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Topic:Feces
Horse feces serve as an important indicator of digestive health and overall well-being. The composition and consistency of equine feces can provide insights into the horse's diet, hydration status, and gastrointestinal function. Factors such as feed type, water intake, and gut microbiota can influence fecal characteristics. Abnormalities in feces, such as changes in color, consistency, or frequency, may signal underlying health issues, including colic, parasitic infections, or dietary imbalances. This page compiles peer-reviewed research studies and scholarly articles that explore the analysis, implications, and management of fecal characteristics in equine health.
Fecal shedding of Salmonella spp by horses in the United States during 1998 and 1999 and detection of Salmonella spp in grain and concentrate sources on equine operations. To estimate prevalence of fecal shedding of Salmonella spp among horses in the US horse population and prevalence of Salmonella spp in grain or other concentrate used as horse feed on equine operations in the United States. Methods: Cross-sectional survey. Methods: Horses on 972 operations in 28 states. Methods: Fecal samples were collected from horses resident at each operation. Only a single sample was collected from any individual horse; number of horses from which samples were collected on each operation was determined on the basis of number of horses on the operation. A single sample of g...
Survival of Clostridium difficile and its toxins in equine feces: implications for diagnostic test selection and interpretation. Although Clostridium difficile is recognized as a cause of enterocolitis in horses and humans, there has been little work published regarding the lability of C. difficile and its toxins in feces. A significant decrease in recovery of C. difficile from inoculated equine fecal samples occurred during storage. Recovery after storage in air at 4 degrees C decreased from 76% (37/49) after 24 hours to 67% (33/49) at 48 hours and 29% (14/ 49) after 72 hours. In contrast to aerobic storage, 25 of 26 samples stored anaerobically at 4 degrees C yielded growth of C. difficile for 30 days, whereas the org...
Cross-sectional study of faecal shedding of Giardia duodenalis and Cryptosporidium parvum among packstock in the Sierra Nevada Range. Faecal specimens from 305 horses and mules used as packstock at one of 17 commercial or governmental (National Park Service, US Forest Service) operations were examined for Giardia duodenalis and Cryptosporidium parvum using immunofluorescent microscopy. Fourteen packstock (4.6%) were shedding G. duodenalis cysts, with herd-level prevalences ranging 0-22%. Number of packstock in the corral, size of corral and density of packstock in the corral were associated with the odds of shedding G. duodenalis cysts. None of the horses had detectable C. parvum oocysts. Assuming a sensitivity of at least 4...
Six intestinal microflora-associated characteristics in sport horses. The aim of this study was to investigate 6 microflora-associated characteristics (MACs) in faecal samples from horses and to compare the results with baselines previously established in other mammals. A MAC is defined as any anatomical structure, physiological, biochemical or immunological characteristic in a host, which has been acted on by microorganisms. When the active microbes are absent, as in germ-free animals and healthy newborn organisms, the corresponding characteristic is defined as germ-free animal characteristic (GAC). The MACs studied were degradation of mucin, conversion of chol...
Efficacy of the nematophagous fungus Duddingtonia flagrans in reducing equine cyathostome larvae on pasture in south Louisiana. The effectiveness of Duddingtonia flagrans in reducing the free living third stage larvae (L(3)) of equine cyathostomes on pasture when fed to horses has been demonstrated in cold temperate climates. The objective of this experiment was to assess the efficacy of D. flagrans against equine cyathostomes in the subtropical environment of southern Louisiana. Fecal pats were prepared by mixing feces obtained from a parasite-free horse fed D. flagrans at a dose of approximately 2 x 10(6) spores kg(-1), with feces containing cyathostome eggs from a parasitized horse. Control pats contained feces from...
Effects of electrolyte and glycerol supplementation on recovery from endurance exercise. Incomplete recovery from endurance exercise after an overnight rest period is reflected by persisting weight loss and an elevated plasma aldosterone concentration, even in successful competitors. To determine whether supplementation with high doses of electrolytes, with or without glycerol, enhances recovery, the following were measured in 6 Arabian horses before and after completion of a 60 km treadmill exercise test simulating an endurance ride and after 12, 24, 48, and 72 h of recovery: bodyweight; plasma osmolality; plasma concentrations of protein, electrolytes, aldosterone and cortisol; ...
Measurement of glucocorticoid metabolite concentrations in faeces of domestic livestock. After 14C-labelled cortisol infusion in ponies and pigs, faecal samples were collected. Extraction of 0.5 g faeces with 5 ml 80-90% methanol yielded the highest radioactivity in the supernatant. Most of the metabolites were ether soluble. After high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), the presence of immunoreactive metabolites was demonstrated by measuring each HPLC fraction using enzyme immunoassays for cortisol, corticosterone and 11-oxoaetiocholanolone. Only the assay for 11-oxoaetiocholanolone revealed peaks with co-eluting radioactivity. For biological validation of the test system,...
