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.
Jørgensen E, Bay L, Skovgaard LT, Bjarnsholt T, Jacobsen S.Objective: Relevant animal models to study effects of bacterial aggregates on wound healing are lacking. We aimed at establishing an equine wound model with bacterial aggregates to investigate the impact of bacterial inoculation on normal (thorax) and impaired (limb) wound healing. Approach: Wounds were created on three limbs and both thorax sides of six horses. Twelve out of 20 wounds per horse were inoculated with 104 Staphylococcus aureus and 105 Pseudomonas aeruginosa on day 4. Healing was monitored until day 27 by clinical assessment, including wound scoring, surface pH measurements, and ...
Hampe M.Torsteinsdottir S, Scheidegger S, Baselgia S et al. A prospective study on insect bite hypersensitivity in horses exported from Iceland into Switzerland. Acta Vet Scand 2018; 60: 69 BEIM SOMMEREKZEM HANDELT ES SICH UM EINE IGE-VERMITTELTE DERMATITIS INFOLGE EINER ALLERGISCHEN REAKTION AUF DEN SPEICHEL STECHENDER INSEKTEN (Z. B. CULICOIDES SPP.). BIS ZU 50 % DER AUS ISLAND NACH KONTINENTALEUROPA IMPORTIERTEN TIERE ERKRANKEN, DAGEGEN NUR 3–10 % DER AUF DEM FESTLAND GEBORENEN ISLäNDER. IN ISLAND GIBT ES DIE ERKRANKUNG NICHT, DA DIE VERURSACHENDEN GNITZEN DORT NICHT VORKOMMEN. HAT EINE SENSIBIL...
Nieth J, Wehrend A.The study aimed to present a systematic and standardized examination for neonatal foals' abdominal sonography and to describe physiological topographic conditions of some abdominal organs and structures. Methods: A standardized sonographic examination of the abdomen was performed in 57 foals in left and right lateral recumbency. Left and right intercostal spaces as well as the ventral abdomen which was divided into 6 segments (left, middle and right cranial, left middle and right caudal abdomen) were examined. The locations, in which the various organs could be found, were described. Furthermo...
Seidel SRT, Vendruscolo CP, Moreira JJ, Fülber J, Ottaiano TF, Oliva MLV, Michelacci YM, Baccarin RYA.Blood-derived autologous products are frequently used in both human and equine medicine to treat musculoskeletal disorders. These products, especially the platelet-rich plasma (PRP), may contain high concentrations of growth factors (GFs), and thus improve healing in several tissues. Nevertheless, the procedures for preparation of PRP are currently non-standardized. Several protocols, which are based on distinct centrifugation patterns (rotation speed and time), result in PRPs with different characteristics, concerning platelet and GFs concentrations, as well as platelet activation. The aim of...
Neuhauser S, Gösele P, Handler J.Cryopreservation of epididymal sperm allows final preservation of the gene reserve from valuable sires in case of unexpected injury terminating the breeding career. This case report describes the birth of a healthy foal following insemination with frozen-thawed epididymal sperm. The testes and epididymides were removed under general anaesthesia and sent cooled to the laboratory overnight. The cauda epididymidis was dissected and 17.79 × 109 sperm were harvested by a retrograde flush technique. A fertile mare was inseminated 1 year later with frozen-thawed epididymal sperm. Sperm were deposite...
Bryner MF, Hoey SE, Montavon S, Fürst AE, Kümmerle JM.To determine long term outcomes of nonracing equines athletes treated for short incomplete proximal sagittal fractures of the proximal phalanx (SIPSFP1) by lag screw fixation. Methods: Retrospective study. Methods: Thirty-one horses. Methods: Medical records from horses with an SIPSFP1 (2008-2014) were reviewed. Long-term (≥12 months) outcomes were assessed with telephone interviews and clinical and radiographic examinations. Results: Warmblood was the predominant breed in cases included in the study. Among horses with long-term interview information, 27 of 31 returned to previous athletic...
Battaglia B, Angelone M, Vera E, Basini G, Bussolati S, Paci M, Bue MD, Aldigeri R, Grolli S, Quintavalla F, Ramoni R.The extract of the seeds from Indian celery, Apium greaveolens (CSE), tested in experimental animals (rodents), and in humans affected by chronic osteoarthritic diseases, exhibits anti-inflammatory effects that can be compared, to some degree, to those of non-steroid anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAID). In view of a potential use of CSE in the equine species, it was tested on horses affected by chronic articular pathologies. The trial was performed on 20 horses divided into three different groups, orally treated with 0 (controls), 7.0 or 30 g of CSE BID. Basic orthopedic examinations were conducte...
