Veterinary care in horses encompasses the medical and preventive measures taken to maintain and improve the health and well-being of equine patients. It includes a wide range of practices such as routine health examinations, vaccinations, dental care, parasite control, and management of injuries and diseases. Veterinary care also involves diagnostic procedures, surgical interventions, and therapeutic treatments tailored to the specific needs of horses. This page gathers peer-reviewed research studies and scholarly articles that explore various aspects of equine veterinary care, including advancements in diagnostic techniques, treatment protocols, and health management strategies to support the well-being and performance of horses.
Lu G, Huang J, Li S.Theiler's disease-associated virus (TDAV) could be the aetiological agent of Theiler's disease. Horses experimentally inoculated with equine plasma containing TDAV develop acute and chronic infections with viraemia. Since its first identification in 2013, TDAV has not been detected in equines in the epidemiological studies that have been conducted. Until now, only one genome sequence of TDAV (HorseA1_serum) had been obtained. In this study, we sequenced the genome of four TDAV strains (A/China, F/China, H/USA and I/USA) in commercial equine sera used for cell culture propagation in China using...
Husulak ML, Manning ST, Meachem MD, Burgess HJ, Epp TY, Montgomery JB.The objective of this study was to observe the outcomes of adding an antimicrobial treatment to a conventional treatment regime in horses with severe equine asthma in a clinical setting. Eleven client-owned horses with a history consistent with severe equine asthma, increased respiratory effort and nostril flaring, ≥ 20% neutrophils on bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL), and a positive tracheal wash (TW) bacterial culture were treated with environmental management, corticosteroids, and bronchodilators. Six horses were also treated with an antimicrobial (principal group), while the other 5 were adm...
Huber L, Giguère S, Berghaus LJ, Hanafi A, Ryan C.Rhodococcus equi, a soil saprophyte, is a common cause of pneumonia in foals and a frequent opportunistic pathogen in immunosuppressed people. Because it is widespread in the environment, R. equi can be detected in the feces of most horses. However, the exact timing and rate of shedding relative to infection is unknown. The objectives of this study were to quantify shedding of R. equi in mares and foals after experimental infection of foals with 2 different inocula and to determine the effect of composting on concentrations of R. equi in contaminated bedding. Foals were infected intratracheall...
Bullitta S, Re GA, Manunta MDI, Piluzza G.Mediterranean farmers traditionally utilized plants, animals, and minerals sourced locally to treat their animals. Research is needed to understand at what extent such knowledge of domestic animal care still survives and to document such traditions for further developments. Methods: We carried out our field study to recover ancient ethno-veterinary practices by means of questionnaires and interviews to farmers in rural areas of the Mediterranean island of Sardinia (Italy). Quantitative indices were used to evaluate the distribution and diversity of the acquired information. Results: We report ...
Secor EJ, Gutierrez-Nibeyro SD, Clark-Price SC, Stewart MC, Kay AT.OBJECTIVE To report complication rates following elective arthroscopy in horses and determine whether postoperative complication rates are higher for outpatient procedures, compared with inpatient procedures. DESIGN Retrospective cohort study. ANIMALS 357 client-owned horses that had undergone 366 elective arthroscopic procedures between January 2008 and February 2015. PROCEDURES Medical records were retrospectively reviewed. Data collected included signalment, travel time to the hospital, clinical signs, joints treated, lesions diagnosed, medications administered, anesthesia and surgery times...
Varasano V, Marruchella G, Petrizzi L.The healing of wounds located on the equine distal limbs can often be impaired, which can result in exuberant granulation tissue and its associated aesthetic alteration and functional failures. Although a number of therapies have been developed and assessed, the treatment of these wounds still presents challenges. This report describes the treatment of exuberant granulation tissue in a horse using an intra-lesional injection of 4% formaldehyde solution. The successful outcome of this treatment suggests that further investigations are required in order to better evaluate its efficacy, as well a...
