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.
Stratford CH, Lester HE, Pickles KJ, McGorum BC, Matthews JB.Cyathostomins comprise 50 helminth species, considered the most problematic equine endoparasites. Three classes of anthelmintic are currently licensed for their control, namely the benzimidazoles (fenbendazole), tetrahydropyrimidines (pyrantel) and macrocyclic lactones (ivermectin and moxidectin). Anthelmintic resistance in cyathostomins is common. With no new classes expected in the near future, it is essential to determine the efficacy of the available anthelmintics to inform future control programmes. Objective: To determine the efficacy of all 3 anthelmintic classes against strongyles in e...
Denoix JM, Jeffcott LB, McIlwraith CW, van Weeren PR.This manuscript describes a new classification of the various joint-related lesions that can be seen in the young, growing horse based on their anatomical and functional aetiopathogenesis. Juvenile osteochondral conditions (JOCC) is a term that brings together specific disorders according to their location in the joint and their biomechanical origin. When a biomechanical insult affects the process of endochondral ossification different types of osteochondrosis (OC) lesions may occur, including osteochondral fragmentation of the articular surface or of the periarticular margins, or the formatio...
Qablan MA, Oborník M, Petrželková KJ, Sloboda M, Shudiefat MF, Hořín P, Lukeš J, Modrý D.Microscopic diagnosis of equine piroplasmoses, caused by Theileria equi and Babesia caballi, is hindered by low parasitaemia during the latent phase of the infections. However, this constraint can be overcome by the application of PCR followed by sequencing. Out of 288 animals examined, the piroplasmid DNA was detected in 78 (27·1%). Multiplex PCR indicated that T. equi (18·8%) was more prevalent than B. caballi (7·3%), while mixed infections were conspicuously absent. Sequences of 69 PCR amplicons obtained by the 'catch-all' PCR were in concordance with those amplified by the multiplex str...
Pusterla N, Gebhart CJ.Equine proliferative enteropathy (EPE) is a disease of foals caused by the obligate intracellular organism Lawsonia intracellularis. This emerging disease affects mainly weanling foals and causes fever, lethargy, peripheral oedema, diarrhoea, colic and weight loss. The diagnosis of EPE may be challenging and relies on the presence of hypoproteinaemia, thickening of segments of the small intestinal wall observed upon abdominal ultrasonography, positive serology and molecular detection of L. intracellularis in faeces. Although the clinical entity, diagnostic approach and treatment of EPE are w...
Rautiainen J, Lehto LJ, Tiitu V, Kiekara O, Pulkkinen H, Brünott A, van Weeren R, Brommer H, Brama PA, Ellermann J, Kiviranta I, Nieminen MT....To evaluate the status of articular cartilage and bone in an equine model of spontaneous repair by using the sweep imaging with Fourier transform (SWIFT) magnetic resonance (MR) imaging technique. Methods: Experiments were approved by the Utrecht University Animal Ethics Committee. Six-millimeter-diameter chondral (n = 5) and osteochondral (n = 5, 3-4 mm deep into subchondral bone) defects were created in the intercarpal joints of seven 2-year-old horses and examined with SWIFT at 9.4 T after spontaneous healing for 12 months. Conventional T2 maps and gradient-echo images were obtained for com...
Tamin A, Rota PA.Hendra virus (HeV) and Nipah virus (NiV) are the causative agents of emerging transboundary animal disease in pigs and horses. They also cause fatal disease in humans. NiV has a case fatality rate of 40 - 100%. In the initial NiV outbreak in Malaysia in 1999, about 1.1 million pigs had to be culled. The economic impact was estimated to be approximately US$450 million. Worldwide, HeV has caused more than 60 deaths in horses with 7 human cases and 4 deaths. Since the initial outbreak, HeV spillovers from Pteropus bats to horses and humans continue. This article presents a brief review on the cur...
Boyen F, Smet A, Hermans K, Butaye P, Martens A, Martel A, Haesebrouck F.The use of β-lactam antibiotics results in the selection of bacteria showing resistance toward this class of antibiotics. The review focuses on the increasing importance of methicillin resistant staphylococci and broad-spectrum β-lactamase-producing Enterobacteriaceae in horses. Diagnostic protocols that optimize accurate identification of these bacteria from both clinical samples and samples obtained from putative carrier animals are described. In addition, the opportunities and pitfalls for preventive and curative measures are discussed.
