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.
Wismann ES, Jacobsen S, Thøfner M, Ladefoged S, Ekstrøm C, Lindegaard C.Outcome after desmotomy of the accessory ligament of the deep digital flexor tendon (AL-DDFT) to treat flexural deformity of the distal interphalangeal joint has been reported to be excellent. However, no studies have compared long-term athletic performance of sport horses exposed to desmotomy of the AL-DDFT to that of matched controls. Objective: The objective of this study is to compare long-term athletic performance in sports horses subjected to desmotomy of the AL-DDFT with the performance of matched controls. Methods: This is an observational multicentre retrospective matched cohort study...
Valigura HC, Leatherwood JL, Martinez RE, Norton SA, White-Springer SH.Mitigation of exercise-induced stress is of key interest in determining ways to optimize performance horse health. To test the hypothesis that dietary supplementation of a Saccharomyces cerevisiae fermentation product would decrease markers of exercise-induced stress and inflammation in young horses, Quarter Horse yearlings (mean ± SD; 9 ± 1 mo) were randomly assigned to receive either no supplementation (CON; n = 8) or 21 g/d S. cerevisiae fermentation product (10.5 g/feeding twice daily; SCFP; n = 10) top-dressed on a basal diet of custom-formulated grain as well as ad libitum Coastal berm...
Nelson BB, Lawless SP, McIlwraith CW.Characteristics and outcomes after surgical repair of third carpal bone (C3) slab fractures involving both radial and intermediate facets in racing Quarter Horses are unknown. Objective: To describe the pre- and intraoperative characteristics of C3 slab fractures of both radial and intermediate facets in Quarter Horses and to report on the long-term outcomes after internal fixation. Methods: Retrospective case series. Methods: Case records were collected from racehorses with C3 slab fractures between 2008 and 2020. Inclusion criteria required arthroscopic-guided repair of C3 slab fractures inv...
Acutt EV, Contino EK, Frisbie DD, Barrett MF.Correct diagnosis and characterisation of deep digital flexor tendon (DDFT) lesions in equine athletes allows targeted treatment and improved prognostication. Objective: To assess the prevalence and character of pathological change within the DDFT in the pastern with concurrent tendon injury distally. It is hypothesised that tendon lesions in the pastern will be associated with tendinopathy within the hoof capsule. Methods: Retrospective descriptive case series. Methods: Cases with DDFT lesions in the pastern and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) or ultrasonography of the foot were evaluated re...
Schumacher SA, Kamr AM, Lakritz J, Burns TA, Bertone AL, Toribio RE.Intravenous magnesium sulfate (MgSO4) is used in equine practice to treat hypomagnesemia, dysrhythmias, neurological disorders, and calcium dysregulation. MgSO4 is also used as a calming agent in equestrian events. Hypercalcemia affects calcium-regulating hormones, as well as plasma and urinary electrolytes; however, the effect of hypermagnesemia on these variables is unknown. The goal of this study was to investigate the effect of hypermagnesemia on blood parathyroid hormone (PTH), calcitonin (CT), ionized calcium (Ca2+), ionized magnesium (Mg2+), sodium (Na+), potassium (K+), chloride (Cl-) ...
Tesena P, Kingkaw A, Vongsangnak W, Pitikarn S, Phaonakrop N, Roytrakul S, Kovitvadhi A.Equine melanocytic neoplasm (EMN) is a cutaneous neoplasm and is mostly observed in aged grey horses. This preliminary study aimed to identify potential proteins to differentiate normal, mild and severe EMN from serum proteomic profiling. Serum samples were collected from 25 grey horses assigned to three groups: normal (free of EMN; = 10), mild ( = 6) and severe EMN ( = 9). To explore the differences in proteins between groups, proteomic profiling and analysis were employed. Accordingly, 8241 annotated proteins out of 8725 total proteins were compared between normal and EMN groups and inspect...
Nielsen MK.The first parasite fecal egg counting techniques were described over 100 years ago, and fecal egg counting remains essential in parasitology research as well as in clinical practice today. Several novel techniques have been introduced and validated in recent years, but this work has also highlighted several current issues in this research field. There is a lack of consensus on which diagnostic parameters to evaluate and how to properly design studies doing so. Furthermore, there is a confusing and sometimes incorrect use of terminology describing performance of fecal egg counting techniques, a...