Hwang J, Golla V, Metwali N, Thorne PS.Adverse respiratory health effects in the agricultural industry have been linked to particulate endotoxin exposure. However, whether the endotoxin concentration is significantly correlated to the size of the particle remains an open question. To date, limited research has been conducted to assess particulate endotoxin exposures in the agricultural industry in general or the equine industry in particular. A task-based exposure assessment was conducted to characterize the endotoxin levels of inhalable and respirable particles on four Kentucky farms during the summer season. We conducted personal...
White S, Moore-Colyer M, Marti E, Coüetil L, Hannant D, Richard EA, Alcocer M.Severe asthma in horses, known as severe equine asthma (SEA), is a prevalent, performance-limiting disease associated with increased allergen-specific immunoglobulin E (IgE) against a range of environmental aeroallergens. Objective: To develop a protein microarray platform to profile IgE against a range of proven and novel environmental proteins in SEA-affected horses. Methods: Six SEA-affected and 6 clinically healthy Warmblood performance horses. Methods: Developed a protein microarray (n = 384) using protein extracts and purified proteins from a large number of families including pollen, ba...
Hodge E, Kowalski A, Torcivia C, Lindborg S, Stefanovski D, Hart K, Frank N, van Eps A.The use of parallel dynamic tests to identify insulin dysregulation (ID) and pituitary pars intermedia dysfunction (PPID) in horses could have better diagnostic utility than measuring baseline hormone concentrations, if the tests do not alter diagnostic interpretation of one another. Objective: Performing a thyrotropin-releasing hormone (TRH) stimulation test before an oral sugar test (OST) would not affect results of OST. Methods: Twenty-six healthy university-owned horses. Methods: A prospective randomized placebo-controlled, crossover design was used to evaluate 3 OST protocols: OST alone, ...
Zynda HM, Scare JA, Steuer AE, Anderson HP, Nielsen MK.Cyathostomins are pervasive equine parasites in horses across the world, and larval stages are known to cause the deadly disease larval cyathostominosis. The mucosal digestion technique is widely used for enumeration of encysted larval stages. Previous studies have investigated the spatial variation of encysted larvae, however current protocols lack a description of a standardized area from which to take the tissue sample. This study sought to evaluate spatial variation in encysted cyathostomin larval counts among the large intestinal organs and their subsections. Following humane euthanasia, ...
Rosser J, Bachmann B, Jordan C, Ribitsch I, Haltmayer E, Gueltekin S, Junttila S, Galik B, Gyenesei A, Haddadi B, Harasek M, Egerbacher M, Ertl P....In this work, we describe a microfluidic three-dimensional (3D) chondrocyte culture mimicking in vivo articular chondrocyte morphology, cell distribution, metabolism, and gene expression. This has been accomplished by establishing a physiologic nutrient diffusion gradient across the simulated matrix, while geometric design constraints of the microchambers drive native-like cellular behavior. Primary equine chondrocytes remained viable for the extended culture time of 3 weeks and maintained the low metabolic activity and high Sox9, aggrecan, and Col2 expression typical of articular chondrocytes...
Baldwin CM, Smith MRW, Allen S, Wright IM.Slab fractures of the third carpal bone (C3) are a common injury of Thoroughbred racehorses. Results of arthroscopically guided repair have not been reported since the initial description of the technique in 1986. Additionally, fracture details and racing outcomes in a population of Thoroughbreds racing under UK jurisdiction have not previously been described. Objective: To report the frequency distribution of C3 slab fractures and to determine the impact on racing performance following arthroscopically guided repair in a population of Thoroughbred racehorses. Methods: Retrospective case serie...
Cain JL, Foulk D, Jedrzejewski E, Stofanak H, Nielsen MK.Anthelmintic resistance in equine cyathostomin parasites is widespread. A surveillance-based parasite control program using fecal egg counts (FECs) and fecal egg count reduction tests (FECRTs) to decrease anthelmintic use and monitor treatment efficacy is recommended. The purpose of this study was to examine shifts in equine parasite control program management practices via a short course presented by the Penn State Extension, and to highlight how data collected from these programs is useful for monitoring anthelmintic efficacy on a large scale. Horse owners were enrolled after participating i...
