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.
Crispe EJ, Secombe CJ, Perera DI, Manderson AA, Turlach BA, Lester GD.Exercise-induced pulmonary haemorrhage (EIPH) is considered a progressive disease based on histopathology, but it is unknown if tracheobronchoscopic EIPH severity worsens over time. Objective: The aim of this study was to examine tracheobronchoscopic EIPH changes over time in a population of Thoroughbred racehorses. A secondary aim was to identify factors that affect changes in tracheobronchoscopic EIPH severity between observations. Methods: Prospective, longitudinal, observational cross-sectional study. Methods: Thoroughbred racehorses were examined with tracheobronchoscopy no earlier than 3...
Morris LHA.The development of techniques to produce equine embryos in vitro is reviewed with specific reference to intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI). Unexplored 50 years ago, this technology has progressed rapidly in the last 20 years to become a commercial reality for the equine breeding industry. Improvements in our understanding of oocyte and embryo competence in the horse have been key factors in overcoming some of the initial problems associated with ICSI. It is now possible to obtain high nuclear maturation and cleavage rates in vitro and the most limiting factor, presently, is the low rate o...
Cuervo-Arango J, Claes AN, Stout TA.The aim of this study was to compare the success of embryo transfer (ET) performed by veterinarians with different degrees of experience using one of two ET techniques. Over three years, 179 embryos were transferred by three operators with moderate to high experience using a 'conventional' manual technique, and 170 embryos were transferred by four operators with little or no previous ET experience using a 'Wilsher' technique (Polansky speculum and Wilsher's cervical forceps). The pregnancy status of recipient mares at the first pregnancy diagnosis and the embryo loss by the last examination we...
Wolny-Koładka K, Lenart-Boroń A.The aim of the study was to determine the antimicrobial resistance profile and the occurrence of extended-spectrum beta-lactamase genes and to analyze the genetic diversity of Escherichia coli strains isolated from the environment of horse riding centers. The study was conducted using E. coli strains isolated from the air, manure, and horse nostril swabs in three horse riding centers differing in the system of horse keeping-stable (OJK Pegaz and KJK Szary) and free-range (SKH Nielepice). Resistance to antibiotics was determined using the disk-diffusion method, and the PCR technique was employe...
Ströbel C, Günther E, Romanowski K, Büsing K, Urubschurov V, Zeyner A.Foal first diarrhoea is one of the most prominent problems in the early life of horses. Probiotics might have the potency to prevent or at least diminish neonatal diarrhoea. We hypothesised that the treatment of foals with probiotic strains of Lactobacillus rhamnosus and Enterococcus faecium starting early after birth and then daily over 2 weeks would prevent or mitigate foal heat diarrhoea. The influence of this probiotic treatment on diarrhoea incidence and growth and health performance of young foals was investigated. Thirty-four foals were randomly allocated to two groups. From day 1 to 1...
Malekipour F, Whitton CR, Lee PV.Subchondral bone injury due to high magnitude and repetition of compressive loading is common in humans and athletic animals such as Thoroughbred racehorses. Repeated loading of the joint surface may alter the subchondral bone microstructure and initiate microdamage in the bone adjacent to the articular cartilage. Understanding the relationship between microdamage, microstructure and mechanical properties of the subchondral bone adjacent to the articular cartilage is, therefore, essential in understanding the mechanism of subchondral bone injury. In this study, we used high-resolution µCT sca...
Parente EJ.Many abnormalities of the upper airway that can inhibit performance are determined on a critical resting endoscopic evaluation. Some dynamic abnormalities can only be seen during an exercising endoscopic evaluation, which should be performed whenever the history of abnormal noise or performance limitations is not completely consistent with the resting endoscopic findings. Head and neck position may play a critical role in the evaluation process and the exact position during performance should be reproduced during the clinical examination to definitively define the abnormality. Treatments and p...
Contino EK.Joint disease is one of the most common issues effecting sport horses. Because there is no cure for joint disease, treatment goals surround slowing progression of the disease, minimizing pain, increasing function, and optimizing performance. Accomplishing these goals often requires a multimodal approach that combines systemic medications or supplements; intra-articular therapies, such as corticosteroids or biologics; management considerations; and physical therapy exercises.
