Hematology in horses involves the study of blood, its components, and related disorders in equine species. This field encompasses the analysis of red blood cells, white blood cells, platelets, hemoglobin, and hematocrit levels to assess the health status of horses. Hematological parameters are used to evaluate various physiological and pathological conditions, including anemia, infections, and immune-mediated diseases. Techniques such as complete blood counts (CBC) and blood smear evaluations are commonly employed to gather insights into the equine circulatory system. This page compiles peer-reviewed research studies and scholarly articles that explore the methodologies, findings, and clinical implications of hematological assessments in equine medicine.
Krumrych W, Wiśniewski E, Danek J.Average values of chosen haematological parameters have been described in a population of 90 clinically normal Polish Primitive Horses. The comparison of the results with values given in literature for horses as a whole and for other breeds enabled us to state that Polish Primitive Horses' blood is characterized by relatively low values of RBC, PCV, segmented neutrophils and monocytes, and high percentage of lymphocytes. It was demonstrated that values of some blood parameters of examined animals are similar to typical results obtained for primitive and cold-blooded horses. Moreover, it was pr...
Clarke CR, MacAllister CG, Burrows GE, Ewing P, Spillers DK, Burrows SL.Pharmacokinetics, CSF penetration, and hematologic effects of oral administration of pyrimethamine were studied after multiple dosing. Pyrimethamine (1 mg/kg of body weight) was administered orally once a day for 10 days to 5 adult horses, and blood samples were collected frequently after the first, fifth, and tenth doses. The CSF samples were obtained by cisternal puncture 4 to 6 hours after administration of the first, third, seventh, and tenth doses. Pyrimethamine concentration in plasma and CSF was quantified by gas chromatography, and plasma concentration-time data were analyzed, using a ...
Malark JA, Peyton LC, Galvin MJ.Peritoneal fluid and blood was collected from 8 healthy adult horses. Four 1-ml aliquots of peritoneal fluid from each horse were then contaminated with 0 ml (normal), 0.05 ml (1 drop), 0.10 ml (2 drops), and 0.20 ml (4 drops) of blood from the same horse. Samples were analyzed for RBC count, nucleated blood cell count, total protein concentration, and nucleated cell differential count. Statistical analysis revealed no significant changes in nucleated cell number, nucleated cell differential, or total protein concentration in peritoneal samples contaminated with blood. The RBC count significan...
Geor RJ, Weiss DJ, Burris SM, Smith CM.The effects of furosemide and pentoxifylline on blood flow properties in horses were investigated. Hematologic and rheologic changes were examined in 4 horses before and 3 minutes after administration of epinephrine (1 mg, IV). The next day, hemorheologic changes were determined before and 3 hours after administration of furosemide (1 mg/kg of body weight, IM), and after administration of epinephrine at the sampling at 3 hours. Hematologic and rheologic changes were evaluated weekly in 3 horses given pentoxifylline (8.5 mg/kg, q 12 h, PO) for 28 days. In addition, hemorheologic responses to ep...
Sneddon JC, Van der Walt J, Mitchell G.1. The resistance of sub-tropical horses, and desert-dwelling horses to 72 hr dehydration/24 hr rehydration was investigated via changes in red cell parameters and plasma protein concentration. 2. Red cell count, haemoglobin and haematocrit increased up to 48 hr dehydration. Between 48 and 72 hr dehydration these parameters decreased, implying a fluid shift onto the intravascular space from the interstitium/hindgut. Most parameters had regained baseline values by 24 hr rehydration. 3. Mean cell volume, mean cell haemoglobin, mean cell haemoglobin concentration and total plasma protein were not...
Olsen SN.Five horses with squamous cell carcinoma of the stomach are described. The clinical findings included anorexia, weight loss, abdominal distension, abnormal chewing and swallowing behaviour and abdominal masses palpable per rectum in four cases. Haematological studies revealed a normocytic anaemia in three horses, and neutrophilia and hypoalbuminaemia in two. Analysis of peritoneal fluid revealed abnormal effusions in all five horses and neoplastic cells were identified in three of them. The tumours originated in the cardia and metastases were present in all the horses. Three of them had many s...
