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.
Golenz MR, Knight DA, Yvorchuk-St Jean KE.Nasogastric infusion of a human enteral feeding preparation was effective in reversing hyperlipemia in an anorectic miniature horse with an esophageal laceration. The nutrient preparation was delivered every 4 hours by gravity flow through a 12 F enteral feeding tube. Within 48 hours of initiating enteral nutrition, the hyperlipemia had resolved. Signs of intolerance to the preparation were not observed, and further weight loss was prevented. The use of a human enteral formula was a convenient and successful alternative for the treatment of hyperlipemia in the horse.
Baggot JD.Veterinary and human pharmacology differ principally in the range of species in which drugs are used and studied. In animals, as in humans, an understanding of the dose-effect relationship can be obtained by linking pharmacokinetic behaviour with pharmacodynamic information. Studies of different classes of drugs support the assumption that the range of therapeutic plasma concentrations in animals is generally the same as in humans. The requirement for species differences in dosage or administration rate (dose/dosage interval) may be attributed to variations in pharmacokinetic behaviour or phar...
Plata-Madrid H, Loch WE, Youngquist RS, Thompson DL, Bennett-Wimbush KG, Wilkerson C, Bouchard G, Smith MF, Braun WF, Aveiro JJ.Twenty-two pony mares were used in a project designed to determine the effectiveness of different treatments in controlling FSH, follicular development and synchronization of estrus and ovulation. Mares in Group 1 (n=8) received daily oral altrenogest (0.044 mg/kg); those in Group 2 (n=7) received daily altrenogest (0.044 g/kg) and, during the last 4 days of treatment they received steroid-free follicular fluid, (15 cc) intravenously (I.V.) two times a day; Mares in Group 3 (n=7) received daily intramuscular (I.M.) injections of progesterone (80 mg) and estradiol valerate (7 mg). All treatment...
Divers TJ, Timoney JF, Lewis RM, Smith CA.A 12-year-old thoroughbred gelding died from diffuse global glomerulonephritis, 3 months after a lower respiratory infection from which Streptococcus zooepidemicus was isolated. Immunopathological studies (immunofluorescence, immunodiffusion, immunoperoxidase testing and immunoblotting) indicated the presence of an immune reactant renal disease associated with IgG antibody and streptococcal antigens.
Dart AJ, Snyder JR, Pascoe JR, Farver TB, Galuppo LD.The signalment, clinical and laboratory findings of surgical conditions, treatment, and outcome of 102 cases of descending colon disease in horses were reviewed. Abnormal conditions were categorized as enteroliths, impactions, strangulating lipomas, fecaliths, foreign body obstruction, volvulus, nephrosplenic entrapment, and other conditions. Eleven breed categories of horses were seen during this period. Arabians, ponies, and American miniature horses were more predisposed to descending colon disease than other breeds (P less than 0.05). Female horses and animals greater than 15 years old wer...
Hoffman AM, Baird JD, Kloeze HJ, Rosendal S, Bell M.Mycoplasma felis was identified as the cause of acute pleuritis in 2 show-jumping horses. The pleural exudate was proteinaceous, contained large numbers of neutrophils, and had a markedly increased lactate concentration. M. felis was isolated in pure culture from pleural fluid. Rising serum antibody titers to M. felis as well as a precipitous decline in titers to equine influenza virus were demonstrated in both horses. Pleural effusion in both horses and a pneumothorax detected in one of the horses resolved following a single drainage of pleural fluid and intravenous fluid, antibiotic, and ana...
Burns GA.At several locations along the equine cecum and colon, the outer longitudinal portion of the tunica muscularis is gathered into discrete bands of smooth muscle and connective tissue called "teniae". In this study, the disposition of the teniae ceci and coli was traced along the equine intestinal tract. It was discovered that, in several instances, arrays of teniae converge toward the valves and sphincters which separate the various intestinal compartments. The teniae may also provide support for and directionality to, peristaltic contraction waves. The tissue proportions of the teniae vary in ...
