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.
Comino F, Pollock PJ, Fulton I, Hewitt-Dedman C, Handel I, Gorvy DA.To achieve an excellent functional and cosmetic result, primary closure is preferred over leaving wounds to heal by secondary intention. However, traumatic wounds are often under excessive tension during wound closure and incorrect suture technique can compromise microcirculation, leading to skin necrosis and impaired wound healing. Objective: To describe an inexpensive and effective tension relief technique that helps the successful primary closure of a variety of equine wounds at high risk of dehiscence. Methods: Retrospective case series. Methods: All wounds that were managed with the Tensi...
Espinosa-Mur P, Spriet M, Manso-Diaz G, Arndt S, Perez-Nogues M, Roman JL, Garcia-Mata R, Katzman SA, Galuppo LD.To assess the value of 18F-sodium fluoride (18F-NaF) positron emission tomography (PET) for imaging the tarsus and proximal metatarsus and compare it with CT and lameness evaluation. Methods: 25 horses with lameness localized to the tarsal and proximal metatarsal regions that underwent 18F-NaF PET/CT between 2016 and 2021. Methods: 18F-NaF PET and CT images were retrospectively independently evaluated by 3 observers. Standardized uptake values (SUV) were used to characterize 18F-NaF uptake. Correlation between PET and CT findings with subjective and objective maximum (Max-D) and minimum pelvic...
Spoormakers TJ, Heim C, Vermunt L, Fürst A, Rovel T.To describe clinical and imaging features and surgical treatment of equine mandibular aneurysmal bone cysts (ABCs) with β-tricalcium phosphate (TCP). Methods: 3 horses (cases 1, 2, and 3) and 1 pony (case 4) with histologically confirmed ABC. Methods: All cases had mandibular swelling with intact adjacent skin. Cases 1 to 3 had a body condition score of 3/5 and case 4 had 2/5 and showed quidding during mastication and, at oral examination, large interdental spaces and loose elements adjacent to the swelling. Radiography or CT was performed in all cases. In cases 1, 3, and 4, an expansile sept...
Dybdal N, Horgan M, Costa L, Davis E, Lucero S, Nieves S, Quiroz V, Weberg K, Madigan JE.Challenges and issues related to the use of pentobarbital euthanasia and disposal of animal remains within the US have recently been reviewed. Environmental and public health challenges increasingly necessitate consideration of alternative methods such as gunshots, an American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) "acceptable with conditions" method, for the humane euthanasia of horses. A recent study reported a correctly aimed gunshot provides a humane option for euthanizing horses. However, although aiming guidelines exist, studies examining bullet trajectories in animals euthanized by gunsh...
Levasseur A, Arsenault J, Paré J.West Nile virus (WNV) became notifiable in horses in 2003 in Canada and has been reported every year since. The objective of this study was to describe the spatiotemporal distribution of WNV in horses between 2003 and 2020 in Canada. Methods: The 848 symptomatic and laboratory-confirmed WNV cases in horses reported to the Canadian Food Inspection Agency between 2003 and 2020. Methods: Canada was divided into eastern and western regions for analysis. For each case, location and date of notification were captured. Triennial maps were made to describe the spatiotemporal distribution and expansion...
Górski K, Borowska M, Turek B, Pawlikowski M, Jankowski K, Bereznowski A, Polkowska I, Domino M.Equine Odontoclastic Tooth Resorption and Hypercementosis (EOTRH) syndrome is a dental disease where the radiographic signs may be quantified using radiographic texture features. This study aimed to implement the scaled-pixel-counting protocol to quantify and compare the image structure of teeth and the density standard in order to improve the identification of the radiographic signs of tooth resorption and hypercementosis using the EOTRH syndrome model. Results: A detailed examination of the oral cavity was performed in 80 horses and maxillary incisor teeth were evaluated radiographically, in...
Laseca N, Cánovas Á, Valera M, Id-Lahoucine S, Perdomo-González DI, Fonseca PAS, Demyda-Peyrás S, Molina A.The phenomenon in which the expected Mendelian inheritance is altered is known as transmission ratio distortion (TRD). The TRD analysis relies on the study of the transmission of one of the two alleles from a heterozygous parent to the offspring. These distortions are due to biological mechanisms affecting gametogenesis, embryo development and/or postnatal viability, among others. In this study, TRD phenomenon was characterized in horses using SNP-by-SNP model by TRDscan v.2.0 software. A total of 1,041 Pura Raza Español breed horses were genotyped with 554,634 SNPs. Among them, 277 horses ge...
