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.
Johansson M, Anlér EL.A quantitative method for the analysis of flunixin, 2-(2-methyl-3-trifluoromethylanilino) nicotinic acid, in equine urine by gas chromatography with nitrogen-phosphorus detection has been developed. Flunixin and the internal standard, mefenamic acid, N-(2,3-xylyl) anthranilic acid, were analysed after extractive methylation of the carboxylic acid group using methyl iodide. The extraction and alkylation conditions of flunixin and mefenamic acid have been studied. The detection limit of the method was 0.25 mumol/l flunixin in urine (74 ng/ml). Flunixin was found to be conjugated to 96.5% in equi...
West HJ.Single intravenous injections of bromosulphthalein (BSP) were given to horses and the change in plasma concentration of BSP with time was analysed by computer to obtain the proportionality transfer constants 'a', 'h' and 'b'. No age, weight or sex differences in BSP clearance were found in normal horses. The technique was non-invasive, repeatable and suitable for conscious animals. The measurement of the transfer constants 'a', 'h' and 'b', helped to provide an accurate guide to diagnosis and prognosis of liver disease.
Tenter AM, Otte MJ, Gonzalez CA, Abuabara Y.Eighty-two equine sera from 13 farms in northern Colombia were examined for antibodies to Babesia caballi and B. equi using the complement fixation (CF) and the indirect fluorescent antibody (IFA) test. Seroreactors to both piroplasms were present on all farms. The IFA test indicated a prevalence of 90% for B. caballi and 94% for B. equi. The CF test detected antibodies to B. caballi in 41% and to B. equi in 65% of the animals. The prevalence of seroreactors in different age groups revealed a significant decline in CF antibodies to B. caballi in animals older than three years. IFA titres for b...
Katila T, Koskinen E, Oijala M, Parviainen P.Fifty-three post-partum (p. p.) periods were studied in 38 mares. Uterine samples were taken on
the 2nd and 5th days p.p. and thereafter every other day until ovulation. Uterine swabs were
examined for bacteria and neutrophils and uterine biopsy specimens for neutrophils and lymphocytes.
The occurrence of bacteria and leukocytes was most common on day 5 p. p. The dominant organism
on day 2 was E. coli and on day 5 P-haemolytic streptococci. Thirty-four mares were inseminated
during the first p. p. oestrus. Only the occurrence of neutrophils in day 5 biopsy specimens correlated
with foal ...
Moorman GH, van Noort JH, Németh F, Breukink HJ, Gootjes P, Verzijlenberg F.A method for detection of neurectomy by electrical stimulation of the skin, distal to the neurectomy site, was tested for accuracy and feasibility. An electrical stimulation device was designed and tested to find the minimum peak voltage that would elicit a response in normal horses. Twenty seven horses were then tested at regular intervals following neurectomy and their responses recorded. Immediately following neurectomy there was an area of insensitivity with sharply defined borders extending in an arc from the back of the pastern down towards the bulbs of the heels. In the months following...
van der Velden MA.During a seven year period, 51 cases of acquired inguinal herniation in 50 stallions were treated surgically. In 25 cases the herniated loop was ileal, in the other 26 it was jejunal. In cases of strangulation, the vaginal ring was enlarged by incising the peritoneum and transverse fascia. Closure of the superficial inguinal ring was advisable to prevent the hernia recurring. In all cases unilateral castration was performed. Laparotomy was carried out in 33 cases; 22 required intestinal resection and in four cases a bypass was made. Follow-up at least six months postoperatively indicated that ...
Groenendyk S, English PB, Abetz I.The components of the daily external water and electrolyte balances of five normal Standardbred geldings with a mean body weight of 427 kg, were determined over 14 day periods. The mean value of daily total water intake (a summation of free, combined and metabolic water intake) for the group was 27.6 litres, that is, 64.4 ml/kg body weight, while mean values for ambient temperature and humidity ranged from 16 to 25 degrees C and 55.4 to 75.5 per cent, respectively. The mean daily urine volume of 9.9 litres (23.2 ml/kg) for the group, was found to exceed the mean faecal water output of 7.2 litr...
