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.
Frisbie DD, Lu Y, Kawcak CE, DiCarlo EF, Binette F, McIlwraith CW.Current autologous chondrocyte implantation (ACI) techniques require 2 surgical procedures: 1 for cell harvest and 1 for reimplantation of cultured cells. A 1-step procedure is more desirable. Objective: A 1-step surgical procedure using autologous cartilage fragments on a polydioxanone scaffold, or CAIS (cartilage autograft implantation system), in a clinically relevant defect (15-mm diameter) within equine femoral trochlea was compared with a 2-step ACI technique as well as with empty defects and defects with polydioxanone foam scaffolds alone. Methods: Controlled laboratory study. Methods: ...
Mozzaquatro FD, Verstegen JP, Douglas RH, Troedsson MH, DeLaCorte FD, Silva CA, Rubin MI.Ultrasonic-guided transvaginal follicle aspiration was performed in 58 crossbreed mares in order to determine whether aspiration of various dominant follicle diameters resulted in luteal tissue capable of producing progesterone (P(4)). The mares were randomly assigned to three groups according to follicular diameter (25-29 mm; 30-35 mm and >35 mm). Mares that had ovulations naturally served as controls. The serum progesterone (P(4)) concentrations in the aspirated mares were greater (P < 0.0001; r(2) = 0.6687; CV = 21.52) in mares with natural ovulation compared to mares with aspirated follicl...
Wagner B, Stokol T, Ainsworth DM.Transfer of maternal IgE antibodies to the neonate with the colostrum has been described in different mammalian species. Previous work in horses has shown that IgE bound to the surface of neonatal basophils is solely of maternal origin. However, the functional role of the maternal IgE transfer remained unclear. We hypothesized that maternal IgE mediates the onset of innate IL-4 production in equine neonatal basophils. Intracellular IL-4 production was measured in PBMC of newborn and older foals by flow cytometric analysis. A small population of IL-4(+) cells was observed in the peripheral bloo...
BMC research notesDecember 16, 2009
Volume 2 255 doi: 10.1186/1756-0500-2-255
Rendo F, Iriondo M, Manzano C, Estonba A.The Cantabrian Coast horse breeds of the Iberian Peninsula have mainly black or bay colored coats, but alleles responsible for a chestnut coat color run in these breeds and occasionally, chestnut horses are born. Chestnut coat color is caused by two recessive alleles, e and e(a), of the melanocortin-1 receptor gene, whereas the presence of the dominant, wild-type E allele produces black or bay coat horses. Because black or bay colored coats are considered as the purebred phenotype for most of the breeds from this region, it is important to have a fast and reliable method to detect alleles caus...
Heo EJ, Lee HS, Jeoung HY, Ko HR, Kweon CH, Ko YJ.A recombinant glycoprotein (R-GP) of vesicular stomatitis New Jersey virus (VSV-NJ) was expressed in insect cells by a baculovirus system. Its utility as a diagnostic antigen in a blocking ELISA was investigated as an alternative to the current native GP extracted from VSV-NJ. With the cut-off value of 73% inhibition, the R-GP ELISA exhibited 99.1% specificity for naive sera from cattle and horses. It did not cross-react with VSV-Indiana (VSV-IN) positive sera and differentiated from foot-and-mouth disease and swine vesicular disease. Taken together, this is the first report that the R-GP has ...
Venner M, Peters J, Höhensteiger N, Schock B, Bornhorst A, Grube M, Adam U, Scheuch E, Weitschies W, Rosskopf D, Kroemer HK, Siegmund W.Macrolide antibiotics penetrate in the lung against steep concentration gradients into the epithelial lining fluid (ELF) and broncho-alveolar cells (BAC). Since they interact with ABCB1, ABCC2, and organic anion transporting proteins (OATPs), which are localized to lung tissue, pulmonary concentration may be influenced by rifampicin (RIF), an inducer and modulator of efflux and uptake transporters. We measured concentrations of tulathromycin (TM) in plasma, ELF and BAC in 21 warm-blooded foals 24 and 192 h after first and last intramuscular injection of 2.5 mg/kg TM once weekly for 6 weeks. In...
Timoney JF, DeNegri R, Sheoran A, Forster N.The clonal Streptococcus equi causes equine strangles, a highly contagious suppurative lymphadenopathy and rhinopharyngitis. An important virulence factor and vaccine component, the antiphagocytic fibrinogen binding SeM of S. equi is a surface anchored fibrillar protein. Two recent studies of N. American, Japanese and European isolates have revealed a high frequency of N-terminal amino acid variation in SeM of S. equi CF32 that suggests this region of the protein is subject to immunologic selection pressure. The aims of the present study were firstly to map regions of SeM reactive with convale...
