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.
Bolesławska-Szubartowska J, Kucharczuk M, Skrabska A, Zbysław A, Adamowicz J, Alszko A, Domagalska-Stomska K, Durska M, Dziekcierów A....Pain after giving birth is commonly observed in horses, yet there has not been a specific tool developed for assessing this pain in postpartum mares. The goal was to adapt existing equine pain scales and to preliminarily validate a practical pain scale for use by veterinarians and caregivers after foaling. Methods: The pain scale was developed by adapting items from other pain scales, including established orthopedic and colic equine pain scales, and incorporating caregiver feedback. The final scale includes eight areas for assessing pain: behavior, facial expressions, vital signs, udder exami...
Dantas FTDR, Canisso IF, Feijó LS, de Vasconcelos PMF, Campos ML, Ulanov AV, Li Z, Pizzi GLBL, Nogueira CEW, Curcio BR.Doxycycline is widely used in equine medicine, yet data on its pharmacokinetics and safety during late gestation are scarce. We investigated the pharmacokinetics, fetoplacental diffusion, and safety of compounded oral doxycycline in late-term pregnant mares. In the first experiment, six mares at 300 days of gestation received a single oral dose (10 mg/kg), and plasma concentrations were measured using LC-MS/MS. Pharmacokinetic analysis using non-compartmental and compartmental models showed rapid absorption, with a mean Cmax of about 6000 ng/mL reached within 0.8 h and a terminal half-life ...
Hargitaiova K, Maleas G.To describe outcomes following high-metacarpal deep digital flexor tenotomy (DDFT) combined with Steward clog application in horses and ponies with refractory chronic laminitis. Methods: Retrospective observational study. Methods: Client-owned horses and ponies (7 horses, 8 ponies) with severe refractory laminitis. Methods: Medical records (2018-2019) were reviewed. All underwent standing high-metacarpal DDFT tenotomy proximal to the accessory ligament (AL-DDFT) junction, followed by customized Steward clogs application. Preoperative assessment included radiography and venography. Postoperativ...
A Quarter Horse mare was presented with a history of imidocarb intoxication. During the initial evaluation, the patient presented an initial episode of syncope, in addition to a Grade III/IV diastolic murmur. On the basis of the observed condition, the animal underwent echocardiographic evaluation, in which artifacts were detected and subsequently characterized as air bubbles, restricted to the right cardiac chambers. A diagnosis of venous air embolism resulting from right jugular venocatheterization was made. This is the first reported case of venous air embolism secondary to jugular venocath...
Corrigan RH, Pierard M, Davies E, Marlin D, Evans S, Williams JM.Human-horse relationships encompass diverse roles, from companion to competition partner. The impact of such bonds informs owner decision-making regarding horse management and veterinary care, yet standardised instruments to measure these unique bonds are limited. Objective: To develop the Human-Equine Attachment Scale (HEAS), a novel instrument to measure the multi-faceted dimensions of human-horse attachment. Methods: Cross-sectional design using a self-administered psychometric instrument. Methods: Initial items were developed through a systematic review of human and animal attachment resea...
Dobbs EC, Acutt EV, Scharf AM, Manzi TJ, Stefanovski D, Bills KW.To investigate the effects of varied feed consistency and administration of xylazine or N-butylscopolammonium bromide on 3 phases of swallowing and characterize esophageal motility following barium administration via nasoesophageal tube. Unassigned: 8 healthy horses were enrolled for 2.5 consecutive weeks. Horses underwent experimental videofluoroscopic swallow studies before and after sedated and anticholinergic interventions. Esophageal motility was assessed with barium administered via nasoesophageal tube and with barium-admixed feedstuffs of 3 consistencies with increasing viscosity. Phase...
Leibeck R, Lehman J, Birmingham S.Whole-body vibrational therapy (WBV) is well-studied in people, but there is a paucity of research regarding its effect on horses. It is suggested that the use of WBV in horses increases performance, aids in recovery, and stimulates nerves, bones, and muscles in ways that normal exercise does not. Objective: The purpose of this pilot study was to determine if frequent WBV therapy sessions affect mechanical nociceptive thresholds based on pressure algometry in horses without clinical signs of lameness or back pain. Methods: The mechanical nociceptive thresholds (MNTs) were measured for 5 horses...
