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.
LeBlanc MM.Rapid physical uterine clearance is paramount for fertility. Mares that are unable to clear the by-products of insemination or foaling quickly may develop post-mating-induced or acute endometritis. If endometritis is not promptly resolved, the infection can become chronic. Endometritis can be difficult to identify because clinical signs, ultrasonographic and laboratory findings can vary between uterine pathogens. Some micro-organisms are associated with an influx of neutrophils and fluid into the uterine lumen while others are associated with only heavy debris on cytological specimens. Identif...
Magata F, Ishii M, Oikawa E, Furuoka H, Yamada K, Sasaki N, Shimizu S, Inokuma H.A 42-day-old heavy draft horse fell into sudden astasia. Significant swelling and heat sensation of the left femoral region were observed. Because of a friction sound in the left hip, we supposed that the hip joint was dislocated or the hip bone was fractured. Computed Tomography (CT) examination showed that the left hip joint was dislocated and the left femoral head was disjunct. We carried out a pathological autopsy, and made a diagnosis of the foal as fracture of the hip bone and femoral head with suppurative umbilical arteritis. Pathologic changes in the umbilical artery and hind leg were ...
Gray BP, Teale P.A simple, low cost system for the backflushing of capillary gas chromatography (GC) columns has been investigated and integrated into a method for the detection of anabolic steroids in equine urine. The modification to the method was simple to make and quick to setup and optimize. The use of backflushing technology was found to offer significant benefits in terms of sample throughput and improved system robustness.
Snook ER, Wakamatsu N.A 17-year-old, Thoroughbred mare was presented for necropsy with a large, invasive oral mass determined via immunohistochemistry to be a soft tissue sarcoma of neural origin. Oral sarcomas are rare in veterinary medicine, and to the authors' knowledge, this is the first oral sarcoma of neural tissue origin reported in a horse.
Sedacca CD, Bright JM, Boon J.Univentricular atrioventricular (AV) connections are rare and complex congenital cardiac anomalies in which both AV valves communicate into a large, common (single) receiving chamber. The common chamber can be of left, right, or mixed ventricular morphology. Although well documented in people, reports of the double-inlet ventricle malformation are rare in the veterinary literature. This report provides description of an Arabian horse with a double-inlet univentricular connection of left ventricular type, a hypoplastic subpulmonary right ventricle, two muscular ventricular septal defects, and a...
Kirschvink N, Reinhold P.In veterinary medicine, upper airway resistance deserves a particular attention in equines athletes and brachycephalic dogs. Due to the anatomical peculiarities of the upper airway and/or pathological conditions, significant alterations of performance and/or well being might occur in horses and dogs. Physiological specificities and pathological changes of the lower respiratory tract deserve a major attention in other species.
Isgren CM, Upjohn MM, Fernandez-Fuente M, Massey C, Pollott G, Verheyen KL, Piercy RJ.Exertional rhabdomyolysis syndrome is recognised in many athletic horse breeds and in recent years specific forms of the syndrome have been identified. However, although Standardbred horses are used worldwide for racing, there is a paucity of information about the epidemiological and performance-related aspects of the syndrome in this breed. The objectives of this study therefore were to determine the incidence, risk factors and performance effects of exertional rhabdomyolysis syndrome in Standardbred trotters and to compare the epidemiology and genetics of the syndrome with that in other bree...
Menzies-Gow NJ, Stevens KB, Sepulveda MF, Jarvis N, Marr CM.The aim of this study was to evaluate both the repeatability (intraobserver agreement) and reproducibility (interobserver agreement) of Obel grading, the most widely accepted method for describing the severity of equine laminitis. The study comprised two parts. In study A, to test intraobserver agreement, 25 ponies were graded twice by a single blinded experienced equine veterinary surgeon, on the first occasion via clinical examination and on the second occasion via a video recording of the initial clinical examination. In study B, to test interobserver agreement, video recordings of 13 ponie...
