Topic:Kidneys
The kidneys in horses are vital organs responsible for filtering waste products from the blood, regulating fluid and electrolyte balance, and maintaining acid-base homeostasis. They perform essential functions in the excretion of metabolic waste, such as urea and creatinine, and play a role in the regulation of blood pressure through the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system. The kidneys also contribute to erythropoiesis by producing erythropoietin, a hormone that stimulates red blood cell production. This page compiles peer-reviewed research studies and scholarly articles that explore the anatomy, physiology, and pathophysiology of equine kidneys, as well as their role in overall equine health and disease management.
First Swedish case of fatal equine parasitic encephalitis by Halicephalobus gingivalis. Halicephalobus gingivalis is a nematode with zoonotic potential which can cause fatal opportunistic infections in various mammals. The parasite has never been diagnosed in Sweden, in any species, prior to the presented case. Methods: An imported 21-year-old Icelandic mare developed severe neurological signs. The horse was eventually euthanized and submitted for post-mortem examination where severe lesions in the kidneys were noted. Histopathology revealed the presence of H. gingivalis in both kidneys and the brain. Phylogenetic analysis of the parasite determined it to belong to Lineage 1. Con...
Preliminary evaluation of hepatitis A virus cell receptor 1/kidney injury molecule 1 in healthy horses treated with phenylbutazone. To investigate if hepatitis A virus cell receptor 1/kidney injury molecule 1 (HAVCR1/KIM1) in urine is detectable concurrently with increases in serum creatinine concentrations in horses receiving a recommended dose of phenylbutazone (PBZ) for 7 days. Methods: Preliminary study. Methods: Ten clinically healthy horses with normal physical examination and laboratory work were randomly assigned to PBZ or placebo groups (5 each). The PBZ group received PBZ at 4.4 mg/kg mixed with corn syrup orally every 12 hours. The placebo group received corn syrup orally every 12 hours. Both groups were tre...
Pyelonephritic end-stage kidney and ureterocutaneous fistula in a Shetland pony. A 12-y-old Shetland Pony was presented with a mucus-secreting fistula in the right paralumbar fossa. Surgery was performed to unravel the origin of the fistula. The horse died under anesthesia and was forwarded to autopsy. The right kidney was markedly atrophic and fibrotic, consistent with unilateral end-stage kidney. The right ureter was markedly thickened, but with luminal continuity leading into the urinary bladder where a partial obstruction caused by nodular para-ureteral fat necrosis was evident. The lumen of the cutaneous fistula was continuous with the right ureter; therefore, we diag...
A Horse of a Different Color: A Case Report of Streptococcus Equi Meningitis in a Kidney Transplant Recipient. Streptococcus equi is an opportunistic pathogen in horses that has rarely been transmitted to humans. Here we present a zoonotic S. equi meningitis case in a kidney transplant recipient with exposure to infected horses. We discuss the patient's risk factors, clinical presentation, and management in the context of the limited literature on S. equi meningitis.
Minimally invasive removal of obstructive ureteral stones by intracorporeal lithotripsy in horses: 3 patients. Three client-owned horses diagnosed with obstructive ureteral stones were referred and treated in a minimally invasive manner by retrograde ureteroscopy in conjunction with electrohydraulic lithotripsy (EHL) or laser Holmium:YAG lithotripsy (HYL). For all 3 horses, additional tests revealed variable degrees of azotemia and ureteral obstruction. Ultrasound examination (2 horses) revealed a loss of cortico-medullary distinction consistent with a chronic nephropathy. Ultrasound-guided biopsy of the right kidney in 1 horse revealed moderate glomerulosclerosis and lymphoplasmacytic nephritis. A sta...
Biomarkers of Kidney Disease in Horses: A Review of the Current Literature. Creatinine only allows detection of kidney disease when 60 to 75% of the glomerular function is lost and is therefore not an ideal marker of disease. Additional biomarkers could be beneficial to assess kidney function and disease. The objectives are to describe new equine kidney biomarkers. This systematic review assesses the available literature, including the validation process and reference values, following which the authors suggest recommendations for clinical use. SDMA may have some potential as equine kidney biomarker, but there is currently a lack of evidence that SDMA offers any advan...
