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.
D'Anza E, Buono F, Albarella S, Castaldo E, Pugliano M, Iannuzzi A, Cascone I, Battista E, Peretti V, Ciotola F.The Pony of Esperia is an Italian autochthonous horse breed reared in the wild on the Aurunci and Ausoni Mountains. Currently, it is considered an endangered breed, as its population consists of 1623 animals. It is therefore essential to identify all aspects that can improve the management and economy of its breeding, favoring its diffusion. In this paper, the effects of intestinal strongyle infection on the chromosome stability of peripheral blood lymphocytes (PBLs) was evaluated through aneuploidy and chromosome aberration (gap, chromatid and chromosome breaks, and the number of abnormal cel...
Godoy VM, Oliveira NFOE, Paretsis NF, Silva SCD, Souza AF, De Zoppa ALDV, Corrêa RR.This report describes the combination of two surgical fracture repair techniques and the postoperative management of a mandibular diastemal fracture in a two-year-old mare. The mare was referred to a veterinary hospital with a laceration over the body of the right mandible. Radiographic assessment revealed two mesial fracture lines involving the second premolar tooth and a ventrally displaced bone fragment. The mare was treated under general anesthesia and the fracture was corrected using open reduction and plate fixation. A 3.5 mm narrow 15-hole locking compression plate with seven locking ...
Aragunde Vieytes R, Viñoles Gil C, Gastal GDA, Cavestany D.In order to assess the effect of equine chorionic gonadotropin (eCG) administered on Day 5 or 7 of a fixed-time artificial insemination protocol (FTAI) in anestrous suckled beef cows, two experiments were performed to determine the following endpoints: Experiment 1 (n = 22), preovulatory follicle (POF) diameter, ovulation time, corpus luteum (CL) area, estradiol (E2) and progesterone (P4) concentrations; and Experiment 2 (n = 676), a field trial to evaluate conception rate using the same experimental design. In both experiments, a synchronization protocol using estradiol benzoate (EB) (Day...
Feuser AK, Gesell-May S, Müller T, May A.Lameness in horses is a long-known issue influencing the welfare, as well as the use, of a horse. Nevertheless, the detection and classification of lameness mainly occurs on a subjective basis by the owner and the veterinarian. The aim of this study was the development of a lameness detection system based on pose estimation, which permits non-invasive and easily applicable gait analysis. The use of 58 reference points on easily detectable anatomical landmarks offers various possibilities for gait evaluation using a simple setup. For this study, three groups of horses were used: one training gr...
Spriet M, Arndt S, Pige C, Pye J, O'Brion J, Carpenter R, Blea J, Dowd JP.This retrospective, methods comparison study aimed to compare skeletal scintigraphy and F-NaF positron emission tomography (PET) for the detection of abnormalities in the fetlocks of Thoroughbred racehorses. Thirty-three horses (72 limbs) imaged with both scintigraphy and F-NaF PET, for investigation of lameness or poor performance related to the fetlock, were included. Seven observers, including experienced racetrack practitioners, surgery and imaging residents, and a board-certified veterinary radiologist, independently reviewed all data for evidence of increased radiopharmaceutical uptake...
Sullivan HM, Barrett MF, Zhou T, Kawcak CE.Ultrasound remains a mainstay in proximal suspensory ligament (PSL) evaluation. Despite recent improvements facilitating earlier diagnosis/treatment, needs exist for (1) characterization of normal ultrasonographic PSL cross-sectional area (CSA) in specific breeds/disciplines, (2) improved detection of early/subtle changes in the PSL, and (3) an understanding of suspensory ligament (SL) morphology change from work-related stress. The objectives of this study were to establish normal PSL CSA in Quarter Horses (QH) used for cutting via angle contrast ultrasonography, ultrasonographically monitor ...
King MR.Physiotherapeutic exercises aimed at stimulating motor control, flexibility, and stability are regularly employed in human physical therapy programs. Specifically, the use of such exercises has been shown to reduce both pain and reinjury. Pursuant to the equine patient, several core strengthening exercises and their role in activating deep epaxial musculature to subsequently improve postural motor control and alter thoracolumbar kinematics have been investigated. Both baited and passive exercises offer opportunities to facilitate stretching during dynamic phases and strengthening during static...
