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.
Steinbach TJ, Reischauer A, Kunkemöller I, Mense MG.A neonatal foal was presented with a 6.5-cm pedunculated mass arising from the upper deciduous incisors. The distal end was soft and covered by haired skin, whereas the proximal end was firm, covered with mucosal epithelium, and at the point of transection contained a fully developed tooth. Microscopically, the mass was covered by epidermis and mucosal epithelium and the remaining portion of the mass consisted of mature collagen, nonneoplastic fat and smooth muscle, and a single tooth within a bony socket. The mass is consistent with an oral choristoma and has features similar to those describ...
Lindsey AC, Varner DD, Seidel GE, Bruemmer JE, Squires EL.Practical application of sex-selected spermatozoa in the horse industry would be greatly improved by the ability to develop simplified methods for shipping, storing, and inseminating sex-selected spermatozoa. Acceptable pregnancy rates have been achieved using fresh sex-sorted stallion sperm, however many stallion owners are reluctant to send their stallions to the sorter location for collection during the breeding season. Furthermore, the technology would be more applicable if the hysteroscopic insemination technique was not necessary for adequate pregnancy rates. Hysteroscopic insemination r...
Bosch G, van Schie MJ, Back W.A keratoma is a rather uncommon disorder of the equine hoof that can lead to lameness. Few quantitative data exist about the prognosis of different treatment regimens. The outcome of 41 cases that were presented to the Department of Equine Sciences in the period 1995-2001 and that were treated according to different regimens was retrospectively evaluated. All horses showed lameness that could be attributed to the keratoma: 23 (56%) were treated surgically using a standardized procedure, while the other 18 (44%) were treated conservatively. Results were based upon 35 horses; 6 were lost to foll...
Dunkel B, Shokek AB, Wilkins PA.A neonatal foal with signs of rectal bleeding was diagnosed with an intraluminal rectal mass and intussusception on surgical exploration of the abdomen. Histologically, the mass consisted of cystic spaces lined by simple columnar epithelium with numerous goblet cells and was surrounded by thin bands of smooth muscle in a myxomatous stroma. Although the mass shared similarities with retrorectal cystic hamartoma (tailgut cyst) and juvenile polyps, described in human medicine, location and histologic findings were not entirely consistent with either condition.
Kania SA, Reinemeyer CR.Anoplocephala perfoliata has a prevalence as high as 60% in some geographical areas and has been associated with increased risk for serious conditions in the horse including bowel irritation, ileal impaction, and spasmodic colic. Identification of infected animals based upon detection of eggs in feces is labor intensive and unreliable. This study involved the development of a test for A.perfoliata coproantigen using an antigen capture enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and correctly distinguished between infected and uninfected animals in a trial with a small sample size.
Masterson MA, Welker B, Midla LT, Meiring RW, Hoblet KH.While many other veterinary schools have moved away from a traditional university-based ambulatory practice, the Ohio State University's Large Animal Practice has continued to provide a cost-effective and valuable method of preparing students for today's careers in veterinary medicine. The practice provides a full array of services to production, equine, and camelid clients, including herd health, individual animal medicine and surgery, and emergency services. Acquiring established practices from alumni has formed the client base. Four full-time veterinarians operate the clinic. While these sa...
Archer DC, Clegg PD, Edwards GB.A 21-year-old Arab gelding with clinical signs of acute peritonitis had a perforating ulcer on the mesenteric border of the jejunum which resulted in localised contamination of the abdomen with ingesta. The affected segment of jejunum was resected and the abdomen was lavaged extensively. Postoperatively, the gelding was treated with broad-spectrum antibiotics, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and intravenous fluids, but after four days it became acutely non-weight bearing on its right hindlimb, and a tendonitis of the lateral digital flexor tendon within the tarsal sheath was identified u...