Gehlen H, Bildheim LM.Our aim was to evaluate the influence of the ageing process on the myocardium using pulsed wave tissue Doppler (PW-TDI) and colour tissue Doppler imaging (cTDI) to measure myocardial velocities at three different myocardial regions (right ventricular free wall: RVFW, interventricular septum: IVS, left ventricular free wall: LVFW). A total of 60 healthy warmblood horses, aged from 3 to 30 years, were examined. The horses were divided into five age groups (group 1: 3-8 years, n = 14; group 2: 9-13 years, n = 9; group 3: 14-18 years, n = 10; group 4: 19-23 years, n = 14; group 5: 24-...
Mueller MK, Sween C, Frank N, Paradis MR.OBJECTIVE To assess relationships between horse owners (or lessees) and geriatric or nongeriatric horses and to investigate factors influencing veterinary care decision-making. DESIGN Descriptive, cross-sectional, survey-based study. SAMPLE 2,879 people who owned or leased ≥ 1 horse. PROCEDURES Participants were recruited through social media and online horse forums to participate in an online survey about their horses, including measures of attachment, veterinary care decision-making, and experiences surrounding the death of a horse. Data were collected for primary horses (those respondents...
Barrett MF, Selberg KT, Johnson SA, Hersman J, Frisbie DD.Injury of the distal tarsus and proximal metatarsus commonly causes lameness. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) allows concurrent assessment of both the distal tarsal joints and suspensory ligament origin, and aids identification of lesions that may otherwise go undetected by other modalities. In this retrospective observational study, the medical records of a veterinary imaging center were searched for MRI exams of the distal tarsus and proximal metatarsus for the years 2012 through 2014. Studies for 125 limbs of 103 horses were identified and retrospectively evaluated by two board-certified v...
Greve L, Pfau T, Dyson S.Altered body lean has been subjectively observed during lungeing in lame horses. The objectives were to quantify the influence of lameness on body lean in trot on the lunge and to investigate the influence of improvement in lameness on the differences in body lean between reins. Thirteen lame horses were trotted in straight lines and lunged on a 10m-diameter circle on both reins before and after lameness was subjectively substantially improved by diagnostic analgesia. A global position system-aided inertial measurement unit attached to the tubera sacrale quantified body lean. Differences betwe...
Binetti A, Mosing M, Sacks M, Duchateau L, Gasthuys F, Schauvliege S.To describe the cardiorespiratory effects of a change in table position in anaesthetized horses. Methods: Prospective, crossover, randomized, experimental study. Methods: Six adult horses (mean body weight 621 ± 59 kg, aged 13 ± 4 years). Methods: The horses were anaesthetized twice in dorsal recumbency. They were either placed in the Trendelenburg position (head down; HD) followed by reverse Trendelenburg position (head up; HU) or in reverse order. Every position was maintained for 90 minutes. The order of positions was randomly assigned at initial anaesthesia. Extensive cardiorespiratory m...
Byström A, Roepstorff L, Rhodin M, Serra Bragança F, Engell MT, Hernlund E, Persson-Sjödin E, van Weeren R, Weishaupt MA, Egenvall A.Saddle slip, defined as a progressive lateral displacement of the saddle during ridden exercise, has recently been given attention in the scientific press as a potential sign of lameness. The aim of this study was to objectively quantify the normal lateral movement (oscillations) of the saddle relative to the horse in non-lame horses, and associate this movement to the movements of the horse and rider. Data from seven Warmblood dressage horses competing at Grand Prix (n = 6) or FEI Intermediate (n = 1) level, ridden by their usual riders, were used. Simultaneous kinetic, kinematic and saddle p...
