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.
Rahmani SS, Malekifard F, Tavassoli M.Neospora caninum is an Apicomplexan parasite that can cause enormous economic losses due to abortions in cattle. The present study investigated the role of Neospora spp. infection in equine abortion in Iranian donkeys using molecular and phylogenetic analyses. Twenty-nine-aborted fetuses and 29 blood samples from their dams were collected from six different regions in the West and Northwest of Iran. They were tested for N. caninum by PCR at the Nc5 locus, followed by sequencing of five of the PCR products. The overall molecular prevalence was 34.5% in blood samples and the prevalence by DNA de...
Azimpour S, Emami Alagha H, Faghihi H, Rajaei SM, Shokoohimand A.The purpose of this study was to determine the effects and potential side effects of topical preservative-free (PF) tafluprost 0.0015% in ophthalmologically normal horses. Methods: Five adult grade horses. Methods: One of the eyes of each horse was randomly chosen as the "treatment" eye, and consequently, the contralateral eye served as the "control." A single dose of PF tafluprost 0.0015% (0.2 mL) was instilled in the treated eye of each horse. Intraocular pressure (IOP), Schirmer's tear test (STT) levels of each eye, and an ophthalmic examination were performed at T0 (baseline), T30, T120, ...
Nielsen MK, Doran D, Slusarewicz P.Fecal egg counts are essential monitoring tools in veterinary parasite control. In recent years, several groups have developed automated egg counting systems based on image analysis and deep learning algorithms. Work in our laboratory demonstrated that an automated system performed with significantly better precision than traditional egg counting techniques. However, while the counting process is no longer operator dependent, the pre-analytical homogenization steps still are. This study aimed at evaluating the influence of sample homogenization on diagnostic performance on an automated equine ...
de Melo UP, Ferreira C.Back pain and diseases of the spine are considered significant problems in equine sports and veterinary medicine. This article reports a multimodal approach to the treatment of equine back pain using ozonized platelet rich plasma (PRP), dynamic mobilization exercises, and therapeutic shoeing in 15 horses involved in the vaquejada discipline. Fifteen American Quarter Horses of both sexes engaged in vaquejada in the state of Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil, with a mean age of 8.61 ? 1.73 years were examined at a training center for lower performance diagnostics or back pain. A complete clinical exam...
Lepage OM, Di Francesco P, Moulin N, Gangl M, Texier G, Marchi J, Cadoré JL.Background: The management of bleeding originating from the guttural pouch (GP) has a high success rate, but the resolution of the macroscopic inflammatory lesions in the case of mycosis (GPM) is highly variable; the resolution of neurological disorders is inconstant and challenging. Objectives: Our aim was to test the feasibility and safety of topical oxygen therapy (TOT) in horses after induction of GPM and in cases with naturally occurring disease. Study design: This study was an in vivo experimental and retrospective two-phase study. Methods: During phase 1, the pilot study, both GPs were ...
Hermans H, van den Berg EMH, Slenter IJM, Vendrig DJC, de Nijs-Tjon LJL, Vernooij JCM, Brommer H, Boevé MH, Gehring R.Topical dexamethasone and prednisolone are currently the mainstay treatment for equine ophthalmic inflammatory diseases, such as equine recurrent uveitis. Comparative pharmacokinetic studies in horses are lacking and current guidelines are mainly based on empirical data and extrapolation from other species. Objective: To investigate the penetration and local concentrations of topically applied dexamethasone and prednisolone in normal equine ocular fluids and serum. Methods: Prospective randomised experimental pharmacokinetic study. Methods: Twenty-one Shetland ponies without ophthalmic disease...
Orsolini MF, Meyers SA, Dini P.As the use of assisted reproductive technologies (ART) and in vitro embryo production (IVP) expand in the equine industry, it has become necessary to further our understanding of available semen selection techniques. This segment of our two-section review will focus on the selection of spermatozoa based on quality and sex for equine intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI), as well as current and future developments in sperm sorting technologies. Ultimately, novel methods of semen selection will be assessed based on their efficacy in other species and their relevance and future application towa...
Risso A, Campos G, Garcia H, Zerpa H.Equine piroplasmosis (EP) is a tick-borne infectious disease highly prevalent in tropical and subtropical regions, such as Venezuela. EP affects wild and domestic equids leading to several clinical presentations, from asymptomatic to severely affected animals. In this study, thirty-three (33) sport horses under regular training activities and from endemic regions of north-central Venezuela were submitted to an observational survey, case-control, to describe the presence of clinical signs and natural EP infections. A conventional PCR assay targeting the SSU rRNA gene revealed EP etiologic agent...
