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.
Sternberg S.Swab samples were collected from the oral cavity of 174 horses in 10 farms and cultured selectively for Actinobacillus equuli. A. equuli could be isolated from 37% of all samples, varying between 12 and 88% in the different farms. Eight horses were sampled repeatedly for several days, with a variation in isolation frequency between 50 and 88%. Isolates were compared by restriction enzyme digestion and Pulsed-Field Gel Electrophoresis. A high degree of strain variability was found within each horse population as well as some variability over time between strains isolated from the same horse.
Jordana J, Folch P, Cuenca R.Twelve clinical biochemical parameters were determined in 97 animals of all age groups and both sexes of the endangered Catalonian donkey breed. Significant sex differences were observed for phospholipid concentration (P<0.01). Evaluating the effect of management practices on the various parameters showed significant differences for total bilirubin (P<0.001) and creatinine (P<0.05) concentrations and gamma-glutamyltransferase (P<0.05) activity. Moreover, it was observed that inorganic phosphorus concentration decreased with age (P<0.001), whereas albumin and triglyceride concent...
Heitkamp HC, Horstmann T, Hillgeris D.A group of experienced riders who qualified for the German riding badge 9.5 years ago answered a questionnaire pertaining to injuries during jumping, dressage and cross-country riding, as well as handling the horse. During riding 69% of the persons had had 187 injuries and while handling the horse 52% had had 124 injuries. Fractures and contusions were the most-frequent injuries; most riding injuries were located in the upper extremities and shoulder while handling mainly in the hands and feet. The number of injuries was comparable in jumping, dressage or cross-country riding. The time engaged...
Ramirez S, Williams J, Seahorn TL, Blas-Machado U, Partington BP, Valdes M, McClure JR.A 3-month-old foal was presented for correction of bilateral angular limb deformities. Azotemia was detected as an incidental finding. Small, misshapened, hyperechoic kidneys with decreased corticomedullary demarcation were noted with ultrasonography. Additionally, the internal renal architecture was abnormal in that the intrarenal vessels and distant collecting system were not clearly seen in either kidney. Ultrasound-guided renal biopsy was suggestive of congenital renal dysplasia, which was later confirmed at necropsy. Clinical, sonographic, and pathologic features of equine renal dysplasia...
Warmerdam EP.Ultrasonography of the femoral artery in the horse, including color, power and spectral Doppler, provides morphologic and dynamic information. This paper describes the use of the techniques in six clinically normal horses and three with femoral artery thrombosis. Useful landmarks for orientation are the saphenous artery and the medial saphenous vein. The lateral circumflex femoral artery can not be visualized. Recognition of the genus descendens artery is complicated due to the presence of multiple distal caudal femoral arteries. The femoral artery feeds a high resistance bed. In normal horses...
Widmer WR, Blevins WE, Jakovljevic S, Levy M, Teclaw RF, Han CM, Hurd CD.A prospective clinical trial comparing adverse postmyelographic effects and myelographic quality of metrizamide and iohexol was conducted. Using a predetermined, randomized assignment, 24 horses exhibiting neurologic signs were administered either metrizamide (180 mgl/ml) or iohexol (180 mgl/ml) via cerebellomedullary puncture. Each horse was evaluated postmyelographically for adverse effects. Myelographic quality was assessed by a numerical scoring method. Adverse effects were observed more frequently with metrizamide (21) compared with iohexol (6) myelography (p < 0.05). Seizures, intensific...
Young LE, Scott GR.In order to assess the reliability and repeatability of transthoracic echocardiography for detecting serial changes in cardiac function in horses, day to day variability of a number of echocardiographic indices of ventricular function were studied. The variables investigated were, from 2-dimensional (2-D) and M-mode echocardiography - aortic diameter in systole (Aos), pulmonary artery diameter in systole (Pas), left ventricular internal diameter in systole (LLVIDs) and diastole (LLVIDd), and left ventricular fractional shortening (%FS) and estimated ejection fraction (EF). From pulsed Doppler ...