Ihler CF, Venger JL, Skjerve E.The present prospective study included 106 horses referred to the Department of Large Animal Sciences, The Norwegian School of Veterinary Science, as non-responders to the initial colic treatment in general practise. In 14 of these cases a required surgical treatment was not performed due to economical or other reasons and were excluded from the study. Clinical and laboratory data were obtained at the arrival in the hospital. The outcome for all analyses was survival/ non-survival. A multivariable logistic regression was performed. The analyses were used in medically (46 horses) and surgically...
Ousey JC, Houghton E, Grainger L, Rossdale PD, Fowden AL.Progesterone (P4), pregnenolone (P5) and their metabolites are present in maternal plasma in pregnant mares. It is believed that one of these progestagens may maintain myometrial quiescence. The aims of this study were to identify specific progestagens in pregnant mares' plasma and determine whether these differed between mares with healthy or compromised pregnancies. Jugular blood samples were collected between 243 and 351 days gestation from 19 healthy Thoroughbred mares and 14 mares with placental pathology, including placentitis, and other clinical problems (uterine torsion/rupture, colic,...
Jin S, Issel CJ, Montelaro RC.We recently reported a highly protective attenuated live virus vaccine for equine infectious anemia virus (EIAV) based on a proviral construct (EIAVUKDeltaS2) with a genetically engineered mutation in the viral S2 gene that eliminates expression of this accessory protein. While the EIAVUKDeltaS2 vaccine provides protection from detectable infection by experimental challenge with highly virulent virus, the potential for commercial application of this vaccine is complicated by the fact that horses inoculated with the EIAVUKDeltaS2 vaccine strain become seropositive in various reference diagnosti...
Sebastian MM, Giles RC.Fibrocartilaginous embolic myelopathy was diagnosed in a 11-year-old, male, Tennessee Walking Horse by histopathological examination of the spinal cord after the horse was killed because of severe neurological dysfunction. Both ventral funiculi of C6 and C7 cervical spinal cord had extensive necrosis with blood vessels containing fibrocartilaginous emboli. A similar fibrocartilaginous embolus was observed in a single large spinal artery adjoining the vertebral leptomeninges.
Hegewald AA, Ringe J, Bartel J, Krüger I, Notter M, Barnewitz D, Kaps C, Sittinger M.Mesenchymal stem cells (MSC) have the potential to differentiate into distinct mesenchymal tissues including cartilage, which suggest these cells as an attractive cell source for cartilage tissue engineering approaches. Our objective was to study the effects of TGF-beta1, hyaluronic acid and synovial fluid on chondrogenic differentiation of equine MSC. For that, bone marrow was aspirated from the tibia of one 18-month-old horse (Haflinger) and MSC were isolated using percoll-density centrifugation. To promote chondrogenesis, MSC were centrifuged to form a micromass and were cultured in a mediu...
Rohner Mächler M, Glaus TM, Reusch CE.In a Bearded Collie with acute weakness, hematemesis, melena, painful abdomen and pale mucous membranes a hematocrit of 13% and panhypoproteinemia were found. This combination of findings was the manifestation of severe gastrointestinal bleeding. Despite intensive laboratory and imaging investigations no systemic or local cause could be identified. After repeated client interrogation it was found that the dog had been receiving a food supplement for equines. It was further detected that this supplement besides a shell extract also contained willow (Salicaceae) and meadowsweet (Filipendula, Spi...
Bender JB, Tsukayama DT.Infectious agents are insidious, often changing to adapt to host defenses or treatment advances. Because these challenges will continue, the need to apply standard and transmission-based precautions is important not only in the human hospital setting but in the veterinary clinic setting. In addition, to prevent human infection and potential liability, clinics need to establish program algorithms to prevent disease spread for specific agents or planned procedures to respond to potential nosocomial and zoonotic disease events. These need to be done proactively. Furthermore, more money needs to b...
Traub-Dargatz JL, Dargatz DA, Morley PS, Dunowska M.Infection control entails preventing or minimizing exposure to infectious agents or optimizing resistance to infection at the individual and population levels should exposure occur. The degree to which each of these strategies is applied varies according to the attributes of the disease agent and the population at risk. In developing an infection control, biosecurity, or biocontainment plan, it is important to decide which agent or agents are to be controlled, the method by which they might be introduced to the individual or population, and methods by which they might spread once at a farm or ...
