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.
Boegheim IJM, Leegwater PAJ, van Lith HA, Back W.Impairment of bone growth at a young age leads to dwarfism in adulthood. Dwarfism can be categorised as either proportionate, an overall size reduction without changes in body proportions, or disproportionate, a size reduction in one or more limbs, with changes in body proportions. Many forms of dwarfism are inherited and result from structural disruptions or disrupted signalling pathways. Hormonal disruptions are evident in Brooksville miniature Brahman cattle and Z-linked dwarfism in chickens, caused by mutations in GH1 and GHR. Furthermore, mutations in IHH are the underlying cause of creep...
Risseti RM, Zastempowska E, Twarużek M, Lassa H, Pantoja JCF, de Vargas APC, Guerra ST, Bolaños CAD, de Paula CL, Alves AC, Colhado BS....Trueperella pyogenes is an opportunistic pathogen that causes diverse pyogenic infections in livestock. The genes that encode the exotoxin pyolysin (plo) and other putative factors that promote adhesion of pathogen to host cells (fimbriae fimA, fimC, fimE, fimG, neuraminidases nanH, nanP, and collagen-binding protein cbpA) have been associated with virulence, particularly in mastitis and uterus infections of dairy cows. However, the role of these virulence markers in the pathogenicity of the agent in domestic animals infections still is incompletely understood. The genes plo, fimA, fimC, fimE,...
Wong JKY, Leung DKK, Curl P, Schiff PJ, Lam KKH, Wan TSM.The detection of boldenone, nandrolone, 5(10)-estrene-3β,17α-diol, and 4-estrene-3,17-dione in a urine sample collected from a gelding having been treated with testosterone (500 mg 'Testosterone Suspension 100', single dose, injected intramuscularly) in 2009 led the authors' laboratory to suspect that these 'testicular' steroids could be minor metabolites of testosterone in geldings. Administration trials on six castrated horses with Testosterone Suspension 100 confirmed that low levels of boldenone, nandrolone, 5(10)-estrene-3β,17α-diol, and 4-estrene-3,17-dione could indeed be detected ...
Pozor M, Morrissey H, Albanese V, Khouzam N, Deriberprey A, Macpherson ML, Kelleman AA.The goal of this study was to investigate correlations between objective measures of testicular echotexture and histomorphometric attributes related to the histological composition of stallion testes. Fifty-four scrotal testes were obtained from three groups of stallions during routine castrations: colts <1 yr old (n = 18), young stallions 1-5 yrs old (n = 27), mature stallions > 5 yrs old (n = 9). In addition, two scrotal testes with degeneration, 16 retained inguinal and 10 retained abdominal testes were surgically obtained. Cross-sectional and longitudinal ultrasonograms were obt...
Wong JKY, Kwok WH, Chan GHM, Choi TLS, Ho ENM, Jaubert M, Bailly-Chouriberry L, Bonnaire Y, Cawley A, Ming Williams H, Keledjian J, Brooks L....Acadesine, 5-aminoimidazole-4-carboxamide-1-β-D-ribofuranoside, commonly known as AICAR, is a naturally occurring adenosine monophosphate-activated protein kinase (AMPK) activator in many mammals, including humans and horses. AICAR has attracted considerable attention recently in the field of doping control because of a study showing the enhancement of endurance performance in unexercised or untrained mice, resulting in the term 'exercise pill'. Its use has been classified as gene doping by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA), and since it is endogenous, it may only be possible to control del...
Nemoto M, Ryan E, Lyons P, Cullinane A.The molecular epidemiology of equine group A rotaviruses (RVAs) in Ireland from 2011 to 2015 was investigated. Of 438 diagnostic specimens submitted from foals with enteric disease, 102 (23.3%) were positive for RVA using an immunochromatographic assay. G genotypes were determined for 76 equine RVAs, of which 68 (89.5%) were G3 and eight (10.5%) were G14. Of 18 RVAs (12 G3 and six G14) characterised by P genotyping, all were P[12]. G3P[12] and G14P[12] were the most prevalent genotypes of RVA in foals in Ireland, similar to other countries and consistent with previous studies in Ireland from 1...
Sykora S, Brandt S.Squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) is a common disease that seriously impairs the health and welfare of affected horses and other equids. In humans, almost all cervical carcinomas, a high percentage of anogenital SCCs and a subset of SCCs of the head and neck are caused by high-risk human papillomavirus (hrHPV) infection. Since hrHPV-induced human cancers and equine SCC have similar cytological and histopathological features, it has been hypothesised that equine SCCs could also be induced by papillomaviruses. This review provides an overview of the current evidence for an aetiological association b...
