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.
Fielding CL, Magdesian KG, Mayer JR.This case report describes 2 endurance horses with non-hepatic hyperammonemia. The animals were competing in a 160-km endurance competition in extreme heat conditions and were presented for obtundation. One of the horses also had evidence of blindness. The blood ammonia concentration was elevated (196 μmol/L and 249 μmol/L) and both horses improved following treatment with intravenous fluids and supportive care. These are the first documented cases of clinical signs presumed to be associated with hyperammonemia in endurance horses. Despite the severity of the clinical presentation, both hors...
Ellis L.A 19-year-old appendix mare was presented with severe, acute right forelimb lameness and a history of significant hoof wall defect. The defect began as progressive toe separation affecting the dorsal hoof wall, which was eventually resected by a farrier. Placement of bar shoes by a farrier to stabilize the hoof was ineffective. Radiographs showed hoof wall separation, palmar rotation, and displacement of the coffin bone, consistent with failure of the laminar structures. Treatment included phenylbutazone, radiographic-guided therapeutic farriery consisting of derotation with a wedge shoe, and ...
Todd ET, Thomson PC, Hamilton NA, Ang RA, Lindgren G, Viklund Ã…, Eriksson S, Mikko S, Strand E, Velie BD.Domestic animal populations are often characterised by high rates of inbreeding and low effective population sizes due to selective breeding practices. These practices can result in otherwise rare recessive deleterious alleles drifting to high frequencies, resulting in reduced fertility rates. This study aimed to identify potential recessive lethal haplotypes in the Thoroughbred horse breed, a closed population that has been selectively bred for racing performance. In this study, we identified a haplotype in the LY49B gene that shows strong evidence of being homozygous lethal, despite having h...
Stapley ED, Stutzman BE, Manfredi JM.The stirrup iron has the potential to modify the forces experienced by a horse and rider during ridden exercise. A range of stirrup designs are available, but no previous studies have investigated if these modifications influence riders' position and interaction with the horse. Novel flexible (F) or flexible and rotatable (FR) irons versus traditional (T) stirrups may positively impact the welfare and performance of the horse and rider. Four riders rode using the three stirrup types (T, F, and FR). Hip, knee, and ankle angles and toe position from film, and the normal force exerted bilaterally...
Semik-Gurgul E.Sarcoids are the most commonly diagnosed skin tumours in equines. Bovine papillomaviruses (BPVs) are the primary causative agent of sarcoids. There has been intensive research to discover the molecular mechanisms that may contribute to the aetiopathogenesis of this disease and tumour suppressors and proto-oncogenes known to play a role in human neoplastic conditions have been investigated in equine sarcoids. Current approaches include the identification of gene expression profiles, characterising sarcoid and normal skin tissues, and an assessment of epigenetic alterations such as microRNA diff...
Onyiche TE, Taioe MO, Molefe NI, Biu AA, Luka J, Omeh IJ, Yokoyama N, Thekisoe O.Equine piroplasmosis (EP) is a tick-borne disease of economic importance, relevant in the international movement of equids. The causative agents are at least two apicomplexan protozoan parasites Babesia caballi and Theileria equi. To date, there is no study that estimates global and regional exposure of equids to EP. We therefore conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis to estimate the pooled prevalence and heterogeneity of EP using random-effects model. Six electronic databases were searched for publications on EP and assessed according to Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Revie...
van Damme CMM, van den Broek J, Sloet van Oldruitenborgh-Oosterbaan MM.In equine atopic patients intradermal testing (IDT) and immunoglobulin (Ig)E serology are used frequently. There is little evidence regarding the reproducibility of the IDT and IgE serology in horses. Objective: To compare the results of a simultaneously performed IDT on the left and right side of the neck in atopic horses, and to compare these results with allergen-specific IgE serology. Methods: Ten equine patients from a university hospital population with chronic urticaria and/or pruritus. Methods: The IDT was performed using 16 allergens and the results were evaluated after 30Â min, 1, 4 ...
