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.
Fowler AL, Hayes SH, Crum AD, Lawrence LM.Titanium dioxide has been used as a marker for determining diet digestibility indirectly, but some authors have expressed difficulty in measuring TiO2 concentrations in fecal material. We developed an accurate and precise method to determine TiO2 concentrations in equine feces. The method includes dry-ashing samples, digestion with (NH4)2SO4 in concentrated sulfuric acid, followed by the addition of H2O2 to produce a yellow to orange color that can be read spectrophotometrically. Accuracy was tested by spike recovery, and precision was tested by examining the coefficient of variation (CV) betw...
Fubini SL, Delco M.Urinary surgery in the horse may be challenging. More straightforward procedures, such as urinary bladder or urachal defects, do not usually require specialized equipment or imaging, although laboratory work is helpful. Congenital or acquired conditions of the ureters or kidneys may necessitate advanced diagnostic work-ups including advanced imaging /or and minimally invasive procedures. Some surgery of the lower urinary tract is done in the sedated, standing adult horse. Surgery involving the kidney typically requires general anesthesia. Laparoscopy and associated tools are frequently used. A...
Kjeldsen ST, Nissen SD, Buhl R, Hopster-Iversen C.Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most common arrhythmia in horses causing poor performance. As in humans, the condition can be intermittent in nature, known as paroxysmal atrial fibrillation (pAF). This review covers the literature relating to pAF in horses and includes references to the human literature to compare pathophysiology, clinical presentation, diagnostic tools and treatment. The arrhythmia is diagnosed by auscultation and electrocardiography (ECG), and clinical signs can vary from sudden loss of racing performance to reduced fitness or no signs at all. If left untreated, pAF may prom...
Fanelli D, Tesi M, Monaco D, Diaz-Jimenez M, Camillo F, Rota A, Panzani D.In the literature, the very low pregnancy rates after artificial insemination (AI) with frozen semen in donkeys were improved in one study after re-extension of the frozen-thawed semen in autologous seminal plasma. The aims of our study were (1) to describe in vitro post-thaw parameters of donkey jackass semen after re-extension in seminal plasma (SP) or in INRA96 and (2) to compare pregnancy rates in jennies bred with frozen-thawed semen using two different AI protocols. Semen collected from two Amiata donkey stallions, known to be fertile, was frozen in INRA96 supplemented with 2% egg yolk, ...
Divers TJ.Nephrotoxic and hemodynamically mediated disorders are the most common causes of acute renal failure (ARF) in horses and foals. Leptospira spp. is the most common infectious cause of ARF. Initial treatments for ARF include elimination of nephrotoxic drugs, correction of predisposing disorders, and fluid therapy to promote diuresis. Horses and foals with polyuric ARF often have a good prognosis, while those with oliguric or anuric ARF have a guarded to poor prognosis. When fluid therapy is unsuccessful in improving urine production, various drugs treatments have been used in an attempt to incre...
Mullen KR.This article overviews metabolic disorders associated with renal disease. Included is a discussion of the pathophysiology, clinical signs, and treatment of hyperchloremic metabolic acidosis associated with renal tubular acidosis. Conditions affecting the central nervous system including uremic encephalopathy and hyponatremic encephalopathy secondary to renal disease are presented. Finally, a discussion of the unique features of calcium and phosphorus homeostasis in horses is provided with special emphasis on a recently described syndrome of calcinosis and calciphylaxis of unknown etiology.
Equine piroplasmosis is a disease of equids, caused by tick-borne apicomplexan protozoan pathogens Babesia caballi and Theileria equi, which, according to the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE), can be diagnosed by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), immunofluorescent antibody test (IFAT) and polymerase chain reaction (PCR). The present study was conducted to evaluate and compare the assays available for the diagnosis of equine piroplasmosis. Data employed were obtained from 1300 blood samples collected between 2012-2014 from asymptomatic and symptomatic equines (horses and donk...
