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.
Kopper JJ, Alexander TL, Kogan CJ, Berreta AR, Burbick CR.Fecal microbiota transplant (FMT), a technique used to restore normal intestinal microbial communities, has been successful in treating humans with Clostridioides difficile colitis. Subsequently, FMT is being used in veterinary patients with suspected intestinal dysbiosis. Unfortunately, little data are available regarding best practices for FMT in horses. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of storing manure prepared for equine FMT (MP-FMT) at -20°C for up to 4 weeks and passage through a simulated proximal gastrointestinal (GI) tract on the viability of MP-FMT. The resu...
Kinoshita Y, Takechi M, Uchida-Fujii E, Miyazawa K, Nukada T, Niwa H.Bacterial placentitis in horses commonly results in abortion, premature birth or compromised neonatal foal health. Although mycobacterial infections are generally uncommon in horses, 10 equine abortion cases caused by Mycobacterium avium subsp. hominissuis (MAH) infections occurred between 2018 and 2019 in Japan. They occurred on seven Thoroughbred horse farms in the Hidaka district of Hokkaido, but direct contact among the mares on different farms was not recorded. Most cases were characterized by extensive pathological lesions of the placenta, which are not typical in cases of common pathoge...
May-Davis S, Minowa F, Brown WY.The Yonaguni pony is a rare breed of pony that has remained isolated on the westernmost island of Japan and may well retain normal morphological traits currently lost in most domestic horses (Equus caballus), such as the attachment of the nuchal ligament lamellae (NLL) from C2-C7. Recent research has found that NLL attachments are no longer present at C6 and C7 in most modern domesticated horses. This study investigated the attachments of the NLL in three Yonaguni ponies; 2 were examined in situ(deceased), and 1 was examined in vivo via ultrasound. The aim was to verify the attachments and com...
Tozaki T, Ohnuma A, Kikuchi M, Ishige T, Kakoi H, Hirota KI, Hamilton NA, Kusano K, Nagata SI.Gene doping is prohibited in horseracing and equestrian sports. In previous studies, we developed non-targeted transgene and genome editing detection methods based on whole genome resequencing (WGR) using genomic DNA extracted from whole blood. In this study, we aimed to develop a WGR method using DNA extracts from hair roots. Hair roots are a preferred substrate because their collection is less invasive than blood collection. Hair is also easier to store for long periods of time. Although almost all genomic DNA extracted from hair root samples stored for years at room temperature was degraded...
Ohmura H, Mukai K, Matsui A, Takahashi T, Jones JH.Supramaximal exercise while inspiring different O gases may induce different responses in cardiopulmonary function at the same relative and/or absolute exercise intensity. The purpose of this study was to compare the effects of supramaximal exercise in hypoxia, normoxia and hyperoxia on cardiopulmonary function in Thoroughbred horses. Using a crossover design, five well-trained horses were made to run up a 6% grade on a treadmill at supramaximal speeds sustainable for approximately 110 sec (approximately 115% Omax) while breathing normoxic gas (NO, 21% O) or hypoxic gas (LO, 15.3% O) in random...
Toma M, Pandya YH, Dongre D, Nizich M.There is a multitude of whips and riding crops. It is assumed that the whip in Thoroughbred racing must be padded and designed to be energy-absorbing. The new whips have a cushion made of softer material to be presumably more ethical when used on the horses. This study quantifies the forces exerted on a flat target plate using three different riding crops. The goal is to comparatively determine which one is less likely to leave a mark on the equine skin when the same bending level of the crop cores is achieved. Counterintuitively, it is shown that the riding crop even when its popper is made o...
Fukuda K, Kuwano A, Kuroda T, Tamura N, Mita H, Okada Y, Kasashima Y.This study optimized the double-spin conditions for preparing equine platelet-rich plasma (PRP): leukocyte-rich PRP (L-PRP) and leukocyte-poor PRP (P-PRP). Whole blood samples were centrifuged at various double-spin conditions. Both L-PRP and P-PRP were prepared at each stage, and complete blood counts and growth factor concentrations were compared. Samples centrifuged at 160 × 900 g, 160 × 2,000 g, and 400 × 2,000 g exhibited the highest platelet counts. P-PRP had significantly lower leukocyte and erythrocyte contents than L-PRP, especially at 400 × 2,000 g. No significant differences wer...