Thompson RL, Gunn AJ, Stephen CP, Ip H, Brookes VJ.Uterine luminal pH has been demonstrated to be a valid indicator of uterine health in species such as cattle and sheep. However, research regarding uterine luminal pH in equines is lacking. The objectives of this study were to assess uterine luminal pH in mares during the estrous cycle, and evaluate the effect of dilute vinegar lavage on both uterine luminal pH and endometrial health. The study was conducted using a randomized block design in which eight mares (four Thoroughbred and four Standardbred) were aged matched then randomly assigned to two groups. Endometrial biopsies were taken from ...
Physick-Sheard PW, Avison A, Chappell E, MacIver M.The Province of Ontario maintains a registry of racehorse deaths occurring within 60 days of a race or trial entry that provides insight into mortality rates and costs of competition. Objective: To characterise and quantify mortality and identify breed differences. Methods: Retrospective annualised cohort study. Methods: The Ontario Death Registry for 2003-2015, containing 1713 cases, was audited and information on the relationship between death and official work added. Race and trial data from industry performance databases were used to determine mortality rates according to breed, year, age...
Vissani MA, Zabal O, Tordoya MS, Parreño V, Thiry E, Barrandeguy M.Equid alphaherpesvirus 3 (EHV3) is the etiological agent of equine coital exanthema (ECE), which is a venereal, highly contagious disease, characterized by the formation of papules, vesicles, pustules and ulcers on the external genitalia of mares and stallions. EHV3 remains in a latent state after a successful infection and there are latently infected animals in which the virus is reactivated and generally re-excreted subclinically. There are no available vaccines for this condition and prevention is based on the clinical examination of mares prior to mating, which allows to segregate those sh...
Rowland AL, Glass KG, Grady ST, Cummings KJ, Hinrichs K, Watts AE.To determine the influence of epidural detomidine and morphine on serum corticosteroid concentrations and pain-related behavioral responses in mares during and after ovariectomy via colpotomy. Methods: Blinded prospective study. Methods: Nine university-owned mares. Methods: Five of 9 horses received caudal epidural detomidine hydrochloride (0.01 mg/kg) and morphine sulfate (0.1 mg/kg) prior to surgery. All horses received local anesthetic around the ovarian pedicle, 0.02 mg/kg butorphanol IV at the start of the procedure and after first ovary removal, were sedated as required throughout the p...
Laing G, Christley R, Stringer A, Aklilu N, Ashine T, Newton R, Radford A, Pinchbeck G.Pathogens are frequently implicated in equine respiratory disease. In Ethiopia, respiratory disease is a frequent cause for presentation at veterinary clinics and a priority concern for users of working horses. However, there is little existing literature on possible aetiologies. Objective: Determine prevalence of respiratory signs and exposure to major respiratory pathogens through a serological survey. Methods: Cross-sectional. Methods: Systematically selected horses from 19 sites in central Ethiopia were examined clinically and sampled once (August-December 2013). A face-to-face interview c...
Verrinder JM, Phillips CJC.With growing understanding of animals' capabilities, and public and organizational pressures to improve animal welfare, moral action by veterinarians and other relevant professionals to address animal issues is increasingly important. Little is known about how their action choices relate to their moral reasoning on animal ethics issues. A moral judgment measure, the VetDIT, with three animal and three non-animal scenarios, was used to investigate the action choices of 619 students in five animal- and two non-animal-related professional programs in one Australian university, and how these relat...
Lynden J, Ogden J, Hollands T.Emerging research highlights how, due to demographic changes in horse owner populations in Western societies, complex owner-horse relationships are leading to inappropriate horse care, including overnutrition, which in turn can lead to laminitis. Farriers, due to their regular visits, may be in a position to support owners in dealing with this problem. Objective: This study explored whether UK farriers have a role in working with horse owners to support horse welfare and prevent laminitis. Methods: Grounded theory analysis, a qualitative methodology. Methods: Semi-structured interviews were co...