Oladosu LA, Olufemi BE.An investigation was carried out to study the haematology of steroid immunosuppressed horses experimentally infected with Babesia equi and Ehrlichia equi, separately or simultaneously. Horses infected with both pathogens showed less marked changes in their haematology than those inoculated with either pathogen separately. This appeared to result from early elimination of the more pathogenic Babesia as Ehrlichia spread through the granulocytes. The apparent suppression of Babesia by Ehrlichia is of field clinical importance and merits further investigation for its apparent useful potentials in ...
Wensing T.Usability, repeatability and accuracy of the quantitative buffy coat analyser, QBC2, have been tested for the horse. The analyser provided reasonable results. The correlation between the data obtained with the QBC2 and those obtained with conventional techniques was found to be good.
Andrews FM, Korenek NL, Sanders WL, Hamlin RL.Blood viscosity (BV) was measured in 32 healthy horses at 6 spindle speeds (60, 30, 12, 6, 3, and 1.5 rpm) and for PCV of 40%, using a digital rotational cone and plate microviscometer. Also, in 7 of 32 horses, BV was measured 3 times each, for 3 PCV values (20, 40, and 60%), and at each spindle speed to determine effect of PCV on BV and machine and among-horse variations. Total plasma protein and fibrinogen concentrations were measured in all horses, using a standard refractometer and heat precipitation, respectively. In 7 of 32 horses, quantitative fibrinogen concentration was measured, usin...
Coyne CP, Smith JE, DeBowes RM.Several pharmaceutical compounds were evaluated for their ability to selectively inhibit activated coagulation factor-XIII-like enzyme activity (eg, XIIIa*) in pooled equine plasma. Presence of coagulation factor-XIIIa*-like enzyme activity in plasma was established by assay procedures involving incorporation of the fluorescent amine compound, monodansylcadaverine, into purified casein, which served as a protein substrate. Pharmaceuticals inhibitory to coagulation factor-XIIIa*-like enzyme activity were recognized by plasma gel formation of high spectrophotometric transmittance (transparency),...
Gasthuys F, Messeman C, De Moor A.The influence of hypertonic NaCl 7.2% infusion (4 ml/kg of body weight [BWT]) on plasma (PV) and blood (BV) volumes, sodium (Na), chloride (Cl), potassium (K) plasma concentrations, osmolality (Osm), total protein content (TP), packed cell volume (PCV) and red blood cell count (RBC) was studied in five standing and anaesthetized ponies (standard halothane anaesthesia). Arterial blood gases were followed in the anaesthetized ponies. Isotonic NaCl 0.9% (4 ml/kg of BWT) was used as a placebo in the standing ponies. Isotonic solution in the standing ponies induced few changes: only small decreases...
Wahdati A, Lindner A, Sommer H.The influence of temperature and duration of storage on glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) activity in plasma and whole blood samples of horses was investigated. Furthermore the relationships between the GSH-Px activities in plasma and whole blood as well as the GSH-Px values related to hematocrit and the hemoglobin content of the blood samples of 93 different horses were calculated. At 20-22 degrees C, the GSH-Px activity in plasma and whole blood samples remained stable over at least three days while it was reduced by 38% and 65% after 2 and 3 days, if the whole blood samples were kept stored a...
Wood T, Stanley S, Woods WE, Henry P, Watt D, Tobin T.This study was designed to explore the use of hematocrit values as possible indicators of the threshold doses of adrenergic drugs in the performance horse. Acepromazine, detomidine, and fluphenazine were tested for their effects on hematocrit values, with the threshold dose for these effects investigated. Hematocrit values were shown to be quite sensitive to the administration of acepromazine with doses as low as 50 micrograms/horse producing detectable depressions in hematocrit values for up to 2 hours. Increasing the dose increased the magnitude of the effect, but did not appear to prolong i...
Carrick JB, Morris DD, Harmon BG, Fawzi M.This clinical report describes an 11-yr-old Thoroughbred mare that presented with clinical signs of weight loss and hematuria. History and clinical findings suggested the mare had neoplasia of the urogenital system. Although ultrasound-guided biopsy of the perirenal mass did not yield abnormal cells, large irregular cells were isolated from the thoracic and peritoneal fluid. At necropsy, multiple firm nodules were disseminated throughout the peritoneal cavity. Histological examination of the nodules revealed cells that were consistent with a pancreatic exocrine adenocarcinoma. This is the firs...
