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.
Joongpan W, Tongsangiam P, Poochipakorn C, Charoenchanikran P, Chanda M.Horses were provided full-time housing in unfamiliar vector-protected facilities during the African horse sickness (AHS) outbreak in Thailand. This study aimed to investigate the impact of this housing arrangement on the equine stress response. Nine healthy horses were housed in both a traditional barn and a vector-protected barn. Equine behavior and stress response data were collected in association with the housing environment and time of day. The mean behavioral score of horses housed in the vector-protected barn was lower at night than during the day. In addition, the horses' mean heart ra...
Somm F, Suárez Sánchez-Andrade J, Martens A, Zedler ST, Klopfenstein MD, Boswell JC, Bladon BM, Lischer CJ, Richardson DW, Auer JA, Fürst AE....To report on technical aspects and outcomes after scapulohumeral arthrodesis (SHA) with a locking compression plate (LCP) in small equids. Methods: Retrospective multicenter case series. Methods: Client-owned Shetland Ponies, Miniature Shetlands, and American Miniature Horses (n = 15). Methods: Inclusion criteria were completed SHA with an LCP to treat scapulohumeral osteoarthritis/subluxation and availability of postoperative radiographs. Contributing surgeons completed a questionnaire to collect data. All radiographs were reviewed for this study. Follow-up information was obtained via re-a...
Hansen S, Laustsen L, Otten ND, Skovgaard K, Bech R, Byrgesen S, Hopster-Iversen C, Fjeldborg J.Alternative treatment options to glucocorticoids for equine asthma is desirable due to withdrawal time. The objective was to evaluate if serum and Respiratory Gene Technology (RGT), a commercial kit to produce autologous conditioned serum, was effective in reducing bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) neutrophils and mast cells in racehorses with cytological evidence of mild equine asthma . Thirty-six Standardbred trotters in active training were enrolled in this randomized clinical trial; a healthy control group (n=11), a RGT group (n=12) and a serum group (n=13). Endoscopy including tracheal wash (T...
Cardona GA, Uribe A, Ortved K.The economic relevance, populational importance and expansion of the Colombian Paso Horse to other latitudes calls for a growth in studies based on this type of horse. Lack of written reports about the relationship of the distal phalanx (DP) within the hoof in this gaited horse makes it important to establish a baseline to determine hoof health and possible alterations. The purpose of this study was to report, for the first time, the positional parameters of the distal phalanx, and its relationship within the hoof in sound Colombian Paso Horses. A latero-medial radiographic image of each dig...
Fine AH, Andersen SJ.The field of human-animal interactions and, more specifically, animal-assisted interventions and equine assisted interactions (equine assisted interactions have significantly evolved over the past half century. The primary purpose of this paper is to provide a brief commentary of both fields and the challenges they are presently experiencing as they move forward in their future. More specifically within this commentary, attention will be given to highlighting some of the directions taken in both fields, including clarifying their terminology as it applies to scope of practices, trends in resea...
van Dijk J.Jan van Dijk, RCVS specialist in veterinary parasitology, describes how data can be used to both increase understanding of trends in equine helminth abundance and drive better treatment of individual horses.
Zanet S, Battisti E, Labate F, Oberto F, Ferroglio E.Nematodes are an important cause of disease and loss of performance in horses. Changes in the parasitic fauna of horses have occurred in the past few decades, making cyathostomins the major parasites in adult horses, while large strongyles have become less prevalent. spp. remains the most important parasite infecting foals and weanlings. Anthelmintic resistance is highly prevalent in cyathostomins and spp. worldwide and it must be factored into treatment decisions. To assess anthelmintic efficacy in Northern Italy, we sampled 215 horses from 17 sport and horse-breeding farms. Fecal egg count...
Depuydt E, Broeckx SY, Van Hecke L, Chiers K, Van Brantegem L, van Schie H, Beerts C, Spaas JH, Pille F, Martens A. Tendon injuries are very common in horses and jeopardize the athletic performance, and due to the high risk of reinjury may lead to early retirement. The use of mesenchymal stem cells for the treatment of equine tendon disease is widely investigated because of their regenerative potential. The objective of this study is to investigate the safety and efficacy of equine allogeneic tenogenic primed mesenchymal stem cells (tpMSCs) for the management of tendinitis in horses. A core lesion was surgically induced in the superficial digital flexor tendon of both forelimbs of eight horses. After 7 da...
