Omneity® Pellets
All-In-One Vitamin & Mineral Pellet
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.
Diagnosis and treatment of equine placentitis. Equine placentitis is a complex disease that has devastating consequences for horse owners. Placentitis is a significant cause of foal loss annually. Prompt diagnosis and treatment of the disease are paramount for survival of the affected neonate. This article discusses current information on pathogenesis of the disease as well as diagnostic and therapeutic options.
Equine cloning. Equine cloning is now in use as a clinical technique. It is available commercially, and its efficiency seems to be increasing. The foals produced by cloning may differ in some phenotypic and behavioral traits from the original animal but should produce offspring that reflect those that the original donor animal would have produced. This is especially true in the case of male animals, where the mitochondrial DNA is not passed to the progeny. Results of pregnancies due in 2006 should add significantly to our understanding of the factors affecting production of viable cloned foals and of the simi...
Laparoscopic cryptorchidectomy and ovariectomy in horses. Laparoscopic surgery has become commonplace in the field of equine urogenital surgery. As with most surgical procedures, the limiting factors in developing new surgical techniques are limited to the patient size and demeanor, the skills of the surgeon, and the available equipment. Some of the greatest benefits of laparoscopic surgery in the horse include better visualization of the important structures; tension-free amputation of the testes or ovaries,which generally leads to less postoperative pain; and the ability to evaluate the transected stump carefully to make sure there is no hemorrhage...
Advanced insemination techniques in mares. Advanced artificial insemination techniques, such as deep uterine,hysteroscopic, oviductal, and intrafollicular insemination, are described in the context of the different types of spermatozoa that are now available for insemination, including fresh, chilled, frozen,sex-sorted, and epididymal spermatozoa. The implementation of these new technologies answers and poses questions about the interactions of sperm and oocytes in vivo.
Injuries in amateur horse racing (point to point racing) in Great Britain and Ireland during 1993-2006. To provide a breakdown of injury incidence from amateur jump racing (also known as point to point racing) in Great Britain and Ireland during 1993-2006 and to compare the injury epidemiology with professional horse racing in Great Britain, Ireland and France. Methods: Retrospective review. Methods: Great Britain and Ireland. Methods: Amateur jockeys. Methods: Injury rates. Results: Injury data suggest that point to point racing is more dangerous from an injury point of view than professional jump racing, which has previously been shown to be more dangerous than flat racing. Amateur jockeys hav...
Granulosa cell tumors of the equine ovary. The granulosa cell tumor is the most common ovarian tumor in mares. A clinical diagnosis can be made based on the presence ofa unilaterally enlarged ovary and a small inactive contralateral ovary. Endocrine testing may be beneficial to confirm a diagnosis. Surgical removal of the tumor eliminates the adverse effect on pituitary function and results in resumption of follicular development and ovulation in the opposite ovary over time.
Breeding-induced endometritis in mares. Endometritis is a common cause of infertility in broodmares. In the past, the condition was believed to be exclusively the result of bacterial contamination of the uterus. Treatment strategies were focused on preventing bacteria from entering the uterus and on treating mares with signs of endometritis with antibiotics. More recent research on uterine defense mechanisms has increased our understanding of the pathophysiology of equine endometritis. Additional causative agents have been identified, and we have learned to separate uterine infections and a physiologic breeding-induced endometritis ...
Laparoscopic cryptorchidectomy and ovariectomy in horses. Laparoscopic surgery has become commonplace in the field of equine urogenital surgery. As with most surgical procedures, the limiting factors in developing new surgical techniques are limited to the patient size and demeanor, the skills of the surgeon, and the available equipment. Some of the greatest benefits of laparoscopic surgery in the horse include better visualization of the important structures; tension-free amputation of the testes or ovaries,which generally leads to less postoperative pain; and the ability to evaluate the transected stump carefully to make sure there is no hemorrhage...
Collection, evaluation, and use of oocytes in equine assisted reproduction. Assisted reproductive techniques have been developed to obtain pregnancies from subfertile mares and stallions and to salvage gametes after death. In recent years, these procedures have been used for clinical cases with repeated success. Although new developments occur, the basis for the success and future development of assisted reproductive techniques is our ability to collect and handle the equine oocyte successfully. This article focuses on important clinical aspects of oocyte collection and evaluation and briefly discusses the clinical use of assisted reproductive procedures in the horse....
Hormone profiles and treatments in the late pregnant mare. Evaluation of hormone profiles in late pregnancy is one of the major determinants of fetoplacental compromise in equine clinical practice. Use of hormone therapies is subjective and reflects, to a large extent, our lack of understanding about the endocrine relations between the mare, placenta, and fetus. This article describes the normal endocrine events in late gestation, the abnormal hormone patterns associated with fetoplacental dysfunction, and the hormone interventions that are currently used or could be used to improve pregnancy outcome.