Sander J, Terhardt M, Janzen N.Plants from the Sapindaceae family that are consumed by horses (maple) and humans (ackee and litchi) are known to contain the toxins hypoglycin A and methylenecyclopropylglycine which cause seasonally occurring myopathy in horses and entero-encephalopathic sickness in humans. Vertical transmission of these toxins from a mare to her foal has been described once. However the mare's milk was not available for analysis in this case. We investigated mare's milk in a similar case. Objective: We hypothesized that hypoglycin A and methylenecyclopropylglycine, like other amino acids' are secreted into ...
Bitschi ML, Bagó Z, Rosati M, Reese S, Goehring LS, Matiasek K.Introduction of new imaging modalities for the equine brain have refocused attention on the horse as a natural model for ethological, neuroanatomical, and neuroscientific investigations. As opposed to imaging studies, strategies for equine neurodissection still lack a structured approach, standardization and reproducibility. In contrast to other species, where adapted protocols for sampling have been published, no comparable guideline is currently available for equids. Hence, we developed a species-specific slice protocol for whole brain vs. hemispheric dissection and tested its applicability ...
Mizobe F, Takahashi Y, Kusano K.Jockey safety is of paramount importance from the standpoint of welfare and public perception. Thus, an understanding of the epidemiology and associated risk factors is necessary to implement measures to reduce the jockey falls (JFs) and jokey injuries (JIs). This descriptive epidemiological study investigated the occurrence of JFs and JIs in 715,210 and 25,183 rides in flat and jump races, respectively, from 2003 to 2017. In flat races, the incidence rates of JFs and JIs were 1.4 and 0.6 per 1,000 rides, respectively. In jump races, they were 44.4 and 18.1 per 1,000 rides, respectively. In fl...
Reiter S, Wallner B, Brem G, Haring E, Hoelzle L, Stefaniuk-Szmukier M, Długosz B, Piórkowska K, Ropka-Molik K, Malvick J, Penedo MCT, Bellone RR.Warmblood fragile foal syndrome (WFFS) is an autosomal recessive disorder caused by a single nucleotide variant in the procollagen-lysine-2-oxoglutarate-5-dioxygenase 1 gene (PLOD1:c.2032G>A, p.Gly678Arg). Homozygosity for the PLOD1 variant causes an Ehler-Danlos-like syndrome, which has to date only been reported in warmblood breeds but the WFFS allele has been also detected in the Thoroughbred. To investigate the breed distribution of the WFFS allele, 4081 horses belonging to 38 different breeds were screened. In total, 4.9% of the horses representing 21 breeds carried the WFFS allele. The a...
Sato W, Sukmawinata E, Uemura R, Kanda T, Kusano K, Kambayashi Y, Sato T, Ishikawa Y, Toya R, Sueyoshi M.In this study, we investigated the occurrence of antimicrobial resistance in commensal Escherichia coli isolated from healthy Thoroughbred (TB) racehorses in Japan. A total of 212 fecal samples were individually collected from TB racehorses from March 2017 to August 2018 at Japan Racing Association training centers. E. coli was isolated by using selective agar media, deoxycholate-hydrogen sulfide-lactose (DHL) and eosin methylene blue (EMB). A total of 417 E. coli isolates were examined against 10 antimicrobial agents by using the broth microdilution method. The 417 E. coli isolates were phylo...
Corrin T, Ackford R, Mascarenhas M, Greig J, Waddell LA. Eastern equine encephalitis virus (EEEV) is a mosquito-borne virus that is primarily found in North America and the Caribbean. Over the past decade there has been an increase in virus activity, including large outbreaks in human and horse populations. Predicted climate change is expected to affect the range of mosquitoes including vectors of EEEV, which may alter disease risk posing a public health concern. A scoping review (ScR) was conducted to identify and characterize the global evidence on EEEV. A thorough search was conducted in relevant bibliographic databases and government websites....
Dor Z, Shnaiderman-Torban A, Kondratyeva K, Davidovich-Cohen M, Rokney A, Steinman A, Navon-Venezia S. is a major causative pathogen of human and animal gastroenteritis. Antibiotic resistant strains have emerged due to the production of extended-spectrum β-lactamases (ESBLs) posing a major health concern. With the increasing reports on ESBL-producing Enterobacterales that colonize companion animals, we aimed to investigate ESBL dissemination among ESBL-producing (ESBL-S) in hospitalized horses. We prospectively collected ESBL-S isolates from hospitalized horses in a Veterinary-Teaching Hospital during Dec 2015-Dec 2017. Selection criteria for ESBL-S were white colonies on CHROMagarESBL plate...
