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.
Uhl PB, Szober CM, Amann B, Alge-Priglinger C, Ueffing M, Hauck SM, Deeg CA.Retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) builds the outer blood-retinal barrier of the eye and plays an important role in pathogenesis of the sight threatening disease equine recurrent uveitis (ERU). ERU is a spontaneous autoimmune mediated inflammatory disease characterised by the breakdown of the outer blood-retinal barrier and an influx of autoaggressive T-cells into the inner eye. Therefore, identification of molecular mechanisms contributing to changed function of blood-retinal barrier in ERU is important for the understanding of pathophysiology. Cell surface proteins of RPE collected from health...
Wilford S, Woodward E, Dunkel B.A retrospective questionnaire-based survey was used to determine the perceived efficacy of Newmarket bloodroot ointment in treating equine sarcoids. In 49 horses with 74 sarcoids, 64 sarcoids responded either completely (n = 49) or partially (n = 15) while 10 did not respond or worsened. Sarcoids < 2 cm responded better to treatment (P < 0.001) than did larger sarcoids. Un sondage rétrospectif réalisé par questionnaire a été utilisé pour déterminer l’efficacité perçue de l’onguent à la sanguinaire de Newmarket pour traiter les sarcoïdes équines. Chez 49 chevaux atteints ...
Kowalczyk L, Steblaj B, Schauvliege S, Schramel JP, Pavlidou K, Savvas I, Duchateau L, Gasthuys F, Moens Y.To compare breathing patterns and transdiaphragmatic pressure during total intravenous (TIVA) and isoflurane anaesthesia in ponies. Methods: Experimental, cross-over study. Methods: Six healthy ponies weighing 286 (233-388) ± 61 kg, age 13 (9-16) ± 3 years. Methods: Following premedication with romifidine [80 μg kg(-1) intravenously (IV)], general anaesthesia was induced with midazolam (0.06 mg kg(-1) IV) and ketamine (2.5 mg kg(-1) IV) and maintained with either isoflurane (Fe'Iso = 1.1%) (T-ISO) or an IV combination of romifidine (120 μg kg(-1) per hour), midazolam (0.09 mg kg(-1) hour(-...
Bogers SH, Rogers CW, Bolwell CF, Roe WD, Gee EK, McIlwraith CW.The aim of the study was to use spatial and multiple correspondence analysis (MCA) to describe and compare the regional proportion and spatial pattern of volumetric bone mineral density (BMDv) values within loaded regions of the plantar metatarsal epiphysis of young horses in race training. A single 2 mm transverse peripheral quantitative computed tomography 'slice', 10 mm proximal from the distal limit of the sagittal ridge of the distal metatarsal epiphysis was obtained from 14 2-year-old Thoroughbred fillies (7 exercised and 7 controls). Six regions of interest were generated and examin...
Galera PD, Ribeiro CR, Sapp HL, Coleman J, Fontes W, Brooks DE.Human amniotic membrane (AM) has been used as a biomaterial for surgical wound skin and ocular surface reconstruction for several years. Currently, equine AM has been used for corneal reconstruction in several animal species, and appears to have the same properties as human AM. Despite the observed positive healing abilities of this tissue in horses with ulcerative keratitis the proteins of equine AM have not been described. Objective: To identify proteins known to be associated with corneal healing from frozen equine AM. Methods: Placentas were acquired from healthy live foal births from a lo...
Michlik KM, Biazik AK, Henklewski RZ, Szmigielska MA, Nicpoń JM, Pasławska U.Quadricuspid aortic valve (QAV) and ventricular septal defect (VSD) are congenital heart defects and have been described in both human and veterinary medical literature. Methods: A 5-year-old half-bred bay stallion was referred for surgical castration. Cardiac murmurs were heard on the presurgical clinical examination and the cardiac examination revealed subcutaneous oedema, tachycardia with a precodrial thrill and a grade 5/6 pansystolic murmur, which was heard on auscultation of the right and left side of the chest. Examination of the B-mode echocardiograms revealed the presence of a QAV (on...