Ishimaru M, Matsui A, Seki K, Korosue K, Akiyama K, Mizukami H, Yoshida T, Taya K.Changes in the body composition of 50 Thoroughbreds colts and fillies, born between 2004 and 2010, were compared between those reared at the Hidaka Training and Research Center (Hidaka), Hokkaido, which is extremely cold in winter, and those reared at the Miyazaki Yearling Training Farm (Miyazaki), Kyushu, which is mildly cold in winter. The horses were divided into two sex groups and reared and trained in Hidaka or Miyazaki for 7 months from October of one year of age to April of two years of age. Body weight (BW), rump fat thickness (RFT), fat-free mass (FFM), and percentage of fat (%F) were...
Costa MHDS, Medeiros PR, Melo UP, de Souza RF, da Silva GEL, Ferreira C, de Assis DB, da Silva LP, de Brito EL.Horse owners are crucial in recognizing colic because they are responsible for identifying the signs of colic and deciding whether to seek veterinary intervention. Common reasons for delayed response to clinical issues include lack of understanding or knowledge of the subject and difficulty in recognizing subtle clinical signs of abdominal pain. Examining horse owners' basic knowledge of colic, their motivations, obstacles in seeking veterinary care, and their responses to the various clinical symptoms manifested during colic will identify current knowledge gaps and decision-making barriers. T...
Hoeberg E, Sånge A, Saegerman C, Bohlin A, Nostell K, Durie I, Husted L, Öhman A, Jacobsen S, Berg L, Laursen SH, van Galen G.Serum amyloid A (SAA) has been reported to hold promise as diagnostic and prognostic marker in foals. This has not been investigated thoroughly. Objective: Evaluate admission SAA concentrations as predictor of sepsis and outcome. Methods: Five hundred and ninety hospitalized foals <14 days old. Methods: Retrospective multicenter study. Foals were scored with sepsis and survival scores, grouped according to health category (septic, sick but nonseptic, uncertain sepsis status) and outcome; septic foals were further categorized according to severity (normal sepsis, severe sepsis, and septic sho...
Melo UP, Palhares MS, Ferreira C, Leme FOP, Gheller VA.This study aimed to evaluate the effects of the total parenteral nutrition associated with glutamine, enteral fluid therapy with or without glutamine, and fluid therapy on the acid-base and electrolyte balance of horses starved after exploratory laparotomy. Sixteen healthy male and female adult horses of mixed breed, aged between 4 and 14 years, and having a mean body weight of 248.40 ± 2.28 kg and a body score index of 3-4 (scale of 1-5) were divided into four groups with four animals per group. After an adaptation period of 30 days, they were randomly divided into four experimental groups: ...
Orr EL, Staniar WB, Smarsh DN.Various aspects of nutritional management can impact both a horse's gastrointestinal (GI) health and caretaker costs. The objective of this study was to characterize the feeding management and GI issues of horses in Pennsylvania (PA). An online survey was distributed from February 27th to August 31st, 2020. Kruskal-Wallis and Mann-Whitney tests were used to analyze the data. Nonparametric statistics were used when data were not normally distributed. From 470 responses collected, the average horse age was 15.7 ± 7.5 years, and the most common breeds were the Quarter Horse and Thoroughbred. Of ...
Castaneda C, Radović L, Felkel S, Juras R, Davis BW, Cothran EG, Wallner B, Raudsepp T.Structural rearrangements like copy number variations in the male-specific Y chromosome have been associated with male fertility phenotypes in human and mouse but have been sparsely studied in other mammalian species. Here, we designed digital droplet PCR assays for 7 horse male-specific Y chromosome multicopy genes and SRY and evaluated their absolute copy numbers in 209 normal male horses of 22 breeds, 73 XY horses with disorders of sex development and/or infertility, 5 Przewalski's horses and 2 kulans. This established baseline copy number for these genes in horses. The TSPY gene showed the...
