Hemorrhage in horses refers to the escape of blood from blood vessels into surrounding tissues or outside the body, which can occur due to trauma, surgical procedures, or underlying health conditions. It presents in various forms, such as internal bleeding, external bleeding, or bleeding into body cavities. Hemorrhage can affect different systems within the horse, including the respiratory, gastrointestinal, and musculoskeletal systems, depending on the location and severity of the bleeding. The management of hemorrhage involves identifying the source of bleeding, controlling blood loss, and providing supportive care to maintain the horse's physiological stability. This page compiles peer-reviewed research studies and scholarly articles that explore the causes, mechanisms, and management strategies of hemorrhage in equine medicine.
Caspers MK, Bell CD, Tatarniuk DM.Objective: The objective of this study is to evaluate the safety, efficacy, and owner satisfaction following electrosurgical ventriculocordectomy (EVC), in conjunction with prosthetic laryngoplasty, in equine clinical cases affected with left- or right-sided recurrent laryngeal neuropathy. Methods: Retrospective data analysis of clinical signalment, surgery, athletic outcome, intra- and postoperative complications, and postoperative examinations from clinical cases wherein EVC was performed in conjunction with traditional prosthetic laryngoplasty from one practice. Owners were contacted by pho...
Genton M, Farfan M, Tesson C, Laclaire AL, Rossignol F, Mespoulhes-Rivière C.To assess the feasibility of balloon catheter occlusion of the internal carotid artery (ICA), external carotid artery (ECA), and maxillary artery (MA) in standing horses. Methods: Experimental and clinical cases series. Methods: Eight healthy horses (phase 1) and 11 clinical cases (phase 2). Methods: Occlusions were performed on standing horses under sedation and local anesthesia. In phase 1, four horses underwent bilateral ICA balloon catheter occlusion, and four horses underwent balloon catheter occlusion of the ECA and MA. In phase 2, horses were treated by occlusion of ICA (n = 7), ECA (n ...
van Bergen T, Wiemer P, Martens A.Intestinal epiploic foramen entrapment (EFE) is an important differential diagnosis in horses with colic, but disappointing short- and long-term outcomes are reported in the scientific literature. Many horses are euthanased during surgery due to a predicted poor prognosis or due to uncontrollable intraoperative haemorrhage. The ileum is involved in the majority of cases. Several risk factors for the development of EFE are described; crib-biting/windsucking being the most important one. The recurrence rate of EFE is low despite the described risk factors, probably due to spontaneous closure of ...
Trenholme HN, Sakai DM, Berghaus LJ, Hanafi AL, Knych HK, Ryan CA, McHale B, Banovic F, Quandt JE, Barletta M, Reed RA. To evaluate changes in immunological parameters following subcutaneous (SC) and intramuscular (IM) administration of meperidine in horses through quantitative analysis of plasma tryptase, histamine, and IgE levels. Six adult horses were enrolled in a prospective randomized crossover design. Horses were administered one treatment per day, with a seven day washout period: (a) meperidine 1 mg/kg IM, saline 6 mL SC; (b) saline 6 mL IM, meperidine 1 mg/kg SC; (c) saline 6 mL SC, saline 6 mL IM. Blood samples were obtained for plasmatic histamine (baseline, 5, 10, 15, 30, and 60 min) via LC-MS/MS ...
Bolfa P, Cercone M, Dennis MM, Conan A, Grevemeyer B, Ducharme NG.Equine arytenoid chondritis causes airway obstruction and abnormal upper airway noise due to a space-occupying lesion(s) and decreased abduction. Our objective was to compare clinical scores and ultrasonographic findings with gross and microscopic lesions of naturally occurring arytenoid chondritis, in order to guide surgical treatment. Seventeen naturally affected horses with advanced/severe chronic arytenoid chondritis and 4 control arytenoid cartilages were evaluated after partial arytenoidectomy. Cartilages were sectioned caudal to the corniculate process and the body of each arytenoid was...
McCrae P, Guigand C, Jones KB, Thueson ES, Troudt TA, Warlick LM, Sides RH, Jones JH, Bayly WM, Léguillette R.High pulmonary blood pressure contributes to exercise-induced pulmonary hemorrhage. The objective of this study was to use bioimpedance spectroscopy to assess body fluid compartment volumes under 3 conditions in 6 racehorses: i) Pre- and post-supramaximal treadmill exercise (control); ii) Exercise 4 hours after furosemide (0.5 mg/kg body weight, IV); iii) Exercise, removal of ~14 L of blood and subsequent reinfusion of the blood. Statistical analysis used linear mixed effects models. Body compartment volumes did not change during the control runs. Total body water (TBW) ( = 0.007, = 0.007), e...
