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.
McIlwraith CW, James LF.Five of 26 pregnant mares observed ingesting locoweed (Astragalus mollisimus) subsequently aborted and another 10 produced foals with various limb deformities. Seven of the foals had deformities of a flexion-extension type and 3 had angular deformities. Four foals were normal. The limb deformities either resolved spontaneously (5 cases) or were treated successfully (in 4 of the other 5 cases). The problems of abortion and limb deformities were attributed to locoweed ingestion on the basis of the mares having eaten the plants, and the similarity of the syndrome to that previously reported in sh...
Tuthill RJ, Clark WH, Levene A.A unique pigmented lesion, judged to be a hamartoma of neural crest origin, occurring in a female patient, is compared with equine melanotic disease, The characteristic perifollicular arrangement of pigment-laden spindle cells is remarkably similar in both. Previously described patch- and plaque-like blue nevi in humans are also closely related. Light and ultrastructural features showed differentiation toward both nevus cells and Schwann cells, and it is proposed that the lesion be termed pilar neurocristic hamartoma.
White NA, Blackwell RB, Hoffman PE.Salter-Harris type II proximal tibial fractures were repaired in two 1-month-old foals, using a dynamic compression plate. The plate was placed on the medial aspect of the tibia, and a single cancellous bone screw was used to reduce the proximal fragment displacement. The plate provided fixation during healing and functioned as a transphyseal bridge, which induced a disparity in growth and corrected a slight lateral angulation of the limb. Limb growth after plate removal was normal.
Klei TR, Torbert BJ, Chapman MR, Ochoa R.Nonimmune pony foals 9 to 12 mo of age were vaccinated with third-stage Strongylus vulgaris larvae (L3) irradiated with 70, 100, or 130 Kr of gamma radiation. Ponies receiving per os inoculations of L3 irradiated with 70 or 100 Kr were protected from the clinical disease and lesions associated with challenge infections of 4,300 L3, when compared to nonvaccinated controls. Similarly, the numbers of worms from the challenging population recovered from successfully vaccinated animals were significantly lower than from nonvaccinated controls. The degree of resistance that develops in individuals c...
Etherington WG, Vasey JR, Horney FD.Two cases of ethmoid hematoma of the equine are reported. Clinically both horses had intermittent unilateral epistaxis unassociated with exercise. In one horse, diagnosis was based on the use of an endoscope for visualization and for biopsy of a mass associated with the ethmoid turbinates. In the other horse, exploratory trephination of the posterior maxillary sinus was necessary to obtain a diagnostic biopsy specimen. Radiography was helpful in the diagnosis of one case. Surgical removal of the mass was attempted in one case. Histological examination of the biopsies was the single most defini...
Klem ME, Kreider JL, Harms PG, Potter GD, Kraemer DC, Godke RA.Thirty-one mares of Quarter Horse and Thoroughbred breeding were utilized in two experiments to evaluate the efficacy of prostaglandin F2 alpha (PGF2 alpha) for induction of equine parturition and to monitor the effects of this treatment on viability of the resulting foals. Three of five mares given 5 mg PGF2 alpha (im) on day 338 of gestation foaled 19.6+/-8.2 hr postinjection. In the second experiment immediately following 3 daily injections of 10 mg estradiol cypionate (ECP) given on days 326, 327 and 328 of gestation, seven mares were infused (iv) with PGF2 alpha at the rate of 1.3 mg/hr f...
Dixon PM.LARYNGEAL paralysis is a common, usually subclinical
disease in horses (Cole 1946; Gunn 1972). More severely
affected animals, clinically termed roarers, are frequently
alleged to have reduced exercise tolerance (Argyle 1933; Cook
1965). This could most readily be attributed to exercise related
hypoxaemia caused by a reduced airflow and/or airflow
turbulence at the reduced rima glottidis. It could also be
conjectured that a rider would demand less of a horse making
loud and possibly distressing respiratory noises. Although
there has been much recent research into the pathology of
equ...
Rodrigues LT, Segabinazzi LG, Oliveira SN, Frasson M, Papa FO.Pregnancy rates after embryo transfer (ET) are disappointing in donkey species. This study aims to report two successful ET of mini-donkey embryos using Brazilian Northeastern jennies as recipients. Eighteen embryo flushes were performed 9 days post-ovulation in two non-pregnant mini-donkeys jennies (11 and 7 cycles per jenny). Eleven embryos (61%, 11/18) were collected and transferred to Brazilian Northeastern jennies 4-6 days post-ovulation by conventional (n = 6) or an alternative (n = 5) technique. The alternative method consisted of inserting a Polansky equine vaginal speculum smear...