Gutierrez-Nibeyro SD, McCoy AM, Selberg KT.Foot problems are very common causes of lameness in horses. With the recent diagnostic advances to evaluate and treat foot pathology as well as to monitor response to therapy, it is now possible to more accurately evaluate the effectiveness of many of these treatments. This review details some of the recent advances of the most common conservative and surgical treatment options for foot problems in horses, including an overview of evidence on the efficacy to support the use of these treatment options and on factors that may affect prognosis.
Mason LV, Moroney JR, Mason RJ.Guidelines regarding the impact and value of prophylaxis or maintenance therapy in equine gastric ulcer syndrome (EGUS) are not well-established or defined. The merits and the magnitude of effects of prophylaxis for spontaneous or recurrent squamous gastric ulceration in horses in training are uncertain. Objective: To pool data from randomised controlled trials (RCTs) to eliminate reporting bias and evaluate the efficacy of prophylactic omeprazole in the prevention of EGUS in training horses, and secondarily to compare prophylactic dosages of omeprazole. Methods: Meta-analysis. Methods: This m...
Rhodin M, Persson-Sjodin E, Egenvall A, Serra Bragança FM, Pfau T, Roepstorff L, Weishaupt MA, Thomsen MH, van Weeren PR, Hernlund E.The main criteria for lameness assessment in horses are head movement for forelimb lameness and pelvic movement for hindlimb lameness. However, compensatory head nod in horses with primary hindlimb lameness is a well-known phenomenon. This compensatory head nod movement can be easily misinterpreted as a sign of primary ipsilateral forelimb lameness. Therefore, discriminating compensatory asymmetries from primary directly pain-related movement asymmetries is a prerequisite for successful lameness assessment. Objective: To investigate the association between head, withers and pelvis movement asy...
Sun TC, Riggs CM, Cogger N, Wright J, Al-Alawneh JI.Reports of fractures in racehorses have predominantly focused on catastrophic injuries, and there are limited data identifying the location and incidence of fractures that did not result in a fatal outcome. Objective: To describe the nature and the incidence of noncatastrophic and catastrophic fractures in Thoroughbreds racing at the Hong Kong Jockey Club (HKJC) over seven racing seasons. Methods: Retrospective cohort study. Methods: Data of fractures sustained in horses while racing and of race characteristics were extracted from the HKJC Veterinary Management Information System (VMIS) and Ra...
Halsberghe BT.Hoof problems are commonly seen in veterinary practice and manipulation of hoof growth rate can be practical and beneficial for that matter. The purpose of this research was to evaluate the effect of whole body vibration (WBV) on hoof growth rate of front feet in the horse. The study was an experimental, single subject, repeated measure design, with all horses serving as control and treatment. Ten horses were subject to WBV, 30 min, twice daily, five days a week, for 60 days in addition to their regular exercise routine. Hoof growth was measured from the reference hairline down to a horizo...
Kraus M, Physick-Sheard P, Brito LF, Sargolzaei M, Schenkel FS.Admissions of Standardbred racehorses (Std) to the Ontario Veterinary College Teaching Hospital (OVCTH) for treatment of atrial fibrillation (AF) began to increase in the early 1990s. The arrhythmia has been shown to have a modest heritability (h2 ≃ 0.15), with some stallions appearing as sires or sires of mares used in breeding (broodmares) of affected horses more frequently than others. The objective of this study was to determine the marginal genetic contributions of ancestors to cohorts of Std affected with AF and their contemporary control groups, and whether these ancestors contribute ...
Whitton RC, Ayodele BA, Hitchens PL, Mackie EJ.Microdamage accumulation leads to subchondral bone injury and/or fracture in racehorses. An understanding of this process is essential for developing strategies for injury prevention. Objective: To quantify subchondral bone microdamage in the third metacarpal bone of Thoroughbred racehorses at different stages of the training cycle. Methods: Cross-sectional. Methods: Bone blocks from the palmar aspect of the medial condyles of third metacarpal bones from 46 racing Thoroughbred horses undergoing post-mortem were examined with micro computed tomography (microCT) to detect calcified microcracks, ...
