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.
Hall MS, Vasey JR, Russell JW, Russell T.To evaluate the racing performance of horses that underwent ultrasound-guided intralesional injection of autologous bone marrow aspirate for treatment of selected forelimb suspensory ligament (body or branch) core lesions. Methods: Retrospective cohort study of 13 Standardbred and 17 Thoroughbred race horses. Methods: Autologous bone marrow aspirated from the sternebrae was injected, under ultrasound guidance, into suspensory ligament core lesions (body or branch). Racing records were reviewed for a comparison of performance before and after surgery. Results: Of the 13 Standardbreds, 9 (69%) h...
Cafarchia C, Figueredo LA, Otranto D.Among diseases of horses caused by fungi (=mycoses), dermatophytosis, cryptococcosis and aspergillosis are of particular concern, due their worldwide diffusion and, for some of them, zoonotic potential. Conversely, other mycoses such as subcutaneous (i.e., pythiosis and mycetoma) or deep mycoses (i.e., blastomycosis and coccidioidomycosis) are rare, and/or limited to restricted geographical areas. Generally, subcutaneous and deep mycoses are chronic and progressive diseases; clinical signs include extensive, painful lesions (not pathognomonic), which resemble to other microbial infections. In ...
Greve L, Dyson SJ.We have observed saddle slip consistently to one side because of a crooked rider, an ill-fitting saddle, asymmetry in a horse's thoracolumbar shape and lameness. Currently, there are no objective data to permit assessment of the relative importance of each factor. Objective: To document the frequency of occurrence of saddle slip in horses with hindlimb lameness compared with other horses. To describe the effect of lameness characteristics and grade, the abolition of lameness by diagnostic analgesia, breed, size, thoracolumbar shape and symmetry and the rider's weight. Methods: One hundred and ...
Winfield LD, White SD, Affolter VK, Renier AC, Dawson D, Olivry T, Outerbridge CA, Wang YH, Iyori K, Nishifuji K.To describe the clinical, histological and immunological findings of an equine case of pemphigus vulgaris, including the demonstration of antidesmoglein (anti-Dsg) autoantibodies. Methods: The diagnosis of pemphigus vulgaris was confirmed in a 9-year-old Welsh pony stallion with both direct and indirect immunofluorescence and immunoprecipitation studies, the latter identifying circulating anti-Dsg3 IgG. Treatment with immunosuppressive medications was initiated. Lesions were seen in the perineal area, sheath, mane, tail, eyelids, coronary bands and mucosa of the mouth and oesophagus. Initial c...
Walsh KM, Blakeney BA.The purpose of this study was for nurses to experience equine-assisted learning and for them to describe their being in the moment with their horse. The aims of the study were to assist clinicians in recognizing their ability and skill at being present--that is, calm and centered--as they engage with horses and to determine if interaction with horses is a valid representation in recognizing presence in the participants. Methods: Descriptive phenomenology was used to explore this lived experience. Results: Five themes emerged: The Experienced Novice, Present in the Moment, Discovery of Self, Te...
Van den Eede A, Martens A, Floré K, Denis O, Gasthuys F, Haesebrouck F, Van den Abeele A, Hermans K.Equine methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) carriage entails a risk of both equine and zoonotic transmission and infection. In Europe, CC398, the livestock-associated (LA-)MRSA is highly prevalent in horses and veterinary personnel at equine clinics. The extent of the MRSA reservoir created by healthy horses from the general population and associated health hazard for their daily caretakers is, however, unknown. This study aimed at screening healthy horse-caretaker couples from a broad range of home farms. At five equine gatherings, 166 couples were selected for MRSA screening in...
Sloet van Oldruitenborgh-Oosterbaan MM, Grinwis GC.Equine sarcoidosis may present as a generalized or localized exfoliative dermatitis and/or as a granulomatous inflammation of multiple organs. Objective: To report the clinical signs, diagnosis, treatment and outcome for 22 horses with histologically confirmed sarcoidosis. Methods: Twenty-two horses of different breeds, between 3 and 17 years of age. Methods: Diagnosis was based on clinical signs and histopathological findings. Results: The following three forms of equine sarcoidosis were identified: generalized (13.6%), partially generalized (18.2%) and localized (68.2%). High-dose systemic c...