Balasuriya UB, Lee PY, Tiwari A, Skillman A, Nam B, Chambers TM, Tsai YL, Ma LJ, Yang PC, Chang HF, Wang HT.Equine influenza (EI) is an acute, highly contagious viral respiratory disease of equids. Currently, equine influenza virus (EIV) subtype H3N8 continues to be the most important respiratory pathogen of horses in many countries around the world. The need to achieve a rapid diagnosis and to implement effective quarantine and movement restrictions is critical in controlling the spread of EIV. In this study, a novel, inexpensive and user-friendly assay based on an insulated isothermal RT-PCR (iiRT-PCR) method on the POCKIT™, a field-deployable device, was described and validated for point-of-nee...
Gussmann K, Czech C, Hermann M, Schaarschmidt-Kiener D, von Loewenich FD.A 22-year old mare from Switzerland was admitted to an equine clinic in May 2011. She presented with fever, lethargy, icteric mucous membranes, reduced alertness, an unsteady gait and ataxia. An Anaplasma phagocytophilum infection was confirmed by blood smear and PCR. The mare was treated with oxytetracylin and recovered rapidly, but she still suffered from a slight atactic gait disturbance at 3 weeks post infection. Eine 22 Jahre alte Stute aus der Schweiz wurde im Mai 2011 in eine Pferdeklinik aufgenommen. Die klinischen Symptome bestanden in Fieber, Abgeschlagenheit, ikterischen Schleimhäu...
Pieńkowska-Schelling A, Becker D, Bracher V, Pineroli B, Schelling C.Numerical and structural aberrations of chromosomes may cause malformations, embryonal losses and reduced or missing fertility. In male horses the fertility is rather well controlled through their semen evaluation. For mares there are no mandatory regulations which specify their use in a breeding programme. Therefore, mares with chromosomal aberrations, which exclude reproduction success may be chosen for breeding. The present case describes a horse, offically registered as a female, which was presented for a breeding exam. On this occasion, small and inactive ovaries were diagnosed. Although ...
Vairo S, Saey V, Bombardi C, Ducatelle R, Nauwynck H.In the last two decades, outbreaks of equine viral arteritis (EVA) have been reported in Europe, but little is known about these European isolates of equine arteritis virus (EAV). EAV European strain (08P178, EU-1 clade) isolated from one of these recent outbreaks is able to cause clinical signs on experimental infection. The aim of the present study was to investigate the microscopical lesions induced by this isolate after experimental infection of ponies. Animals were killed at 3, 7, 14 and 28 days post infection (dpi). At 3 dpi, lesions were essentially restricted to the respiratory tract a...
Ewers C, Stamm I, Pfeifer Y, Wieler LH, Kopp PA, Schønning K, Prenger-Berninghoff E, Scheufen S, Stolle I, Günther S, Bethe A.To investigate the clinical relevance and molecular epidemiology of extended-spectrum β-lactamase (ESBL)-producing Klebsiella species in animals. Methods: Antimicrobial susceptibilities and presence of ESBLs were examined among Klebsiella spp. (n = 1519) from clinical samples (>1200 senders from Germany and other European countries) mainly from companion animals and horses from October 2008 to March 2010. Multilocus sequence typing (MLST) and PFGE were performed including human isolates for comparative purposes. Results: The overall ESBL rate was 8% for Klebsiella pneumoniae subsp. pne...
Ostevik L, de Souza GA, Wien TN, Gunnes G, Sørby R.Two horses with chronic uveitis and histological lesions consistent with equine recurrent uveitis (ERU) were examined. Microscopical findings in the ciliary body included deposits of amyloid lining the non-pigmented epithelium, intracytoplasmic, rod-shaped, eosinophilic inclusions and intraepithelial infiltration of T lymphocytes. Ultrastructural examination of the ciliary body of one horse confirmed the presence of abundant extracellular deposits of non-branching fibrils (9-11 nm in diameter) consistent with amyloid. Immunohistochemistry revealed strong positive labelling for AA amyloid and m...
