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.
Iniesta J, Cooper HJ, Marshall AG, Heptinstall J, Walton DJ, Peterson IR.The iodination of proteins remains a useful tool in biochemistry for radiolabelling. However, chemical or enzymatic iodination is difficult to control and can give deleterious polyiodination. Previously, we have shown that electrooxidation with nitrite is a rapid method for the selective nitration of tyrosine residues in proteins. In principle, it should be possible to substitute a number of electrooxidisable anions into the tyrosine phenol ring. Electrochemical iodination is more difficult to control than nitration because the rapid anodic oxidation of I(-) leads to persistent formation of th...
Royo LJ, Fernández I, Azor PJ, Alvarez I, Pérez-Pardal L, Goyache F.The aim of this note is to describe a reliable, fast, and cost-effective real-time PCR method for routine genotyping of mutations responsible for most coat color variation in horses. The melanocortin-1 receptor, Agouti-signaling peptide, and membrane-associated transporter protein alleles were simultaneously determined using 2 PCR protocols. The assay described here is an alternative method for routine genotyping of a defined number of polymorphisms. Allelic variants are detected in real time and no post-PCR manipulations are required, therefore limiting costs and possible carryover contaminat...
Brown PA, Bodles-Brakhop A, Draghia-Akli R.In vivo electroporation dramatically improves the potency of plasmid-mediated therapies, including in large animal models. Laminitis and arthritis are common and debilitating diseases in the horse, as well as humans. Methods: The effects of growth hormone releasing hormone (GHRH) on healthy horses and on horses with laminitis that were followed for 6 months after a single intramuscular injection and electroporation of 2.5 mg of an optimized myogenic GHRH-expressing plasmid were examined. Results: In the first study on six healthy horses, we observed a significant increase in body mass by day 1...
Brooks DE, Plummer CE, Kallberg ME, Barrie KP, Ollivier FJ, Hendrix DV, Baker A, Scotty NC, Utter ME, Blackwood SE, Nunnery CM, Ben-Shlomo G....To evaluate the visual outcome of three techniques of corneal transplantation surgery in treating severe inflammatory keratopathies in the horse. Methods: Retrospective medical records study. Methods: Medical records of 206 horses that received corneal transplantation surgery at the University of Florida Veterinary Medical Center from 1993 to 2007 were reviewed. Methods: Data collected from the medical records included signalment, types of ocular lesions, type of transplant surgery performed, length of follow-up, complications, and visual outcomes. Results: Full thickness penetrating keratopla...
Scotty NC, Barrie KB, Brooks DE, Taylor D.A 7-year-old gray Mustang gelding weighing 454 kg was presented for evaluation of a brown mass within the left eye (OS) of 1 year's duration with recent enlargement. Results: A nonpainful, 8 mm diameter, brown, vascularized mass was identified in the anterior chamber of the OS. Ocular B-scan ultrasound confirmed iris involvement and corneal endothelial contact. Histopathology confirmed the presumptive diagnosis of a uveal melanocytic neoplasm, and revealed 1-3 mitotic figures per high power (400x) field. Results: The mass was removed via sector iridectomy without complications, but without com...
Ledbetter EC, Scarlett JM.To determine the frequency of obligate anaerobic bacterial isolation from corneal samples of domestic animals with ulcerative keratitis and to characterize the historical, clinical, cytological, and microbiological features of culture-positive cases. Methods: Three hundred and thirty domestic animals with ulcerative keratitis. Methods: Anaerobic bacteriologic culture and Gram stain were performed on corneal samples from consecutive animals examined with suspect septic ulcerative keratitis. Additional corneal diagnostics included: aerobic bacteriologic culture for all species; fungal culture fo...
Posthuma CC, Pedersen KW, Lu Z, Joosten RG, Roos N, Zevenhoven-Dobbe JC, Snijder EJ.The replication/transcription complex of the arterivirus equine arteritis virus (EAV) is associated with paired membranes and/or double-membrane vesicles (DMVs) that are thought to originate from the endoplasmic reticulum. Previously, coexpression of two putative transmembrane nonstructural proteins (nsp2 and nsp3) was found to suffice to induce these remarkable membrane structures, which are typical of arterivirus infection. Here, site-directed mutagenesis was used to investigate the role of nsp3 in more detail. Liberation of the hydrophobic N terminus of nsp3, which is normally achieved by c...
