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.
Ghoshal NG.The occurrence of aberrant lymph nodes, on both sides of the head of a horse, belonging to the retropharyngeal lymphocenter has been reported.
Diethelm AG, Chambers LM, Balch CM, Phillips SJ.Anti-human thymocyte cell membrane antibody prepared by hyperimmunization of the horse produced an antiserum capable of prolonging skin allografts in the rhesus monkey for an average of 26 days. Lymphocyte depletion was present in paracortical areas of mesenteric lymph nodes of these animals after 28 days of treatment; the intravenous administration was tolerated without ill effects. Immunofluorescent studies identified both broad specificity antibodies reacting with numerous human cell types as well as thymus-dependent (T) cell antibodies reactive with human thymocytes and peripheral T-cells....
Matheka HD, Coggins L, Shively JN, Norcross NL.EIA virus was purified from equine fetal kidney cell cultures by PEG-precipitation, two sucrose-gradient sedimentations (5-30 per cent) and (25 to 60 per cent) centrifugation, using the immunodiffusion test to follow the procedure. Purified EIA virus had a density (20 degrees C) of 1.162 and a sedimentation constant of S20w=656. electron microscopy revealed a particle of about 100 nm in diameter with a very flexible but usually spherical shape. The dense core may be at various locations inside the membrane bound particle.
McGuire TC, Banks KL, Evans DR, Poppie MJ.Agammaglobulinemia was diagnosed in a 1-year-old Thoroughbred horse on the basis of the following observations: (1) absence of serum immunoglobulins M, A, and G(T); (2) small amounts of serum immunoglobulin G (16 mg/100 ml); (3) absence of specific antibody in the serum of the horse following immunization and challenge exposure to 2 antigens; (4) absence of plasma cells, primary follicles, and germinal centers in a lymph node removed after antigenic stimulation; (5) absence of "natural" serum antibodies to rabbit-erythrocytes which were easily detectable in age-matched control horse serums; an...
Little PB, Thorsen J.Equine viral rhinopneumonitis type I virus was isolated from spinal cord and brain of a paraparetic horse with disseminated necrotizing myeloencephalitis. Necrotic arteriolitis,nonsuppurative necrotizing myeloencephalitis and Gasserian ganglioneuritis were present. On record were 12 more cases of horses with similar lesions. The horses had been ataxic or paretic for up to several weeks. A field survey indicated that 14 of 24 horses with acute myelitic signs developed them after recent exposure to respiratory disease.
Steel JD, Hall MC, Stewart GA.Changes that occur in the equine ECG during and after exercise have been described and compared with resting ECG's obtained from the same horses. When the speed of work equals or is greater than "three-quarter pace" (i.e. "even time" or 200 metres in 15 seconds) the high heart rates developed cause the loss of ECG waveforms that are readily discernible at rest. Although differences in the waveforms between horses with normal and abnormal resting ECG's have been observed, the more definitive useful information is the fact that abnormal horses showed significantly higher heart rates than normal ...
Vaughan JT, Montes LF, Bembibre A, Blaquier PC.A 5-year-old Thoroughbred chestnut mare was presented because of multiple lesions noticed for approximately one year over the vulva and ther perianal areas. Clinically, there were moist warts that stood out because of their whitish color which contrasted strikingly with the surrounding, normally pigmented, uninvolved skin (Fig. 1). Repeated topical applications of 20% podophyllin in 95% ethyl alcohol produced rapid involution. Histopathologically, marked acanthosis, numerous mitoses, prominently vacuolated epidermal cells and a chronic dermal inflammatory infiltrate were seen (Figs. 2, 3, and ...
Løowenstein H, Markussen B, Weeke B.Three major allergens of horse hair and dandruff have been isolated. The fractionation procedures involved various combinations, described in detail, of ethanol precipitation below --5degreesC, cation- and anion-exchange chromatography, and gel filtration. UV absorption, quantitative immunoelectrophoresis and RAST inhibition were used to monitor the separations. Protein impurities constituted less than 5% in all cases. The molecular weights of the isolated proteins were 1.9 X 10(4), 5.1 X 10(4) and 3.1 X 10(4) daltons, respectively. The pIs were determined as 4.1, 3.8 and 3.9, respectively. Th...
Genchi C, Malnati G.Strongyloides westeri larvae transmission by mare milk in foals has been studied; the results show the importance of this route for parasite penetration.
