Prognosis in horses refers to the prediction of the likely outcome or course of a disease or injury in equine patients. It involves assessing various factors such as the nature and severity of the condition, the horse's overall health, and response to treatment. Prognostic evaluations help veterinarians and horse owners make informed decisions regarding treatment options, management strategies, and potential recovery. The process often incorporates clinical assessments, diagnostic tools, and historical data to estimate the chances of recovery or progression. This page compiles peer-reviewed research studies and scholarly articles that explore methodologies, factors influencing prognostic outcomes, and the implications of prognostic evaluations in equine veterinary practice.
Honoré ML, Pihl TH, Busk-Anderson TM, Flintrup LL, Nielsen LN.D-dimer has value as a marker of thrombosis in critically ill horses and can provide additional information about prognosis. However, there are currently no equine species-specific d-dimer assays available, nor has there been any formal investigation of the applicability of human d-dimer assays in horses, so it is unknown, which assay performs best in this species. The aim of this study was therefore to evaluate and compare two human d-dimer assays for their applicability in horses. The study included four groups of horses: clinically healthy horses, horses with gastrointestinal (GI) disease a...
Bowers K, Weinhandl JT, Anderson DE.Equine tibial fractures are relatively infrequent in racing and non-racing sport horses, but limitations in successful treatment of tibial fractures in adult horses result in relatively high mortality compared with other musculoskeletal injuries. The aetiology of tibial fracture can be classified into two general categories: traumatic impact or fatigue failure. Tibial stress fractures, also known as fatigue fractures, are often rated as the second most common stress fracture in racing Thoroughbreds; young age, early stage in race training, and initiation of training after a period of rest are ...
Bishop RC, Gutierrez-Nibeyro SD, Stewart MC, McCoy AM.To evaluate previously published predictive survival models in a population of horses undergoing colic surgery in the midwestern United States. Methods: Retrospective cohort study; single referral hospital. Methods: A total of 260 horses met the inclusion criteria. Methods: Medical records of horses undergoing surgical treatment for colic were reviewed. Previously published models were applied to cohort data to predict outcome. Sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV), negative predictive value (NPV), and accuracy for prediction of short-term survival were calculated. Results:...
Boye JK, Bulkeley EA, Dujovne GA.To describe uterine prolapse, predispositions, and outcomes in mares treated between 1988 and 2019. 24 mares with uterine prolapse. Clinical records were retrospectively reviewed, and follow-up information was gathered. The Mann-Whitney U test and Fisher exact test were used to analyze results for history and outcome variables for potential association with mare survival to hospital discharge. The χ2 test was used to compare breed distribution. Age was known in 23 mares (median, 11.1 years). For 15 mares with exact known parity, the median parity was 3 births (range, 1 to 13 births). For 22 m...
The Lancet. Global healthMay 14, 2022
Volume 10, Issue 6 e862-e872 doi: 10.1016/S2214-109X(22)00117-6
Van Hao N, Loan HT, Yen LM, Kestelyn E, Hong DD, Thuy DB, Nguyen NT, Duong HTH, Thuy TTD, Nhat PTH, Khanh PNQ, Dung NTP, Phu NH, Phong NT, Lieu PT....Intramuscular antitoxin is recommended in tetanus treatment, but there are few data comparing human and equine preparations. Tetanus toxin acts within the CNS, where there is limited penetration of peripherally administered antitoxin; thus, intrathecal antitoxin administration might improve clinical outcomes compared with intramuscular injection. In a 2 × 2 factorial trial, all patients aged 16 years or older with a clinical diagnosis of generalised tetanus admitted to the intensive care unit of the Hospital for Tropical Diseases, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, were eligible for study entr...
Garrett KS.MRI and CT have enhanced our diagnostic abilities for equine lameness beyond what is available using radiography and ultrasonography. This has allowed veterinarians to better prognosticate and treat lameness conditions, improving patient outcomes. This article discusses the basic principles behind MRI and CT, their advantages and disadvantages, the different types of equipment available for clinical use in horses, the typical diagnostic workup prior to pursuing advanced imaging, and common regions where MRI and CT are used clinically. The companion Currents in One Health by Spriet, AJVR, July ...
Young N, Corletto F, Wright I.To identify prognostic factors for return to racing after lag screw repair of condylar fractures and develop a predictive model for return to racing. Methods: Retrospective cohort study. Methods: A total of 356 horses referred to a single referral hospital in the UK with a third metacarpal/metatarsal condylar fracture between January 1999 and December 2018. Methods: Age, sex, fracture site, fracture characteristics, surgery related variables and complications were retrieved from case records. Data were divided into two sets for model training and model validation. Univariable analyses were per...
