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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.
Effects of initial handling and training on autonomic nervous function in young Thoroughbreds. To determine the effects of initial handling and training on autonomic nervous functions in young Thoroughbreds. Methods: 63 healthy Thoroughbreds. Methods: All horses were trained to be handled and initially ridden in September of the yearling year and then trained until the following April by conventional training regimens. To obtain the heart rate (HR), electrocardiograms were recorded in the stable before initial handling and training and following 7 months of training; variations in HR were then evaluated from the power spectrum in terms of the low frequency (LF; 0.01 to 0.07 Hz) power an...
Disposition of oral clarithromycin in foals. Clarithromycin offers numerous advantages over erythromycin and thus, is an attractive alternative for the treatment of Rhodococcus equi infections in foals. The disposition of clarithromycin was investigated in 6 foals after intragastric administration at a dose of 10 mg/kg body weight. Detectable serum concentrations of clarithromycin were found in 3 of 6 foals at 10 minutes and in all foals by 20 minutes post-administration. Time to peak serum concentration (Tmax) was 1.5 hours and peak serum concentration (Cmax) was 0.92+/-0.17 microg/ml. Mean serum concentrations decreased to 0.03 microg/...
Use of biphasic electrical cardioversion for treatment of idiopathic atrial fibrillation in two horses. Rectilinear biphasic cardioversion was used in 2 horses with idiopathic sustained atrial fibrillation; 1 horse converted to sustained sinus rhythm. Variables that potentially affected outcome of the electrical cardioversion procedures in these horses included duration of arrhythmia, placement of cardioverter pads and paddles, serum electrolyte concentrations, and treatment with quinidine. Serum cardiac troponin I concentration, measured to determine whether the myocardium was damaged from the electrical shocks, was within the reference range in both horses after the procedure. Biphasic electri...
Clinicopathologic evidence of disseminated intravascular coagulation in horses with acute colitis. To detect subclinical disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC) in horses with colitis and to determine any association between the diagnosis of subclinical DIC and outcome or occurrence of complications in horses with colitis. Methods: Prospective study. Methods: 37 horses admitted to a veterinary teaching hospital for treatment of acute colitis. Methods: Coagulation profiles were obtained on each horse 0, 24, and 48 hours after admission. Six tests were performed: platelet count, plasma fibrinogen concentration, prothrombin time, activated partial thromboplastin time, antithrombin activit...
Postoperative infection with Actinobacillus spp in horses: 10 cases (1995-2000). To determine features of postoperative wound infection caused by Actinobacillus spp in horses undergoing clean, elective surgery and to evaluate bacterial susceptibility profiles of bacteria isolated. Methods: Retrospective study. Methods: 10 horses. Methods: Data were retrieved from medical records and the microbiology laboratory database. Results: 1,604 horses underwent clean, elective surgical procedures during the study period. Of these, 23 (1.43%) had postoperative wound infections, and Actinobacillus spp was isolated from 10 of these 23 (43%). Surgical procedures in these 10 horses inclu...
Use of a condylar screw plate for repair of a Salter-Harris type-III fracture of the femur in a 2-year-old horse. A 2-year-old sexually intact male Paint horse weighing 427 kg (940 lb) was admitted for examination and treatment of intermittent non-weight-bearing lameness of the right hind limb of 1 week's duration. Radiography revealed a displaced Salter-Harris type-III fracture of the right femoral condyle with the sagittal component of the fracture line located in the intercondylar space and the transverse component exiting on the medial aspect of the femur. The fracture was repaired with a condylar screw plate designed for repair of femoral condylar fractures in humans. The owner reported by telephone ...
Factors affecting gestation length in the Thoroughbred mare. In order to assist in the accurate prediction of the timing of parturition in the mare true gestation length, along with the potential effect of a number of factors, was investigated. Data from 433 Thoroughbred foal pregnancies were used. Sequential ultrasonic scanning allowed the true gestation length (fertilisation-parturition) to be ascertained, as apposed to previous work, which used the mating-parturition interval. An average gestation length of 344.1 +/- 0.49 days was evident. Colt foal pregnancies were significantly (P < 0.001) longer (346.2 +/- 0.72) than fillies (342.4 +/- 0.65). Mont...
Drinking salt water enhances rehydration in horses dehydrated by frusemide administration and endurance exercise. Because the primary stimulus for thirst is an increase in plasma tonicity, we hypothesised that dehydrated horses would drink a greater total volume of fluid voluntarily during the first hour of recovery when they were initially offered salt water. To test this hypothesis, bodyweight (bwt), fluid intake (FI) and [Na+] were measured in 6 Arabian horses offered 3 rehydration solutions. After dehydration was induced by frusemide administration (1 mg/kg bwt, i.v.) followed by 45 km treadmill exercise, water (W), 0.45% NaCl and 0.9% NaCl were offered, in a randomised order, during the initial 5 min...