Gentry PA, Feldman BF, O'Neill SL, Madigan JE, Zinkl JG.Various haemostatic analytes were systematically evaluated for four months pre-partum and five months post partum in 14 healthy mares. The plasma fibrinogen concentration and both Factor VIII:C and von Willebrand factor activity showed gradual increases from mid-gestation and reached maximal, or near maximal activity at parturition. These increases were paralleled by an increase in plasma fibronectin concentration, the appearance of fibrinogen degradation products, and a modest rise in antithrombin III concentration. In contrast, the activity of Factor VII and Factor IX, and the one-stage prot...
Jaeschke G, Rudolph R.In a review supplementary to prior evaluations further hematological or cytodiagnostic aspects respectively of equine leucosis are discussed. Leukemic nature of the disease is characterized by increased count of normal blood cells or by the presence of morphologically non-differentiated cells in circulating blood or by disorder or loss of function of blood cells respectively. Thrombocytopenia in the most cases is accompanied by anemia, leukemia and tumor cell infiltration in bone marrow. Tumor cells in circulating blood indicate their presence in bone marrow too. In cases of equine leucosis wi...
Sloet van Oldruitenborgh-Oosterbaan MM, Wensing T, Barneveld A, Breukink HJ.Stallions selected by the Royal Dutch Warmblood Society were submitted to a standardised lungeing test at the beginning and at the end of a 100-day test of performance and ability. The heart rate, haematology and biochemistry values obtained in the first lungeing test showed no significant differences between the 15 stallions which were rejected by the Royal Dutch Warmblood Society during the first month of the 100-day test, the 15 stallions rejected during the last month and the 11 stallions which were approved for registration in the studbook. The 26 stallions submitted to the second lungein...
Frietsch G, Weigand E, Prüstel N.The postnatal iron status of 20 trotter foals (7 female, 13 male) was studied by analyzing different parameters in blood drawn on the day of birth, and 14 +/- 2 and 28 +/- 2 days later. Hemoglobin hematocrit, plasma iron and transferrin saturation averaged 14.9 g/dl, 41.8%, 300 micrograms/dl and 59.4%, respectively, on the day of birth. These values were significantly reduced after 14 days, but had approached again the initial levels by day 28. There was a slight, statistically nonsignificant rise in the mean total iron-binding capacity over the four-week period. Iron status was not affecting ...
Jablonska EM, Ziolkowska SM, Gill J, Szykula R, Faff J.Effects of an 18 min exercise test, on three separate occasions during a one year jump-training programme, was studied in seven horses. Determinations were carried out on venous blood for packed cell volume, haemoglobin, total protein, lactate and pyruvate, glucose, free fatty acids, insulin, glucagon, blood gases, bicarbonate, pH, aldolase, aspartate aminotransferase and alanine amino-transferase. Exercise caused a slight increase in lactate and pyruvate, total protein, aldolase, alanine aminotransferase, pO2, bicarbonate and pH. Glucose, free fatty acids and pCO2 levels decreased. Training c...
Linden A, Art T, Amory H, Massart AM, Burvenich C, Lekeux P.This study was carried out to investigate stress induced in a cross-country by measuring plasma cortisol and to compare the changes in cortisol level with the leucocytic changes measured with the quantitative buffy coat (QBC) analysis, which is a new method applicable in field conditions for the evaluation of haematological parameters in horses. Seven healthy horses competing in a national three-day event were investigated. Venous blood was sampled under resting condition, 2 min and 180 min after the completion of the cross-country and analysed for haematological parameters, plasma cortisol, p...
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, ...
Paradis MR, Breeze RG, Laegreid WW, Bayly WM, Counts DF.Eight ponies were allotted to 2 groups of 4. Group-1 ponies (1-4) were given 0.2 g of indole/kg of body weight orally and group-2 ponies (5 to 8) were given 0.1 g of indole/kg. Various physical, hematologic, and physiologic measurements were obtained after administration of indole. Intravascular hemolysis and hemoglobinuria were detected in both groups within 24 hours of dosing. Hemolysis was reflected by decreases in PCV, hemoglobin concentration, and RBC count, and an increase in indirect bilirubin. Erythrocyte fragility appeared to increase in both groups at 8 hours after dosing and peaked ...