Morsy AT, Saleh MS, Morsy TA.A zoonosis is an animal disease that is transmissible to humans. Humans are usually an accidental host that acquires disease through close contact with an infected animal, who may or may not be symptomatic. Children are at highest risk for infection because they are more likely to have close contact with pets. Pets are responsible for transmission of an extensive array of bacterial, fungal, and parasitic zoonotic pathogens. The route of transmission can be through the saliva (e.g., bites or contaminated scratches), feces, respiratory secretions, direct contact, or by the animal acting as a veh...
Cauchard J, Soldan A, Madeline A, Johnson P, Büscher P, Petry S.To evaluate the reproducibility of routine serological methods to detect Trypanosoma equiperdum antibodies in equine sera, two inter-laboratory ring trials were organized involving 22 European and 4 non-European reference laboratories for dourine. The serological methods were the complement fixation test (CFT; 25 laboratories) and the indirect fluorescent antibody test (IFAT; 4 laboratories). Three of the laboratories applied both these methods. The sample panels were composed of sera that were negative, positive or suspected for dourine. Of the negative sera, one was from a donkey naturally i...
Qingling M, Guanglei W, Jun Q, Xinquan Z, Tianli L, Xuemei S, Jinsheng Z, Huisheng W, Kuojun C, Chuangfu C.Hydatid worms, hosted by humans and animals, impose serious human health risk and cause significant livestock production loss. To better understand the disease infection status in Xinjiang, China, we investigated the disease epidemics in 4 livestock animals, i.e., cattle, sheep (both sheep and goat), camels, and horses, slaughtered at the abattoirs in Urumqi, Yining, Tacheng, and Altay areas. The results showed that the animals were infected at different rates, in the order of sheep (9.8%), cattle (8.4%), camels (6.8%), and horses (4.3%). The infection rates were found to be different between ...
Mastro LM, Adams AA, Urschel KL.To compare whole-body phenylalanine kinetics and the abundance of factors in signaling pathways associated with skeletal muscle protein synthesis and protein breakdown between horses with pituitary pars intermedia dysfunction (PPID) and age-matched control horses without PPID. Methods: 12 aged horses (6 horses with PPID and 6 control horses; mean age, 25.0 and 25.7 years, respectively). Methods: Plasma glucose, insulin, and amino acids concentrations were determined before and 90 minutes after feeding. Gluteal muscle biopsy samples were obtained from horses 90 minutes after feeding, and the ab...
Giusto G, Gandini M, Amedeo S.To determine effects of staple size, precompression time, and tissue thickness on staple shape and tissue approximation in side-to-side jejunocecal anastomosis in equine specimens. Methods: Cecum, ileum, and jejunum specimens obtained from 18 healthy horses at an abattoir. Methods: Specimens were allotted into 2 groups. Anastomoses were stapled with 4.8-or 3.8-mm staples. Precompression time was 15 seconds for both groups. Staple lines were cut into proximal, middle, and distal sections. Thickness of intestinal walls was measured with a calibrated tissue micrometer, photographs were obtained, ...
van Bergen T, Doom M, van den Broeck W, Wiemer P, Clegg PD, Cornillie P, Martens A.There are no previous studies correlating the anatomy of the equine epiploic foramen and its defining structures with laparoscopic images. Objective: The purpose of this study was to describe the precise anatomy of the epiploic foramen and omental vestibule, to quantify the dimensions of the epiploic foramen and to relate these findings to laparoscopic images. Methods: Descriptive study of cadaver material and laparoscopic images. Methods: Thirty-two horses subjected to euthanasia for reasons unrelated to colic were studied. Two cadavers were used to make vascular casts of the coeliac artery a...
Timoney JF, Suther P, Velineni S, Artiushin SC.Resistance to phagocytosis is a crucial virulence property of Streptococcus equi (Streptococcus equi subsp. equi; Se), the cause of equine strangles. The contribution and interdependence of capsule and SeM to killing in equine blood and neutrophils were investigated in naturally occurring strains of Se. Strains CF32, SF463 were capsule and SeM positive, strains Lex90, Lex93 were capsule negative and SeM positive and strains Se19, Se1-8 were capsule positive and SeM deficient. Phagocytosis and killing of Se19, Se1-8, Lex90 and Lex93 in equine blood and by neutrophils suspended in serum were sig...