Gonzalez LM, Baker WT, Hughes FE, Blikslager AT, Fogle CA.To determine the degree of histomorphometric damage in dorsal colon and pelvic flexure biopsy specimens (DCBSs and PFBSs, respectively) obtained from horses with large colon volvulus (LCV) and assess the accuracy of predicting short-term outcome for those horses on the basis of DCBS or PFBS characteristics. Methods: 18 horses with ≥ 360° LCV that underwent large colon resection. Methods: During surgery, biopsy specimens from the dorsal colon resection site and the pelvic flexure (when available) were collected from each horse. Interstitial-to-crypt (I:C) ratio (ratio of the lamina propria s...
de Medeiros Assis D, Fernandes de Freitas R, Rodrigues do Nascimento MJ, Santana Pereira C, Isidro da Nóbrega Neto P, Arcoverde Maciel T....Obstetric paralysis is a generic term used to describe postpartum locomotor alterations resulting from nerve damage, widely reported in cattle, but rare in equines. The aim of this study is to report a case of a peripheral polyneuropathy in a primiparous mare, 3 years old, of Mangalarga Marchador breed, after a dystocia lasting approximately 12 hours. At the time of delivery, the head of the fetus was exposed in the vulva and there was flexion of the thoracic limbs. These events culminated in a framework of extreme abduction of the pelvic limbs, thus generating functional impotence and leadin...
Warlick LM, Léguillette R, Kogan C, Gold JR, Bayly WM.Diagnosis and assessment of severity of exercise-induced pulmonary hemorrhage (EIPH) relies on postexercise visualization of fresh blood in the airways via tracheobronchoscopic examination (TBE) and/or counting erythrocytes in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALFRBC). Determining the BALFRBC is more sensitive than TBE but its usefulness is hampered by the need to have BALFRBC counted at a laboratory. We explored the feasibility of evaluating the severity of EIPH by using a color chart comprised of five shades of red and matching those colors with the color of BALF immediately following collectio...
Kahler A, McGonnell IM, Smart H, Kowalski AA, Smith KC, Wathes DC, de Mestre AM.Early pregnancy loss (EPL) occurs in approximately 8% of equine pregnancies, although the aetiology is mostly unknown and embryonic/fetal morphological abnormalities associated with EPL are not defined. Objective: To compare the morphology of EPL to clinically normal embryos/fetuses and previously described embryonic/fetal developmental milestones. To identify morphological abnormalities associated with equine EPL. Methods: Observational case-control study. Methods: Embryos/fetuses were obtained from clinically normal Thoroughbred and pony pregnancies (n = 11) and following EPL from Thorough...
Saey V, Decloedt A, Van Poucke M, Peelman L, van Loon G, Vanderperren K, Ducatelle R, Chiers K.This case report describes the clinical presentation, the necropsy findings, and genetic results of a 13-year-old Warmblood mare presented with colic and a bilaterally loud, holosystolic murmur. Echocardiographic examination revealed the presence of a thoracic aortic aneurysm, an aortic pseudoaneurysm, a periaortic hematoma (circumferential cuffing by perivascular hemorrhage), and aortopulmonary fistulation. A supravalvular aortic stenosis (SVAS) was visible during echocardiography. Necropsy confirmed that the thoracic aortic aneurysm had ruptured and connected to the pseudoaneurysm, which fis...
Marzahl C, Aubreville M, Bertram CA, Stayt J, Jasensky AK, Bartenschlager F, Fragoso-Garcia M, Barton AK, Elsemann S, Jabari S, Krauth J, Madhu P....Exercise-induced pulmonary hemorrhage (EIPH) is a common condition in sport horses with negative impact on performance. Cytology of bronchoalveolar lavage fluid by use of a scoring system is considered the most sensitive diagnostic method. Macrophages are classified depending on the degree of cytoplasmic hemosiderin content. The current gold standard is manual grading, which is however monotonous and time-consuming. We evaluated state-of-the-art deep learning-based methods for single cell macrophage classification and compared them against the performance of nine cytology experts and evaluated...
Sundman EA, Chigerwe M, Hunyadi LM.Exercise-induced pulmonary hemorrhage (EIPH) and asthma in barrel racing horses is a common disease across the United States. Limited information is available on non-infectious respiratory diseases in this population, the interaction between these two diseases, and the occurrence of both EIPH and asthma in the horse. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) fluid cytological results of barrel racing horses with EIPH, asthma, or both. A retrospective study was conducted using the medical records of horses that presented with cough and decreased athletic perform...
