Pain management in horses involves various strategies and interventions designed to alleviate discomfort and improve the well-being of equine patients. It encompasses pharmacological approaches, such as the use of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), opioids, and other analgesics, as well as non-pharmacological methods like physical therapy, acupuncture, and environmental modifications. Effective pain management aims to address both acute and chronic pain conditions, which can result from injuries, surgeries, or diseases such as laminitis and arthritis. This page aggregates peer-reviewed research studies and scholarly articles that explore the mechanisms, efficacy, and safety of different pain management techniques in horses, contributing to the understanding and advancement of equine veterinary care.
Gallacher K, Santos LC, Campoy L, Bezuidenhout AJ, Gilbert RO.The aim of this study was to develop and evaluate a procedure for equine pudendal nerve block using a peripheral nerve locator. In the first experiment, six ponies were used to determine the relationship between elicited muscle contractions (anal, perineal or both) and nerves serving the perineal region (pudendal, caudorectal and perineal nerves) when methylene blue dye was injected using the electrolocation technique. This experiment showed that the pudendal nerve was approached effectively when both anal and perineal twitch were elicited during electrolocation. In a second experiment, seven ...
Maliye S, Marshall JF.OBJECTIVE To characterize and describe the compensatory load redistribution that results from unilateral hind limb lameness in horses. DESIGN Retrospective case series. ANIMALS 37 client-owned horses. PROCEDURES Medical records were reviewed to identify horses with unilateral hind limb lameness that responded positively (by objective assessment) to diagnostic local anesthesia during lameness evaluation and that were evaluated before and after diagnostic local anesthesia with an inertial sensor-based lameness diagnosis system. Horses were grouped as having hind limb lameness only, hind limb and...
Brockman T."Stringhalt" is a horse condition that causes one or both hind legs to spasm when walking, trotting or backing. The condition is thought to be related to a neurological cause from either plant toxicity or peripheral nerve injury. The prognosis is poor and the horse's performance and quality of life can be affected. Treatment has included surgically cutting the digital extensors with varied results. The objective of the study is to utilize soft tissue release via acupressure, trigger point and myofascial release to decrease symptoms of stringhalt. The case study is a 12 year old Akhal-Teke hors...
Watts AE, Dabareiner R, Marsh C, Carter GK, Cummings KJ.OBJECTIVE To determine the effect of resveratrol administration in performance horses with lameness localized to the distal tarsal joints. DESIGN Randomized, blinded, placebo-controlled clinical trial. ANIMALS 45 client-owned horses with lameness localized to the distal tarsal joints. PROCEDURES All horses received injections of triamcinolone acetonide in the centrodistal and tarsometatarsal joints of both hind limbs. A placebo or a supplement containing resveratrol was fed twice daily by owners for 4 months. Primary outcomes were horse performance as determined by rider opinion (better, worse...
Guedes A, Galuppo L, Hood D, Hwang SH, Morisseau C, Hammock BD.The roles of soluble epoxide hydrolase and lipid mediators in inflammatory and neuropathic pain could be relevant in laminitis pain management. Objective: To determine soluble epoxide hydrolase (sEH) activity in the digital laminae, sEH inhibitor potency in vitro, and efficacy of a sEH inhibitor as an adjunct analgesic therapy in chronic laminitic horses. Methods: In vitro experiments and clinical case series. Methods: sEH activity was measured in digital laminae from euthanised healthy and laminitic horses (n = 5-6/group). Potency of 7 synthetic sEH inhibitors was determined in vitro using eq...
Dalla Costa E, Stucke D, Dai F, Minero M, Leach MC, Lebelt D.Acute laminitis is a common equine disease characterized by intense foot pain, both acutely and chronically. The Obel grading system is the most widely accepted method for describing the severity of laminitis by equine practitioners, however this method requires movement (walk and trot) of the horse, causing further intense pain. The recently developed Horse Grimace Scale (HGS), a facial-expression-based pain coding system, may offer a more effective means of assessing the pain associated with acute laminitis. The aims of this study were: to investigate whether HGS can be usefully applied to a...