Hiblu MA, Ahmed MO.This case report documents the first identified Brucella infection in a 6-year-old male Thoroughbred horse in Libya. The horse exhibited muscle and joint pain, inflammation over the shoulders with a pulpy texture (fistulous withers), stress, fatigue, and potential systemic infection. Its diagnosis was confirmed through serological testing, with agglutination titers of 1/80 for B. melitensis and 1/160 for B. abortus, and a blood culture revealing Gram-negative coccobacilli. After 3 weeks of combination therapy with rifampicin and doxycycline, the inflammation resolved, systemic signs disappeare...
Briefer-Freymond S, Dalla Costa E, Jolivald A, Bruckmaier RM, Atallah E, Giorgia Riva M, Ijichi C.Personality affects both experience and expression of pain and the welfare impact of castration on horses is poorly understood. Therefore, the current study observed 19 horses to determine: the welfare impact of standard castration on horses; whether individuals consistently vary in their behavioural and emotional responses to pain; the influence of personality on behavioural and physiological responses to pain; whether Horse Grimace Scale (HGS) indicates how individuals feel about painful experiences. Eye temperature (IRT), salivary cortisol, HGS and a pain ethogram were measured at intervals...
Raftery AG, Gummery L, Garcia K, Mohite D, Capewell P, Sutton D.Equine trypanosomiasis is a neglected protozoal disease. Objective: To answer the study question: In equines what are the effects of disease management of trypanosomiasis on disease severity (individual level) and disease prevalence (population level) compared to no intervention? Methods: Systematic review. Methods: Studies were identified that described management of naturally occurring equine trypanosomiasis in any country following 'Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analyses' using eight international databases (1980-2022). Risk of bias was assessed using ROBINS-I. D...
Palmisano MG, Tukdarian CR, Hopster K, Nolen-Walston RD.This report describes an 8-day-old foal diagnosed with acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) successfully managed using a novel approach of intratracheal oxygen delivery. Methods: An 8-day-old Standardbred filly presented for an acute onset of respiratory distress. Given the acute onset, known risk factors, bilateral diffuse infiltrate on thoracic radiographs, and low PaO:FiO ratio of 170.5, the foal was diagnosed with acute respiratory distress syndrome. Initial treatment consisted of antimicrobial therapy (minocycline and metronidazole), nonsteroidal anti-inflammatories (flunixin meglum...
Strompfová V, Štempelová L, Bujňáková D, Karahutová L, Gondoľová D, Nagyová M, Siegfried L.In order to develop non-antibiotic therapies to treat dermatological diseases it is urgent to spread knowledge on composition and properties of skin bacteria in healthy animals. Since horses are popular companions of humans, it is necessary to know what risk skin bacteria pose to humans. Therefore the aim of this work was to analyse species composition of staphylococci isolated from skin swabs of 50 healthy horses using MALDI-TOF (Matrix-Assisted Laser Desorption/Ionization Time-of-Flight) spectrometry and to characterize their virulence properties. Swabs were collected from five body areas (n...
Sidwell A, Shanklin A, Miller H, Cahoon M, Hole SL, Bianco C, Pereira R.A 3-year-old Connemara X filly was referred to a UK equine hospital for further investigation of unilateral nasal discharge and facial swelling. Diagnostic imaging documented the presence of a heterogenous, soft tissue opacity with areas of focal mineralisation within the right paranasal sinuses, completely obliterating the nasal cavity, in addition to endodontic disease and significant periapical pathology associated with the right permanent fourth premolar (Triadan 108). Subsequent histopathologic examination confirmed the mass as a fibro-inflammatory polyp.
Ellero N, Maggi A, Busoni V, Imposimato I, Castagnetti C, Lanci A, Mariella J, Freccero F.This study aimed to develop a standardized ultrasound (US) protocol using selected thoracic and abdominal acoustic windows, to assess its feasibility and applicability in healthy foals, and to evaluate its usefulness for detecting common thoracic and abdominal conditions in sick foals. The Focused US (FUS) protocol included 12 thoraco-abdominal windows (4 right-side, 3 ventral, 5 left-side) using a curved-array probe. It was applied to cohorts of healthy (n = 17) and sick (n = 23) foals by a veterinary clinician with limited US experience. The FUS showed good feasibility and applicabil...
Rossi GAM, Sellera FP, Ferraz CM, Carvalho RS, Oliveira APL, Marques CA, Fávaro EBR, Rosa RDS, Silva LAM, Cardozo MV, Stehling EG, Furlan JPR. Infections caused by antimicrobial-resistant bacteria are difficult to treat and increase the risk of death in animals. This report describes a fatal case of diarrhea in a horse that, despite intensive treatment including surgery and broad-spectrum antimicrobials (ceftiofur and amikacin), experienced a worsening of its condition and subsequent death. A fecal swab sample was subjected to microbiological culture for the identification of bacteria and assessment of their phenotypical antimicrobial susceptibility profiles using the disk-diffusion and broth microdilution methods. The double-disk ...
