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.
Watt GM, Finch CF.The medical and sports literature databases were searched for equestrian sports-related injury published in English since 1980, together with conference abstracts and discussions with equestrian sporting bodies. This literature was critically reviewed, with emphasis on measures to prevent or control injury i.e. countermeasures. While there is considerable literature available on the epidemiology of injury incurred in most equestrian sports, there is little on the prevention of these injuries. Case-control or other studies evaluating the effectiveness of the countermeasures suggested by authors...
Clarke KW, Song DY, Alibhai HI, Lee YH.Cardiopulmonary parameters were measured in 12 ponies (small horses) before anaesthesia and, following induction with xylazine and ketamine, during maintenance of anaesthesia with desflurane. In six of the ponies (group A) anaesthesia was maintained for three hours with desflurane at an end-tidal concentration of 7.4 per cent. In the other six ponies (group B), anaesthesia was maintained in the same way for one hour and then the effects of end-tidal desflurane concentrations of 7.4 per cent and 9.6 per cent with and without artificial ventilation were investigated. In group A ponies the arteri...
Aleman M, Spier SJ, Wilson WD, Doherr M.To describe clinical manifestations of Corynebacterium pseudotuberculosis infection in horses and to evaluate diagnostic methods for identification of this disease. Methods: Retrospective case series. Methods: 538 horses with a diagnosis of C pseudotuberculosis infection. Results: Median age of horses with external abscesses was similar to that in horses with internal abscesses. Breed and sex did not appear to be associated with infection. Cases were detected during all 12 months; however, the disease was most common in the fall and early winter, with the highest incidence in September, Octobe...
Southwood LL, Baxter GM.Recent advances in instrument sterilization include the introduction of gas plasma sterilization and the increased use of glutaraldehyde. Gas plasma sterilization has the advantages of no toxic residue effects, reduced turnover time, and applicability for sterilization of heat- and moisture-sensitive instruments. Chlorhexidine gluconate (4%) appears to be a superior preoperative surgical scrub for both the surgeon and the patient because of its increased antimicrobial efficacy, residual activity, and minimal tissue reactions. There are many new wound dressings and topical medications for treat...
Camus AC, Burba DJ, Valdes MA, Taylor HW.A 21-year-old female American Saddle Horse with a prominent swelling on the ventral aspect of the right hemimandible and radiographic evidence of a bone cyst was examined. The cyst cavity was surgically explored and was found to contain mucinous fluid and sheets of keratin. Microscopically, the cyst was lined by well-differentiated squamous epithelium characterized by various degrees of hyperkeratosis and parakeratosis. The stromal component varied from scant areas in which epithelium was closely apposed to bone to wide regions of dense connective tissue that contained fragments of keratin sur...
Van Duijkeren E, Kessels BG, Sloet van Oldruitenborgh-Oosterbaan MM, Breukink HJ, Vulto AG, van Miert AS.Binding of antibiotics to food has received little attention in equine medicine, although such binding could potentially reduce the bioavailability and clinical efficacy. In the present study, binding of trimethoprim (TMP) and sulphachlorpyridazine (SCP) to hay, grass silage and concentrate was investigated in vitro in buffer at pH 6.8 at different concentrations. The binding of TMP and SCP to caecal contents was also studied. In addition, the degradation of TMP and SCP by the caecal microflora was investigated by incubating sterilized and non-sterilized caecal contents for 3 h at 37 degrees C...
Auer JA, Watkins JP.In recent years fracture fixation in the horse has changed significantly. New devices, mainly adapted from the human field, have been successfully introduced into large animal surgery. Examples of such implants include the DCS/DHS implant system, the self-tapping screw, the cannulated screw, and the pinless external fixator. However, new devices have also been developed exclusively for equine fracture management, including the interlocking intramedullary nail and the external skeletal fixation device. With these devices the surgeon has more options for repairing fractures in horses. Neverthele...
Cox D.Many clinicians are experiencing consumer resistance to the prescription of equine HRT (that is hormone replacement therapy which has been manufactured from mare's urine). In this paper I consider the ethical implications of prescribing these preparations. I decide that patients should have a right to refuse such treatment but also ask whether a prescribing doctor should choose one preparation over another on moral grounds. I determine that there is prima facie evidence to suggest that mares may suffer and that prescription of equine HRT (instead of synthetic oestrogen-oestriol) would therefor...
