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.
Lyman CC, Baldrighi JM, Anderson CO, Germaine SS, Kane AJ, Holyoak GR.A significant welfare concern for those within the horse industry is that of the overpopulation in free-roaming horses in the western US. The goal of the present study was to identify a humane and inexpensive means of providing contraception and reducing pregnancy rates in a way that could be applied to free-roaming horses on the western U.S. open range lands. A series of studies was conducted utilizing the previously-described silastic O-ring intrauterine devices (IUDs). Throughout these studies pregnancy was successfully prevented in mares with an O-ring IUD, but collective retention rates f...
Lo Feudo CM, Stucchi L, Conturba B, Alberti E, Zucca E, Ferrucci F.Equine squamous gastric disease (ESGD) may require prolonged treatments with acid suppressants; therefore, interest in nutraceutical supplements with anti-ulcerogenic properties has increased. This study aims to investigate the efficacy of Trophogast pellet for the treatment of ESGD in endurance horses. Methods: Fifteen endurance horses were included based on their gastroscopic examination and randomly assigned to a treatment group, receiving Trophogast pellet for 30 days together with management changes, or to a control group, only subjected to management modifications. At the end of treatmen...
Živković S, Pavlović I, Mijatović B, Trailović I, Trailović D.This study aimed to investigate the prevalence, intensity and risk factors (age and gender) promoting the intestinal helminthic infections of the Domestic mountain ponies and Balkan donkeys in Serbia. Methods: Prevalence, intensity and risk factors influencing helminth infection in horses (n=39) and donkeys (n=18) at the site of Nature Park Stara Planina, were studied from May to Sep 2015. The presence of one or several gastrointestinal helminth species was confirmed by faecal flotation in 97.43% of horses and 88.88% of donkeys included in the monitoring. The identified helminth species were ,...
Lea KM, Smith SR.Central Kentucky horse pastures contain significant populations of tall fescue (Schedonorus arundinacea (Schreb.) Dumort) infected with an endophyte (Epichloë coenophialum (Morgan-Jones and Gams) Bacon and Schardl) known to produce several ergot alkaloids, with ergovaline in the highest concentration. While most classes of horses are not adversely affected by average levels of ergovaline in pastures, late term pregnant mares have a low tolerance to ergovaline and the related ergot alkaloids. Endophyte-infected tall fescue has been known to cause prolonged gestation, thickened placenta, dystoc...
Gmel AI, Burger D, Neuditschko M.The use of frozen-thawed semen is an important reproduction tool to preserve the biodiversity of small, native horse breeds such as the Franches-Montagnes (FM). However, not all stallions produce cryotolerant semen with a progressive motility after thaw ≥ 35%. To improve our understanding of the genetic background of male fertility traits in both fresh and frozen-thawed semen, we performed genome-wide association studies (GWAS) on gel-free volume, sperm cell concentration, total sperm count, and progressive motility in fresh and frozen-thawed semen from 109 FM stallions using 335,494 genome-...
Sato F, Otsuka N, Kuwano A.The shape of the white line of the hoof is closely related to the shape of the notch on the dorsal distal bearing border of the distal phalanx (P3). In this study, a radiographic survey of the P3 of both forelimbs of 163 Thoroughbred yearling horses was conducted. The correlation of the depth and width of the notch were analyzed with the toe white line separation grades (0 to 3). As a result, the toe white line separation grade increased, the depth and the width of the notch also increased significantly. Radiographic examination of the P3 of the forelimbs might be useful for deciding whether t...
Serafini R, Varner DD, Love CC.Flow cytometry procedures can be used for evaluation of both spermatogenic efficiency and diagnose disorders of stallion spermatogenesis. Aims of this study were to compare two testicular sample acquisition techniques (needle aspirate-N and tissue wedge-T) and results when using flow cytometry and histology procedures. Testicular cell types were stained with acridine orange, and nine regions (R2 to R10) were identified and enumerated following acquisition by either N or T. Testes were also grouped and analyzed by size and sexual maturity (Small [immature] compared with Large [mature]) and used...