Lee SK, Park D, Lee I.Equine parvovirus-hepatitis (EqPV-H) causes equine hepatitis. The prevalence of EqPV-H in healthy horses has been reported in the United States, China, Germany, and Austria. The present study determined the prevalence of EqPV-H in the sera of clinically healthy horses in South Korea to identify the potential factors for infection and examine the genetic diversity of EqPV-H DNA sequences through comparison with foreign strains. Serum samples collected from 321 horses were tested for EqPV-H using non-structural protein 1 (NS1)-specific polymerase chain reaction. The associations of EqPV-H infect...
Vercruysse E, Naranjo C, Sauvage A, Vandersmissen M, Grauwels M, Monclin S.To describe the clinical, diagnostic imaging, and histopathological findings of two visually impaired closely related horses and to identify a possible cause. Methods: Two warmblood horses, with a common dam and sire, were presented to the ophthalmology department of Liège for investigation of impaired vision. Information collected included physical and ophthalmic examination findings, results of ocular ultrasound, electroretinogram, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and histopathology. Ophthalmic examination, ocular ultrasound and MRI revealed a complete retinal detachment (RD) in the left e...
Rodríguez-Pozo ML, Armengou L, Viu J, Ríos J, Jose-Cunilleras E.Peritoneal bile acids concentration (PBAC) has not been previously reported in horses. A case of liver lobe torsion in which increased PBAC was detected prompted us to study PBAC in horses. Objective: (a) To determine a reference range of PBAC in horses; (b) to compare PBAC from horses with either hepatic or gastrointestinal disease and healthy horses and (c) to assess the prognostic and diagnostic values of PBAC. Methods: Prospective case-control. Methods: Prospective observational clinical study. Bile acids concentrations were measured in both plasma and peritoneal fluid in selected clinical...
Suganuma K, Acosta TJ, Valinotti MFR, Sanchez AR, Mossaad E, Elata A, Inoue N.Despite the epidemic situation of animal trypanosomosis caused by Trypanosoma evansi, Trypanosoma equiperdum and Trypanosoma vivax in South American countries, there are no reports for the prevalence of animal trypanosomes in Paraguay. In this study, 408 blood samples were obtained from apparently healthy horses from sixteen departments of Paraguay, for routine medical check-up from August to September 2019, and a polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-based cross-sectional study was carried out to identify trypanosome prevalence. The prevalence of Trypanozoon (T. evansi and T. equiperdum) and T. viv...
Ryan A, Gurney M, Steinbacher R.A 10-year-old 466 kg mustang gelding presented to an equine referral hospital for surgical repair of nasal, frontal and lacrimal bone fractures from an unknown trauma. Surgical repair was performed under general anaesthesia, including a right-sided maxillary regional anaesthetic block with mepivacaine hydrochloride. Progressive hyperkalaemia was documented perianaesthetically (T-3 mins; 134 mins after induction; potassium 6.4 mmol/L (ref 3.5-5.1 mmol/L). Perianaesthetic bradycardia was attributed to alpha -2 agonist infusion administration, and other characteristic ECG changes (flattened ...
Jindra C, Hainisch EK, Rümmele A, Wolschek M, Muster T, Brandt S.Bovine papillomaviruses types 1 and 2 (BPV1, BPV2) commonly induce skin tumours termed sarcoids in horses and other equids. Sarcoids seriously compromise the health and welfare of affected individuals due to their propensity to resist treatment and reoccur in a more severe form. We have developed influenza (Flu) A and B virus vectors that harbour a truncated NS1 gene (iNS) assuring interferon induction and co-express shuffled BPV1 E6 and E7 antigens for sarcoid immunotherapy. In a safety trial involving 12 healthy horses, intradermal administration of iNSA/E6E7equ and iNSB/E6E7equ was well tol...
Sakurai M, Isshiki S, Sasaki N, Sakai Y, Yamada Y, Morimoto M.A 7-year-old male Thoroughbred horse exhibited recurrent falls followed by convulsive seizures. The horse was clinically diagnosed with epilepsy and phenobarbital treatment was initiated. However, as seizure control was unsuccessful, the animal was euthanized. At necropsy, yellow-brown linear lesions were found extensively at the U-fibres and cingulate gyrus within the cerebral white matter. Histopathologically, linear demyelination and occasional cavitation were observed. Glial cells with yellow-brown pigment granules, which were autofluorescent, positive to the periodic acid-Schiff reaction ...