Chope KB.Cardiac murmurs are not uncommonly detected in the equine athlete. Although most are benign in nature, differentiation and quantification of murmurs due to valvular regurgitation are important for prognosis and recommendations. Arrhythmias can be associated with structural disease or occur independently and may range in severity from minimal clinical effect to poor performance to presenting a safety risk to rider and horse. This article discusses commonly encountered cardiac conditions in the sport horse. Physical examination, diagnostic approach, valvular disease, and arrhythmias with an impa...
Bras RJ, Redden R.Foot-related lameness is one of the most frequently encountered problems in the equine industry. Therapeutic shoeing is a frequently used preventative discipline for the treatment of many causes of lameness. The primary goal for therapeutic applications is to offset the mechanical limitations and enhance the healing environment. Equine podiatry is a blend of the 2 highly respected professions each contributing to the task at hand, but neither formally educated and trained as collaborative team members with a common thread of podiatry principles.
Swinebroad EL.Given the variable clinical signs attributed to Borrelia burgdorferi, including infectious arthritis, neurologic disease, and behavioral changes, B burgdorferi is an important differential for decreased performance in sport horses. The primary vectors (Ixodes tick species) are expanding their range and thus Borrelia species are located in a wider area, making exposure more likely. Due to regionally high seroprevalence and vague clinical signs, diagnosis of Lyme disease in the horse is believed overestimated. Antibiotics are first-line treatment of confirmed Lyme disease. A single positive sero...
Davidson EJ.Lameness examination is commonly performed in the athletic horse. A skilled lameness diagnostician must have keen clinical and observational skills. Evaluation starts with a detailed history and thorough physical examination. Next, gait evaluation in the moving horse is performed. Lame horses have asymmetrical body movement due to unconscious shift of body weight. Recognition of the resultant head nod and pelvic hike is the basis for lameness diagnosis. Lameness identification is enhanced by circling, limb flexions, and riding. Most lame horses do not exhibit pathognomonic gait characteristics...
Wulster KB.This article discusses the basis of image formation of radiography, scintigraphy, PET, computed tomography (fan beam and cone beam), and magnetic resonance as it relates to imaging of musculoskeletal injury in the sport horse. The benefits and drawbacks of each modality are discussed with particular emphasis on sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy of identification of subchondral bone injury. Examples of straightforward as well as confounding lesions are provided, emphasizing the need for appropriate clinical workup and diagnostic analgesia, where appropriate.
Mazan MR.The airways are the first part of the pathway in the oxygen transport chain that is critical to excellent athletic performance, and the lower airways are considered the final gatekeeper before oxygen enters the blood and carbon dioxide exits. Horses are blessed with large airways and lungs that allow them to be superb athletes, but the down side of this largesse on the part of evolution is that unless they are truly elite athletes they may withstand noninfectious disease of the lower respiratory tract for months to years before the owner or trainer notices. The two conditions of the lower resp...
Baron AL, Schoeniger A, Becher P, Baechlein C.In recent years, hepatitis C virus (HCV)-related viruses were identified in several species, including dogs, horses, bats, and rodents. In addition, a novel virus of the genus has been discovered in bovine samples and was termed bovine hepacivirus (BovHepV). Prediction of the BovHepV internal ribosome entry site (IRES) structure revealed strong similarities to the HCV IRES structure comprising domains II, IIIabcde, pseudoknot IIIf, and IV with the initiation codon AUG. Unlike HCV, only one microRNA-122 (miR-122) binding site could be identified in the BovHepV 5' nontranslated region. In this ...
Singer-Berk M, Knickelbein KE, Vig S, Liu J, Bentley E, Nunnery C, Reilly C, Dwyer A, Drögemüller C, Unger L, Gerber V, Lassaline M, Bellone RR.Squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) is the most common cancer affecting the equine eye, with a higher incidence documented in Haflinger horses. Recently, a missense variant in the gene damage specific DNA binding protein 2 (DDB2, p.Thr338Met) on ECA12 was identified as a risk factor for the development of limbal SCC in Haflinger horses. SCC also occurs on the nictitating membrane; therefore, investigating the role of this missense variant in nictitating membrane SCC is warranted. In this study, a common ancestor was identified among Haflinger horses affected with limbal SCC or with nictitating membr...