A new isolate of the nematophagous fungus Duddingtonia flagrans a biological control agent against free-living larvae of horse strongyles. An experiment was carried out in 1997 to test the efficacy of an isolate of the microfungus Duddingtonia flagrans against free-living stages of horse strongyles under conditions in the field and to assess the eventual effect of the fungus on the normal degradation of faeces. Faecal pats were made from faeces of a naturally strongyle infected horse, which had been fed fungal material at a dose level of 106 fungal unit/kg bwt. Control pats without fungi were made from faeces collected from the same animal just before being fed fungi. Faecal cultures set up for both groups of faeces to monitor th...
Comparison of the merits of measuring equine chorionic gonadotrophin (eCG) and blood and faecal concentrations of oestrone sulphate for determining the pregnancy status of miniature horses. The relative merits of measuring blood concentrations of equine chorionic gonadotrophin (eCG, previously known as pregnant mare serum gonadotrophin (PMSG)), or oestrone sulphate (OS), or faecal OS concentrations for determining pregnancy status in miniature horses were investigated. Pregnant mares between 40 and 140 days after mating had serum eCG concentrations > 1 I.U. mL-1, with the highest concentrations occurring between days 50 and 120. However, eCG measurements were susceptible to returning a 'false positive' diagnosis of pregnancy. Plasma OS concentrations ranged from 0.1 to 3.6 ng ...
The prevalence of Aeromonas species in feces of horses with diarrhea. Feces collected from 40 horses with diarrhea and 34 horses without diarrhea were examined to determine if an association existed between isolation of Aeromonas spp. and diarrhea. Samples were also examined for Salmonella spp., and identification of viruses and parasite ova. Neither Salmonella spp. nor Aeromonas spp. were isolated from the feces of 34 control horses. Aeromonas spp. were isolated from feces of 22 of 40 (55%) horses with diarrhea. Salmonella spp. were isolated from feces of 8 (20%) horses, and of these, 5 (12.5%) were also positive for Aeromonas spp. Twenty-nine isolates of Aerom...
Prevalence of Clostridium perfringens enterotoxin and Clostridium difficile toxin A in feces of horses with diarrhea and colic. To determine prevalence of clostridial enterotoxins in feces of horses with diarrhea and colic, and to determine whether an association exists between detection of clostridial enterotoxins in feces and development of diarrhea as a complication of colic. Methods: Prospective case series and case-control study. Methods: 174 horses with diarrhea, colic, or problems not related to the gastrointestinal tract. Methods: Horses were assigned to 1 of 4 groups: colic with diarrhea (group 1; n = 30); colic without diarrhea (group 2; 30); diarrhea without colic (group 3; 57); and control (group 4; 57). Fe...
Diagnosis of larval cyathostominosis in horses in Belgium. Between October 1996 and May 1997, 94 horses which were suspected of being infected with strongyles were examined clinically, and samples of faeces were examined for strongyle eggs and cyathostome larvae (L4) and adults. Blood samples were monitored for total protein, albumin and beta-globulins. In 28 of the horses (30 per cent) cyathostome L4 and adults were detected in the faeces, and were significantly associated with the horses' condition, the occurrence of diarrhoea, with lower concentrations of total protein and albumin, and with higher percentages of beta-globulin. Thirty-four of the ho...
[Use of a fast test to detect rotavirus in feces]. The commercially available immunoassay "OnSite Rotavirus" was used for the detection of animal rotaviruses in 113 faecal samples. The sensitivity of the test was 88% and the specificity 96% compared with reference methods (EIA, EM). This test would detect approximately 4.4 x 10(6) to 1.8 x 10(7) virus particles per ml. The presence of virus could be demonstrated in fresh faecal samples from cattle, horses and pigs within a few minutes. The rotaviruses of group A were identified independently of the virus serotype. Further results and additional problems of using this test kit are described.
Detection of Cryptosporidium parvum in horses: thresholds of acid-fast stain, immunofluorescence assay, and flow cytometry. Feces collected from three asymptomatic horses and seeded with Cryptosporidium parvum oocysts (10(1) to 10(6)/g of feces) were evaluated by acid-fast staining (AF), an immunofluorescent antibody (IFA) technique, and flow cytometry. The thresholds of detection were 5 x 10(5) oocysts/g of feces for the IFA and AF techniques and 5 x 10(4) oocysts/g for flow cytometry.