Christensen L, Camitz L, Illigen KE, Hansen M, Sarvaa R, Conaghan PG.Polyacrylamide hydrogel (PAAG) is a non-toxic, non-degradable synthetic product, used for years in the augmentation of soft tissues. Preliminary results in animals and humans have suggested long-lasting beneficial effects on symptoms of osteoarthritis (OA). The aim of this histopathological study was to investigate whether intra-articular injection of PAAG is integrated into synovial tissue in normal and OA animal joints, and if this integration is sustained. (A) A prospective, controlled, longitudinal study of normal knee joints injected with PAAG was performed in 10 rabbits, following the an...
van Weeren PR, Back W.Musculoskeletal disorders are the most prevalent health problem in aging horses. They are not life threatening, but are painful and an important welfare issue. Chronic joint disease (osteoarthritis) and chronic laminitis are the most prevalent. Treating osteoarthritis in the elderly horse is similar to treating performance horses, but aims at providing a stable situation with optimal comfort. Immediate medical treatment of flare-ups, long-term pain management, and adaptation of exercise and living conditions are the mainstays of treatment. Laminitis in the geriatric horse is related often to p...
Burbage J, Cameron L.For female horse riders, breast pain, bra issues and breast size may be important concerns which have yet to be considered. This study aimed to establish the prevalence of breast pain and bra issues in female horse riders and explores the impact of breast size on breast pain and bra issues. A 6-part, 32 question online survey was completed by 1324 females who participated in horse riding activities. Descriptive and chi-squared (χ) analyses were utilised; data for 1265 participants were included in the final analysis. Breast pain was experienced by 40% of all participants and this was signific...
Colbath AC, Wittenburg LA, Gold JR, McIlwraith CW, Moorman VJ.To determine the effect of intravenous regional limb perfusion (IVRLP) with a combination of mepivacaine hydrochloride and amikacin sulfate on synovial fluid amikacin sulfate concentration, antimicrobial activity, and mechanical nociceptive threshold (MNT). Methods: Experimental study. Methods: Healthy adult horses (n=9). Methods: One IVRLP treatment was randomly administered by cephalic vein of each limb: amikacin alone (1 g amikacin in 60 mL saline) or amikacin with mepivacaine (1 g amikacin and 500 mg mepivacaine in 60 mL saline). Opposite treatments were repeated after a 24 hour wash-out p...
Goodale EC, White SD, Outerbridge CA, Everett AD, Affolter VK.Hyperaesthetic leucotrichia (HL) rarely affects horses and causes painful lesions on the dorsum that result in leucotrichia. This may be a variant of erythema multiforme (EM), but there are no studies investigating this condition. Objective: Describe the clinical and histological features of HL and compare them to the histological features of EM. Methods: A retrospective review of medical records from 1985 to 2015 identified 15 horses with HL. Thirteen biopsies of HL and five of EM were evaluated and compared. Results: Arabian horses and their crosses (χ(2) (1) = 8.56, P < 0.01) and A...
Shrauner B, Blikslager A, Davis J, Campbell N, Law M, Lustgarten M, Prange T.The large size of the adult horse prevents the use of advanced imaging modalities in most areas of the axial skeleton, including the lumbosacral vertebral column. Traditional imaging techniques are frequently unable to pinpoint the underlying pathology in horses with caudal back pain. In man, lumbosacral epiduroscopy is used to diagnose and treat subjects with chronic back and leg pain. This technique may close the diagnostic gap in horses with similar clinical signs. Objective: To evaluate the safety and feasibility of lumbosacral epiduroscopy in the standing adult horse. Methods: Descriptive...
Garvican ER, Wylie CE, Payne RJ, Smith RK, Head MJ.To document the clinical presentation, diagnosis, and surgical treatment of mineralization of the equine palmar/plantar annular ligament (PAL). Methods: Retrospective study. Methods: Ponies (n=7). Methods: Case records from 2 referral hospitals were examined to identify cases with lameness associated with PAL mineralization treated surgically. Follow-up information was obtained from the owners by telephone questionnaire. Results: Duration of lameness before referral ranged from 5 weeks to 6 months, and degree of lameness from grade 1 to 5 out of 10. In 3 cases, records noted obvious pain when ...
Nemery E, Gabriel A, Piret J, Antoine N.In athletic horses, diseases leading to lameness are of great importance due to the loss of performance and the resultant economic concerns. Although stifle lesions are frequent in the hindlimb, due to the large size and complexity of the joint, and although meniscal tears have been identified as the most common soft tissue injuries in this joint, little is known about the mechanism that causes the painful sensation and thus the lameness. The aim of our study was to highlight any peripheral fibres involved in meniscal nociception in five macroscopically sound cranial horns of the equine medial...
