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.
Rodden EBK, Suthers JM, Busschers E, Burford JH, Freeman SL.Castration is the most common surgical procedure in domesticated equids; surgical techniques used and perioperative management vary considerably. Objective: To identify and chart the current evidence on perioperative complications associated with different methods of surgical castration in domesticated equids. Methods: Joanna Briggs Institute systematic scoping review. Methods: CAB Abstracts, Medline and Embase databases were searched using terms related to equine castration complications. Two authors independently and blindly screened publications against eligibility criteria. Data on study m...
Roberts DM, Gilger BC.Equine fungal keratitis represents a substantial portion of keratitis cases in horses, with fungal involvement identified in approximately half of all infectious keratitis cases. Despite its prevalence, more comprehensive retrospective analyses are needed to better understand this condition. Outcomes vary, with approximately two-thirds of cases achieving complete healing with retained vision, although enucleation is often necessary. Predominant pathogens include Aspergillus and Fusarium, with yeast reported in a minority of cases. Resistance to common antifungal agents among filamentous fungi ...
Davidson EJ, Stefanovski D, Slack J, Manzi TJ.Cervical articular process joint (CAPJ) therapy is advocated for horses with neck disorders. Several ultrasound-guided CAPJ techniques have been described in cadaver studies with 72%-89% intra-articular injection accuracy; however, the CAPJ injection accuracy in clinical equine practice has not been extensively reported. Objective: To describe a modified cranial approach for ultrasound-guided caudal CAPJ injections, to investigate the accuracy of this CAPJ injection technique in live horses, and to assess the effect of CAPJ injection location, laterality, operator, and radiographic CAPJ enlarg...
Giraldo A, Koch TG, Madan P, Lepage S, Monteith G, Alizadeh AH, Tran A, Mortagy N, Koenig JB.There is a knowledge gap regarding the effect of extracorporeal shockwave treatment (ESWT) on the stress response and immunomodulatory and anti-inflammatory properties of equine umbilical cord blood mesenchymal stromal cells (CB-MSCs). The objective of this study was to investigate the presence of cellular oxidative stress, inflammatory response, and production of growth factors in CB-MSCs after treatment with ESWT. We hypothesized that CB-MSCs treated with ESWT will experience higher levels of cellular stress and increased production of anti-inflammatory cytokines and growth factors compared ...
Menzies-Gow NJ, Knowles EJ.Laminitis is a common and painful condition of the equine foot and approximately 90% of cases are associated with insulin dysregulation (ID) that is a central feature of the common endocrine disorder equine metabolic syndrome (EMS) and occurs in a subset of animals with pituitary pars intermedia dysfunction. Additional features of EMS include obesity, altered circulating concentrations of adipokines (particularly adiponectin and leptin) and hypertriglyceridaemia. Obesity, ID, hypoadiponectinaemia, hyperleptinaemia and an altered plasma lipid profile are also features of human metabolic syndrom...
Ewelina SG, Anna Z, Rafał P, Maciej W.Sarcoids are the most frequently diagnosed dermatological tumour in horses. It is a disease that can affect various species of equids, such as donkeys, mules and zebras. This type of tumour can develop in all horse breeds, regardless of age and gender. Treatment options depend on many factors, such as the type of lesion, location, extent, owner preference and financial considerations. In the present study, we investigated the TRIM29 expression, the methylation status of its first exon and its involvement in the formation of equine sarcoids. Bisulfite sequencing PCR (BSP) was used to determine ...
Ebeling-Koning NE, Fowler JT, DelBianco JD, Surmaitis RM.Veterinary medication exposure may result in human toxicity, with approximately 6,000 exposures to veterinary-only medications reported to poison centers in 2022. There is a paucity of literature on the management of poisoned patients secondary to pharmaceuticals intended for equine use. Pergolide is a dopamine and serotonin receptor agonist and is currently approved to treat equine Cushing's disease. It was previously approved in the United States (US) to treat Parkinson's disease in humans; however, it was withdrawn from the market in 2007 due to its association with valvular heart disease....
Kwok WH, Leung EMK, Chan RCM, Ho ENM.The Intelligence and Drug Testing Management (IDTM), a system that can enhance drug testing analytics with related horse information and intelligence in a single platform, can help identify and mitigate potential doping and other threats.