Massányi M, Halo M, Mlyneková E, Kováčiková E, Tokárová K, Greń A, Massányi P, Halo M.The performance of sport horses is conditioned not only by the quality of its gene pool, but also by a large number of external factors. The most dominant being nutrition, quality of breeding, level of zootechnical care and the quality of the sports rider and coach. Important factor is the process of individuals' adaptation to the training load occurring during the training itself. This study was focused on the analysis of salivary cortisol levels as well as hematological and biochemical blood parameters in relation to load to which the tested horses were subjected. In the study 14 horses of s...
Calixto-Vega LC, Martínez-Aranzales JR.The existing literature does not contain information about the prevalence of gastric ulcers in mules, and on the potential associations between the presence of ulcers and work load, work type, diet, sex, age and body condition score (BCS). Objective: To estimate the prevalence and factors associated with mule gastric ulcer syndrome (MGUS) and evaluate its distribution in both mule squamous gastric disease (MSGD) and mule glandular gastric disease (MGGD) mucosa in a population of mules in Colombia. Methods: Observational, cross-sectional. Methods: A total of 97 clinically healthy mules of diffe...
Bennet ED, Parkin TDH.Racehorse training and racing schedules in many parts of the United States and Canada were interrupted or otherwise reduced during the first three to six months of 2020. This was an indirect consequence of mitigations to prevent the spread of the pandemic virus COVID-19. Data from the Equine Injury Database, a census-level survey of all race starts made in the USA and Canada, were used to analyse the incidence of fatalities in 2009-2022 among three age cohorts of racehorses within each year. There was a statistically significant increase in the incidence of musculoskeletal fatalities among 2-y...
Tanner JC, Barrell GK.Despite being a large commercial breeding industry, there is little published data on the reproductive success of Standardbred mares. Objective: To quantify the reproductive performance of Standardbred mares under artificial breeding systems in a commercial setting and determine the incidence of early embryonic and other pre-partum losses. Methods: Retrospective cohort study. Methods: Data from four commercial farms were collected across four breeding years, and all mares were bred via artificial insemination. A total of 3995 mares contributed 7229 mare years. First-cycle pregnancy rate (FCPR)...
Semik-Gurgul E, Gurgul A, Szmatoła T.Recent publications confirmed that long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) perform an essential function in gene-specific transcription regulation. Nevertheless, despite its important role, lncRNA has not yet been described in equine sarcoids, the skin neoplasia of horses. Therefore, the aim of this study is to deepen the knowledge about lncRNA expression in the pathogenesis of equine sarcoids and provide new insight into the regulatory function of lncRNA in the bovine papillomavirus-dependent neoplasia of horse dermal tissues. RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) data from 12 equine sarcoid samples and the corres...
Enriquez CK, Morrow JK, Graves A, Johnson A.Equine protozoal myeloencephalitis (EPM) caused by Sarcocystis neurona remains an antemortem diagnostic challenge in some horses. Recent work suggested the use of real-time PCR (rtPCR) on cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) as a promising diagnostic tool. Objective: To evaluate the sensitivity and specificity of S. neurona rtPCR on CSF for EPM diagnosis using horses with EPM and S. neurona-seropositive horses with other neurologic conditions. Methods: Ninety-nine horses with neurologic disease that underwent complete neurologic examination, CSF collection, and, if euthanized, necropsy including the cent...
Loubière C, Moreau P, Marine R, Hélie P, Jean D.The objectives of this study were to quantify lymphocytes and eosinophils in the mucosa of the duodenum and rectum in asthmatic horses. Asthmatic horses were evaluated in a symptomatic (after 6 weeks of exposure to moldy hay) and asymptomatic status (3 and 7 months after being fed alfalfa pellets [n = 4] or treated with inhaled fluticasone [6]). Duodenal and rectal biopsies were endoscopically (n = 4 to 6) taken in each horse. Eosinophils were counted on slides stained with hematoxylin, eosin, phloxine, and saffron, and immunohistochemistry was used to evaluate T and B lymphocytes using CD3 an...