Brennvall HM, Bjune T, Sverdrup Ø, Ráki M, Abedini S.Zoonoses are important to consider when humans become ill after being in contact with animals. In such cases thorough patient history is crucial, especially when infections have an unclear cause. We present a patient with infection-associated glomerulonephritis, where a horse was the probable source of infection. A young woman was admitted to the district general hospital in Vestfold, Norway, with infection and acute kidney failure. Renal biopsy suggested glomerulonephritis, and nasopharyngeal culture taken at admission detected Streptococcus equi. It emerged that the patient had daily contact...
Machado G, Corbellini LG, Frias-De-Diego A, Dieh GN, Dos Santos DV, Jara M, de Freitas Costa E.Equine infectious anemia virus (EIAV) is a transboundary disease affecting a large number of equines worldwide. In this study, we assessed the transmission risk of EIAV in Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. Serum samples from 1010 animals from 341 farms were initially analyzed using agar gel immunodiffusion to detect viral antibodies, and no antibody-positive animals were found. A risk assessment stochastic model was applied to generate the expected number of potential infections per month and to estimate the time to new infections. Our results estimated 6.5 months as the interval for new infections i...
Mach N, Lansade L, Bars-Cortina D, Dhorne-Pollet S, Foury A, Moisan MP, Ruet A.Elite horse athletes that live in individual boxes and train and compete for hours experience long-term physical and mental stress that compromises animal welfare and alters the gut microbiota. We therefore assessed if a temporary period out to pasture with conspecifics could improve animal welfare and in turn, favorably affect intestinal microbiota composition. A total of 27 athletes were monitored before and after a period of 1.5 months out to pasture, and their fecal microbiota and behavior profiles were compared to those of 18 horses kept in individual boxes. The overall diversity and mic...
Snyman J, Koekemoer O, van Schalkwyk A, Jansen van Vuren P, Snyman L, Williams J, Venter M.Equine encephalosis virus (EEV) is a neglected virus endemic to South Africa and is considered to generally result in mild disease in equines. Specimens were analyzed from live horses that presented with undefined neurological, febrile, or respiratory signs, or sudden and unexpected death. Between 2010 and 2017, 111 of 1523 (7.3%) horse samples tested positive for EEV using a nested real-time reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (rRT-PCR). Clinical signs were reported in 106 (7.2%) EEV positive and 1360 negative horses and included pyrexia (77/106, 72.6%), icterus (20/106, 18.9%) an...
Knych HK, Magdesian KG.Equine antimicrobial therapy has advanced over time with the availability of increasing pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic studies in horses, allowing for greater evidence-based clinical decision-making. However, many challenges to optimal antimicrobial therapy remain and further research is needed to address these areas. There are a limited number of approved antimicrobials for use in horses, which creates a need for compounded preparations for clinicians. Extra-label drug use is commonplace in equine practice, which warrants continual education of veterinarians about policies and updates. P...
Chu SAA, Stokol T.The myeloperoxidase index (MPXI), on ADVIA hematology analyzers, reflects the mean neutrophil myeloperoxidase staining. It is used as a marker of inflammation in animals and people, but assay variability and storage stability are unknown. Objective: We aimed to determine MPXI precision and stability with refrigerated storage of canine and equine EDTA-anticoagulated blood and compared MPXI results between two analyzers. Methods: Inter-assay coefficients of variations (CVs) were determined from three human-based controls assayed before and after a 20- or 21-day calibration. Blood from 14-16 dogs...
Verkola M, Järvelä T, Järvinen A, Jokelainen P, Virtala AM, Kinnunen PM, Heikinheimo A.Veterinarians face the risk of contracting zoonotic pathogens. Infection prevention and control (IPC) guidelines stress the importance of proper hand hygiene and personal protective equipment (PPE) to prevent transmission of these pathogens. We aimed to assess how ambulatory livestock and equine veterinarians follow IPC guidelines, when working on farms and in stables. We studied hygiene practices of livestock and equine ambulatory veterinarians (n = 129) in Finland. A web-based questionnaire was used to obtain demographic information and information regarding hand-hygiene facilities and pra...
