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.
Parks AH, Balch OK, Collier MA.Over the last decade, both the farriery and veterinary professions have greatly increased their collective experience and understanding of the treatment of acute laminitis. Many horses that would have not been considered candidates for treatment 10 to 15 years ago are now saved, and some progress to successful careers as athletes. Unfortunately, the difficulties over prediction of the course of the disease persist, which continues to complicate treatment decisions. By its nature, supportive therapy is designed to make the horse more comfortable and limit further laminar injury by countering ad...
Morgan SJ, Grosenbaugh DA, Hood DM.The potential pathologic manifestations of chronic laminitis are just as varied, and possibly more so, than the list of possible inciting agents of the disease itself. The extent to which rehabilitation and return to normal function can be attained, cannot always be accurately determined by physical examination. It should be remembered that significant physiologic and pathologic alterations occur in chronic laminitis; thus, even if radiographically the patient returns to a normal appearance, residual morphologic and structural defects are likely to remain.
Harvey RG, Hunter PA.The use of the penicillins in veterinary dermatology is discussed. An outline is provided of the main penicillins used in the veterinary field. These include benzyl penicillin, penicillin V, ampicillin, amoxycillin, co-amoxiclav and oxacillin. An increase in β-lactamase production among strains of Staphylococcus intermedius, the principal canine pathogen in pyoderma, has been seen in recent years. Thus only those penicillins with resistance to β-lactamase (co-amoxiclav or isoxazolyl penicillins) are likely to be of value in treating canine pyoderma. However, feline, porcine and equine staphy...
Martens P, Ihler CF, Rennesund J.A horse with a suspected injury of the distal phalanx was examined using radiography at day two and 19 after the onset of the lameness, with no definite diagnosis. Using computed tomography an incomplete fracture of the lateral wing of the distal phalanx was diagnosed at day 25. Based on computed tomography it was determined that the fracture probably did not enter the joint or involve the palmar cortex throughout its length which were of prognostic importance. The day following the CT examination a new oblique radiographic projection was made. In this radiography which was based on, and never...
Tudor RA, Ramirez O, Tate LP, Gerard MP.A 1-month-old male American Paint Horse was evaluated for a hard swelling on the right side of the maxillary region. On radiographs there was a large, expansile outpouching of the right maxillary bone between the second and third premolar teeth. Computed tomography further characterized the expansile lesion to have a soft tissue component and to originate in the region of a caudal maxillary tooth. Surgical reconstruction of the defect was unsuccessful and the animal was euthanetized. Based on failure to find histopathologic evidence of a neoplasm or cyst, the diagnosis was a congenital malform...
Wooldridge AA, Seahorn TL, Williams J, Taylor HW, Oliver JL, Kim DY, Vicek TJ.A 2-year-old quarter horse gelding presented for evaluation of polyuria and polydipsia. Azotemia was detected on serum chemistry profile. Small, misshapen, hyperechoic kidneys with decreased corticomedullary demarcation, hydronephrosis, and a right nephrolith were noted ultrasonographically. The diagnosis of end-stage kidney disease and dysplasia was made histopathologically using ultrasound-guided biopsy. Two ureteroliths were found in the right ureter via cystoscopy, and a nephrolith was seen in the right kidney at necropsy. Clinical, ultrasonographic, and pathologic features of equine uroli...
Tudor RA, Papich MG, Redding WR.To evaluate pharmacokinetics of once daily i.v. administration of gentamicin sulfate to adult horses that had abdominal surgery. Methods: Prospective study. Methods: 28 adult horses that underwent abdominal surgery for colic. Methods: 14 horses were treated with each dosage of gentamicin (i.e., 6.6 or 4 mg/kg, i.v., q 24 h) and blood samples were collected for pharmacokinetic analysis. Plasma gentamicin concentrations were measured by use of a fluorescence polarization immunoassay. Pharmacokinetic analysis measured the elimination half-life, volume of distribution, and gentamicin total systemi...
