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.
Markiewicz-Kęszycka M, Czyżak-Runowska G, Wójtowski J, Jóźwik A, Pankiewicz R, Łęska B, Krzyżewski J, Strzałkowska N, Marchewka J, Bagnicka E.Mares' milk is becoming increasingly popular in Western Europe. This study was thus aimed at investigating the impact of stage of lactation and season on chemical composition, somatic cell count and some physicochemical parameters of mares' colostrum and milk, and at developing a method for the determination of vitamin C (ascorbic acid) in mares' milk and to determine its content in fresh and stored milk. Results: The analysis conducted showed an effect of the stage of lactation on contents of selected chemical components and physicochemical parameters of mares' milk. In successive lactation p...
Kelley DE, Warren LK, Mortensen CJ.The beneficial effect of L-arginine (L-Arg) supplementation, on the physiology of several species, has generated an interest in the use of L-Arg as a nutraceutical in horses, but dosage and absorption of orally supplemented L-Arg must be inferred from other species. The study objective was to determine the effect of 2 oral L-Arg doses on plasma arginine concentrations and the effect on absorption of other amino acids in mares. In Experiment 1, mares were blocked by age and breed and were fed L-Arg supplemented (supplemented with 0.025% BW L-Arg; n=6) or control (no supplement; n=6) concentrate...
Pinto NI, McMullen RJ, Linder KE, Cullen JM, Gilger BC.To describe the clinical, histopathologic and immunohistochemical characteristics of an equine ocular inflammatory disease resulting in anterior uveitis and corneal endothelial inflammation associated with iris pigment dispersion and retrocorneal fibrous membrane (RFM) formation. Methods: Retrospective study. Methods: Sixteen horses with evidence of pigmented keratic precipitates (KPs), corneal edema, and/or iris depigmentation. Information collected from the medical records included signalment, clinical signs, prereferral treatment duration and response to therapy, ophthalmic examination find...
Wolff C, Egenvall A, Hanche-Olsen S, Gröndahl G.Acquired equine polyneuropathy (AEP) is an emerging disease in horses in Sweden, Norway and Finland since 1995. Affected horses show bilateral pelvic limb knuckling and weakness, sometimes progressing to recumbency and euthanasia. The aetiology is unknown but is thought to be non-infectious and non-genetic, though possibly toxic or toxico-infectious. The objectives of this study were to describe the spatial, temporal and spatio-temporal features of AEP in Norway and Sweden for the period of 1995 to 2012. Data from all documented case farms (n = 136) were used. Space-time interaction cluste...
Heutelbeck A, Oldenhof H, Rohn K, Martinsson G, Morrell JM, Sieme H.Equipment for cryopreservation of stallion sperm is not always available. In such cases, diluted semen can be shipped to a facility for later cryopreservation. The aim of this study was to evaluate if selection of sperm via density centrifugation yields higher survival rates when cryopreservation is to be delayed (i.e. carried out after 1 day of storage at 5°C). Two-layer iodixanol as well as single-layer Androcoll density centrifugation were tested and compared with samples prepared with standard centrifugation. Special emphasis was placed on comparing centrifugation on the day of semen coll...
Aleman M, Dimock AN, Wisner ER, Prutton JW, Madigan JE.A 2-year-old Thoroughbred gelding with clinical signs localized to the first 6 spinal cord segments (C1 to C6) had complete fusion of the atlanto-occipital bones which precluded performing a routine myelogram. An ultrasound-assisted myelogram at the intervertebral space between the atlas and axis was successfully done and identified a marked extradural compressive myelopathy at the level of the atlas and axis, and axis and third cervical vertebrae. Un hongre Thoroughbred âgé de 2 ans avec des signes cliniques localisés aux 6 premiers segments de la colonne vertébrale (C1 à C6) avait une ...
Paillot R.Equine influenza (EI) is a major respiratory disease of horses, which is still causing substantial outbreaks worldwide despite several decades of surveillance and prevention. Alongside quarantine procedures, vaccination is widely used to prevent or limit spread of the disease. The panel of EI vaccines commercially available is probably one of the most varied, including whole inactivated virus vaccines, Immuno-Stimulating Complex adjuvanted vaccines (ISCOM and ISCOM-Matrix), a live attenuated equine influenza virus (EIV) vaccine and a recombinant poxvirus-vectored vaccine. Several other strateg...