Dahlgren AR, Tablin F, Finno CJ.Genetic bleeding disorders can have a profound impact on a horse's health and athletic career. As such, it is important to understand the mechanisms of these diseases and how they are diagnosed. These diseases include haemophilia A, von Willebrand disease, prekallikrein deficiency, Glanzmann's Thrombasthenia and Atypical Equine Thrombasthenia. Exercise-induced pulmonary haemorrhage also has a proposed genetic component. Genetic mutations have been identified for haemophilia A and Glanzmann's Thrombasthenia in the horse. Mutations are known for von Willebrand disease and prekallikrein deficienc...
Satué K, Gardon JC, Muñoz A.The process of fibrin clot formation is a series of complex and well-regulated reactions involving blood vessels, platelets, procoagulant plasma proteins, natural inhibitors, and fibrinolytic enzymes. Vasculitis can be caused by a variety of different agents as bacteria, viruses, protozoal, rickettsial organisms, toxic, drugs, medications, and neoplasms. The most common cause of vasculitis is the purpura hemorrhagica, which is associated with exposure to Streptococcus equi ssp. equi or less commonly, equine influenza. Deficiencies or defects of the hemostatic components may result in bleeding ...
Camacho-Rozo CA, Santos GO, Wenzen DP, Cousseau SB, Wronski JG, Argenta FF, Winter GHZ, Pavarini SP, Mattos RC.This report describes a case of sudden death of a pregnant miniature mare due to an acute ovarian hemorrhage leading to fatal hemoperitoneum. The miniature horse was a 12-year-old female, 60 days pregnant, with a body condition score of 7 (1-9), with a history of obesity and laminitis. Necropsy revealed hemoperitoneum due to an ovarian capsule rupture and hemorrhage after a physiological supplementary ovulation and luteinization. Ovarian rupture after ovulation is uncommon in mares.
Mehdizadeh Gohari I, Unterer S, Whitehead AE, Prescott JF.The role of type A in canine acute hemorrhagic diarrhea syndrome and foal necrotizing enteritis is poorly characterized. However, a highly significant association between the presence of novel toxigenic and these specific enteric diseases has been described. These novel toxigenic strains produce 3 novel putative toxins, which have been designated NetE, NetF, and NetG. Although not conclusively demonstrated, current evidence suggests that NetF is likely the major virulence factor in strains responsible for canine acute hemorrhagic diarrhea syndrome and foal necrotizing enteritis. NetF is a be...
Nyaoke AC, Navarro MA, Fresneda K, Diab SS, Moore J, Lyras D, Awad M, Uzal FA.Enteric disease in horses may be caused by a variety of microorganisms, including several clostridial species. (previously ) has been frequently associated with gas gangrene in humans and several animal species, including horses. However, its role in enteric diseases of animals has not been fully determined. We describe herein 7 cases of enteric disease in horses associated with infection. Grossly, the small and/or large intestines were necrotic, hemorrhagic, and edematous. Microscopically, there was severe mucosal necrosis and hemorrhage of the small and/or large intestine of all horses. w...
Veado HC, Conceição RS, Nogueira K, Fino TCM, Silva AS, Castro MB, Soto-Blanco B, Câmara ACL.The findings of massive Africanized honeybee stings in two hair sheep and a mare are reported. One sheep died 15 h after attack, and the survivors developed skin necrosis on the sting sites. Pathological evaluation revealed necrosis in the dermis, degeneration of the tubular epithelial cells, and multifocal hemorrhages in heart and spleen. The massive attack by Africanized honeybees induced lesions in the skin, heart, muscles, kidneys, and lungs.
DeNotta SL, Brooks MB.Horses with clinical signs of unprovoked or excessive hemorrhage should be evaluated for underlying platelet defects or coagulopathies. This article provides an overview of preliminary screening and definitive tests to assess coagulation and identify hemostatic defects in horses, as well as a review of the hemostatic disorders most frequently encountered in clinical practice.
Tucker ML, Wilson DG, Barber SM.To document marked hemorrhage as a complication of inguinal cryptorchidectomy and its successful treatment with a novel chitosan-based hemostatic agent. Methods: Case report. Methods: One healthy 5-year old quarter horse cryptorchid. Methods: The horse was presented for routine unilateral cryptorchidectomy after prior hemicastration. An inguinal approach was made to the abdomen, and the right external pudendal artery was lacerated at the level of the internal inguinal ring, requiring multiple anesthetic events over a 2-week period in attempts to control hemorrhage. A chitosan-based hemostatic ...
