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.
Levine DG.The first weeks of life are critical in many aspects, and the musculoskeletal system is no exception. Being able to stand and nurse within hours of life is necessary for survival. Laxity, flexural deformities, and skeletal immaturity can all make it difficult for neonates to ambulate. The increased vascularity to bones and cartilage mixed with the newly forming immune system also make neonates susceptible to infections that we rarely see in adult animals. This article concentrates on orthopedic conditions seen in the first 2 weeks of life.
Wilkins PA.Equine neonatal intensive care units have expanded knowledge and understanding of the normal and abnormal physiology of the equine neonate, resulting in successful treatment of critically ill equine neonates. The overall survival rate has increased tremendously since the early 1980s, from a little more than 50% to 80% or more for most facilities. The severely septic foal and the very premature foal still remain large treatment challenges, but less severely septic foals and foals challenged by adverse peripartum events such as dystocia and placentitis are surviving to hospital discharge and per...
Lascola KM, Joslyn S.Diagnostic imaging plays an essential role in the diagnosis and monitoring of lower respiratory disease in neonatal foals. Radiography is most widely available to equine practitioners and is the primary modality that has been used for the characterization of respiratory disease in foals. Computed tomography imaging, although still limited in availability to the general practitioner, offers advantages over radiography and has been used diagnostically in neonatal foals with respiratory disease. Recognition of appropriate imaging protocols and patient-associated artifacts is critical for accurate...
Marr CM.The neonatal foal is in a transitional state from prenatal to postnatal circulation. Healthy newborn foals often have cardiac murmurs and dysrhythmias, which are usually transient and of little clinical significance. The neonatal foal is prone to infection and cardiac trauma. Echocardiography is the main tool used for valuation of the cardiovascular system. With prompt identification and appropriate action, dysrhythmias and other sequel to cardiac trauma can be corrected. With infection, the management and prognosis are driven by concurrent sepsis. Congenital disease represents an interesting ...
Fischer B, Clark-Price S.Anesthetizing the neonatal foal presents significant challenges as a result of physiologic differences from the adult equine. This article gives the reader an overview of these differences and the impact they have on anesthetic drug selection, monitoring, and support of the equine neonate. Special emphasis is directed to the sick neonate and appropriate preparation and maintenance of anesthesia in the face of commonly presented disease conditions.
Luethy D, Habecker P, Murphy B, Nolen-Walston R.Pheochromocytoma is the most common adrenal medullary neoplasm of domestic animals, but it is rare in horses. Antemortem diagnosis in horses is difficult, with clinical signs often being vague or non-specific. Objective: The objective of this study was to describe the clinical, laboratory, and pathologic findings of pheochromocytoma in horses. Methods: Thirty-seven horses diagnosed with pheochromocytoma based on postmortem examination from 2007 to 2014. Methods: Retrospective case series. Results: Pheochromocytoma was identified in 37/4094 horses during postmortem examination. Clinical signs c...
Ekiri AB, Long MT, Hernandez JA.The main objective of this study was to assess the diagnostic performance of a real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assay for the detection of Salmonella in fecal samples collected from hospitalized horses with or without signs of gastrointestinal (GI) tract disease. The PCR assay used primers and a probe that targeted the invA gene of Salmonella. Assuming a sensitivity of 100% and a specificity of 96.6%, and a disease prevalence of 2%, 5%, and 10-15% in study horses, the PCR assay had a high (100%) negative predictive value, and a positive predictive value that ranged from 37% in horses ...
Cavalcante AL, Dias LM, Alves JT, Veras AA, Guimarães LC, Rocha FS, Gala-García A, Retamal P, Ramos RT, Azevedo V, Silva A, Carneiro AR.Corynebacterium pseudotuberculosis is related to several diseases infecting horses and small ruminants, causing economic losses to agribusiness. Here, we present the genome sequence of C. pseudotuberculosis strain E19. The genome includes one circular chromosome 2,367,956 bp (52.1% G+C content), with 2,112 genes predicted, 12 rRNAs, and 48 tRNAs.