Velie BD, Hamilton NA, Wade CM.Performance data for 164,046 Thoroughbreds entered in a race or official barrier trial in Australia were provided by Racing Information Services Australia. Analyses estimating the heritability for a range of racing performance traits using a single-trait animal model were performed using ASREML-R. Log of cumulative earnings (LCE; 0.19 ± 0.01), log of earnings per race start (0.23 ± 0.02) and best race distance (0.61 ± 0.03) were all significantly heritable. Fixed effects for sex were significant (P < 0.001) for all performance traits aside from LCE (P = 0.382). With the exception of annual ...
Greve L, Dyson S.Major back dimension changes over time have been observed in some horses, the speed of which may be influenced by work type, skeletal maturity, nutrition and saddle fit. Currently, there are no longitudinal data quantifying changes in back dimensions. The objectives of this study were to quantify back dimension changes over time, to identify the effects of horse, saddle and rider on these dimensions, and to determine their association with season, weight, work and saddle management. A prospective, longitudinal study was performed, using stratified random sampling within a convenience sample of...
Schönbom H, Kassens A, Hopster-Iversen C, Klewitz J, Piechotta M, Martinsson G, Kißler A, Burger D, Sieme H.Pregnancy diagnostics in equine reproduction are routinely performed using transrectal ultrasonography, although it is also possible to visualize the fetus by transabdominal ultrasound examinations from the 90th day of gestation onward. We hypothesized that ultrasound examinations may stress the mare and that the gestational stage status and lactation may influence the mare's stress reaction. To investigate the stress reaction, 25 thoroughbred mares of different age, pregnancy and lactational status underwent a transrectal examination. In pregnant mares, an additional transabdominal examinatio...
Müller C, Heidenreich E, Franzreb M, Frankenfeld K.Current purification of the glycoprotein equine chorionic gonadotropin (eCG) from horse serum includes consecutive precipitation steps beginning with metaphosphoric acid pH fractionation, two ethanol precipitation steps, and dialysis followed by a numerous of fixed-bed chromatography steps up to the specific activity required. A promising procedure for a more economic purification procedure represents a simplified precipitation process requiring only onethird of the solvent, followed by the usage of magnetic ion exchange adsorbents employed together with a newly designed 'rotor-stator' type Hi...
Fjordbakk CT, Revold T, Goodwin D, Piercy RJ.The pathogenesis of bilateral dynamic laryngeal collapse associated with poll flexion (DLC) of horses is unknown but might be associated with intrinsic laryngeal muscle weakness. Objective: To investigate histopathological characteristics of the cricoarytenoideus dorsalis, the cricothyroid (CT) and the cricoarytenoideus lateralis muscles in DLC-affected horses and compare these with unaffected controls. Our hypotheses were that evidence of neurogenic atrophy of the CT or cricoarytenoideus dorsalis muscles would be found in DLC-affected horses and that observed changes would be symmetrically (l...
Schneider S, Pfister K, Becher AM, Scheuerle MC.As a consequence of the increasing levels of anthelmintic resistance in cyathostomes, new strategies for equine parasite control are being implemented. To assess the potential risks of these, the occurrence of strongyles was evaluated in a group of 1887 horses. The distribution of fecal egg counts (FECs), the frequency of anthelmintic drug use, and the deworming intervals were also analyzed. Between June 2012 and May 2013, 1887 fecal samples from either selectively or strategically dewormed horses were collected at 195 horse farms all over Germany and analyzed quantitatively with a modified Mc...
Ben Said M, Belkahia H, Héni MM, Bouattour A, Ghorbel A, Gharbi M, Zouari A, Darghouth MA, Messadi L.The aim of the present study was to determine the seroprevalence of Anaplasma phagocytophilum in 343 well maintained horses belonging to 11 horse stables located in northern Tunisia with indirect immunofluorescence test. Overall, 16.3% (56/343) of tested animals were positive. Anti-A. phagocytophilum antibodies were present in horses located in all studied governorates except the governorate of Ben Arous. Nine horse stables out of 11 contained positive animals, the seroprevalence of each one varied from nought to 50%. Seroprevalence varied according to gender, breed and type of activity, contr...