Douglas H, Hopster K, Cerullo M, Hopster-Iversen C, Stefanovski D, Driessen B.Flumazenil antagonises the actions of benzodiazepines. There has been no prior research specifically investigating this anaesthetic reversal agent for horses. Objective: To determine the effects of flumazenil administration in horses on (a) ventilatory parameters after midazolam-ketamine induction and maintenance with isoflurane in oxygen and on (b) the characteristics of recovery from general anaesthesia. Methods: Blinded, randomised, crossover experiment. Methods: Six horses were randomly assigned to receive high-dose flumazenil (F , 20 µg/kg), low-dose flumazenil (F , 10 µg/kg) and sali...
Palozzo A, Celani G, Varasano V, Marruchella G, Petrizzi L.Equine sinonasal myxomas (SNM) are very rare; only a few cases/small case series are reported in veterinary literature. The purpose of this report is to describe the diagnostic and surgical procedure adopted to approach the neoplastic mass in a case of equine SNM. A 5 year old, Murgese gelding was presented with mild serous nasal discharge, minimal facial swelling, decreased airflow from the right nostril, and dull frontal sinus percussion. Diagnostic imaging, including endoscopy, revealed a pale mass in the caudal portion of the right middle meatus, which developed inside the right conchofron...
Harvey AB, Bordin AI, Rocha JN, Bray JM, Cohen ND.Evidence regarding the efficacy of equine hyperimmune plasma to prevent pneumonia in foals caused by Rhodococcus equi is limited and conflicting. Objective: Opsonization with R. equi-specific hyperimmune plasma (HIP) will significantly increase phagocytosis and decrease intracellular replication of R. equi by alveolar macrophages (AMs) compared to normal plasma (NP). Methods: Fifteen adult Quarter Horses were used to collect bronchoalveolar lavage cells. Methods: In the first experiment, AMs from 9 horses were pretreated (incubated) with either HIP, NP, or media only (control) and then infecte...
Matheson A, Regmi SC, Jay GD, Schmidt TA, Scott WM. Local biological and biomechanical-stimuli modulate proteoglycan-4 secretion within synovial joints. For the horse, changes to proteoglycan-4 concentration and function are notable in acute joint injury and osteoarthritis. Proteoglycan-4 (also known as Lubricin) is present in the blood, however the effect of exercise on equine serum levels is unknown. The overall objective of this study was, therefore, to investigate the effect of intense exercise on serum proteoglycan-4 in thoroughbred horses. Samples of blood were taken from thoroughbreds ( = 12) during a chuckwagon racing event (Alberta, ...
Ghosh S, Carden CF, Juras R, Mendoza MN, Jevit MJ, Castaneda C, Phelps O, Dube J, Kelley DE, Varner DD, Love CC, Raudsepp T.We report 2 novel autosomal translocations in the horse. In Case 1, a breeding stallion with a balanced t(4p;30) had produced normal foals and those with congenital abnormalities. Of his 9 phenotypically normal offspring, 4 had normal karyotypes, 4 had balanced t(4p;30), and 1 carried an unbalanced translocation with tertiary trisomy of 4p. We argue that unbalanced forms of t(4p;30) are more tolerated and result in viable congenital abnormalities, without causing embryonic death like all other known equine autosomal translocations. In Case 2, two stallions produced by somatic cell nuclear tran...
Tatarniuk DM, Hill JA, Modesto RB, Swor TM, Caston SS, Kersh KD.To report the outcome of horses used in western performance disciplines after deep branch lateral plantar neurectomy/fasciotomy surgery for hind limb proximal suspensory desmopathy (PSD). Methods: Retrospective analysis. Methods: Twenty-one client-owned horses. Methods: Medical records were reviewed (2009-2019) for horses involved in western performance disciplines that had been treated with deep branch lateral plantar neurectomy and plantar fasciotomy for lameness due to hind limb PSD. Follow-up was obtained by reexamination and/or verbal interviews with owners >2 years postoperatively. Res...