Gandini M.To report a technique for semiclosed 1-layer side-to-side jejunocecal anastomosis in horses. Methods: Experimental study and clinical reports. Methods: Part 1--In vitro: Intestinal specimens from 24 horses collected immediately after death at an abattoir. Part 2--CLINICAL CASES: 10 horses with clinical signs of colic requiring jejunocecostomy. Methods: Mean time to perform twelve 2-layer handsewn (HS2L) and 12 semiclosed 1-layer modified handsewn (SC) jejunocecal anastomoses was compared. Mean bursting pressures of anastomoses measured with a modified tank inflation test were compared. The SC ...
Carter RA, Shekk V, de Laat MA, Pollitt CC, Galantino-Homer HL.The dermo-epidermal interface that connects the equine distal phalanx to the cornified hoof wall withstands great biomechanical demands, but is also a region where structural failure often ensues as a result of laminitis. The cytoskeleton in this region maintains cell structure and facilitates intercellular adhesion, making it likely to be involved in laminitis pathogenesis, although it is poorly characterized in the equine hoof lamellae. The objective of the present study was to identify and quantify the cytoskeletal proteins present in the epidermal and dermal lamellae of the equine hoof by ...
Rüfenacht S, Roosje PJ, Sager H, Doherr MG, Straub R, Goldinger-Müller P, Gerber V.Chorioptes bovis infestation is a common cause of pastern dermatitis in the horse, with a predilection in draft horses and other horses with thick hair 'feathers' on the distal limbs. The treatment of this superficial mite is challenging; treatment failure and relapse are common. Furthermore, C. bovis infestation may affect the progression of chronic pastern dermatitis (also known as chronic proliferative pastern dermatitis, chronic progressive lymphoedema and dermatitis verrucosa) in draft horses, manifesting with oedema, lichenification and excessive skin folds that can progress to verruci...
Morel MC, Newcombe JR, Hayward K.The importance of elucidating factors affecting reproductive performance and efficiency is of paramount concern to the equine industry. Oocyte viability is known to be one of the determinants of reproductive success and evidence suggests that it may be linked to follicle size. The aims of this study were, therefore, to ascertain: i) the average diameter and range of pre-ovulatory follicles in Thoroughbred mares; ii) whether this is affected by either mare age, time within the breeding season, or the presence of multiple pre-ovulatory follicles (MO). One thousand, four hundred and ninety two Th...
McMullen RJ, Davidson MG, Campbell NB, Salmon JH, Gilger BC.To determine appropriate intraocular lens (IOL) implant strength to approximate emmetropia in horses. Methods: 16 enucleated globes and 4 adult horses. Methods: Lens diameter of 10 enucleated globes was measured. Results were used to determine the appropriate-sized IOL implant for insertion in 6 enucleated globes and 4 eyes of adult horses. Streak retinoscopy and ocular ultrasonography were performed before and after insertion of 30-diopter (D) IOL implants (enucleated globes) and insertion of 25-D IOL implants (adult horses). Results: In enucleated globes, mean +/- SD lens diameter was 20.14 ...
Arnold CE, Brinsko SP, Love CC, Varner DD.6 geldings and 5 stallions were evaluated from January 2007 through April 2009 for the following conditions requiring phallectomy: chronic paraphimosis (n = 7), squamous cell carcinoma of the penis (3), and priapism (1). Results: None of the 7 horses with paraphimosis was able to retract the penis. Chronicity of the paraphimosis in 6 horses ranged from 2 weeks to 2 months and was unknown in the seventh horse. Horses with paraphimosis had been medically treated without success. The horse with priapism had developed the condition secondary to acepromazine administration 2 days prior to referral ...
Shchurova EN, Khudiaev AT.Temperature sense and pain appreciation has been studied in the dermatomes of cauda equine roots in patients with lumbar intervertebral disc hernia before treatment, in the immediate and long-term periods of observation after disc hernia elimination. Temperature sense and pain appreciation has been determined to be disordered not only in the dermatome of compressed root, but in the dermatomes located proximally and distally as well. The manifestation of negative changes was observed to a greater extent during temperature sense examination. After disc hernia elimination the recovery of temperat...
