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.
Oijala M, Katila T.Detomidine was administered twice to six foals (14 to 94 days old) using three different doses (10, 20 and 40 micrograms/kg bodyweight intravenously) in a double blind trial. Sedation, analgesia, heart rate and clinically observed side-effects were recorded. Detomidine showed strong sedative effects at all doses tested. Sedation deepened very little by increasing the dose from 10 to 40 micrograms/kg bodyweight, but the duration of the effect was longer. Analgesia was considered good with the largest dose (40 micrograms/kg), and moderate or non-existent with the lower doses. Detomidine caused a...
Nilsfors L, Kvart C, Kallings P, Carlsten J, Bondesson U.Cardiorespiratory and sedative effects of a combination of acepromazine, xylazine and methadone were studied in the horse. Acepromazine and xylazine produced cardiovascular effects whereas methadone mainly affected respiratory rate. Decreases in heart rate, arterial blood pressure and respiratory rate were seen. Sedation was superior to that of acepromazine, xylazine or a combination of these. No serious side effects were seen.
Anderson GS, Belton P, Kleider N.Culicoides hypersensitivity is a chronic, recurrent, seasonal dermatitis of horses that has a worldwide distribution, but has only recently been reported in Canada. It is characterized by intense pruritus resulting in lesions associated with self-induced trauma.A survey of veterinarians and horse-owners in British Columbia showed no differences in susceptibility due to the sex, color, breed, or height of the horses. The prevalence of the disease in the 209 horses surveyed was 26%. Horses sharing the same pasture could be unaffected. The disease was reported primarily from southwestern British ...
Archer RM, Schneider RK, Lindsay WA, Wilson JW.Perforated stainless steel cylinders filled with autogenous cancellous bone were implanted in the distal tarsal joints of four horses. Graft cell survival was poor two weeks after surgery in one horse. In two horses, at 10 months there was partial arthrodesis of the joints with incorporation of the implants into the osseous union. The implants were filled with vascularised woven bone. These two horses were sound nine months after surgery. One horse fractured its third tarsal bone and was still positive to a hock flexion test 12 months after surgery.
Gossett KA, McCoy DJ, Jowett PL, Kearney MT.Nitrofurazone solution containing 0.2% nitrofurazone and 99.8% polyethylene glycol was given to 4 healthy horses (2 L in 2 L of lactated Ringer solution, intraperitoneally). Horses developed hypovolemia, hyperosmolality, and mixed respiratory and metabolic acidosis. These changes were largely attributable to polyethylene glycol, but a contribution of nitrofurazone cannot be excluded. Intraperitoneal infusion of nitrofurazone solution in horses is contraindicated.
Sandgren B.Radiographic examination of the tarsocrural, metacarpo- or metatarsophalangeal joints was made in 139 Standardbred horses. Most were under three years old with no history of orthopaedic problems. In the tarsocrural joint, osteochondrosis was observed in 25 (18.1 percent) of the horses (n = 138) and 14 (56 percent) of these were affected bilaterally. In the metatarsophalangeal joint, the most frequent radiographic abnormality was single or multiple bony fragments or defects at the plantar proximal end of the proximal phalanx, which was noticed in 40 (28.8 percent) of the horses (n = 139). The l...
Wilson BD, Neal RJ, Howard A, Groenedyk S.Standardbred pacers were studied at four different nominated speeds and selected gait kinematics were analysed to determine factors which contribute to pacing speed. A deterministic model is proposed in which pacing speed is a function of stride length and stride timing variables. Stance length and suspension time remained relatively constant over the different pacing speeds. Variables which discriminated best between pacing speeds were suspension length and overlap time. At near maximal speed, the pacers increased speeds with increased stride length. This was attributed to an increased suspen...
Merkens HW, Schamhardt HC.Force plate and high-speed film data from a group of six walking horses were used to study the distribution of the ground reaction forces (GRF) of the concurrently loaded limbs. Three different degrees of supporting lameness were induced in a forelimb or a hindlimb using modified horse shoes. In all experiments the alterations in the distribution in the transverse horizontal GRF (Fx) were small. During unilateral forelimb lameness, the decreased longitudinal horizontal GRF (Fy) was compensated by an increase of the Fy forces of the contralateral forelimb and the ipsilateral hindlimb. The decre...