Hu D, Chao Y, Li Y, Peng X, Wang C, Wang Z, Zhang D, Li K.Many studies on human intestinal microbiota indicate that gender difference is one of the key factors influencing microbial community composition. To date, the degree of influence that gender has on equid intestinal microbiota has not been reported. Thus, microbiota was analyzed in feces of seven female Przewalski's horses (FRPHs) and seven male Przewalski's horses (MRPHs) in this study, determining which microbiota characteristics respond to gender biases. The microbial community composition and structure were explored by 16S rRNA sequencing, followed by diversity analysis and difference anal...
Jackson K, Kelty E, Meylan M, Tennant M.Equine peripheral caries (PC) can cause significant dental pathology and appears to be increasing in prevalence and recognition in many areas [1, 2]. Previous studies have identified risk factors for the condition including the feeding of oaten hay [3]. It was hypothesized that this may be due to the higher water soluble carbohydrate (WSC) or "sugar" content of the hay. A randomized control trial involving 30 horses on three properties was completed. The horses were randomly assigned to two groups: high WSC (H-WSC) or low WSC (L-WSC) oaten hay and were then sedated and intraoral photographs an...
Brocca G, Centelleghe C, Padoan E, Stoppini R, Giudice C, Castagnaro M, Zappulli V.A 24-year-old Irish Cob mare was presented with a peripheral iris mass, which was surgically resected and diagnosed as an undifferentiated neuroepithelial tumor. A few months later, a relapse occurred with histological features characterized by a more solid appearance and squamous differentiation. Subsequently, the mare was presented with rapidly spreading multiple subcutaneous masses and, at the onset of neurological signs, was humanely euthanized and subjected to a complete post mortem examination. The necropsy confirmed the presence of numerous widespread masses in the subcutaneous tissue, ...
Ishii H, Shibuya M, Leung GN, Yamashita S, Yamada M, Kushiro A, Kasashima Y, Okada J, Kawasaki K, Kijima-Suda I.The use of GW1516, a peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor δ (PPAR δ) agonist, is strictly prohibited in both horseracing and equestrian competitions. However, little is known about its metabolic fate in horses. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first reported metabolic study of GW1516 in equine urine. Methods: Urine samples obtained from a thoroughbred after nasoesophageal administration with GW1516 were protein-precipitated and the supernatants were subsequently analyzed by liquid chromatography/electrospray ionization high-resolution mass spectrometry (LC/ESI-HRMS) with a Q-E...
Łagowski D, Nowicka B, Nowakiewicz A, Polkowska I, Gnat S.Penile prolapse is a disease manifested by an inability to retract the penis into the preputial sheath. It is reported in a variety of animal species, especially in young and intact males. However, penile prolapse in horses is commonly caused by trauma, sexual activity, pseudohermaphroditism, or neurological deficits, and less often by an infectious background. The present case report aimed to determine the etiological factor of penis infection associated with penile prolapse in a stallion in Poland. Our report indicates that the infectious background of penile prolapse was related to the Burk...
Paslaru AI, Torgerson PR, Veronesi E.Biting midges (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae) are arthropods of veterinary importance since they can transmit pathogens and cause severe allergic dermatitis in horses. Very little is known about the species at higher altitudes and their seasonal dynamics. In this work, adult Culicoides were collected with Onderstepoort UV-light suction traps (OVI) from June to September 2016 at two areas situated at around 1600 m asl (pre-alpine area I, 2 farms) and 2030 m asl (pre-alpine area II, 1 farm) in the Canton of Grisons (south-east Switzerland). Overall, 17 049 Culicoides were collected, including 8...
Pollard D, Grewar JD.Over 60% of UK horse riders report having experienced a road-related near-miss or accident. The aim of this study was to describe horse-related road incidents ( = 4107) reported to the British Horse Society (2010-2020) and to identify factors associated with higher odds of collisions with another vehicle and horse fatalities using multivariable logistic regression modelling. Drivers passed the horse too closely in 84.2% of incidents while road rage and speeding were reported in 40.3% and 40.1% of incidents, respectively. Close passing distance alone (odds ratio [OR] 18.3, 95% confidence interv...
Kadivar A, Rashidzadeh H, Davoodian N, Nazari H, Dehghani Tafti R, Heidari Khoei H, Seidi Samani H, Modaresi J, Ahmadi E.Accurate diagnosis of foetal sex in pregnant mare is helpful for many breeders, both for private or commercial purposes. In this study, in order to pre-natal foetal sexing in equine, we used TaqMan duplex real-time PCR to detect the specific regions of SRY and TSPY genes on extracted cell-free foetal DNA from maternal blood. Peripheral blood samples from 50 pregnant Arabian mares with singleton foetuses were collected. Cell-free foetal DNA was extracted from maternal plasma, and duplex real-time PCR assays were performed with TaqMan probes and primers. Amplification of glyceraldehyde-3-phospha...
