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Topic:Veterinary Care
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.
Peripheral neuropathy of a forelimb in horses: 27 cases (2000-2013). OBJECTIVE To describe the clinical features, diagnostic procedures, management, and outcome of horses with peripheral neuropathy of a forelimb. DESIGN Retrospective case series. ANIMALS 27 horses. PROCEDURES Records from 2000 to 2013 were reviewed to identify horses with peripheral neuropathy of a forelimb. Horses were grouped as having predominant lesions of a suprascapular nerve, axillary nerve, or radial nerve (alone or in association with other brachial plexus nerves) on the basis of physical examination and diagnostic imaging findings. Treatments were primarily conservative. Signalment, h...
Complications associated with intrauterine glass marbles in five mares. CASE DESCRIPTION 5 mares were evaluated because of reproductive complications following long-term (> 1 year) use of intrauterine glass marbles for estrus suppression. CLINICAL FINDINGS 3 mares had 1 intrauterine glass marble, and 2 mares had 2 intrauterine glass marbles. On examination, 2 mares had signs of chronic endometritis, and 3 had signs of pyometra. Marbles or glass shards adhered to the endometrium were identified by means of hysteroscopy in 3 of 5 mares. Five of 7 marbles had surface imperfections or were broken. TREATMENT AND OUTCOME All patients were treated with uterine lavage and...
Dynamics of Parascaris and Strongylus spp. parasites in untreated juvenile horses. Parasite control in foals is of utmost importance due to the high susceptibility to parasitic infection and disease in this age group. Foals are commonly co-infected with strongyle and ascarid parasites, which complicate parasite control strategies. The present study retrospectively investigated necropsy records of foals born into a university herd kept without anthelmintic treatment since 1979. The aims were to statistically analyze the relationship between fecal egg counts, worm burdens, foal age, sex, and season with specific focus on Parascaris and Strongylus spp. A total of 83 foals born ...
Pathological changes seen in horses in New Zealand grazing Mediterranean tall fescue (Lolium arundinaceum) infected with selected endophytes (Epichloë coenophiala) causing equine fescue oedema. To investigate whether Mediterranean tall fescue (Lolium arundinaceum (Schreb.) Darbysh. (syn Festuca arundinacea)) infected with selected fungal endophytes (Epichloë coenophiala (formerly Neotyphodium coenophialum)) caused equine fescue oedema when grown in New Zealand, and to examine the pathological changes associated with this intoxication. Methods: Horses were grazed on Mediterranean tall fescue that was infected with the endophytes AR542 (n=2), or AR584 (n=3), or Mediterranean tall fescue that was endophyte-free (n=2). Blood samples were taken up to 7 days after the start of feeding to ...
Modern Techniques for Semen Evaluation. Stallion semen evaluation is an important part of the breeding soundness evaluation. The results of the semen evaluation cannot be interpreted without a thorough knowledge of the mare and management effects that may have played a role or may affect the potential fertility of the stallion evaluated. There are considerations and limitations that the clinician should understand about each test. Any sperm quality test must be interpreted with a clear understanding of how it relates to fertility.
Endometritis: Diagnostic Tools for Infectious Endometritis. Infectious endometritis is among the leading causes of subfertility in the mare. However, the best way to reliably diagnose these cases of infectious endometritis can be confusing to the veterinary practitioner. The goal of this article is to describe how to perform various sample collection techniques, what analyses can be performed on these samples, and how to interpret the results of these analysis. Additionally, future technologies will be presented that are not currently used in equine reproduction practice.
Hormone Therapy in Clinical Equine Practice. A wide variety of hormone therapies are used in clinical practice in the reproductive management of horses. The goal of this article is to review therapeutic options for a variety of clinical indications.
The larval development of Habronema muscae (Nematoda: Habronematidae) affects its intermediate host, Musca domestica (Diptera: Muscidae). Although the life cycle of the equid stomach parasite Habronema muscae was disclosed more than 100 years ago, little is known about the effect of the developing nematode larvae in its intermediate host, Musca domestica. In a series of experiments, freshly hatched M. domestica larvae were exposed to H. muscae eggs contained in a faecal sample of a naturally infected horse. In daily intervals, 50 fly larvae were removed and transferred on a parasite-free larval rearing medium where they completed their development. Hatched flies were examined for the presence of Habronema third-stage larvae. In...
Endometritis: Managing Persistent Post-Breeding Endometritis. Endometritis was rated as the third most common medical problem encountered in adult horses in North America. It is the leading cause of subfertility in broodmares and is a major contributor to economic loss in the horse breeding industry, with pregnancy rates reported to be as low as 21% in mares with severe endometritis. Endometritis may be categorized as: endometrosis (chronic degenerative endometritis), acute, chronic, active, dormant, subclinical, clinical, and persistent post-breeding. These classifications are not mutually exclusive, and mares may change categories within breeding seaso...