Lopez Sanchez CM, Kogan C, Gold JR, Sellon DC, Bayly WM.Exercise-induced pulmonary hemorrhage (EIPH) is diagnosed and its severity assessed by post-exercise tracheobronchoscopy, and enumeration of bronchoalveolar lavage fluid red blood cells (BALFRBC). Minimal information is available regarding the relationship of tracheobronchoscopy score to BALFRBC number. Objective: Evaluate the relationship between BALFRBC number and tracheobronchoscopy scores and determine their diagnostic sensitivities. Methods: Nine sedentary horses, 21 fit Thoroughbreds, 129 Barrel Racers. Methods: Normal BALFRBC number and the effect of bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) on it w...
Leite RO, Ferreira JF, Araújo CET, Delfiol DJZ, Takahira RK, Borges AS, Oliveira-Filho JP.Glanzmann's thrombasthenia (GT) is an autosomal recessive inherited disorder characterized by changes in platelet aggregation, leading to hemorrhage and epistaxis. To date, two independent mutations have been described in horses and associated with this disorder, a point mutation (c.122G > C) and a 10-base-pair deletion (g.1456_1466del) in the Integrin subunit alpha2β gene (ITGA2B) of horses of different breeds (Quarter Horse, Thoroughbred, Oldenburg, and Peruvian Paso). ITGA2B codifies the αIIb subunit of the αIIbβ3 integrin, also termed platelet fibrinogen receptor. Horses with GT have b...
Blott S, Cunningham H, Malkowski L, Brown A, Rauch C.Exercise-induced pulmonary haemorrhage (EIPH) occurs in horses performing high-intensity athletic activity. The application of physics principles to derive a 'physical model', which is coherent with existing physiology and cell biology data, shows that critical parameters for capillary rupture are cell-cell adhesion and cell stiffness (cytoskeleton organisation). Specifically, length of fracture in the capillary is a ratio between the energy involved in cell-cell adhesion and the stiffness of cells suggesting that if the adhesion diminishes and/or that the stiffness of cells increases EIPH is ...
Gonzales-Viera O, Fritz H, Mete A.A 7-month-old female mixed breed foal with a 2-day history of recumbency and inability to open its mouth convulsed acutely and died and was submitted for necropsy examination. The foal was thin and large patches of haemorrhage were present throughout the peritoneal wall, the diaphragmatic surfaces and the retroperitoneum. Numerous nematode larvae were visible on the serosal surfaces and penetrated and embedded into the subserosa associated with the haemorrhages. The dorsal portion of the abdominal diaphragm had a partial tear and large numbers of nematodes were within the muscle fibres. Histol...
Jones S, Franklin S, Martin C, Steel C.There is limited knowledge of the breathing strategy and impact on the patency of the upper respiratory tract (URT) in swimming horses. Objective: To describe the respiratory responses and endoscopic appearance of the URT during tethered swimming in horses. Methods: Prospective descriptive study. Methods: Ten race-fit horses, with no history of URT obstruction, were examined during tethered swimming. Endoscopic examination, heart rate, sound recordings and above and below water video recordings were obtained. Plasma lactate concentration was measured before and 5 min after swimming and trache...
Machado M, Wilson TM, Ribeiro de Sousa DE, Lopes Câmara AC, Furlan FH, Silva Almeida E Macêdo JT, Pupin RC, Amaral de Lemos RA, Armién AG....Snake bite envenomations in farm animals are generally overestimated as the cause of mortality in rural areas in Latin America. However, most cases are based only on anecdotal information and assumptions, and lack diagnostic evidence. There are few proven reports of envenomation and death in horses caused by snakebites from members of the Bothrops genus (lancehead pit vipers). This study presents epidemiological and clinical-pathological findings of fatal bothropic envenomation in horses from Central Western Brazil in order to contribute to the correct diagnosis of this condition. A survey of ...
Tarancón I, Armengou L, Melendez-Lazo A, Pastor J, Ríos J, Jose-Cunilleras E.To assess the prevalence of exercise-induced pulmonary hemorrhage (EIPH) among elite endurance horses after competition in a long-distance race. 20 endurance horses and 12 nonexercised or minimally exercised age-, breed-, and trainer-matched horses from the same environment (control horses). Bronchoalveolar lavage fluid samples collected from endurance horses at 3 to 8 days (sample A) and 36 to 38 days (sample B) after the race (100 km in 1 day [n = 3], 70 km/d for 2 days [12], or 100 km/d for 2 days [5]) were cytologically examined for the presence of hemosiderophages. Samples from control ho...
Racine J, O'Brien T, Bladon BM, Cruz AM, Stoffel MH, Haenssgen K, Rodgerson DH, Livesey MA, Koch C.To investigate the feasibility and complications associated with ceratohyoidectomy (CHE) in standing sedated horses unaffected (experimental horses) and standing sedated horses affected (clinical cases) with temporohyoid osteoarthropathy (THO). Methods: Case series. Methods: Six experimental horses and four clinical cases. Methods: Standing CHE was performed in six experimental horses euthanized 30 minutes (n = 3) and 7 days (n = 3) postoperatively. The four clinical cases were presented because of central facial nerve paralysis (n = 3), vestibular ataxia (n = 3), auricular hemorrhage (n =...