Cutler C, Viljanto M, Hincks P, Habershon-Butcher J, Scarth J, van Eenoo P.S-23 is an arylpropionamide selective androgen receptor modulator that has been investigated in animal models for use as a male hormonal contraceptive but is not yet available therapeutically. S-23 is available alongside other selective androgen receptor modulators (SARMs) to purchase online via uncontrolled sites, sold as supplement products. It has been detected in several human doping cases, highlighting the importance of identifying the best analytical targets for equine doping control. The purpose of this study was to investigate the detection of S-23 and its phase I metabolites in equine...
Goodrich EL, Webb JL.Previous hematologic and serum biochemistry reference interval (RI) values have been established for donkeys in various geographic regions, life-stages, or for specific donkey breeds. The last extensive investigation establishing RIs for adult donkeys in the United States (U.S.) was published over three decades ago. We aimed to establish updated robust RIs using a reference population of apparently healthy adult donkeys from across the U.S. Standard sized ( = 102), miniature ( = 17), and mammoth ( = 1) donkeys from four different states were enrolled, with 20% of the study population including...
Gaitan HM, Mudge MC, Litsky AS, Arruda AG, Gardner AK.To compare strength of left paramedian colopexies using various techniques in equine ex vivo models. Methods: Experimental study. Methods: Equine cadavers euthanized for nongastrointestinal pathology (36 specimens derived from 9 horses). Methods: Colopexies were performed after euthanasia. Suture pattern (horizontal mattress vs. cruciate) and incorporation of dorsal sheath of the rectus abdominis (partial-thickness) versus incorporation of dorsal and ventral sheath of the rectus abdominis (full-thickness) were evaluated. Single cycle load to failure, work to peak load, stiffness, and mode of f...
Rapezzano G, Foote A, Petrini F, Pereira R, Marcatili M.A newborn Thoroughbred filly presented with a large mass located on the ventro-rostral aspect of the mandible. The mass was surgically removed under general anaesthesia. Upon gross examination, the mass was well circumscribed with a heterogeneous lobulated appearance. The results of histopathology and immunohistochemistry were consistent with a diagnosis of congenital fetal rhabdomyoma. On follow-up at six months post-surgical excision, no abnormalities were noted on clinical examination.
Kuhlmann C, Scheidemann W, Bachmann M, Schusser GF.The brainstem auditory evoked response (BAER) is a diagnostic approach to examine the hearing system of horses objectively. The aim of this BAER examination was the diagnosis of conductive or sensorineural hearing loss or deafness in horses with external otitis, head trauma, headshaking, tinnitus or skittish horses with eye disease. Brainstem dysfunction is induced by intracranial hypotension. BAER was used in horses with colic surgery which had a low arterial blood pressure during general anesthesia. The endoscopic finding of the guttural pouch was the ipsilateral mild to severe hypertrophy o...
Steel R, Timms M, Bamford N, Spence R, Sillence M.Previous liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry (LC/MS) methods for the detection of insulin and other similar peptide hormones in equine plasma relied on the use of antibody affinity extraction. As a result, these methods were not suitable for routine high-throughput analysis. A solid-phase extraction (SPE) method incorporating size exclusion as well as reversed-phase interactions allows the selective extraction of peptide hormones such as adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH), insulin and their synthetic analogues from equine plasma with approximately 80% extraction efficiencies. This extracti...
Del Prete C, Montano C, Cocchia N, de Chiara M, Gasparrini B, Pasolini MP.Defining the optimal therapy for endometritis remains a significant challenge for clinicians. Given the public health threat posed by antibiotic resistance and the inconclusiveness of traditional therapies, regenerative medicine has been proposed as an alternative. The objective of this study was to conduct a comprehensive systematic review and meta-analysis, to investigate the efficacy of regenerative medicine products in the treatment of both post-breeding persistent and chronic degenerative endometritis (PBIE/CDE) in mares, following the PRISMA guidelines. This research could be a comprehen...
Maniego J, Harding C, Habershon-Butcher J, Hincks P, Ryder E.Gene doping, which includes the non-therapeutic use of genes or genetic elements that have the capacity to enhance athletic performance, is prohibited in horseracing and equestrian sports. To provide a comprehensive assessment of matrix and detection techniques, a custom adeno-associated virus serotype 8 vector was designed to include PCR binding sites for multiple target genes and assay types. The vector was injected via an intramuscular route into two Thoroughbred horses and matrices collected at defined timepoints. DNA was analysed using 3 detection methods: qPCR, digital PCR, and NGS. Over...