Collection and freezing of epididymal stallion sperm. The ability to harvest and preserve epididymal sperm from a stallion after simple elective castration, a catastrophic injury, or severe acute illness and subsequent death has been realized, allowing for the preservation of genetics that would have been lost otherwise.Currently, the care taken to collect the testes and epididymides properly, coupled with proper packaging and shipping, could make the greatest contribution to salvaging viable sperm. As advances in assisted reproductive techniques continue, more offspring may be obtained from stored epididymal sperm from valuable stallions.
Diagnosis of the compromised equine pregnancy. Identification of a compromised pregnancy in the mare requires the exhaustive collection of a database that includes past and recent reproductive and medical histories and a variety of parameters indicating fetal distress and possibly suggesting neonatal compromise.Judicious interpretation of findings and serial recording of data throughout gestation may help in the early detection of abnormal fetomaternal exchange pathways. Some sources of compromise may be identified, and the impact on fetomaternal well-being maybe calculated. Appropriate preventive or corrective measures may then be impleme...
Factors influencing pre-race serum concentration of total carbon dioxide in Thoroughbred horses racing in California. Many racing jurisdictions monitor pre-race serum concentration of total carbon dioxide (TCO2) among racing horses. To our knowledge, factors influencing concentration of TCO2 among horses participating in racing have not been systematically evaluated and reported. Objective: To determine if characteristics of horses and racing conditions routinely recorded were significantly associated with pre-race concentration of TCO2, while accounting for and estimating effects of trainer and horse. Methods: Pre-race serum TCO2 concentrations from 5028 starts made by 2,349 horses trained by 287 trainers at...
Effects of a Streptococcus equi infection–mediated nutritional insult during mid-gestation in primiparous Thoroughbred fillies. Part 1: placental and fetal development. 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-...
An outbreak of equine influenza virus in vaccinated horses in Italy is due to an H3N8 strain closely related to recent North American representatives of the Florida sub-lineage. In December 2005, equine influenza virus infection was confirmed as the cause of clinical respiratory disease in vaccinated horses in Apulia, Italy. The infected horses had been vaccinated with a vaccine that contained strains representatives from both the European (A/eq/Suffolk/89) and American (A/eq/Newmarket/1/93) H3N8 influenza virus lineages, and the H7N7 strain A/eq/Praga/56. Genetic characterization of the hemagglutinin (HA) and neuraminidase (NA) genes of the virus from the outbreak, indicated that the isolate (A/eq/Bari/2005) was an H3N8 strain closely related to recent representative...
Confirmed Datura poisoning in a horse most probably due to D. ferox in contaminated tef hay. Two out of a group of 23 mares exposed to tef hay contaminated with Datura ferox (and possibly D. stramonium) developed colic. The 1st animal was unresponsive to conservative treatment, underwent surgery for severe intestinal atony and had to be euthanased. The 2nd was less seriously affected, responded well to analgesics and made an uneventful recovery. This horse exhibited marked mydriasis on the first 2 days of being poisoned and showed protracted, milder mydriasis for a further 7 days. Scopolamine was chemically confirmed in urine from this horse for 3 days following the colic attack, whil...
Systemic blastomycosis in a horse. Progressive multisystemic disease caused by Blastomyces dermatitidis was diagnosed in a 17-year-old Quarter horse broodmare. The mare had been treated unsuccessfully with antibiotics for mastitis 3 months postpartum. The disease progressed to exudative cutaneous lesions affecting the ventrum, pectoral region, and limbs accompanied by weight loss across several months. Yeast bodies were observed in swabs of the cutaneous exudate, suggesting a clinical diagnosis of blastomycosis. Following referral, pleural effusion, cavitated lung lesions, and hyperproteinemia were identified, and the mare was ...
Measuring the heat loss in horses in different seasons by infrared thermography. It is necessary to consider breed and cold tolerance in the housing and caring of horses. This study demonstrates differences in heat loss between horse types at low temperatures and examines rate of loss in different types during different seasons. Eighteen horses participated. Groups by type were light (L), warmblood (W), coldblood (C), and pony (P). A camera filmed thermographic images at 15 degrees C, 2 degrees C (all types), -8 degrees C (L, W, C), and -12 degrees C (P). The study calculated loss from the neck, trunk, and inner surfaces of front and hind legs. Loss was similar in all type...