James C, Sheahan J, Arthur P.Thoroughbred race performance is influenced by genetics, training, recovery, and management, but decisions about race readiness are often subjective and lack validated physiological markers. This study evaluated thiol-oxidised albumin, a blood-based indicator of oxidative stress, as a potential biomarker of pre-race fitness in Australian Thoroughbreds. Seventy-five clinically healthy racehorses from seven stables were monitored across 216 competitive events (150 races, 66 trials). Blood samples were collected from the jugular at baseline, 48 h pre-race, and for each day up to 8 days post-race ...
Stoeckle SD, Stage HJ, Gehlen H.Thyroid diseases in horses are rare and pose challenges for veterinarians due to the complexity of clinical and diagnostic approaches. This retrospective case series describes cases of equine thyroid disease in a referral hospital population. Files of horses examined for suspected thyroid disease at an equine university clinic between 2009 and 2024 were reviewed. Data from nine horses examined for suspected thyroid disease, including signalment, clinical presentation, laboratory results, imaging findings, fine needle aspirates, biopsies, diagnoses, and treatments, were summarised. Diagnoses in...
White K, Hird J, Taylor P.The recovery period is associated with the greatest risk of injury for horses undergoing anaesthesia. Recovery quality and duration can be influenced by the volatile agent. Methods: This prospective, randomised blinded clinical investigation recruited 101 healthy client-owned horses undergoing elective surgery at one UK equine hospital. Anaesthesia was standardised, and horses were randomly assigned to receive desflurane or isoflurane for maintenance. Horses were ventilated to normocapnia and received dobutamine to maintain mean arterial blood pressure above 60 mmHg. All the patients received ...
Hansen T, Kendall A, Finne R, Law E, Ringdahl A, Nostell K.Abdominal ultrasound is widely used to evaluate the intestinal tract of horses. Despite being a routine examination, there is limited data on the reliability of this diagnostic procedure. Objective: To investigate intra- and inter-rater reliability of ultrasonographic intestinal wall thickness measurements in healthy horses. A second aim was to assess variance within repeated measurements to determine threshold values that distinguish whether differences between repeated examinations are true findings versus solely due to measurement variation. Methods: In vivo reliability study. Methods: Eigh...
Valente TC, Mendes RP, Miguel EL, Rafael LA, Ribeiro GSN, Souza AF, Fonteque JH.Regional intravenous limb perfusion (RILP) is widely used in equine practice for achieving high local antimicrobial concentrations while minimizing systemic exposure. However, certain drugs, including enrofloxacin, have been associated with vascular irritation and thrombosis, and their thrombogenic potential remains poorly characterized. Objective: This study aimed to evaluate the thrombogenic potential of enrofloxacin administered via RILP in the cephalic vein of clinically healthy horses. Methods: Ten adult horses underwent RILP in both forelimbs: the right limb received 10 % enrofloxacin (1...
de Chaisemartin C, Belluco S, Nottrott K.Dental masses such as odontogenic masses, heterotopic polydontia, or ectopic supernumerary teeth have been documented in the equine head. This is the first case report of a large maxillary sinus mass with 3 ectopic teeth in an adult horse. A 14-year-old warmblood gelding was presented for evaluation of chronic right-sided nasal discharge. After imaging exploration, surgery was performed on the standing horse with a conchofrontal sinus trephination and a large maxillary bone (MB) sinusotomy. The examinations revealed a sinusal mass in the right maxillary sinus covered by sinusal mucosa and surr...
Vernaccini M, de Marchi L, Bindi F, Meucci V, Sala G, Cingottini D, Sgorbini M.Antibiotics are essential in veterinary medicine, enhancing animal health and welfare. However, widespread use contributes to resistance, increasing the risk of treatment failure and the transmission to humans. Objective: Analyze antibiotic prescribing practices in an equine internal medicine unit, focusing on factors influencing use, particularly Highest Priority Critically Important Antimicrobials (HPCIAs). Methods: 1315 adult equids, including horses, donkeys and mules, presented for different diseases to the Veterinary Teaching Hospital (VTH) of the University of Pisa from 2011 to 2023. Re...
