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.
Markel MD.Results of these studies have demonstrated that colopexy of the left large colon to the abdominal wall is a relatively simple and quick procedure that is permanent 1 year after surgery. The technique does not appear to be associated with long-term weight loss or abdominal pain after surgery. It has been used in pregnant mares, both experimentally and clinically, without apparent complications. In addition, horses used for pleasure-riding and show hunting have returned to performance and have not had complications. Large colon resection is a useful technique, especially for animals with strangu...
Bertone AL.With large colon resection and anastomosis, up to 95 per cent of the length of the large colon has been successfully removed. A hand-sewn end-to-end anastomosis is effective for lesions in the left dorsal colon and pelvic flexure. Transection and a side-to-side anastomosis with stapling equipment is most effective for extensive resections (greater than 50 per cent). Horses with extensive colon resection (95 per cent) have permanent deficiencies of water absorption and digestion of cellulose and protein. Fermentative capacity is reduced, owing to decreased particulate matter retention time in t...
Snyder JR.Intestinal edema, luminal distention, and ischemia are common pathologic processes involved in producing the intestinal damage found during surgical exploration for acute abdominal disorders in the horse. The severity of intestinal edema depends on the degree of altered intravascular forces and changes in capillary permeability. Capillary hydrostatic pressure rises as the less pliable venules and veins become occluded during intestinal obstruction. Concurrently, the production of various endogenous products that damage the vascular wall leads to increases in capillary permeability and protein ...
Crews HM, Dean JR, Ebdon L, Massey RC.The speciation of cadmium in retail pig kidney has been examined by size-exclusion chromatography (SEC) coupled directly to inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). Approximately 35% of the cadmium from uncooked kidney was soluble after aqueous extraction at pH 8 and SEC - ICP-MS revealed three discrete peaks whose retention times corresponded to estimated relative molecular masses of 1.2 x 10(6), 7.0 x 10(4) and 6 x 10(3)-9 x 10(3). In the cooked kidney, 35% of the Cd was soluble and was all associated with a peak of a relative molecular mass (Mr) of 6 x 10(3)-9 x 10(3). After s...
Ley WB, Bowen JM, Sponenberg DP, Lessard PN.The effects upon equine endometrial histological features produced by 10 to 30% concentrations of dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) in sterile saline were compared with the effects of sterile saline (0.9% NaCl) alone as an intrauterine infusion therapy in 16 barren mares. No harmful histological changes were noted (P>0.05) as a result of the therapy. Thirty percent intrauterine DMSO therapy produced a significant (P0.05); however, there was a trend toward a higher pregnancy rate following DMSO therapy. The inability to control for sire variability in the breeding trials may have contributed toward ...
Hildebrand SV, Holland M, Copland VS, Daunt D, Brock N.Neuromuscular blocking agents (muscle relaxants) are useful and common adjuncts to general anesthesia for human beings, but have not been used extensively during anesthesia of large animal species. Over a 3-year period, atracurium or pancuronium were used as adjuncts to general anesthesia for 89 anesthetic procedures in 88 equids (of 18 breeds and age ranging in age from 5 weeks to 25 years) at the teaching hospital. Forty-one of the anesthetic procedures were for abdominal surgery, and orthopedic (n = 19), ophthalmologic (n = 17), thoracotomy (n = 1), and soft tissue (n = 14) procedures compo...
Barr AR, Denny HR.Three horses with non-displaced fractures of the radius were examined. The affected animals showed a sudden onset of severe forelimb lameness with swelling of the antebrachium. Two cases had associated wounds on the medial aspect of the distal radius. The diagnoses were confirmed on radiographic examination. All three cases were treated conservatively by box rest. In one case slight further displacement of the fracture occurred three weeks after the initial injury but all the fractures went on to heal. The three horses returned to work but two were limited to light ridden exercise.
Mair TS, Taylor FG, Pinsent PJ.Fever of unknown origin (FUO) is a syndrome characterised by prolonged, unexplained fever associated with non-specific signs of illness such as lethargy, inappetence and weight loss. This paper reviews the details of 63 horses affected by FUO. The cause was found to be infection in 43 per cent of the cases, neoplasia in 22 per cent, immune-mediated diseases in 6.5 per cent and miscellaneous diseases in 19 per cent; the cause remained undiagnosed in 9.5 per cent.
Kohn CW, Johnson GC, Garry F, Johnson CW, Martin S, Scott DW.A PRIMARY feature of hereditary mechanobullous diseases of man and domestic animals is blister formation following minor trauma. Sequelae are secondary infection and scarring, impaired alimentation resulting from oral or gastrointestinal lesions, and death (Chu 1985; Bauer 1981; Scott, Wolfe, Smith and Lewis 1980). Such diseases, grouped under the term epidermolysis bullosa (EB) must be distinguished clinically and pathologically from more common bullous diseases of autoimmune genesis and from toxic epidermolytic diseases. Morever, heritable EB in man is a heterogeneous group of diseases subcl...