Marzahl C, Aubreville M, Bertram CA, Stayt J, Jasensky AK, Bartenschlager F, Fragoso-Garcia M, Barton AK, Elsemann S, Jabari S, Krauth J, Madhu P....Exercise-induced pulmonary hemorrhage (EIPH) is a common condition in sport horses with negative impact on performance. Cytology of bronchoalveolar lavage fluid by use of a scoring system is considered the most sensitive diagnostic method. Macrophages are classified depending on the degree of cytoplasmic hemosiderin content. The current gold standard is manual grading, which is however monotonous and time-consuming. We evaluated state-of-the-art deep learning-based methods for single cell macrophage classification and compared them against the performance of nine cytology experts and evaluated...
Smith DR, Schmaljohn CS, Badger C, Ostrowski K, Zeng X, Grimes SD, Rayner JO.Venezuelan, eastern, and western equine encephalitis viruses (VEEV, EEEV, and WEEV) are mosquito-borne viruses in the Americas that cause central nervous system (CNS) disease in humans and equids. In this study, we directly characterized the pathogenesis of VEEV, EEEV, and WEEV in cynomolgus macaques following subcutaneous exposure because this route more closely mimics natural infection via mosquito transmission or by an accidental needle stick. Our results highlight how EEEV is significantly more pathogenic compared to VEEV similarly to what is observed in humans. Interestingly, EEEV appears...
Bastos FZ, Barussi FCM, Leite LMB, Jamur VR, Soares AA, Senegaglia AC, Michelotto PV.This study aimed to assess the safety and reproducibility of cell therapy for its use in clinical practice. We performed immunophenotypic characterization of equine bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stromal cells (BMMSCs) by flow cytometry using CD90, CD19, CD14, CD105, CD45, and HLA-DR markers (n = 4); GTG banding cytogenetic analysis (n = 3); and microbiological quality control (n = 4). The immunomodulatory potentials of BMMSCs (n = 4) and its conditioned medium (CM, n = 3) were investigated by in vitro lymphocyte inhibition assay using phytohemagglutinin (PHA)-stimulated peripheral ...
Al-Kass Z, Guo Y, Vinnere Pettersson O, Niazi A, Morrell JM.Bacteria colonize stallion semen during collection and processing which may cause disease in inseminated females or negatively affect sperm quality during storage prior to insemination. Antibiotics are added to semen extenders to control the growth of these bacteria but may induce antimicrobial resistance. Research into alternatives to antibiotics for this purpose requires knowledge of which bacteria are present in semen. Not all bacteria in semen, however, can be identified by conventional microbiological techniques. The objectives of the study were to: i) determine which bacteria are present...
Zielińska P, Nicpoń J, Kiełbowicz Z, Soroko M, Dudek K, Zaborski D.The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of high intensity laser therapy (HILT) on tendon and ligament injury treatment in horses. Twenty six horses with tendinopathies were randomly assigned to a HILT treated or to a non-treated group. Each horse was subjected to the same rehabilitation programme. Horses from the treatment group underwent a series of fifteen HILT treatments with the same parameters. Clinical and ultrasound assessments were performed by the same veterinarian and were carried out before (day 0), during (day 13-15) and after treatment (day 38-40). Clinical evaluation in...
Aimaletdinov A, Mindubaeva G, Khalikova S, Kabwe E, Salmakova A, Alexandrova N, Rutland C, Rizvanov A, Zakirova E.Tendon injuries are one of the most common causes of orthopedic disorders in horses. Such injuries involve a long course of treatment and recovery. The most promising method of treating these injuries is the use of recombinant proteins and gene therapy. In this work, we evaluated the therapeutic efficacy of plasmid DNA (pDNA) containing two species-specific coding sequences, i.e. vascular endothelial growth factor 164 (VEGF164) and fibroblast growth factor 2 (FGF2), in the treatment of severe damage to the tendon of the superficial digital flexor. A pDNA construct was used to restore the damag...