Miller L, Lord S.Loss of endotracheal tube (ETT) integrity secondary to dental damage is reported in the human literature. Objective: To describe this problem in equine anaesthesia. Methods: Case report. Conclusions: An 18-year-old Standardbred gelding presented out of hours with colic signs. Findings on clinical examination and pain refractory to analgesia meant that exploratory laparotomy was elected for. Prior to general anaesthesia (GA) leak testing of the anaesthetic machine was performed and the pilot balloon of the endotracheal tube (ETT) was inflated to confirm cuff integrity. Intermittent-positive pre...
Rampacci E, Mazzola K, Beccati F, Passamonti F.Feeding foals with poor quality colostrum predisposes them to failure of passive transfer (FPT). FPT is a major risk factor for neonatal infections. Objective: To assess the optimal cut-offs for the optical (OR) and digital (DR) refractometer and determine their accuracy for poor quality colostrum diagnosis. Methods: A diagnostic validation study. Methods: Eighty-one colostrum samples and sera were collected from broodmares and their neonatal foals, respectively. Colostral and serum IgG concentrations were measured by radial immunodiffusion (RID), DR and OR. Correlation coefficients were calcu...
Keen B, Cawley A, Reedy B, Fu S.Metabolomics is a multidisciplinary field providing workflows for complementary approaches to conventional analytical determinations. It allows for the study of metabolically related groups of compounds or even the study of novel pathways within the biological system. The procedural stages of metabolomics; experimental design, sample preparation, analytical determinations, data processing and statistical analysis, compound identification and validation strategies are explored in this review. The selected approach will depend on the type of study being conducted. Experimental design influences ...
Salinas-Estrella E, Ueti MW, Lobanov VA, Castillo-Payró E, Lizcano-Mata A, Badilla C, Martínez-Ibáñez F, Mosqueda J.Equine piroplasmosis is a disease of horses, mules and donkeys, caused by the hemoprotozoans Babesia caballi and Theileria equi and transmitted by ticks of tropical and subtropical regions. Because the clinical signs are not specific, the diagnosis of equine piroplasmosis is difficult. In Mexico, where the environmental factors are conducive to the persistence of these pathogens, there is a lack of molecular studies to evaluate the occurrence of both parasites in horses. In the present study, matching serum and whole blood samples were obtained from 269 horses residing in 24 locations with tro...
Stieger-Vanegas SM, Hanna AL.Computed tomography (CT) imaging of the head in equine patients is now commonly performed as CT scanners are more readily available. Head CT has proven valuable in evaluating spatially complex anatomic structures, where radiographic superimposition, or restricted access endoscopy or ultrasound, limit complete evaluation of the disease process. Head CT has been demonstrated to be incredibly valuable in the evaluation of dental and paranasal sinus disease, disease of the hyoid apparatus and ear, and in evaluation of skull trauma. CT is an excellent modality for assessment of both osseous and so...
Ishii H, Leung GN, Yamashita S, Nagata SI, Kushiro A, Sakai S, Toju K, Okada J, Kawasaki K, Kusano K, Kijima-Suda I.The use of nicotine stimulants in horses is generally banned in horse racing and equestrian sports-accidental consumption of tobacco products is one of the possible causes of nicotine exposure in horses. The authors recently reported a comprehensive metabolic study of nicotine in equines, differentiating between nicotine exposure and sample contamination by means of a nicotine biomarker trans-3'-hydroxycotinine. To identify potential biomarkers for the differentiation of genuine nicotine administration and consumption of tobacco products, tobacco leaves (equivalent to 250 mg of nicotine) wer...
Mouncey R, Arango-Sabogal JC, de Mestre AM, Foote AK, Verheyen KL.Enhanced understanding of reasons for, and timings of, mortality in Thoroughbreds prior to entering race training is warranted to provide insight into this population's health status. The aims of this study were to describe pathologies diagnosed at post-mortem (PM) examination in Thoroughbreds aged from birth to 18 months and investigate associations between age and pathology. Reports from a pathology laboratory in Newmarket, UK, were used to identify eligible cases examined between January 2006 and December 2020. Reported pathologies were extracted and categorised where appropriate. Comorbidi...
