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.
Greet TR.This paper describes the outcome of treatment in 23 horses with an ethmoidal haematoma. In 22 cases a diagnosis could be made by endoscopic means alone but in 1 horse the lesion was confined to the maxillary sinus and a diagnosis was made only at surgery. One horse was destroyed at the owner's request but the other 22 underwent radical excision of the lesion via a facial flap approach under general anaesthesia. Post-operative haemorrhage was controlled by nasal packing with a gauze bandage and this was removed between the 2nd and 4th post-operative day. One horse died from encephalitis the day...
Colbourne CM, Bolton JR, Mills JN, Whitaker D, Yovich JV, Howell JM.Pleural mesothelioma and pericardial mesothelioma with spread to the pleural cavity were diagnosed in 2 horses. Clinical signs included respiratory distress, depression and pleural pain. The affected body cavities contained copious, serous effusions containing very large neoplastic mesothelial cells with densely-staining cytoplasm, hyperchromic nuclei and prominent, often multiple, nucleoli. Ultrastructurally, the neoplastic cells appeared as solid aggregates, with profuse microvillous borders and neolumen formation. Cytological examination, together with confirmative ancillary diagnostic test...
DelVento VR, Amann RP, Trotter GW, Veeramachaneni DN, Squires EL.A sample of testicular parenchymal tissue, approximately 2 x 7 x 7 mm, was aseptically removed from 1 testis in each of 9 stallions on day 0. Slight to moderate hemorrhage from the tunica albuginea was observed in 8 stallions, but bleeding from the parenchyma was detected in only 2 stallions. Stallions were castrated 27 days later. Normal development of granulation tissue was evident at the biopsy site, but hematomas were not observed. In situ measurement of the widths of the right and left testes, total scrotal width, and evaluation of testicular echogenicity during ultrasonography were varia...
Rubes J, Borkovec L, Horínová Z, Urbanová J, Proroková I, Kulíková L.Cytogenetic examinations were carried out in 13 cattle farms, two herds of horses, one stag farm and 13 pig farms in areas with different levels of environmental contamination. The frequency of aberrant cells per 100 mitoses was 3.67 +/- 1.89 in pigs (n = 260) and 4.16 +/- 2.4 in herbivores (n = 497). This is a significant difference (p < 0.01). Ten times higher frequencies of chromatid exchanges were found in pigs. The examined herds were classified into three groups by the level of environmental contamination (satisfactory, impaired and severely impaired environment). Significant differen...
Wright IM.Clinical and radiological features of 16 horses with fractures of the lateral malleolus of the tibia are reported. The paper describes surgical techniques used, results obtained and discusses justification for removal. Fourteen fractures were unilateral and two bilateral. There was no left:right disparity. The history included a known traumatic incident in 14 cases. All animals had a tarsocrural joint effusion and 10 had palpable thickening of the lateral collateral ligaments. Crepitus was also palpable in 10 horses. The fracture was identified in all dorsoplantar and 14 of 18 dorsomedial-plan...
McDonnell AM, Watson ED.Four pony mares were used in a cross-over study to investigate the effect of different treatments on experimentally-induced endometritis. The mares were treated with progesterone to facilitate establishment of uterine infections. They received an intrauterine infusion of Streptococcus zooepidemicus 5 days after the start of progesterone therapy. Five days later, they were treated by intrauterine infusions of 2 g ampicillin in 50 ml sterile water or by sterile water without antibiotic for 3 consecutive days. Prior to infusion of Strep. zooepidemicus, no bacteria were cultured from the uteri of ...
Habel RE, Budras KD.Analyses of the fibers in the prepubic tendon of the horse and ruminants have shown that it is composed of the crossed and uncrossed tendons of origin of the pectineus muscles, the pelvic tendons of the rectus and obliquus abdominis muscles, and the tendons of origin of the cranial parts of the gracilis muscles. Pelvic attachments of the linea alba and the yellow abdominal tunic are incorporated in it. It is not a transverse ligament, and it is not homologous to the human superior (cranial) pubic ligament. The dog differs in 4 respects: (1) the pectineus tendons do not cross, but each originat...
