Veterinary medicine for horses encompasses the study and application of medical practices to diagnose, treat, and prevent diseases in equine species. This field involves a comprehensive understanding of equine anatomy, physiology, pathology, and pharmacology. Veterinary practitioners employ a range of diagnostic tools and therapeutic interventions to address health issues in horses, including lameness, gastrointestinal disorders, respiratory conditions, and infectious diseases. Preventative care, such as vaccination and deworming programs, is also a significant aspect of equine veterinary medicine. This page gathers peer-reviewed research studies and scholarly articles that explore various aspects of veterinary medicine as it pertains to horses, including advancements in diagnostic techniques, treatment protocols, and preventive health strategies.
Fortune JE.Evidence from several species indicates that the initial stages of follicular growth proceed very slowly. In contrast, the stages after antrum formation are much more rapid. Atresia seems to be most prevalent as follicles approach the size at which they could be recruited for potential ovulation. Although most follicles become atretic around that stage, a few are recruited into a cohort or wave of follicles that continue to grow beyond the stage at which atresia normally occurs. Next, a species-specific number of follicles is selected for dominance. In some species (e.g. rats, primates, pigs),...
Singh G.The equine influenza virus, Ludhiana/5/87, isolated from the clinical material during the epidemic of equine influenza in India in 1987 was inhibited in haemagglutination-inhibition test by the antiserum against the prototype A/eq/Prague/1/56 (H7N7) virus and by post-epidemic horse sera. In haemagglutinin and neuraminidase analysis, the A/eq/Ludhiana/5/87 isolate appeared similar to the prototype A/eq/Prague/1/56 virus and was characterized as the H7N7 subtype.
Exner G, Engelmann A, Lange K, Wenck B.A total of 67 patients, both paraplegic and quadriplegic, had participated in a hippotherapy programme over a study period of almost 18 months, with positive effects found relative to spasticity, certain pain syndromes, as well as contraction syndromes associated with impaired joint mobility. Frequently the only effective measure at all, and moreover of astonishingly lasting effect, the spasticity-reducing treatment turned out especially beneficial. Along with these statistically supported findings, a number of associated effects were noted in the physiotherapy and, especially, the nursing sec...
Van Duijkeren E, Vulto AG, Van Miert AS.The indications for use, side-effects, and pharmacokinetic parameters of trimethoprim, sulfonamides and their combinations in the horse are reviewed. Trimethoprim/sulfonamide (TMPS) combinations are used for the treatment of various diseases caused by gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria, including infections of the respiratory tract, urogenital tract, alimentary tract, skin joints and wounds. TMPS combinations can be administered orally, since absorption from the gastrointestinal tract is relatively good. However, peak serum concentrations can vary significantly between individual horses....
Ewing PJ, Burrows G, MacAllister C, Clarke C.The pharmacokinetic properties of four erythromycin formulations were compared in six adult horses after administration of single and multiple oral doses. Formulations of erythromycin administered were estolate and phosphate given 37.5 mg/kg every 12 h and 25 mg/kg every 8 h, and stearate and ethylsuccinate given 25 mg/kg every 8 h. Areas under the curve (AUC) and maximum plasma erythromycin concentrations (Cmax) were equal or greater (P > or = 0.05) following administration of erythromycin phosphate and stearate compared with those values following administration of erythromycin estolate or e...
Katayama Y, Oikawa M, Kaneko M, Yoshihara T, Yoshikawa H, Yoshikawa T.Three monoclonal antibodies capable of individually recognizing chondrocytes, osteoblasts and osteocytes were prepared. EB-1 reacted with a 55-kDa antigen on the chondrocyte membrane, EB-2 with a 110-kDa antigen on the membrane of osteoblasts and/or partial osteocytes, and EB-3 with a 130-kDa antigen on the membrane of osteocytes. These monoclonal antibodies may be useful probes for studying the differentiation and maturation of osteogenic cells.