Egenvall A, Byström A, Lindsten A, Clayton HM.As techniques for equine biomechanical research have become more accessible and affordable, the literature published in this area has exploded. Literature reviews have become more popular of late and, more specifically, several literature reviews in areas related to equine biomechanics have been published. A scoping review is a relatively new approach, where a general aim is to map the body of literature on a topic area, accounting for criteria for inclusion and exclusion. However, problems can arise both in performing the review and in critiquing the findings. In this manuscript, the authors ...
Desanti-Consoli H, Bouillon J, Chapuis RJJ.Vaccination against infectious diseases is a cornerstone of veterinary medicine in the prevention of disease transmission, illness severity, and often death in animals. In North American equine medicine, equine vaccines protecting against tetanus, rabies, Eastern and Western equine encephalomyelitis, and West Nile are core vaccines as these have been classified as having a heightened risk of mortality, infectiousness, and endemic status. Some guidelines differ from the label of vaccines, to improve the protection of patients or to decrease the unnecessary administration to reduce potential sid...
Ginther OJ.Traveling of the fetal-amniotic unit throughout the uterus ceases on ∼ Day 180 followed by closure of each uterine horn. By mean Day 240, the fetus and nearly all of the pool of allantoic fluid are confined to the uterine body. Intrauterine fetal-location changes end, but in-place activity of limbs, head, and body and changes in fetal recumbency and presentation continue, sometimes vigorously. Preference for cranial presentation (fetal sternum toward maternal cervix) has been hypothesized to be stimulated by ∼ 40° incline of uterine body toward the cervix. The uterine body expands forward...
Belotta AF, Mayer MN, Waldner CL, Sidhu NP, Robinson KA, Carmalt JL, Freitas FP, Koehncke NK.The objectives of this study were to investigate scattered radiation doses to the hands of equine workers holding the cassette and the x-ray tube by hand, for both limb and vertebral column studies, and to compare the scattered radiation attenuation of lead with radiation protection lead-free gloves. Radiation doses to the hands of the cassette holder in the primary beam were also investigated. Methods: A whole-body horse cadaver. Methods: A portable x-ray unit was used to simulate 6 radiographic study types in the horse cadaver. Doses were measured with no shielding and, for cassette holders,...
Dorph K, Haughan J, Robinson M, Redding LE.To characterize antimicrobial use on four racetracks in the eastern US during the peak racing 2017-2018 seasons. Handwritten daily treatment sheets provided by attending veterinarians who listed treatments administered to horses stabled at the racetrack were obtained. Information contained in the treatment sheets included the date, name of the horse and its trainer, type of treatment, and a brief (usually 1-word) indication for treatment. The handwritten data listed on the racetrack treatment sheets were manually transcribed and analyzed. A total of 2,684 antimicrobial prescriptions were recor...
Uldahl M, Bundgaard L, Dahl J, Clayton HM.This study addresses the presence and location of natural pigmentation, potentially pathological changes in pigment, interruptions of the natural lining (scars), roughness, and erosions/contusion (bruising) in and around the corners of the lips of 206 horses presented to a veterinarian for routine preventative dental treatment. After sedation, photographs were taken and later evaluated for the presence of lesions. During the photographic analysis, the Oral Commissure Assessment (OCA) protocol was developed to map precisely the areas of skin and mucosa around the corners of the lips, and the pr...
Derisoud E, Jouneau L, Margat A, Gourtay C, Dubois C, Archilla C, Jaszczyszyn Y, Dahirel M, Daniel N, Peynot N, Briot L, De Geoffroy F, Wimel L....No abstract available
Marchand WR, Joubert K, Smith J, Nazarenko E, Klinger W, Sheppard S, Hoopes KH.The aim of this observational pilot study was to assess the safety, feasibility, preliminary outcomes, and predictors of participant response as a result of implementing an equine-assisted intervention within a residential substance abuse treatment program at a large Veterans Administration medical center. A secondary aim was to evaluate psychological instruments for use in future, more rigorous studies. The overarching goal was to complete the necessary work to prepare for a large randomized controlled trial of this intervention for Veterans with addictive disorders. Methods: Participants wer...