Diego R, Douet C, Reigner F, Blard T, Cognié J, Deleuze S, Goudet G.Transvaginal ultrasound-guided follicular punctures are widely used in the mare for diagnosis, research, and commercial applications. The objective of our study was to determine their influence on pain, stress, and well-being in the mare, by evaluating heart rate, breath rate, facial expression changes, and salivary cortisol before, during, and after puncture. For this experiment, 21 pony mares were used. Transvaginal ultrasound-guided aspirations were performed on 11 mares. After injections for sedation, analgesia, and antispasmodia, the follicles from both ovaries were aspirated with a needl...
Paz CF, Magalhães JF, Mendes HM, Rocha Junior S, Belknap JK, Alves GE, Faleiros RR.We examined the hypothesis that the palmar digital nerves (PDNs), but not the dorsal branches (DBs) of the digital nerves, innervate the sensitive dorsal laminae of the equine foot by evaluating the effects of perineural anaesthesia of the PDNs and DBs separately on pain sensation evoked via mechanical stimulation of the dorsal laminae and other regions of the equine foot. Six clinically normal mares were used in a crossover design. A portable dynamometer was used to evaluate mechanical nociceptive thresholds at different points on the dorsal laminae, bulbs of the heel, coronary band and sole ...
Mirza MH, Bommala P, Richbourg HA, Rademacher N, Kearney MT, Lopez MJ.Mechanisms to reduce lameness associated with osteoarthritis (OA) are vital to equine health and performance. This study was designed to quantify response to autologous, intra-articular platelet-rich plasma (PRP) in horses with OA. Kinetic gait analysis was performed on 12 horses with unilateral forelimb lameness and OA in the same limb before and after intra-articular anesthesia (IAA). Radiographs and kinetic data were obtained before and 6 and 16 weeks after PRP administration to same joint, 4 weeks after IAA. Statistical evaluations included filtration effect on platelet concentration, ...
Biedrzycki AH, Grant BD, Nemke B, Markel MD, Morello SL.To describe a technique for surgical placement of a modified kerf-cut cylinder for the purpose of arthrodesis across the equine centrodistal and tarsometatarsal joints. Methods: Each horse (n = 4) underwent unilateral placement of a single kerf-cut cylinder spanning the centrodistal and tarsometatarsal joints with the placement of an autologous cancellous bone graft. Horses were evaluated via lameness examination and radiography postoperatively and euthanatization of each horse was performed at four different time points up to 12 weeks post-surgery to evaluate for lameness, implant stability a...
Caruso M, Schumacher J, Henry R.To describe the anatomical location of the ethmoidal nerve in the equine periorbital region and to determine the accuracy of a technique used to deposit local anesthetic solution adjacent to the nerve. Methods: Prospective experimental study. Methods: Adult equine cadaver heads (n=6 for preliminary dissection; n=15 [30 nerve sites] for evaluation of injection technique). Methods: Preliminary dissections were performed to identify landmarks for injection of local anesthetic adjacent to the ethmoidal nerve. For evaluation of the injection technique a 20 gauge 6 cm spinal needle was inserted into...
Whitfield CT, Schoonover MJ, Holbrook TC, Payton ME, Sippel KM.To determine effects of 2 tiludronate administration protocols on measures of lameness in horses with navicular syndrome (NS). Methods: 12 horses with bilateral forelimb NS. Methods: Horses were randomly assigned to receive tiludronate (1 mg/kg), diluted in 5 L of isotonic electrolyte solution and delivered through a jugular vein catheter (systemic treatment group; n = 6), or tiludronate (0.1 mg/kg), diluted with saline (0.9% NaCl) solution to a total volume of 35 mL and delivered into the lateral digital vein of each forelimb with an IV regional limb perfusion (IVRLP) technique (IVRLP group; ...
Holcombe SJ, Jacobs CC, Cook VL, Gandy JC, Hauptman JG, Sordillo LM.Endotoxemia models are used to study mechanisms and treatments of early sepsis. Repeated endotoxin exposures induce periods of endotoxin tolerance, characterized by diminished proinflammatory responses to lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and modulated production of proinflammatory cytokines. Repeated measure designs using equine endotoxemia models are rarely performed, despite the advantages associated with reduced variability, because the altered responsiveness would confound study results and because the duration of equine endotoxin tolerance is unknown. We determined the interval of endotoxin toler...