Volfinger L, Lassourd V, Michaux JM, Braun JP, Toutain PL.To quantify the extent of muscle alteration during prolonged exercise, the release rate of creatine kinase (CK) from striated muscle was measured in six horses during a rest period (6 h) and during three exercise tests (15, 30, and 60 km) at a constant speed of 200 m/min. CK clearance was measured after intravenous bolus administration (150 U/kg) of a CK solution obtained from horse muscle. The CK steady-state volume of distribution was 0.059 +/- 0.0215 l/kg, the terminal half-life was 123 +/- 28 min, and the plasma clearance was 0.36 +/- 0.10 ml.kg-1 x min-1. After an intramuscular CK adminis...
Zimmermann W, Dürrwald R, Ludwig H.Borna disease virus in naturally infected horses, a donkey and sheep was detected for the first time by amplification of viral RNA using PCR. In contrast to a control group of healthy horses, brain tissue was positive by this assay in all animals with neurological symptoms. The use of a second round of PCR with nested primers following Southern hybridization confirmed the specificity and increased the sensitivity of the test. Comparison with conventional methods recommends this technique for monitoring of BDV infections at a molecular level.
Hokke CH, Roosenboom MJ, Thomas-Oates JE, Kamerling JP, Vliegenthart JF.The disialylated poly-(N-acetyllactosamine)-containing O-linked oligosaccharide alditols, released by alkaline borohydride treatment of the enzymically N-deglycosylated beta-subunit of equine chorionic gonadotropin, were purified by fast protein liquid chromatography (FPLC) on Mono Q and analysed by fast ion bombardment mass spectrometry (FAB-MS) and 1H-NMR spectroscopy. The identified oligosaccharide alditols have the following structure: [Formula: see text]
Aviad AD, Houpt JB.Various molecular weight hyaluronic acid (HA) preparations have been injected into joints for the treatment of human and equine osteoarthritis. A therapeutic advantage has been claimed for commercial products with a molecular weight in the range found in normal synovial fluid (SF), compared to lower molecular weight products. But a correlation between molecular weight and efficacy is not borne out by an analysis of the available literature on clinical results. SF viscosity, HA concentration, HA molecular weight and rate of synthesis in joint disease. It is proposed that the beneficial effect o...
van der Kolk JH, Mars MH, van der Gaag I.A 12-year-old Dutch warmblood mare was examined because it had suffered colic intermittently for a few years and had lost weight in the previous two months. Palpation per rectum revealed a large firm mass in the left sublumbar region; the mass was classified post mortem as an adrenocortical carcinoma. The basal plasma cortisol concentration (at 10.00) of the mare was 94 nmol/litre, within the normal range. As in another case of adrenocortical neoplasm, a functional tumour could not be demonstrated. Only one of the 21 horses with a neoplasm of the pituitary-adrenocortical axis examined by the a...
Browning AP, Collins JA.Combinations of romifidine and butorphanol were used to sedate 55 horses for a variety of surgical, therapeutic and diagnostic procedures. Eighteen of the horses were given the drugs separately, romifidine first followed by butorphanol four minutes later, and 37 were given the drugs together. The levels of sedation and ataxia were assessed and graded, and there were no statistically significant differences between the two methods of administration. The side effects were typical of the alpha-2 agonists, including bradycardia, heart block and some sweating. Box-walking was observed in one horse....
Cohen ND, Parson EM, Seahorn TL, Carter GK.Medical records of 116 horses admitted to the Texas Veterinary Medical Center between Jan 1, 1984 and Dec 31, 1991 with duodenitis/proximal jejunitis (DPJ) were reviewed. The prevalence of laminitis was 28.4% (33/116; 95% confidence interval: 20.2 to 36.6%). The prevalence of DPJ and DPJ-associated laminitis did not appear to vary significantly by year during the study period. Anamnesis, physical examination, clinicopathologic data, and initial treatment recorded at the time of admission were reviewed to determine risk factors associated with development of laminitis associated with DPJ. A tre...
van Gorkom LP, van Wessum R, van den Hoven R.A major part of the residing horses and ponies of a riding school in Noord-Holland became affected by a febrile disorder that included anorexia, depression, conjunctivitis, urticaria, edema of the legs and laborious locomotion. All remaining horses fell ill within one week. Based on the clinical symptoms the disorder was diagnosed as vasculitis. With serology the causative agent of the disorder appeared to be equine arteritis virus.