Boero MJ, Kneller SK, Baker GJ, Metcalf MR, Twardock AR.Injury of the lateral collateral ligaments of the tarsocrural joints was diagnosed in nine Standardbred pacers. The average age was 4.9 years. The severity of the lameness varied from severe to subtle and joint effusion was seen in eight of 10 tarsocrural joints. A positive hindlimb flexion test was seen in four of six cases in which results were recorded. The identification of the site of involvement was based on a focal intense 'hot spot' seen on scintigraphy, and new bone formation seen radiographically at the anatomical sites of insertion of the long lateral collateral ligament of the tars...
Kwiatkowski S, Sturma L, Dai MR, Tai HH, Watt DS, Tai CL, Woods WE, Weckman TJ, Yang JM, Wood T.We have developed and evaluated a one step enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) test and a particle concentration fluorescence immunoassay (PCFIA) test for acepromazine as part of a panel of pre- and post-race tests for illegal medications in racing horses. These tests are rapid, sensitive and economical and development of the tests occurred in less than seven months. The ELISA test detects acepromazine with an I-50 of about 150 pg/ml. In vivo, it readily detects the presence of acepromazine or its metabolites in equine blood and urine from 8 to 72 hours or longer, respectively, after adm...
White NA, McIlwraith CW, Allen D.Fifty-one horses and unilateral or bilateral femorotibial arthrotomy with medial condyle bone cyst curettage. A total of 60 cyst were treated. Treated horses responded to the surgery three to 12 months postoperatively. In 42 horses lameness was reduced or eliminated, enabling them to return to an remain in their intended function. Of these 42 horses 35 are sound, four of which have not started training, and seven showed partial improvement, two of which had no long term follow up. Of the remaining nine horses, two showed no reduction in lameness and seven were not followed up. Arthrotomy was s...
Merkens HW, Schamhardt HC.Force plate data from walking horses were used to evaluate the locomotion of a group of six horses during experimentally induced lameness in a forelimb or a hindlimb. By tightening or loosening screws in modified horseshoes the resulting pressure pain on the sole enabled induction and release of three different degrees of supporting lameness within a period of 2 h. The ground reaction force (GRF) patterns of the different recording sessions were compared with control data of the same horse as well as with the 'standard' horse data using a quantitative evaluation procedure involving 93 GRF para...
Lallier R, Higgins R.In this study we describe biochemical, toxigenic and surface characteristics of 33 motile Aeromonas isolated from diseased mammals, 3 from moribund marine mammals, 24 from healthy fish and 4 from moribund fish. Aeromonas hydrophila, A. caviae and A. sobria were isolated from both mammals and fish but at a different incidence. Aeromonas hydrophila was the predominant species isolated from clinical specimens; it was isolated from pneumonia, wound infections, septicemia and abortion in horses, cattle and pigs. Aeromonas sobria was isolated from one mammal and 11 healthy fish. Aeromonas caviae was...
Katila T, Oijala M.Detomidine was administered throughout 10 pregnancies in eight mares. An intravenous injection of 20 micrograms/kg body weight was given weekly from Day 14 to Day 60 of gestation and thereafter every four weeks until parturition. One mare suffered torsion of the large colon and was destroyed on Day 86; the foetus was normally developed. A further mare aborted at 167 days. The remaining eight pregnancies continued to full term. One foal was delivered by caesarean section because of torticollis and, of the seven foals born spontaneously, one had bilateral upward patellar fixation at one month ol...
Bramlage LR, Schneider RK, Gabel AA.Clinical experience continues to expand our understanding of the pathophysiology of pain and injury within the carpal joints. The anatomical and physiological capacity of the equine carpus to neutralise loading stress plays a significant role in the prevention of carpal injury. The ability of joint surfaces to dissipate axial force by transfer to the interosseous ligaments is the principal means by which carpal injury is avoided. In the medial aspect of the intercarpal joint and the dorsal aspect of the radial carpal joint, however, the effects of chronic maximal stress and isolated acute supr...
Britt DP, Clarkson MJ.The presence of benzimidazole-resistant strains of equine small strongyles was confirmed in horses at two properties in north west England by a series of faecal egg counts and larval cultures after treatment with mebendazole. A trail formulation of mebendazole in combination with piperazine citrate gave greater reductions in faecal egg counts than mebendazole alone but was much less effective than pyrantel embonate or dichlorvos.