Cantatore F, Pagliara E, Marcatili M, Bertuglia A.Obtaining a healthy wound environment that is conductive to healing in horses can be challenging. Negative-pressure wound therapy (NPWT) has been employed in humans to enhance wound healing for decades. The existing evidence for the effectiveness of NPWT remains uncertain in equine medicine. The aim of this review is to investigate NPWT applications and benefits in horses. A scoping review was performed according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA) guidelines for scoping reviews on three databases (PubMed, Web of Science-Thompson Reuters, and Wiley...
Laus F, Gialletti R, Bazzano M, Laghi L, Dini F, Marchegiani A.Osteoarthritis (OA) is a common cause of lameness in sport horses with a significant economic impact. The prevention of OA is crucial since no effective treatment is available. This study aimed to apply untargeted metabolomic analysis to investigate the differences in synovial fluid (SF) composition between healthy and OA-affected joints in horses. SF collected from healthy (n.8) and OA (n.11) horses was analyzed using H-NMR analysis. Metabolomic analysis allowed 55 different metabolites to be identified and quantified in SF samples. Nineteen metabolites were found to be differently concentrat...
Rogers LJ.The specialized functions of each hemisphere of the vertebrate brain are summarized together with the current evidence of lateralized behavior in farm and companion animals, as shown by the eye or ear used to attend and respond to stimuli. Forelimb preference is another manifestation of hemispheric lateralization, as shown by differences in behavior between left- and right-handed primates, left- and right-pawed dogs and cats, and left- and right-limb-preferring horses. Left-limb preference reflects right hemisphere use and is associated with negative cognitive bias. Positive cognitive bias is ...
Cox A, Stewart AJ.Insect Bite Hypersensitivity (IBH, Queensland itch, sweet itch, equine summer eczema) is the most common pruritic disease of horses. It is most often caused by sensitivity to the saliva of spp. of biting midges; however, it can also be caused by hypersensitivity to other insect species. The prevalence of IBH in horses is reported to be as high as 60% in some parts of the world. Due to the severe pruritus and effects of secondary self-trauma, IBH has animal welfare concerns, and there is currently no cure. Management of this condition is life-long, time consuming and costly. New grading system...
Patton ME, Andrews FM, Bogers SH, Wong D, McKenzie HC, Werre SR, Byron CR.Ileus is a common life-threatening problem in horses, and currently available treatments may be ineffective. The purpose of this study was to determine whether bit chewing, a form of sham feeding, decreases the gastric emptying time (GET), small intestinal transit time (SITT), and total orocecal transit time (OCTT) in clinically normal horses in a prospective crossover study. Nine healthy horses were acclimated and fed a standardized diet. Following 24 h of fasting, self-contained video endoscopy capsules and acetaminophen were administered into the stomach via a nasogastric tube. Each horse u...
Bertin FR, Frank N, Breuhaus BA, Schott HC, Kritchevsky JE.Equine thyroid disorders pose a diagnostic challenge in clinical practice because of the effects of nonthyroidal factors on the hypothalamic-pituitary-thyroid axis, and the horse's ability to tolerate wide fluctuations in thyroid hormone concentrations and survive without a thyroid gland. While benign thyroid tumours are common in older horses, other disorders like primary hypothyroidism or hyperthyroidism in adult horses and congenital hypothyroidism in foals are rare. There is a common misunderstanding regarding hypothyroidism in adult horses, especially when associated with the clinical pro...
Antonioli ML, Canola PA, de Carvalho JRG, Fonseca MG, Ferraz GC.It is important to understand the effects of hoof trimming on hoof and limb conformation to maximize its benefits on the health of the appendicular skeleton of horses, thus promoting improvements in athletic performance and sporting longevity with regard to athletic horses. There is little information on possible changes in the angulation of the thoracic limb joints after hoof trimming and correlations between the angulation of the thoracic limb joints with hoof measurements. To that purpose, nineteen Mangalarga mares received routine hoof trimming. Visual recordings (photographs) were taken b...
Bohlman T, Waddell H, Schumaker B.The occurrence of zoonotic infections following an animal exposure continues to be an important consideration for all patients, especially those within agricultural communities. Streptococcus equi subspecies equi (S. equi subsp. equi) is a bacteria known to cause a common infection called 'Strangles' in horses. This article highlights a new case of pneumonia and bacteremia in a patient caused by S. equi subsp. equi following strangles exposure in a horse. Rarely has there been reported horse to human transmission of subsp. equi. Methods: A 70-year-old woman attended a rural emergency departmen...