Myagmarsuren P, Sivakumar T, Enkhtaivan B, Davaasuren B, Zoljargal M, Narantsatsral S, Davkharbayar B, Mungun-Ochir B, Battur B, Inoue N, Igarashi I....Equine piroplasmosis caused by and is an economically important disease with a worldwide distribution. The objective of the present study was to investigate the seroepidemiology of and in horses reared in various Mongolian provinces. Serum samples prepared from blood collected from horses in 19 Mongolian provinces were screened for antibodies specific to and using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays based on recombinant forms of merozoite antigen-2 and the 48-kDa merozoite rhoptry protein, respectively. Of 1,282 horses analyzed, 423 (33%) and 182 (14.2%) were sero-positive for and , re...
Wenzel RG, Major D, Hesp KF, Hall E, Doble P.To monitor cobalt concentrations in urine, red blood cells and plasma after chronic parenteral administration of cobalt chloride evaluate these results against the current International Federation of Horseracing Authorities thresholds for detecting cobalt misuse. Methods: Eight mares were randomly assigned to four treatment groups, with two mares in each group: Group 1 - control group, Group 2 - 25 milligrams cobalt intravenously as CoCl weekly, Group 3 - 50 milligrams cobalt intravenously as CoCl weekly, and Group 4 - 25 milligrams cobalt intravenously mid-week and at the end of the week. Uri...
Moraes CR, Runcan EE, Blawut B, Coutinho da Silva MA.The iSperm is a newly released semen analysis tool from Aidmics Biotechnology Co. LTD, which allows an iPad Mini to be transformed into a handheld microscope with objective semen analysis software for equine available through the Apple Store (version 4.5.2). The aim of this study was to compare iSperm values for sperm motility and sperm concentration to current acceptable methods for semen analysis and to determine the agreement with these methods using statistical methods. Two ejaculates from each of five Standardbred stallions were used to compare sperm motility (computer-assisted semen anal...
Tutunaru A, Dupont J, Gougnard A, Ida K, Serteyn D, Sandersen C.To the authors' knowledge, there are no reports describing the use of cis-atracurium in the horse. To describe the onset time and the duration of the neuromuscular blockade (NMB) of three different doses of cis-atracurium in horses and to determine the appropriate dose needed maintain a NMB. Retrospective study. Horses which received cis-atracurium as part of a balanced anaesthetic protocol at the Equine Teaching Hospital of the University of Liège between March 2014 and June 2017 were included in this study. A train-of-four (TOF) stimulation pattern was used to assess the NMB. The cis-atracu...
Gilbertie JM, Schnabel LV, Hickok NJ, Jacob ME, Conlon BP, Shapiro IM, Parvizi J, Schaer TP.Bacterial invasion of synovial joints, as in infectious or septic arthritis, can be difficult to treat in both veterinary and human clinical practice. Biofilms, in the form of free-floating clumps or aggregates, are involved with the pathogenesis of infectious arthritis and periprosthetic joint infection (PJI). Infection of a joint containing an orthopedic implant can additionally complicate these infections due to the presence of adherent biofilms. Because of these biofilm phenotypes, bacteria within these infected joints show increased antimicrobial tolerance even at high antibiotic concentr...
Szklarz M, Lipinska A, Slowikowska M, Niedzwiedz A, Marycz K, Janeczek M.Cervical vertebral stenotic myelopathy (CVSM) remains one of the most important abnormalities of the cervical spine resulting in neurological deficits in horses. The aim of the following study was to compare the results of the clinical and neurological examination, the results of myelography and the post mortem anatomical and histological appearance of the spinal cord and cervical vertebrae in a horse with CVSM. Methods: The following study describes a clinical case of an eight-month-old stallion with ataxia. Plain cervical radiographs indicated narrowing of the spinal canal. Conservative ther...
Hochart É, Fournier Y.Equestrian sports are widely practiced in Switzerland as hobbies. Horses are imposing and unpredictable. As a result, traumatisms associated with horseback riding are common and cause serious injuries. Cranial traumatisms are among the most frequently encountered injuries and are associated with high rates of hospitalization and mortality. Helmet use decreases the severity of intracranial lesions. Close contact with horses can lead to the development of infectious diseases and respiratory allergies. Although infrequent in Europe, these infections occur sporadically and should be known by gener...