Haussler KK, Hesbach AL, Romano L, Goff L, Bergh A.Mobilization and manipulation techniques are often used in small animal and equine practice; however, questions remain concerning indications, dosing and efficacy. A bibliographic search was performed to identify peer-reviewed publications from 1980 to 2020 that evaluated the clinical effects of musculoskeletal mobilization and manipulation techniques in dogs, cats and horses. The search strategy identified 883 papers for review. Inclusion and exclusion criteria were applied. The clinical indications, dosages, outcome parameters, and reported efficacy within each publication were recorded and ...
Yoon J, Park T, Kim A, Park J, Park BJ, Ahn HS, Go HJ, Kim DH, Jung S, Seo Y, Lee JB, Park SY, Song CS, Lee SW, Choi IS.Equine parvovirus-hepatitis (EqPV-H) is a newly identified etiologic agent of Theiler's disease (TD). We present a case of EqPV-H-related fulminant hepatitis in a 14-year-old thoroughbred mare in Korea. The mare had acute hepatopathy and gastrointestinal symptoms, with abnormal liver-related blood parameters. The horse was born in the USA and imported to Korea in 2017, with no history of administration of equine biological products after entry into Korea. The horse was diagnosed with EqPV-H-associated hepatitis after abdominal ultrasonography, laparotomy, and nested polymerase chain reaction (...
Mota SL, Dos Santos LO, Vidaletti MR, Rodrigues RO, Coppola MM, Mayer FQ.Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a global concern that must be addressed from a one health perspective. Horses are companion animals and their contact with humans facilitates exchange of resistant bacteria. This study aimed to evaluate AMR of coagulase-positive Staphylococcus (CoPS), including Staphylococcus aureus, isolated from healthy Crioulo horses. Swab samples from nostrils (n = 214) and skin (n = 107) of 107 horses from Porto Alegre, South Brazil, were used for CoPS isolation. The isolates were evaluated for AMR and a multivariate logistic regression was applied to identify the ris...
Kelly KJ, McD○ LA, Mears K.Human-horse interactions (HHIs) are diverse and prominent in the equine industry. Stakeholders have an invested interest in making sure that HHIs are humane. Assessment of equine welfare goes beyond physical health and includes assessment of the emotional state of the animal. HHIs can have a permanent effect on human-horse relationships, thereby influencing welfare. Therefore, an understanding of the horse's affective state during HHIs is necessary. A scoping review was conducted to: (1) map current practices related to the measurement of HHIs; (2) explore the known effects of HHIs on horse be...
de Clifford LT, Lowe JN, McKellar CD, McGowan C, David F.The purpose of this prospective double-blinded positive control study was to compare the efficacy of 2.5% polyacrylamide hydrogel (2.5% PAAG) in the management of middle carpal joint lameness in Thoroughbreds against treatments of triamcinolone acetonide (TA) or sodium hyaluronate (HA). A total of 31 flat-racing Thoroughbreds with lameness (grade 1-3/5) localized to the carpus by intra-articular analgesia were selected. Following a radiological assessment of the carpi confirming the absence of fragment/fracture, the horses were randomly assigned for intra-articular treatment with either 2 ml o...
Meyer JC, Hunyadi LM, Ordóñez-Mena JM.Accuracy of baseline ACTH for the diagnosis of PPID in horses varies between studies. Objective: To estimate the diagnostic accuracy of ACTH as a biomarker for PPID in adult horses and appraise potential causes of heterogeneity. Methods: Systematic review and meta-analysis. Methods: A literature review identified studies reporting diagnostic accuracy data for extraction. Risk of bias was evaluated using QUADAS-2. Two random-effects models, the hierarchical summary receiver operating curve (HSROC) and the bivariate binomial normal model (BBN) were used to pool accuracy measurements. We performe...
Moeller BC, Flores L, Clifford A, Alarcio G, Mosburg M, Arthur RM.Methylphenidate is a powerful central nervous system stimulant with a high potential for abuse in horse racing. The detection of methylphenidate use is of interest to horse racing authorities for both prior to and during competition. The use of hair as an alternative sampling matrix for equine anti-doping has increased as the number of detectable compounds has expanded. Our laboratory developed a liquid chromatography-high-resolution mass spectrometry method to detect the presence of methylphenidate in submitted samples. Briefly, hair was decontaminated, cut, and pulverized prior to liquid-liq...