Rüegg SR, Heinzmann D, Barbour AD, Torgerson PR.For the evaluation of the epidemiology of Theileria equi and Babesia caballi in a herd of 510 horses in SW Mongolia, several mathematical models of the transmission dynamics were constructed. Because the field data contain information on the presence of the parasite (determined by PCR) and the presence of antibodies (determined by IFAT), the models cater for maternal protection with antibodies, susceptible animals, infected animals and animals which have eliminated the parasite and also allow for age-dependent infection in susceptible animals. Maximum likelihood estimation procedures were used...
Halvorsen K, Johnston C, Back W, Stokes V, Lanshammar H.Motion capture for biomechanical applications involves in almost all cases sensors or markers that are applied to the skin of the body segments of interest. This paper deals with the problem of estimating the movement of connected skeletal segments from 3D position data of markers attached to the skin. The use of kinematic constraints has been shown previously to reduce the error in estimated segment movement that are due to skin and muscles moving with respect to the underlying segment. A kinematic constraint reduces the number of degrees of freedom between two articulating segments. Moreover...
Armengou L, Monreal L, Tarancón I, Navarro M, Ríos J, Segura D.Septicemia is associated with a systemic inflammatory response, hemostatic activation, and disseminated intravascular coagulopathy (DIC). Objective: Increased plasma d-dimer concentration occurs in septic neonates and can reliably detect sepsis or DIC, and predict death in ill neonatal foals. Methods: 40 septic, 41 nonseptic hospitalized foals, and 22 healthy neonates. Methods: Prospective observational clinical study. Blood samples were collected on admission, at 24-48 hours after admission, and at the time of discharge or euthanasia. Plasma d-dimer concentration, clotting times, antithrombin...
Wnuk M, Bugno M, Slota E.Recently, molecular techniques have become an indispensable tools for cytogenetic research. Especially, development of in situ techniques made possible detection at the chromosomal level, genes as well as repetitive sequences like telomeres or the DNA component of telomeres. One of these methods is primed in situ DNA synthesis (PRINS) using an oligonucleotide primer complementary to the specific DNA sequence. In this report we described application of PRINS technique with telomere human commercial kit to telomere sequences identification. This commercial kit may be use to visualization of inte...
Fjordbakk CT, Arroyo LG, Hewson J.A retrospective study of 63 horses diagnosed with limb cellulitis between 1994 and 2005 was conducted. They all had an acute onset of painful, generalised limb swelling, and a clinical diagnosis of limb cellulitis was made by the attending clinician. None of the horses had more than one limb affected. Hindlimbs were significantly more often affected than the forelimbs (P<0.05). Thoroughbreds were significantly over-represented compared with the general distribution of breeds examined at the hospital. Blunt limb trauma, limb surgery and limb injections were associated with the cellulitis in mos...
Matera MG, Calzetta L, Sanduzzi A, Page CP, Cazzola M.It has been demonstrated in mammals that the airway hyper-responsiveness, which accompanies viral infections, is the result of increased reflex bronchoconstriction due to inhibition of muscarinic prejunctional receptors, which belong to M2 subtypes. Multiple mechanisms account for virus-induced M2 receptor dysfunction. Viral neuraminidase may deglycosylate the M2 receptor, decreasing acetylcholine affinity. Equine influenza remains a common viral respiratory disease of horses worldwide, which results in loss to the equine industry, by decreasing performance, convalescence time and loss of peak...
Riihimäki M, Raine A, Pourazar J, Sandström T, Art T, Lekeux P, Couëtil L, Pringle J.The aim of this study was to evaluate the contribution of bronchial epithelium to airway inflammation, with focus on mRNA and protein expression of cytokines of innate immunity IL-6, IL-10 and TNF-alpha, in horses with Recurrent Airway Obstruction (RAO) during exacerbation and in remission. Results: Despite marked clinical and physiologic alterations between exacerbation and after remission in the RAO horses no differences were detected in either cytokine mRNA or protein levels. Moreover, the expression of investigated cytokines in RAO horses on pasture did not differ from controls. In compari...