Staszyk C.The routine inspection of the equine oral cavity allows a numerical assessment of the teeth and provides information about positional changes within the dentition. By use of appropriate dental equipment, the occlusal surfaces of all teeth can be inspected and diagnosed. However, neither the teeth nor their occlusal surfaces are constant structures. Instead, equine teeth and, in particular, their occlusal surfaces are subjected to continuous morphological and positional changes due to the effects of aging and the equine-specific high amount of occlusal wear. Therefore, it is mandatory to define...
Sheahan BJ, Wilkins PA, Lascola KM, Martin V, Po E.Prior studies have shown the prognostic utility of measuring L-lactate in critically ill neonatal foals, both as single (at admission) and serial measurements. Greater prognostic sensitivity and specificity may be achieved by use of the area under the L-lactate versus time curve (LACArea ) over the first 24 hours of hospitalization, which captures both severity and duration of hyperlactatemia. Prior to application of this concept in sick equine neonates, a reference interval for LACArea should be determined. Methods: The concentration of lactate [LAC] was measured in blood obtained via direct ...
Brink P, Schumacher J.To describe canaliculosinostomy performed to resolve epiphora caused by nasolacrimal duct obstruction and to report the outcome of horses undergoing this procedure. Methods: Case series. Methods: Seven horses with uni- or bilateral nasolacrimal duct obstruction. Methods: The ventral lacrimal punctum and canaliculus were expanded with catheters of increasing diameter until a 14 gauge, Jamshedi needle could be passed into and through the lacrimal sac into the caudal maxillary sinus. One end of a plastic tube was inserted through the needle into the sinus, and the needle was withdrawn over the tu...
Marycz K, Kornicka K, Basinska K, Czyrek A.Currently, equine metabolic syndrome (EMS), an endocrine disease linked to insulin resistance, affects an increasing number of horses. However, little is known about the effect of EMS on mesenchymal stem cells that reside in adipose tissue (ASC). Thus it is crucial to evaluate the viability and growth kinetics of these cells, particularly in terms of their application in regenerative medicine. In this study, we investigated the proliferative capacity, morphological features, and accumulation of oxidative stress factors in mesenchymal stem cells isolated from healthy animals (ASCN) and horses s...
Froydenlund TJ, Dixon PM, Smith SH, Reardon RJ.The morphology of the dorsal conchal bulla (DCB) and ventral conchal bulla (VCB) are poorly described. The recent recognition that these bullae can become infected, causing chronic unilateral nasal discharge, has stimulated interest in these structures. Fourteen cadaveric horse heads were transected sagittally midline and dissected to expose the nasal conchal bullae. The dimensions of each bulla, the number and orientation of drainage apertures, and cellulae septae were recorded. Randomly selected samples were examined histologically. The mean DCB and VCB lengths were 78 and 57 mm, respec...
Schweizer C, Ramseyer A, Gerber V, Christen G, Burger D, Wohlfender FD.Racetrack injuries are of welfare concern and the prevention of injuries is an important goal in many racing jurisdictions. Over the years this has led to more detailed recording of clinical events on racecourses. However, risk factor analyses of clinical events at race meetings have not been previously reported for Switzerland. Objective: To identify discipline-specific factors that influence the occurrence of clinical events during race meetings with the ultimate aim of improving the monitoring and safety of racetracks in Switzerland and optimising racehorse welfare. Methods: Retrospective s...
Petersen GF, Hilbert BJ, Trope GD, Kalle WH, Strappe PM.The ability to culture neurons from horses may allow further investigation into equine neurological disorders. In this study, we demonstrate the generation of induced neuronal cells from equine adipose-derived stem cells (EADSCs) using a combination of lentiviral vector expression of the neuronal transcription factors Brn2, Ascl1, Myt1l (BAM) and NeuroD1 and a defined chemical induction medium, with βIII-tubulin-positive induced neuronal cells displaying a distinct neuronal morphology of rounded and compact cell bodies, extensive neurite outgrowth, and branching of processes. Furthermore, we ...
Marth CD, Young ND, Glenton LY, Noden DM, Browning GF, Krekeler N.The steroid hormone environment in healthy horses seems to have a significant impact on the efficiency of their uterine immune response. The objective of this study was to characterize the changes in gene expression in the equine endometrium in response to the introduction of bacterial pathogens and the influence of steroid hormone concentrations on this expression. Methods: Endometrial biopsies were collected from five horses before and 3 h after the inoculation of Escherichia coli once in oestrus (follicle >35 mm in diameter) and once in dioestrus (5 days after ovulation) and analysed usi...