Gehlen H, Fisch J, Merle R, Trachsel DS.Pituitary pars intermedia dysfunction (PPID), a neurodegenerative disease leading to reduced dopamine production, is a common disease in aged horses. The treatment is based on administration of the dopamine agonist pergolide. This drug has been related to valvular fibrosis in humans, but the cardiovascular effect of this drug has not yet been investigated in horses. Objective: To determine whether pergolide induces valvular disease in horses or affects the cardiac function. Methods: Standard, tissue Doppler (TDE) and two-dimensional speckle tracking (STE) echocardiography were performed in hor...
Jenny JCA, Hopster K, Hurcombe SD.To compare the accuracy and precision of cardiac output (CO) measurements derived from 4 thermodilution protocols that used different injectate temperatures and volumes in healthy adult horses. Methods: 8 healthy adult horses. Methods: Horses were anesthetized and instrumented with Swan-Ganz catheters. The CO was derived from each of 4 thermodilution protocols (IV injection of physiologic saline [0.9% NaCl] solution chilled to < 5 °C at volumes of 1 mL/15 kg of body weight [protocol A; control], 1 mL/25 kg [protocol B], and 1 mL/35 kg [protocol C] or maintained at 17 °C at a volume of 1 m...
Douglas HF, Stefanovski D, Southwood LL.To evaluate, following colic admission during pregnancy, (1) broodmare survival; (2) the frequency of recurrent colic in broodmares and its associated variables, and (3) pregnancy outcome and the variables associated with a negative pregnancy outcome. Methods: Ambidirectional observational cohort study. Methods: One hundred and four client-owned broodmare admissions. Methods: Admissions of pregnant mares from June 2010 until October 2016 were included. Data were collected until November 2017. Cox proportional hazards regression analysis was performed to evaluate variables associated with brood...
Souza SS, Aguiar FLN, Alves BG, Alves KA, Brandão FAS, Brito DCC, Raposo RDS, Gastal MO, Rodrigues APR, Figueiredo JR, Teixeira DÍA, Gastal EL.Ovarian tissue transplantation methods using cooled and cryopreserved samples have been attractive options for fertility preservation in animal models and humans. The aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of previous exposure to cooling, cryopreservation, and VEGF on the overall efficiency of equine ovarian tissue after heterotopic xenotransplantation in mice. The end points evaluated were follicular morphology and development, follicular and stromal cell densities, angiogenesis (i.e. the density of new and mature blood vessels), collagen types I and III fiber densities, and total fibro...
Magdesian KG, Barnum S, Pusterla N. and cause significant morbidity and mortality in foals. Antemortem diagnosis of infection has been complicated by a paucity of tests available for toxin detection. Fecal PCR panels have assays for a variety of toxin gene sequences as well as for several other foal gastrointestinal pathogens. We evaluated results of a comprehensive fecal diarrhea PCR panel in 28 foals that had been presented to a referral hospital because of diarrhea. Sixteen (57%) foals were positive for and/or toxin gene sequences on fecal PCR, including 3 foals positive for NetF toxin. These foals were younger ( = ...
Laustsen L, Edwards JE, Hermes GDA, Lúthersson N, van Doorn DA, Okrathok S, Kujawa TJ, Smidt H.Free faecal water (FFW) in equines results in pollution of the hindquarters and tail and can also involve clinical signs. Though the cause of FFW is unknown, it was hypothesized that it may involve the gut microbiota. This hypothesis was addressed as follows. First, the faecal prokaryotic community composition of horses suffering from FFW relative to healthy controls ( = 10) was compared. Second, FFW horses were treated with a standardised faecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) protocol ( = 10), followed by assessment of FFW symptom severity and faecal prokaryotic community composition over a...