Bilateral Uveitis in a Horse With a Renal Carcinoma. Equine uveitis is a common eye disease that affect horses from different breeds, ages, and genders. Uveitis has been described as inflammation of the uvea secondary immunomediated processes or eye trauma. Renal cell carcinoma (RCC) is the most common tumor that can affect the equine kidneys. The present case describe a horse that was referred to the Veterinary Teaching Hospital of the University of Extremadura with bilateral uveitis. The horse was treated for the primary complain but the horse collapse and die during hospitalization. At necropsy, a tumoral mass in kidney with extensive in othe...
Preliminary study of the pharmacokinetics, tissue distribution, and behavioral and select physiological effects of morphine 6-glucuronide (M6G) following intravenous administration to horses. Although morphine has demonstrated antinociceptive effects in horses, its administration has been associated with dose-dependent adverse effects. In humans and rats, part of the analgesic effect of morphine has been attributed to the active metabolite, morphine-6-glucuronide (M6G). Although morphine can cause several undesirable effects, M6G has a more favorable safety profile. The objective of this study was to characterize the pharmacokinetics, tissue distribution, and behavioral and select physiological effects of M6G following intravenous administration to a small group of horses. In Part ...
Renal Lesions in Horses with Oleander (Nerium oleander) Poisoning. A presumptive postmortem diagnosis of oleander () poisoning is made based on the histological observation of cardiomyocyte degeneration and necrosis, which is considered to be a reliable diagnostic marker, and can be confirmed via the detection of oleandrin in tissues or fluids. However, cardiac lesions may not be present in every case, and autolysis can often preclude the identification of subtle changes in the cardiomyocytes. Several studies of experimental oleander poisoning have noted the presence of renal lesions in multiple mammalian species, and case studies of accidental exposure have ...
Ureteropyeloscopic removal of a nephrolith from a 19 year old Hanoverian gelding. To describe the ureteropyeloscopic removal of a nephrolith in a horse. Methods: A 19 year old Hanoverian gelding with history of urolithiasis requiring surgical intervention. Methods: Case report METHODS: The horse presented with signs of abdominal straining and stranguria. A proximal urethral calculus was palpable externally within the perineal urethra. Perineal urethrostomy (PU) at the location of the urethral calculi was performed to remove the urethral obstruction. Left nephrolithiasis was then treated by endoscopic retrieval, inserting the endoscope through the PU. The procedures were per...
Chronic Renal Failure-Causes, Clinical Findings, Treatments and Prognosis. Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is rare in horses with an overall prevalence reported to be 0.12%. There is often a continuum from Acute Kidney Injury (AKI) to CKD, and patients with CKD may be predisposed to episodes of AKI. The most common clinical signs are non-specific with weight loss, polyuria/polydipsia and ventral edema. Less common clinical signs are poor appetite and performance, dull hair coat, oral ulcerations, gastro-intestinal ulceration, gingivitis, dental tartar and diarrhea. Rarely, horses may develop forebrain signs. Creatinine increases when at least 2/3 of kidney function have...
Urinary Tract Disorders of Foals. Urinary disease in the neonatal period can occur with primary congenital renal defects or as a secondary consequence of birth trauma, ischemic injury, nephrotoxic medications, or systemic illness. This article reviews the clinical evaluation of the urinary system in foals and highlights diagnostic and therapeutic features of the most commonly encountered urinary disorders of the equine neonatal patient.
Polyuria and Polydipsia in Horses. Polyuria and polydipsia are rare, but significant, manifestations of several different diseases of horses. Causes can be endocrine, iatrogenic, psychogenic, infectious, or toxic in nature and can also be due to primary renal disease or diseases of other organs, such as the liver. Although numerous causes of polyuria and polydipsia in horses exist, the most common conditions include chronic kidney disease, pituitary pars intermedia dysfunction, and psychogenic polydipsia with secondary polyuria. Additional testing is dictated by history, other clinical signs, and the results of blood work and/o...
Surgery of the Equine Urinary Tract. Urinary surgery in the horse may be challenging. More straightforward procedures, such as urinary bladder or urachal defects, do not usually require specialized equipment or imaging, although laboratory work is helpful. Congenital or acquired conditions of the ureters or kidneys may necessitate advanced diagnostic work-ups including advanced imaging /or and minimally invasive procedures. Some surgery of the lower urinary tract is done in the sedated, standing adult horse. Surgery involving the kidney typically requires general anesthesia. Laparoscopy and associated tools are frequently used. A...