Wilson SJ, Ward MP.Hendra virus (HeV), a potentially fatal zoonotic disease spread by flying foxes, to date has always infected humans via a spillover event from equine HeV infection. In a theoretical case study, we compared the impacts of two different HeV prevention strategies - vaccination and flying fox roost removal - using a recently developed framework that considers different stakeholder group perspectives. The perspectives of the four selected stakeholder groups regarding intangibles were inferred from public discussions and coverage in the media. For all stakeholder groups, the option to vaccinate hors...
Leppälä J, Kolstrup CL, Pinzke S, Rautiainen R, Saastamoinen M, Särkijärvi S.Managing a horse stable involves risks, which can have serious consequences for the stable, employees, clients, visitors and horses. Existing industrial or farm production risk management tools are not directly applicable to horse stables and they need to be adapted for use by managers of different types of stables. As a part of the InnoEquine project, an innovative web tool, InnoHorse, was developed to support horse stable managers in business, safety, pasture and manure management. A literature review, empirical horse stable case studies, expert panel workshops and stakeholder interviews wer...
Robson K, Cripps P, Bardell D.The aim of this retrospective study was to determine if there was an association between the lowest arterial blood oxygen tensions (PaO2) measured during anaesthesia and post-operative incisional complications in horses. Clinical records of 278 horses undergoing ventral midline coeliotomy from 1 January 2010 to 31 December 2013 were examined. The frequency of incisional complications was 32.0% (n = 89). In a multivariable model, intra-operative arterial blood oxygen tensions (PaO2) were not significantly associated with development of an incisional complication (P = 0.351). Using hyper...
Riley CB, McCallum S, MacDonald JA, Hill KE.To determine the period prevalence of needlestick injury (NSI) at the Massey University Veterinary Teaching Hospital (VTH) and to identify handling and disposal practices that may contribute to the risk of NSI. Methods: Observations of personnel were conducted in the equine (EVH) and companion animal (CAH) clinics of the VTH during scheduled clinical activities over 9- and 10-day periods, respectively. The number and type of NSI incidents, needle uncapping, capping and disposal events were recorded for veterinarians, nurses and other personnel (visitors and students). The number of needle-rela...
Vincze B, Kutasi O, Baska F, Szenci O.The aims of this study were to detect physiological changes in blood biochemical parameters throughout gestation, to compare the findings in nonpregnant and pregnant Lipizzaner mares in early-mid and late pregnancy, and to provide reference values for clinical chemistry parameters in this horse breed. A total of 136 venous blood samples were collected from 20 pregnant and 10 nonpregnant (control) asymptomatic Lipizzaner broodmares for biochemical analyses. Twelve parameters (albumin, total protein, urea, triglycerides, glucose, creatinine, alkaline phosphatase, aspartate transaminase, glutamat...
Gao W, Chan Y, You M, Lacap-Bugler DC, Leung WK, Watt RM.This study explored the range of bacterial taxa present within healthy subgingival (below the gum-line) niches in the horse oral cavity using 16S rRNA gene amplicon pyrosequencing. Pooled subgingival plaque samples were collected from approximately 200 sulcus sites from two horses (EQ1, EQ2) for analysis. A total of 14,260 quality-filtered pyrosequencing reads were obtained, which were assigned to 3875 operational taxonomic units (OTUs; 99% identity cut-off); 1907 OTUs for EQ1 and 2156 OTUs for EQ2. Diverse taxa from 12 phyla were identified, including Actinobacteria (3.17%), Bacteroidetes (25...
Meehan LJ, Taylor SE, Labens R, Cillán-García E.Assessment of the usefulness of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in treatment planning in suspected cases of quittor in the horse. Methods: Five horses with chronic discharging tracts at the level of the foot underwent MRI for treatment planning. Results: The MRI examination revealed variable involvement of soft tissue and osseous structures of the foot in addition to abnormalities of the ungular cartilages in all cases. In two cases, follow-up MRI examination was performed. Four of five horses had a successful outcome, with three of these undergoing only one surgical procedure and one being m...