Jachimowicz-Rogowska K, Topczewska J, Krupa W, Bajcar M, Kwiecień M, Winiarska-Mieczan A.The purpose of the study was to evaluate seasonal changes in selected trace elements such as Fe, Cu, Mn, Zn, and Al in the coat of healthy Hucul horses kept in south-eastern Poland in two different facilities and fed with locally sourced feed. The coat for the study was collected from 24 individuals in autumn, winter, and spring. The concentration of elements in the feed was also determined. The date of collection had a significant effect on the concentration of the micronutrients analysed in the coat of Hucul horses. The highest concentration of Zn was found in the coat taken in summer. The c...
Mangan E, Xie H.Traditional Chinese herbal medicine has been used for the treatment of equine diseases for thousands of years. Clinical studies have found Chinese herbal medicine to be an effective treatment for a variety of equine conditions, and extensive toxicology studies performed on more than 12,000 Chinese herbs provide guidance for safe administration in the horse. Chinese herbal medicine may be used for preventive medicine as well as an integrative or complementary modality for common equine diseases and injuries.
Repac J, Mangan E, Xie H.Acupuncture is an inexpensive nonpharmacological modality that has a variety of musculoskeletal, neurologic, and internal medicine applications for the equine practitioner. Common uses include back pain colic, laminitis, laryngeal hemiplegia, and suprascapular neuropathy. Although there is a growing body of literature supporting the use of acupuncture in equids, there remains a need for further robust, double-blinded, placebo-controlled clinical efficacy trials.
Story MR.Equine cervical pain and dysfunction may be difficult to diagnose and effectively manage. Understanding techniques in integrative medicine often allows the practitioner to observe and palpate areas of pain and dysfunction in the horse being evaluated in ways often not taught or used in conventional medicine. There are many integrative therapies that also may be utilized to more effectively manage these horses, resulting in a more comfortable and functional horse.
Haussler KK, Holt TN.There is a growing body of evidence to support the use of spinal mobilization and manipulation techniques in equine practice. Outcome parameters reported across studies include measures of joint motion, nociception, muscle tone, and performance. Spinal examination procedures include static and dynamic assessments of the quantity and the quality of both active and passive movements. Tiered treatment approaches are recommended to stage the application of various therapies based on ease, cost, and efficacy.
Clayton HM, MacKechnie-Guire R.Not too long ago, tack often fell into the "one size fits all" category but, fortunately, times have changed. In recent years, tack has become not only more functional but also a fashion statement. This article describes scientific concepts of the saddle, bridle, and bit with emphasis on clinical signs associated with ill-fit or incorrect use.
Haussler KK.Integrative medicine is based on a model of being proactive and promoting health and wellness, rather than being reactive and solely focusing on episodic disease processes. Integrative medicine incorporates a holistic approach to clinical practice that encourages owner involvement with a focus on individualized care, maintained wellness, optimized performance, and disease prevention. Health promotion and preventative care require a different set of clinical skills and perspectives than is typically provided by a traditional veterinary education. Productive interprofessional collaborations are ...
Henneman K.Addressing poor performance issues in horses is a common yet challenging request to veterinarians. Often, there are limited field diagnostic or therapy choices. Growing lay popularity in integrative therapies, as well as increasing clinical incorporation, is creating more awareness of their clinical applications. Many modalities are showing increasing evidence of positive outcomes with minimal harm, but additional safety and efficacy evaluation is needed. Integrative modalities have unique ways of perceiving disease patterns that are different from more modern approaches, and these different p...
Luomala T.Fascia is a complex and intriguing tissue, which can take on structural properties of being loose or dense, irregular or regular. Fascia functions by connecting, separating, and uniting different structures of the body. Myofascial dysfunction can be a significant source of pain and can be categorized as densification, adhesion, and fibrosis. Digital palpation and treatment of myofascial disorders can be provided via superficial or deep techniques. Different myofascial treatment techniques include slow and fast techniques, which can be applied at different depths, angles, and rhythms.
Adair S.This article serves as an introduction into integrative case management as it applies to the horse's mental health, pain management, and tissue healing. The integrative philosophy pertains to the combination of conventional Western medicine and complementary and alternative therapies to provide the best patient care possible using currently available evidence. The goal is to improve the health of the patient in a more holistic manner.