Dagnachew S, Mohammed S, Dessie B, Tilahun M, Ayele A, Kefyalew H.A cross-sectional study was carried out from November 2016 to May 2017 in selected districts of Northwest Ethiopia (Jawi, South Achefer, Dembecha and Jabitehenan) with the aim of determining the prevalence of bovine and equine trypanosomosis, estimating the apparent density of vectors and assessing the effectiveness of control measures of the disease. A total of 1257 animals of which 803 bovine and 454 equine were examined for the determination of prevalence using blood sample collected from ear vein of animals. The buffy coat technique was employed to determine the prevalence and the packed c...
Kim HH, Yang DK, Ji M, Lee SK, Hyun BH.Japanese encephalitis is one of the most important mosquito-borne and zoonotic diseases in Asia and the Pacific region. Although the dominant Japanese encephalitis virus (JEV) genotype has shifted from G3 to G1 in Korea since 1990, a G3 strain (Anyang 300) has been used in vaccines for horses for almost 40 years. This study aimed to investigate the seroconversion rates and geometric mean titers (GMTs) of virus-neutralizing antibodies (VNAs) against JEV G1 and G3 in horses immunized with the G3 vaccine. Methods: Serum samples of 1,231 horses immunized with the Anyang 300 vaccine were collected ...
Samad L, Tavanaeimanesh H, Mehr Azin H, Moadab SH, Vajhi AR.A horse's well-being is directly related to the management of its dental health. A good knowledge of the epidemiology and aetiology of dental disorders could help the owners and clinicians to prevent not only dental problems but also severe gastrointestinal diseases. In this study we report the prevalence of dental disorders in horses in Iran. We examined 317 horses randomly in eight provinces in Iran and 21 diseases were characterized in the examined horses. The observed diseases were compared among different breeds, genders and ages of the examined horses. The factor of age among the other t...
Couetil L, Cardwell JM, Leguillette R, Mazan M, Richard E, Bienzle D, Bullone M, Gerber V, Ivester K, Lavoie JP, Martin J, Moran G, Niedźwiedź A....The 2019 Havemeyer Workshop brought together researchers and clinicians to discuss the latest information on Equine Asthma and provide future research directions. Current clinical and molecular asthma phenotypes and endotypes in humans were discussed and compared to asthma phenotypes in horses. The role of infectious and non-infectious causes of equine asthma, genetic factors and proposed disease pathophysiology were reviewed. Diagnostic limitations were evident by the limited number of tests and biomarkers available to field practitioners. The participants emphasized the need for more accessi...
Cercone M, Brown BN, Stahl EC, Mitchell LM, Fortier LA, Mohammed HO, Ducharme NG.Respiratory function in the horse can be severely compromised by arytenoid chondritis, or arytenoid chondropathy, a pathologic condition leading to deformity and dysfunction of the affected cartilage. Current treatment in cases unresponsive to medical management is removal of the cartilage, which can improve the airway obstruction, but predisposes the patient to other complications like tracheal penetration of oropharyngeal content and dynamic collapse of the now unsupported soft tissue lateral to the cartilage. A tissue engineering approach to reconstructing the arytenoid cartilage would repr...
Günay Uçmak Z, Kurban I, Uçmak M.Endometritis is a major cause of infertility in mares. The aim of this study is to evaluate the preovulatory follicle (POF) vascularization (A mix, A red, A blue), POF diameter, POF wall thickness, and uterine diameters in mares with or without endometritis. Ten healthy mares and 10 mares with endometritis diagnosed by the combination of transrectal palpation, ultrasonographic examination, and cytology brush were enrolled in the study. Data of the groups obtained at 2 days before the ovulation (day -2) were compared with Student's t-test. Correlations of the parameters were determined by the ...
Ström L, Bröjer J, Ekesten B.Visual evoked potentials (VEPs) are electrical potentials generated by neurons in the central nervous system in response to visual stimuli. A series of positive and negative wavelets in response to flash-stimuli (flash-VEP; FVEP) or reversing, iso-luminant patterns (pattern-VEP; PVEP) are recorded. Pathological conditions affecting the post-retinal pathways can alter overall waveform morphology, and also affect wavelet peak times and amplitudes. FVEPs have recently been described in horses, but more data on the variability within and between subjects is required, to adequately interpret result...