Finno CJ, Bannasch DL.Genome sequencing of the domestic horse and subsequent advancements in the field of equine genomics have led to an explosion in the development of tools for mapping traits and diseases and evaluating gene expression. The objective of this review is to discuss the current progress in the field of equine genomics, with specific emphasis on assembly and analysis of the reference sequence and subsequent sequencing of a Quarter Horse mare; the genomic tools currently available to researchers and their implications in genomic investigations in the horse; the genomics of Mendelian and non-Mendelian t...
Tanabe S, Suzuki T, Wasano Y, Nakajima F, Kawasaki H, Tsuda T, Nagamine N, Tsurumachi T, Sugaya K, Akita H, Takagi M, Takagi K, Inoue Y, Asai Y....We previously isolated the commensal bacteria lactobacilli and bifidobacteria from the Thoroughbred intestine and prepared the horse probiotics LacFi(TM), consisting of Lactobacillus ruminis KK14, L. equi KK 15, L. reuteri KK18, L. johnsonii KK21, and Bifidobacterium boum HU. Here, we found that the five LacFi(TM) constituent strains remarkably suppressed pro-inflammatory interleukin-17 production in mouse splenocytes stimulated with interleukin-6 and transforming growth factor-β. The protective effects of the probiotic on impaired intestinal barrier function were evaluated in Caco-2 cells tr...
Raidal SL, Hughes KJ, Charman AL, Nielsen SG, Phillips JK, Noble GK.To compare the effects of 2 NSAIDs (phenylbutazone and meloxicam) on renal function in horses. Methods: 9 Thoroughbred or Standardbred mares (mean ± SD age, 5.22 ± 1.09 years [range, 2 to 12 years]; mean body weight, 470 ± 25 kg [range, 442 to 510 kg]). Methods: A randomized blinded placebo-controlled crossover study was conducted to examine the effects of treatment with phenylbutazone, meloxicam, or a placebo (control solution) on renal responses to the administration of furosemide, dobutamine, and exercise (15 minutes at 60% of maximum heart rate). Renal function was assessed by use of bi...
Woodward MC, Andrews FM, Kearney MT, Del Piero F, Hammerberg B, Pucheu-Haston CM.To characterize the response of skin of nonallergic horses following ID injection of polyclonal rabbit anti-canine IgE (anti-IgE) and rabbit IgG. Methods: 6 healthy horses. Methods: Skin in the cervical area was injected ID with anti-IgE and IgG. Wheal measurements and skin biopsy specimens were obtained before and 20 minutes and 6, 24, and 48 hours after injection. Tissue sections were evaluated for inflammatory cells at 4 dermal depths. Immunohistochemical analysis for CD3, CD4, and CD8 was performed, and cell counts were evaluated. Results: Anti-IgE wheals were significantly larger than IgG...
Badial PR, Oliveira-Filho JP, Pantoja JC, Moreira JC, Conceição LG, Borges AS.Hereditary equine regional dermal asthenia (HERDA) is an autosomal recessive disorder affecting quarter horses (QHs); affected horses exhibit characteristic skin abnormalities related to abnormal collagen biosynthesis. Objective: To characterize the thickness and morphological abnormalities of the skin of HERDA-affected horses and to determine the interobserver agreement and the diagnostic accuracy of histopathological examination of skin biopsies from horses with HERDA. Methods: Six affected QHs, confirmed by DNA testing, from a research herd and five unaffected QHs from a stud farm. Methods:...
Freeman DE.Maintenance fluid therapy is challenging in horses that cannot drink or are denied feed and water because of concerns about gastrointestinal tract function and patency. Intravenous fluid delivery to meet water needs based on current recommendations for maintenance requirements were obtained in fed horses and therefore might not apply to horses that are not being fed. This is a critical flaw because of the interdependence between intestinal tract water and extracellular water to support digestion while preserving water balance, a concept explained by the enterosystemic cycle. Because horses dri...