Hepworth-Warren KL, Nelson N, Dembek KA, Young KAS.Thoracic ultrasonography (TUS) is widely used in equine practice but comparison to radiography is limited in horses. Unassigned: To validate a novel, objective scoring system for TUS in adult horses and to compare ultrasonographic and radiographic findings. Unassigned: 13 healthy horses and 9 with confirmed bacterial pneumonia. Unassigned: Prospective study in which TUS and radiography were performed on healthy horses and those with bacterial pneumonia confirmed by clinical signs and results of transtracheal wash analysis. Ultrasonography was scored utilizing a novel scoring system evaluating ...
Boldt E.Horses 15 years of age and older now account for a significant portion of the equine population. Integrative therapies can provide important diagnostic and treatment tools for managing and maintaining the health of geriatric horses. Aged horses are often afflicted with chronic disease processes that are difficult to effectively manage with conventional medicinal approaches, such as laminitis and osteoarthritis. Diagnostic and therapeutic approaches using integrative therapies, such as acupuncture and spinal manipulation, are presented in this article for managing aged horses with metabolic dis...
Legg KA, Bolwell CF, Gee EK, Gibson MJ, Rogers CW.This study aimed to determine the incidence of, and risk factors for race-day horse falls in Thoroughbred jumps (hurdle and steeplechase) racing in New Zealand. Incidence rates for race-day horse falls in jumps races from 2005/6 - 2018/19 racing seasons (n = 13,648 race day starts) were calculated per 1000 starts. Univariable and multivariable analyses of race-, horse- and jockey-level risk factors for horse falls were conducted using Poisson regression in a generalised linear mixed model. The incidence rate of horse falls in jumps races was 42 (95 % confidence intervals [CI], 39 - 45) per 1...
Goff L.This article provides the equine practitioner with a review of sacroiliac joint pain and dysfunction and outlines the importance of providing a specific prescription for a safe and effective therapeutic exercise program. The continuum of clinical dysfunction associated with the sacroiliac region is presented with prescribed interventions. The intent is to encourage the practitioner to perform a thorough assessment of the sacroiliac joint and the adjacent soft tissues and to use sound clinical reasoning to formulate a therapeutic exercise plan.
Mawhinney I, Davis N, Carson T, Torrens N, Wales A.The study examined and compared the sensitivity of culture and a quantitative PCR assay for screening equine semen for the presence of Taylorella equigenitalis (CEMO). Chilled semen samples, both raw and treated with extender, from two stallions were spiked with the organism at seven or 23 days postejaculation and prepared in serial dilutions. Culture of the 7-day raw semen readily detected CEMO at all dilutions, but extended semen yielded counts that were two log cycles lower at equivalent dilutions, with the organism being nearly undetectable at the maximal dilutions. By contrast, PCR sensit...
Groves MD, Crouch B, Coombs GW, Jordan D, Pang S, Barton MD, Giffard P, Abraham S, Trott DJ.This work investigated the molecular epidemiology and antimicrobial resistance of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) isolated from veterinarians in Australia in 2009. The collection (n = 44) was subjected to extensive molecular typing (MLST, spa, SCCmec, dru, PFGE, virulence and antimicrobial resistance genotyping) and antimicrobial resistance phenotyping by disk diffusion. MRSA was isolated from Australian veterinarians representing various occupational emphases. The isolate collection was dominated by MRSA strains belonging to clonal complex (CC) 8 and multilocus sequence typ...
Dávila AM, Silva RA.Animal trypanosome species of economical importance in South America include T. vivax and T. evansi. Both species are described in Brazil, Bolivia, Colombia, French Guyana, Peru, Suriname, and Venezuela. In Argentina and Guyana, only T. evansi and T. vivax are found, respectively. Our studies on T. vivax indicated that the parasite was spreading around 1.3 km per day in Bolivia. We found severe leukopenia in bovines from Pantanal (Brazil) and the Department of Santa Cruz (Bolivia). Because it can cause immunosuppression, the importance of trypanosomiasis control in ensuring success of vaccinat...