Brinsko SP, Varner DD.Artificial insemination is an effective technique for improving utilization of stallions in breeding programs. When proper semen handling and insemination procedures are used, optimal pregnancy rates are attainable. When AI techniques are employed for mares and stallions with marginal fertility, pregnancy rates may be improved in comparison with natural mating. Preservation of stallion semen in the liquid or frozen state reduces the costs and potential health hazards incurred by transporting mares and provides easier access to genetic material that may otherwise be unavailable. Acceptable preg...
Hunt RJ, Baxter GM, Zamos DT.A transverse, comminuted fracture of the patella was treated surgically by combining tension-band wiring and lag-screw fixation in a horse. Partial patellectomy or smaller detached fragments of the patella was performed. Satisfactory healing of the fracture was evident 10 weeks after surgery, and there were no complications. Implants were not removed. The horse was sound at a trot 4 months after surgery and was used for pleasure riding 8 months later.
Wilkie DA.A silicone subdermal implant was used in the surgical repair of a superior palpebral defect in a horse. The right superior palpebra was missing from the lateral canthus superiorly to the 1 o'clock position, and a corneal ulcer, anterior uveitis, and right micropalpebral fissure also were observed. Lateral canthotomy and canthoplasty were performed to enlarge the palpebral fissure, and a silicone implant was inserted in the superior palpebra to replace the missing tarsal plate. These procedures resulted in a successful reconstruction, with improvement of palpebral function.
Kannegieter NJ, Ecke P.A Thoroughbred gelding was referred for treatment of a parotid duct fistula. This had developed after the referring veterinarian had excised a portion of the duct, and ligated the proximal end, as a means of treating a recurring sialocoele. This report describes the successful surgical reconstruction of the excised 15 cm portion of the parotid duct using an interposition polytetrafluoroethylene tube graft.
Greet TR.The paper describes the outcome of 16 cases of short-ileal-ileal intussusception in young Thoroughbred horses. The intussusception was often associated with chronic or intermittent low grade abdominal pain. At laparotomy, only the intussusception was reduced in one horse; in another, a myotomy of the thickened stenosed intussusception was carried out after reduction. In 11 cases as ileocaecal bypass anastomosis was performed proximal to the intussusception after its reduction. One horse was subjected to euthanasia during operation because of irreversible intestinal wall damage and another beca...
Ojala M, Ala-Huikku J.From 1974 to 1979, seven stillborn foals with internal hydrocephalus were encountered from one Standardbred trotter stallion which sired 239 registered foals. An hydrocephalic foal was also aborted by a daughter of the same stallion. One affected foal from Standardbred trotters and one from a Finnish Horses were also reported. In some cases, the condition caused severe dystocia. Based on field data, possible causes of the defect could neither be proved nor specifically overruled in individual cases. Hydrocephalus was obviously not an autosomal recessive single-locus defect, nor was it X-linked...
Harkins JD, Kamerling SG.There is considerable debate regarding the ergogenic effects of sodium bicarbonate (NaHCO3) on racing performance in horses. Anecdotal evidence suggests that NaHCO3 improves performance by increasing the buffering capacity of the blood and delaying the onset of hydrogen ion-induced fatigue. In a cross-over study, 16 Thoroughbred racehorses were given an aqueous solution of NaHCO3 (0.4 g/kg in 1 litre H2O) or a control treatment (1 litre H2O) before a 1600-m race. Treatments were administered 3 h before the race, which was the time to peak buffering capacity (2.5-3.0 h) determined in a separate...
Hardy J, Robertson JT, Reed SM.Chronic constrictive pericarditis was diagnosed in a 6-year-old Thoroughbred mare based on the clinical findings of right congestive heart failure, hyperechoic pericardium without pericardial effusion, and a dip-and-plateau shape of the right ventricular pressure curve with equilibration of the diastolic pressures in all cardiac chambers. Treatment was attempted by partial pericardiectomy using a right lateral thoracotomy approach. Because of severe epicardial involvement recurrence of the constrictive pathology was noted 6 weeks after the surgical procedure. However, in selected cases in whic...