O'Brien TJ, Rosanowski SM, Mitchell KD, Carrick JB, Butt TD, Adkins AR.There is little consensus on factors associated with survival in foals with septic arthritis and limited data on long-term racing performance of Thoroughbred foals treated for septic arthritis. A more thorough understanding of short- and long-term outcome is necessary to help inform owners, and subsequently guide treatment. Objective: To investigate factors associated with survival, and to analyse racing performance of foals with septic arthritis compared with their maternal siblings. Methods: Retrospective cohort and a case-control study. Methods: Veterinary clinical records of Thoroughbred f...
Murphy RJT, Ramsay JP, Lee YT, Pang S, O'Dea MA, Pearson JC, Axon JE, Raby E, Abdulgader SM, Whitelaw A, Coombs GW.Staphylococcus aureus is a serious human and animal pathogen. Multilocus sequence type 612 (ST612) is the dominant methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA) clone in certain South African hospitals and is sporadically isolated from horses and horse-associated veterinarians in Australia. Colonisation and infection by ST612-MRSA is increasing in Western Australia. Whole-genome sequencing was performed for 51 isolates of ST612-MRSA from Western Australian patients and healthcare workers, South African hospital patients, Australian veterinarians and New South Wales horses. Core genome phylogenies sug...
Nardoni S, Mancianti F, Sgorbini M, Taccini F, Corazza M.Fungal agents are responsible for a variety of respiratory diseases both in humans and animals. The nature and seasonal variations of fungi have been investigated in many environments with wide ranging results. The aims of the present report were (i) to evaluate the quality and magnitude of exposure to airborne fungi in three differently structured equine stalls (open air, partially and completely enclosed buildings) during a one-year period, using an air sampling technique and (ii) to compare the distribution and frequency of fungal species, with regards to these different environments. Air s...
Slack J, Stefanovski D, Madsen TF, Fjordbakk CT, Strand E, Fintl C.The significance of cardiac arrhythmias and their possible association with upper airway obstruction are frequently considered in the clinical investigation of poor performance. The specific aims of this retrospective study of a group of poorly performing Standardbred and Norwegian-Swedish Coldblooded trotters were to: (1) describe the overall frequency and frequency distributions of arrhythmias; (2) describe arrhythmia characteristics including percent prematurity, relative recovery cycle lengths and QRS morphology; (3) describe variability of normal RR intervals; and (4) explore possible ass...
Navarro JC, Medina G, Vasquez C, Coffey LL, Wang E, Suárez A, Biord H, Salas M, Weaver SC.Five years after the apparent end of the major 1995 Venezuelan equine encephalitis (VEE) epizootic/epidemic, focal outbreaks of equine encephalitis occurred in Carabobo and Barinas States of western Venezuela. Virus isolates from horses in each location were nearly identical in sequence to 1995 isolates, which suggests natural persistence of subtype IC VEE virus (VEEV) strains in a genetically stable mode. Serologic evidence indicated that additional outbreaks occurred in Barinas State in 2003. Field studies identified known Culex (Melanoconion) spp. vectors and reservoir hosts of enzootic VEE...
Luethy D, Feldman R, Stefanovski D, Aitken MR.Acute colitis is a serious cause of morbidity and death in horses. Recent studies have compared clinical features of coronavirus and salmonellosis, but no study has compared clinical features of enteric salmonellosis, coronavirus, and neorickettsiosis. Objective: To identify risk factors for laminitis and nonsurvival to discharge in horses with enteric salmonellosis, coronavirus, or neorickettsiosis. Methods: Eighty-five horses hospitalized for acute colitis from 2011 to 2019. Methods: Retrospective case series. Medical record review (2011-2019) of adult (≥2 years) horses with colitis. Pri...
Horohov DW, Adams AA, Chambers TM.It is widely recognized that advanced age is associated with alterations in immunological responses that likely contribute to increased morbidity and mortality in the elderly population. This decreased efficacy of the immune system with age is referred to as 'immunosenescence' and has been reported for a number of species. Similar age-related changes are seen in horses and are manifested as decreased responsiveness to vaccination in vivo and diminished proliferative responses to mitogens in vitro. The underlying mechanism responsible for these impaired immunological responses remains unknown. ...