Ortved KF, Begum L, Stefanovski D, Nixon AJ.Following joint trauma, a posttraumatic inflammatory cascade drives degeneration of the joint. We aimed to assess whether transduction of chondrocytes with AAV5 overexpressing the immunomodulatory cytokine IL-10 would have protective effects in pellet cultures stimulated with IL-1β. Chondrocytes were isolated from 3 healthy horses and were transduced with AAV5-IL-10 at a dose of 1 x 105vg/cell. Chondrocyte pellets were formed by centrifugation and were stimulated with IL-1β starting 48 hours following transduction. After 2, 6 and 14 days in culture, supernatants were collected for cytokine a...
Contreras-Aguilar MD, Escribano D, Martín-Cuervo M, Tecles F, Cerón JJ.The aim of this study was to evaluate salivary alpha-amylase (sAA), considered a non-invasive biomarker for sympathetic nervous system (SNS) activity, and salivary cortisol as possible pain-induced stress biomarker, in horses with acute abdominal disease. Therefore, a prospective observational study was performed in which both biomarkers were analyzed in a group of horses with acute abdomen syndrome, and compared with a group of healthy control horses by an unpaired Student's t-test. In addition, the possible relationship between both biomarkers, the score in Equine Acute Abdominal Pain scal...
Baird A, Lindsay T, Everett A, Iyemere V, Paterson YZ, McClellan A, Henson FMD, Guest DJ.Bone fractures occur in horses following traumatic and non-traumatic (bone overloading) events. They can be difficult to treat due to the need for the horse to bear weight on all legs during the healing period. Regenerative medicine to improve fracture union and recovery could significantly improve horse welfare. Equine induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) have previously been derived. Here we show that equine iPSCs cultured for 21 days in osteogenic induction media on an OsteoAssay surface upregulate the expression of osteoblast associated genes and proteins, including , , , , and We al...
Schauvliege S, Binetti A, Duchateau L, van Dijk JJ, Gasthuys F.To evaluate the cardiorespiratory effects of a 7° reverse Trendelenburg position (RTP) in anaesthetized horses. Methods: Randomized, non-blinded clinical trial. Methods: A total of 125 horses undergoing elective surgery in dorsal recumbency. Methods: Horses were allocated to one of three weight classes and assigned to be positioned either on a horizontal table or on a table in 7° RTP, according to a randomized block design. In all horses, anaesthesia was maintained with isoflurane in oxygen and a constant rate infusion of romifidine. All horses were mechanically ventilated throughout anaesth...
Fields B, Bruemmer J, Gloeckner G, Wood W.Institutional facilities face challenges providing experiences to residents with dementia that promote participation in meaningful activities. Guided by the Lived Environment Life Quality Model, this study investigated associations between 9 different activity situations-one an equine-assisted activities program (EAAP)-and positive, negative, and neutral behavioral indicators of quality of life (QoL) in 6 residents with dementia who expressed an interest in horses. Direct observational data were collected for 4 hours twice weekly over 8 weeks. Using χ tests, differences across activity situat...
Quiney LE, Ireland JL, Dyson SJ.Skeletal scintigraphy is an established imaging modality, however, its validity as a diagnostic test in lame or poorly performing sports horses has not been determined. The objective of this retrospective cross-sectional analytical study was to determine the accuracy of skeletal scintigraphy as an indiscriminate screening test in sports horses. All sports horses that underwent scintigraphic examination between March 2008 and December 2014 for which a definitive diagnosis was reached were included. Examinations were evaluated blindly. Characteristics of increased radiopharmaceutical uptake were...
Shaw L. argues that, due to the equine profession having the highest injury rate of all civilian professions, senior veterinary surgeons should take the lead in wearing helmets as routine.
Dias IR, Viegas CA, Carvalho PP.Namely, in the last two decades, large animal models - small ruminants (sheep and goats), pigs, dogs and horses - have been used to study the physiopathology and to develop new therapeutic procedures to treat human clinical osteoarthritis. For that purpose, cartilage and/or osteochondral defects are generally performed in the stifle joint of selected large animal models at the condylar and trochlear femoral areas where spontaneous regeneration should be excluded. Experimental animal care and protection legislation and guideline documents of the US Food and Drug Administration, the American S...