Prichard MA, Hackett RP, Erb HN.The records of 61 horses undergoing tooth repulsion for treatment of alveolar periostitis were reviewed. Seventeen of 36 horses (47%) in which maxillary teeth were removed had serious postoperative complications, such as infection of a second tooth, bone sequestration, chronic sinusitis, draining tracts, retained dental packing, feed impaction of the alveolus or sinus, suture-line dehiscence, or skin-flap sloughs. Eight horses required at least one additional surgical procedure. Eight of 25 horses (32%) in which mandibular teeth were removed had serious postoperative complications, and four ho...
Major MD, Grant BD, White KK, Ratzlaff MH, Gallina AM, Crawley GR.Mechanical properties of equine suspensory apparatus preparations and three braided synthetic prostheses were evaluated in vitro. Force versus displacement plots and failure modes were recorded from single load-to-failure testing in 18 cadaver limbs before and after replacement of each suspensory apparatus with a prosthesis. Mean load at failure, energy to failure, and stiffness values of polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) prostheses were lower than those of the suspensory apparatus and aramid prosthesis. The PTFE prosthesis failed by elongation or rupture of the prosthesis. Mechanical properties ...
Curtis MB, Eicker SW, Archer RM, Lindsay WA.A 5-year old Arabian mare fell during recovery from general anesthesia after an exploratory laparotomy. This fall resulted in dehiscence of the abdominal closure, and a substantial amount of intestines were exteriorized. Chemical and manual restraints were rapidly used to prevent trauma to the exposed intestines. A second general anesthesia was initiated to clean the intestines and close the incision. Multiple anesthetic problems were encountered, including arterial hypotension and hypoxemia. The horse recovered from the second general anesthesia and surgery, and all complications gradually re...
C÷¯ord D, Woodhead A, Muirhead R.The objective was to evaluate the nutritive value of short-cutting cycle, high temperature-dried (SCCHTD) alfalfa compared to timothy hay. This was achieved by carrying out 4 x 4 Latin Square digestibility trial using 4 Thoroughbred (one three-quarter Thoroughbred) horses (mean liveweight, 531 kg). The four dietary treatments were 0AA (timothy hay only), 33AA (0.33 alfalfa: 0.67 timothy hay), 67AA (0.67 alfalfa: 0.33 timothy hay) and 100AA (alfalfa only). Digestibility data were obtained by using acid-insoluble ash to estimate apparent digestibility coefficients of nutrients. Rate of passage o...
Evans GP, Behiri JC, Vaughan LC, Bonfield W.The behaviour of cortical bone under load is strain rate-dependent, i.e. it is dependent on the rate at which the load is applied. This is particularly relevant in the galloping horse since the strain rates experienced by the bone are far in excess of those recorded for any other species. In this study the effect of strain rates between 0.0001 and 1 sec-1 on the mechanical properties of equine cortical bone were assessed. Initially, increasing strain rates resulted in increased mechanical properties. Beyond a critical value, however, further increases in strain rate resulted in lower strain to...
Laleye BOFV, Seye M, Chiavaccini L.Limited knowledge exists on recognition and treatment of equine abdominal pain in low- and middle-income countries. This study aimed at finding indicators for recognizing abdominal pain, evaluating responses to clinical and behavioral changes, and assessing the impact of timely referral on colic outcomes in a suburban region of Senegal. The final goal was to identify factors that may be leveraged to improve the outcome of horses presented for abdominal pain in Senegal. Unassigned: Retrospective, observational cohort study. Unassigned: Data from 26 foals and 40 adult horses referred for acute a...
Velineni S, Schiltz P, Chang KH, Peng YM, Cowles B.Abnormal blood glucose (BG) levels often seen in critically ill horses are significantly associated with adverse patient outcomes and increased mortality. Rapid and accurate BG monitoring is now considered an essential component of evidence-based equine practice and can provide critical information quickly for treatment. Although several point-of-care (POC) BG monitoring hand-held devices are commercially available for veterinary use, none contains a unique algorithm validated for use in horses. The AlphaTrak 3 (AT3) BG monitoring system is a first-of-its-kind device with an equine-specific al...