Liu CC, Hsiao YC, Chu LJ, Wang PJ, Liu CH, Hsieh WC, Yu JS., also known as Taiwanese cobra, is one of the most prevalent venomous snakes in Taiwan. Clinically, freeze-dried neurotoxic antivenom (FNAV) produced from horses by Taiwan Centers for Disease Control (CDC) has been the only approved treatment for envenoming for the last few decades. During antivenom production, large numbers of mice are used in the in vivo assay to determine whether the neutralization potency of hyperimmunized equines is satisfactory for large-scale harvesting. However, this in vivo assay is extremely laborious, expensive, and significantly impairs animal welfare. In the pre...
van Veggel ECS, Selberg KT, van der Velde-Hoogelander B, Vanderperren K, Cokelaere SM, Bergman HJ. To describe the MRI findings for 13 horses with deep digital flexor tendon (DDFT) injury at the proximal phalanx where the tendon goes from ovoid to bilobed in frontlimbs with tendon sheath distension. In addition, the prognosis of this lesion was assessed. Retrospective case series. Thirteen client-owned horses. Medical records were reviewed, and data were collected regarding signalment, history, MRI findings, and outcomes of horses. Findings of MRI were recorded and whether the case was confirmed with tenoscopy. A diagnosis of DDFT injury at the junction between ovoid and bilobed portio...
Delcourt V, Garcia P, Pottier I, Mansoibou N, Bache N, Glavieux Y, Chabot B, Perot I, André F, Loup B, Barnabé A, Popot MA, Bailly-Chouriberry L.Synthetic androgenic anabolic steroids (AAS) are banned compounds and considered as major threats by both racing and sports international authorities. Hence, doping control laboratories are continually looking into analytical improvements to increase their detection capabilities, notably by means of emerging technologies. To enhance analytical performances for the detection of synthetic AAS such as stanozolol, specific chromatographic procedures have been developed using recent quaternary liquid chromatography technology originally designed for high-throughput standardized proteomics connected...
Leise BS, Fugler LA.Sepsis or systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS) -associated laminitis is a sequela to primary inflammatory conditions (eg, colitis, ischemic intestinal injury, pneumonia, metritis) and results from a dysregulated systemic inflammatory response that ultimately affects the digital lamellae. Local chemokine production, leukocyte migration, and proinflammatory mediator production occur within the lamellae that can lead to catastrophic lamellar failure. Controlling the primary disease, providing supportive care and anti-inflammatory therapy, applying digital cryotherapy, and providing mech...
Mählmann K, Noguera Cender A, Ehrle A, Lischer CJ.To describe a novel fixation of open, unstable, unilateral mandibular fractures applying a locking compression plate as an external skeletal fixator (ESF-LCP). Methods: Four horses and one dromedary. Methods: Short case series. Methods: Animals presented with unstable, open, unilateral fractures of the mandible. Fracture fixation was performed under general anesthesia. A 4.5/5.5 narrow LCP was applied externally above the level of the skin and combined with intraoral tension band wiring. Results: Fracture fixation was achieved successfully using an ESF-LCP. Minimal tissue manipulation was requ...
Bras R, Morrison S.A healthy foot requires a well-balanced foot capable of shock absorption, traction, and normal proprioception. Radiographs and venograms are helpful in assessing health of the external and internal structures of the foot and in early diagnosis. Other techniques to assess foot mechanics include force plate and inertial sensors. When foot pathology ensues, early recognition and emergency mechanical treatment can improve prognosis and overall outcome. Sheared heels, under-run heels, and clubfeet are common problems that need to be corrected early. Successful management and results require he vete...
Giannetto C, Acri G, Giudice E, Arfuso F, Testagrossa B, Piccione G.Raman spectroscopy is an inelastic light-scattering phenomenon that provides vibrational spectrum that contains information relative to chemical bonds and symmetry of a specific molecule, allowing the quali-quantitative simultaneous determination of several components in the biological fluids. Raman spectroscopy measurement returns a spectrum over a wavenumber range constituted by several bands representing biomarkers according to investigated biological matrices. In literature, it has been reported that at the frequencies inside the (1,300-1,360) cm total lipids, and tryptophan have been iden...