Stedman JM, Lutter JD, Hallman C, Laverty S, Richard H, Santschi EM.High-field MRI of the equine stifle provides high-resolution information about soft tissues that is useful in the diagnosis of stifle lameness. The aim of this prospective anatomic study was to describe the appearance, position, size, and shape of the equine femorotibial ligaments, meniscal ligaments, and menisci using 3 Tesla MRI under extended, extended-loaded, and flexed conditions. Additionally, histologic examination of the collateral and cruciate ligaments (CLs) of a single stifle was performed to compare with MRI images. In extension, mild variations in MRI signal intensity were apparen...
Ramadan RM, Taha NM, Auda HM, Elsamman EM, El-Bahy MM, Salem MA.Equine piroplasmosis is not fully understood regarding pathogenicity, prophylaxis, host immune response expression, and specific vectors. Accurately identifying the parasite vector is crucial for developing an effective control plan for a particular infection. This study focused on morphologically identifying two Hyalomma species (H. anatolicum and H. marginatum) and one Rhipicephalus annulatus (R. annulatus) at the species level. The identification process was followed by phylogenetic analysis using the neighbor-joining method based on the cytochrome oxidase subunit 1 (COXI) gene as a specifi...
Kabi L E, Zor TA, Göktaş EF, Güneş E, Yatanaslan L, Tektaş MH, İnceman B, Tufan M.The use of prohibited substances in horse racing is a major concern that jeopardizes both the fairness of competitions and the health of horses. This problem can stem from the use of licensed drugs for animal health, as well as unlicensed substances. Horse doping laboratories monitor the potential use of these substances in racehorses within the framework of regulations set by the International Federation of Horse Racing Authority. In this context, sildenafil and its major metabolite n-desmethyl sildenafil were detected in a post-race horse urine sample sent to the Pendik Veterinary Control In...
Wickstead FA, Milner PI, Bardell DA.Wound infusion catheters (WICs) have been used in humans and some veterinary species for post-operative local anesthetic administration following a variety of surgical procedures, aiming to reduce post-operative analgesia requirements and improve patient comfort. Benefit in reduction in pain, post-operative analgesia requirements and length of hospital stay are well documented in humans, but use of WICs may not have been widely adopted in veterinary species due to the concern of increased complications, such as dehiscence or surgical site infection (SSI), creating a barrier to their use. This ...
Pereira DIB, Botton SA, Ianiski LB, Braga CQ, Maciel AF, Melo LG, Zambrano CG, Bruhn FRP, Santurio JM.This systematic review compiles reports of clinical pythiosis in horses, mules and donkeys from 1960 to 2023 worldwide, focusing on Brazil. We searched databases and included 71 articles detailing clinical characteristics, geographic distribution, epidemiology, diagnostic methods, therapies, and outcomes. The results showed that publications on equine pythiosis have significantly increased since 2010. Brazil reported the highest incidence, comprising 55% of cases, predominantly in the southern, northeastern, and central-western regions during summer and autumn. Cutaneous pythiosis was the most...
Arrigo F, Aragona F, Faggio C, Giudice E, Giannetto C, Piccione G, Rizzo M, Arfuso F.The aim of this study was to assess the changes of pro-inflammatory interleukins in 10 horses subjected to road transport practices (distance of 150 km) from the training site (Messina, Sicily) to the competition centre in Syracuse (Sicily). Blood sampling and interleukins analysis were performed during a round trip transportation (transport 1 and transport 2). In particular, blood samples were collected before the transport took place (Pre), five minutes later (Post) and one hour later (Post 1 h), for each transport, in order to assess the serum concentration of IL-1α, IL-1β, IL-2 and IL-...
Mascaró Triedo CE, Karar S, Abunemeh M, Portier K.Pupillometry is used in humans to monitor pain, nociception and analgesia. This single-center, non-randomized, non-blinded intervention trial, evaluated the effect of nose twitching on the pupil size in awake, sedated, and anesthetized horses. Pupil height (H) and length (L) were measured before (Be) and after (Af) nose twitching in fourteen non-painful adult awake horses (T0). The percentage of variation (PSV) was calculated (PSVTn = [(TnAf-TnBe)/TnBe]*100). Measurements were repeated (Tn) after acepromazine (0.04 mg kg IV) (T1), romifidine (0.04 mg kg IV) (T2), morphine (0.1 mg...