Madison JB, Garber JL, Rice B, Stumf AJ, Zimmer AE, Ott EA.Thirty-five newborn foals were assigned to 1 of 3 groups and treated with 0.9% NaCl solution (saline; group 1; n = 12), oxytetracycline (44 mg/kg of body weight; group 2; n = 12), or 2-pyrrolidone (oxytetracycline vehicle; group 3; n = 11) in saline solution during the first 36 hours after birth. Serum biochemical analyses were performed on samples obtained from group-1 and group-2 foals before treatment and 24 and 96 hours after treatment. Lateral to medial radiographic views of the forelimbs were obtained before treatment and 24 and 96 hours after treatment in all foals. Metacarpophalangeal ...
Chui YC, Esaw B, Laviolette B.Urine samples collected from a horse after intramuscular administration of 40 mg of azaperone were extracted at pH 10 before and after acid hydrolysis. The extracts were concentrated and analysed by LC-MS-MS. Two N-dealkylated metabolites, N-despyridinylazaperol and N-despyridinylazaperone, and a low concentration of azaperone were detected in the unhydrolysed urine. Six metabolites; hydroxyazaperol, two hydroxyazaperones, azaperol, N-despyridinylazaperol and N-despyridinylazaperone were detected in the hydrolysed urine extracts. Using XAD-2 resin extraction, three glucuronide conjugated azape...
Oki H, Willham RL, Sasaki Y.The Japan Racing Association (JRA) operates 10 national racecourses with both turf and dirt tracks. JRA formulates the rules for horseracing; registers owners, colors, and horses using foal registration; and licenses all JRA trainers and jockeys. In 1990, at the 10 racecourses there were 288 racing days, 3,353 races, and some 38,397 horses. Horse breeding is concentrated in 7 locations with 93% of the Thoroughbreds foaled each year coming from Hokkaido. Thoroughbred flat racing comprise 92% of all races held. Two year olds race together and nearly 40% of their races are run at 1200 m. Some 39%...
Kettler MK, Weil MR, Mascotti K, Perryman LE.A group of diseases termed combined immunodeficiency (CID) results in a severe form of immunodeficiency. While CID in humans has two genetics bases, in Arabian it is inherited in an autosomal recessive manner. Kettler et al. (1989) determined that uric acid was significantly (p 0.05) between carrier and non-carrier horse's serum levels of hypoxanthine or xanthine. These data, combined with our previous ones suggest that an enzymatic lesion in the purine salvage pathway may occur at the urate oxidase step. ZUSAMMENFASSUNG: Serum-Hypoxanthin- und -Xanthin-Spiegel in Pferden mit Heterozygotie fÃ...
Melrose PA, Pickel C, Cheramie HS, Henk WG, Littlefield-Chabaud MA, French DD.Recent reports have indicated that analysis of changes in the staining characteristics of gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) neurons and characterization of morphological plasticity of the related structural framework may help to elucidate the physiological mechanisms involved in neuroendocrine control of mammalian reproduction. Whether comparative studies will facilitate this process or simply elucidate species-specific mechanisms is not yet clear. The present study was performed in order to begin analysis of GnRH neurons in a seasonally breeding species that exhibits an unusually long ovu...
Le Goff D.Using a density gradient ultracentrifugal procedure, we have separated equine plasma and follicular fluid high-density lipoproteins (HDL). The density distribution of the follicular fluid HDL was clearly displaced towards the highest densities in comparison with that of plasma HDL. Similarly, an analysis of size distributions showed a decrease in follicular fluid HDL diameters (4.2 to 9.2 nm) compared to plasma HDL (5.5 to 9.5 nm). HDL were isolated into three subfractions on the basis of the disposition of the Sudan Black stained bands in the centrifuge tubes. Concentrations of each subfracti...
Koterba AM, Wozniak JA, Kosch PC.This study investigated the developmental changes in the mechanical properties of the respiratory system in growing horses. Pulmonary mechanics and lung volumes were serially measured in anesthetized foals during the first year of life. Quasi-static pressure-volume curves were generated, and functional residual capacity (FRC) was measured using a closed nitrogen equilibration technique. At birth, chest wall compliance normalized to body weight was substantially less than that reported in other less precocious newborn species, while lung compliance normalized to body weight was similar to value...