Schmitz A, Demmel S, Peters LM, Leeb T, Mevissen M, Haase B.Cytochrome P450 enzymes (CYP450s) represent a superfamily of haem-thiolate proteins. CYP450s are most abundant in the liver, a major site of drug metabolism, and play key roles in the metabolism of a variety of substrates, including drugs and environmental contaminants. Interaction of two or more different drugs with the same enzyme can account for adverse effects and failure of therapy. Human CYP3A4 metabolizes about 50% of all known drugs, but little is known about the orthologous CYP450s in horses. We report here the genomic organization of the equine CYP3A gene cluster as well as a compara...
van Weeren PR, van den Bogert AJ, Back W, Bruin G, Barneveld A.A kinematic study was performed on a group of 8 Standardbred stallions. Recordings were done using a modified CODA-3 optoelectronic kinematic analysis system with the horses running on a treadmill at speeds of 6, 7, 8, or 9 m/s. Linear and temporal gait characteristics, joint angle diagrams and the trajectories of the hoof in a plane perpendicular to the direction of movement were studied. Two consecutive recording sessions were held at an age of 21-23 months, and a third was held 5 months later after an intensive training period. Joint angle diagrams appeared to show a similar pattern for all...
Valdez R, Cavinder CA, Varner DD, Welsh TH, Vogelsang MM, Ing NH.Glucocorticoids impair testosterone synthesis by an unknown mechanism. Stallions treated with the synthetic glucocorticoid dexamethasone had testes collected at 6 or 12 hours postinjection. The testicular expression of selected genes encoding nuclear receptors and steroidogenic enzymes was measured. At 6 hours, dexamethasone treatment decreased levels of NR0B2, NR4A1, NR5A1, and NR5A2 messenger RNAs (mRNAs) and NR5A2 mRNA levels remained depressed at 12 hours. In contrast, dexamethasone increased levels of NFKBIA mRNA at both time points. At 6 hours, dexamethasone did not alter levels ...
King SS, Young DA, Nequin LG, Carnevale EM.To determine whether specific sugars inhibit adhesion of Streptococcus zooepidemicus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Escherichia coli to equine endometrial epithelial cells in vitro. Methods: Endometrial biopsy specimens collected during estrus from 7 healthy mares. Methods: Endometrial specimens on glass slides were incubated for 30 minutes at 4 C with suspensions of S. zooepidemicus, P. aeruginosa, or E. coli in phosphate-buffered saline solution (PBSS) alone or with various concentrations of D-(+)-mannose, N-acetyl-D-glucosamine, N-acetyl-D-galactosamine, D-(+)-glucose, galactose, or N-acetyl-...
Clode AB.The following article briefly discusses the pathogenesis of infectious keratitis in the horse, followed by discussion of management and pharmacological aspects to be considered when devising a therapeutic protocol for affected patients.
Durham AE.Therapeutic drug monitoring and minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) data allow more informed use of gentamicin. Objective: To measure peak and trough serum gentamicin concentrations in horses after a 6.6 mg/kg dose of gentamicin given IV and the MIC of gentamicin of bacteria for which gentamicin might be selected. Methods: Retrospective analysis of hospital records. Peak and trough plasma gentamicin concentrations were measured after 6.6 mg/kg gentamicin IV in 339 hospitalized horses. The MIC of gentamicin was measured for 503 isolates from ambulatory practice and 33 from hospital practice....
Grosche A, Morton AJ, Polyak MM, Matyjaszek S, Freeman DE.The cytosolic protein complex, calprotectin, is abundant in neutrophils and could be used to improve the ability to localise and assess neutrophil infiltration in the equine intestine during ischaemia and reperfusion (I/R), but further study is required. Objective: To assess the number of calprotectin-containing cells by immunohistochemistry in correlation with direct counting and scoring of neutrophils in the equine colon during I/R. Methods: One and 2 h ischaemia of the left dorsal colon were induced, followed by 30 min reperfusion under general anaesthesia or by 18 h reperfusion after anaes...
Silva LA, Ginther OJ.The spherical equine embryonic vesicle is mobile throughout the uterine lumen for several days before becoming fixed in the caudal segment of a uterine horn on Day 16 (ovulation = Day 0). Orientation refers to the position of the embryo proper at the periphery of the vesicle relative to the position of the mesometrial attachment. In mares, the embryonic pole of the vesicle is antimesometrial after completion of orientation. Day of vesicle fixation, differential thickening of the endometrium near the mesometrial attachment, and orientation of the embryonic vesicle were studied in 30 ponies, usi...
