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Topic:Veterinary Medicine
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.
Methodology and repeatability of a standardised treadmill exercise test for clinical evaluation of fitness in horses. This paper describes the methodology necessary to perform a clinical exercise test and the expected variability in an individual horse's exercise test measurements based on comparing the results of two repetitions of the test with six horses. The exercise test measurements were obtained with an open flow respiratory gas analysis system, fast time response lactate analyser and an on-board heart rate monitor during an incremental inclined treadmill exercise test. With the exception of peak venous lactate concentration (LACpeak), the results indicate that the mean variability in peak oxygen consu...
[Meadow saffron (Colchicum autumnale) in hay and colic in horses]. Following feeding of a new delivery of hay (bought in Southern Germany) 3 horses out of a unit of 17 developed colic within a few days one horse died. Post-mortem there was an intensive accumulation of serous or serous-haemorrhagic fluid in the thorax and abdomen. The hay was heavily contaminated by autumn crocus (colchicum autumnale)--about 1.48% of total mass. Other feedstuffs were of good quality and following removal of the affected hay no further cases of colic occurred. The pathological findings also indicated a colchicine intoxication.
In vitro antimicrobial activity of defensins against ocular pathogens. New approaches to antimicrobial therapy for ocular pathogens must overcome organisms that are resistant to current therapeutic modalities. This investigation examined the antimicrobial activity of novel antimicrobial neutrophil peptides (defensins NP-1 and NP-5) against isolates from clinical ocular microbial infections in humans and horses. The test panel of human clinical isolates included Candida albicans, an alpha-hemolytic Streptococcus, Streptococcus pneumoniae, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Morganella morganii. The test panel of equine pathogens included three clinical isolates of P aerug...
Quantification of skin displacement in the proximal parts of the limbs of the walking horse. Displacement of skin over the underlying skeletal structures in the proximal parts of the limbs was investigated in four walking Dutch Warmblood horses. Movement of the skin was visualised with self adhesive spot labels whereas that of the skeletal parts was visualised indirectly by means of a plastic strip connected to a transcutaneous Steinmann pin, driven into the bone of interest. Consistent results for all four horses were found. Individual and mean total displacements ranged from 1 to 4 cm (distal scapula) to 13 to 17 cm (caudal part of the greater trochanter of the femur). Displacements...
Standardized exercise test and daily heart rate responses of thoroughbreds undergoing conventional race training and detraining. Ten healthy sedentary male Thoroughbreds with previous race training experience were studied for 14 weeks. Horses were trained for 9 weeks, using a program designed after those used commonly in the United States. Horses were trained conventionally by slow trotting (250 m/min) for 2 weeks and galloping (390 to 450 m/min) for 4 weeks, followed by 3 weeks of galloping (440 to 480 m/min) and intermittent sprinting exercises (breezes) at distances between 600 and 1,000 m (900 to 950 m/min). The horses were then pasture rested for 5 weeks. A standardized exercise test (SET) involving an 800-m gallop...
The effect of an acute angulation of the hind hooves on diagonal synchrony of trotting horses. High speed cinematography was used to measure the timing and distance characteristics of the trot in five sound horses. Two farriery treatments were compared: (1) normal, in which the dorsal hoof wall was aligned with the pastern axis in all four feet and (2) acute hind hoof angulation, in which the hind toes were allowed to grow relatively longer than the heels, so that the angulation was approximately 10 degrees lower than the normal hind hoof angle for the individual animal. Comparison between the two treatments showed that the acute hind hoof angulation was associated with significant incr...
Cryopreservation of equine mononuclear cells for immunological studies. A rapid and simple technique for the cryopreservation and recovery of equine mononuclear cells was developed. Buffy-coat leukocytes were frozen in autologous plasma containing 10% DMSO and mononuclear cells were recovered by gradient sedimentation using a standard Ficoll-Hypaque purification procedure. The total numbers of mononuclear cells recovered from cryopreserved samples were 94%-82% of those recovered from fresh blood samples. The functional capabilities of the mononuclear cells from cryopreserved buffy coat preparations were compared with those of mononuclear cells from fresh samples b...
Cardiorespiratory drift during exercise in the horse. The purpose of the present study was to measure the time-course and degree of cardiovascular and respiratory 'drift' during constant submaximal exercise in the horse. One Thoroughbred and four Morgan mares were instrumented for simultaneous measurement of respiratory and blood gases which also enabled cardiac output (Q) to be calculated. Data were collected at rest, and at 10, 20 and 30 mins during a constant workload which elicited an initial exercising heart rate (HR) of 150 beats/min, and an approximate 15-fold increase in oxygen consumption (VO2). Significant cardiac and respiratory drift ...