Kawcak CE, Frisbie DD, McIlwraith CW, Werpy NM, Park RD.To evaluate the use of a combination of avocado and soybean unsaponifiable (ASU) extracts for the treatment of experimentally induced osteoarthritis in horses. Methods: 16 horses. Methods: Osteoarthritis was induced via osteochondral fragmentation in 1 middle carpal joint of each horse; the other joint underwent a sham operation. Horses were randomly allocated to receive oral treatment with ASU extracts (1:2 [avocado-to-soybean] ratio mixed in 6 mL of molasses; n = 8) or molasses (6 mL) alone (placebo treatment; 8) once daily from days 0 to 70. Lameness, response to joint flexion, synovial eff...
McCrory P, Turner M.This chapter reviews the current evidence for the epidemiology of pediatric equestrian injuries. Methods: The relevant literature was searched through the use of MEDLINE (1966-2004) and SPORT DISCUS (1975-2004) searches, hand searches of journals and reference lists and discussions with experts and sporting organizations worldwide. Keywords and Mesh headings used in all searches included horse racing, children, pediatric injuries, sports injuries, equestrian injuries and sports trauma. Results: Limited data exist on the epidemiology of pediatric equestrian injuries. Most studies note the high ...
McGowan TW, Pinchbeck G, Phillips CJ, Perkins N, Hodgson DR, McGowan CM.To describe the prevalence and risk factors for clinical signs of disease and owner-reported health or welfare issues of aged horses in Queensland, Australia. Methods: Owners of horses were contacted via an equestrian organisation in Queensland and asked to complete a questionnaire about their horses aged 15 years and older, to gain information about clinical signs observed in the horse and disease history. Owners were asked to identify health or welfare issues they felt were important in aged horses. Results: Owners were able to identify many clinical signs of disease, with 83% of horses havi...
Dixon PM, Head KW.The clinical and pathological findings of 28 cases (27 horses, 1 donkey) of equid sinonasal tumours examined at the Edinburgh Veterinary School are presented and include: seven cases of squamous cell carcinoma (SCC); five adenocarcinomas; three undifferentiated carcinomas; two adenomas; five fibro-osseous and bone tumours; and single cases of ameloblastoma, fibroma, fibrosarcoma, undifferentiated sarcoma, melanoma and lymphosarcoma. The median ages of animals affected with epithelial, and fibro-osseous/bone tumours were 14 and 4 years, respectively. Unilateral purulent or mucopurulent nasal di...
Browning GF, Studdert MJ.The epidemiology of equine herpesvirus 2 was examined by using restriction endonuclease DNA fingerprints to distinguish viruses isolated from two groups of horses. The first group consisted of three yearlings isolated from other horses but in contact with each other for 418 days, whereas the second comprised seven mares and their foals, which were sampled at monthly intervals from parturition until the foals were about 180 days old. There was a complex pattern of transmission, with 15 different viruses isolated from both groups. Four distinguishable viruses were isolated from the three yearlin...
Moore BR, Krakowka S, Robertson JT, Cummins JM.Cytologic examination of bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF), including phenotypic analysis of lymphocytes, was performed on 32 Standardbreds with poor race performance and endoscopic examination findings characteristic of inflammatory airway disease (IAD). Nucleated cell counts in BALF from IAD-affected horses were higher than those in control horses; the cytologic profile of BALF in affected horses included mixed inflammation, characterized by mild neutrophilia, lymphocytosis, and monocytosis. Eosinophil and mast cell counts were not higher in the IAD-affected group, compared with those in t...
Decloedt A, Van Steenkiste G, Vera L, Buhl R, van Loon G.Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most common clinically relevant arrhythmia in horses, with a reported prevalence up to 2.5%. The pathophysiology has mainly been investigated in experimental animal models and human medicine, with limited studies in horses. Atrial fibrillation results from the interplay between electrical triggers and a susceptible substrate. Triggers consist of atrial premature depolarizations due to altered automaticity or triggered activity, or local (micro)reentry. The arrhythmia is promoted by atrial myocardial ion channel alterations, Ca2+ handling alterations, structural ...