Haussler KK.Joint mobilization and manipulation provide important diagnostic and therapeutic approaches for addressing musculoskeletal issues in veterinary medicine. Soft tissue and joint mobilization are used to assess the quality and quantity of joint range of motion and as a primary means of treating musculoskeletal disorders. Spinal manipulation was shown to be effective for reducing pain, improving flexibility, reducing muscle tone, and improving symmetry of spinal kinematics in horses. Because of potential misuse and safety issues, joint mobilization and manipulative therapies should be provided onl...
Daglish J, Mama KR.This article provides a brief overview of pain physiology and its relevance to equine patients. Objective and subjective techniques for assessing pain in the horse are described in depth. Pharmacologic and interventional pain modulation treatments are discussed with a focus on the rehabilitating horse.
Niemelä TM, Tulamo RM, Hielm-Björkman AK.Intra-articular inflammation resulting in lameness is a common health problem in horses. Exogenous intra-articular hyaluronic acid has been shown to provide an analgesic effect and reduce pain in equine and human osteoarthritis. High molecular weight non-animal stabilized hyaluronic acid (NASHA) has gained popularity in the treatment of human arthritic conditions due to its long-acting pain-relieving effects. The aim of this study was to compare the response to treatment of lameness localized in the equine metacarpophalangeal joint injected with non-animal stabilized hyaluronic acid (NASHA) an...
DeRouen A, Spriet M, Aleman M.The sixth cervical vertebra (C6) has unique morphology due to a ventral extension from the transverse process known as the ventral lamina. Little information was found regarding the prevalence and clinical relevance of morphologic variations. Aims of this observational, retrospective study were to characterize C6 morphologic variations in a large sample of horses. Cervical radiographic studies of 100 horses were retrieved. Data recorded were signalment, clinical history, morphology of the C6 ventral lamina, presence of articular process osteoarthritis, and presence of static vertebral canal st...
le Jeune S, Henneman K, May K.Acupuncture is one of the most common veterinary integrative medicine modalities. Acupuncture can greatly contribute to a rehabilitation protocol by promoting analgesia, tissue healing, and muscle strength. Acupuncture is safe, has minimal detrimental side effects, and is well tolerated by most horses.
King MR.Hydrotherapy has become a key element within equine rehabilitation protocols and is used to address range of motion, proprioception, strength, neuromotor control, pain, and inflammation. Various forms of hydrotherapy can be tailored to the individual's injury and the expected return to athletic performance. This article describes the mechanisms of action of hydrotherapies and potential use in the clinical management of equine musculoskeletal injuries.
Tyrnenopoulou P, Diakakis N, Karayannopoulou M, Savvas I, Koliakos G.Regenerative medicine has become one of the most promising therapies of equine osteoarthritis. Platelet lysate (PL) is rich in bioactive proteins and growth factors that play a crucial role in tissue healing. Objective: To evaluate the efficacy of intra-articularly injected autologous PL in equine athletes with naturally occurring osteoarthritis. Methods: Fifteen warmblood geldings aged 8-19 years with osteoarthritis of the distal interphalangeal joint were included in this study. They were randomly divided into two groups; 10 horses received intra-articular injections of PL and 5 of normal s...
Rochais C, Fureix C, Lesimple C, Hausberger M.Chronic pain is thought to affect patients' cognitive functioning, including attention. Loss of attention is likely to have an impact on the execution of daily tasks, and, therefore, to have negative effects. However, relationships between chronic pain and cognitive deficits are still debated. Pre-clinical studies using laboratory animals prove useful to model pain-related cognitive impairment, but animal models had to predict effects in the real world. This study investigates attentional engagement of domestic horses by comparing observations in a home setting and evaluations of vertebral dis...
Zielińska P, Soroko-Dubrovina M, Dudek K, Ruzhanova-Gospodinova IS.The reason for undertaking this study was to investigate soft tissue response to high-intensity laser therapy (HILT) by measuring changes in skin surface temperature and longissimus dorsi muscle tone in the thoracolumbar back area in Thoroughbreds with back pain and diagnosed with and without Kissing Spines Syndrome (KSS). Thoroughbreds aged 3-4 years with clinically presented back pain underwent a radiological examination (to assess a lack or presence of KSS) and longissimus dorsi muscle palpation (to assess muscle tone and pain degree). The subjects were divided into two groups, those with K...