Bicarbonate loading in the thoroughbred: dose, method of administration and acid-base changes. Two studies were undertaken in an attempt to investigate the optimal dose, route and time course required to 'bicarbonate load' the Thoroughbred. During the first study a test solution of sodium bicarbonate (NaHCO3) and a control solution of water were administered via a nasogastric tube to six horses. Blood acid-base status was determined immediately prior to and for 24 h following intubation. During the second study a standardised feed was given to four horses, with and without NaHCO3 supplementation. This was followed by a further trial involving the addition of glucose and NaHCO3 to a stan...
Application of a standardised treadmill exercise test for clinical evaluation of fitness in 10 thoroughbred racehorses. Clinical exercise stress testing is an important diagnostic tool for evaluating exercise intolerance and degree of fitness in human athletes. The purpose of this paper was to describe the methodology necessary to perform a clinical exercise test and report the results of performance evaluations on 10 Thoroughbred racehorses using this test. The test utilised an open flow gas analysis system for ease of use with untrained horses and a fast time response lactate analyser for rapid data analysis. Exercise test measurements used to evaluate fitness included peak oxygen consumption (mean VO2peak = ...
Intra-abdominal hemorrhage associated with a granulosa-thecal cell neoplasm in a mare. A 9-year-old American Saddlebred mare was referred because of abdominal distention and signs of abdominal pain. Copious peritoneal fluid obtained by abdominocentesis appeared to be frank blood. Rectal and ultrasonographic evaluation of the abdomen revealed a large mass at the distal tip of the right uterine horn. The mare was euthanatized and necropsied and the mass was determined to be a granulosa-thecal cell neoplasm. The most common clinical sign of granulosa-thecal cell neoplasm is infertility or abnormal sexual behavior. Hemoperitoneum is infrequently associated with neoplasms in horses.
A computer-derived protocol using recursive partitioning to aid in estimating prognosis of horses with abdominal pain in referral hospitals. In order to determine which variables are useful and accurate in estimating prognosis in horses with abdominal pain, data were analyzed from 231 horses presented at a veterinary teaching hospital. Using multiple stepwise discriminant analysis in a recursive partition model, we obtained a decision protocol that identified survivors and nonsurvivors. The prevalence of survivors was 61% in this population. The sensitivity, specificity, and positive and negative predictive values of this model were 71, 83, 87 and 65%, respectively. This decision protocol was validated by Jackknife classification a...
Some factors influencing plasma AST/CK activities in thoroughbred racehorses. Sixty-six Thoroughbred horses in training (2 or 3 years of age) were studied during one flat racing season, to investigate the relationship between age, sex, time of year, dietary electrolyte imbalances and plasma aspartate aminotransferase/creatine kinase (AST/CK) activities. Management and training variations were minimised. Between February to October, monthly 24 h post exercise samples were collected and analysed for AST and CK activities. Sex and/or age were shown to have a significant effect on the occurrence of high CK (> 100 iu/litre) and AST (> 300 iu/litre) activities. Fillies ...
The role of the reciprocal apparatus in the hind limb of the horse investigated by a modified CODA-3 opto-electronic kinematic analysis system. The function of the reciprocal apparatus in the hind limb of the horse was studied by kinematic gait analysis. For recording purposes a modified opto-electronic CODA-3 kinematic analysis system was used. The raw kinematic data were corrected for skin displacement artifacts by use of recently developed correction models. It was concluded that contradictory findings about the coupling of tarsal and stifle joints by the reciprocal apparatus, when comparing in vitro and in vivo studies, can be fully attributed to artifacts due to the movement of the skin markers over the underlying bony structures...
[Sonographic diagnosis of early pregnancy in horses, cattle, sheep, goats, swine, dogs and cats. Standard values and limitations]. Ultrasonography allows early and reliable pregnancy detection in several domestic animals. Transrectal sonography can be recommended in horses and cattle, transrectal or transcutaneous procedures in sheep, goats and pigs while transcutaneous ultrasound scanning is appropriate in dogs and cats. Three periods of time can be distinguished in the diagnosis of early pregnancy by ultrasound: the earliest phase, where signs of pregnancy can be found in some cases, but accuracy of diagnosis is very low; the succeeding period, where reliable diagnosis is possible, but results are often difficult to ach...
Ataxia in Swedish warmblood and standardbred horses. A radiologic and pathology study. Lesions in the cervical spine of 28 young horses (Standardbred Trotters and Swedish Warmbloods), killed because of longstanding or severe ataxia, are described. The material consists of all horses with ataxia available for necropsy and presented to the large animal clinic of the School of Veterinary Medicine, Uppsala and the Animal Hospital in Helsingborg during 1981 through 1983. After a clinical and radiographic examination, including myelography in all but 2 cases, the horses were killed and necropsy was performed. The cases were divided into three categories based on the radiographic and p...
The effect of phenylbutazone on the plasma disposition of penicillin G in the horse. A pilot study in two ponies showed that the plasma concentrations of intramuscularly administered procaine penicillin were higher if phenylbutazone was administered concurrently. In two other trials, each involving five horses, intravenous sodium penicillin was administered with and without concurrent intravenously injected phenylbutazone, and procaine penicillin was injected intramuscularly with and without oral phenylbutazone. In both cases the plasma concentrations of penicillin were higher when phenylbutazone was given. The pharmacokinetic parameters indicated that the effect was probably ...
