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.
Waran NK, Robertson V, Cí·¯ord D, Kokoszko A, Marlin DJ.The effects of transporting horses facing either forwards or backwards were compared by transporting six thoroughbred horses in pairs in a lorry on one journey facing in the direction of travel, and on another journey facing away from the direction of travel, over a standard one-hour route. Heart rate monitors were used to record their heart rate before, during and after the journey and the horses' behaviour was recorded by scan sampling each horse every other minute. The average heart rate was significantly lower (P < 0.05) when the horses were transported facing backwards, and they also t...
de Groot J, Sloet van Oldruitenborgh-Oosterbaan MM, van der Linda-Sipman JS, Kalsbeek HC.A review of the congenital and acquired heart diseases of foals is given on the basis of two patients. A 3-month-old foal with a history of collapse after exercise had a systolic murmur on all heart valves on both sides. Necropsy revealed endocarditis ulcerosa of the left atrioventricular valves. A 6-week-old foal with systolic murmur on the left atrioventricular valves and on the aorta showed, on ultrasonography, signs of endocarditis of the atrioventricular valves. This foal recovered after a long course of antibiotics.
Mostert HJ, Lund RJ, Guthrie AJ, Cilliers PJ.A theoretical integrative model was developed to determine the heat balance of horses working in a given environment. This model included the following parameters: metabolic heat gain, solar heat gain, evaporative heat loss due to sweating, respiratory tract heat loss, radiation from the body and heat gain or loss due to convection and conduction. The model developed in this study includes an unique approach for estimating heat loss via evaporation of sweat from the animal's skin surface. Previous studies modelling evaporative heat dissipation were based on the volume of sweat loss. While it i...
Schumacher J, Kemper DL, Helman RG, Edwards JL.The incisive bones (premaxillae) and rostral portions of the maxillae of a horse were infected with dermatiaceous fungi causing phaeohyphomycosis. The pre-maxillae were exposed by creating and reflecting labial and palatal mucoperiosteal flaps, and obstetrical wire was used to remove the affected bones. Labial and palatal flaps were apposed in 2 layers, using absorbable sutures. The sutured wound healed without complication. The horse was able to prehend hay and long grass without difficulty, and the owner considered the horse's facial appearance to be nearly normal. This technique may be usef...
Scott CM, Marlin DJ, Schroter RC.Modification of a ventilated capsule technique for the measurement of sweating rate (SR) is described for application in an exercising horse. The plastic capsule was sealed against the coat of the horse. Dry air was blown through the capsule over the skin and the change in absolute humidity (g/m3) between air entering and leaving the capsule was used to calculate SR. The effect of flow rate on the response characteristics of the system was investigated and measured over a range of sweating rates in a group of horses completing a short exercise test. Repeatability of SR measurements made at 2 s...
Wilson DA, MacFadden KE, Green EM, Crabill M, Frankeny RL, Thorne JG.Trimethoprim-potentiated sulphonamides (TPS) are among the most frequently administered antimicrobials in equine medicine. Anecdotally, TPS has been implicated as a cause of mild to moderate diarrhea in horses. The purpose of this study was to document the prevalence of diarrhea in horses receiving TPS, to characterize the severity of the diarrhea, and to identify any other factors associated with the development of diarrhea. A 2-part study was designed to identify the prevalence of diarrhea associated with TPS in our clinic population. Part I was a case-control retrospective study of 135 reco...
Mair TS, Dyson SJ, Fraser JA, Edwards GB, Hillyer MH, Love S.The case records of 23 horses and one donkey affected by hypertrophic osteopathy (HO) (Marie's disease) were reviewed. All affected animals presented with limb swellings, which were bilaterally symmetrical and usually involved both fore- and hindlimbs. Associated signs included stiffness/lameness and weight loss. Radiological features included periosteal new bone formation over the diaphyses and metaphyses of affected bones. The metacarpal and metatarsal bones were most frequently affected. Articular surfaces remained free of disease. Seventeen animals were destroyed on humane grounds, 3 horse...