Hart KA, Linnenkohl W, Mayer JR, House AM, Gold JR, Giguère S.Medical management of sand enteropathy is common in equine practice, but the clinical features and outcomes associated with medically managed sand enteropathy are not well described. Objective: To review clinical features, therapeutic approaches and outcomes associated with primary medical management of sand enteropathy in the mature horse. Methods: Medical record databases at 3 equine referral hospitals from January 2000 to April 2010 were reviewed for cases of sand enteropathy diagnosed via abdominal radiographs in mature horses that were initially managed medically. Data were collected and ...
Yachida Y, Tsuchihashi K, Gasa S.A novel GM3 O-acetylated at C-4 and at C-9 of N-glycolylneuraminic acid (4,9-di-O-Ac GM3), together with a second GM3 O-acetylated at O-4 of the neuraminic acid and O-6 of D-galactose (4,6'-di-O-Ac GM3) were isolated from equine erythrocytes as a mixture in approximate 1:1 ratio. These two major species were chromatographically inseparable. Their structures, especially the positions of the acetoxy group(s), were determined by means of 1D- and 2D-1H NMR and fast atom bombardment-MS as well as by gas chromatography-MS of partially O-methylated O-trimethylsilylated monosaccharides derived from th...
Rosanowski SM, Rogers CW, Cogger N, Benschop J, Stevenson MA.A survey was conducted to investigate biosecurity practices on non-commercial horse properties, to describe the number of visits by horse professionals and any protocols that visitors were required to follow before interacting with resident horses. Data were collected in November 2009 during a cross-sectional study of non-commercial horse properties, in New Zealand, selected using generalised random-tessellated stratified design and a self-administered postal questionnaire. Data were described and the associations between property-level factors and biosecurity practices were analysed using log...
Sims D, Horne MM, Creighan M, Donald A.The objective of this ultrastructural investigation was to determine if populations of pericytes in equine dermal and skeletal muscle capillaries increase in a head-to-foot direction, as has been reported in human skeletal muscles. Samples of equine microvessels were obtained from the longissimus dorsi skeletal muscle 150 cm. from the ground, from the dermis above this muscle, from the extensor carpi radiali muscle at 55 cm. from the ground, from the dermis adjacent to that muscle, and from dermis 15 cm. from the ground, just above the hoof wall. Tissues were processed for transmission electro...
Mizuguchi M, Nara M, Ke Y, Kawano K, Hiraoki T, Nitta K.Interactions between Ca2+ and the Asp side chains in the Ca2+-binding site of equine lysozyme were investigated by Fourier-transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy. In the spectrum of equine lysozyme, the intensities of the bands at about 1595 cm-1 and 1578 cm-1 in the region of the COO antisymmetric stretches increased upon Ca2+ binding. In the region of the COO- symmetric stretches, the loss of intensity at about 1388 cm-1 and gains of intensities at about 1423 cm-1 and 1403 cm-1 were observed due to Ca2+ binding to equine lysozyme. The spectral changes for equine lysozyme indicate that the C...
Santschi EM, Adams SB, Robertson JT, DeBowes RM, Mitten LA, Sojka JE.Six mares had ovariohysterectomy performed for chronic pyometra associated with cervical abnormalities, uterine neoplasia, or removal of a macerated fetus. Ovariohysterectomy was performed through a ventral midline incision with access to the ovarian and uterine vessels aided by traction on the uterus and retraction of abdominal viscera. Abdominal pain, the most common complication after surgery, occurred in four mares but resolved within 36 hours. Peritonitis occurred in two mares; one mare was subsequently euthanatized. Other complications that resolved with treatment included infection of t...