Uldahl M, Bundgaard L, Dahl J, Clayton HM.This study addresses the presence and location of oral lesions in 342 dressage, show jumping, and eventing horses examined at an obligatory veterinary inspection before competing in the Danish National Championship in 2020. Ulcers in the lip commissures were photographed for subsequent pathological analysis. If a lesion was found at the lip commissures on one side, there was an increased risk of finding a similar lesion on the other side (ulcer: p < 0.0001; scarring/depigmentation: p < 0.0001; fissure: p = 0.002; erosion/contusion: p < 0.0001). At the lip commissures, external (cutaneous) ulce...
Mita H, Tamura N, Fukuda K, Kuroda T, Kuwano A, Sato F.We aimed to investigate the recent incidence of carpal fractures and the risk factors for recurrent ipsilateral fractures after arthroscopic removal of clinically active unilateral carpal chip fracture fragments in Thoroughbred racehorses. The findings for horses managed under the Japan Racing Association that developed carpal bone fractures between 2014 and 2018 were retrospectively reviewed. The proportion of cases that developed a recurrent carpal fracture in the originally affected joint was calculated, and the risk factors for recurrent fractures were analysed. In total, 2858 carpal fract...
Biedrzycki AH, Morton AJ, Perez-Jimenez EE, Elane GL, Roe HA, Trolinger-Meadows KD.To report the technique, surgical approach, and postoperative features in horses treated via a 3-dimensional (3D) printed guide-assisted keratoma resection created using computed tomography (CT) or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)-based segmentation. Methods: Five client-owned horses. Methods: Short case series. Methods: Horses were placed under general anesthesia for imaging (CT and MRI) and underwent a second anesthesia for surgery. Two horses had guides created from CT-based imaging, 3 horses had guides created from MRI. Various sized nonarbored hole saws were used to create accurate and pr...
Bampidis V, Azimonti G, Bastos ML, Christensen H, Durjava M, Kouba M, López-Alonso M, López Puente S, Marcon F, Mayo B, Pechová A, Petkova M....Following a request from the European Commission, the EFSA Panel on Additives and Products or Substances used in Animal Feed (FEEDAP) was asked to deliver a scientific opinion on the safety and efficacy of an essential oil from the leaves of L. (laurel leaf oil), when used as a sensory additive for all animal species. The additive contains up to 4% methyleugenol. The use of the additive at 2 mg/kg complete feed in dogs and cats was considered of low concern. For other long-living and reproductive animals, the use of the additive at 10 mg/kg was considered of concern. For short-living animal...
Mazzola SM, Colombani C, Pizzamiglio G, Cannas S, Palestrini C, Costa ED, Gazzonis AL, Bionda A, Crepaldi P.The satisfaction of leisure horses' behavioral needs has begun to be considered a priority, linked to the awareness that horses kept in single boxes may be deprived of social contact and the possibility to perform natural behaviors. Several factors may influence horses' quality of life also in the paddock, and there are very few data on the effects of those variables on leisure horses' chronic stress, measurable in terms of activation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenocortical axis. Therefore, managerial choices faced by owners and stables managers are only based on experience, common sense,...
Lang HM, Schnabel LV, Cassano JM, Fortier LA.Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are frequently delivered via needle injection for treatment of musculoskeletal injuries. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of needle diameter on the viability of MSCs. Methods: Equine bone marrow-derived MSCs from 5 horses were suspended in PBS, and held at room temperature for 7 hours to mimic shipping conditions. Two replicate samples for each needle size (20, 22, 23, or 25-gauge [ga]) were aspirated into a 3 mL syringe and re-injected into the holding vial 3 times, to reproduce the resuspension of cells prior to injection in clinical cases. C...