Ossiprandi MC, Buttrini M, Bottarelli E, Zerbini L.Clostridium difficile, associated with a wide spectrum of diseases in humans, as well as in several animal species, is an important cause of colitis in adult horses and foals. The aim of this study was to investigate by toxin gene profile and PCR-ribotyping the molecular characteristics of 14 C. difficile strains isolated from 42 faeces of healthy horses. Both toxin genes, tcdA and tcdB, were present in only 1 isolate (7.1%). Six isolates (42.9%) demonstrated tcdA-/tcdB+ genotype, and seven isolates (50.0%) were tcdA-/tcdB-. All strains were binary toxin genes negative (cdtA-/cdtB-). The PCR-p...
Sun WC, Berghaus LJ, Moore JN, Hurley DJ, Vandenplas ML, Thompson R, Linden J.Stimulation of adenosine A(2A) receptors results in anti-inflammatory effects in a variety of cell types. Lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and pro-inflammatory cytokines, such as TNF-alpha and IL-1, have been reported to up-regulate the expression of adenosine A(2A) receptors and thereby enhance the functional activity of adenosine A(2A) receptors in human and murine monocyte/macrophage cell lines and in monocytes/macrophages isolated from those species. In this study, we investigated the effects of LPS and TNF-alpha on the expression and functional activity of adenosine A(2A) receptors in isolated eq...
BMC research notesDecember 11, 2009
Volume 2 246 doi: 10.1186/1756-0500-2-246
Smits K, Goossens K, Van Soom A, Govaere J, Hoogewijs M, Vanhaesebrouck E, Galli C, Colleoni S, Vandesompele J, Peelman L.Application of reverse transcription quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction is very well suited to reveal differences in gene expression between in vivo and in vitro produced embryos. Ultimately, this may lead to optimized equine assisted reproductive techniques. However, for a correct interpretation of the real-time PCR results, all data must be normalized, which is most reliably achieved by calculating the geometric mean of the most stable reference genes. In this study a set of reliable reference genes was identified for equine in vivo and fresh and frozen-thawed in vitro embryos....
Morán G, Burgos R, Araya O, Folch H.In horses, Recurrent Airway Obstruction (RAO) is an allergic disease that involves IgE mediated Type I Hypersensitivity responses. The development of this type of allergy involves a series of events that begins with reaginic antibodies, mainly IgE and some IgG subclasses. These reaginic antibodies bind with high affinity, via the Fc portion, to FcepsilonRI receptors on the membrane of mast cells and basophils. Once bound, environmental allergens cross-link the antibodies, which results in mast cell degranulation leading to the production of histamine and other chemical mediators that act toget...
Penell JC, Bonnett BN, Pringle J, Egenvall A.Computerized diagnostic information offers potential for epidemiological research; however data accuracy must be addressed. The principal aim of this study was to evaluate the completeness and correctness of diagnostic information in a computerized equine clinical database compared to corresponding hand written veterinary clinical records, used as gold standard, and to assess factors related to correctness. Further, the aim was to investigate completeness (epidemiologic sensitivity), correctness (positive predictive value), specificity and prevalence for diagnoses for four body systems and cor...
Hirota J, Nishi H, Matsuda H, Tsunemitsu H, Shimiz S.Flavivirus-infected sera are known to show cross-reactions in serodiagnoses of heterologous flavivirus infections. Japanese encephalitis virus (JEV) is endemic in Asia and, in Japan, many horses are vaccinated against JEV. However, the cross-reactivity level of JEV-vaccinated horse sera in the serodiagnosis of West Nile virus (WNV) has not been clarified. The antibody cross-reactivity of JEV-vaccinated horse sera in WNV serological tests, such as the plaque reduction neutralization test (PRNT), IgG indirect ELISA (IgG-ELISA) and hemagglutination inhibition (HI) test, was examined. All JEV-vacc...
Zhu ZY, Lin YZ, Wang YH, Zhao LP, Zhu YM, Zhou JH.To disclose the potential roles of humoral immune response in the EIAV vaccine-induced protective immunity. In this study, major parameters of humoral immunity be compared between horses inoculated with the EIAV vaccine strain and the pathogenic virulent strain. Methods: Experimental horses were randomly assigned into the group inoculated with the vaccine strain EIAV(DLV); (the vaccinated group) and the group inoculated with sub-morbigenous dose of virulent strain EIAV(Liao); (the inapparent infection group). Humoral immunity parameters, including binding endpoint titer and avidity index of an...