Dwyer RM.Cleaning and disinfection are essential to the environmental control of infectious diseases of all animals. By understanding the types of pathogens, environment, and disinfection process, success can be attained in effectively stopping disease outbreaks.
Morley PS.Surveillance for nosocomial infection and disease is a critical component in an integrated and highly effective infection control program. Surveillance activities provide a sensory role to guide ongoing control practices so that they are focused and efficient. Without input from surveillance results, infection control practices are likely to be guided more by emotion and opinion than by data and evidence. This article discusses issues to be considered when developing effective nosocomial infection surveillance programs as well as the historical perspective of surveillance efforts for nosocomia...
Reed SM, Toribio RE.Equine herpesvirus infections in horses remain a significant cause of abortion and neurologic disease. These viruses are also responsible for mild signs of respiratory disease. The ability to establish latent infections with periodic reactivation or transmission to other horses is an important feature of these herpesviruses. One of the most unique aspects of this report is the description of horses demonstrating neurologic signs serving as the source of infection for other horses. Accurate diagnosis and better means of protection for horses remain problems facing veterinarians and horse owners...
Weese JS.Fortunately, MRSA infection and colonization are currently uncommon in veterinary medicine. Nevertheless, the increasing reports of the occurrence of MRSA infection in horses, veterinarians, and equine personnel dictate that serious consideration be given to the control of this pathogen in veterinary hospitals as well as in the equine community. It is unclear whether extrapolation from human hospitals and people in the community is appropriate; however, given the rapid increase in nosocomial MRSA in human hospitals and the recent shift of certain clones of MRSA into the community, it would be ...
Smith BP.The science of control of infectious diseases in hospitals was born in 1847 when Semmelweis, a physician, ordered his medical students to scrub their hands in chlorinated lime water between patients and demonstrated that this simple procedure resulted ina dramatic decline in patient morbidity and mortality. In the late nineteenth century came huge breakthroughs in the understanding that microorganisms cause many disorders, and methods to eliminate and control these microorganisms were attempted. By 1910, sterile instruments, gowns, masks, and gloves had become standard for surgical procedures ...
Båverud V.C difficile has emerged as an important cause of diarrheic disease in horses. C difficile diarrhea is usually diagnosed in mature horses, mostly when they are treated with antimicrobials and hospitalized. It is important for clinicians at veterinary hospitals to have knowledge about the organism and the infection. To prevent C difficile diarrhea, judicious use of antimicrobials is important, as is minimizing different stress factors at the animal hospital or clinic. Infected horses must be isolated. Routine examination for C difficile and toxin A or B is recommended in horses with antibiotic-a...
Weese JS.Because nosocomial and zoonotic diseases are inherent and ever-present risks in veterinary hospitals, proactive policies should be in place to reduce the risk of sporadic cases and outbreaks. Policies should ideally be put in place before disease issues arise, and policies should be effectively conveyed to all relevant personnel. Written policies are required for practical and liability reasons and should be reviewed regularly. Although no infection control program can eliminate disease concerns, proper implementation of barrier precautions and isolation can reduce the exposure of hospitalized...
Dargatz DA, Traub-Dargatz JL.Nosocomial infections are a serious threat to optimum patient care. In addition, nosocomial infections can have far-reaching consequences for the hospital personnel and the financial aspects of the hospital. Nosocomial infections with Salmonella spp have been described among hospitalized equine populations more frequently than any other agent. Salmonella spp associated with hospitalized equids often possess more antimicrobial resistance determinants than do Salmonella spp isolated from healthy horses in the general population. There is little evidence to suggest that resistant salmonellae are ...