Tulleners E.Transendoscopic laser surgery provides equine surgeons with a safe, reliable, and minimally invasive method of performing many surgical procedures in the upper respiratory tract. Although the Nd:YAG laser has proven efficacy, other newer lasers such as the diode and holmium: YAG lasers may prove to be useful tools for equine upper respiratory tract surgery. Long grasping forceps and a high quality fiberoptic or video endoscope are critical components necessary for performing transendoscopic laser surgery. For many of the most common upper respiratory tract abnormalities, a laryngotomy can be e...
Wagner PD, Erickson BK, Seaman J, Kubo K, Hiraga A, Kai M, Yamaya Y.Although the horse is considered an elite athlete with a specific VO2max some 2-4 times higher than man, maximal O2 transport is compromised both by moderately severe arterial desaturation and by failure to extract all O2 from blood perfusing exercising muscle. This prompted the present study to ascertain whether correction of arterial desaturation would proportionally augment VO2max and, if so, would O2 extraction behave in a manner predicted by diffusional transport limitation. Six two year old thoroughbreds were exercised to VO2max on a treadmill each on three separate occasions breathing g...
Trotter GW, McIlwraith CW.Surgical procedures completed under arthroscopic guidance have become commonplace in many equine practices and have largely replaced surgery using arthrotomy incisions. With a limited amount of equipment, numerous diagnostic and surgical procedures can be completed. Surgeons need to become familiar with regional and intraarticular (intrasynovial) anatomy to ensure that proper surgical approaches are used, access to the lesion will be realized, and potential complications will be minimized. Specialized motorized instruments and surgical lasers are now available and may be useful in the treatmen...
Palmer SE.The carbon dioxide laser has become an important surgical instrument in human and veterinary medicine. The unique properties of this laser make it the instrument of choice for precise incision, coagulation, and vaporization of tissue at the body surface with minimal morbidity to the patient. This article describes the instrumentation and techniques used to perform a variety of equine general surgical procedures with the carbon dioxide laser. The benefits of surgery using the carbon dioxide laser include precise dissection with minimal trauma to adjacent tissues, good hemostasis, and the abilit...
Baxter GM.Orthopedic infections-those involving bones, joints, tendon sheaths, or bursae-are some of the most difficult problems for equine surgeons to treat successfully. Sources of the infection are usually hematogenous, traumatic, or iatrogenic and knowledge of the most likely causative bacteria is very useful in selecting the most appropriate antimicrobial(s) to either prevent or treat these infections in horses. This article discusses the clinical findings, diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of orthopedic infections in horses. More recent treatment methods such as synovial drainage techniques (ar...
Hartmann FA, Callan RJ, McGuirk SM, West SE.Salmonella anatum was isolated from horses treated at a private veterinary clinic or at a university veterinary medical teaching hospital. All isolates were resistant to most commonly used antibiotics. Because of the severity of disease resulting from outbreaks of infections with drug-resistant strains of S anatum, an epidemiologic investigation was conducted. Enteric bacteria, including S anatum, that were resistant to most antibiotics were isolated from the private veterinary clinic environment. Salmonella anatum was not isolated from the university teaching hospital environment. To prevent ...
Martin RB, Gibson VA, Stover SM, Gibeling JC, Griffin LV.In studying the flexural fatigue properties of the equine third metacarpal (cannon) bone, we previously found that the dorsal region was weaker monotonically, but more fatigue resistant, than the lateral region. Fatigue resistance was associated with fracture surfaces which demonstrated that secondary osteons had "pulled out" of the surrounding matrix; this never happened in lateral specimens. We therefore became interested in the osteonal structure of this bone, and began to study its birefringence patterns in circularly polarized light. We found that the predominant type of secondary osteon ...
Kane AJ, Stover SM, Gardner IA, Case JT, Johnson BJ, Read DH, Ardans AA.To evaluate selected shoe characteristics as risk factors for fatal musculoskeletal injury (FMI) and specifically for suspensory apparatus failure (SAF) and cannon bone condylar fracture (CDY) of Thoroughbred racehorses in California. Methods: Case-control study. Methods: Thoroughbred racehorses (n = 201) that died of were euthanatized at California racetracks between August 1992 and July 1994. Methods: Shoe characteristics were compared between case horses affected by FMI (155), SAF (79), and CDY (41) and control horses that died for reasons unrelated to the appendicular musculoskeletal syste...