Hornstra H, Pearson T, Georgia S, Liguori A, Dale J, Price E, O'Neill M, Deshazer D, Muhammad G, Saqib M, Naureen A, Keim P.We collected epidemiologic and molecular data from Burkholderia mallei isolates from equines in Punjab, Pakistan from 1999 through 2007. We show that recent outbreaks are genetically distinct from available whole genome sequences and that these genotypes are persistent and ubiquitous in Punjab, probably due to human-mediated movement of equines.
Watts EJ, Rose MT.Horses are more prone to complications in the wound healing process than other species, and problems such as chronic inflammation, delayed epithelialization, poor wound contraction, and exuberant granulation tissue are commonly seen, particularly in wounds on the distal limbs. In comparison, wounds of the oral mucosa heal rapidly in a scarless fashion with a high degree of wound contraction. The effect of platelet-derived growth factor BB (PDGF), insulin-like growth factor (IGF)-1, and transforming growth factor beta1 (TGFbeta1) on the contraction of a fibroblast-populated collagen matrix (FPC...
TSUJIMURA K, SHIOSE T, YAMANAKA T, NEMOTO M, KONDO T, MATSUMURA T.An equine herpesvirus type 1 (EHV-1) mutant, DeltagE, defective in glycoprotein E (gE) was evaluated as a modified live virus (MLV) vaccine. Colostrum-deprived Thoroughbred foals inoculated intranasally (i.n.) or intramuscularly (i.m.) with DeltagE did not exhibit any clinical signs of respiratory disease except for a mild nasal discharge in 1 i.n. inoculated foal on Days 1 and 3 post-infection. In contrast, the intranasal inoculation of foals with the revertant of DeltagE resulted in biphasic pyrexia, mucopurulent nasal discharge and swelling of submandibular lymph nodes. These results indica...
YAMASHITA K, AKASHI N, KATAYAMA Y, UCHIDA Y, UMAR MA, ITAMI T, INOUE H, SAMS RA, MUIR WW.The bispectral index (BIS) was evaluated as an indicator of central nervous system (CNS) depression in horses anesthetized with propofol. Five non-premedicated horses were anesthetized with 7 mg/kg, IV propofol and the minimum infusion rate (MIR) of propofol required to maintain anesthesia was determined during intermittent positive pressure ventilation in each horse. The BIS was determined 20 min later and after stabilization at 2.0 MIR, 1.5 MIR, and 1.0 MIR. The BIS was also recorded after the cessation of propofol infusion when the horses regained spontaneous breathing and swallowing reflex...
Giles C, Cavanagh HM, Noble G, Vanniasinkam T.There are currently two known serotypes of equine adenovirus (EAdV), equine adenovirus type 1 (EAdV1) and equine adenovirus type 2 (EAdV2); EAdV1 is predominantly associated with upper respiratory tract infections while EAdV2 appears to have a higher association with gastrointestinal infection, however, very little is known about the prevalence of these viruses in horse populations in Australia. In this study we tested 122 serum samples obtained from horses in New South Wales, Australia, using a standard serum neutralization (SN) assay and ELISA. Ninety-seven of the 122 sera displayed had mode...
Huff NK, Thompson DL, Mitcham PB, Storer WA.Mares and geldings in good body condition selected for hyperleptinemia vs. normal leptin concentrations were studied to determine whether the hyperleptinemic condition affected various characteristics of the hematologic and hormonal systems after a challenge with lipopolysaccharide endotoxin. Four mares and 4 geldings that were determined to be hyperleptinemic (mean plasma leptin concentrations of 10.0 to 15.5 ng/mL) and 4 mares and 4 geldings with mean plasma leptin concentrations between 2.4 and 5.5 ng/mL were administered Escherichia coli O55:B5 endotoxin (35 ng/kg of BW in 500 mL of saline...
Tsujimura K, Yamada M, Nagata S, Yamanaka T, Nemoto M, Kondo T, Kurosawa M, Matsumura T.We investigated the pharmacokinetics of penciclovir after oral administration of its prodrug famciclovir to horses. Following an oral dose of famciclovir at 20 mg/kg, maximum plasma concentrations of penciclovir occurred between 0.75 and 1.5 hr (mean 0.94 + or - 0.38 hr) after dosing and were in the range 2.22 to 3.56 microg/ml (mean 2.87 + or - 0.61 microg/ml). The concentrations of penciclovir declined in a biphasic manner after the peak concentration was attained. The mean half-life of the rapid elimination phase was 1.73 + or - 0.34 hr whereas that of the slow elimination phase was 34.34 +...