Braucke AFGV, Frederiksen NL, Berg LC, Aarsvold S, Müller FC, Boesen MP, Lindegaard C.Joint pain and osteoarthritis (OA) are some of the most common causes of lameness in horses, and most of the available treatments focus on symptomatic relief without a disease-modifying effect. TRPV1 is a potential target for treating joint diseases, including OA, and the present study aims to investigate if the TRPV1 receptor is present in equine articular tissue and determine whether the number of receptors is upregulated in joint inflammation. Metacarpo/metatarsophalangeal (MCP/MTP) joints from 15 horses euthanised for reasons unrelated to this study were included. Based on synovial fluid a...
Skarda RT, Muir WW.To determine the analgesic, hemodynamic, and respiratory effects induced by caudal epidural administration of meperidine hydrochloride in mares. Methods: 7 healthy mares. Methods: Each mare received meperidine (5%; 0.8 mg/kg of body weight) or saline (0.9% NaCl) solution via caudal epidural injection on 2 occasions. At least 2 weeks elapsed between treatments. Degree of analgesia in response to noxious electrical, thermal, and skin and muscle prick stimuli was determined before and for 5 hours after treatment. In addition, cardiovascular and respiratory variables were measured and degree of se...
Guedes AG, Matthews NS, Hood DM.To investigate the effects of ketamine hydrochloride on the analgesic effects of tramadol hydrochloride in horses with signs of pain associated with naturally occurring chronic laminitis. Methods: 15 client-owned adult horses with chronic laminitis. Methods: Each horse received tramadol alone or tramadol and ketamine in a randomized, crossover study (≥ 2 months between treatments). Tramadol (5 mg/kg) was administered orally every 12 hours for 1 week. When appropriate, ketamine (0.6 mg/kg/h) was administered IV for 6 hours on each of the first 3 days of tramadol administration. Noninvasive sy...
Hardeman LC, van der Meij BR, Oosterlinck M, Veraa S, van der Kolk JH, Wijnberg ID, Back W.In the treatment of laminitis, reducing deep digital flexor muscle (DDFM) activity might diminish its pull on the distal phalanx, thereby preventing displacement and providing pain relief. Injection of Clostridium botulinum toxin type A into the DDFM of horses is potentially therapeutic. However, the effects of C. botulinum toxin type A on the gait characteristics of sound horses at the walk are not known. The aim of this study was to test if a reduced DDFM activity would lead to (1) alterations of the sagittal range of motion of the metacarpus (SROM) and range of motion of the carpal joint (C...
Svalastoga E, Smith M.The subchondral bone pressure in the navicular bone of horses with navicular disease is compared with corresponding pressures in normal horses. An increased intraosseous pressure and a lengthened pressure drop time was demonstrated in patients with navicular disease, which indicates the existence of a venous stasis. Compared with similar investigations in humans with arthrosis it is concluded that navicular disease is a condition resembling arthrosis. The classical clinical symptoms are explained as an expression of resting pains. Treatments are suggested which theoretically can render the pat...
Cayzer J, Hedderley D, Gray S.Lyophilised products from green-lipped mussel (Perna canaliculus[LPPC]) are used to orally treat horses with osteoarthritis (OA). However, no randomised, controlled or double-blinded studies on the efficacy of this treatment in horses have been reported to date. Objective: To investigate the effects of a unique LPPC (Biolane)(1) in improving clinical signs of OA in the fetlock. Methods: Data were analysed from 26 horses with primary fetlock lameness in a controlled, randomised and double-blinded, multi-centre clinical trial. The study design was a partial crossover with a washout period and co...
Tóth F, Schumacher J, Schramme M, Holder T, Adair HS, Donnell RL.To describe pathologic changes in the deep branch of the lateral plantar nerve (DBLPN) of horses determined to be lame because of proximal suspensory desmitis (PSD), and to report the outcome after treatment by excision of a segment of the horses' DBLPN. Methods: Retrospective case series. Methods: Adult horses (n=16). Methods: Horses determined to be lame on one or both pelvic limbs because of PSD were treated by excision of a segment of the DBLPN, and 30 nerves were examined histologically. Owners were contacted to obtain information about the horses >or=6 months after surgery. Results: H...