Yarnell K, Hall C, Billett E.Animal management often involves procedures that, while unlikely to cause physical pain, still cause aversive responses. The domestic horse (Equus caballus) regularly has excessive hair clipped off to facilitate its use as a riding/driving animal and this procedure causes adverse behavioral responses in some animals. The aim of this study was to compare behavioral and physiological measures to assess the aversive effect of this procedure. Ten horses were selected on the basis of being either compliant (C: n=5) or non-compliant (NC: n=5) during this procedure. The horses were subjected to a sha...
Vittecoq M, Lecollinet S, Jourdain E, Thomas F, Blanchon T, Arnal A, Lowenski S, Gauthier-Clerc M.In recent years, the number of West Nile virus (WNV) cases reported in horses and humans has increased dramatically throughout the Mediterranean basin. Furthermore, the emergence of Usutu virus (USUV) in Austria in 2001, and its subsequent expansion to Hungary, Spain, Italy, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, and Germany, has given added cause for concern regarding the impact of the spread of flaviviruses on human and animal health in western Europe. Despite frequent detection of WNV and USUV cases in neighboring countries, no case of WNV has been detected in France since 2006 and USUV has never...
Lepeule J, Robert C, Bareille N, Valette JP, Jacquet S, Seegers H, Denoix JM.The validity of methods used to score the severity of radiographic findings (RFs) in horses is uncertain since only one or two joints are usually studied, classification criteria are heterogeneous and the internal validity is not assessed. The aim of this study was to assess the internal validity of a severity scoring system (SSS) of RFs by repeated scoring of a sample of radiographs. This SSS of RFs is based on four criteria that can be applied to every type of RF observed in limb joints. It consists of five weighted severity indexes (0, 1, 2, 4, 8) and was used to assess RFs found on the lim...
Ribeiro IB, Câmara AC, Bittencourt MV, Marçola TG, Paludo GR, Soto-Blanco B.This study aimed to determine whether asymptomatic horses naturally infected with Theileria equi retain infected erythrocytes in the spleen and whether the presence of the hemoparasite in this organ is associated with parasitemia. We collected samples from 25 adult horses without clinical signs of any disease. From each animal, we collected whole blood samples from the jugular vein and a splenic puncture blood sample. All samples were submited to blood cell counts and detection of Theileria or Babesia. DNA extraction and PCR were performed in all samples for identification of piroplasm infecti...
Moreno SA, Concepción JL, Nava M, Molinari J.In Venezuela, horses are indispensable for extensive cattle raising, and extensive cattle raising prevails in all regions. This determines the numerical relationship between horses and cattle (r = 0.93) to be relatively constant nationwide. At regional level, the average extension of cattle ranches varies greatly. However, in relation to the area covered by pastures, the numbers of horses (r = 0.95) and cattle (r = 0.93) are relatively uniform nationwide. Water buffalo occupy small fractions of the territory; therefore, their numbers are related to the area of pastures less strongl...
Makra Z, Tuboly T, Bodó G.The aim of this study was to describe long-term follow-up and difference in immune reactions in the tear film following penetrating keratoplasty (PK) in horses when differently preserved corneas were utilised. This report describes for the first time the use of corneal grafts preserved in tissue culture media in equine PK. Eight experimental horses with normal eyes were included and freshly harvested, frozen or preserved corneal grafts were used for the PK. The graft-taking technique and storage, PK surgery, postoperative treatments and complications are described. The mean postoperative follo...
Meyer W, Kacza J, Hornickel IN, Schoennagel B.Using immunohistochemistry and transmission electron microscopy (TEM), the esophagus epithelia of seven domesticated mammals (horse, cattle, goat, pig, dog, laboratory rat, cat) of three nutrition groups (herbivorous, omnivorous, carnivorous) were studied to get first information about energy generation, as demonstrated by succinate dehydrogenase (SDH) activities. Distinct reaction intensities could be observed in all esophageal cell layers of the different species studied reflecting moderate to strong metabolic activities. The generally strong staining in the stratum basale indicated that new...
Lee CD, Maxwell LK.In most species, large variations in body size necessitate dose adjustments based on an allometric function of body weight. Despite the substantial disparity in body size between miniature horses and light-breed horses, there are no studies investigating appropriate dosing of any veterinary drug in miniature horses. The purpose of this study was to determine whether miniature horses should receive a different dosage of flunixin meglumine than that used typically in light-breed horses. A standard dose of flunixin meglumine was administered intravenously to eight horses of each breed, and three-...