Charbonneau ARL, Forman OP, Cain AK, Newland G, Robinson C, Boursnell M, Parkhill J, Leigh JA, Maskell DJ, Waller AS.Utilising next generation sequencing to interrogate saturated bacterial mutant libraries provides unprecedented information for the assignment of genome-wide gene essentiality. Exposure of saturated mutant libraries to specific conditions and subsequent sequencing can be exploited to uncover gene essentiality relevant to the condition. Here we present a barcoded transposon directed insertion-site sequencing (TraDIS) system to define an essential gene list for Streptococcus equi subsp. equi, the causative agent of strangles in horses, for the first time. The gene essentiality data for this grou...
James KE, Smith WA, Packham AE, Conrad PA, Pusterla N.While toxoplasmosis is not commonly considered a clinical disease of equines, previous seroprevalence studies have reported differing background rates of Toxoplasma gondii infection in horses globally. The objective of this study was to evaluate possible associations between T. gondii seroprevalence and clinical signs of equine protozoal myeloencephalitis (EPM) in horses. Using a case-control study design, 720 Californian horses with neurologic signs compatible with EPM were compared to healthy, non-neurologic horses for the presence of T. gondii antibodies (using indirect fluorescent antibody...
Biasutti S, Dart AJ, Dart CM, Uquillas E, Jeffcott LB.A newborn foal was referred for evaluation because it had not passed meconium, despite the administration of four enemas. Abdominal radiographs and ultrasound scans showed generalised gaseous distension of the intestine and there was no observable meconium in the colon. Positive contrast colography showed contrast medium extending to the transverse colon. An exploratory laparotomy confirmed the absence of the left and right dorsal colon and the pelvic and diaphragmatic flexures. An end-to-side anastomosis of the left ventral colon to the midpoint of the small colon was performed. The foal reco...
Bailly-Chouriberry L, Baudoin F, Cormant F, Glavieux Y, Loup B, Garcia P, Popot MA, Bonnaire Y.The improvement of doping control is an ongoing race. Techniques to fight doping are usually based on the direct detection of drugs or their metabolites by analytical methods such as chromatography hyphenated to mass spectrometry after ad hoc sample preparation. Nowadays, omic methods constitute an attractive development and advances have been achieved particularly by application of molecular biology tools for detection of anabolic androgenic steroids (AAS), erythropoiesis-stimulating agent (ESA), or to control human growth hormone misuses. These interesting results across different animal spe...
Trbolova A, Ghaffari MS.The Schirmer tear test (STT) is widely used in both human and veterinary ophthalmology. Two types of STTs have been developed: STT I and SST II. The STT I measures the basal and reflex tear production and is the most widely used STT. However, several factors influence the STT results such as the person performing the test and the location of the strip placement within the conjunctival sac. The aim of this study was to measure the basal and reflex tear production (STT I) in clinically normal horses with open versus closed eyes. Results: Forty clinically healthy horses without any ocular disease...
Léguillette R, Tohver T, Bond SL, Nicol JA, McDonald KJ.Airway hyperresponsiveness (AWHR), expressed as hypersensitivity (PC R ) or hyperreactivity (slope of the histamine dose-response curve), is a feature of inflammatory airway disease (IAD) or mild equine asthma in horses. Glucocorticoids are used empirically to treat IAD. Objective: To determine whether dexamethasone (DEX) (0.05 mg/kg IM q24h) and inhaled fluticasone (FLUT) (3,000 μg q12h) administered by inhalation are effective in decreasing AWHR, lung inflammation, and clinical signs in horses with IAD. Methods: A randomized crossover study design was used. Eight horses with IAD were assign...
Ujvari S, Schwarzwald CC, Fouché N, Howard J, Schoster A.Point-of-care (POC) diagnostic tests with good sensitivity and specificity are needed for diagnosing failure of transfer of passive immunity (FTPI) in foals. Turbidimetric immunoassays (TIA) have these characteristics and provide quantitative results. A commercially available TIA-based POC test (POC-TIA) has not been validated in horses. Objective: To validate a POC-TIA and compare results of POC-TIA, a POC-ELISA, and radial immunodiffusion (RID). Methods: Heparinized blood samples (n = 127) from 48 hospitalized foals (<12 hour to 48 days). Methods: Prospective validation study. IgG concentrat...