Messer NT, Arnold K.An 18-year-old Quarter Horse gelding was determined to have immune-mediated hemolytic anemia after detection of autoagglutination of RBC spherocytosis as well as a positive direct Coombs test result. A lack of response to treatment with corticosteroids necessiated the administration of cyclophosphamide and azathioprine. The anemia resolved after treatment with chemotherapeutic drugs.
Staempfli HR, Townsend HG, Prescott JF.Clinical and hematological changes observed on presentation of 47 horses referred to the Ontario Veterinary College with acute idiopathic colitis were analyzed for their prognostic features. Cases of acute enterocolitis were characterized by fever, dehydration, abnormalities of serum electrolyte concentrations, azotemia, hypoalbuminemia, and increased serum concentrations of muscle enzymes. Severely dehydrated horses were seven times more likely to die or be euthanized than those that were not dehydrated. Other factors associated with failure to survive included the following: increased hemato...
Angel KL, Spano JS, Schumacher J, Kwapien RP.Myelophthisic pancytopenia was diagnosed in a 10-year-old pony mare with a history of recurring colic and anemia. Physical findings were unremarkable, with the exception of pale mucous membranes. Hematologic analysis revealed nonregenerative pancytopenia. Testing for equine infectious anemia and antiglobulin (Coombs) yielded negative results. The mare was treated with antibiotics, boldenone undecylenate, and corticosteroids, but a regenerative bone marrow response was not seen. Postmortem examination revealed severe myelofibrosis and multiple sites of extramedullary hematopoiesis. Myelophthisi...
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...
Chavatte P, Brown G, Ousey JC, Silver M, Cottrill C, Fowden AL, McGladdery AJ, Rossdale PD.Clinical and pathological records of 124 foals were studied. The foals were assigned to six groups; normal, premature, dysmature, bacterially infected, neonatal maladjustment syndrome and Equid herpesvirus type 1 (EHV-1) infected. Also, 6 pony fetuses were sampled via catheters in the umbilical vein and artery between 280 and 310 days gestation. Bone marrow aspiration was performed on a further 14 foals. Premature foals had significantly lower neutrophil counts than normal foals up to 5 h. Foals with bacterial infections had significantly lower neutrophil counts up to age 12 h. EHV-1 infected ...
Coyne CP, Carlson GP, Spensley MS, Smith J.In this preliminary investigation, various hematologic variables potentially influential in determining the degree of blood viscosity were evaluated in 10 Thoroughbred horses subjected to competitive acute running exercise. Following completion of sprints over a distance of 1.25 miles, mean percent (+/- SD) increases in PCV (38.3 +/- 12.9%), RBC (47.8 +/- 15.3%), and rouleaux index (232.7 +/- 176.8%) were recognized. Simultaneous increases in total plasma protein (28.3 +/- 5.31%), serum albumin (26.7 +/- 6.80%), alpha 1-globulin (60.0 +/- 49.0%), alpha 2-globulin (25.5 +/- 27.9%), beta 1-globu...
Tschudi P.The technique of needle biopsy, the examination of aspirated bone marrow and the interpretation of bone marrow smears are described. The indications for a bone marrow biopsy are listed and the literature is reviewed. The significance of this examination is illustrated with some clinical cases.
Baumwart CA, Doherty TJ, Schumacher J, Willis RS, Adair HS, Rohrbach BW.To determine the effectiveness of preinduction hyperbaric oxygen treatment (HBOT) in ameliorating signs of experimentally induced endotoxemia in horses. Methods: 18 healthy adult horses. Methods: Horses were randomly assigned to 1 of 3 equal-sized treatment groups to receive normobaric ambient air and lipopolysaccharide (LPS), HBOT and LPS, or HBOT and physiologic saline (0.9% NaCl) solution. Horses were physically examined, and blood was obtained for a CBC and to determine concentration or activity of plasma tissue necrosis factor-α, blood lactate, and blood glucose before the horses were tr...
Sorrell-Raschi LA, Tomasic M.To evaluate the accuracy of 3 automated methods of determining Hct and hemoglobin (Hb) concentration, compared with manual methods. Animals-22 clinically normal adult horses of various breeds. Methods: A blood sample was obtained from each horse. Six dilutions (representing Hct of 0, 10, 20, 40, 60, or 70%) were prepared from each sample and analyzed, using 1 of 2 blood gas analyzers or a hemoximeter (for automated determinations) or the Wintrobe macrohematocrit and cyanmethemoglobin methods (for manual determinations). Regression analysis was used to determine mean slope relationships between...
