walk and trot), examiner-graded lameness (rest and walk-trot composite), simple joint-angle kinematics...
Gray B, Lubbock K, Love C, Ryder E, Hudson S, Scarth J.The analytical approaches taken by laboratories to implement robust and efficient regulation of horseracing medication and doping control are complex and constantly evolving. Each laboratory's approach will be dictated by differences in regulatory, economic and scientific drivers specific to their local environment. However, in general, laboratories will all be undertaking developments and improvements to their screening strategies in order to meet new and emerging threats as well as provide improved service to their customers. In this paper, the published analytical advances in horseracing me...
Ramírez-Agámez L, Castaneda C, Hernández-Avilés C, Grahn RA, Raudsepp T, Love CC.Two methods for preimplantation genetic testing (PGT) have been described for equine embryos: trophoblast cell biopsy (TCB) or blastocoele fluid aspiration (BFA). While TCB is widely applied for both in vivo- and in vitro-produced embryos, BFA has been mostly utilized for in vivo-produced embryos. Alternative methods for PGT, including analysis of cell-free DNA (CFD) in the medium where in vitro-produced embryos are cultured, have been reported in humans but not for equine embryos. In Experiment 1, in vivo- (n = 10) and in vitro-produced (n = 13) equine embryos were subjected to BFA, cultu...
Gallacher K, Woolford L, Santos LC, Serpa PBS, Len J, Gilbert RO, Kind KL.Endometrial health is vital for the reproductive efficiency of broodmares and accurate diagnostic testing is crucial for directing the best treatment options and outcomes. Confocal laser endomicroscopy (CLE) is an endoscopic technique for obtaining in-vivo, real-time microscopic imaging of tissues using a fiber optic probe. CLE relies on induced tissue fluorescence and fluorescein sodium, given intravenously, is the contrast agent most used in human medicine. This study aimed to determine the feasibility of CLE for imaging equine endometrium and determine a standard dose of fluorescein sodium ...
Gomez DE, Kamr A, Gilsenan WF, Burns TA, Mudge MC, Hostnik LD, Toribio RE.Endothelial glycocalyx (EG) degradation occurs in septic humans and EG products can be used as biomarkers of endothelial injury. Information about EG biomarkers and their association with disease severity is lacking in hospitalized foals. Objective: Measure serum syndecan-1 (SDC-1), heparan sulfate (HS), angiopoietin-2 (ANG-2), aldosterone (ALD), and plasma atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP) concentrations and to determine their association with disease severity and death in hospitalized foals. Methods: Ninety foals ≤3 days old. Methods: Prospective, multicenter, longitudinal study. Foals we...
Gaber JTH, Cuervo-Arango J, Plaza-Dávila M, Martínez-Boví R.This experiment was performed to evaluate whether intrafollicular treatment of PGE2 or PGF2α administered in early estrus would induce normal ovulation, progesterone production (Experiment 1) and pregnancy (Experiment 2). In Experiment 1, mares in estrus after 2 days of endometrial edema were injected in all largest dominant follicles (28-35 mm in diameter) with 0.5 mL of sterile water containing 500 μg PGE2 (n = 6), 125 μg PGF2α (n = 6) or placebo (n = 7) (Hour 0). Ultrasound examinations were performed daily, until ovulation or anovulation was detected, and daily blood samples ...
Smith HL, Love KR, Antezana A, Barr EM, Gilger BC, Oh A.The primary aims were to provide descriptive data on systemic and ocular complications associated with the treatment of equine keratomycosis. The secondary aims were to determine if complication rates differ between treatment types or are related to surgical and anesthetic factors. Methods: The study was a retrospective evaluation of 126 cases between 2004 and 2020 with confirmed fungal infection and recorded incidence of complications during hospitalization and surgical intervention if pursued. Additional information recorded included the size of the donor graft if utilized, time under genera...
Sancler-Silva YFR, Papa FO, Esteller-Vico A, Silva-Junior E, Oliveira TES, El-Sheikh Ali H, Boakari YL, Freitas MSE, Ball BA.This study evaluated the effects of oral pentoxifylline on testicular biometry, histology, and gene expression in stallions subjected to scrotal heat stress. Fourteen stallions were divided into three groups: Control (CRL, n = 4), Testicular Degeneration (DEG, n = 5), and Testicular Degeneration Treated with Pentoxifylline (DEG + PTX, n = 5). Testicular degeneration was induced by scrotal insulation, twice daily, over two consecutive days (D-1 and D0). Starting the next day (D1), oral pentoxifylline (17 mg/kg) was administered every 12 h for 30 days. Testicular biometry was measured ...
Pezzanite LM, Nelson BB, Downey AC, Gadomski B, McGilvray K, Baer K, Kappel SM, Nout-Lomas Y, Seim HB, Easley JT.To determine the biomechanical properties of pedicle screw and rod (PSR) constructs alone and with an interbody fusion device (PSRIFD) for equine ventral cervical vertebral stabilization. Methods: Cadaveric ex vivo biomechanical analysis. Methods: A total of 14 (n = 14) adult equine cervical vertebral columns. Methods: Cervical vertebral columns were stabilized by PSR alone (n = 6) or PSRIFD (n = 5). Three columns were left unaltered as controls. Non-destructive biomechanical testing showed the kinematic range of motion (ROM), compliance, and neutral zone of each spinal unit in the...