Jacobson E, Dart AJ, Mondori T, Horadogoda N, Jeffcott LB, Little CB, Smith MM.It is not known how extensively a localised flexor tendon injury affects the entire tendon. This study examined the extent of and relationship between histopathologic and gene expression changes in equine superficial digital flexor tendon after a surgical injury. One forelimb tendon was hemi-transected in six horses, and in three other horses, one tendon underwent a sham operation. After euthanasia at six weeks, transected and control (sham and non-operated contralateral) tendons were regionally sampled (medial and lateral halves each divided into six 3 cm regions) for histologic (scoring and ...
Bosh KA, Powell D, Shelton B, Zent W.To improve efficiency at the farm level, a better understanding of how farm management factors impact reproductive performance is important. Objective: To assess reproductive efficiency and effectiveness among Thoroughbred mares in central Kentucky. Methods: A cohort of 1011 mares on 13 farms in central Kentucky was followed during the 2004 mating and 2005 foaling season. Information on farm level practices was collected via interviews with farm managers. Reproductive records were collected for each mare mated to obtain information on mare characteristics. The influence of mare age and status ...
Rezende ML, Grimsrud KN, Stanley SD, Steffey EP, Mama KR.The aim of the study was to describe the pharmacokinetics and selected pharmacodynamics of intravenous dexmedetomidine in horses. Eight adult horses received 5 μg/kg dexmedetomidine IV. Blood samples were collected before and for 10 h after drug administration to determine dexmedetomidine plasma concentrations. Pharmacokinetic parameters were calculated using noncompartmental analysis. Data from one outlier were excluded from the statistical summary. Behavioral and physiological responses were recorded before and for 6 h after dexmedetomidine administration. Dexmedetomidine concentrations dec...
Bourjade M, Moulinot M, Henry S, Richard-Yris MA, Hausberger M.We investigated the effects of the introduction of foreign adults on the behavior of young horses. First, we observed the behavior of 1- and 2-year-old domestic horses housed in same-age and same-sex groups (a standard housing system, but different from a natural situation). Then, two same-sex adults were introduced into each experimental group. Observations made before, during and after an introduction indicated that young horses reared in homogeneous groups of young had different behaviors compared to other domestic horses reared under more socially natural conditions. After the introduction...
Velie BD, Knight PK, Thomson PC, Wade CM, Hamilton NA.Studies of Thoroughbred racing populations have provided evidence of a positive effect on racing careers for horses that commence racing as 2-year-olds. Currently, research investigating the presence of this effect in the Australian Thoroughbred racing population is limited. Objective: To investigate the association between age at first start and career length in the Australian Thoroughbred population and estimate the risk of racing retirement for horses racing in Australia based on age at first start, career earnings, number of starts as a 2-year-old and distance raced. Methods: Data were col...
Reproductive traits have a major influence on the economic effectiveness of horse breeding. However, there is little information available. We evaluated the use of reproductive traits as selection criteria in official breeding programs to increase the reproductive efficiency of breeding studs, analysing 696 690 records from the pedigree data of eight Spanish horse populations, with different breeding purposes. The reproductive parameters studied in both sexes were age at first foaling (AFF), age at last foaling, average reproductive life and generational interval. In the females, the average ...
Ross PF, Ledet AE, Owens DL, Rice LG, Nelson HA, Osweiler GD, Wilson TM.A study to evaluate the effects of dietary fumonisin B1 was conducted using 6 ponies (4 test and 2 control). A ration naturally contaminated with fumonisin B1 was fed in 3 phases: 1) 44 ppm fumonisin B1, 2) less than 1 ppm fumonisin B1, and 3) 88 ppm fumonisin B1. All ponies were monitored daily, weighed weekly, and limit fed at a rate of 0.8% body weight plus hay. Feed intake was measured daily, and a serum chemistry panel was completed once or twice weekly. Four to 7 days after initiation of the trial (Phase 1), all 4 test ponies had decreased feed consumption, and selected serum chemistry p...
