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Topic:Veterinary Medicine
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.
Clinical Assessment of an Ipsilateral Cervical Spinal Nerve Block for Prosthetic Laryngoplasty in Anesthetized Horses. The nociceptive blockade of locoregional anesthesia prior to surgical stimulation can decrease anesthetic agent requirement and thereby potential dose-dependent side effects. The use of an ipsilateral second and third cervical spinal nerve locoregional anesthetic block for prosthetic laryngoplasty in the anesthetized horses has yet to be described. Anesthetic records of 20 horses receiving locoregional anesthesia prior to laryngoplasty were reviewed and compared to 20 horses of a similar patient cohort not receiving locoregional anesthesia. Non-blocked horses were 11 times more likely to requi...
Effect of a lactate-guided conditioning program on heart rate variability obtained using 24-Holter electrocardiography in Beagle dogs. The dogs' responses to training exercise are seldom monitored using physiological variables, and cardiac autonomic regulation (CAR) is a relevant determinant of endurance-training adaptation. There are studies in the literature establishing that regular exercise could interfere with CAR in dogs, measured by heart rate and vagal-derived indexes of heart-rate-variability (HRV). However, few studies were found using a prescribed training program based on the lactate threshold (LT) to determine HRV by a 24-h Holter analysis. The purpose of this study was to test whether an endurance-training progr...
Physiologic effects of furosemide in combination with water restriction when administered at 4 and 24 hours prior to high-intensity treadmill training. Although controversial, due to its reported effectiveness in attenuating bleeding associated with exercise-induced pulmonary hemorrhage (EIPH), furosemide is currently a permitted race day medication in most North American racing jurisdictions. The objective of this study was to assess the efficacy of furosemide in reducing the presence and severity of EIPH when administered 24 hr prior to strenuous treadmill exercise. Eight exercised Thoroughbred horses received saline or 250 mg of furosemide either 4 or 24 hr prior to high-speed treadmill exercise in a balanced 3-way cross-over design. Bl...
Evaluation of Three Different Vaccination Protocols against EHV1/EHV4 Infection in Mares: Double Blind, Randomized Clinical Trial. EHV1 and EHV4 are the most important herpesviruses in horses. Repeated cases of abortion in mares regularly vaccinated, prompted us to investigate the immune response after vaccination with the same inactivated vaccine, but with three different protocols. Eighteen mares were chosen and randomly divided in three study groups (G-G-G) and a control group (Ctrl). For serologic and PCR investigations nasal swabs, sera and blood were collected. The protocol used in G (4 doses) increased the titer recorded by ELISA and seroneutralization (SN). Poor agreement and no correlation were observed in titer ...
Seroprevalence of African horse sickness in selected donkey populations in Namibia. African horse sickness (AHS) is a non-contagious viral disease of horses and other equids caused by an arbovirus belonging to the Reoviridae family and genus Orbivirus. AHS is an endemic disease that is responsible for the death of a high number of horses every year in Namibia. At present, there is no information on the prevalence and distribution of AHS virus (AHSV) serotypes in the different regions of Namibia. Therefore, this survey aimed to fill this knowledge gap by investigating the AHSV seroprevalence in Namibian donkeys. Methods: A total of 260 blood samples (20 samples for each region...
Alterations of cardiac and renal biomarkers in horses naturally infected with theileria equi. Equine theileriosis due to Theileria equi is probably the most widespread and pathogenic disease of equines, which comes with major cardiac and renal complications. This study was undertaken to investigate the biomarkers of cardiac and renal functions in horses infected with T. equi and determine the association between these parameters and the level of parasitemia. Giemsa-stained blood smears from 300 horses with ages of 3-4 years old were examined for detection of T. equi on erythrocytes. Moreover, multiplex PCR was employed for confirmation of the diagnosis in the 28 positive cases. Based o...
Effect of the Depth of Insertion of the Thermometer on the Rectal Temperature of Donkeys During the Hot-Dry Season in a Tropical Savannah. The objective of the present study was to evaluate the effect of the depth of insertion and environmental parameters on the rectal temperature (RT) in donkeys during the hot-dry season in a tropical savannah zone of Nigeria. The experimental subjects were comprised of thirty donkeys divided into three groups based on age: group I, 10 foals (40.67 ± 2.20 kg; 1.50 ± 0.02 months); group II, 10 yearlings (91.53 ± 0.54 kg; 1.51 ± 0.01 years); and group III, 10 adults (140 ± 0.71 kg; 8.03 ± 0.06 years). Each group was divided into 5 male and 5 female donkeys. Measurements of the RT were ...