Bodurov N, Filipov Zh.Comparative clinical and experimental investigations were carried out on 18 clinically normal horses. It was found that the single transfusion of in vitro UV-treated autogenous blood, following a previously described method, was tolerated well by horses and did not lead to any deviations from the normal indices. Under the effect of the treated blood there was an increase in the hemoglobin content, rise in the erythrocyte and leukocyte count with slightly expressed hyperleukocytosis and weak neutrophilia (simple regeneration of the blood). The sedimentation of erythrocytes also showed higher ra...
Stewart M.The structure of vertebrate skeletal muscle is reviewed. The mechanism of muscular contraction and its control is then discussed from the point of view of molecular structure. Contraction takes place by a sliding filament mechanism produced by cross-bridges which form between thick and thin filaments. Control is exercised by tropomyosin and troponin. When the calcium concentration is low, these proteins interfere with the formation of cross-bridges and prevent contraction, but when the calcium concentration is increased, they no longer interfere and contraction proceeds.
Williams PF, Brooks SP, Cooper DR.Sir, — We wish to report the death of a foal due to a parasitic lesion caused by Parascaris equorum..P equorum is reported to cause periodic colic, enterilis, obstructive colic with occasional rupture of the small intestine. However, personal communications with other veterinarians and our experience indicate fatal cases are not as common as indictaed in the literature.
Francfort P, Schatzmann HJ.It is shown that the concentration of ouabain necessary for 50 per cent inhibition of the Na+K activated membrane ATPase of red cells is similar in man and horse. This is taken to indicate that the two species have similar sensitivity towards cardiac glycosides in general. In five adult healthy horses plasma digoxin concentration was measured with a radioimmunoassay technique after a single intravenous injection of 1 mg/100 kg body weight digoxin. The half time of elimination was 23 h and the apparent volume of distribution 7.3 litres/kg. An approximate estimate of plasma protein binding of di...
Johansson HE, Rejnö S.Light and electron microscopic examination was made on equine synovial membrane from 23 healthy joints, nine joints with synovitis caused by intraarticular fracture and 10 joints with synovitis caused by osteochondrosis dissecans. Histologically as well as ultrastructurally the equine synovial membrane from healthy joints was of principally the same character as described in other species. Three types of synovial membrane — areolar, fibrous and adipose — and two types of lining cell were distinguished histologically. Ultrastructurally three types of lining cells were distinguished: A and Î...
Kono Y, Hirasawa K, Fukunaga Y, Taniguchi T.Horses which had passed a few months to a few years asymptomatically after the last recurrence of equine infectious anemia (EIA) showed a typical febrile response after treatment with the immunosuppressive agent, dexamethasone (DM) or cyclophosphamide (CY). In horses showing a febrile response, EIA virus which had not been neutralized by neutralizing antibody previously produced was propagated. In DM-treated horses it disappeared from the blood soon after pyretolysis and antibody against the virus was produced promptly. In contrast, detectable viremia persisted in CY-treated horses for 10 to 8...
Sebek Z, Wallner H, Sixl W, Kaaserer G, Valová M.Results are presented of a serological examination of 1,547 domestic animals (cattle, pig, sheep, horse, goat, dog, cat) from 9 Tyrolian districts (Austria), performed in order to disclose the incidence of leptospirosis. Completely significant titres were domonstrated by means of the MAL test in the serotypes icterohaemorrhagiae or copenhageni, sorex-jalna, bratislava, sejroe and saxkoebing. In addition, antibodies were confirmed against L. bataviae, L. pomona, L. tarassovi and L. bulgarica, but the titres were insignificant. Of the animals examined, 7.2% gave positive reactions in titres of 1...
Rejnö S.LDH is an intracellular enzyme, which when cells degenerate is released to the extracellular spaces and body fluids. Cells and organs in the mammalian body differ from each other with respect to their LDH isoenzyme patterns. These circumstances have led to the use of LDH isoenzyme determinations in laboratory diagnostic work. In the present investigation total LDH activity and LDH isoenzyme distribution in equine synovial fluid from healthy joints, joints with serous arthritis, osteochondrosis dissecans and arthrosis, were determined. The fluids from the diseased joints differed from normal sy...
Hickman J.Sir Frederick Hobday's service as a Veterinary Officer in the Army Veterinary Corps during the Great War 1914-1918 is recorded. This is followed by a description of the fractures of the distal forelimb which can be treated satisfactorily by surgery, and includes fractures of the carpal, the small metacarpal, the proximal sesamoid bones, the first phalanx and the extensor process of the third phalanx.