Qin Z, Durand LG, Allard L, Cloutier G.In most studies that were aimed at evaluating the kinetics of red blood cell (RBC) aggregation, human blood was initially circulated at a high shear rate to disrupt the aggregates, and measurements were performed following a complete flow stoppage, during the process of rouleau formation. However, it is known that a very low shear rate can enhance the formation of aggregates, as demonstrated by the modal relationship of the shear-rate dependence of RBC aggregation. The objective of the present study was, thus, to evaluate the influence of sudden flow reductions compared to a complete flow stop...
Slocombe JO.Aims of this study with 43 equids naturally infected with Anoplocephala perfoliata in two dose titration trials were to document (i) the usefulness of a critical test with a 48 h treatment to necropsy period, (ii) efficacy of an oral paste of 0.5-2.0 mg praziquantel/kg body weight, and (iii) when after treatment would fecal egg counts provide best estimates of the tapeworm's prevalence in a herd. All feces passed by an equid after treatment and collected in successive 12 h batches were examined for tapeworms. At necropsy, tapeworms were identified as attached to the mucosa or unattached. Tapew...
Alexander SL, Irvine CH.Alpha-2-adrenoceptor activation may lower adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) by reducing secretagogue input and/or increasing the release of an inhibitory factor (CIF). To investigate this, we gave clonidine, an alpha-2-agonist, to seven horses, and collected pituitary venous blood every minute for 20 min before treatment and 40 min after treatment. Six horses were given saline vehicle. Mean secretion rates of corticotrophin-releasing hormone (CRH), arginine vasopressin (AVP) and ACTH were calculated before and during four 5-min then two 10-min periods after clonidine or saline. Reduction in A...
Bayly WM, Reed SM, Leathers CW, Brown CM, Traub JL, Paradis MR, Palmer GH.Five Arabian or half-Arabian foals with suspected multiple cardiac anomalies were examined. Various combinations of clinical examination, electrocardiography, angiocardiography, cardiac catheterization, blood gas analysis, radiography, and echocardiography resulted in clinical data that allowed accurate antemortem diagnoses to be made. In 4 cases, the clinical diagnosis was substantiated by postmortem findings. The confirmed diagnoses were: pseudotruncus arteriosus, a combination of patent ductus arteriosus, pulmonic stenosis, and tricuspid stenosis, pentalogy of Fallot, and tricuspid atresia....
Verkade ME, Back W, Birch HL.Throughout the ages, human subjects have selected horse breeds for their locomotor capacities. Concurrently, tissue properties may have diversified because of specific requirements of different disciplines. Objective: The aim of this study was to compare the biomechanical properties of tendons with different functions between equine breeds traditionally selected for racing or sport. Methods: This study used ex vivo tendons and compared the mechanical properties of the common digital extensor tendon (CDET) and superficial digital flexor tendon (SDFT) between racehorses (Thoroughbred [TB]) and s...
Audigié F, Tapprest J, George C, Didierlaurent D, Foucher N, Faurie F, Houssin M, Denoix JM.The purpose of this paper was to correlate the magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) characteristics of a mature brain abscess in a horse with histopathologic alterations of brain tissue. Eight months after the onset of clinical signs, MRI of the brain of a 10-month-old filly was performed. A large space-occupying lesion in the right cerebral hemisphere was identified. This space-occupying lesion was delineated by a thick and well-defined capsule that was isointense to brain parenchyma on the T1-weighted images and with a markedly hypointense on the T2-weighted images. The identification of such a ...
Rola J, Larska M, Rola JG, Belák S, Autorino GL.The aim of the study was to determine the situation of equine arteritis virus (EAV) infections in hucul horses. A total of 176 horses (154 mares and 22 stallions) from the biggest hucul horse stud in Poland were tested. Antibodies against EAV were detected in 97 (55.1%) horses. The EAV seroprevalence among mares was 53.2% while in stallions - 68.2%. The percentage of positive mares increased with their age, thus amongst the mares of less than 2 years of age the percentage was 32.5%, while in the group of 3-5 years old increased to 59.4% and in the mares in the age of 6-10 years and older than ...
