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Topic:Veterinary Care
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.
Wounds associated with osseous sequestration and penetrating foreign bodies. Nonhealing wounds can present a frustrating clinical challenge to the veterinary practitioner. In many cases, healing is delayed by the presence of a foreign body or sequestrum; a review of wounds complicated by the presence of osseous sequestration and penetrating foreign bodies is presented. The typical signs include delayed wound healing and the presence of serous to exudative drainage, which may vary from intermittent to continuous. The use of radiographic or sonographic imaging modalities is often of value in reaching a diagnosis. Removal of the sequestra or foreign body is generally cura...
Techniques of wound closure. Although many wounds in horses heal successfully by second-intention healing or delayed closure, some wounds can be sutured primarily, with reasonably high expectations of first-intention healing. To expect to achieve these results, one needs to have a rational treatment plan. Such a plan should be based on a working knowledge of the biology of tissue repair and tissue infection. Treatment decisions should be based more on results of experimental and clinical trials rather than on testimonials of other practitioners.
Management of exuberant granulation tissue. Exuberant granulation tissue is common in large, lower limb wounds of horses, particularly horses of large body size. Methods of control include chemical cautery, cryogenic surgery, and surgical resection. Surgical resection is preferred because it is easy to perform, provides tissue for histologic evaluation, and preserves the epithelial margin. Effective treatments to prevent the formation of granulation tissue include leaving granulating wounds open to the air or, possibly, bandaging with topical steroids. Bandaging or casting may promote exuberant granulation tissue in wounds in which it h...
Second-intention healing. Second-intention healing (contraction and epithelization) is most appropriate for heavily traumatized, contaminated wounds that may have a prolonged debridement phase. Therapy during healing can promote rapid debridement and faster healing. Healing of lower limb wounds by second intention may be protracted, owing to poorer wound contraction and excessive granulation tissue production as compared with body wounds.
The use of long-acting neuroleptics, perphenazine enanthate and pipothiazine palmitate in two horses. Two Arabian horse stallions with behavioural problems were treated with long-acting neuroleptics in order to facilitate corrective training. Perphenazine enanthate, administered intramuscularly at a dose of 0.5 mg kg-1 had an effect for 30 d. Pipothiazine palmitate (1 mg kg-1) induced tranquilization of 30 d duration as well as extra-pyramidal clinical signs, ataxia and aphagia. Neither horse showed prolapse of the penis or haemolysis.
Wounds of the esophagus and trachea. Wounds of the esophagus and trachea are uncommon, but closed wounds can be difficult to diagnose and treat. Esophageal wounds are the more serious and can be life-threatening; however, appropriate surgical and medical treatment applied without delay can be successful in some cases, especially in full-thickness longitudinal wounds. Tracheal wounds are usually less severe, but the high risk of iatrogenic injuries to the trachea should be recognized. Also, tracheal injuries can limit the athletic potential of a horse.
Delayed wound closure and scar revision. Delayed closure is an underutilized technique that can produce a good cosmetic result in lower leg wounds and can significantly shorten the healing time. To be successful, the surgeon should be able to utilize tension-relieving techniques and manage dead space. Scar revision should be limited to simple elliptical excision or modifications thereof until experience is developed. Sliding skin flaps, Z-plasties, and W-plasties are used infrequently and require adequate preoperative planning.
Equine stress responses to anaesthesia. Information on equine stress responses to anaesthesia and surgery is sparse. Six ponies were anaesthetized for 2 h with halothane and no surgery was performed. Plasma concentrations of glucose, lactate, non-esterified fatty acids, cortisol, insulin, catecholamines and adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) were measured. The results were compared with those obtained in the same group of ponies over the same time period on a different day with the animals conscious. Anaesthesia induced an increase in plasma concentrations of glucose, lactate, cortisol and ACTH and a decrease in plasma concentration...
Management of traumatic tendon lacerations. This article deals with the diagnosis and treatment of tendon lacerations. Tendon healing, with its implications relative to treatment, is discussed. The various pros and cons of suturing severed tendons are addressed as well as methods of immobilizing the injured limb. The need for prompt diagnosis and aggressive treatment of tendon sheath injuries is also discussed.
Effects of atracurium administered by continuous intravenous infusion in halothane-anesthetized horses. Atracurium (0.4 mg/ml in isotonic NaCl solution) was administered by IV infusion to 7 healthy adult horses for 2 hours. Over the 2-hour period, a 95 to 99% reduction of train-of-four hoof-twitch response was maintained by 0.17 +/- 0.01 mg of atracurium/kg of body weight/h, for a total of 161 +/- 6 mg of atracurium (mean +/- SEM) for horses 1 to 4, 6, and 7. Horse 5, a mare in estrus, required 0.49 mg of atracurium/kg/h to maintain comparable relaxation. Hoof-twitch recovery time from 10 to 75% of baseline strength was 19.8 +/- 2.5 minutes for all horses. The 10 to 75% recovery time for horse 5...
Hoof injuries. Major surgery for wounds of the foot, compared with other parts of the body, requires a more detailed preparation and a more persistent aftercare. To approach severe hoof wounds with a routine applicable to drainage of a subsolar abscess is doomed to failure! Yet, in dealing with referral cases of hoof wounds, particularly those that have become chronic, the author has observed that the principles have been ignored and/or the routines inadequate. The hoof has a suitable capacity to heal, with complete reformation of hoof structures, if a healing environment is maintained for a long enough peri...