Caivano D, Corda A, Rishniw M, Giorgi ME, Parpaglia MLP, Conti MB, Porciello F, Birettoni F.Equine cardiovascular structures and function are routinely assessed by transthoracic echocardiography. Recently, investigators have described the echocardiographic visualization of equine pulmonary vein ostia. In companion animals, the right pulmonary vein (RPV) to right pulmonary artery (RPA) ratio has been used as an index to estimate the severity of cardiac diseases resulting in left ventricular volume overload. We sought to assess the feasibility of measuring RPV and RPA dimensions, and sought to provide various previously examined RPV and RPA variables in clinically healthy horses that c...
Willems DS, Kranenburg LC, Ensink JM, Kummeling A, Wijnberg ID, Veraa S.Congenital portosystemic shunts in foals are rare and only a small number of cases have been described. Detailed description of the course of the shunt is lacking in earlier reports. This is the first detailed description of a computed tomography angiography (CTA) displaying an extra-hepatic splenocaval shunt. A 1-month old colt showing increasing signs of dullness, ataxia, circling, lip-smacking and coordination problems was presented. Hyperammonemia was detected and abdominal CTA revealed an extra-hepatic portocaval shunt. During surgery, ligation of the abnormal vessel could not be achieved...
McClain AK, McCarrel TM.Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) is a therapeutic biologic that is used for treatment of musculoskeletal pathologies in equine athletes. Due to the expense of PRP kits, and the volumes obtained, freezing aliquots for future dosing is common. Aliquots of PRP are also commonly frozen for later analysis of growth factor concentrations in in vitro research. A variety of freezing methods are used and storage duration until analysis is often not reported. The optimal frozen storage conditions and duration to maintain concentrations of commonly measured growth factors and enzymes in PRP are unknown. Our ob...
Byron CR, DeWitt MR, Latouche EL, Davalos RV, Robertson JL.Irreversible electroporation is a proven ablation modality for local ablation of soft tissue tumors in animals and humans. However, the strong muscle contractions associated with the electrical impulses (duration, 50-100 μs) requires the use of general anesthesia and, in most situations, application of neuromuscular blockade. As such, this technology is not used in an outpatient setting for ablating common cutaneous tumors (e.g., squamous cell carcinoma or melanoma) in humans or animals. Recently, high-frequency irreversible electroporation (H-FIRE) technology has been developed to enable ele...
Hertzsch R, Richter A.Based on their performance-enhancing potential, caffeine and theophylline are prohibited substances in equine sports. Residues in horses can be caused by wilful application or by unintended uptake of contaminated feed. The International Federation of Horseracing Authorities recently introduced international residue limits (IRLs) to facilitate the discrimination between pharmacological relevant and irrelevant concentrations in doping samples. The objective of this study was to investigate the scientific validity of these IRLs. A systematic analysis was performed to assess the IRLs by different ...
Pérez Manrique L, Hudson R, Bánszegi O, Szenczi P.The study of individual differences in behavior and physiology has attracted considerable interest among behavioral biologists. Important questions include how early in life such differences emerge and to what extent they remain stable across development. Due to the demanding nature of longitudinal studies, there is still a lack of information on this in mammals, especially in large, long-lived species. Our aim in this study was to look for stable individual differences in behavior and physiology during early development in the domestic horse and for correlations between the two parameters. We...
Vitoria A, Romero A, Fuente S, Barrachina L, Vazquez FJ.This report describes a technique for standing laparoscopic vasectomy in stallions through a prospective descriptive study. A preliminary study was carried out with two experimental intact male horses and subsequently the procedure was performed in two clinical cases. These horse owners want to keep their animals in the most possible natural way, preserving its stallion behaviour in a herd without generating offspring. The horses were sedated and restrained in stocks and laparoscopic vasectomy was performed using three portal sites in both paralumbar fossae recording surgical times. A 4-cm seg...
Persson-Sjodin E, Hernlund E, Pfau T, Haubro Andersen P, Holm Forsström K, Rhodin M.Quantitative gait analysis has revealed that a large proportion of horses in training, perceived as free from lameness by their owners, show movement asymmetries of equal magnitude to horses with mild clinical lameness. Whether these movement asymmetries are related to orthopaedic pain and/or pathology has yet to be further investigated. Therefore, the objective of this study was to determine whether movement asymmetries in riding horses in training are affected by anti-inflammatory treatment with meloxicam. In a crossover design, horses were treated with meloxicam or placebo for four days res...