Morton AJ, Grosche A, Rötting AK, Matyjaszek SA, Blikslager AT, Freeman DE.OBJECTIVE-To identify expression and localization of cyclooxygenase (COX)-1 and COX-2 in healthy and ischemic-injured left dorsal colon of horses. SAMPLE POPULATION-Left dorsal colon tissue samples from 40 horses. PROCEDURES-Tissue samples that were used in several related studies on ischemia and reperfusion were evaluated. Samples were collected during anesthesia, before induction of ischemia, and following 1 hour of ischemia, 1 hour of ischemia and 30 minutes of reperfusion, 2 hours of ischemia, 2 hours of ischemia and 30 minutes of reperfusion, and 2 hours of ischemia and 18 hours of reperf...
Schuh EM, Friedman MS, Carrade DD, Li J, Heeke D, Oyserman SM, Galuppo LD, Lara DJ, Walker NJ, Ferraro GL, Owens SD, Borjesson DL.OBJECTIVE-To optimize the isolation and culture of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) from umbilical-cord blood (UCB), identify variables that predicted successful MSC isolation, and determine whether shipping, processing, and cryopreservation altered MSC viability, recovery rates, and expansion kinetics. SAMPLE POPULATION-UCB samples from 79 Thoroughbred and Quarter Horse mares. PROCEDURES-UCB samples were processed to reduce volume and remove RBCs. Nucleated cells (NCs) were cryopreserved or grown in various culture conditions to optimize MSC monolayer expansion and proliferation. Donor and UCB-s...
Schaefer EC, Stewart AA, Durgam SS, Byron CR, Stewart MC.OBJECTIVE-To determine whether the effects of a high-molecular-weight sodium hyaluronate alone or in combination with triamcinolone acetonide can mitigate chondrocyte glyocosaminoglycan (GAG) catabolism caused by interleukin (IL)-1 administration. SAMPLE POPULATION-Chondrocytes collected from metacarpophalangeal joints of 10 horses euthanized for reasons unrelated to joint disease. PROCEDURES-Chondrocyte pellets were treated with medium (negative control), medium containing IL-1 only (positive control), or medium containing IL-1 with hyaluronic acid only (0.5 or 2.0 mg/mL), triamcinolone aceto...
Tabar-Rodriguez JJ, Cruz AM, Monteith G, Gordon K, Hurtig MB.OBJECTIVE-To use quantitative ultrasonography to evaluate the association between the speed of sound (SOS) at 9 sites in the third metacarpal bone (MCIII) of racing Thoroughbreds with workload accumulation and the effect that MCIII failure has on this association. ANIMALS-Sixty-two 2- and 3-year-old Thoroughbreds in racing condition. PROCEDURES-Cumulative work index (CWI) was used to calculate total workload (CWI(total)) and also 3 independent CWIs for the various gaits (ie, trot [CWI(trot)], gallop [CWI(gallop)], and race [CWI(race)]) used during training and racing. Speed of sound was monito...
Nash DM, Sheldon IM, Herath S, Lane EA.Reproductive efficiency in mares is low and persistent mating-induced endometritis (PMIE) is an important cause of subfertility. Mating-induced endometritis (MIE) an obligate precursor to PMIE, is a ubiquitous, transient inflammatory response to the presence of sperm, seminal components and pathogens. However, the specific inflammatory pathways that derive from MIE and that may also be precursors to PMIE are not clear. The ability to identify and measure robust, repeatable markers of inflammation integral to MIE may be key to understanding the progression to PMIE. The aim of the study was to (...
Horin P, Sabakova K, Futas J, Vychodilova L, Necesankova M.In previous work, we found significant associations of horse polymorphic microsatellite and immunity-related (IR) gene markers with Rhodococcus equi infection of foals. Here, a statistically significant association between a single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) within the interleukin 7 receptor-encoding gene (IL7R) with high R. equi burden in transtracheal aspirates was found (Fisher's F = 0.043, odds ratio: 8.00, 95% confidence interval: 1.127-56.795). Further positional and/or functional candidate genes investigated TLR2, IL13, IL17A, IL28R, TACE/ADAM 17 and GBP1, were not associated with in...