Chavatte P, Brown G, Ousey JC, Silver M, Cottrill C, Fowden AL, McGladdery AJ, Rossdale PD.Clinical and pathological records of 124 foals were studied. The foals were assigned to six groups; normal, premature, dysmature, bacterially infected, neonatal maladjustment syndrome and Equid herpesvirus type 1 (EHV-1) infected. Also, 6 pony fetuses were sampled via catheters in the umbilical vein and artery between 280 and 310 days gestation. Bone marrow aspiration was performed on a further 14 foals. Premature foals had significantly lower neutrophil counts than normal foals up to 5 h. Foals with bacterial infections had significantly lower neutrophil counts up to age 12 h. EHV-1 infected ...
Weiser MG.A multichannel, semiautomated, blood cell counting system (Coulter Counter Model S550) was modified for use in veterinary hematology by increasing both the erythrocyte and leukocyte aperture currents to 225 V and 195 V, respectively, followed by calibration with human blood. It was evaluated by use of 350 samples from dogs, cats, horses, and cows. Values for leukocyte count, erythrocyte count, mean corpuscular volume, and hematocrit generated by the S550 were compared with values generated by an automated multichannel counter with histogram capability and other reference procedures when approp...
Murphy DJ, Peck LS, Detrisac CJ, Widenhouse CW, Goldberg EP.To evaluate efficacy and safety of IP administration of high-molecular-weight carboxymethylcellulose (HMW CMC) for the prevention of postoperative intra-abdominal adhesions in ponies. Methods: 10 ponies. Methods: A 1% solution of HMW CMC was instilled intra-abdominally prior to surgery in 5 ponies, whereas 5 control ponies did not receive HMW CMC. Postoperative adhesions were induced by use of a bowel-abrasion method comprising laparotomy, typhlotomy, and abrasion of jejunal serosa at multiple sites with placement of 3 sutures at each site. Day of surgery was day 0. After surgery, ponies were ...
Honoré ML, Pihl TH, Nielsen LN.Critically ill horses, such as horses with gastrointestinal (GI) disease, often suffer from hemostatic aberrations. Global hemostatic tests examining the initiation of coagulation, clot strength and fibrinolysis, such as the Calibrated Automated Thrombogram (CAT) and plasma-thromboelastography (TEG) have not been evaluated in horses. This study aimed to evaluate CAT and apply plasma-TEG in horses. Test performance of CAT was evaluated on equine platelet poor plasma with intra- and inter-assay variability (CV) and a heparin dilution curve. To examine clinical performance of both tests, group co...
Lin HC, Johnson CR, Duran SH, Waldridge BM.To evaluate the cardiopulmonary and clinicopathologic effects of rapid IV administration of dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) in awake and halothane-anesthetized horses. Methods: Prospective study. Methods: 6 adult horses. Methods: Horses received IV infusion of 5 L of a balanced electrolyte solution with and without 1 g/kg (0.45 g/lb) of 10% DMSO solution when they were awake and anesthetized with halothane (4 treatments/horse). Arterial and venous blood samples were collected immediately before and at intervals during or after fluid administration and analyzed for blood gases and hematologic and ser...
Toews AR, Campbell JR.To assess the value of CBC as a preoperative test in healthy horses undergoing cryptorchidectomy. Methods: Retrospective study. Methods: 117 horses. Methods: Medical records were reviewed to identify horses that had had cryptorchidectomy. Of the 117 horses identified, 102 were found that did not have a known medical condition believed to adversely affect surgery. Preoperative CBC was assessed in terms of abnormalities detected and effects of these abnormalities on development of complications during and after surgery and patient management. Results: Of 102 CBC performed, 55 contained abnormali...
Owens SD, Burges J, Johns JL, Carrade DD, Galuppo LD, Librach F, Borjesson DL.The therapeutic use of bone marrow-derived mononuclear cells (MNCs) and mesenchymal stem cells for the treatment of soft tissue and orthopedic injuries in equine patients is expanding. After collection, bone marrow must be reduced in volume and depleted of RBCs for immediate therapeutic use or to prepare cells for culture or cryopreservation and storage. The MarrowXpress (MXP) System is an automated, closed, sterile system designed to process human bone marrow samples. Objective: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the capacity of the MXP System to process equine bone marrow to reduce vo...