Higuchi T, Taharaguchi S, Hashikura S, Hagiwara S, Gojo C, Satoh S, Yoshida M, Takai S.To evaluate results of physical and serologic examinations of foals at 30 and 45 days of age on 3 types of farms with various prevalences of clinical disease (endemic, sporadic, none) caused by Rhodococcus equi and to determine whether evaluations were helpful in early diagnosis and control of the disease. Methods: Prospective cohort study. Methods: 144 foals at 30 and 45 days of age. Methods: During a 2-year period, 36 foals on farms at which R equi infection was endemic, 71 foals on farms at which the disease was sporadically detected, and 37 foals on farms without the disease were examined ...
Haouz A, Glandieres JM, Zentz C, Pin S, Ramstein J, Tauc P, Brochon JC, Alpert B.The effects of the solvent conditions (buffer pH 9, 8, or 7 or buffer pH 6.5 alone or mixed with 3.2% ethanol or 6.2% formamide) on the protein dynamics of horse apomyoglobin were investigated through tryptophan fluorescence quenching, spectra, and decay properties. Raising the pH (which induces discontinuous protein conformation changes) increases the structural fluctuations inside the hydrophobic A, G, and H helix core. Mixed solutions containing either 3.2% ethanol or 6.2% formamide (which redistribute water molecules on the protein surface) produce protein dynamics changes in the vicinity ...
La Perle KM, Piercy RJ, Long JF, Blomme EA.Multisystemic, eosinophilic, epitheliotropic disease and intestinal lymphosarcoma were diagnosed in a Paso Fino mare that presented with anorexia and weight loss. The stomach, ileum, cecum, colon, pancreas, and lungs were infiltrated by large numbers of eosinophils forming prominent eosinophilic granulomas, as well as lymphocytes and plasma cells. Two jejunal masses composed of solid sheets of neoplastic lymphocytes were present. In contrast to the regions of inflammation, the infiltrates in these masses did not contain plasma cells, eosinophils, and eosinophilic granulomas. Immunohistochemica...
Manohar M, Goetz TE, Sullivan E, Griffin R.The present study was carried out to examine the effects of phenylbutazone treatment on the pulmonary haemodynamic effects of frusemide in strenuously exercising horses. Using catheter mounted manometers, whose in vivo signals were referenced at the point of the shoulder, heart rate, right atrial, right ventricular and pulmonary vascular pressures were measured in 3 different sets of experiments. Seven Thoroughbreds were subjected to 1) control (no medications), 2) frusemide control and 3) phenylbutazone + frusemide. The experiments were carried out in random order and were separated by 7 days...
van Schaik AM, van der Pol BA, van der Linde-Sipman JS.A healthy, 10-day-old Welsh A pony colt was totally blind 1 day after arrival at a studfarm. Both eyes appeared normal on external inspection. The young animal had been very distressed during the 40-km journey to the studfarm. Intravenous corticosteroids were administered for 2 days, but did not result in any observable improvement. The animal was euthanized at the owner's request. Both eyes with the optic nerves were removed for histological examination. Both optic nerves showed Wallerian degeneration, a well-known response of peripheral nerves to trauma. The foal, which was not tethered duri...
Johnson KG, Tyrrell J, Rowe JB, Pethick DW.Abnormal behaviour commonly develops in intensively managed horses. A possible cause is the change in diet occurring when the horse is stabled. An experiment was performed to examine this possibility by manipulating the diet with the feed supplement virginiamycin, as Founderguard. During 4 weeks, 18 horses were fed diets ranging from hay alone to concentrate plus hay in the ratio of 3:1. The rations of half the horses given concentrate were supplemented with Founderguard. Horses eating high concentrate rations displayed abnormal oral behaviours at a higher frequency than those eating only hay....
Doxey DL, Milne EM, Ellison J, Curry PJ.Responses to questionnaires were received from 31 owners of horses or ponies treated for chronic grass sickness (dysautonomia). Contrary to previous opinions the respondents indicated that the majority of the animals were capable of strenuous work, had regained the weight they had lost and, apart from a few residual problems such as difficulty in coping with dry fibrous food, had returned to a normal life. They had recovered slowly and had involved the owners in considerable extra work, but all the owners indicated that they considered the effort to have been worthwhile.