Owens JG, Kamerling SG, Stanton SR, Keowen ML.Detomidine (10, 20 and 40 micrograms/kg i.v.) and saline were administered to eight adult horses with hoof pain and lameness associated with chronic laminitis. Mechanical noxious stimulation was applied to 16 loci over the solar surface of each forefoot by means of an electronic hoof tester to determine chronic pain thresholds. Horses were evaluated before and at 25, 55 and 120 min after treatment for lameness and to determine hoof compression thresholds (HCTs), the percentage of responsive loci and the subjective grade of hoof withdrawal response at each responsive locus. Detomidine produced ...
Vĕzník Z, Svecová D, Pospísil L, Diblíková I.Frequency of elementary and reticular chlamydial bodies was investigated by direct immunofluorescence tests in ejaculates collected from 52 men, 60 stallions, 42 bulls, and 66 boars using the kits of Progen Biotechnic GmbH and the microscope Labophot-2 Nikon. At the same time, qualitative semen tests, including ejaculate volume, sperm motility, percentage of live and dead sperms and morphological' analyses (Vĕzník and Svecová, 1992) were done. Repeatability of the findings was checked in a group of nine bulls housed at the institute and sampled at weekly intervals for 3 to 4 months (Tab. 1)...
Johnston C, Roepstorff L, Drevemo S, Kallings P.Fast trotting Standardbred horses were filmed along a straight on an oval dirt track. Five consecutive stance phases were analysed to describe the planar kinematics of the distal hindlimb. The rapid changes in the geometry of the distal hindlimb that occur during the early stance phase were studied. The hoof segment was initially braked vertically and moved in the direction of the horse. The hoof moved forward on the track surface for more than 20% of the stance time (ST). Two specific deviations in the otherwise smooth course of the fetlock joint angle appeared at 16 and 29% of ST. Tarsal ang...
Harkins JD, Mundy GD, Stanley S, Woods WE, Sams RA, Richardson DR, Tobin T.Isoxsuprine is a therapeutic medication used to treat navicular disease and other lower limb problems in horses and is one of the more frequently detected therapeutic agents in racing horses. In a crossover study, horses were administered isoxsuprine i.v. to determine the character and duration of its pharmacological effects. Isoxsuprine significantly increased heart rate 5-150 min following injection. Unrestrained activity following isoxsuprine treatment was significantly greater than control activity for 105 min after treatment. There was an apparent, although statistically nonsignificant, i...
Edens LM, Crisman MV, Toth TE, Ahmed SA, Murray MJ.The objectives of this study were to: (1) develop a technique to analyze the in vitro cytotoxic activity of lymphocytes from adult horses against equine herpesvirus-1 (EHV-1) infected allogenic equine dermal fibroblasts (EDF); (2) evaluate the ability of a 72-h in vitro incubation with interleukin-2 (IL-2) to enhance the lymphocytic cytolytic activity against EHV-1 infected EDF; (3) compare the cytotoxic activity of lymphocytes isolated from pregnant mares and non-pregnant mares against EHV-1 infected EDF; (4) ascertain if any correlations existed between the percent cytotoxicity and percentag...
McClure SR, Watkins JP, Hogan HA.To compare the axial stability provided by 4 methods of attaching transfixation pins into a fiberglass cast. Methods: Axial stability of 4 methods of transfixation pin attachment to a fiberglass cast cylinder was determined in vitro. Methods of attachment included simple incorporation of the pins into the cast, placement of a washer and nut on the pin and incorporation into the cast, extension of pins beyond the cast and attachment to a steel halo, and washers within the cast and attachment to a steel halo. Methods: A model was designed to simulate a transfixation cast applied to the equine me...