Innerå M, Petersen AD, Desjardins DR, Steficek BA, Rosser EJ, Schott HC.Pituitary pars intermedia dysfunction (PPID) in older equids is commonly recognized by a long hair coat that fails to shed. Objective: The aim of this study was to compare hair follicle stages in PPID-affected horses with excessively long hair coats with the stages of normal aged horses (controls) and to compare hair follicle stages in PPID-affected horses after 6 months of treatment with pergolide mesylate with those of control horses. Methods: Eight PPID-affected horses and four normal, age-matched, control horses. Methods: Skin biopsies were collected from the neck and rump of PPID-affected...
Labelle AL, Clark-Price SC.Effective delivery of local anesthesia is essential for successful standing surgical procedures in the horse. Local anesthesia can be used to facilitate examination of the eye, diagnostic procedures, therapeutic techniques, and surgical procedures. Understanding the relevant clinical anatomy and techniques for performing local anesthesia is critical to delivering successful local and regional anesthesia and analgesia.
Brosnan RJ.Inhaled agents represent an important and useful class of drugs for equine anesthesia. This article reviews the ether-type anesthetics in contemporary use, their uptake and elimination, their mechanisms of action, and their desirable and undesirable effects in horses.
Boesch JM.This article discusses anesthesia for horses with colic from acute gastrointestinal disease. Emphasis is placed on new developments in pre-, intra-, and immediate postoperative management over the last decade, including early goal-directed therapy (EGDT) in the resuscitation of septic patients, the controversy over the optimal fluid type to administer, and the management of complications, such as cardiovascular depression, hypoventilation and hypoxemia, and decreased colloid oncotic pressure (COP). An update on analgesia is also provided; older drugs such as ketamine and lidocaine are increasi...
Clark-Price SC.Recovery from anesthesia can be one of the most dangerous and unpredictable elements of providing anesthesia to horses. Strategies to quiet, control, and improve the quality of recovery of horses can be implemented in most situations and circumstances. This article provides an overview of the recovery period and areas where interventions may be practical to clinicians to provide improved care for their equine patients.
Muňoz J, Bussy C.To report a standing hand-assisted laparoscopic technique for closure of the nephrosplenic space (NS), and short-term outcome in horses. Methods: Case series. Methods: Horses (n = 12) aged 5-14 years. Methods: Medical records (2007-2010) of horses treated for left dorsal displacement of the large colon (LDDLC) using a hand-assisted laparoscopic correction technique with closure of the NS in the same surgical procedure were reviewed. A modified grid laparotomy in the left paralumbar fossa was used with manual correction of LDDLC, after which the NS was closed with a laparoscopic technique. Foll...
Guyton K, Houchen-Wise E, Peck E, Mayberry J.Horse-related injury can be severe and disabling. We investigated the causes, severity, and costs of equestrian injury with the goal of injury prevention. A retrospective review of horse-related injuries from 2001 to 2008 identified 231 patients with a mean age of 38 years and a mean Injury Severity Score of 11 (range, 1 to 45). Mean length of stay was 5.5 days. Fifty-nine patients (25%) required 84 surgeries. Helmet use was 20 per cent and of the 172 patients not wearing a helmet while mounted, 38 per cent received potentially preventable head injuries. There were three deaths of which two we...
Equine infectious anaemia in Europe Equine herpesvirus in the UK Summary of surveillance testing, July to September 2012 These are among matters discussed in the quarterly equine disease surveillance report for July to September 2012, prepared by Defra, the Animal Health Trust and the British Equine Veterinary Association.
Kwok WH, Ho EN, Lau MY, Leung GN, Wong AS, Wan TS.In recent years, there has been an ongoing focus for both human and equine doping control laboratories on developing detection methods to control the misuse of peptide therapeutics. Immunoaffinity purification is a common extraction method to isolate peptides from biological matrices and obtain sufficient detectability in subsequent instrumental analysis. However, monoclonal or polyclonal antibodies for immunoaffinity purification may not be commercially available, and even if available, such antibodies are usually very costly. In our study, a simple mixed-mode anion exchange solid-phase extra...
Hessler C, Eckert V, Meiners J, Jürgens C, Reicke B, Matthes G, Ekkernkamp A, Püschel K.Horse riding is associated with a high rate of injuries. The possibilities of prevention are limited because of deficient knowledge about the causes and mechanisms of equine-related accidents. In the present study 198 equine-related accidents were analyzed and based on these data risk groups were identified and guidelines to improve safety in horse riding were formulated. Methods: In this 2-center study the accidents of 169 riders over a period of 12 months were analyzed. Data on equine-related patterns of injury and the resulting treatment were collated from the clinical records. Additionally...
