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.
McGuire TC, Poppie MJ.A severe combined immunodeficiency disorder was demonstrated in two Arabian foals which were full siblings. The defect in the B-lymphocyte system was shown by hypogammaglobulinemia, lymphopenia, and absence of germinal centers. The almost total absence of thymic tissue in one foal and the lack of thymic dependent lymphocytes in the spleens of both foals demonstrate a T-lymphocyte defect. In a retrospective study of total available Arabian foal cases, 4 of 15 had evidence of immunodeficiency.
Morris CD, Whitney E, Bast TF, Deibel R.During August 1971 three horses died and one human infant became ill during an outbreak of Eastern equine encephalomyelitis in Upstate New York. Fifteen of 93 wild avian sera collected in the area reacted in hemagglutination-inhibition (HI) tests with Eastern equine encephalomyelitis (EEE). EEE virus was isolated from four avian specimens (White-throated Sparrow, Towhee, Baltimore Oriole, Cedar Waxwing) and 5 of 159 arthropod pools (3 from Culiseta morsitans and 1 each from Culex territans and Culex restuans). Sera from 54 humans and 89 healthy equines were HI-negative for EEE. It is believed ...
Viljanto M, Cutler C, Taylor P, Habershon-Butcher J, Gray B.MK-0677 (ibutamoren) is an orally active non-peptide growth hormone secretagogue that binds to the ghrelin receptor stimulating the secretion of endogenous growth hormone. It is one of the most prevalent performance-enhancing compounds currently available online and is potentially subject to abuse both in human and equine sports. The aim of the current study was to investigate whether it could be detected in equine hair following oral administration of MK-0677 mesylate to a Thoroughbred racehorse. MK-0677 and its O-dealkylated metabolite were extracted using an existing method for prohibited s...
Barban PS, Gol'din RB, Misenzhnikov AV, Prusakova ZM, Pantiukhina AN.The authors present the results of immunization of horses-producers with a commercial antigen and the yolk culture of the living R. sibericus (strain K1) for the purpose of obtaining specific immune sera for many purposes. It was shown that the original combined scheme of immunization and reimmunization of horses, successfully approved in the preparation of immune sera to Rickettsia prowazeki also proved to be highly effective for obtaining the antisera to R. sibericus. Sera obtained after the primary immunization of horses could be successfully used as diagnostic sera, but they were of no use...
Toombs-Ruane LJ, Riley CB, Rosanowski SM, Kendall AT, Benschop J.Decreased efficacy of veterinary antimicrobials and increased prevalence of multi-drug resistance (MDR) is of concern, but little is known of antimicrobial resistance encompassing the New Zealand (NZ) equine population. Recent concerns have arisen over the emergence of multi-resistant bacteria [1], especially on NZ stud farms where antibiotics are frequently used for respiratory disease without veterinary input [2]. Objective: To describe bacterial culture and antimicrobial sensitivity results from respiratory samples submitted of young horses (4 weeks to 3 years old). Methods: Retrospective s...
Johansson IM, Anlér EL, Bondesson U, Schubert B.Two metabolites of meclofenamic acid have been isolated from equine urine. Both metabolites are found to be monohydroxylated forms of meclofenamic acid by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry after extractive alkylation. The parent drug and the metabolites are separated by reversed-phase liquid chromatography on a Spherisorb ODS column, using methanol-phosphate buffer eluents and UV detection at 280 nm. The structure of the metabolites is discussed on the basis of LC, TLC and GC-MS data.
Pérez-Marín CC, Requena FD, Arando A, Requena L, Requena F, Agüera EI.The aim of this study was to determine the effects of various abiotic factors, such as light, physical stress (pipetting) and thermal shock, on the quality of fresh and cooled equine sperm. In experiment I, four sperm aliquots were subjected to different light exposures: (i) protected control samples (CTRL), (ii) exposed to UV light at 10 cm (UV10), (iii) exposed to UV light at 20 cm (UV20) and (iv) exposed to laboratory lighting (LAB). In experiment II, four semen aliquots were subjected to repeated pipetting for 0, 10, 20 and 30 times (CTRL, P10, P20 and P30, respectively). In experiment I...
Littlejohn A.Twenty cases of chronic cough originating in the lung and associated with loss of performance were clinically examined. The physical signs observed were compared with those observed in a control series of 38 clinically normal horses. Reduced work tolerance, coughing for more than 3 months and abnormal pulmonary sounds (râles) were primary signs of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Forced abdominal expiratory efforts and pumping of the anus were regarded as confirmatory signs. Neither nasal discharge nor increased marginal distance was found to be a reliable sign of COPD. The mean ...
Kaminski M.The detection of the recessive null allele of horse serum esterase (Es) is possible in heterozygotes Es+/EsO which by starch gel electrophoresis appear like homozygotes Es+/Es+. Two methods are proposed, the titration of enzymatic activity of esterase and the immunochemical titration of esterase as antigen. These methods can be applied to solve the cases of suspect parentage or in population studies.
McCann ME, Watson TD, Boudinot FD, Moore JN.We evaluated the pharmacokinetics of IV administered sodium heparin and the pharmacodynamic effect of heparin on lipoprotein lipase (LPL) activity. Horses were allotted to 3 groups. Plasma samples were obtained from each horse before and at various times for 6 hours after heparin administration for determination of heparin concentration, LPL activity, and activated partial thromboplastin time (APTT). The disposition of heparin was dose dependent. The area under the plasma heparin concentration vs time curve (AUC) increased more than proportionally with dose, indicating that heparin elimination...