Milillo P, Traversa D, Elia G, Otranto D.Larvae of Rhinoestrus spp. (Diptera, Oestridae) infect nasal and sinus cavities of horses, causing a nasal myiasis characterized by severe respiratory distress. Presently, the diagnosis of horse nasal botfly relies on the observation of clinical signs, on the post mortem retrieval of larvae or on molecular assays performed using pharyngeal swabs. The present study was carried out to characterize larval somatic proteins and salivary glands of Rhinoestrus spp. in a preliminary assessment towards the immunodiagnosis of equine rhinoestrosis. Out of the 212 necropsied horses 13 were positive for th...
Wilson KE, Wilcke JR, Crisman MV, Ward DL, McKenzie HC, Scarratt WK.Objective-To determine whether a limited sampling time method based on serum iohexol clearance (Cl(iohexol)) would yield estimates of glomerular filtration rate (GFR) in clinically normal horses similar to those for plasma creatinine clearance (Cl(creatinine)). Animals-10 clinically normal adult horses. Procedures-A bolus of iohexol (150 mg/kg) was administered IV, and serum samples were obtained 5, 20, 40, 60, 120, 240, and 360 minutes after injection. Urinary clearance of exogenous creatinine was measured during three 20-minute periods. The GFR determined by use of serum Cl(iohexol) and plas...
Breuil MF, Duquesne F, Sévin C, Laugier C, Petry S.Contagious equine metritis is a horse disease that causes endometrial inflammation due to Taylorella equigenitalis. Since Taylorella asinigenitalis was characterized, genital swab culture has proved to be an insufficient method for distinguishing between the two Taylorella species. Here, we developed an indirect immunofluorescence (IIF) test using polyclonal antibodies. Specificity, sensitivity, and detection limit were assessed using isolated bacteria (55 T. equigenitalis strains, 46 T. asinigenitalis strains and 18 other bacterial species), experimental and genital swabs in comparison to bac...
Sprayberry KA.Diagnostic imaging can substantially augment physical examination findings in neonatal foals. Used in combination with radiography or as a stand-alone imaging modality, ultrasound evaluation of the thoracic and abdominal body cavities can be a high-yield diagnostic undertaking. Many of the conditions that afflict neonatal foals are highly amenable to sonographic interrogation, including pneumonia and other changes in the lungs associated with sepsis, systemic inflammatory response syndrome, multiple organ dysfunction, and prematurity; colic arising from medical and surgical causes; and urinary...
Ida KK, Fantoni DT, Ibiapina BT, Souto MT, Zoppa AL, Silva LC, Ambrósio AM.To evaluate equine cardiopulmonary function and recovery quality after administration of 0.25 or 0.50 mg/kg xylazine intravenously (IV) during recovery. Methods: Randomized, blinded, prospective, clinical study. Methods: Horses (n = 20). Methods: During recovery after 3 hours of isoflurane anesthesia for arthroscopic surgery, horses were administered either 0.25 mg/kg (G25, n = 10) or 0.50 mg/kg (G50, n = 10) xylazine intravenously. Vital signs and arterial blood samples were obtained during recovery before sedation (baseline), 5, 10, 20, 30, and 45 minutes after xylazine and 30 minutes after ...
Lascola KM, Clark-Price SC, Joslyn SK, Mitchell MA, O'Brien RT, Hartman SK, Kline KH.OBJECTIVE To evaluate use of single manual alveolar recruitment maneuvers (ARMs) to eliminate atelectasis during CT of anesthetized foals. ANIMALS 6 neonatal Standardbred foals. PROCEDURES Thoracic CT was performed on spontaneously breathing anesthetized foals positioned in sternal (n = 3) or dorsal (3) recumbency when foals were 24 to 36 hours old (time 1), 4 days old (time 2), 7 days old (time 3), and 10 days old (time 4). The CT images were collected without ARMs (all times) and during ARMs with an internal airway pressure of 10, 20, and 30 cm HO (times 2 and 3). Quantitative analysis of CT...
Morris DD, Henry MM, Moore JN, Fischer JK.A study was conducted to determine whether dietary supplements with alpha-linolenic acid altered the ability of equine peritoneal macrophages to produce tumor necrosis factor (TNF) in response to endotoxin. Peritoneal macrophages were harvested from 6 healthy adult horses before and after the horses were fed a nutritionally balanced ration that contained 8% linseed oil as a source of alpha-linolenic acid. The macrophages were cultured in media containing no additives (control), endotoxin (0.5 to 50 ng/ml), or the calcium ionophore, A23187. Macrophage supernatants were collected after 6 and 24 ...
