Omneity® Pellets
All-In-One Vitamin & Mineral Pellet
Topic:Post Mortem
Post mortem examination in horses involves the systematic investigation of a deceased horse to determine the cause of death and evaluate any underlying health conditions. This process, also known as necropsy, is conducted by veterinary pathologists and involves a thorough external and internal examination of the horse's body. During a post mortem, tissues and organs are inspected for abnormalities, and samples may be collected for further histopathological, microbiological, or toxicological analysis. The findings from a post mortem can provide valuable insights into disease processes, inform management practices, and contribute to broader veterinary research. This page compiles peer-reviewed research studies and scholarly articles that explore methodologies, findings, and implications of post mortem examinations in equine veterinary practice.
Retrospective analysis of post-mortem findings in Thoroughbreds aged from birth to 18 months presented to a UK pathology laboratory. Enhanced understanding of reasons for, and timings of, mortality in Thoroughbreds prior to entering race training is warranted to provide insight into this population's health status. The aims of this study were to describe pathologies diagnosed at post-mortem (PM) examination in Thoroughbreds aged from birth to 18 months and investigate associations between age and pathology. Reports from a pathology laboratory in Newmarket, UK, were used to identify eligible cases examined between January 2006 and December 2020. Reported pathologies were extracted and categorised where appropriate. Comorbidi...
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...
Alobar Holoprosencephaly in an Aborted American Quarter Horse Fetus. Holoprosencephaly is a central nervous system malformation, characterized by incomplete or total lack of division of prosencephalon hemispheres, which is commonly accompanied by craniofacial malformations. A 9-month-gestation aborted American Quarter Horse fetus was submitted for postmortem examination. The fetus lacked haircoat and had severe facial malformations including marked shortening/absence of the maxillary, incisive and nasal bones, bilateral anophthalmia, and pre-maxillary agenesis. The prosencephalon was small and nearly spherical, represented by a single lobe, with no visible sepa...
First reported case of fragile foal syndrome type 1 in the Thoroughbred caused by PLOD1 c.2032G>A. Warmblood Fragile Foal Syndrome Type 1 (WFFS) is an autosomal recessive disorder reported previously only in warmbloods and thought to be caused by a variant in the gene procollagen-lysine,2-oxoglutarate 5-dioxygenase 1 (PLOD1, c.2032G>A, p.Gly678Arg). Given the presentation of this Thoroughbred case, we hypothesised that a similar genetic mechanism caused this phenotype. Objective: To describe the pathological and genetic findings on a foal presenting to a veterinary practice in the UK with skin lesions similar to other Ehlers-Danlos Syndromes, including those documented for warmbloods wit...
Racing-associated fatalities in Norwegian and Swedish harness racehorses: Incidence rates, risk factors, and principal postmortem findings. There are no reports on the number of fatalities or causes of death in the Norwegian and Swedish harness racehorses. Objective: The incidence rates (IRs), risk factors, and postmortem findings in horses that died or were euthanized associated with racing between 2014 and 2019 were investigated. Methods: Thirty-eight Standardbreds and 10 Norwegian-Swedish Coldblooded Trotters died or were euthanized associated with racing. A total of 816 085 race-starts were recorded. Methods: Incidence rates were calculated for both countries and horse breeds. Risk factors for sudden death were identified us...
Ameloblastic carcinoma in horses: case report and literature review. Ameloblastic carcinoma is a malignant odontogenic neoplasm that has been reported only rarely in veterinary species. A 16-y-old Arabian crossbred mare was presented for evaluation of a hard mass on the body of the mandible, with evidence of osteolysis on radiographs. Incisional biopsies revealed an invasive neoplasm comprised of spindloid epithelial cells with a high mitotic count and partial dual cytokeratin-vimentin immunoreactivity. The horse was euthanized because of rapid tumor progression 3 mo after presentation. Postmortem evaluation revealed partial obliteration of the mandible by a ...
Phlegmonous gastritis in 2 yearling horses. Phlegmonous gastritis was diagnosed in 2 yearling fillies that were presented with a 1-wk history of fever, lethargy, and hypoproteinemia, associated with a previous diagnosis of equine proliferative enteropathy based on clinical signs and PCR assay detection of Lawsonia intracellularis in fecal samples. Abdominal ultrasound revealed enlargement of the stomach and expansion of its submucosal layer with hypoechoic fluid, as well as thickened hypomotile small intestinal segments. Given the poor prognosis and poor response to treatment, both horses were euthanized, one on the day of presentation ...