Caspers MK, Bell CD, Tatarniuk DM.Objective: The objective of this study is to evaluate the safety, efficacy, and owner satisfaction following electrosurgical ventriculocordectomy (EVC), in conjunction with prosthetic laryngoplasty, in equine clinical cases affected with left- or right-sided recurrent laryngeal neuropathy. Methods: Retrospective data analysis of clinical signalment, surgery, athletic outcome, intra- and postoperative complications, and postoperative examinations from clinical cases wherein EVC was performed in conjunction with traditional prosthetic laryngoplasty from one practice. Owners were contacted by pho...
Freeman DE.Maintenance fluid therapy is challenging in horses that cannot drink or are denied feed and water because of concerns about gastrointestinal tract function and patency. Intravenous fluid delivery to meet water needs based on current recommendations for maintenance requirements were obtained in fed horses and therefore might not apply to horses that are not being fed. This is a critical flaw because of the interdependence between intestinal tract water and extracellular water to support digestion while preserving water balance, a concept explained by the enterosystemic cycle. Because horses dri...
Bastos RG, Sears KP, Dinkel KD, Kappmeyer L, Ueti MW, Knowles DP, Fry LM.The apicomplexan parasite is one of two known causative agents of equine theileriosis. It causes milder clinical disease than its more virulent counterpart, , in experimentally infected horses, and can superinfect -positive horses. The current equi merozoite antigen 1 (EMA1)-based competitive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA)used in the U.S. to detect equine theileriosis detects but not , and the complexity of molecular assays precludes widespread use for epidemiologic studies. In order to facilitate urgently needed studies on the prevalence of , the goal of this study was to develop...
Ferrando Meseguer E, Roig Sánchez S, Pino Almero L, Romano Bataller A, Mínguez Rey MF.Talipes equinovarus or clubfoot is a congenital deformity of the foot with bone, muscle, and tendon involvement. It's one of the most frequent foot malformations in pediatric orthopedics. Although generally idiopathic, it may have a syndromic cause and be associated with musculoskeletal, neurological, or connective tissue conditions. The treatment of choice in idiopathic clubfoot is the Ponseti method based on manipulation and fixation with serial casts that seek progressive correction of the deformity. The Ponseti method effectiveness has been demonstrated in arthrogryposis and myelomeningoce...
Weller D, Franklin S, White P, Shea G, Fenner K, Wilson B, Wilkins C, McGreevy P.This article reports on the results of a survey of racehorse trainers (n = 112) outlining the reasons for tongue-tie (TT) and noseband (NB) use by Thoroughbred trainers (TBTs) (n = 72) and Standardbred trainers (SBTs) (n = 40). The study also investigated the reported effectiveness of TTs and possible complications arising from their use. Tongue-tie use was reported by 62.5% (n = 70) of racehorse trainers. The reasons for TT use varied between TBTs and SBTs. For TBTs, the most common reason for TT use was to prevent or reduce airway obstruction (72.3%, n = 34), followed closely by to prevent o...
De Clercq E, Den Hondt S, De Baere C, Martens AM.To compare the effect of multiple wound dressings on microbial growth in a perfused equine wound model. Methods: Abdominal musculocutaneous flaps from 16 equine cadavers. Methods: 8 full-thickness skin wound covered were created in each flap. Tissues were perfused with saline (0.9% NaCl) solution. Wounds were inoculated with methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) or Pseudomonas aeruginosa (106 CFUs), incubated, and covered with a dressing containing activated charcoal, boric acid, cadexomer iodine, calcium alginate, manuka honey, nanoparticle silver, or polyhexamethylene biguanide ...
Vitale V, Berg LC, Larsen BB, Hannesdottir A, Dybdahl Thomsen P, Laursen SH, Verwilghen D, van Galen G.This pilot prospective study reports the feasibility, management and cost of the use of a continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) system in critically ill adult horses and foals. We compared the glucose measurements obtained by the CGM device with blood glucose (BG) concentrations. Neonatal foals (0-2 weeks of age) and adult horses (> 1 year old) admitted in the period of March-May 2016 with clinical and laboratory parameters compatible with systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS) were included. Glucose concentration was monitored every 4 hours on blood samples with a point-of-care (POC) gl...