Pollock S, Hull ML, Stover SM, Galuppo LD.Knowledge of the forces that act upon the equine humerus while the horse is standing and the resulting strains experienced by the bone is useful for the prevention and treatment of fractures and for assessing the proximolateral aspect of the bone as a site for obtaining autogenous bone graft material. The first objective was to develop a mathematical model to predict the loads on the proximal half of the humerus created by the surrounding musculature and ground reaction forces while the horse is standing. The second objective was to calculate surface bone stresses and strains at three cross se...
Rossi TM, Kavsak PA, Maxie MG, Pearl DL, Pyle WG, Physick-Sheard PW.Accumulating evidence indicates intense exercise can be associated with myocardial damage. Investigating the impact of maximal effort on myocardium and exploring possible association of injury with rhythm disturbance requires a high-sensitivity cardiac troponin assay. The objectives of this study were: (1) to determine the effect of racing on serum cardiac troponin I (cTnI) in Standardbred horses using a high-sensitivity assay; (2) to determine the 99th percentile of cTnI in healthy horses and investigate the effect of demographic variables on cTnI prevailing pre-race in Standardbred horses us...
Evenberg A, Meyer H, Verheij HM, de Haas GH.Two phospholipases A2 (EC 3.1.1.4) with different isoelectric points have been isolated from horse pancreas in high yield (880 mg/kg tissue). From pancreatic juice the more acidic species was isolated as the sole phospholipase A2. Upon tryptic activation the zymogens release a hepta- and pentapeptide, respectively from the N-terminal part of the protein giving rise to the formation of one single enzyme with a specific activity higher than that of pancreatic phospholipases A2 from other mammalian species. Horse phospholipase A2 differs from the porcine and bovine enzymes with respect to amino a...
Teixeira Neto FJ, McDonell WN, Black WD, Duronghphongtorn S.To evaluate cardiopulmonary effects of glycopyrrolate in horses anesthetized with halothane and xylazine. Methods: 6 horses. Methods: Horses were allocated to 2 treatment groups in a randomized complete block design. Anesthesia was maintained in mechanically ventilated horses by administration of halothane (1% end-tidal concentration) combined with a constant-rate infusion of xylazine hydrochloride (1 mg/kg/h, i.v.). Hemodynamic variables were monitored after induction of anesthesia and for 120 minutes after administration of glycopyrrolate or saline (0.9% NaCl) solution. Glycopyrrolate (2.5 m...
de Vries A, Taylor PM, Troughton G, Liu B, Fowden AL, Sear JW.This study examined the pharmacokinetics of propofol by infusion in ponies using an analyser for the rapid measurement of propofol concentrations. The analyser (Pelorus 1000; Sphere Medical Ltd., Cambridge, UK) has a measurement cycle of approximately five minutes. Ten Welsh-cross ponies (weighing 135-300 kg) undergoing minor procedures were studied after premedication with acepromazine 0.03 mg/kg and detomidine 0.015 mg/kg. Anaesthesia was induced with ketamine 2 mg/kg and diazepam 0.03 mg/kg, and maintained with an infusion of propofol at an initial rate of 0.16 mg/kg/min for the first thirt...
Fortier LA, Foerner JJ, Nixon AJ.Medical records from 119 horses that had undergone arthroscopic surgery for removal of axial osteochondral fragments of the palmar/plantar proximal aspect of the proximal phalanx were reviewed. Standardbred racehorses represented 109 (92%) of those affected. Ninety-three (78%) of the horses were < 3 years old. Gender distribution was consistent with that of the equine hospital population. Fragments most commonly were observed in the hind limbs (155/164; 95%), specifically, on the medial aspect of the left hind limb (72/164; 44%). Bilateral fragmentation occurred in 21 of 119 (18%) horses, a...
Bleul U, Theiss F, Rütten M, Kähn W.This case report describes a three-year-old Friesian stallion with hypospadias. Physical examination revealed a ventrocaudal deviation of the shaft of the penis and an incomplete glans penis. The urethral opening was 4 cm in length, slit-like and had a mucous membrane covering. A short fold ran from the ventral aspect of the anus and ended with a non-pigmented hairless area of skin. A human choriongonadotropin (hCG)-stimulation test resulted in an increase in the plasma levels of estrogen sulfate and testosterone, indistinguishable from that of a normal stallion. The karyogram had a normal num...