Rahnama S, Spence R, Vathsangam N, Baskerville CL, Bailey SR, de Laat MA, Anderson ST, Pollitt CC, Sillence MN.Although it is understood that equine endocrinopathic laminitis can be triggered by high concentrations of insulin, it is unclear whether this represents a direct action on lamellar tissue via insulin receptors (InsR), an interaction with IGF-1 receptors (IGF-1R), or some other, indirect action. This uncertainty is because of the reported scarcity of InsR in lamellar tissue and the low affinity of insulin for equine IGF-1R. In the present study, the effects of insulin and IGF-1 (as a positive control) were examined using lamellar explants isolated from the hooves of healthy horses and incubate...
Neely M, Arroyo LG, Jardine C, Moore A, Hazlett M, Clow K, Archer H, Weese JS.Recently, the blacklegged tick (Ixodes scapularis), which is the vector of Borrelia burgdorferi, has undergone a range expansion from the northeastern and mid-west United States to areas of southeastern Canada, including parts of Ontario. Understanding the seroprevalence of antibodies against B. burgdorferi in horses and risk factors for exposure is important for monitoring and preventing this emerging disease. Methods: Cross-sectional study of 551 horses in southern, central, and eastern Ontario, Canada. Objective: To assess the seroprevalence of B. burgdorferi in horses in Ontario, Canada; ...
Giannetto C, Arfuso F, Giudice E, Gianesella M, Fazio F, Panzera M, Piccione G.To assess the accuracy of infrared methodologies for daily rhythm monitoring of skin temperature, five clinically healthy Italian Saddle gelding horses, and five not pregnant and not lactating Camosciata goats, were monitored every 4Â h over a 48Â h period. The horses were housed in individual boxes, while the goats in two indoor pens, under natural photoperiod and natural environmental temperature. In each animal, skin temperature was recorded with the use of a digital infrared camera and a non-contact infrared thermometer, in five regions: neck, shoulder, ribs, flank and croup. Recorded valu...
Magee C, Bruemmer JE, Kirkley KS, Sylvester LA, Runyan B, Nett TM, Squires EL, Clay CM.To more clearly understand the equine gonadotrope response to kisspeptin and gonadotropin releasing hormone (GnRH), peripheral LH and FSH were quantified in diestrous mares after treatment with either equine kisspeptide (eKp-10, 0.5 mg iv), GnRH (25 μg iv), or a combination thereof every 4 h for 3 days. The following observations were made: 1) a diminished LH and FSH response to eKp-10 and GnRH was observed by Day 3, but was not different by treatment, 2) a decrease in basal LH concentration was observed from Day 1 to Day 3 for the eKp-10, but not the GnRH treated mares, 3) there was no ch...
Miller AB, Loynachan AT, Bush HM, Hart KA, Barker VD, Campana-Emard AG, Grubbs ST, Adams AA.It remains unclear how pituitary pars intermedia dysfunction (PPID) and pergolide treatment (Prascend [pergolide tablets]) affect endocrine and immune function in horses. To evaluate these effects, blood was collected regularly from 28 university-owned horses (10 Non-PPID, 9 PPID control [PC], and 9 PPID treatment [PT]) over approximately 15 mo. Pergolide treatment was initiated after Day 0 collections. Analyses included ACTH, insulin, total cortisol, free cortisol, complete blood counts, plasma myeloperoxidase, and cytokine/receptor gene expression in basal whole blood and in vitro stimulat...
Wilmink JM, Ladefoged S, Jongbloets A, Vernooij JCM.The effect of dressings saturated with either a standardized suspension of probiotic bacteria or saline on healing of traumatic distal limb wounds in horses was evaluated for 24 days, and the systemic inflammatory effect was assessed. The wounds were divided in two groups based on the phase of healing: wounds with an incomplete (ICGB) or a complete granulation bed (CGB). The wound area was expressed as percentage of the wound area at day 0 and defined as relative wound area. The mean relative wound area decreased faster in probiotic than saline treated wounds. The difference was most obvious i...