Blikslager AT, Bowman KF, Haven ML, Tate LP, Bristol DG.The medical records of 17 horses that were evaluated and treated because of colic caused by pedunculated lipomas between 1983 and 1990 were reviewed. The mean age of the horses was 16.6 +/- 3.9 years (range, 10 to 26 years), which was significantly greater than that of the population of horses evaluated because of colic (control population) during the same period. There were significantly more geldings (76.5%), compared with the control population. Nasogastric reflux ranged from 1 to 16 L in 8 horses and was not obtained in 9 horses. Abdominal palpation per rectum revealed small intestinal dis...
Lester GD, MacKay RJ, Smith-Meyer B.Primary meningeal lymphoma was diagnosed in an 18-year-old Morgan gelding. The horse was examined because of a 3-day history of progressive ataxia and weakness. The gait abnormalities were worse on the left side, and the pelvic limbs were more affected than the thoracic limbs. Additional findings included signs of depression, miosis of the left pupil, ptosis of the left upper eyelid, and areas of muscle atrophy on the left side of the neck and over the dorsal aspect of the left scapula. Inflammatory changes were evident in the CSF. At necropsy, there was diffuse and irregular thickening of the...
Henninger DD, Snyder JR, Pascoe JR, Dilling GW.The normal microvascular permeability of the ascending colon in horses and the microvascular permeability of that segment after ischemia and reperfusion were investigated. Microvascular permeability was estimated by the ratio of lymphatic protein to plasma protein concentration (Cl/Cp) at high lymph flow rates in 8 adult horses in 2 equal groups: normal and ischemic (2-hour period). Lymphatic flow rates and lymph and plasma protein concentrations were determined. Intestinal biopsy specimens were obtained at the end of each experiment. Flow independent values were selected and compared by one-w...
Snyder JR, Pascoe JR, Olander HJ, Harmon FA, Hinds DM, Vatistasa NJ, Tyler WS.The ultrastructural injury that develops sequentially in the ascending colon during experimentally induced ischemia was examined in 6 halothane-anesthetized horses. Colonic ischemia was created by 2 types of vascular occlusion 24 cm proximal and distal to the pelvic flexure. In all horses, transmural vascular compression was created. The colonic venous circulation was obstructed in 3 horses, whereas in the other 3 horses, arterial and venous circulation was obstructed. Two additional horses were anesthetized as controls for determination of any morphologic alterations associated with the exper...
Fretz PB, Li Z.Low energy helium-neon laser irradiation was administered to full thickness skin wounds (3 cm x 3 cm) on the dorsal surface of the metacarpophalangeal/metatarsophalangeal joints and cranial surface of the tarsocrural joints of eight horses. The effects on wound healing were analyzed statistically. There were no differences (p > 0.55) observed in the rate of wound healing between the low energy laser irradiated wounds and the control wounds. There was a significant difference (p < 0.006) observed in the rate of healing between the anatomical sites. Tarsal wounds healed more rapidly than fetlock...
Dart AJ, Snyder JR, Pascoe JR, Meagher DM, Wilson WD.To quantify some components of prepurchase evaluations in horses, records from 134 evaluations performed during a 2-year period were reviewed and the outcome was determined via telephone follow-up interview. Sixty-two percent of the prepurchase evaluations had been performed at the clinic and 38% had been performed in the field by the ambulatory service. All evaluations included physical and lameness examinations, whereas radiography (49%), endoscopy (15%), nerve blocking (5%), transrectal palpation (3%), hematologic analysis (2%), electrocardiography (2%), drug testing for analgesic agents (2...
Modransky P, Welker B, Ryan J.A fourth tarsal bone fracture was treated conservatively in an adult draft horse. Seven months after the injury, the horse had no evidence of lameness and was able to compete in athletic events. It has been suggested that conservative management of these fractures be considered for brood animals or animals used for less strenuous activities. The outcome of this case suggests that fourth tarsal bone fractures can be successfully treated in athletic animals with conservative management.
Cohen ND, Heck FC, Heim B, Flad DM, Bosler EM, Cohen D.Four hundred sixty-nine serum samples were obtained from horses admitted to the internal medicine service of the Texas Veterinary Medical Center between Jan 1 and Dec 31, 1990. Serum samples were tested by ELISA for antibody to Borrelia burgdorferi. Of these 469 samples, 1 (0.2%) was repeatedly seropositive for the organism by ELISA. Confirmatory testing by protein immunoblot was negative. The observed seroprevalence was 0%; the upper bound of the 95% confidence interval was 0.6%. These findings indicate the evidence of infection with B burgdorferi is presently uncommon in horses in central Te...