Böswald LF, Gottschalk C, Kaltner F, Merk J, Schwaiger K, Kienzle E.While previous reports come mostly from the southern Americas, several outbreaks of hypersalivation in horses were observed in Middle Europe from 2016 to 2018. Objective: To describe feed-induced hypersalivation in European horses. Methods: Analysis of feedstuffs. Methods: Veterinarians and horse or stable owners were encouraged to submit feedstuffs from case outbreaks of hypersalivation in which, infectious diseases or other systemic causes of the syndrome were ruled out and intoxication was suspected. Feedstuff analysis was performed, including gross examination, microscopic analysis of fine...
Herbst AC, Coleman MC, Macon EL, Harris PA, Adams AA.A proportion of senior horses (≥15 years of age) are still used for competition. Information about this particular group of horses is currently sparse. Objective: To provide an overview of the demographics, management and health of competing U.S. senior horses (≥15 years of age). Methods: Online survey. Methods: Descriptive and inferential (Kruskal-Wallis test) analysis of 246 surveys from owners of U.S.-resident senior horses used for competition. Confidence intervals were calculated for prevalence estimates of clinical signs and medical conditions. Results: Competing senior horses we...
Sidwell AE, Duz M, Hill B, Freeman S, Hole SL.Dental disease is a common but often under-recognised condition in horses, possibly due to an inability to recognise clinical signs of oral discomfort. Some dental disorders are reportedly more painful than others, but there is no current metric by which dental pain can be objectively assessed. This study aimed to determine whether a facial expression-based pain scale offered an objective and reliable method for assessing dental pain in horses. It was hypothesised that dental disorders affecting the periodontium would produce high pain scores. Twelve horses with dental disease were evaluated f...
Hardwick J, Ahern B, Franklin S.Due to concerns about disagreement between veterinarians when grading resting laryngeal function (LF), a diagnostic decision tree (DDT) has been developed by codifying the Havemeyer grading system and objectively defining certain terms to remove ambiguity. Videoendoscopic examinations of the equine larynx that had previously been assigned a unanimous LF grade by 3 experienced observers were used to develop the DDT and determine the cut-off values. The DDT is a flow chart consisting of a series of dichotomous (yes/no) decisions, to dictate the order of decision making and direct the observer do...
Bishop RC, Shanthappa N, Connolly SL, Wilkins PA, McCoy AM.To establish the reference interval (RI) of fecal calprotectin (fCP) and fCP:protein ratio in the feces of healthy horses and demonstrate preliminary clinical utility for the quantification of intestinal inflammation. Methods: Feces were collected from healthy horses (n = 103) and horses with colic (n = 15) or colitis (n = 13). Feces were suspended in buffer to create fecal supernatant. Fecal calprotectin concentration was determined by ELISA, fecal total protein concentration was determined by bicinchoninic acid assay, and the fCP:protein ratio was calculated. Reference intervals for fCP and ...
Wong AM, Schier MF, Hosgood G, Drynan E, Raisis AL.To explore the influence of acepromazine on the cardiovascular effects of dobutamine in isoflurane-anaesthetised horses premedicated with romifidine. Methods: Prospective randomised clinical trial. Methods: A total of 18 horses undergoing elective arthroscopy were enrolled, of which 12 horses requiring dobutamine were included. Methods: Horses were randomised to receive acepromazine 0.02 mg kg (Group A+) intravenously (IV) or none (Group A-), 35 minutes before anaesthesia. Horses received xylazine 0.2 mg kg concurrently to facilitate IV access. Horses were premedicated with romifidine 0.08 mg ...
Bishop RC, Nobrega AD, Mersich I, Wilkins PA.To describe indications for and demonstrate the technique to perform a transtracheal aspirate in horses. Transtracheal aspirate is indicated to collect samples for cytology and bacteriologic culture in cases of suspected pneumonia or other lower respiratory tract disease. Methods: 1 healthy university-owned horse was used for demonstration purposes. Images of clinical case samples from the University of Illinois Veterinary Teaching Hospital are shown. Methods: The horse is restrained and sedated with detomidine or xylazine to facilitate restraint and butorphanol to minimize coughing. The ventr...