Loftus JP, Williams JM, Belknap JK, Black SJ.Laminitis is a crippling disease of horses characterized by an inflammatory response in the tissue that suspends the axial skeleton within the hoof. Pain is a common feature of laminitic pathology and its management is an important component of the treatment regime for this disease. Systemic lidocaine administration is commonly utilized to manage pain in equine laminitis; however, the potential anti-inflammatory effects of this drug during the treatment of equine laminitis have not been investigated. Here, we sought to determine if lidocaine concentrations achieved in the plasma (therapeutic c...
Woolford L, Staniek G, Blunden AS.Pleuropulmonary blastoma (PPB) is a rare biphasic tumor of children formed by mixed epithelial-and-mesenchymal elements. In this article, the authors report a pulmonary mass in an equine fetus with characteristics of PPB. A soft multicystic broad-based pleural mass was identified in the right caudal lung lobe. The mass comprised solid areas of loose mesenchyme, fenestrated by small ducts or large cystic areas lined by cuboidal epithelium. Mesenchymal elements had moderate anisocytosis, anisokaryosis, and cellular pleomorphism and were immunoreactive for vimentin. Epithelial cells lining ducts ...
Bell RJ, Textor JA.To establish the prevalence of intussusceptions involving the caecum in a population of horses admitted to a university hospital for colic. Methods: Retrospective clinical study Methods: Medical records of all horses admitted to the Massey University Veterinary Teaching Hospital between 1991 and 2004 were examined for information of those horses diagnosed with an intussusception involving the caecum. Results: A total of 135 horses were admitted for colic surgery during the study period and 61 horses had a diagnosis of ileocaecal (37), caecocaecal (5) or caecocolic intussusception (19) made eit...
Beeler-Marfisi J, Gallastegui Menoyo A, Beck A, König J, Hewson J, Bienzle D.Gelatinous marrow transformation, or serous atrophy of bone marrow fat, has been noted in livestock, laboratory animals, and wildlife in association with an inadequate plane of nutrition, inanition, or intoxication. This is a report of gelatinous marrow transformation and hematopoietic marrow atrophy in a 5-year-old miniature horse stallion. The horse had oral malformations leading to poor food assimilation and emaciation. A bone marrow biopsy obtained to investigate persistent anemia and leukopenia showed hematopoietic atrophy and replacement of fat with a granular extracellular substance, wh...
Jalim SL, McIlwraith CW, Goodman NL, Anderson GA.The effectiveness and best method to manage dorsal cortical stress fractures is not clear. This study was performed to evaluate the success of lag screw fixation of such fractures in a population of Thoroughbred racehorses. Objective: Lag screw fixation of dorsal cortical stress fractures is an effective surgical procedure allowing racehorses to return to their preoperative level of performance. Methods: The records of 116 racehorses (103 Thoroughbreds) admitted to Equine Medical Centre, California between 1986 and 2008 were assessed. Information obtained from medical records included subject ...
Goehring LS, Landolt GA, Morley PS.Because of the serious disease sequelae associated with equine herpesvirus type 1 (EHV-1) infections, awareness and control measures used to control outbreaks are important issues for all horse populations. Objective: Describe the occurrence and management of an outbreak of EHV-1 infection at a veterinary hospital. Methods: Horses hospitalized at a referral veterinary hospital. Methods: A horse with myeloencephalopathy associated with EHV-1 infection (EHM) was admitted for diagnostic evaluation and treatment under strict infection control procedures. We describe the occurrence and management o...
Physick-Sheard PW, McGurrin MK.A lack of information on normal heart rhythm at maximal effort hampers investigation of poor performance and sudden death in Standardbred racing. Objective: To characterize rhythm variations during scheduled racing in clinically normal Standardbred horses. Methods: Two hundred and eighty-eight Standardbred horses competing in 40 scheduled races at a Southern Ontario racetrack. Methods: Observational study, convenience sampling: Heart rhythm was monitored by ECG from harnessing to postrace recovery and assessed visually and by examining heart rate intervals. Rhythm variations were used as respo...
