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.
Stick JA, Boles C.Three foals with chronic cough, bilateral nasal discharge, and pneumonia were found to have a subepiglottic cyst as the inciting cause. Consistent findings were dysphagia and aspiration pneumonia, in addition to the abnormal respiratory noise usually found in the adult horse with a subepiglottic cyst. Histologic examination of the cysts suggested their origin was traumatic rather than embryonic.
Rose RJ, Ilkiw JE, Arnold KS, Backhouse JW, Sampson D.Blood samples were collected from 16 Thoroughbred horses before, during and after the second day of a 3-day event. Plasma osmolality, concentrations of sodium, potassium, chloride, urea, creatinine, glucose, bilirubin, iron, total protein, albumin, alkaline phosphatase, aspartate aminotransferase, alanine aminotransferase, creatine kinase, calcium, inorganic phosphate, uric acid, cholesterol, triglycerides and non-esterified fatty acids were measured. Significant differences from pre-event values were found in all parameters with the greatest changes being found after the cross-country phase. ...
Platt H, Singh H, Whitwell KE.A description is given of the pathological changes present in 8 mares which died or were euthanased in the course of an outbreak of paralysis on a Thoroughbred studfarm. In all cases the principal changes were in the central nervous system (CNS) and consisted of a severe and widespread vaculitis in the brain, cord, sheaths of nerves, capsules of ganglia and occasionally elsewhere in the body. Associated with the damage to vessel walls there was haemorrhage and exudation of plasma into the perivascular tissues. Involvement of neurones was minimal and no neuronophagia was present. Six cases had ...
Reuter G, Pfeil R, Kamerling JP, Vliegenthart JF, Schauer R.The novel sialic acid 4-O-acetyl-9-O-lactyl-N-acetylneuraminic acid has been identified as a constituent of horse submandibular gland glycoproteins in addition to the already known equine sialic acids, N-acetylneuraminic acid, 4-O-acetyl-N-acetylneuraminic acid, 9-O-acetyl-N-acetylneuraminic acid, 4,9-di-O-acetyl-N-acetylneuraminic acid, N-glycolylneuraminic acid, 4-O-acetyl-N-glycolylneuraminic acid and 9-O-acetyl-N-glycolylneuraminic acid. The structure has been established by combined gas-liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry.
Perryman LE, McGuire TC.Between January 1973 and September 1979, 2,092 horses and ponies were evaluated for immunologic disorders. A total of 418 abnormalities were detected in 416 (20%) of the animals tested. Disorders encountered were failure or partial failure of colostral immunoglobulin transfer from mare to foal (228 cases), combined immunodeficiency (159 cases), selective immunoglobulin M deficiency (19 cases), agammaglobulinemia (3 cases), transient hypogammaglobulinemia (2 cases), and lymphosarcoma (7 cases). Four conclusions were drawn from the study. (1) Immunologic abnormalities occur commonly in horses an...
Potgieter LN, Rouse BT, Webb-Martin TA.A modification of the indirect enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was developed which used staphylococcal protein A linked to horseradish peroxidase. Virus antibodies in equine, bovine, porcine, feline, canine, lagomorphic (rabbit), and human sera were detected, using the indirect ELISA in which the antiglobulin enzyme conjugate was replaced by protein A linked to horseradish peroxidase. Results of the ELISA were compared with the results of the serum-virus neutralization test. The application of the test in laboratories performing serologic assays with sera from diverse animal species ...
True RG, Lowe JE.Juglone, a toxic compound found in all parts of plants of the walnut tree family Jugans, was evaluated as the possible toxin involved in black walnut shaving-associated laminitis in the horse. Large amounts (up to 1 g) of this chemical administered per os inconsistently caused mild signs of laminitis in ponies. Topical application of juglone to the digits of horses caused local skin irritation but did not cause laminitis. Intravenous administration of juglone caused acute pulmonary edema in some individuals previously exposed to the compound per os or IV.
McFarlane BL, Embree JE, Embil JA, Rozee KR, Weste JB, Artsob H, Spence L.A large number of North American equine samples were tested for the California group of arboviruses (CAL). Of 861 equine sera tested by hemagglutination inhibition using the snowshoe hare virus as an antigen, 106 (12.3%) were positive. Neutralization tests confirmed antibodies to this virus in 72 of the positive sera. This study provides evidence of CAL activity in the domestic animal population of Nova Scotia.
Ray AC, Post LO, Hurst JM, Edwards WC, Reagor JC.An analytical method for cantharidin, using high performance liquid chromatography, was applied to field specimens from horses and sheep with blister beetle (Epicauta lemniscata) poisoning. Stomach content and urine proved to be valuable aids in diagnosis. One incident of cantharidin toxicosis in ruminants (sheep) was confirmed.