Kau S, Failing K, Staszyk C.The angle encompassed between opposing incisors in horses is assumed to decline with age. Previous studies merely consider the overall profile view of clinical crowns presuming a generalized angle, neglecting potential tooth position-dependent differences. Cephalometric measurements from 3D computed tomographic thick-slab reconstructions of single incisors within a global reference frame were used to determine clinical crown interincisal angulation (IIA) of 48 horses. Based on predefined dentoalveolar landmarks, IIA was defined as the angle enclosed by the respective labial axis of the clinica...
Paulino PG, Almosny N, Oliveira R, Viscardi V, Müller A, Guimarães A, Baldani C, da Silva C, Peckle M, Massard C, Santos H.An amendment to this paper has been published and can be accessed via a link at the top of the paper.
Richards N, Hinch G, Rowe J.A survey of 72 thoroughbred trainers in several regions of NSW was conducted to better define current grain feeding practices, and the risks involved with grain feeding in the Australian thoroughbred racing industry. Results from the survey indicate that horses in the industry are currently being fed an average of 7.3 +/- 0.23 kg of grain concentrate per day, with oats, commercial pre-mixed diets and corn most commonly used. The feeding of extruded, micronised and steam flaked grains was uncommon. The results of grain and faecal sample analyses conducted during the survey indicate that incompl...
Beech J, Haskins M.A naturally occurring disease condition, neuraxonal dystrophy, was identified in 27 male and 15 female Morgans, many of which were closely related. Five-generation pedigrees were constructed for 33 of these horses and were compared with those for 29 randomly selected age- and sex-matched Morgans. Their mean coefficient of inbreeding was not statistically different (P greater than 0.1, 1 tailed t test; P less than 0.001, median test). Breeding of 2 severely affected and 2 normal stallions to 2 severely affected, 3 mildly affected, and 6 normal mares produced 10 mildly affected, 8 suspect affect...
Saps M, Miranda A.There is little evidence for most of the medications currently used to treat functional abdominal pain disorders (FAPDs) in children. Not only are there very few clinical trials, but also most have significant variability in the methods used and outcomes measured. Thus, the decision on the most appropriate pharmacological treatment is frequently based on adult studies or empirical data. In children, peppermint oil, trimebutine, and drotaverine have shown significant benefit compared with placebo, each of them in a single randomized clinical trial. A small study found that cyproheptadine was be...
Mendel VE, Witt MR, Gitchell BS, Gribble DN, Rogers QR, Segall HJ, Knight HD.Nine adult horses were fed alfalfa hay cubes containing approximately 10% Senecio vulgaris until all horses had consumed approximately the same amount of toxic components of S vulgaris, pyrrolizidine alkaloids (PA). The amount of PA consumed was determined by the amount that induced clinical signs of PA toxicosis in 3 horses. The 6 other horses were given similar amounts per kilogram of body weight. An initial decrease of feed intake was observed when horses' diets were changed from alfalfa cubes to alfalfa/Senecio cubes, and feed intake was decreased further over 89 to 98 days. From 50 to 159...
Lyons ET, Tolliver SC, Collins SS, Ionita M, Kuzmina TA, Rossano M.Efficacy of ivermectin (IVM) and moxidectin (MOX) against small strongyles was evaluated in horses (n=363) in field tests on 14 farms in Central Kentucky between 2007 and 2009. Most of the horses were yearlings but a few were weanlings and mares. The number of horses treated with IVM was 255 and those treated with MOX was 108. Horses on six farms were allotted into two groups. One group was treated with each of the two drugs, whereas horses on the other eight farms were treated with only one of the two drugs--IVM on six farms and MOX on two farms. Strongyle eggs per gram of feces (EPGs) compar...
The Journal of hygieneJune 1, 1984
Volume 92, Issue 3 365-375 doi: 10.1017/s0022172400064585
Gray SJ.Faecal samples from 110 horses, 115 pigs, 111 sheep and 123 cows were examined for the presence of Aeromonas hydrophila, which was also sought in the available drinking water. The overall faecal rate was 11.8%, but significantly more bovine than other samples were found to be positive. There was significant association between the isolation of A. hydrophila from all animal faeces and its presence in drinking water, but this was not found when individual animal groups were analysed separately. An enrichment technique increased the total number of isolates by 77.1%. Strains of differing origins ...
