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.
Taylor HW, Vandevelde M, Firth EC.A horse that suddenly became recumbent had a focal ischemic infarct of the spinal cord between C6 and C7. The infarct was attributed to multiple fibrocartilaginous emboli. Adherence of fibrocartilaginous debris to the outer surface of the dura was interpreted as evidence that intervertebral disc degeneration and displacement of the nucleus pulposus had occurred and that the emboli arose from the disc.
Hallauer C.1. Equine infectious anemia (EIA) is an immunologically-medicated disease. Immune complexes formed in blood and tissues are responsible for most symptoms and lesions (anemia, splenomegaly, lymphadenopathy, glomerulonephritis, etc.). In addition, a state of cellular hypersensitivity of the delayed type is involved in the pathogenesis. 2. Periodical attacks of pyrexia and clinical illness in the presence of immunity are caused by antigenically-modified variants of virus. By means of immunosuppressive treatments similar relapses of fever associated with the appearance of new virus variants can be...
Verma BB, Biberstein EL, Meyer ME.A serologic survey was made of the prevalence of common leptospiral infections in horses in California. A total of 465 serums were tested, using the microscopic agglutination method, against 5 leptospiral serotypes: Leptospira pomona, Leptospira icterohaemorrhagiae, Leptospira canicola, Leptospira grippotyphosa, and Leptospira hardjo. Of the serums tested, 127 (27.30%) were positive against 1 or more of the leptospires, with percentage distribution among the reactors as follows: L pomona, 12.47%; L icterohaemorrhagiae, 10.32%; L canicola, 3.22%; L grippotyphosa, 0.86%; and L hardjo, 0.43%. The...
Bras GE, Kersjes AW.Comparative studies were done on healing of the wound following laparotomy through the ventral wall of the abdomen (paramedian incision or in the linea alba) in seventy horses and following surgical treatment of umbilical hernia in eighty-five (young) horses, in which perlon, (chromic) catgut, stainless steel wire and polyglycollic acid were used as suture material. Though with some reserve, as the study was concerned with the comparison of findings in clinical cases in which a number of conditions may vary, it is concluded that steel wire and polyglycollic acid are preferable to perlon and (c...
Hoffer RE, Barber SM, Kallfelz FA, Petro SP.Esophageal patch grafting, using the sternocephalicus muscle, was used for treatment of cervical esophageal stricture in a mare. The mare was maintained during the initial healing phase by total parenteral nutrition.
Owen RR, Moore JN, Hopkins JB, Arthur D.Five horses with histories of colic developed signs of myocardial failure and skeletal muscle disease. Necropsy revealed pale areas in the cervical, pectoral, pelvic, and cardiac musculature; histologically, the lesions were indicative of dystrophic myodegeneration. Serum vitamin E concentrations were normal in 2 of the horses but serum selenium concentrations were normal in 2 of the horses, but serum selenium concentrations were low when compared with values obtained from clinically normal horses.
Mirck MH.A form of strongyle infection in young horses and ponies, observed during the period from November to May, is described. Large numbers of larvae of Cyathostominae in the fourth or early fifth stage of development are found to be present in the (often watery) faeces. This excretion of larvae is not affected by treatment with anthelmintics. A large number of these patients die from the sequelae of verminous enteritis.
Mayhew IG, Whitlock RH, Tasker JB.Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) samples were collected from the atlanto-occipital (AO) and lumbosacral (LS) subarachnoid spaces of 24 horses and 21 ponies that had no clinical evidence of neurologic disease. Depth of needle insertion, pressures, refractive index, rapid reagent strip test (protein, glucose, blood, pH) results, cell counts, content of protein, glucose, sodium, potassium, chloride, calcium, phosphorus, urea nitrogen, and cholesterol, and activities of creatine phosphokinase, aspartate transaminase, lactic dehydrogenase, and alkaline phosphatase were determined. The resulting clinical r...