Determination of bromhexine and its metabolites in equine serum samples by liquid chromatography – Tandem mass spectrometry: Applicability to the elimination study after single oral dose. Bromhexine (BH), expectorant used in the treatment of respiratory disorders associated with viscid or excessive mucus, is not permitted for use in the competing horse by many authorities in horseracing and Olympic disciplines. Metabolic studies are of the great importance in anti-doping field because they allow for updating the selection of the most appropriate markers for prohibited substances, such as metabolites present at higher concentration levels and/or lasted for a longer period of time in biological samples than a parent drug. This study describes LC-MS/MS-based method for simultaneou...
Ross River Virus Infection of Horses: Appraisal of Ecological and Clinical Consequences. Ross River virus (RRV) is a mosquito-borne arbovirus of the genus Alphavirus that causes disease in humans and horses in Australia. A temporal association of RRV infection in horses with clinical signs including pyrexia, malaise, and polyarthralgia has been reported, along with reduced athletic performance, often for extended periods. Despite these reports, disease due to RRV remains somewhat controversial as experimental infection of horses has resulted in obvious viraemia yet minimal signs of clinical disease. The relatively high viraemia demonstrated by horses infected with RRV has led to s...
The Effects of Treatment with N-Acetyl Cysteine on Clinical Signs in Persistent Breeding-Induced Endometritis Susceptible Mares. Persistent breeding-induced endometritis (PBIE) is a major cause of infertility in mares. Endometrial inflammation that persists until embryonic descent ultimately results in early embryonic death. A poor endometrial biopsy grade (IIb or III) has been identified as a risk factor for PBIE. Intrauterine fluid accumulation (>2 cm in depth), pathologic endometrial edema, and elevated intrauterine neutrophil levels are all clinical features of PBIE. Commonly applied treatment options include uterine lavage and oxytocin therapy. N-acetyl cysteine (NAC), a mucolytic used to treat bacterial endome...
Actinomyces as a Cause of Osteomyelitis of the Nasofrontal Suture in a Gelding. A 7-year-old American Quarter Horse gelding was referred to the JT Vaughan Large Animal Teaching Hospital at Auburn University, College of Veterinary Medicine, for an investigation of a recurrent swelling of the nasofrontal region. Computed tomography examination of the skull was most consistent with a sequestrum of the left nasofrontal suture with associated focal osteomyelitis and left conchofrontal sinusitis. Surgery to remove the sequestrum, debride the devitalized bone, and flush the left conchofrontal sinus was performed. A microbial culture was obtained at the time of surgery, which yie...
Hendra Virus Infection in Horses: A Review on Emerging Mystery Paramyxovirus. Hendra virus (HeV) is a zoonotic paramyxovirus which causes acute and deadly infection in horses (Equus caballus). It is a rare and unmanaged emerging viral infection in horses which is harbored by bats of the genus Pteropus (Australian flying foxes or fruit bats). The virus is pleomorphic in shape and its genome contains nonsegmented negative-stranded RNA with 18234 nucleotides in length. The virus is transmitted from flying foxes to horses, horse to horse, and horse to humans. Human-to-human transmission of HeV infection is not reported yet. The infection of HeV in horses is highly variable ...
Case Report of a Complex Lateral Femorotibial Joint Injury With Popliteal Tendonitis in a Foal. A two-month-old, Spanish breed, foal was referred with right hind limb lameness of two weeks duration. Clinical examinations confirmed a complex combination of lesions within the lateral femorotibial joint, including a subchondral bone cyst in the lateral femoral condyle, a severe popliteal tendonitis, and a delayed cartilage detachment of the lateral femoral condyle. Because of the complex association of these lesions, poor prognosis for an athletic career was given to the owner. Four years later, the filly is pasture sound. Lesions of the popliteal tendon in the horse are uncommon. The popli...
Developing a 3D animation tool to improve veterinary undergraduate understanding of obstetrical problems in horses. Many challenges are encountered in both teaching and learning veterinary obstetrics. This may be due to outdated teaching materials, as the main model of content transmission remains centred around text and images. Methods: Visualisation methods such as three-dimensional (3D) and Graphics Interchange Format (GIF) tools were applied in an attempt to improve obstetrics education outcomes in the third-year class. Traditional teaching methods were utilised in the fourth-year and fifth-year students. Results: These supplementary tools significantly increased the third-year students' final examinati...
Bacterial translocation in horses with colic and the potential association with surgical site infection: a pilot study. Surgical site infection (SSI) is a leading cause of morbidity in horses undergoing emergency exploratory laparotomy for the treatment of acute colic. The exact mechanism by which SSI develops in these cases is unclear. This prospective observational study investigated whether bacterial translocation occurs in horses with acute colic and if there is an association between bacterial translocation and development of SSI. Peripheral venous blood (PVB) and peritoneal fluid (PF) samples were collected on admission and PF samples were collected at the end of surgery from horses presenting for investi...