Nordengrahn A, Rusvai M, Merza M, Ekström J, Morein B, Belák S.Equine herpesvirus type 2 (EHV-2), a member of the Gammaherpesvirinae subfamily, was studied in a two-phase respiratory disease complex of young foals as a predisposing factor for the secondary bacterial invasion of lungs with Rhodococcus equi (R. equi). Foals were immunized against EHV-2 on a farm where R. equi pneumonia regularly occurred during the last years. The immunizations were performed by using a subunit vaccine which selectively presents envelope glycoproteins of EHV-2 in a multimeric form of immunostimulating complexes (iscoms). The etiological role of EHV-2 was estimated by observ...
Nyman S, Jansson A, Dahlborn K, Lindholm A.To avoid dehydration and a decrease in performance capacity in horses, fluid and electrolyte losses need to be compensated for during long distance rides as well as on other occasions when sweat losses are high during exercise. Thirteen endurance-trained horses, age 5-14 years, were used to compare 3 strategies of voluntary rehydration during prolonged exercise, offering 1) water, 2) water after administering salt paste (3 x 30 g of NaCl) per os and 3) 0.9% saline. The ride covered 62 km and consisted of 3 rounds, of 20, 22 and 20 km, respectively. During the first 20 km, no fluid was offered ...
Hudson LC, Weinstock D, Jordan T, Bold-Fletcher NO.Twelve naive and nine test-vaccinated horses which developed clinical signs of rabies as a result of the required protocol of a vaccine trial were prospectively observed. Nineteen of the 21 cases were confirmed positive for rabies infection of the brain by fluorescent antibody test. The two horses with negative results had ganglioneuritis of the trigeminal ganglion or lymphocytic perivascular cuffing in the brain stem in addition to clinical signs. Average incubation period was 12.3 days and average morbidity was 5.5 days. Naive animals had significantly shorter incubation and morbidity period...
Longworth KE, Smith BL, Staub NC, Steffey EP, Serikov VB.To determine whether a detergent can prevent most of the early effects of i.v. infusion with Escherichia coli endotoxin (< 100 ng/kg of body weight) in horses: marked pulmonary hypertension, acute leukopenia, and fever. Methods: 8 healthy adult horses (4 male, 4 female), 415 to 615 kg. Methods: Control and detergent experiments were performed in each horse while it was awake but sedated. In control experiments, 10 to 100 ng of E coli endotoxin/kg was given. In detergent experiments, 100 mg of detergent/kg was given 1 hour before injecting endotoxin, similar to the control experiments. Resul...
Moore RM, Bertone AL, Muir WW.To evaluate the effect of high-molecular weight (MW) dextran macromolecules on low-flow ischemia and reperfusion of the large colon in horses. Methods: Horses subjected to low-flow ischemia and reperfusion of the large colon were treated with either 0.9 NaCl (group 1, n = 6) or high-MW dextran (group 2, n = 6) solutions. Methods: 12 adults horses. Methods: Horses were subjected to 3 hours' low-flow ischemia followed by 3 hours' reperfusion. A dose of either 0.9% NaCl or a 6% solution of high-MW (250,000) dextran (10 ml/kg of body weight) was administered i.v., 30 minutes prior to reperfusion. ...
Saville WJ, Hinchcliff KW, Moore BR, Kohn CW, Reed SM, Mitten LA, Rivas LJ.The clinical and clinicopathologic characteristics of fatal necrotizing enterocolitis were examined in 16 horses (age 4 months to 12 years). At initial presentation, 8 of 16 horses were pyrexic (median temperature, 38.4 degrees C; range, 33.8 to 40.6 degrees C); all 16 were tachycardic (median heart rate, 93 bpm, range, 66 to 138 bpm); 13 of 16 were tachypneic (median heart rate, 36 bpm, range, 16 to 80 bpm), dehydrated, and had discolored mucous membranes. All horses that were pyrexic were also tachycardic and tachypneic. PCV was high (> 45%) in 14 horses. Six horses were leukopenic (< 5,000 ...