Gleeson LJ, Studdert MJ.Intrauterine infection of pregnant mare with equine herpesvirus type 2 (EHV 2) did not result in foetal abortion, stillbirth or recognisable disease. Collection of uterine fluid by allantocentesis or amniocentesis 107 days after inoculation confirmed that intrauterine infection was established. EHV 2 was isolated from both allantoic and amniotic fluid separately collected at the time of elective Caesarean section 156 days after inoculation and virus neutralising antibody to EHV 2 was present in the foal's presuckle serum at birth. A very mild clinical disease, characterised by a scant, mucous ...
Banerjee DP, Singh B, Gautam OP, Sarup S.An intradermal skin test, to demonstrate a delayed cutaneous hypersensitivity reaction in Babesia equi infection in donkeys, was developed. A skin reaction to B. equi antigen was elicited in vaccinnated, infected and carrier intact and splenectomised donkeys. The histopathological examination of the skin biopsy revealed infiltration of mononuclear cells and accumulation of oedematous fluid in the deeper layers of the dermis. A leucocyte migration inhibition test was developed and its specificity as an in vitro measure of cell-mediated immunity to B. equi antigen was established. The results of...
Alexander F.1. The effect on plasma, urinary and faecal electrolytes of frusemide and hydrochlorthiazide was measured in ponies, mean weight 180 kg. 2. The rapid loss in urine of large quantities of sodium had only a small effect on plasma sodium concentration. 3. Faecal sodium excretion was increased substantially after the administration of frusemide. 4. Frusemide increased faecal potassium during the 48 h following administration and faecal water in the 24/48 h period. It also produced a hypopotassaemia. 5. Hydrochlorthiazide increased faecal chloride during the 24 h after administration. 6. Frusemide ...
Shen DT, Crawford TB, Gorham JR, McGuire TC.Twelve chemicals and commercial disinfectants were tested for inactivation of equine infectious anemia virus. In the presence of 10% bovine serum, all chemicals inactivated 4 log10 (based on 0.1 ml) of the virus within 5 minutes at 23 C. A reduction of at least 4 log10 was observed when the virus was exposed for 1 minute to substituted phenolic disinfectants (3 commercial preparations and sodium orthophenylphenate), halogen derivatives (iodophor and sodium hypochlorite), chlorhexidine, and 70% ethanol. Sodium hydroxide (5%), 2% formalin, and 2% glutaraldehyde were slower to inactivate the viru...
Colglazier ML, Enzie FD, Kates KC.The comparative efficacy of four benzimidazoles against gastrointestinal parasites of ponies was evaluated by the critical test method. Mebendazole (8.8 mg/kg), cambendazole (20 mg/kg), fenbendazole (5 mg/kg), and albendazole (2.5 and 5 mg/kg) given in single oral doses were highly effective against adult large strongylids (Strongylus vulgaris, S. endentatus, S. equinus) and adult small strongylids (genera identified in order of frequency: Cylicostephanus, Cylicocyclus, Cyathostomum, Triodontophorus, Poteriostomum, Oesophagodontus, Cylicodontophorus, Gyalocephalus, and Craterostomum). Limited ...
Wilson JW, Stevens JB.Data were obtained from 190 cerebrospinal fluid samples collected from both clinically normal and diseased dogs, cats, cows, and horses. Red blood cells, indicating blood contamination, were identified in 115 samples. White blood cells were a rare finding in normal animals. Blood contamination appeared to have little effect on white blood cell numbers even though, in several samples, thousands of red blood cells were identified. An accepted formula to correct for blood contamination was found to be an unreliable method to determine "uncontaminated" values for white blood cells, total protein, ...
Borgsteede FH, Bruin G, Smolders EA.In 1983 and 1984 the effect of a deworming scheme, in which horses were treated at turn out and 4 and 8 weeks later, on the egg output, larval differentiation, weight gain, herbage infestation and in 1984, the percentages of some serum proteins were tested. In 1983 the experiment was done with 42 mares, 54 two year old male horses and 42 male yearlings, kept in groups with permanent or rotational grazing. In 1984 only 90 male yearlings were investigated. In 1983 albendazole and ivermectin were used, 1984 ivermectin. The results of the faecal examinations showed that after ivermectin treatment ...