Ketelaars HC, Peters JG, Anzion RB, Van Ginneken CA.The isolation, partial identification and quantitative determination of four guaiphenesin glucuronides in plasma and urine of the horse is described. The identity of the glucuronides was checked by UV and fluorescence spectrophotometry, by NMR spectrometry and by mass spectrometry after permethylation. The applicability of the procedure to pharmacokinetic studies is demonstrated.
Paradis MR.Neoplasia of the central nervous system (CNS) can be divided into two main categories: nonpituitary CNS neoplasia and pituitary adenomas. Nonpituitary CNS neoplasias are generally compressive in nature, although some are also invasive. The majority of reported CNS tumors are secondary with only a few originating from nervous tissue. Pituitary adenomas predominantly occur in the pars intermedia of the older horse. Clinical signs, diagnostic testing, and possible treatments are discussed.
Linhares Boakari Y, El-Sheikh Ali H, Dini P, Loux S, Barbosa Fernandes C, Esteller-Vico A, Scoggin K, Lawrence L, Ball B.An intravenous large dose of protein led to an increased blood urea nitrogen (BUN), resulting in a lesser uterine pH and altered uterine gene expression in mares. The objective of the present study was to evaluate effects of a more physiological methodology to increase BUN on the endometrium of mares. Mares were fed hay and a treatment or control diet (n = 11 mares/treatment) in a crossover design starting at time of ovulation detection (D0) and continuing until D7. Mares of the treated group were fed urea (0.4 g/kg BW) with sweet feed and molasses, and those of the control group were fe...
Stanley SD, Moffitt K, Wiebe V.Equine practitioners should follow these recommendations when using compounded medications: (1) the decision must be veterinary driven, based on a valid veterinarian-client-patient relationship and on evidence-based medicine; (2) compliance with the Animal Medicinal Drug Use Clarification Act of 1994; and (3) use limited to (a) horses for which no other method or route of drug delivery is practical; (b) those drugs for which safety, efficacy, and stability have been demonstrated; or (c) disease conditions for which a quantifiable response to therapy or drug concentration can be monitored.
Meier HP.The genetic predisposition to navicular disease is proven nowadays, but otherwise, etiology and pathogenesis are still unclear. Causal therapy isn't possible and because of the poor prognosis, neurectomy is still of bearing. This operation was performed already 200 years ago, but in the middle of the last century, critical voices have been raised in regard to the surgical procedure and its indication both for medical reasons and breeding. Clear instructions for exclusion of diseased animals from breeding are also older than one hundred years. These facts call for ethic considerations which con...
Ross C, Haussler KK, Kenney JD, Marks D, Bertone JJ, Henneman K, May KJ.Vigorous and prolonged effort is required to gain true mastery of the healing arts. Conventional and complementary medicine have complementary strengths and weaknesses. Like the yin and yang of traditional Chinese medicine, they naturally flow into one another by a process of induction, creating balance. Integrative medicine is the frontier; it is the future. If we are to progress beyond our current understanding and ability to heal, we must work with theoretic models that allow us and our perception to operate "outside the box." For some, this understanding is intuitive. It is through coopera...
McGrath BM, Scott CJ, Wynn PC, Loy J, Norman ST.Managing the return to regular cyclicity after the winter anestrous period in the mare has been a challenge for the equine breeding industry. Specifically, efforts have been made to shift or shorten the vernal transition period and to have it followed by a predictable first ovulation at the commencement of the breeding season. Intravenous administration of kisspeptin is known to stimulate an LH response in both reproductively active and inactive mares. This study examined the effects of a constant rate infusion (CRI) of kisspeptin on mares during vernal transition. Mares were given a 30 hours...
Wong JK, Tang FP, Wan TS.The study of the metabolism of drugs, in particular steroids, by both in vitro and in vivo methods has been carried out in the authors' laboratory for many years. For in vitro metabolic studies, the microsomal fraction isolated from horse liver is often used. However, the process of isolating liver microsomes is cumbersome and tedious. In addition, centrifugation at high speeds (over 100 000 g) may lead to loss of enzymes involved in phase I metabolism, which may account for the difference often observed between in vivo and in vitro results. We have therefore investigated the feasibility of us...
Davies JV, Gerring EL.Small intestinal ischaemia is a cause of pain in man and horses. Occlusion of the vascular supply to Thiry loops in experimental ponies caused severe discomfort and loss of motility within a few minutes but these effects could not be reproduced by a similar procedure in intact gut preparations. However, embolisation of the mural vascular network produced ischaemia of the small intestine of anaesthetised ponies which led to a cessation of motility in the affected segments, though unaffected segments became hypermotile with a characteristic motility pattern. These results suggest the need for re...