Prevalence of and risk factors for fecal shedding of Cryptosporidium parvum oocysts in horses. To determine prevalence of and risk factors for fecal shedding of Cryptosporidium parvum oocysts among 3 populations of horses. Methods: Cross-sectional study. Methods: 152 horses participating in the 1996 Texas State 4-H Horse Show, 144 horses examined by the veterinary teaching hospital, and 70 broodmares and their 10- to 21-day-old foals. Methods: Information on signalment and potential risk factors for fecal shedding of oocysts was obtained. Fecal samples were evaluated for oocysts by means of acid-fast (AF) staining, immunofluorescence assay (IFA), and, for selected samples, flow cytometr...
Coprological methods for the diagnosis of Anoplocephala perfoliata infection of the horse. To compare the sensitivities of three coprological techniques for the diagnosis of Anoplocephala perfoliata infection in horses and to assess the value of the methods for diagnosis of horses at risk of clinical cestodiasis. Methods: Faecal samples were collected from necropsied horses with or without A perfoliata infection and examined using one sedimentation and two different flotation methods. The coprological results were compared with worm counts performed at necropsy of the horses and the degree of mucosal damage. In addition, the efficiency of recovery of A perfoliata eggs from faeces wa...
Influence of fecal shedding of Salmonella organisms on mortality in hospitalized horses. To predict mortality of horses by use of clinical data from the first day of hospitalization, to determine whether fecal shedding of Salmonella organisms is related to severity of clinical disease, and to determine the impact of fecal shedding of Salmonella organisms on mortality. Methods: Prospective study. Methods: 1,446 hospitalized horses. Methods: Medical information was obtained from horses hospitalized in an intensive care unit or isolation facility during a 4.5-year period. A model was created to predict mortality, using covariates determined on the day of admission. Predicted mortalit...
[Prevalence of infections caused by Salmonella spp. in cattle and horses at the Veterinary Teaching Hospital of the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine of the University of Montreal]. Bacteriologic detection of Salmonella spp. from feces of animals admitted to Veterinary Teaching Hospital of the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Montréal, in Saint-Hyacinthe was carried out during a 1-year period to estimate the prevalence of bovine and equine salmonellosis. Prevalence at the time of hospitalization was quite low: 1.4% in cattle and 1.7% in horses. Incidence was 15.1 cases/100 animal/year in cattle and 38.7 cases/100 animal/year in horses. Serotype typhimurium was the most prevalent in both species. In cattle, cases were evenly distributed over the year. In hors...
Water and electrolyte intake and output in conditioned Thoroughbred horses transported by road. The objectives of this trial were to measure the water and electrolyte intake and loss, of horses during road transportation in relatively hot environmental conditions. Six mature, Thoroughbred horses in full training were used in a balanced crossover design. The horses were conditioned on a treadmill for 6 weeks before the start of the trial in order to simulate the type of horse that is transported most often over long distances in South Africa. The horses were assigned randomly to one of 2 treatment groups. On a particular day 3 horses were transported, while the other horses served as cont...
Calculation of fecal kinetics in horses fed hay or hay and concentrate. Marker methods are needed for estimating fecal output by grazing animals in studies of nutrition and environmental impact. In addition, estimates of prefecal mass and turnover time are relevant to exercise performance and certain digestive disorders. As a first step in developing marker methods for field use, a chromic oxide model of fecal kinetics was developed and tested in the context of a digestion balance experiment with stall-fed horses. The model consists of removal of feces at a constant rate from a single compartment, the prefecal mass. Four horses were fed hay, and another four were ...
Dung-derived biological agents associated with reduced numbers of infective larvae of equine strongyles in faecal cultures. Two sets of dung-derived organisms from soil routinely fertilized with manure (MA) and soil chemically fertilized (CH) were cultured separately in the laboratory. Baermannized organisms from these cultures were added to 20 g of faeces from strongyle-infected horses to form three treatment groups: (i) no soil organisms; (ii) low inoculum of soil organisms containing all organisms present in a suspension of approximately 100 adult female free-living nematodes; and (iii) high inoculum containing those soil organisms present with approximately 1000 adult female free-living nematodes. Three studies...
Induced diarrhoea in horses. Part 1: Fluid and electrolyte balance. Sodium, potassium and water balance, and measurements of acid-base status, haematocrit, packed cell volume and plasma total protein, were studied in four adult standardbred geldings following castor oil induced diarrhoea. Castor oil (2 mL kg-1) administration resulted in signs consistent with mild to moderate acute colitis. The total (combined faecal and urinary losses) losses of sodium and potassium ions were 2169 and 2864 mmol, respectively. Faeces constituted the major route for sodium loss, while urine was the major route for potassium loss at all times. Faecal dry matter potassium concent...