Puccetti M, Beccati F, Denoix JM.Bone stress injuries and fatigue fractures of the pelvis are reported in only a small number of endurance horses. Objective: To describe bone stress injuries and fatigue fracture of the pelvis in endurance horses trained and competing on the deep sand surfaces. Methods: Retrospective case series. Methods: Medical records of horses used for endurance and diagnosed with bone stress injuries and/or fatigue fractures of the pelvis by ultrasound were reviewed. The bone stress injuries and fatigue fractures were classified as affecting the iliac wing, the iliac shaft, the tuber ischiadicum, the rest...
Tucker R, Parker RA, Meredith LE, Hughes TK, Foote AK.To describe the surgical removal of intra-articular loose bodies (LBs) from the cervical articular process joints (APJs) in five horses and to describe the outcome of the surgery. Methods: Short case series. Methods: Five client-owned horses with naturally occurring LBs within the cervical APJs. Methods: Medical records were reviewed of horses that were diagnosed with LBs of the cervical APJs on computed tomography (CT), where the LBs were subsequently removed surgically. Details of case selection and surgical technique were reviewed along with postoperative complications and clinical outcome....
Fürst AE, Lischer CJ.Many disorders affect the equine foot, and many hoof problems have multiple predisposing causes. Surgery may be necessary after conservative management has failed. Diseases of the hoof capsule may seem simple, but their effect on performance can be long-lasting and healing is often prolonged. Diagnosis of problems within the hoof capsule is enhanced with the use of computed tomography and MRI. The prognosis of fractures has improved with strategic placement of lag screws across fracture planes using aiming devices and advanced intraoperative imaging techniques. Collaboration between the clinic...
Boss CK, Gibson DJ, Schultz G, Whitley RD, Hernandez JA, Abbott JR, Plummer CE.To investigate the therapeutic effects of topical equine amniotic membrane (eAM) suspension following corneal wounding in a controlled experimental setting. Methods: Equine amniotic membrane was collected, gamma irradiated, homogenized for topical suspension preparation, and cryopreserved. Corneoscleral rims harvested from fresh rabbit globes were wounded via keratectomy and were maintained in an air-liquid interface ex vivo corneal culture model. Treatment groups included topical gamma irradiated eAM suspension (n = 20) and a control group (n = 20). Re-epithelialization of the wound was a...
Luethy D.Treatment of equine laminitis continues to be a challenge despite recent advancements in knowledge of the pathophysiology of laminitis. With more evidence supporting its use, distal limb hypothermia or cryotherapy has become a standard of care for both prevention of laminitis and treatment of the early stages of acute laminitis. Recent studies have demonstrated that cryotherapy reduces the severity of sepsis-related laminitis and hyperinsulinemic laminitis in experimental models and reduces the incidence of laminitis in clinical colitis cases. This article reviews the recent literature support...
Rodríguez N, Whitfield-Cargile CM, Chamoun-Emanuelli AM, Hildreth E, Jordan W, Coleman MC.The nasopharyngeal bacterial and fungal microbiota of normal horses and those with nasopharyngeal cicatrix syndrome (NCS) are unknown. Objective: To describe the microbiota from nasopharyngeal washes of healthy horses and of horses acutely affected with NCS. Methods: Twenty-six horses acutely affected with NCS horses and 14 unaffected horses. Methods: Prospective, observational cohort study. Horses were recruited by investigators through personal communications in central Texas. Bacterial (16s RNA) and fungal (internal transcribed spacer) microbiota from nasopharyngeal washes were evaluated. P...
Kwak YB, Yu J, Im EJ, Jeong BS, Yoo HH.Cobalt is a substance that has been abused for athletic performance enhancement and has thus been prohibited by human and animal sports doping control authorities. However, because cobalt is present in humans and animals as a trace element, a certain level of cobalt is naturally present in their excretions. In the racing industry, cobalt is a controlled substance with a threshold concentration specified by the International Agreement on Breeding, Racing and Wagering (IABRW) for international harmonization. Due to environmental and feed consumption differences among countries, regional cobalt c...
