Noninvasive procedures in horses refer to diagnostic and therapeutic techniques that do not require incision into the body or removal of tissue. These procedures are designed to minimize discomfort and risk to the animal while providing valuable information for veterinary care. Common noninvasive methods include ultrasonography, thermography, and endoscopy, which allow for the examination of internal structures without surgery. Additionally, techniques such as laser therapy and extracorporeal shock wave therapy are employed for treatment purposes. These procedures are beneficial for assessing and managing a variety of conditions, including musculoskeletal disorders and soft tissue injuries. This page compiles peer-reviewed research studies and scholarly articles that explore the application, effectiveness, and advancements of noninvasive procedures in equine medicine.
Turna Yilmaz O, Gunduz MC, Evkuran Dal G, Kurban I, Erzengin OM, Ucmak M.Doppler ultrasonography is a noninvasive technique which enables us to follow the physiologic and physiopathologic changes in blood flow in tissues. It is becoming an essential tool in veterinary medicine, especially in theriogenology. Twenty-seven Arabian mares were grouped by age ('young', 3-10 y, n=15; 'old', 19-23 y, n=12). The uterine arteries of the mares were examined using Doppler ultrasonography when an ovarian follicle ≥35mm was visible (Day -1). After these measurements, human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG; 2500IU) was administered to 14 mares selected randomly. One day later (Day 0...
Jaskólska M, Adamiak Z, Zhalniarovich Y, Przyborowska P, Peczyński Z.Deep digital flexor tendinopathy is a common problem in horses of different athletic disciplines. Nowadays, the use of magnetic resonance imaging is considered to be a noninvasive and superior choice for recognizing bone and soft tissue pathologies especially related to difficult to access structures within the hoof capsule.
Ortega-Ferrusola C, Gracia-Calvo LA, Ezquerra J, Pena FJ.Doppler ultrasonography is an important tool in the andrological evaluation in humans; however, this method is not so extensively used by equine andrologists. Spectral or pulse Doppler is a useful non-invasive method for the early diagnosis of subfertility problems in the male, especially those triggered by vascular disturbance. The identification of any disturbance in the blood flow of the testis is crucial for a correct diagnosis of various testicular and scrotal disorders but also to monitor the therapeutic outcome following treatment. The aim of this review is to provide an update on the c...
Yarnell K, Fleming J, Stratton TD, Brassington R.Infrared thermography (IRT) was used to assess surface temperature change as an indirect measure of muscle activity and exercise associated changes in blood flow in the working hind limb muscles of horses (n=7) undergoing water treadmill exercise. Three treatments were investigated including the treadmill ran dry (TD), water at the height of the proximal interphalangeal joint (PIP) and water at the height of the carpus (CP). Maximum skin surface temperature was recorded from the region of the semitendinosus muscle during exercise at each water height. There was a significant difference in surf...
Hatz LA, Hartnack S, Kümmerle J, Hässig M, Bettschart-Wolfensberger R.To assess accuracy of noninvasive blood pressure (NIBP) measured by oscillometric device Sentinel compared to invasive blood pressure (IBP) in anaesthetized horses undergoing surgery. To assess if differences between the NIBP measured by the Sentinel and IBP are associated with recumbency, cuff placement, weight of the horse or acepromazine premedication and to describe usefulness of the Sentinel. Methods: Prospective study examining replicates of simultaneous NIBP and IBP measurements. Methods: Twenty-nine horses. Methods: Invasive blood pressure was measured via a catheter in the facial arte...
Tünsmeyer J, Hopster K, Feige K, Kästner SB.To determine the agreement of high definition oscillometry (HDO) with direct arterial blood pressure measurements in normotensive, hypotensive and hypertensive horses during general anaesthesia. Methods: Experimental study. Methods: Seven healthy warmblood horses, aged 3-11 years, weighing 470-565 kg. Methods: Measurements from a HDO device with the cuff placed around the base of the tail were compared with pressures measured invasively from the facial artery. High blood pressures were induced by intravenous (IV) administration of dobutamine (5 μg kg(-1) minute(-1)) over ten minutes followed ...
Roach JM, Pfau T, Bryars J, Unt V, Channon SB, Weller R.Kinematic evaluation of the distal limb of the horse using standard methods is challenging, mainly due to the hoof capsule restricting visualisation, but the recent development of a high-speed fluoroscopy (HSF) system has allowed in vivo cineradiographic assessment of moving skeletal structures at high speeds. The application of this non-invasive method to the equine distal limb is used to describe 'internal' distal limb kinematics including intra-horse and inter-horse variability, and variability between walk and trot. Distal limb kinematic data were collected at walk and trot from six non-la...