Determination of the anaerobic threshold and maximal lactate steady state speed in equines using the lactate minimum speed protocol. Maximal blood lactate steady state concentration (MLSS) and anaerobic threshold (AT) have been shown to accurately predict long distance events performance and training loads, as well, in human athletes. Horse endurance races can take up to 160 km and, in practice, coaches use the 4 mM blood lactate concentration, a human based fixed concentration to establish AT, to predict training loads to horse athletes, what can lead to misleading training loads. The lactate minimum speed (LMS) protocol that consists in an initial elevation in blood lactate level by a high intensity bout of exercise and t...
Predisposing factors for small colon impaction in horses and outcome of medical and surgical treatment: 44 cases (1999-2004). To identify factors associated with development of small colon impaction in horses and with selection of medical versus surgical treatment and to determine the prognosis for affected horses following medical or surgical management. Methods: Retrospective case series. Methods: 44 horses with primary impaction of the small colon. Methods: Medical records were reviewed for signalment, history, clinical findings, treatment (medical vs surgical), hospitalization time, and outcome. For comparison purposes, the same information was collected for 83 horses with primary impaction of the large colon. Re...
Use of cisplatin-containing biodegradable beads for treatment of cutaneous neoplasia in equidae: 59 cases (2000-2004). To determine outcome for equids with cutaneous neoplasms treated with cisplatin-containing biodegradable beads, alone or in conjunction with debulking. Methods: Retrospective case series. Methods: 56 horses, 1 zebra, 1 donkey, and 1 mule. Methods: Medical records were reviewed. Follow-up information was obtained through telephone conversations with owners and trainers of the animals. Results: 22 tumors were sarcoids, 6 were fibrosarcomas, 1 was a fibroma, 2 were peripheral nerve sheath tumors, 11 were squamous cell carcinomas, 14 were melanomas (13 gray horses and 1 bay horse), 1 was a lymphos...
Prevalence of osteochondrosis in the limb joints of South German Coldblood horses. This study aimed to quantify the factors associated with the prevalence of the radiological signs of osteochondrosis (OC) and osteochondrosis dissecans (OCD) in South German Coldblood (SGC) horses. The prevalence of OC and OCD in fetlock and hock joints was analysed in 167 young coldblood horses with a mean age of 14 months. The presence of at least one osteochondrotic lesion (OC) in fetlock or hock joints was documented for 61.7% of the horses and 26.9% of the horses had osseus fragments. Osteochondrotic findings at the dorsal aspect of the sagittal ridge of the third metacarpal/metatarsal bo...
Cases of reduced cyathostomin egg-reappearance period and failure of Parascaris equorum egg count reduction following ivermectin treatment as well as survey on pyrantel efficacy on German horse farms. In 2003 and 2004, on a total of 63 different German horse farms, a survey using the faecal egg count reduction (FECR) test was performed to investigate the efficacy of ivermectin (IVM, Ivomec) and pyrantel (PYR, Banminth) treatment against gastro-intestinal nematodes in a total of 767 horses. IVM treatment resulted in 100% reduction of the cyathostomin egg production 14 and 21 days post-treatment (d.p.t.) on 37 farms. On the remaining five farms, the mean faecal egg count reduction ranged between 97.7 and 99.9%. The mean cyathostomin FECR following PYR treatment ranged between 92.2 and 100% on...
Platelet rich plasma (PRP) enhances anabolic gene expression patterns in flexor digitorum superficialis tendons. Platelet rich plasma (PRP) has recently been investigated for use in tissue regeneration studies that seek to utilize the numerous growth factors released from platelet alpha-granules. This study examined gene expression patterns, DNA, and collagen content of equine flexor digitorum superficialis tendon (SDFT) explants cultured in media consisting of PRP and other blood products. Blood and bone marrow aspirate (BMA) were collected from horses and processed to obtain plasma, PRP, and platelet poor plasma (PPP). IGF-I, TGF-beta1, and PDGF-BB were quantified in all blood products using ELISA. Ten...
Effects of exercise and oral antioxidant supplementation enriched in (n-3) fatty acids on blood oxidant markers and erythrocyte membrane fluidity in horses. The aim of this study was to investigate in a placebo-controlled field study the effect of a (n-3)-vitamin supplementation on erythrocyte membrane fluidity (EMF), oxidant/antioxidant markers and plasmatic omega3/omega6 fatty acid ratio (FAR) in 12 eventing horses. Venous blood was sampled at rest before (PRE) and after (POST) a three week treatment period with either the supplement (group S, n=6) or a placebo (group P, n=6) as well as after 15min (POST E15') and 24h (POST E24h) after a standardised exercise test. The following markers were analysed: EMF, plasma antioxidant capacity of water an...