Data in briefSeptember 23, 2021
Volume 38 107402 doi: 10.1016/j.dib.2021.107402
Lee H, Yun SH, Hyon JY, Lee SY, Yi YS, Choi CW, Jun S, Park EC, Kim SI. subspecies () is an opportunistic pathogen and a major causative agent of equine strangles, a contagious respiratory infection in horses and other equines. In this study, we provide the dataset associated with our research publication "-derived extracellular vesicles as a vaccine candidate against infections" [1]. We describe the genomic differences between 4047 and ATCC 39506 and outline the comprehensive proteome information of various fractions, including the whole cell lysate, membrane proteome, secretory proteome, and extracellular vesicle proteome. In addition, we included a dataset...
Guarino C, Pinn-Woodcock T, Levine DG, Miller J, Johnson AL.Cases of cranial nuchal bursitis associated with infection have not been thoroughly described. Here, we describe the case of a 17-year-old mare that was presented for low head carriage, dull demeanor, and resistance to haltering. Imaging supported a diagnosis of nuchal bursitis, and bursoscopy with surgical debridement of the nuchal bursa was performed. was identified by molecular diagnostics in serial samples of the bursal fluid, with no other organisms identified. Serology revealed significant elevation in antibodies directed against OspA of , but not the typical infection markers, OspC an...
Peters BC, Wood W, Hepburn S, Moody EJ.The purpose of this study was to identify appropriate outcome measures and assess preliminary efficacy of occupational therapy in an equine environment (OT HORSPLAY) for youth with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Twenty-four youth with ASD aged 6-13 were randomized to 10 weeks of OT HORSPLAY or to a waitlist control condition, occupational therapy in a garden. Youth demonstrated significantly improved goal attainment and social motivation, and decreased irritability after OT HORSPLAY. When compared to the subset of participants who completed the waitlist control condition, the OT HORSPLAY gro...
Sutton G, Normand C, Carnet F, Couroucé A, Garvey M, Castagnet S, Fortier CI, Hue ES, Marcillaud-Pitel C, Legrand L, Paillot R, Pitel PH....Equine herpesvirus 1 isolates from a 2021 outbreak of neurologic disease in Europe have a mutation, A713G, in open reading frame 11 not detected in 249 other sequences from equine herpesvirus 1 isolates. This single-nucleotide polymorphism could help identify horses infected with the virus strain linked to this outbreak.
Campos JBV, Martins FS, de Oliveira CE, Taveira AA, Oliveira JR, Gonçalves LR, Cordeiro MD, Calchi AC, de Campos Binder L, Serpa MCA, Barbieri ARM....The emergence of tick-borne diseases has been reported as a serious problem in public health worldwide and many aspects of its epidemiology and effects on the health of its hosts are unclear. We aimed to perform an epidemiological study of tick-borne zoonotic Rickettsia, Borrelia, and Anaplasmataceae in horses from Midwestern Brazil. We also evaluated whether Borrelia spp. and Anaplasmataceae may be associated with hematological disorders in the sampled animals. Blood and serum samples as well as ticks were collected from 262 horses. Serum samples were used to perform serological tests, and he...
Cowling N, Woldeyohannes S, Sole Guitart A, Goodwin W.Near infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) noninvasively measures peripheral tissue oxygen saturation (StO) and may be useful to detect early changes in StO in anaesthetized and critically ill horses. This study aimed to identify the muscle belly that provided the highest percentage of successful StO readings and the highest mean StO value. Fifty adult horses were enrolled in a prospective controlled study. StO was measured at six different muscles in each horse, for each intervention: hair overlying the muscle was clipped (post clipping: PC), clipped skin was cleaned with chlorhexidine (post-surgical ...
Lanci A, Ingallinesi M, Morini M, Freccero F, Castagnetti C, Mariella J.Hydramnios is an excessive accumulation of fluid within the amniotic compartment. It is a rare condition in mares, often associated with fetal anomalies. Hydrops of fetal membranes predisposes to the rupture of the prepubic tendon, and many authors suggest the induction of parturition to preserve mare's reproductive career. This report presents the case of a 15-year-old multiparous Quarter Horse mare, referred at 268 days of gestation for suspected hydrops. Repeated ultrasonographic exams confirmed an increase in the depth of the amniotic fluid and reduced fetal viability. During the hospitali...