Schuler LA, Khaitsa ML, Dyer NW, Stoltenow CL.To characterize an outbreak of West Nile virus (WNV) infection in horses in North Dakota in 2002, evaluate vaccine effectiveness, and determine horse characteristics and clinical signs associated with infection. Methods: Retrospective study. Methods: 569 horses. Methods: Data were obtained from veterinary laboratory records, and a questionnaire was mailed to veterinarians of affected horses. Results: Affected horses were defined as horses with typical clinical signs and seroconversion or positive results of virus isolation; affected horses were detected in 52 of the 53 counties and concentrate...
Bucki EP, Giguère S, Macpherson M, Davis R.The objectives of this study were to investigate the pharmacokinetics of once-daily amikacin in healthy neonates, to determine amikacin concentrations in hospitalized foals, and to determine the minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) of amikacin against gram-negative isolates from blood cultures in septic foals. Median half-life, clearance, and volume of distribution of amikacin in healthy 2- to 3-day-old foals after administration of an intravenous bolus of amikacin (25 mg/kg) were 5.07 hours (4.86-5.45 hours), 1.82 mL/min/kg (1.35-1.97 mL/min/kg), and 0.785 L/kg (0.638-0.862 L/kg), respect...
Arroyo LG, Weese JS, Staempfli HR.Despite empirical clinical association of infection with Clostridium difficile with colitis in horses, a causal link has not been confirmed. The objective of this study was to develop a model of C. difficile-associated diarrhea in foals with normal transfer of passive immunity. Nine 1-day-old pony foals were inoculated intragastrically with spores or vegetative cells of C. difficile. Five foals were challenged with spores, with 2 receiving 10(5) colony-forming units (CFUs) and concurrently 3 receiving 10(7) CFUs once daily for 3 days. Clindamycin was administered orally to disrupt gastrointest...
Boyle AG, Higgins JC, Durando MM, Galuppo LD, Werner JA, Decock HE.A 22-year-old female Welsh-cross pony was evaluated because of intermittent colic, signs of depression, pyrexia, anorexia, muscle wasting with abdominal distention, and weight gain over the preceding 12 months. A large abdominal mass was detected and surgically removed; the hemodynamic alterations and complications caused by the dramatic fluid losses and shifts that can occur in association with removal of a large abdominal mass required extensive postoperative management. Monitoring of clinical and hematologic variables such as attitude, heart rate, mucous membrane color, mean arterial blood ...
McCowan C, Stanley RG.Abstract A heavily pigmented tumor was removed from the lateral, perilimbal, bulbar conjunctiva of a bay Thoroughbred horse. Excision was incomplete and the base of the tumor was lasered on the assumption that the tumor was a melanoma. No other ophthalmic lesions were seen. Histology showed the mass to be a pigmented squamous cell carcinoma (SCC). The prognosis and recommended treatment protocols are different for SCC and melanoma. This is, to the best of our knowledge, the first report of an ocular, pigmented SCC in the veterinary literature.
Johnson L, Amann RP, Pickett BW.Spermatozoa from four regions of the epididymis and from ejaculated semen were evaluated for their resistance to cold shock, progressive motility, and structural stability. Spermatozoa were incubated at 38 C and their percentage of eosinophilia was compared with that of spermatozoa cooled to 0 C in 2 minutes, 10 C in 12 minutes, or 4 C in 22 minutes. Spermatozoa motility was estimated visually under phase-contrast microscopy and was recorded by cinematography. Structural stability of spermatozoa incubated in 0.05 M sodium borate buffer, 0.035 M sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS), 0.002 M dithiothrei...
Westerman TL, Poulsen KP, Schlipf JW, Valentine BA.A 14-year-old Morgan gelding was presented for progressive weakness and muscle atrophy. The horse was initially diagnosed with equine protozoal myelitis based on history, physical examination, and laboratory diagnostics. Despite therapy, the horse declined clinically and was euthanized. Necropsy revealed a rare form of neurotropic lymphoma, described in this report. Lymphome de cellules-B riches en cellules-T neurotropes chez un hongre Morgan âgé de 14 ans. Un hongre Morgan âgé de 14 ans a été présenté pour une faiblesse progressive et une atrophie musculaire. On a d’abord diagnostiq...