Allen BV, Kane CE, Powell DG.Total and differential leucocyte counts have been determined by electronic counting techniques in 474, two-to-four-year-old healthy Thoroughbreds in training. The ranges of values observed (particular those for neutrophils and lymphocytes) were narrower than previously described. Absolute and percentage lymphocyte values were significantly decreased with advancing age causing a relative increase in percentage neutrophils. The fall in absolute lymphocyte numbers was the main cause for a significant decrease in total leucocytes with age. Frequency plots for each variable showed that, with the ex...
Schrammel N, Deichsel K, Aurich J, Aurich C.Horses are seasonal breeders, and robust breeds may exhibit a winter hypometabolism when kept under semiferal conditions. In this study, we analyzed the effects of artificial long days on rectal temperature, heart rate, heart rate variability, hematology, coat changes, semen parameters, and plasma testosterone concentrations in Shetland stallions stabled overnight and assigned to a control group (CON, n = 9) kept under natural photoperiod, and a treatment group exposed to a long-day light program from 15 December to 20 March (AL, n = 9). During the 8-month study, rectal temperature, heart rate...
Lees P, Higgins AJ.Five matched pairs of horses were used to investigate the biochemical, haematological and general clinical effects of a new dosage schedule of a phenylbutazone paste administered under controlled feeding conditions. One group of horses received a loading dose (8.8 mg/kg) on day 1, followed by doses of 3.3 mg/kg daily on days 2 to 8, 10 and 12 with no treatment on days 9 and 11. The second group received equivalent doses of a placebo paste. Bodyweight, skin temperature, respiratory rate, glutamate dehydrogenase activity, packed cell volume, mean corpuscular volume and neutrophil count were alte...
Ho EN, Kwok WH, Lau MY, Wong AS, Lam KK, Stewart BD, Wan TS.Granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF) is a hematopoietic growth factor regulating granulopoiesis. The recombinant human granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (rhG-CSF) is widely used for the treatment of granulopenia in humans. Filgrastim is a rhG-CSF analogue and is marketed under various brand names, including Neupogen(®) (Amgen), Imumax(®) (Abbott Laboratories), Neukine(®) (Intas Biopharmaceuticals) and others. It is banned in both human and equine sports owing to its potential for misuse. In order to control the abuse of filgrastim in equine sports, a method to identify unequivo...
McCann JS, Meacham TN, Fontenot JP.The digestibility and heat production values for three fats of different origin were determined. Four pony geldings (225 kg) were used in a study consisting of four successive digestion trials utilizing a 4 X 4 Latin square design. The four dietary treatments were basal alone and supplemented with 15% corn oil, blended fat or inedible tallow. The blended fat was composed of a mixture of animal and vegetable fats. A 7-d preliminary period preceded a 7-d total fecal collection period for each trial. Heat production values were obtained by indirect calorimetry and calculated from oxygen consumpti...
Varma KJ, Powers TE, Powers JD, Spurlock SL.A reproducible experimental disease model in horses using Streptococcus zooepidemicus was developed. An intravenous challenge dose of 1 X 10(10) colony-forming units (CFU), followed 24 h later with another challenge of 1 X 10(8) CFU of Strep. zooepidemicus produced the desired disease model. The disease was characterized by depression, pyrexia, anorexia, abnormal lung sounds, inflammation of joints, moderate to severe lameness, gradual loss of condition and emaciation. The effects of the disease on hematology, serum chemical profile and different protein fractions were studied. The disease sta...
Bos A, Compagnie E, Lindner A.Blood is collected for hematologic and biochemical analyses when racehorses perform poorly. However, racing affects most analyte levels; therefore, the timing of blood sampling can affect analyte levels and interpretations. Objective: This study aimed to determine if the blood variable levels returned to pre-racing levels 2 and 3 days post-racing. Methods: Blood was sampled from 17 healthy racehorses pre- and post-racing. The variables measured from plasma were albumin, cholesterol, creatinine, calcium (Ca), phosphorus (P), magnesium (Mg), sodium (Na), potassium (K), creatine phosphokinase (C...