Løwenstein H, Markussen B, Weeke B.Sera from 26 patients and 4 normals were examined for specific IgE binding to antigens of extract of horse hair and dandruff by means of CRIE. 22 of the patients were RAST- and intracutaneous-positive to horse extract. 4 more of the patients were RAST-negative to horse allergens, but showed allergies to extract of allergens from sources other than horse. The remaining four sera from controls were RAST-negative to horse and had no history of allergy. Antigens of horse hair and dandruff showed a significantly higher degree of binding to specific IgE in the sera from the first group of patients t...
Sutoh M, Saheki Y, Ishitani R, Inui S, Narita M, Hamazaki H, Yokota T.This is the first report on Eimeria leuckarti infection in foals in Japan. Seven Thoroughbred or Angloarabian foals 2 to 7 months of age raised in the Hidaka district, Hokkaido, were infected with E. leuckarti. They died of severe alterations caused by the larval migration of Strongylus vulgaris, and were examined over a period from 1970 to 1973. Protozoa of this species were observed in the small intestine in all the foals. They were found mostly in vacuoles of the cytoplasm of monoclear cells in the lamina propria at or near the tip of villi. Various stages of gametocytes, oocysts, and micro...
Frei S, Fürst AE, Sacks M, Bischofberger AS.Three horses that were presented with supraglenoid tubercle fractures were treated with open reduction and internal fixation using distal femoral locking plates (DFLP). Placing the DFLP caudal to the scapular spine in order to preserve the suprascapular nerve led to a stable fixation, however, it resulted in infraspinatus muscle atrophy and mild scapulohumeral joint instability (case 1). Placing the DFLP cranial to the scapular spine and under the suprascapular nerve resulted in a stable fixation, however, it resulted in severe atrophy of the supraspinatus and infraspinatus muscles and scapulo...
Karatt TK, Muhammed Ajeebsanu M, Karakka Kal AK, Subhahar MB, Sathiq MA, Laya S.The formation of mass adducts is common during electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (ESI-MS). However, the mechanism that leads to adduct formation is poorly understood and difficult to control. Multiplication of mass adducts at once will adversely impact the sensitivity of mass analysis and cause misinterpretation of the level of detection. Prior studies on selective androgen receptor modulators (SARMs) revealed an immense mass adduct formation in both positive and negative ESI modes. Methods: In this study, additives in the mobile phases are investigated as a potential means of controll...
James FM, Smith MRW, Wright IM.Fractures of the proximal phalanx are one of the most common long bone fractures of Thoroughbred racehorses. Although the degree of disruption and damage to the articular surface is generally considered a major prognostic determinant, associated arthroscopic findings have not previously been reported. Objective: To describe the metacarpo/metatarsophalangeal (MCP/MTP) joint lesions associated with parasagittal fractures of the proximal phalanx arthroscopically identified at the time of fracture repair and compare radiographic and arthroscopic appearance of complete fractures. Methods: Retrospec...
Adeyefa CA.Serological evidence of Equine Herpes virus type 1 (EHV-1) activity in Polo horses in Nigeria is reported for the first time. Eighty-two percent of horses tested with known antigen had precipitating antibodies to EHV-1 while 43% of sera tested against antigen prepared from nasal discharges were positive suggesting that the virus was being excreted in the nasal discharges and probably acting as a source of infection for incontact animals as occurs in on-going acute infections. The result of this study indicates a high prevalence of EHV-1 activity among Polo horses in Nigeria and demonstrates th...
Carnevale EM.Vitrification can be used successfully to cryopreserve equine embryos. Embryos for vitrification should be collected from donor mares' uteri when they are 300 mm or less in diameter, however,and at the morula or early blastocyst stage of development. No special equipment is required for vitrification; the straw containing the embryo is exposed to vapor for 1 minute before plunging it into liquid nitrogen. Warming of the straw requires no special equipment,and the embryo can be transferred directly from the straw into a recipient's uterus. Vitrification has been repeatedly successful when the p...
Peli A, Roccaro M.Catastrophic injuries in racehorses mostly involve the metacarpal region. Although many studies describe fractures of equine limbs, few examine the relationship between bone morphometrics and musculoskeletal problems in racing horses. And yet, according to the regulation of some Italian traditional races, the shin circumference represents a qualifying prerequisite for horses to be admitted to races. This study aims to evaluate the conformity of the shin circumference measurement in living animals and in post‑mortem examinations, in order to evaluate the forensic reliability of these measurem...