Wicklund A, Foster SD, Roy AA. Despite a high incidence of injury in their sport, rodeo athletes have been underrepresented in the concussion literature. No standard postconcussion protocols are available across rodeo organizations for evaluating fitness to return to competition. Objective: To review the literature on concussion in rodeo, examine published guidelines, and offer an active return-to-play (RTP) protocol specific to rodeo athletes. Background: Unique barriers complicate the management and treatment of rodeo athletes with concussion, such as the solo nature of the sport, lack of consistent access to ...
Rinnovati R, Bianchin Butina B, Bianchi J, Foglia A, Lambertini C, Del Magno S.Branchial remnant cysts are an uncommon cause of masses of the throatlatch area in horses. Two methods of treatment have been proposed in literature, both with complications. This manuscript proposes a method (marsupialization and sclerotherapy) for the treatment of a cyst in a 1.5-year-old Arabian filly. Diagnosis was made by ultrasonographic, radiographic and endoscopic examinations, revealing an anechoic fluid-filled structure and a well-defined capsule not in communication with other structures. After emptying the cyst, the skin was sutured circumferentially to the cyst wall; it was then f...
Nielsen MK, Branan MA, Wiedenheft AM, Digianantonio R, Scare JA, Bellaw JL, Garber LP, Kopral CA, Phillippi-Taylor AM, Traub-Dargatz JL.Equine strongyle parasites are ubiquitous in grazing equids across the world. Anthelmintic resistance is widely developed in cyathostomin populations, but very few surveys have evaluated anthelmintic efficacy in equine populations in the United States, and most of these are over 15 years old. The present study was carried out as part of the National Animal Health Monitoring Systems (NAHMS) Equine 2015-2016 study. The aims were to investigate anthelmintic treatment efficacy by means of the fecal egg count reduction test (FECRT) and identify parameters associated with decreased efficacy. Data we...
Causey RC.Uterine infections are a major cause of infertility, but the role of mucus in equine uterine defense is not well understood. Mucociliary currents play an important role in protecting mucous membranes, including the upper and lower respiratory tracts of mammals, and are required for feeding and oxygenation of many aquatic invertebrates. Although phagocytosis has long been considered the first line of uterine defense in the mare, there are concerns about its efficacy in the uterine lumen. Additional local defenses, such as mucociliary currents, have therefore been proposed. The uterine epitheliu...
Ho EN, Chan GH, Wan TS, Curl P, Riggs CM, Hurley MJ, Sykes D.Cobalt is a well-established inducer of hypoxia-like responses, which can cause gene modulation at the hypoxia inducible factor pathway to induce erythropoietin transcription. Cobalt salts are orally active, inexpensive, and easily accessible. It is an attractive blood doping agent for enhancing aerobic performance. Indeed, recent intelligence and investigations have confirmed cobalt was being abused in equine sports. In this paper, population surveys of total cobalt in raceday samples were conducted using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). Urinary threshold of 75 ng/mL a...
Carlsson C.Despite an increasing number of studies, there is still a lack of knowledge about the unique features that underlie the process in equine assisted social work (EASW). This study aimed to reveal, through qualitative methods, the dyads within the triad that become stronger during the process of EASW, as well as the effect of the participation of the horse on the relationship between the counselor and client. Data were collected through in-depth interviews with nine female self-harming clients aged 15-21 years and eight staff members. The interviews, together with video-recorded human-horse inte...
Redmond EF, Jones D, Rushton J.African horse sickness (AHS) is endemic in sub-Saharan Africa posing a threat to equine populations in non-endemic regions. Available vaccine technologies have limitations, creating barriers to horse movement, AHS control and, in non-endemic areas or countries, rapid elimination of virus after incursion. The literature lacks an economic assessment of the benefits of bringing a new, more effective AHS vaccine to market. Objective: The study assesses the economic impact of AHS and tests the hypothesis that investment in a safer, more effective AHS vaccine would give an economic return. Methods: ...