Snow DH, Munro CD, Nimmo MA.The effect of 11 weekly injections of nandrolone phenylpropionate (400 mg) was investigated by a crossover trial (2 training periods) in 6 Thoroughbred geldings undergoing training. A decrease in body weight and flank measurement occurred only during the first training period and was not modified by the anabolic steroid. Urinary nitrogen excretion was lower in the anabolic treated animals only in the first training period. Neither training nor training plus nandrolone phenylpropionate administration caused any marked alteration in blood biochemistry or haematology. A significant decrease in pl...
Gold JR, Grubb T, Court M, Villarino NF.Acetaminophen is a common analgesic and antipyretic drug used in human medicine and might be an alternative to nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs for treating pain and pyrexia in foals. The pharmacokinetics and safety of differing doses of acetaminophen have not been investigated in foals. Objective: To determine the plasma pharmacokinetics and any changes in haematology and biochemistry profiles following oral administration of single doses of acetaminophen at 10, 20, and 40 mg/kg to foals. Methods: Randomised cross-over pharmacokinetic study. Methods: Six Quarter Horse (two colts and fou...
Lavoie JP, Spensley MS, Smith BP, Bowling AT, Morse S.Serum complement activity and selected hematologic variables were evaluated in 5 newborn foals fed bovine colostrum (principal group) and 6 foals allowed to nurse their dam (control group). Also, bovine colostrum was evaluated for anti-equine antibodies. Precolostral serum hemolytic and conglutinating complement activities were low and increased similarly in foals of both groups to reach adult values between 1 and 3 weeks after birth. Bovine colostrum strongly agglutinated, but did not hemolyse principal foals' RBC and blood containing all known equine blood group alloantigens. Hemolysis was n...
Weiser G, Kohn C, Vachon A.Immune-mediated hemolytic anemia was diagnosed in two horses on the basis of regenerative anemia, increased erythrocyte fragility in hypotonic saline, autoagglutination, and a positive direct antiglobulin (Coomb's) test. During steroid therapy partial resolution of the anemia was indicated by rising packed cell volume, macrocytosis, and bone marrow erythroid hyperplasia. Using erythrocyte volume distribution histograms (erythrograms), the regenerative response was characterized by analysis of macrocytic and normocytic erythrocyte subpopulations. In both horses, a gradual net increase of about ...
Mason DK, Watkins KL, McNie JT, Luk CM.In late November 1988 large numbers of thoroughbred horses in training in Hong Kong developed a transient pyrexia with, in some cases, the clinical signs of viral respiratory disease. Serial blood samples for haematological examination were taken from 10 of the horses which were stabled in six different blocks. They had developed a high temperature within three days of each other and subsequently seroconverted to equine herpes virus 1 (EHV1). The absolute monocyte count was more than 0.5 x 10(9)/litre in all 10 within the first five days, and nine of them had a high neutrophil/lymphocyte ratio...
Owens SD, Johns JL, Walker NJ, Librach FA, Carrade DD, Tablin F, Borjesson DL.To evaluate N-hydroxysuccinimide (NHS)-biotin labeling of equine RBCs and determine posttransfusion survival of autologous equine RBCs stored in citrate phosphate dextrose adenine-1 (CPDA-1) for 0, 1, 14, and 28 days. Methods: 13 healthy adult Thoroughbreds. Methods: Serial dilutions of biotin and streptavidin-phycoerythrin (PE) were evaluated in vitro in blood collected from 3 horses. One horse was used to determine RBC distribution and recovery. Twelve horses were allocated to 4 groups for in vivo experiments in which blood was collected into CPDA-1. Blood was labeled with biotin and reinfus...
Jamieson CA, Hanzlicek AS, Payton ME, Holbrook TC.To determine reference intervals and the effect of sample agitation and rest time on Sonoclot analysis in healthy adult horses. Methods: Original prospective study. Methods: University veterinary medical teaching hospital. Methods: Sixty healthy adult horses. Methods: Blood was collected for assessment of complete blood count, serum biochemical analysis, and Sonoclot analysis. Results: Horses were determined to be healthy based upon physical examination, CBC, and serum biochemistry analysis. Blood was analyzed in a glass bead-containing cuvette using the Sienco Sonoclot analyzer following 2 re...