Brees DJ, Sondhoff AH, Kluge JP, Andreasen CB, Brown CM.A 7-month-old foal was admitted to the hospital with a history of lethargy, weight loss, mild diarrhea, and anorexia. A diagnosis of proliferative enteritis caused by Lawsonia intracellularis-like organisms was made after necropsy and histologic examination of the small intestine. Although infection with L intracellularis-like organisms is a rare cause of enteritis in foals, it should be considered in the differential diagnosis, especially if the foal was housed in the proximity of pigs or pig feces. Antemortem diagnosis remains challenging because isolation of the organism in fecal material r...
Zekas LJ, Bramlage LR, Embertson RM, Hance SR.The objectives of this study were to correlate condylar fracture characteristics and type of treatment with subsequent capacity for athletic ability, and to determine the characteristics of healing that affect prognosis after fracture fixation. Medical records, post operative radiographic studies and race records were examined for 135 horses sustaining 145 fractures. Sixty-five percent of horses overall started in a race post injury (SPI) in a mean time of 9.7 months with a mean of 13.7 races post injury. Having raced pre-injury did not confer an advantage to starting post injury, though nonst...
Geary TG, Sangster NC, Thompson DP.Research in anthelmintic pharmacology faces a grim future. The parent field of veterinary parasitology has seemingly been devalued by governments, universities and the animal industry in general. Primarily due to the success of the macrocyclic lactone anthelmintics in cattle, problems caused by helminth infections are widely perceived to be unimportant. The market for anthelmintics in other host species that are plagued by resistance, such as sheep and horses, is thought to be too small to sustain a discovery program in the animal health pharmaceutical industry. These attitudes are both alarmi...
Johnson PJ, Moore LA, Mrad DR, Turk JR, Wilson DA.The sudden death of two horses was attributed to the rapid and acute development of pulmonary aspergillosis. One horse was making excellent postoperative progress after a jejunal resection and anastomosis for intestinal adhesions. The other horse was being treated routinely for equine protozoal myeloencephalitis (EPM). Signs of fever and an increased respiratory rate were detected shortly before death in the first horse, but no premonitory clinical signs characteristic of pulmonary infection were detected in the horse being treated for EPM. Both horses developed rapidly debilitating, acute pul...
Searle D, Dart AJ, Dart CM, Hodgson DR.Complications associated with equine castration are the most common cause of malpractice claims against equine practitioners in North America. An understanding of the embryological development and surgical anatomy is essential to differentiate abnormal from normal structures and to minimise complications. Castration of the normal horse can be performed using sedation and regional anaesthesia while the horse is standing, or under general anaesthesia when it is recumbent. Castration of cryptorchid horses is best performed under general anaesthesia at a surgical facility. Techniques for castratio...
Tobin T, Harkins JD, Sams RA.Proper veterinary care of horses requires that horses in training have access to modern therapeutic medication. However, the sensitivity of equine drug testing now allows for detection of pharmacologically insignificant concentrations of many therapeutic medications. In 1995, the Association of Racing Commissioners International (ARCI) resolved that members 'address trace level detection so as not to lead to disciplinary action based on pharmacologically insignificant traces of these substances'. The rationale behind this approach is to prevent overly-sensitive testing from inhibiting the prop...
Armstrong S, Tricklebank P, Lake A, Frean S, Lees P.Carprofen is a Non Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drug (NSAID) which is widely used for the treatment of musculoskeletal disorders in horses. The commercial preparation is a racemic mixture of two enantiomers (R and S carprofen). We used HPLC to measure plasma and synovial fluid R and S carprofen concentrations following a single intravenous (i.v.) dose, and computer modelling to determine the pharmacokinetic parameters of the enantiomers in these two body fluids. A comparison was made with results from an identical experiment using ketoprofen. The plasma elimination half lives of R and S carprof...
Russell T, Wainscott M.Twenty-seven horses were treated for epiglottic entrapment by using an oral, hand-assisted bistoury knife technique, under general anaesthesia; 26 of them returned successfully to racing, but one developed a permanently displaced soft palate. After the surgery 13 of the horses had an increased handicap rating and 13 had a decreased rating.
Frankeny RL.Five horses with unilateral epidermal inclusion cysts located in the nasal diverticula were sedated and treated with intralesional injection of neutral-buffered 10% formalin (volume range, 2 to 4.5 mL). After aspiration of the cyst, formalin was injected intralesionally until leakage of fluid around the needle was observed. After several weeks, desiccation of the cyst was evident; it was excised 2 weeks after treatment in 3 horses, digitally removed by the owner of 1 horse, and never removed in 1 horse, because the owner declined further treatment after resolution of the original swelling of t...