Dembek KA, Hurcombe SD, Schober KE, Toribio RE.To describe a case of supraventricular tachycardia and sudden death in a horse following administration of flecainide acetate. Methods: An 8-year-old Hanoverian warmblood gelding was treated for chronic, naturally occurring, supraventricular tachycardia with digoxin, procainamide hydrochloride, quinidine sulfate, and flecainide acetate. After oral administration of flecainide, polymorphic ventricular tachycardia (torsades de pointes) and ventricular fibrillation developed, leading to cardiovascular collapse and death. Conclusions: Atrial fibrillation is the most commonly diagnosed dysrhythmia ...
Ramzan PH, Palmer L, Powell SE.Fracture of the metacarpal/tarsal condyle is usually preceded by prodromal pathology. Early recognition of injury is desirable to minimise the risk of serious breakdown; however, the clinical and diagnostic characteristics of unicortical condylar fractures have been poorly documented to date. Objective: To describe the clinical, imaging and outcome features of racehorses in first opinion practice diagnosed with short unicortical fracture of the metacarpal/tarsal condyle. Methods: Retrospective case series. Methods: All flat racehorses sustaining a unicortical condylar fracture while under the ...
McQueen C, Crombie N, Cormack S, George A, Wheaton S.The utilisation of Helicopter Emergency Medical Services (HEMS) in response to equestrian accidents has been an integral part of operations for many years throughout the UK. The recent establishment of major trauma networks in the UK has placed great emphasis on the appropriate tasking of HEMS units to cases where added benefit can be provided and the incidence of time critical injury in cases of equestrian accidents has been shown to be low. This study assesses the impact made on the utilisation of the different HEMS resources for cases of equestrian accidents within the West Midlands followi...
The objective of this study was to test the efficacy of an equine pericardial patch for repairing full-thickness defects of the stomach wall. Methods: Circular defects, 1.5 cm in diameter, were created on the anterior wall of the stomach of 12 female New Zealand rabbits. The defects were repaired by an equine pericardial patch. After euthanasia at different time intervals (3 days to 8 weeks) a macroscopic evaluation of the abdominal cavity (including adhesion scoring), mechanical testing and a histological examination of the stomach were performed. Results: The animals survived the surgical pr...
Cullinane M, O'Sullivan E, Collins DM, Byrne AW, More SJ.Recently, considerable international attention has been paid to the problem of unwanted horses. In Ireland, stray horses, particularly in urban areas, are a further problem. The Control of Horses Act 1996 was enacted in response to an ongoing problem of uncontrolled horses in public places. As yet, no research work has been conducted focusing on stray horses in Ireland. This paper describes horses impounded under the Act in the Munster region of Ireland during 2005-2012 and the factors influencing decisions regarding their disposal. A logistic regression model was developed to investigate fact...
Balasuriya UB.Equine arteritis virus (EAV), the causative agent of equine viral arteritis (EVA), is a respiratory and reproductive disease that occurs throughout the world. EAV infection is highly species-specific and exclusively limited to members of the family Equidae, which includes horses, donkeys, mules, and zebras. EVA is an economically important disease and outbreaks could cause significant losses to the equine industry. The primary objective of this article is to summarize current understanding of EVA, specifically the disease, pathogenesis, epidemiology, host immune response, vaccination and treat...
Balasuriya UB.Equine arteritis virus (EAV), the causative agent of equine viral arteritis (EVA), is a respiratory and reproductive disease that occurs throughout the world. EAV infection is highly species-specific and exclusively limited to members of the family Equidae, which includes horses, donkeys, mules, and zebras. EVA is an economically important disease and outbreaks could cause significant losses to the equine industry. The primary objective of this article is to summarize current understanding of EVA, specifically the disease, pathogenesis, epidemiology, host immune response, vaccination and treat...
Stringer AP.Most working equids reside in low-income countries where they have an essential role in the livelihoods of their owners. Numerous infectious diseases negatively impact the health and productivity of these animals. There are considerable technical, social-behavioral, and institutional impediments globally to reducing the burden of infectious diseases on working equids. One the greatest remaining challenges is the lack of funding for research, resulting from the low priority assigned to working equids by funding bodies. Changing the attitudes of decision makers will require data-driven advocacy,...
Issel CJ, Cook RF, Mealey RH, Horohov DW.In the absence of an effective vaccine, the success of the test and removal approach for the control of equine infectious anemia (EIA) cannot be overstated, at least in those areas where testing has been traditionally routine. This article addresses 4 main aspects: what has been learned about EIA virus, host control of its replication, and inapparent carriers; international status regarding the control of EIA; diagnostic and laboratory investigation; and reducing the spread of blood-borne infections by veterinarians. An attempt is made to put these issues into practical contemporary perspectiv...