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 ...
Berry DB, Sullins KE.To determine whether povidone iodine ointment or 2 forms of silver sulfadiazine applied topically to wounds of the distal aspect of the limbs in horses affect the rate of second intention healing and to evaluate the additional influence of bandaging with these antimicrobials on granulation tissue formation. Methods: 6 healthy adult horses. Methods: Six standardized 2.5-cm2 skin wounds/horse were distributed between the dorsomedial surfaces of the metacarpi and metatarsi. One of the following 6 treatments was applied to each wound: 1% silver sulfadiazine cream with bandage, 1% silver sulfadiazi...
Kim CH, Casey JW.Equine infectious anemia virus (EIAV) is a lentivirus that infects and persists in the monocyte/macrophage populations of blood and tissues. We employed polymerase chain reaction to investigate the distribution and the level of genome variability of EIAV DNA in different tissues of a horse infected with a highly virulent variant of the Wyoming strain of the virus. Long terminal repeat, gag, and pol primer pairs were used to direct the amplification of EIAV DNA from the peripheral blood mononuclear cells and from cells, presumably the macrophage subtypes, of the kidney, spleen, liver, lymph nod...
Strüder-Kypke MC, Kornilova OA, Lynn DH.Ciliates of the subclass Trichostomatia inhabit the fermentative regions of the digestive tract of herbivores. Most available small subunit ribosomal RNA (SSrRNA) gene sequences of trichostomes are from species isolated from the rumen of cattle or sheep and from marsupials. No ciliate species endosymbiotic in horses has yet been analyzed. We have sequenced the SSrRNA genes of five ciliate species, isolated from the cecum and colon of four Yakut horses: Cycloposthium edentatum, Cycloposthium ishikawai, Tripalmaria dogieli, Cochliatoxum periachtum, and Paraisotricha colpoidea. Based on their mor...
Uehlinger FD, Wilkins W, Godson DL, Drebot MA.Cache Valley virus, an orthobunyavirus, is an important cause of ovine neonatal malformations. Information on the seroprevalence of this virus in Saskatchewan livestock populations is lacking. The objectives of this study were to determine the seroprevalence of Cache Valley virus and closely related viruses in sheep, cattle, goats, horses, and mule deer in Saskatchewan by performing a plaque-reduction neutralization test using Cache Valley virus. In total, sera from 130 sheep from 50 flocks were tested. Seroprevalence in sheep was 64.6% (84/130) and 94.0% (47/50) of flocks had 1 or more seropo...
Lanata A, Guidi A, Baragli P, Valenza G, Scilingo EP.This study reports on a novel method to detect and reduce the contribution of movement artifact (MA) in electrocardiogram (ECG) recordings gathered from horses in free movement conditions. We propose a model that integrates cardiovascular and movement information to estimate the MA contribution. Specifically, ECG and physical activity are continuously acquired from seven horses through a wearable system. Such a system employs completely integrated textile electrodes to monitor ECG and is also equipped with a triaxial accelerometer for movement monitoring. In the literature, the most used techn...
Sapsutthipas S, Leong PK, Akesowan S, Pratanaphon R, Tan NH, Ratanabanangkoon K.Snake envenomation has been estimated to affect 1.8 million people annually with about 94,000 deaths mostly in poor tropical countries. Specific antivenoms are the only rational and effective therapy for these cases. Efforts are being made to produce effective, affordable and sufficient antivenoms for these victims. The immunization process, which has rarely been described in detail, is one step that needs to be rigorously studied and improved especially with regard to the production of polyspecific antisera. The polyspecific nature of therapeutic antivenom could obviate the need to identify t...
Steffey EP, Howland D, Giri S, Eger EI.The minimal alveolar concentration of anesthetic required to prevent gross purposeful movement in response to electrical stimulation of oral mucous membranes was determined in horses for 3 agents. Equipotent concentrations of enflurane were 2.12 volumes %; of halothane, 0.88 volumes %; and of isoflurane, 1.31 volumes +. The alveolar concentration required to produce at least 60 seconds of apnea was also determined for these agents. From these data and the minimal alveolar concentration information, anesthetic indices were determined for each agent. The indices for enflurane, halothane, and iso...