Revold T, Abayneh T, Brun-Hansen H, Kleppe SL, Ropstad EO, Hellings RA, Sørum H.Listeria monocytogenes has been reported to cause various infectious diseases in both humans and animals. More rarely, ocular infections have been reported. To our knowledge, only two cases of Listeria keratitis have been described in horses. We report kerato-conjunctivitis in four Norwegian horses associated with L. monocytogenes. Clinically, all cases were presented with recurrent unilateral kerato-conjunctivitis. L. monocytogenes bacteria were isolated from swab samples from all cases, and cytology carried out in 3 cases was indicative of L. monocytogenes infection. The present report descr...
Salem SE, Proudman CJ, Archer DC.Changes in management of the surgical colic patient over the last 30 years have resulted in considerable improvement in post operative survival rates. However, post operative complications remain common and these impact negatively on horse welfare, probability of survival, return to previous use and the costs of treatment. Multiple studies have investigated risk factors for post operative complications following surgical management of colic and interventions that might be effective in reducing the likelihood of these occurring. The findings from these studies are frequently contradictory and t...
Jennings K, Curtis L, Burford J, Freeman S.Large colon impactions are a common cause of colic in the horse. There are no scientific reports on the clinical presentation, diagnostic tests and treatments used in first opinion practice for large colon impaction cases. The aim of this study was to describe the presentation, diagnostic approach and treatment at the primary assessment of horses with large colon impactions. Methods: Data were collected prospectively from veterinary practitioners on the primary assessment of equine colic cases over a 12 month period. Inclusion criteria were a diagnosis of primary large colon impaction and posi...
Marsella R.Allergies are common in horses. It is important to identify and correct as many factors as possible to control pruritus and make the patient comfortable. Culicoides hypersensitivity is a common component in allergic horses. The main treatment continues to be rigorous fly control and avoidance of insect bites. Environmental allergies are best addressed by early identification of the offending allergens and formulation of allergen-specific immunotherapy to decrease the need for rescue medications. Food allergy is best managed with food avoidance. Urticaria is one of the manifestations of allergi...
Ahmed MO, Williams NJ, Clegg PD, van Velkinburgh JC, Baptiste KE, Bennett M.Antimicrobial-resistant bacteria represent a major threat to human and animal health. We compared equine fecal samples (n=264) from 138 horses from hospital and nonhospital (livery stable and riding school) premises in North West England to determine the prevalence of Escherichia coli, Salmonella, and Campylobacter and rates of antimicrobial-resistant E. coli strains. Campylobacter jejuni was detected only in hospitalized horses (1.1%), and no Salmonella was identified. Data analysis of the horses' management and veterinary treatments (Tx) identified risk factors associated with shedding of an...
Merkt H, Günzel AR.Embryonic resorption is reported as the main reason for early pregnancy losses in the West German Thoroughbred mare. An analysis of breeding records for the last 11 years showed a resorption rat of 8.4 per cent. Evidence was obtained that these early embryonic losses were associated with too early conception after foaling and with the state of lactation.
Schambourg M, Taylor PM.Alteration of limb sensitivity is forbidden in equine sports but difficult to enforce. We aimed to develop an objective field method to assess mechanical nociceptive threshold (MNT) in endurance horses. Methods: A remotely controlled pneumatic actuator (1 mm tip) was used to measure forelimb pastern MNT in 108 endurance horses. Results: Median (IQR) MNT at rest was 1.9 N (0.9-3.5). Icing had no significant effect on limb sensitivity. MNT measured at weekly intervals increased from week 1 (1.2 N (0.6-1.8)) to week 3 (1.9 N (1.2-2.8)) (P<0.05). In 17 horses without impaired sensitivity, MNT ...
Reilly GA, Cassidy JP, Taylor SM.Detailed pathological examinations of two horses with subacute fatal diarrhoea suggested an association between the diarrhoea and damage to the colonic and caecal mucosae caused by large numbers of cyathostome larvae (larval cyathostomiasis). The affected animals deteriorated rapidly, and died after a short illness.
Clayton HM, Duncan JL.Following infection with 8000 Parascaris equorum eggs in two- to four-week-old foals reared under worm-free conditions a high percentage of the infective dose completed its tissue migration and returned to the small intestine. Patent infections were establisehd between 81 and 104 days after infection and high faecal egg counts were recorded. A group of six- to 12-month-old foals, which had been either reared under worm-free conditions or exposed to natural ascarid and strongyle infections on pasture, received a similar infection of 8000 P equorum eggs. Compared with the younger foals there was...