Garrett KS, Pierce SW, Embertson RM, Stromberg AJ.OBJECTIVE-To determine the association between results of endoscopic evaluation of arytenoid function (AF) and epiglottic structure (ES) in Thoroughbred yearlings and racing performance at 2 to 4 years of age. DESIGN-Retrospective case series. ANIMALS-2,954 Thoroughbred yearlings. Procedures-Records of yearlings that had endoscopic evaluation of the larynx between 1998 and 2001 were obtained, and results were graded by use of standardized scales. A modified Havemeyer scale (grade I, II.1, II.2, III, or IV) was used to evaluate AF; ES was graded on a scale of 0 to IV. Records were annotated if ...
Herd RP, Willardson KL, Gabel AA.An investigation of the spring rise in strongyle egg output of grazing horses on two commercial horse farms in northern USA in 1981 and 1982 revealed two distinct spring and summer rises in faecal egg counts, with peaks in May and August/September. There was a marked rise in the concentration of infective larvae on pasture two to four weeks after the peaks in egg output, so that grazing horses were at serious risk from June onwards and pasture larval counts on one farm did not fall to low levels until June of the following year. The spring and summer rises in faecal egg counts appeared to be s...
Grewar JD.Bluetongue (BT) and African horse sickness (AHS) are considered the most important orbiviral diseases in Southern Africans countries. The general endemic status makes these diseases challenging to be quanti ed in terms of their economic impact. Using country reported data from BT and AHS outbreaks and cases, as well as international trade data, the economic impact of BT and AHS is evaluated on local, regional, and global scales. Local scale impact in the Southern African region is underestimated as shown by the underreporting of BT and AHS. Exceptions occur during epidemic cycles of the diseas...
Weinert JR, Werner J, Williams CA.Field studies characterizing equine grazing activity primarily rely on observational protocols, limiting the quantity and accuracy of collected data. The objectives of this study were to validate an automated chew sensor technology, the EquiWatch System (EWS), for detecting grazing behaviors and to demonstrate potential applications of the EWS in equine grazing research. Eight mature standardbred mares were used in this study. EquiWatch System validation was completed in two phases: grazing time was evaluated in experiment 1 and chew counts in experiment 2. The correlation between visual obser...
Caraty A, Decourt C, Briant C, Beltramo M.Kisspeptins (Kp) are a family of neuropeptides produced mainly by two hypothalamic neuronal cell populations. They have recently emerged as a major regulator of the gonadotropin axis and their action is located upstream of the gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) cell population. In less than 10 yr a growing body of literature has demonstrated the involvement of these peptides in most, if not all, aspects of reproductive axis maturation and function. In contrast to these abundant basic research studies, few experiments have evaluated the potential application of Kp as tools to manipulate repr...
Harry TO, McCollum WH.The Bucyrus strain of equine arteritis virus, previously modified to avirulence and vaccinal virus by 131 serial passages in primary cell cultures of horse kidney followed by 111 passages in primary cell cultures of rabbit kidney, was further passaged in cultures of the E. Derm (NBL-6) cell line, a continuous diploid cell line. Pools of the 16th and 25th passages of the virus in this last equine dermal cell line were lyophilized and stored in lots at 37 C, 23 to 28 C, 4C, and -20 C. The viability of the vaccinal virus deteriorated rapidly during storage at 37 C and at 23 to 28 C, but was relat...
Niinistö K, Hewetson M, Kaikkonen R, Sykes BW, Raekallio M.Prospective studies documenting the efficacy and side effects of medical treatment for colonic sand accumulation in horses are limited. The purpose of the study was to compare the effect of enteral administration of magnesium sulphate (MgSO4), psyllium mucilloid (psyllium), and a combination of MgSO4 and psyllium on the evacuation of large accumulations of sand in the large colon of adult horses. Thirty-four horses with naturally acquired, large sand accumulations (>5 cm × 15 cm) identified on abdominal radiography were randomly allocated to one of three treatment groups: (1) 1 g/kg...
Murphy CJ, Howland HC.One factor peculiar to the practice of comparative ophthalmoscopy is the very large variation in ocular size of the animals examined, a factor which is ignored in current textbook treatments of the subject. We have computed values of lateral magnification, axial magnification, angular field of view and linear field of view for 19 species of terrestrial vertebrates. The dimensional value of a 1 diopter change in direct ophthalmoscopic focus was also determined. The anterior focal length of the eye in air and the vitreal refractive index were the intrinsic optical parameters of the animal's eye ...