Coutinho GH, Ragle CA.The objective of this demonstration was to describe and simulate a surgical technique for removing subepiglottic cysts in horses via an oral approach under endoscopic guidance using a cadaver model for simulation and clinical data. The technique aims to provide a minimally invasive method for the removal of these cysts. Methods: 2 clinical case images from the Washington State University Teaching Hospital were used in the video. In a third horse euthanized for reasons unrelated to the study, the procedure was simulated after the head was frozen and transected transversally. Methods: Files from...
Ryt-Hansen P, Johansen VK, Cuicani MM, Larsen LE, Hansen S.Equine herpesvirus 4 (EHV-4) causes respiratory disease in horses, and the virus is considered endemic in the global equine population. However, outbreaks can occur when several horses are gathered in relation to shows, competitions, breeding units and at hospitals. In the spring year 2022, an EHV-4 outbreak occurred at the Large Animal Teaching Hospital, University of Copenhagen, Denmark. Nine horses were tested EHV-4 positive during the outbreak, which lasted approx. seven weeks. In addition, a tenth horse "Eq10" tested EHV-4 positive almost three weeks after the last of the outbreak horses ...
Pereira LO, DE Souza AF, Spagnolo JD, Yamada ALM, Salgado DMRA, DE Zoppa ALDV.Osteoarthritis (OA) is a prevalent condition in horses, leading to changes in trabecular bone structure and radiographic texture. Although fractal dimension (FD) and lacunarity have been applied to quantify these changes in humans, their application in horses remains nascent. This study evaluated the use of FD, bone area fraction (BA/TA), and lacunarity in quantifying trabecular bone differences in the proximal phalanx (P1) in 50 radiographic examinations of equine metacarpophalangeal joints with varying OA degrees. In the dorsopalmar view, regions of interest were defined in the trabecular bo...
Hisaeda K, Ono T, Kadekaru S, Hata A, Miyama TS, Kutara K, Sugimoto K, Hiasa Y, Ohzawa E, Kunieda T, Iwata E, Kitagawa H.Plasma or serum amino acids are used to evaluate nutritional status and metabolic disorders. In this study, we aimed to set reference values of serum amino acid concentrations in the Noma horse, a Japanese native horse. Thirty-one horses were classified into six age groups: neonatal foal (0-4 days), foal (0.5-1 years), youth (5 years), middle age (10 years), old (15 years), and extra-old (>20 years). Horses >5 years of age were analyzed together as the adult group. In the adult horses, there were no significant differences among the serum amino acid concentrations of each age group. The ...
Muñoz-Prieto A, Llamas-Amor E, Cerón JJ, Hansen S.Equine gastric ulcer syndrome (EGUS) is a prevalent condition in horses, affecting up to 93% of racehorses. Comprising the equine squamous gastric disease (ESGD) and the equine glandular gastric disease (EGGD), EGUS poses significant health challenges. Saliva, a non-invasive and easily obtainable sample, is increasingly recognized for its potential as a source of biomarkers in horses. This study investigates changes in saliva analytes using automated assays before and after EGUS treatment, aiming to identify biomarkers indicative of treatment success or failure. A total of 28 horses diagnosed ...
Sobral GG, Neto OCG, Lima TC, Carneiro GF.Providing plasma with immunoglobulins is essential for the health of foals with failure of passive transfer of immunity. The use of lyophilized plasma (LP) offers a simple and affordable option in terms of transportation and storage. This study aimed to measure the concentrations of immunoglobulin G (IgG), total protein (TP), and total solids (TS) in fresh equine plasma before and after lyophilization. Plasma was collected from six healthy male horses. The samples underwent freeze-drying and were reconstituted in deionized water to their original volume. The concentrations of IgG in both fresh...
Short MA, Clark CK, Harvey JW, Wenzlow N, Hawkins IK, Allred DR, Knowles DP, Corn JL, Grause JF, Hennager SG, Kitchen DL, Traub-Dargatz JL.A 7-year-old Quarter Horse gelding was hospitalized in Ocala, Fla, because of lethargy, fever, anorexia, and swelling of distal aspects of the limbs. A tentative diagnosis of equine piroplasmosis (EP) was made on the basis of examination of a blood smear. The case was reported to the Florida State Veterinarian, and infection with Babesia equi was confirmed. The subsequent investigation included quarantine and testing of potentially exposed horses for B equi and Babesia caballi infections, tick surveillance, and owner-agent interviews. Results: 210 horses on 25 premises were tested for infectio...