Boström A, Asplund K, Bergh A, Hyytiäinen H.To explore the scientific evidence for therapeutic ultrasound (TU), we conducted a systematic review of the literature on TU in dogs, horses, donkeys, and cats. Methods: In three major databases, relevant articles published in 1980-2020 were identified. The risk of bias in each article was evaluated. Results: Twenty-four relevant articles on the effects of TU in dogs, nine in horses, two in donkeys, and one in cats were identified. TU usually involved 2-6 treatments weekly for up to 4 weeks. Articles on tendon, ligament, and bone healing, acute aseptic arthritis, osteoarthritis, paraparesis, h...
Marlin DJ, Schrotert RC, Cashman PM, Deaton CM, Poole DC, Kindig CA, McDonough P, Erickson HH.The present investigation utilised simultaneous measurements of chest (Ch) and abdominal (Ab) circumferences and respiratory airflow to test the hypothesis that Ch circumferential expansion contributes proportionally little to tidal volume in the running Thoroughbred. During exercise, there were only small changes in Ch and Ab circumference and no increase with increasing tidal volume. At rest, walk and trot, the flow, Ch and Ab signals were in phase. However, during canter and gallop, the Ch and Ab changes were 180 degrees out of phase with each other and both were out of phase with airflow. ...
Klebe EA, Holcombe SJ, Rosenstein D, Boruta D, Bartner LR, Tessier C.Dysfunction of the glossopharyngeal nerve has been implicated as a cause of dysphagia in horses. However, recent studies have indicated that this is not the case. Objective: To determine whether bilateral glossopharyngeal nerve anaesthesia would cause dysphagia in horses or result in measurable alterations in the timing, function, or sequence of swallowing. Methods: Swallowing was evaluated in 6 normal horses with and without bilateral glossopharyngeal nerve anaesthesia. Swallowing dynamics were assessed subjectively and objectively based on time from prehension of food until swallowing, numbe...
Brooks DE, Plummer CE, Kallberg ME, Barrie KP, Ollivier FJ, Hendrix DV, Baker A, Scotty NC, Utter ME, Blackwood SE, Nunnery CM, Ben-Shlomo G....To evaluate the visual outcome of three techniques of corneal transplantation surgery in treating severe inflammatory keratopathies in the horse. Methods: Retrospective medical records study. Methods: Medical records of 206 horses that received corneal transplantation surgery at the University of Florida Veterinary Medical Center from 1993 to 2007 were reviewed. Methods: Data collected from the medical records included signalment, types of ocular lesions, type of transplant surgery performed, length of follow-up, complications, and visual outcomes. Results: Full thickness penetrating keratopla...
Babesia caballi and Theileria equi are widely recognized as causative agents of equine pirolasmosis (EP), an acute, sub-acute, and chronic disease of equines, with relevant economic impact on horse trade worldwide. Although several studies on EP prevalence from central Italy have been published, data on ticks responsible for its transmission are still lacking. In this study, we identified a potential competent vector, investigating main features of its ecology together with EP infection rates. A two-year sampling of questing ticks was carried out for the first time in Italy in an area known fo...
Berti A, Degl'Innocenti D, Stefani M, Liguri G, Ramponi G.A non competitive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) specific for horse muscle acylphosphatase (E.C. 3.6.1.7.) has been developed. The purified anti-acylphosphatase antibodies were immobilized by passive absorption to a solid-phase support and incubated with known and unknown amounts of antigen. The antibody-acylphosphatase complex was quantified using the same antibody conjugated to horseradish peroxidase. The assay yields positive reactions with as little as 0.05 ng of antigen, with intra- and interassay coefficients of variation of 5% and 7%, respectively. On the basis of this assay ...
Kwiatkowska-Stenzel A, Witkowska D, Sowińska J, Stopyra A.The choice of bedding material affects the quality of air in a stable and, consequently, the respiratory health of horses and humans. The risk of respiratory problems can be mitigated by improving the quality of air in the stable. The choice of bedding material is particularly important in cold climate conditions where horses are kept indoors throughout the year. This study examined the impact of three bedding materials: straw (S), peat with shavings (PS), and crushed wood pellets (CWP). The investigated factors were air contamination, including dust contamination and microbial (bacterial and ...