De Waal DT.Babesia caballi, isolated from a horse that originated from South West Africa/Namibia, was transmitted transovarially by adult Hyalomma truncatum. B. caballi proved to be highly infective for adult H. truncatum. Forty-five per cent of ticks feeding on a reacting animal with an extremely low parasitaemia became infected. In spite of a low parasitaemia, the ticks were severely affected by the parasite. Seventy per cent of the infected ticks either died during oviposition or after laying only a few eggs. The features of the infection in horses were: a prepatent period of 10 days, very low parasit...
Rocheleau JP, Michel P, Lindsay LR, Drebot M, Dibernardo A, Ogden NH, Fortin A, Arsenault J.Periodic outbreaks of West Nile virus (WNV), Eastern equine encephalitis virus (EEEV) and to a lesser extent, California serogroup viruses (CSGV), have been reported in parts of Canada in the last decade. This study was designed to provide a broad assessment of arboviral activity in Quebec, Canada, by conducting serological surveys for these arboviruses in 196 horses, 1442 dogs and 485 humans. Sera were screened by a competitive enzyme linked immunosorbent assay and positive samples confirmed by plaque reduction neutralisation tests. The percentage of seropositive samples was 83·7%, 16·5%, 7...
Khademi P, Ownagh A, Ataei B, Kazemnia A, Eydi J, Khalili M, M M, Mardani K.Coxiella burnetii is a zoonotic bacterium that can infect a wide range of animals including horses. However, its circulation dynamics in and through horses are still unclear. The aim of this study was to evaluate prevalence of C. burnetii and its genomic characteristics in horse sera samples in the North of Iran (Golestan Province). The samples were collected in 2018 and the age, sex, and breed of each animal were recorded. Nested-PCR was used to detect C. burnetii based on the presence of the transposable gene IS1111. The results showed that 7.50 % (P < 0.05; 95 % CI: 0.5 %-0.12 %) of the ...
Korn A, Miller D, Dong L, Buckles EL, Wagner B, Ainsworth DM.Recurrent airway obstruction (RAO) is a pulmonary inflammatory condition that afflicts certain mature horses exposed to organic dust particulates in hay. Its clinical and pathological features, manifested by reversible bronchoconstriction, excessive mucus production and airway neutrophilia, resemble the pulmonary alterations that occur in agricultural workers with occupational asthma. The immunological basis of RAO remains uncertain although its chronicity, its localization to a mucosal surface and its domination by a neutrophilic, non-septic inflammatory response, suggest involvement of Inter...
Nemoto M, Yamanaka T, Bannai H, Tsujimura K, Kondo T, Matsumura T.Reverse transcription loop-mediated isothermal amplification (RT-LAMP) was applied to the detection of equine influenza virus (EIV). Because equine influenza is caused currently by EIV of the H3H8 subtype, the RT-LAMP primer set was designed to target the hemagglutinin gene of this subtype. The detection limit of the RT-LAMP assay was a virus dilution of 10(-5); which was 10(3) times more sensitive than the Espline Influenza A&B-N test and 10 times more sensitive than a reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) assay. The specificity of the RT-LAMP assay was examined by usin...
Seabaugh KA, Thoresen M, Giguère S.Extracorporeal shockwave therapy (ESWT) and platelet-rich plasma (PRP) are common treatments for soft tissue injuries in horses. Shockwave triggers cell specific responses to promote healing. Growth factors released from PRP also promote healing. It has been hypothesized that greater growth factor release would amplify the healing process. The combination of ESWT and PRP could promote healing in injured tendons and ligaments in the horse. The objective of this study was to determine if application of shockwaves to PRP samples increases the concentration of transforming growth factor-β1 (TGF-...
Kim YC, Won SY, Do K, Jeong BH.Prion diseases, a protein misfolded disorder (PMD) caused by misfolded prion protein (PrP), present in a wide variety of hosts, ranging from ungulates to humans. To date, prion infections have not been reported in horses, which are well-known as prion disease-resistant animals. Several studies have attempted to identify distinctive features in the prion protein of horses compared to prion disease-susceptible animals, without the study on polymorphisms of the horse prion protein gene (PRNP). Since single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of PRNP in prion disease-susceptible animals are major susc...