Moens Y, Schramel JP, Tusman G, Ambrisko TD, Solà J, Brunner JX, Kowalczyk L, Böhm SH.The use of alveolar recruitment maneuvers during general anaesthesia of horses is a potentially useful therapeutic option for the ventilatory management. While the routine application of recruitments would benefit from the availability of dedicated large animal ventilators their impact on ventilation and perfusion in the horse is not yet well documented nor completely understood. Methods: A healthy 533 kg experimental horse underwent general anaesthesia in lateral recumbency. During intermittent positive pressure ventilation a stepwise alveolar recruitment maneuver was performed. Results: Anae...
Murase H, Endo Y, Tsuchiya T, Kotoyori Y, Shikichi M, Ito K, Sato F, Nambo Y.It has not been common to perform regular ultrasound examination of the fetus in equine practice, due to the increasing volume of the uterus caused by fetal development. The convex three-dimensional transducer is bulb-shaped and is able to observe wide areas. In addition, its operation is simple, making it easy to create appropriate angles for various indices using a transrectal approach. The aim of this study was to measure Thoroughbred fetal growth indices throughout gestation using a convex transducer and to clarify the detectable period of some indices for clinical use. We demonstrated cha...
Williams S, Horner J, Orton E, Green M, McMullen S, Mobasheri A, Freeman SL.A change in management from pasture to stabling is a risk factor for equine colic. Objective: To investigate the effect of a management change from pasture with no controlled exercise to stabling with light exercise on aspects of gastrointestinal function related to large colon impaction. The hypothesis was that drinking water intake, faecal output, faecal water content and large intestinal motility would be altered by a transition from a pastured to a stabled regime. Methods: Within-subject management intervention trial involving changes in feeding and exercise using noninvasive techniques. M...
de Linde Henriksen M, Brooks DE.Standing ophthalmic surgery without general anesthesia allows for several routine ophthalmic procedures including eyelid lacerations and enucleations to be performed in the horse, but does contain increased risk of causing tissue damage arising from the inability to eliminate eye and head movements. Heavy sedation and local nerve blocks of the involved motor and sensory nerves are essential in achieving a good outcome from ophthalmic surgery in the nonanesthetized horse. The inability to use an operating microscope in standing surgery in horses prevents performing precise corneal and intraocul...
Walders W, Gehlen H.This study evaluated a device for blood pressure measurement using high definition oscillometry (HDO) for its acceptability and practicability in the horse. Furthermore, we evaluated whether this device can determine differences in blood pressure between healthy horses and horses with heart diseases and between different measurement times. Methods: The study population consisted of 60 horses (aged 4-31 years). All horses underwent clinical examination, conventional echocardiography (including cardiac output measurement at the pulmonary artery), repeated noninvasive blood pressure measurement a...
Aurich C, Schneider J.In the equine species, sex determination of the conceptus is of growing interest for the breeding industry. In horses, the sex ratio of the offspring depends on changes in body condition of the mother at conception and under natural conditions may thus markedly deviate from an expected 1:1 ratio. Insemination with sex-sorted spermatozoa allows a pronounced shift of the sex ratio but at present pregnancy rates are low and vary considerably under field conditions. In equine embryo transfer programmes, sex determination in embryos before transfer via genetic methods is a promising approach with h...
De Schauwer C, Goossens K, Piepers S, Hoogewijs MK, Govaere JL, Smits K, Meyer E, Van Soom A, Van de Walle GR.Mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) have been extensively studied for their promising capabilities in regenerative medicine. Although bone marrow is the best-known source for isolating equine MSCs, non-invasive alternative sources such as umbilical cord blood (UCB), umbilical cord matrix (UCM), and peripheral blood (PB) have also been reported. Methods: Equine MSCs from three non-invasive alternative sources were isolated from six individual mares (PB) and their foals (UCB and UCM) at parturition. To minimize inter-horse variability, the samples from the three sources were matched within the same...