Nielsen MK, Vidyashankar AN, Bellaw J, Gravatte HS, Cao X, Rubinson EF, Reinemeyer CR.Strongylus vulgaris is the most pathogenic helminth parasite of horses, causing verminous endarteritis with thromboembolism and infarction. A serum enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) has been validated for detection of antibodies to an antigen produced by migrating larvae of this parasite. The aim was to evaluate ELISA responses to anthelmintic treatment in cohorts of naturally infected horses. Fifteen healthy horses harboring patent S. vulgaris infections were turned out for communal grazing in May 2013 (day 0). On day 55, horses were ranked according to ELISA titers and randomly alloc...
Desjardin C, Riviere J, Vaiman A, Morgenthaler C, Diribarne M, Zivy M, Robert C, Le Moyec L, Wimel L, Lepage O, Jacques C, Cribiu E, Schibler L.Osteochondrosis (OC(D)) is a juvenile osteo-articular disorder affecting several mammalian species. In horses, OC(D) is considered as a multifactorial disease and has been described as a focal disruption of endochondral ossification leading to the development of osteoarticular lesions. Nevertheless, OC(D) physiopathology is poorly understood. Affected horses may present joint swelling, stiffness and lameness. Thus, OC(D) is a major concern for the equine industry. Our study was designed as an integrative approach using omics technologies for the identification of constitutive defects in epiphy...
Radtke CL, Nino-Fong R, Esparza Gonzalez BP, McD￮ LA.The objective of this study was to validate non-equilibrium gravitational field-flow fractionation (GrFFF), an immunotag-less method of sorting mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) into subpopulations, for use with MSCs derived from equine muscle tissue, periosteal tissue, bone marrow, and adipose tissue. Cells were collected from 6 young, adult horses, postmortem. Cells were isolated from left semitendinosus muscle tissue, periosteal tissue from the distomedial aspect of the right tibia, bone marrow aspirates from the fourth and fifth sternebrae, and left supragluteal subcutaneous adipose tissue. Al...
Beisser A, McClure S, Rezabek G, Soring KH, Wang C.To determine the incidence and anatomic location of and potential risk factors for catastrophic musculoskeletal injuries (CMIs) in racing Quarter Horses. Methods: Retrospective matched case-control study. Methods: 67 racing Quarter Horse racehorses euthanized because of CMIs and 134 matched controls. Methods: Data for Quarter Horses that sustained CMIs and the total number of race starts for each year were obtained from 2 Midwestern racing jurisdictions from 2000 through 2011. Information for each horse with a CMI and for 2 randomly selected control horses that ran in the same race but did not...
Mahalingam-Dhingra A, Mazan MR, Bedenice D, Ceresia M, Minuto J, Deveney EF.There are limited options for treatment of the common disease, equine asthma. The aim of this study was to estimate the feasibility and potential efficacy of using nebulized lidocaine for treating equine asthma, while at the same time treating a separate cohort of asthmatic horses with inhaled budesonide. Nineteen horses with a history consistent with equine asthma were recruited from our referral population for a double-blind, randomized, controlled pilot clinical trial using Consolidated Standards of Reporting Trials (CONSORT) guidelines. After screening, 16 horses met the inclusion criteria...
Kelleher ME, Burns TD, Werre SR, White NA.Evaluation of the effect of changes in the horses' feet after routine trimming and shoeing on gait at the trot is needed improve routine foot care. Evaluate changes in foot conformation and gait after routine farriery. Correlate alterations in a horse's gait before and after routine hoof trimming and shoe application. Fifteen horses received routine hoof trimming and horseshoe application. Dorsal and lateral photographs of the right and left front feet and inertial gait analysis at the trot were completed before and after trimming and shoeing. Measurements were made of hoof photos using a cali...
Engelhardt H, King GJ.The epitheliochorial placenta represents the least intimate association between maternal and fetal tissues. The best known examples of this form of placentation are the domestic livestock species. Current information on the nature and proposed functions of uterine lymphocyte populations in ruminants (sheep and cattle), horses and pigs is presented. In ruminants unusual gamma delta T cells may play a role in mid to late gestation. During normal horse pregnancy, fetally derived endometrial cup cells invade the uterine stroma and are destroyed by maternal leukocytes midway through gestation. Natu...