Hoblick S, Denagamage TN, Morton AJ, McCarrel TM.Post-anaesthetic fever is a known complication of general anaesthesia, however, its incidence in horses undergoing elective magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is unknown. Objective: To determine the incidence of post-anaesthetic fever in horses undergoing elective orthopaedic MRI and determine whether prophylactic antimicrobial therapy would be associated with a reduction in the incidence of post-anaesthetic fever. We hypothesised that prophylactic antimicrobials would be associated with a reduction in the incidence of post-anaesthetic fever. Methods: Retrospective cross-sectional study. Methods...
Pozharskiy A, Abdrakhmanova A, Beishova I, Shamshidin A, Nametov A, Ulyanova T, Bekova G, Kikebayev N, Kovalchuk A, Ulyanov V, Turabayev A....Horses are traditionally used in Kazakhstan as a source of food and as working and saddle animals as well. Here, for the first time, microarray-based medium-density single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) genotyping of six traditionally defined types and breeds of indigenous Kazakh horses was conducted to reveal their genetic structure and find markers associated with animal size and weight. The results showed that the predefined separation between breeds and sampled populations was not supported by the molecular data. The lack of genetic variation between breeds and populations was revealed by t...
Frippiat T, Art T, Tosi I.Airway hyperresponsiveness (AHR) and inflammation are both observed in human and equine asthma. The aim of this study was to assess the timeline and relationship of both features at the subclinical onset of severe equine asthma (SEA). First, the repeatability of the pulmonary function test (PFT) using impulse oscillometry system, and the methacholine bronchoprovocation test (BPT) were assessed at a 1-day interval on six SEA horses in clinical remission and six control horses. Then, clinical and ancillary tests were performed before and after a 1-week low-dust environmental challenge, including...
Latham E, Scherrer NM, Stefanovski D.To compare the measurement of intraocular pressure in horses with clinical ocular disease using three tonometry devices. Conclusions: All three tonometers showed strong agreement, however, the TonoVet and the TonoVet Plus carried the strongest agreement with the TonoVet Plus having slightly higher measurements overall compared with the TonoVet. Due to small variations between devices, it is recommended that the same device be used for serial measurements of intraocular pressure. However, all three devices are appropriate to use in horses presented for ophthalmic evaluation.
Bampidis V, Azimonti G, Bastos ML, Christensen H, Durjava M, Kouba M, López-Alonso M, López Puente S, Marcon F, Mayo B, Pechová A, Petkova M....Following a request from the European Commission, EFSA was asked to deliver a scientific opinion on the safety and efficacy of star anise oil from the fruit (without or with the presence of plant leaves) of Illicium verum Hook.f., when used as a sensory additive in feed and water for drinking for all animal species. For long-living and reproductive animals, the Panel on Additives and Products or Substances used in Animal Feed (FEEDAP) considered of low concern the use of the additive in complete feed at 0.6 mg/kg for laying hens and rabbits, 1.0 mg/kg for sows and dairy cows, 1.6 mg/kg f...
Hepworth-Warren KL, Estell K, Cowles B, Amodie D, Crisman M.Serum amyloid A (SAA) is a major acute phase protein in horses which could be a useful tool for assessing clinical response to treatment of bacterial pneumonia in adult horses.
McIlwraith CW, Frisbie DD, Kawcak CE, Fuller CJ, Hurtig M, Cruz A.Equine models of osteoarthritis (OA) have been used to investigate pathogenic pathways of OA and evaluate therapeutic candidates for naturally occurring equine OA which is a significant clinical disease in the horse. This review focuses on the macroscopic and microscopic criteria for assessing naturally occurring OA in the equine metacarpophalangeal joint as well as the osteochondral fragment-exercise model of OA in the equine middle carpal joint. Methods: A review was conducted of all published OA studies using horses and the most common macroscopic and microscopic scoring systems were summar...