Schoster A, Staempfli HR, Guardabassi LG, Jalali M, Weese JS.Diarrhea in foals affects up to 60% of foals during the first six months of life. The effect of diarrhea on the fecal bacterial microbiota in foals has not been investigated. Little is known on the fecal bacterial microbial richness and diversity of foals at a young age. The objective was to compare the fecal bacterial microbiota of healthy foals to foals with diarrhea at two and four weeks of life. Methods: Fecal samples were collected from foals (n = 20) at 1-14 (T1) and 15-28 (T2) days of age and analyzed using high throughput sequencing. Differences in relative abundance of bacterial tax...
Dembek KA, Timko KJ, Johnson LM, Hart KA, Barr BS, David B, Burns TA, Toribio RE.Hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis (HPAA) dysfunction has been associated with sepsis and mortality in foals. Most studies have focused on cortisol, while other steroids have not been investigated. The objectives of this study were to characterise the adrenal steroid and steroid precursor response to disease and to determine their association with the HPAA response to illness, disease severity, and mortality in hospitalised foals. All foals (n=326) were classified by two scoring systems into three categories: based on the sepsis score (septic, sick non-septic [SNS] and healthy) and the foal s...
Ortiz-Rodriguez JM, Anel-Lopez L, Martín-Muñoz P, Álvarez M, Gaitskell-Phillips G, Anel L, Rodríguez-Medina P, Peña FJ, Ortega Ferrusola C.Testicular function is particularly susceptible to vascular insult, resulting in a negative impact on sperm production and quality of the ejaculate. A prompt diagnosis of testicular dysfunction enables implementation of appropriate treatment, hence improving fertility forecasts for stallions. The present research aims to: (1) assess if Doppler ultrasonography is a good tool to diagnose stallions with testicular dysfunction; (2) to study the relationship between Doppler parameters of the testicular artery and those of sperm quality assessed by flow cytometry and (3) to establish cut off values ...
Wach-Gygax L, Burger D, Malama E, Bollwein H, Fleisch A, Jeannerat E, Thomas S, Schuler G, Janett F.In this study annual fluctuations of DNA fragmentation and quality of cold-stored equine sperm were evaluated. Ejaculates were collected weekly during one year from 15 stallions. Ejaculate volume, sperm concentration and total sperm count were determined and semen was then extended and cold-stored for 48 h. Sperm motility was evaluated by CASA before and after 24 as well as 48 h of cold storage. In addition, the percentages of sperm with intact plasma membrane and acrosome (PMAI %) and with low intracellular Ca2+ level were determined in cold-stored semen (24 h, 48 h). SCSA™ was performe...
Wilkin T, Baoutina A, Hamilton N.A horse's success on the racetrack is determined by genetics, training and nutrition, and their translation into physical traits such as speed, endurance and muscle strength. Advances in genetic technologies are slowly explaining the roles of specific genes in equine performance, and offering new insights into the development of novel therapies for diseases and musculoskeletal injuries that cause early retirement of many racehorses. Gene therapy approaches may also soon provide new means to artificially enhance the physical performance of racehorses. Gene doping, the misuse of gene therapies f...
Lange CD, Axiak Flammer S, Gerber V, Kindt D, Koch C.It appears that complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) is used increasingly often in horses for the assessment and treatment of suspected orthopaedic problems, especially back problems. The aim of this study was to determine the frequency of CAM use for the management of orthopaedic problems in a defined population of Swiss Warmblood horses. A total of 239 owners and caretakers of horses from a pre-defined database were called by a veterinarian to participate in the survey. A standardized questionnaire was designed to determine, for each orthopaedic case, where the localization of the pr...
Suter A, Voelter K, Hartnack S, Spiess BM, Pot SA.To evaluate the most common bacterial pathogens associated with septic keratitis in veterinary patients from Switzerland. The second objective was to analyze antibiotic susceptibility test results of the identified bacterial pathogens. The third objective was to evaluate potential breed predispositions to septic keratitis. Methods: Two hundred and fifty-five cultures and antibiotic susceptibility reports from dogs, cats, and horses with septic keratitis that were presented to the University of Zurich Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital between 2009 and 2013 were reviewed. Odds ratios for the ...