Conrad PA, Hird D, Arzt J, Hayes RH, Magliano D, Kasper J, Morfin S, Pinney S.This article describes a computerized case-based CD-ROM (CD) on international animal health that was developed to give veterinary students an opportunity to "virtually" work alongside veterinarians and other veterinary students as they try to solve challenging disease problems relating to tuberculosis in South African wildlife, bovine abortion in Mexico, and neurologic disease in horses in Rapa Nui, Chile. Each of the three case modules presents, in a highly interactive format, a problem or mystery that must be solved by the learner. As well as acquiring information via video clips and text ab...
Edwards RB, Lu Y, Cole BJ, Muir P, Markel MD.To compare a radiofrequency energy (RFE) prototype probe to mechanical debridement (MD) and a commercially available RFE system used for chondroplasty in the treatment of an experimentally created partial thickness cartilage lesion in horses. The study design was experimental, randomized complete block, n=8, using fifteen mature ponies. Methods: Grade 2 to 3 cartilage lesions were prepared in both patellae. After 10 months duration, the injuries were used to study the effects of MD, a commercially available bipolar RFE device (CoVac 50; ArthroCare Corporation) and a prototype monopolar RFE dev...
Ferreira JC, Gastal EL, Ginther OJ.Transrectal color and power Doppler ultrasonography was used to study uterine blood flow and perfusion in mares with and without uterine cysts. Vascular perfusion of the uterus and blood flow velocities, vascular perfusion, diameter, circumference, and area of a cross section of the mesometrial attachment were evaluated. To study the effect of internal cysts, two matched groups (cystic and control, n=21 mares/group) were used. Uterine vascular perfusion in mares with cysts was less (P<0.0001) in the cystic than the noncystic region and less (P<0.0009) than that for controls. Mares with c...
Lacitignola L, Fanizzi FP, Francioso E, Crovace A.Proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy (1H NMR) has been successfully used in the study of many biological fluids. The data presented here report on the metabolic profiles of normal equine synovial fluids compared with osteoarthritic (OA) fluids. Twenty-five OA synovial fluid samples and eight normal ones were collected from the forelimb fetlock joint in 22 horses, aged between five and 24 years. 1H NMR spectroscopy was carried out with a Bruker Avance DRX 500 equiped with a cryo-magnet working at 11 Tesla, and 'Mestre-C 4.9.9.6' software was used to analyze the spectra. The study assessed the...
Fuerst AE, Oswald S, Jäggin S, Piskoty G, Michel S, Auer JA.The objective of this postmortem study was to determine the fracture configurations of the equine radius and tibia after a simulated kick. Fracture configurations of 35 radii and 36 tibiae from 19 adult horses were evaluated after a simulated kick in an experimental ex-vivo study. The bones were dissected, the proximal and distal ends were embedded in resin, fixed horizontally and preloaded in compression, and a steel impactor, designed to simulate a shod equine hoof, was dropped from a height of three to six metres onto the diaphysis. The experiments were filmed with a high-speed camera (30,0...
Johns IC, Sweeney RW.Liver biopsy is useful in the diagnosis of liver disease in horses. However, bleeding is the major complication. Liver dysfunction can result in abnormalities in coagulation, although there is no definitive association between risk of hemorrhage after biopsy and coagulopathy in humans. Frequency of coagulopathies in horses with liver disease and the nature and frequency of complications after liver biopsy are not reported. Objective: To determine whether there is an association between coagulopathy and hemorrhage after liver biopsy in horses. Methods: Horses with suspected liver disease from w...
Hanche-Olsen S, Teige J, Skaar I, Ihler CF.Cases of hindlimb digital extensor weakness of unknown etiology have been observed in Norway since 1995. Objective: We hypothesized that the observed bilateral extensor weakness was attributable to neuropathy of the distal nerves and that this was related to environmental factors, possibly dietary. Methods: Seventy-five horses with digital extensor weakness occurring from 1995 to 2004 are described. Methods: Eleven horses were examined at The Norwegian School of Veterinary Science, and the medical records of 64 horses seen in ambulatory practice were reviewed. Results: There was no apparent se...