Montelaro RC, Parekh B, Orrego A, Issel CJ.The recurrent nature of equine infectious anemia has been attributed to relatively rapid antigenic variations in equine infectious anemia virus (EIAV) during persistent infection under selective immune pressures. This model was tested by serological and biochemical analysis of virus isolates recovered from separate febrile episodes in two experimentally infected ponies. Neutralization assays employing immune sera from the experimentally infected ponies demonstrated that distinct antigenic strains of virus predominate during sequential febrile episodes in a single pony. Analysis of the test str...
Marklund L, Moller MJ, Sandberg K, Andersson L.The melanocyte-stimulating hormone receptor gene (MC1R) is the major candidate gene for the chestnut coat color in horses since it is assumed to be controlled by an allele at the extension locus. MC1R sequences were PCR amplified from chestnut (e/e) and non-chestnut (E/-) horses. A single-strand conformation polymorphism was found that showed a complete association to the chestnut coat color among 144 horses representing 12 breeds. Sequence analysis revealed a single missense mutation (83Ser-->Phe) in the MC1R allele associated with the chestnut color. The substitution occurs in the second ...
Daly K, Proudman CJ, Duncan SH, Flint HJ, Dyer J, Shirazi-Beechey SP.We aimed to determine the effects of variations in dietary composition on equine gut microbiota and their fermentation products, and proposed that dietary modifications profoundly affect microbial ecosystems and their metabolites. Bacterial communities within the large intestine of three groups of horses were compared using oligonucleotide-RNA hybridisation methodology. Each group consisting of six horses was maintained on (1) a grass-only diet, (2) a concentrate diet (i.e. supplemented with hydrolysable carbohydrates) and (3) a concentrate diet but horses were affected by simple colonic obstr...
Keegan KG, Kramer J, Yonezawa Y, Maki H, Pai PF, Dent EV, Kellerman TE, Wilson DA, Reed SK.To determine repeatability of a wireless, inertial sensor-based lameness evaluation system in horses. Methods: 236 horses. Methods: Horses were from 2 to 29 years of age and of various breeds and lameness disposition. All horses were instrumented with a wireless, inertial sensor-based motion analysis system on the head (accelerometer), pelvis (midline croup region [accelerometer]), and right forelimb (gyroscope) before evaluation in 2 consecutive trials, approximately 5 minutes apart, as the horse was trotted in a straight line. Signal-processing algorithms generated overall trial asymmetry me...
Nixon AJ, Dahlgren LA, Haupt JL, Yeager AE, Ward DL.To assess the potential of adipose-derived nucleated cell (ADNC) fractions to improve tendon repair in horses with collagenase-induced tendinitis. Methods: 8 horses. Methods: Collagenase was used to induce tendinitis in the superficial digital flexor tendon of 1 forelimb in each horse. Four horses were treated by injection of autogenous ADNC fractions, and 4 control horses were injected with PBS solution. Healing was compared by weekly ultrasonographic evaluation. Horses were euthanatized at 6 weeks. Gross and histologic evaluation of tendon structure, fiber alignment, and collagen typing were...
Leclere M, Lavoie-Lamoureux A, Lavoie JP.Animal models have been developed to investigate specific components of asthmatic airway inflammation, hyper-responsiveness or remodelling. However, all of these aspects are rarely observed in the same animal. Heaves is a naturally occurring disease of horses that combines these features. It is characterized by stable dust-induced inflammation, bronchospasm and remodelling. The evaluation of horses during well-controlled natural antigen exposure and avoidance in experimental settings allows the study of disease mechanisms in the asymptomatic and symptomatic stages, an approach rarely feasible ...
Hauswirth R, Haase B, Blatter M, Brooks SA, Burger D, Drögemüller C, Gerber V, Henke D, Janda J, Jude R, Magdesian KG, Matthews JM, Poncet PA....During fetal development neural-crest-derived melanoblasts migrate across the entire body surface and differentiate into melanocytes, the pigment-producing cells. Alterations in this precisely regulated process can lead to white spotting patterns. White spotting patterns in horses are a complex trait with a large phenotypic variance ranging from minimal white markings up to completely white horses. The "splashed white" pattern is primarily characterized by an extremely large blaze, often accompanied by extended white markings at the distal limbs and blue eyes. Some, but not all, splashed white...