Pusterla N, Miller J, Varnell S, Armstrong W, Frost L, Michon C, Lambert K, Whitfield S, Cowles B.The objective of this study was to study the SAA response of horses with various forms of EHV-1 infection. Archived serum samples from 153 horses with various disease forms of EHV-1 infection (48 healthy non-infected horses, 48 subclinically infected horses, 40 horses with respiratory EHV-1 infection and 17 horses with neurological EHV-1 infection) were available for SAA testing. SAA values ranged from 0 to 31 µg/mL (median 0 µg/mL) in healthy horses, from 0 to 2,416 µg/mL (median 8.5 µg/mL) in subclinically infected horses, from 0 to 3,000 µg/mL (median 597 µg/mL) in horse with respirat...
Knych HK, Arthur RM, Gretler SR, McKemie DS, Goldin S, Kass PH.Flunixin meglumine is a highly efficacious nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug commonly used in equine medicine and especially in performance horses. Recently, a new transdermal flunixin meglumine product has been approved for use in cattle. Although not currently approved for use in the horse, the convenience of this product may prove appealing for use in horses, warranting study. Six horses were administered a single transdermal dose of 500 mg and blood and urine samples collected for up to 96 h post-administration. Serum for determination of thromboxane concentrations and whole blood samp...
Cock G, Darby S, Freeman DE, Gomez DE.Esophageal obstruction is a common disorder in equids usually caused by intraluminal impaction with roughage and/or other feed material. Esophageal obstructions can also be caused by foreign bodies, but they are rarely reported and information regarding diagnosis and management is lacking. This report describes an esophageal obstruction in a donkey caused by a metallic foreign body removed using endoscopic guidance. Recognition of the foreign body facilitated treatment and underscores the importance of imaging in such cases to prevent dislodgement of the object to more aboral sites where acces...
Non-primate hepacivirus (NPHV) is a homolog of hepatitis C virus and has been isolated from dogs and horses. Data on NPHV prevalence and distribution are not complete, and there is a particular lack of reports from the African continent. The present study represents the first investigation of NPHV prevalence in horses and dogs in North Africa. Blood was collected from 172 horses and 36 dogs at different locations in Morocco, and screened for NPHV RNA using nested PCR targeting 5'UTR and NS3 regions and analyzed for anti-NPHV NS3 antibody using a Gaussia luciferase immunoprecipitation system-to...
Lee H, Yun SH, Hyon JY, Lee SY, Yi YS, Choi CW, Jun S, Park EC, Kim SI.Streptococcus equi subspecies equi is a pathogenic bacterium that causes strangles, a highly contagious respiratory infection in horses and other equines. The limitations of current vaccines against S. equi infection warrants the development of an affordable, safe, and effective vaccine. Because gram-positive extracellular vesicles (EVs) transport various immunogenic antigens, they are attractive vaccine candidates. Here, we purified the EVs of S. equi ATCC 39506 and evaluated them as a vaccine candidate against S. equi infection in mice. As an initial step, comparative proteomic analysis was ...
Pavulraj S, Eschke K, Theisen J, Westhoff S, Reimers G, Andreotti S, Osterrieder N, Azab W.Equine herpesvirus type 4 (EHV-4) is enzootic in equine populations throughout the world. A large outbreak of EHV-4 respiratory infection occurred at a Standardbred horse-breeding farm in northern Germany in 2017. Respiratory illness was observed in a group of in-housed foals and mares, which subsequently resulted in disease outbreak. Out of 84 horses in the stud, 76 were tested and 41 horses were affected, including 20 foals, 10 stallions, and 11 mares. Virological investigations revealed the involvement of EHV-4 in all cases of respiratory illness, as confirmed by virus isolation, qPCR, and/...
Wagner FC, Reese S, Gerlach K, Böttcher P, Mülling CKW.Long-term cyclic tensile testing with equine palmar/plantar tendons have not yet been performed due to problems in fixing equine tendons securely and loading them cyclically. It is well established that the biomechanical response of tendons varies during cyclic loading over time. The aim of this study was to develop a clamping device that enables repetitive cyclic tensile testing of equine superficial digital flexor tendon for at least 60 loading cycles and for 5 min. Results: A novel cryo-clamp was developed and built. Healthy and collagenase-treated pony SDFTs were mounted in the custom-ma...