Tumas DB, Brassfield AL, Travenor AS, Hines MT, Davis WC, McGuire TC.Murine monoclonal antibodies, HB88A, B29A and DH59B separately identify the CD2 T lymphocyte molecule, a unique pan-B lymphocyte surface marker and a pan-granulocyte/monocyte surface molecule, respectively, in the horse. Specificity was shown by two-color immunofluorescent flow cytometry and immunofluorescent microscopy. MAb HB88A reacted with a 52 kDa pan-T lymphocyte molecule present on 75% +/- 7 of peripheral blood lymphocytes (PBL) (n = 15 horses). It also reacted with lymphocytes restricted to T lymphocyte dependent areas of lymph node and spleen. Specificity of mAb HB88A to CD2 was demon...
Katavolos P, Ackerley CA, Clark ME, Bienzle D.Horses suffer from recurrent airway obstruction, an asthma-like condition induced by repeat inhalation of environmental substances present in barn air. Clara cell secretory protein (CCSP) is much reduced during active inflammation when neutrophils predominate in the airways, and in chronic asthmatics. We sought to investigate morphologic and functional interactions of CCSP with neutrophils. Bronchoalveolar and blood neutrophils from healthy control animals, and from animals with recurrent airway obstruction in remission and exacerbation, were evaluated by immuno-cytochemistry and immuno-electr...
de Oliveira RA, Aurich C.Risk prevention is often counterproductive to stallions' living conditions when assessed under welfare aspects. In the wild, stallions live in social groups, but under domestic conditions, the majority of breeding stallions live in individual boxes with limited social contact. This stimulates aggressiveness and the incidence of stereotypic behavior. While racehorse stallions start their breeding career after having finished their performance career, riding horse stallions are often simultaneously used for breeding and performance. Training, performance, and the associated stress are unlikely t...
Lester GD, Smith RL, Robertson ID.To compare the effects of oral administration of omeprazole and ranitidine on gastric squamous ulceration in Thoroughbreds in race training. Methods: Modified crossover study. Methods: 60 Thoroughbreds in race training with gastric squamous mucosal ulceration. Methods: Horses were randomly allocated into 3 groups. Group 1 received no treatment for 28 days followed by administration of omeprazole (4 mg/kg [1.8 mg/lb], PO, once daily) for 28 days; group 2 received omeprazole (4 mg/kg, PO, once daily) for 28 days followed by no treatment for 28 days; and group 3 received ranitidine (6.6 mg/kg [3....
Roussel AJ, Cohen ND, Hooper RN, Rakestraw PC.To determine risk factors associated with development of postoperative ileus in horses undergoing surgery for colic. Methods: Case-control study. Methods: 69 horses that developed ileus after surgery for colic and 307 horses that did not develop postoperative ileus. Methods: Signalment, history, clinicopathologic data, treatment, lesions, and outcome were obtained from medical records. Results: Variables associated with increased risk of postoperative ileus included age > 10 years, Arabian breed, PCV > or = 45%, high serum concentrations of protein and albumin, anesthesia > 2.5 hours'...
Chowdhary BP, Paria N, Raudsepp T.Following the recent development of high-resolution gene maps and generation of several basic tools and resources to use them in analyzing traits that are economically important to horse owners, genome analysis in horses is witnessing a shift towards developing an ability to analyze complex traits. The likelihood of this happening in the very near future is great, mainly because of the recent availability of the whole genome sequence in the horse. The latter has triggered the development of novel tools like SNP-chip and expression arrays that will permit rapid genome-wide analysis. While these...
Fraser MD, Vallin HE, Roberts BP.Grasslands dominate land cover nationally and globally, and their composition, structure and habitat value are strongly influenced by the actions of domestic and wild grazing animals that feed on them. Different pastures are characterised by varying opportunities for selective feeding by livestock; agronomically improved, sown swards generally consist of a limited range of plant species whereas longer-term leys and semi-natural grasslands are characterised by a more diverse mixture of plants. In the case of botanically diverse permanent pastures/grazing lands, the dietary preferences of differ...