Millerick-May ML, Karmaus W, Derksen FJ, Berthold B, Holcombe SJ, Robinson NE.Airway inflammation and mucus in the trachea are common in racehorses. Fine airborne particles can initiate and coarse particles can worsen airway inflammation in man and in animal models of airway disease. The regional and seasonal distribution of particles of different sizes has never been investigated in American racing stables. Objective: To determine the regional and seasonal concentration and number of airborne particles of different sizes in racing stables. Methods: Direct reading instruments were used to determine the mass concentration and numbers of particles 3 times daily (early mor...
Stirn M, Moritz A, Bauer N.Modern automated haematology instruments are capable of performing leukocyte differentials faster, cheaper and with a higher precision than the traditional 100-cell manual differential count. Thus, in human laboratories, criteria are defined for performing a manual review of the blood smear resulting in a marked reduction of manual differential counts. While common in human laboratories, this approach to reducing the number of manual differentials in veterinary laboratories is still not commonly performed. Thus, our aim was to determine the rate and causes of manual leukocyte differentials in ...
Wilkie DA.Understanding and awareness of equine glaucoma has significantly improved in recent years. The availability of portable tonometers and veterinarian/owner awareness has increased the frequency of glaucoma as a clinical diagnosis. A variety of medications for the medical management of equine glaucoma have been evaluated and the addition of lasers has improved the surgical treatment of equine glaucoma. Despite this, equine glaucoma is an insidious and painful disease that probably remains under diagnosed and often results in blindness in the affected eye.
Halvarsson P, Gustafsson K, Höglund J.A questionnaire was sent to sheep owners in Sweden to get information about anthelmintic drug use. The survey also investigated how respondents experienced problems with gastrointestinal nematode infections (GIN) focusing on Haemonchus contortus. The response rate was 31% and included both conventional and organic farms. The use of anthelmintics was low (45%), among which a majority (76%) drenched ewes on a single occasion, mostly with ivermectin (59%) followed by albendazole (19%). Other drugs were used rarely, however, unawareness of GIN risk was high (19%), especially among respondents with...
Robert C, Valette JP, Denoix JM.There is limited published data on conformational changes in the forelimbs of growing foals. This study was designed to describe the changes in conformation of the carpus and distal forelimb from birth to weaning in foals of three different breeds. Evaluation of the conformation of the carpus, fetlock, pastern and foot was carried out in 134 Thoroughbreds, 162 French Trotters and 98 Selle Français (French Warmblood) within 1 month of age and then at approximately 2 month intervals until weaning at approximately 6 months of age. The prevalence of limb deviations decreased from birth to weaning...
Young DR, Richardson DW, Markel MD, Nunamaker DM.The third carpal bone (C3) was collected from both forelimbs of 27 Thoroughbreds. On the basis of age, training, and history, specimens were assigned to 1 of 5 groups: yearling, untrained horses (group 1, n = 4); 2- to 3-year-old, untrained horses (group 2, n = 7); trained 2-year-old horses (group 3, n = 6); trained 3-year-old horses (group 4, n = 6); and 3-year-old, trained horses with carpal pathologic features (group 5, n = 4). A transverse section of subchondral bone 5-mm thick was cut in a precise fashion 10 mm below the proximal articular surface of all specimens. After high-detail radio...
du Plessis N, Uys K, Buys T.Hippotherapy, an equine-assisted service, uses the movement of the horse as a treatment tool. Hippotherapy is often used by occupational therapists, physiotherapists, and speech and language pathologists. To optimise hippotherapy and facilitate the development of transdisciplinary hippotherapy practise guidelines, this scoping review identified novel hippotherapy concepts used during hippotherapy interventions for clients with spastic cerebral palsy.
Stickle RL, Fessler JF.Equine cryptorchidism was examined by a review of the literature and a retrospective study of 350 horses over a 14-year period. The incidence of left vs right testis retention was nearly equal. On the left side, 75.2% of the retained testes were retained abdominally and 24.8% inguinally; on the right side, 41.8% of the retained testes were retained abdominally and 58.2% inguinally. Preoperative diagnosis by rectal palpation of the vaginal rings was considered a valuable technique, with 87.9% accuracy in 190 horses. Invasive and nonivasive surgical techniques for abdominal cryptorchidectomy and...