Mansour C, Chaaya R, Sredensek J, Mocci R, Santangelo B, Allaouchiche B, Bonnet-Garin JM, Boselli E, Junot SA.To compare the sublingual microcirculation between healthy horses anesthetized for elective procedures and horses with colic anesthetized for abdominal surgery and to determine the effect of mean arterial blood pressure (MAP) on the microcirculation. Methods: 9 horses in the elective group and 8 horses in the colic group. Methods: Sublingual microcirculation was assessed with sidestream dark field video microscopy. Videos were captured at 3 time points during anesthesia. Recorded microvasculature parameters were De Backer score (DBS), total density of perfused vessels (PVD) and small vessels (...
Rebalka IA, Lindinger MI.A commercially available equine fecal blood test (FBT) claims to be able to detect the presence of blood proteins (albumin and hemoglobin) in manure. The purpose of this study was to determine the FBT test sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive values (PPV, NPV), lower threshold of detection, time to obtain a visual positive result, effect of temperature and result stability in lab and field conditions. The FBT was assessed for its sensitivity and specificity for detecting pure albumin and hemoglobin at two temperatures over a range of concentrations. Time to result was mea...
Spence KL, Rosanowski SM, Slater J, Cardwell JM.Exotic diseases pose a significant risk to horse health and welfare. Several stakeholder groups, including primary care veterinarians, share responsibility for maintaining freedom from pathogens that cause exotic diseases. However, little is known about the current state of exotic disease preparedness within the British horse industry. Objective: The aim of this study was to explore equine veterinarians' experiences of, and attitudes towards, exotic disease preparedness in Great Britain. Methods: This is a qualitative interview-based study. Methods: Semistructured interviews were conducted wit...
Zanotto GM, Liesbeny P, Barrett M, Zlotnick H, Frank E, Grodzinsky AJ, Frisbie DD.Microfracture augmentation can be a cost-effective single-step alternative to current cartilage repair techniques. Trypsin pretreatment combined with a growth factor-functionalized self-assembling KLD hydrogel ("functionalized hydrogel") has been shown to improve overall cartilage repair and integration to surrounding tissue in small animal models of osteochondral defects. Microfracture combined with trypsin treatment and a functionalized hydrogel will improve reparative tissue quality and integration as compared with microfracture alone in an equine model. Controlled laboratory study. Bilater...
Asin J, Murphy BG, Samol MA, Polanco J, Moore JD, Uzal FA.Rickets is a metabolic bone disease associated with failure of endochondral ossification and impaired osteoid mineralization in growing animals. As a consequence, affected individuals can develop gross and microscopic bone malformations. The most common causes of rickets in domestic species include vitamin D and phosphorus deficiency. Rickets has been described in multiple species; however, comprehensive postmortem characterizations with confirmatory histopathology in equids have not been published. A 6-mo-old, Thoroughbred-cross foal was diagnosed with rickets based on gross autopsy findings ...
Willette C, Aarnes TK, Lerche P, Ricco-Pereira C, Ballash GA, Bednarski RM.To assess anesthetic induction, recovery quality and cardiopulmonary variables after intramuscular (IM) injection of three drug combinations for immobilization of horses. Methods: Randomized, blinded, three-way crossover prospective design. Methods: A total of eight healthy adult horses weighing 470-575 kg. Methods: Horses were administered three treatments IM separated by ≥1 week. Combinations were tiletamine-zolazepam (1.2 mg kg), ketamine (1 mg kg) and detomidine (0.04 mg kg) (treatment TKD); ketamine (3 mg kg) and detomidine (0.04 mg kg) (treatment KD); and tiletamine-zolazepam (2.4 mg ...
Klecel W, Martyniuk E.The domestication of the horse began about 5500 years ago in the Eurasian steppes. In the following millennia horses spread across the ancient world, and their role in transportation and warfare affected every ancient culture. Ownership of horses became an indicator of wealth and social status. The importance of horses led to a growing interest in their breeding and management. Many phenotypic traits, such as height, behavior, and speed potential, have been proven to be a subject of selection; however, the details of ancient breeding practices remain mostly unknown. From the fourth millennium ...