Keegan KG, Dent EV, Wilson DA, Janicek J, Kramer J, Lacarrubba A, Walsh DM, Cassells MW, Esther TM, Schiltz P, Frees KE, Wilhite CL, Clark JM....Previous studies have suggested that agreement between equine veterinarians subjectively evaluating lameness in horses is low. These studies were limited to small numbers of horses, evaluating movement on the treadmill or to evaluating previously-recorded videotape. Objective: To estimate agreement between equine practitioners performing lameness evaluations in horses in the live, over ground setting. Methods: 131 mature horses were evaluated for lameness by 2-5 clinicians (mean 3.2) with a weighted-average of 18.7 years of experience. Clinicians graded each limb using the AAEP lameness scale ...
Steelman SM, Chowdhary BP, Dowd S, Suchodolski J, Janečka JE.The nutrition and health of horses is closely tied to their gastrointestinal microflora. Gut bacteria break down plant structural carbohydrates and produce volatile fatty acids, which are a major source of energy for horses. Bacterial communities are also essential for maintaining gut homeostasis and have been hypothesized to contribute to various diseases including laminitis. We performed pyrosequencing of 16S rRNA bacterial genes isolated from fecal material to characterize hindgut bacterial communities in healthy horses and those with chronic laminitis. Results: Fecal samples were collected...
Barlough JE, Madigan JE, DeRock E, Bigornia L.A nested polymerase chain reaction for detecting Ehrlichia equi in horses and ticks (Ixodes pacificus) was developed. A major second-round PCR product of 928 bp could be readily visualized in ethidium bromide-stained agarose minigels. An internal probe was used to verify the identity of the amplified product by non-radioactive (digoxigenin-based) Southern blotting; additional confirmation was provided by DNA sequence analysis. A dilution study testing the sensitivity of the PCR indicated that DNA derived from 3 infected neutrophils was sufficient to generate a PCR signal. The specificity of t...
Ytrehus B, Carlson CS, Ekman S.Osteochondrosis is a common and clinically important joint disorder that occurs in human beings and in multiple animal species, most commonly pigs, horses, and dogs. This disorder is defined as a focal disturbance of enchondral ossification and is regarded as having a multifactorial etiology, with no single factor accounting for all aspects of the disease. The most commonly cited etiologic factors are heredity, rapid growth, anatomic conformation, trauma, and dietary imbalances; however, only heredity and anatomic conformation are well supported by the scientific literature. The way in which t...
Carter RA, Geor RJ, Burton Staniar W, Cubitt TA, Harris PA.This study described a scoring system for the assessment of apparent neck adiposity and evaluated morphometric measurements for assessment of neck and overall adiposity. Twenty-one barren Thoroughbred mares, 13 Arabian geldings and 75 Welsh, Dartmoor, or crossbred pony mares, were clinically examined and blood samples analysed for insulin, glucose, leptin, and triglycerides. Bodyweight (BW), height, length, girth and abdominal circumferences, neck length, neck crest height and neck circumference were measured, and body condition scores (BCS) and cresty neck scores (CNS) were rated. Girth:heigh...
Xu X, Arnason U.The sequence of the mitochondrial (mt) DNA of the horse (Equus caballus) was determined. The length of the sequence presented is 16,660 bp. This figure, however, is not absolute due to pronounced heteroplasmy caused by variable numbers of the motif GTGCACCT in the control region of different molecules. Boundaries of the 13 peptide-coding genes were determined by the presence of start and stop codons, and by analogy with other eutherian mtDNAs. Three genes (COIII, NADH3 and NADH4) were not terminated by a stop codon. Comparison among the peptide-coding genes of the horse and eight other mammals...
Payne RC, Hutchinson JR, Robilliard JJ, Smith NC, Wilson AM.We provide quantitative anatomical data on the muscle-tendon units of the equine pelvic limb. Specifically, we recorded muscle mass, fascicle length, pennation angle, tendon mass and tendon rest length. Physiological cross sectional area was then determined and maximum isometric force estimated. There was proximal-to-distal reduction in muscle volume and fascicle length. Proximal limb tendons were few and, where present, were relatively short. By contrast, distal limb tendons were numerous and long in comparison to mean muscle fascicle length, increasing potential for elastic energy storage. W...
