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.
Landolt G, Feige K, Grest P.A 13-year-old warmblood mare was presented because of progressive weight loss, general weakness and trembling. On examination the horse stood with its head lowered and the limbs placed under the body. On lifting its head spasms of the neck muscles could be observed. At the same time the horse developed trembling over the lower neck and muscle fasciculations continued over the whole body. Additional signs included frequent recumbency, polyphagia and facial hyperaesthesia. The horse showed no signs of ataxia. Haematology was normal. Blood biochemistry revealed slight increased aspartate aminotra...
Persson SG.The purposes of this study were to elucidate the influences of age and sex on the heart rate (HR, bpm) and blood lactate (LA, mmol/l) related exercise tolerance parameters V2000 (tread ill velocity at HR 200), VLA4 (velocity at LA 4), W200 (power output at V2000), and WLA4 (power output at VLA4), and to establish reference values for these in normally performing Standardbred trotting race horses. A further aim was to improve the predictability of individual normal values by correlating them with the total red blood cell volume (CV) alone or in combination with the blood lactate response at V20...
Hobo S, Oikawa M, Kuwano A, Yoshida K, Yoshihara T.To study the effects of extended transportation on the composition of bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) obtained from horses. Methods: 30 horses (14 males, 16 females: 25 Thoroughbreds and 5 Thoroughbred-Arabian cross-breds; 27 to 30 months old) without a history or clinical signs of respiratory tract disease. Bronchoalveolar lavage was performed on nontransported control horses (groups 1 and 2) and transported horses (group 3). Methods: 20 horses were used to determine the effect of 41 hours of transportation on the composition of BALF (group 3). Bronchoalveolar lavage fluid was analyzed fo...
Baptiste K.The pharyngeal orifice of the equine auditory tube has not been adequately described. Its larger size and position, further rostral within the nasopharynx compared with other species, cannot be easily explained, but could be important for the proposed brain-cooling function of the guttural pouches; however, unlike other species, it may not be the sole regulator of auditory tube aeration. A 'second orifice' (representing the final entrance to the auditory tube diverticulum) deserves recognition in performing a role in air exchange between the auditory tube, diverticulum and middle ear. The resu...
Kilic S, Dixon PM, Kempson SA.Ultrastructural examinations showed the diameter of cement lacunae to be greater in infundibular cement than in peripheral cement of upper cheek teeth, which in turn was greater than in the peripheral cement of the lower cheek teeth. However, numbers of lacunae/unit area remained similar in these 3 dentinal region. Two types of cemental hypoplasia were found in equine cheek teeth. The first type was termed central infundibular cemental hypoplasia and was confined to the central region of infundibular cement. The cement adjacent to these frequently large defects was very porous and contained la...
Uhlir C, Licka T, Kübber P, Peham C, Scheidl M, Girtler D.In order to study the mechanism of lameness transfer from fore- and hindlimb lamenesses 2 hypotheses were investigated. Hypothesis 1: Horses with a true supporting limb lameness in one hindlimb show a false supporting limb lameness in the ipsilateral forelimb. Hypothesis 2: Horses with a true supporting limb lameness in one forelimb show a false supporting limb lameness in the contralateral hindlimb. Fourteen horses with fore- or hindlimb lameness were used for this study. Each horse was measured at the trot on a treadmill with standardised speed, before and after diagnostic blocks (9 horses),...
Colborne GR, Lanovaz JL, Sprigings EJ, Schamhardt HC, Clayton HM.A method is described for the estimation of segmental powers and power flow during the stance phase in the equine forelimb, to demonstrate the sources and paths of energy flow through the limb segments. S-VHS video and force platform data were collected for 5 walking trials in a sound Dutch Warmblood horse. Two camera views were combined using direct linear transformation and the resultant sagittal plane positional and angular data used together with the vertical and cranio-caudal ground reaction forces to calculate moments about the ends of the 4 lowermost segments of the forelimb, and the re...
McAnulty JF, Stone WC, Darien BJ.The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of ischemia and reperfusion on the biochemical integrity of equine colonic mucosa to assess the relative roles of ischemic- and reperfusion-induced damage. Methods: Two hours of no-flow ischemia experimentally induced by 720 degrees counterclockwise ascending colon volvulus followed by 2 hours reperfusion after derotation. Methods: Ten ponies. Methods: Ascending colon biopsies were obtained every hour for measurement of mucosal adenosine triphosphate (ATP), water, sodium, and potassium content. Additional samples were homogenized for assay o...