Amairia S, Jbeli M, Mrabet S, Jebabli LM, Gharbi M.Sarcocystis spp. and Toxoplasma gondii are two apicomplexan protozoa that infect a broad range of vertebrates, however, little is known about the infection of equids with these parasites. A total of 184 slaughtered equids from slaughterhouses of Bizerte and Tunis located in Northern Tunisia, were examined for meat infections with Sarcocystis spp. and T. gondii by PCR. The prevalence of infections with Sarcocystis spp. and T. gondii were 38% (95% CI: 31-45) and 39.7% (95% CI: 32.6-46.7), respectively. The highest prevalence of infection with Sarcocystis spp. was observed in donkeys (48.6%; 95%C...
Caol S, Divers T, Crisman M, Chang YF.Lyme disease in humans is predominantly treated with tetracycline, macrolides or beta lactam antibiotics that have low minimum inhibitory concentrations (MIC) against Borrelia burgdorferi. Horses with Lyme disease may require long-term treatment making frequent intravenous or intramuscular treatment difficult and when administered orally those drugs may have either a high incidence of side effects or have poor bioavailability. The aim of the present study was to determine the in vitro susceptibility of three B. burgdorferi isolates to three antibiotics of different classes that are commonly us...
Qi M, Ji X, Zhang Y, Wei Z, Jing B, Zhang L, Lin X, Karim MR, Wang H, Sun M.Giardia duodenalis is a zoonotic intestinal parasite infecting humans and mammals worldwide. In this study, we evaluated the prevalence of G. duodenalis in racehorses in China and genetically characterized it. In total, 621 fecal samples were collected from racehorses at 17 equestrian clubs in 15 cities in China. Forty-eight (7.7%) animals from 11 equestrian clubs were positive for G. duodenalis of assemblages A (n = 10), B (n = 36), and E (n = 2), based on the small subunit ribosomal RNA (SSU rRNA) gene. Statistically significant differences in the prevalence of this parasite were...
Castillo-Olivares J, Tearle JP, Montesso F, Westcott D, Kydd JH, Davis-Poynter NJ, Hannant D.Equine arteritis virus (EAV) causes a systemic infection in equids with variable outcome, ranging from subclinical infections to severe disease, and also has the capacity to induce abortion in pregnant mares and persistent infections in stallions. The serum virus-neutralizing antibody response that invariably develops in the infected animal lasts for many months or years and is believed to play an important role in virus clearance. However, very little is known about cellular immunity against EAV because of a lack of methods for evaluating these immune responses. In the present study, we descr...
Zavy JT, Mayer R, Vernon MW, Bazer FW, Sharp DC.Uterine flushings were collected from 30 non-pregnant Pony mares on Days 8, 12, 14, 16, 18 or 20 after oculation. Mares were allowed a recovery period of one oestrous cycle and were mated at the next oestrus. They were then ovario-hysterectomized on days which corresponded to the day of the oestrous cycle to which they were assigned. Uterine flushings were analysed for total recoverable protein and acid phosphatase activity. Least squares analysis indicated a status X day interaction for total protein (P less than 0.10) and acid phosphatase activity (P less than 0.005) in which the latter was ...
Taylor L, Dixon PM.There is limited information on the prevalence of idiopathic cheek teeth (CT) fractures in the general equine population and on which CT are most commonly affected. Objective: To obtain information on the prevalence of fracture patterns and clinical details of idiopathic CT fractures. Methods: Details of cases with idiopathic CT fractures encountered were obtained via a questionnaire sent to suitably experienced veterinary practitioners and equine dental technicians (EDTs). Results: Details of 147 horses that suffered a total of 182 idiopathic CT fractures; and median 0.4% (range 0.07-5.9%) of...
Houttu J.This paper presents the results of arthroscopic surgery in 42 Standardbred trotters and three Finnish horses. Forty-five horses were operated on. The age range was one to seven years; 73 per cent of the horses were three years old or younger. Horses showed a variety of clinical signs ranging from moderate to severe lameness at slow speeds, to obscure lameness manifesting only at high speeds. Synovial effusion of the fetlock joint was rare. In this series, 44 horses that had Type I fragments and one horse that had Type III fragments were operated on. Of the 45 horses operated on, 23 (51 per cen...