Spier SJ, Lavoie JP, Cullor JS, Smith BP, Snyder JR, Sischo WM.Thirty-two horses with clinicopathologic evidence of endotoxic shock were randomly selected for a double-blind trial of hyperimmune lipopolysaccharide (LPS) core antigen plasma. Horses were suffering from acute toxic enteritis (n = 15), 360 degrees volvulus of the large colon (n = 9), proximal jejunitis/duodenitis (n = 6), or strangulating obstruction of the small intestine (n = 2). Plasma was harvested from suitable equine plasma donors (preimmune plasma) and horses were immunized with a whole-cell bacterin of an Rc mutant E. coli (J5). Plasma was again harvested from these horses when IgG EL...
Sweeney CR, Stebbins KE, Schelling CG, Beech J, Schilling DA.Hypertrophic osteopathy was diagnosed in a pony that had no antemortem or postmortem evidence of an intrathoracic lesion. With a history of hirsutism in an aged pony, a pituitary adenoma was suspected, and evaluation of plasma cortisol and insulin values and their response to thyrotropin-releasing hormone supported the diagnosis.
Mills NJ, Whitlock MD.Cases of head injury are reviewed in which riders wearing jockey skull caps have suffered impacts to the front, back or side of their helmets. The design and constructional materials of such helmets are assessed. Impact tests that simulate the accidents confirm the low energy absorption potential of some helmets for lateral impacts. Most pedal or motorcycle helmet designs afford better lateral impact protection.
Clark ES, Moore JN.Lateral cecal arterial blood flow, carotid arterial pressure, heart rate, and mechanical activity of the circular and longitudinal muscle layers of the cecal body were measured in 7 conscious healthy horses during IV infusion of physiologic saline solution for 60 minutes (control), during a 60-minute IV infusion of dopamine (at dosages of 1, 2.5, and 5 micrograms/kg/min), and for 60 minutes after IV infusion of dopamine. The mean values for lateral cecal arterial blood flow during IV infusion of dopamine at a dosage of either 1 or 2.5 micrograms/kg/min were not significantly different from the...
Bonnaire Y, Plou P, Pages N, Boudene C, Jouany JM.A highly sensitive procedure for GC/MS determination of etorphine in horse urine is described. This assay provides both specificity and reliability and is particularly well suited for the confirmation of radioimmunoassay screening procedures usually used for etorphine. After solvent extraction and purifications, the etorphine is characterized as a pentafluoroacetic derivative (PFAA) by using mass fragmentography. The detection limit is 0.1 ng/mL in urine; the coefficient of variation of the estimations is 10.9%. The procedure has been validated after on-field administration of 5 to 90 microgra...
Nicholson SS.Grasses that are essential components of livestock grazing programs sometimes are the source of tremorgenic toxicants to the animals consuming them. Morbidity can be high but mortality need not be if management closely observes the cattle daily and removes them at first sign of trouble. Specific treatment generally is not available nor needed. Survivors recover completely within a few days or weeks, except in chronic phalaris poisoning, where sheep and cattle may die after prolonged illness--or at least not make an economical recovery. Certain poisonous plants are responsible for tremorgenic s...
Rutkowski JA, Ross MW, Cullen K.Effects of xylazine HCl (0.5 mg/kg of body weight, IV) and/or butorphanol tartrate (0.04 mg/kg, IV) or neostigmine methylsulfate (0.022 mg/kg, IV) on myoelectric activity of the cecum and right ventral colon were studied in 4 conscious female ponies. Eight bipolar Ag/AgCl electrodes were sequentially placed on the seromuscular layer of the cecum (6 electrodes) and right ventral colon (2 electrodes). Recordings began 30 minutes before and continued for 90 minutes after drug administration. Each drug or drug combination was studied on 2 occasions in each pony. Two major patterns of coordinated s...
Rutkowski JA, Richardson DW.The records of 100 horses with clinical or radiographic diagnosis of a pelvic fracture were reviewed to determine prognostic indicators associated with clinical signs or radiographic fracture characteristics. Degree of lameness, soft tissue swelling, crepitis, muscle atrophy, skeletal external assymetry and palpable assymetry on rectal examination were evaluated. There was no significant relationship between the aforementioned clinical signs and the long-term cause outcome. Fracture sites or presence of an acetabular fracture were not related to prognosis. The positive outcome of 77 per cent o...
Bristol DG, Cullen J.An inverting, triangulated, stapled, end-to-end anastomosis technique was evaluated in the jejunum of four horses. None of the horses showed evidence of gastrointestinal disturbance after surgery; however, stricture and adhesion formation were pronounced in three animals examined 10 days, one month, and two months after surgery. The animal examined four months after surgery had no adhesions present at the anastomosis, and only mild narrowing of the intestinal lumen. Histologic examination of the anastomoses showed lack of a normal mucosal lining in some examined sections up to two months posts...