Bertoni L, Branly T, Jacquet S, Desancé M, Desquilbet L, Rivory P, Hartmann DJ, Denoix JM, Audigié F, Galéra P, Demoor M.Osteoarthritis is a significant and costly cause of pain for both humans and horses. The horse has been identified as a suitable model for human osteoarthritis. Regenerative therapy with allogeneic mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) is a promising treatment, but the safety of this procedure continues to be debated. The aim of this study is to evaluate the safety of intra-articular injections of allogeneic MSCs on healthy joints by comparing two different dosages and two different tissue sources, namely, bone marrow and umbilical cord blood, with a placebo treatment on the same individuals. We also ...
Dupuis MC, Zhang Z, Durkin K, Charlier C, Lekeux P, Georges M.We used the data from a recently performed genome-wide association study using the Illumina Equine SNP50 beadchip for the detection of copy number variants (CNVs) and examined their association with recurrent laryngeal neuropathy (RLN), an important equine upper airway disease compromising performance. A total of 2797 CNVs were detected for 477 horses, covering 229 kb and seven SNPs on average. Overlapping CNVs were merged to define 478 CNV regions (CNVRs). CNVRs, particularly deletions, were shown to be significantly depleted in genes. Fifty-two of the 67 common CNVRs (frequency ≥ 1%) we...
Wada R, Kamada M, Anzai T, Nakanishi A, Kanemaru T, Takai S, Tsubaki S.Twelve foals, between 27 and 83 days old, were infected with 2 strains of Rhodococcus equi by intratracheal administration. Ten of the 12 foals were inoculated with 10(4)-10(10) colony forming units (cfu) of ATCC 33701 strain. The other 2 foals were inoculated with 10(9) cfu of a plasmid-cured derivative of the ATCC 33701 strain (ATCC 33701P-). All of the 10 foals challenged with the ATCC 33701 strain showed clinical signs of pulmonary disease within 5-13 days, such as gross lesions associated with acute bronchopneumonia and microscopic lesions associated with granulomatous pneumonia. The two ...
Taniguchi K, Urasawa T, Urasawa S.We determined the nucleotide and deduced amino acid sequences of the VP4 genes of five equine, two feline, and two canine rotavirus strains. A high degree of homology (> 97.0%) was found among the VP4 amino acid sequences of the equine strains H2, FI-14, and FI23. Equine strain L338 has a distinct VP4 amino acid sequence from those of the other equine strains (78.1% or less homology), and the L338 VP4 exhibited more than 17.0% divergence at the amino acid level from those of rotavirus strains published so far. The VP4 amino acid sequence of equine strain H1, which showed low homology with t...
Butler PJ, Woakes AJ, Smale K, Roberts CA, Hillidge CJ, Snow DH, Marlin DJ.A new design of flowmeter is described and used in a comprehensive study of the respiratory and cardiovascular adjustments that occur during a standardised exercise test in Thoroughbred horses. The flowmeter system and associated lightweight, fibreglass mask (total mass, 0.7 kg) have a maximum dead space of 500 ml and negligible resistance to airflow. They have no systematic effect on blood gases and, together with a rapidly responding mass spectrometer, enable an accurate computation of gas exchange to be performed together with breath-by-breath determination of other respiratory variables. A...
Parkin TD, Clegg PD, French NP, Proudman CJ, Riggs CM, Singer ER, Webbon PM, Morgan KL.The characteristics of, and pre-existing pathology associated with 75 cases of fatal lateral condylar fracture sustained by Thoroughbreds while racing in the UK were described. Cases were identified from 220 cases of fatal distal limb fracture submitted as part of studies designed to identify risk factors for all fatal distal limb fractures. Fractures were most common in hurdle races and affected the right forelimb twice as often as the left forelimb. Fracture dimensions were similar to previous reports, however there was a much greater prevalence of articular and diaphyseal comminution and of...
De Schauwer C, Goossens K, Piepers S, Hoogewijs MK, Govaere JL, Smits K, Meyer E, Van Soom A, Van de Walle GR.Mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) have been extensively studied for their promising capabilities in regenerative medicine. Although bone marrow is the best-known source for isolating equine MSCs, non-invasive alternative sources such as umbilical cord blood (UCB), umbilical cord matrix (UCM), and peripheral blood (PB) have also been reported. Methods: Equine MSCs from three non-invasive alternative sources were isolated from six individual mares (PB) and their foals (UCB and UCM) at parturition. To minimize inter-horse variability, the samples from the three sources were matched within the same...