Segura D, Monreal L.Template bleeding time (TBT) is considered to be a useful test for detecting platelet function disorders and the effect of platelet-activating drugs, but studies in human medicine have concluded that the test has poor reproducibility and sensitivity. Objective: TBT has poor reproducibility in horses and has insufficient sensitivity to detect the effect of etamsylate on platelet function. Methods: Twenty healthy horses. Methods: TBT was determined and repeated 2 hours and 30 days later. TBT was also performed 2 hours after IV administration of etamsylate. Results: Although no statistical differ...
Carmalt JL, Shoemaker RW, Wilson DG.The objective of this study was to determine if ligation of the common vaginal tunic could prevent or reduce the incidence of omental herniation and eventration in draught colts undergoing routine field castration. It was found that common vaginal tunic ligation, while not completely preventing omental herniation and evisceration, significantly reduced the incidence of these complications and should be considered in those males deemed at increased risk of significant post castration complications.
Larenza MP, Ringer SK, Kutter AP, Conrot A, Theurillat R, Kummer M, Thormann W, Bettschart-Wolfensberger R.To compare anesthesia recovery quality after racemic (R-/S-) or S-ketamine infusions during isoflurane anesthesia in horses. Methods: 10 horses undergoing arthroscopy. Methods: After administration of xylazine for sedation, horses (n = 5/group) received R-/S-ketamine (2.2 mg/kg) or S-ketamine (1.1 mg/kg), IV, for anesthesia induction. Anesthesia was maintained with isoflurane in oxygen and R-/S-ketamine (1 mg/kg/h) or S-ketamine (0.5 mg/kg/h). Heart rate, invasive mean arterial pressure, and end-tidal isoflurane concentration were recorded before and during surgical stimulation. Arterial blood...
Freeman DE.Many surgical procedures of the head and neck can be safely performed in the standing horse, with easy access to all aspects of the surgical field. Some procedures, such as tracheotomy, are easier to perform with the horse standing with the head in a more natural position than with the horse under general anesthesia. Procedures of the neck and thorax that require evacuation of purulent and necrotic material from confined spaces, such as occur in horses with esophageal ruptures and extensive intrathoracic abscesses, can be done as standing procedures to avoid the risks of general anesthesia on ...
Wright IM, Minshall GJ.Osteochondritis dissecans (OCD) of the distal sagittal ridge of the third metacarpal bone (McIII) has not previously been described in the literature. Objective: To describe the clinical, radiological and arthroscopic features of OCD of the distal sagittal ridge of the McIII and to report outcome in a series of cases. Methods: Retrospective case series. Methods: Case records and images of horses with OCD of the distal sagittal ridge of the McIII admitted to a single referral centre between February 2006 and February 2013 were reviewed. Follow-up information was obtained by telephone questionna...
Silva FS, Lorenzett MP, Bianchi MV, Bastos HBA, Larentis GR, Paul LG, Snel GGM, Oliveira-Filho JP, Mattos RC, Sonne L.Although relatively uncommon in horses, infections caused by Mycobacterium spp. may affect the gastrointestinal tract. Mycobacterium branderi is a non-tuberculous Mycobacterium (NTM) that causes respiratory infections in man. Non-tuberculous mycobacteria may also affect horses; however, infection by M. branderi has not yet been reported in this species. This report describes the clinical, pathological, microbiological and molecular findings of M. branderi infection in a horse, causing granulomatous mesenteric lymphadenitis. A 17-year-old Thoroughbred stallion had a 3-month history of chronic d...
Aradaib IE.A nested reverse transcriptase (RT) polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), for rapid detection of African horse sickness virus (AHSV) double-stranded ribonucleic acid (dsRNA) in cell culture and tissue samples, was developed and evaluated. Using an outer pair of primers (P1 and P2), selected from genome segment three of AHSV serotype 6 (AHSV-6), the RT-PCR-based assay resulted in amplification of a 890 base pair (bp) primary PCR product. RNAs from the nine vaccine strains of AHSV, and a number of AHSV field isolates including the Central African isolates of AHSV-9 and AHSV-6, propagated in cell c...