Walters M, Skovgaard K, Andersen PH, Heegaard PMH, Jacobsen S.The role of resident cells such a synoviocytes and chondrocytes in intra-articular inflammation is well-characterized, however the in vivo gene expression patterns of cells (predominantly leukocytes) in the synovial fluid (SF) of an inflamed joint have never previously been investigated. The aim of this study was to investigate gene expression in SF leukocytes from the inflamed joint cavity after intra-articular lipopolysaccharide (LPS) injection in horses to improve our understanding of the temporal regulation of the intra-articular inflammatory response. Gene expression was investigated in S...
Cassimeris L, Armstrong C, Burger QC, Stokes S, van Eps A, Galantino-Homer H.The euglycemic hyperinsulinemic clamp model (EHC) of equine endocrinopathic laminitis induces rapid loss of lamellar tissue integrity, disrupts keratinocyte functions, and induces inflammation similar to natural disease. Continuous digital hypothermia (CDH) blocks tissue damage in this experimental model, allowing identification of specific genes or molecular pathways contributing to disease initiation or early progression. Archived lamellar tissues (8 horses, 48 h EHC treatment, including CDH-treated front limbs) were used to measure relative expression levels of genes encoding keratin 17 (KR...
Rott R, Herzog S, Richt J, Stitz L.Borna disease is an endemic progressive encephalomyelitis of horses and sheep prevalent in central Europe. A wide variety of animal species, ranging from chickens to primates can be infected experimentally with the causative virus, which is only poorly characterized. Furthermore, BD virus-specific antibodies have been detected in sera and cerebrospinal fluids of psychiatric patients. Our studies on the pathogenesis of BD have shown that-at least in rats-the disease is not caused by the infecting virus itself, but by a virus-induced immunopathological reaction. Thus, after intracerebral infecti...
BMC research notesDecember 11, 2009
Volume 2 246 doi: 10.1186/1756-0500-2-246
Smits K, Goossens K, Van Soom A, Govaere J, Hoogewijs M, Vanhaesebrouck E, Galli C, Colleoni S, Vandesompele J, Peelman L.Application of reverse transcription quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction is very well suited to reveal differences in gene expression between in vivo and in vitro produced embryos. Ultimately, this may lead to optimized equine assisted reproductive techniques. However, for a correct interpretation of the real-time PCR results, all data must be normalized, which is most reliably achieved by calculating the geometric mean of the most stable reference genes. In this study a set of reliable reference genes was identified for equine in vivo and fresh and frozen-thawed in vitro embryos....
Colbath AC, Dow SW, Hopkins LS, Phillips JN, McIlwraith CW, Goodrich LR. The effects of recombinant interleukin-1β (rIL-1β) have been described for the middle carpal joint (MCJ). However, we are unaware of any studies that have described the cytological response of the tibiotarsal joint (TTJ) to rIL-1β or compared the clinical and cytological responses of the MCJ to the TTJ following the administration of intra-articular rIL-1β. Such information is critical for researchers planning to use rIL-1β to create acute synovitis models in horses. To compare the clinical and cytological responses of the MCJ to the TTJ following administration of intra-articular rIL-1...
Williamson KA, Lee KJ, Humphreys WJ, Comerford EJ, Clegg PD, Canty-Laird EG.The aim of this study was to characterize stem and progenitor cell populations from the equine superficial digital flexor tendon, an energy-storing tendon with similarities to the human Achilles tendon, which is frequently injured. Using published methods for the isolation of tendon-derived stem/progenitor cells by low-density plating we found that isolated cells possessed clonogenicity but were unable to fully differentiate towards mesenchymal lineages using trilineage differentiation assays. In particular, adipogenic differentiation appeared to be restricted, as assessed by Oil Red O stainin...
The Journal of parasitologyAugust 29, 2002
Volume 88, Issue 4 810-811 doi: 10.1645/0022-3395(2002)088[0810:GIACAR]2.0.CO;2
Labruna MB, Ribeiro AF, Cruz MV, Camargo LM, Camargo EP.During a survey of ticks on horses in November 2000, at the University of São Paulo farm in Pirassununga county, São Paulo, Brazil, 1 gynandromorph of Amblyomma cajennense was collected from a naturally infested horse. In another survey on dogs in March 2001, in the urban area of Monte Negro, Rondônia, Brazil, a gynandromorph of Rhipicephalus sanguineus was collected from a naturally infested dog. Both specimens are described and classified as perfect bipartite protogynanders.