Issel CJ, Adams WV, Meek L, Ochoa R.Twenty seven adult horses positive to the agar gel immunodiffusion (AGID) test for equine infectious anemia (EIA), but with no history of clinical EIA, were used in transfusion studies to determine whether infectious EIA virus was present in 1 to 5 ml of their blood. Of 27 recipients, 21 (78%) became AGID test-positive at an average of 24 days after inoculation. Two horses that were initially negative when screened were retested and found to carry infectious virus in 5-300 ml of whole blood; the other 4 horses were not retested. Horse flies (Tabanus fuscicostatus Hine) were unable to transmit ...
Argüelles D, Carmona JU, Climent F, Muñoz E, Prades M.Two horses with acute tendinopathy of a superficial digital flexor tendon (SDFT) and three horses with chronic proximal desmitis of the suspensory ligament (PDSL) were treated by injecting autologous concentrates of their platelets into the lesions. The lesions were monitored ultrasonographically and clinically. There were significant ultrasonographic and clinical improvements in the two horses with SDFT, but no ultrasonographic improvements in the horses with PDSL; however, they improved clinically and became less lame. All the horses had returned to their pre-injury level of performance by s...
Milinovich GJ, Klieve AV, Pollitt CC, Trott DJ.Equine laminitis is the most serious foot disease of the horse, often resulting in death or euthanasia. Laminitis has long been recognized as an affliction of horses, as has the association of this condition with the ingestion of carbohydrates. Research into the pathophysiology of this condition has been facilitated by the development of reliable models for experimentally inducing laminitis, and DNA-based techniques for profiling complex microbiomes have dramatically increased the knowledge of the microbiology of this disease. Recent studies have provided substantial evidence showing equine hi...
Gieling F, Peters S, Erichsen C, Richards RG, Zeiter S, Moriarty TF.Bacterial osteomyelitis in veterinary patients can be challenging to diagnose and treat, given limited therapeutic options and reported success rates. Osteomyelitis is frequently associated with surgical implant devices, including those required to optimise stability and healing of fractures. However, management of osteomyelitis sometimes necessitates the removal of these surgical implant devices in order to eradicate infection or limit implant-related osteolysis. The goal of this article is to provide a general and species-specific review of bacterial osteomyelitis in a selection of domestic ...
Bisgard GE, Forster HV, Klein JP.Resting ventilation (PaCO2) and ventilatory responses to acute hypoxia and to intravenous NaCN were assessed over a 4-yr period following cutting of the carotid sinus nerves and stripping the adventitia of the aortic arch. The data indicated essentially complete loss of peripheral chemoreceptor function immediately after surgery and hypoventilation during normoxia (delta PaCO2 = +8.7 Torr). There was a time-dependent, partial recovery of peripheral chemoreceptor function between 2 and 22 mo after surgery. Approximately 10% of the ventilatory response to iv NaCN returned, and 30-40% of the norm...
Engvall EO, Pettersson B, Persson M, Artursson K, Johansson KE.A PCR-based assay was developed for detecting DNA of granulocytic ehrlichiae in blood samples from dogs, horses, and cattle, Primers were designed from 16S rRNA sequence information to specifically amplify DNA from a newly identified Swedish Ehrlichia species. The 16S rRNA nucleotide sequence of this Swedish species differs in only two and three positions from the sequences of Ehrlichia phagocytophila and Ehrlichia equi, respectively, which were also amplified by this PCR system. For evaluation, PCR results were compared with microscopic examination of stained blood smears for the detection of...
De Santis M, Contalbrigo L, Borgi M, Cirulli F, Luzi F, Redaelli V, Stefani A, Toson M, Odore R, Vercelli C, Valle E, Farina L.Equine assisted interventions (EAIs) are recently facing an increasing popularity, and are characterized by a wide diversity of practices. However, information on the welfare of animals involved in this kind of activity is often lacking. Horses are highly susceptible to work stressors related to physical constraints and/or to the need to control emotions while interacting with humans. Considerations of the emotional state of horses involved in EAIs have multiple valences: for the safety of humans and animals involved, for the quality and efficacy of interventions, as well as for ethical reason...
Penell JC, Egenvall A, Bonnett BN, Olson P, Pringle J.The principal aim of this study was to analyse the incidence of disease due to general and more specific causes among over 100,000 horses covered by complete insurance for veterinary care by a Swedish insurance company during 1997 to 2000. The database was used to calculate the rate of cause-specific morbidity in horses of different ages, sexes and breed groups kept in different regions with different human population densities. The joints were the most commonly affected part of the body, followed by unspecified/whole body, the skin and the digestive system. The most common specific diagnosis ...