Osteochondral necrosis of the femoral condyles in Thoroughbred foals: eight cases (2008-2018). To describe clinical, imaging, gross, and histopathological abnormalities associated with osteochondral necrosis of the femoral condyles in foals and identify features suggestive of a common pathogenesis. 8 Thoroughbred foals euthanized with a presumptive diagnosis of necrosis of the femoral condyles. Postmortem CT was performed on all distal femoral epiphyseal samples. The articular epiphyseal cartilage complex (AECC) of affected distal femurs was examined grossly and histologically, focusing on lesions of interest identified on CT images. 7 foals were between 9 and 23 days old at the time of...
Equine Pulmonary Agenesis and Hypoplasia Associated With Diaphragmatic Herniation. Pulmonary malformations are rare equine congenital anomalies. Over a 3-year timeframe, three cases of left sided pulmonary agenesis were diagnosed in perinatal foals. All three cases were associated with concurrent ipsilateral diaphragmatic herniation and hypoplasia of the right lung lobe. All three foals died immediately following parturition due to perinatal asphyxia associated with the congenital malformations. To the author's knowledge, this is the first report of pulmonary agenesis in the horse.
Detection and residence time of bisphosphonates in bone of horses. Bisphosphonates are potent anti-resorptive agents that have the potential to adversely affect bone healing in equine athletes, and normal bone adaption in young racehorses. A concern exists that bisphosphonate inhibition of normal bone metabolism could lead to increased bone fractures during high-intensity exercise. We found only a single report describing concentrations of tiludronate in the bone of horses, and no studies describing clodronate. Knowledge of the residence time in bone could allow for a better understanding of the long-term effects of these compounds. Our objectives were to dev...
Dangerous Behavior and Intractable Axial Skeletal Pain in Performance Horses: A Possible Role for Ganglioneuritis (14 Cases; 2014-2019). Dangerous behavior is considered an undesired trait, often attributed to poor training or bad-tempered horses. Unfortunately, horses with progressive signs of dangerous behavior are often euthanized due to concerns for rider safety and limitations in performance. However, this dangerous behavior may actually originate from chronic axial skeleton pain. This case series describes the medical histories and clinical presentations of horses presented for performance limitations and dangerous behavior judged to be related to intractable axial skeleton pain. Fourteen horses that developed severe pe...
Recovery of horses from general anaesthesia: A systematic review (2000-2020) of the influence of anaesthetic protocol on recovery quality. The recovery phase after equine general anaesthesia (GA) is a time of considerable risk and therefore has been the subject of extensive research over the last 20 years. Various pharmacological interventions have been developed and studied with the objective of improving recovery quality and reducing anaesthetic-related mortality and morbidity. Nevertheless, some controversy remains regarding the influence of anaesthetic protocol choice on recovery quality from GA and its implications for recovery-related mortality and morbidity. A systematic review of the literature investigating the influenc...
Comparison of liberal and goal-directed fluid therapy after small intestinal surgery for strangulating lesions in horses. There are few guidelines for the appropriate mode of fluid administration during and after colic surgery, and is challenging to reach the right balance while avoiding overhydration. This study aimed to compare goal-directed fluid therapy (GDFT) and 'liberal' fluid regimens (LFRs) in horses undergoing small intestinal surgery. Methods: Eighteen horses subjected to small intestinal surgery were matched according to the surgical lesion, type of anastomosis, length of resection, and duration of clinical signs. Horses in the LFR group were administered intravenous (IV) fluids for at least 24 h. In ...
Proteomic analysis to understand the relationship between the sarcoplasmic protein patterns and meat organoleptic characteristics in different horse muscles during aging. The study investigates the changes in meat organoleptic characteristics and sarcoplasmic proteins of 3 horse muscles during aging. Longissimus lumborum (LL), semimembranosus (SM) and semitendinosus (ST) muscles, were removed from 12 Italian Heavy Draft Horse carcasses and aged for 1, 3, 6, 9 and 14 days. The lowest values of hardness and chewiness were found in LL muscle. During aging, a decrease of hardness was observed in ST muscle reaching the lowest value at 14 days. 2DE revealed a decrease of 15 sarcoplasmic protein spots in all muscles. Muscle-differences were found at 14 days. An inc...
Rhodococcus equi-Occurrence in Goats and Clinical Case Report. infection is commonly known in equine medicine to cause frequently fatal rhodococcosis. Infections in other species and people are also reported. Clinical manifestation in goats is relatively similar to horses and humans, but data regarding bacterium prevalence are scarce. Thus, the study aimed to estimate the occurrence of in goats. Methods: During post mortem examination, submandibular, mediastinal, and mesenteric lymph nodes were collected. Standard methods were used for bacteria isolation and identification. Results: A total of 134 goats were examined, and 272 lymph node samples were col...