Rudolph JA, Spier SJ, Byrns G, Rojas CV, Bernoco D, Hoffman EP.We recently reported on a linkage study within a Quarter Horse lineage segregating hyperkalaemic periodic paralysis (HYPP), an autosomal dominant condition showing potassium-induced attacks of skeletal muscle paralysis. HYPP co-segregated with the equine adult skeletal muscle sodium channel alpha subunit gene, the same gene that causes human HYPP. We now describe the Phe to Leu mutation in transmembrane domain IVS3 which courses the horse disease. This represents the first application of molecular genetics to an important horse disease, and the data will provide an opportunity for control or e...
Warnick LD.Fecal egg counts often are used for diagnosing equine strongyle infections and estimating the number of eggs shed in the feces. An individual egg count should be interpreted in view of the normal fluctuation of egg numbers in an individual horse. In this study, the daily variability of strongyle fecal egg counts from horses was investigated. The Cornell-McMaster egg-counting technique was used to estimate the eggs per gram of feces in repeated daily fecal samples from 39 horses. The variation of the daily egg counts across 4 days was greater than would be expected if a consistent number of egg...
DiFranco B, Schumacher J, Morris D.Three horses were admitted for retrieval of polyurethane nasogastric tube fragments. The fragments were removed from the esophagus or stomach of 2 horses by manipulation of a snare introduced through the biopsy port of an endoscope. The fragments were surgically removed from the stomach of the third horse.
Garber JL, Reef VB, Reimer JM, Evans LH.A 2-year-old Thoroughbred racehorse developed ventricular tachycardia after elective laryngoplasty and ventriculectomy were performed while anesthesia was maintained with halothane. During surgery, the horse became febrile and developed transient mild hypercarbia. The horse was treated with an IV infusion of quinidine gluconate. Continuous electrocardiographic monitoring was used to evaluate cardiac rhythm during treatment, and conversion was achieved after 12 hours of IV infusion. The inciting cause for the arrhythmia was not determined.
Masri MD, Alda JL, Dubey JP.Sarcocystis neurona-like schizonts were found in sections of brain and spinal cord of two ataxic horses from Brazil. The diagnosis was supported by staining with anti-Sarcocystis serum in an immunohistochemical test. One of the affected horses was born in Argentina and raised in Brazil, and the other horse was born and raised in Brazil.
Bertone JJ, Shoemaker KE.Blood constituents and vascular volume indices were determined in 5 standing horses by use of 2-period crossover experimental design. Horses were either administered hypertonic (2,400 mosm/kg of body weight, i.v.) or isotonic (300 mosm/kg, i.v.) saline solution. Each solution was administered at a dosage of 5 ml/kg (infusion rate, 80 ml/min). Samples for determination of PCV, plasma volume, blood volume, plasma osmolality, total amount of plasma protein and plasma concentrations of protein, Na, K, and Cl were collected at 0 hour (baseline, before fluid infusion) and 0.5 hour (at the end of flu...
Sellon DC, Perry ST, Coggins L, Fuller FJ.In situ hybridization of tissues from two horses infected with the wild-type Wyoming strain of equine infectious anemia virus (EIAV) identified the liver, spleen, lymph nodes, kidney, lung, and adrenal gland as the primary host tissue sites for viral transcription during acute infection. Combined immunohistochemistry, with a monoclonal antibody recognizing a cytoplasmic antigen of equine mononuclear phagocytes, and in situ hybridization for viral RNA identified most infected cells as mature tissue macrophages. In contrast, in situ hybridization of adherent peripheral blood mononuclear cells co...
Milam SB, Mackay RJ, Skelley LA.Secretion of tumor necrosis factor (TNF) by equine mammary exudate macrophages (MEM phi) exposed to bacterial lipopolysaccharide (LPS) was dose-dependent and was maximal (216.5 +/- 51.9 U/ml) at 100 micrograms LPS/ml, the highest concentration tested. All concentrations of dexamethasone tested (10(-8) to 10(-4) M) significantly (P less than or equal to 0.05) inhibited TNF production by MEM phi when the agent was added 1 hour before LPS. Pretreatment with pentoxifylline at concentrations greater than 3 micrograms/ml also significantly (P less than or equal to 0.05) reduced secretion of TNF by M...