Tozer SJ, Lambert SB, Strong CL, Field HE, Sloots TP, Nissen MD.Q fever is a vaccine-preventable disease; despite this, high annual notification numbers are still recorded in Australia. We have previously shown seroprevalence in Queensland metropolitan regions is approaching that of rural areas. This study investigated the presence of nucleic acid from Coxiella burnetii, the agent responsible for Q fever, in a number of animal and environmental samples collected throughout Queensland, to identify potential sources of human infection. Samples were collected from 129 geographical locations and included urine, faeces and whole blood from 22 different animal s...
Ginther OJ.The estrous cycles of heifers and mares are used for illustrating pitfalls at the animal level in research in reproductive biology. Infrequent monitoring for characterizing the change in hormone concentrations or for detecting a reproductive event can be a pitfall when the interval for obtaining data exceeds the interval between events. For example, hourly collection of blood samples has shown that the luteolytic period (decreasing progesterone) encompasses 24 hours in heifers and mares. Collection of samples every 6-24 hours results in the illusion that luteolysis requires 2-3 days, owing to ...
MacKay RJ, Wyer S, Gilmour A, Kongara K, Harding DR, Clark S, Mayhew IG, Thomson CE.Pasture-associated stringhalt is an acquired equine disease characterized by peripheral neuropathy and hyperflexion of the pelvic limbs. The disease occurs most commonly during periods of drought in horses grazing pastures heavily contaminated by Hypochaeris radicata. We hypothesized that stringhalt is caused by neurotoxins elaborated by H. radicata in response to the stress of drought conditions. Supernates were collected from H. radicata that were stressed (or not) by immersion in copper chloride solution, then extracted with ethyl acetate and dried. Dilutions of extracts from stressed (SE) ...
Labens R, Redding WR, Desai KK, Vom Orde K, Mansmann RA, Blikslager AT.Assessment of equine foot conformation is often based on linear and angular measurements performed on lateral digital photographs. However, quantification of external foot conformation requires more comprehensive assessments to capture the shape of the entire foot. Volumetric measurements of the hoof capsule represent a summary measure quantifying foot shape. The aim of this study was to develop a method for computation of virtual foot models from digital foot images allowing precise and accurate volumetric measurements. This photogrammetric technique was then assessed for the characterization...
Paillot R, Prowse L, Montesso F, Stewart B, Jordon L, Newton JR, Gilkerson JR.Equine influenza (EI) is a major respiratory disease of horses. Recent outbreaks of EI have demonstrated the ease with which EI virus (EIV) can be transmitted internationally. This study aimed to improve our understanding of EIV shedding after infection of vaccinated horses, which would inform possible changes to current quarantine requirements. Our objectives were to compare commonly used diagnostic tests and to evaluate the relative merits of nasal and nasopharyngeal swabs for detection of EIV in vaccinated and unvaccinated ponies following EIV infection and to use these data to inform optim...
Laatamna AE, Wagnerová P, Sak B, Květoňová D, Aissi M, Rost M, Kváč M.Faecal samples from two horse farms in Algeria keeping Arabian, Thoroughbred, and Barb horses were examined for the presence of Cryptosporidium in 2010-2011. A total of 138 faecal samples (16 from a farm keeping 50 animals and 122 from a farm with 267 horses) were screened for Cryptosporidium spp. infection using molecular tools. DNA was extracted from all samples. Nested PCR was performed to amplify fragments of the SSU rDNA and gp60 genes to determine the presence of Cryptosporidium species and genotypes. Sequence analyses of SSU and gp60 genes revealed four animals positive for the presence...
Tennent-Brown BS, Epstein KL, Whelchel DD, Giguère S.To evaluate the utility of thromboelastography (TEG) and Sonoclot analyses to monitor the effects of low molecular weight heparin (LMWH) administration to healthy horses. Methods: Randomized crossover study. Methods: Large animal veterinary teaching hospital. Methods: Six adult mixed breed healthy mares. Methods: LMWH (dalteparin) was administered (50 U/kg subcutaneously) either every 12 or 24 h for 3 consecutive days. Blood samples were collected before LMWH administration and then at selected time points for analysis. Thromboelastography derived R-time (R), K-time (K), angle (ANG), and maxim...