Dybkjær E, Steffensen KF, Honoré ML, Dinesen MA, Christophersen MT, Pihl TH.Up-to-date and hospital-specific knowledge of prognoses for horses with various forms of colic is essential for helping to guide owners' decisions on costly treatments, and for assessing the continuous development of standards of care in the hospital. This study aimed to determine the short-term survival rates of horses admitted with colic to the University Hospital for Large Animals (UHLA), University of Copenhagen, Denmark, from 2010 to 2018, and to compare these to a previous local study as well as recent, comparable international studies. Short-term survival rates were calculated for horse...
Hamza E, Cosandey J, Gerber V, Koch C, Unger L.MicroRNAs (miRNAs) have been proposed as biomarkers for equine sarcoid (ES) disease. In this study, the suitability of three whole blood miRNAs to diagnose ES and to predict and monitor the outcome of therapy was explored. Using reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR), expression levels of eca-miR-127, eca-miR-379, and eca-miR-432 in whole blood of ES-affected equids before and at least one year after therapy were compared to those of unaffected control equids. Associations of age, sex, species, diagnosis, and therapy outcome with miRNA expression levels were exa...
Hedberg-Alm Y, Tydén E, Tamminen LM, Lindström L, Anlén K, Svensson M, Riihimäki M.Peritonitis in horses secondary to non-strangulating infarction (NSII) has a guarded prognosis, even after intestinal resection. In contrast, horses with idiopathic peritonitis respond well to medical treatment. Affected horses in both cases often show signs of both colic and systemic inflammation, but early diagnosis is crucial for optimal treatment and an accurate prognosis. One cause of NSII is thrombus formation secondary to Strongylus vulgaris larval migration. There has been a documented increase in S. vulgaris prevalence in Sweden since the implementation of selective anthelmintic treat...
Kos VK, Kramaric P, Brloznik M.The objective of this prospective case-control study of 125 horses with gastrointestinal tract-induced colic was to determine whether heart rate (HR) and packed cell volume (PCV) can predict surgical medical treatment and its short-term survival (time of discharge of the patient). Sixty-four horses were treated medically and 61 surgically (29 small intestinal and 32 large intestinal cases). At admission, both PCV and HR were higher in horses treated surgically than in horses treated medically; however, with longer duration of colic before presentation, the PCV was higher in the small intestin...
Olsen E, van Galen G.Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is rare in horses with an overall prevalence reported to be 0.12%. There is often a continuum from Acute Kidney Injury (AKI) to CKD, and patients with CKD may be predisposed to episodes of AKI. The most common clinical signs are non-specific with weight loss, polyuria/polydipsia and ventral edema. Less common clinical signs are poor appetite and performance, dull hair coat, oral ulcerations, gastro-intestinal ulceration, gingivitis, dental tartar and diarrhea. Rarely, horses may develop forebrain signs. Creatinine increases when at least 2/3 of kidney function have...
Louie EW, Streeter R, Story M, Scrivani PV, Barrett M, Mullen KR.A neonatal Dutch Warmblood colt was evaluated for inability to stand, incoordination and intention tremor. Despite partial improvement in clinical signs during the first 4 days of hospitalization, neurological deficits remained. Magnetic resonance imaging identified a unilateral infratentorial arachnoid cyst-like lesion with ipsilateral compression and displacement of the cerebellar hemisphere, absent corpus collosum, polymicrogyria, suspect leukoencephalopathy, and noncompressive occipitoatlantal malformation. Improvement in clinical signs during the first 6 months of life suggests that ho...
Lemonnier LC, Wolfsdorf KE, Kreutzfeldt N, Fedorka C, Chigerwe M, Bozorgmanesh R.Prognosis for life and future fertility in broodmares following hydrops is reportedly good, but evidence to support these reports is limited. The objective of this case series was to describe the prognosis for survival and fertility in mares presented to a referral hospital following diagnosis of hydrops. Medical records were reviewed to identify mares diagnosed with hydrops. Data collected included history (gestation, sire of the foal), clinical findings at presentation and throughout hospitalization (complications, treatments, survival to discharge) and future foaling rates. Thirty mares wer...