Kallerud AS, Fjordbakk CT, Hendrickson EHS, Persson-Sjodin E, Hammarberg M, Rhodin M, Hernlund E.Lameness evaluation of Standardbred trotters can be challenging due to discrepancies in observed movement asymmetry between in-hand and track exercise, and between different trotting speeds. There are few studies on objective measurement of movement in Standardbreds, and little knowledge regarding biological variation and clinical significance of measured movement asymmetry in this breed. Objective: To quantify the prevalence and magnitude of objectively measured movement asymmetry in young Standardbred trotters, and identify associations with trainer, sex, height, track type and in-hand measu...
Marenzoni ML, Stefanetti V, Papa P, Casagrande Proietti P, Bietta A, Coletti M, Passamonti F, Henning K.The role of the horse in Coxiella burnetii infection has not been defined. Accordingly, a twofold approach was taken to further our knowledge on this topic: (1) conduct a systematic review of the literature to establish available evidence of C. burnetii infection in the horse; (2) undertake a biomolecular investigation of 122 cases of equine abortion, stillbirth and neonatal foal death, for the presence of C. burnetii using a PCR test targeting the IS1111 gene of C. burnetii. A review of the literature turned up seven studies that identified C. burnetii DNA in equine specimens, especially abor...
Patnaik AK.In a retrospective study, granular cell tumors in six dogs (Nos. 1-6), three cats (Nos. 1-3), one horse (No. 1), and one cockatiel (Nymphicus hollandicus) (No. 1) and a meningioma with a granular cell component in one dog (No. 7) were examined histologically and immunohistochemically. These tumors were identified by histologic examination of surgical biopsy specimens, except in the horse, in which the tumor was an incidental finding at necropsy. These diagnoses were initially made by more than one pathologist. Five of the six granular cell tumors in the dogs were in the oral cavity; one of the...
KAPLAN MM, PAYNE AM.In 1957 the World Health Organization arranged a survey of horse and swine sera in a number of countries in order to gain information on the role and importance of animals in the epidemiology of influenza. The veterinary services of the countries concerned were requested to obtain blood specimens from these animals, if possible both before and after the human pandemic of Asian influenza. This paper reports on the results of haemagglutination-inhibition and complement-fixation tests performed on these sera in WHO Influenza Centres and other collaborating laboratories.It is apparent from these r...
Bracher V, Mathias S, Allen WR.Placentation between 80 and 220 days of gestation was studied by measurement of fetal dimensions and gross, light and transmission and scanning electron microscopic examinations of the allantochorion and endometrium from 4 fertile mares with no, or very mild, endometrial histopathology and 6 subfertile Thoroughbred mares suffering varying degrees of age-related chronic degenerative endometritis (endometrosis). Spontaneously occurring twin gestation was observed in 3 animals. Several of the subfertile mares had endometrial cysts which showed 2 distinct features during pregnancy: those located n...
Stull CL, Rodiek AV.Transportation stress has been implicated as a predisposing factor to respiratory disease in horses. Cross-tying horses individually in stalls is common practice for transporting show and racehorses, but horses also travel in small groups or individually without being restricted by tying. The objective of this study was to compare physiological responses of horses travelling cross-tied or loose during 24 h of road transport. Ten horses were used in a cross-over design consisting of two 4 day trials. In the first trial, 6 horses were cross-tied, while 2 pairs of horses were loose in enclosed co...
Gao JF, Zhang XX, Wang XX, Li Q, Li Y, Xu WW, Gao Y, Wang CR.Parascarosis is caused mainly by parasitic infections with Parascaris equorum and Parascaris univalens, the most common ascarid nematodes, in the small intestine of equines. Parascarosis often causes severe illness and even death in foals and yearlings. In this study, we obtained the complete sequence of the P. equorum mitochondrial (mt) genome and compared its organization and structure with that of P. equorum Japan isolate (nearly complete), and the complete mtDNA sequences of P. univalens Switzerland and USA isolates. The complete mtDNA genome of P. equorum China isolate is 13,899 base pair...