Hockenhull J, Creighton E.UK leisure horses are owned primarily for riding. Ridden behaviour problems may compromise the use of the horse in this role and lead to harsh redress or relinquishment of the horse. Despite the consequences of these problems little is known about their prevalence or the working lives of UK leisure horses. Objective: To generate data on the work undertaken by leisure horses, the equipment and training practices used with them and prevalence of ridden behaviour problems. Methods: An internet survey was used to generate horse-level data from a convenience sample of leisure horse carers. Responde...
Haussler KK, Hill AE, Frisbie DD, McIlwraith CW.To establish reference mechanical nociceptive threshold (MNT) values of the equine thoracic limb and to assess the use of MNT values to detect pain associated with induced osteoarthritis in the middle carpal joint. Methods: 24 adult horses. Methods: MNT values were evoked by a pressure algometer at 17 sites within each thoracic limb during 2 baseline sessions conducted an average of 5 days apart. Effects of age, sex, weight, and wither height on MNT values were assessed separately for each site. Tolerance of horses to the procedure was graded subjectively and correlated with MNT values. Synovi...
Aguiar C, Therrien J, Lemire P, Segura M, Smith LC, Theoret CL.Skin trauma in horses often leads to the development of chronic nonhealing wounds that lack a keratinocyte cover, vital for healing. Reports in mouse and man confirm the possibility of generating functional keratinocytes from induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSC), thus presenting myriad potential applications for wound management or treatment of skin disease. Similarly, differentiation of equine iPSC (eiPSC) into a keratinocyte lineage should provide opportunities for the advancement of veterinary regenerative medicine. Objective: The purpose of this study was to develop an efficient method fo...
Laabassi F, Lecouturier F, Amelot G, Gaudaire D, Mamache B, Laugier C, Legrand L, Zientara S, Hans A.An outbreak of equine influenza (EI) was reported in Algeria between May and July, 2011. The outbreak started in Tiaret, in west province of Algeria, and spread to the other parts of the country affecting almost 900 horses in many provinces. The population studied was composed of 325 horses from different groups of age. Clinical sign expression was age dependent. Indeed, a morbidity rate of 14.9% was observed in horses under 15 months old and a rate of 4.95% in horses over 8 years old. Interestingly, the morbidity rate raised sharply to reach 100% in horses aged between 18 months and 7 yea...
Shnaiderman-Torban A, Navon-Venezia S, Dor Z, Paitan Y, Arielly H, Ahmad WA, Kelmer G, Fulde M, Steinman A. We aimed to investigate the prevalence, molecular characteristics and risk factors of extended-spectrum β-lactamase (ESBL)-producing (ESBL-E) shedding in horses. A prospective study included three cohorts: (i) farm horses (13 farms, n = 192); (ii) on hospital admission (n = 168) and; (iii) horses hospitalized for ≥72 h re-sampled from cohort (ii) (n = 86). Enriched rectal swabs were plated, ESBL-production was confirmed (Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute (CLSI)) and genes were identified (polymerase chain reaction (PCR)). Identification and antibiotic susceptibility were determi...
Glaser AL, de Vries AA, Rottier PJ, Horzinek MC, Colenbrander B.Sero-epidemiological surveys have revealed that equine arteritis virus (EAV) is prevalent in most European countries. The virus causes sporadic cases of respiratory disease and abortion in horses, the incidence of which has increased in recent years. Mares and geldings eliminate virus after acute infection, but 30% to 60% of stallions become persistently infected. In these animals, EAV is maintained within the reproductive tract and is shed continuously in the semen. Persistent infection with EAV in stallions has no negative consequences for fertility but mares inseminated with virus-contamina...