Kumar S, Malhotra DV, Dhar S.The present study aimed to develop Dot-ELISA, complement fixation test (CFT) and capillary tube agglutination test (CAT) for serodiagnosis of Babesia equi infection and to compare their sensitivity with each other. For this study, sequential serum samples were collected from four donkeys experimentally infected with B. equi up to 90 days post infection (P.I.). B. equi antigen was prepared from the blood of a donkey showing more than 80% parasitaemia. Dot-ELISA, CF and CA tests were standardized as per the standard method. While performing CFT, it was observed that CFT standardized for the donk...
Smith KC.Abortion or neonatal disease may follow infection with several alpha, beta and gamma-herpesviruses. The alpha-herpesvirus, equid herpesvirus-1 (EHV-1), causes single or epizootic abortions or neonatal deaths in equids, and the closely related virus EHV-4 causes sporadic equine abortions. In cattle, the alpha-herpesviruses, bovine herpesvirus-1 (infectious bovine rhinotracheitis virus) and bovine herpesvirus-5 (bovine encephalitis virus), and a gamma-herpesvirus, bovine herpesvirus-4, have all been implicated as causes of abortion. In pigs, suid herpesvirus-1 (SHV-1: pseudorabies virus), an alp...
Chan CC, Munroe GA.A keratoma was diagnosed in a six-year-old Clydesdale gelding with recurrent 'pus in the foot'. The keratoma was excised through an inverted 'V' dorsal wall hoof resection up to 2 cm distal to the coronary band, the foot was bandaged and shod, and the horse treated with antibiotics and phenylbutazone. The dorsal hoof wall regrew completely and the horse gradually returned to full work.
Gu X, Meleka-Boules M, Chen CL, Ceska DM, Tiffany DM.A capillary electrophoresis (CE) and a solid-phase extraction method was developed for the determination of flunixin in equine urine and serum. The suitable CE run conditions were described. The factors affecting flunixin recovery rates were investigated and optimum solid-phase extraction conditions for flunixin in equine urine and serum were established. Limits of detection and quantitation were 3.4 and 5.6 ng/ml for serum and 16.9 and 33.1 ng/ml for urine, respectively. The recoveries exceeded 96% for urine and 79% for serum. Urine samples from race horses and urine and serum samples from a ...
Birkett AJ, Yélamos B, Rodríguez-Crespo I, Gavilanes F, Peterson DL.The gene coding for the major core protein (p26) of the lentivirus equine infectious anemia virus (EIAV) was cloned from EIAV infected serum, expressed in E. coli, and the resultant protein purified to electrophoretic homogeneity. The protein was expressed in a soluble form and was purified by conventional protein separation methods. When analyzed by SDS-PAGE, under both reducing and non-reducing conditions, the purified protein migrated as a 26 kDa monomer. Recombinant p26 (rp26), therefore, does not contain any intermolecular disulfide bond. Gel filtration chromatography also indicated that ...
Shin EK, Perryman LE, Meek K.The equine SCID defect is more severe than its murine counterpart in that SCID foals are incapable of forming either coding or signal joints, whereas SCID mice manifest normal signal joint formation. To determine the basis of this difference and whether DNA-dependent kinase, catalytic subunit (DNA-PK(CS)), is involved in signal joint formation, equine DNA-PK(CS) transcripts were cloned and sequenced from normal and SCID cell lines. In the mutant allele, a frame-shift mutation truncates the protein N terminal of the domain with homology to the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase family resulting in c...
Wijnberg ID, Vink-Nooteboom M, Sloet van Oldruitenborgh-Oosterbaan MM.A 7-year-old Friesian gelding was referred to the Department of Large Animal Medicine and Nutrition of the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine because of an inadequate response to treatment for vague symptoms of colic. An extensive physical examination showed there to be circulatory problems, with right-sided decompensation. Heart sounds were muffled on both sides of the thorax, and ECG showed a low voltage and variable amplitude of the QRS complex. Further investigations indicated idiopathic pericardial effusion. Pericardiocentesis was performed and supportive therapy started. Three weeks later th...
Southwood LL, Stashak TS, Fehr JE, Ray C.A lateral approach to the carpal sheath was used for endoscopic removal of osteochondromas from the distal aspect of the radius in 3 horses. Previously osteochondromas have been removed through an incision into the carpal sheath; however, endoscopy is less invasive, requires less surgery and convalescence time, provides better cosmetic results, is associated with a lower risk of infection, and allows better examination of structures within the sheath. A medial approach for endoscopic removal has been described previously; however, the lateral approach was advantageous, because it avoided the m...