A pilot study of optical neuronavigation-guided brain biopsy in the horse using anatomic landmarks and fiducial arrays for patient registration. Optical neuronavigation-guided intracranial surgery has become increasingly common in veterinary medicine, but its use has not yet been described in horses. Objective: To determine the feasibility of optical neuronavigation-guided intracranial biopsy procedures in the horse, compare the use of the standard fiducial array and anatomic landmarks for patient registration, and evaluate surgeon experience. Methods: Six equine cadaver heads. Methods: Computed tomography images of each specimen were acquired, with the fiducial array rigidly secured to the frontal bone. Six targets were selected in ea...
Stem Cells in Veterinary Medicine-Current State and Treatment Options. Regenerative medicine is a branch of medicine that develops methods to grow, repair, or replace damaged or diseased cells, organs or tissues. It has gained significant momentum in recent years. Stem cells are undifferentiated cells with the capability to self-renew and differentiate into tissue cells with specialized functions. Stem cell therapies are therefore used to overcome the body's inability to regenerate damaged tissues and metabolic processes after acute or chronic insult. The concept of stem cell therapy was first introduced in 1991 by Caplan, who proposed that massive differentiatio...
Contrast therapy: Tissue heating and cooling properties within the equine distal limb. Rehabilitation of tendon injuries in horses often involves cryotherapy to reduce inflammation and occasionally tissue heating to increase collagen extensibility. The application of alternating cold and hot (ie contrast therapy) is widely used in human physical therapy; however, its utility in equine rehabilitation is largely unknown. Objective: The objectives of this study were to (a) assess if the equipment could achieve therapeutic tissue temperatures (40°C) at different tissue depths relative to the digital flexor tendons and (b) evaluate the time-temperature profiles during serial heating...
Effectiveness of a paraverterbral nerve block versus local portal blocks for laparoscopic closure of the nephrosplenic space: A pilot study. To compare the effectiveness of a paravertebral nerve block vs local portal blocks for laparoscopic closure of the nephrosplenic space in standing sedated research horses. Methods: Randomized clinical trial. Methods: Twelve horses were randomly allocated to two groups (n = 6 per group), paravertebral block of nerves T , L , and L or local blocks of the three laparoscopic portals. Methods: Horses were sedated with dexmedetomidine (4 μg/kg IV and constant rate infusion [CRI] of 2.5 μg/kg/h) and morphine (50 μg/kg IV and CRI of 30 μg/kg/h). According to group allocation, 20 mL of either lid...
Anthelmintic Efficacy and Pharmacokinetics of Ivermectin Paste after Oral Administration in Mules Infected by Cyathostomins. Ivermectin (IVM) is an anthelmintic compound commonly used off-label in mules due to its broad-spectrum of activity. Despite the general use of IVM in mules with the same dose and route of administration licensed for horses, significant pharmacokinetic differences might exist between horses and mules, as already observed for donkeys. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the pharmacokinetic profile and anthelmintic efficacy of an oral paste of IVM in mules naturally infected with cyathostomins. Fifteen adult mules with fecal egg counts (FEC) ≥200 eggs per gram (EPG), with exclusive pr...
Morphological Characteristics of the Placenta and Umbilical Cord of Arabian Mares Foaling in the United Arab Emirates. A total of 127 normal placentas from Arabian mares resident in the United Arab Emirates were examined. The mean linear dimensions of the placenta were, on average, 84% of those previously recorded for the placentas of the Thoroughbred. Significant differences in the size of the allantochorion between primigravid and multiparous mares were seen only in the linear dimensions of the body portion. The pregnant horn was more commonly on the right than left side of the uterus (P = .01; 74/127; 58%). Cord attachment was primarily at the base of the two placental horns (112/127; 88%), with the remain...
Conflict Between Direct Experience and Research-Based Evidence Is a Key Challenge to Evidence-Based Respiratory Medicine on British Racing Yards. Inflammatory airway disease (IAD) is a commonly diagnosed but variably defined syndrome of equine lower airway inflammation. The most recent American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine (ACVIM) consensus statement, informed by research evidence, recommends a case definition based on clinical signs (poor performance or occasional coughing of at least 3 weeks duration), increased endoscopically-visible tracheal mucus, and bronchoalveolar lavage cytology, and proposes that the condition should be termed 'mild-moderate equine asthma' (mEA). In British Thoroughbred racehorses, research to date ...
Immunohistochemical study of morphology and distribution of CD163+ve macrophages in the normal adult equine gastrointestinal tract. Intestinal macrophages are the largest group of mononuclear phagocytes in the body and play a role in intestinal innate immunity, neuroimmune interactions and maintaining intestinal homeostasis. Conversely, they also are implicated in numerous pathologies of the gastrointestinal tract, such as postoperative ileus and inflammatory bowel disease. As a result, macrophages could be potential therapeutic targets. To date, there are limited studies on the morphology and distribution of macrophages in the equine gastrointestinal tract (GIT). The aim of this study was to identify the location and abun...