McDonnell SM, Love CC, Martin BB, Reef VB, Kenney RM.Two mature breeding stallions were evaluated because of specific ejaculatory dysfunction, and each was found to have aortic-iliac thrombosis occluding 60 to 70% of the aortic lumen. In each case, the stallion had strong libido, normal mounting, and vigorous initial thrusting. With continued exertion, thrusting became weak and dismount was awkward. Treatment aimed at maximizing sexual arousal before mounting and reducing hind limb pain and exertion during breeding allowed these stallions to continue breeding. A program of gradually increasing daily exercise also was associated with improved bre...
Kelmer G, Catasus CT, Saxton AM, Elliot SB.The feasibility of maintaining indwelling intravenous catheters in the saphenous, cephalic or palmar digital vein of horses for seven days to infuse antimicrobial drugs was investigated in 18 horses. The horses were randomly assigned to six groups according to the vein catheterised and whether they received amikacin or erythromycin. None of the catheters was replaced more than once, and 11 of the 18 catheters remained patent for all seven days. Neither the drug administered nor the vein catheterised significantly affected the survival of the catheter. In all but three cases, complications, inc...
Van Hoogmoed LM, Agnew DW, Whitcomb M, Hyde DW, MacDonald MH, Snyder JR.To describe the ultrasonographic and quantitative histologic effect of injecting 2% iodine in almond oil (IAO) and ethanolamine oleate (EO) in the medial and middle patellar ligaments of horses and to determine whether a difference in response exists between IAO and EO treatment. Methods: 10 healthy horses. Methods: In 5 horses, the medial and middle patellar ligaments of 1 limb were injected with EO, whereas IAO was injected in the medial and middle patellar ligaments of another 5 horses. Ultrasonographic evaluation was performed on the experimental and control limb before injection of IAO an...
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.
Adeyefa CA.The effects of the various growth factors with regard to the nutritional physiology of zoophilic dermatophytes isolated from horses are reported. The optimum temperature, pH and growth period for the fungal isolates were found to be 30 degrees-35 degrees C, 5-6 and 7-12 days respectively while the carbon and nitrogen sources utilised by the organisms were sucrose, fructose, maltose, L-arginine and calcium nitrate. The use of these factors in preparation of efficacious fungicides used in the treatment of ringworm infections in man and animals is discussed.
Chambers TM, Reedy SE.In horses, presumptive diagnosis of equine influenza is commonly made on the basis of clinical signs. This alone is insufficient for confirmation of equine influenza, because other equine infectious respiratory diseases can in some degree have similar clinical presentations. Surveillance and control of equine influenza also necessitate detection of subclinical cases. Effective diagnosis of equine influenza virus infection is critically dependent on obtaining adequate specimens of virus-containing respiratory secretions for testing. These specimens are also valuable as sources for isolation of ...
Freeman DE.Guttural pouch diseases pose serious challenges in diagnosis and treatment. Complications from treatment are common and often life-threatening, largely because the unique anatomy of the guttural pouches brings them into intimate contact with the nervous, respiratory, and cardiovascular systems. There is little forgiveness for surgical errors, and so the surgeon should focus on ways to anticipate and prevent them. As with any disease, errors in diagnosis can set the stage for many surgical errors and must be recognized. This article deals with errors that can be expected after the most common s...
Crabtree NE, Capper AM, McKinnon LH, Epstein KL.The objective was to compare perioperative factors that may influence clinician decisions regarding antimicrobial therapy duration and outcomes in horses undergoing exploratory celiotomy. Unassigned: Horses > 1 mo of age undergoing exploratory celiotomy for colic that survived without repeat celiotomy for ≥ 5 d. Unassigned: Retrospective cohort study. Cases were grouped by duration of antimicrobial therapy: G1, ≤ 24 h; G2, 1 to 3 d; G3, > 3 d. Admission, surgical, and postoperative data from the medical records and long-term outcome assessed telephone follow-up were compared among g...