Cordeiro Rde A, Bittencourt PV, Brilhante RS, Teixeira CE, Castelo-Branco Dde S, Silva ST, De Alencar LP, Souza ER, Bandeira Tde J, Monteiro AJ....Respiratory infections are a common problem among equines and occur with variable rates of morbidity and mortality. Although some fungal species are considered primary agents of respiratory tract infections in several mammals, their relevance in respiratory diseases of equines is frequently neglected. In the present study, we performed an active search for Candida spp. in the nasal cavity of horses. The presence of Candida spp. was investigated through the use of nasal swabs that were streaked on culture media. These yeasts were identified through physiological testing and their in vitro antif...
Cywinska A, Szarska E, Degorski A, Guzera M, Gorecka R, Strzelec K, Kowalik S, Schollenberger A, Winnicka A.Intensive exercise and exertion during competition promote many changes that may result in the impairment of immunity and increased susceptibility to infections. The aim of this study was to evaluate the activity of "the first line of defense": neutrophils and monocytes in racing Thoroughbred and Arabian horses after routine training sessions. Twenty-three (12 Thoroughbred and 11 Arabian) horses were examined. Routine haematological (number of red blood cells - RBC, haemoglobin concentration - HGB, haematocrit - HCT, total number of white blood cells - WBC), biochemical (creatine phosphokinase...
Lepeule J, Bareille N, Robert C, Valette JP, Jacquet S, Blanchard G, Denoix JM, Seegers H.The aim of this study was to identify the risk factors for the severity of Juvenile OsteoChondral Conditions (JOCC) in limbs of French foals. Twenty-one farms in Normandy, France, were sampled and enrolled in a cohort study including 378 foals from three breeds, followed from the 8th month of pregnancy of the mares until the foals were approximately 6months old. Data on growth, feeding practices and exercise conditions were regularly collected. The carpus, the front and hind digits, the hock and the stifle of the foals were radiographed at the end of follow-up. JOCC severity in each foal was d...
Brummer M, Hayes S, Adams AA, Horohov DW, Dawson KA, Lawrence LM.Selenium status has been reported to affect immune function across many different species. Yet few studies have focused on the effect of Se status on the equine immune system. This study examined the effect of Se supplementation on vaccination response and immune function in mature horses. Twenty-eight horses were blocked by age and sex and were randomly allocated to 1 of 4 dietary treatment groups: low Se (LS), adequate Se (AS), Se-yeast (SP), and sodium selenite (SS). For 35 wk, horses allocated to LS, SP, and SS received a low-Se diet (0.06 mg/kg DM) with the intention to lower Se stores, w...
Schwab U, Caldwell S, Matychak MB, Felippe J.We developed a 3-D equine bronchial epithelial cell (BEC) culture that fully differentiates into ciliary beating and mucus producing cells. Using this system, we evaluated how mucus affects the phagocytic activity of macrophages. Adult horse monocyte-derived macrophages were incubated with Rhodococcus equi for 4h either in the mucus layer of in vitro generated airway epithelium or on collagen coated membranes. Using light and electron microscopy, we noted that the number of macrophages with intracellular bacteria, and the number of intracellular bacteria per macrophage were lower in the presen...
Uluisik D, Keskin E, Ozaydın T.Hematological and biochemical profiles commonly are required in equine medicine. We studied hematological parameters including red blood cells (RBC), white blood cells (WBC), hemoglobin (Hb), hematocrit (PCV), differential leukocyte counts, mean cell volume (MCV), mean corpuscular hemoglobin (MCH), and mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration (MCHC) in thoroughbred foals at different ages and for both sexes. Sixty healthy thoroughbred foals, 1 day, 3 days and 1 year old were used. Each age group consisted of 10 male and 10 female animals. We found significant differences related to age in RBC...
Ek N.Levels of the immunoglobulins IgG and IgG(T) in serum in Norwegian horses of the breeds “Døle” and “Fjord” were determined by the quantitative radial immunodiffusion test. No significant differences were apparent between the 2 Norwegian breeds. The immunoglobulin levels were approximately in the same range as previously reported for Shetland ponies. Immunoglobulins could not be detected in the newborn foal. As early as 24 hrs. after birth the mean immunoglobulin level was within the adult range. After a drop during the first month of life, the immunoglobulins increased. IgG(T) rose mo...