Bregger MDK, Koch C, Zimmermann R, Sangiorgio D, Schweizer-Gorgas D.Computed tomography in standing horses has revolutionized diagnostic imaging. The O-arm®, a cone beam computed tomography (CBCT) scanner with a gantry opening of 96.5 cm is routinely used for image-guided spine and neurosurgery in humans. The aim of this study is to describe the set-up and first experiences using the O-arm® to achieve CBCT imaging of the head in standing horses. CT imaging of the predefined region of interest (ROI) was tested on 2 cadaveric heads, concentrating on centering issues within the gantry, as well as determining the number of scans needed per ROI. All horses pres...
Legere RM, Cohen ND, Poveda C, Bray JM, Barhoumi R, Szule JA, de la Concha-Bermejillo A, Bordin AI, Pollet J.Vaccines and therapeutics using in vitro transcribed mRNA hold enormous potential for human and veterinary medicine. Transfection agents are widely considered to be necessary to protect mRNA and enhance transfection, but they add expense and raise concerns regarding quality control and safety. We found that such complex mRNA delivery systems can be avoided when transfecting epithelial cells by aerosolizing the mRNA into micron-sized droplets. In an equine in vivo model, we demonstrated that the translation of mRNA into a functional protein did not depend on the addition of a polyethylenimine (...
Simhofer H, Griss R, Zetner K.The main objective of this study was to evaluate an endoscopic examination protocol for routine dental examination in horses. The oral cavities of 300 standing, sedated horses were examined under field and hospital conditions with a rigid endoscope using a standardised technique that included examination of the occlusal, lingual (palatal) and buccal surfaces of all cheek teeth rows. The most common cheek teeth abnormalities detected were sharp enamel edges (present in 96.3% of horses), focal overgrowths (64.3%), fissure fractures (54.3%), diastemata (24.3%) and infundibular hypoplasia/caries (...
Sloet van Oldruitenborgh-Oosterbaan MM, Genzel W, van Weeren PR.Welfare concerns over the reasons for interruption or termination of a sporting career in horses have been expressed. Objective: To study the career of competition horses and factors that influence career length. Methods: In 2004, 46,576 rider-horse combinations were registered with the Dutch National Equestrian Federation (KNHS) in dressage, show jumping, eventing and endurance. From this population, approximately 1% of horses in each discipline were selected at random and all recorded competition data from the KNHS registration system collected and supplemented by detailed rider/owner teleph...
Bai B, Wang XF, Zhang M, Na L, Zhang X, Zhang H, Yang Z, Wang X.Tetherin is an interferon-inducible type II transmembrane glycoprotein which inhibits the release of viruses, including retroviruses, through a "physical tethering" model. However, the role that the glycosylation of tetherin plays in its antiviral activity remains controversial. In this study, we found that mutation of N-glycosylation sites resulted in an attenuation of the antiviral activity of equine tetherin (eqTHN), as well as a reduction in the expression of eqTHN at the plasma membrane (PM). In addition, eqTHN N-glycosylation mutants colocalize obviously with ER, CD63, LAMP1 and endosome...
Minke JM, Toulemonde CE, Dinic S, Cozette V, Cullinane A, Audonnet JC.A classical limitation of early life immunization is the interference by maternally derived antibodies, which are known to inhibit the immune response to modified-live and killed vaccines. Several studies have convincingly shown that even minute amounts of maternally derived antibodies against equine influenza can strongly interfere with successful vaccination of foals born to immune mares. In this study we evaluated the response of foals born to vaccinated mares to immunization with a canarypox-vectored recombinant vaccine against equine influenza virus H3N8. The recombinant vaccine was able ...
Sticker LS, Thompson DL, Gentry LR.Thirty-nine adult light horse mares, geldings, and stallions were used in two experiments to assess the pituitary hormone and insulin responses to infusions of arginine, aspartic acid, lysine, glutamic acid, and N-methyl-D,L-aspartate (NMA). In Exp. 1, 27 horses were assigned to one of three infusion treatments: 1) physiological saline (1 L); 2) 2.855 mmol of arginine/kg BW in 1 L of water; or 3) 2.855 mmol of aspartic acid/kg BW in 1 L of water. In Exp. 2, 12 horses were assigned, in a multiple-square 4 x 4 Latin square design, to one of four infusion treatments: 1) 2 mL of saline/kg BW; 2) 2...