Bayly W, Lopez C, Sides R, Bergsma G, Bergsma J, Gold J, Sellon D.Public pressure exists in the United States to eliminate race-day furosemide administration despite its efficacy in decreasing the severity of equine exercise pulmonary hemorrhage (EIPH). No effective alternative prophylaxis strategies have been identified. Objective: To investigate alternative protocols to race-day furosemide that might mitigate EIPH. Methods: Seven fit Thoroughbreds with recent EIPH. Methods: Double-blinded placebo-controlled Latin square crossover using a treadmill followed by a blinded placebo-controlled crossover study at a racetrack. First, horses exercised supramaximall...
Erickson BK, Erickson HH, Coffman JR.This study investigated changes in packed cell volume (PCV), pulmonary artery and aortic pressures, and the interaction between oesophageal pressure and pulmonary artery and aortic pressures during strenuous exercise in the horse. It was hypothesised that oesophageal pressure changes summate with pulmonary artery and aortic pressures during exercise and contribute to exercise-induced pulmonary haemorrhage (EIPH). Acute treadmill exercise (10 m/sec, 3 degrees incline) produced increases in heart rate (HR) from 50 to 202 beats/min; mean pulmonary artery pressure (PAP) from 28 to 80 mmHg; mean ao...
van den Boom R, van der Velden MA.A retrospective study was carried out of 224 horses operated for strangulating small intestine obstructions. Fifty-four horses were euthanized and 5 horses died during surgery which means that 165 (73%) were allowed to recover. Of these, 53 horses were euthanized or died in the clinic and 112 (50%) were discharged from the hospital. Of 90 horses available for follow-up 1 year postoperatively, 76 (84%) were still alive. The most important causes of death or reasons for euthanasia in the direct post-operative period were post-operative paralytic ileus, (adhesive) peritonitis and intra-abdominal ...
Franzén P, Berg AL, Aspan A, Gunnarsson A, Pringle J.A 19-year-old horse that was one of a group of six horses infected experimentally with Anaplasma phagocytophilum for a study of the pathogenesis of equine granulocytic ehrlichiosis died suddenly two days after first showing clinical signs of disease. The clinical signs and laboratory findings observed before its death were similar to all those of the other infected horses, and to previous reports of this disease. A postmortem examination revealed widespread haemorrhaging in its internal organs, and vasculitis and thrombosis in the kidneys. These changes are consistent with disseminated intrava...
Marr CM, McMillan I, Boyd JS, Wright NG, Murray M.The ultrasonographic and histopathological findings in 12 normal and 28 injured superficial digital flexor tendons, with lesions ranging in duration from 2 days to 15 months, were compared. A consistent relationship between the ultrasonographic and histological findings was demonstrated. The echogenicity of lesions, the distinctness of their delineation from the surrounding tissue, and the presence and arrangement of the linear echoes were useful features by which to assess the ultrasonograms. Acute lesions were anechoic, a complex mixture of anechoic and hypoechoic areas, or diffusely hypoech...
Moore EH, Shelton DK, Wisner ER, Richardson ML, Bishop DM, Brock JM.To reexamine the blood patch technique in a laboratory model of lung biopsy free of confounding clinical variables. Methods: An equine model of lung biopsy was developed with an excised lobe connected to an insufflation bulb and pressure monitor. Patched and control unpatched punctures were made in the lung surface, and the pressure within the lung was raised to the maximum achievable. Whether air leakage from the puncture sites could be induced was determined and, if so, at what pressure it occurred. Results: At statistical analysis with the Kaplan-Meier test and the Cox proportional hazards ...
Dickie CW, Klinkerman DL, Petrie RJ.Two Quarter Horse foals from different premises died from enterotoxemia. Clostridium perfringens toxins alpha and beta were demonstrated in the foal's intestines by mouse protection tests. Clostridium perfringens type C was isolated from the intestines of each foal. Histologic examination revealed hemorrhage, necrosis, and massive numbers of C perfringens.
Fletcher J, Davies PT, Lewis T, Campbell MJ.Jockeys accept bony fractures and soft tissue injuries as occupational hazards. An average National Hunt jockey falls once in ten races with an injury rate of 4.25%. Head injury is a common cause of morbidity and the benefit of helmets is well recognized. Neck injuries are also common and usually musculoskeletal. Although rare, trauma to the neck arteries may go unnoticed yet have catastrophic consequences. Internal tears can allow arterial blood to dissect the layers of the arterial wall and obstruct the lumen. Severe obstruction may lead to cerebral ischaemia and infarction. An appreciation ...