Karanth S, Holbrook T, MacAllister C, Pope CN.The organophosphate insecticide tetrachlorvinphos (TCVP, Rabon) is the active ingredient in "feed-through" larvacides (e.g., Equitrol) for fly control around horse stables. As with other organophosphates, TCVP elicits toxicity by inhibiting acetylcholinesterase, leading to accumulation of the neurotransmitter acetylcholine and cholinergic signs. Relatively little is known, however, on the effects of TCVP-containing larvacides on acetylcholinesterase or other esterases in horses. Previous in vitro studies indicated that horse plasma cholinesterase activity was substantially (>10,000-fold) mo...
Forsyth IA, Rossdale PD, Thomas CR.Small samples of mammary secretion were collected from eight Thoroughbred mares during the last week of pregnancy, at foaling and after 1 week of lactation. Specific assays showed the presence of both lactose and triglyceride in all samples before birth and progressive increases in their concentrations in colostrum and in milk. Levels of 6-0 g lactose/100 ml and 1-8 g triglyceride/100 ml were present in milk at 7 to 9 days post partum. The secretory capacity of the udder is thus normally established well before parturition in the mare. Attempts to demonstrate the occurrence of a placental lact...
'The invisible horse' was the central topic discussed at a conference organised by the equine charity World Horse Welfare in London last month. Gill Harris reports.
Vanderperren K, Martens AM, Declercq J, Duchateau L, Saunders JH.To compare clinical usefulness of ultrasonography versus radiography for detection of fragmentation of the dorsal aspect of the metacarpophalangeal (MCP) and metatarsophalangeal (MTP) joints in horses. Methods: Cross-sectional study. Methods: 36 horses with fragmentation of the MCP (n = 19) and MTP (29) joints. Methods: In all joints, radiography (4 standard projections) and ultrasonography were performed prior to arthroscopic examination and fragment removal. Number and location of fragments identified radiographically and ultrasonographically were compared with arthroscopic findings. Results...
Stover BC, Caulkett NA.Dealing with an intractable horse is a reality for nearly every equine or mixed animal veterinarian. Establishing an adequate level of sedation prior to induction of anesthesia for various clinical procedures involves little margin for error regarding the safety of the veterinarian, handler, and patient. This is further compounded by the extreme difficulty of gaining venous access required to obtain rapid and reliable results. This case series describes a technique of intramuscular sedation used for field castration of 10 captive, formerly wild horses, which may be useful for various other typ...
Knych HK, Stanley SD, McKemie DS, Arthur RM, Bondesson U, Hedeland M, Thevis M, Kass PH.Although developed as a therapeutic medication, meldonium has found widespread use in human sports and was recently added to the World Anti-Doping Agency's list of prohibited substances. Its reported abuse potential in human sports has led to concern by regulatory authorities about the possible misuse of meldonium in equine athletics. The potential abuse in equine athletes along with the limited data available regarding the pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of meldonium in horses necessitates further study. Eight exercised adult thoroughbred horses received a single oral dose of 3.5, 7.1, ...
Mello GW, Riet-Correa F, Batista MC, Carvalho CJ, Dias AC, Franklin FL, Silva SM, Dias A.Farmers in the State of Piauí in northeastern Brazil reported nervous signs in ruminants and donkeys after ingestion of Brunfelsia uniflora at the start of the rainy season when the plant is flowering. Leaves of the plant, collected at the start or at the end of the rainy season, were administered in single doses of 5-20 g/kg body weight to 8 sheep and 3 donkeys. Two sheep and 1 donkey that ingested 10 g/kg of the plant in November at the start of the rainy season, when the plant was flowering, developed severe convulsions and diarrhea. One sheep was euthanized and autopsied, and no significa...
Abutarbush SM.This report describes 2 foals with esophageal laceration due to ingestion of foreign bodies. Endoscopic examination of the esophagus revealed full thickness esophageal laceration in 1 colt and partial thickness laceration of the esophagus in the other. The esophageal obstruction was relieved by repetitive esophageal lavages and flush under general anesthesia in both foals. Lacération et obstruction œsophagiennes causées par un corps étranger chez deux jeunes poulains âgés de moins de 1 an. Ce rapport décrit deux poulains âgés de moins de 1 an souffrant d’une lacération œsophagienn...