Schmidt A, Aurich J, Möstl E, Müller J, Aurich C.Based on cortisol release, a variety of situations to which domestic horses are exposed have been classified as stressors but studies on the stress during equestrian training are limited. In the present study, Warmblood stallions (n=9) and mares (n=7) were followed through a 9 respective 12-week initial training program in order to determine potentially stressful training steps. Salivary cortisol concentrations, beat-to-beat (RR) interval and heart rate variability (HRV) were determined. The HRV variables standard deviation of the RR interval (SDRR), RMSSD (root mean square of successive RR di...
McGivney BA, McGettigan PA, Browne JA, Evans AC, Fonseca RG, Loftus BJ, Lohan A, MacHugh DE, Murphy BA, Katz LM, Hill EW.Digital gene expression profiling was used to characterize the assembly of genes expressed in equine skeletal muscle and to identify the subset of genes that were differentially expressed following a ten-month period of exercise training. The study cohort comprised seven Thoroughbred racehorses from a single training yard. Skeletal muscle biopsies were collected at rest from the gluteus medius at two time points: T(1) - untrained, (9 +/- 0.5 months old) and T(2) - trained (20 +/- 0.7 months old). Results: The most abundant mRNA transcripts in the muscle transcriptome were those involved in mus...
Kędzierski W, Kusy R, Kowalik S.The aim of this study was to evaluate the relationship between plasma leptin and lipid levels in breeding mares and their newborn foals. The study was conducted on 17 Polish cold-blood mares and their newborn foals. The mares were divided into two groups, according to the course of delivery. These groups were seven mares which had a normal delivery and 10 mares which had required veterinary intervention during their delivery. Blood samples were taken from the jugular vein of both the mares and their foals. The blood samples were taken within 30 min after delivery, as well as on four successive...
Lopes Ede P, Siqueira JB, Pinho RO, Guimarães JD, Rocha AN, de Carvalho GR, Torres CA.The objective of this study is to evaluate the reproductive efficiency in donors and recipient Mangalarga Marchador mares in commercial programmes of embryo transfer (ET) and the effects of some reproductive characteristics and ET methodology on conception rates in the recipient mares. A total of 1140 flushing procedures were performed and 830 embryos (72.8%) were recovered. There were no differences between the rates of embryonic recovery in the different breeding seasons (p > 0.05) and 92.8% of the recovered embryos were 8-9 days old. There was no difference in the embryonic recovery regardi...
Lester GD, MacKay RJ, Smith-Meyer B.Primary meningeal lymphoma was diagnosed in an 18-year-old Morgan gelding. The horse was examined because of a 3-day history of progressive ataxia and weakness. The gait abnormalities were worse on the left side, and the pelvic limbs were more affected than the thoracic limbs. Additional findings included signs of depression, miosis of the left pupil, ptosis of the left upper eyelid, and areas of muscle atrophy on the left side of the neck and over the dorsal aspect of the left scapula. Inflammatory changes were evident in the CSF. At necropsy, there was diffuse and irregular thickening of the...
White SL.Horses competing in 3-day, combined-training events develop a metabolic acidosis that is partially compensated for by a respiratory alkalosis immediately after phases B and D. By the end of phase C and 30 minutes to 2 hours after phase D, the acidosis is resolved by the oxidation of lactate, and a metabolic alkalosis prevails. A reduction in TBW and cation content occurs, which often is not replenished 12 to 24 hours after the event, even though the serum or plasma concentration of various constituents may be within normal limits. Hypochloremia and hypocalcemia, however, may persist 12 or more...
Acosta H, Rondón-Mercado R, Avilán L, Concepción JL.Trypanosoma evansi is a widely-distributed haemoflagellated parasite of veterinary importance that infects a variety of mammals including horses, mules, camels, buffalos, cattle and deer. It is the causal agent of a trypanosomiasis known as Surra which produces epidemics of great economic importance in Africa, Asia and South America. The main pathology includes an enlarged spleen with hypertrophy of lymphoid follicles, congested lungs, neuronal degeneration and meningoencephalitis, where migration of the parasites from the blood to the tissues is essential. Most cells, including pathogenic cel...