Acute Kidney Injury and Renal Failure in Horses. Nephrotoxic and hemodynamically mediated disorders are the most common causes of acute renal failure (ARF) in horses and foals. Leptospira spp. is the most common infectious cause of ARF. Initial treatments for ARF include elimination of nephrotoxic drugs, correction of predisposing disorders, and fluid therapy to promote diuresis. Horses and foals with polyuric ARF often have a good prognosis, while those with oliguric or anuric ARF have a guarded to poor prognosis. When fluid therapy is unsuccessful in improving urine production, various drugs treatments have been used in an attempt to incre...
Relevant Equine Renal Anatomy, Physiology, and Mechanisms of Acute Kidney Injury: A Review. Regulation of renal blood flow is by both extrinsic and intrinsic systems. Intrinsic regulation occurs via the afferent and efferent arterioles and tubuloglomerular feedback mechanisms with activation of the juxtaglomerular apparatus. Mechanisms of acute kidney injury are frequently associated with changes in renal blood flow. Acute tubular necrosis and apoptosis are common in horses following ischemic or toxic insults and in sepsis-associated acute kidney injury. Sepsis-associated renal injury often has a complex mechanism of disease involving both functional and obstructive changes in intrar...
Analytical documentation of an Arabian horse fatality related to Oenanthe crocata poisoning. Analytical detection of Oenanthe crocata toxins in biological samples is challenging because of their instability, the lack of commercially available standards and the exceptionally low detection of these molecules using mass spectrometry. This work aims to report the used analytical methods that allowed identification of the main plant toxins in biological samples from an equid (an Arabian horse) fatality related to hemlock water dropwort (Oenanthe crocata Linnaeus) intake. Using both LC-DAD and LC-HRMS methods allowed identification (i) of oenanthotoxin in roots found on the site, root fragm...
Incidence of superficial abdominal organ identification is similar using high-frequency linear (transrectal) and low-frequency curvilinear (abdominal) transducers in clinically healthy horses: A pilot study. Abdominal organ displacement is a potentially life-threatening condition in horses. Primary care veterinarians commonly make referral decisions based on a combination of clinical and ultrasonographic findings. However, published studies describing the effects of transducer on identifying abdominal organ locations in horses are currently lacking. The objective of this prospective, methods comparison, pilot study was to compare organ identification using a high-frequency linear (transrectal) transducer and a low-frequency curvilinear (abdominal) transducer for transcutaneous abdominal ultrasonog...
Symmetric dimethylarginine concentrations in healthy neonatal foals and mares. Symmetric dimethylarginine (SDMA) is a renal biomarker correlated with glomerular filtration rate (GFR). Objective: Describe changes in SDMA in clinically healthy foals and their mares during the first month postfoaling. Methods: Convenience sampling of healthy periparturient Thoroughbred mares and their full-term foals from a population of client-owned horses. Methods: Serum and EDTA whole blood samples were collected from mares in their last month of pregnancy and then from mares and foals at approximately <12 hours, 48 hours, 7 days, and 30 days postbirth. Samples were processed ...
Serum symmetric dimethylarginine concentration in healthy neonatal Thoroughbred foals. Symmetric dimethylarginine (SDMA) is widely used in other species as a marker of renal dysfunction and is considered a more sensitive indicator of glomerular filtration rate than creatinine. Reference ranges are established in healthy adult horses (≤14 μg/dL) and concentrations are increased in horses with acute kidney injury (median 32 μg/dL; range 15-92). Objective: To establish the normal range of SDMA concentrations in neonatal Thoroughbreds. Methods: Cross-sectional. Methods: Blood samples were collected from Thoroughbred foals <36 h old deemed healthy by physical examination. E...
Aspergillus Section Fumigati Pneumonia and Oxalate Nephrosis in a Foal. Equine pulmonary aspergillosis is a rare deep mycosis often due to the hematogenous spread of hyphae after gastrointestinal tract disease. We describe herein the main clinic-pathological findings observed in a foal, which spontaneously died after showing diarrhea and respiratory distress. Necropsy and histopathological investigations allowed to diagnose pulmonary aspergillosis, which likely developed after necrotic typhlitis-colitis. Biomolecular studies identified section strain as the causative agent. Notably, severe oxalate nephrosis was concurrently observed. Occasionally, oxalate nephro...
Symmetric dimethylarginine and renal function analysis in horses with dehydration. Acute dehydration caused by a variety of diseases in horses can lead to acute kidney injury. However, current renal biomarkers usually indicate renal damage late in the course of the disease. A novel biomarker would be helpful to diagnose renal disease earlier. Objective: (1) To estimate the correlation of serum symmetric dimethylarginine (SDMA) concentrations with the degree of dehydration, traditional renal biomarkers and renal function analysis, and (2) to determine the value of SDMA as a prognostic and early biomarker of renal injury in horses. Methods: Prospective cohort. Methods: Serum S...