Barrell EA.Polyuria and polydipsia are rare, but significant, manifestations of several different diseases of horses. Causes can be endocrine, iatrogenic, psychogenic, infectious, or toxic in nature and can also be due to primary renal disease or diseases of other organs, such as the liver. Although numerous causes of polyuria and polydipsia in horses exist, the most common conditions include chronic kidney disease, pituitary pars intermedia dysfunction, and psychogenic polydipsia with secondary polyuria. Additional testing is dictated by history, other clinical signs, and the results of blood work and/o...
Divers TJ.Nephrotoxic and hemodynamically mediated disorders are the most common causes of acute renal failure (ARF) in horses and foals. Leptospira spp. is the most common infectious cause of ARF. Initial treatments for ARF include elimination of nephrotoxic drugs, correction of predisposing disorders, and fluid therapy to promote diuresis. Horses and foals with polyuric ARF often have a good prognosis, while those with oliguric or anuric ARF have a guarded to poor prognosis. When fluid therapy is unsuccessful in improving urine production, various drugs treatments have been used in an attempt to incre...
Vernemmen I, Van Steenkiste G, Dufourni A, Decloedt A, van Loon G.Transvenous electrical cardioversion (TVEC) is 1 of the main treatment options for atrial fibrillation (AF) in horses. Large-scale studies on factors affecting success and prognosis have primarily been performed in Standardbred populations. Objective: To determine factors affecting cardioversion success, cardioversion difficulty and recurrence in a predominant Warmblood study sample. Methods: TVEC records of 199 horses. Methods: Retrospective study of TVEC procedures of horses admitted for AF without severe echocardiographic abnormalities. Horse and procedural factors for success and cumulativ...
Hall S, Smith R, Ramzan PHL, Head M, Robinson N, Parker R.Rib fractures in adult horses are poorly documented. Objective: To describe the presenting signs, diagnosis, treatment and outcome of horses diagnosed with rib fracture. Methods: Retrospective case series. Methods: The clinical records and diagnostic images of all adult horses diagnosed with a rib fracture at three referral centres over a 15-year period were reviewed. Results: Seventy-three horses met the inclusion criteria. Horses presented due to either resistance to ridden work and poor performance (n = 41), lameness (n = 21) or trauma (n = 7). In four horses, the presenting complaint...
Vajs T, Nekouei O, Biermann NM.The tarsus is one of the most common areas of traumatic injury with associated synovial involvement (SI) in horses. The aim of this retrospective study was to describe the clinical presentation, diagnostic procedures, management (emphasizing the type, duration, and route of antimicrobial administration), and outcome of cases with acute soft tissue trauma to the tarsal region. The presenting clinical features, the results of diagnostic modalities, and the initial response to therapy were assessed for their usefulness to predict SI. Medical records of 72 cases were included and SI was diagnosed ...
Davis JG, García-López JM.To report the findings and long-term outcome of 76 sport horses with meniscal injury. Methods: Retrospective case series. Methods: Seventy-six horses with 93 meniscal injuries in 85 stifles. Methods: Medical records of sport horses diagnosed with meniscal injury during arthroscopy were reviewed. Owner follow up was obtained via telephone interview ≥1.5 years postoperatively. Preoperative and intraoperative findings, and postoperative treatments, were analyzed for potential association with return to athletic performance. Results: The medial meniscus was involved in 82.8% of cases, with gra...
Klein CE, Bramlage LR, Stefanovski D, Ruggles AJ, Embertson RM, Hopper SA.To compare 3 different methods for treatment of medial femoral condyle (MFC) subchondral cystic lesions in Thoroughbred horses <24 months old based on the criterion of ability to race post-treatment. Methods: Retrospective cohort study. Methods: Thoroughbreds (n = 107, age < 24 months) diagnosed with MFC subchondral cystic lesions. Methods: Medical records between January 2004 and December 2017 were reviewed. Three treatment methods were used in these horses during that time frame: arthroscopic debridement, intralesional autologous mesenchymal stem cell (MSC) injection, and int...
Busechian S, Marchesi MC, Vuerich M, Corsalini J, Nannarone S, Arcelli R, Ortolani F, Rueca F, Gialletti R.Ureteral endoscopy is a routine procedure in human medicine, whereas the reports of this procedure on horses are few and far between. The aim of this paper is to describe the endoscopic technique to evaluate the ureters in standing, sedated horses. An endoscopy of the ureters and lower urinary tract was performed using flexible endoscopes on 4 horses, 3 mares and one gelding. The animals were sedated with alpha-2-agonists and an epidural anaesthesia was given. An endoscopy of the ureter in the horse is easy to perform, causes the animal no adverse effects and could provide significant informat...