Sasaki N, Aiuchi H, Yamada H.This study aimed to establish and standardize a breath test that uses 13C-acetate in a liquid diet for evaluation of gastric emptying in horses. Seven adult healthy thoroughbreds were used in this study. They were given 13C-acetate (125 mg, 250 mg, or 500 mg) in a test meal (2000 ml liquid diet) via an intranasal catheter. 13C concentrations in the exhaled CO2 were measured in samples taken before and after test meal administration using an infrared absorption spectroscope. In the 500 mg 13C-acetate group, Delta13CO2 showed a steep gradient immediately after meal administration compared to the...
Castillo JM, Tse MPY, Dockweiler JC, Cheong SH, de Amorim MD.A 16-year-old Oldenburg mare was evaluated for stallion-like behavior. The mare had given birth to 2 foals previously. Transrectal palpation revealed bilaterally enlarged ovaries with no palpable ovulation fossa. Ultrasound examination showed both ovaries to have small follicles giving a honeycomb appearance, concurrent with a single large cystic structure in the left ovary (10.2 cm diameter). Serum Anti-Müllerian hormone (AMH) was elevated (95.7 pmol/L), consistent with granulosa cell tumor (GCT). Both ovaries were removed via flank laparoscopy and were evaluated by histopathology, which con...
Herbrecht V, Waldern NM, Mikkelsen SE, Kjaer M, Dittmann MT, Wiestner T, Weishaupt MA.In order to improve the four-beat-rhythm and forelimb action of the tölt in Icelandic horses (ICE), special shoeing techniques are applied particularly in the front hooves by increasing hoof length and height, or by adding weight to the distal limbs. Although regulations limit dorsal hoof wall length (LDHW) in competition ICE, their shoeing often deviates from a biomechanically optimal distal limb conformation. This study aimed to qualitatively and quantitatively describe current shoeing practices of ICE in competition. Moreover, the influence of LDHW on the occurrence of deviations from a st...
Fairbairn SM, Lees P, Page CP, Cunningham FM.Antigen-induced airway hyperresponsiveness in allergic horses has previously been demonstrated when clinical signs of acute airway obstruction were apparent, as a consequence of exposure of animals to hay and straw for variable periods of time, and repeat measurements of hyperresponsiveness have been made no earlier than 1 week after challenge. In the present study airway responsiveness to methacholine has been measured in normal horses and allergic horses in clinical remission before and 24, 48 and 72 h after a hay and straw challenge of fixed, short, duration (7 h). Correlations between earl...
Ferrari M, Weller R, Pfau T, Payne RC, Wilson AM.The purpose of this work was to evaluate the accuracy and precision of a freehand three-dimensional (3-D) ultrasonography system in the determination of lesion volume in tendons. The accuracy and precision of a 3-D ultrasonography system was assessed by performing repeated measurements on a phantom of known volume. Volume measurements of tendon lesions performed with 3-D ultrasonography were compared with measurements based on a series of two-dimensional (2-D) ultrasound (US) scans and to direct measurements from dissections. A novel method for the creation of tendon lesions in vitro was devel...
Springer A, Ehrmann C, Lembcke M, Roscher K, Strube C.Equine piroplasmosis, caused by the protozoan pathogens or , is endemic in many (sub-)tropical regions worldwide, including Southern Europe. In Germany, it mainly plays a role as an imported parasitosis. Nevetherless, tick species with known vector potential for equine piroplasms occur in Germany. Thus, a long-term establishment of autochthonous cycles after introduction via infected equids or ticks cannot be excluded. In the present case, 2 horses developed clinical infection after returning from a trail riding trip to southern France. During treatment, a feeding tick was discovered on one ...