Sloet van Oldruitenborgh-Oosterbaan MM, Grinwis GC.Equine sarcoidosis seems to be an emerging problem. As more horses are referred for dermatologic disease, equine sarcoidosis should be considered in any case of exfoliative and/or nodular skin disease with or without systemic involvement, including generalized granulomatous disease affecting most internal organs. Multiple breeds are affected with mares being predisposed. Affected horses are typically 3 years or older. The prognosis for generalized granulomatous disease is generally poor, whereas the prognosis for the localized cutaneous form is favorable but may require lifelong treatment.
Rubio-Martínez LM, Redding WR, Bladon B, Wilderjans H, Payne RJ, Tessier C, Geffroy O, Parker R, Bell C, Collingwood FA.Fractures of the medial intercondylar eminence of the tibia (MICET) are scarcely reported in horses. Objective: To report the clinical and diagnostic findings, surgical treatment and outcome in a series of horses presented with MICET fracture and treated with arthroscopic fragment removal. Methods: Multicentre retrospective case series. Methods: Case records of horses diagnosed with MICET fractures that had undergone surgical treatment were reviewed. Follow-up information was obtained from re-examination visits and/or owners. Results: Twenty-one cases were identified at 9 equine hospitals betw...
Fey K, Weiss R, Sasse HH.Both, the oral and intravenous application of two trimethoprim-potentiated sulfonamides induced measurable antibacterial activities in the feces of horses. With regard to the risk of antibiotic-induced alterations of the gastrointestinal flora, the route of application of potentiated sulfonamides seems to be of minor importance. The antibiotics used were Sulfadimethoxine/Trimethoprim (Trafigal 30% ad us. vet.) for oral and Sulfadoxine/Trimethoprim (Borgal 24% ad us. vet., both Hoechst AG, Frankfurt) for intravenous application. As recommended, both drugs were given in a dose of 20 mg per kg bo...
Jaussaud P, Courtot D, Doron P, Guyot JL.Chronopharmacokinetics of intravenous phenylbutazone in the horse was studied with the aim of antidoping control. Among parameters studied, the single one which seemed to depend on circadian rhythm was the elapsed time between the injection and the plasmatic peak. There was no relationship between the injection time and the both parameters: half-life and time required to reach the forensic level of 4 micrograms/ml. This later, and oxyphenbutazone/phenylbutazone ratio, should depend on individual factors. Therefore, the injection time should not be a main parameter for the phenylbutazone evalua...
Leung DKK, Wong ASY, Zhou QL, Wan TSM, Ho ENM.A non-target variable Data Independent Acquisition (vDIA) workflow based on accurate mass measurements using a Q Exactive OrbiTrap is presented for the first time for equine doping control testing. The vDIA workflow uses a combination of MS1 events (1 to 2) and multiple vDIA events to cover the analytes of interest. The workflow basically captures a digital image of a sample allowing all relevant MS1 and MS2 data to be recorded. In theory, the workflow can accommodate an unlimited number of analytes as long as they are amenable to the sample extraction protocol and fall within the mass limits ...
Hoque S, Senba H, Tsunoda N, Derar RI, Watanabe G, Taya K, Osawa T, Miyake Y.To clarify the endocrinological characteristics of the mares with granulosa theca cell tumor (GTCT), peripheral plasma samples from the 6 mares affected with GTCT were collected before and after the surgical removal of the affected ovary. Concentrations of testosterone (T), follicle stimulating hormone (FSH), luteinizing hormone (LH), immunoreactive-inhibin (ir-INH), progesterone (P) and estradiol-17beta (E(2)) in the plasma samples were measured by radioimmunoassay. Before removal of GTCT in all cases, the concentrations of T were significantly higher than those of normal mares at the breedin...
Southwood LL, Trotter GW, McIlwraith CW.To determine the outcome of horses after arthroscopic removal of abaxial fracture fragments of the proximal sesamoid bone and association of fracture grade with outcome. Methods: Retrospective study. Methods: 47 horses. Methods: Information obtained from dorsopalmar and dorsoplantar radiographic views of metacarpophalangeal and metatarsophalangeal joints was used to classify fractures as grade 1 ( 25 mm long) and type 1 (abaxial) and type 2 (apical-abaxial). Outcome was determined by whether the horse returned to its intended use, raced in the same class or higher (racehorses), or performed sa...