Cianci JM, Wulster KB, Richardson DW, Stefanovski D, Ortved KF.To investigate the effects of fracture characteristics and concurrent subchondral bone pathology identified with computed tomography (CT) on the racing performance of Thoroughbred racehorses with fractures of the MC3/MT3 lateral condyle. Methods: Retrospective cohort study. Methods: Thoroughbred racehorses (n = 50) with a fracture of the MC3/MT3 lateral condyle, which had preoperative CT and internal fixation performed. Methods: Medical records were reviewed for age, sex, limb, and surgical treatment. Computed tomography scans were evaluated to determine fracture characteristics including le...
Offer KS, Russell CM, Carrick JB, Wallington CE, Cudmore LA, Cuming RS, Collins NM.Peritoneal fluid analysis has both diagnostic and prognostic value in colic but is little reported in the post-partum mare. Multiple conditions may present similarly in this period, and peritoneal fluid findings may aid a prompt diagnosis. Objective: To describe the peritoneal fluid findings and their association with diagnosis in mares presenting to a single referral hospital for treatment of post-partum emergencies. Methods: A retrospective clinical study. Methods: Clinical records of 110 Thoroughbred mares were reviewed. Details of peritoneal fluid analysis from samples obtained at admissio...
Dohrmann J, Hildebrand F, Straub J, Wadephul R, Pusterla N, Freise F, Venner M.The goal of the current report was to describe the clinical signs, therapy and outcome of foals with suspected equine proliferative enteropathy (EPE) due to an infection with Lawsonia intracellularis. Forty foals, born on the same breeding farm, were diagnosed with suspected clinical EPE between September 2019 and January 2020. Data of these cases were analyzed retrospectively regarding the course of the disease, treatment, outcome and long-term prognosis. All horses, including randomly selected control horses, were reassessed about nine months after the suspicion of EPE. The horses affected w...
Minamijima Y, Tozaki T, Kuroda T, Urayama S, Nomura M, Yamamoto K.Equine colitis is a diarrhoeal disease caused by inflammation of the large bowel and can potentially be life-threatening due to its rapid progression. Pathogenesis is multifactorial and pathophysiology is highly complicated, therefore, reliable diagnostic biomarkers are needed in the veterinary field. Objective: Serum is one of the most commonly used diagnostic tools in equine clinical investigation. To discover diagnostic or prognostic protein markers for colitis in horse serum, comprehensive and comparative proteomic analysis was conducted using liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry...
Câmara ACL, de Sousa Argenta VL, de Moraes DDA, Fonseca EF, Fino TCM, Paludo GR, Soto-Blanco B.Determining the prognosis of poisoning by plants containing pyrrolizidine alkaloids is usually challenging. This study aimed to identify important prognostic parameters that can determine the severity of spontaneous poisoning by in horses. Blood samples from 42 horses spontaneously poisoned by oats contaminated with seeds were evaluated. Complete blood counts (CBC) and serum biochemical tests [urea, creatinine, total protein, albumin, total and direct bilirubin concentrations, aspartate aminotransferase (AST), γ-glutamyl transferase (GGT), and creatine kinase (CK) activities] were performed...
Buhl R, Hesselkilde EM, Carstensen H, Hopster-Iversen C, van Loon G, Decloedt A, Van Steenkiste G, Marr CM, Reef VB, Schwarzwald CC, Mitchell KJ....The recurrence rate of atrial fibrillation (AF) in horses after cardioversion to sinus rhythm (SR) is relatively high. Atrial fibrillatory rate (AFR) derived from surface ECG is considered a biomarker for electrical remodelling and could potentially be used for the prediction of successful AF cardioversion and AF recurrence. Objective: Evaluate if AFR was associated with successful treatment and could predict AF recurrence in horses. Methods: Retrospective multicentre study. Methods: Electrocardiograms (ECG) from horses with persistent AF admitted for cardioversion with either medical treatmen...
Cosandey J, Hamza E, Gerber V, Ramseyer A, Leeb T, Jagannathan V, Blaszczyk K, Unger L.MicroRNAs have been proposed as biomarkers for equine sarcoids, the most prevalent equine skin tumors globally. This study served to validate the diagnostic and prognostic potential of whole blood microRNAs identified in a previous study for long-term equine sarcoid diagnosis and outcome prediction. Based on findings of a clinical examination at the age of 3 years and a follow-up following a further 5-12 years, 32 Franches-Montagnes and 45 Swiss Warmblood horses were assigned to four groups: horses with regression (n = 19), progression (n = 9), new occurrences of sarcoid lesions (n = 19) and t...