Transcutaneous direct current cardioversion in a foal with lone atrial fibrillation. There are rare published reports of atrial fibrillation (AF) in foals, all of which are associated with structural heart disease or within the adaptive period of newborns. This report describes a 3-month-old Thoroughbred filly with AF and a structurally normal heart on echocardiography. Medical cardioversion of the foal's AF was attempted with three 20mg/kg doses of quinidine sulfate therapy without success. Timed, transcutaneous, direct current cardioversion was successfully performed using adhesive patches on the midthorax in conjunction with intravenous procainamide at a total dose of 20mg/...
Equine disease surveillance: quarterly summary. of surveillance testing, April to June 2016Continuing reports of abortion due to equine herpesvirus type 1 infectionInternational disease occurrence in the second quarter of 2016These are among matters discussed in the most recent quarterly equine disease surveillance report, prepared by Defra, the Animal Health Trust and the British Equine Veterinary Association.
Autologous Conditioned Serum. Autologous conditioned serum was developed in the mid 1990s as an expeditious, practical, and relatively inexpensive means of generating the interleukin-1 receptor antagonist, a naturally occurring inhibitor of the cytokine interleukin-1. The latter is thought to be an important mediator of inflammation, pain, and tissue destruction in musculoskeletal conditions. ACS has been widely and successfully used in the local treatment of human and equine osteoarthritis and radicular compression; it has also shown promise in treating tendinopathies, muscle injuries, and tunnel widening after reconstruc...
Horse Injury during Non-Commercial Transport: Findings from Researcher-Assisted Intercept Surveys at Southeastern Australian Equestrian Events. Equine transportation research has largely focused on the commercial land movement of horses. Data on the incidence and factors associated with horse injuries during non-commercial transportation (privately owned horse trucks and trailers) is scant. This study surveyed 223 drivers transporting horses to 12 equestrian events in southeastern Australia. Data collected encompassed driver demographics, travel practice, vehicle characteristics, and incidents involving horse injury. Approximately 25% (55/223) of participants reported that their horses were injured during transportation. Of these 72% ...
Periparturient characteristics of mares and their foals on a New Zealand Thoroughbred stud farm. To describe selected periparturient variables in a sample of Thoroughbred mares and their foals on a commercial stud farm in New Zealand. Methods: Data were collected for 969 foaling records, from 592 mares, by foaling attendants from one Thoroughbred stud farm in the Waikato region of New Zealand for the breeding seasons 2008-2013, inclusive, and collated retrospectively. The associations between mare- and foal-level variables and gestation length, time of birth (expressed as the number of hours after midday), fetal membrane retention time, time for the foal to stand and suckle after birth, a...
Pulmonary function among Latino thoroughbred horse farmworkers. Latino thoroughbred workers may be at risk for developing abnormal pulmonary function related to occupational exposures. Methods: Eighty worker participants were recruited via community-based purposive sampling. Questionnaires and spirometry tests were administered by trained lay health promoters. Demographic and occupational factors were assessed for associations with respiratory outcomes via multivariable logistic regression. Results: Twenty-seven percent of participants exhibited abnormal pulmonary function (primarily restrictive), 79% reported any respiratory symptoms, and 94% infrequently...
Support for equine vets juggling practice and parenthood. This year's BEVA congress saw the launch of MumsVet, an online support network for working parents. Set up by four working vet mums, including the new BEVA president, Vicki Nicholls, the network - for dads as well - aims to help vets balance work and parenthood. Gill Harris reports.
Investigating interactions between UK horse owners and prescribers of anthelmintics. Helminths are common pathogens of equids and anthelmintic resistance is a major issue in cyathostomin species and Parascaris equorum. At the heart of mitigating the impact of increasing anthelmintic resistance levels, is the responsible dissemination and use of these medicines following best practice principles. There is a paucity of information on interactions between horse owners and anthelmintic prescribers and how this shapes control. Here, a study was undertaken to determine opinions and experiences of horse owners as they relate to anthelmintics purchase and implementation of best practi...
Prevalence and risk factors for overweight horses at premises in Sweden assessed using official animal welfare control data. There are Swedish animal welfare regulations concerning the body condition of horses and general advice on keeping horses including that horses should be fed so that they do not become over- or underweight relative to their use. Compliance is assessed by official animal welfare inspectors. The objective of this study was to determine whether the national animal welfare control database could be used to estimate the prevalence and risk factors for overweight horses in Sweden. The official animal welfare control checklist for horses contains 45 checkpoints (CP) of which CP-8 pertains to the acce...