Quintana AM, Hussey SB, Burr EC, Pecoraro HL, Annis KM, Rao S, Landolt GA.To evaluate whether an equine-derived canine H3N8 influenza A virus was capable of infecting and transmitting disease to ponies. Methods: 20 influenza virus-seronegative 12- to 24-month-old ponies. Methods: 5 ponies were inoculated via aerosol exposure with 10(7) TCID(50) of A/Canine/Wyoming/86033/07 virus (Ca/WY)/pony. A second group of 5 ponies (positive control group) was inoculated via aerosol exposure with a contemporary A/Eq/Colorado/10/07 virus (Eq/CO), and 4 sham-inoculated ponies served as a negative control group. To evaluate the potential for virus transmission, ponies (3/inoculatio...
Pena GA, Pereyra CM, Armando MR, Chiacchiera SM, Magnoli CE, Orlando JL, Dalcero AM, Rosa CA, Cavaglieri LR.To evaluate gliotoxin production by Aspergillus fumigatus strains isolated from feedstuff intended for domestic animals and pets, and to determine the amount of gliotoxin in these substrates. Results: A total of 150 feedstuff samples were collected. They were composed of 30 samples each of five different feed types (pigs, poultry, cattle, horse and pets). Aspergillus fumigatus gliotoxin production ability and gliotoxin presence in feedstuff was determined by HPLC. Aspergillus fumigatus strains were isolated from all of the tested samples. Strains from cattle, horses and pet food were able to p...
Gold JR, Knowles DP, Coffey T, Bayly WM.Exercise-induced pulmonary hemorrhage (EIPH) refers to bleeding from the lungs in association with strenuous exercise. It has been documented in race horses but little information exists on EIPH in barrel racing horses. Objective: Our goals were to evaluate the presence of EIPH in barrel racing horses and estimate its prevalence in the Pacific Northwest. Methods: 149 barrel racing horses enrolled at events in WA (11), ID (3), and MT (33). Methods: Observational cross-sectional study. Data collected included signalment, history of illness, respiratory disease, race division, and pre-race medica...
Wyler M, Sage SE, Marti E, White S, Gerber V.The diagnostic value of allergen-specific immunoglobulin E (IgE) in horses with asthma is uncertain. A recently developed protein microarray detected abnormally high latex-specific IgE concentrations in the serum of horses with severe asthma. Objective: The main objective was to characterize the IgE profiles of asthmatic horses in Switzerland using a protein microarray platform in serum and bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF). The secondary objective was to determine whether serological and BALF allergen-specific IgE concentrations correlated. Methods: Forty-four asthmatic and 39 control horse...
Meana A, Pato NF, Martín R, Mateos A, Pérez-García J, Luzón M.An epidemiological study on equine cestodosis was carried out in central Spain. A total of 372 digestive tracts from equids slaughtered in abattoirs located in central Spain were studied from November 2001 to May 2004. Anoplocephala perfoliata was detected in 24% of the animals and Anoplocephala magna in 18%. Individual tapeworm burden was from 1 to 491 tapeworms for A. perfoliata and from 1 to 64 tapeworms for A. magna. Low tapeworm burdens (less than 30 cestodes) predominated significantly (p<0.01) in all seasons for both species. Seasonal prevalence of infection by A. perfoliata was signifi...
Harman J.Examining the fit of the saddle is perhaps the most important aspect of examining a horse with a suspected back problem. If the back problem is corrected and a poorly fitting saddle is placed on the back, the problems will return. An ill-fitting saddle contributes to direct and compensatory lower leg lameness making it even more imperative to correct the fit. A correctly fitting saddle enhances both the horse and rider's ability to perform with accuracy, lightness, and freedom of movement.
Fortier G, Pronost S, Miszczak F, Fortier C, Léon A, Richard E, Van Erck E, Thiry E, Lekeux P.During a case control study undertaken in 2006-2007, a screening and consensus polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was performed to evaluate the potential role of equid herpesviruses (EHV) in several occurrences of respiratory disorders in 661 horses. Of 785 bronchoalveolar or tracheal lavage fluid samples submitted for analysis, 20 were positive for EHV-5 DNA by sequential analysis of the consensus PCR product. Nineteen of those samples were confirmed using a specific EHV-5 PCR. No particular changes in cytological profile could be associated with the detection of EHV-5 in contrast to suggestions...
Glaser A.Before the introduction of the West Nile virus (WNV) into the United States of America (USA) in 1999, conditions in North America were ideal for an arboviral epidemic. Such factors as the large, susceptible and non-immune animal and human populations, the presence of competent vectors, increasing international travel and commerce, existing methods for rapid dissemination and an ill-prepared animal and public health infrastructure all combined to create the essential elements for a severe animal and public health crisis--the 'perfect microbial storm'. The introduction of WNV into New York City ...