Acland HM, Allen PZ, Kenney RM.After contagious equine metritis bacteria were inoculated into the uterus of mares, genital tract tissues were examined for presence of the organism by bacteriologic cultural technique and an indirect immunofluorescent staining technique. Up to 14 days after mares were inoculated, the organism was frequently in the lumen of the uterus and in the cervix and, less frequently, in the vagina, vestibule, clitoral fossa, clitoral sinus, and uterine tubes. After 21 to 116 days, the organism was occasionally found on the ovarian surface, in the uterine tubes, uterus, cervix, and vagina and more freque...
Rockow M, Griffenhagen G, Landolt G, Hendrickson D, Pezzanite L.In the past decade, there has been a considerable increase in the recognition of antimicrobial resistance in equine practice. The objective of this study was to survey the current clinical use of antimicrobials for a commonly performed surgical procedure (exploratory celiotomy) with the goal of understanding how recent literature and changes in microbial resistance patterns may have impacted antimicrobial selection practices. An electronic survey was distributed to veterinary professionals within the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine (ACVIM) and the American College of Veterinar...
Zavodovskaya R, Stover SM, Murphy BG, Katzman S, Durbin-Johnson B, Britton M, Finno CJ.Osteoporosis has been associated with pulmonary silicosis in California horses exposed to soils rich in cytotoxic silica dioxide crystals, a syndrome termed silicate associated osteoporosis (SAO). The causal mechanism for the development of osteoporosis is unknown. Osteoporotic lesions are primarily located in bone marrow-rich sites such as ribs, scapula and pelvis. Gene transcription patterns within bone marrow and pulmonary lymph nodes of affected horses may offer clues to disease pathobiology. Bone marrow core and tracheobronchial lymph node tissue samples harvested postmortem from affected...
Dean PW, Robertson JT, Jacobs RM.In 7 horses, 4 anastomoses were done in the small intestine in each, using the combinations of synthetic absorbable monofilament and multifilament suture materials with continuous- and interrupted-suture patterns in the serosubmucosal layer of a 2-layer inverting-suture technique. Horses were evaluated 30 days after the operation for adhesion formation, lumen diameter, evidence of chronic obstruction, and suture tract inflammation at the anastomosis. Postoperative obstruction occurred in 5 of the 7 horses, and 6 horses survived. One horse was euthanatized on postoperative day 6 after 48 hours ...
Schnabel LV, Bramlage LR, Mohammed HO, Embertson RM, Ruggles AJ, Hopper SA.Studies on arthroscopic removal of apical proximal sesamoid fracture fragments in Thoroughbred (TB) horses age > or = 2 years have reported a high success rate. However, there are no reports documenting the racing prognosis of TB horses that undergo such surgery as weanlings or yearlings. Objective: To describe the incidence of apical proximal sesamoid fractures in immature TB horses, age < 2 years and determine probability and quality of racing performance after arthroscopic removal of such fractures in 151 TB weanlings and yearlings. Methods: The medical records of TB horses age < 2 years th...
Frye MA, Johnson JS, Traub-Dargatz JL, Savage CJ, Fettman MJ, Gould DH.To determine historical, physical examination, clinicopathologic, and postmortem findings in horses with putative uremic encephalopathy. Design-Retrospective study. Animals-5 horses with renal failure and neurologic disease not attributable to abnormalities in any other organ system. Methods: Medical records from 1978 to 1998 were examined for horses with renal disease and neurologic signs not attributable to primary neurologic, hepatic, or other diseases. Signalment, history, physical examination findings, clinicopathologic data, renal ultrasonographic findings, and postmortem data were revie...