Clinical, Ultrasonographic, and Arthroscopic Characteristics of Hair Shafts Within Synovial Structures of Seven Horses. To the authors' knowledge, the ultrasonographic appearance of hair shafts within a synovial structure of the horse has not been described previously. The purpose of this descriptive study was to illustrate the clinical, ultrasonographic, and arthroscopic characteristics of confirmed hair shafts within synovial structures of seven horses. A review of medical records of the Farm and Equine Veterinary Medical Center at North Carolina State University College of Veterinary Medicine identified seven horses with clinical signs suspicious for inflammatory or septic synovitis/tenosynovitis that had ha...
Filarial infection caused by Onchocerca boehmi (Supperer, 1953) in a horse from Italy. Equids can be infected by a range of skin-dwelling filarial nematodes, including four species of the genus Onchocerca. Current literature on equine onchocercosis is fragmentary and often limited to isolated case reports. The present study aimed to describe a clinical case of equine onchocercosis caused by Onchocerca boehmi (Supperer, 1953) (syn. Elaeophora boehmi) in an 8-year-old gelding Belgian show jumper from northern Italy. The horse was presented with a firm and painless mass on the proximal third of the right metacarpal region. Ultrasound examination showed a peritendinous enlargement a...
Relationships among stallion fertility and semen traits using estimated breeding values of German Warmblood stallions. A high quality of stallion semen is of particular importance for maximum reproductive efficiency. In the present study, we estimated the relationships among estimated breeding values (EBVs) of semen traits and EBVs for the paternal component of the pregnancy rate per estrus cycle (EBV-PAT) for 100 German Warmblood stallions using correlation and general linear model analyses. The most highly correlated sperm quality trait was total number of progressively motile sperm (r = 0.36). EBV-PAT was considered in three classes with stallions 1 SD below (<80), around (80-120), and above (>120) the popu...
Factors associated with survival of horses following relaparotomy. Relaparotomy may be required to investigate and manage complications that occur following surgical management of colic. Objective: To report factors associated with survival following relaparotomy. Methods: Retrospective cohort study. Methods: Records of horses that had undergone exploratory laparotomy for treatment of colic over a 10-year period (2002-2012) and had undergone relaparotomy <8 weeks following the initial surgery were reviewed. Descriptive data were generated and association with survival time was modelled using Cox proportional hazards models. Results: Relaparotomy was perfor...
Improved radiological diagnosis of palmar osteochondral disease in the Thoroughbred racehorse. Palmar osteochondral disease (POD) is common in the Thoroughbred racehorse yet difficult to diagnose by radiography alone. Objective: To improve the sensitivity and specificity for diagnosing POD from radiographs. Methods: Prospective, longitudinal study. Methods: Radiographs in nine different projections were made of metacarpophalangeal joints (MCPJ) of 50 Thoroughbreds. Post-mortem, MCPJs were dissected and gross pathology was scored. Three experienced Thoroughbred clinicians read each radiograph and recorded their findings. Another clinician reviewed each radiograph alongside the related gr...
Owner reported diseases of working equids in central Ethiopia. Working horses, donkeys and mules suffer from numerous diseases and clinical problems. However, there is little information on what owners perceive as important health concerns in their working animals. Objective: To identify and prioritise with owners the diseases and other health concerns in working equids in central Ethiopia using participatory methodologies. Methods: Participatory situation analysis (PSA). Methods: The study was conducted with carthorse- and donkey-owners in 16 sites in central Ethiopia. Multiple participatory methodologies were utilised, including ranking, matrices and fo...
Efficacy of a Feed Dispenser for Horses in Decreasing Cribbing Behaviour. Cribbing is an oral stereotypy, tends to develop in captive animals as a means to cope with stress, and may be indicative of reduced welfare. Highly energetic diets ingested in a short time are one of the most relevant risk factors for the development of cribbing. The aim of this study was to verify whether feeding cribbing horses through a dispenser that delivers small quantities of concentrate when activated by the animal decreases cribbing behaviour, modifies feeding behaviour, or induces frustration. Ten horses (mean age 14 y), balanced for sex, breed, and size (mean height 162 cm), we...
Are Eyes a Mirror of the Soul? What Eye Wrinkles Reveal about a Horse’s Emotional State. Finding valid indicators of emotional states is one of the biggest challenges in animal welfare science. Here, we investigated in horses whether variation in the expression of eye wrinkles caused by contraction of the inner eyebrow raiser reflects emotional valence. By confronting horses with positive and negative conditions, we aimed to induce positive and negative emotional states, hypothesising that positive emotions would reduce whereas negative emotions would increase eye wrinkle expression. Sixteen horses were individually exposed in a balanced order to two positive (grooming, food antic...