Mizuno K, Nagatani Y, Yamashita K, Matsukawa M.Ultrasound propagation in cancellous bone (porous media) under the condition of closed pore boundaries was investigated. A cancellous bone and two plate-like cortical bones obtained from a racehorse were prepared. A water-immersion ultrasound technique in the MHz range and a three-dimensional elastic finite-difference time-domain (FDTD) method were used to investigate the waves. The experiments and simulations showed a clear separation of the incident longitudinal wave into fast and slow waves. The findings advance the evaluation of bones based on the two-wave phenomenon for in vivo assessment...
Barbosa-Santos EG, Marzochi MC, Urtado W, Queirós F, Chicarino J, Pacheco RS.Cutaneous disseminated lesions caused by Leishmania sp. were found in a pregnant mare (Equus cabalus) from a rural city in the State of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Before delivering, treatment was undertaken by immunotherapy followed by chemotherapy. Histopatology and serology were performed during treatment, as well as the biochemical characterization of the parasite (L. braziliensis) that was isolated from one of the lesions.
Otzdorff C, Beckmann J, Goehring LS.(1) Background: Equine arteritis virus (EAV) infection causes reproductive losses and systemic vasculitis in susceptible equidae. The intact male becomes the virus' reservoir upon EAV infection, as it causes a chronic-persistent infection of the accessory sex glands. Infected semen is the main source of virus transmission. (2) Here, we describe acute EAV infection and spread in a stallion population after introduction of new members to the group. (3) Conclusions: acute clinical signs, acute phase detection of antigen via (PCR) nasal swabs or (EDTA) blood, and seroconversion support the idea of...
Wilson DA, MacFadden KE, Green EM, Crabill M, Frankeny RL, Thorne JG.Trimethoprim-potentiated sulphonamides (TPS) are among the most frequently administered antimicrobials in equine medicine. Anecdotally, TPS has been implicated as a cause of mild to moderate diarrhea in horses. The purpose of this study was to document the prevalence of diarrhea in horses receiving TPS, to characterize the severity of the diarrhea, and to identify any other factors associated with the development of diarrhea. A 2-part study was designed to identify the prevalence of diarrhea associated with TPS in our clinic population. Part I was a case-control retrospective study of 135 reco...
Halldórsdóttir S, Lazary S, Gunnarsson E, Larsen HJ.Three hundred and three horses, exported from Iceland to Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Switzerland or Germany were tested for their distribution of leucocyte antigens. One hundred and thirty-six horses were affected with summer eczema. The panel of sera recognised the internationally accepted ELA-specificities A 1 to A10, and the nine work shop specificities W 11 to W 15 and W 18 to W 21. Also, some local specificities, characterised in Switzerland (Be I, Be III, Be 8, Be 25, Be 26, Be 27), and two non major histocompatibility complex (MHC)-linked antigens (Ely 1:1, Ely 2) were included. Only one a...
Starke SD, May SA.The development of perceptual skills is an important aspect of veterinary education. The authors investigated veterinary student competency in lameness evaluation at two stages, before (third year) and during (fourth/fifth year) clinical rotations. Students evaluated horses in videos, where horses were presented during trot on a straight line and in circles. Eye-tracking data were recorded during assessment on the straight line to follow student gaze. On completing the task, students filled in a structured questionnaire. Results showed that the experienced students outperformed inexperienced s...
Each year, traumatic brain injury (TBI) is associated with 52,000 deaths and accounts for one third of all injury deaths in the United States; in addition approximately 80,000 persons who survive TBI incur some loss of function, residual disability, and increased medical-care needs because of these injuries. Major causes of TBI are motor-vehicle crashes, falls, assaults, and sports and recreational activities. During 1992-1993 in Oklahoma, horseback riding was the leading cause of sports-related TBI. To further characterize horseback-riding-associated TBIs, the Oklahoma State Department of Hea...