Smale K, Butler PJ.A new oxygen equilibrium curve is defined for the Thoroughbred horse under standard conditions of 37 degrees C, pH = 7.4 and PCO2 = 5.33 kPa. The "standard" P50 for the Thoroughbred is, at 2.83 +/- 0.04 (SE of mean) kPa, significantly lower than that found for the Hanoverian horse (3.17 +/- 0.03 kPa) by Clerbaux et al. (Can. J. Vet. Res. 50: 188-192, 1986), and lower than other values for horses in the literature. Using data from Butler et al. (J. Exp. Biol. 179: 159-180, 1993), curves were also constructed, in vitro, under simulated conditions of intense exercise to examine the individual eff...
McGuigan MP, Walsh TC, Pardoe CH, Day PS, Wilson AM.Previous studies have implicated tension in the deep digital flexor tendon (DDFT) in the rotation of the distal phalanx (DP) after the breakdown of the dorsal laminae caused by laminitis. Howeveer, once the DP has rotated, the DDFT should become shorter, reducing the force it exerts on the DP. Objective: To compare DDFT force and ground reaction forces (GRFs) in normal ponies and ponies with rotation of the DP as a sequel to laminitis. Methods: Six normal ponies (Group 1) and 6 sound ponies with 6-13 degrees of rotation of the DP in relation to the dorsal hoof wall (Group 2) were assessed at t...
Dorrego A, Serres C, Cruz-Lopez F.Taylorella equigenitalis has long been recognised as a causative agent of contagious equine metritis, but practitioners may be less familiar with Taylorella asinigenitalis, which has been identified more recently. Here, Abel Dorrego, Consuelo Serres and Fatima Cruz-Lopez of the Universidad Complutense de Madrid describe T asinigenitalis and report the findings of a survey they carried out in donkeys in Spain.
Regodon S, Franco A, Lignereux Y, Redondo E.A technique is described for catheterisation of the ventricular recess within the olfactory bulb of the horse. Twelve adult horses were used. The olfactory recess is in the frontal region, 42 +/- 3 mm below the skin, on the line joining the supraorbital foramina, and approximately 18 +/- 2 mm from the midline. The approach is relatively easy under normal experimental conditions.
Schultheiss PC, Collins JK, Carman J.An indirect immunoperoxidase (IP) procedure using the avidin-biotin-peroxidase complex detection technique was developed to detect viral equine herpesvirus-1 (EHV-1) antigen in formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded tissues from aborted equine fetuses. The procedure was applied to liver, lung, and other tissues from 20 cases of confirmed or suspected EHV-1-induced abortions. Specific staining was observed in tissue sections from EHV-1-infected fetuses. Positive IP staining was present in tissues of 7 cases that were also positive by fluorescent antibody (FA) and virus isolation (VI) and that had typ...
Peel AJ, Bouts T, Flach E, Rivers S, Routh A.Pituitary pars intermedia dysfunction (PPID), also known as Equine Cushing's disease, is most often diagnosed in older horses and ponies. To the authors' knowledge, there have been no reports of its diagnosis in captive nondomestic equids. A 13-yr old onager (Equus hemionus onager) at the Zoological Society of London (ZSL) Whipsnade Zoo showed clinical signs suggestive of PPID, including hirsutism, fat redistribution, weight loss, laminitis, and chronic infections. A dexamethasone suppression test was performed to confirm PPID. Subsequently, adenomatous hyperplasia and microadenoma of the pars...
Menzies R.The oral examination is performed in equids to assess and monitor oral health status, provide diagnoses, and determine efficacy of treatments. While there is currently insufficient scientific material of adequate quality to enable evidence-based medicine in equine dentistry, this by no means negates the clinician's responsibility to provide oral health care in a scientific and ethical manner. To do so requires that the clinician be knowledgable and skilled in dentistry and general medicine, that each case upholds the principles of scientific method, and that data is gathered and appraised in a...