Payne RC, Sukanto IP, Djauhari D, Partoutomo S, Wilson AJ, Jones TW, Boid R, Luckins AG.Cattle, buffaloes and horses in several areas of Indonesia were examined for evidence of infection with Trypanosoma evansi by the microhaematocrit centrifugation technique (MHCT) and an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) for detection of antibodies to T. evansi. Evidence of infection was found in animals at each sampling site although differences were seen in prevalence rates between sites. Prevalence rates in buffalo were usually higher than in cattle in the same area while in horses they were much lower than in cattle or buffalo. An age-dependent prevalence rate was seen in buffalo an...
Chapman M, Thompson K.It has been suggested that one in five riders will be injured due to a fall from a horse, resulting in severe head or torso injuries. Attempts to reduce injury have primarily focussed on low level risk controls, such as helmets. In comparison, risk mitigation in high risk workplaces and sports is directed at more effective and preventative controls like training, consultation, safe work procedures, fit for purpose equipment and regular Workplace Health and Safety (WHS) monitoring. However, there has been no systematic consideration of the risk-reduction benefits of applying a WHS framework to ...
Olsen E, Dunkel B, Barker WH, Finding EJ, Perkins JD, Witte TH, Yates LJ, Andersen PH, Baiker K, Piercy RJ.Reproducible and accurate recognition of presence and severity of ataxia in horses with neurologic disease is important when establishing a diagnosis, assessing response to treatment, and making recommendations that might influence rider safety or a decision for euthanasia. Objective: To determine the reproducibility and validity of the gait assessment component in the neurologic examination of horses. Methods: Twenty-five horses referred to the Royal Veterinary College Equine Referral Hospital for neurological assessment (n = 15), purchased (without a history of gait abnormalities) for an u...
Macias Rioseco M, Beingesser J, Uzal FA.Clostridium perfringens type C causes necrotizing enteritis mostly in neonatal animals of several species, including horses. The virulence of C. perfringens type C is mostly mediated by beta toxin (CPB). This toxin is highly sensitive to the action of trypsin and other proteases, which explains the increased susceptibility of neonatal animals to type C infections. Final confirmation of type C disease diagnosis should be based on detection of CPB in the intestinal content of affected animals. However, because CPB is so sensitive to the action of proteases, it is believed that this toxin persist...
Viñuela-Fernández I, Jones E, Chase-Topping ME, Price J.This study compared three subjective scoring systems used to assess lameness associated with equine laminitis: (1) visual analogue scale, (2) Obel score and (3) clinical grading system (CGS). Two groups of 12 observers, consisting of equine veterinarians and final-year veterinary students, scored lameness severity after watching video footage of 14 horses on two occasions. Generalizability theory was used to investigate the reliability of the three systems and the effects of observer experience. Overall reliability across all times and observers was high. Intra-observer reliability was higher ...
Pinchbeck GL, Clegg PD, Proudman CJ, Stirk A, Morgan KL, French NP.A prospective cohort study was conducted on horses starting in hurdle and steeplechase races on six UK racecourses in 2000 and 2001. Trainers or carers were questioned on the horses' pre-race routine and observational data were collected in the stables and parade ring. Some practices were common to many starters, such as withholding food and water before racing whereas other practices, such as schooling frequency, were more variable. There was a total of 2879 starts and a total of 83 injuries or medical events (28.8/1000 starts). The commonest types of injury were tendon/suspensory injuries an...
Curtiss AL, Stefanovski D, Richardson DW.To determine the prevalence of surgical site infection (SSI) after internal fixation and to identify risk factors for SSI and nonsurvival. Methods: Retrospective study. Methods: One hundred fifty-five horses with long bone fractures or arthrodesis treated by internal fixation at 1 hospital between 2008-2016. Methods: Signalment, diagnosis, surgical repair, surgeon, surgical time, antimicrobial use, SSI onset, bacterial identification, and adjunct treatments were recorded. Perioperative variables were analyzed to identify risk factors associated with outcomes. Results: Surgical-site infection w...