Iimori M, Tamura N, Seki K, Kasashima Y.The onset of severe injury to the superficial digital flexor tendon (SDFT) is extremely difficult to predict from slight changes in ultrasonographic findings in cases with no apparent clinical signs. This study investigated the relationship between an increased cross-sectional area (CSA) or edema in the subcutaneous tissue around the tendon and the subsequent onset of severe SDFT injury in Thoroughbred racehorses. Horses were classified into three groups based on ultrasound diagnosis (USD) findings: Group A included cases with enlarged tendons; Group B included cases with tendons of normal siz...
Edington N, Bridges CG, Griffiths L.When 23 ponies were infected with equid herpesvirus-1 or -4 (EHV-1 or EHV-4), nasal shedding of interferon (IFN) correlated closely with the duration of viral excretion. Equine interferon (EqIFN) was detected in the serum only from animals infected with the EHV-1 virus, and here high levels correlated with clinical symptoms of locomotor disorder and indicated a poor prognosis. Low levels of IFN were detected in explanted mononuclear cells from ponies infected with either virus.
Doig PA, McKnight JD, Miller RB.The results of a study on endometrial biopsies obtained from 700 infertile mares are reported. Infiltrative endometritis was present in 51% consisting of a combination of an acute and chronic cellular response in 6%, mild chronic infiltrations in 35% and moderate to severe chronic infiltrations in 10%. Demonstrable endometrial fibrosis was found in 88% of the mares with the majority having mild (51%) or moderate (35%) changes. The age of the mares and the average number of years barren gradually increased with the severity of endometrial fibrosis, as did the combined incidence of fetal loss (e...
Fenner MF, Verwilghen D, Townsend N, Simhofer H, Schwarzer J, Zani DD, Bienert-Zeit A.Paranasal sinus cysts (PSC) are a common cause of equine secondary sinusitis. The outcome and associated complications have not been frequently reported. Objective: To review the associated clinical signs, associated morbidities and outcomes of horses treated for PSC. Methods: Retrospective multicentre case series. Methods: Retrospective analysis of case records and telephone follow up survey. Results: Subjects were 37 horses 1-24 years old that were presented with nasal discharge (n = 31), facial swelling (n = 25) and epiphora (n = 19). Radiography and computed tomography allowed identificati...
Muñoz A, Riber C, Trigo P, Castejón F.Leukemia, i.e., the neoplasia of one or more cell lines of the bone marrow, although less common than in other species, it is also reported in horses. Leukemia can be classified according to the affected cells (myeloproliferative or lymphoproliferative disorders), evolution of clinical signs (acute or chronic) and the presence or lack of abnormal cells in peripheral blood (leukemic, subleukemic and aleukemic leukemia). The main myeloproliferative disorders in horses are malignant histiocytosis and myeloid leukemia, the latter being classified as monocytic and myelomonocytic, granulocytic, prim...
Borde L, Amory H, Grulke S, Leroux AA, Houben RM, Detilleux J, Sandersen CC.To assess the prognostic value of echocardiographic parameters of left ventricular (LV) function in horses with systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS). Methods: Prospective observational study. Methods: Veterinary teaching hospital. Methods: Forty-one horses admitted for colic with clinical evidence of SIRS. Methods: All horses underwent Doppler echocardiographic examination on admission. LV echocardiographic parameters, including pulsed-wave tissue Doppler imaging parameters, were compared between nonsurvivors (n = 29) and horses that survived to discharge (n = 12). Results: With comp...
Estell KE, Dawson DR, Magdesian KG, Swain E, Laing ST, Siso S, Mapes S, Pusterla N.Data associating quantitative viral load with severity, clinical signs and survival in equine herpesvirus-1 myeloencephalopathy (EHM) have not been reported. Objective: To report the clinical signs, treatment, and temporal progression of viral loads in 7 horses with naturally occurring EHM and to examine the association of these factors with survival. Methods: Retrospective case series. Methods: The population included 7 horses with EHM presented to the University of California, Davis William R. Pritchard Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital from May to September 2011. Horses were graded using...