Moore CP, Collins BK, Fales WH.Seventy-three aerobic bacterial isolates were cultured from 64 eyes of 63 horses with infectious keratitis. Forty-two (58%) of the organisms isolated initially were gram-positive (g+, 10 genera) and 31 (42%) were gram-negative (g-, 5 genera). After local antimicrobial treatment, repeat cultures from samples obtained from 15 eyes of hospitalized horses yielded 21 secondary bacterial isolates. Staphylococci spp and Streptococci spp were the most common g(+) isolates and accounted for 79% of g(+) organisms isolated initially. Antibiograms revealed ticarcillin to be the most efficacious antibiotic...
Rotter Sopasakis V, Wickelgren R, Sukonina V, Brantsing C, Svala E, Hansson E, Enerbäck S, Lindahl A, Skiöldebrand E.Chondrocytes are responsible for remodeling and maintaining the structural and functional integrity of the cartilage extracellular matrix. Because of the absence of a vascular supply, chondrocytes survive in a relatively hypoxic environment and thus have limited regenerative capacity during conditions of cellular stress associated with inflammation and matrix degradation, such as osteoarthritis (OA). Glucose is essential to sustain chondrocyte metabolism and is a precursor for key matrix components. In this study, we investigated the importance of glucose as a fuel source for matrix repair dur...
Léon A, Castagnet S, Maillard K, Paillot R, Giard JC.The present study described the evolution of antimicrobial resistance in equine pathogens isolated from 2016 to 2019. A collection of 7806 bacterial isolates were analysed for their in vitro antimicrobial susceptibility using the disk diffusion method. The most frequently isolated pathogens were group C Streptococci (27.0%), Escherichia coli (18.0%), Staphylococcus aureus (6.2%), Pseudomonas aeruginosa (3.4%), Klebsiella pneumoniae (2.3%) and Enterobacter spp. (2.1%). The majority of these pathogens were isolated from the genital tract (45.1%, n = 3522). With the implementation of two French n...
Williams JM, Randle H, Marlin D.COVID-19 was declared a global pandemic on 11 March 2020; the United Kingdom (UK) implemented quarantine measures shortly afterward, resulting in rapid changes in how owners managed and interacted with their horses. This study provides a rapid analysis of the initial impact of the COVID-19 outbreak on the management of UK leisure and competition horses. A 17 question online survey was distributed via equestrian social media sites to ascertain the impact of COVID-19 on horse and yard management and on human-horse interactions. Frequency analysis combined with Chi-squared and thematic analyses i...
Craven J, Bjørn H, Henriksen SA, Nansen P, Larsen M, Lendal S.This study reports on the prevalence of anthelmintic resistance in strongyles of horses in Denmark. Of 5 methods used for the calculation of faecal egg count reduction (FECR) the method recommended by the World Association for the Advancement of Veterinary Parasitology, for the detection of resistance in sheep was the most sensitive procedure for detecting resistance. Using this method benzimidazole resistance was detected on 33 of 42 farms (79%) examined. Pyrantel was tested on 15 farms and FECR tests indicate resistance on 3 (30%) farms. On 2 farms on which resistance to pyrantel was detecte...
Gildea S, Quinlivan M, Murphy BA, Cullinane A.Previous studies in experimental ponies using interferon gamma (IFN-γ) as a marker for cell mediated immune (CMI) response demonstrated an increase in IFN-γ gene expression following vaccination with an ISCOM subunit, a canarypox recombinant and more recently, an inactivated whole virus vaccine. The objective of this study was to carry out an independent comparison of both humoral antibody and CMI responses elicited following vaccination with all these vaccine presentation systems. Antibody response of 44 Thoroughbred weanlings was monitored for three weeks following the second dose of prima...
Graf von Schweinitz D.Infrared thermographic imaging (ITI) is the most sensitive objective imaging currently available for the detection of back disease in horses. It is, however, only a physiological study primarily of vasomotor tone overlying other superficial tissue factors. Interpretation requires extreme care in imaging protocol and in understanding the significance of altered sympathetic nervous tone and the sympathetic distribution. Most discussions on back pain have centered on nociception and inflammatory events. ITI provides information and localization for more significant than diagnosing areas of hot sp...