Oosterlinck M, Royaux E, Back W, Pille F.Thus far, pressure-plate analysis has been limited to measurements on a hard surface, whereas equine athletes routinely perform on a deformable substrate. Objective: To explore pressure-plate analysis on arena footing. Methods: Nonrandomised crossover study using noninvasive techniques. Methods: Five sound, unshod ponies were walked and trotted over a pressure plate in 2 different conditions. In the first session, the plate was covered with only a 5 mm rubber mat, and in the second session, with an additional 50 mm layer of sand and synthetic fibres. Limb loading and timing variables (peak...
Crevier-Denoix N, Ravary-Plumioën B, Vergari C, Camus M, Holden-Douilly L, Falala S, Jerbi H, Desquilbet L, Chateau H, Denoix JM, Pourcelot P.The incidence of superficial digital flexor tendon (SDFT) injuries is one of the highest of all equine musculoskeletal conditions. Horses with SDFT injuries commonly show no improvement of lameness on soft ground, unlike those suffering from distal bone or joint lesions. The aim of this study was to compare the SDFT loading in five horses at the walk and trot on asphalt and sand using a non-invasive ultrasonic tendon force measurement device. Three horses were equipped with the ultrasonic device, whereas the other two horses were equipped with the ultrasonic device and a dynamometric horseshoe...
Lustgarten M, Redding WR, Labens R, Morgan M, Davis W, Seiler GS.Tendon and ligament injuries are common causes of impaired performance in equine athletes. Gray-scale ultrasonography is the current standard method for diagnosing and monitoring these injuries, however this modality only provides morphologic information. Elastography is an ultrasound technique that allows detection and measurement of tissue strain, and may provide valuable mechanical information about equine tendon and ligament injuries. The purpose of this study was to determine the feasibility, reproducibility, and repeatability of elastography; and to describe elastographic characteristics...
Decloedt A, de Clercq D, van der Vekens N, Verheyen T, van Loon G.Atrial fibrillation cycle length (AFCL) is an indicator of atrial electrical remodelling during atrial fibrillation (AF). Objective: To compare AFCL measured invasively from an intra-atrial electrogram (AFCLEGM ) with AFCL measured noninvasively by atrial colour tissue Doppler imaging (AFCLTDI ). Methods: Prospective descriptive clinical study. Methods: Measurements were performed in 31 episodes of AF or flutter in 29 horses (588 ± 61 kg bwt, 9 ± 3 years old) admitted for transvenous electrical cardioversion. The AFCLEGM was measured from an intracardiac electrogram using a bipolar sensi...
Riis KH, Harrison AP, Riis-Olesen K.Assessment of muscle function after an injury or during recovery is of great importance in the veterinary field. Accelerometry, bioimpedance analysis and mechanomyography/acoustic myography have been used to assess human muscular problems, but have not been applied to the veterinary clinic. We report the clinical use of these techniques in a 12-year-old Danish Warmblood horse presenting with recurring and shifting lameness. Acoustic myography, assessing both the amplitude and frequency of active muscles, was employed to locate the specific area of muscle injury, the right hip, which exhibited ...
Liu G, Xu CQ, Cao Q, Zimmermann W, Songer M, Zhao SS, Li K, Hu DF.Przewalski's horses have been imported from the western zoos to China since 1985. Yet the genetic diversity in China's populations has not been studied, thus lacking of such knowledge inevitably affects this population's management. The aim of this study was to assess genetic diversity in Chinese population of Przewalski's horses via mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) control region and pedigree analysis. Methods: Two captive and one reintroduced populations were examined based on mitochondrial DNA control region variation via fecal sampling from 2010 to 2012, together with pedigree analysis. Results: ...
Tremaine H.The last decade has seen a number of studies that have illuminated our knowledge of hypsodont dental disease and re-examined some of the traditionally performed practices. In addition there has been a major interest in routine preventative dentistry and non-traumatic treatments. These have highlighted some potential risks of the use of modern tools when applied to traditional techniques. This has also led to a reflective review of equine dentistry with the emphasis on attempting to preserve and salvage dental and periodontal tissues, with minimal trauma. In addition, precise imaging and instru...
Journée SL, de Ruijter-Villani M, Hendriks WK, Stout TA.Transvaginal ultrasound-guided pregnancy reduction (TUGR) is a procedure described for the management of twins post-fixation in the horse. Success rates are often disappointing but are reported to be more favorable for bilaterally situated twins and when intervention takes place before day 35 of gestation. This study aimed to determine whether stabbing the embryo/fetus rather than aspirating conceptus fluids improved the likelihood of success, measured as the birth of a normal live singleton foal. Data from 103 TUGR interventions were analyzed by logistic regression analysis; method of treatme...