Pirrone A, Panzani S, Govoni N, Castagnetti C, Veronesi MC.The hypothalamus-pituitary-thyroid axis has specific functions, mostly related to metabolic activities, cell differentiation, and development. To the authors' knowledge, there are no studies about thyroid hormone (TH) concentrations in foals affected by perinatal asphyxia syndrome (PAS). Hence, the aims of the study are (1) to evaluate plasma TH concentrations (T3 and T4) in healthy foals during the first 7 days of life; (2) to evaluate plasma TH concentration (T3 and T4) in critically ill foals affected by PAS during the first 7 days of hospitalization; and (3) to compare TH concentrations be...
Glass K, Watts AE.Despite differences in etiology and diagnostics, the mainstay of therapy in the foal is similar to the adult: local lavage and/or debridement and local antimicrobial therapy. When musculoskeletal infection is concurrent with neonatal sepsis, the prognosis for survival is fair. When musculoskeletal infection is the primary problem, the prognosis is fair to good for survival of synovial, bony, and physeal infections with appropriate and aggressive local therapy. Recent literature may indicate that prognosis for survival and potential athleticism in foals that are treated expediently with local t...
van den Top JG, Harkema L, Lange C, Ensink JM, van de Lest CH, Barneveld A, van Weeren PR, Gröne A, Martens A.Equine penile and preputial squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) is a potentially lethal disease of which little is known regarding the relationship between tumour characteristics and prognosis. Objective: To assess the relationship between tumour differentiation grade (tumour subtype), presence of papillomaviruses, expression of viral genes (E2, E6, L1), nuclear proteins p53 and Ki67 and metastasis in equine penile and preputial SCC and to assess the relationship of tumour subtype, presence of papillomavirus type 2, p53 and Ki67 with survival. Methods: Retrospective case-control study using archived...
Navas de Solis C, Slack J, Boston RC, Reef VB.To describe the prognosis and clinical, echocardiographic, and pathological features of hypertensive cardiomyopathy in horses. Methods: Retrospective case series. Methods: 5 horses with cardiac hypertrophy and systemic hypertension. Methods: Demographics, history, physical and cardiological examination findings, diagnosis, clinical progression, prognosis, and pathological findings were obtained from medical records. Results: The primary diagnosis was chronic laminitis in 3 horses and chronic renal failure in 2. Persistent tachycardia, hypertension, chronic laminitis, or a combination of these ...
Raidal SL.Pleuropneumonia is a clinically important equine disease, predisposed by a number of identifiable factors. Successful management is largely dependent on early identification and prompt initiation of appropriate treatment strategies. Rapid resolution of the disease process is associated with appropriate treatment commenced within 48 h of the causative insult. Lower airway contamination by oropharyngeal organisms and subsequent extension into the pulmonary parenchyma results in respiratory dysfunction and systemic toxaemia. Acute disease is associated with the isolation of facultatively anaerobi...
Schwink K.A retrospective review of 41 cases of equine ocular squamous cell carcinoma with follow up information for 33 horses is presented. An apparent prevalence in heavy horse breeds was identified. Age and sex distribution were similar to those previously reported. High recurrence (42.4 per cent) and low metastasis (6 per cent) rates were seen. Initial tumour location, primary treatment used, or patient case history had no apparent influence on final outcome. The willingness of owners to pursue with continuous treatment correlated with a high degree of success.
Orsini JA, Elser AH, Galligan DT, Donawick WJ, Kronfeld DS.Selected physical and laboratory findings in 29 horses with acute abdominal crisis were evaluated retrospectively with a logistic regression equation to predict survival or death. Of 17 variables examined, 2 were found to have good predictive correlation. Serum lactate and packed cell volume had a combined predictive value of 94%. Packed cell volume mean values of 43 and 50%, respectively, differentiated survival from death. Serum lactate values of 28.18 mg/dl and 51.28 mg/dl differentiated survival and death. Analysis of data from a previous study of 36 horses with the logistic regression equ...
Lischer CJ, Ringer SK, Schnewlin M, Imboden I, Fürst A, Stöckli M, Auer J.The objective of the present clinical report was to investigate the short- and long-term outcomes of chronic proximal suspensory desmitis (PSD) treated with Extracorporeal Shockwave Treatment (ESWT). Fifty-two horses with chronic PSD in the forelimb (34 cases) or hindlimb (22 cases) were included in the study. Three horses had lesions in both hindlimbs and one in both forelimbs. The origin of the suspensory ligament was treated every three weeks for a total of three treatments using 2000 impulses applied by a focused ESWT device (Equitron) at an energy flux density of 0.15 mJ/ mm2. This treatm...