Watson AG, Mayhew IG.Familial occipitalization of the atlas with atlantalization of the axis was defined as a single congenital disease in Arabian horses following a clinical, radiologic, and morphologic study of 16 horses with congenital malformations of the occiput, atlas, and axis, and from a study of three reported cases. The constant morphologic features were interpreted as congenital atlantooccipital fusion, hypoplasia of the atlas and dens, malformation of the axis, and modification of the atlantoaxial joint. Atlantoaxial subluxation was also a frequent finding. The clinical syndromes shown by these horses ...
Groover ES, Woolums AR, Cole DJ, LeRoy BE.To identify factors associated with renal insufficiency in colic- or colitis-affected horses with high serum creatinine (SCr) concentrations evaluated at a referral hospital. Methods: Retrospective case series. Methods: 167 colic- or colitis-affected horses (88 represented a random sample [hospital population], and 79 had high SCr concentration at initial evaluation [study population]). Methods: Medical records were reviewed. Data collected included signalment; physical examination, clinicopathologic, and diagnostic findings; and outcome. The study population was categorized on the basis of wh...
Kakoi H, Hirota K, Gawahara H, Kurosawa M, Kuwajima M.Sex chromosome aberrations are often associated with clinical signs that affect equine health and reproduction. However, abnormal manifestation with sex chromosome aberration usually appears at maturity and potential disorders may be suspected infrequently. A reliable survey at an early stage is therefore required. Objective: To detect and characterise sex chromosome aberrations in newborn foals by the parentage test and analysis using X- and Y-linked markers. Methods: We conducted a genetic diagnosis combined with a parentage test by microsatellite DNA and analysis of X- and Y-linked genetic ...
Ridgway K, Harman J.This article introduces the importance of considering all related physical findings, evaluating the whole horse and determining the root cause in order to achieve the best treatment results, prevent recurrence, and return the patient to full function. The roles of shoeing, turnout, teeth, training aids and devices, compensatory lameness, working surface (footing), longing, ponying, hot walkers, and swimming are discussed in relationship to back dysfunction and rehabilitation. Postural analysis and measures for muscle and postural corrections are also presented. Ground and under saddle rehabili...
Peters SE, Wakefield AE, Whitwell KE, Hopkin JM.Genetically distinct forms of Pneumocystis carinii infect several mammalian hosts. We report the amplification of P. carinii DNA from samples of two infected thoroughbred foal lungs by using primers designed from the sequence of a P. carinii mitochondrial rRNA gene; these primers also prime the amplification of P. carinii DNA from other hosts. The nucleotide sequence of part of the mitochondrial rRNA gene amplified from P. carinii infecting one of the foals was determined and found to be distinct from that of published rat-, rabbit-, ferret-, and human-derived P. carinii sequences.
Alanazi AD, Said AE, Morin-Adeline V, Alyousif MS, Slapeta J.Equine piroplasmosis is the most important tick-borne disease of horses. Regulations on movement of horses into disease-free countries are in place to preserve international trade. Introduction of infectious disease, such as equine piroplasmosis, into non-endemic countries remains a substantial risk owing to the wide-spread distribution of vectors. Identification and restriction of movement of Theileria equi persistently infected horses is an integral part of control strategies, because persistently infected horses with low parasitaemia are an important reservoir. We used real-time PCR for dia...
Christensen H, Bisgaard M, Olsen JE.Members of Bisgaard taxon 11 have been isolated from horses. These bacteria are of importance in the veterinary clinic and also to the medical profession, since they may be isolated from infected wounds of humans bitten by horses. Six strains from different continents were identified as taxon 11, with 16S rRNA similarities between 98.0 and 99.7%. A single isolate that represented the so-called (+)L-arabinose-positive Actinobacillus equuli isolated from a diseased foal showed 99.9% 16S rRNA similarity to the type strain of A. equuli. DNA-DNA hybridizations showed that (+)L-arabinose-positive st...