Pressanto MC, Pepe M, Coomer RPC, Pilati N, Beccati F.The purpose of this prospective study was to investigate the prevalence and severity of radiographic abnormalities of the interspinous spaces (ISSs) in the thoracolumbar vertebral column of unbroken yearlings and to compare these findings with a group of older trained Thoroughbred horses without perceived back pain. Yearlings (n = 47) and trained horses (55); 102 total. Each horse underwent a digital radiographic study of the thoracolumbar vertebral column (T7-L3) and each space graded for narrowing of the ISSs, increased opacity, radiolucency, and modeling of the cranial and caudal margins of...
Collins SN, Murray RC, Kneissl S, Stanek C, Hinterhofer C.The finite element (FE) method is the most powerful modelling technique available to explicate the biomechanics of the digit. It has already proved to be of high value in human podiatry. However, accurate models of the complex anatomy of the horse and donkey digit are currently lacking. Objective: To develop FE models of the horse and donkey digit from computed tomography data, including all functionally relevant anatomy, and to perform simulations to replicate prestrain in the flexor tendons and quasistatic weightbearing. Methods: Computed tomography data of the front right digits were obtain...
Jaussaud P, Courtot D, Guyot JL, Paris J.The main metabolite of flunixin, a hydroxylated product, has been identified by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry and 1H NMR spectroscopy in equine urine and plasma. The method also permits the qualitative monitoring of the urinary elimination of the drug and its metabolite. The two products are detected up to 175 and 54 h, respectively, after a single intravenous administration at the dose of 1 mg/kg. Simultaneous detection of the two compounds increases the reliability of anti-doping control analysis.
Liccardi G, Dente B, Senna G, De Martino M, D'Amato L, D'Amato G.It has been well established that occupational exposure to horses increases the risk of allergic sensitization to horse hair, on the contrary very few data have been published in individuals without direct contact with horses. We describe two cases of severe respiratory symptoms triggered by a single direct exposure in two patients with only 4-5 previous short contacts with horses during the entire their life, since they live in urban area of Naples. Cutaneous and serological diagnostic tests showed significant sensitization to horse dander other than some common inhalant allergens. Our report...
Łagowski D, Nowicka B, Nowakiewicz A, Polkowska I, Gnat S.Penile prolapse is a disease manifested by an inability to retract the penis into the preputial sheath. It is reported in a variety of animal species, especially in young and intact males. However, penile prolapse in horses is commonly caused by trauma, sexual activity, pseudohermaphroditism, or neurological deficits, and less often by an infectious background. The present case report aimed to determine the etiological factor of penis infection associated with penile prolapse in a stallion in Poland. Our report indicates that the infectious background of penile prolapse was related to the Burk...
Abutarbush SM.The objective of this observational study is to describe clinical, haematological and serum biochemical findings of horses affected with alfalfa dodder (Cuscuta campestris) toxicity. Twenty horses naturally exposed to alfalfa dodder toxicity were examined and information was collected on history and clinical signs. Physical examination was done on horses in the premises (n=20), and venous blood samples of 12 horses were submitted for haematology and serum biochemical examination for each horse. Abnormal clinical signs started around 36 hours after horses were fed the contaminated alfalfa. Abno...
Olivier A, Steenkamp G, Petrick SW, Gottschalk RD.Repair of parotid duct lacerations in 2 horses is described using intraluminal silastic tubing as a stent. The duct was lacerated traumatically at the facial vessel notch (incisura vasorum facialium) in the 1st horse, and iatrogenically after removal of an intraluminal sialolith after development of infection within the duct in the 2nd horse. In both cases, a silastic tube was passed retrograde into the duct via the salivary papilla, past the wound until the end lay rostroventral to the parotid salivary gland. The severed salivary ducts and the wounds were sutured. The external portion of the ...
Webb HJ, Weston JF, Norman EJ, Cogger N, Bolwell CF, Rogers CW.Training measures, particularly those that examine the interactions between training volume, speed, and recovery, can improve understanding of training practices that contribute to success and avoid adverse horse welfare outcomes in endurance competitions. This study describes the training of Fédération Equestre Internationale (FEI) 100-160 km level horses in New Zealand. A convenience sample of 16 participants and 25 horses were surveyed before commencement of training. Participants then reported daily data for an entire nine-month season of training and competition. Participants began the...