Asquith RL, Edds GT, Aller WW, Bortell R.Twelve clinically normal Shetland ponies were allocated to one of four treatment groups. Aflatoxin B1 was administered at the dosage level of 2 mg/kg of body weight to group A, 1 mg/kg to group B, and 0.5 mg/kg to group C; a placebo was given to group D (controls). Plasma samples were assayed at 4-hour intervals for iditol dehydrogenase (ID) (sorbitol dehydrogenase) concentrations as an indicator of hepatic damage. One of the ponies in group A died 68 hours after dosing; another pony in group A died 76 hours after dosing. All other animals survived the experiment. The means of peak ID values w...
Gay CC, Lording PM.Actinobacillus equuli was the cause of peritonitis in 5 horses. In 3 the onset was sudden with intestinal stasis and acute abdominal pain as predominant findings. Two others presented with chronic disease and weight loss. Characteristically the peritoneal fluid had a high nucleated cell count with non-degenerate neutrophils as the predominant cell type. Four horses were treated and recovered.
Aggarwal BB, Farmer SW, Papkoff H, Stewart F, Allen WR.Serum of the pregnant donkey, like that of the mare, contains a gonadotrophin of chorionic origin. The chorionic gonaditrophin of the donkey (dCG) has been isolated in purified form from the serum of pregnant donkeys using methodology previously employed for the purification of pregnant mare chorionic gonadotrophin (eCG). Unlike eCG, dCG is predominatly an LH in biological tests. In the in-vitro rat Leydig cell assay, dCG was as active as eCG, but in the in-vitro rat seminiferous tubule assay for FSH and in the augmentation assay, dCG was considerably less potent than eCG (1-10%). Specific rat...
Bailey E, Henney PJ.The distribution of ELY-2 was compared to the distribution of blood group factors Aa, Ab, Ac, Ae, Ca, Da, Db, Dc, Dd, De, Df, Dh, Dk, Ka, Pa, Pb, X, Qa, Qc, Ua, and W in 2465 American Standardbred horses and to ELY-1 in 193 American Standardbred horses. The distribution patterns were different in each case. The segregation of ELY-2.1 and factors at the A, C, D, K, P, Q, U and T (W) blood group loci and at the ELA locus indicated that ELY-2.1 is not a product of any of those loci. No segregation data were available for the ELY-1 locus. Family studies indicated that the gene for ELY-2.1 is not s...
Kingsmill VJ, Gray C, Boyde A.To address possible differences in the resorbability of cranial and postcranial bone, slices of equine frontal bone and leg (first phalanx or third metacarpus) were seeded with embryonic chick bone cells and cultured for 20-24h. After removing the cells and drying the specimens, the areas and volumes of more than 800 resorption pits in each set were measured using a video-rate reflection confocal microscope system. Relative mineralization densities were determined by quantitative electron backscattering analysis. The mean mineralization density was greater in the leg bone, but the mean depths ...
Knecht S, Luechinger R, Boesiger P, Stüssi E.The mechanical property of articular cartilage determines to a great extent the functionality of diarthrodial joints. Consequently, the early detection of mechanical and, thus, functional changes of cartilage is crucial for preventive measures to maintain the mobility and the quality of life of individuals. An alternative to conventional mechanical testing is the inverse finite element approach, enabling non-destructive testing of the tissue. We evaluated a method for the assessment of the equilibrium material properties of the patellar cartilage based on magnetic resonance imaging during pate...
Burg JG, Roberts AW, Williams NM, Powell DG, Knapp FW.Experimental transmission of Ehrlichia risticii, the causal agent of Potomac horse fever, was attempted with adult stable flies, Stomoxys calcitrans, (L.) using two feeding schedules. In schedule A, a set of 140 flies was allowed to feed once on an experimentally infected donor pony and once 24 h later on a recipient pony. A different set of flies was used each day for a 12-d period. In schedule B, 240 flies were allowed to feed once daily for 12 consecutive d on the donor pony followed by five consecutive daily feedings on the recipient pony. E. risticii was isolated from the blood of the exp...
Barlet JP, Davicco MJ, Coxam V.Intestinal absorption of inorganic phosphorus. In most mammalian species inorganic phosphorus (P) is absorbed at the duodenal and jejunal level. However in horses some P is absorbed from the large intestine, whereas in ruminant animals some absorption also takes place in the forestomachs. The structure of the putative phosphate-sodium carrier of the brush border from enterocytes still awaits identification. P absorption is modulated both by endocrine (calcitriol, triiodothyronine) and nutritional factors (minerals of the diet, chemical form of phosphorus). Regulation of salivary P secretion, i...