Barr AR, Duance VC, Wotton SF, Waterman AE.The influence of repeated intra-articular injections of sodium hyaluronate and polysulphated glycosaminoglycan on the repair of full-thickness osteochondral defects was examined in the midcarpal joints of ponies. The study showed no significant difference between treated and control groups with regard to total collagen content, uronic acid content or the relative proportions of Type I and Type II collagen in the repair tissue, indicating that the drugs did not affect the biochemical composition of the repair tissue 11 weeks after defect induction.
Schumacher J, Spano JS, Wilson RC, DeGraves FJ, Duran SH, Ruffin DC.The pharmacokinetic properties of intravenously administered caffeine were studied in 10 horses using a commercially available automated enzyme immunoassay. The harmonic mean for the distribution half-life was 5.2 min (range 1.4-18.7). The harmonic mean for the elimination half-life was 10.18 h (range 6.82-20.92). The harmonic mean of the volume of distribution was 0.32 L/kg (range 0.22-0.53). There was no correlation between the dose of caffeine/kg body weight and the elimination half-life (Spearman's coefficient of rank correlation = 0.19).
Erickson HH, Lowe BS.This article discusses exercise-induced pulmonary hemorrhage (EIPH), a pathophysiological syndrome which occurs worldwide in the equine athlete. It reviews the history of EIPH, the incidence in performance horses, the etiology, studies performed on the treadmill to determine the mechanisms of EIPH, and the most likely causes of stress failure of the pulmonary capillaries.
Adair HS, Duncan RB, Toal RL.A 3-year-old Appaloosa stallion with a 4 cm x 4 cm x 2.5 cm mass protruding from his nasal bone was evaluated. Radiographs revealed an osseous mass, with a radiopaque outer margin and several radiolucent areas within the body of the mass. The mass was surgically removed and evaluated histopathologically. The histopathological diagnosis was osteochondroma. This case represent the first reported occurrence of an osteochondroma arising from intramembraneous bone in the horse.
Ronen N.Urinary tract pressure profiles were evaluated in 6 clinically normal geldings over 3 consecutive days. This was performed by introducing a 1.3 m-long cuffed catheter into the urinary tract, under xylazine sedation (0.8 mg/kg, iv). The method was reproducible. The mean (+/- sd) intra-vesicular pressure (IVP) and maximal urethral closure pressures (MUCP) were 10.3 (+/- 1.7) and 129.8 (+/- 19.6) cmH2O, respectively, and the ratio between MUCP and IVP was 13.2 (+/- 2.5). A gelding with urinary incontinence showed a significantly lower MUCP (73.4 cmH2O), and an MUCP to IVP ratio of 8.0. It was con...
Walasek OF, Margoliash E.Donkey cytochrome c was shown to differ from horse cytochrome c by having a serine in position 47 rather than a threonine. The rest of the amino acid sequences are identical. Mules and hinnies, both males and females, carry equal amounts of horse and donkey cytochromes c. The same ratio is found in hinnies in preparations from heart tissue and from skeletal muscle. These results demonstrate that cytochrome c is transmitted in horse-donkey crosses as a simple Mendelian character which is neither sex-linked nor shows dominance. The cytochrome c gene is therefore located in the nuclear genome, as...
Boyd EH, Allen WE.Plasma concentrations of neomycin were measured after intrauterine infusion of 3.3 mg/kg neomycin sulphate. Mares infected two hours previously with an intra-uterine infusion of beta-haemolytic streptococci absorbed approximately 12 per cent of the neomycin in both the oestrous and the luteal phases of the cycle. Normal mares in oestrus absorbed 6 per cent of the neomycin infused and luteal mares absorbed 56 per cent. In infected mares the peak plasma concentrations occurred two hours after neomycin infusion, earlier than in healthy mares. Cervical flushings after neomycin infusion in infected...