Franklin RP, Kinde H, Jay MT, Kramer LD, Green EG, Chiles RE, Ostlund E, Husted S, Smith J, Parker MD.A yearling quarter horse, which was raised in southern California, received routine vaccinations for prevention of infection by Eastern equine encephalomyelitis virus (EEEV). One week later, severe neurologic signs developed, and the horse was humanely destroyed. A vaccine-related encephalomyelitis was later suspected. A final diagnosis of EEEV infection was established on the basis of acute onset of the neurologic signs, histopathologic and serologic testing, and isolation and molecular characterization of EEEV from brain tissue. The vaccine was extensively tested for viral inactivation. Nucl...
Raulo SM, Sorsa T, Tervahartiala T, Pirilä E, Maisi P.Gelatinolytic activity was analysed to study whether elevated activity previously found at the tracheal level of the respiratory tract of horses with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) could also be found at the lower part of the respiratory tract. Furthermore, presence and significance of the gelatinolytic matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) MMP-2 and MMP-9 in respiratory secretions of healthy and COPD horses were determined. Elevated gelatinolytic matrix metalloproteinases were detected in bronchoalveolar and tracheobronchial secretions from COPD horses. The main pathologically elevat...
Smits K, Gansemans Y, Tilleman L, Van Nieuwerburgh F, Van De Velde M, Gerits I, Ververs C, Roels K, Govaere J, Peelman L, Deforce D, Van Soom A.The signal for maternal recognition of pregnancy (MRP) has still not been identified in the horse. High-throughput molecular biology at the embryo-maternal interface has substantially contributed to the knowledge on pathways affected during MRP, but an integrated study in which proteomics, transcriptomics and miRNA expression can be linked directly is currently lacking. The aim of this study was to provide such analysis. Endometrial biopsies, uterine fluid, embryonic tissues, and yolk sac fluid were collected 13 days after ovulation during pregnant and control cycles from the same mares. Micro...
Vander Heyden L, Lejeune JP, Caudron I, Detilleux J, Sandersen C, Chavatte P, Paris J, Deliège B, Serteyn D.Osteochondrosis (OC) is the most common developmental orthopaedic disease in horses and represents a major problem to the horse industry. The complete mechanism of this multifactorial disease is not yet elucidated, but it is accepted that OC lesions are the result of intrinsic genetic and external factors. The aim of the present work was to evaluate the relationship between breeding management and OC. Breeding conditions were recorded, and a radiological examination was performed in 223 foals. Feeding practice and housing management were analysed in a multivariate model to determine risk facto...
Nogueira SA, Torres SM, Malone ED, Diaz SF, Jessen C, Gilbert S.Imiquimod is an immune response modifier with potent antiviral and antitumour activity. The objective of this pilot study was to evaluate the efficacy of an imiquimod 5% cream (Aldaratrade mark: 3M, Saint Paul, MN, USA) as a topical treatment for equine sarcoids. Fifteen horses with a total of 19 tumours were enrolled, including mixed (7), fibroblastic (5), flat (3), verrucous (2), and nodular (2) types. Baseline data included history, physical examination, tumour location, measurement and digital photography. Imiquimod was applied by the owners three times a week until complete resolution of ...
Proudman CJ, Trees AJ.There is increasing interest in the application of serological methods to macro-parasite infections to indicate infection intensity, which in turn is related to pathogenicity. Colic is the single most important cause of mortality in horses and there is evidence that a proportion of colic cases are associated with infection with the intestinal cestode Anoplocephala perfoliata. In order to develop better tools to investigate this association, the correlation between antigen-specific equine IgG and IgG(T) and infection intensity of A. perfoliata was investigated. Affinity purification of a 12/13 ...
Trimeche A, Yvon JM, Vidament M, Palmer E, Magistrini M.The supplementation of the freezing diluent with 3 amino acids (glutamine, proline and histidine) and 1 amino acid-related compound (betaine) in preserving stallion spermatozoa diluted in INRA82 extender containing 2.5% (v/v) glycerol and 2% (v/v) egg yolk (control extender) during freezing and thawing was studied at 0, 40, 80, 120 and 160 mM in 20 split ejaculates (10 stallions x 2 ejaculates; Experiment 1). Glutamine and proline were studied at 0, 10, 20, 30, 40, 50, 60, 70 and 80 mM in 20 split ejaculates (10 stallions x 2 ejaculates; Experiment 2). In each experiment, spermatozoa were eval...