Renier AC, Kass PH, Magdesian KG, Madigan JE, Aleman M, Pusterla N.To determine clinical, laboratory analysis, and necropsy findings for equids with oleander toxicosis and to identify factors associated with outcome. Methods: Retrospective case series. Methods: 30 equids. Methods: Medical records of equids with detectable concentrations of oleandrin in serum, plasma, urine, or gastrointestinal fluid samples and equids that had not received cardiac glycoside drugs but had detectable concentrations of digoxin in serum were identified via a medical records database search. Descriptive statistics were calculated for medical history, physical examination, laborato...
Kuttler KL, Zaugg JL, Gipson CA.The therapeutic efficacies of imidocarb and parvaquone were tested against Babesia equi of European origin in carrier horses and for induced acute infections in splenectomized ponies. Imidocarb, at a dosage of 4 mg/kg of body weight, given IM at 72-hour intervals 4 times, was ineffective in eliminating B equi-carrier infection in 9 mature geldings. A single IM administration of 4 mg/kg was not therapeutic in acutely infected splenectomized ponies. When given at 3 different dosages and treatment schedules, parvaquone was ineffective in clearing carrier infection. Parvaquone given IM once at a d...
Scantlebury CE, Archer DC, Proudman CJ, Pinchbeck GL.The frequency of recurrent colic in the UK equine general practice population is previously unreported. Elucidating risk factors for recurrent colic could provide a basis for clinical decision making and interventions. Objective: To determine the incidence rate of and risk factors for recurrent colic. Objective: Horse management, prophylactic health care and innate behaviour contribute to the risk of recurrent colic. Methods: A cohort of 127 horses was enrolled at the point of a veterinary-diagnosed medical colic episode. Participating owners completed a baseline and 3 follow-up telephone ques...
Moyaert H, Decostere A, Vandamme P, Debruyne L, Mast J, Baele M, Ceelen L, Ducatelle R, Haesebrouck F.Gram-negative, curved, motile bacteria (strains EqF1T and EqF2) were isolated from faecal samples from two clinically healthy horses. Both strains possessed a single, monopolar, sheathed flagellum and were urease-negative. The novel strains grew at 37 degrees C under microaerobic conditions and were positive for oxidase, catalase and alkaline phosphatase activities. The isolates reduced nitrate to nitrite, but gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase activity was not detected. The novel isolates did not grow at 42 degrees C or on media containing 1 % glycine. They were resistant to cephalotin and nalidix...
Browning GF, Begg AP.Variant types of VP4 and VP7 gene segments of faecal rotaviruses from diarrhoeic foals were identified by restriction endonuclease digestion of reverse transcription/polymerase chain reaction (RT/PCR) products. The variants observed were correlated with serotypes by determination of the sequence of representative RT/PCR products (entire coding sequence for VP7 and the VP8 region of VP4) and comparison to published sequences of equine G and P serotype genes. Both G and P serotypes could be predicted for 95/116 (82%) strains, P serotype only for a further 8 (7%) strains and G serotype only for 1...
Watts DM, LeDuc JW, Bailey CL, Dalrymple JM, Gargan TP.Serological data accumulated during the past decade indicated that a variety of feral and domestic animals of the Delaware-Maryland-Virginia (DelMarVa) Peninsula were infected with Jamestown Canyon (JC) and/or Keystone (KEY) viruses (Bunyaviridae, California serogroup). Neutralizing (N) antibody to JC virus was most prevalent in white-tailed deer, sika deer, cottontail rabbits and horses. KEY virus N antibody was detected most frequently in gray squirrels and domestic goats. N antibody indicative of past infection by one or both viruses also was found in raccoons, horses and humans. JC and/or ...
Goodwin D, Gennari SM, Howe DK, Dubey JP, Zajac AM, Lindsay DS.Encephalitozoon cuniculi has been associated with natural cases of abortion and stillbirth in horses. However, little is known about the prevalence of this parasite in horses. We examined sera from 559 horses from Brazil for antibodies to E. cuniculi using the indirect immunofluorescent antibody (IFA) test and the direct agglutination test (DAT). We found that 79 (14.1%) were positive in the IFA test and 70 (12.5%) were positive in the DAT. Compared to the IFA as the "gold standard" the sensitivity of the DAG was 94.0% and the specificity was 96.1%. Our study indicates that horses in Brazil ar...