Radiography and ultrasonography are the most used techniques in veterinary clinical practice, due to organizational, managerial and, mostly, economic reasons. However, in the last decades, Computed tomography (CT), Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) and, to a lesser extent, Nuclear Medicine (MN) are increasingly used. As we said in the previous article, all the Diagnostic Imaging techniques are actually "indispensable" in Veterinary Medicine, where many patients do not show any symptoms.This second part describes Computed Tomography (CT), Magnetic Resonance (MRI) and Nuclear Medicine techniques ...
Schaffer PA, Wobeser B, Martin LE, Dennis MM, Duncan CG.To identify epidemiological trends in cutaneous neoplasms affecting equids in central North America and compare them with previously reported trends. Methods: Retrospective case series. Methods: 3,351 cutaneous biopsy specimens from 3,272 equids with a neoplastic diagnosis. Methods: Diagnostic reports from 2 diagnostic laboratories (Colorado State University and Prairie Diagnostic Services Inc) were reviewed for frequency of specific lesions and epidemiological trends. Variables included in analyses (if known) were age, sex, breed, geographic location, date of diagnosis, location of neoplasm o...
Cohen ND, Peloso JG, Mundy GD, Fisher M, Holland RE, Little TV, Misheff MM, Watkins JP, Honnas CM, Moyer W.To describe and compare data from Thoroughbreds that sustained musculoskeletal injuries while racing with data from matched control horses. Methods: Matched case-control study. Methods: 216 Thoroughbreds that sustained a musculoskeletal injury while racing and 532 horses from the same races that were not injured. Methods: Data regarding racing history, race-entrant characteristics, racing events determined by analysis of videotapes of races, and results of prerace physical inspections were determined for all horses. Injured horses were compared with control horses by using conditional logistic...
Cook RF, Berger SL, Rushlow KE, McManus JM, Cook SJ, Harrold S, Raabe ML, Montelaro RC, Issel CJ.Serial passage of the prototype (PR) cell-adapted Wyoming strain of equine infectious anemia virus (EIAV) in fetal donkey dermal (FDD) rather than fetal horse (designated fetal equine kidney [FEK]) cell cultures resulted in the generation of a variant virus strain which produced accelerated cytopathic effects in FDD cells and was 100- to 1,000-fold more sensitive to neutralizing antibodies than its parent. This neutralization-sensitive variant was designated the FDD strain. Although there were differences in glycosylation between the PR and FDD strains, passage of the FDD virus in FEK cells di...
Kaspar A, Pfister K, Nielsen MK, Silaghi C, Fink H, Scheuerle MC.Strongylus vulgaris has become a rare parasite in Germany during the past 50 years due to the practice of frequent prophylactic anthelmintic therapy. To date, the emerging development of resistance in Cyathostominae and Parascaris spp. to numerous equine anthelmintics has changed deworming management and the frequency of anthelmintic usage. In this regard, reliable detection of parasitic infections, especially of the highly pathogenic S. vulgaris is essential. In the current study, two diagnostic methods for the detection of infections with S. vulgaris were compared and information on the occ...
Peel MM, Hornidge KA, Luppino M, Stacpoole AM, Weaver RE.We describe the isolation of Actinobacillus lignieresii and an A. equuli-like bacterium from an infected horse-bite wound in a 22-year-old stable foreman and A. suis from a bite injury in a 35-year-old man who had been attacked by a horse. A. lignieresii was also isolated in pure culture from an infected sheep-bite wound in a rural worker. These species of the genus Actinobacillus are primarily associated with animals and animal diseases and are rarely isolated from humans. The purpose of this report is to raise awareness of the possible occurrence of Actinobacillus spp. in bite wounds inflict...
Morris EA, Seeherman HJ.A clinical sports medicine evaluation was applied to 275 racehorses with a history of poor racing performance. The poor performance evaluation included a) general physical examination and basic laboratory screening; b) respiratory examination including auscultation, thoracic radiographs, ventilation-perfusion lung scintigraphy and upper airway endoscopy at rest and during maximal treadmill exercise c) examination of the musculoskeletal system including lameness examination, video gait analysis at high speed, post exercise serum chemistry to identify obvious as well as sub-clinical myopathies, ...