Assis RA, Kuchler IL, Miekeley N, Tozzi MB.Capillary electrophoresis coupled to inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry was used in a speciation study on disodium monomethylarsonate (DS-MMA(V)) and its metabolites in horses, to which the drug was administered by intramuscular injection on five consecutive days at a single arsenic dosage of 270 mg day(-1). Samples of urine, whole blood, plasma, and mane hair were analyzed before, during, and after drug administration. The data show that blood clearing and urinary excretion of MMA is a fast process following first-order kinetics with biological half-lives of about 38 h and 44 h for ...
Lima AG, Costa LC, Alvarenga MA, Martins CB.The presence of anovulatory haemorrhagic follicles during the oestrous cycle of mares causes financial impacts, slowing conception and increasing the number of services per pregnancy. Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) such as meloxicam and phenylbutazone are used in the treatment of several disorders in mares, and these drugs can impair the formation of prostaglandins (PGs) and consequently interfere with reproductive activity. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of treatment with NSAIDs on the development of pre-ovulatory follicles in mares. In total, 11 mares were studied o...
Peck KE, Hines MT, Mealey KL, Mealey RH.To validate use of high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) in determining imipramine concentrations in equine serum and to determine pharmacokinetics of imipramine in narcoleptic horses. Methods: 5 horses with adult-onset narcolepsy. Methods: Blood samples were collected before (time 0) and 3, 5, 10, 15, 20, 30, and 45 minutes and 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 8, 12, and 24 hours after IV administration of imipramine hydrochloride (2 or 4 mg/kg of body weight). Serum was analyzed, using HPLC, to determine imipramine concentration. The serum concentration-versus-time curve for each horse was analyzed se...
Sobiraj A, Bostedt H.This review article deals with a critical comparison between the direct clinical diagnosis for the pregnancy of the mare (rectal and in some cases also vaginal exploration) and indirect methods. Both methods are discussed whether they can be seen as a mutual completion or are suitable for their own. The indirect methods for the pregnancy diagnosis include the hormone-analytic tests as progesterone concentration in serum or milk, the biological and immunological measurements for PMSG in the serum, finally the biological and chemical methods for estrogen contents in the urine of the mare. Furthe...
Blendinger C, Müller G, Bostedt H.The lethal white foal syndrome (congenital intestinal aganglionosis) was diagnosed by history, clinical signs and pathological findings in a female foal, born in March 1992, that was an offspring of two overo-spotted paint horses. The syndrome is a congenital innervation defect of the gastrointestinal tract. A literature review of this condition, relatively unknown in Germany, is given.
Roser JF, Dudan F, Little TV, Livesay-Wilkins P, Hillman RB.Studies were undertaken to investigate the effects of oxytocin induction on prolactin release in term (Group II) and preterm (Group III) mares and to compare these effects to spontaneously foaling mares (Group I). Since physiological concentrations of prolactin in blood have not been measured in the neonatal foal, experiments were designed to monitor prolactin in the cord artery and jugular blood of the foals from all groups of mares. Although prolactin levels varied in term mares (Group I and II) during the last 11 days of pregnancy, an increase was observed between Day -6 and Day 0 (2.7 and ...
De Clercq E, Den Hondt S, De Baere C, Martens AM.To compare the effect of multiple wound dressings on microbial growth in a perfused equine wound model. Methods: Abdominal musculocutaneous flaps from 16 equine cadavers. Methods: 8 full-thickness skin wound covered were created in each flap. Tissues were perfused with saline (0.9% NaCl) solution. Wounds were inoculated with methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) or Pseudomonas aeruginosa (106 CFUs), incubated, and covered with a dressing containing activated charcoal, boric acid, cadexomer iodine, calcium alginate, manuka honey, nanoparticle silver, or polyhexamethylene biguanide ...
Bienert-Zeit A, Müller JM, Feige K.The article provides hands-on advice and scientific background information regarding the management of the equine acute colic patient. It summarizes essential information on the patient's history, clinical examination, and legal aspects. The scope of the history is based on the clinical appearance of the patient. In horses with violent and barely controllable signs of pain, it is limited to colic-associated information such as onset, course and severity of colic signs, and the last time of defecation, as well as prior therapeutic intervention. In these patients, the clinical examination is foc...
Bristol DG.Caudally based axial pattern and random pattern skin flaps, 5 cm x 10 cm, were raised on the abdomens of seven foals. Blood flow was measured 7.5 cm from the flap bases during incremental increases in applied tension. At tensions less than 1400 g, cutaneous blood flow was more than four times higher in axial pattern flaps than in random pattern flaps. Blood flow in axial pattern flaps at tensions up to 1500 g was greater than baseline flow in random pattern flaps. After removal of applied tension, perfusion in axial pattern flaps gradually increased but remained below baseline values. A short ...