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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.
Upper esophageal incompetence in five horses after prosthetic laryngoplasty. To describe a complication observed endoscopically in horses after prosthetic laryngoplasty (LP). Methods: Case series. Methods: Horses (n = 5) that had previous LP. Methods: Four horses had endoscopic examination as part of a larger prospective study and had saliva emanating from their upper esophageal opening. One other horse was referred with clinical signs of severe upper esophageal obstruction 2 months after LP. Results: Four horses were observed to have saliva emanating from their upper esophageal opening during endoscopic examination 21-58 months after LP. Esophageal reflux was note...
Resolving an inflammatory concept: the importance of inflammation and resolution in tendinopathy. Injuries to the superficial digital flexor tendon (SDFT) are an important cause of morbidity and mortality in equine athletes, but the healing response is poorly understood. One important drive for the healing of connective tissues is the inflammatory cascade, but the role of inflammation in tendinopathy has been contentious in the literature. This article reviews the processes involved in the healing of tendon injuries in natural disease and experimental models. The importance of inflammatory processes known to be active in tendon disease is discussed with particular focus on recent findings ...
Standing male equine urogenital surgery. The advantages of performing standing male urogenital surgeries are numerous when compared with performing the same surgery in the anesthetized animal. Some traditional standing male urogenital surgeries, such as castrations, may be faster and cheaper to perform. Laparoscopic standing male urogenital surgeries may allow for improved visualization of the surgical field, decreased hemorrhage, and decreased morbidity and convalescence. Limitations of standing procedures may include increased danger to the surgeon because of fractious behavior of the patient, and increased expense and training ass...
Influences of a diet supplemented with linseed oil and antioxidants on quality of equine semen after cooling and cryopreservation during winter. Seasonal changes in the reproductive physiology of stallions contribute to a decrease in the quality of frozen-thawed semen during late winter. Changes in the lipid composition of the sperm plasma membrane may contribute to this phenomenon. In the present study, we have, therefore, investigated the effects of adding linseed oil (LO) in combination with antioxidants to the diet of breeding stallions on the motility and membrane integrity of cooled-stored and cryopreserved semen. Starting in November, the diet of LO stallions (n = 6) but not control (C) stallions (n = 5) was supplemented with LO...
Urogenital surgery performed with the mare standing. Many urogenital procedures of the mare are commonly performed with the mare standing. Ovariectomy via colpotomy was described as early as 1903, and the Caslick vulvoplasty was first described in 1937. As knowledge expands and instruments become more specialized, techniques will improve. With the introduction of laparoscopy, clinicians have not only been able to improve the previously described urogenital procedures but also to devise new procedures. This article describes multiple surgeries of the female urogenital tract, all of which can be performed with the mare standing, and describes a va...
In vitro metabolism of testosterone in the horse liver and involvement of equine CYPs 3A89, 3A94 and 3A95. Testosterone (TES) 6-β-hydroxylation is a significant metabolic step in the biotransformation of TES in human liver microsomes and reflects cytochrome P450 (CYP) 3A4/5 specific metabolic activity. Several CYP3A enzymes have been annotated in the horse genome, but functional characterization is missing. This descriptive study investigates TES metabolism in the horse liver in vitro and the qualitative contribution of three CYP3A isoforms of the horse. Metabolism of TES was investigated by using equine hepatocyte primary cultures and liver microsomes. Chemical inhibitors were used to determine t...
Standing equine sinus surgery. Trephination of the equine sinuses is a common surgical procedure in sedated standing horses. Standing sinus flap surgery has become increasingly popular in equine referral hospitals and offers several advantages over sinusotomy performed under general anesthesia, including reduced patient-associated risks and costs; less intraoperative hemorrhage, allowing better visualization of the operative site; and allows surgeons to take their time. Other minimally invasive surgical procedures include sinoscopic surgery, balloon sinuplasty, and transnasal laser sinonasal fenestration. Despite the proced...
Neospora spp. antibodies in horses from two geographical regions of the state of Santa Catarina, Brazil. The aims of this study were to determine occurrences of Neospora spp. IgG antibodies in horses from two geographical regions of the state of Santa Catarina, southern Brazil, and identify risk factors for infection. Analyses were performed on 615 samples using the immunofluorescent antibody test (IFAT ≥ 1:50). Out of the 615 samples, 25 (4.1%) were positive for Neospora spp. The titers for Neospora spp. were distributed as follows: 1:50 (13), 1:100 (eight), 1:200 (three) and 1:400 (one). Out of the 311 samples taken in the mountain region, eight were positive (2.6%). Among the samples from th...
Epidemiology and Genetic Characterization of H3N8 Equine Influenza Virus Responsible for Clinical Disease in Algeria in 2011. An outbreak of equine influenza (EI) was reported in Algeria between May and July, 2011. The outbreak started in Tiaret, in west province of Algeria, and spread to the other parts of the country affecting almost 900 horses in many provinces. The population studied was composed of 325 horses from different groups of age. Clinical sign expression was age dependent. Indeed, a morbidity rate of 14.9% was observed in horses under 15 months old and a rate of 4.95% in horses over 8 years old. Interestingly, the morbidity rate raised sharply to reach 100% in horses aged between 18 months and 7 yea...