Lo Feudo CM, Stucchi L, Stancari G, Alberti E, Conturba B, Zucca E, Ferrucci F.Exercise-induced pulmonary hemorrhage (EIPH) is a condition affecting up to 95% of racehorses, diagnosed by detecting blood in the trachea after exercise and/or the presence of hemosiderophages in the bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALf). Although EIPH is commonly associated with poor performance, scientific evidence is scarce. The athletic capacity of racehorses can be quantified through some parameters obtained during an incremental treadmill test; in particular, the speed at a heart rate of 200 bpm (V200), and the speed (VLa4) and the heart rate (HRLa4) at which the blood lactate concentrati...
Stierstorfer B, Eichhorn W, Schmahl W, Brandmüller C, Kaaden OR, Neubauer A.An outbreak of neurological disease occurred in a well-managed riding school. Ataxia and paresis were observed in several horses, five of which became recumbent and were euthanized. Post-mortem analysis revealed scattered haemorrhages along the spinal cord, that were reflected by multiple haemorrhagic foci on formalin-fixed sections, with the thoracic and lumbar segments being the most affected. Pathohistologically, perivascular mononuclear cuffing and axonal swelling, especially in the white matter, were evident. Parallel to the course of disease, alterations in myelin sheets and activation o...
Episodic collapse in horses has equine welfare and human safety implications. There are, however, no published case series describing this syndrome. Objective: To characterize the cause and outcomes for horses referred for investigation of episodic collapse. Methods: Twenty-five horses referred for investigation of single or multiple episodes of collapse. Methods: Retrospective study. Clinical records from the Dick Vet Equine Hospital, University of Edinburgh from November 1995 to July 2009 were searched using the following keywords: collapse, collapsing, fall, syncope. Collapse was defined as...
Hanrath M, Rodgerson DH.To describe a technique for laparoscopic cryptorchidectomy in standing horses using electrosurgical instrumentation. Methods: Retrospective clinical study. Methods: Ten horses, 1 to 7 years of age, with unilaterally or bilaterally retained testes. Methods: Food was withheld for a minimum of 12 to 24 hours. Horses were sedated using xylazine hydrochloride (0.5 to 1 mg/kg) and butorphanol tartrate (0.02 mg/kg) or detomidine hydrochloride (0.02 to 0.03 mg/kg) and restrained in standing stocks. Three portal sites in the paralumbar fossae were locally desensitized using 2% mepivacaine. After trocar...
Brown CM, Kaneene JB, Taylor RF.An analysis was made of the causes of death in horses and ponies over one year of age which died suddenly (Group 1) or were found dead but were considered normal when last seen (Group 2). There were 49 animals in Group 1. Thoroughbreds were overrepresented, but there were no ponies in this group. No cause of death was found in 30.6 per cent of cases and 16.3 per cent died from each of the following causes: haemorrhage in the respiratory system, central nervous system, and adverse drug reactions. Cardiovascular lesions were the cause of death in 14.4 per cent and the remaining 3.1 per cent had ...
Mair TS, Walmsley JP, Phillips TJ.The medical records of 45 horses treated for suspected squamous cell carcinoma of the penis and/or prepuce were reviewed. The age of 40 horses was known, and these had a mean age of 17.4 years. The duration of neoplasia was known for only 3 of the 45 horses. The results of histological evaluation of lesions, available for 35 horses, confirmed that the diseased tissue was squamous cell carcinoma. The location of gross neoplastic lesions was recorded for 43 horses; the glans penis was involved in 24 horses, the body of the penis or the inner lamina of the preputial fold in 27 horses, and the ext...
Moore BR, Hinchcliff KW.Heparin is used clinically in horses to treat hemostatic abnormalities associated with severe gastrointestinal disease, septicemia, and endotoxemia. The primary anticoagulant effect of heparin is through the suppression of thrombin-dependent amplification of the coagulation cascade, and inhibition of thrombin-mediated conversion of fibrinogen to fibrin. Heparin may be of benefit in preventing the complications associated with hypercoagulable states such as jugular vein thrombosis, laminitis, and organ failure. Heparin may also be beneficial in the prevention of intraabdominal adhesions after g...