El-Sheikh Ali H, Legacki EL, Scoggin KE, Loux SC, Dini P, Esteller-Vico A, Conley AJ, Stanley SD, Ball BA.Equine placentitis is associated with alterations in maternal peripheral steroid concentrations, which could negatively affect pregnancy outcome. This study aimed to elucidate the molecular mechanisms related to steroidogenesis and steroid-receptor signaling in the equine placenta during acute placentitis. Chorioallantois (CA) and endometrial (EN) samples were collected from mares with experimentally induced placentitis (n = 4) and un-inoculated gestationally age-matched mares (control group; n = 4). The mRNA expression of genes coding for steroidogenic enzymes (3βHSD, CYP11A1, CYP17A1, CYP19...
Garcia-Suarez O, Germanà G, Naves FJ, Ciriaco E, Represa J, Vega JA.The medial wall of the vomeronasal organ (VNO) is lined with a sensory epithelium that is closely related to the olfactory epithelium, which is developed from the olfactory placode. It undergoes continuous replacement during its life span. In other sensory epithelia, cell proliferation is under the control of some trophic factors. Whether these proteins are involved in the continuous turnover of the VNO epithelium is unknown. This study approaches this topic by analyzing the occurrence of signal-transducing receptor proteins for neurotrophins (Trk proteins) and epidermal growth factor (EGFr). ...
Benton HP, Cheng TC, MacDonald MH.To determine the response of equine articular cartilage cells to heat and calcium stresses. Methods: Analysis of newly synthesized, [35S]methionine-labeled proteins after treatment of isolated primary equine chondrocytes. Methods: Primary cultures of equine articular chondrocytes were incubated at temperatures ranging from 37 to 42 C for heat stress experiments or incubated in the presence or absence of the intracellular calcium pump inhibitor, thapsigargin, for calcium stress experiments. Patterns of new protein synthesis were determined by incubating with [35S]methionine followed by separati...
Frazer LL, Santschi EM, Fischer KJ.To predict bone and medial meniscal stresses and contact pressures in an equine stifle with a medial femoral condyle (MFC) intact or with a 2-cm subchondral bone void, under varying degrees of internal femoral rotation (IFR). Methods: Finite element model (FEM) of a cadaveric equine stifle loaded to 8000 N. Methods: The FEM was constructed from computed tomography (CT) of the right, extended stifle of a yearling. The CT image was segmented into relevant anatomic structures and meshed into 4-node tetrahedrons. Bone material properties were assigned according to Hounsfield units, soft tissue p...
Karamendin K, Kydyrmanov A, Sayatov M, Strochkov V, Sandybayev N, Sultankulova K.A retrospective phylogenetic characterization of the hemagglutinin, neuraminidase and nucleoprotein genes of equine influenza virus A/equine/Kirgizia/26/1974 (H7N7) which caused an outbreak in Kirgizia (a former Soviet Union republic, now Kyrgyzstan) in 1977 was conducted. It was defined that it was closely related to the strain London/1973 isolated in Europe and it shared a maximum nucleotide sequence identity at 99% with it. This Central Asian equine influenza virus isolate did not have any specific genetic signatures and can be considered as an epizootic strain of 1974 that spread in Europe...
Bragulla H.The term Eponychium is used to describe the deciduous hoof capsule in veterinary-medical and embryological literature. In other aspects of veterinary medicine, the term is generally reserved for the perioplic corium of the permanent hoof. In order to clarify this double usage, the structure and origin of the hoof epidermis from 10 equine fetus at different stages of development and 4 newborn foals were investigated and described using light microscopical techniques. Epidermal tubules and lamellae are already present in the non-cornified fetal hoof epidermis. These structures, along with the fo...
Lan Y, Li Y, Yu G, Zhang Z, Irshad I.Accumulating studies indicated that gut microbial changes played key roles in the progression of multiple diseases, which seriously threaten the host health. Gut microbial dysbiosis is closely associated with the development of diarrhea, but gut microbial composition and variability in diarrheic horses have not been well characterized. Here, we investigated gut fungal compositions and changes in healthy and diarrheic horses using amplicon sequencing. Results indicated that the alpha and beta diversities of gut fungal community in diarrheal horses changed significantly, accompanied by distinct ...
Boyle AG, Rankin SC, O'Shea K, Stefanovski D, Peng J, Song J, Bau HH.Rapid point-of-care (POC) detection of Streptococcus equi subsp. equi (S. equi) would theoretically reduce the spread of strangles by identifying index and carrier horses. Objective: That the eqbE isothermal amplification (LAMP) assay, and the same eqbE LAMP assay tested in a microfluidic device format, are comparable to a triplex real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) assay that is commonly used in diagnostic labs. Methods: Sixty-eight guttural pouch lavage (GPL) specimens from horses recovering from strangles. Methods: Guttural pouch lavage specimens were tested for S. equi ...