Hagen J, Brouwer J, Lux S, Weiske F, Jung FT.The aim of the current in vivo, observational study was to investigate the effects of different hoof manipulations on landing duration (LandD), location (IC) and angle of initial contact (IC) in the front feet of horses. A novel, hoof-mounted, inertial measurement unit sensor system (IMU) was used. Ten sound, crossbred horses were fitted with an IMU sensor at the dorsal hoof wall and examined barefoot and after trimming. Additionally, the application of 120 g lateral weights and 5° medial side wedges as well as steel, aluminium, egg bar, and lateral extension shoes were tested. Horses were gu...
Castro-Cuellar G, Cremer J, Liu CC, Queiroz-Williams P, Hampton C, Leise BS.To investigate the cytotoxic effects of 2 different concentrations of buprenorphine and compare them with bupivacaine and morphine on healthy equine chondrocytes in vitro. Methods: Primary cultured equine articular chondrocytes from 3 healthy adult horses. Methods: Chondrocytes were exposed for 0 and 2 hours to the following treatments: media (CON; negative control); bupivacaine at 2.2 mg/mL (BUPI; positive control); morphine at 2.85 mg/mL (MOR); buprenorphine at 0.12 mg/mL (HBUPRE); or buprenorphine at 0.05 mg/mL (LBUPRE). Chondrocyte viability was assessed using live/dead staining, water-sol...
Li Z, Du S, Wang X, Zhang L, Liu X, Fan Q, Yang H, Gao R.Phenylbutazone (PBZ) is the most commonly used drug to treat symptoms of lameness in horses; however, it is associated with adverse effects such as gastric ulcer syndrome (EGUS). Interestingly, many practitioners prescribe omeprazole (OME) concurrently with PBZ to prevent the development of EGUS. However, the efficacy and safety of this practice in Mongolian horses with chronic lameness remain unknown. Objective: To evaluate the clinical effects of a combination of PBZ and OME on chronic lameness in Mongolian horses. Methods: Randomised block experimental design. Methods: Eighteen Mongolian ho...
Parks AH, Balch OK, Collier MA.Over the last decade, both the farriery and veterinary professions have greatly increased their collective experience and understanding of the treatment of acute laminitis. Many horses that would have not been considered candidates for treatment 10 to 15 years ago are now saved, and some progress to successful careers as athletes. Unfortunately, the difficulties over prediction of the course of the disease persist, which continues to complicate treatment decisions. By its nature, supportive therapy is designed to make the horse more comfortable and limit further laminar injury by countering ad...
Daniel JA, Groux R, Wilson JA, Krawczel PD, Lee AR, Whitlock BK.To examine the impact of trimming and re-shoeing on behavior, light horse geldings (3-21 year-old Quarter Horse, Dutch Warmblood, or Thoroughbred) were fitted with three-axis accelerometers (IceTag, Ice Robotics, Edinburgh, Scotland) on the left rear limb. Boots were placed under the accelerometer, and both were removed daily for approximately 1 hour while horses were stalled for morning feeding to examine the horses' limb. After a two-day adaptation period and five days of activity tracking, horses were treated by having shoes removed, feet trimmed, and new shoes fitted (re-shod; n = 3) or ...
Brito LF, Engiles JB, Turner RM, Getman LM, Ebling A.An 18-year-old Friesian stallion was examined approximately one week after reportedly presenting scrotal swelling due to torsion of the spermatic cords. Upon presentation no scrotal swelling was noted, the testes were normally oriented, and no abnormalities of the spermatic cords were noted. However, both testes were smaller than expected for a mature stallion and deep palpation revealed that the consistency of the testes was nodular. Ultrasonographic evaluation of the testes revealed diffuse heterogeneous parenchyma with multiple hypoechoic nodular areas. Grossly, the testicular parenchyma wa...
Cummings JF, de Lahunta A, Mohammed HO, Divers TJ, Summers BA, Valentine BA, Jackson CA.Two spontaneous neurodegenerative diseases of the horse, equine motor neuron disease (EMND) and equine degenerative myeloencephalopathy (EDM), have been associated with alpha-tocopherol deficiency, and both were characterized by prominent accumulations of endothelial lipopigment in the small vessels of the spinal cord. These endothelial pigment deposits appear to be reversible. In EMND horses pasture-supplemented for 9 months or more after the progression of weakness and wasting had arrested, there was very little endothelial lipopigment. The origin and the potential effects of these endotheli...