Fernandes T, Robin MG, Oikawa MA, Alexander GR, Pompermayer E, Uberti B.Tracheal congenital defects are infrequent but serious findings in animals. Tracheal diverticula are congenital air-filled cystic lesions, a sub-type of paratracheal air cyst mainly found extra-thoracically in foals. We describe a case in a twelve-day old show Arabian colt with right sided unilateral cervical swelling since birth. Percutaneous ultrasound revealed a heterogeneously air- and fluid-filled spheroid mass, and upper airway endoscopy confirmed luminal communication to the trachea. Contrasted computed tomography showed a narrow isthmus originating between two proximal tracheal rings a...
Vieira GS, Peneiras ABV, Soares TSC, Alonso MA, Curcio BR, Fernandes CB, Oliveira RA.Advancements in equine neonatology enable continuous monitoring of mares throughout pregnancy. However, reference values for oxygenation and biochemical parameters in newborn foals remain limited. Objective: This study aimed to assess the oxygenation status of healthy Mangalarga Marchador foals from birth to 24 h postpartum by evaluating blood gas analysis, Apgar scores, and biochemical and hematological parameters. Methods: Thirty healthy Mangalarga Marchador foals were evaluated. Blood samples were collected from the umbilical artery at birth (T0) and from the dorsal metatarsal artery at 15 ...
Bailey CS, Beachler TM, Mochel JP, Wulf LW, Yaeger M, Kundu D, Withowski K, Papich MG.Despite their widespread clinical use, there is limited pharmacokinetic data for many equine intrauterine antimicrobials. This study aimed to measure the concentration of gentamicin and penicillin in the uterine fluid of mares following infusion of either a standard (PPGent) or long-acting (LA-PPGent) compounded formulation. We hypothesized that both formulations would result in therapeutic concentrations, with total concentrations sustained for longer using the long-acting formulation. Mares were administered 2400 mg of procaine penicillin and 200 mg of gentamicin via a single intrauterin...
Rigby C, Prutton A.Recruitment and retention of equine veterinarians presents an ongoing challenge for employers. Recent research has highlighted factors that contribute to attrition across the profession, but further understanding of the specific challenges faced in the equine sector is needed. This study builds on existing research by exploring the relative impact of different factors on veterinarians' decisions to leave equine clinical practice. Methods: Veterinarians who had left equine clinical practice in the UK within the previous 10 years were invited to participate in an anonymous online survey. The par...
Alves LSS, Hasuda AL, Giordano LGP, Frederico I, Dos Santos IH, Pereira PFV, Lisbôa JAN, Flaiban KKMDC.This study investigated isolation of equine neutrophils and the assessment of their antioxidant function using the nitroblue tetrazolium (NBT) reduction test, an indicator of reactive oxygen species (ROS) activation. The objective was to test the viability of neutrophils isolated from equine whole blood and their ability to undergo respiratory burst, comparing the results with whole blood. The hypothesis tested was that isolation of equine neutrophils allows for effective functional evaluation, even after isolation process, with no significant differences between whole blood and isolated cells...
Beasley B.The overall objective of therapeutic farriery for equine tendon and ligament injuries is to provide a biomechanical environment conducive to healing by limiting excessive strain on the injured structure. With an understanding of equine limb anatomy and the pathophysiology of tendon/ligament injuries, the rationale used in therapeutic farriery for soft tissue injuries of the distal limb is quite logical. Through therapeutic farriery, foot manipulation is used to reduce the tension on the injured tendon(s) or ligament(s).
Zamboulis DE, Thorpe CT.The high stresses and strains experienced by the superficial digital flexor tendon (SDFT) make it prone to age-related injury. The SDFT exhibits cellular and structural specializations, localized to the interfascicular matrix (IFM), enabling it to resist its extreme mechanical environment. With aging, these specializations are lost, impacting the ability of the tendon to withstand repeated loading. Within the IFM, there is loss of mechanical properties and organization accompanying cell senescence and a decreased resolution of inflammation. Developing therapeutics to reverse these changes may,...
Sosa-Portugal S, Dale L, Devaney J, Sharp A, Malalana F, Timofte D.The "ESKAPE" bacteria include a group of organisms known for their multidrug resistance and potential association with nosocomial infections in human and veterinary hospitals. Objective: This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of steam cleaning in reducing the number of ESKAPE organisms on environmental surfaces from the stables of an equine veterinary referral hospital. Methods: Environmental sampling was performed at two timepoints (pre- and post-steam cleaning) on smooth metallic doors and rough rubber stable walls. Microbiological culture targeted ESKAPE organisms and Escherichia co...
Rey-Conejo R, Toribio RE, Möller S, Müller E, Fores-Jackson P.Insulin dysregulation is a key component of equine metabolic syndrome and is commonly assessed using basal insulin concentrations. Different analyzers may yield variable insulin results, limiting comparability. Objective: To assess the analytical performance of the ADVIA Centaur XPT chemiluminescent immunoassay (CLIA) for equine insulin measurement and to establish adapted decision thresholds based on comparison with a previously used CLIA method. Methods: Precision, linearity, and dilution recovery were assessed for the ADVIA Centaur XPT. A total of 89 equine serum samples submitted for basal...
Graham AE, Colgate VA, Floyd EF.Geographical specific data is required to guide empirical antimicrobial selection in equine neonates. Objective: Evaluate antibiograms and survival in foals from a United Kingdom (UK)-based hospital to guide antimicrobial selection. Methods: Blood and synovial fluid samples from 208 foals ≤ 30 days old admitted to Rossdales Equine Hospital from 2018 to 2023. Methods: Retrospective cohort study. Antimicrobial susceptibility was assessed by disc diffusion method. Bacterial culture and susceptibility and foal survival were recorded. The effects of the presence of positive culture or multi...