Sharma S, Dhaliwal GS, Dadarwal D.Service records of 253 mares (1181 mare-years) spanning over 7 consecutive years, from nine organized Thoroughbred stud farms, situated in the subtropical northwestern India were retrospectively analyzed to assess their reproductive performance. The overall per cycle pregnancy rate at Day 16 and overall foaling rates were 50.30% and 68.95%, respectively, and were significantly higher in mares aged 3-7 years than > or =18 years old mares. The late embryonic losses (9.86%) that occurred between Days 16 and 39 post-ovulation contributed more than 50% of the overall detected pregnancy losses (19.1...
Knych HK, Arthur RM, McKemie DS, Baden RW, Seminoff K, Kass PH.Flunixin meglumine (FM) and phenylbutazone (PBZ) are potent anti-inflammatory agents and as such their potential to mask injuries that would otherwise keep a horse from training or racing is concerning. A common practice in racetrack medicine in the USA is to administer the two drugs within close proximity (24 hours apart) of each other, raising the concern of pharmacokinetic interactions and enhanced anti-inflammatory effects. Objective: Describe the pharmacokinetics and effects of PBZ on the clearance of FM when administered in close proximity as well as effects on inflammatory mediators. M...
Lagos J, Tadich TA.Hematological and biochemical reference intervals are an important tool for health assessment and treatment decision-making in veterinary medicine. Lack of information about reference intervals (RI) in mules force professionals to apply reference intervals developed for horses or donkeys, with the risk of misinterpretation. Thus, the aim of this study was to determine hematological and biochemical RI for healthy mules and compare them with those proposed in literature for horses, donkeys and mules. A total of 142 healthy mules (mixed breed mares × Baudet du Poitou) of both sex, all between 7 ...
Timoney PJ, McCollum WH, Roberts AW, McDonald MJ.Clinical cases of equine arteritis virus infection have not been diagnosed in Kentucky since 1984, and there has been no indication that any of the horses involved in the 1984 epizootic have since been responsible for spread of the disease to horses in other states or other countries. Cases of abortion caused by naturally acquired infection with this virus have not been confirmed in 1984 or 1985. Neither field nor vaccine strains of equine arteritis virus have been shown to induce teratologic abnormalities or the carrier state in foals born to infected or vaccinated mares. The carrier stallion...
Ayala I, Rodríguez MJ, Martos N, Zilberschtein J, Ruíz I, Motas M.Fatal brodifacoum poisoning in a pony is described; this condition has not previously been reported in ponies. Discussion of what factors in the pony's history and treatment may have predisposed to the severity and ultimate death is provided. Cet article décrit un empoisonnement mortel au brodifacoum chez un poney, condition jamais rapportée auparavant. La discussion porte sur les liens entre les divers éléments de l’anamnèse et les traitements reçus par rapport à la sévérité de la condition et ultimement à la mort de l’animal. (Traduit par Docteur André Blouin)
Kuhnke S, Bär K, Bosch P, Rensing M, Borstel UKV.The study compared results of the traditional horse judging system (T) using subjective grades with those of a novel system of linear scoring (LS) using an application ("Breed Show App"). The horse's quality in relation to the total breeding aim was evaluated based on weighting factors for 57 individual traits commonly regarded in T, thus allowing immediate ranking of the horses. Results were stated as total grade in percent for both systems. One thousand nine hundred nine American Quarter horses were judged at regular breed shows with either T (n = 883), LS (n = 1,026), or both systems (n ...
Chaffin MK, Cohen ND, Martens RJ.To identify farm characteristics as risk factors for the development of Rhodococcus equi pneumonia in foals. Methods: Prospective matched case-control study. Methods: 2,764 foals on 64 equine breeding farms with 9,991 horses. Methods: During 1997, participating veterinarians completed paired data collection forms, 1 for a farm with > or = 1 foal with R equi pneumonia and 1 for an unaffected control farm. Matched data were compared by use of conditional logistic regression analysis. Results: Farm characteristics found in bivariate analyses to be associated with increased risk for pneumonia caus...
Honnas CM, Liskey CC, Meagher DM, Brown D, Luck EE.A 24-year-old horse had a malignant melanoma of the right forefoot. Because surgical excision of the melanoma was incomplete, as determined by histologic examination of the excised tissue margins, the tumor margins were injected with a matrix therapeutic implant containing cis-diamminedichloroplatinum, epinephrine, and purified bovine collagen matrix. The foot healed and the horse remained clinically free of disease for 26 months before recurrence of malignant melanoma. Surgical exploration of the digit revealed extensive involvement of the foot, and the horse was euthanatized.