Lassaline-Utter M, Gemensky-Metzler AJ, Scherrer NM, Stoppini R, Latimer CA, MacLaren NE, Myrna KE.To describe the clinical presentation, treatment, and outcome of a corneal dystrophy in Friesian horses and to analyze affected horses' pedigrees to investigate its heritability. Methods: Nine Friesians with bilateral disease were identified. Methods: Retrospective medical record review was used to identify Friesian horses exhibiting bilateral symmetric corneal lesions. Variables identified from medical records included patient sex and age at diagnosis; location, depth and size of corneal lesions; medical and surgical therapy instituted; and visual outcome. A four-generation pedigree for each ...
Ortved KF.Osteochondrosis is common in young, athletic horses. Some lesions respond to conservative therapy. Surgical management is the mainstay of treatment. Arthroscopic debridement is useful in the femoropatellar joint, tarsocrural joint, fetlock joint, and shoulder joint. Debridement is associated with good outcomes, except in the shoulder joint. Osteochondrosis lesions in the elbow may be difficult to access arthroscopically, thereby transosseous debridement. Surgical management of subchondral cystic lesions of the medial femoral condyle consists of debridement, debridement with grafting, transcond...
Aim of this study was to document the normal computed tomographic tenography findings of digital flexor tendon sheath. Six ex vivo normal equine forelimbs were used. An axial approach was used to inject 185 mg/mL of iopamidol in a total volume of 60 mL into the digital flexor tendon sheaths. Single-slice helical scans, with 5 mm thickness, spaced every 3 mm, for a pitch of 0.6, and with bone algorithm reconstruction, were performed before and after injections of contrast medium. To obtain better image quality for multiplanar reconstruction and 3D reformatting, postprocessing retrorecon...
The Journal of physiologyFebruary 9, 2006
Volume 572, Issue Pt 1 155-164 doi: 10.1113/jphysiol.2006.105635
O'Connor SJ, Ousey JC, Gardner DS, Fowden AL, Giussani DA.This study investigated, in vivo, the mechanisms underlying the development of cardiovascular function in the horse fetus, with particular relevance to baroreflex function and hind limb vascular arterial reactivity to constrictor agonists. Under general anaesthesia, vascular catheters were inserted and a Transonic flow probe was implanted around one of the metatarsal arteries of 13 horse fetuses, either at 0.6 of gestation (n= 6) or at 0.9 of gestation (n= 7, term approximately 335 days). At least 5 days after surgery, pressor, vasoconstrictor and cardiac chronotropic responses to exogenous bo...
Tóth F, Schumacher J.Repair of hernias of the abdominal wall of horses is often augmented by inserting a prosthetic mesh. In this review, we describe the various characteristics of prosthetic meshes used for hernia repair and present 2 systems that are used by surgeons in the human medical field to classify techniques of prosthetic mesh herniorrhaphy. Both of these classification systems distinguish between onlay, inlay, sublay, and underlay placements of mesh, based on the location within the abdominal wall in which the prosthetic mesh is inserted. We separate the published techniques of prosthetic mesh herniorrh...
Dodds L, Knight L, Allen K, Murrell J.To investigate the effect of postsurgical pain on the performance of horses in a novel object and auditory startle task. Methods: Prospective clinical study. Methods: Twenty horses undergoing different types of surgery and 16 control horses that did not undergo surgery. Methods: The interaction of 36 horses with novel objects and a response to an auditory stimulus were measured at two time points; the day before surgery (T1) and the day after surgery (T2) for surgical horses (G1), and at a similar time interval for control horses (G2). Pain and sedation were measured using simple descriptive s...
Gandini M, Giusto G.Accurate reporting of postoperative complications is paramount to understanding procedural outcomes, comparing procedures and assuring quality improvement. Standardising definitions of complications in equine surgeries will improve the evidence of their outcomes. To this end, we proposed a classification for postoperative complications and applied it to a cohort of 190 horses undergoing emergency laparotomy. Methods: A classification system for postoperative complications in equine surgery was developed. Medical records of horses that underwent equine emergency laparotomy and recovered from an...