Adair HS, Goble DO, Schmidhammer JL, Shires GM.To measure changes in laminar microvascular blood flow (LMBF) over time in healthy horses and horses in the prodromal stage of black walnut-induced laminitis and to determine the effects of glyceryl trinitrate application on LMBF in horses with acute laminitis. Methods: 10 healthy adult horses. Methods: Laser Doppler flowmetry was used to measure LMBF Baseline measurements were obtained, horses were given deionized water via a nasogastric tube, and measurements were obtained hourly for 12 hours. Twenty-four hours later, baseline measurements were again obtained, and horses were given black wal...
Tirosh-Levy S, Perl S, Valentine BA, Kelmer G.Hepatoblastoma was diagnosed in a 3-year-old Thoroughbred gelding presented with forelimb lameness with bilateral fatigue fractures of the proximal third metacarpal bones. An abdominal mass was detected on ultrasound examination of the abdomen. Absolute erythrocytosis was diagnosed after clinical and haematological evaluation. The fractured metacarpal bones were surgically removed but complications after surgery were fatal. The liver mass was diagnosed as a hepatoblastoma based on histology and immunochemical staining. The combination of hepatoblastoma and fatigue fractures has not been descri...
Takehana K, Masty J, Abe M, Yamaguchi M.The ultrastructure and histochemistry of the duodenal glands of the pony (Equus caballus) was examined in four horses. Unlike that of most species except for the rabbit, the submucous glands of the horse contain two distinct cell types, serous and mucous. These cells are described.
Norman TE, Chaffin MK, Johnson MC, Spangler EA, Weeks BR, Knight R.Five horses were evaluated because of severe cutaneous burn injuries following a barn fire. Gross hemolysis and morphologic changes in RBCs consistent with oxidative damage were detected in all of the horses. Of these horses, 4 became azotemic. The overall goals of treatment included wound care, correction of dehydration and provision of diuresis, control of inflammation, pain management, and prophylaxis against sepsis. After treatment, 2 horses survived and were discharged from the hospital. Red blood cell damage and hemolysis following cutaneous burn injury have been investigated in other sp...
Clarke CR, MacAllister CG, Burrows GE, Ewing P, Spillers DK, Burrows SL.Pharmacokinetics, CSF penetration, and hematologic effects of oral administration of pyrimethamine were studied after multiple dosing. Pyrimethamine (1 mg/kg of body weight) was administered orally once a day for 10 days to 5 adult horses, and blood samples were collected frequently after the first, fifth, and tenth doses. The CSF samples were obtained by cisternal puncture 4 to 6 hours after administration of the first, third, seventh, and tenth doses. Pyrimethamine concentration in plasma and CSF was quantified by gas chromatography, and plasma concentration-time data were analyzed, using a ...
Hubert JD, Hardy J, Holcombe SJ, Moore RM.To report a surgical technique for treatment of nonreducible cecocolic intussusception and outcome in 8 horses. Methods: Retrospective study. Methods: Eight horses with nonreducible cecocolic intussusception treated by cecal amputation through a right ventral colotomy. Methods: Data were obtained from medical records and telephone conversations by using a standardized questionnaire. The large colon was exteriorized and, if necessary, evacuated of its contents through a pelvic flexure enterotomy. A second colotomy was made on the ventral surface of the right ventral colon (RVC) centered over or...
Persson SG, Osterberg I.The association between red blood cell hypervolaemia (RCHV) and racing performance was examined in 116 Standardbred trotters referred to the clinic during a 5 year period with histories of impaired racing performance. Red cell hypervolaemia was the only significant abnormality detected in a thorough clinical examination, cell volumes ranging 116-178% of the predicted normal values. They were also compared with the performance traits of the contemporary Swedish Standardbred trotter population (n = 58,058). The performance traits were based on earnings per year and start, best annual racing time...
Rivolta AA, Bujold AR, Wilmarth PA, Phinney BS, Navelski JP, Horohov DW, Sanz MG.Neonates have different cellular composition in their bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) when compared to foals and adult horses; however, little is known about the non-cellular components of BALF. The objective of this study was to determine the proteomic composition of BALF in neonatal horses and to compare it to that of foals and adult horses. Bronchoalveolar lavage fluid samples of seven neonates (< 1 week age), four 5 to 7-week-old foals, and six adult horses were collected. Quantitative proteomics of the fluid was performed using tandem mass tag labeling followed by high resolution l...