Riley CB, Archer FJ, Bailey JV.To compare the effects of different commercial nutrient media and sera on protein synthesis and maintenance of cellular density in cultures of the equine superficial digital flexor tendon (SDFT). Methods: 8 healthy 2- to 4-year-old horses. Methods: First Dulbecco's modified Eagle's medium, Ham's F12 nutrient mixture, RPMI 1640 medium, minimum essential medium with Earle's salts, minimum essential medium with Hanks' salts, and a Dulbecco's modified Eagle's medium/Ham's F12 nutrient mixture with 10% fetal bovine serum (FBS) were compared. Then FBS, fetal equine serum, and donor horse serum, each...
Mueller PO, Allen D.Recent advances in abdominal surgical techniques in the horse have resulted in improved survival rates and reduced postoperative morbidity. The development of abdominal surgical procedures in horses has paralleled the development of safe anesthetic protocols and innovative technological advancements in humans. Irrespective of the species, the application of sound surgical principles is still the foundation of surgical intervention. This article describes recent advances in equine gastrointestinal surgical techniques. The availability and application of innovative intestinal surgical devices an...
Kane AJ, Stover SM, Gardner IA, Case JT, Johnson BJ, O'Brien MJ, Read DH, Ardans AA.To develop a standard technique for evaluation of racehorse shoes, to assess homotypic variation (interlimb variation) in shoe characteristics, and to determine whether shoe characteristics varied with age and sex. Methods: Cross-sectional study. Methods: Thoroughbred racehorses (n = 201) that died or were euthanatized at California racetracks between August 1992 and July 1994. Methods: Shoe characteristics were measured on horses examined after death. Percentage of agreement was used to compare shoe characteristics between limbs (homotypic variation). Using chi 2 analysis, shoe characteristic...
Douglas JE, Mittal C, Thomason JJ, Jofriet JC.During normal weight-bearing and locomotion, the equine hoof wall deforms in a consistent pattern; the proximal dorsal wall rotates caudo-ventrally about the distal dorsal border and there is latero-medial flaring posteriorly. The aim of this study is to examine whether there are regional differences in the modulus of elasticity of hoof wall material and whether such differences correlate with the pattern of deformation which occurs in vivo. The modulus of elasticity of equine hoof wall was determined in tension and compression for samples from six forefeet. Samples were tested at the mid-poin...
Hendrickson DA, Wilson DG.Equine surgery continues to benefit from advances in laparoscopic techniques. Descriptions of the normal anatomy of the standing horse and advances in instrumentation have improved our ability to perform laparoscopic surgery in both standing and dorsally recumbent horses. The common uses for laparoscopy are diagnostic laparoscopy, cryptorchidectomy, ovariectomy, and diagnostic thoracoscopy. Other reported uses include inguinal hernia repair, ruptured bladder repair, and ventral colopexy.
Paré J, Carpenter TE, Thurmond MC.To determine whether clustering existed in the spatial or temporal distribution of horses that shed Salmonella krefeld in their feces during hospitalization. Methods: Retrospective analysis of medical records. Methods: 219 horses housed in the intensive care unit of a veterinary medical teaching hospital from October 1991 through May 1992. Methods: Bacteriologic culturing of fecal samples was used to identify horses shedding S krefeld. For affected horses, the scan statistic was used to analyze temporal clustering, and Knox's method was used to analyze temporal-spatial clustering. Results: 20 ...
Gerard MP, Bowman KF, Blikslager AT, Tate LP, Bristol DG.To determine whether complete cecal bypass, by jejunocolostomy or ileocolostomy, is an effective treatment for horses with cecal impaction. Methods: Retrospective analysis of medical records. Methods: 9 horses with cecal impaction managed by jejunocolostomy (3) or ileocolostomy (6) performed with or without typhlotomy for evacuation of cecal contents. Methods: Information on age, breed, gender, duration of medical treatment, preoperative abnormalities, surgical procedure, and postoperative complications was retrieved from the medical records. Follow-up data were obtained via telephone intervie...