Bellone RR, Brooks SA, Sandmeyer L, Murphy BA, Forsyth G, Archer S, Bailey E, Grahn B.The appaloosa coat spotting pattern in horses is caused by a single incomplete dominant gene (LP). Homozygosity for LP (LP/LP) is directly associated with congenital stationary night blindness (CSNB) in Appaloosa horses. LP maps to a 6-cM region on ECA1. We investigated the relative expression of two functional candidate genes located in this LP candidate region (TRPM1 and OCA2), as well as three other linked loci (TJP1, MTMR10, and OTUD7A) by quantitative real-time RT-PCR. No large differences were found for expression levels of TJP1, MTMR10, OTUD7A, and OCA2. However, TRPM1 (Transient Recept...
Nugent J, Birch-Machin I, Smith KC, Mumford JA, Swann Z, Newton JR, Bowden RJ, Allen GP, Davis-Poynter N.Equid herpesvirus 1 (EHV-1) can cause a wide spectrum of diseases ranging from inapparent respiratory infection to the induction of abortion and, in extreme cases, neurological disease resulting in paralysis and ultimately death. It has been suggested that distinct strains of EHV-1 that differ in pathogenic capacity circulate in the field. In order to investigate this hypothesis, it was necessary to identify genetic markers that allow subgroups of related strains to be identified. We have determined all of the genetic differences between a neuropathogenic strain (Ab4) and a nonneuropathogenic ...
Nasir L, Campo MS.Bovine papillomavirus (BPV) is perhaps the most extensively studied animal papillomavirus. In cattle BPVs induce benign tumours of cutaneous or mucosal epithelia, called papillomas or warts. Cattle papillomas are benign tumours and generally regress without eliciting any serious clinical problems in the host, but occasionally persist and provide the focus for malignant transformation to squamous cell carcinoma, as in the case of cancer of the urinary bladder and cancer of the upper alimentary canal. BPV is the only papillomavirus that jumps species: the virus also infects equids, and gives ris...
Thorpe CT, Clegg PD, Birch HL.Tendon injury is one of the most common causes of wastage in the performance horse; the majority of tendon injuries occur to the superficial digital flexor tendon (SDFT) whereas few occur to the common digital extensor tendon. This review outlines the epidemiology and aetiology of equine tendon injury, reviews the different functions of the tendons in the equine forelimb and suggests possible reasons for the high rate of failure of the SDFT. An understanding of the mechanisms leading to matrix degeneration and subsequent tendon gross failure is the key to developing appropriate treatment and p...
Thorpe CT, Streeter I, Pinchbeck GL, Goodship AE, Clegg PD, Birch HL.Little is known about the rate at which protein turnover occurs in living tendon and whether the rate differs between tendons with different physiological roles. In this study, we have quantified the racemization of aspartic acid to calculate the age of the collagenous and non-collagenous components of the high strain injury-prone superficial digital flexor tendon (SDFT) and low strain rarely injured common digital extensor tendon (CDET) in a group of horses with a wide age range. In addition, the turnover of collagen was assessed indirectly by measuring the levels of collagen degradation mark...
Morales MA, Barrandeguy M, Fabbri C, Garcia JB, Vissani A, Trono K, Gutierrez G, Pigretti S, Menchaca H, Garrido N, Taylor N, Fernandez F, Levis S....West Nile virus (WNV) was isolated from the brains of 3 horses that died from encephalitis in February 2006. The horses were from different farms in central Argentina and had not traveled outside the country. This is the first isolation of WNV in South America.
Asplin KE, Sillence MN, Pollitt CC, McGowan CM.The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of prolonged administration of insulin, whilst maintaining normal glucose concentrations, on hoof lamellar integrity in vivo on healthy ponies with no known history of laminitis or insulin resistance. Nine clinically healthy, unrelated ponies were randomly allocated to either a treatment group (n =5; 5.9+/-1.7 years) or control group (n =4; 7.0+/-2.8 years). The treatment group received insulin via a euglycaemic hyperinsulinaemic clamp technique modified and prolonged for up to 72 h. Control ponies were infused with an equivalent volume of...
Violini S, Ramelli P, Pisani LF, Gorni C, Mariani P.Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) have been recently investigated for their potential use in regenerative medicine. MSCs, in particular, have great potential, as in various reports they have shown pluripotency for differentiating into many different cell types. However, the ability of MSCs to differentiate into tendon cells in vitro has not been fully investigated. Results: In this study, we show that equine bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BM-MSCs), defined by their expression of markers such as Oct4, Sox-2 and Nanog, have the capability to differentiate in tenocytes. These differentiated cell...