Cuming RS, Abarca EM, Duran S, Wooldridge AA, Stewart AJ, Ravis W, Babu RJ, Lin YJ, Hathcock T.To determine in vitro release profiles, transcorneal permeation, and ocular injection characteristics of a voriconazole-containing thermogel suitable for injection into the subconjunctival space (SCS). In vitro release rate of voriconazole (0.3% and 1.5%) from poly (DL-lactide-co-glycolide-b-ethylene glycol-b-DL-lactide-co-glycolide) (PLGA-PEG-PLGA) thermogel was determined for 28 days. A Franz cell diffusion chamber was used to evaluate equine transcorneal and transscleral permeation of voriconazole (1.5% topical solution, 0.3% and 1.5% voriconazole-thermogel) for 24 hours. Antifungal activit...
Mahne AT, Janse van Rensburg D, Hewetson M.A 4-year-old Thoroughbred gelding underwent an explorative celiotomy for a suspected small intestinal obstruction. During surgery, an impacted diverticulum of the ileum was suspected, necessitating a jejunocaecostomy. The owner opted for euthanasia. On post-mortem examination and histopathology, a true diverticulum on the mesenteric side of the ileum, with ileal hypertrophy, was diagnosed.
Murphy B, Bell C, Koehne A, Dubielzig RR.Odontoameloblastoma (OA) is a mixed odontogenic tumor that is an ameloblastoma with concurrent histologic evidence of odontoma differentiation. As a mixed tumor, OA is a tripartite lesion comprised of neoplastic odontogenic epithelium, induced dental ectomesenchyme (dental pulp), and mineralized dental matrix. Although rare, OA represents a diagnostic conundrum, as it is histologically closely related to 2 other mixed odontogenic tumors: odontoma (complex and compound) and ameloblastic fibro-odontoma. Herein we describe an OA arising from the mandible of a 4-mo-old Fischer 344 rat that had bee...
Pihl TH, Jacobsen S, Olsen DT, Højrup P, Grosche A, Freeman DE, Andersen PH, Houen G.OBJECTIVE To purify and characterize equine vitamin D-binding protein (VDBP) from equine serum and to evaluate plasma concentrations of VDBP in healthy horses and horses with gastrointestinal injury or disease. ANIMALS 13 healthy laboratory animals (8 mice and 5 rabbits), 61 healthy horses, 12 horses with experimentally induced intestinal ischemia and reperfusion (IR), and 59 horses with acute gastrointestinal diseases. PROCEDURES VDBP was purified from serum of 2 healthy horses, and recombinant equine VDBP was obtained through a commercial service. Equine VDBP was characterized by mass spectr...
Mellor DJ, Beausoleil NJ.Horses engaged in strenuous exercise display physiological responses that approach the upper functional limits of key organ systems, in particular their cardiorespiratory systems. Maximum athletic performance is therefore vulnerable to factors that diminish these functional capacities, and such impairment might also lead to horses experiencing unpleasant respiratory sensations, i.e., breathlessness. The aim of this review is to use existing literature on equine cardiorespiratory physiology and athletic performance to evaluate the potential for various types of breathlessness to occur in exerci...
Alanazi AD, Mukbel RM, Alyousif MS, AlShehri ZS, Alanazi IO, Al-Mohammed HI.In the last decade, Parascaris spp. resistance to anthelmintics has been recorded in many countries. In Saudi Arabia, there are limited data available on Parascaris spp. resistance to anthelmintics. Objective: To determine the current status of ivermectin, abamectin and praziquantel combined, and fenbendazole resistance to Parascaris spp. in horses in Saudi Arabia. Methods: Three hundred and forty-one foals from eleven different farms were examined by faecal egg count (FEC). The foals were all Arab horses aged 17.2 ± 4.5 (SD) months. Ivermectin (n = 46 foals), abamectin and praziquantel combi...
Akbari G, Asadiahranjani B, Goodarzi N, Shokrollahi S.Donkeys are a member of the horse family (Equidae) and share a common ancestor. However, in morphological terms, donkeys and horses are regarded as two separate subgenus. Given variations in the branching pattern of the brachiocephalic trunk (BCT) in different species of animals and the use of donkeys in anatomy courses at colleges of veterinary medicine, we conducted this study in order to investigate the branching patterns of BCT and to describe detailed morphological information regarding donkeys. Seventeen mature donkeys were examined following euthanasia by exsanguination from the common ...