Prasad A, Kumar V, Kumar B.Theileria equi is a tickborne hemoparasite that can cause severe illness in equids. In this report, we are describing a condition of acute bilateral hyphema in a 4-month-old Kathiawari filly infected with T. equi. The horse showed clinical signs such as fever, lethargy, icterus, tachycardia, tachypnea, and bilateral hyphema. Laboratory diagnosis revealed anemia and thrombocytopenia. Atypical clinical manifestation of bilateral hyphema, to our knowledge, has never been reported so far in equids infected with T. equi. The diagnosis was confirmed by microscopic examination of Geimsa-stained blo...
Huskamp B.The paper considers the general principles of intestinal surgery in the horse and illustrates a theatre layout suitable for this purpose. The problems of locating and reducing obstructions of the small and large intestine are discussed, with particular emphasis on incarcerations of the small bowel and the techniques of jejunal and ileal re-implantation after bowel resection.
Anderson JD, Leonard JM, Zeliff JA, Garman RH.A 16-year-old Thoroughbred gelding was evaluated for respiratory disease and found to have a primary lung tumor on postmortem examination. A tentative antemortem diagnosis was made on the basis of results of radiography and cytologic examination of a needle aspirate guided by ultrasonography. A histologic diagnosis of bronchioalveolar adenocarcinoma was made. Thoracic neoplasia is rare in horses. The most frequently reported primary pulmonary tumor is the granular cell tumor.
Mizobe F, Nomura M, Kato T, Nambo Y, Yamada K.Problems associated with the proximal metacarpal region, such as an osseous injury associated with tearing of Sharpey's fibers or an avulsion fracture of the origin of the suspensory ligament (OISL), are important causes of lameness in racehorses. In the present study, four Thoroughbred racehorses (age range, 2-4 years) were diagnosed as having forelimb OISL and assessed over time by using standing magnetic resonance imaging (sMRI). At the first sMRI examination, all horses had 3 characteristic findings, including low signal intensity within the trabecular bone of the third metacarpus on T1-we...
Chiejina SN, Mason JA.Several incidents of diarrhoea and loss of weight occurred in adult horses during the spring of 1976. Detailed investigation of one typical case suggested that maturation of inhibited larvae of Trichonema spp was responsible.
Bristol DG.Although most equine wounds can be easily treated and heal without consequence, there are many that present special challenges. Skin grafts area valuable part of the veterinarian's armamentarium for treatment of complicated wounds, particularly limb wounds. Attention to preparation of the recipient site and proper aftercare are critical to successful grafting. With better understanding of equine wound and graft physiology and the promise foretold by advances in human skin grafting, the outcome of treatments of difficult equine wounds should continue to improve in the future.
Keegan KG, Wilson DA, Lattimer JC, Twardock AR, Ellersieck MR.To evaluate distribution and intensity of 99mTc-methylene diphosphonate (99mTc-MDP) uptake in the navicular area in horses with forelimb lameness isolated to the palmar aspect of the foot. Methods: Prospective, case-controlled study. Methods: 7 horses with clinical signs of navicular syndrome and 7 control horses. Methods: Palmar view, soft tissue-phase scintigraphic images of the foot were obtained between 7 and 12 minutes after injection of 120 to 170 mCi of 99mTc-MDP. Lateral and palmar view, bone-phase images were obtained at 30 minutes and 1, 2, and 4 hours after injection. Palmar views w...
Vanderperren K, Martens A, Haers H, Duchateau L, Saunders JH.Arthroscopy of the fetlock joints is a routine surgical procedure in the horse. It is unclear how much of the articular surface of the condyles of the metacarpal (MCIII)/metatarsal (MTIII) bone can be visualised using either the dorsal or palmar/plantar arthroscopic approach. Objective: To investigate which part of the articular surface of the MCIII/MTIII condyles of the fetlock joints can be evaluated arthroscopically using: 1) dorsal approach in combination with flexion; 2) standard palmar/plantar approach; or 3) additional portal at the base of the sesamoid bone with joint extension. Method...