Lampe V, Dierks C, Distl O.In this report, we provide 29 new informative microsatellites distributed over a region of 21 Mb on horse chromosome (ECA) 5 and refine a quantitative trait locus (QTL) for fetlock osteochondrosis dissecans (OCD) to a genome-wide significant interval between 78.03 and 90.23 Mb on ECA5. Genotyping was performed in 211 Hanoverian warmblood horses from 14 paternal half-sib groups. Within this OCD-QTL, collagen type XXIV alpha 1 was identified as a potential functional candidate gene for equine osteochondrosis. This report is a further step towards unravelling the genes that cause equine osteochon...
Walker VA, Tranquillle CA, MacKechnie-Guire R, Spear J, Newton R, Murray RC.Walking over poles is a commonly employed training and rehabilitation tool and it is crucial to understand its effect on equine locomotion, particularly joint range of motion (ROM). The study aimed to compare the effect of ground poles (GP) and raised poles (RP) on limb kinematics and poll, wither and pelvic ROM at walk. It was hypothesized that walking over poles would increase joint ROM but have no effect on poll, wither and pelvic ROM compared to no poles (NP). Forty-one horses were walked in-hand over NP, GP (10 cm) and RP (26 cm) in a crossover design. Limb kinematics were determine...
Lunn DP, Cuddon PA, Shaftoe S, Archer RM.In an investigation of 2 closely related Miniature Horses with a history of excessive sleepiness, depression and episodes of collapse, a diagnosis of narcolepsy was made on the basis of neurological examination and pharmacological testing. Further investigations included electroencephalographic examination (EEG), and analysis of protein content, cell count and monoamine metabolite concentrations of lumbosacral cerebrospinal fluid (CSF). There were no abnormalities noted in the EEGs, and no consistent changes in CSF neurotransmitter metabolites in the narcoleptic horses when compared with 3 nor...
McGilloway M, Manley S, Aho A, Heeringa KN, Whitacre L, Lou Y, Squires EJ, Pearson W.Equine leaky gut syndrome is characterized by gastrointestinal hyperpermeability and may be associated with adverse health effects in horses. The purpose was to evaluate the effects of a prebiotic Aspergillus oryzae product (SUPP) on stress-induced gastrointestinal hyperpermeability. Eight horses received a diet containing SUPP (0.02 g/kg BW) or an unsupplemented diet (CO) (n = 4 per group) for 28 days. On Days 0 and 28, horses were intubated with an indigestible marker of gastrointestinal permeability (iohexol). Half the horses from each feeding group underwent 60 min of transport by trailer ...
Pettersson CM, Broström H, Humblot P, Bergvall KE.Equine sarcoids are the most prevalent skin neoplasm in horses worldwide. Although several treatments are available, none are consistently effective and recurrence is common. Objective: To evaluate the efficacy and safety of topical imiquimod 5% cream and Sanguinaria canadensis + zinc chloride for treatment of equine sarcoids and investigate possible systemic effects on distant untreated sarcoids. Unassigned: Twenty-five client-owned horses with a total of 164 tumours were included in the study. Fifty-seven tumours were treated and 107 tumours were left untreated. Methods: Skin biopsy sample...
Schougaard H, Falk Ronne J, Phillipson J.This research study investigated the prevalence and potential genetic factors of tibiotarsal osteochondrosis, a joint condition, in trotting horses in Denmark through a radiographic survey. The study examined 325 yearlings, […]
Butudom P, Schott HC, Davis MW, Kobe CA, Nielsen BD, Eberhart SW.Because the primary stimulus for thirst is an increase in plasma tonicity, we hypothesised that dehydrated horses would drink a greater total volume of fluid voluntarily during the first hour of recovery when they were initially offered salt water. To test this hypothesis, bodyweight (bwt), fluid intake (FI) and [Na+] were measured in 6 Arabian horses offered 3 rehydration solutions. After dehydration was induced by frusemide administration (1 mg/kg bwt, i.v.) followed by 45 km treadmill exercise, water (W), 0.45% NaCl and 0.9% NaCl were offered, in a randomised order, during the initial 5 min...
Mair TS, Taylor FG, Pinsent PJ.Fever of unknown origin (FUO) is a syndrome characterised by prolonged, unexplained fever associated with non-specific signs of illness such as lethargy, inappetence and weight loss. This paper reviews the details of 63 horses affected by FUO. The cause was found to be infection in 43 per cent of the cases, neoplasia in 22 per cent, immune-mediated diseases in 6.5 per cent and miscellaneous diseases in 19 per cent; the cause remained undiagnosed in 9.5 per cent.