Bannai H, Nemoto M, Tsujimura K, Yamanaka T, Kondo T, Matsumura T.Non-specific hemolysis has often been observed during complement-fixation (CF) tests for equine herpesvirus type-1 (EHV-1), even when the sera have virus-specific CF antibodies. This phenomenon has also been reported in CF tests for various infectious diseases of swine. We found that the sera from 22 of 85 field horses (25.9%) showed non-specific hemolysis during conventional CF testing for EHV-1. Because pretreatment of swine sera with potassium periodate (KIO4) improves the CF test for swine influenza, we applied this method to horse sera. As we expected, horse sera treated with KIO4 did not...
Teti G, Mazzotti E, Gatta V, Chiarini F, Alfieri ML, Falconi M.Osteoarthritis (OA) is described as a chronic degenerative disease characterized by the loss of articular cartilage. Senescence is a natural cellular response to stressors. Beneficial in certain conditions, the accumulation of senescent cells has been implicated in the pathophysiology of many diseases associated with aging. Recently, it has been demonstrated that mesenchymal stem/stromal cells isolated from OA patients contain many senescent cells that inhibit cartilage regeneration. However, the link between cellular senescence in MSCs and OA progression is still debated. In this study, we ai...
Preston SA, Brown MP, Trumble TN, Chmielewski TL, Zimmel DN, Hernandez JA.To determine the effects of various presale radiographic findings for Thoroughbreds sold at a yearling sale on 2-year-old racing performance of those horses. Methods: 397 Thoroughbreds. Methods: Cohort study. Methods: Thoroughbreds offered for sale at a Thoroughbred sales facility in Kentucky were selected via a randomization procedure. Effects of various presale radiographic findings on the following measures of 2-year-old racing performance were determined: having started a race and having placed (ie, finished in first, second, or third place) in a race at least once, total amount of money e...
Labeda DP, Price NP, Kroppenstedt RM, Donahue JM, Williams NM, Sells SF.Two actinomycete strains, NRRL B-24165(T) and NRRL B-24166(T), isolated from lesions on equine placentas in Kentucky, USA, were analysed using a polyphasic taxonomic approach. On the basis of phylogenetic analysis of 16S rRNA gene sequences, morphological observations and the presence of ll-diaminopimelic acid as the diagnostic diamino acid in whole-cell hydrolysates, the new isolates clearly belonged to the genus Streptomyces. Analyses of the phylogenetic positions of strains NRRL B-24165(T) and NRRL B-24166(T) based on 16S rRNA gene sequences of all recognized species of the genus Streptomyc...
Monreal L, Navarro M, Armengou L, José-Cunilleras E, Cesarini C, Segura D.To assess the effect of enteral fluid therapy (EFT) in horses with colic, 78 adult horses with colon impactions and 30 with left dorsal colon displacements received an isotonic electrolyte solution via a nasogastric tube at a rate of 8 to 10 l every two hours until resolution of clinical signs. Clinical progression was monitored closely, and plasma biochemistry was evaluated before, during and after treatment. Volume of fluids, time to resolution, and outcome were also recorded. EFT was well tolerated by 102 of 108 horses and was an effective method to resolve 99 per cent of colon impactions a...
Smith DF.The future of veterinary medicine is best understood in the context of history. What began as a profession rooted in urban centers in proximity to horses, physicians, and medical schools, was transformed into a land grant-based agricultural profession with the arrival of the internal combustion engine in the early twentieth century. Most of the United States' current veterinary colleges are still located in towns or small cities in the middle section of the country, outside the largest metropolitan areas where most veterinarians practice companion-animal medicine. Throughout veterinarian histo...
Wesley IV, Schroeder-Tucker L.The genus Arcobacter encompasses campylobacter-like organisms that grow in air at 25 degrees C. Arcobacter has been detected or isolated from clinically healthy livestock as well as aborted fetuses and has been presumptively identified as either Campylobacter or Leptospira, based on its growth in selective semisolid media. Because reports from nonlivestock species are limited, this study examined nine presumptive isolates of Arcobacter spp. from an alpaca (Vicugna pacos), black rhinoceros (Diceros bicornis), white rhinoceros (Ceratotherium simum), gorilla (Troglodytes gorilla), gazelle (Eudorc...