Pusterla N, Rice M, Henry T, Barnum S, James K.The main objective of the study was to determine the frequency of detection of selected infectious respiratory viruses and bacteria in healthy horses presented over a 12-month period for routine dental care at 2 veterinary hospitals. Nasal secretions were collected from 579 horses and tested for equine herpesviruses (EHV-1, EHV-2, EHV-4, EHV-5), equine influenza virus (EIV), equine rhinitis A and B viruses (ERAV, ERBV), Streptococcus equi subspecies equi (S equi), S equi subspecies zooepidemicus (S zooepidemicus), and methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) using routine diagnostic ...
Labelle AL, Hamor RE, Townsend WM, Mitchell MA, Zarfoss MK, Breaux CB, Thomasy SM, Hall T.To determine types and frequency of ophthalmic lesions detected in neonatal foals evaluated for nonophthalmic disease at 3 veterinary referral hospitals and to investigate associations between systemic and ophthalmic diseases in these foals. Methods: Prospective cross-sectional study. Methods: 70 foals < 30 days old. Methods: Complete ophthalmic examinations were performed. Signalment, clinical signs, mentation during ophthalmic examination, results of clinicopathologic tests, and diagnosis of systemic disease were recorded. Descriptive data analysis including a χ(2) test for associations was...
Magdaleno L, Gasset M, Varea J, Schambony AM, Urbanke C, Raida M, Töpfer-Petersen E, Calvete JJ.HSP-3 is a member of the cysteine-rich secretory protein (CRISP) family from stallion seminal plasma. We report a large-scale purification protocol for native HSP-3. This protein is a non-glycosylated polypeptide chain with a pI of 8-9 and an isotope-averaged molecular mass of 24987 +/- 3 Da. The molecular mass of HSP-3, determined by equilibrium sedimentation, is 26 kDa, showing that the protein exists in solution as a monomer. The concentration of HSP-3 in the seminal plasma of different stallions ranged from 0.3 to 1.3 mg/ml. On average, 0.9-9 million HSP-3 molecules/cell coat the postacros...
Douglas JE, Mittal C, Thomason JJ, Jofriet JC.During normal weight-bearing and locomotion, the equine hoof wall deforms in a consistent pattern; the proximal dorsal wall rotates caudo-ventrally about the distal dorsal border and there is latero-medial flaring posteriorly. The aim of this study is to examine whether there are regional differences in the modulus of elasticity of hoof wall material and whether such differences correlate with the pattern of deformation which occurs in vivo. The modulus of elasticity of equine hoof wall was determined in tension and compression for samples from six forefeet. Samples were tested at the mid-poin...
Jacklin BD, Minshall GJ, Wright IM.Surgical management for overriding spinous processes of the thoracolumbar vertebrae (SPs) is often favoured when conservative therapies have failed, pathology is severe, or in competition horses constrained by drug withdrawal periods. Objective: To evaluate whether subtotal (cranial wedge) ostectomy represents an effective treatment for overriding SPs, with short surgery time and low complication rates, maintains the contour of the spine and produces a functionally and cosmetically better outcome than previously reported surgical techniques for management of overriding/impinging SPs. Methods: ...
Xie H, Colahan P, Ott EA.To evaluate use of electroacupuncture for treatment of horses with signs of chronic thoracolumbar pain. Methods: Prospective study. Methods: 15 horses with signs of chronic thoracolumbar pain. Methods: Horses were randomly allocated to 1 of 3 treatment groups. Horses in group 1 received electroacupuncture stimulation (once every 3 days for 5 treatments), those in group 2 received phenylbutazone (2.2 mg/kg [1 mg/lb], PO, q 12 h, for 5 days), and those in group 3 received saline (0.9% NaCl) solution (20 mL, PO, q 12 h, for 5 days). Thoracolumbar pain scores (TPSs) were evaluated before (baseline...