Roth SP, Brehm W, Troillet A.Cell-based therapies for the treatment of osteoarthritis in equine patients experienced a real boom within the last few years. In every day medical practice, attending veterinary surgeons extract patient's blood or other autologous tissue samples and process the material for the purpose of administering the resulting product to the same patient under their own responsibility. Although being consistently classified as treatment option within the framework of regenerative medicine, the manufacturing processes, ingredients, and mechanisms of action remain highly diverse among cell-based therapies...
Staufenbiel L, Müller AE, Gehlen H.Objective measurements of the mineral supply in horses are rarely performed. As a result, incorrect elements or an improper amount of elements are provided. The analysis of feces could represent a novel method to evaluate the nutritive supply. The prerequisite is a knowledge of methodological factors influencing the mineral concentration in the fecal samples. Within the scope of this investigation, the effects of different kinds of mineral supply and the influence of the sampling location on the concentration of minerals in equine feces samples were analyzed. Additionally, the methodical error...
Cekiera A, Popiel J, Siemieniuch M, Jaworski Z, Slowikowska M, Siwinska N, Zak A, Niedzwiedz A.This study aimed to assess the biophysical parameters of the skin in Polish Konik horses (Polish primitive horses). According to the authors, this is the first assessment performed on such a wide scale in this group of animals. The evaluation carried out is innovative both with regards to the breed of the animals and the wide scope of the physicochemical skin assessment. The study group comprised mares, stallions and geldings, and the evaluations concerned transepidermal water loss, corneometry, pH, skin temperature assessment and mexametry. These parameters were assessed in five skin regions:...
Rich AF, Ricci E, Gates S, Hinnigan GJ, Owen KR.A 20-year-old British Warmblood gelding was presented for a progressively worsening right forelimb lameness which developed following an intense dressage training session. Initial ultrasound examination revealed a triangular, intrathecal, hypoechoic region within the superficial digital flexor tendon (SDFT) in the proximal, palmar carpal region distal to the accessory carpal bone (ACB), extending 7cm distally into the proximal metacarpal region. No significant improvement in clinical presentation was observed following an eight-week rehabilitation programme. Repeat ultrasound examination revea...
Pellizzoni SG, Costa SCL, Mery RBG, Barbieri JM, Munhoz AD, Silva AND, Sevá ADP, Alvarez MRDV, Albuquerque GR.The aims of this study were to determine the seroprevalence of Sarcocystis neurona antibodies in equines in the Ilhéus-Itabuna microregion (BA), and identify possible factors associated with infection. The presence of sporocysts/oocysts of Sarcocystis spp. was also verified in Didelphis spp. A total of 669 serum samples were collected from equines in 56 properties located in 12 municipalities in the region. Indirect fluorescent antibody test was performed with slides containing merozoites of the S. neurona, using a cut-off titer of 1:80. Occurrence of 7.92% of anti-S. neurona antibodies was o...
Hashimoto-Hill S, Alenghat T.Domestic animals represent important resources for understanding shared mechanisms underlying complex natural diseases that arise due to both genetic and environmental factors. Intestinal inflammation, particularly inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), is a significant health challenge in humans and domestic animals. While the etiology of IBD is multifactorial, imbalance of symbiotic gut microbiota has been hypothesized to play a central role in disease pathophysiology. Advances in genomic sequencing and analytical pipelines have enabled researchers to decipher the composition of the intestinal mi...
Trachsel DS, Calloe K, Mykkänen AK, Raistakka P, Anttila M, Fredholm M, Tala M, Lamminpää K, Klaerke DA, Buhl R.Exercise-associated sudden deaths (EASDs) are deaths occurring unexpectedly during or immediately after exercise. Sudden cardiac death (SCD) is one cause of EASD. Cardiac arrhythmias caused by genetic variants have been linked to SCD in humans. We hypothesize that genetic variants may be associated with SCD in animals, including horses. Genetic variants are transmitted to offspring and their frequency might increase within a family. Therefore, the frequency of such variants might increase with the inbreeding factor. Higher inbreeding could have a negative impact on racing performance. Pedigree...