Meek LA.A 40-mm intraocular silicone prosthesis was placed in a horse's globe to control glaucoma. The glaucoma was suspected to be associated with a lens subluxation, but primary glaucoma could not be ruled out. Medical treatment and cyclocryotherapy had been attempted, but failed to decrease the intraocular pressure to a normal value. The prosthesis was placed, via a dorsal scleral incision, after removal of the intraocular contents. The size of the prosthesis was estimated from measurements of the horse's normal left globe and an enucleated, age-matched globe. Silicone prostheses offer a cosmetic a...
Lunn DP, Peel JE.A five-year-old standardbred mare suffered a cervical oesophageal rupture subsequent to a kick. Marked cellulitis and extensive soft tissue damage resulted. Treatment consisted of creating an oesophageal fistula, local debridement and systemic antibiotics. The mare made a long but successful recovery. Treatment of oesophageal rupture in the horse is discussed.
Desjardins MR, Vachon AM.A chronic Rhodococcus equi metaphysitis involving the distal growth plate of the left third metatarsal bone had induced a longstanding lameness in a young foal. Abnormal hematologic values included mild anemia, hyperfibrinogemia, mild leukocytosis, and neutrophilia. Radiography of the distal portion of MT3 revealed a radiolucent zone on the medial aspect of the growth plate, and small pieces of bone suggestive of sequestra. Treatment with erythromycin estolate and rifampin, aggressive surgical debridement, and cancellous bone grafting helped resolve the bone infection.
Humber KA, Sweeney RW, Saik JE, Hansen TO, Morris CF.Bacillus piliformis infection (Tyzzer's disease) in foals is rarely observed clinically because of the peracute course of the disease. Clinical and clinicopathologic findings as well as information on therapeutic attempts in two foals are described. Clinicopathologic abnormalities common to both cases included leukopenia, hyperfibrinogenemia, metabolic acidosis, and hypoglycemia. Treatment was unsuccessful in both cases.
Moore RM, Muir WW, Cawrse M, Bertone AL, Beard WL.Twenty-four horses were randomly allocated to 3 groups. Horses were anesthetized, subjected to a ventral midline celiotomy, and the large colon was exteriorized and instrumented. Group-1 horses served as sham-operated controls. Group-2 horses were subjected to 6 hours of low-flow colonic arterial ischemia, and group-3 horses were subjected to 3 hours of ischemia and 3 hours of reperfusion. Baseline (BL) samples were collected, then low-flow ischemia was induced by reducing ventral colonic arterial blood flow to 20% of BL. All horses were monitored for 6 hours after BL data were collected. Bloo...
Deacon LJ, Navas de Solis C, Richardson DW, Polkes A, Reef VB.• An ACF developed in a hospitalized horse following orthopedic surgery. • Spontaneous closure of the ACF occurred 6 weeks after initial diagnosis. • Echocardiography is the primary imaging modality to confirm the presence of ACF in equids. [Figure: see text]
Rizk A, Hamed M.Fractures of the rostral mandible in horses are the most common type of jaw fractures. The present study was performed for stabilization of rostral mandibular fracture with cerclage wire. In a retrospective case series, six client-owned horses with unilateral mandibular fractures were admitted to our clinic and suffered from a major gingival wound at rostral part of mandible. Rostral mandibular fracture was diagnosed through clinical examination and radiography. Fractured region was repaired by cerclage wire under the effect of general anesthesia and wires were maintained for 6-12 weeks. The r...
