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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.
Comparison of pH and refractometry index with calcium concentrations in preparturient mammary gland secretions of mares. To test the usefulness of measuring pH and refractometry index, compared with measuring calcium carbonate concentration, of preparturient mammary gland secretions for predicting parturition in mares. Methods: Evaluation study. Methods: 27 pregnant Thoroughbred mares. Methods: Preparturient mammary gland secretion samples were obtained once or twice daily 10 days prior to foaling until parturition. The samples were analyzed for calcium carbonate concentration with a water hardness kit (151 samples), pH with pH test paper (222 samples), and refractometry index with a Brix refractometer (214 samp...
Complications associated with cheek tooth extraction in the horse. Common indications for cheek tooth extraction in the horse include dental fracture, periodontal disease, severe decay/ caries, mandibular fracture with alveolar/tooth involvement, and periapical abscess. Complications secondary to extraction of cheek teeth are prevalent. Typical complications may include retained root tip(s), collateral damage of neighboring teeth and alveolar bone, mandibular fracture non-union or delayed union, cemental ankylosis, dilacerated root(s), oroantral/oronasal fistula, palatal deviation of cheek teeth, bone sequestration, sinus involvement, alveolar plug failure, a...
Ultrasonographic features of PMEL17 (Silver) mutant gene-associated multiple congenital ocular anomalies (MCOA) in Comtois and Rocky Mountain horses. (1) To describe the ultrasonographic appearance of multiple congenital ocular anomalies (MCOA) in the eyes of horses with the PMEL17 (Silver) mutant gene. (2) To compare the accuracy of B-mode ocular ultrasound to conventional direct ophthalmoscopy. Methods: Sixty-seven Comtois and 18 Rocky Mountain horses were included in the study. Methods: Horses were classified as being carriers or noncarriers of the PMEL17 mutant allele based on coat color or genetic testing. Direct ophthalmoscopy followed by standardized ultrasonographic examination was performed in all horses. Results: Seventy-five of 8...
Magnetic resonance protocols in equine lameness examination, used sequences, and interpretation. Magnetic resonance is a great diagnostic tool in equine lameness examination. Its value is most significantly visible in evaluating distal extremities. Problems with podotrochlear apparatus, laminitis or distal interphalangeal joint osteoarthritis are the most common disorders diagnosed in equine patients. Without using magnetic resonance it was impossible to clearly assess which structures are involved in each of these diseases. One of the most important things in MRI is the choice of sequence. Most commonly used are T1 GE, T2 FSE, STIR and T2* GE, in sagittal, transverse and dorsal planes. T...
Development of a broad-range quantitative polymerase chain reaction assay to detect and identify fungal DNA in equine endometrial samples. To develop a broad-range 28S ribosomal DNA quantitative PCR (qPCR) assay for detection of fungal DNA in equine endometrial samples. Methods: 12 fungal samples from a clinical diagnostic laboratory and 29 samples obtained from 17 mares. Methods: The qPCR assay was optimized with commercially acquired fungal organisms and validated with samples obtained from the clinical diagnostic laboratory. Subsequently, 29 samples from 17 mares suspected of having fungal endometritis were evaluated via the qPCR assay and via traditional fungal culture and endometrial cytology. Amplicons from the qPCR assay w...
Association of perinatal exposure to airborne Rhodococcus equi with risk of pneumonia caused by R equi in foals. To determine whether the concentrations of airborne virulent Rhodococcus equi in stalls housing foals during the first 2 weeks after birth are associated with subsequent development of R equi pneumonia in those foals. Methods: Air samples collected from foaling stalls and holding pens in which foals were housed during the first 2 weeks after birth. Methods: At a breeding farm in Texas, air samples (500 L each) were collected (January through May 2011) from stalls and pens in which 121 foals were housed on day 1 and on days 4, 7, and 14 after birth. For each sample, the concentration of airborn...
Controlling equine influenza: policy networks and decision-making during the 2007 Australian equine influenza outbreak. Rapid, evidence-based decision-making is critical during a disease outbreak response; however, compliance by stakeholders is necessary to ensure that such decisions are effective - especially if the response depends on voluntary action. This mixed method study evaluated technical policy decision-making processes during the 2007 outbreak of equine influenza in Australia by identifying and analysing the stakeholder network involved and the factors driving policy decision-making. The study started with a review of the outbreak literature and published policy documents. This identified six policy ...
Isolation of Serratia rubidaea from a mixed infection after a horse bite. Horse bite infections are very rarely reported in the medical literature. Here we present a case of a severe facial infection in a 2-year-old boy after a horse bite, from which Serratia rubidaea and Enterobacter cloacae were isolated. Some pieces of grass were found inside the wound and were removed before performing a surgical toilet. The presence of these two gram-negative bacteria associated with a horse bite infection, as well as other organisms such as anaerobes, Pseudomonas, gram-positive cocci, Actinobacillus spp., previously described in other works, should be taken into account when s...