Coxiella burnetii is the causative agent of Q fever. In order to explore the occurrence of C. burnetii in ticks, samples were collected from horses, dogs and humans living in a Cuban occidental community. The species most commonly recovered were Amblyomma mixtum (67%), Rhipicephalus sanguineus s.l. (27%) and Dermacentor nitens (6%). Specific IS1111 PCR and amplicon sequencing allowed the identification of C. burnetii DNA in A. mixtum collected from a domestic horse. These findings, for first time in Cuba, indicate the need for an in-depth assessment of the C. burnetii occurrence in hosts and h...
Issel CJ, Foil LD.There is no credible evidence that the lentivirus that causes equine infectious anaemia (EIA) replicates in invertebrates. The virus persistently infects its equid hosts and is often present in blood in significant quantities. Blood-feeding arthropods thus have the potential to transfer the virus between hosts, especially if their feeding on the first host is interrupted and immediately continued on a second host. The general details and dynamics of mechanical transmission are included in this paper, as this agent presents an excellent model. Mechanical transmission can be effectively controll...
Stover SM, Murray A.The California Postmortem Program studies disease surveillance, discovers new causes of death, and develops new diagnostic methods for disease detection. It also informs directions for research focused on elucidating the etiopathogenesis of, and risk factors for, catastrophic fractures and other causes of death. Because most fatal injuries seem to be the acute culmination of a more chronic process, intervention and prevention of injuries is possible with enhanced knowledge of the etiopathogenesis of injuries and risk factors for injuries. These advances also would facilitate development of man...
Dechant JE, Baxter GM, Frisbie DD, Trotter GW, McIlwraith CW.Osteoarthritis is a frequent sequela of joint disease, especially with severe injuries or if attempts at therapy are unsuccessful. Negative and positive effects of corticosteroid treatment of articular cartilage have been demonstrated by in vitro and in vivo studies. Objective: To assess the metabolic effects of varying dosages of methylprednisolone acetate (MPA) and triamcinolone acetonide (TA) on interleukin-1alpha (IL-1) conditioned equine cartilage explants. Our hypothesis was that lower dosages of corticosteroids would be less detrimental to cartilage metabolism than higher dosages. TA wo...
Frank N, Andrews FM, Sommardahl CS, Eiler H, Rohrbach BW, Donnell RL.A combined dexamethasone (DEX) suppression/thyrotropin-releasing hormone (TRH) test (DEX/TRH test) has been developed to evaluate horses for presence of a pars intermedia pituitary adenoma (PIPA), but to the authors' knowledge, the accuracy of this test has not been previously determined. Objective: The sensitivity and specificity of the DEX/TRH test can be determined by comparing test results with histopathologic examination findings. Methods: Age of 42 horses of various breeds ranged from 2 to 33 years. Methods: Plasma cortisol concentration was measured before and 24 hours after IV administ...
Mosunic CB, Moore PA, Carmicheal KP, Chandler MJ, Vidyashankar A, Zhao Y, Roberts RE, Dietrich UM.To determine the effects of treatment with and without adjuvant radiation therapy on recurrence of ocular and adnexal squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) at specific anatomic locations in horses. Methods: Retrospective study. Methods: 91 horses. Methods: Medical records of horses with histologically confirmed ocular and adnexal SCC evaluated from 1985 to 2002 were reviewed. Sex, breed, age, type of treatment, location, and recurrence of SCC were recorded. Two treatment groups determined by recurrence of SCCs treated with and without adjuvant radiation therapy were established. Results: The anatomic ...
Tzipori S, Hayes J, Sims L, Withers M.Streptococcus durans was isolated from a foal with profuse watery diarrhea and caused a similar syndrome when inoculated into foals via the orogastric route. The most consistent and striking histological feature was the extensive colonization of the mucosal surface of the small intestine by S. durans. Associated mucosal changes were mild to modeate, and brush border lactase and alkaline phosphatase production were depressed. S. durans also induced acute diarrhea in young gnotobiotic piglets. Mucosal changes were mild and, as with foals, the mucosal surface of the small intestine was colonized ...