Bowker RM, Lancaster LS, Isbell DA.OBJECTIVE To examine the equine foot for the presence of sensory receptors including Merkel cells and small lamellated Pacinian-like corpuscles (SLPCs). SAMPLE Forefeet obtained from 7 horses following euthanasia for reasons other than foot disease. PROCEDURES Disarticulated feet were cut into either sagittal sections or cross sections and immersed in neutral-buffered 4% formalin. Following fixation, samples were obtained from the midline of the dorsal aspect of the hoof wall and from the frog (cuneus ungulae) between the apex and central sulcus. The formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded hoof wall...
Riley CB, McClure JT, Low-Ying S, Shaw RA.The economic, accurate, and rapid screening of foals for failure of transfer of passive immunity (FPT) is essential to ensure timely intervention. Objective: Infrared (IR) spectroscopy of foal sera and pattern recognition may be used to diagnose FPT and quantify serum IgG. Methods: Sera from 194 foals (24-72 hours) with serum immunoglobulin G (IgG) concentrations determined previously by radial immunodiffusion assay (RID) were used. Methods: IR spectra were recorded for the serum samples, and the data were randomly divided into training and independent test sets, each containing both FPT-posit...
Gao JF, Liu GH, Duan H, Gao Y, Zhang Y, Chang QC, Fang M, Wang CR.Triodontophorus serratus and Triodontophorus nipponicus are two of the most common nematodes inhabiting in the large intestine of horse. In the present study, the complete mitochondrial (mt) genome sequences of T. serratus and T. nipponicus have been determined. The mt genomes of T. serratus and T. nipponicus are circular molecules with 13,794 bp and 13,701 bp in size, respectively. These circular mt genomes encode 36 genes, including 12 protein-coding genes, two rRNA genes and 22 tRNA genes. All of these genes are transcribed in the same direction and gene arrangements are consistent with...
Martinez PS, Whitley RD, Plummer CE, Richardson RL, Hamor RE, Wellehan JFX.To examine the relationship between Minimum Inhibitory Concentration (MICs) and response to therapy of 6 Fusarium spp. and 5 Aspergillus fumigatus isolated from equine ulcerative keratitis cases. Methods: Fungi were identified by morphology and Internal Transcribed Spacer (ITS) polymerase chain reaction (PCR) with sequencing and evaluated at the University of Texas Fungal Testing Laboratory for susceptibility to three azole antifungals (miconazole, voriconazole, posaconazole), natamycin, and two echinocandins (anidulafungin, caspofungin). A Mann-Whitney rank sum test was used for the compariso...
Geburek F, Stadler P.Conventional treatments of equine tendon injuries lead to an unsatisfactory healing process that usually results in a relatively high recurrence rate. Therefore, in recent years so-called regenerative therapeutics were studied scientifically in vitro and in laboratory animals. These include substances that ideally lead to the formation of replacement tissue, which in contrast to the low quality scar, has similar functional properties as the original intact tendon. Currently, a plethora of different substrates is either commercially available or can be produced in practice with the help of kits...
van Loon JPAM, Visser EMS, de Mik-van Mourik M, Kerbert P, Huppes T, Menke ES.Colic surgery in horses impacts both short-term well-being of horses due to possible surgical and anesthetic complications and also long-term return to a sporting career. In this retrospective study, survival and complication rates, as well as functional outcome and behavioral problems in horses that underwent colic surgery were studied. Data from 283 horses that underwent colic surgery at a veterinary teaching hospital were analyzed. Furthermore, owners were contacted and requested to fill out a questionnaire concerning the first year of rehabilitation. Of 283 horses that underwent colic surg...
Tang Z, Li X, Wang X, Zhang C, Zou L, Ren H, Liu W. () is one of the foremost pathogens responsible for diarrhea in foals. As antibiotic resistance increases, phages that specifically lyse bacteria are of great interest to us with regard to . In this study, a novel phage DCp1 was isolated from the sewage of a donkey farm. Phage DCp1 had a non-contractile short tail (40 nm in length) and a regular icosahedral head (46 nm in diameter). Whole-genome sequencing indicated that phage DCp1 had a linear double-stranded DNA genome with a total length of 18,555 bp and a G + C content of 28.2%. A total of 25 ORFs were identified in the genome, 6 of whic...