Schaus K, Wacker J, Jandowsky A, Büttner K, Röcken M, Bartmann CP.Morphometric measurements of the toe serve as a reference for the objective assessment of the presence of a pathological condition and as a guide for the correct trimming of the hooves. Therefore, the anatomical differences between horses and donkeys oblige an autonomous database with reference values for the donkey. The aim of this study was therefore to provide readings of the distal hind limb on radiographs of donkeys. Radiographs of the distal hind limb in two projections of 41 generally sound donkeys without lameness in walk were taken after previous hoof trimming and preparation accordin...
Fletcher K, Limon G, Agongo E, Akunzule A, Essel G, Padalino B, Grist A, Gibson TJ.Donkey slaughter in West Africa has received limited scientific attention, despite increasing over recent years. This study aimed to explore factors affecting donkey welfare, both ante-mortem and at slaughter, in the Upper East region of Ghana. A total of 134 donkeys at five different slaughter points were assessed using animal-based indicators. Slaughter involved either blunt force trauma (BFT) using a wooden pole (1 location) or a metal hammer (2 locations); or non-stun ventral neck incision (VNI) (2 locations). Time to loss of consciousness (or return) was assessed, with behavioural and bra...
Whitaker B, Barnhard JA, Webb KR, Levine D, Green MM, Vieira MR.This study assessed the safety and tolerability of concurrent intra-articular (IA) injection of 2.5% polyacrylamide hydrogel (2.5% iPAAG) and betamethasone sodium phosphate and betamethasone acetate esters (BME) in the metacarpophalangeal joints (MCPJs) of healthy horses. Methods: 10 healthy therapeutic riding horses were enrolled in this open-label safety study from August 1 to September 14, 2023. Inclusion criteria required normal physical examinations, insulin level, hematology, biochemistry, soundness at all gaits, and negative forelimb flexion tests. Screening occurred from days -14 to -0...
Hinrichs K, Schnobrich M, Fernandes CB, Fleury P, Barillari V, Bruggeworth S.Transvaginal ultrasound-guided follicle aspiration (TVA) is being performed commonly in clinical equine practice. There is limited information in the literature about the type and incidence of complications related to TVA. We conducted a survey (Study 1), completed by 23 practicing veterinarians, soliciting information about the types and incidence of minor and major complications and of fatalities they had experienced associated with performance of TVA. In Study 2, data from a large clinical practice in which six veterinarians performed over 14,000 TVAs over a period of 7 years was reviewed t...
Jasiński T, Turek B, Kaczorowski M, Brehm W, Skierbiszewska K, Domino M.The temporomandibular joint (TMJ) is a unique joint that enables mandibular movement. Temporomandibular diseases (TMDs) impair joint function, leading to more or less specific clinical signs. Objective: To compile and disseminate clinical data and research findings from existing publications on equine TMD. Methods: Systematic review. Methods: Following PRISMA 2020 guidelines, literature searches were conducted in PUBMED, Scopus, and Web of Knowledge. The inclusion criteria covered case reports and research articles on equine TMDs. The selected records were grouped considering septic TMJ arthri...
Accorroni L, Bazzano M, Marchegiani A, Spaterna A, Laus F.Knowledge of the normal ultrasound anatomy in the donkey is essential to understand pathological changes and to reach an early diagnosis, considering the "dullness" and stoicism of these animals in pain manifestations. The aims of this study were to document which abdominal viscera could be identified using a transcutaneous ultrasonography technique under field conditions in unsedated, standing donkeys to determine where the different abdominal structures could be easily displayed and to describe any variation that occurred between different donkeys and horses. In this work, the manual techniq...