Tokushige H, Kushiro A, Okano A, Maeda T, Ito H, Wakuno A, Nagata SI, Ohta M.Alfaxalone has a number of pharmacological properties which are desirable for constant rate infusion (CRI). Previously, the co-administration of alfaxalone and medetomidine is shown to be suitable for short-term anesthesia in horses. However, the use of alfaxalone-medetomidine CRI with inhalational anesthesia under surgical procedures have not been investigated in clinical cases. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the clinical efficacy of alfaxalone-medetomidine CRI in sevoflurane-anesthetized Thoroughbred racehorses undergoing arthroscopic surgery. Sevoflurane requirement, cardiovas...
van der Velden MA, Rutgers LJ.During a 10 year period, 18 horses were treated surgically because of visceral prolapse after castration. Surgery was successful in six cases of omental prolapse and in eight out of 12 cases of intestinal prolapse. To minimise the risk of visceral prolapse, the authors prefer half-closed castration, with proper ligation of the parietal vaginal tunic, to open castration. If adequate treatment is started promptly, prognosis in cases of visceral prolapse is favourable.
Viljanto M, Scarth J, Hincks P, Hillyer L, Cawley A, Suann C, Noble G, Walker CJ, Kicman AT, Parkin MC.Detection of testosterone and/or its pro-drugs in the gelding is currently regulated by the application of an international threshold for urinary testosterone of 20 ng/mL. The use of steroid ratios may provide a useful supplementary approach to aid in differentiating between the administration of these steroids and unusual physiological conditions that may result in atypically high testosterone concentrations. In the current study, an ultra-high performance liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (UHPLC-MS/MS) method was developed to quantify testosterone (T) and epitestosterone (E). ...
Heath SE, Bell RJ, Chirino-Trejo M, Schuh JC, Harland RJ.Four horses from the same farm developed clinical signs of botulism during the winter months; three of these horses died. One horse survived an initial attack and recovered over a three-week period, but died during a second attack. The horse that survived took six weeks to recover. Clinical and postmortem examination ruled out other causes of disease. Confirmation of the diagnosis was made by isolation of Clostridium botulinum type C toxin from the dirt in the bottom of an oak feedtrough used by all horses, and from the colonic contents of one of the horses that died. To our knowledge, this is...
Kalamanova A, Anderson BH, Cust AR, Fulton IC.There are several skin grafting methods described in the human and animal literature. Currently, there are five types of free grafts used in horses: pinch and punch grafts, split and full-thickness sheet or mesh grafts and tunnel grafts. Published methods of tunnel grafting describe the use of alligator forceps. The alligator forceps create a poor tunnel and are excessively traumatic to the granulation bed. This technique utilised a 13G Jamshidi needle that was placed across the granulation bed and created a uniform tunnel. The Jamshidi needle was atraumatic to the granulation bed increasing t...
Ho EN, Wan TS, Wong AS, Lam KK, Schiff PJ, Stewart BD.Bromide is a sedative hypnotic. Due to its potential use as a sedative or calmative agent in competition horses, a method to control bromide is needed. Colorimetric method had been employed in the authors' laboratory from 2003 for the semi-quantification of bromide in equine plasma samples. However, the method was found to be highly susceptible to matrix interference, and was replaced in 2008 with a more reliable inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (ICP/MS) method. Equine plasma was protein-precipitated using trichloroacetic acid, diluted with nitric acid, and then submitted directly ...
Hodgson C, Pinchbeck G.Despite the regularity with which castration is performed, the types of complications and current best practice are unknown. Objective: The objective of this study was to perform a prospective audit of routine equine castrations performed in general practice to determine complication rates and factors associated with them. Methods: Multicentre, prospective audit of castrations. Methods: Data on castrations were collected on the day of surgery from 18 veterinary practices; 30-days post-operatively follow-up was obtained and complications recorded. Frequency of complications was reported, and mu...
Ziemer EL, Parker HR, Carlson GP, Smith BP.Two horses were admitted separately for evaluation and treatment of profound hyperchloremic metabolic acidosis without azotemia. One, an 11-year-old Quarter Horse mare, had been depressed and ataxic for 2 days. The other, a 2-year-old Quarter Horse colt, had a 6-week history of depression, anorexia, and weight loss. Both horses responded to fluid and electrolyte therapy, but required daily oral administration of sodium bicarbonate for maintenance. In each case, the diagnosis was renal tubular acidosis.