Alinovi CA, Ward MP, Couëtil LL, Wu CC.Identification of risk factors for horses shedding Salmonella in their feces helps identify patients at-risk of infection and protect the overall population through heightened biosecurity. Fecal samples from 230 hospitalized horses were cultured for Salmonella spp. Historical data were collected on 21 putative risk factors and assessed for association with the risk of a horse being culture positive using forwards stepwise logistic regression. Salmonella was isolated from 13 horses--most commonly from either the first (n=5) or second (n=4) sample collected. Only presenting complaint (confounded...
Sutton GA, Atamna R, Steinman A, Mair TS.A valid, reliable and usable scale is needed for assessing severity of acute abdominal pain in horses. The study aim was to compare three different scales: (1) the equine acute abdominal pain scale (EAAPS); (2) a scale described by Mair and Smith (2005; M and S); and (3) a numerical rating scale (NRS). Forty brief films of horses (35 of colic cases and five of control horses) were randomly presented to 46 equine veterinarians from different countries. Participants, randomly divided into three groups, each used one scale. Five randomly selected films were shown twice for determining intra-obser...
Shawaf T, Almathen F, Meligy A, El-Deeb W, Al-Bulushi S.Little is known about the serum levels of trace elements in donkeys and horses in Saudi Arabia. This study aimed to investigate the levels of some trace elements in these two species in the eastern region of Saudi Arabia and to compare the obtained results with the reference values. Methods: Seventeen Arabian horses and twenty eight Hassawi donkeys were randomly selected for this study. All of the studied healthy animals were kept under a uniform feeding protocol without any minerals supplementations. Atomic absorption spectrometer is used to estimate the serum concentrations of selenium (Se),...
Clark L, Clutton RE, Blissitt KJ, Chase-Topping ME.To study the effects of morphine on haemodynamic variables, blood gas values and the requirement for additional anaesthetic drugs in horses undergoing surgery. Methods: Prospective randomized study. Methods: Thirty-eight client-owned horses, ASA(American Society of Anesthesiologists) category I or II, undergoing elective surgical procedures, were studied. Horses were divided between two groups, and were paired according to operation, anaesthetist, body position during surgery, mass and breed. Group M+ received morphine by intravenous (IV) injection (0.15 mg kg(-1)) before induction of anaesthe...
Camargo Garbin L, McIlwraith CW, Frisbie DD.Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) as well as other platelet-derived products have been used as a potential disease-modifying treatment for musculoskeletal diseases, such as osteoarthritis (OA). The restorative properties of such products rely mainly on the high concentrations of growth factors, demonstrating encouraging results experimentally and clinically. Yet, the autologous blood-derived nature of the PRP product lead to limitations that precludes it's widespread use. The main limitations for PRP use are; product variability, the need for minimum laboratory settings in most cases, and the need fo...
Samper JC.The two most common procedures for breeding management of mares involve induction of luteolysis and induction of ovulation. Although both of these events are usually achieved, physiologic conditions affect the timing of the response. In a diestrus mare treated with prostaglandin F(2alpha) (PGF), or a PGF analogue, it is well documented that, on average, the interval from treatment to the onset of estrus is 3-4 days, whereas ovulation occurs 8-10 days after treatment. However, the diameter of the ovulatory follicle, as well as its status at the time of PGF treatment, determines the intervals fr...
Melnick JL, Hampil B.This paper smmarizes the results of the third part of co-operative studies undertaken by the WHO International Reference Centre for Enteroviruses and a number of WHO Regional Virus Reference Centres and WHO Virus Collaborating Laboratories and other laboratories in a comprehensive testing programme of enterovirus equine antisera prepared for long-term use as reference antisera. The studies were designed to appraise the specificity of the immune serum of horses inoculated with prototype enteroviruses (coxsackie-viruses A1, A5, A6, A12 and A22 and echoviruses 5, 6, 13-16, 18-20, 22-26, 29 and 32...
Dixon JB, Jenkins P, Allan D.Culture of murine lymph node cells together with living protoscolices of Echinococcus granulosus is described. The presence of the parasite induced potent blastic transformation in lymphocytes of unimmunized mice as indicated by tritiated thymidine incorporation. The response was markedly reduced by killing the parasite immediately prior to culture. No blastogenic activity was detectable in supernatants from living parasites cultured alone. Protoscolices from artificially infected syngeneic mice were effective stimuli, as were protoscolices from naturally infected horse and sheep. Stimulation ...