Pastuszka R, Barłowska J, Litwińczuk Z.Protein content in cow milk (with over 20 proteins, and peptides may also occur as a result of enzymatic hydrolysis) ranges from 2.5% to 4.2% and is about 1.5-2 times higher than in human milk. Its most important allergens are considered to be β-lactoglobulin (absent in human milk) and αs1-casein. The most similar in composition to human milk is horse and donkey milk. It contains considerably more whey proteins (35-50%) than cow milk (about 20%), and the concentration of the most allergenic casein fraction αs1 is 1.5-2.5 g/l. In comparison, the content of αs1-casein in cow milk is about 10...
Olitsky PK, Harford CG.Young (12 to 15 day old) mice are approximately as susceptible to the virus of equine encephalomyelitis, Eastern or Western strain, when it is given intraperitoneally as are adult mice when the virus is injected intracerebrally. With this susceptibility by the intraperitoneal route as a basis, the injection of immune serum-virus mixtures intraperitoneally was found to result in protection in dilutions which give rise to infection after intracerebral inoculation. The difference of protective power by the two indicated routes was shown not to depend on the amount of inoculum nor on the age of th...
Almagro JC, Martinez L, Smith SL, Alagon A, Estevez J, Paniagua J.We have constructed a chimeric antibody single-chain Fv (scFv) fragments phage-displayed library that combines an invariant human V(L) chain with the repertoire of V(H) domains amplified from a horse immunized against scorpion venom. To gain insight into the equine V(H) repertoire, the V(H) sequences of 46 unique clones randomly chosen from the library prior to antigenic selection were analyzed. Comparisons with previously reported equine V(H) sequences, as well as with the repertoire of human IGHV germline genes and known V(H) sequences of sheep, cattle and pig, suggest that the equine IGH lo...
Felix MR, Turner RM, Dobbie T, Hinrichs K.Methods for standard in vitro fertilization have been difficult to establish in the horse. We evaluated whether prolonged sperm pre-incubation would support subsequent fertilization. Fresh sperm were pre-incubated with penicillamine, hypotaurine, and epinephrine (PHE) for 22 h. Co-incubation of cumulus-oocyte complexes (COCs) for 6 h yielded 43% fertilization; culture of presumptive embryos yielded 21% blastocysts. Sperm incubated similarly, but without PHE, did not fertilize oocytes. Use of extended semen in the system yielded 54% blastocysts and was applied in subsequent experiments. Trans...
Tutluoglu B, Atiş S, Anakkaya AN, Altug E, Tosun GA, Yaman M.This study aimed to investigate the rate of occupational sensitization to horse hair in grooms and whether occupational exposure to horse hair increases respiratory and allergic symptoms and affects lung function in grooms or not. Methods: This is a cross-sectional study. Two hundred grooms were randomly selected among 1000 grooms working in Veliefendi Hippodrome of Istanbul. One hundred and twenty-five subjects agreed to enter the study. Ninety-two workers who worked in the different parts of this hippodrome enrolled as the control group. A detailed questionnaire including respiratory and all...
Soroko M, Zaborski D, Dudek K, Yarnell K, Górniak W, Vardasca R.The impact of a rider's and saddle's mass on saddle thermal pattern distribution was evaluated using infrared thermography (IRT). Eighteen racehorses were ridden by four riders with their own saddle. Images of the saddle panels were captured at each of six thermographic examinations. On each image, six regions of interest (ROIs) were marked on the saddle panels. The mean temperature for each ROI was extracted. To evaluate the influence of load on saddle fit, 4 indicators were used: ΔTmax (difference between the mean temperature of the warmest and coolest ROI); standard deviation of the mean t...
Crowe MW, Swerczek TW.In a 13-year survey of equine congenital defects that resulted in death or required euthanasia in central Kentucky, necropsies were performed on 608 deformed fetuses or newborn foals. The following congenital anomalies were observed: contracted foal syndrome (33.2%), miscellaneous limb contraction (20%), multiple defects (5.3%), microphthalmia (4.6%), craniofacial malformations (4.3%), cleft palate (4.0%), heart defects (3.5%), umbilical defects (3.5%), and hydrocephalus (3.0%). Eleven less frequently occurring anomalies constituted the balance of the congenital defects in fetuses and newborn ...
Celeste CJ, Deschene K, Riley CB, Theoret CL.Wound repair in horse limbs is often complicated by the development of exuberant granulation tissue (EGT) and excessive scarring while body wounds tend to repair uneventfully. EGT resembles the human keloid. While the events leading to keloid formation are not fully elucidated, tissue hypoxia has been proposed as a major contributing factor. The objective of this study was to investigate tissue oxygen saturation in healing full-thickness wounds created on the horse limb and body, using near-infrared spectroscopy. Spectroscopic reflectance data were collected from both anatomic sites at specifi...