Behan AL, Hauptman JG, Robinson NE.To use noninvasive respiratory inductance plethysmography (RIP) to investigate differences in breathing patterns between horses with and without recurrent airway obstruction (RAO) during the onset of airway obstruction induced through confinement to stables. Methods: 12 horses with no history or clinical signs of respiratory disease (control horses) and 7 RAO-affected horses. Methods: The study involved 2 phases. In phase 1, the optimal position of RIP bands for recording pulmonary function was investigated in 12 control horses. In phase 2, 7 RAO-affected and 7 control horses were confined to ...
Firląg M, Kamaszewski M, Gaca K, Bałasińska B.Aging is a process which operates at many levels of physiological, genetic and molecular organization and leads inevitably to death. Brain macroscopic changes by MRI investigation during aging were observed in humans and dogs but chimpanzees did not display significant changes. This suggestion led to the statement that brain aging is different in various species. Although human brain changes, e.g. β-amyloid storage, neurofibrillary tangle formation, lipofuscin, are relatively well known, we are still looking for a suitable animal model to study the mechanisms of aging and neurodegenerative di...
Cathcart MP, Love S, Sutton DG, Reardon RJ, Hughes KJ.Analyses of exhaled breath (EB) and exhaled breath condensate (EBC) are non-invasive modalities for assessing the lower airways but these methods have not been applied to Thoroughbred racehorses in training. The aims of this study were to determine whether EB and EBC could be obtained from Thoroughbred racehorses in the field and to investigate the effects of exercise per se and during different ambient temperatures and humidity on exhaled concentrations of nitric oxide (eNO), carbon monoxide (eCO) and EBC pH. EB and EBC samples were obtained from 28 Thoroughbred racehorses pre- and post-exerc...
McConachie E, Barton MH, Rapoport G, Giguère S.Cardiac output (CO) is not routinely measured in critically ill adult horses because of invasiveness of currently validated methods. Noninvasive CO monitoring would complement clinical assessment of hemodynamic status in adult horses. Objective: Volumetric methods for measuring CO will have better agreement with lithium dilution than Doppler-based methods. Methods: Eight healthy adult horses. Methods: Prospective study. CO was manipulated with continuous rate infusions of dobutamine and romifidine to achieve high and low CO states, respectively. At each level, CO was measured by lithium diluti...
Watts LM, Browne JA, Murphy BA.A comprehensive understanding of the equine circadian clock involves the evaluation of circadian clock gene expression. A non-invasive and effective method for detecting equine clock gene expression has yet to be established. Currently, research surrounding this area has relied on collecting tissue biopsies or blood samples that can often be costly, time consuming and uncomfortable for the animal. Methods: Five mares were individually stabled under a light-dark (LD) cycle that mimicked the external environmental photoperiod during a time of year corresponding with the vernal equinox. Hair foll...
Cribb NC, Kenney DG, Reid-Burke R.An 82-cm fragment of nasogastric tube was removed from the stomach of an adult horse under standing sedation by use of an endoscope and electrocautery snare. This is the first report of successful non-surgical removal of a nasogastric tube fragment from the stomach of a horse. Un fragment de 82 cm d’un tube naso-gastrique a été enlevé de l’estomac d’un cheval adulte sous sédation se tenant debout en utilisant un endoscope et une anse de galvanocautérisation. Il s’agit du premier rapport de l’enlèvement non chirurgical d’un fragment de tube naso-gastrique de l’estomac d’u...
Comin A, Veronesi MC, Montillo M, Faustini M, Valentini S, Cairoli F, Prandi A.Stimulation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis and elevated cortisol concentrations in fetal plasma are associated with foal maturity, viability and adaptation to independent life. However, non-invasive measurement of cortisol in hair samples has not yet been validated in horses. The current study developed a radioimmunoassay to analyse cortisol in horse hair and was used to measure cortisol hair concentration at birth and at 30 and 60 days of age as a retrospective study of HPA axis activity. Cortisol was detectable in the hair of foals from birth until 2 months, but decreased w...
Spriet M, Murphy B, Vallance SA, Vidal MA, Whitcomb MB, Wisner ER.Magic angle magnetic resonance (MR) imaging consists of imaging tendons at 55° to the magnetic field. In people, magic angle MR imaging is valuable for detection of chronic tendon lesions and allows calculation of tendon T1 values. Increased T1 values occur in people with chronic tendinopathy. The T1 values of normal equine tendons have been reported but there are no available data for abnormal equine tendons. Twelve limbs were studied. Two limbs had diode laser tendon lesions induced postmortem, four limbs had diode laser tendon lesions induced in vivo and six limbs had naturally occurring t...