Brokken MT, Schneider RK, Roberts GD, Holmes SP, Gavin PR, Sampson SN, Farnsworth KD, Dahlgren LA.To evaluate the effects of a new microfracture and ligament splitting procedure on ligament healing and to examine the usefulness of magnetic resonance (MR) imaging for monitoring ligament healing over time using a collagenase model of hind limb proximal suspensory desmitis. Methods: Experimental in vivo study. Methods: Healthy adult horses (n=6). Methods: Horses were free of lameness with normal hind limb proximal suspensory ligaments (PSL). The origin of both hind limb PSL was injected with collagenase and underwent MR imaging 2 weeks later, followed by the microfracture and ligament splitti...
Scott VH, Williams JM, Mudge MC, Hurcombe SD.To assess effects of body position on direct measurements of intra-abdominal pressure (IAP) and abdominal perfusion pressure (APP) in horses anesthetized with total intravenous anesthesia (TIVA). Methods: 9 healthy adult horses. Methods: Instrumentation in unsedated standing horses involved insertion of an arterial catheter for blood pressure measurements and 3 intraperitoneal cannulas (left flank, right flank, and ventral abdomen) for IAP measurements. Baseline values were measured for heart rate, respiratory rate, systolic arterial blood pressure, mean arterial blood pressure (MAP), diastoli...
Stack JD, Cousty M, Sanders R, David F.To describe our experience using intraoperative ultrasound for various conditions in horses. Methods: Retrospective case series. Methods: Horses (n=113). Methods: Medical records including surgical reports at 2 equine hospitals (2007-2013) were reviewed to identify ultrasound-assisted surgeries. The diagnosis, reasons for using intraoperative ultrasound, the technique employed, and the surgical procedure performed (e.g., synovial endoscopy, cut-down, resection, dissection, curettage, and implant placement/removal) were recorded for each surgery. Intraoperative ultrasound was used to mark the o...
Abdel-Gaber R, Al Quraishy S, Dkhil MA, Alghamdi J, Al-Shaebi E.Sarcocystosis is a parasitic disease caused by an intracellular protozoan parasite Sarcocystis belonging to the phylum Apicomplexa. These parasites have a requisite two-host life cycle. Recently, there are many Sarcocystis species that identified morphologically. In the present study, diaphragmatic muscle samples from the domestic horse (Equus caballus) were examined for Sarcocystis infection. The natural infection with sarcocysts was recorded to be 62·5% for only microcysts in the infected muscles. Molecular analysis using the 18S rRNA gene was conducted to swiftly and accurately identify th...
Dickie CW, Regnier JO.Myositis and septicemia caused by Acinetobacter calcoaceticus were diagnosed in a mare. The infection was characterized clinically by ventral swelling and edema, diarrhea, listlessness, and rectal temperature of 39.4 C. The mare was treated symptomatically for 2 days but died on the 3rd day. Conditions seen at necropsy were myositis, enteritis, typhlitis, colitis, and hepatitis. Lymph nodes were moderately enlarged throughout the body. Gross lesions in musculature were edema, scarring, petechiae, and an occasional exxhymosis. The enteritis was catarrhal, with excessive mucus and moderate hyper...
Müller Z.Semen of 16 stallions collected by the fractionated method and frozen in liquid nitrogen was used to inseminate 175 mares of different ages and in various reproductive conditions. Pregnancy was recorded in 91 mares of which 72 delivered a foal. Pregnancy followed by resorption occurred in another 10 mares and 9 aborted. The best results were obtained in the young primiparous and in older mares inseminated in the oestrous cycle that followed the post-partum oestrus. Overall, 64% of mares became pregnant and 56% gave birth to a living foal. The highest occurrence of fetal death and resorption we...
Freeman DE, Ross MW, Donawick WJ, Hamir AN.Balloon-tipped catheters were used to occlude the external carotid artery and its branches in nine horses with hemorrhage caused by guttural pouch mycosis. The internal carotid artery on the affected side was occluded simultaneously in four horses and had been occluded previously in two others. In three horses, a single balloon-tipped catheter was inserted in the external carotid artery beneath the floor of the guttural pouch and its tip was advanced blindly into distal branches. In one horse, the superficial temporal artery was occluded briefly during surgery by a balloon-tipped catheter so a...