Ekman S, Lindahl A, Rüetschi U, Jansson A, Björkman K, Abrahamsson-Aurell K, Björnsdóttir S, Löfgren M, Hultén LM, Skiöldebrand E.Molecular serum markers that can identify early reversible osteoarthritis (OA) in horses are lacking. Objective: We studied serum concentrations of a novel cartilage oligomeric matrix protein (COMP) neo-epitope in horses subjected to short-term exercise and with acute lameness. The effects of circadian rhythm and age were also evaluated. Methods: Longitudinal studies in healthy horses and cross-sectional comparison of lame and non-lame horses. Methods: Sera were collected from five horses before and after short-term interval exercise and during full-day box rest. Sera from 32 acutely lame hors...
Nyaga PN, Wiggins AD, Priester WA.Three hundred and sixty cases of diagnosed equine influenza reported to the Veterinary
Medical Data Program (VMDP) of the National Cancer Institute, U.S.A., were tested for the
independent effects of age, breed and sex, relative to a reference clinic-hospital population of 84,562
equine patients. Horses of age category 2-6 months showed a significant risk above unity for
infection with equine influenza virus whereas, horses in age category 7-10 yr showed a significant,
low and sparing risk. Horses under two months or over 10 years, as well as those in ages from 6
months to 7 yr had non-s...
Sage AM, Keating SC, Lascola KM, Schaeffer DJ, Clark-Price SC.To evaluate cardiopulmonary and recovery characteristics of horses administered total intravenous anesthesia (TIVA) with xylazine and ketamine combined with midazolam or propofol. Methods: Randomized crossover study. Methods: A group of eight adult horses, aged 7-22 years, weighing 493-740 kg. Methods: Horses were administered xylazine (1 mg kg) intravenously (IV), and anesthesia was induced with ketamine (2.2 mg kg) IV. Anesthesia was maintained for 45 minutes via IV infusion of xylazine (0.016 mg kg minute) and ketamine (0.03 mg kg minute) combined with midazolam at 0.002 mg kg minute (MKX),...
Di Pietro R, Dubuc V, Manguin E, Giroux-Lafond R, Bédard C, Boivin R, Lavoie JP, Vesper SJ, Leclere M.To quantify dectin-1 expression in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF), create polyclonal antibodies against equine dectin-1 and localize it in tissues, and quantify fungal exposure in pastured and stabled asthmatic and nonasthmatic horses. Methods: BALF samples from 6 controls and 6 horses with severe asthma. Stored lung and nasal wash samples. Methods: Dectin-1 expression was quantified by quantitative PCR (qPCR). Purified peptide from equine dectin-1 was used to generate polyclonal antibodies and was confirmed with immunological testing. Fungal exposure was quantified in BALF samples by cou...
Cornelisse CJ, Schott HC, Olivier NB, Mullaney TP, Koller A, Wilson DV, Derksen FJ.An 18-year-old Thoroughbred gelding was evaluated because of sudden onset of ventricular tachycardia and signs of colic. Three years earlier, a diastolic decrescendo murmur, consistent with aortic regurgitation, had been detected, but the horse continued to perform well and compete successfully. Cardiac ultrasonographic examination revealed a defect in the interventricular septum below the aortic root, and serum concentrations of cardiac troponin I (cTnI) were higher than those measured in clinically normal horses. Repeated development of tachyarrhythmia during hospitalization prompted a decis...
Edwards GT.Sarcocystis was detected in oesophageal samples from 245 (62 per cent) of 394 horses and ponies killed at a Cheshire abattoir between February and August 1981. Prevalence of infection was closely related to age, increasing from 28.6 per cent of animals up to two years old to 88.9 per cent of those over eight years old. There were no significant regional differences in prevalence between horses from north west England, Yorkshire or South Wales. Significantly more female horses were infected (69.7 per cent) compared with males (56.2 per cent). Gross examination methods detected fewer than 55 per...