Murray RC, Birch HL, Lakhani K, Goodship AE.It was hypothesized that cartilage macro-molecular characteristics are influenced by exercise intensity and by location within a joint. Objective: To determine the macromolecular characteristics of carpal articular cartilage at common and uncommon sites of pathology in horses undergoing high or low intensity exercise, and to compare this composition between exercise groups. Methods: Twelve horses (19.3+/-0.9 years) were assigned to exercise groups. Each group underwent 19 weeks high-intensity treadmill training (N=6) or low-intensity exercise (N=6). Dorsal and palmar test sites were identified...
Lee W, Park KD, Taye M, Lee C, Kim H, Lee HK, Shin D.This study was intended to identify genes positively selected in Thoroughbred horses (THBs) that potentially contribute to their running performances. Methods: The genomes of THB and Jeju horses (JH, Korean native horse) were compared to identify genes positively selected in THB. We performed cross-population extended haplotype homozygosity (XP-EHH) and cross-population composite likelihood ratio test (XP-CLR) statistical methods for our analysis using whole genome resequencing data of 14 THB and 6 JH. Results: We identified 98 (XP-EHH) and 200 (XP-CLR) genes that are under positive selection ...
Cherdchutham W, Meershoek LS, van Weeren PR, Barneveld A.To determine the effects of exercise on biomechanical properties of the superficial digital flexor tendon (SDFT) in foals. Methods: 43 Dutch Warmblood foals. Methods: From 1 week until 5 months of age, 14 foals were housed in stalls and not exercised, 14 foals were housed in stalls and exercised daily, and 15 foals were maintained at pasture. Eight foals in each group were euthanatized at 5 months, and remaining foals were housed together in a stall and paddock until euthanatized at 11 months. After euthanasia, SDFT were isolated and fit in a material testing system. Mean cross-sectional area ...
Coomer RP, Fowke GS, McKane S.To report the technique and results of cheek teeth repulsion in standing, sedated horses. Methods: Case series. Methods: Horses (n = 12), ponies (6). Methods: Medical records (2006-2009) of horses that had cheek tooth repulsion while standing were reviewed. Inclusion criteria included: maxillary or mandibular cheek tooth disease diagnosed by clinical and radiographic examination where attempted oral extraction failed necessitating repulsion. Horses were sedated and a local nerve block performed. Intraoperative radiographs facilitated instrument positioning and ensured repulsion of all dental r...
Kinoshita Y, Cloutier AK, Rozak DA, Khan MSR, Niwa H, Uchida-Fujii E, Katayama Y, Tuanyok A.Burkholderia mallei is a Gram-negative bacterium that causes glanders, a zoonotic disease, especially in equine populations (e.g. horses, donkeys, and mules). B. mallei usually grows slowly on most culture media, and this property makes it difficult to isolate from clinical specimens. One of the problems is that B. mallei is easily overgrown by other bacteria, especially in animal specimens collected from non-sterile sites. The aim of this study was to develop a new selective agar for the laboratory diagnosis of glanders. We formulated a new agar, named BM agar, to enrich B. mallei growth, but...
Gim JA, Ayarpadikannan S, Eo J, Kwon YJ, Choi Y, Lee HK, Park KD, Yang YM, Cho BW, Kim HS.Physical exercise induces gene expression changes that trigger glucose metabolism pathways in organisms. In the present study, we monitored the expression levels of LDHA (lactate dehydrogenase) and GYS1 (glycogen synthase 1) in the blood, to confirm the roles of these genes in exercise physiology. LDHA and GYS1 are related to glucose metabolism and fatigue recovery, and these processes could elicit economically important traits in racehorses. We collected blood samples from three retired thoroughbred racehorses, pre-exercise and immediately after 30 min of exercise. We extracted total RNA and ...