Epstein KL, Brainard BM, Giguere S, Vrono Z, Moore JN.Objectives of this study were to compare the ability of serial thromboelastography, Sonoclot, and traditional coagulation panels to detect coagulopathies associated with disease category, systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS), complications, and nonsurvival in horses with gastrointestinal disease. Methods: Prospective clinical evaluation. Methods: University referral hospital. Methods: One hundred twenty-one horses admitted as emergencies for gastrointestinal disease and 28 healthy adult horses. Methods: Blood samples were collected ≤4 times from emergency horses (admission and if s...
Cripps PJ, Eustace RA.The significance of clinical and radiological parameters as prognostic indicators for laminitis, 'founder' and 'sinking syndrome' was studied using case records of 216 horses and ponies. Five animals were destroyed without treatment and were not included in the results of the study. One hundred and sixty-two (77%) animals returned to athletic soundness; 7 animals (3%) did not regain full athletic function, 42 animals (20%) died or were destroyed. Cases were assigned to 4 groups on the basis of initial clinical examination alone. These groups were laminitis, acute founder, 'sinker' and chronic ...
Arroyo LG, Moore A, Bedford S, Gomez DE, Teymournejad O, Xiong Q, Budachetri K, Bekebrede H, Rikihisa Y, Baird JD.Clinical findings, geographic locations, laboratory diagnoses, and culture isolation of spp. in Potomac horse fever (PHF) cases diagnosed in Ontario between 2015 and 2019 are described. Forty-six confirmed PHF cases occurred from late June to early September. Of 41 horses admitted to the Ontario Veterinary College, 28 (68%) survived and 13 (32%) were euthanized due to poor prognosis or financial constraints. Most cases were in southern Ontario along the Canada-USA border. Blood and fecal samples from 43 suspect PHF cases were submitted to 2 laboratories for polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tes...
Unger L, Jagannathan V, Pacholewska A, Leeb T, Gerber V.Currently no methods are available to predict the clinical outcome of individual horses with equine sarcoid (ES) disease. Objective: To investigate if whole blood microRNA (miRNA) profiles can predict the long-term development of ES tumors. Methods: Five horses with regression and 5 with progression of ES lesions monitored over 5-7 years and 5 control horses free of ES for at least 5 years. Methods: For this cohort study, RNA extracted from whole blood samples from the regression, progression, and control groups was used for high throughput sequencing. Known and novel miRNAs were identified us...
Post EM, Singer ER, Clegg PD, Smith RK, Cripps PJ.Wounds to the plantar aspect of the tarsus present a diagnostic and treatment challenge. This study was undertaken to describe specific features of traumatic wounds involving the calcaneal bursa, with a view to determining which clinical examination findings and diagnostic tests results could provide reliable indicators of prognosis. Objective: To report clinical presentation, diagnostic findings, treatment and outcome of 24 cases of septic calcaneal bursitis; and to determine the importance of the involvement of specific anatomical structures in relation to the prognosis for survival and retu...
Ricketts SW, Alonso S.Paired endometrial biopsy samples were taken from 530 subfertile mares, before and after treatment (where indicated) and a period of sexual rest. Prognoses were made after each biopsy (Categories 1A-4A before treatment and Categories 1B-4B after treatment), using histopathological criteria similar to those described by Kenney and Doig (1986). Eighty-seven per cent of the mares were assigned to first biopsy prognosis Category 3A. The second biopsy prognosis produced a more even population distribution (10, 47, 40 and 3 per cent respectively for Category 1B, 2B, 3B and 4B mares). First biopsy Ca...
Theelen MJP, Wilson WD, Byrne BA, Edman JM, Kass PH, Magdesian KG.The study objectives were to provide cumulative antimicrobial susceptibility data at the patient level and to evaluate the effect of initial antimicrobial treatment on survival in foals with sepsis. Foals below 30days of age with a diagnosis of sepsis, confirmed by isolation of bacteria from normally sterile sites on the day of hospital admission, were included. Susceptibility testing was performed using the broth microdilution procedure. In total, 213 foals and 306 bacterial isolates were included. The likelihood of survival for foals from which all bacteria were susceptible to the initial an...