Borer KE, Clarke KW.To determine whether hyoscine has a sparing effect on the volume of dobutamine required to maintain mean arterial pressure (MAP) at 70 mmHg in horses anaesthetized with halothane. Methods: Prospective, randomized, controlled clinical trial. Methods: Twenty adult horses weighing 507 +/- 97 kg (mean +/- SD), aged 10 +/- 5 years. Methods: Pre-anaesthetic medication in all horses was intramuscular (IM) acepromazine (40 mug kg(-1)) and intravenous (IV) detomidine (0.02 mg kg(-1)). Anaesthesia was induced with ketamine (2.2 mg kg(-1) IV) and diazepam (0.02 mg kg(-1) IV), and maintained with halothan...
Janicek JC, Wilson DA, Carson WL, Kramer J.To compare stiffness and strength of a dynamic condylar screw plate combined with dorsal broad dynamic compression plate (DCS-bDCP) fixation with double broad dynamic compression plate (dbDCP) fixation used to repair oblique distal fractures of adult equine radii. Methods: Experimental. Methods: Adult equine radii (n=10 pair). Methods: An unconstrained three-dimensional loading-measurement system was used to determine stiffness of a 50 mm long intact, and then DCS-bDCP or dbDCP-plated osteotomized/ostectomized segment of radii when subjected to a nondestructive sequence of compression, torsion...
Spiegel IB, White SD, Foley JE, Drazenovich NL, Ihrke PJ, Affolter VK.Nine horses from ages 5 to 21 years were diagnosed with cutaneous equine sarcoidosis (ES) over an 18-year period. In addition to skin, the lungs were frequently involved, with other organ systems affected less commonly. A predisposition for thoroughbreds and geldings was noted. Cutaneous lesions and signs included crusts, scales, alopecia and pruritus. These were found at various sites, particularly the legs/thighs/elbows, thorax, neck, face and ventral abdomen. Three horses were euthanized shortly after hospitalization; others survived as long as 12 years. Histopathologic stains, immunohistoc...
Alef M, Oechtering G.The continuous fiberoptical measurement of the mixed venous partial oxygen saturation is described. It is an enrichment of the diagnostical possibilities in veterinary medicine. In the horse it is of great interest, because disturbances of the pulmonary gas exchange and the myocardial function are common in the anaesthetised horse, and reliable methods of assessing the cardiac output are rare. Using this monitoring technique in nearly 100 equine high risk patients facilitated insight into the complex changes of the pulmonary, cardiac and circulatory function in the anaesthetised horse. The reg...
Pilsworth RC.Pelvic fracture is a relatively common spontaneous fracture in thoroughbred racehorses. Its diagnosis can be difficult, and radiography in the acute phase carries the risks associated with anaesthesia and recumbency. This paper describes the use of a hand-held probe for point counting after the injection of technetium-99m in the investigation of four cases of pelvic fracture. The level of increased uptake of radioactivity was lower (40 to 61 per cent increase) than for distal limb bone fractures.
Kennedy SR, Thompson DL, Pruett HE, Burns PJ, Deghenghi R.A series of experiments was performed to determine the factor(s) responsible for an apparent inhibition of GH secretion in mares administered the GH secretagogue EP51389 in combination with GnRH, thyrotropin-releasing hormone (TRH), and sulpiride. Experiment 1 tested the repeatability of the original observation: 10 mares received EP51389 at 10 microg/kg BW; five received TRH (10 microg/kg BW), GnRH (1 microg/kg BW), and sulpiride (100 microg/kg BW) immediately before EP51389, and five received saline. The mixture of TRH, GnRH, and sulpiride reduced (P = 0.0034) the GH response to EP51389, con...
Cornelissen BP.Sesamoiditis is characterized clinically by repeated lameness and radiologically by changes in the proximal sesamoid bones. This thesis, which was defended in June 1997, investigated two characteristics of sesamoiditis, namely the arterial blood supply and the innervation of the proximal sesamoid bones, in order to gain more insight into the etiopathogenesis of sesamoiditis. Experiments with patient material showed that the proximal sesamoid bones have an enormous arterial reserve, due in part to the formation of an arterial shift. Moreover, the sesamoid bones have their own sensory innervatio...
Knickelbein KE, Lassaline ME, Kim S, Scharbrough MS, Thomasy SM.To determine corneal thickness (CT) and axial anterior chamber depth (ACD) using ultrasound biomicroscopy (UBM) in normal adult horses. To compare corneal thickness measurements between UBM and ultrasonic pachymetry. Methods: Sixty eyes of 30 healthy adult horses aged 8-24 years. Methods: Ultrasonic pachymetry (velocity of 1640 m/s) was utilized to obtain measurements of the central, superior, temporal, inferior, and nasal cornea. Triplicate images of the same corneal locations were acquired using UBM (50 MHz). Images of the axial anterior chamber were used to measure ACD. Intraocular pres...
Gill Harris reports from this year's National Equine Forum, where one of the main themes was the horse industry and government. The forum, held in London on March 5, was attended by more than 200 people with a connection to the equestrian industry. Lord de Mauley, parliamentary undersecretary of state for natural environment and science at Defra, set the course of the proceedings.
Antczak DF.A new polymorphic locus of the horse which has several unusual properties is described. The suggested name for the locus is ELY-2. The gene product of one allele at this locus, designated ELY-2.1, has been identified with antisera raised as a result of pregnancy. Antibody to ELY-2.1 was first detected on day 55 after conception in the serum of a mare in first pregnancy. This early onset of antibody is similar to that seen for antibody to ELA antigens, and suggests that the source of the antigenic stimulus may be the tissue of the equine endometrial cups. The antisera identifying ELY-2.1 are cy...