Burrows GE, Borchard RE.Grass hay produced in the Coeur d'Alene River Basin of northern Idaho was fed to a group of 4 ponies. The hay contained Pb in concentration of 423 +/- 82 mg/kg and Cd in concentration of 10.8 +/- 1.4 mg/kg, resulting in daily exposures of the ponies to approximately 7.4 mg of Pb/kg and 0.19 mg of Cd/kg/day. The results in this group of ponies were compared with those from a group fed noncontaminated grass hay and given a daily dose of 10 mg of Pb/kg of body weight, in the form of lead acetate. Clinical toxicologic signs, hematologic changes, and blood and tissue Pb concentrations were similar ...
Lavoie JP, Madigan JE, Cullor JS, Powell WE.The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of experimentally induced sublethal endotoxaemia in equine neonates. Four foals, between two and five days of age, were infused intravenously with 0.5 microgram/kg bodyweight of Salmonella typhimurium endotoxin (LPS) over a 5 h period. A four-day-old and a five-day-old foal, similarly infused with sterile isotonic saline, served as controls. Clinical signs were monitored, blood samples obtained for evaluation of selected haematological and biochemical parameters; and haemodynamic parameters were recorded hourly during the infusion, as well ...
Ferrante PL, Kronfeld DS.Collection of a satisfactory blood sample requires special procedures to prevent changes in glucose and lactate content after the sample has been obtained. Changes in measured plasma glucose and blood lactate concentrations attributable to anticoagulants and storage procedures, respectively, were examined in blood samples obtained from horses at rest and after exercise. To evaluate the effect of anticoagulants on measured plasma glucose concentration, blood was preserved with either sodium fluoride/potassium oxalate or lithium heparin. Measured plasma glucose concentration in blood obtained at...
Aytekin I, Onmaz AC, Aypak SU, Gunes V, Kucuk O.The aim of this study was to compare hematological, some biochemical parameters, and serum trace element concentrations in horses with or without pica. Fifteen horses with pica (group I) and another 15 healthy horses without pica (group II) were used. The hematological parameters were not changed between the two groups. In group I, hemoglobin values were lower than those of group II. However, the difference in hemoglobin values between the two groups was not significant (P > 0.05). Serum iron and copper concentrations and the copper/zinc ratio were lower in group I than those of group I...
da Conceição FFCB, de Mattos BHV, Sá PA, Marçola TG, da Silva GA, Teixeira HCA, Campebell RC.Due to the scarcity of information on Breton horses, the objective was to study hematobiochemical values of this breed. Blood samples were collected from 29 Bretons, males and females, of different ages, in Brasília-DF, distributed into groups, according to age, without distinction of sex (G1): animals from 4 to 9 years old (n=16) and (G2): from 10 to 26 years old (n=13). The horses were also distributed into males and females for comparisons between the sexes. Values for red blood cells, hemoglobin, creatinine, and urea were statistically higher in females. Fibrinogen was higher in males. Ly...
Hubert JD, Seahorn TL, Klei TR, Hosgood G, Horohov DW, Moore RM.The objective of this study was to determine the effect of infection with Strongylus vulgaris on serum cytokines and plasma nitric oxide (NO) concentrations in helminth-naive ponies. Group 1 (n = 21) was given 500 S. vulgaris L3 larvae and group 2 (n = 7) received a saline control. Ponies were monitored daily for clinical signs, and blood was collected for complete blood cell counts and serum cytokines (TNF, IL-1, IL-6) quantification. Group 1 ponies were depressed, anorexic, and febrile for variable periods of time. Plasma NO was increased on day 21 in group 1 and on days 9 and 21 in group 2....
de Pinho FA, Mendes MO, de Magalhães VLP, Tinôco AAC, Seoane JHL, Rêgo FD, Soares RP, Barrouin-Melo SM.Leishmania infantum infections have long been described in humans and dogs worldwide, but characterization of equine cases remains scarce. We describe the clinical evolution of a natural L. infantum infection to contribute to the diagnostic knowledge and epidemiology of equine leishmaniasis (EL). An auction-acquired four-year-old Mangalarga Marchador mare from Pernambuco state, presented a few subcutaneous nodules on the head and neck upon arrival at the purchaser's stud at Bahia state, in November of 2019. They progressed to multiple ulcerated and non-ulcerated nodules and spread to both righ...