Won SY, Kim YC, Kim SK, Jeong BH.Prion diseases are fatal neurodegenerative diseases and are characterized by the accumulation of abnormal prion protein (PrP) in the brain. During the outbreak of the bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) epidemic in the United Kingdom, prion diseases in several species were reported; however, horse prion disease has not been reported thus far. In previous studies, the shadow of prion protein (Sho) has contributed to an acceleration of conversion from normal prion protein (PrP) to PrP, and the shadow of prion protein gene () polymorphisms have been significantly associated with the susceptibi...
Naylor RJ, Taylor AH, Knowles EJ, Wilford S, Linnenkohl W, Mair TS, Johns IC.Ex vivo evidence suggests that cyclo-oxygenase (COX) 2-preferential inhibitor nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), such as meloxicam, have a less detrimental effect on intestinal healing than flunixin meglumine (FM). Whether this translates to a beneficial effect in horses with naturally occurring strangulating small intestinal (SSI) lesions is unknown. Objective: To compare the clinical outcome of horses with naturally occurring SSI lesions treated with meloxicam or FM. Methods: Randomised prospective study. Methods: Cases presenting to the Royal Veterinary College Equine Referral H...
Broeckx S, Borena BM, Zimmerman M, Mariën T, Seys B, Suls M, Duchateau L, Spaas JH.It has been reported that mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) have homing capacities and immunomodulating effects after an intravenous injection. However, transplanting MSCs in murine tail veins can result in pulmonary reactions and even death of the animals. Unfortunately, only a few intravenous MSC transplantations have been reported in large animal species and these were performed in a limited number of individuals. To assess the safety of MSC transplantations, a large study on 291 recipient horses is reported here. MSCs were isolated from the peripheral blood (PB) of a 4-year-old and 6-year-old ...
Meny P, Menéndez C, Ashfield N, Quintero J, Rios C, Iglesias T, Schelotto F, Varela G.Leptospirosis is important in Uruguay due to the economic loss caused by the diseases of production animals, mainly bovines, and also due to frequent human infection. We decided to study anti-Leptospira antibodies in the sera of dairy workers, rice laborers, veterinarians, suburban slum dwellers and garbage recyclers. Our aims were to estimate the seroprevalence of infection by Leptospira spp. in these people at risk, the relative importance of the known risk factors associated with infection, and the impact of human infections in each setting. Groups at risk were identified and 35 visits to t...
Bampidis V, Azimonti G, Bastos ML, Christensen H, Durjava M, Kouba M, López-Alonso M, López Puente S, Marcon F, Mayo B, Pechová A, Petkova M....Following a request from the European Commission, the EFSA Panel on Additives and Products or Substances used in Animal Feed (FEEDAP) was asked to deliver a scientific opinion on the safety and efficacy of an essential oil from the leaves of L. (laurel leaf oil), when used as a sensory additive for all animal species. The additive contains up to 4% methyleugenol. The use of the additive at 2 mg/kg complete feed in dogs and cats was considered of low concern. For other long-living and reproductive animals, the use of the additive at 10 mg/kg was considered of concern. For short-living animal...
Marenzoni ML, Coppola G, Maranesi M, Passamonti F, Cappelli K, Capomaccio S, Verini Supplizi A, Thiry E, Coletti M.Equid herpesvirus 5 (EHV-5) infection was detected in a farm in Italy by the use of a semi-nested polymerase chain reaction (PCR) targeting glycoprotein B of EHV-5 on nasal swabs and blood samples of clinically healthy and randomly selected Lipizzaner horses (n = 55). Twenty-five horses at the age of 4-17 years and 30 at an age of 1-3 years were sampled once. The association of the infection with these age-groups and the gender of the horses was investigated. The apparent prevalence of EHV-5 infection was significantly different between age-cohorts: it was higher in the younger group of ...
Sato K, Wakai T, Seita Y, Takizawa A, Fissore RA, Ito J, Kashiwazaki N.A sperm-specific phospholipase C (PLC), PLCzeta (PLCζ), is thought to underlie the initiation of calcium ([Ca(2+) ]i ) oscillations that induce egg activation in mammals. In large domestic species, only bovine, porcine and recently equine PLCζ have been cloned, and the physiological functions of these molecules have not been fully characterized. Here, we evaluated the physiological functions of equine PLCζ (ePLCζ) in mouse oocytes. ePLCζ was cloned from testis using RT-PCR. The expression of ePLCζ messenger RNA was confirmed in testis but not in other tissues. Microinjection of ePLCζ co...