Greco-Otto P, Massie S, Shields E, Roy MF, Pajor E, Léguillette R.The Heavy Horse Pull is a competition where teams of two horses pull an increasingly heavy sled for a short distance. Similar to human wrestlers, some horses may undergo rapid weight change in order to enter a lower weight category. The objectives were to study the physiological effects of this practice as well as of the pulling competition in draft horses. Results: Fifty horses were divided into light-, middle- and heavyweight categories based on their arrival weights and competed 1-3 days after. Body weight was measured upon arrival and pre-competition. Blood was sampled for chemistry and h...
Lepage OM, Doumbia A, Perron-Lepage MF, Gangl M.Maggot debridement therapy is a long-established tool to promote wound healing. Objective: To describe and assess the results of this technique in equids with various lesions. Methods: Retrospective analysis performed on cases in which, depending on clinical case, type, size and location of the wound, maggots were applied either in direct or indirect contact with the wound. Results: Treated cases (n = 41) included horses with foot pathology (n = 9), laceration of the limbs (n = 15), other soft tissue abscesses or wounds (n = 6), fistulous withers (n = 5), other musculoskeletal infection (n = 2...
Perez-Jimenez EE, Biedrzycki AH, Morton AJ, McCarrel TM.To determine the influence of a custom 3D-printed guide for placement of cortical bone screws in the equine navicular bone. Methods: Ex vivo study. Methods: Eight pairs of normal adult equine forelimbs. Methods: A 3.5 × 55 mm cortical screw was placed in the longitudinal axis of each intact navicular bone. Screws were placed with a 3D-printed guide (3D) in one bone and with a traditional aiming device (AD) in the contralateral bone within each pair. Duration of surgery and the number of fluoroscopy images were compared between techniques. Screw placement was subjectively evaluated by gros...
Carrieri ML, Peixoto ZM, Paciencia ML, Kotait I, Germano PM.Laboratory diagnosis is essential to confirm suspected cases of equine rabies and to determine the medical care needed for human postexposure antirabies prophylaxis. Equine rabies transmitted by the vampire bat, Desmodus rotundus, has increased gradually in the State of São Paulo. The present study has several objectives, the most important being the evaluation of fluorescent antibody test (FAT) and virus-isolation laboratory tests performed with different equine nervous system tissues (cortical, hippocampus, cerebellar, brainstem and cervical medullar) to determine the tissue for which the t...
Kümmerle JM, Kummer MR.To describe the arthroscopically accessible anatomy of the tarsal collateral ligaments in the horse. Methods: Descriptive study. Methods: Cadaveric equine hind limbs (n = 24) obtained from horses without tarsal disease. Methods: Two pairs of tarsal joints were used to obtain silicone models of the tarsocrural joint and dissect the tarsal collateral ligaments (CLs). Ten pairs of tarsocrural joints had arthroscopic exploration and the accessible parts of the tarsal CLs were marked with an arthroscopic hook knife. Subsequently, the limbs were dissected and the marked positions were allocated to t...
Aarnes TK, Lerche P, Bednarski RM, Hubbell JAE.This study evaluated use of midazolam, ketamine, and xylazine (MKX) for total intravenous (IV) anesthesia (TIVA) in horses. Medical records of 46 horses undergoing a clinical procedure using MKX for TIVA were reviewed. Age, breed, procedure, heart rate (HR), respiratory rate (RR), pre-anesthetic drugs, induction drugs, and total volume of MKX were recorded. Duration of anesthesia, time to standing, number of attempts to stand, and recovery score were also recorded. All horses were premedicated with an alpha-2 adrenoceptor agonist and anesthesia was induced with ketamine and midazolam. Duration...
Radtke A, Fortier LA, Regan S, Kraus S, Delco ML.Equine diagnostic anaesthesia can be a useful tool in challenging lameness examinations. However, anaesthetics diffuse over time leading to nonspecific desensitisation of periarticular structures. Nerves that convey sensation from the distal limb to the central nervous system pass in close proximity to the caudal stifle joint capsule. Therefore, diffusion of intra-articular (IA) anaesthetics could cause inadvertent desensitisation of the distal limb resulting in a false diagnosis of stifle lameness. Objective: To determine if IA stifle anaesthesia can alleviate lameness originating in the dist...