Bukowiecki CF, Sanders-Shamis M, Bramlage LR.Medial collateral ligament ruptures in horses are rare and difficult to treat. Conservative treatment usually results in degenerative joint disease that causes permanent lameness. Surgical treatment may be an alternative for salvaging horses for breeding purpose.
Dongus H, Beelitz P, Schöl H.The female reproductive system of Thelazia lacrymalis (Nematoda: Thelaziidae) was investigated by light and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) with regard to the developmental stages and the stage deposited by the gravid nematode. Female T. lacrymalis have a didelphic and opisthodelphic type of reproductive system with paired ovaries, oviducts and uteri and a single vagina and vulva. Round and spindle-shaped primary oocytes are documented within the ovaries and oviducts, respectively. The distal part of each uterus provides a fertilization chamber filled with spermatozoa, followed by a sphinct...
Tate LP, Koch DB, Sembrat RF, Boles CL.A surgical technique for resection of a portion of the trachea followed by end-to-end anastomosis was developed on 4 clinically normal horses. The trachea healed without complications in 3 of the horses in which 3 tracheal cartilages were removed. Five tracheal cartilages were removed from the 4th horse. It had to be euthanatized because of excessive suture line tension and wound disruption, which occurred during recovery from anesthesia. Suture line tension was measured on 3 other clinically normal horses positioned in dorsal recumbency immediately after euthanasia after 3 and 5 tracheal cart...
Caron JP, Mehler SJ.To report a technique for incisional hernioplasty in horses using laparoscopic placement of a prosthetic mesh. Methods: Case series. Methods: Horses (n=5) with ventral median abdominal incisional hernia. Methods: A telescope and 2 instrument portals were established bilaterally, lateral to and distant from the hernia margins. After exposure of the internal rectus sheath by removal of retroperitoneal fat with endoscopic scissors and monopolar cautery, a prosthetic mesh was introduced into the abdomen and secured intraperitoneally using transfascial sutures with or without supplemental endoscopi...
Cox JE.The false rig is a castrated horse which shows masculine behaviour of one sort or another. The behaviour patterns reported to the author by owners of such animals and the possible causes are discussed here. Some such horses can show all the behaviour patterns of the entire, including erection and intromission. Evidence is presented that the behaviour is not hormonally induced or hormone dependent. The thesis is put forward that the behaviour shown is part of the normal social interaction between horses and possible treatments are discussed in the light of this possibility.
Rose RJ.In this paper on the diagnosis and treatment of arthritis in horses, both degenerative arthritis and septic arthritis are considered. Diagnosis should be made on the combination of clinical examination together with the use of diagnostic aids such as radiology, intra-articular local anaesthesia and synovial fluid analysis. Intra-articular therapy appears to be the most effective in the treatment of degenerative arthritis. Excellent responses to therapy have been reported with corticosteroids, sodium hyaluronate, orgotein and synovial fluid transfer, where joints showed an absence of degenerati...
Hoffman AM.Respiratory diagnostic instruments previously available only to referral centers should be converted into miniature, portable, wireless medical devices for use in practice. Internet and wireless connections of these instruments should expedite the process of seeking second opinions and in general information sharing. We are moving into a world of greater objectivity that should free us from speculation in some areas, yet open new avenues for research and innovation in others.
Riedesel DH, Hildebrand SV.A syndrome similar to malignant hyperthermia developed in a 545-kg Quarter Horse while anesthetized with halothane for cataract removal. Succinylcholine administration caused prolonged, severe muscle fasciculations followed by tachycardia, and an elevated blood pressure. Later, while the horse was still under anesthesia, its body temperature rose 2 degrees C, and respiratory acidosis developed. Myositis developed after surgery, but the horse recovered.
Crabill MR, Watkins JP, Morris EL, Helman RG, Schmitz DG.A diagnosis of degenerative joint disease secondary to an intra-articular metallic foreign body in the right metacarpophalangeal joint was made in a Quarter Horse gelding. Arthroscopy, performed to evaluate the joint and remove the foreign body, revealed yellow discoloration of the articular cartilage and synovium, and blunting and proliferation of the synovium. The foreign body was identified as a lead sphere. Microscopic examination of synovium revealed chronic synovitis, with accumulation of hemosiderin and multifocal, mild mineralization. Another pigment was evident extracellularly in the ...