Fernández GP, Segura A, Herrera M, Velasco W, Solano G, Gutiérrez JM, León G.Polyspecific bothropic/crotalic and bothropic/lachesic antivenoms were produced in Bolivia by immunizing two donkeys with the venoms of Bothrops mattogrossensis and Crotalus durissus terrificus and one llama with the venoms of B. mattogrossensis and Lachesis muta. These antivenoms are currently being used for snakebite envenomation in Bolivia. The rationale for using these animals is that donkeys and llamas are better adapted than horses to the high altitudes in South America and constitute good alternatives for antivenom production in these regions. Plasma was fractionated by caprylic acid pr...
Sweeney CR, Soma LR, Maxson AD, Thompson JE, Holcombe SJ, Spencer PA.The effects of furosemide on the racing times of 79 horses without exercise-induced pulmonary hemorrhage (EIPH) and 52 horses with EIPH were investigated. Racing times were adjusted to 1-mile equivalent racing times by 2 speed handicapping methods, and analysis of covariance was used to adjust actual racing times by winning time and distance for each race. All 3 methods of determining racing time indicated that geldings without EIPH had significantly faster racing times (P less than 0.05) when given furosemide before racing than when furosemide was not given before racing. Females and colts wi...
Barton MH, Morris DD, Norton N, Prasse KW.Thirteen coagulation tests evaluating hemostatic and fibrinolytic indices and serum cytokine and plasma endotoxin concentrations were obtained in 34 foals with a positive sepsis score (septic group) and 46 age-matched healthy foals. Compared to healthy foals, the prothrombin, activated partial thromboplastin, and whole blood recalcification times were significantly longer in septic foals. The fibrinogen and fibrin degradation products concentrations, percent plasminogen, alpha-2 antiplasmin, and plasminogen activator inhibitor activities, and tumor necrosis factor and interleukin-6 activities ...
Léguillette R, Steinmann M, Bond SL, Stanton B.Poor performance is often suspected to be associated with EIPH in barrel racing horses; however, there are no published reports of EIPH for this discipline. The prevalence of EIPH in barrel racing horses is also unknown. Objective: This study was performed to determine the prevalence of EIPH and signs of airway inflammation in barrel racing horses under normal racing conditions in Alberta. Methods: About 170 barrel racing horses. Methods: Observational cross-sectional study. Tracheobronchoscopic examinations were performed at least 30 minutes postrace. Video recordings were scored off-site ind...
Sleeper MM, Durando MM, Miller M, Habecker PL, Reef VB.Clinical findings in 4 horses with aortic root disease are described. Three of the horses had aneurysms of the right aortic sinus, and in 2 of the 3, the aneurysm ruptured, creating a fistula between the aorta and right ventricle. One of these horses had had a murmur since birth, and the aortic sinus aneurysm may have been a congenital anomaly. In a second horse, the aneurysm may have been an acquired condition that developed secondary to chronic aortic regurgitation. Another horse had a large subendocardial hematoma associated with dissection of blood from the aorta to the interventricular se...
Sumner SM, Naskou MC, Thoresen M, Copland I, Peroni JF.Platelet preparations containing growth factors, attachment factors, and enzymes are appealing to enhance healing of injured tissues and as an alternative to xenogenic serum in cell culture media. Plateletpheresis is commonly used to collect platelets in human medicine but has not been validated in horses. Plateletpheresis to collect platelet concentrate was performed on six female, mixed breed, chemically restrained horses using commercially available apheresis equipment. Before and immediately after plateletpheresis, we performed physical examinations and collected blood for chemistry and co...
Wilson ME, Holz CL, Kopec AK, Dau JJ, Luyendyk JP, Soboll Hussey G.Equine herpesvirus type 1 (EHV-1) is the cause of respiratory disease, abortion storms, and outbreaks of herpesvirus myeloencephalopathy (EHM). Infection of the spinal cord is characterised by multifocal regions of virally infected vascular endothelium, associated with vasculitis, thrombosis and haemorrhage that result in ischaemia and organ dysfunction. However, the mechanism of thrombosis in affected horses is unknown. Objective: To evaluate tissue factor (TF) procoagulant activity and thrombin-antithrombin complex (TAT) levels in horses following infection with EHV-1. Methods: In vitro and ...
Hunt JM, Edwards GB, Clarke KW.A survey of 259 surgical colic cases revealed that over 50 per cent of fatalities occurred in the postoperative period. Postoperative ileus and circulatory/endotoxaemic shock accounted for 70 per cent of these deaths. Other less important complications were salmonellosis, long bone fracture, adhesions, haemorrhage, laminitis, wound infection and ischaemic muscle damage. Close monitoring of postoperative progress is necessary to enable early diagnosis and treatment. Recent developments in understanding of the pathophysiology of endotoxic shock and ileus may lead to more successful treatment reg...