Green P, Tong JM.Although wood chewing by horses is recognised as a common vice, there are few reports of specific disease associated with the habit. Two cases of acute obstruction of the small intestine by solid aggregations of wood splinters are described in horses which were both habitual wood chewers. Details are presented of the clinical findings in these cases, including the surgical treatment of acute colic. Both horses returned to full working fitness. The authors review the syndrome of enterolithiasis in horses, and discuss the causes and significance of wood chewing as a stable vice.
Orsini JA, Sepesy L, Donawick WJ, McDevitt D.A mare was examined for episodic choking and an abscess in the perilaryngeal region. One month before referral, the mass progressively enlarged, causing esophageal choking. An extraluminal compression of the esophagus 90 cm from the external nares was found on endoscopy and contrast radiography. Serosanguinous fluid aspirated from the mass contained keratinized squamous cells and neutrophils, compatible with an esophageal cyst. Surgical exploration was performed, with incomplete surgical excision. The remaining portion of the cyst was marsupialized and treated locally with a 2% inorganic iodin...
Schultze AE, Sonea I, Bell TG.Although primary malignant pulmonary neoplasia of horses is rarely encountered, this diagnosis was confirmed in 2 horses on the basis of necropsy and histopathologic findings. One horse, with cystic mucinous adenocarcinoma, had respiratory tract and neurologic signs directly attributable to the neoplasm, and a tentative antemortem diagnosis of pulmonary neoplasia was made. The other horse, with anaplastic bronchogenic carcinoma, did not have clinical signs of pulmonary neoplasia.
de Kok PM, Beijer NA, Buck HM, Sluyterman LA, Meijer EM.The geometry of seven NAD+ analogues bound to horse liver alcohol dehydrogenase (LADH) modified only in their nicotinamide group, have been studied using AMBER molecular mechanics energy-minimization procedures. Starting geometries were taken from X-ray crystallographic data for NAD+/Me2SO/LADH reported by Eklund and co-workers. In this study the NAD+ analogues were encaged by the constituent amino acids of the enzyme within a range of 0.6 nm from the initial NAD+/Me2SO/Zn2+ complex. The calculational method used is able to rationalize individual substituent effects and to evaluate the essenti...
Stefani M, Berti A, Camici G, Manao G, Degl'Innocenti D, Prakash G, Marzocchini R, Ramponi G.Two structurally different acylphosphatases found in horse brain were purified; they were not immunologically related. The molecular masses were almost identical and the kinetic parameters were rather similar. The data reported indicate that one of the purified brain acylphosphatases and an enzyme, previously isolated from horse muscle, are the same protein. The presence of this acylphosphatase form in the brain has not been reported before. The other acylphosphatase seemed to be the same as the enzyme which had been purified from calf brain and partially characterized by Diederich and Grisoli...
Roszel JF, Freeman KP.The simplicity of collection of material for cytologic preparations belies the complexity of smear interpretation beyond recognition of neutrophils. Knowledge concerning cancer cytology moves rapidly, for cancer is a progressive, often fatal disease so that tissue for comparison and confirmation of interpretation often becomes available. This is not true for cytologic study of the equine endometrium. Lesions detected by means of cytology smears may be transient and regress, offering little information concerning their etiology or consequences. They may be focal and missed in the corresponding ...
Adams GP, Bosu WT.This article reviews the reproductive events in the nonpregnant mare with emphasis on recent advances. The discussion is restricted to the salient features of puberty (prenatal and prepubertal events), seasonality (gonadotropins, photoperiod, and other modifying factors), and the estrous cycle (hormones, estrus, diestrus, and the control of cyclicity) in the nonpregnant mare.
Riemersma DJ, van den Bogert AJ, Schamhardt HC, Hartman W.Strains of the suspensory ligament and deep digital flexor, superficial digital flexor, and long digital extensor tendons in the equine (pony) hind limb were recorded in vivo, using implanted strain gauges consisting of silicone rubber tubes filled with mercury. The relationship between strain gauge signals and tendon strains was obtained from tension-strain tests performed on isolated tendons after death of the ponies. During normal walking, maximal tendon strain (elongation over initial length, relative to the length of the structures at first ground contact) was 3.1% in the suspensory ligam...