Greiner C, Cavalier E, Remy B, Gabriel A, Farnir F, Gajewski Z, Carstanjen B.The effect of pregnancy on bone metabolism was investigated in healthy mares. Venous blood samples were collected 7 times from 19 multiparous mares starting at 20-weeks pre-parturition, continuing 6 times in 4-week intervals, including the week of parturition and one week after parturition. Serum concentrations of osteocalcin (OC) and carboxy-terminal cross-linking telopeptide of type I collagen (CTX-I) were determined. Measurement cycles and age had a significant (p < 0.01) influence on OC and CTX-I values. Pregnancy influenced bone metabolism with peak bone formation and resorption values...
Iida A, Saito H, Amao A, Fujita T, Kato A, Ueda F.A nutritional supplement containing salacinol (NSS) was administered to Thoroughbred foals daily beginning 21 days after birth, and clinical signs and intestinal microbiota were analyzed. The average number of days for which foals exhibited a fever between 21 and 110 days after birth was determined. The number of days was significantly reduced, by approximately 1/3, in the NSS group compared with the control group. Furthermore, improved weight gain was observed in the NSS group compared with the control group. By analyzing the intestinal microbiota, it was determined that the ratio of Clostrid...
Clayton HM, Duncan JL, Gilbert GA.Over a period of several years the use of pyrantel embonate in the control of helminth infections on three equine establishments was monitored by the examination of faecal samples collected immediately before each anthelmintic treatment. With a monthly interval between treatments for three years the faecal egg output of the horses remained at a very low level. One one establishment this was maintained when the treatment interval was extended to one-and-a-half months after treating monthly for two years. If a treatment interval of one-and-a-half months was used continuously for a number of year...
Norton AM, McGilp D, Vasey JR.A 4-month old, 200 kg, grey warmblood colt presented for a firm, non painful mass on the distal medial aspect of the left third metatarsus. Excisional biopsy revealed a diagnosis of haemangiosarcoma. Equine haemangiosarcoma is uncommon and only limited reports of successful treatment are available. The prognosis for survival is therefore considered to be poor. After two separate incidences of recurrence with incomplete excision of the tumour, intralesional treatment with cisplatin without excision or debulking was performed on three separate occasions. Intralesional cisplatin injection was p...
Loinaz RJ, Boutros CP, Rakestraw PC, Taylor TS.To report a laryngotomy approach for the removal of the nasal septum in adult horses. Methods: Descriptive study. Methods: Horses (n = 10). Methods: Near-total resection of the nasal septum was made using a modification of a previously reported 3-wire technique using a trephination approach and a 2-wire technique using a laryngotomy approach. Surgical time, ease of technique, complications, and outcome were recorded. At 45 days, horses were euthanatized and septal measurements made. Results: Near-total resection of the nasal septum was accomplished with both techniques without complications. I...
Loftin MK, Levine JF, McGinn T, Coggins L.State veterinarians in 11 southeastern states completed a questionnaire designed to determine the proportion of equids in the region that were seropositive for equine infectious anemia (EIA). Cases of EIA were diagnosed in each of the states surveyed. Distinct geographic clusters of cases were apparent in Tennessee and Kentucky adjacent to the Mississippi River, in the Piedmont of North Carolina at the Virginia border, in north central Georgia, and throughout the Florida peninsula. It is suggested that the national EIA program could be improved by standardization and wider application of unifo...
Kakoi H, Kikuchi M, Ishige T, Hirosawa Y, Tanaka S, Nagata SI.To confirm the positive conversion of antibodies against erythrocyte antigens in horses, possible blood transfusion donor horses selected from draft horse populations were periodically monitored with an indirect antiglobulin (Coombs) test for approximately 3 years. In this study, 19 horses (16 females and 3 males) were investigated, and five mares showed alloantibodies during the monitoring period. Four mares were typically pregnant when positive conversion was detected, whereas no particular cause of conversion could be observed for one mare based on its clinical records. In the analyzed hors...
Lumsden JM, Caron JP, Stickle RL.Bilateral radiographically persistent proximal third metatarsal physes and concurrent cuboidal bone immaturity were identified in a foal. Repair of a Salter type-II fracture of the left proximal third metatarsal physis was accomplished by use of lag screw fixation. A 6-day-old Arabian foal, intended for use as a show horse, was referred because of severe unilateral hind limb lameness and valgus deformity. A Salter type-II fracture of the proximal portion of the third metacarpal bone was identified radiographically and repaired by use of cancellous lag screws. The fractured limb was further sup...
Young KM, Lunn DP.Technologic advances in immunodiagnostic testing have enhanced our understanding of the pathogenesis of a broad array of diseases, including infectious diseases, immunodeficiency disorders, and immune-mediated disorders. If applied rationally, with an understanding of the questions the tests answer as well as the limitations that constrain their use, these tests can serve as valuable aids in the diagnosis and management of equine diseases.