Whitton RC, Walmsley EA, Wong ASM, Shannon SM, Frazer EJ, Williams NJ, Guerow JF, Hitchens PL.Long bone fractures in racehorses may present as stress fractures which have a good prognosis, or complete fractures, which often result in a fatal outcome. In order to identify differences in modifiable management practices that may contribute to these outcomes, racing histories of horses with humeral or tibial fractures and of matched controls were examined. A retrospective case-control study of Australian Thoroughbred racehorses diagnosed with a fracture of the humerus or tibia by scintigraphy or at post-mortem between 2002 and 2016 was undertaken. Control horses were matched from the same ...
Ashrafi GH, Piuko K, Burden F, Yuan Z, Gault EA, Müller M, Trawford A, Reid SWJ, Nasir L, Campo MS.Equine sarcoids are fibroblastic skin tumours affecting equids worldwide. While the pathogenesis is not entirely understood, infection with bovine papillomavirus (BPV) type 1 (and less commonly type 2) has been implicated as a major factor in the disease process. Sarcoids very seldom regress and in fact often recrudesce following therapy. Nothing is known about the immune response of the equine host to BPV. Given that the viral genes are expressed in sarcoids, it is reasonable to assume that vaccination of animals against the expressed viral proteins would lead to the induction of an immune re...
Tatz AJ, Segev G, Steinman A, Berlin D, Milgram J, Kelmer G.There is a consensus in the veterinary literature that Parascaris equorum (ascarid) impaction carries a poor prognosis. Hence surgery is often delayed and foals are often subjected to euthanasia after diagnosis of ascarid impaction is established. Our clinical impression was that ascarid impaction carries a better prognosis than previously reported. Objective: Our expectation was that manually evacuating the impaction into the caecum, thus refraining from opening the small intestine, would improve the prognosis for survival of horses with ascarid impaction. The aim of this study was to examine...
Rakowska A, Cywinska A, Witkowski L.The aim of this review was to summarize studies on equine rhodococcosis over the last decade. For many years has remained one of the major health challenges in the equine breeding industry worldwide. Recently, many novel approaches and ideas have been described and some of them were initially implemented into the clinical practice. This study reviews a variety of new information about neonatal susceptibility, clinical appearance, considered and applied diagnostic procedures and treatment alternatives, factors limiting accurate prognosis, ideas regarding environmental management and prophylax...
Pusterla N, Watson JL, Wilson WD, Affolter VK, Spier SJ.To describe clinical manifestations of cutaneous and ocular habronemiasis in horses and evaluate outcome of treatment. Methods: Retrospective study. Methods: 63 horses. Methods: The diagnosis was made on the basis of history, clinical signs, and identification of calcified concretions (sulfur granules) in lesions. Histologic examination of biopsy specimens was used to confirm the diagnosis. Case horses were compared with a control population of 12,720 horses examined during the same period. Results: Arabians, gray horses, and horses with diluted coat colors were overrepresented; Thoroughbreds ...
MacDonald MH, Pascoe JR, Stover SM, Meagher DM.The authors examined factors influencing survival in 140 horses that recovered from anesthesia after small intestinal resection between 1968 and 1986, using Kaplan-Meier estimated survival curves and the Cox proportional hazards regression model. Seventy-two horses (51%) died during the initial postoperative period, 19 horses (14%) died after discharge from the hospital, 33 horses (24%) were alive, and 16 horses (11%) were classified as censored. Mean age at surgery was 8 years. Horses 15 years of age or older, Arabians and Stallions, were overrepresented in the hospital population. The most c...
Fife TM, Gemensky-Metzler AJ, Wilkie DA, Colitz CM, Bras ID, Klages DC.To identify visual outcome and postoperative complications following phacoemulsification of equine cataracts. Methods: Records of 39 horses (55 eyes) with cataracts were reviewed. Methods: Eyes with cataracts removed by phacoemulsification were included in the study. Data collected included age, breed, sex, stage and etiology of cataract, unilateral vs. bilateral involvement, and ultrasound findings. Horses were grouped by etiology of the cataract. Visual outcome and complications were evaluated for each group and the overall population. Results: Immediately postoperatively 46 out of 47 eyes (...
Reef VB.Physiological flow murmurs occur frequently in horses and may be difficult to distinguish from murmurs associated with underlying cardiac disease. The significance of heart murmurs auscultated in horses is often difficult to determine if the horse is not exhibiting any clinical signs or if the signs, such as poor performance, are nonspecific. A complete echocardiographic examination (M-mode, 2-dimensional (2-D) and Doppler) provides an objective assessment of the severity of the horse's underlying cardiac disease. Valvular regurgitation and ventricular septal defects (VSDs) occur frequently an...