Renal Resistive Index as A Potential Indicator of Acute Kidney Injury in Horses. Reliable and simple tests are constantly being sought to enable the quick detection of acute kidney injury in humans and animals. Diagnosis of subclinical AKI in horses, mainly in field practice, is difficult. An ultrasound scan is a routine test performed when kidney disease is suspected. The aim of the study was to establish the value of the renal resistive index (RRI) in intrarenal arteries in horses with clinical AKI and compare it to that of healthy horses. The second goal was to determine whether potentially nephrotoxic agents can influence RRI. The kidney ultrasonography examination was...
Evaluation of Serum and Urine Neutrophil Gelatinase-associated Lipocalin and Cystatin C as Biomarkers of Acute Kidney Injury in Horses. Diagnosis of acute kidney injury (AKI) in horses is difficult at the subclinical stage, due to nonspecific clinical signs. The aim of this study was to evaluate the concentrations of selected serum and urinary biomarkers in healthy horses, horses at risk of AKI, and those with clinical AKI. Methods: Thirty healthy horses, 30 horses at risk of AKI and 11 horses with clinical AKI and azotaemia were included in the study. Serum and urinary neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin (NGAL) and cystatin C were measured using commercially available enzyme immunoassay tests. Results: The median and (...
Short-term infusion of ultralow-dose dopamine in an adult horse with acute kidney injury: A case report. Much is known regarding a good prognosis of acute kidney injury (AKI) is achieved with adequate, intensive, and early treatment, which leads to acceleration of the renal blood flow rate and associated urination. Low-dose dopamine (1 to 5 μg/kg bwt per min) is a treatment option for AKI in humans but remains controversial for use in horses because of the lack of extensive clinical trial data. A 19-year-old Westfalen horse gelding was referred to the Animal Medical Center with a 1-hour history of mild abdominal pain and anorexia after dressage exercise for 1 hour. Since elevated serum levels o...
[Glomerulonephritis after contact with a horse]. Zoonoses are important to consider when humans become ill after being in contact with animals. In such cases thorough patient history is crucial, especially when infections have an unclear cause. We present a patient with infection-associated glomerulonephritis, where a horse was the probable source of infection. A young woman was admitted to the district general hospital in Vestfold, Norway, with infection and acute kidney failure. Renal biopsy suggested glomerulonephritis, and nasopharyngeal culture taken at admission detected Streptococcus equi. It emerged that the patient had daily contact...
Identification of Hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF) stabilizer roxadustat and its possible metabolites in thoroughbred horses for doping control. Hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF) stabilizer belongs to a novel class of pharmacologically active substances, which are capable of inducing the endogenous erythropoietic system. The transcriptional activator HIF has been shown to significantly increase blood hemoglobin and is well set for the treatment of anemia resulting from chronic kidney disease. This research work reports a comprehensive study of the most popular HIF stabilizer roxadustat and its metabolites in thoroughbred horse urine after oral administration. The plausible structures of the detected metabolites were postulated using liqui...
Detecting acute kidney injury in horses by measuring the concentration of symmetric dimethylarginine in serum. Acute kidney injury (AKI) in horses may develop as a complication of a primary disease or following the administration of nephrotoxic drugs, and may pose a diagnostic challenge. Hence, the main objective of this study was to evaluate the concentrations and diagnostic significance of serum symmetric dimethylarginine (SDMA) and conventional renal dysfunction biomarkers in healthy horses, horses at risk of developing AKI, and horses with clinically evident AKI. A second aim was to assess how gastrointestinal disease and exposure to potentially nephrotoxic drugs affected SDMA levels. Thirty health...
Acupuncture for Anaemia and Large Intestine Impaction Associated with Hind Limb Weakness in a Horse: A Case Report. A 24-year-old horse was presented with a clinical history of anaemia, large intestine impaction and hind limb weakness. Loss of body weight was also reported. Hematocrit and hemoglobin levels were low and piroplasmosis test was negative. Nasogastric intubation with laxative agents was performed and 50 ml of a red blood-cell-supplement was given daily during a month. An assessment following Traditional Chinese Veterinary Medicine (TCVM) principles was performed after the last episode of large intestine impaction. A swollen, pale and wet tongue was observed. A superficial, weak pulse combined p...