Spadavecchia C, Andersen OK, Arendt-Nielsen L, Spadavecchia L, Doherr M, Schatzmann U.To investigate whether facilitation of the nociceptive withdrawal reflex (NWR) can be evoked and quantified as a measure of temporal summation from the distal aspect of the left forelimb and hind limb in standing nonsedated horses via repeated stimulations of various subthreshold intensities and frequencies. Methods: 10 adult horses. Methods: Surface electromyographic activity evoked by stimulation of the digital palmar and plantar nerves was recorded from the common digital extensor and cranial tibial muscles. For each horse, the NWR threshold intensity to a single stimulus was determined for...
Montero C, Riquelme G, Del Campo M, Lagos N.The Osteoarthritis is a chronic disease characterized by a progressive deterioration of the articular cartilage producing a strong inflammatory activity and chronic pain in patients. Horses also show osteoarthritis. Since the activation and progression of the disease are similar to that of human we developed a study model in horses. In this study, we test the effect of Neosaxitoxin, a phycotoxin from Paralytic Shellfish Poison, in the remediation of osteoarthritis equine clinical symptoms such as pain (showed in lameness) and inflammation quantifying the amounts of pro-inflammatory markers lik...
Hamm D, Turchi P, Jöchle W.In a double blind study, eight horses were treated intravenously at seven-day intervals with detomidine at doses of 10, 20 and 40 micrograms/kg, or with romifidine at doses of 40, 80 and 120 micrograms/kg, or with a placebo solution. Their sedative and analgesic effects were evaluated by objective measurements and by a clinician at 15-minute intervals for three hours and the horses' instability in stocks, locomotor ataxia and heart rate were recorded simultaneously. The administration of both drugs at all doses resulted in sedation. The sedation achieved with romifidine was significantly shall...
Zaha C, Schuszler L, Dascalu R, Nistor P, Florea T, Imre K, Rujescu C, Sicoe B, Igna C.Horses with palmar foot pain do not show a typical increase in temperature in the palmar aspect of the hoof and heel due to low blood flow. The objectives of the current study were to determine the changes and differences in the thermographic pattern of the sole surface in horses with unilateral palmar foot pain and non-lame horses before and after training. We hypothesized that the thermal pattern and the local temperature of the frog area and toe area would be similar, with an increased local temperature after training in both lame and non-lame horses. A pilot study was conducted to investig...
Lancaster LS, Bowker RM.Veterinary acupuncture charts were developed based on the concept of transpositional points whereby human acupuncture maps were adapted to animal anatomy. Transpositional acupuncture points have traditionally been placed in specific locations around the horse's coronet and distal limb believed to be the closest approximation to the human distal limb points. Because the horse has a single digit and lacks several structures analogous to the human hand and foot, precisely transposing all of the human digital points is not anatomically possible. To date there is no published research on the effect...
Seino KK, Foreman JH, Greene SA, Goetz TE, Benson GJ.Capsaicin is a local substance P depleter with dramatic analgesic effects. We tested the hypothesis that the topical application of capsaicin ointment over the palmar digital nerves would attenuate the clinical effects of a reversible model of equine foot lameness. Seven healthy adult horses shod unilaterally with adjustable heart bar shoes were studied in a crossover design for 2 weeks. Grade 5.0/5.0 lameness (nonweight bearing) was induced by tightening the adjustable heart bar shoe. One hour later, capsaicin ointment was applied over the medial and lateral palmar digital nerves 3 cm proxima...
Donnell JR, Frisbie DD.This review presents the pathogenesis and medical treatment of equine osteoarthritis (OA), focusing on firocoxib. Inhibition of prostaglandin E remains a fundamental treatment for decreasing clinical symptoms (ie, pain and lameness) associated with OA in horses. Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), which inhibit the production of prostaglandin E from the arachidonic acid pathway, continue to be a mainstay for the clinical treatment of OA. Firocoxib is a cyclooxygenase (COX)-2-preferential NSAID that has been shown to be safe and to have a 70% oral bioavailability in the horse. Three ...