Shaw EB, Houpt KA, Holmes DF.Average daily core body temperature and behavioural patterns of pregnant mares were studied, in search of definitive signs of parturition within 24 h of the event. Nineteen pony mares were sampled twice daily for core body temperature. A significant temperature drop, averaging 0.1 degrees C (0.2 degrees F) was observed during the day prior to parturition. Between 18.00 h and 06.00 h, during the two weeks before parturition, Thoroughbred and Standardbred mares (n = 52) spent an average 66.8 per cent of their time standing, 27.0 per cent eating, 4.9 per cent lying in sternal recumbency, 1.0 per ...
van der Velden MA.Over a six year period, 14 new-born colt foals were treated surgically because of ruptured inguinal hernia. In all cases, the prolapsed intestines, which were jejunal loops, were situated subcutaneously and protruded through a rent in the parietal vaginal tunic at the level of the inguinal canal. After herniorrhaphy and unilateral castration, the prolapsed loops were replaced into the abdomen, and the superficial inguinal ring closed. Seven foals survived.
Gaffney B, Cunningham EP.Thoroughbred horses have been bred exclusively for racing in England since Tudor times and thoroughbred horse racing is now practised in over 40 countries and involves more than half-a-million horses worldwide. The genetic origins of the thoroughbred go back largely to horses imported from the Middle East and North Africa to England in the late seventeenth and early eighteenth centuries. Since the establishment of the Stud Book in 1791, the population has been effectively closed to outside sources, and over 80% of the thoroughbred population's gene pool derives from 31 known ancestors from thi...
Spurlock SL, Spurlock GH, Donaldson LL.A 3-year-old Thoroughbred mare with signs of acute abdominal pain and chronic pneumonia was found to have pneumothorax. A single application of suction was successful in resolving the pneumothorax. The underlying pneumonia was treated with long-term antibiotic administration selected on the basis of results of bacteriologic culture and antimicrobial susceptibility testing of a transtracheal aspirate. The pneumonia resolved, and the mare returned to competition as a show hunter.
Taylor FG, Mair TS, Brown PJ.Equine steatitis is a rare condition which is usually reported in foals. A case of generalised steatitis in an adult pony mare is described and compared with steatitis in other species. It is concluded that the condition resembled that recorded in foals but that its aetiopathogenesis remains obscure.
Grandy JL, Hodgson DS.The physiologic changes that take place in horses presented for emergency abdominal surgery and the effects of these changes on the horse's anesthetic management are discussed.
Bain FT, Brock KA, Koterba AM.High-frequency jet ventilation was performed on a premature foal for respiratory difficulty attributable to in utero-acquired pneumonia. The procedure involves delivery of compressed gas through a small-bore cannula at frequencies up to 400 cycles/min. Ventilation settings of drive pressure, frequency, and FIO2 were varied to optimize PaO2 and PaCO2 values. The foal was ventilated with this equipment for 14 hours. Evidence of a favorable response to this method of ventilation was observed in the form of improvement in arterial blood gas values as well as the foal's attitude and degree of respi...
Roberts SJ, Hillman RB.Various common problems encountered daily pleasure horse practice will be discussed covering diagnosis, treatment and prevention.
Olenchock SA, Murphy SA, Mull JC, Lewis DM.Various work environments in agriculture naturally contain gram-negative bacteria and their endotoxins, which are heat stable, lipopolysaccharide-protein complexes that are integral parts of the outer membrane of gram-negative bacteria (1). Respiratory exposure to endotoxin-containing dusts has been associated with both an acute decline in pulmonary function (2) and chronic lung disease (3) in cotton dust-exposed subjects. Endotoxins can profoundly affect both humoral and cellular mediation systems in humans and experimental animals (4). One biologically active humoral system that is associate...