Evaluation and clinical use of an intraoral inferior alveolar nerve block in the horse. Local anaesthesia is often required to facilitate invasive procedures in equine dental patients under standing sedation. Objective: To show that an intraoral approach can be used to desensitise the inferior alveolar nerve in horses and report complications seen with this technique. Methods: The distance of the mandibular foramen from the distal (caudal) edge of the mandibular third molar tooth, rostral edge of the mandibular ramus and ventral margin of the mandible were measured in 26 adult equine skulls of various ages and breeds. Computed tomography (CT) was used to verify the placement of t...
Alternatives to conventional evaluation of rideability in horse performance tests: suitability of rein tension and behavioural parameters. Rideability, i.e. the ease and comfort with which a horse can be ridden, is considered to be one of the most important traits in riding horses. However, at present rideability is evaluated rather subjectively in breeding horse performance tests. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the role horse behaviour as well as degree and quality of rein tension might play in judges' evaluation of horses' rideability. Mares (n=33) and stallions (n=13) from two different mare- and one stallion-testing station were observed twice during their performance test dressage training. During these rides, ...
Methocarbamol suspension for the treatment of rhabdomyolysis in equines. Rhabdomyolysis in equines occurs in horses due to physical overexertion or underlying pathologic myopathy. Methocarbamol is a muscle relaxant that can be used in equines to treat symptoms associated with Rhabdomyolysis. Methocarbamol is available as a solution for injection but is not commercially available as an oral suspension. This article focuses on the treatment of Tying-up caused by overexertion, and details the treatment of Rhabdomyolysis with an oral suspension that was prepared for a veterinarian by a compounding pharmacist.
[Helminth control in the adult horse: the need for a re-orientation]. The epidemiological situation of strongyle infections in adult horses in Switzerland is characterized by a strong dominance of small strongyles (Cyathostominae) and an overall low level of egg shedding in the faeces. The prevailing attitude towards anthelmintic therapy considers neither husbandry conditions nor pasture hygiene measures. Instead, calendar-based routine medication, comprising usually 3 to 4 annual treatments, is the typical strategy. Such an approach, however, often results in an excessive administration of anthelmintics. With respect to the continuous spread of drug resistant c...
Bacterial meningitis after sinus surgery in five adult horses. To report meningoencephalitis as a complication after paranasal sinus surgery in 5 horses. Methods: Case series. Methods: Adult horses (n = 5). Methods: Medical records (2005-2010) of 5 horses that developed neurologic signs after sinus surgery were reviewed to identify potential risk factors, cause(s), or common pathways for infection. Results: Underlying diseases were primary (n = 1) and secondary sinusitis (4) because of apical dental infection (1), sinus cyst (2), or masses in the ethmoturbinate region (2). Horses were treated by conventional surgical approaches and aftercare inclu...
Recent advances in standing equine orthopedic surgery. In all surgeries with the patient standing under chemical and physical restraint, patient compliance is of the utmost importance. All fractures of the third metacarpal or metatarsal condyles and sagittal fracture of the first phalanx are not amenable to internal fixation with the horse standing, and young unhandled horses may not have a suitable disposition for standing surgical treatment of septic pedal osteitis, or implantation and removal of transphyseal screws. Previous operator experience in performing the procedure or technique under general anesthesia is beneficial. Appreciation of appr...
How accurate are we at assessing others’ well-being? The example of welfare assessment in horses. Healthcare practitioners such as physicians or nurses often underestimate patients' well-being impairment (e.g., pain, anxiety) which may lead to undesirable consequences on treatment decisions. Lack of recognition/identification of signals and over-exposure are two reasons invoked, but a combination of factors may be involved. Studying human decoding of animals' expressions of emotions showed that "identification" to the subject was necessary to decode the other's internal state. In the present study we wanted to compare caretakers' reports on the prevalence of stereotypic or abnormal repetit...
Standing equine dental surgery. Dental surgeries refer to procedures that affect the dental tissues or their supporting structures. With the development of specific, efficacious, and conservative treatments, morbidity risks have been lowered and chances of benefiting the health of equids improved. Advances in quality of sedation, analgesia, and locoregional anesthesia allow a majority of dental surgeries to be performed in the standing patient. This update focuses on an orthograde endodontic technique, a minimally invasive buccotomy technique, with the potential to combine it with a transbuccal screw extraction technique, an...
Identifying optimal parameters for quantification of changes in pelvic movement symmetry as a response to diagnostic analgesia in the hindlimbs of horses. Subjective evaluation of the response to diagnostic analgesia of hindlimb lameness is influenced by expectation bias. Quantification of pelvic movement with inertial measurement units is possible, but it is unclear which measure of movement symmetry best reflects the changes seen after diagnostic analgesia. Objective: To test our hypothesis that objective measures closely relating to those used for subjective visual lameness scoring (quantifying the difference between sacral upward or downward movement or between movement amplitudes of the left and right tubera coxae) would show the largest an...