Eby G.Arthritis is inflammation in a joint often with joint damage, usually accompanied by pain, swelling and stiffness, resulting from infection, trauma, degenerative changes, metabolic disturbances, autoimmune or other causes. It occurs in various forms, including rheumatoid arthritis, osteoarthritis, bacterial arthritis and gout. Gallium III can inhibit the production of inflammatory cytokines, such as IL-1beta, produced by macrophage-like cells in vitro. A dose-dependent inhibition of IL-1beta and TPA stimulated MMP activity by gallium nitrate at increasing concentrations occurs, demonstrating t...
Sedrish SA, McClure JR, Pinto C, Oliver J, Burba DJ.A 12-year-old Morgan mare was examined because of stallion-like behavior of 45 days' duration. Palpation per rectum and transrectal ultrasonographic examination revealed a large left ovary with multiple cystic areas and crepitus. A granulosa-theca cell tumor was suspected. During hospitalization for further evaluation of the affected ovary, the mare developed signs of abdominal pain. Exploratory surgery revealed a large left ovary, which was black with a necrotic and friable surface, and a 720 degrees clock-wise torsion of the ovarian pedicle. Torsion was corrected, and oophorectomy was perfor...
The objective of this study was to compare effects of butorphanol (BUT) or buprenorphine (BUP), in combination with detomidine and diazepam, on the sedation quality, surgical conditions, and postoperative pain control after cheek tooth extraction in horses, randomly allocated to 2 treatment groups (BUT: = 20; BUP: = 20). A bolus of detomidine (15 μg/kg, IV) was followed by either BUP (7.5 μg/kg, IV) or BUT (0.05 mg/kg, IV). After 20 min, diazepam (0.01 mg/kg, IV) was administered and sedation was maintained with a detomidine IV infusion (20 μg/kg/h), with rate adjusted based on scores to ...
Long K, McGowan CM, Hyytiäinen HK.Direct muscular attachment from lumbar vertebrae to the caudal vertebrae of the tail suggests that caudal traction, also described as a tail pull, may affect lumbar vertebral segments and/or associated soft tissues in horses. Traction is a commonly used human manual therapy technique used for pain relief and anecdotally observed to relieve pain in horses. However, research is lacking validating the efficacy of manual caudal traction on the horse. The objective of this study was to determine if caudal traction has an effect on mechanical nociceptive thresholds (MNTs) in a group of horses with c...
Auer JA, Garner HE, Amend JF, Hutcheson DP, Salem CA.The duration and quality of recovery after separate 2 hour anaesthetic periods with equipotent alveolar concentrations of isoflurane, enflurane, halothane and methoxyflurane were evaluated in experimental ponies. Recovery was shortest after isoflurane anaesthesia, followed by enflurane, halothane and finally methoxyflurane, although standing was achieved more rapidly after enflurane than after isoflurane. This sequence of recovery times was compatible with the respective solubilities of the 4 agents. The smoothest recovery was obtained after isoflurane anaesthesia, followed by methoxyflurane, ...
Kamerling SG, Dequick DJ, Weckman TJ, Tobin T.Sensitive methods for measuring the analgesic, physiological and behavioural effects of opioids in the horse have recently been developed. Fentanyl, a prototypic mu-opiate receptor agonist, has been previously shown to produce a syndrome characterized by marked analgesia and locomotor stimulation as well as tachycardia, tachypnoea and behavioural arousal. To determine whether other opiate receptors mediate some of the actions of the narcotic analgesics in the horse, an agent with activity at kappa- and to lesser extent mu-receptors was studied using a vigorous experimental protocol. Like fenta...
Robertson SA.Several ocular procedures, including examination, removal of corneal foreign bodies, nictitans surgery, eyelid repair, and tumor excision,can be successfully performed in the appropriately restrained and sedated standing horse. Sedation is best achieved with xylazine,with or without the addition of acepromazine. Additional analgesia can be provided with appropriate local anesthetic blocks. Surgical conditions are greatly improved by using an auriculopalpebral and supraorbital block and topical anesthetics. More elaborate standing sedation involving continuous rate infusions of lidocaine or det...
Dixon PM, Kennedy R, Reardon RJM.Background: Limited objective information is available on the prevalence of non-traumatic equine cheek teeth fractures, the signalment of affected horses, and the clinical features and treatment of these fractures. Objectives: This study aims to document patterns of idiopathic and infundibular caries-related cheek teeth fractures in a referral population and evaluate associations between fracture patterns and horse age, Triadan position of affected teeth, clinical signs, and deemed necessity for treatment. Study Design: A retrospective case review. Methods: The clinical records at Edinburgh Un...