Rossi TM, Kavsak PA, Maxie MG, Pearl DL, Pyle WG, Physick-Sheard PW.Accumulating evidence indicates intense exercise can be associated with myocardial damage. Investigating the impact of maximal effort on myocardium and exploring possible association of injury with rhythm disturbance requires a high-sensitivity cardiac troponin assay. The objectives of this study were: (1) to determine the effect of racing on serum cardiac troponin I (cTnI) in Standardbred horses using a high-sensitivity assay; (2) to determine the 99th percentile of cTnI in healthy horses and investigate the effect of demographic variables on cTnI prevailing pre-race in Standardbred horses us...
Bauck AG, Nelson E, McLain A, Cock G, Sanchez LC, Freeman DE.To describe a modified celiotomy to improve access to cranial abdominal structures in horses. Methods: Four horses. Methods: Short case series. Methods: Three horses with gastric impactions were treated with gastrotomies. One horse was treated for a diaphragmatic hernia with herniorrhaphy and mesh augmentation. In all horses, the ventral midline celiotomy was modified cranially with a J-incision through the body wall, along the paracostal arch. Results: The only surgical complications were midline incisional infections in all horses. Three of the four horses had good long-term outcomes; the re...
Canola PA, Cardenas JJ, Sá GC, de Paula VB.To evaluate the feasibility of performing needle arthroscopy of the scapulohumeral joint and bicipital bursa in standing horses by using the thoracic limbs of euthanized horses. To that purpose, this experimental study was designed. Ten thoracic limbs, five left and five right from euthanized horses were retained in an upright position to simulate a standing horse. The craniolateral and lateral scapulohumeral arthroscopic portals were used to access the articular structures. A third (caudal) portal was also identified and described. The degree of difficulty in accessing the articular space and...
Górski K, Tremaine H, Obrochta B, Buczkowska R, Turek B, Bereznowski A, Rakowska A, Polkowska I.The aim of this paper is to thoroughly describe the etiology, diagnostic processes and recommended treatment of equine odontoclastic tooth resorption and hypercementosis (EOTRH). It is a relatively recently described disease. Most recent reports show that it is a common problem involving older equine patients. The most common and significant symptom of EOTRH is oral pain. The main clinical signs include periodontitis and gingivitis with a gingival recession, alveolar bone protrusion, periodontic fistulas and soreness of the incisors. When establishing the final diagnosis, it is necessary to co...
Li J, Zhu Y, Mi J, Zhao Y, Holyoak GR, Yi Z, Wu R, Wang Z, Zeng S.Endometrial and vaginal microbiomes are critical in the study of endometritis, which is an important cause of infertility in donkeys. Our objective was to investigate the difference of the endometrial and vaginal microbiomes between healthy donkey jennies (group C) and jennies with endometritis (group E). Endometrial and vaginal swab samples were collected, and the 16 s rRNA gene amplicon high-throughput sequencing technique was applied to identify the microbial composition in the samples. A similar microbial composition pattern was found between endometrial and vaginal samples, which indica...
Webster AJ, Clarke AF, Madelin TM, Wathes CM.The concentration of fungal spores, the main constituents of respirable dust in stables, is determined by rates of release from fodder and bedding and rate of clearance, principally by ventilation. This paper outlines the principles that govern the application of natural ventilation to the control of air hygiene in barns and individual boxes for horses. When release rates are low, ventilation rates over four air changes per hour are satisfactory. Ventilation was satisfactory in individual boxes but usually unsatisfactory in barns and specific recommendations are made for improvement. Prelimina...
Flaminio MJ, Rush BR.In horses, fluid losses of 10L to 15L per hour can occur during endurance exercise under hot environmental conditions. The horse's sweat is hypertonic with respect to plasma, and large amounts of sodium, chloride and potassium are lost during prolonged exercise. Horses that reach exhaustive syndrome often show pronounced increases in plasma protein concentration. This could be an indication of failure of the compensatory fluid shift from the intracellular compartment caused by severe dehydration. Thorough physical examination by the ride veterinarian allows early recognition of dehydration and...