Carpenter EM, Hendrickson DA, James S, Franke C, Frisbie D, Trostle S, Wilson D.To determine a hand-tied ligature knot configuration, suture size, and suture type that would be an acceptable substitute to commercially available ligature knots for use in equine laparoscopic surgery. Methods: Three-factor ANOVA with the fixed effects being suture type, suture size, and knot type. The dependent variable was ligature security (load to failure). Methods: Commercially available Endoloop and 4 hand-tied slipknot ligatures were compared with a 4-layer square knot. The hand tied ligature knots tested were the 4S modified Roeder knot, the Brooks knot, the modified Roeder knot, and ...
Baird AN, Cohen ND, Taylor TS, Watkins JP, Schumacher J.During a 5-year period, renosplenic entrapment of the large colon was diagnosed in 57 horses referred to the Texas Veterinary Medical Center. The signalment of and clinical signs of disease in these horses were compared with such variables in 200 horses referred for other types of colic. Findings did not support a male gender predilection for this disease, as was previously reported. The case survival rate was 93% for this group of horses. Fourteen of the horses were treated nonsurgically by rolling them clockwise while they were under general anesthesia. Data supported the safety and efficacy...
Berhane Y, Elliott J, Bailey SR.Haemodynamic disturbances leading to ischaemia and reperfusion injury of the digit are thought to be involved in the pathophysiology of acute equine laminitis. Identification of physiological regulators of blood flow through the equine digit is important in identifying factors, which may predispose animals to laminitis. A method was developed to assess endothelium-dependent responses of the isolated Krebs-perfused equine digit by co-administration of 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT) with vasodilator agents, carbachol (CCh), bradykinin (BK) and substance P (SP). Bolus co-administration of CCh (0.02-2...
McPherson EA, Lawson GH, Murphy JR, Nicholson JM, Breeze RG, Pirie HM.Breed, age, weight, type of work performed, seasonal onset, poor ventilation and exposure to moulds in the habitat were investigated in relation to the occurrence of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). COPD was most commonly detected in showjumping and hacking horses. The older a horse, the more likely it was to become affected although most were 6 to 10 years of age. Of the horses in this sample of the population, which was not a random one, thoroughbred horses were affected least and ponies most often. The high incidence in ponies was related to their more frequent exposure to poor...
MacNicol JL, Pearson W. organ culture can provide insight into isolated mucosal responses to particular environmental stimuli. The objective of the present study was to investigate the impact of a prolonged culturing time as well as the addition of acidic gastric fluid into the environment of cultured gastric antral tissue to evaluate how altering the commonly used neutral environment impacted tissue. Furthermore, we aimed to investigate the impact of G's Formula, a dietary supplement for horses, on the secretion of gastrin, interleukin1-beta (IL-1β), and nitric oxide (NO). These biomarkers are of interest due to ...
Leadon DP, Jeffery R, O'Toole D, Duggan V.This report compiles the available information on unwanted horses in Ireland for 2011 and 2012 and builds upon the previous report for the period 2005 to 2010. Similar trends are present in the high value responsible ownership category and the practicing veterinary profession although extensively involved in horse welfare, euthanises a small proportion of Ireland's unwanted horses. Welfare groups have limited resources and a limited ability to deal with such an extensive problem, which has involved very large numbers of horses. Local authorities continue to have to devote significant efforts a...
Tyrnenopoulou P, Fthenakis GC.Antibiotic administration is a standard therapeutic practice for the treatment of reproductive disorders of equids. This might lead to undesirable microbial imbalance and could favour the acquisition of antibiotic resistance. Therefore, it is imperative for clinicians to understand patterns of antibiotic resistance when considering and developing treatment regimes. Continued engagement of clinicians with novel alternative approaches to treat reproductive infections would be essential in order to address this rising threat within the One Health perspective. The objectives of the present review ...