Hallowell GD, Bowen M.The objectives were to determine and assess the reliability of criteria for identification of aortic valve prolapse (AVP) using echocardiography in the horse. Results: Opinion of equine cardiologists indicated that a long-axis view of the aortic valve (AoV) was most commonly used for identification of AVP (46%; n=13). There was consensus that AVP could be mimicked by ultrasound probe malignment. This was confirmed in 7 healthy horses, where the appearance of AVP could be induced by malalignment. In a study of a further 8 healthy horses (5 with AVP) examined daily for 5 days, by two echocardiog...
Reed SA, Johnson SE.Recovery from tendon injury is based on long periods of rest, which results in sub-optimal repair, often replacing tendon with fibrocartilage scar tissue. Recently, the use of stem cells in equine tendon repair has been attempted with variable success. The objective of this work was to determine the expression of scleraxis (scx) and tenascin C (TnC), two markers of tenocytes, in adipose (AdMSC) and umbilical cord blood (UCB) stem cells during culture on various substrata and in response to fibroblast growth factor (FGF) treatment. Equine UCB and AdMSC were cultured on gelatin-coated plasticwar...
Smith SE, Devine DV.To determine the feasibility of hand-assisted laparoscopic ovariectomy via colpotomy for bilateral ovariectomy in standing mares. Methods: Case series. Methods: Mares (n = 21) aged 2-21 years, weighing 312-582 kg. Methods: After a pilot study in 6 mares, the technique was used in 15 mares. Ovaries were identified and manipulated using 2 laparoscopic portals in the left paralumbar fossa. Transection and hemostasis of the ovarian pedicle was achieved using a LigaSure Atlas™ or chain écraseur. Ovaries were removed through a colpotomy by an assistant. Results: In 19 mares, both ovaries were suc...
Almeida J, Conley AJ, Ball BA.Cryptorchidism affects 2-8% of male horses and the affected testis undergoes a disruption of normal spermatogenesis. The underlying molecular changes are poorly understood in the cryptorchid equine testis. Objective: Compare the expression of anti-Müllerian hormone (AMH), anti-Müllerian hormone receptor (AMHR2), androgen receptor (AR), cyclin kinase inhibitor (CDKN1B), connexin 43 (Cx43), 3β hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase/Δ(5) -Δ(4) - isomerase (3βHSD), P450c17 hydroxylase/lyase (P450c17) and cytochrome P450 aromatase (P450arom) in the undescended testis of cryptorchid stallions with that ...
Tnibar A, Grubbe Lin K, Thurøe Nielsen K, Christophersen MT, Lindegaard C, Martinussen T, Ekstrøm CT.Incisional infections are common in horses after colic surgery. There is a clinical impression that the use of a stent bandage reduces the prevalence of such infections. Objective: To determine the effect of a stent bandage on the likelihood of incisional infection after ventral midline exploratory coeliotomy. It was hypothesised that the use of a stent bandage would reduce the likelihood of incisional infection. Methods: Medical records of horses that underwent exploratory coeliotomy for colic between January 2005 and September 2011 were reviewed. Inclusion criteria were animals that had one ...
Robin CA, Lo Iacono G, Gubbins S, Wood JL, Newton JR.The National Equine Database (NED) contains information on the size and distribution of the horse population, but the data quality remains unknown. These data could assist with surveillance, research and contingency planning for equine infectious disease outbreaks. Objective: 1) To assess the extent of obsolete and missing data from NED, 2) evaluate the extent of spatial separation between horse and owner location and 3) identify relationships between spatial separation and land use. Methods: Two questionnaires were used to assess data accuracy in NED utilising local authority passport inspect...
Wilson JW.Creatine phosphokinase activity was determined in cerebrospinal fluid samples submitted for analysis from 126 animals suspected of having central nervous system disease. Values less than 1 sigma unit/ml were obtained on 32 samples and values less than or equal to 1 sigma unit/ml were obtained on 94 samples. The creatine phosphokinase values were increased in all cases of feline toxoplasmosis and feline infectious peritonitis. From other cases, especially seizure disorders and suspected poisonings, and apparent aid in prognosis for future cases was identified.