Archer DC, Proudman CJ, Pinchbeck G, Smith JE, French NP, Edwards GB.The clinical features of 71 cases in 70 horses in which part of the small intestine became entrapped in the epiploic foramen are described. The horses' sex, age and breed, the month during which they were affected, and whether they exhibited stereotypic behaviour were compared with the same variables in 1279 horses which suffered other types of surgical colic during the same period. Thoroughbred and thoroughbred cross horses were over-represented among the 70 affected horses. There was no age or sex predilection. Fifty-five (77.5 per cent) of the cases occurred between October and March and 15...
Waller CC, McLeod MD.In recent years, the potential for anabolic steroid abuse in equine sports has increased due to the growing availability of designer steroids. These compounds are readily accessible online in 'dietary' or 'nutritional' supplements and contain steroidal compounds which have never been tested or approved as veterinary agents. They typically have unusual structures or substitution and as a result may pass undetected through current anti-doping screening protocols, making them a significant concern for the integrity of the industry. Despite considerable focus in human sports, until recently there ...
González JA, Vallejo JR.This review documents the wide and varied repertoire of traditional practices and remedies based on the use of domestic animals in Spanish ethnoveterinary medicine (EVM) from the early 20th century to the present. Empirical practices, both ritual and magical, are recorded, and these EVM data are compared with those of other countries in the Mediterranean region and Latin America. The data collected here could form a scientific foundation for future inventories of local veterinary knowledge (LVK) and research addressing the discovery of new drugs for livestock and the validation of the effects....
Erichsen C, Eksell P, Holm KR, Lord P, Johnston C.Radiography and scintigraphy are used to aid diagnosis of the cause of back pain, but a large variation in appearance and radiopharmaceutical uptake in fully functioning horses make diagnosis difficult. Objective: To describe the range of and compare scintigraphic and radiographic findings in the spinous processes of horses without clinical signs of back problems. Methods: Thirty-three apparently normal riding horses underwent scintigraphic and radiographic examinations of the spinous processes in the thoracolumbar spine. Scintigraphic images were evaluated in a continuous blue, green and red ...
Feary DJ, Hyatt D, Traub-Dargatz J, Roach S, Jones RL, Wu CC, Morley PS.The objective of this study was to investigate the perceived increase in resistance of Streptococcus equi subsp. zooepidemicus (S. zooepidemicus) isolated from the lower respiratory tract of horses to trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole (SXT). The recorded SXT-susceptibility results of 50 S. zooepidemicus isolates from the tracheal wash fluid of equine patients examined at Colorado State University Veterinary Teaching Hospital from each of 2 time periods (1987-1990 and 1997-2001) were compared and statistically analyzed using a cross-sectional study design. There was a statistically significant diff...
Kunz JR, Granella MCS, Mendes RP, Müller TR, Kau S, Fonteque JH.In developing and emerging countries, many people make a living from picking municipal solid waste to sell for reuse or recycling. These people depend on cost-effective transport vehicles like horse-drawn carts. It is indisputable that the general health of these horses not only plays a major economic role but is a welfare issue as well. Orodental disorders are likely to be of particular importance as they directly impair health, performance, and therefore influence animal welfare and income. However, studies investigating prevalence and distribution of orodental disorders in working horses ar...
Brees DJ, Sondhoff AH, Kluge JP, Andreasen CB, Brown CM.A 7-month-old foal was admitted to the hospital with a history of lethargy, weight loss, mild diarrhea, and anorexia. A diagnosis of proliferative enteritis caused by Lawsonia intracellularis-like organisms was made after necropsy and histologic examination of the small intestine. Although infection with L intracellularis-like organisms is a rare cause of enteritis in foals, it should be considered in the differential diagnosis, especially if the foal was housed in the proximity of pigs or pig feces. Antemortem diagnosis remains challenging because isolation of the organism in fecal material r...