New Parvoviruses and Picornavirus in Tissues and Feces of Foals with Interstitial Pneumonia. Six foals with interstitial pneumonia of undetermined etiology from Southern California were analyzed by viral metagenomics. Spleen, lung, and colon content samples obtained during necropsy from each animal were pooled, and nucleic acids from virus-like particles enriched for deep sequencing. The recently described equine copiparvovirus named eqcopivirus, as well as three previously uncharacterized viruses, were identified. The complete ORFs genomes of two closely related protoparvoviruses, and of a bocaparvovirus, plus the partial genome of a picornavirus were assembled. The parvoviruses were...
Hematuria in a 3-month-old filly with an internal umbilical abscess and internal iliac artery aneurysm. A 3-month-old foal with a history of acute hematuria was evaluated. Hydronephrosis and hydroureter were visualized upon renal ultrasonography of the left kidney. Cystoscopy identified a blood clot occluding the left ureter. Computed tomography (CT) revealed a large retroperitoneal abscess at the level of the aortic bifurcation and a left internal iliac aneurysm. Due to the severity of the lesions and the poor prognosis, the filly was euthanized and the clinical findings were confirmed by post-mortem examination. This report emphasizes the value of obtaining a precise diagnosis CT in order to ...
The first case of Tyzzer’s disease in a young foal in Italy: a case report. Seizures, coma and death rapidly appeared after admission in a one ‑month‑old foal with a history of lethargy, fever and anorexia. Severe icterus and necrotizing hepatitis were observed at necropsy. Clinical signs, laboratory and postmortem findings were compatible with a suspect of clostridial hepatitis. Tyzzer’s disease was confirmed by the presence of organisms morphologically consistent with Clostridium piliforme in the hepatocytes at the margins of multiple areas of hepatic necrosis. To the authors’ knowledge, this is the first reported case of clostridial hepatitis caused by Clos...
Microstructural features of subchondral radiolucent lesions in the medial femoral condyle of juvenile Thoroughbreds: A microcomputed tomography and histological analysis. The aetiology of equine medial femoral condyle (MFC) subchondral bone radiolucencies (SR) is unknown. Objective: Characterise the microstructural structural features of MFC SR in juvenile Thoroughbreds with microcomputed tomography (μCT) and histology. Methods: Cross-sectional post-mortem study. Methods: Distal femurs were collected at post-mortem. Conventional tomodensitometry was employed to scout for MFCs with and without SR lesions (SR+ and SR-, respectively). Group 1 were CT MFC SR+ and Group 2 age-matched SR- controls. Both underwent μCT and histological analysis. Group 3 CT MFC SR- fo...
Cancer of unknown primary in a mare: case report and comparative pathology review. A 25-y-old Percheron mare was admitted to the teaching hospital because of lethargy and intractable dyspnea. Thoracoabdominal ultrasound examination identified severe peritoneal effusion, mild bilateral pleural effusion, and a diffuse pulmonary nodular pattern. Cytology of peritoneal fluid revealed a hypercellular sample with clusters of neoplastic polygonal cells and admixed macrophages. Euthanasia was followed by postmortem examination; marked bi-cavitary effusion was present, and innumerable up to 4-cm diameter, round-to-floriform nodules were diffusely evident throughout serosal surfaces a...
Bullous amyloidosis in a horse: first description in veterinary medicine. Bullous amyloidosis is a rare disease in humans that has not been described in a veterinary species in the peer-reviewed literature. The human disease is characterised by haemorrhagic vesicles and bullae on the skin and mucosae, which form due to amyloid deposition. Objective: To describe the clinical features, laboratory analysis and histopathological features of an unique presentation of bullous disease in a horse. Methods: A 17-year-old thoroughbred mare presented for weight loss and severe oral cavity ulcers. Methods: Investigations involved haematological evaluation, chemistry profiles, g...
Gross post-mortem and histological features in 27 horses with confirmed lumbosacral region pain and five control horses: A descriptive cadaveric study. There is a lack of understanding of the pathological and/or physiological nature of lumbosacral region pain. Objective: To describe the gross variations of the osseous and soft tissues of the lumbosacral region and report the histological findings of sections of nerve tissue in affected and control horses. Methods: Descriptive post-mortem case series. Methods: All horses had undergone full clinical and gait assessment, including ridden exercise. Horses with a substantial response to infiltration of local anaesthetic solution around the sacroiliac joint regions were included in the affected gro...