Scott I, Lawrence KE, Gee EK.Shortened egg reappearance periods (ERP) have been seen as an early warning of anthelmintic resistance development in cyathostomins in horses. The hypothesis has been that in these instances, efficacy against egg laying adult cyathostomins remains high, but a decline in activity against later larval stages leads to the earlier resumption of egg shedding after treatment. In this study using a single herd of horses we investigated the ERP of a number of commonly used equine anthelmintics and examined whether ERP might show seasonal variation between winter and summer. Four main Faecal egg count ...
Delvescovo B, Chevalier JM, Campoy L, Cercone M.To describe a technique for ultrasound-guided celiac plexus block in horses and characterize its effect on intestinal motility in healthy horses. Methods: This study was conducted from January 2022 through June 2022. In phase 1 (dye study), an ultrasound-guided technique was optimized, and dye deposition around the celiac plexus branches was evaluated via postmortem dissection in 6 horses. In phase 2 (experimental study), 6 healthy horses were fasted and sedated with 0.6 mg/kg xylazine, IV (experiment 1). After a washout period, the ultrasound-guided celiac plexus block with lidocaine 1% (1.3 ...
Vaccination is one of the most important measures for preventing infectious diseases. Vaccinations against tetanus and West-Nile-Virus are essential to protect the individual horse. These infections are not contagious and are not transmitted from animal to animal. By contrast, Equine Influenza and Equine-Herpes-Virus infections are highly contagious, transmissible diseases. In addition to protecting the vaccinated individual, vaccinating as many horses as possible aims at inducing a broad herd immunity, which interrupts infection chains and thus additionally protects the individual. Vaccinatio...
Yamaga T, Tagami M, Takeyama A, Kato F, Suzuki T, Tagami M, Tsuzuki N.Computed tomography (CT) offers high-resolution, three-dimensional imaging, making it particularly valuable for assessing complex structures, such as the head, especially when conventional radiography and endoscopy are insufficient for a definitive diagnosis. Herein, we present two cases of equine cranial disorders resulting from congenital malformations. In case 1, which had a dentigerous cyst, CT images confirmed the location of the ectopic tooth within the skull and a detailed fistula tube. In case 2, which had temporohyoid osteoarthropathy, CT examination revealed that the stylohyoid bone ...
Cameron A, Geldard M, Mair T, England G, Burford J, Freeman S, Pollock K, Wilson E.Veterinary and charity teams are frequently involved in equine end-of-life decisions. These can cause ethical dilemmas and emotional burdens and complicate communication with owners. Semi-structured focus groups explored experiences of making decisions about end-of-life care and euthanasia at three UK equine veterinary practices and one charity. There were 26 participants in a mix of roles. Inductive coding was conducted during thematic analysis. Major themes generated were 'Equine Welfare', 'Relationships', 'Decision-Making', and 'Emotional Toll and Coping Strategies'. Communication, finances...
Oyaneder L, Lagos N, Dörner C.The present study was conducted to evaluate the safety and the long-lasting anesthetic properties of Neosaxitoxin (NeoSTX) when injected into the intercoccygeal space in standing horses. A group of eighteen (n = 18) healthy client-owned mature crossbreed horses were enrolled in this study. Caudal epidural injection was ascertained by two methods, the "hanging drop" technique and radiographs. Horses were allocated into three groups (n = 6) each group receiving different dosages of NeoSTX. To assess the onset of action and duration of anesthesia, six horses received 20 μg in 2 mL, six 20Â...
Loublier C, Costa M, Taminiau B, Lecoq L, Daube G, Amory H, Cesarini C.Research on fecal microbiota changes during hospitalization of horses with colic is emerging. Objective: Describe changes of the fecal microbiota during hospitalization of horses with colic caused by inflammatory (INFL), simple (SIMPLE), and strangulated (STR) obstructions, and investigate associations with survival. Methods: Twenty-three horses with colic: 9 in INFL, 5 in STR, and 9 in SIMPLE groups. Seventeen horses survived, and 6 were euthanized. Methods: Prospective observational study. Fecal samples were collected on admission (D1), on days 3 (D3) and 5 (D5). Bacterial taxonomy profiling...