Decloedt A, De Clercq D, Ven Sofie S, Van Der Vekens N, Sys S, Broux B, van Loon G.Right ventricular (RV) function is scarcely described in horses. Objective: To establish reliable echocardiographic measurements of right heart size and function in horses. Methods: Descriptive study in healthy horses. Methods: Ten healthy untrained adult trotter horses underwent repeated echocardiography performed by 2 sonographers from right and left parasternal standard and nonstandard views. Nonstandard views included a right parasternal view focused on the right atrium, left parasternal long-axis pulmonary artery view, left parasternal long-axis view focused on the right ventricle includi...
Armstrong S, Tricklebank P, Lake A, Frean S, Lees P.Carprofen is a Non Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drug (NSAID) which is widely used for the treatment of musculoskeletal disorders in horses. The commercial preparation is a racemic mixture of two enantiomers (R and S carprofen). We used HPLC to measure plasma and synovial fluid R and S carprofen concentrations following a single intravenous (i.v.) dose, and computer modelling to determine the pharmacokinetic parameters of the enantiomers in these two body fluids. A comparison was made with results from an identical experiment using ketoprofen. The plasma elimination half lives of R and S carprof...
Mota-Rojas D, Whittaker AL, Coria-Avila GA, Martínez-Burnes J, Mora-Medina P, Domínguez-Oliva A, Hernández-Avalos I, Olmos-Hernández A....The growing interest in managing and recognizing pain in animals has led to the search for more sensitive methods to evaluate it, especially because some species conceal any visible changes associated with pain or are not easily assessed. Research has shown that an animal's facial expression changes when exposed to painful stimuli. Thus, developing several pain scales (grimace scales) in species such as horses, cattle, pigs, sheep, donkeys, rabbits, rats, mice, and cats has helped to improve the study of pain in veterinary medicine. The possibility of using facial expression as an indicator of...
Thomson GR, Mumford JA, Spooner PR, Burrows R, Powell DG.Equine influenza type 2 infections occurred in the Newmarket areas in January 1976. The disease did not spread to any extent and while this may have been due to recent vaccination it was found that not all vaccinated horses were fully protected. The virus involved showed some antigenic drift from the prototype strain A/equine/Miami/1/63 (Heq 2 Neq 2).
Rose RJ, Ilkiw JE, Martin IC.The effects of prolonged strenuous exercise on arterial and venous oxygen tension, carbon dioxide tension, pH, bicarbonate, standard bicarbonate, base excess, haemoglobin, packed cell volume and total plasma protein were studied in 36 horses during a 100 km endurance ride. There were significant changes in many parameters when pre-ride values were compared with both mid-ride and end of ride values. The prominent changes were the development of dehydration and a metabolic alkalosis. At the mid-ride sampling time those horses with higher heart rates had a greater degree of metabolic alkalosis th...
d'Abreu F.This research article discusses brain injuries in jockeys, particularly in horse racing. The author recounts the preventive measures taken by the Jockey Club and the Betting Levy Board to protect […]
Collery A, Browne JA, O'Brien C, Sheridan JT, Murphy BA.Hair follicles (HF) represent a useful tissue for monitoring the circadian clock in mammals. Irregular light exposure causes circadian disruption and represents a welfare concern for stabled horses. We aimed to evaluate the impact of two stable lighting regimes on circadian clock gene rhythmicity in HF from racehorses. Two groups of five Thoroughbred racehorses in training at a commercial racehorse yard were exposed to standard incandescent light or a customized LED lighting system. The control group received light from incandescent bulbs used according to standard yard practice. The treatment...
Fleming K, Hessel EF, Van den Weghe HF.The aim of this study was to compare different types of bedding and mucking regimens used in horse stables on the generation of airborne particulate matter <10 microm (PM10) and 3 biogenic gases (carbon dioxide, nitrous oxide, and especially ammonia). Three separate experiments were undertaken. The experiments were carried out in an enclosed stable (9.7 m long, 8.7 m wide, and 3.5 m high) that had 5 single boxes housing 4 horses. The measuring instruments were set up in the middle of one side of the stable. In Exp. 1, 3 types of bedding material (wheat straw, straw pellets, and wood shavings) ...