The effect of a tongue-tie in horses with dorsal displacement of the soft palate. Tongue-ties are frequently used in an attempt to prevent dorsal displacement of the soft palate (DDSP). The aim of this study was to determine the efficacy of a tongue-tie in horses clinically affected with the disorder. Videoendoscopic recordings and measurements of respiratory airflow were made simultaneously during high intensity treadmill exercise in 6 Thoroughbred racehorses with confirmed DDSP, with and without a tongue-tie. DDSP was confirmed in all 6 horses without the tongue-tie but occurred in only 4 horses with the tongue-tie in place. In one horse the palate displaced only on slowi...
Postprandial glucose and insulin responses to a postexercise grain meal. Many studies have examined the effect of pre-exercise feeding on glucose and insulin responses of horses. The objective of this study was to determine whether exercise performed one hour prior to a meal would attenuate the glucose and insulin responses to a meal. Data collected from 8 mature geldings in a 2 period crossover design experiment were used to determine the postprandial glucose and insulin responses to a meal of oats offered 1 h postexercise. During each period, 4 horses received a test meal following a 14 h fast (NoEx) or a 14 h fast and exercise bout (PostEx) that consisted of 48 ...
Right ventricular pressure dynamics during exercise: relationship to stress echocardiography. Thorough evaluation of myocardial function remains difficult to evaluate under exercising conditions. This study described right ventricular (RV) pressure dynamics during and immediately following exercise. Nine Thoroughbreds without evidence of cardiac disease completed treadmill exercise at 110% of the speed necessary to elicit VO2max while RV pressures were recorded. RV pressure dynamics were calculated at rest, maximal speed and at 10 s intervals for 2 min after exercise. Stress echocardiography was performed at rest and within 120 s after exercise. Mean dP/dtmax and dP/dtmin values were s...
Metabolic responses to submaximal field exercise tests and relationships with racing performance in pacing Standardbreds. This study was undertaken to invesigate the application of submaximal field tests in assessment of performance. A submaximal field exercise test consisting of 2 bouts of pacing for 1600 m, with 5 min rest or walking between runs was performed on Standardbred racehorses at 2 training centres (A and B). Performance indices were compiled for each horse: number of race starts, number of race wins, number of race placings (1, 2 or 3), and lifetime earnings. Regression analysis was conducted to describe the relationship between plasma lactate concentrations and speed for tests one, 2 and pooled resu...
Chronic nodular panniculitis in a three-year-old mare. The clinical signs of chronic nodular panniculitis in a three-year-old mare were consistent with a diagnosis of sterile nodular panniculitis, but the mare had histopathological signs of both generalised steatitis and sterile nodular panniculitis. The mare was deficient in vitamin E and selenium.
Influence of draw reins on ground reaction forces at the trot. According to riding texts, draw reins are supposed to support increased collection. This has not been measured objectively. Therefore, the objective of this study was to determine whether a horse ridden with draw reins would relatively increase weightbearing of the hindquarters while worked with the draw reins compared to a normal rein. Ground reaction forces were measured in 8 horses at the slow trot over a force plate in 3 different experimental set-ups: 1) riding with only a draw rein (DR); 2) riding with the combination of a normal and a draw rein (NR-DR) and 3) riding with a normal rein (...
Effects of somatotropin and training on indices of exercise capacity in Standardbreds. The recent availability of recombinant equine somatotropin (eST) has led to concern about its use as an ergogenic aid in racehorses. This study was undertaken to investigate the changes in exercise capacity in maturing horses in a training programme, and to assess whether eST is an ergogenic aid to this group. We tested the hypothesis that the combination of training and eST, compared to training alone, would further improve exercise capacity in maturing Standardbreds, by virtue of ST's anabolic effects and potential to enhance cardiac function, circulating fluid volume and red cell mass. Twel...
Physiological responses of young Thoroughbreds during their first year of race training. Yearling horses are typically trained for more than a year before they begin racing; therefore, we questioned how relevant analyses of the initial responses to training are compared to physiological responses that occur over a year of training, and whether young horses with no history of training would respond the same as older horses that had been trained previously. We hypothesised that changes in O2 transport over the last months of a year of training would be different than at the beginning. We trained 5 yearling Thoroughbreds and evaluated metabolism, O2 transport and echocardiograms. Mea...
Effects of ageing and training on maximal heart rate and VO2max. The purpose of this study was to test the hypotheses that ageing would result in a decline in maximal heart rate (HRmax) and maximal aerobic capacity (VO2max) and, secondarily, that those effects would be reversible with training. Eighteen, healthy, unfit Standardbred mares representing 3 age groups: young (Y = mean +/- s.e. 6.8 +/- 0.4 years, n = 6); middle-aged (MA = 15.2 +/- 0.4 years, n = 6); and old (O = 27.0 +/- 0.2 years, n = 6) were used. HRmax, VO2max and oxygen pulse at VO2max (OPmax) and the velocities producing HRmax (VHRmax) and VO2max (VVO2max) were measured during pretraining an...