Accuracy of formulae for calculating left ventricular volumes of the equine heart. Echocardiography may be an accurate method of measuring left ventricular (LV) volumes and mass of the horse's heart. If so, studies of the heart size and hypertrophy would be possible. This study evaluated geometric models of the external and internal LV shapes, to determine which could be applied to echocardiographic measurements. We preserved 30 horses' hearts and measured their dimensions and cross sectional areas. These measurements were entered into seven formulae representing different geometric models of the ventricle and its chamber. We derived a correction factor to estimate the long ...
Further cases of equine sex chromosome abnormalities. Sex chromosome abnormalities have been detected in a further five mares with clinical histories of small ovaries and absent or irregular oestrous cycles. Three mares had 63,XO karyotypes (X monosomy) and two were sex chromosome mosaics with karyotypes of 63,XO/64,XY and 63,XO/64,XX/64,XY respectively. A sex chromosome abnormality (X monosomy) has also been found in a filly where it was suspected because of her short stature.
Investigation of the vertical hoof force distribution in the equine forelimb with an instrumented horseboot. A greater knowledge of the biomechanics is necessary in equine orthopaedics, therapeutics, farriery and for the selection of athletic horses. The purpose of this study was to determine the normal distribution of the vertical component of the hoof force using a measuring boot. The measurements were carried out using 20 sound horses walking and trotting on a straight hard track. A force measuring horseshoe, attached to the foot with a boot, provided continuous recording of vertical forces at four locations on the hoof. For each measuring location, a computer program produced curves and calculate...
Changes in lymphocyte blastogenic response of mares during the perinatal period. A fluorometric assay was applied to evaluate blastogenesis of equine lymphocytes. Optimal culture conditions were as follows; concentrations of phytohaemagglutinin-P (PHA), concanavalin A (Con A) and pokeweed mitogen (PWM) were 1 microgram/ml, 40 micrograms/ml and 10 micrograms/ml, respectively, when 5 X 10(5) lymphocytes were incubated with culture medium containing 20% pooled horse serum (PHS) for 120 hours. The relative mean stimulation index of healthy non-pregnant mares were 5.107 +/- 0.323 (M +/- SE) with PHA, 4.019 +/- 0.183 with Con A and 3.610 +/- 0.131 with PWM. Sequentially the blas...
Staging equine seminiferous tubules by Nomarski optics in unstained histologic sections and in tubules mounted in toto to reveal the spermatogenic wave. Nomarski optics were used to identify stages of the spermatogenic cycle of seminiferous tubules in sectioned tissue or in whole dispersed tubules and to characterize the equine spermatogenic wave. Embedded tissues were sectioned at 20 microns. Whole dispersed tubules were obtained by enzymatic digestion of thin slices of fresh testis. Dispersed tubules were fixed, dehydrated in graded levels of alcohol, infiltrated with Epon, and mounted in toto on glass slides. Stages of the spermatogenic cycle could be identified under Nomarski optics in both histologic sections and tubules mounted in toto. ...
Fibrin/fibrinogen in lungs and respiratory secretions of horses with chronic pulmonary disease. The concentration of soluble fibrinogen derivatives (SFD) and protease and procoagulant activities were determined in cell-free supernatants of equine respiratory secretions obtained from horses with chronic pulmonary disease. The concentration of neutrophils was estimated from direct smears of the secretions. Lung specimens and smears of the secretions were evaluated for the presence of fibrin or fibrinogen by use of immunohistochemical methods. Thirty-five of 80 specimens tested contained SFD. Respiratory secretions from horses with moderate or severe chronic pulmonary disease contained SFD ...
Melanoma as a cause of spinal cord compression in two horses. Spinal cord compression by melanomas at C7-T1 is described in 2 horses. Despite similar location of the lesions, the onset of neurologic signs and clinical progression varied. Both horses were gray, but few cutaneous melanomas were found. Internal dissemination, however, was extensive in both horses. Antemortem diagnosis was made in one horse, and surgical decompression of the spinal cord was performed. Neoplasms of the vertebral canal and spinal cord are uncommon in horses. Melanoma in the spinal canal should be included in the differential diagnosis of neurologic disease, especially in matur...
Combined treatment of ocular squamous cell carcinoma in a horse, using radiofrequency hyperthermia and interstitial 198Au implants. Unilateral ocular squamous cell carcinoma in a horse was treated effectively with a combination of repeated radiofrequency hyperthermia and interstitial radiotherapy. These 2 modalities of treatment are synergistic. Interstitial irradiation was achieved, using 198Au implants to deliver a total dose of approximately 5,000 rads/implant over an area of 1 cm2. Radio frequency hyperthermia was repeated 3 times, and radiotherapy was used twice. Treatment resulted in complete regression of the tumor, and ocular complications have not been seen.