Iversson LB, Silva RA, da Rosa AP, Barros VL.Neutralizing antibodies to EEE (6.7%), WEE (1.2%), ILH (26.6%), MAG (28.2%) and TCM (15.7%) viruses were found in sera of 432 equines of the Brazilian Pantanal, area where undiagnosed horse deaths are frequently observed. A 4-fold rise in CF titer to EEE virus was detected in acute and convalescent sera of an encephalitis horse sacrificed in 1992. Antibodies to EEE, ILH, MAG and TCM viruses were detected in horses less than 2 years old indicating recent circulation of these viruses in the Pantanal. The evidence of recent equine encephalitis associated with rising CF titer to EEE warrants a mor...
Clark C, Greenwood S, Boison JO, Chirino-Trejo M, Dowling PM.All bacterial samples of equine origin submitted to the diagnostic laboratory at the Western College of Veterinary Medicine from January 1998 to December 2003 from either "in-clinic" or Field Service cases were accessed (1323 submissions). The most common bacterial isolates from specific presenting signs were identified, along with their in vitro antimicrobial susceptibility patterns. The most common site from which significant bacterial isolates were recovered was the respiratory tract, followed by wounds. Streptococcus zooepidemicus was the most common isolate from most infections, followed ...
Hines SA, Stone DM, Hines MT, Alperin DC, Knowles DP, Norton LK, Hamilton MJ, Davis WC, McGuire TC.Rhodococcus equi is a gram-positive bacterium that infects alveolar macrophages and causes rhodococcal pneumonia in horses and humans. The virulence plasmid of R. equi appears to be required for both pathogenicity in the horse and the induction of protective immunity. An understanding of the mechanisms by which virulent R. equi circumvents protective host responses and by which bacteria are ultimately cleared is important for development of an effective vaccine. Six adult horses were challenged with either virulent R. equi or an avirulent, plasmid-cured derivative. By using a flow cytometric m...
Middleton D.Hendra virus infection of horses occurred sporadically between 1994 and 2010 as a result of spill-over from the viral reservoir in Australian mainland flying-foxes, and occasional onward transmission to people also followed from exposure to affected horses. An unprecedented number of outbreaks were recorded in 2011 leading to heightened community concern. Release of an inactivated subunit vaccine for horses against Hendra virus represents the first commercially available product that is focused on mitigating the impact of a Biosafety Level 4 pathogen. Through preventing the development of acut...
Flaminio MJ, Rush BR, Davis EG, Hennessy K, Shuman W, Wilkerson MJ.Studies in infants and foals indicate an age-dependent maturation of peripheral lymphocyte subsets. The age-dependent relationship for maturation of cellular immune responses, such as phagocytosis and lymphocyte responses of the peripheral and pulmonary-derived leukocytes, has not been characterized in foals. Lymphocyte subpopulations, mitogen stimulation response of lymphocytes, lymphokine-activated killing cell activity, phagocytosis and oxidative burst activity, and serum immunoglobulin (Ig) classes G and M concentrations were determined in developing foals. This study illustrates age-depen...
Nordengrahn A, Rusvai M, Merza M, Ekström J, Morein B, Belák S.Equine herpesvirus type 2 (EHV-2), a member of the Gammaherpesvirinae subfamily, was studied in a two-phase respiratory disease complex of young foals as a predisposing factor for the secondary bacterial invasion of lungs with Rhodococcus equi (R. equi). Foals were immunized against EHV-2 on a farm where R. equi pneumonia regularly occurred during the last years. The immunizations were performed by using a subunit vaccine which selectively presents envelope glycoproteins of EHV-2 in a multimeric form of immunostimulating complexes (iscoms). The etiological role of EHV-2 was estimated by observ...
Hultén C, Grönlund U, Hirvonen J, Tulamo RM, Suominen MM, Marhaug G, Forsberg M.Despite the importance of noninfectious joint diseases in equine medicine, little is known about the acute phase response which may be elicited if the local inflammatory process of noninfectious arthritis is sufficiently strong, Therefore the aim of this study was to monitor the systemic inflammatory response during experimentally-induced noninfectious arthritis by studying the dynamics in serum of the acute phase proteins serum amyloid A (SAA), haptoglobin, fibrinogen and alpha2-globulins. Twenty-four Standardbred horses, age 3-7 years, found healthy on thorough clinical, radiological, haemat...