Kraus M, Physick-Sheard PW, Brito LF, Schenkel FS.The number of Standardbred racehorses admitted to the Ontario Veterinary College Teaching Hospital (Guelph, Canada) for treatment of atrial fibrillation (AF) has been on the rise since the early 1990s. A small number of sires have been contributing to a large proportion of cases, indicating there may be a genetic predisposition to the arrhythmia in this breed. Objective: The objectives of this study were to determine the heritability of AF in Standardbred horses and whether heritability of the arrhythmia differs across gaits and/or sexes. Methods: Heritability study based on retrospective revi...
Kraus MS, Kaufer BB, Damiani A, Osterrieder N, Rishniw M, Schwark W, Gelzer AR, Divers TJ.To date, no information is available on the true biological elimination half-life (T(1/2) ) of cardiac troponin I (cTnI) in the equine species. Such data are required to better evaluate the optimal time to acquire the cTnI sample following acute myocardial injury. Objective: To determine the T(1/2) of equine cTnI. Methods: Four healthy ponies received i.v. injections of recombinant equine cTnI. Plasma cTnI concentrations were measured with a point-of-care cTnI analyser at multiple time points after injection. Standard pharmacokinetic analysis was performed to establish the T(1/2) of cTnI. Resu...
McGorum BC, Chen Z, Glendinning L, Gweon HS, Hunt L, Ivens A, Keen JA, Pirie RS, Taylor J, Wilkinson T, McLachlan G.Equine grass sickness (EGS) is a multiple systems neuropathy of grazing horses of unknown aetiology. An apparently identical disease occurs in cats, dogs, rabbits, hares, sheep, alpacas and llamas. Many of the risk factors for EGS are consistent with it being a pasture mycotoxicosis. To identify potential causal fungi, the gastrointestinal mycobiota of EGS horses were evaluated using targeted amplicon sequencing, and compared with those of two control groups. Samples were collected post mortem from up to 5 sites in the gastrointestinal tracts of EGS horses (EGS group; 150 samples from 54 horse...
Carter RA, Engiles JB, Megee SO, Senoo M, Galantino-Homer HL.Abnormal epidermal stem cell regulation may contribute to the pathogenesis of equine chronic laminitis. Objective: To analyse the involvement of p63, a regulator of epidermal stem cell proliferative potential, in chronic laminitis. Methods: Epidermal tissues from skin, coronet and lamellae of the dorsal foot were harvested from 5 horses with chronic laminitis and 5 control horses. Tissues were analysed using histopathology, immunofluorescence microscopy and quantitative immunoblotting. Results: Hoof lamellae of laminitic horses had a lower frequency of p63 positive cells than control lamellae,...
Tartor YH, El Damaty HM, Mahmmod YS.Rapid and accurate identification of dermatophytes is crucial for the effective control of disease outbreaks. Current methods based on culture and microscopic characteristics may require weeks before positive identification is made. Objective: To (i) identify the most common pathogenic dermatophytes affecting Arabian horses; (ii) compare the performance of direct microscopy (DM), culture, PCR using hair samples (PCRhair ) and PCR based on culture isolates (PCRculture ) for the diagnosis of dermatophytosis. Methods: Samples of hair and crusts of skin lesions from Arabian horses were collected o...
Anis A, Sharshar A, Hanbally SE, Sadek Y.Natural products such as honey, rosemary and chamomile oils have many health benefits particularly skin regeneration. These products were previously examined individually as enhancer of skin wound healing. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the clinical and histopathological features associated with using a mixture of rosemary and chamomile oils with honey, as a composite, in healing of equine-skin wounds experimentally and clinically. For experimental and clinical evaluation 15 donkeys and 122 clinical cases were used, respectively. For the experimental part, animals were divided into ...