Szóstek-Mioduchowska A, Leciejewska N, Zelmańska B, Staszkiewicz-Chodor J, Ferreira-Dias G, Skarzynski D.Equine endometrosis is a chronic degenerative condition, described as endometrial fibrosis that forms in the stroma, under the basement membrane and around the endometrial glands. The role of lysophosphatidic acid (LPA) in the development of tissue fibrosis varies depending on the organ, and its profibrotic role in mare endometrosis remains unclear. The study aimed to establish the endometrial presence of LPA and its receptors (LPAR1-4), together with its effects on connective tissue growth factor (CTGF) and prostaglandins (PG) secretion from equine endometrium under physiological (estrous cyc...
Patrick DJ, Kiupel M, Gerber V, Carr EA.A 2-year-old female Miniature Horse that presented with a history of progressive weight loss, depression, and diarrhea was diagnosed at necropsy with a highly malignant abdominal neoplasm involving the left ovary, kidneys, adrenal glands, intestines, and various abdominal and thoracic lymph nodes. Microscopic examination of these masses revealed large pleomorphic cells that stained positive for vimentin and inhibin and negative for epithelial membrane antigen and placental alkaline phosphatase. Ultrastructural examination of the cells revealed a high nucleocytoplasmic ratio and indented euchro...
Anttila M, Raekallio M, Valros A.A bit that fits is essential for horse welfare and good communication with the ridden, driven or led horses. The bit causes pressure on the sensitive structures of the horse mouth. The aim of this study was to investigate variation in oral dimensions related to bit fit in adult horses and ponies and to evaluate bit fit by comparing oral dimensions with the currently used bit size selected by the horse owner. The study population consisted of 554 horses and ponies, 308 geldings and 246 mares, age 5-29 years, presented for routine dental care. Oral dimensions: mouth width, distance between upper...
Jeffcott LB, Kold SE.The clinical and radiological characteristics of stifle lameness in 86 horses are described. The majority of these cases had been lame for some weeks before referral. The most frequent diagnoses made were osteochondrosis dissecans (13 per cent) and subchondral bone cyst (38 per cent). Both of these conditions were seen principally in Thoroughbreds at or before the onset of training. The other bone lesions encountered were osteoarthritis (3 per cent), fractures (4 per cent) and "epiphysitis" (1 per cent). The commonest soft tissue condition was an atypical or partial upward fixation of the pate...
Uchida-Fujii E, Niwa H, Kanai K, Kinoshita Y, Kuroda T, Nukada T, Ueno T.Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) has often been isolated from livestock and companion animals, including horses. Seven cases of MRSA infection in Thoroughbred racehorses were observed in an equine hospital in Japan in 2020. In this study, MRSA isolates from these seven horses and nine veterinarians in the equine hospital were studied to examine their genetic relatedness and evaluate the possibility of MRSA transmission. The MRSA isolates were subjected to whole-genome sequencing for multi-locus sequence typing, S. aureus protein A (spa) typing, staphylococcal cassette chromos...
Niedźwiedź A, Borowicz H, Kubiak K, Nicpoń J, Skrzypczak P, Jaworski Z, Cegielski M, Nicpoń J.Recurrent airway obstruction (RAO) represents a serious health problem and is traditionally classified as an allergic disease, where contact with an antigen can induce clinical airway inflammation, bronchial hyper-responsiveness and reversible airway obstruction. Previous studies have demonstrated the presence of the Th2 response in the lungs of human patients with asthma and horses with heaves. These cells are involved in the production of cytokines which regulate the synthesis of immunoglobulins. 40 horses were evaluated: 30 horses with RAO and 10 healthy animals. The expression levels of in...
Paolucci M, Palombi C, Sylla L, Stradaioli G, Monaci M.The aim of this study was to establish baseline ultrasound data concerning the mule conceptus during gestation. Ten multiparous Trotter mares were artificially inseminated with chilled semen from an Amiatino jack donkey. Daily transrectal ultrasonography was carried out from the day of ovulation until Day 50 of gestation to determine the following: first detection of the embryonic vesicle (EV), mobility phase, EV diameter, day of EV fixation, changes in EV shape, date of yolk sac regression and embryo crown-rump length. Monthly ultrasonic assessments from Day 50 of gestation to term were carri...
Waqar N, Amin Q, Munir T, Ikram MS, Shahzad N, Mirza A, Ali A, Arshad MI.The present study aimed at investigating the percent prevalence of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) in equines and associated personnel. A total of 150 swabs of equines and 50 nasal swab samples of associated personnel were collected. These samples were processed in mannitol salt broth for enrichment. A total of 175 nasal swab samples changed the broth color from pink to yellow which were detected as samples containing S. aureus. These samples were processed further on specific media, namely mannitol salt agar, Staph-110, and blood agar, for phenotypic and Gram's staining-bas...