Mari G, Iacono E, Merlo B, Castagnetti C.Diagnosis and management of twin pregnancies in the mare are an ongoing challenge in equine reproduction. Early detection of twin and manual crush of one vesicle are the main steps in the management of twins. Few studies were carried out about the use of transvaginal ultrasound-guided aspiration (TUGA) for reduction of twins in the mare. In this study, the efficiency of TUGA for management of twin pregnancies was investigated. Reduction of unicornuate twins between 16 and 25 days of gestation gave a success rate of 70.0% (14 viable foals/20 twin pregnancies); when reduction was performed after...
van Loon J, Verhaar N, van den Berg E, Ross S, de Grauw J.Pain assessment is very important for monitoring welfare and quality of life in horses. To date, no studies have described pain scales for objective assessment of pain in foals. Studies in other species have shown that facial expression can be used in neonatal animals for objective assessment of acute pain. The aim of the current study was to adapt a facial expression-based pain scale for assessment of acute pain in mature horses for valid pain assessment in foals. The scale was applied to fifty-nine foals (20 patients and 39 healthy controls); animals were assessed from video recordings (30-6...
Doucet MY, Viel L.A clinical study was performed to determine whether clinical, endoscopic, radiographic, bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) cytological, and pulmonary biopsy findings could be correlated in horses with exercise-induced pulmonary hemorrhage (EIPH) compared with controls. Racing standardbred horses were selected as either EIPH (n = 10) or control (n = 10), based on repeated postexertional endoscopy of the lower airways. Complete physical and respiratory examinations were performed and blood samples were submitted for arterial blood gas analysis, hematologic study, and fibrinogen determination. Bilatera...
Harrison IW, Raker CW.Review of medical records of 78 horses admitted to the George D. Widener Hospital for Large Animals with dorsal displacement of the soft palate revealed 94% of these horses to have evidence of an intermittent abnormal "gurgling" respiratory noise at the time of exercise. Sternothyrohyoideus myectomy was used as a primary treatment for 17 of these horses, with a success rate of 58%. Anatomic dissection of 30 horses indicated that the midcervical region is the optimal site for sternothyrohyoideus myectomy to alleviate dorsal displacement of the soft palate.
Kinoshita Y, Takechi M, Uchida-Fujii E, Miyazawa K, Nukada T, Niwa H.Bacterial placentitis in horses commonly results in abortion, premature birth or compromised neonatal foal health. Although mycobacterial infections are generally uncommon in horses, 10 equine abortion cases caused by Mycobacterium avium subsp. hominissuis (MAH) infections occurred between 2018 and 2019 in Japan. They occurred on seven Thoroughbred horse farms in the Hidaka district of Hokkaido, but direct contact among the mares on different farms was not recorded. Most cases were characterized by extensive pathological lesions of the placenta, which are not typical in cases of common pathoge...
Lecis R, Tore G, Scagliarini A, Antuofermo E, Dedola C, Cacciotto C, Dore GM, Coradduzza E, Gallina L, Battilani M, Anfossi AG, Muzzeddu M, Chessa B....We detected a novel papillomavirus (EaPV1) from healthy skin and from sun associated cutaneous lesions of an Asinara (Sardinia, Italy) white donkey reared in captivity in a wildlife recovery centre. The entire genome of EaPV1 was cloned, sequenced, and characterised. Genome is 7467 bp long, and shows some characteristic elements of horse papillomaviruses, including a small untranslated region between the early and late regions and the lack of the retinoblastoma tumour suppressor binding domain LXCXE in E7. Additionally, a typical E6 ORF is missing. EaPV1 DNA was detected in low copies in norma...
Smiet E, Haritova A, Heil BA, Fink-Gremmels J, Wijnberg ID.To compare the pharmacokinetics of the fourth generation cephalosporin, cefquinome, in neonatal foals, 6-week-old foals and mature New Forest ponies in order to recommend appropriate dosage regimens for use of this drug. Methods: Cefquinome was administered i.v. at 1 mg/kg bwt twice a day (q. 12 h), 1 mg/kg bwt 3 times a day (q. 8 h) or 4.5 mg/kg bwt q. 12 h to each age group (n = 6). Plasma cefquinome concentrations were analysed using high-performance liquid chromatography combined with electrospray tandem mass spectrometry. Results: Both foal age groups had comparable pharmacokinetic data e...