Le Vine H, Cuatrecasas P.A cytosolic, macromolecular factor required for the cholera toxin-dependent activation of pigeon erythrocyte adenylate cyclase and cholera toxin-dependent ADP-ribosylation of a membrane-bound 43,000 dalton polypeptide has been purified 1100-fold from horse erythrocyte cytosol using organic solvent precipitation and heat treatment. This factor, 13,000 daltons, does not absorb to anionic or cationic exchange resins, is sensitive to trypsin or 10% trichloroacetic acid and is not extractable by diethyl ether. Activation of adenylate cyclase by cholera toxin requires the simultaneous presence of AT...
Salinas-Mélendez JA, Galván de la Garza S, Riojas-Valdés VM, Wong González A, Avalos-Ramírez R.The aim of the present study was to determine the presence of Borrelia burgdorferi antibodies in horses from the metropolitan area of Monterrey, Nuevo León, México. Blood serum was obtained from a total of 100 horses residing at different counties in the area. From each animal data was obtained on age, sex, county of residence, presence of ectoparasites and clinical signs. All sera samples were analyzed by indirect immunofluoresence and the sera that resulted positive to this test was analyzed by Western blot. The serological test yielded 34 positive sera at 1:64 dilution, and from them 6 we...
Easley JT, Freeman DE.The diagnosis and treatment of equine dental-related sinus disease is often challenging. Dental-related sinus disease is common and knowledge of these diseases is becoming increasingly important in veterinary medicine. Diagnostic capabilities are continually improving, leading to early diagnostic and therapeutic successes. With advanced imaging modalities, such as computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging, understanding of the intimate anatomic relationship between teeth and the paranasal sinuses continues to progress. There are many therapeutic options available for the treatment of ...
Holcomb KE, Stull CL.The Federation of Animal Science Societies (FASS) recommends providing access to shade for horses in hot, sunny weather at equine facilities. Previously, we found that healthy, mature domestic horses use shade with behavioral and physiological benefits during those weather conditions. The objective of this study was to characterize preference, frequency, and duration of shade use by healthy, mature horses in a Bureau of Land Management (BLM) holding facility during hot, sunny weather. The study took place at the BLM's Palomino Valley Wild Horse and Burro Center in Reno, NV, from Aug. 10 to Oct...
Grobbel M, Lübke-Becker A, Alesík E, Schwarz S, Wallmann J, Werckenthin C, Wieler LH.A total of 120 isolates of Klebsiella spp. and Proteus spp. collected from horses and small animals (dogs and cats) were screened for their susceptibility to 24 different antimicrobial agents. Klebsiella spp. were included from infections of the genital tract (GT) of horses (36 isolates) and the urinary/genital tract (UGT) from dogs and cats (17 isolates), while Proteus spp. were from small animal (dogs and cats) infections of the UGT (37 strains) and the skin (incl. ear/mouth) (30 isolates). In Klebsiella spp. resistance appeared most frequently to ampicillin (53-67%), sulfamethoxazole (19-29...
Barrett MF, Selberg KT, Johnson SA, Hersman J, Frisbie DD.Injury of the distal tarsus and proximal metatarsus commonly causes lameness. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) allows concurrent assessment of both the distal tarsal joints and suspensory ligament origin, and aids identification of lesions that may otherwise go undetected by other modalities. In this retrospective observational study, the medical records of a veterinary imaging center were searched for MRI exams of the distal tarsus and proximal metatarsus for the years 2012 through 2014. Studies for 125 limbs of 103 horses were identified and retrospectively evaluated by two board-certified v...
Cornick JL, Seahorn TL.During a 3 1/2-year period, cardiac arrhythmias were identified in 6 of 67 horses diagnosed with duodenitis/proximal jejunitis (DPJ). Arrhythmias were detected by auscultation of irregular cardiac rhythm and subsequently were characterized by electrocardiographic evaluation. Arrhythmias included frequent second-degree atrioventricular block, ventricular ectopic depolarizations, and atrioventricular conduction disturbance. In 4 horses, arrhythmias resolved with recovery from the primary problem. One horse died suddenly 66 hours after admission, and another was euthanatized at 72 hours after adm...