Coadministration of sodium alginate pellets containing the fungi Duddingtonia flagrans and Monacrosporium thaumasium on cyathostomin infective larvae after passing through the gastrointestinal tract of horses. The predatory nematophagous fungi have been used as an alternative control of gastrointestinal nematodes of domestic animals in natural and laboratory conditions. However, it is unclear if the association of some of these species could bring some kind of advantage, from a biological standpoint. In this context, this study consisted of two tests in vitro: in assay A, the assessment of the viability of the association of pellets in sodium alginate matrix containing the fungus Duddingtonia flagrans (AC001) and Monacrosporium thaumasium (NF34) and its predatory activity on infective larvae (L3) of...
Validation of delayed gadolinium-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging of cartilage and T2 mapping for quantifying distal metacarpus/metatarsus cartilage thickness in Thoroughbred racehorses. The purpose of this study was to determine whether delayed gadolinium-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging of cartilage (dGEMRIC) and T2 mapping are accurate techniques for measuring cartilage thickness in the metacarpus3/metatarsus3 (Mc3/Mt3) of Thoroughbred racehorses. Twenty-four Mc3/Mt3 cadaver specimens were acquired from six healthy racehorses. Cartilage thickness was measured from postintra-articular Gd-DTPA(2-) images acquired using short tau inversion recovery (STIR), and proton density weighted (PDw) sequences, and compared with cartilage thickness measured from corresponding histolog...
Morbidity, mortality, and risk of general anesthesia in horses. General anesthesia in horses carries an increased risk of morbidity and mortality compared with other species. In recent years the number and complexity of epidemiologic studies in equine anesthesia has increased. The ability to interpret such studies and understand epidemiologic terminology is vital for veterinarians for them to make potential improvements to their anesthetic practice and to allow them to communicate effectively the findings of such studies to colleagues and owners. This article provides the equine clinician with a basic understanding of the methodologies that can be used in ...
Balanced anesthesia and constant-rate infusions in horses. Balanced anesthetic techniques are commonly used in equine patients, and include the combination of a volatile anesthetic with at least one injectable anesthetic throughout the maintenance period. Injectable anesthetics used in balanced anesthesia include the α2-agonists, lidocaine, ketamine, and opioids, and those with muscle-relaxant properties such as benzodiazepines and guaifenesin. Administration of these injectable anesthetics is best using constant-rate infusions based on the pharmacokinetics of the drug, which allows steady-state concentrations and predictable pharmacodynamic actions....
Anesthesia for dystocia and anesthesia of the equine neonate. Equine anesthesia is complicated regardless of the procedure being performed. Anesthesia for the mare experiencing dystocia is complicated by the size of the fetus, positioning of the mare for the procedure, and concern over drug effect on the fetus through the neonatal period. Anesthesia of the neonate is complicated by multiple factors, specifically, sensitivity to the drugs administered. Ventilatory support, minimizing drugs administered, and minimizing anesthesia time are essential for a positive outcome.
Total intravenous anesthesia in horses. Total intravenous anesthesia (TIVA) is the mainstay of short-term (up to 60 minutes) and field anesthesia in horses. This article discusses the pros and cons of TIVA, commonly used TIVA protocols, and their use, monitoring during, and recovery from, TIVA.
Lidocaine and structure-related mexiletine induce similar contractility-enhancing effects in ischaemia-reperfusion injured equine intestinal smooth muscle in vitro. Postoperative ileus (POI) is a severe complication following small intestinal surgery in horses. It was hypothesised that prokinetic effects of lidocaine, the most commonly chosen drug for treatment of POI, resulted from drug integration into smooth muscle (SM) cell membranes, thereby modulating cell membrane properties. This would probably depend on the structural and lipophilic characteristics of lidocaine. To assess the influence of molecular structure and lipophilicity on prokinetic effects in vitro, the current study compared the effects of lidocaine with four structure-related drugs, nam...
Exercise affects joint injury risk in young Thoroughbreds in training. The aim of this study was to identify exercise-related risk factors for carpal and metacarpo- and metatarso-phalangeal (MCP/MTP) joint injury occurrence in young Thoroughbreds in flat race training. In a 2-year prospective cohort study, daily exercise and joint injury data were collected from horses in 13 training yards in England. Four injury categories were defined: (1) localised to a carpal or MCP/MTP joint based on clinical examination and/or use of diagnostic analgesia with no diagnostic imaging performed; (2) localised to a carpal or MCP/MTP joint with no abnormalities detected on diagno...
Lack of Cyathostomin sp. reduction after anthelmintic treatment in horses in Brazil. The increase of anthelmintic resistance in the last years in the nematode population of veterinary importance has become a major concern. The objective of the present study was to evaluate the efficacy of the main anthelmintic drugs available in the market against small strongyles of horses in Brazil. A total of 498 horses from 11 horse farms, located in the states of Paraná, São Paulo, Rio de Janeiro and Minas Gerais, in Brazil, were treated with ivermectin, moxidectin, pyrantel and fenbendazole, orally at their recommended doses. The fecal egg count reduction test (FECRT) was used to deter...