Love S, Murphy D, Mellor D.Cyathostomes are now the principle parasitic pathogen of the horse: a remarkable transformation during the last 25 years from virtual obscurity to focus of attention in equine parasitology. This rise to prominence coincides with the marked decrease in prevalence of large strongyle infections as a result of widespread use of modern anthelmintic compounds. On the basis that strongyle-associated diseases continue to commonly occur in the absence of these large strongyle species, clinical attention has turned to the pathogenicity of cyathostomes. Although many horses harbour burdens of tens of tho...
Schmiedel J, Falgenhauer L, Domann E, Bauerfeind R, Prenger-Berninghoff E, Imirzalioglu C, Chakraborty T.Multiresistant Gram-negative bacteria producing extended-spectrum β-lactamases (ESBLs) are an emerging problem in human and veterinary medicine. This study focused on comparative molecular characterization of β-lactamase and ESBL-producing Enterobacteriaceae isolates from central Hesse in Germany. Isolates originated from humans, companion animals (dogs and cats) and horses. Results: In this study 153 (83.6%) of the human isolates (n = 183) and 163 (91.6%) of the animal isolates (n = 178) were confirmed as ESBL producers by PCR and subsequent sequencing of the PCR amplicons. Predomin...
Pelkonen S, Lindahl SB, Suomala P, Karhukorpi J, Vuorinen S, Koivula I, Väisänen T, Pentikäinen J, Autio T, Tuuminen T.Streptococcus equi subspecies zooepidemicus (S. zooepidemicus) is a zoonotic pathogen for persons in contact with horses. In horses, S. zooepidemicus is an opportunistic pathogen, but human infections associated with S. zooepidemicus are often severe. Within 6 months in 2011, 3 unrelated cases of severe, disseminated S. zooepidemicus infection occurred in men working with horses in eastern Finland. To clarify the pathogen's epidemiology, we describe the clinical features of the infection in 3 patients and compare the S. zooepidemicus isolates from the human cases with S. zooepidemicus isolates...
Baptiste KE, Williams K, Willams NJ, Wattret A, Clegg PD, Dawson S, Corkill JE, O'Neill T, Hart CA.We determined the molecular characteristics of methicillin-resistant staphylococci from animals and staff at a small animal and equine hospital. Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) identical to human EMRSA-15 was found in dogs and hospital staff. In contrast, 5 distinct MRSA strains were isolated from horses but not from hospital staff.
Onyiche TE, Suganuma K, Igarashi I, Yokoyama N, Xuan X, Thekisoe O.Equine Piroplasmosis (EP) is a tick-borne disease caused by apicomplexan protozoan parasites, and . The disease is responsible for serious economic losses to the equine industry. It principally affects donkeys, horses, mules, and zebra but DNA of the parasites has also been detected in dogs and camels raising doubt about their host specificity. The disease is endemic in tropical and temperate regions of the world where the competent tick vectors are prevalent. Infected equids remain carrier for life with infection, whilst, infection with is cleared within a few years. This review focuses on...
Goodrich LR, Nixon AJ.The medical treatment of osteoarthritis (OA) in the horse is one of the most utilized therapeutic regimens in the equine practice. It is important to understand the anatomy of synovial joints and the pathophysiology of the disease process to treat OA adequately. Once a thorough understanding of the disease process is comprehended the proper combination of systemic nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), intraarticular steroids, viscosupplementation and chondroprotectants can be used to treat the disease and inhibit further progression of degenerative changes to the cartilage surface. Th...
Wise LN, Kappmeyer LS, Mealey RH, Knowles DP.Equine piroplasmosis is caused by one of 2 erythrocytic parasites Babesia caballi or Theileria equi. Although the genus of the latter remains controversial, the most recent designation, Theileria, is utilized in this review. Shared pathogenesis includes tick-borne transmission and erythrolysis leading to anemia as the primary clinical outcome. Although both parasites are able to persist indefinitely in their equid hosts, thus far, only B. caballi transmits across tick generations. Pathogenesis further diverges after transmission to equids in that B. caballi immediately infects erythrocytes, wh...