Dell'Aquila ME, Cho YS, Minoia P, Traina V, Fusco S, Lacalandra GM, Maritato F.Conventional IVF as well as several assisted microfertilization techniques have shown limited success in the horse. After recent positive results achieved with intracytoplasmic injection of a single spermatozoon (ICSI) in human IVF, we chose to try the method in the horse. We compared conventional IVF to ICSI by fertilization rates of oocytes with compact and expanded cumuli and by developmental potential of the resulting embryos. Cumulus-oocyte complexes (COCs) were obtained by aspirating the follicular fluid from the ovaries of slaughtered mares. Complexes showing complete cumulus investment...
Wood JL, Chanter N, Newton JR, Burrell MH, Dugdale D, Windsor HM, Windsor GD, Rosendal S, Townsend HG.Lower respiratory tract disease developed in a group of racehorses in training between two and six years of age. Disease was observed in 22 of 25 horses for which full records were available. Seroconversion to Mycoplasma felis was demonstrated by indirect haemagglutination assay in 19 of 22 paired sera and high titres (> or = 64) were found in convalescent sera from the three remaining horses. Evidence of respiratory viral infection was confined to seroconversions to equine herpesvirus-4 in two of the horses. Tracheal wash samples, taken from four horses with visibly increased tracheal muco...
Uhlinger C.Leukoencephalomalacia in horses is caused by fumonisins. These mycotoxins are produced by Fusarium spp. that contaminate corn and corn byproducts while in the field. The most common clinical presentation is a multifocal neurologic disease that affects multiple horses in a herd. Although the majority of affected horses die, treatment directed at decreasing inflammation and edema in the CNS may result in recovery in some animals.
Beech J.This article presents a brief description of what is known about the cause and pathogenesis of chronic intermittent rhabdomyolysis in horses. Clinically applicable diagnostic tests and published results in affected horses, prophylaxis, and treatment of the acute case are discussed.
Divers TJ, Mohammed HO, Cummings JF.This article reviews the subject of equine motor neuron disease, a neurodegenerative disease of horses. The authors discuss various topics, including epidemiology, pathophysiology, clinical signs, laboratory findings, diagnosis, and treatment.
Trim CM.Hemorrhagic myelopathy or myelomalacia is an uncommon cause of failure to stand after general anesthesia. Affected horses are usually young and have been anesthetized for relatively short times in dorsal recumbency. Clinical signs involve the hind limbs and include loss of deep pain perception. Etiology of this condition is not known. Differentiation from other forms of neuropathy and myopathy is important to the prognosis.
Zheng YH, Nakaya T, Sentsui H, Kameoka M, Kishi M, Hagiwara K, Takahashi H, Kono Y, Ikuta K.We have studied a horse which exhibited typical clinical signs of disease when experimentally infected with a non-adapted virulent strain of equine infectious anaemia virus (EIAV), designated V70. Five viruses (F1V, F2V, F3V, F4V and F5V) were recovered during periodic febrile episodes. Cross-neutralization tests revealed that all of these variants and the parental V70 were antigenically distinct. Sequencing of their full-length env gp90 genes and gp45 5' sequences revealed novel mutations at a limited number of nucleotide positions, consisting of insertions and duplications in the gp90 princi...
Whitlock RH, Buckley C.Equine botulism is being recognized with increasing frequency by veterinarians throughout North America. Muscular weakness and dysphagia that progress during a period of 1 to 4 days, in the absence of laboratory derangements that indicate the presence of systemic disease, are suggestive of botulism. A tentative diagnosis usually is based on the presence of the following findings on physical examination: delayed pupillary light response, mydriasis, ptosis, generalized weakness, decreased tail tone, and slow prehension of feed. Definitive diagnosis requires detection of botulinum toxin in plasma...
Naylor JM.Hyperkalemic periodic paralysis is an autosomal codominant genetic disease of horses who are descendants of the quarter horse sire Impressive. It produces a muscular phenotype that has been selected by show judges, which has resulted in the rapid dissemination of this disease. Clinical attacks are characterized by muscle fasciculation and spasm, and they respond to treatments for the concurrent hyperkalemia.