P4/E2-based protocol for synchronisation of ovulation of mares during the breeding and non-breeding season. Dispersed ovulation at the breeding (BS) and anestrus at non-breeding season (NBS) are major impediments to embryo transfer and insemination programmes. The present study aimed to evaluate a hormonal P4/E2-based synchronisation protocol in mares during both the BS and the NBS on ovarian/follicle behaviour. Mares underwent a hormone protocol to synchronise their ovulation during the BS (n = 8) and NBS (n = 10), starting (D0) with the insertion of an intravaginal device containing 1 g of P4 and 7 mg Estradiol Benzoate IM. (EB). On D9, the device was removed and injected with 0.25 mg o...
Hematological and Biochemical Changes in Naturally Occurring Equine Piroplasmosis in Donkeys (Equus asinus) of Northwest of Iran. Equine piroplasmosis is a tick-borne protozoal disease affecting horses, mules, donkeys and zebras and can lead to severe economic losses in the equine industry. There is limited information on clinical pathologic changes of equine piroplasmosis in donkeys. This study aims to investigate the impacts of babesiosis on various hematological and biochemical properties in naturally infected donkeys with Theileria equi and Babesia caballi. Methods: A total of 200 apparently healthy donkeys were randomly examined for the presence of equine piroplasmosis in blood samples. Of 200 samples, 11(5.5%) anim...
Comparative efficiency of oestrus synchronization in sheep with progesterone/eCG and progesterone/GnRH during breeding and non-breeding season. The present study compared the occurrence of oestrus behaviour and ovulation in response to the insertion of CIDR devices plus a classical treatment with equine chorionic gonadotrophin (eCG; single dose at CIDR removal) or alternative treatments with gonadotrophin-releasing hormone (GnRH, either in a single dose at 56 hr after CIDR removal, or in one dose at CIDR insertion and another dose at 56 hr after CIDR removal). The appearance of oestrus behaviour during reproductive season ranged between 84% and 95% and all females showing oestrus signs had subsequent ovulations. The response, during...
Horse Behavior, Physiology and Emotions during Habituation to a Treadmill. A treadmill is an important tool in the equine analysis of gait, lameness, and hoof balance, as well as for the evaluation of horse rehabilitation or poor performance including dynamic endoscopy. Before all of these uses, horses have to be habituated to a treadmill locomotion. We used principal component analysis to evaluate the relationship between aspects of the horse's temperament and emotional response, and progress in the behavioral habituation to a treadmill. Fourteen horses were tested, by the same familiar handler, using the novel object test, the handling test, and both positive and n...
Detection of Coxiella burnetii and equine herpesvirus 1, but not Leptospira spp. or Toxoplasma gondii, in cases of equine abortion in Australia – a 25 year retrospective study. Equine abortion is a cause of severe economic loss to the equine industry. Equine herpesvirus 1 is considered a primary cause of infectious abortion in horses, however other infectious agents can also cause abortion. Abortions due to zoonotic pathogens have implications for both human and animal health. We determined the prevalence of Coxiella burnetii, Leptospira spp. and Toxoplasma gondii in 600 aborted equine foetal tissues that were submitted to our diagnostic laboratories at the University of Melbourne from 1994 to 2019. Using qPCR we found that the prevalence of C. burnetii was 4%. The h...
Desensitisation of the distal forelimb following intrathecal anaesthesia of the carpal sheath in horses. The effect of intrathecal anaesthesia of the carpal sheath on distal forelimb sensitivity in horses remains unknown. Objective: To assess the effect of carpal sheath anaesthesia on skin sensitivity of the distal forelimb and to determine potential locations for desensitisation of palmar nerves. Methods: In vivo experimental and descriptive anatomical studies. Methods: Mepivacaine hydrochloride 2% (0.6 mg/kg) was injected unilaterally in the carpal sheath of 8 horses. Mechanical nociception of the distal forelimb was measured with a dynamometer and compared with the control limb at t0, t15, t3...
Comparison of Trotting Stance Detection Methods from an Inertial Measurement Unit Mounted on the Horse’s Limb. The development of on-board sensors, such as inertial measurement units (IMU), has made it possible to develop new methods for analyzing horse locomotion to detect lameness. The detection of spatiotemporal events is one of the keystones in the analysis of horse locomotion. This study assesses the performance of four methods for detecting Foot on and Foot off events. They were developed from an IMU positioned on the canon bone of eight horses during trotting recording on a treadmill and compared to a standard gold method based on motion capture. These methods are based on accelerometer and gyro...