Naylor RJ, Perkins JD, Allen S, Aldred J, Draper E, Patterson-Kane J, Piercy RJ.The aetiology of temporohyoid osteoarthropathy (THO) is unknown; both primary infectious and degenerative causes have been suggested. Objective: There is a significant association between increasing age and severity of temporohyoid joint degeneration. To examine the histopathology of the temporohyoid articulation in aged horses and to compare the appearance of the joint with computed tomography (CT) and peripheral quantitative CT (pQCT). Methods: pQCT scans of the temporohyoid articulations were obtained bilaterally from 31 horses (range age 1-44 years) post mortem and images were graded by 2 ...
Firth EC, Nouws JF, Driessens F, Schmaetz P, Peperkamp K, Klein WR.The plasma penicillin concentrations were determined in 5 horses given an IV injection of sodium penicillin G; plasma penicillin concentrations were also determined in a crossover experiment, where animals were given procaine penicillin G subcutaneously at 1 site and IM at 4 sites. The mean penicillin plasma peak concentration and bioavailability were highest after the drug was injected in the neck and biceps musculature. Injections in the gluteal muscle and in the subcutaneous sites resulted in similar, but lower, more persistent penicillin plasma concentrations and a lower bioavailability th...
Buchanan BR, Andrews FM.EGUS is a common problem in horses and foals. Acids are the important causative factors and current therapy targets the suppression of gastric HCl and creation of a permissive environment for ulcer healing. Diagnosis is based on history, clinical signs, gastroscopy, and response to treatment. Of the products available, only GastroGard (FDA approved) and ranitidine have been shown to be efficacious in the treatment of EGUS. Ranitidine is often associated with treatment failure as a result of incorrect dosing and lack of owner compliance, because of the three times daily dosing required. Also, E...
Medica P, Giunta RP, Bruschetta G, Ferlazzo AM.Exercise represents a physical stress that challenges homeostasis affecting central and peripheral serotoninergic systems. The influence of the exercise on circulating serotonin (5-hydroxytryptamine [5-HT]) levels depends on training state as well as the exercise protocol. The purpose of the present research was to determine changes of plasma 5-HT in sport horses in response to training (T) and simulated race (SR) and in addition to assess the possible presence of significant differences on circulating 5-HT between two different sessions of exercise. In particular, the research was carried out...
Linardi RL, Megee SO, Mainardi SR, Senoo M, Galantino-Homer HL.The limited characterization of equine skin, eye and hoof epithelial stem cell (ESC) and differentiation markers impedes the investigation of the physiology and pathophysiology of these tissues. Objective: To characterize ESC and differentiation marker expression in epithelial tissues of the equine eye, haired skin and hoof capsule. Methods: Indirect immunofluorescence microscopy and immunoblotting were used to detect expression and tissue localization of keratin (K) isoforms K3, K10, K14 and K124, the transcription factor p63 (a marker of ESCs) and phosphorylated p63 [pp63; a marker of ESC tr...
Sabeur K, Ball BA, Corbin CJ, Conley A.Testis-specific protein kinases are important because of their potential role in spermiogenesis, sperm maturation, and sperm function. In the present study, a novel serine-threonine kinase with high identity to human serine-threonine kinase 31 (STK31) was cloned from equine testis and expression of the protein was characterized in equine testis and ejaculated spermatozoa. Five over-lapping independent clones were plaque purified after screening of a lambda ZAP cDNA expression library constructed from equine testis. Sequence analysis and alignment of all five clones showed high identity with hu...
Hayden SS, Blanchard TL, Brinsko SP, Varner DD, Hinrichs K, Love CC.Dilution of semen to less than 20 × 10(6) sperm/mL has been reported to decrease sperm quality in multiple species, a phenomenon known as the semen "dilution effect." Critical evaluation of stallion semen diluted to these concentrations, however, has not been reported. This study evaluated sperm motion characteristics (percent total motility [TMOT], percent progressive motility [PMOT], curvilinear velocity [μm/s], and percent straightness) and plasma membrane integrity (percent plasma membrane intact [PMI]) in semen samples diluted to 2.5 × 10(6) sperm/mL with the addition of 0%, 7.5%, ...