Berkowski W, Plummer CE, Ramos R, Czerwinski S, Brooks D, Gallagher A.A yearling Thoroughbred stallion and an 8-year-old Saddlebred mare were evaluated for persistent mucoid ocular discharge. Results: Examination of both horses revealed copious yellow-tan mucoid ocular discharge with a negative Jones I test, absent nasal punctum, and unsuccessful anterograde nasolacrimal duct (NLD) irrigation. Clinical abnormalities were present on the right side only in one horse and bilaterally in the other. Computed tomography (CT) with contrast confirmed nasolacrimal duct atresia in both horses. Results: Under general anesthesia, the affected NLD was catheterized anterograde...
Burns TA.Nutrition plays an important role in equine health, including that of the foot. Deficiencies and excesses of dietary components can affect the growth and function of the foot and have been associated with important podiatric diseases. The recognition, prevention, and treatment of specific notable nutritional diseases of the foot are discussed, as well as information regarding specific ingredients included in supplements meant to improve equine hoof quality. Ensuring provision of a balanced diet, maintaining horses in appropriate body condition, and seeking guidance from an equine nutritionist ...
Davis LE.Adverse drug reactions occasionally occur in the horse. The majority can be anticipated and avoided. The practicing veterinarian should understand the various types of adverse reactions as well as their mechanisms so that should such a reaction occur, the practitioner can promptly recognize the problem and institute corrective measures.
Bromiley MW.Before a physical therapy and rehabilitation program is suggested, the end requirement must be considered. All physiotherapeutic machines are subject to laboratory screening. In the United States, the approval of the Food and Drug Administration is required; in the United Kingdom, certification by the National Physics Laboratory has been required by law since January 1996. Laboratory experiments are continually conducted to examine and evaluate the effects on tissues of varied electrical waveforms, low-intensity electrical currents, sound waves, and light rays delivered by a variety of therape...
Parker NA, Bailey TL, Bowen JM, Ley WB, Purswell BJ, Dascanio JJ.Like the human female, the mare experiences reproductive tract pathology that may sometimes be circumvented by the use of assisted reproductive technologies (ARTs). One such technology, gamete intrafallopian transfer (GIFT), may be used in mares that exhibit ovulatory, oviductal, or uterine abnormalities that limit the use of common ARTs, such as embryo transfer. Homologous GIFT has been successfully performed in the horse; however, the logistics, costs, and associated risks of surgically transferring gametes to the oviducts of a recipient mare are considerably high. Use of a less costly speci...
Best R.The external work, as measured by global positioning systems, undertaken by Polo ponies during tournament play has been well-described across Polo of varying levels in both Open and Women's Polo. However, the variability within these data have not been thoroughly examined. Understanding the variability within these data between players (within-tournament variability) and between tournaments allows a deeper understanding of expected Polo performance and can inform coaching and tactical decisions, as well as aid in longitudinal horse development and comparison to other equestrian disciplines. Th...
Oke RA.A 5-year-old quarter horse mare presented with unilateral, severe, chronic forelimb lameness. Radiographs revealed extensive hoof wall separation and capsular rotation of the distal phalanx. Treatment included dorsal hoof wall resection, phenylbutazone, a bar shoe, and stall rest. Whether white line disease or laminitis was the primary lesion remains unclear.
Harkins JD, Karpiesiuk W, Woods WE, Lehner A, Mundy GD, Rees WA, Dirikolu L, Bass S, Carter WG, Boyles J, Tobin T.Mepivacaine is a local anaesthetic drug that is widely used in equine medicine and is classified by the Association of Racing Commissioners International (ARCI) as a Class 2 foreign substance that may cause regulators to impose significant penalties if residues are identified in post-race urine samples. Therefore, an analytical/pharmacological database was developed for this agent and its metabolites. Using an abaxial sesamoid local anaesthetic model, it was determined that the highest no-effect dose (HNED) for its local anaesthetic effect was 2 mg. Using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELI...
Alsafy MAM, Elbakary RMA, Bassuoni NF.Joint diseases often represent the major part of equine clinician's caseloads. The current study aimed to document the normal anatomy of the donkey shoulder and elbow joints using computed tomography, cadaver sections, and radiography. Seven adult donkeys were used in this study. The current study proved there were no pouches of the donkey shoulder joint. Communication between the joint capsule and bicipital bursa was observed only in two limbs of four used in the present work. The joint was without pericapsular ligaments. The glenohumeral ligament was identified by the thickening of the artic...