Moroni R, Fanelli D, Maltinti S, Orefice M, Rota A, Camillo F, Melanie P, Cantile C, Miragliotta V, Pirone A, Lazzarini G, Passamonti F, Marmorini P....Equine persistent breeding-induced endometritis can lead to chronic uterine inflammation and fibrosis, reducing fertility. Intrauterine ozone (O₃) has recently been proposed as a potential treatment for mares unresponsive to conventional therapies. This case series describes O₃ treatment in eleven mares barren for at least one year despite multiple inseminations attempts. During the first oestrous cycle, low-volume uterine lavage and endometrial biopsy were performed, followed by 3 consecutive days of intrauterine O₂-O₃ gas insufflation. In the subsequent cycle, both procedures were re...
Loosley H, Rehbein LS, Lima EMM, Blake R.Elevated pressures beneath training rollers during the Pessoa training aid (PTA) use have been reported, particularly over the thoracic region, which may contribute to back discomfort. Objective: To investigate the effect of different pads on pressures and forces beneath a training roller during lunging with a PTA. Methods: Six clinically sound horses (13.8 ± 5.2 years) were lunged on a 16-m circle in trot and canter using a randomised crossover design under three conditions: no padding (Pad 1), a folded cotton saddle cloth (Pad 2), and a purpose-made roller foam pad (Pad 3). Kinetic data wer...
Danese T, Asti V, Ablondi M, Raspa F, Cavallini D, Valle E.Colic represents one of the leading causes of morbidity and mortality in equine medicine, with nutritional management recognized as a key modifiable factor influencing postoperative recovery. However, guiding principles for nutritional enteral support in horses after colic remain limited, and current practices are largely empirical. Objective: This scoping review aimed to (1) examine enteral nutritional support protocols reported in literature through a scoping review to map the available evidence on equine clinical nutrition in the context of colic, and (2) propose a physiology-based interpre...
Rinnovati R, Meistro F, Ralletti MV, D'Angelo P, Spadari A, Zingariello E, Pollera C, Stancampiano L.In horses, surgical site infections (SSIs) are multifactorial complications influenced by patient-related, procedural, and environmental factors. While perioperative contamination has been extensively studied in the operating theater, the anesthetic induction and recovery environment has received limited attention. The aim of this study was to characterize bacterial contamination within an equine anesthetic induction and recovery stall and to evaluate its spatial and temporal distribution. Environmental samples were collected from four predefined locations within the stall at three time points...
So YM, Kwok WH, Yuen SMS, Wong COL, Ho ENM.Despite the recent success in introducing supramolecular solvents (SUPRAS)-based extraction to drug analysis, its application and robustness in day-to-day regular urine testing have yet to be demonstrated. Moreover, the applicability of SUPRAS in equine doping control testing remains unexplored. In this work, we have successfully developed for the first time a simple, rapid, inexpensive, and environmentally friendly SUPRAS extraction method for analyzing 76 prohibited substances of different classes (selective androgen receptor modulators, hypoxia-inducible factor prolyl hydroxylase inhibitors...
DeClue A, Workman K, May-Davis S.To date, radiographically identifying the bony landmarks relevant to diagnosing the complete C6 aplasia of the caudal lamina ventralis (C6 aCLV4) has not been described. Furthermore, a gross study has identified C6 aCLV4 as the main correlation between transposition of the CLV from C6 to C7, where coinciding neck pain was commonly reported. This study aimed to identify C6 aCLV4 in radiographs, where the outcome might benefit equine practitioners in isolating neck pain. Initially, the relevant bony landmarks were radiographically determined from a normal C6 by applying a lateral 30° dorsal-ven...
Tyrnenopoulou P, Kalatzis D, Kiouvrekis Y, Flouraki E, Folias L, Loukopoulos E, Starras A, Chalvatzis P, Tsioli V, Mavrogianni VS, Fthenakis GC.The objective of the present study was to apply supervised Machine Learning to predict severe complications after equine orchiectomy. A dataset of 612 cases of orchiectomies in stallions was used for the development of a computational model, among which in 8.5% of cases severe complications (colic, continued stallion-like behaviour, evisceration, funiculitis, haemorrhage, and scrotal infection) were diagnosed post-orchiectomy. Three supervised Machine Learning tools were employed: Logistic Regression (12 different models evaluated), Random Forest (64 models), and Gradient Boosting (8 models). ...
Haussler KK.Congenital cervical vertebral anomalies in horses are structural changes in the neck vertebrae that develop during the fetal stage. These anomalies can vary in their severity and effects. Some horses may not show any clinical signs and can live normally, while others may develop serious problems such as spinal cord compression. This compression can lead to issues like ataxia or even paralysis, affecting the horse's mobility and quality of life. Recognizing and diagnosing these anomalies early are very important, as it helps guide decisions about the best treatment options and overall managemen...