Rebhun WC, Del Piero F.To determine the most common ocular lesions in horses with lymphosarcoma. Methods: Retrospective study. Methods: 79 horses histologically confirmed to have lymphosarcoma. Methods: Ophthalmic examinations were performed by a single individual. Results: 21 of 79 horses had lesions involving the eye or ocular adnexa. Infiltration of the palpebral conjunctiva and eyelids was the most common lesion (n = 11). Other lesions included uveitis (n = 4), corneoscleral masses (2), third eyelid masses (2), and diffuse retrobulbar infiltrates (2). Conclusions: In horses with lymphosarcoma, ocular lesions may...
Brugmans F, Venner M, Menzel D, Mischke R.The purpose of this study was to investigate the usefulness of two heat-precipitation techniques (Schalm- and Millar-method) as screening tests to measure plasma fibrinogen concentration in horses. Based on the measurement of samples from 108 different horses, the coefficient of correlation (CC) for the relationship between the results with the Schalm- and with the reference-method (Jacobsson) were much lower (r = 0.78) than between the Millar- and Jacobsson-method (r = 0.94). Furthermore the Schalm-method was less precise as reflected by the greater coefficient of variation (CV, within-run pr...
Hall JO.Poisoning cases in horses associated with dietary exposures can encompass a wide variety of etiologies that can be caused by natural or man-made components. Feed mixing errors and ingestion of feed formulated for other species are the most common means by which poisonings from man-made materials occur. Ionophore feed additives and antibacterial agents are especially toxogenic to horses. Effects of ionophores in horses include clinical, clinicopathologic, and pathologic changes associated with cardiac, muscular, and neurologic tissues involvement. The acute effects of ionophores, however, can r...
Kilgué A, Teudt IU, Grundmann T, Püschel K.Every blunt laryngeal trauma requires examination by an ENT physician and may necessitate observation for a number of hours. The literature shows a heterogeneous picture regarding airway management (tracheotomy vs. intubation). Extremely violence forces such as horse kicks require a tracheotomy, as demonstrated by case studies. In such cases, a high level of responsibility lies with the emergency physician providing the initial treatment. We present the case of a 37-year-old horse trainer, who suffered a horse kick to the larynx with a complex laryngeal fracture. Intubation of the patient by t...
Tura G, Brunetti B, Brigandì E, Rinnovati R, Sarli G, Avallone G, Muscatello LV, La Ragione RM, Durham AE, Bacci B.Sarcoids are among the most common tumors diagnosed in equids; their association with bovine papillomaviruses (BPV) infection has been widely reported, but the mechanism of carcinogenesis has not been fully elucidated. To verify whether BPV infection causes dysregulation of the pRb-Cyclin D1-p16-p53 pathway as reported for human papillomavirus (HPV), the study employed immunohistochemistry to test 55 equine sarcoid biopsies for the expression of pRb, Cyclin D1, and p53 cell cycle regulatory proteins and to evaluate the proliferative rate through Ki67. High Cyclin D1 and pRb expression were obs...
Hudson NP, Pearson GT, Mayhew IG, Proudman CJ, Burden FA, Fintl C.Intestinal motility disorders are an important problem in horses and donkeys and this study was carried out in order to evaluate the enteric neurons in animals with and without intestinal disease. Surplus intestinal tissue samples were collected from 28 horses undergoing exploratory laparotomy for colic. In addition, surplus intestinal samples from 17 control horses were collected immediately following humane destruction for clinical conditions not relating to the intestinal tract. Similar samples were also collected during routine post-mortem examinations from 12 aged donkeys; six animals wer...
Sellers AF, Lowe JE, Brondum J.The equine large colon is the major cellulose-fermentation locus of these species. The area of juncture of the ventral and dorsal divisions of the equine large colon was characterized, in 13 chronic unanesthetized animals and in 25 in vitro preparations, as an area of resistance to aboral flow. This is a probable pacemaker area. The reservoir function of this part of the colon is apparently facilitated by the presence of a pacemaker at this level. There was a general rise in recorded intraluminal pressure peaks during the first hour of feeding. This characteristic was not altered after resecti...