Thomas CM, Murray R, Sharif M.The purpose of this study was to investigate associations between the extent of chondrocyte apoptosis and expression of the articular cartilage (AC) extracellular matrix (ECM) molecules, cartilage oligomeric matrix protein (COMP) and fibronectin. Methods: Cartilage from four sites (when available) on equine left middle carpal joints (n = 12) were used. Expression of COMP and fibronectin was determined using specific polyclonal antibodies and a biotin-streptavidin/peroxidase method. The intensity of staining for matrix molecules was graded (none, mild, moderate, strong) in each cartilage zone. ...
Nyindo MB, Ristic M, Lewis GE, Huxsoll DL, Stephenson EH.Four ponies experimentally infected with Ehrlichia equi developed substantial cell-mediated immune responses, as measured by the leukocyte migration-inhibition test. Serum anti-E equi antibodies up to 1:1,280 were demonstrated by the indirect fluorescent antibody test. Cell-mediated immune responses returned to a base-line value by day 200 after primary inoculation, but serum antibody titers persisted for at least 300 days after inoculation. Two additional susceptible ponies, which were inoculated with convalescent blood or organ homogenates from ponies recovered from acute equine ehrlichiosis...
Cequier A, Sanz C, Rodellar C, Barrachina L.The differentiation ability of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) initially raised interest for treating musculoskeletal injuries in horses, but MSC paracrine activity has widened their scope for inflammatory and immune-mediated pathologies in both equine and human medicine. Furthermore, the similar etiopathogenesis of some diseases in both species has advanced the concept of "One Medicine, One Health". This article reviews the current knowledge on the use of MSCs for equine pathologies beyond the locomotor system, highlighting the value of the horse as translational model. Ophthalmologic and repro...
Muscat KE, Padalino B, Hartley CA, Ficorilli N, Celi P, Knight P, Raidal S, Gilkerson JR, Muscatello G.The risk of respiratory disease in the transported horse can increase as a consequence of immunosuppression and stress associated primarily with opportunistic bacterial proliferation and viral reactivation. This study examines the ecology of equid herpesviruses (EHV) in these horses, exploring reactivation and changes in infection and shedding associated with transport, and any potential contributions to transport-related respiratory disease. Twelve horses were subjected to an 8-h road-transport event. Antibodies to EHV-1 and EHV-4 were detected by ELISA in serum collected prior to, immediatel...
Thompson RE, Meyers MA, Pukazhenthi BS, Hollinshead FK.Reproductive diseases in mares are a significant cause of subfertility and profound economic loss in the equine industry. Utilizing a 3D in vitro cell culture system that recapitulates the in vivo physiology will reduce time, cost, and welfare concerns associated with in vivo reproductive research in mares. If this 3D model is combined with effective cryopreservation, reproductive research on mares can occur year-round, which is not currently possible in this seasonal species. Endometrial organoids, 3D in vitro cell clusters that exhibit in vivo uterine physiology, have been established in mic...
Stieger-Vanegas SM, Hanna AL.Computed tomography (CT) imaging of the head in equine patients is now commonly performed as CT scanners are more readily available. Head CT has proven valuable in evaluating spatially complex anatomic structures, where radiographic superimposition, or restricted access endoscopy or ultrasound, limit complete evaluation of the disease process. Head CT has been demonstrated to be incredibly valuable in the evaluation of dental and paranasal sinus disease, disease of the hyoid apparatus and ear, and in evaluation of skull trauma. CT is an excellent modality for assessment of both osseous and so...
Kuzmina TA, Kuzmin YI, Kharchenko VA.Experimental studies on the survival of infective stage larvae of horse strongyles and their ability to overwinter on pasture were carried out in central Ukraine (Poltavska oblast). Faecal pats (1.5 kg each) of naturally infected horses were placed on pasture, and samples of faeces and surrounding vegetation (10 g each) were collected each month, excluding the winter months, from November 2002 until April 2004. The number of infective third stage larvae was calculated in each sample and compared with that from the control faecal samples cultivated in the laboratory. In the control samples, the...
Tscheschlok L, Venner M, Steward K, Böse R, Riihimäki M, Pringle J.Streptococcus equi ssp. equi causes characteristic clinical signs that are most severe in young horses, including fever, purulent nasal discharge, and lymph node abscessation in the head region. Objective: Clinical, serologic, and microbiologic factors related to unexpectedly mild disease severity in a natural outbreak of strangles in immunologically naïve weanlings were investigated. Methods: One-hundred and twelve warmblood weanlings. Methods: Prospective longitudinal observational study of a natural outbreak of strangles. The entire cohort was examined at the peak of the outbreak by deep n...