Blott SC, Swinburne JE, Sibbons C, Fox-Clipsham LY, Helwegen M, Hillyer L, Parkin TD, Newton JR, Vaudin M.Thoroughbred racehorses are subject to non-traumatic distal limb bone fractures that occur during racing and exercise. Susceptibility to fracture may be due to underlying disturbances in bone metabolism which have a genetic cause. Fracture risk has been shown to be heritable in several species but this study is the first genetic analysis of fracture risk in the horse. Results: Fracture cases (n = 269) were horses that sustained catastrophic distal limb fractures while racing on UK racecourses, necessitating euthanasia. Control horses (n = 253) were over 4 years of age, were racing during the s...
Roberts VL, McKane SA, Williams A, Knottenbelt DC.REASONS FOR DESIGNING AND REPORTING TECHNIQUE: Idiopathic headshaking has remarkable similarities to human neuropathic facial pain syndromes associated with post herpetic and trigeminal neuralgia. These derive from abnormal sensory function within the peripheral or central pathways of the trigeminal nerve (TgN). Limiting input from the TgN can be helpful in controlling the perception of pain. Rhizotomy of the infraorbital branch of the TgN as it emerges from the infraorbital canal has been reported but has a poor efficacy. A novel technique involves compression of the nerve at a more caudal lo...
Toribio RE.Critical illness challenges many endocrine homeostatic systems to overcome diseases, stress, and hostile conditions that threaten survival. Coordinated and consecutive responses by the autonomic nervous system, endocrine metabolic adaptations to mobilize and conserve energy and electrolytes, cardiovascular adjustments to maintain organ perfusion, and immunomodulation to overcome infections and inflammation are required. Because most admissions to equine intensive care units are related to horses with gastrointestinal disease and septic foals, most endocrine information during critical disease ...
McCue PM, Roser JF, Munro CJ, Liu IK, Lasley BL.The granulosa cell tumor is the most common ovarian tumor in mares. A clinical diagnosis can be made based on the presence ofa unilaterally enlarged ovary and a small inactive contralateral ovary. Endocrine testing may be beneficial to confirm a diagnosis. Surgical removal of the tumor eliminates the adverse effect on pituitary function and results in resumption of follicular development and ovulation in the opposite ovary over time.
Wohlfender FD, Barrelet FE, Doherr MG, Straub R, Meier HP.Neonatal diseases have been grouped and analysed but up-to-date statistically significant information about the incidence and prevalence of diseases in foals is limited. Since the 1950s it has been a common management practice to administer a 3 day course of antimicrobial drugs to neonatal foals. This was shown to significantly reduce the incidence of infections (Platt 1977). Since then management practices have improved and it is widely believed that prophylactic antimicrobial drugs are no longer necessary in foal rearing. Objective: To determine the 30 day incidences or prevalences (dependin...
Slack J, Boston RC, Soma L, Reef VB.Upper reference limits for cTnI have not been established for healthy Standardbred racehorses. Objective: To establish cTnI upper reference limits for Standardbred racehorses and determine if increases in plasma cTnI concentration can be detected in 1-2 hours after a race. Methods: Samples were obtained from 586 apparently healthy Standardbreds aged 2-14 years before racing and from the winners of 144 races 1-2 hours after the end of the race. Methods: Prospective, observational study; convenience sampling; assay validation; and reference limits determinations were performed according to ASCVP...
Spence KL, O'Sullivan TL, Poljak Z, Greer AL.Identifying the contact structure within a population of horses attending a competition is an important element towards understanding the potential for the spread of equine pathogens as the horses subsequently travel from location to location. However, there is limited information in Ontario, Canada to quantify contact patterns of horses. The objective of this study was to describe the network of potential contacts associated with an equestrian show to determine how this network structure may influence potential disease transmission. Results: This was a descriptive study of horses attending an...