Kuzmina ТА, Zvegintsova NS, Yasynetska NI, Kharchenko VA.Resistance of strongylids in domestic horses to benzimidazole anthelmintics (BZ) has been detected worldwide; however, information on the presence of BZ-resistance in wild equids has not been published to date. The purpose of this study was to analyze the manifestations of the BZ resistance in strongylids in domestic and wild equids kept in the Askania Nova Biosphere Reserve, Ukraine. Four species of equids: domestic horses and Shetland ponies (Equus caballus), donkeys (E. asinus), plains zebras (E. burchelli) and Grévy’s zebras (E. grevyi) kept under semi-free conditions were examined usin...
Lanz S, Gerber V, Marti E, Rettmer H, Klukowska-Rötzler J, Gottstein B, Matthews JB, Pirie S, Hamza E.Equine recurrent airway obstruction (RAO) is an inflammatory, obstructive airway disease induced by exposure of susceptible horses to inhaled organic dust particles. The immunological process underlying RAO is still unclear. Previous studies have shown that RAO is linked to the Interleukin-4 receptor (IL-4R) gene in one Warmblood family (F1), but not in another (F2). It has also been shown that in F1, but not in F2, RAO is associated with resistance against parasites, suggesting that this association may have an immuno-genetic basis. Therefore, we hypothesized that the T helper (h)1/Th2/regula...
Lanci A, Perina F, Donadoni A, Castagnetti C, Mariella J.Dystocia as a prolonged stage II parturition (>30 min) was associated with a higher risk of complications. The hypothesis of the study was that any type of dystocia could affect the foal’s health, even when the stage II was <30 min. Clinical reports on 222 Standardbred mares and their foals hospitalized at the Veterinary Teaching Hospital of the University of Bologna from 2004 to 2020 were reviewed. Mares were divided into the Eutocia Group (165, eutocic delivery) and the Dystocia Group (57, dystocic delivery). The incidence of dystocia was 4.9%. Stage II was longer in the Dystocia Gro...
Ellison SP, Omara-Opyene AL, Yowell CA, Marsh AE, Dame JB.A gene encoding a major 29 kDa surface antigen from Sarcocystis neurona, the primary causative agent of equine protozoal myeloencephalitis (EPM), was cloned, sequenced, and expressed as a recombinant protein. A cDNA library was prepared in the expression vector lambda ZAP from polyA+mRNA isolated from S. neurona merozoites cultivated in vitro. Random sequencing of 96 clones identified a clone of an abundant transcript having a translated amino acid sequence with 30% identity to the 31-kDa surface antigen of Sarcocystis muris cyst merozoites. Southern blot analysis indicated that the correspond...
Furr M, Howe D, Reed S, Yeargan M.Diagnosis of equine protozoal myeloencephalitis (EPM) remains a challenge for equine practitioners. Current utilized methods have inadequate sensitivity and specificity, because of a high number of false positive results. Objective: Evaluation of antibody indices to Sarcocystis neurona should provide high sensitivity and specificity for diagnosis of EPM. Methods: Archived samples from 29 clinical patients. Methods: Archived serum and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) samples from clinical patients with either EPM (14) or cervical vertebral compressive myelopathy (CVM) (15) were examined and tested for...
Königová A, Várady M, Corba J.The objective of the study was to compare the in vitro egg hatch test (EHT), larval development test (LDT) and in vivo faecal egg count reduction test (FECR test) for the detection of benzimidazole resistance in equine strongyles. The presence of resistant or susceptible strongyle populations was determined in 25 stud farms using the in vivo FECR test and in vitro EHT. On the basis of the FECR values, resistance to fenbendazole was detected on 15 of the 25 farms (60%). The ED50 value (anthelmintic concentration producing 50% inhibition of hatching) for suspected resistant populations varied fr...
Jacobsen S, Top Adler DM, Bundgaard L, Sørensen MA, Andersen PH, Bendixen E.The objective of the study was to assess global expression of proteins in equine saliva using liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). Saliva was obtained from seven horses with and six horses without evidence of systemic inflammatory disease. Tryptic peptides from saliva were analysed by LC-MS/MS. Of 195 unique proteins identified, 57 were detected only in saliva samples from horses with systemic inflammation (in two to six of the seven horses). Among the differentially expressed proteins were several acute phase proteins (APPs) such as serum amyloid A, fibrinogen, haptoglob...