Liénard E, Nabuco A, Vandenabeele S, Losson B, Tosi I, Bouhsira É, Prévot F, Sharif S, Franc M, Vanvinckenroye C, Caron Y.Besnoitiosis is caused by different species of intracellular protozoan parasites belonging to the family Sarcocystidae and affecting multiple host species worldwide. Including B. besnoiti, ten species are described infecting animals. Among ungulates, Besnoitia bennetti infects horses, donkeys and zebras and was described in Africa and in the USA where donkey besnoitiosis is considered as an emerging disease. Methods: A two-year-old male donkey was purchased in May 2016 in poor body condition (cachexia, alopetic areas and pruritus mainly on neck and head) by the present owner in Le Roeulx (Belg...
Joost RE.Acremonium coenophialum Morgan-Jones and Gams, an endophytic fungus commonly found in tall fescue (Festuca arundinacea Schreb.), has been identified as the cause of poor performance of beef cattle and horses on tall fescue. Ryegrass staggers, a neurological disorder of sheep, has been linked to the presence of a similar fungus, A. lolii Latch, Christensen and Samuels, in perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne L.). Renovation of endophyte-infected (E+) pastures with endophyte-free (E-) cultivars of tall fescue or perennial ryegrass has resulted in improved animal performance, but productivity and s...
Lear TL, Lundquist J, Zent WW, Fishback WD, Clark A.Repeated early embryonic loss (REEL) represents a considerable economic loss to the horse industry. Mares that experience REEL may be overlooked as potential carriers of a chromosome abnormality. Here we report three different autosomal translocations in Thoroughbred mares presented for chromosome analysis because of REEL. The karyotypes were 64,XX,t(1;21), 64,XX,t(16;22), and 64,XX,t(4;13), respectively. In order to confirm the chromosomes involved in the translocations, to map the breakpoints, and to determine if the translocations were reciprocal, genes surrounding the breakpoints were iden...
Ludwig EK, van Harreveld PD.Equine septic synovitis commonly occurs secondary to traumatic wounds. The distal limbs of horses have minimal soft tissue protection, thus wounds in these areas are more likely to involve adjacent synovial structures. Synovial sepsis can be debilitating due to difficulties clearing established infections and the degenerative changes that result from ongoing inflammation. Prompt diagnosis allows for immediate treatment, improving the prognosis. Goals for successful treatment of infected synovial structures due to wounds include early and accurate recognition of the condition, rapid resolution ...
Tabynov K, Kydyrbayev Z, Ryskeldinova S, Assanzhanova N, Kozhamkulov Y, Inkarbekov D, Sansyzbay A.To design and evaluate the safety and immunogenicity of a modified-live vaccine to prevent equine influenza virus (EIV) infection based on the novel reassortant cold-adapted strain A/HK/Otar/6:2/2010. Methods: Surface proteins (HA, NA) from the wild-type strain A/equine/Otar/764/2007 (H3N8) and internal proteins (PB2, PB1, PA, NP, M, NS) from the attenuated cold-adapted donor strain A/Hong Kong/1/68/162/35CA (H3N2) were included in the vaccine. Horses were administered 10(9.2) EID50 /mL of the modified-live vaccine or saline solution using a nasal spray. The clinical condition of the animals w...
Newman MJ, Issel CJ, Truax RE, Powell MD, Horohov DW, Montelaro RC.Suppression of the immune system is a common aspect of the disease pathogenesis associated with retroviral infections in both man and animals. We have measured transient suppression of the equine immune system as a loss or decrease in antigen-specific and polyclonal lymphocyte proliferation following experimental infection of ponies with three variants of equine infectious anemia virus (EIAV) with difference virulence characteristics. The transient suppression of proliferative responses was temporally associated with recurrent febrile episodes, which are the hallmark symptom of EIAV-induced di...
Pusterla N, Magdesian KG, Mapes SM, Zavodovskaya R, Kass PH.The ante mortem diagnosis of equine multinodular pulmonary fibrosis (EMPF) relies on histopathological results and polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-positive equine herpesvirus (EHV)-5 testing of lung tissue. Polymerase chain reaction detection of EHV-5 in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) is commonly used to support a diagnosis of EMPF. However, the diagnostic power of EHV-5 testing on BALF and other biological samples such as blood and nasal secretions has yet to be shown to support a diagnosis of EMPF. Objective: To determine the frequency of detection and the viral loads of EHV-5 by quanti...