Crișan MI, Damian A, Morar I, Páll E, Peștean C, Groza IȘ.The ability to choose the sex of the offspring is of upmost economic importance for horse breeders. Unlike other species, horses present several reproductive peculiarities that interfere with assisted reproductive technologies used in other large animals (such as bovine) and make them difficult to apply. Thus, there is a great interest to determine the sex of the offspring as soon as possible. This has led to the development of several technologies to serve this purpose, which can be classified into two categories. One is equine embryo sexing by either non-invasive biotechnological methods, su...
Muurlink T, Walmsley J, Young D, Whitton C.Current noninvasive techniques for imaging the soft tissue structures of the stifle have limitations. Arthroscopy is commonly used for the investigation and treatment of stifle pain. Cranial and caudal arthroscopic approaches to the femorotibial joints are used. However, complete examination of the axial aspect of the medial femorotibial joint (MFTJ) is not possible currently. Objective: To develop a cranial approach to the caudal pouch of the MFTJ and to assess whether it would allow a more complete examination of the compartment and facilitate the caudomedial approach. Methods: The regional ...
Tayari H, Flaherty D, Schauvliege S, La Rosa L, Auckburally A.To assess the accuracy and trending capability of continuous measurement of haemoglobin concentration [Hb], haemoglobin oxygen saturation (SaO) and oxygen content (CaO) measured by the Masimo Radical-7 pulse co-oximeter in horses undergoing inhalational anaesthesia. Methods: Prospective observational clinical study. Methods: A group of 23 anaesthetized adult horses. Methods: In 23 healthy adult horses undergoing elective surgical procedures, paired measurements of pulse co-oximetry-based haemoglobin concentration (SpHb), SaO (SpO), and CaO (SpOC) and simultaneous arterial blood samples were co...
Wyse CA, Murphy DM, Preston T, Morrison DJ, Love S.The aim of this study was to assess the feasibility of applying the 13C-octanoic acid breath test for assessment of gastric emptying in ponies by investigating the pattern of 13C enrichment in breath following the administration of a test meal +/- 13C-octanoic acid. After a 14 h fast, the ponies received either no meal (Test I) or a standardised test meal labelled with 0 mg (Test II), 125 mg (Test III), 250 mg (Test IV) or 500 mg (Test V) 13C-octanoic acid. For each test (I-V), exhaled breath samples were collected in duplicate at 1 h and immediately before ingestion of the test meal and at fr...
Lucas Z, Raeside JI, Betteridge KJ.Field observations of 400 totally unmanaged feral horses on Sable Island, Nova Scotia, were complemented by oestrogen determinations in faecal samples from 154 identified females over a 4-year period (454 mare-years). Of mares that were sampled throughout the year and subsequently produced foals, 92.1% exhibited elevated faecal oestrogens between 15 October and 30 March. The results confirm that faecal oestrogens are a useful indicator of pregnancy after approximately 120 days gestation. Distribution of foaling resembled that seen in other feral populations, with 95% of births occurring from A...
Lumsden JM, Derksen FJ, Stick JA, Robinson NE.Flow-volume loops generated from 6 Standardbreds at rest and during treadmill exercise were evaluated for their use in detecting upper airway obstruction. Tidal breathing flow-volume loops (TBFVL) were obtained from horses at rest and exercising at speeds corresponding to 75% of maximal heart rate and at maximal heart rate. The TBFVL were evaluated, using a pulmonary function computer; calculated indices describing airflow rate and expiratory-to-inspiratory airflow ratio for individual loops were determined. In addition to TBFVL indices, standard variables of upper airway function also were me...
Riis KH, Harrison AP, Riis-Olesen K.Assessment of muscle function after an injury or during recovery is of great importance in the veterinary field. Accelerometry, bioimpedance analysis and mechanomyography/acoustic myography have been used to assess human muscular problems, but have not been applied to the veterinary clinic. We report the clinical use of these techniques in a 12-year-old Danish Warmblood horse presenting with recurring and shifting lameness. Acoustic myography, assessing both the amplitude and frequency of active muscles, was employed to locate the specific area of muscle injury, the right hip, which exhibited ...