Cywińska A, Szarska E, Górecka R, Witkowski L, Hecold M, Bereznowski A, Schollenberger A, Winnicka A.Acute phase proteins (APP) have been described as useful for assessing health in human and animal patients, as they closely reflect the acute phase reaction (APR). In humans and dogs a reaction analogous to APR has also been described after prolonged or strenuous exercise. The aim of this study was to determine, if similar reactions occur in endurance horses after limited and long distance rides. Seventeen horses that successfully completed various distance competitions were tested. Routine haematological and biochemical tests were performed and the concentrations of serum amyloid A (SAA), C-r...
Stephens PR, Nunamaker DM, Butterweck DM.Custom-designed Hall-effect strain sensors (HES) were implanted surgically onto the superficial digital flexor tendons of the forelimbs of 4 adult Thoroughbreds. Strains were recorded at various gaits, using a portable amplifer and FM cassette recorder. Strain calculations used the original length (L) as the HES position with the forelimb in the relaxed neutral position during anesthesia. A characteristic deflection in the strain cycle recording was confirmed to correspond to initial hoof contact with the ground (heel strike) by simultaneous recording of weight bearing via a footswitch. Heel s...
Gregoire C, Rosinski-Chupin I, Rabillon J, Alzari PM, David B, Dandeu JP.The gene encoding the major horse allergen, designated Equus caballus allergen 1 (Equ c1), was cloned from total cDNA of sublingual salivary glands by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction using synthetic degenerate oligonucleotides deduced from N-terminal and internal peptide sequences of the glycosylated hair dandruff protein. A recombinant form of the protein, with a polyhistidine tail, was expressed in Escherichia coli and purified by immobilized metal affinity chromatography. The recombinant protein is able to induce a passive cutaneous anaphylaxis reaction in rat, and it behave...
Scare JA, Slusarewicz P, Noel ML, Wielgus KM, Nielsen MK.Fecal egg counts are emphasized for guiding equine helminth parasite control regimens due to the rise of anthelmintic resistance. This, however, poses further challenges, since egg counting results are prone to issues such as operator dependency, method variability, equipment requirements, and time commitment. The use of image analysis software for performing fecal egg counts is promoted in recent studies to reduce the operator dependency associated with manual counts. In an attempt to remove operator dependency associated with current methods, we developed a diagnostic system that utilizes a ...
Paillot R, Prowse L, Montesso F, Huang CM, Barnes H, Escala J.Equine influenza (EI) is a serious respiratory disease of horses induced by the equine influenza virus (EIV). Surveillance, quarantine procedures and vaccination are widely used to prevent or to contain the disease. This study aimed to further characterise the immune response induced by a non-updated inactivated EI and tetanus vaccine, including protection against a representative EIV isolate of the Florida clade 2 sublineage. Seven ponies were vaccinated twice with Duvaxyn IE-T Plus at an interval of four weeks. Five ponies remained unvaccinated. All ponies were experimentally infected with t...
Park T, Cheong H, Yoon J, Kim A, Yun Y, Unno T.(1) Background: The intestinal microbiota plays an essential role in maintaining the host's health. Dysbiosis of the equine hindgut microbiota can alter the fermentation patterns and cause metabolic disorders. (2) Methods: This study compared the fecal microbiota composition of horses with intestinal disease and their healthy counterparts living in Korea using 16S rRNA sequencing from fecal samples. A total of 52 fecal samples were collected and divided into three groups: horses with large intestinal disease (n = 20), horses with small intestinal disease (n = 8), and healthy horses (n = 24). (...
Unger L, Nicholson A, Jewitt EM, Gerber V, Hegeman A, Sweetman L, Valberg S.Hypoglycin A, found in seeds of Acer negundo, appears to cause seasonal pasture myopathy (SPM) in North America and is implicated in atypical myopathy (AM) in Europe. Acer negundo is uncommon in Europe. Thus, the potential source of hypoglycin A in Europe is unknown. Objective: We hypothesized that seeds of Acer pseudoplatanus were the source of hypoglycin A in Europe. Our objective was to determine the concentration of hypoglycin A in seeds of A. pseudoplatanus trees located in pastures where previous cases of AM had occurred. Methods: None. Methods: University of Berne records were searched ...