Averay K, Wilkins C, de Kantzow M, Simon O, van Galen G, Sykes B, Verwilghen D.Horse owners' motivators and barriers for consent to exploratory laparotomy are poorly understood. Objective: To (1) determine the proportion of Australian and New Zealand horse owners who would consent to exploratory laparotomy and (2) identify motivators and barriers for consent. Methods: Cross-sectional survey. Methods: A questionnaire was developed and distributed online. Descriptive statistics were calculated by tabulating respondents by their answers to whether they would consent to exploratory laparotomy. Univariate and multivariate analyses were used to identify variables associated wi...
McGreevy PD, McLean AN, Keay KA, Thomson PC.Trained responses are said to be under stimulus control when they appear reliably and exclusively on cue. The SMART system is a conceptual, three-dimensional graphic that uses four quadrants to chart a horse's responsiveness to various cues from two reins and the trainer's legs and seat. The current plots have been designed for ridden horses. The models assume that the trainer's cues are bilaterally equivalent, unless the intention is to signal a turn or a lateral movement. The extent to which 'go' signals manifest as straight, forward locomotion reflect the bilateral balance of the horse's re...
Cramp PA, Prange T, Nickels FA.The purpose of this article is to review the literature and personal experiences of equine surgeons so as to describe procedures that can be performed in the standing sedated horse to alleviate conditions that result in upper respiratory tract obstruction. Upper respiratory tract surgery requires attention to detail, meticulous planning, and careful dissection and execution with little room for error. This article describes a selection of standing upper airway procedures, the indications for and possible complications of these surgeries, and advantages and disadvantages of a particular method....
Olsman AF, Sloet van Oldruitenborgh-Oosterbaan MM.The clinical signs of liver disease are highly variable and non-specific. Irrespective of the cause or the duration of liver disease, more specific clinical signs, e.g. hepatic encephalopathy, become apparent in the advanced stages of the disease. Due to the non-specific clinical signs, the possible diagnosis of liver disease is frequently not taken into consideration. However, measurement of the plasma or serum concentrations of total bile acids and gamma glutamyl transferase (gamma GT) may provide valuable diagnostic information. The specific diagnosis can be confirmed by ultrasound examinat...
Ginther OJ.Ultrasonography was used to determine whether there is embryo reduction in mares with unilaterally fixed twins when a major portion of the vascularized area of the wall of one of the embryonic vesicles is in apposition with the wall of the adjacent vesicle, rather than with the endometrium (deprivation hypothesis). In addition, the effect of ovulatory pattern (synchronous and asynchronous) on the incidence of embryo reduction was studied. Twin vesicles were ultrasonically detected on days 11 to 15 (ovulation = day 0) and were examined daily until there was embryo reduction or until day 40. In ...
Vandeplassche MM.From a total of 601 severe dystocias in mares, 408 (68%) of the fetuses were in anterior, 95 (16%) in posterior and 98 (16%) in transverse presentation, compared with 99%, 1% and 0.1% respectively for spontaneous parturitions. From the cases with anterior presentation, 151 (37%) showed reflected heads and necks. From the cases with posterior presentation, 47 (50%) presented hip flexions, 25% had hock flexions, and 25% had stretched hind legs, 45 (47%) of the fetuses were in lateral or ventral position, and 28 (30%) of the fetuses were malformed (mainly torticollis and head scoliosis). All 98 c...
Zicker SC, Marty GD, Carlson GP, Madigan JE, Smith JM, Goetzman BW.Bilateral renal dysplasia and nephron hypoplasia was diagnosed in a Quarter Horse foal with clinical signs of lethargy, convulsions, and diarrhea. Laboratory evaluation revealed anemia, hypoproteinemia, leukopenia, hyponatremia, hypochloremia, and hyposmolality. The foal also had high concentrations of serum creatinine, BUN, and phosphorus. Evaluation of urinary indices revealed a high ratio of urinary gamma-glutamyl-transferase activity to concentration of creatinine, as well as a high fractional clearance ratio of sodium and potassium. Intravenous treatment with saline solution (0.9% NaCl) a...