Warko G, Bostedt H.Eight vital, new-born foals were additionally administered a non-species-specific colostrum-substitute via stomach-tube within the first 18 hours of their life. The substitute had been made of cattle-colostrum. These foals as well as a control-group of eight foals constantly had free access to maternal colostrum. Object of measurement was GGT-activity in the blood-serum. The increase of GGT-activity within the first 24 hours after birth was very low in the control-group (up to 25 U/l), and very high in the tested animals (418 +/- 182 U/l). Obviously there is a direct connection between this ri...
Eggleston RB.Successful management of equine wounds relies on knowledge of the stages of wound healing, factors that can alter those stages, how healing stages can be manipulated, and adherence to the principles of wound healing. Challenges that complicate wound management include the inability to immobilize and/or confine equine patients, and maintain a clean environment during the critical initial stages of healing. Because of these challenges, the equine practitioner relies heavily on bandaging and external coaptation techniques to successfully treat and manage wounds. The type of bandage used is dictat...
Clark-Price SC, Rush BR, Gaughan EM, Cox JH.A 2-year-old female Quarter Horse was evaluated for hind limb lameness, fever (40 degrees C [104 degrees F]), and lethargy of 2 weeks' duration. Hypoproteinemia characterized by hypoalbuminemia and hyperfibrinogenemia was detected. Abdominal ultrasonography revealed thickening of the right dorsal colon wall. Treatment was instituted for putative right dorsal coliis. Lameness evaluation localized signs of pain to the lumbar vertebrae or pelvis. Radiography performed with the horse standing and nuclear scintigraphy revealed no abnormalities. Ventrodorsal pelvic radiography revealed a focal area ...
Sánchez J, Gonzalo-Orden JM, Ginja MM, Oliveira PA, Reyes LE, Serantes AE, Orden MA.An Andalusian Stallion with left hind limb lameness had a radiolucent lesion in the medullary cavity of distal tibial metaphysis. After euthanasia for other disease, the tibia was examined with magnetic resonance (MR). The MR imaging sequences were characterized by a double line sign, although showing quite different lesion area intensities. Histologically, the lesion was compatible with medullary infarction being characterized by normal spongy bone, areas of abundant fibrous tissue and numerous necrotic adipocytes in various stages of destruction.
Gomez DE, Buczinski S, Darby S, Palmisano M, Beatty SSK, Mackay RJ.Use of different analyzers to measure electrolytes in the same horse can lead to different interpretation of acid-base balance when using the simplified strong ion difference (sSID) approach. Objective: Investigate the level of agreement between 2 analyzers in determining electrolytes concentrations, sSID variables, and acid-base disorders in sick horses. Methods: One hundred twenty-four hospitalized horses. Methods: Retrospective study using paired samples. Electrolytes were measured using a Beckman Coulter AU480 Chemistry analyzer (PBMA) and a Nova Biomedical Stat Profile (WBGA), respectivel...
Poore LA, Le Roux C, Carstens A.A definitive diagnosis of extensive suture line exostoses affecting the nasofrontal, nasolacrimal, nasomaxillary, frontolacrimal, lacrimozygomatic and lacrimomaxillary suture lines in a 7-year-old Thoroughbred mare with chronic bilateral epiphora and facial deformation was achieved using standing computed tomography (CT) examinations. Positive contrast dacryocystorhinography using CT revealed partial bilateral obstruction of the nasolacrimal ducts. Minimally displaced depression fractures of the right nasal bone, the right maxillary bone and right frontal bone were also demonstrated. The cosme...
Shoemaker RS, Martin GS, Hillmann DJ, Haynes PF, McClure JR, Schneiter HL.Two horses became acutely lame following a fall during strenuous exercise and were diagnosed as having disruption of the caudal component of the reciprocal apparatus. Clinical signs consisted of lameness of the right pelvic limb, characterized by flexion of the hock and simultaneous extension of the stifle. Radiography revealed an avulsion fracture from the supracondylar tuberosity and fossa of the distal portion of the femur in one horse. Clinical and radiographic findings indicated avulsion of the lateral origin of the gastrocnemius and superficial digital flexor muscles. Treatment consisted...
Farahi S, Shishehbor P, Nemati A, Witaliński W.A new mite species, Trachygamasus karuni sp. nov. is described from buffalo, sheep and horse manure at several locations north of Ahvaz city, Khuzestan, Iran. A key to 14 world species of Trachygamasus with described adults is also provided.