Van Weyenberg S, Buyse J, Janssens GP.In this study 0 or 4 g of l-carnitine was supplemented for 7 days in a cross-over design of six healthy ponies to modulate glucose metabolism and leptin production. At the end of each period, serial blood samples were taken to measure glucose and insulin response, leptin, triglyceride (TG), non-esterified fatty acids (NEFA) and creatine phosphokinase. l-carnitine supplementation was associated with a decrease in postprandial plasma glucose and insulin concentration, indicating an enhanced glucose tolerance. In contrast, postprandial plasma leptin concentration was increased when l-carnitine wa...
Hoberg EP, Miller S, Brown MA.We report the first documented case of autochthonous echinococcosis in a horse of North American origin. Three fully mature and viable unilocular hydatid cysts of Echinococcus granulosus (Batsch, 1786) were an incidental finding at necropsy in the liver of a 14-yr-old gelding thoroughbred that had been foaled in Virginia and raised in Maryland. Protoscolices were armed with 2 rows of 28-37 rostellar hooks; small hooks measured 23-30 microns; large hooks measured 26-33 microns. Morphologically, these were compatible with rostellar armature considered typical for the equine strain of E. granulos...
Zekas LJ, Bramlage LR, Embertson RM, Hance SR.The objectives of this study were to correlate condylar fracture characteristics and type of treatment with subsequent capacity for athletic ability, and to determine the characteristics of healing that affect prognosis after fracture fixation. Medical records, post operative radiographic studies and race records were examined for 135 horses sustaining 145 fractures. Sixty-five percent of horses overall started in a race post injury (SPI) in a mean time of 9.7 months with a mean of 13.7 races post injury. Having raced pre-injury did not confer an advantage to starting post injury, though nonst...
Stewart JH, Rose RJ, Barko AM.Respiratory measurements and blood-gas and acid-base values are reported in nine term induced foals. Measurements were performed at 2, 15, 30 and 60 mins, 4, 12, 24 and 48 h, and four and seven days after birth. Minute respiratory volume was significantly lower at birth than values from 12 h old. Tidal volume peaked at 60 mins old, while respiration rate decreased significantly at 15 mins after birth. Oxygen consumption was high at birth and decreased to its lowest values at 24 and 48 h. The respiratory exchange ratio and ventilatory equivalent showed few significant changes to seven days, as ...
Derksen F, Williams K, Stack A.While airway endoscopy and bronchoalveolar lavage are the methodsof choice for diagnosing exercise-induced pulmonary hemorrhage (EIPH), these techniques do not allow accurate evaluation of the severity of bleeding. EIPH pathology is characterized by occlusive remodeling of pulmonary veins. Affected veins have large collagen deposits in their walls, which reduces their lumens. In the caudodorsal regions, pulmonary vein wall remodeling is associated with hemosiderin accumulation, bronchial circulation angiogenesis, and fibrosis of the alveolar interstitium, bronchovascular bundle, septa, and ple...
Vengust M, Staempfli H, Viel L, Heigenhauser G.Horses develop high pulmonary pressures during exercise, which force fluid out of pulmonary capillaries. Specific airway diseases in horses, especially those associated with hypoxaemia, hypercapnoea and acidosis may influence pulmonary haemodynamics and pulmonary interstitial fluid equilibrium. Objective: This study was designed to determine fluid flux (J(V-A) l/min) across the lung in exercising horses treated chronically with acetazolamide. Methods: Six horses were exercised on a treadmill until fatigue without (Con) and with chronic carbonic anhydrase (CA) inhibition (AczTr) and associated ...
Hill AE, Gardner IA, Carpenter TE, Lee CM, Hitchens PL, Stover SM.Knowledge of the site distribution of ligamentous injuries facilitates clinical diagnosis of suspensory apparatus conditions. Objective: To determine if lesions within the suspensory ligament (SL) and distal ligaments of the proximal sesamoid bones (DSLs) were associated with suspensory apparatus failure or metacarpal lateral condylar fracture in California Thoroughbred racehorses. Methods: Cross-sectional study. Methods: Suspensory apparatus specimens from 327 deceased Thoroughbred racehorses were sectioned within the SL body and branches, and oblique and straight DSLs. Purple lesions ≥2 ...