Giannetto C, Di Pietro S, Pennisi M, Acri G, Piccione G, Giudice E.In clinical practice, an important aspect of animal health status evaluation is the body temperature recording obtained using different methods. Within them, the non-contact and non-invasive infrared thermometer can provide an accurate estimation of body temperature improving the quality of care and medical decision. To evaluate the use of the monitoring of auricular temperature to improve the quality of care and medical decision. To evaluate the use of the monitoring of auricular temperature as indices of body temperature, as well as rectal temperature in eleven clinically healthy mixed bred ...
Rousseau-Blass F, Pigé C, Pang DS.To assess agreement between oscillometric noninvasive blood pressure (NIBP) measurements using LifeWindow monitors (LW9xVet and LW6000V) and invasive blood pressure (IBP). To assess the agreement of NIBP readings using a ratio of cuff width to mid-cannon circumference of 25% and 40%. Methods: Prospective, randomized clinical study. Methods: A total of 43 adult horses undergoing general anesthesia in dorsal recumbency for different procedures. Methods: Anesthetic protocols varied according to clinician preference. IBP measurement was achieved after cannulation of the facial artery and connectio...
Pringle J, Roberts C, Art T, Lekeux P.This study examined the ability of near infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) to noninvasively determine changes to muscle oxygenation in the resting horse. Five horses had (NIRS) performed over extremity muscle while under general anaesthesia, first with 8 min limb ischaemia, then systemic hypoxaemia for 5 min. A second group of 6 awake horses had NIRS performed over extremity muscle while being administered hypoxic gas (F(I)O2 0.10) for 5 min, and after return to steady state, limb ischaemia was induced for an additional 5 min. In the anaesthetised horses' ischaemia induced marked and significant mus...
Langton CM, Riggs CM, Evans GP.The velocity of ultrasound waves through bone has been used widely as a non-invasive method for assessing bone quality. Accurate measurement of velocity depends on accurate assessment of the distance travelled by the sound wave. It has been argued that the sonic pathway is deflected around the marrow cavity and so does not follow a straight line through the bone; therefore, correction factors have been developed to account for the extra distance travelled. This hypothesis was examined in vitro using sections from the equine third metacarpal bone. Two 1 MHz transducers used with the transmittin...
Pomorska-Zniszczyńska A, Szczepanik M, Kalisz G.Videodermoscopy is a novel, noninvasive technique used to examine the appearance of skin and its adnexa. The aim of this study was to assess specific dermoscopic parameters in Arabian purebred mares in particular areas of the body during the winter season. The study was performed in the winter season. Videodermoscopic evaluations of the hair and skin were performed over seven areas of the body: the forehead, mane, neck, chest, flank, croup, and tail. Twenty-one healthy, non-breeding Arabian mares aged 3 to 21 years were selected for the study. The Video-Dermatoscope Vidix 7 (Medici Medical SRL...
Herteman N, Bullone M, Lavoie JP.Heaves is a severe debilitating condition of horses, characterized by lower airway inflammation and permanent structural changes of the bronchial wall. Chronic inflammation promotes the formation of new vessels, a phenomenon known as angiogenesis. Narrow band imaging (NBI) endoscopy is a noninvasive technique that enhances the visualization of submucosal vessels, and commonly is employed for the study of angiogenesis in human patients. Objective: Using NBI, we aimed to determine whether or not the central airways of horses with heaves undergo angiogenesis. Methods: Horses with heaves during ex...
Adair HS, Goble DO, Shires GM, Sanders WL.Once daily for 3 days, laser Doppler flowmetry was used in 5 healthy, nonsedated adult horses to evaluate coronary band and laminar microcirculatory blood flow (MBF) in both forelimbs. The coronary band had significantly (P < 0.05) higher MBF than did the laminae on the days evaluated. Significant variation in MBF was not found over the 3-day measurement period in any one site. Significant (P < 0.05) variation was found in coronary band MBF among horses. This variation was not observed in laminar MBF. On occlusion of the digital arteries at the level of the fetlock, marked decrease in coronary...
Rabba S, Petrucci V, Petrizzi L, Giommi DW, Busoni V.Information concerning B-mode ultrasonographic abnormalities and power Doppler (PD) signal in suspensory ligament branches of nonlame working Quarter Horses are not reported. The aims of this study were to investigate the prevalence of B-mode ultrasonographic abnormalities and PD signal in suspensory ligament branches in a group of nonlame working Quarter Horses and to compare B-mode findings with PD findings of horses in two different training (barrel racing and team roping). Twenty-one Quarter Horses in training, 14 barrel racing (Group B) and seven team roping horses (Group R), were assesse...