Hoof conformation and performance in the racing Thoroughbred in Macau. To investigate associations between race performance and hoof-ground angle (HG), pastern-hoof angle (PH) and mediolateral hoof angle (ML) of the left forelimb. Methods: A total of 1570 starts were recorded from 636 horses, and meetings were equally divided between sand and turf tracks. HG, PH and ML were measured on each starter in a race, over a 3-month period, using a Finnegan hoof gauge (Tallahesse Asia Holdings Ltd, Hong Kong) and digital photographic images. Race performance was recorded as win or place (1st-3rd). Results: There was no association between the probability of winning or pla...
Assisted reproduction techniques in the horse. This paper reviews current equine assisted reproduction techniques. Embryo transfer is the most common equine ART, but is still limited by the inability to superovulate mares effectively. Immature oocytes may be recovered by transvaginal ultrasound-guided aspiration of immature follicles, or from ovaries postmortem, and can be effectively matured in vitro. Notably, the in vivo-matured oocyte may be easily recovered from the stimulated preovulatory follicle. Standard IVF is still not repeatable in the horse; however, embryos and foals can be produced by surgical transfer of mature oocytes to th...
Proactive Management of the Equine Athlete. Across many equestrian disciplines the median competition career of a horse is relatively short. One of the major reasons for short career length is musculoskeletal injury and a consistent variable is the trainer effect. There are significant opportunities within equestrian sport for a holistic approach to horse health to attenuate musculoskeletal injury. Proactive integration of care by health professionals could provide a mechanism to attenuate injury risk and the trainer effect. However, the limited data available on current exercise regimens for sport horses restricts interpretation of how...
Retrospective evaluation of facilitated pastern ankylosis using intra-articular ethanol injections: 34 cases (2006-2012). While surgical arthrodesis is the treatment of choice for osteoarthritis of the proximal interphalangeal joint, some clients are unable to pursue surgery due to costs. A more economical technique was sought using intra-articular ethyl alcohol injections to facilitate ankylosis. Objective: To describe the technique and outcome of intra-articular ethyl alcohol injections for facilitated ankylosis of proximal interphalangeal joints with osteoarthritis. Methods: As a retrospective case series, the medical records (2006-2012) of clinical cases diagnosed with proximal interphalangeal joint osteoarth...
Physiological and behavioral responses of horses during police training. Mounted police horses have to cope with challenging, unpredictable situations when on duty and it is essential to gain insight into how these horses handle stress to warrant their welfare. The aim of the study was to evaluate physiological and behavioral responses of 12 (six experienced and six inexperienced) police horses during police training. Horses were evaluated during four test settings at three time points over a 7-week period: outdoor track test, street track test, indoor arena test and smoke machine test. Heart rate (HR; beats/min), HR variability (HRV; root means square of successiv...
Forces applied with a hoof tester to cadaver feet vary widely between users. Hoof testers are commonly used in equine practice. In this study, we determined the intraoperator and interoperator reliability of force application with hoof testers for different groups: experienced veterinarians, novices and farriers. For this purpose, we have developed and validated an instrumented hoof tester. Forces varied significantly between the different regions of the foot for experienced operators applying the highest forces to the heels, then the frog, then the toe, and the lowest forces to the quarters. Novices applied significantly more force to the toe versus the frog. Intraope...
Evaluation of regional limb perfusion with erythromycin using the saphenous, cephalic, or palmar digital veins in standing horses. There are no reported studies evaluating the use of erythromycin for regional limb perfusion (RLP) in horses. Our hypothesis was that using the cephalic and saphenous veins for RLP will enable delivery of therapeutic concentrations of erythromycin to the distal limb. Nineteen healthy horses participated in the study. The cephalic, saphenous or palmar digital (PD) vein was used to perfuse the limb with erythromycin. Synovial samples were collected from the metacarpo/metatarso-phalangeal (MCP/MTP) joint and blood samples were collected from the jugular vein. Maximum concentration (C(max)) of ery...
Cutaneous neoplastic lesions of equids in the central United States and Canada: 3,351 biopsy specimens from 3,272 equids (2000-2010). To identify epidemiological trends in cutaneous neoplasms affecting equids in central North America and compare them with previously reported trends. Methods: Retrospective case series. Methods: 3,351 cutaneous biopsy specimens from 3,272 equids with a neoplastic diagnosis. Methods: Diagnostic reports from 2 diagnostic laboratories (Colorado State University and Prairie Diagnostic Services Inc) were reviewed for frequency of specific lesions and epidemiological trends. Variables included in analyses (if known) were age, sex, breed, geographic location, date of diagnosis, location of neoplasm o...
Outcome after arthroscopic treatment of lateral femoral trochlear ridge osteochondrosis in sport horses. A retrospective study of 37 horses. To determine the short- and long-term outcome for sport horses after arthroscopic treatment of osteochondrosis of the lateral trochlear ridge of the femur. Methods: A retrospective study was performed using the medical records of horses intended for use as English sport horses. Outcome was obtained through telephone questionnaire. Results: Thirty-seven horses, mainly Warmbloods, underwent arthroscopic surgery for treatment of lateral femoral trochlear ridge osteochondrosis. Short-term outcome revealed that 27 of 37 horses had no complications. Seven horses had postoperative lameness and effusi...