Kendall A, Ekman S, Skiöldebrand E.Nerve growth factor (NGF) is a neurotrophin that has been implicated in pain signaling, apoptosis, inflammation and proliferation. The resultant effects depend on interaction with two different receptors; tyrosine kinase A (TrkA) and p75 . NGF increases in synovial fluid from osteoarthritic joints, and monoclonal antibody therapy is trialed to treat osteoarthritis (OA)-related pain. Investigation of the complex and somewhat contradictory signaling pathways of NGF is conducted in neural research, but has not followed through to orthopaedic studies. The objectives of this study were to compare t...
Hurcombe SD, Morris TB, VanderBroek AR, Habecker P, Wulster K, Hopster K.Horses underwent either cervical epidural space (CES) catheterization or subarachnoid space (SAS) catheterization while restrained in stocks, under deep sedation (detomidine and morphine) and local anesthesia (mepivacaine 2%) block. Catheters were placed under ultrasound guidance with visualization of the dura, SAS, and spinal cord between the first (C1) and second (C2) cervical vertebrae. Following sedation and sterile skin preparation, operator 1 placed under ultrasound guidance, a 6- or 8-inch Tuohy needle with the bevel oriented caudally. For CES, a 6-inch Touhy needle was used with the ha...
Di Salvo A, Giorgi M, Nannarone S, Lee HK, Corsalini J, Della Rocca G.NSAIDs are often used in horses with colic syndrome during the postoperative period, due to their ability to contrast endotoxemia and to promote an analgesic and anti-inflammatory effect. As the pharmacokinetics of a drug are often modified in unhealthy animals compared to healthy subjects, the aim of this study was to evaluate the pharmacokinetic profile of meloxicam after i.v. administration in horses undergoing laparotomy for colic syndrome. Eight horses received 0.6 mg/kg of meloxicam i.v. towards the end of surgery. Blood samples were taken at scheduled time points during the following 2...
Skiöldebrand E, Ley C, Björklund U, Lindahl A, Hansson E.Osteoarthritis is a pain-associated progressive disease and pain mediators, such as opioid receptors, expressed in articular cartilage could represent novel therapeutic targets. Acute and chronic stages of OA indicate different metabolic abilities of the chondrocytes depending on inflammatory state. This study aimed to investigate the response of healthy and osteoarthritic chondrocytes and their expression and release of pain mediators in response to acute inflammation. Interleukin-1 beta (IL-1β) and lipopolysaccharide (LPS) were used to induce an acute inflammatory response in cultured equin...
Knych HK, Weiner D, Harrison L, McKemie DS.Intra-articular corticosteroids, such as isoflupredone acetate, are commonly used in the treatment of joint inflammation, especially in performance horses. Following administration in a non-inflamed joints blood concentrations of isoflupredone were low and detectable for only a short period of time post-administration compared to synovial fluid concentrations. For some drugs, inflammation can affect pharmacokinetics, therefore, the goal of the current study was to describe the pharmacokinetics of isoflupredone acetate following intra-articular administration using a model of acute synovitis. S...
Bossut DF, Leshin LS, Stromberg MW, Malven PV.Electro-acupuncture (EA) treatment of horses to induce cutaneous analgesia also increased plasma concentrations of beta-endorphin (beta-EP) and cortisol. The magnitude of these increases did not relate consistently to the degree of EA-induced analgesia. Respiration and heart rates were also markedly increased during EA treatment. Intact female horses had higher packed cell volume and plasma beta-EP as well as lower plasma total protein than castrated male horses. Plasma cortisol, heart rate, and respiration rate did not differ significantly between sexes. None of the parameters measured before...
Foreman JH, Bergstrom BE, Golden KS, Roark JJ, Coren DS, Foreman CR, Schumacher SA.There are no refereed controlled documentations of the skeletal analgesic efficacy of different dosages of flunixin meglumine (FM). Objective: The objective of this experiment was to compare the efficacy of various dosages of FM with a negative control. The hypothesis was that higher doses would result in improved efficacy in a dose-dependent manner when tested in a reversible model of foot lameness. Methods: Ten horses shod with adjustable heart bar shoes had weekly modified AAEP grade 4.0/5.0 lameness induced by tightening a set screw against the heart bar. Heart rate (HR) and lameness score...