Freestone JF, Carlson GR.Case records of horses with muscle disorders presenting to the Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital of the University of California, Davis, over a nine year period were evaluated. The objectives of the review were to identify the common myogenic muscle problems and their clinical features. Muscle disease of idiopathic aetiology following exercise was by far the most common condition noted. Other causes of myogenic muscle disorders included congenital, infectious, immune-mediated and nutritional factors.
Kennedy R, Reardon RJM, James O, Wilson C, Dixon PM.Complications, especially delayed alveolar healing, are common following equine cheek teeth extraction, however, limited objective information is available on the prevalence and nature of these problems. Objective: To document the type and prevalence of complications that occur following equine cheek tooth extraction and to identify possible risk factors for these complications that could be used to predict their occurrence and hopefully reduce their prevalence. Methods: Retrospective cohort study. Methods: Clinical records of all cheek teeth extractions performed between February 2004 and Sep...
Steelman SM, Johnson D, Wagner B, Stokes A, Chowdhary BP.Chronic equine laminitis causes persistent pain and lameness in affected animals and often necessitates euthanasia when pain management strategies become ineffective. Published studies as well as anecdotal reports suggest that this chronic inflammatory disease is associated with systemic alterations in immune responsiveness, perhaps involving an autoimmune component. We investigated this broad hypothesis by measuring a variety of immune indicators in healthy control horses (CON) and horses with chronic laminitis (LMN). We found that white blood cells from LMN horses produced more IFNγ than di...
Virgin J, Hendrickson D, Wallis T, Rao S.To compare the presence or absence of pain, pain-related behavioral responses, and hormonal responses to noxious stimuli during standing laparoscopic ovariectomy in mares sedated with continuous intravenous (IV) detomidine infusion and caudal epidural detomidine. Methods: A double blind prospective study. Methods: Mares (n=12) Methods: Mares were divided into 2 treatment groups; 6 were sedated using continuous IV detomidine infusion and 6 were sedated with caudal epidural detomidine. All mares received IV xylazine (0.33 mg/kg) and butorphanol tartrate (5 mg) premedication before detomidine adm...
Taylor LE, Kronfeld DS, Ferrante PL, Wilson JA, Tiegs W.Rectal temperature (Tre) is often used to adjust measurements of blood gases, but these adjusted measurements may not approximate temperatures during intense exercise at main sites of gas exchange: muscle and lung. To evaluate differences in blood gases between sites, temperatures (T) were measured with thermocouples in the rectum (re), in mixed venous blood (v), in gluteal muscle (mu), and on the skin (sk) in seven Arabian horses as they underwent an incremental exercise test on a treadmill. Blood samples were drawn from the carotid artery and pulmonary artery (mixed venous) 30 s before each ...
Fitzgerald BP, Davison LA, McManus CJ.In seasonally breeding species photoperiodic information is thought to be conveyed to the reproductive and prolactin axis via changes in circulating concentrations of melatonin. For some species, a constant melatonin stimulus is perceived as a short day, whereas in others no photoperiodic information is provided. In the mare, a preliminary study demonstrated that constant administration of melatonin did not modify prolactin secretion, suggesting that this treatment regimen failed to provide photoperiodic information. To further investigate this proposal and to investigate an alternative explan...
Steel CM, Pannirselvam RR, Anderson GA.The aims of this study were to determine the risk of septic arthritis after intra-articular medication (IAM) and to identify potential risk factors for this complication. Methods: A retrospective and prospective descriptive study of prevalence, and matched case-control study for risk factors. Results: Of 16,624 joints injected in 1103 horses at 6695 horse-visits, septic arthritis occurred as a complication in 13 joints (13 horses). The risk of septic arthritis following IAM was 7.8 cases per 10,000 injections or 1 case per 1279 injections. Veterinarian and type of corticosteroid were identifie...
Plummer G, Bowling CP, Goodheart CR.Four equine herpesviruses (equine abortion virus, equine herpesvirus types 2 and 3, and equine cytomegalovirus) were compared. The equine abortion virus did not cross-neutralize with any of the other viruses, but the other three did show varying degrees of cross-neutralization among themselves. Equine abortion virus grew more quickly in tissue cultures than did the others, and attained higher titers of infectivity in the culture fluid; it also formed plaques in a wider range of tissue culture species, although the other three were not specific for one tissue culture system only, in that they w...