Witte TH, Mohammed HO, Radcliffe CH, Hackett RP, Ducharme NG.The success of combined prosthetic laryngoplasty with ipsilateral ventriculocordectomy (LPVC) has not been compared to that of partial arytenoidectomy (PA) in a clinical population. Objective: In Thoroughbred (TB) racehorses: (1) earnings after LPVC are unaffected by the severity of recurrent laryngeal neuropathy (RLN) (laryngeal grade III vs. grade IV); (2) LPVC and PA yield similar results in the treatment of grade III RLN; (3) performance outcome following PA is independent of diagnosis (RLN vs. unilateral arytenoid chondritis [UAC]); and (4) neither LPVC nor PA returns horses to the level ...
Arden WA, Stick JA.To determine the reliability with which inorganic phosphorus (phosphate) concentrations can be used to predict major intestinal injury associated with equine colic, phosphate concentrations were measured in serum, peritoneal fluid, or both from 9 clinically normal adult horses (group A), 37 horses successfully managed medically for signs of abdominal pain (group B), 26 horses with signs of abdominal pain and undergoing exploratory laparotomy without intestinal resection (group C), and 26 horses undergoing intestinal resection or euthanasia for extensive intestinal lesions (group D). Peritoneal...
Nostell K, Lindåse S, Edberg H, Bröjer J.There is little evidence that horses with equine metabolic syndrome (EMS) have higher resting blood pressures than horses with normal insulin sensitivity. However, there are indications that EMS horses have an altered dynamic response to the cardiovascular effects of insulin. Objective: To examine heart rate and the systemic blood pressure response in EMS and control horses during insulin infusion. Methods: Cross-sectional study. Methods: Horses were examined with an oral sugar test (OST) and a euglycaemic hyperinsulinaemic clamp (EHC). Based on the results from the OST, the horses were classi...
Alexander J, Hobbs SJ, May K, Northrop A, Brigden C, Selfe J.To observe postural characteristics of female dressage riders, through application of three-dimensional motion analysis and to assess the effects of athletic taping on postural asymmetry during sitting trot. Methods: Randomised cross-over. Methods: Data collection took place at Myerscough Agricultural College in an indoor riding area. Methods: Ten healthy female experienced dressage riders participated. Methods: Movement kinematics of the trunk and pelvis, pre and post taping intervention. Results: Riders presented pre-intervention with asymmetric movement characteristics through dynamic obser...
Ohmura H, Hiraga A, Jones JH.There is no good method for measuring net anaerobic power in exercising horses to allow accurate estimates of total metabolic power. Objective: The increase in VO2max when breathing hyperoxic (HO) gas should be accompanied by a stoichiometrically equal (in terms of ATP turnover, i.e. energy equivalents) decrease in plasma lactate accumulation rate (Mlactate). Methods: Six 3-year-old Thoroughbreds were trained on an equine treadmill wearing a semi-open flow mask for measurement of VO2. After 4 months the horses ran with reproducible specific VO2max (VO2max/kg bwt). The mask design allowed mixin...
Bailey SR, Wheeler-Jones C, Elliott J.5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT; serotonin) is a potent vasoconstrictor of equine digital blood vessels and has been implicated in the pathogenesis of acute laminitis. Objective: The aims of this study were firstly to examine whether cells of the digital blood vessel wall exhibited an active uptake mechanism for 5-HT and to characterise its efficiency; and secondly, to study the potential inhibitory effect on this process of other amines, produced in the equine caecum. Methods: Confluent monolayers of equine digital vein endothelial cells (EDVEC) and equine digital vein smooth muscle cells (EDVSMC) ...
Kwok WH, Choi TLS, Kwok KY, Chan GHM, Wong JKY, Wan TSM.The high sensitivity of ultra high performance liquid chromatography coupled with high resolution mass spectrometry (UHPLC-HRMS) allows the identification of many prohibited substances without pre-concentration, leading to the development of simple and fast 'dilute-and-shoot' methods for doping control for human and equine sports. While the detection of polar drugs in plasma and urine is difficult using liquid-liquid or solid-phase extraction as these substances are poorly extracted, the 'dilute-and-shoot' approach is plausible. This paper describes a 'dilute-and-shoot' UHPLC-HRMS screening me...