Sarin JK, Amissah M, Brommer H, Argüelles D, Töyräs J, Afara IO.Mechanical properties of articular cartilage are vital for normal joint function, which can be severely compromised by injuries. Quantitative characterization of cartilage injuries, and evaluation of cartilage stiffness and thickness by means of conventional arthroscopy is poorly reproducible or impossible. In this study, we demonstrate the potential of near infrared (NIR) spectroscopy for predicting and mapping the functional properties of equine articular cartilage at and around lesion sites. Lesion and non-lesion areas of interests (AI, N = 44) of equine joints (N = 5) were divided into...
Shkap V, Cohen I, Leibovitz B, Savitsky , Pipano E, Avni G, Shofer S, Giger U, Kappmeyer L, Knowles D.Sera from 361 horses were tested by indirect immunofluorescence antibody test (IFA) and by competitive inhibition ELISA (cELISA), to detect antibodies to Babesia equi. The concordance between the assays was 95.7%. Application of a cutoff based on a calculated percent inhibition of 20% inhibition was used. Approximately one-third of all the horses tested were found serologically positive to B. equi, with more horses testing positive from northern Israel. Among horses raised with access to pasture there was a significant difference in the percentage of seropositive reactors (76.6% in the north ...
Jakubek EB, Lundén A, Uggla A.Sera from 414 Swedish horses were investigated for the presence of antibodies to Toxoplasma gondii and Neospora sp. by the T. gondii direct agglutination test (DAT), and an Neospora caninum iscom-ELISA. Five sera (1%) had a titre >1:40 in DAT, but when analysed by immunoblotting against T. gondii antigens only two of them were positive, giving a seroprevalence of 0.5%. Since the Neospora iscom ELISA had not been validated for equine sera it was used for an initial screening, and all sera with an optical density exceeding 0.200 absorbance units were selected for further investigation by immu...
Orard M, Depecker M, Hue E, Pitel PH, Couroucé-Malblanc A, Richard EA.The aim of the study was to determine whether instillation of either 250 mL or 500 mL of saline for bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) would influence cytological confirmation of inflammatory airway disease (IAD). Thirty client-owned Standardbred racehorses were sampled via endoscopy with 250 mL of saline in one lung and 500 mL in the contralateral lung. The procedure was repeated 72 h later, reversing the volume per lung. The proportions of BAL fluid (BALF) recovered were significantly higher and neutrophil percentages significantly lower with the larger volume. A poor agreement was found between m...
Benammar A, Derisoud E, Vialard F, Palmer E, Ayoubi JM, Poulain M, Chavatte-Palmer P.Although there are large differences between horses and humans for reproductive anatomy, follicular dynamics, mono-ovulation, and embryo development kinetics until the blastocyst stage are similar. In contrast to humans, however, horses are seasonal animals and do not have a menstrual cycle. Moreover, horse implantation takes place 30 days later than in humans. In terms of artificial reproduction techniques (ART), oocytes are generally matured in vitro in horses because ovarian stimulation remains inefficient. This allows the collection of oocytes without hormonal treatments. In humans, in viv...
Dangoudoubiyam S, Oliveira JB, Víquez C, Gómez-García A, González O, Romero JJ, Kwok OC, Dubey JP, Howe DK.Serum samples from 315 horses from Costa Rica, Central America, were examined for the presence of antibodies against Sarcocystis neurona, Neospora spp., and Toxoplasma gondii by using the surface antigen (SAG) SnSAG2 enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), the NhSAG1 ELISA, and the modified agglutination test, respectively. Anti- S. neurona antibodies were found in 42.2% of the horses by using the SnSAG2 ELISA. Anti- Neospora spp. antibodies were found in only 3.5% of the horses by using the NhSAG1 ELISA, and only 1 of these horses was confirmed seropositive by Western blot. Antibodies to T...