Westermann CM, Dorland L, Wijnberg ID, de Sain-van der Velden MGM, van Breda E, Barneveld A, de Graaf-Roelfsema E, Keizer HA, van der Kolk JH.The objective of this study is to assess the influence of acute exercise, training and intensified training on the plasma amino acid profile. In a 32-week longitudinal study using 10 Standardbred horses, training was divided into four phases, including a phase of intensified training for five horses. At the end of each phase, a standardized exercise test, SET, was performed. Plasma amino acid concentrations before and after each SET were measured. Training significantly reduced mean plasma aspartic acid concentration, whereas exercise significantly increased the plasma concentrations of alanin...
Harrington DJ, Greated JS, Chanter N, Sutcliffe IC.Streptococcus equi and Streptococcus zooepidemicus are major etiological agents of upper and lower airway disease in horses. Despite the considerable animal suffering and economic burden associated with these diseases, the factors that contribute to the virulence of these equine pathogens have not been extensively investigated. Here we demonstrate the presence of a homologue of the Streptococcus pneumoniae PsaA protein in both of these equine pathogens. Inhibition of signal peptide processing by the antibiotic globomycin confirmed the lipoprotein nature of the mature proteins, and surface expo...
Gelberg HB, Zachary JF, Everitt JI, Jensen RC, Smetzer DL.We reviewed case records, necropsy reports, and histologic sections from 25 Thoroughbred racehorses that died suddenly at 3 Chicago racetracks. These were young horses ranging in age from 2 to 5 years. There were more females (n = 16) than males (n = 9), and the incidence of death increased slightly in the spring and summer. Twenty-one of the 25 horses died while racing or training. Only 8 of the 25 horses (32%) had lesions sufficient to account for the death. In 6 of those 8 cases, death was caused by massive thoracic or abdominal hemorrhage. The site or nature of the vascular defect in these...
Kupratis ME, Gure AE, Benson JM, Ortved KF, Burris DL, Price C.Healthy articular cartilage supports load bearing and frictional properties unmatched among biological tissues and man-made bearing materials. Balancing fluid exudation and recovery under loaded and articulated conditions is essential to the tissue's biological and mechanical longevity. Our prior tribological investigations, which leveraged the convergent stationary contact area (cSCA) configuration, revealed that sliding alone can modulate cartilage interstitial fluid pressurization and the recovery and maintenance of lubrication under load through a mechanism termed 'tribological rehydration...
Schobesberger H, Peham C.The purpose of this study was to investigate whether artificial neural networks could be used to determine equine lameness by computational means only. The integral parts of our approach were the combination of automated signal tracking of horses on a treadmill and the computational power of artificial neural networks (ANN). The motion of 175 horses trotting on a treadmill was recorded using the SELSPOT II system for motion analysis. Two cameras traced infrared (IR) markers on the head and on the left forehoof. The motion of the head was Fourier-transformed and further processed by a multilaye...
Sobczak N, Kantyka M.The saliva of medicinal leeches, e.g., Hirudo medicinalis and Hirudo verbana commonly used in hirudotherapy, contains more than 100 bioactive substances with various therapeutic effects, including anticoagulant, vasodilator, thrombolytic, anti-inflammatory and anaesthetic properties. Recently, leeches have been used very successfully in veterinary medicine to treat many diseases of animals, especially dogs, cats and horses. The most common indications for the use of leeches are hip and elbow dysplasia, acute and chronic arthritis, diseases associated with inflammation of tendons, ligaments, an...
Snyder JR.Intestinal edema, luminal distention, and ischemia are common pathologic processes involved in producing the intestinal damage found during surgical exploration for acute abdominal disorders in the horse. The severity of intestinal edema depends on the degree of altered intravascular forces and changes in capillary permeability. Capillary hydrostatic pressure rises as the less pliable venules and veins become occluded during intestinal obstruction. Concurrently, the production of various endogenous products that damage the vascular wall leads to increases in capillary permeability and protein ...