Prange T, Derksen FJ, Stick JA, Garcia-Pereira FL, Carr EA.Despite modern medical diagnostic imaging, it is not possible to identify reliably the exact location of spinal cord compression in horses with cervical vertebral stenotic myelopathy (CVSM). Vertebral canal endoscopy has been successfully used in man and a technique for cervical vertebral canal endoscopy (CVCE) has been described in equine cadavers. Objective: To determine the feasibility and safety of CVCE in healthy mature horses. Methods: Six healthy mature horses were anaesthetised. A flexible videoendoscope was subsequently introduced via the atlanto-occipital space into the epidural spac...
Epstein KL.Although primary coagulopathies are rare in horses, changes in coagulation and fibrinolysis are commonly associated with inflammatory diseases. A clear understanding of the pathophysiology of normal and abnormal hemostasis is required to be able to choose and interpret diagnostic tests evaluating coagulation and fibrinolysis. After diagnosis, treatment of the underlying disease must occur regardless of whether clinical manifestations (excessive bleeding or thrombosis) of the coagulopathy are present or not. Specific treatment may be initiated if there are clinical signs of coagulopathy.
Jones RL, Adney WS, Alexander AF, Shideler RK, Traub-Dargatz JL.Severe hemorrhagic necrotizing enterocolitis was determined to be the cause of death for 4 foals. Toxigenic Clostridium difficile was isolated form the intestine of each foal, and large, gram-positive, rod-shaped bacteria lined the surface of necrotic villi. This finding of toxigenic C difficile associated with enteritis in foals adds another possible cause to the list of infectious agents that should be considered when evaluating foals with enteritis. Definitive diagnosis requires a thorough diagnostic evaluation, including procedures that will identify the organism and demonstrate its toxige...
Velie BD, Raadsma HW, Wade CM, Knight PK, Hamilton NA.Post exercise epistaxis, the manifestation of a severe form of exercise-induced pulmonary haemorrhage (EIPH), has been observed in many equine racing populations. Although multiple analyses have suggested that non-genetic factors may lead to the development of this condition, relatively little consensus has been reached regarding its genetic aetiology. The objective of this study was to provide insight into both genetic and non-genetic factors that may contribute to the expression of epistaxis in the Australian Thoroughbred racing population. Racing records and reported epistaxis occurrences w...
Balantidium coli is a ciliated protozoan that inhabits the large intestine of swine, man, rodents, and nonhuman primates. Frequently this organism is associated with enteric diseases in man and nonhuman primates, with rare manifestations of disease in swine and other mammalian species. This report describes a case of B. coli-induced enteric disease in a 15-yr-old, mare, Finnish Horse after an acute onset of colic. Severe hemorrhagic and eosinophilic colitis with intense infiltration of intralesional B. coli-like ciliated protozoan were found histologically.
Pusterla N, Watson JL, Affolter VK, Magdesian KG, Wilson WD, Carlson GP.The medical records of 53 horses with purpura haemorrhagica were reviewed. Seventeen of them had been exposed to or infected with Streptococcus equi, nine had been infected with Corynebacterium pseudotuberculosis, five had been vaccinated with S. equi M protein, five had had a respiratory infection of unknown aetiology, and two had open wounds; the other 15 cases had no history of recent viral or bacterial infection. The horses were between six months and 19 years of age (mean 8.4 years). The predominant clinical signs were well demarcated subcutaneous oedema of all four limbs and haemorrhages...
Green SL, Smith LL, Vernau W, Beacock SM.The records of 21 horses with rabies were reviewed. Results of fluorescent antibody testing for rabies antigen in brain tissue were positive in each case. According to the histories, 5 of the horses had been vaccinated for rabies between 4 to 24 months prior to the onset of the clinical signs. Bite wounds were not observed on any of the horses, and exposure to a suspected rabid animal was witnessed in only 5 cases. Clinical signs of disease at the time of initial examination included ataxia and paresis of the hindquarters (9/21, 43%), lameness (5/21, 24%), recumbency (3/21, 14%), pharyngeal pa...
Williams KJ, Derksen FJ, de Feijter-Rupp H, Pannirselvam RR, Steel CM, Robinson NE.Exercise-induced pulmonary hemorrhage (EIPH) is common in horses following intense exertion, occurring in up to 75% of racing Thoroughbreds and Standardbreds. In spite of this, the pathogenesis of EIPH is poorly understood. In 7 racing Thoroughbred horses with EIPH, 6 sections were collected from the left and right lung, representing the cranial, middle, and caudal region of the dorsal and ventral lung (84 sites total). Grossly, both right and left lungs had numerous dark brown to blue-black foci along the caudodorsal visceral pleura. Tissue sections were stained with hematoxylin-eosin, Masson...