Saikku A, Koskinen E, Sandholm M.IgG levels and tryptic inhibition were investigated in sequentially collected mare's colostrum and milk, foal serum and urine. The colostral trypsin-inhibitor was "transfused" to the newborn foal by the colostral intestinal route in parallel with IgG. However, the trypsin-inhibitor as a small molecular weight inhibitor became excreted into urine peaking at about 20 hours. The physiological proteinuria in foals during the first 2 days is mostly due to immunoglobulin fragments and colostral-derived trypsin-inhibitor. Analysis of urine for IgG light chains or trypsin inhibitor will therefore reve...
Mills G.Equestrian sport, and racing in particular, plays a huge part in the UK's economy, but the animal welfare aspects are often hotly debated. Georgina Mills reports on a ‘contentious issues’ session at the BVA Congress that discussed what vets can and should do to enable a horse to compete, while ensuring its welfare
Weremowicz S, Parzych R, Malicki K.Summary
The outbreak of equine influenza in Poland in 1980 was caused by an equine influenza virus antigenically related to the strain A/equine/Miami/63/Heq2, Neq2. This was confirmed by isolation of six strains of influenza virus from horses suffering from the acute form of the disease. About 45 % and 69 % of positive results were obtained in the HI test performed with sera taken from convalescent and affected animals, respectively. A relatively high level of antibodies against newly isolated equine influenza virus strains was found in 50 % of serum samples taken from the grooms. A relativ...
Schatzmann U, Girard P.The paper describes the problems of injection anaesthesia in the horse. Different commonly used methods, drugs and drug combinations are explained. Their actions and side-effects are compared and discussed.
Katila T, Combes GB, Varner DD, Blanchard TL.Three containers commonly used to transport cooled equine semen (Equitainer, ExpectaFoal and a Swedish-designed semen-transport container, previously called the Salsbro Box and now called Equine Express) were compared, using four ejaculates from each of three stallions. Each ejaculate was diluted to a spermatozoal concentration of 25 x 10(6)/ml with a nonfat dry milk-glucose extender containing amikacin sulfate (1 mg/ml) and potassium penicillin G (1000 units/ml). Extended semen was divided into three 40-ml aliquots for placement in each of the three semen-transport containers. The extended se...
Zamos DT, Ford TS, Cohen ND, Crossland LE.Two mares developed segmental ischemic necrosis of the small intestine after parturition. In one mare, the mesentery of the small intestine apparently tore during parturition, after which necrosis developed in a 52-cm segment of the distal portion of jejunum. In the other mare, a 52-cm segment of the proximal portion of ileum tore during parturition. Three weeks later, a 40-cm segment of the distal portion of jejunum became incarcerated in the mesenteric rent and twisted 360 degrees on its mesentery. Both mares recovered after resection of affected intestine and are functioning as broodmares.
Frerichs WM, Holbrook AA, Allen PC.Twenty Shetland ponies, 6 to 7 months old, were naturally infected with gastrointestinal nematodes and stomach bots. The ponies were allotted to 2 groups of 10 and were maintained on separate similar pastures that were free of infective larvae at the beginning of the study. The ponies in 1 group were treated monthly for 17 months with a therapeutic dose of a thiabendazole and piperazine mixture; those in the other group were not treated. During the 3rd and 5th months of the experiment, the ponies in the treated group were also given therapeutic doses of dichlorvos to remove bots. Various physi...
Romero AE, Nieto JE, Dechant JE, Hopper K, Aleman M.To determine whether in healthy horses and those with colic, exposure of peritoneal fluid to room air affects values obtained on biochemical analysis. Methods: Prospective study. Methods: Adult horses with a primary complaint of acute abdominal pain (n=29) and 12 healthy horses. Methods: Peritoneal fluid was aseptically collected under aerobic and anaerobic conditions. After collection, pH, PCO(2) , PO(2) , HCO(3) (-) , Na(+) , ionized Ca(2+) , K(+) , lactate, and glucose were immediately measured using a commercial blood gas analyzer. Biochemical variables were compared between aerobically an...
Sams AE, Honnas CM, Sack WO, Ford TS.Elbows from cadaver limbs were evaluated to determine the presence of a communication between the ulnaris lateralis bursa (ULB) and the joint and the extent of the bursa. Thirty-two pairs of joints were studied: 12 pairs were frozen, then transversely sectioned and 20 pairs were injected with methyl methacrylate. The 12 frozen-section pairs revealed a communication between the ULB and the elbow joint in 9/24 joints (37.5%) and a true bursa (absence of communication) in 15/24 joints (62.5%). The mean bursal length in adult horses was 3.8 cm. There was no significant difference in the length of ...