Takagi M, Uno S, Kokushi E, Sato F, Wijayagunawardane M, Fink-Gremmels J.Mycotoxins may affect animal health, including reproduction. Little is known about the clinical relevance of exposure of horses to contaminated feed. This study aimed at (i) monitoring the levels of the mycotoxins zearalenone (ZEN), with its metabolites α- and β-zearalenol (α- and β-ZOL), and sterigmatocystin (STC) in urine samples from thoroughbred mares in Japan and (ii) relating these findings to the potential effects on reproductive efficacy of breeding mares. Sixty-three urine samples of breeding mares from 59 breeding farms were used. Urine samples and reproductive records were colle...
Roach JM, Pfau T, Bryars J, Unt V, Channon SB, Weller R.Kinematic evaluation of the distal limb of the horse using standard methods is challenging, mainly due to the hoof capsule restricting visualisation, but the recent development of a high-speed fluoroscopy (HSF) system has allowed in vivo cineradiographic assessment of moving skeletal structures at high speeds. The application of this non-invasive method to the equine distal limb is used to describe 'internal' distal limb kinematics including intra-horse and inter-horse variability, and variability between walk and trot. Distal limb kinematic data were collected at walk and trot from six non-la...
Wong DM, Alcott CJ, Wang C, Bornkamp JL, Young JL, Sponseller BA.To determine agreement between indirect measurements of end-tidal partial pressure of carbon dioxide (PetCO(2)) and saturation of hemoglobin with oxygen as measured by pulse oximetry (SpO(2)) with direct measurements of PaCO(2) and calculated saturation of hemoglobin with oxygen in arterial blood (SaO(2)) in conscious healthy and ill foals. Methods: Validation study. Methods: 10 healthy and 21 ill neonatal foals. Methods: Arterial blood gas analysis was performed on healthy and ill foals examined at a veterinary teaching hospital to determine direct measurements of PaCO(2) and PaO(2) along wit...
Boegli J, Schwarzwald CC, Mitchell KJ.Noninvasive blood pressures (NIBP) and pulse pressures (PP) have not been published in horses with aortic and mitral regurgitation (AR or MR). Objective: To investigate NIBP and PP in healthy Warmblood horses and horses with AR and MR and propose PP cutoffs to identify and stage AR severity. Methods: Seventy-three Warmblood horses (healthy, 10; AR, 31; MR, 32). Methods: Retrospective study. All horses had NIBP and an echocardiogram recorded. Cases were categorized based on severity of regurgitation. Pulse pressures were compared among healthy, MR, and AR groups and among AR severity groups. Cu...
Best LJ, Hendrix DV, Ward DA.To evaluate the tear film osmolality and electrolyte composition in healthy horses. Methods: 15 healthy adult horses. Methods: Each horse was manually restrained, and an ophthalmic examination, which included slit-lamp biomicroscopy, indirect ophthalmoscopy, and a Schirmer tear test, was performed. Tear samples were collected from both eyes with microcapillary tubes 3 times at 5-minute intervals. The tear samples for each horse were pooled, and the osmolality and electrolyte concentrations were measured. The mean (SD) was calculated for each variable to establish preliminary guidelines for tea...
Bucca S, De Oliveira IRS, Cunanan JC, Vinardell T, Troedsson MHT.Assessment of pregnancy viability in the equine patient is currently based on gestational profiles of limited prognostic value. In recent years Doppler technology has been applied to uterine and umbilical arteries of pregnant mares to monitor fetal responsive haemodynamics, suggestive of compromise. To date, uterine artery Doppler indices failed to provide sufficient evidence of pregnancy viability and the umbilical cord of the equine fetus is inconsistently visualized past 250 days gestation. The objectives of this study were to: i) evaluate intracranial blood flow impedance by Doppler examin...
Renaudin CD, Gillis CL, Tarantal AF.Gender determination of the equine fetus using transabdominal ultrasonography was studied in 20 mares. One group of 10 research mares was scanned repeatedly every 2 weeks from 100 days gestation to parturition, while the second group of 10 client mares was subjected to echography once during mid-gestation. In males, the penis and/or prepuce was observed on 71 occasions from 102 days to 258 days gestation. On cross-sectional views, the male external genitalia had a round shape with parallel linear echogenic foci up to approximately 140 days gestation and then appeared triangular. Fetal testes w...