Feasibility of using tissue autolysis to estimate the postmortem interval in horses. Estimation of the postmortem interval (PMI) is a poorly studied field in veterinary pathology. The development of field-applicable methods is needed given that animal cruelty investigations are increasing continually. We evaluated various histologic criteria in equine brain, liver, and muscle tissue to aid the estimation of PMI in horses, which is central to forensic investigations of suspicious death. After death, autolysis proceeds predictably, depending on environmental conditions. Currently, no field-applied methods exist that accurately estimate the PMI using histology in animals or human...
Streptococcus pluranimalium meningoencephalitis in a horse. A 3-y-old, female Quarter Horse with a history of acute neurologic signs was found dead and was submitted for postmortem examination. Areas of petechial and ecchymotic hemorrhage were present on cross-sections of the cerebrum, cerebellum, and brainstem. Histologic examination of the brain revealed severe, purulent meningoencephalitis and vasculitis with a myriad of intralesional gram-positive cocci. was identified from formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded tissue obtained from sites with active lesions by PCR and nucleotide sequencing of bacterial 16S ribosomal RNA. should be considered as a cau...
Equid herpesvirus-1 Distribution in Equine Lymphoid and Neural Tissues 70 Days Post Infection. Equid herpesvirus-1 (EHV-1) causes respiratory disease, abortion and myeloencephalopathy in horses worldwide. As member of the , latency is key to EHV-1 epidemiology. EHV-1 latent infection has been detected in the trigeminal ganglion (TG), respiratory associated lymphoid tissue (RALT) and peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) but additional locations are likely. The aim of this study was to investigate the distribution of viral DNA throughout the equine body. Twenty-five horses divided into three groups were experimentally infected via intranasal instillation with one of three EHV-1 virus...
Postmortem diagnoses of spinal ataxia in 316 horses in California. To determine period prevalences of postmortem diagnoses for spinal cord or vertebral column lesions as underlying causes of ataxia (spinal ataxia) in horses. Methods: 2,861 client-owned horses (316 with ataxia [ataxic group] and 2,545 without ataxia [control group]). Methods: The medical records database of the University of California-Davis Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital was searched to identify horses necropsied between January 1, 2005, and December 31, 2017. Results were compared between the ataxic and control groups and between various groups of horses in the ataxic group. Period pre...
Sudden death caused by spinal cord injury associated with vertebral fractures and fetlock failure in a Thoroughbred racehorse. The most prevalent causes of death in racehorses are musculoskeletal injuries, causing ~83% of deaths within the racing industry in California and elsewhere. The vast majority of these injuries have preexisting lesions that predispose to fatal injury. A 4-y-old Thoroughbred colt suffered an acute suspensory apparatus failure, including biaxial proximal sesamoid bone fractures of the right front fetlock, causing loss of support of the fetlock joint and consequent fall with fractures of the cervical and sacral spine. Cervical fracture caused spinal cord damage that resulted in sudden death. A pr...
A comparative study of breed differences in the anatomical configuration of the equine vertebral column. The importance of the equine thoracolumbar vertebral column in orthopaedic disorders is well recognized and diagnostic imaging becomes more feasible, but little is known about variations in the anatomical configuration within breeds. In this descriptive post-mortem study, anatomical variations in three widely differing breeds: Warmblood horses, Shetland ponies and semi-feral Konik horses are described. The caudal cervical (C), thoracic (T), lumbar (L) and sacral (S) regions of the vertebral column of 30 Warmblood horses, 29 Shetland ponies and 18 Konik horses were examined using computed tomog...
Gigantic Ocular Squamous Cell Carcinoma Mixed With Fibrosarcoma in a Mare: Clinical, Laboratory, Ultrasonography and Histopathology Findings. Ocular neoplasms represent 10% of all equine neoplasms and ocular squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) is the most common one. This report describes the clinical presentation, laboratory, ultrasonography, postmortem, histopathology and immunohistochemistry findings of a mixed ocular neoplasm in a 10-year-old draft mare. The mare had a one-year history of left ocular mass. Complete destruction of the left eye with loss of vision was observed. A large ulcerated mass oozing blood replaced the left eye. Left parotid lymph node was swollen and had a sinus tract discharging pus. Ultrasonography revealed a...
Diagnostic imaging in acute interstitial pneumonia in foals: High variability of interpretation of chest radiographs and good conformity between ultrasonographic and post-mortem findings. Acute interstitial pneumonia (AIP) in foals is a rare but challenging syndrome. Diagnostic imaging is crucial for its diagnosis. While there are some reports on radiographic findings, ultrasound is sparsely described. Variability in the evaluation of radiographs in AIP has been well described in human literature. Part one of this study is a prospective, observational, observer agreement study investigating inter- and intraobserver agreement in the assessment of thoracic radiographs. Part two is a prospective, controlled, descriptive study on thoracic ultrasonography in foals with AIP. Eighteen...