Fikri F, Purnomo A, Maslamama ST, Purnama MTE.In the past 20 years, acupuncture has been utilized as an alternative therapy for equine laminitis despite a lack of clinical evidence to support its effectiveness. Information from previous studies needs to be evaluated holistically to verify the effectiveness of acupuncture. This meta-analysis aimed to comprehensively investigate the effectiveness of acupuncture as a treatment for laminitis in horses. Unassigned: A total of 7 studies out of 145 were selected in the PubMed, Scopus, Cochrane Library, and ProQuest databases using the keywords "equine laminitis," "acupuncture," "horses," and "la...
Branda F, Yon DK, Albanese M, Binetti E, Giovanetti M, Ciccozzi A, Ciccozzi M, Scarpa F, Ceccarelli G.Equine influenza (EI) is a highly contagious respiratory disease caused by the equine influenza virus (EIV), posing a significant threat to equine populations worldwide. EIV exhibits considerable antigenic variability due to its segmented genome, complicating long-term disease control efforts. Although infections are rarely fatal, EIV's high transmissibility results in widespread outbreaks, leading to substantial morbidity and considerable economic impacts on veterinary care, quarantine, and equestrian activities. The H3N8 subtype has undergone significant antigenic evolution, resulting in the...
Cullinane A, Nelly M, Dayot L, Lukaseviciute G, Garvey M, Healy J, Gallagher R.This study describes a comparison of the detection of rotavirus in clinical samples from foals using two commercially available rapid antigen detection (RAD) kits, with the detection of rotavirus nucleic acid via a laboratory-based, in-house, real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) assay. One hundred and forty freeze-thawed samples (70 that were RT-PCR-positive and 70 that were RT-PCR-negative on original tests) submitted to the diagnostic laboratory over a seven-year period were tested in addition to 123 fresh samples (15 RT-PCR-positive and 108 RT-PCR-negative) sub...
Jastrzębska E, Górecka-Bruzda A, Ogłuszka M, Lipka MS, Pawłowska A.This pilot study investigated the effects of massage therapy on stress indicators in recreational horses, focusing on salivary cortisol levels, heart rate and conflict behaviors. Five recreational horses were analyzed under two experimental conditions: without and with massage treatments before riding sessions. Saliva samples were collected at four specific intervals in each condition to measure cortisol concentrations using an ELISA test. Observations of behavioral indicators and heart-rate monitoring complemented the physiological data. The results revealed that massage significantly reduced...
Marsella R.Antibiotic resistance is a growing concern worldwide and across species. This is especially important in horses with skin infections, as many of them are infected with Staphylococcus aureus, which can also colonize people. An increasing body of literature has documented colonization of horses with methicillin-resistant S aureus (MRSA) and transmission of MRSA between horses and veterinarians and vice versa. Colonization with MRSA does not always result in disease but has a potential impact on other horses, owners, handlers, and especially veterinarians. The WHO has published criteria to determ...
Sjöberg I, Horn I, Ljungvall K, Andersen PH, Sternberg-Lewerin S.To investigate the influence of surgical antimicrobial prophylaxis (SAP) on complication rates and surgical site infections (SSI) in horses undergoing sutured castration in a hospital setting. Methods: Retrospective chart review of a convenience sample. Methods: A total of 220 colts and stallions admitted for sutured castration. Methods: Medical records of sutured castration were assessed for patient characteristics, perioperative and postoperative medications, and postoperative complications within 6 weeks after surgery. The effect of these variables on the occurrence of complications was a...
Tress D, Hennessy S, Merle R, Jensen KC, Lischer C, Ehrle A.Impingement of spinous processes (SPs) is commonly diagnosed in the equine athlete. For diagnostic and therapeutic purposes, local injections are performed at the level of the space between adjacent spinous processes in affected horses. Objective: To assess the accuracy of different techniques for the local injection of the interspinal space in the equine thoracolumbar spine. Methods: Ex vivo experimental study. Methods: Equine thoracolumbar spine specimens were used to compare three techniques for needle insertion (midline; bilateral abaxial; unilateral oblique), two needles (20G-1½″; 20G-...