Kim CH, Casey JW.The distribution and replicative status of equine infectious anemia virus (EIAV) DNA in the tissues of a well-characterized inapparent carrier horse were established by using the PCR technique. The EIAV pol region could be amplified in all of the tissues tested, including the cerebellum and periventricular tissue, at concentrations approximately 10(5)-fold less than in the same tissue from an acutely infected horse. Further analysis of the EIAV genome, with primer pairs diagnostic for sequential stages of reverse transcription, suggests that EIAV DNA in the brain, liver, and lymph nodes was in...
Dijkstra A, Cuervo-Arango J, Stout TAE, Claes A.Monozygotic multiple pregnancy is rare in horses, but may be more common after transfer of an in vitro produced (IVP) embryo. Objective: To determine the occurrence, incidence, characteristics and outcome of monozygotic siblings arising from in vivo and IVP equine embryos. Methods: Retrospective case series. Methods: A total of 496 fresh in vivo and 410 frozen-thawed IVP blastocysts, produced by intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) of in vitro matured oocytes from Warmblood mares, were transferred into recipient mares. The likelihoods of pregnancy and multiple pregnancy were calculated, and...
Bettschart-Wolfensberger R, Bowen IM, Freeman SL, Weller R, Clarke KW.To search for long-term total i.v. anaesthesia techniques as a potential alternative to inhalation anaesthesia. Objective: To determine cardiopulmonary effects and anaesthesia quality of medetomidine-ketamine anaesthesia induction followed by 4 h of medetomidine-propofol anaesthesia in 6 ponies. Methods: Sedation consisted of 7 microg/kg bwt medetomidine i.v. followed after 10 min by 2 mg/kg bwt i.v. ketamine. Anaesthesia was maintained for 4 h with 3.5 microg/kg bwt/h medetomidine and propofol at minimum infusion dose rates determined by application of supramaximal electrical pain stimuli. Ve...
Mizushima D, Amgalanbaatar T, Davaasuren B, Molefe NI, Battur B, Battsetseg B, Inoue N, Yokoyama N, Suganuma K.Our previous studies report epidemics of non-tsetse-transmitted equine trypanosomosis in Mongolia. However, the current status of non-tsetse-transmitted equine trypanosomosis endemicity remains to be clarified in some parts of Mongolia. We previously reported the potential application of rTeGM6-4r-based diagnostic tools, an rTeGM6-4r-based immunochromatographic test (ICT) and an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), in the serological surveillance of equine trypanosomosis in Mongolia. In the present study, the utility of the rTeGM6-4r-based ICT was validated. The rTeGM6-4r-based ICT accur...
Martin EM, Jones SL.Inhibition of prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) production effectively limits inflammation in horses, however nonspecific prostaglandin blockade via cyclooxygenase (COX) inhibition elicits deleterious gastrointestinal side effects in equine patients. Thus, more selective PGE2 targeting therapeutics are needed to treat inflammatory disease in horses. One potential target is microsomal prostaglandin E-synthase-1 (mPGES-1), which is the terminal enzyme downstream of COX-2 in the inducible PGE2 synthesis cascade. This enzyme has yet to be studied in equine leukocytes, which play a pivotal role in equine inf...
Freeman DE, Cimprich RE, Richardson DW, Gentile DG, Orsini JA, Tulleners EP, Fetrow JP.Strangulation obstruction was induced in anesthetized ponies for periods of 2 and 3 hours by clamping 45-cm segments of jejunum and their veins only (venous strangulation obstruction, VSO) and arteries and veins (arterial and venous strangulation obstruction, AVSO). These types of strangulation obstruction were studied in 4 segments in each of 4 ponies allowed to survive 12 hours (group 1) and in a single segment in each of 10 ponies allowed to survive 42 days (group 2) after the strangulation period ended. On visual inspection, segments subjected to VSO had hemorrhage and edema in the bowel w...