Yasuda R, Kawano J, Onda H, Takagi M, Shimizu A, Anzai T.To determine patterns of methicillin-resistant staphylococci isolated from apparently healthy horses. Methods: 44 horses from 8 riding clubs in Japan. Methods: Methicill in-resistant staphylococci were isolated from the skin or nares, using a selective medium containing a beta-(symboric) lactam antibiotic, ceftizoxime. Clonality of isolates was determined by use of pulsed-field gel electrophoresis. Detection of mecA, mecl, and mecR1 genes was accomplished by use of polymerase chain reactions. Results: Of the 44 horses, 13 (29.5%) yielded 15 isolates of methicillin-resistant staphylococci. The ...
Marti E, Gerber V, Wilson AD, Lavoie JP, Horohov D, Crameri R, Lunn DP, Antczak D, Björnsdóttir S, Björnsdóttir TS, Cunningham F, Dérer M....Allergic diseases occur in most mammals, although some species such as humans, dogs and horses seem to be more prone to develop allergies than others. In horses, insect bite hypersensitivity (IBH), an allergic dermatitis caused by bites of midges, and recurrent airway obstruction (RAO), a hyperreactivity to stable born dust and allergens, are the two most prevalent allergic diseases. Allergic diseases involve the interaction of three major factors: (i) genetic constitution, (ii) exposure to allergens, and (iii) a dysregulation of the immune response determined by (i) and (ii). However, other e...
Oliver J, Lukacik G, Kramer LD, Backenson PB, Sherwood JA, Howard JJ.In New York State (NYS), Eastern equine encephalitis (EEE) was first reported in a human in 1971, in horses in 1970, and in pheasants in 1952. Methods: Following work for the interval from 1970 to 1991, we identified cases in vertebrates from 1992 to 2012, through a passive surveillance system involving veterinarians in clinical practice, county health departments, and the Departments of Agriculture and Markets, Environmental Conservation, and Health, of the State of New York. Results: During an 11-year hiatus, from 1992 to 2002, no case in any vertebrate was observed. In a re-emergence, from ...
Guarino H, Castilho JG, Souto J, Oliveira Rde N, Carrieri ML, Kotait I.After 25 years without any reported cases of rabies in Uruguay, the northern region of the country experienced an epizootic of bovine paralytic rabies in October 2007. The outbreak affected bovines and equines, and the main source of infection was the bat Desmodus rotundus, the only hematophagous species in the country. From October 2007 to July 2008, 42 bovine, 3 equine and 120 chiropteran samples were submitted to the National Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory for rabies testing. A total of 12 samples (7 bovine, 2 equine and 3 from D. rotundus) were positive by the fluorescent antibody test, ...
Malone E, Ensink J, Turner T, Wilson J, Andrews F, Keegan K, Lumsden J.To determine if intravenous lidocaine is useful and safe as a treatment for equine ileus. Methods: Prospective double-blinded placebo-controlled trial. Methods: Horses (n = 32) with a diagnosis of postoperative ileus (POI) or enteritis and that had refluxed >20 L or had been refluxing for >24 hours. Methods: Refluxing horses were administered lidocaine (1.3 mg/kg intravenously [IV] as a bolus followed by a 0.05 mg/kg/min infusion) or saline (0.9% NaCl) solution placebo for 24 hours. Variables evaluated included volume and duration of reflux, time to 1st fecal passage, signs of pain, anal...
Hosaka Y, Kirisawa R, Ueda H, Yamaguchi M, Takehana K.Tumor necrosis factor (TNF) receptors (TNF-R)-mediated cell survival or apoptosis has been demonstrated in many cells, but little is known about survival or apoptotic signals via TNF-R1 in tendinocytes. In this study, we focused on four signaling factors, TNFalpha, TNF-R1, TNFR-associated factor2 (TRAF2) and caspase-3, in order to elucidate the signaling events in tendinocytes. Samples were obtained from normal, inflamed and scar-formed equine superficial digital flexor tendons. To detect these signaling factors, samples were subjected to immunohistochemistry and Western blot analysis, and som...