Coultous RM, McDonald M, Raftery AG, Shiels BR, Sutton DGM, Weir W.Theileria equi, one of the primary pathogens causing equine piroplasmosis, has previously been sub-classified into a number of clades on the basis of 18S SSU rRNA gene sequence diversity. This partitioning of the parasite population has potential implications for host immunity, treatment and vaccine development. To detect and identify different clade genotypes among and within individual equine blood samples, a novel PCR-based technique was designed and optimized. Theileria equi has only recently been described in The Gambia, and the developed genotyping technique was used to analyse blood sam...
The Journal of nutritionJune 15, 2006
Volume 136, Issue 7 Suppl 2094S-2098S doi: 10.1093/jn/136.7.2094S
Treiber KH, Kronfeld DS, Geor RJ.Insulin is a major regulatory hormone in glucose and fat metabolism, vascular function, inflammation, tissue remodeling, and the somatotropic axis of growth. Insulin resistance alters insulin signaling by decreasing insulin action in certain resistant pathways while increasing insulin signaling in other unaffected pathways via compensatory hyperinsulinemia. In humans, altered insulin signaling is implicated in reduced glucose availability to insulin-sensitive cells, vasoconstriction and endothelial damage, and inflammatory response. Although no direct evidence exists for insulin's role in thes...
Rames DS, Miller DK, Barthel R, Craig TM, Dziezyc J, Helman RG, Mealey R.Ocular contents from a horse with a 4-week history of severe unilateral uveitis were submitted for histopathologic examination. A severe unilateral granulomatous chorioretinitis with intralesional Halicephalobus deletrix was diagnosed. The horse developed progressive neurologic signs several days following the surgery to remove ocular contents and implant a prosthesis and was subsequently euthanatized. A severe multifocal granulomatous encephalitis with intralesional H. deletrix, localized primarily to the optic chiasm, thalamus, and brain stem, was diagnosed from tissues acquired at necropsy....
Aragona F, Di Pietro S, Arfuso F, Fazio F, Piccione G, Giudice E, Giannetto C.The aim of the present study was to investigate the response to physical exercise of some ocular physiological variables (ocular temperature and intraocular pressure) in horses performing a jumping course in the morning (a.m.) or in the afternoon hours (p.m.), before and after the exercise, in correlation with the rectal temperature. Data collection was carried out on 14 clinical healthy Italian saddle horses. All horses were trained from 9:00 to 10:00 a.m. and from 19:00 to 20:00 p.m. according to a specific training program. Ocular temperature (OT), rectal temperature (RT) and intraocular pr...
Murray DR, Ladds PW, Campbell RS.Lesions encountered in a clinicopathological study of cutaneous lesions resembling 'swamp cancer' from horses in North Queensland included 37 cases of subcutaneous phycomycosis, 5 of which were also infected with Habronema sp larvae. In addition 9 cases of primary cutaneous habronemiasis, 58 sarcoids, 12 fibromas, 8 fibrosarcomas, 10 squamous cell carcinomas, 4 haemangiomas, 3 melanomas, 1 papilloma, 1 palpebral adenocarcinoma and 7 cases of simple granulation were diagnosed. Subcutaneous phycomycosis resulted in the most extensive lesions. These were rapidly growing and provided the poorest p...
Köhne M, Kuhlmann M, Tönißen A, Martinsson G, Sieme H.Endometritis is a major cause for impaired fertility in mares. The objectives of this study were to collect information on diagnostic and treatment practices performed by veterinarians and to investigate possible effects of professional experience, caseload, and geographical location on the practitioners' management of endometritis cases. For this purpose, equine practitioners ( = 680) were asked to fill out an online survey (34 questions). The online survey yielded 117 responses by veterinarians practicing in all parts of Germany. Most respondents came from Lower Saxony and managed <20 mares ...
Wang J, Guo K, Li S, Liu D, Chu X, Wang Y, Guo W, Du C, Wang X, Hu Z.Salmonella enterica subsp. serovar Abortusequi is a major pathogen in horse and donkey herds, causing abortion in pregnant equids and resulting in enormous economic losses. A rapid and reliable method is urgently needed to detect . Abortusequi in herds where the disease is suspected. To achieve this goal, a TaqMan-based real-time PCR assay targeting the gene for the flagellin protein phase 2 antigen FljB was developed. This real-time PCR assay had high specificity, sensitivity, and reproducibility. The detection limit of the assay was 30 copies/μL of standard plasmid and 10 CFU/μL of bacter...