Hibi H, Hatama S, Obata A, Shibahara T, Kadota K.A case of laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) and squamous papilloma in a 19-year-old Thoroughbred stallion is described. The animal exhibited severe wheezing caused by laryngopharyngeal stenosis. Histological examination identified laryngeal, laryngotracheal, and guttural pouch tumor masses consisting of areas of SCC. In the epiglottic lesion, the overlying epithelium was replaced by papilloma cells, and superficial cells frequently had nuclear inclusion bodies that expressed oncoprotein E6, which is characteristic of high risk human papillomaviruses. The papillomatous epithelium was cont...
Wong JK, Wan TS.Doping(1) in sports is highly detrimental, not only to the athletes involved but to the sport itself as well as to the confidence of the spectators and other participants. To protect the integrity of any sport, there must be in place an effective doping control program. In human sports, a 'top-down' and generally unified approach is taken where the rules and regulations against doping for the majority of elite sport events held in any country are governed by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA). However, in horseracing, there is no single organisation regulating this form of equestrian sport; i...
Doherty O, Conway T, Conway R, Murray G, Casey V.Noseband tightness is difficult to assess in horses participating in equestrian sports such as dressage, show jumping and three-day-eventing. There is growing concern that nosebands are commonly tightened to such an extent as to restrict normal equine behaviour and possibly cause injury. In the absence of a clear agreed definition of noseband tightness, a simple model of the equine nose-noseband interface environment was developed in order to guide further studies in this area. The normal force component of the noseband tensile force was identified as the key contributor to sub-noseband tissue...
Samuelson DA, Andresen TL, Gwin RM.Conjunctival swab specimens were obtained from both eyes of 43 horses, 25 cows, 50 dogs, and 25 cats without keratitis or other ophthalmologic problems. Fungi were isolated from 95% of the horses, 100% of the cows, 22% of the dogs, and 40% of the cats. Aspergillus spp were isolated from 56% of the horses, 12% of the cows, 8% of the cats, and none of the dogs. Penicillium spp and Cladosporium spp were isolated ubiquitously. Collectively, 28 species from 209 isolants were identified.
East LM, Savage CJ, Traub-Dargatz JL, Dickinson CE, Ellis RP.To identify clinical signs, physical examination findings, results of diagnostic tests, treatments administered, and clinical outcome of neonatal foals with enterocolitis associated with Clostridium perfringens infection. Methods: Retrospective study. Methods: 54 neonatal foals. Results: Most foals had acute onset of obtunded mentation, colic, or diarrhea and developed leukopenia, neutropenia, an abnormally high number of band neutrophils, toxic WBC, and hypoproteinemia within 24 hours after admission, despite high serum IgG concentrations (> 800 mg/dl). Abdominocentesis and abdominal radiogra...
Sells PD, Pinchbeck G, Mezzane H, Ibourki J, Crane M.Wounds are one of the primary welfare concerns of working equids and are often related to harness or load-bearing packs. Objective: To identify and quantify factors associated with the presence of pack wounds in donkeys and mules working in the wood trade in the Midelt (Northern High Atlas) region of Morocco, and to compare wounds of these donkeys and mules to those working in other trades. Methods: The study population comprised equids working in the Midelt region involved in the wood trade. Comparison populations were comprised of equids working in other trades, in the same region and in Khe...
Simonato G, Danesi P, Frangipane di Regalbono A, Dotto G, Tessarin C, Pietrobelli M, Pasotto D.Animal-assisted interventions (AAIs) are based on the establishment of a therapeutic relationship between animals and beneficiaries that is certain to provide positive effects, while currently, it reads as if AAIs aim at exposing stakeholders to potential risk of infection. The surveillance of zoonotic pathogens is necessary for guaranteeing common health. This study investigated the presence of potentially zoonotic parasites, including dermatophytes, in animals involved in AAIs. Between 2015 and 2017, 190 animals (equids, dogs, cats, birds, rabbits, rodents, and goats) were investigated. Anam...
Porter EG, Werpy NM.This article addresses the clinical application of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and computed tomography (CT) as applied to the standing equine patient. This discussion includes the logistics, advantages, disadvantages, and limitations of imaging a standing horse. In addition, a brief review is given of the physics of these modalities as applied in clinical practice, and the currently available hardware and software required by these techniques for image acquisition and artifact reduction. The appropriate selection of clinical cases for standing MRI and CT is reviewed, focusing on cases tha...