Matsumoto T, Okumura S, Hirata S.This study aimed to apply radar technology to a large quadruped animal. We first developed a non-contact respiration measurement system using millimeter-wave array radar for a horse in standing position. Specifically, we measured the respiration of a stationary domestic horse in stables. Simultaneously, we measured the respiration rate using infrared thermography and developed a method for analyzing the radar information while verifying the rate of agreement. Our results suggested that the radar technology detected breathing and accurately measured the respiration of a horse, despite variation...
Pownder SL, Caserto BG, Bowker RM, Lin B, Potter HG, Koff MF.Few noninvasive methods are available for equine hoof wall evaluation. The highly organised wall structures and composition of proteoglycans and collagens may make this region amenable to quantitative MRI (qMRI) techniques of T1ρ and T2 mapping to identify pathology related to proteoglycan content and collagen organisation respectively. Objective: To establish normative T1ρ and T2 values of the equine hoof wall of 3-year-old Quarter Horses with histological comparison. Methods: Cadaveric anatomical study. Methods: Six cadaveric left thoracic feet from 3-year-old racing Quarter Horses with no...
Marr CM.Microwave thermographs were recorded from 77 normal horses. In 51% the lowest temperature was recorded in the mid-metacarpal region, and in 41% it was in the distal metacarpal region. The mean temperature of the normal limbs ranged from 25.04 to 37.4 degrees C. Maximum temperature differences between symmetrical points in both forelimbs ranged from 0 to 5.33 degrees C and differences in mean limb temperatures between both forelimbs ranged from 0 to 2.91 degrees C. In 48 horses with acute (less than 4 weeks' duration) injury of the superficial digital flexor tendon (SDFT) (36 unilateral, 12 bil...
Muñoz-Prieto A, Llamas-Amor E, Cerón JJ, Hansen S.Equine gastric ulcer syndrome (EGUS) is a prevalent condition in horses, affecting up to 93% of racehorses. Comprising the equine squamous gastric disease (ESGD) and the equine glandular gastric disease (EGGD), EGUS poses significant health challenges. Saliva, a non-invasive and easily obtainable sample, is increasingly recognized for its potential as a source of biomarkers in horses. This study investigates changes in saliva analytes using automated assays before and after EGUS treatment, aiming to identify biomarkers indicative of treatment success or failure. A total of 28 horses diagnosed ...
Vernemmen I, Buschmann E, Demeyere M, Verhaeghe LM, Van Steenkiste G, Decloedt A, van Loon G.Improved characterization of arrhythmias is based on minimally invasive catheterizations. However, these catheterizations have been poorly explored in horses because apart from 3-dimensional (3D) mapping systems, continuous guidance of the catheter's position with adequate detail is difficult using current imaging modalities. Objective: Position multiple electrophysiology catheters simultaneously at predetermined strategical positions in the heart using transthoracic echocardiographic guidance. Methods: Eight adult healthy horses. Methods: Observational study. Two electrophysiological studies ...
Share ER, Mastellar SL, Suagee-Bedore JK, Eastridge ML.The measurement of fecal cortisol/corticosterone metabolites (FCMs) is often used to quantify the stress response. The sampling method is relatively non-invasive, reduces concern for elevation of cortisol from the sampling method, and has been shown to measure cortisol more consistently without the daily diurnal rhythm observed in blood. Commercial ELISA (enzyme-linked immunoassay) kits offer benefits over previously validated immunoassay methods but lack validation. The objective of this study was to evaluate a commercial ELISA kit (Arbor Assays DetectX Cortisol ELISA kit, K003-H1, Ann Arbor,...
Khan A, Olajide E, Friedrich M, Holt A, Goehring LS.Equid alphaherpesvirus 1 (EHV-1) is a highly contagious respiratory tract pathogen of horses, and infection may be followed by myeloencephalopathy or abortion. Surveillance and early detection have focused on PCR assays using less tolerated nasal swabs. Here, we assess non-invasive non-contact sampling techniques as surveillance tools in naturally equid gammaherpesvirus 2-shedding horses as surrogates for EHV-1. Horses were individually housed for 10 h periods on 2 consecutive days. Sampling included nasal swabs, nostril wipes, environmental swabs, droplet-catching devices, and air sampling. T...