Movements of thoracic and abdominal compartments during ventilation at rest and during exercise. The present investigation utilised simultaneous measurements of chest (Ch) and abdominal (Ab) circumferences and respiratory airflow to test the hypothesis that Ch circumferential expansion contributes proportionally little to tidal volume in the running Thoroughbred. During exercise, there were only small changes in Ch and Ab circumference and no increase with increasing tidal volume. At rest, walk and trot, the flow, Ch and Ab signals were in phase. However, during canter and gallop, the Ch and Ab changes were 180 degrees out of phase with each other and both were out of phase with airflow. ...
Training-induced apoptosis in skeletal muscle. Apoptosis or programmed cell death is a genetically controlled response of cells to commit suicide and is associated with DNA fragmentation or laddering. The common inducers of apoptosis include Ca2+i and oxygen free radicals/oxidative stress, which are also implicated in the pathogenesis of exercise-induced myopathies. To examine training-induced apoptosis, Thoroughbred horses were subjected to 3 months training programme on a treadmill. At the end of the training programme venous blood samples were taken for a creatine kinase (CK) assay. In addition, muscle biopsy samples were obtained for a...
Effects of mild forelimb lameness on exercise performance. Mild lameness is considered a performance-limiting problem that may escape detection until it worsens, and is considered the primary reason for reduced racing performance. The kinematics changes associated with a lame horse at the trot have been demonstrated previously, but the metabolic cost of these alterations in their gait have not been demonstrated. Six fit Thoroughbred horses with an established VO2max participated in 4 trials using a randomised cross-over design study, separated by 10-14 days. The horses were tested with one of 4 trial conditions: lead forelimb lameness (LL); off-lead f...
Potassium and lactate uptake by noncontracting tissue during strenuous exercise. Efflux of potassium (K+) and lactate (lac-) from active skeletal muscle during high intensity exercise leads to increased plasma [K+] and [lac-] in venous and arterial blood. The exercise-induced increases in these ions in human athletes is ameliorated, in part, by uptake by noncontracting tissue, reflected by an increase in the arteriovenous difference across these tissues from rest to exercise. To test the hypothesis that these ions are taken up by noncontracting tissue in strenuously exercising horses, plasma [K+] and [lac-] were measured in blood samples collected simultaneously from the c...
Effect of dietary lipid on response to exercise: relationship to metabolic adaptation. The aim of the present study was to relate changes in muscle oxidative capacity and free fatty acid flux in response to oil supplementation to fuel utilisation during subsequent exercise of varying intensities. Following 10 weeks of oil supplementation there was an increased capacity for fat utilisation during low and moderate intensity exercise as indicated by a lower respiratory exchange ratio (RER) (P<0.05). We suggest that this was contributed to by a parallel increase in the oxidative capacity of muscle as indicated by a significant increase in the activity of muscle citrate synthase (...
Effect of short-term exercise training on insulin sensitivity in obese and lean mares. Twelve untrained aged mares were used to determine whether 7 days of light exercise improved peripheral tissue insulin sensitivity. Mares were divided into obese-exercised (n = 3), obese-sedentary (n = 3), lean-exercised (n = 3) and lean-sedentary (n = 3) groups. The exercised groups were worked at a trot to a heart rate (HR) of not more than 140 beats/min for 30 min in a round pen. Each group was subjected to 3 euglycaemic hyperinsulinaemic clamps: prior to exercise (P), 24 h following the seventh exercise training session (E) and 9 days postexercise training (PE). Prior to exercise training,...
Antioxidant supplementation and pulmonary function at rest and exercise. Antioxidants have been implicated in the reduction and prevention of oxidative stress during exercise. We hypothesised that a dietary supplement containing a mixture of natural antioxidants together with vitamins E, C and selenium, given for 4 weeks, would increase the systemic and pulmonary antioxidant capacity leading to a reduction in markers of oxidative damage and an improvement in pulmonary function during exercise. In 6 healthy horses studied, the antioxidant supplement significantly increased plasma concentrations of ascorbic acid (from mean +/- s.d. 16 +/- 7 to 23 +/- 4 micromol/l; P ...
Effects on exercise metabolism of varying dietary starch and sugar proportions. Studies of the effect of varying dietary carbohydrate compositions on exercise metabolism of horses are scarce. In the present study, the starch and sugar proportions were altered in the diet to 4 Standardbred horses. In a crossover experiment, the horses were offered a hay and oat diet, where the oats were substituted for barley syrup (BS) at 4 levels (BS 0, 0.5, 1.0 and 1.5 kg). Each diet was consumed for 21 days and both an incremental treadmill exercise test (IE) and a 40 min submaximal exercise test (SE) were performed. During the IE there was a significant (P<0.05) increase in mean VO...
Effect of body incline on cardiac performance. Maximal cardiac performance is improved in man during upright compared to supine exercise. Whether cardiac performance in quadrupeds is dependent upon body position is unknown. Therefore, we undertook the present investigation to determine if peak cardiac output (Qpeak) would be influenced by body inclination in the Thoroughbred horse. To test the hypothesis, four Thoroughbred horses performed an incremental exercise protocol (speed increased by 1 m/s/min to fatigue) on both a level (L) and inclined (I: 6 degrees) treadmill. Specifically, we hypothesised that Qpeak would be increased on the in...