Faubladier C, Chaucheyras-Durand F, da Veiga L, Julliand V.This study evaluated the effect of transportation on fecal bacterial communities and activities in horses with or without supplementation of live yeast and attempted to link those effects with changes in blood stress markers. Four mature horses were assigned to a crossover design and fed a basal diet (60:40 forage to concentrate; 1.45% BW on a DM basis), with or without supplementation, of 2 × 10(10) cfu/d of Saccharomyces cerevisiae CNCM I-1077. After a 14-d adaptation to dietary treatments, the 5-d experiment started 1 d before transportation (d -1). At d 0, horses were simultaneously trans...
Câmara RJF, Bueno BL, Resende CF, Balasuriya UBR, Sakamoto SM, Reis JKPD.Donkeys () and mules represent approximately 50% of the entire domestic equine herd in the world and play an essential role in the lives of thousands of people, primarily in developing countries. Despite their importance, donkeys are currently a neglected and threatened species due to abandonment, indiscriminate slaughter, and a lack of proper sanitary management. Specific knowledge about infectious viral diseases that affect this group of is still limited. In many cases, donkeys and mules are treated like horses, with the physiological differences between these species usually not taken into...
Gunst S, Dittmann MT, Arpagaus S, Roepstorff C, Latif SN, Klaassen B, Pauli CA, Bauer CM, Weishaupt MA.Asymmetric forces exerted on the horse's back during riding are assumed to have a negative effect on rider-horse interaction, athletic performance, and health of the horse. Visualized on a saddle pressure mat, they are initially blamed on a nonfitting saddle. The contribution of horse and rider to an asymmetric loading pattern, however, is not well understood. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of horse and rider asymmetries during stance and in sitting trot on the force distribution on the horse's back using a saddle pressure mat and motion capture analysis simultaneously. D...
Turner SE, Knych HK, Adams AA.To determine the pharmacokinetics, bioavailability, and pharmacological effects of cannabidiol (CBD) in senior horses. Methods: 8 university-owned senior horses. Methods: In this randomized, crossover study, horses were assigned to receive either a single oral dose of 2 mg/kg CBD in oil or a single IV dose of 0.1 mg/kg CBD in DMSO between August 10 and September 4, 2020. Blood samples were collected before and then 0.5, 1, 4, 8, 24, 48, 72, 96, 120, 144, 168, 192, 216, 240, and 264 hours after CBD administration. Serum biochemical analyses and CBCs were performed. Plasma concentrations of CBD ...
Harman RM, Theoret CL, Van de Walle GR.Significance: Cutaneous wounds are a major problem in both human and equine medicine. The economic cost of treating skin wounds and related complications in humans and horses is high, and in both species, particular types of chronic wounds do not respond well to current therapies, leading to suffering and morbidity. Recent Advances: Conventional methods for the treatment of cutaneous wounds are generic and have not changed significantly in decades. However, as more is learned about the mechanisms involved in normal skin wound healing, and how failure of these processes leads to chronic nonheal...
Hothersall B, Nicol C.This article reviews the effects of diet on equine feeding behavior and feeding patterns, before considering the evidence that diet affects reactivity in horses. A growing body of work suggests that fat- and fiber-based diets may result in calmer patterns of behavior, and possible mechanisms that may underpin these effects are discussed. In contrast, there is little evidence that herbal- or tryptophan-containing supplements influence equine behavior in any measurable way. The role of diet in the development of abnormal oral behaviors, particularly the oral stereotypy crib-biting, is also revie...
Collinet A, Grimm P, Julliand S, Julliand V.The equine hindgut ecosystem is specialized in dietary fibers' fermentation to provide horses' energy and contribute to its health. Nevertheless, antibiotics are known to disrupt the hindgut microbiota, affecting the fibrolytic activity of bacteria and the intestinal immune balance, leading to diseases. This study used a general and comprehensive approach for characterizing the hindgut ecosystem of 9 healthy horses over 28 days in response to a 5-day challenge with oral trimethoprim-sulfadiazine (TMS), with a special emphasis on microbial fibrolytic activity and the host immune response. Hors...