Burkett-Cadena ND, Gibson J, Lauth M, Stenn T, Acevedo C, Xue RD, McNelly J, Northey E, Hassan HK, Fulcher A, Bingham AM, van Olphen J, van Olphen A....Zoonotic mosquito-borne viruses, such as the West Nile virus (WNV) and eastern equine encephalitis virus (EEEV), are major public health threats in the United States. Early detection of virus transmission and targeted vector management are critical to protect humans against these pathogens. Sentinel chickens and pool screening of mosquitoes, the most widely used methods of arbovirus early detection, have technical time-lags that compromise their early-detection value. The exploitation of sugar-feeding by trapped mosquitoes for arbovirus surveillance may represent a viable alternative to other ...
Ramzan PH, Palmer L.Musculoskeletal injury is the most common cause of lost training days in the young Thoroughbred horse in flat race training. To date, there has been little investigation of the regional patterns of injury frequently observed by clinicians in racehorse practice. The present study was conducted to determine incidence of musculoskeletal injuries in Thoroughbreds in training in Newmarket, United Kingdom. Veterinary records for all horses resident in three large (>100 horse) training yards were assessed for occurrence of significant musculoskeletal injury. A total of 248 injuries were recorded in 2...
Busk P, Jacobsen S, Martinussen T.To compare postoperative inflammatory responses in horses administered perioperative procaine penicillin and those not administered penicillin using acute phase protein serum amyloid A (SAA) as a marker of inflammation. Methods: Randomized clinical trial. Methods: Stallions (n=50) castrated under field conditions. Methods: SAA concentrations were determined on days 0, 3, and 8. Six horses were subsequently excluded because of elevated SAA concentrations on day 0. Of the remaining 50 horses, 26 were administered nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) therapy and 24 were administered NSAID ...
Ben Hassine T, Hammami S, Elghoul H, Ghram A.Two outbreaks of West Nile Fever (FWN) were observed in the Sahel of Tunisia in 1997 and 2003. Several cases of meningitis and meningoencephalitis have been described in humans during these two outbreaks. However, no animal or clinical findings or seroconversion have been detected despite a high seroprevalence in human beings found around the affected areas. Few data are available regarding the spreading of this virus in other parts of the country. The purpose of this study was to detect a possible WNV spread in horses in some areas of Tunisia considered to be at risk for WNV but which had not...
Bundgaard L, Jacobsen S, Sørensen MA, Sun Z, Deutsch EW, Moritz RL, Bendixen E.Progress in MS-based methods for veterinary research and diagnostics is lagging behind compared to the human research, and proteome data of domestic animals is still not well represented in open source data repositories. This is particularly true for the equine species. Here we present a first Equine PeptideAtlas encompassing high-resolution tandem MS analyses of 51 samples representing a selection of equine tissues and body fluids from healthy and diseased animals. The raw data were processed through the Trans-Proteomic Pipeline to yield high quality identification of proteins and peptides. T...
Kavak A, Lundeheim N, Aidnik M, Einarsson S.The standard procedure for assessing the breeding potential of a stallion includes the parameter total number of spermatozoa classified as morphologically normal. This study investigated sperm morphology of fresh semen in randomly chosen Estonian (E, n = 8) and Tori (T, n = 7) breed stallions with proven fertility. Two ejaculates were examined from each stallion. An aliquot from each ejaculate was fixed in 1 mL formol-saline immediately after collection and examined with phase-contrast microscope at a magnification 1000x for all types of morphological abnormalities. Furthermore smears were pre...
Linton RA, Young LE, Marlin DJ, Blissitt KJ, Brearley JC, Jonas MM, O'Brien TK, Linton NW, Band DM, Hollingworth C, Jones RS.To assess the suitability of lithium dilution as a method for measuring cardiac output in anesthetized horses, compared with thermodilution and transesophageal Doppler echocardiography. Methods: 6 horses (3 Thoroughbreds, 3 crossbreeds). Methods: Cardiac output was measured in 6 anesthetized horses as lithium dilution cardiac output (LiDCO), thermodilution cardiac output (TDCO), and transesophageal Doppler echocardiographic cardiac output (DopplerCO). For the LiDCO measurements, lithium chloride was administered i.v., and cardiac output was derived from the arterial lithium dilution curve. Sod...