Coffman JR.Initial examination and therapy, and the avoidance of maltreatment are emphasized. Gastric decompression is of prime importance, after which no compound should be administered via stomach tube. Where large amounts of high starch grains are fed, primary acute gastric dilatation must be differentiated from that secondary to small bowel dilatation, by immediate gastric intubation and irrigation of the cardia with lidocaine. If cessation of pain and improvement of peristalsis and general attitude follow, the former state may be assumed. If pain persists and peristalsis does not improve markedly, o...
The heart surgery forumApril 1, 2005
Volume 7, Issue 5 E498-E502 doi: 10.1532/HSF98.20041087
Eckstein FS, Tevaearai H, Keller D, Schmidli J, Immer FF, Seiler C, Saner H, Carrel TP.This study details a single-center experience with the 3F Therapeutics stentless aortic bioprosthesis(investigational device) and is part of a prospective,nonrandomized worldwide multicenter study. We assessed the implantation procedure and the valve's efficacy in terms of early mortality and morbidity and early echocardiographic valve performance. Methods: Between June 2001 and March 2004, 24 patients (14 men/10 women) underwent aortic valve replacement(AVR) with a 3F valve. Mean age was 72 +/- 13 years(range, 31-88 years). Combined revascularization was performed in 12 patients; 1 patient re...
Wolf L.The locomotor system requires normal movement for normal function. Movement restrictions of soft tissues and joints stimulate nociceptive pathways in the corresponding vertebral segment. Reflex-induced alterations of sensory and motor neuron activity within the segment lead to detrimental changes within many of the tissues associated with and distant from the area. Manual therapy is utilized in both diagnosis and treatment of tissue and joint movement restrictions. Early recognition and treatment of dysfunction in the equine athlete prevents permanent pathology and facilitates performance exce...
Rebollo B, Sarraseca J, Lecollinet S, Abouchoaib N, Alonso J, García-Bocanegra I, Sanz AJ, Venteo Á, Jiménez-Clavero MA.West Nile virus (WNV) is a zoonotic arboviral pathogen affecting humans, birds, and horses. Vaccines are available for veterinary use, which efficiently prevent the infection in horses. Most common diagnostic tools rely on the identification of the agent (RT-PCR, virus isolation), or on the detection of antibodies (IgM and IgG) recognizing structural proteins of the virus or neutralizing virus infection in cell cultures (virus-neutralization tests). The recent emergence of WNV in different parts of the world has resulted in an increase in the vaccination of horses in many countries. Methods fo...
Findley JA, Singer ER, Milner PI, Leeming GH.Soft tissue sarcomas of the equine distal limb associated with joints, sheaths, or bursae have rarely been reported. Accurate diagnosis of these tumors is challenging in both human beings and veterinary species. Immunohistochemical staining and transmission electron microscopy have been used in human beings to reduce misdiagnosis. The current report describes 2 mature horses presenting with lameness and swelling associated with the dorsal aspect of the metacarpo(tarso)phalangeal joint. In both cases, surgical excision was performed with subsequent histological analysis of the masses to determi...
Davenport CL, Tulleners EP, Parente EJ.To investigate the effects of recurrent laryngeal neurectomy (RLN) in combination with laryngoplasty and ventriculocordectomy on the postoperative performance of Thoroughbred racehorses treated for grade III left laryngeal hemiparesis (LLH). Methods: Retrospective study. Methods: Fifty-five Thoroughbred racehorses. Methods: Medical records for Thoroughbred racehorses treated surgically by laryngoplasty and laser ventriculocordectomy with or without RLN between June 1993 and December 1996 were reviewed. Outcome was evaluated subjectively by assessment of performance obtained from telephone inte...
Humber KA.After becoming entangled in safety lines and being submerged in a chlorinated swimming pool, a 2-year-old Thoroughbred gelding was evaluated and treated successfully. Treatment included antimicrobial agents, anti-inflammatory drugs, bronchodilators, diuretics, humidified oxygen, and surfactant transplant. The results of follow-up examination of the gelding 120 days after hospitalization were normal.
Ahmadi Afshar N, Malekifard F, Asri Rezaei S, Tavassoli M.Equine piroplasmosis is a tick-borne protozoal disease affecting horses, mules, donkeys and zebras and can lead to severe economic losses in the equine industry. There is limited information on clinical pathologic changes of equine piroplasmosis in donkeys. This study aims to investigate the impacts of babesiosis on various hematological and biochemical properties in naturally infected donkeys with Theileria equi and Babesia caballi. Methods: A total of 200 apparently healthy donkeys were randomly examined for the presence of equine piroplasmosis in blood samples. Of 200 samples, 11(5.5%) anim...