Absorption of two trimethoprim/sulphonamide combinations from the uterus of pony mares. Plasma drug concentrations were measured after two commercially available potentiated sulphonamides, trimethoprim and sulfadoxine and trimethoprim and sulphadiazine, were infused daily for 2 and 3 days, respectively, into the uteri of pony mares which had been mated before ovulation. Intravenous administration of trimethoprim and sulfadoxine allowed uterine absorption of trimethoprim (23-43%) and sulfadoxine (29-34%) to be calculated. After intra-uterine administration trimethoprim and sulphadiazine were detected in the milk of a lactating mare. In order to maintain plasma concentrations likel...
The management of open joint injuries. The prognosis for returning horses with open joint injuries to athletic function is most closely related to the duration of the injury prior to treatment. Prompt diagnosis and appropriate therapy should yield a favorable result. Delayed diagnosis or inappropriate therapy that allow the wound to progress to an infected state makes the likelihood of return to athletic function poor. Refractory joint infection can occur despite early diagnosis and prompt appropriate therapy. The development of these infections is undoubtedly increased by tissue loss and gross contamination. Appropriate antibiotic...
Skin grafting of the horse. Free autogenous skin grafting of the horse is indicated for wounds too large to heal by contraction and epithelization. Techniques of pinch, punch, tunnel, and sheet grafting are described. Allografting and storage of skin for delayed grafting are discussed.
Accuracy of prediction of the liveweight of horses from body measurements. Fifty-three horses, all but two of them over two years of age and varying in type, sex and liveweight (230 to 707 kg) were weighed and seven different body measurements were recorded in duplicate by a single operator. The best overall prediction of liveweight using an equation with two variables was found to be: liveweight (kg) = (umbilical girth [cm])1.78 X (length of body from tuber ischii to elbow [cm]0.97/3011). This equation had an adjusted R2 value of 94.9 per cent and was derived from the pooled data, because differences of sex, type and weight did not significantly affect the relations...
Cervical hyperplasia with prolapse in a mare. Cervical hyperplasia with prolapse through the vulvar lips was documented in a mare. Postmortem examination indicated that the mass originated from the cervical wall. The surface of the prolapsed mass had histologic features of normal cervix. Cervical hyperplasia can be considered in a list of differential diagnoses in cases of prolapse of the internal genitalia in mares.
[Neonatal hemolytic icterus in foals. A study of antibodies in colostrum and serum]. Investigations for the presence of antibodies to red blood cell antigens were carried out in equine colostrum and serum. Material from 181 mares without clinical disease was tested. The object was to obtain information on the number of mares producing antibodies capable of inducing haemolytic disease in newborn foals. Of the mares 2.8% was positive for haemolysins. These mares are expected to be a risk for haemolytic disease. In addition agglutinating antibodies were identified in 39.2 per cent of the mares examined. It is not known whether or not these antibodies constitute a hazard for the f...
Methods of stimulating acupuncture points for treatment of chronic back pain in horses. Horses with chronic back pain of 2 to 108 months' duration were treated using acupuncture (n = 15), laser acupuncture (n = 15), or injection acupuncture (n = 15). Horses were treated once a week for 8 treatments (mean) with needle acupuncture, 11 treatments with laser acupuncture, or 9 treatments with injection acupuncture. After treatment, 37 horses had alleviation of clinical signs of pain and could train and compete: 13 horses treated with needle acupuncture; 11 horses treated with laser acupuncture; and 13 horses treated with injection acupuncture. Seemingly, the 3 types of acupuncture wer...
[The pattern of riding injuries]. During the period from 1.1. to 31.12.1988, 104 patients with injuries resulting from riding or other forms of direct contact with horses were examined and treated in a casualty department in the County of Vejle. Antecedent data from these patients were collected. The majority of injuries occurred on falling from the horse and involved particularly the upper part of the body. The commonest injuries were bruises which did not require special treatment. The relationships between concussion, fracture of the humerus and fracture of the clavicle and riding were investigated by odds ratio. Much fewer...
Field efficacy of ivermectin, fenbendazole and pyrantel embonate paste anthelmintics in horses. Three anthelmintic pastes were compared in terms of their ability to suppress the output of parasite eggs in the faeces of 108 grazing horses at four sites in Britain; the horses were treated once with either ivermectin, fenbendazole or pyrantel. At each site, the horses grazed together throughout the trials which took place during the summers of 1985 and 1986. The median periods before parasite eggs reappeared in faeces were 70 days for ivermectin, 14 days for fenbendazole and 39 days for pyrantel embonate. Geometric mean faecal egg counts in the groups treated with ivermectin and pyrantel we...
Postanesthetic equine myopathy suggestive of malignant hyperthermia. A case report. Signs of malignant hyperthermia, including progressive increases in PaCO2, skin temperature and heart rate, and elevated serum levels of potassium, inorganic phosphate, and creatine kinase, were identified in a halothane-anesthetized horse. Treatment was discontinuing halothane administration, applying ice and cold fluids, and hyperventilating with 100% oxygen. After an initial recovery, bilateral hindlimb myopathy and pigmenturia developed. The myopathy resolved after treatment with oral dantrolene, IV fluids, and hydrocortisone. Results of caffeine-halothane challenge, using semimembranosus ...