Reliability of coprological diagnosis of Anoplocephala perfoliata infection. Three coprological methods were tested to establish the reliability of in vivo diagnosis of Anoplocephala perfoliata. A total of 107 faecal samples were analyzed, and the presence of tapeworms were confirmed postmortem in 24 animals with burdens that ranged from 1 to 248 worms; most of them (71%) with less than 100 parasites. Best results were obtained with a combination of two sedimentation/flotation methods, detecting only half the parasitized animals (54% sensitivity). No relationship could be established between tapeworm burden and egg detection, but results indicate that coprological meth...
Clinical and clinicopathologic effects of large doses of raw linseed oil as compared to mineral oil in healthy horses. The clinical and clinicopathologic effects of raw linseed oil and mineral oil were compared. In a crossover experimental design trial, 6 horses were given either raw linseed oil (2.5 mL/kg body weight) or mineral oil (10 mL/kg body weight), twice, 12 hours apart. Two weeks later, the horses received the opposite treatment. All horses given mineral oil or linseed oil developed nonformed feces by 24 hours of the first administration of oil. Horses treated with mineral oil had formed feces at 48 hours; horses treated with linseed oil developed normally formed feces at 96 to 108 hours. All horses ...
Comparison of PCR and culture to the indirect fluorescent-antibody test for diagnosis of Potomac horse fever. Potomac horse fever is an acute systemic equine disease caused by Ehrlichia risticii. Currently, serologic methods are widely used to diagnose this disease. However, serologic methods cannot determine whether the horse is presently infected or has been exposed to ehrlichial antigens in the past. The purpose of the present study was to compare the sensitivities of the nested PCR and cell culture with that of the indirect fluorescent-antibody (IFA) test for the diagnosis of Potomac horse fever. Blood and fecal specimens serially collected from a pony experimentally infected with E. risticii Mary...
The prevalence of shedding of Cryptosporidium and Giardia spp. based on a single fecal sample collection from each of 91 horses used for backcountry recreation. Cryptosporidium parvum and Giardia duodenalis are now recognized as primary enteric pathogens in animals and humans. Regulatory agencies, such as the Environmental Protection Agency are under increasing pressure to reduce the concentration of these protozoa in surface waters. Given the popularity of recreational riding of horses on public land in California backcountry, concerns have been raised by various regulatory agencies as to whether horses used for backcountry recreation are a significant source of C. parvum and G. duodenalis for the environment. The prevalence of fecal shedding of Cryp...
Serum antibody responses of foals to virulence-associated 15- to 17-kilodalton antigens of Rhodococcus equi. Humoral immune responses in 16 foals to virulence-associated 15- to 17-kDa antigens of Rhodococcus equi were studied during the first fourteen weeks of life on two horse-breeding farms with a persistent incidence of R. equi infection. Serum antibody levels specific for 15- to 17-kDa antigens were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and Western immunoblotting. Immunoglobulin G (IgG) antibodies specific to 15- to 17-kDa antigens were detected by all the foals. R. equi was found in the feces of foals during week 1 of life, and the number of fecal R. equi rapidly increased to the highest...
Improved isolation of Clostridium perfringens from foal faeces. There have been several case reports of foal diarrhoea associated with Clostridium perfringens. However, there has been no epidemiological assessment of the strength of the association of these bacteria with foal diarrhoea or of their relative importance. To prepare methods for such a study, the success of different cultural techniques for the isolation of C perfringens was examined with respect to the various physiological states of the bacteria. The germination and growth of C perfringens NCTC 8239 endospores of differing maturity were favoured by different pre-treatments which failed to rec...
Methanogenesis in monogastric animals. Studies of methanogenic bacteria present in monogastric animals are still scarce. Methanogens have been isolated from faeces of rat, horse, pig, monkey, baboon, rhinoceros, hippopotamus, giant panda, goose, turkey and chicken. The predominant methanogen in all except the chicken and turkey is species of Methanobrevibacterium. The chicken and turkey harbour species of Methanogenium. In pig the population of methanogenic bacteria is more than 30 times as dense in the distal colon as in the caecum. This finding is in agreement with the finding that the rate of methane production is much higher in...
Analysis of spatial and temporal clustering of horses with Salmonella krefeld in an intensive care unit of a veterinary hospital. To determine whether clustering existed in the spatial or temporal distribution of horses that shed Salmonella krefeld in their feces during hospitalization. Methods: Retrospective analysis of medical records. Methods: 219 horses housed in the intensive care unit of a veterinary medical teaching hospital from October 1991 through May 1992. Methods: Bacteriologic culturing of fecal samples was used to identify horses shedding S krefeld. For affected horses, the scan statistic was used to analyze temporal clustering, and Knox's method was used to analyze temporal-spatial clustering. Results: 20 ...