Verheyen KL, Henley WE, Price JS, Wood JL.Dorsometacarpal disease (DMD) is common in young Thoroughbred (TB) racehorses, often interfering with their training programme. No reports exist on incidence rate or associated risk factors in the UK. Objective: To estimate the incidence rate of DMD in TB horses in training for flat racing in the UK and identify associated risk factors, particularly in relation to training regimens. Methods: Data were drawn from a large prospective study in which TB horses in 13 training yards were monitored for a period of up to 2 years, recording daily training information and details of musculoskeletal inju...
Bismuto E, Colonna G, Irace G.The free energy of unfolding of horse myoglobin has been calculated from the denaturation pattern induced by guanidine hydrochloride as well as by acid. The delta GH2O, i.e., the value in the absence of denaturant obtained by using the two-state transition model, was found to be 25% lower than that determined from the acid denaturation pattern, i.e., 12.0 kcal/mol, although the extent of protein denaturation produced by acid was much lower. The amount of helical structure surviving the acid-induced conformational change was estimated to be 50% of that present in the native protein, and it coul...
Kallerud AS, Fjordbakk CT, Hendrickson EHS, Persson-Sjodin E, Hammarberg M, Rhodin M, Hernlund E.Lameness evaluation of Standardbred trotters can be challenging due to discrepancies in observed movement asymmetry between in-hand and track exercise, and between different trotting speeds. There are few studies on objective measurement of movement in Standardbreds, and little knowledge regarding biological variation and clinical significance of measured movement asymmetry in this breed. Objective: To quantify the prevalence and magnitude of objectively measured movement asymmetry in young Standardbred trotters, and identify associations with trainer, sex, height, track type and in-hand measu...
Patnaik AK.In a retrospective study, granular cell tumors in six dogs (Nos. 1-6), three cats (Nos. 1-3), one horse (No. 1), and one cockatiel (Nymphicus hollandicus) (No. 1) and a meningioma with a granular cell component in one dog (No. 7) were examined histologically and immunohistochemically. These tumors were identified by histologic examination of surgical biopsy specimens, except in the horse, in which the tumor was an incidental finding at necropsy. These diagnoses were initially made by more than one pathologist. Five of the six granular cell tumors in the dogs were in the oral cavity; one of the...
Stull CL, Rodiek AV.Transportation stress has been implicated as a predisposing factor to respiratory disease in horses. Cross-tying horses individually in stalls is common practice for transporting show and racehorses, but horses also travel in small groups or individually without being restricted by tying. The objective of this study was to compare physiological responses of horses travelling cross-tied or loose during 24 h of road transport. Ten horses were used in a cross-over design consisting of two 4 day trials. In the first trial, 6 horses were cross-tied, while 2 pairs of horses were loose in enclosed co...
Sarin JK, Amissah M, Brommer H, Argüelles D, Töyräs J, Afara IO.Mechanical properties of articular cartilage are vital for normal joint function, which can be severely compromised by injuries. Quantitative characterization of cartilage injuries, and evaluation of cartilage stiffness and thickness by means of conventional arthroscopy is poorly reproducible or impossible. In this study, we demonstrate the potential of near infrared (NIR) spectroscopy for predicting and mapping the functional properties of equine articular cartilage at and around lesion sites. Lesion and non-lesion areas of interests (AI, N = 44) of equine joints (N = 5) were divided into...
Orard M, Depecker M, Hue E, Pitel PH, Couroucé-Malblanc A, Richard EA.The aim of the study was to determine whether instillation of either 250 mL or 500 mL of saline for bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) would influence cytological confirmation of inflammatory airway disease (IAD). Thirty client-owned Standardbred racehorses were sampled via endoscopy with 250 mL of saline in one lung and 500 mL in the contralateral lung. The procedure was repeated 72 h later, reversing the volume per lung. The proportions of BAL fluid (BALF) recovered were significantly higher and neutrophil percentages significantly lower with the larger volume. A poor agreement was found between m...