Morel PC, Bokor A, Rogers CW, Firth EC.To mathematically describe the growth of a population of Thoroughbred foals reared on pasture in New Zealand from birth to weaning. Methods: Twice-monthly liveweight data (including birthweight; BW) from 218 foals (98 colts and 120 fillies) born over a 6-year period, and reared on four different pasture types, were available for analysis. Data truncated to the time of weaning (107-217 days old) provided 3,200 data points. After testing for non-linearity of the relationship of age and liveweight (LW), five non-linear regression equations were tested for goodness of fit. Results: Colts and filli...
Davis JL, Stewart T, Brazik E, Gilger BC.The purpose of this study was to determine the influence of age, breed and gender on vertical pupil diameter (VPD) following a single dose of 1% atropine sulfate ophthalmic solution in the normal equine eye. Methods: Thirty-two horses of various ages, breeds and genders were included. The horses had no history or clinical signs of ophthalmic disease. All horses studied had darkly pigmented irides. Methods: Two milligrams of 1% atropine sulfate ophthalmic solution was topically administered as a single dose in the right eye of each horse on Day 0. The VPD (mm) was measured in both eyes using di...
Easley J, Dixon PM, Reardon RJ.There are limited reports on the efficacy of functional orthodontic correction of overjet or overbite in foals. Objective: To report the outcome of using orthodontic tension bands in combination with an inclined plane biteplate in the treatment of overjet, with or without concurrent overbite, rates of correction of these 2 malocclusions and associated complications. And to examine factors associated with outcomes. Methods: Retrospective case series. Methods: Clinical records for 73 foals treated at a single clinic, by the same surgeon were analysed. Overall change and rates of change in overje...
Fraczkowska K, Zak-Bochenek A, Siwinska N, Rypula K, Ploneczka-Janeczko K.From a clinical point of view, knowledge of the commensal microbial flora of the conjunctival sac in healthy individuals proves to be of great importance. The aim of this study was to assess the presence and the composition of normal ocular microflora of healthy donkeys. Fourteen clinically healthy donkeys () participated in the study. After prior ophthalmological examination, which showed no abnormalities, a conjunctival swab was taken from each donkey from the right and left eye. Species-specific identification was based on a morphological assessment of bacterial colonies stained with the Gr...
Hartmann E, Hopkins RJ, von Brömssen C, Dahlborn K.Provision of shelter for horses kept on summer pasture is rarely considered in welfare guidelines, perhaps because the benefits of shelter in warm conditions are poorly documented scientifically. For cattle, shade is a valued resource during summer and can mitigate the adverse effects of warm weather on well-being and performance. We found in a previous study that horses utilized shelters frequently in summer. A shelter with a roof and closed on three sides (shelter A) was preferred and can reduce insect pressure whereas a shelter with roof and open on three sides was not utilized. However, sh...
Divers TJ, Timoney JF, Lewis RM, Smith CA.A 12-year-old thoroughbred gelding died from diffuse global glomerulonephritis, 3 months after a lower respiratory infection from which Streptococcus zooepidemicus was isolated. Immunopathological studies (immunofluorescence, immunodiffusion, immunoperoxidase testing and immunoblotting) indicated the presence of an immune reactant renal disease associated with IgG antibody and streptococcal antigens.
Corrente M, D'Abramo M, Latronico F, Greco MF, Bellacicco AL, Greco G, Martella V, Buonavoglia D.A methicillin-resistant (MR) Staphylococcus epidermidis strain was isolated from a saddle horse affected by osteolysis. MR coagulase-negative staphylococci (MRCNS) were isolated from 11 of 14 (78.8%) horses housed in the same riding club. By typing of the SCCmec region, almost the strains displayed a non typeable (NT) pattern and possessed the ccr type 2. Altogether, the high prevalence of MRCNS and the detection of NT SCCmec types support the hypothesis that horses may represent a reservoir of MRCNS for humans and that equine MRCNS may act as potential source of resistance genes for other sta...