Tate LP, Fogle CA, Bailey CS, Tate KB, Davis JW.To describe a technique for ovariectomy through a colpotomy using a chain écraseur with laparoscopic guidance and report outcome in 4 mares. Methods: Case series. Methods: After insertion of a laparoscope into the abdomen through the left flank, colpotomy was performed to allow introduction of an écraseur into the caudal aspect of the abdomen. Grasping and removal of the ovary and evaluation of the pedicle was observed via the laparoscope. The laparoscope was then inserted in the right flank for right ovariectomy. The colpotomy was closed in a continuous suture pattern using laparoscopic or ...
Southwood LL, Dolente BA, Lindborg S, Russell G, Boston R.Obtaining data on emergency admission survival rates is important to provide clients with an estimate of prognosis and to identify areas in which improvements in case management can be achieved. Objective: To determine the short-term outcome of equine emergency admissions to a university referral hospital during a 12 month period. Methods: Short-term outcome was defined as survival to discharge or died/euthanasia during hospitalisation. The overall death (euthanasia) rate was calculated; and rate for horses with different categories of: age; admission month, day and time; presenting complaint ...
Heitmann C, Levin LS.Tissue expansion in the upper extremity is a valuable technique with expanding indications and expected outcomes. The primary indications are coverage problems after trauma, but the technique is also applicable to defects caused by treatment of hemangioma, nevi, tattoos, or hypertrophic scars as well as correction of unstable tissue or as an alternative to free tissue transfer. The advantage of expansion-specifically, match in tissue texture and retention of sensibility-may be more important in the hand and upper extremity than in other areas. The inevitable capsule that forms around the expan...
Biedrzycki AH, Elane GL. Interspinous ligament desmotomy (ISLD) has been shown to improve the comfort of horses diagnosed with overriding dorsal spinous processes (DSP), but its effects on spine mobility are unknown. To objectively quantify the change in mobility of thoracic vertebrae following ISLD using CT and medical modeling software. Prospective cadaveric manipulation of seven equine thoracolumbar spines collected from T11-L1. Spines were collected from T11-L1 with the musculature intact. Flexion and extension phases were achieved with a ratchet device calibrated to 2000N. Bone volume CT scans were performed ...
Turner AS, Tucker CM.A randomised double-blind clinical trial of 28 horses was undertaken to evaluate the efficacy of isoxsuprine hydrochloride at four different doses:- 0.0 mg/kg bodyweight (bwt) (placebo), 0.6 mg/kg bwt, 1.2 mg/kg bwt and 1.8 mg/kg bwt for treatment of navicular disease. The results showed that horses treated with isoxsuprine hydrochloride (N = 22) responded significantly with respect to clinical assessment score (P less than 0.01) when compared with the control group (N = 6). Furthermore, there were no dose-related differences in the responses of the horses treated with increasing levels of iso...
Panciera RJ, Slusher SA, Hayes KE.Simultaneous and successive occurrence of ovarian teratoma and granulosa cell tumor is reported in 2 mares. Simultaneous occurrence of the tumors may obscure clinical diagnosis. Whereas size, unilaterality, and the cystic nature of each may be similar, differentiating features include the potentially palpable presence of bone, cartilage, or teeth in teratoma, and the hormone-induced behavioral and reproductive effects of granulosa cell tumors. Thorough examination of surgical specimens may reveal the existence of a neoplastic process, previously obscured by the more obvious presence of another...
Melinyshyn H.A 13-year-old Morgan crossbred mare was presented in May 2018 with a 10-cm mass on the medial aspect of the left hind fetlock. In September and November 2018 and June 2019 the mass was incompletely excised and continued to grow. A diagnosis of spindle cell tumor, consistent with equine sarcoid, was made based on histopathology from the last excision. . Une jument Morgan croisée âgée de 13 ans a été présentée en mai 2018 avec une masse de 10 cm sur l’aspect médial du boulet arrière gauche. En septembre et novembre 2018 ainsi qu’en juin 2019, la masse avait été excisée de manièr...