Honnas CM, Spensley MS, Laverty S, Blanchard PC.An 18-year-old mare, 285 days pregnant, was evaluated for apparent abdominal pain of 8 hours' duration. A large volume of sanguinous fluid was obtained on abdominocentesis, and digital vaginal examination revealed a dilated cervix and blood in the uterus. Abdominal palpation per rectum revealed the uterus to be large and distended with fluid. Ultrasonography revealed a dead fetus on the floor of the cranial portion of the abdomen. The mare was euthanatized, and necropsy confirmed that the uterus had ruptured, and that the fetus, within its chorioallantois, was in the abdomen. The amniotic sac ...
Meek LA.A 40-mm intraocular silicone prosthesis was placed in a horse's globe to control glaucoma. The glaucoma was suspected to be associated with a lens subluxation, but primary glaucoma could not be ruled out. Medical treatment and cyclocryotherapy had been attempted, but failed to decrease the intraocular pressure to a normal value. The prosthesis was placed, via a dorsal scleral incision, after removal of the intraocular contents. The size of the prosthesis was estimated from measurements of the horse's normal left globe and an enucleated, age-matched globe. Silicone prostheses offer a cosmetic a...
Wichtel JJ, Reinertson EL, Clark TL.Nonsurgical correction of uterine torsion was performed in 7 mares, and 6 foals were subsequently born alive. Uterine rupture necessitated euthanasia in 1 mare. Correction was achieved by rolling of the mares after general anesthesia had been induced. Previously, this technique was believed to be associated with a high prevalence of fetal and maternal mortality. Nonsurgical correction may be a satisfactory alternative to abdominal surgery in treating uterine torsion in mares.
Young DR, Richardson DW, Nunamaker DM, Ross MW, Tulleners EP.The medical records of 9 foals less than 4 months old, with fracture of the tibial diaphysis, were reviewed. Open reduction was accomplished by use of 3 approaches; however, a cranial approach was preferred and was used in 7 foals. Two dynamic compression plates were implanted in all foals except the first of this series. The technique of plate luting was used in 7 foals and appeared to improve the ability of implants to resist failure. Complications after surgery included partial or complete failure of fracture fixation (n = 3 foals), osteomyelitis (n = 2 foals), angular limb deformity (n = 2...
Breukink HJ, Németh F, van Dieten JS.The clinical examination, anaesthesia and surgery in a gelding with an incarcerated scrotal hernia are described. The results of examination of the blood at regular intervals are shown in a table. Surgery was performed without enterectomy. The postoperation course was uneventful. It is concluded that the possibility of scrotal hernia should be borne in mind, even in geldings with colic. The incarcerated portion of the small intestine is usually found to be the jejuno-ileal junction. The anaesthesiological and surgical features of equine scrotal hernia are discussed.
Goulden BE.Any condition which leads to a diminution in the size or alteration of the shape of the lumen of the respiratory tract in the horse may result in the production of abnormal respiratory noises at exercise.
Nomura M, Mizobe F, Kato T, Kuroda T, Urayama S, Muranaka M.Although severe blood coagulopathy in horses with acute colitis causes multiple organ failure, which may be fatal, few studies have focused on the correlation between the fluctuations of coagulation parameters and severity of colitis. In this study, we evaluated the fluctuations of coagulation parameters in 14 Thoroughbred racehorses with acute colitis for 5 days from the day of hospitalization and compared them between 5 survivors and 9 non-survivors. Noteworthy features in the non-survivors were that antithrombin activity and fibrin degradation products continuously decreased and increased, ...
de Groot J, Sloet van Oldruitenborgh-Oosterbaan MM, van der Linda-Sipman JS, Kalsbeek HC.A review of the congenital and acquired heart diseases of foals is given on the basis of two patients. A 3-month-old foal with a history of collapse after exercise had a systolic murmur on all heart valves on both sides. Necropsy revealed endocarditis ulcerosa of the left atrioventricular valves. A 6-week-old foal with systolic murmur on the left atrioventricular valves and on the aorta showed, on ultrasonography, signs of endocarditis of the atrioventricular valves. This foal recovered after a long course of antibiotics.