Comino F, Giusto G, Caramello V, Pagliara E, Bellino C, Gandini M.In equine castration, application of a ligature on the spermatic cord to prevent complications such as haemorrhage and evisceration has been reported with controversial results. Characteristics of commonly used knots have not been studied. Objective: To compare the modified transfixing and giant knots and the emasculator in open and closed equine castration techniques. Methods: Ex vivo experiment. Methods: A total of 144 testicles were randomly assigned to 2 groups for open or closed castration. Both groups were divided into 3 subgroups of 18 specimens each: emasculator only, emasculator plus ...
Cuervo-Arango J, Newcombe JR.The objective of this study was to establish and characterize the relationship between the dose of cloprostenol (37.5, 250, 500 and 750 μg) and the age of the early corpus luteum (CL) (80, 88, 96, 104 and 112 h) on the luteolytic response of mares. Behavioural oestrus and ultrasonographic signs of return to oestrus were considered as the occurrence of full luteolysis. A total of 298 mares were divided into groups according to dose of cloprostenol and CL age. There was an effect of dose of cloprostenol (p < 0.001) and age of the CL at the time of treatment (p 0.05); and that of 500 similar...
Katila T.Altogether 156 equine endometrial biopsies were carried out during the post partum (p.p.) period: immediately after parturition until 15 days after foaling. The histological changes are described. The rapid restoration of the equine endometrium is remarkable. The destruction of the luminal epithelium is minor and regeneration takes place rapidly. Remnants of the placenta, the microcotyledons and desquamated cells, have disappeared by 5 p.p. The transformation of glands from a pronounced secretory pattern to normal appearance also takes only 5 days. The occurrence of neutrophils and lymphocytes...
Palme R, Entenfellner U, Hoi H, Möstl E.Non-invasive pregnancy diagnosis in mares by measuring faecal oestrogens has been performed over years with great accuracy. However, results have indicated breed-related differences in the amount of excreted steroids during late pregnancy. Therefore faecal samples were collected during the last 4 months of pregnancy of Thoroughbred (n = 10), New Forest pony (n = 9), Shetland pony (n = 10) and Iceland pony mares (n = 11). Concentrations of oestrogens, 20alpha-hydroxy- and 20-oxopregnanes were measured using enzyme immunoassays. Breed differences concerning both levels (though significant only i...
Alwan WH, Carter SD, Bennett D, May SA, Edwards GB.Degradation of cartilage in osteoarthritis of man results in the release of sulphated glycosaminoglycans, particularly keratan sulphate, into tissue fluids. A study was made to evaluate these markers for osteoarthritis in the horse. Synovial fluid and serum levels of keratan sulphate, measured by an ELISA-inhibition technique, and sulphated glycosaminoglycans measured by specific dye binding assay, were found to be significantly increased (P less than 0.001) in joints from horses with osteoarthritis, compared with normal joints. Synovial fluids from joints with infective arthritis also showed ...
Fisher D, Schliewert EC, Hooijberg EH.An endogenous adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) concentration above the reference interval (RI) is commonly used as means for diagnosing equine pituitary pars intermedia dysfunction (PPID). Basal ACTH concentrations are highly dependent on photoperiod and RIs should be month- and location-specific. To date, no ACTH RIs have been specifically established for South Africa. This study aimed to determine geographically and seasonally relevant RIs for equine ACTH in the Gauteng province of South Africa. A longitudinal prospective study was conducted over twelve months to determine ACTH RIs for a r...
Wiklund M, Granswed I, Nyman G.To evaluate the effect of pulsed inhaled nitric oxide (INO) on arterial oxygenation in horses during abdominal surgery. Methods: Prospective, randomized, clinical trial. Methods: Thirty horses that underwent abdominal surgery at the University Animal Hospital in Uppsala, Sweden. Methods: Anaesthesia was induced according to a standard protocol - romifidine, butorphanol, diazepam and ketamine and maintained with isoflurane in oxygen. Fifteen horses were administered pulsed INO and 15 served as controls. After baseline data collection, pulsed INO delivery commenced. Arterial and venous blood wer...