Gutierrez J, Eisenberg RL, Koval NJ, Armstrong ER, Tharappel J, Hughes CG, Tobin T.Pemoline is a central nervous system stimulant that has been used to treat attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder and narcolepsy in humans; its identification in horses could be considered evidence of attempts to influence performance. Two recent pemoline 'positives' in English racehorses led us to review the chemical relationships between tetramisole, levamisole, aminorex and pemoline. Pemoline is a simple oxidation product of aminorex, which has been shown in the United States and elsewhere to be an equine metabolite of levamisole. Based on the clear structural relationships between aminor...
Schumacher SA, Yardley J, Bertone AL.Magnesium sulfate (MgSO ) was administered to calm competition horses. We evaluated the impact of regulatory requirements for the handling of blood samples on plasma ionized magnesium (iMg), ionized calcium (iCa), the iMg to iCa ratio, and pH. We hypothesized that iCa, iMg. and iMg/iCa would be similar among storage and collection methods. Four blood samples were collected from each of 50 horses on the same day: Group 1 - collection in a heparinized syringe and processed within hours in a clinical laboratory; Group 2 - collection into a plasma separator tube (PST) centrifuged just prior to ana...
Toishi Y, Tsunoda N, Kirisawa R.Equine coital exanthema (ECE) has been reported in many countries, but equine herpesvirus 3 (EHV-3) has been isolated only once in Japan. In 2015, symptoms of ECE were found, and EHV-3 was isolated in two stallions. Valacyclovir, an anti-herpesvirus agent, was administered orally. The stallions rested from mating for more than two weeks, causing enormous financial losses because of their high fees. This is the first study in which valacyclovir was administered for ECE. Though valacyclovir treatment did not shorten the duration of healing, the affected area did not expand after administration o...
Gialletti R, Marchegiani A, Valeriani T, Nannarone S, Beccati F, Fruganti A, Laus F.To describe the association of clinical and ultrasonographic (US) findings in horses affected by visual impairments, to estimate the most frequent ultrasonographic alteration as well importance and limits of US as a part of ophthalmic evaluation in equine patients. Methods: One-hundred-forty-five horses referred to the Veterinary Teaching Hospitals of the University of Perugia and Camerino for ocular problems were submitted to ophthalmic examination and ocular ultrasound. The following group of abnormalities was established: corneal alteration, cataract, synechiae, iris prolapse, anterior cham...
Rosales C, Krekeler N, Tennent-Brown B, Stevenson MA, Hanlon D.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...
Cox VS.Traditionally, the downer cow has been considered a metabolic problem. This viewpoint cannot account for the pelvic limb predilection of the condition. Whatever the primary cause of recumbency, all recumbent animals are susceptible to pressure damage. The extensive literature on pressure damage in human beings and horses is reviewed. Miscellaneous causes of and contributing factors to bovine recumbency are reviewed. Concepts and details of diagnosis, prevention, management, and therapy are discussed.
Hewes CA, Keoughan GC, Gutierrez-Nibeyro S.Enucleation was performed in 5 horses under local anesthesia and sedation with the horse standing. Minimal hemorrhage occurred during the surgical procedure, and there were no other reported complications. Standing enucleation is a surgery that is safe to perform in horses. L’énucléation a été réalisée chez 5 chevaux en position debout sous anesthésie locale et sédation. Une hémorragie minime est survenue pendant la procédure chirurgicale et il n’y a pas eu de complications rapportées. L’énucléation debout est une chirurgie sécuritaire chez le cheval. (Traduit par Docteur ...
Lyons ET, Tolliver SC, Kuzmina TA.A parasite study was done in 1,300 horse mares on 26 farms in Central Kentucky over a 5-month period in 2010 and 2011. The mares included 1,114 Thoroughbreds (TB) on 24 farms, 64 Standardbreds (SB) on 1 farm, and 122 mixed light horse types (MLH) on 1 farm. The objective of this research was to determine strongyle eggs per gram of feces (EPG) counts for evaluation by known age, number positive, and level of egg shedding by the mares. This was done to establish strongyle EPG profiles for the mares to aid in determining whether antiparasitic treatment was necessary. Eggs found were considered th...