Stack JD, Bergamino C, Sanders R, Fogarty U, Puggioni A, Kearney C, David F.To compare the accuracy and distribution of injectate for cranial (CR) and caudomedial (CM) ultrasound-guided injections of equine sacroiliac joints. Methods: Both sacroiliac joints from 10 lumbosacropelvic specimens were injected using cranial parasagittal (CR; curved 18 gauge, 25 cm spinal needles) and caudomedial (CM; straight 18 gauge, 15 cm spinal needles) ultrasound-guided approaches. Injectate consisted of 4 ml iodinated contrast and 2 ml methylene blue. Computed tomographical (CT) scans were performed before and after injections. Time for needle guidance and repositioning attempts were...
Chaney KP, Holcombe SJ, Schott HC, Barr BS.To (1) determine the occurrence of spurious hypercreatininemia in a population of hospitalized foals<2 days old, (2) assess the resolution of the hypercreatininemia, and (3) determine its association with survival in these foals. Methods: Retrospective case series. Methods: 2 Referral hospitals. Methods: Foals442 micromol/L (>5.0 mg/dL) from 2 referral hospitals. Methods: None. Results: The medical records of 33 foals were reviewed. Twenty-eight had spurious hypercreatininemia and 5 had acute renal failure. Admission creatinine was not significantly different between the 2 groups (mean [...
Scholler D, Zablotski Y, May A.Stress has a significant impact on equine welfare. There are some studies on the stress response in horses ridden with tight nosebands, but little is known about other stress parameters than cortisol, which potentially could address an emotional component. In this study, blood samples of a total of 74 warmblood horses were used to establish reference values for plasma substance P (SP) concentrations. Moreover, 16 of these warmblood horses were included in a stress model. Four different stress levels (level 1: horses ridden with loose noseband, level 2: tight noseband, level 3: loose noseband a...
Ven S, Decloedt A, De Clercq D, Vera L, Rademakers F, van Loon G.Aortic regurgitation (AR) can have an important clinical impact and in some cases leads to left ventricular (LV) failure. Tissue Doppler imaging (TDI) is an echocardiographic technique that has been used in horses to detect LV dysfunction. Objective: To examine whether TDI detects changes in radial myocardial wall motion in horses with AR compared with control horses. Methods: Case-control study. Methods: Echocardiography was performed in 30 healthy Warmblood horses and 34 Warmblood horses with AR, subdivided in groups with mild, moderate or severe AR. TDI measurements were performed on six se...
Smith KC, McGladdery AJ, Binns MM, Mumford JA.To evaluate transabdominal ultrasound-guided amniocentesis for detection of equid herpes-virus 1 (EHV-1)-induced fetal infection in utero. Methods: 4 Welsh Mountain mares. Methods: Pregnant mares were inoculated intranasally with EHV-1 during the ninth month of gestation. Amniocentesis was initiated on postinoculation day (PID) 12, and was performed at 2- to 3-day intervals in standing mares under deep sedation. Amniotic fluid samples were tested by virus isolation (VI), polymerase chain reaction (PCR), and immunoperoxidase cytologic examination (IC) for detection of EHV-1. Results: Exposure t...
Guedes AG, Matthews NS, Hood DM.To investigate the effects of ketamine hydrochloride on the analgesic effects of tramadol hydrochloride in horses with signs of pain associated with naturally occurring chronic laminitis. Methods: 15 client-owned adult horses with chronic laminitis. Methods: Each horse received tramadol alone or tramadol and ketamine in a randomized, crossover study (≥ 2 months between treatments). Tramadol (5 mg/kg) was administered orally every 12 hours for 1 week. When appropriate, ketamine (0.6 mg/kg/h) was administered IV for 6 hours on each of the first 3 days of tramadol administration. Noninvasive sy...
Wilsher S, Allen WR.There is a paucity of information on factors that influence placental development in the horse. Objective: Changes in nutrition, particularly around the time of proliferative placental growth, can affect development of the placenta and fetal growth. Objective: To investigate the effects of 2 planes of nutrition and an unforeseen infection-mediated nutritional insult on placental and fetal development in the mare. Methods: Twenty maiden Thoroughbred fillies, age 3 or 4 years, mated to one Thoroughbred stallion, were maintained on either High or Moderate food intake throughout pregnancy. In mid-...
Squires EL.Marked changes in equine breeding technologies have occurred over the past 25 years. Although there have been numerous reviews on assisted reproduction techniques for horses, few publications include the acceptance and impact of these techniques on the horse industry. In this review, several techniques are discussed, with an emphasis on how they developed in the horse industry and altered equine reproductive medicine. Embryo transfer has become a widely used technology, allowing multiple foals to be produced per year. Embryos can be collected, cooled or frozen, and shipped to a distant facilit...