Walter KM, Moore CE, Bozorgmanesh R, Magdesian KG, Woods LW, Puschner B.Two horses were referred for methemoglobinemia and hemolytic anemia following 5 acute deaths in their herd from an unidentified toxin source. Horses have a greater risk than other mammalian species of developing methemoglobinemia and hemolytic anemia following ingestion of oxidizing toxins, due to deficiencies in the mechanisms that protect against oxidative damage in erythrocytes. Their susceptibility to oxidative erythrocyte damage is evident in the numerous cases of red maple (Acer rubrum) toxicosis. The suspected toxins causing A. rubrum toxicosis are tannic acid, gallic acid, and a metabo...
Divers TJ, Byars TD, Spirito M.Bilateral ureteral defects were diagnosed as the cause of depression and azotemia in an 8-day-old Thoroughbred filly. The azotemia resulted from accumulation of urine in the retroperitoneal area. A ventral midline laparotomy was performed, and defects found in both the left and right ureter were repaired. Uroperitoneum and abdominal distention, presumably from urine leakage at the left ureteral surgery site, were detected on the fourth postoperative day and necessitated abdominal drainage. Thirty-six hours later, the leakage stopped spontaneously, and the foal recovered normally. This report s...
Hammer EJ, Chope K, Lemire TD, Reef VB.This report describes the identification and surgical removal of a lipoma from the extensor tendon sheaths of a horse. To the authors' knowledge, this is the first report of a lipoma of the extensor tendon sheaths of a horse. Ultrasonographic evaluation was crucial to patient management, providing information regarding the soft tissue mass characteristics, tumor margins and synovial involvement prior to surgical exploration. Surgical removal was performed and was curative.
Conturba B, Lo Feudo CM, Stucchi L, Stancari G, Olivieri L, Ferrucci F.The aim of the present work was to describe a case of recurrent capillary haemangioma at the coronary border of the left front limb in a 6-month-old thoroughbred filly successfully treated with diode laser ablation and adjunctive laser photocoagulation therapy. Le but de cette étude était de décrire un cas d’hémangione capillaire récidivant du bord coronaire du membre antérieur gauche chez un cheval de race de 6 mois traité avec succès par une ablation au laser diode et traitement adjuvant de photo-coagulation au laser. El objetivo del presente trabajo fue describir un caso de hemang...
Kamali MF, Wilson AC, Acquisto NM, Spillane L, Schneider SM.Flunexin is a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug approved for veterinary use in horses and cattle. Acepromazine is a phenothiazine derivative used in horses, dogs, and cats. Human exposure to these substances is rare. Methods: We report a case of a human injection of two equine medications, flunixin and acepromazine, which resulted in altered mental status, respiratory alkalosis, gastrointestinal bleeding, and elevation of liver transaminases in a 43-year-old woman who worked as a horse trainer. The patient intentionally self-injected these medications and subsequently presented to the Emerge...
Mahne AT, Janse van Rensburg D, Hewetson M.A 4-year-old Thoroughbred gelding underwent an explorative celiotomy for a suspected small intestinal obstruction. During surgery, an impacted diverticulum of the ileum was suspected, necessitating a jejunocaecostomy. The owner opted for euthanasia. On post-mortem examination and histopathology, a true diverticulum on the mesenteric side of the ileum, with ileal hypertrophy, was diagnosed.
Smith SE, Devine DV.To determine the feasibility of hand-assisted laparoscopic ovariectomy via colpotomy for bilateral ovariectomy in standing mares. Methods: Case series. Methods: Mares (n = 21) aged 2-21 years, weighing 312-582 kg. Methods: After a pilot study in 6 mares, the technique was used in 15 mares. Ovaries were identified and manipulated using 2 laparoscopic portals in the left paralumbar fossa. Transection and hemostasis of the ovarian pedicle was achieved using a LigaSure Atlas™ or chain écraseur. Ovaries were removed through a colpotomy by an assistant. Results: In 19 mares, both ovaries were suc...
Hussein H, Ishihara A, Menendez M, Bertone A.Plasma pharmacokinetic (PK) and bone resorption biomarker [carboxy-terminal cross-linking telopeptide of type I collagen (CTX-1)] analyses were performed following single and multiple oral dose protocols of a Cathepsin K inhibitor (VEL-0230) in horses. Outcomes included plasma and urine drug and CTX-1 concentrations. In the dose range study, 2, 4, and 8 mg/kg body weight (b.w.) doses were administered in a Latin square design to three mares and evaluated for 1 week. Based on the PK characteristics of VEL-0230, 4 mg/kg b.w. was selected for the dose interval study in which 3.25 days (d) and 7 d...