Downar J, Willey BM, Sutherland JW, Mathew K, Low DE.We report a case of group C streptococcal meningitis in a woman with a history of close animal contact as well as head trauma as a result of a kick by a horse. Blood and cerebrospinal fluid cultures grew Streptococcus equi subsp. zooepidemicus, as did a throat culture taken from the colt that had kicked her 2 weeks prior to admission.
Diab SS, Poppenga R, Uzal FA.In racehorses, sudden death (SD) associated with exercise poses a serious risk to jockeys and adversely affects racehorse welfare and the public perception of horse racing. In a majority of cases of exercise-associated sudden death (EASD), there are no gross lesions to explain the cause of death, and an examination of the cardiovascular system and a toxicologic screen are warranted. Cases of EASD without gross lesions are often presumed to be sudden cardiac deaths (SCD). We describe an equine SD autopsy protocol, with emphasis on histologic examination of the heart ("cardiac histology protocol...
Tessier L, Côté O, Bienzle D.Severe equine asthma is a chronic inflammatory disease of the lung in horses similar to low-Th2 late-onset asthma in humans. This study aimed to determine the utility of RNA-Seq to call gene sequence variants, and to identify sequence variants of potential relevance to the pathogenesis of asthma. Methods: RNA-Seq data were generated from endobronchial biopsies collected from six asthmatic and seven non-asthmatic horses before and after challenge (26 samples total). Sequences were aligned to the equine genome with Spliced Transcripts Alignment to Reference software. Read preparation for sequenc...
Ramzan PH, Palmer L, Dallas RS, Shepherd MC.Ultrasonographic (US) abnormalities of the suspensory ligament branch (SLB) have been poorly investigated but can have considerable impact on market value and career path when encountered in athletic horses. There is a need for determination of the prevalence and relationship to clinical injury of these US abnormalities in the Thoroughbred (TB) racehorse. Objective: To establish the prevalence of, and the repeatability of an US grading system for, subclinical US abnormalities of the forelimb SLB in a population of UK TB flat racehorses. Methods: Ultrasonographic assessment of the forelimb SLBs...
Tsachev I, Pantchev N, Marutsov P, Petrov V, Gundasheva D, Baymakova M.Lyme Borreliosis and granulocytic anaplasmosis are less extensively studied in horses than in dogs and humans. Equine ehrlichiosis is not known in Europe and is in the initial stage of investigation in South, Central, and North America. The aim of this study was to determine the seroprevalence of these infections in Bulgaria. A total of 155 horses were investigated from five regions in Southeastern Bulgaria. Horses were tested for Borrelia burgdorferi, Anaplasma phagocytophilum, and Ehrlichia spp. antibodies by a commercial rapid ELISA test. B. burgdorferi and A. phagocytophilum antibodies wer...
Tomlinson JE, Blikslager AT.Recent studies have shown that flunixin prevented recovery of equine jejunum post ischaemia. However, the use of a purported cyclooxygenase (COX)-2 preferential inhibitor, etodolac, also prevented recovery. These findings may have implications for the use of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs in colic patients. Objective: To compare the effects of deracoxib, a highly selective canine COX-2 inhibitor, with flunixin on in vitro recovery of ischaemic-injured equine jejunum. Methods: Six horses underwent 2 h jejunal ischaemia, after which mucosa was mounted in Ussing chambers and recovered for 2...
Dias DP, de Lacerda Neto JC.Thrombophlebitis of the jugular vein is commonly observed in horses, particularly during intensive care, and leads to local and systemic inflammatory responses as well as head and neck circulatory impairment. Thrombolytic therapy is widely used in human practice with the aim of thrombus dissolution and recanalization of the injured vessels. There are similarities between human and horse coagulation and fibrinolytic processes. This review examines the fibrinolytic system, thrombus formation, and the clinical management of jugular thrombophlebitis, including thrombolytic therapy. There is eviden...