Sullivan EK, Klein LV, Richardson DW, Ross MW, Orsini JA, Nunamaker DM.To describe the pool-raft recovery system protocol and to evaluate the clinical outcome in horses that underwent recovery from general anesthesia using this system. Methods: Retrospective study. Methods: 393 horses that underwent recovery from general anesthesia in the pool-raft system. Methods: Anesthetic records were examined from horses recovered from anesthesia in the pool-raft system between January 1984 and December 2000. Complete medical records of horses were examined when available. Information regarding the anesthetic and recovery period was recorded. Horses first recovered from gene...
Franklin SH, Naylor JR, Lane JG.Dorsal displacement of the soft palate (DDSP) is one of the most common obstructive conditions of the upper respiratory tract in the racehorse. The present study was conducted to determine the effects of intermittent dorsal displacement of the soft palate (DDSP) on ventilation and respiratory airflow during high intensity exercise. Videoendoscopic recordings were made of the nasopharynx and larynx simultaneously with measurements of airflow and respiratory gas exchange, during high-speed treadmill exercise in 9 horses with confirmed intermittent DDSP admitted for clinical investigation of poor...
Bishop RC, Kemper AM, Burges JW, Jandrey KE, Wilkins PA.To evaluate a point-of-care viscoelastic coagulation monitor (VCM Vet) for use in horses by assessing variability between devices and establish reference intervals (RIs) for healthy adult horses. Methods: Prospective observational study. Methods: Two university teaching hospitals. Methods: Healthy adult horses (n = 68). Methods: None. Results: Blood collected by direct jugular venipuncture was applied directly from the syringe into 2 VCM Vet cassettes to establish coefficients of variation (CVs) and RIs for reported parameters of clotting time (CT), clot formation time (CFT), alpha angle, am...
Bell IG, Drury-Klein C.To analyse horse event and horse movement registration data collected between September 2007 and December 2008 during the outbreak of equine influenza in New South Wales, Australia. Results: A total of 9356 events were registered, involving 504,382 horses and 242,952 riders. Registered horse movements totalled 224,084, involving 349,327 horses (excluding mobs) travelling 34.4 million km with an average of 154 km per journey. The number of recorded events and movements were low while movement controls were most stringent, then increased from December 2007 as restrictions were eased, to peak in ...
Kitaura T, Sato F, Hada T, Ishimaru M, Kodama R, Nambo Y, Watanabe G, Taya K.The secretion of prolactin and growth hormone in response to exercise and emotional stresses was investigated in Thoroughbreds. Two experiments were performed: one with loading of only exercise stress and one with simultaneous loading of exercise and emotional stresses. Exercise stress was loaded in 4 steps using a treadmill for horses: pre-exercise period (5 min), walking period (6.5 min), galloping period (3 min), and cooling down period (10 min). Emotional stress was loaded by showing a loud video of an audience at a racetrack during the walking period. The results clearly demonstrated that...
Coryn M, De Morr A, Bouters R, Vandeplassche M.The authors analysed clinical, histological and hormonal data obtained from 205 cryptorchid horses. The majority of the unilaterally and bilaterally retained testes were located in the inguinal canal; however, the ratio of inguinal vs abdominal retention appeared to decrease with advancing age. In unilateral cryptorchidism, a pronounced preference was noted for left abdominal retention, whereas for inguinal cryptorchids, the retained testes occurred equally on both sides. Right inguinal retention was found to decrease with advancing age. Histology of cryptorchid testes revealed apparently norm...
de la Rúa-Domènech R, Wiedmann M, Mohammed HO, Cummings JF, Divers TJ, Batt CA.The cDNA encoding the equine copper/zinc superoxide dismutase (SOD1) was cloned from leukocyte total RNA from healthy horses and its nucleotide (nt) sequence was determined. We further sequenced the SOD1 gene from 16 horses diagnosed with equine motor neuron disease (EMND) and eight unrelated, clinically normal horses to determine if this disease, similar to amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) in humans, is linked to SOD1 mutations. The 465-bp SOD1 coding region in the horse encodes 153 amino acid (aa) residues. Equine SOD1 exhibited 81.8 and 79.9% sequence identity to the human homolog at the...