Dyson SJ, Tranquille CA, Collins SN, Parkin TD, Murray RC.During a pre-purchase examination (PPE) there is always a debate about how clinical findings of the hoof different from ideal should be interpreted in relation to future lameness risk and/or unsuitability of the horse for the potential purchaser. The objectives of this study were to describe and compare external angular measurements, linear ratios and hoof capsule characteristics of non-lame and lame feet. Photographs of feet from 300 horses with foot pain and 25 non-lame horses were analysed. Hoof wall, heel and coronary band angles and hoof wall length and height, weight-bearing length, coro...
Torfs S, Levet T, Delesalle C, Dewulf J, Vlaminck L, Pille F, Lefere L, Martens A.To assess risk factors for celiotomy incisional infection in horses, especially the use of staples for skin closure. Methods: Case series. Methods: Horses (n=356) that had 1 exploratory celiotomy for colic and survived >2 weeks after surgery between March 1, 2004 and December 31, 2007. Methods: Incisions were classified as "normal" (no complication, only edema, serous drainage lasting <24 hours) or as "surgical site infection (SSI)" (persistent serosanguinous drainage or purulent drainage with or without positive bacterial culture). All possible risk factors, including method of skin closure (...
Proudman CJ, Holdstock NB.A novel serological assay which measures IgG(T) specific for a 12/13 kDa protein of the equine tapeworm Anoplocephala perfoliata was used as part of a colic outbreak investigation. A training/rehabilitation yard for Thoroughbreds and Arabs was found to have an increasing incidence of colic over a 5 year period, culminating in a peak incidence of 1.15 episodes/horse year at risk. Four animals suffered from ileal impaction colic which necessitated surgical management. A case-control study design suggested a strong association between tapeworm infection and colic, with evidence of a dose-response...
This study aimed to evaluate the changes in serum oxidant and antioxidant parameters together with the serum values of homocysteine (Hcy) and muscle enzymes including creatine kinase (CK), aspartate aminotransferase (AST) and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) in regularly trained athletic horses during official races of 1200, 1600 and 2000 m. Thirty Thoroughbred horses were divided into three groups of 10 subjects each according to the race distance: Group 1, 1200 m race; Group 2, 1600 m race; Group 3, 2000 m race. Blood samples were collected from horses 1 week prior to the race (1WB), on the day o...
Menzies-Gow NJ, Wray H, Bailey SR, Harris PA, Elliott J.The mechanisms underlying predisposition to pasture-associated laminitis remain unclear; chronic inflammation is implicated, and this may be exacerbated by physical inactivity. Objective: To determine whether exercise affects the inflammatory profile of normal and previously laminitic ponies. Methods: Prospective case-control study. Methods: The short (1 day) and longer term (14 days) effects of low intensity (10 min walking and 5 min trotting) exercise on plasma inflammatory marker concentrations in normal (NL) and previously laminitic (PL) nonobese ponies (n = 6/group) was determined. Plasma...
Maśko M, Witkowska-Piłaszewicz O, Jasiński T, Domino M.Infrared thermography is a non-invasive technique which allows to distinguish between pregnant and non-pregnant animals. Detecting accurate body surface temperatures can be challenging due to external factors altering thermograph measurements. This study aimed to determine the associations between the ambient temperature, the hair coat features and the temperatures of mares' abdomens. It compared pregnant and non-pregnant mares throughout 11 months. The research was carried out on 40 Konik Polski mares, which were divided into pregnant and non-pregnant groups. The temperature (Tmax, maximal; ...
McClure SR, Carithers DS, Gross SJ, Murray MJ.To determine whether conditions representing activities that are typical in the recreational use of horses, including transport to and from show grounds, stall confinement in unfamiliar surroundings, and light exercise, are associated with increased incidence of gastric ulcers in horses. Methods: Randomized controlled study. Methods: 20 client-owned horses. Methods: Horses had no gastric ulcers as determined by endoscopic examination on study day -1. Ten control horses were maintained on-site with no changes in management variables. Ten horses were transported via trailer for 4 hours on day 0 ...
Raabe ML, Issel CJ, Montelaro RC.We have previously demonstrated a high propensity for enhancement of virus replication and disease resulting from experimental immunization of ponies with a baculovirus recombinant envelope (rgp90) vaccine from equine infectious anemia virus (EIAV). The current studies were undertaken to examine the correlation between the observed in vivo vaccine enhancement and in vitro assays for antibody-dependent enhancement (ADE) of EIAV replication. Toward this goal an optimized EIAV in vitro enhancement assay was developed using primary equine macrophage cells and used to evaluate the enhancement prope...