Gharekhani J, Yakhchali M, Berahmat R.Knowledge on neosporosis and associated risk factors in different species of animals are so important for designing the control programs and reduce the economic losses globally. This literature review targeted for evaluating the infection rate of in animals in Iran. Until April 2020, all of published documents in the main English and Persian-language databases were searched. A total number of 110 documents (English = 85 and Persian = 25) were extracted. Most of reports were sero-epidemiological studies using ELISA in Iranian cattle population. The range of infection was 3.8-76.2% in ...
Schoster A.Probiotics are commonly used in human and veterinary medicine due to their postulated positive effects on overall and specifically gastrointestinal health. Although some beneficial effects have been shown in several human diseases, a general beneficial effect of probiotics is currently not supported. In horses, well-designed studies to date are few, results are conflicting, and the effects of probiotics are questionable. Adverse effects are rare; however, intestinal adverse effects (diarrhea) have been reported in foals. Quality control of over-the-counter probiotics is not tightly regulated, ...
Boxell AC, Gibson KT, Hobbs RP, Thompson RC.To assess the occurrence of gastrointestinal parasites in horses in Perth. To apply polymerase chain reaction (PCR) for the identification of some species of encysted larval cyathostomes. Methods: Between February and September of 2000, the gastrointestinal tracts of 29 horses submitted to a local knackery and Murdoch University Veterinary hospital in Perth were examined post mortem for the presence of gastrointestinal parasites. Methods: The gastrointestinal tract was divided into six sections, which were screened for the presence of parasites such as Gasterophilus sp, Anoplocephala sp and Pa...
Nilsson O, Ljungström BL, Höglund J, Lundquist H, Uggla A.Distal ileum, caecum and proximal colon of 470 horses were examined for helminths during 1 year at an abattoir in central Sweden. The infection levels of the horse tapeworm Anoplocephala perfoliata, their stage of development, site of attachment and gross pathological lesions caused by the worm were recorded. Faecal samples from 395 of the horses were examined specifically for tapeworm segments and eggs in order to correlate these findings with the numbers in the alimentary canal. In total 65% of the horses were infected with A. perfoliata and the mean intensity of infection was 79 worms per i...
Olivo G, Lucas TM, Borges AS, Silva RO, Lobato FC, Siqueira AK, da Silva Leite D, Brandão PE, Gregori F, de Oliveira-Filho JP, Takai S, Ribeiro MG.Diarrhea is a major clinical problem affecting foals up to 3 months of age. The aim of this study was to identify enteric microorganisms involved in monoinfections and coinfections and the associated virulence factors in healthy and diarrheic foals. Diarrheic (D) ( = 56) and nondiarrheic (ND) foals ( = 60) up to three months of age were studied. Fecal samples were analyzed for identification of infectious agents (microbiological culturing, molecular techniques, and microscopic analyses). (30% versus 25%), spp. (25% versus 7%), (25% versus 25%), type A (21% versus 10%), (20% versus 35%), ...
Mularczyk M, Bourebaba N, Marycz K, Bourebaba L.Astaxanthin is gaining recognition as a natural bioactive component. This study aimed to test whether astaxanthin could protect adipose-derived stromal stem cells (ASCs) from apoptosis, mitochondrial dysfunction and oxidative stress. was used to extract astaxanthin, whose biocompatibility was tested after 24, 48 and 72 h of incubation with the cells; no harmful impact was found. ASCs were treated with optimal concentrations of astaxanthin. Several parameters were examined: cell viability, apoptosis, reactive oxygen levels, mitochondrial dynamics and metabolism, superoxide dismutase activity, ...
Leclere M, Costa MC.Gastrointestinal microbiota can be influenced by several factors, including diet and systemic inflammation, and in turn could act as a modulator of the allergic response. Fecal microbiota of horses with asthma has not been described. Objective: Analyze the bacterial fecal microbiota of horses with and without asthma under different environment and diet conditions, during both remission and exacerbation. Methods: Prospective observational study. Feces from 6 asthmatic and 6 healthy horses were collected under 3 different conditions: on pasture, housed indoors receiving good quality hay ("good h...