Romero AE, Rodgerson DH.Diaphragmatic rent and visceral herniation in the horse is seldom diagnosed, but historically carries a poor prognosis. The objective of this study was to document the presentation and surgical management of all diaphragmatic rents as presented to 2 referral institutions over a 5-year period. A review of 31 cases demonstrated that even with advances in surgical management of abdominal and thoracic conditions, little has been done to change the prognosis for this condition. Success rate was 23% for all horses presented for colic and were ultimately diagnosed with a diaphragmatic hernia, and 46%...
Moore LA, Johnson PJ, Messer NT, Kline KL, Crump LM, Knibb JR.Unlike the incidence of equine protozoal myeloencephalitis (EPM), which appears to be increasing, headshaking is an uncommon problem for horses in Missouri and the adjacent states. Equine protozoal myeloencephalitis was incriminated in three horses examined for the treatment of headshaking on the basis of a neurological examination, an analysis of cerebrospinal fluid and their response to treatment. The headshaking and stereotypical behaviour associated with EPM was successfully treated with potentiated sulphonamides and pyrimethamine.
Jones PJ, Field WE.The Amish and other Old Order Anabaptists have been inseparably linked with agriculture since coming to America. However few efforts have been identified which analyze the issues involved with Old Order Anabaptist farm injuries or present best practices for addressing these problems. As part of an effort to develop culturally appropriate and effective injury prevention strategies for use within the Old Order Anabaptist community, this article identifies important cultural issues that should be considered in understanding and attempting to reduce farm injures in this population, summarizes stat...
Stowe HD.Serum and milk samples from mares and serum samples from their foals were taken at parturition and on d 1, 2, 4, 7, 14 and 21 postpartum. The samples were assayed for retinyl (r.) palmitate, r. acetate and retinol by high performance liquid chromatography. Peak vitamin A activity in milk occurred 1 d postpartum and preceded by 3 d the maximum vitamin A activity in foal serum and the lowest vitamin A activity in the mare serum. Mare serum contained approximately a 65:35 ratio of retinol:r. palmitate and less than 1% r. acetate. Retinyl palmitate was the predominant form of vitamin A in milk unt...
Rendle DI, Heller J, Hughes KJ, Innocent GT, Durham AE.Time delays between collection of blood samples and biochemical analysis of equine blood are unavoidably common in equine practice. The effect that delays may have on the accuracy of results of blood biochemical analyses is not well established. Objective: Delays in processing of blood of up to 72 h results in alterations in measured levels of common biochemical analytes that are of potential clinical relevance. Separation of serum prior to storage is protective against the effects of time delays. Methods: Samples of clotted blood, separated serum and oxalate fluoride plasma from 20 horses wer...
Lester G, Clark C, Rice B, Steible-Hartless C, Vetro-Widenhouse T.To examine effect of pre-exercise administration of furosemide (FUR) on mean pulmonary arterial pressure (PAP) during work and RBC concentration in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) collected 40 minutes after exercise. Methods: 10 adult Thoroughbreds. Methods: A modified 10 X 10 crossover design comprising 10 horses during 10 weeks was used. Each horse received each of 5 treatments twice. Treatment structure included a control plus a 2 X 2 factorial and consisted of the following: A, control; B, FUR, 250 mg, IV, 30 minutes before exercise; C, FUR, 250 mg, IV, 240 minutes before exercise; D, ...
Górski K, Stefanik E, Turek B, Bereznowski A, Czopowicz M, Polkowska I, Domino M.Dental disorders, a term encompassing both malocclusion and dental disease, constitute a serious health problem in horses worldwide. As horse populations differ among countries and regions, a geographically specific characterization of the occurrence of various dental disorders may be helpful for local equine practitioners. This study investigated the prevalence and frequency distribution of selected malocclusions and dental diseases in horses housed in the Mazovia region of Poland, with attention paid to variations among age, gender, and breed categories. Routine dental examinations were cond...