Woods J, Rigby S, Brinsko S, Stephens R, Varner D, Blanchard T.Two trials were conducted to investigate the effects of intrauterine infusion of PGE2 and uterine horn insemination on pregnancy rates in mares achieved by breeding with a suboptimal number of normal spermatozoa. Estrus was synchronized and mares were teased daily with a stallion to detect estrus. Mares in estrus were examined by transrectal palpation and ultrasonography to monitor follicular status. On the first day a 35-mm diameter follicle was present, hCG (1500 IU, iv) was administered and the mares were bred the next day. Mares (Trial 1, n = 34; Trial 2, n = 28) were inseminated with 25 m...
Fürer F, Fraefel C, Lechmann J.Equid gammaherpesvirus 2 (EHV-2) and 5 (EHV-5) are widely distributed in the equines. Although their pathogenic potential is not yet fully understood, they appear to play a role in disease patterns like equine multinodular pulmonary fibrosis. In this study, a multiplex real-time PCR (rtPCR) was designed to detect DNA of the glycoprotein H (EHV-2) and E11 gene (EHV-5). Analytical specificity was determined by testing DNA of other herpesviruses by SYBR Green rtPCR and melting curve analysis, as well as Sanger sequencing of positive field samples. Analytical sensitivity was assessed by stand...
Freidman R, Scott M, Heath SE, Hughes JP, Daels PF, Tran TQ.Stallions can experience an increase in testicular temperature from bouts of fever or from injury to the testes. In species other than the horse, increased temperature models have been used to study testicular degeneration. This study was undertaken to examine the effects of increased testicular temperature on spermatogenesis in the stallion as measured by semen evaluation. The results of this investigation demonstrate that increased testicular temperature is associated with significant transitory alterations in the routine semen evaluation of the stallion. The duration of increased testicular...
Leishman D, Miller RB, Doig PA.The density of uterine glands, height of surface epithelium, numbers of hemosiderin laden macrophages, inflammatory cells and layers of periglandular fibrosis were evaluated in uterine biopsies from 40 mares. These features were found to be highly variable in normal equine endometrium. Minor pathological changes appeared to be masked by this normal variability. Atrophy of uterine glands was recognized in mares which had been barren for more than three years. No significant differences were found between barren and normal mares in the height of epithelium, number of hemosiderin laden macrophage...
Corcoran BM, Jarvis S, Hahn CN, Mayhew IG.The autonomic innervation of the mammalian respiratory system is complex, and involves a wide variety of peptide and non-peptide neurotransmitters which will have an important role in normal laryngeal function and the response to disease. This innervation has been partially described in the horse airway and lung, but there is no information on the equine larynx. This paper describes the expression and distribution of nerve fibres immunoreactive for vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP), calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP), substance P (SP) and the adrenergic enzymatic marker dopamine beta-hyd...
Henderson CE, Sullins KE, Brown JA.To determine long-term effects of transendoscopic, laser-assisted ventriculocordectomy (LAVC) on airway noise and performance in horses with naturally occurring left laryngeal hemiplegia. Methods: Retrospective case series. Methods: 22 horses with left laryngeal hemiplegia treated by means of LAVC. Methods: Medical records were reviewed and initial complaint, intended use of the horse, duration of abnormal airway noise, preoperative performance level, endoscopic findings, surgical procedure, postoperative treatment, and complications were recorded. Follow-up telephone interviews with owners an...
Booth TM, Abbot J, Clements A, Singer ER, Clegg PD.To describe and evaluate a technique for radical resection of the entire intrathecal component of the common digital extensor tendon (CDET) in horses. Methods: Prospective clinical study. Methods: Seven client-owned horses. Methods: Seven horses with wounds that resulted in septic tenosynovitis of the CDET sheath were treated by complete surgical resection of the affected tendon and ablation of the tendon sheath; 5 had previous surgery that was unsuccessful. Time from initial injury to complete resection was 1-22 weeks. In 6 horses, the wound was closed primarily using a closed suction (4 hors...
Holland RE, Grimes SD, Walker RD, Wilson RA.Hemolytic E. coli strain 807-13, O149:NM:K88(STb+, LT+), was isolated from the feces of a neonatal diarrheic foal. E. coli 807-13 was examined for adhesion to brush border membranes (BBM) from foals, adult horses and pigs, and its pathogenicity was assessed in neonatal foals and pigs. E. coli 807-13 did not adhere to equine BBM but adhered to pig BBM. It did not cause diarrhea nor did it colonize the intestinal epithelium of 3 colostrum-deprived and 3 suckled foals challenged at 24 h of age. Acute ulcerative gastritis and acute suppurative gastritis were observed in 2 colostrum-deprived challe...