The effect of different types of physical exercise on the behavioural and physiological parameters of standardbred horses housed in single stalls. The aim of this study was to investigate the impacts of three different physical exercises on the physiological and behavioural patterns of Standardbred trotters housed in single stalls. Twelve racing mares were observed twice during each different exercise: daily training (DT) consisted of forty minutes at slow trot (4-5 m/s) in a small track; maximal exercise (ME) consisted of 1600 m run at maximal velocity; race (R) was a real race of 1600 m. The mares were examined at rest in their stall (Time I), soon after the completion of the exercise (Time II), one hour (Time III), and two hours...
Long-term methods and effects of remotely treating wildlife with immunocontraception. The development of sophisticated delivery equipment, as well as safer and more effective drugs, has made remote delivery of animal drugs a standard and readily available tool for wildlife professionals, veterinarians, ranchers, and animal control officers. In the 1980s, researchers began treating a wide variety of wildlife with injectable porcine zona pellucida immunocontraceptive vaccines. Remote delivery of immunocontraceptives has been proven effective at the individual and population level for wild horses and urban deer. However, it took only a short time at each study site to understand t...
Biomechanical testing of a hybrid locking plate fixation of equine sesamoid osteotomies. To compare the biomechanical properties of a hybrid locking compression plate (LCP) construct with the compression screw technique as a treatment for transverse mid-body proximal sesamoid bone fractures. Methods: Ten paired forelimbs from abattoir horses were used. The medial proximal sesamoid bone of each limb was osteotomized transversely and randomly assigned, to either repair with a two-hole 3.5 mm LCP or a 4.5 mm cortical screw placed in lag fashion. Each limb was tested biomechanically by axial loading in single cycle until failure. The point of failure was evaluated from the load-displa...
Peritoneal response to abdominal surgery: the role of equine abdominal adhesions and current prophylactic strategies. Intra-abdominal adhesions constitute a significant clinical and surgical problem that can lead to complications such as pain and bowel occlusion or subocclusion. These adhesions are frustrating and potentially fatal, representing a major postoperative complication in abdominal surgery. It is estimated that 32% of horses undergoing laparotomy will present clinical symptoms due to adhesions, but the true prevalence is not known because a large proportion of animals with postoperative recurrent colics are medically treated or submitted to euthanasia without necropsy. Adhesions are highly cellular...
Alarming proportions of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) in wound samples from companion animals, Germany 2010-2012. Staphylococcus (S.) aureus is an important cause of wound infections in companion animals, and infections with methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA) are of particular concern due to limited treatment options and their zoonotic potential. However, comparable epidemiological data on MRSA infections in dogs, cats and horses is scarce, also limiting the knowledge about possible links to MRSA isolates from human populations. To gain more knowledge about the occurrence and genotypic variation of MRSA among wound swabs of companion animal origin in Germany we performed a survey (2010-2012) including...
Regenerative therapies for equine degenerative joint disease: a preliminary study. Degenerative joint disease (DJD) is a major cause of reduced athletic function and retirement in equine performers. For this reason, regenerative therapies for DJD have gained increasing interest. Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) and mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) were isolated from a 6-year-old donor horse. MSCs were either used in their native state or after chondrogenic induction. In an initial study, 20 horses with naturally occurring DJD in the fetlock joint were divided in 4 groups and injected with the following: 1) PRP; 2) MSCs; 3) MSCs and PRP; or 4) chondrogenic induced MSCs and PRP. The ho...
Genetic and environmental analysis of dystocia and stillbirths in draft horses. Genetic parameters and environmental factors were estimated for foaling ease (FE) and stillbirths (SBs) in four breeds of draft horses based on 11 229, 38 877, 35 764 and 13 274 FE and SB scores recorded between 1998 and 2010 for Ardennais (A), Breton (B), Comtois (C) and Percheron (P), respectively. Incidences for the three FE categories were: easy or without help 91.0% (A) to 95.4% (B), difficult 3.4% (B) to 7.1% (A) and intervention of a veterinarian 1.1% (B) to 1.9% (A). The frequency of SB ranged between 5.4% (B) and 9.4% (A). A multiple-trait threshold animal model was used that included...
Advances in laparoscopic techniques and instrumentation in standing equine surgery. Equine standing surgery and laparoscopy are becoming increasingly important aspects of equine surgery. Laparoscopic advancements lag behind the human medical field, mainly due to decreased access to appropriate training and instrumentation. It is nearly impossible to cover the topic of equine standing surgery without discussing advances in laparoscopy, because without such advances, equine standing surgery lacks potential for forward progress. Although novel standing techniques continue to be published, the addition of minimally invasive laparoscopic techniques adds an entirely new dimension a...
Doping control analyses in horseracing: a clinician’s guide. Doping(1) in sports is highly detrimental, not only to the athletes involved but to the sport itself as well as to the confidence of the spectators and other participants. To protect the integrity of any sport, there must be in place an effective doping control program. In human sports, a 'top-down' and generally unified approach is taken where the rules and regulations against doping for the majority of elite sport events held in any country are governed by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA). However, in horseracing, there is no single organisation regulating this form of equestrian sport; i...