Lunn DP, Hurley DJ.The underlying pathogenesis of laminitis clearly depends importantly on inflammatory processes that recruit leukocytes at an early stage in disease. The role of leukocytes in the initiation of laminitis, or as an intermediary factor is currently being investigated using a limited array of models, and future studies require both new reagent and model systems if we are to clearly define how leukocytes propagate this disease. The opportunities presented by this type of research could easily include new and powerful treatment and preventative modalities.
Bugno M, Zabek T, Golonka P, Pieńkowska-Schelling A, Schelling C, Słota E.Cytogenetic and molecular genetic studies of an intersex horse have been carried out. The investigated animal had overall male body conformation; however, its external genitalia consisted of incompletely developed vulva and penis. The X and Y chromosome painting probes detected three cell lines in the examined horse: 63,X, 64,XX and 65,XX with a fragment of a Y chromosome (del Y). The DNA analysis with the PCR and PCR/RFLP methods showed absence of SRY,AMELY and ZFY genes as well as of six Y microsatellite markers (YM2, YP9, YJ10, YE1, YH12, and YA16). These results suggest that the Y chromoso...
Ricard RM, St-Jean G, Duizer G, Atwal H, Wobeser BK.The purpose of this study was to identify the most common causes of equine abortion in Canada, and to compare findings to similar reports from other countries. Equine. Necropsy reports from 901 equine abortion cases were acquired from provincial veterinary diagnostic laboratories across Canada. The final diagnosis was classified into basic abortion causes (infectious, non-infectious, unknown) and into primary and secondary categories for analysis. Non-infectious causes of abortion were the most frequently identified in Canada, with fetoplacental causes, including umbilical cord torsion or plac...
Preston SA, Trumble TN, Zimmel DN, Chmielewski TL, Brown MP, Hernandez JA.To characterize lameness during training and compare exercise variables and financial returns among yearling Thoroughbreds that were bought for the purpose of resale for profit. Methods: 40 yearling Thoroughbreds. Methods: Prospective study. Methods: Horses purchased at yearling sales (summer 2004) were trained prior to resale at 2-year-olds in training sales (spring 2005). Horses were monitored daily for diagnosis and treatment of lameness during training. Selected variables, including sex, age, purchase price, lameness, distance (No. of furlongs) galloped during training, and financial retur...
Miller R, Pott B.A case of subcutaneous phycomycosis of a horse from which Basidiobolus haptosporu was isolated is described. Although some clinical signs were similar to the disease caused by Hyphomyces destruens, the gross and microscopic pathology were different in several respects. Main characteristics of the histopathology were the narrow eosinophilic sleeve around wide, frequently septate hyphae scattered throughout the affected tissue and found commonly at the advancing border of the lesion. A retrospective study of 63 cases of phycomycosis diagnosed at this laboratory since 1970 indicated a further 11 ...
Toth B, Slovis NM, Constable PD, Taylor SD.Bacterial sepsis remains a leading cause of morbidity and mortality in neonatal foals, but accurate diagnostic and prognostic markers are lacking. Adrenomedullin (AM) is a polypeptide with diverse biologic effects on the cardiovascular system that increases in septic humans and laboratory animals. Objective: Plasma AM concentration (p[AM]) is increased in septic neonatal foals compared to sick nonseptic and healthy control foals, and p[AM] is predictive of survival in septic neonatal foals. Methods: Ninety critically ill (42 septic, 48 sick nonseptic) and 61 healthy foals <1 week of age. Metho...
Sevinga M, Hesselink JW, Barkema HW.Because the incidence of retained placenta in Friesian mares is estimated to be high, and no reports have been published on the reproductive performance of Friesian mares after retained placenta, we studied postpartum reproductive performance in Friesian brood mares with (n = 54) and without (n = 50) retained placenta. We defined a retained placenta as the failure to expel all fetal membranes within 3 h after the delivery of a foal. We subdivided the group of mares with retained placenta into mares in which the placenta had been removed manually (n = 30) and mares in which it had not (n = 24)....
Begg AP, Carrick J, Chicken C, Blishen A, Todhunter K, Eamens K, Jenkins C.This report describes the fetoplacental pathology of associated abortion, premature birth, and neonatal loss in 46 of 442 equine abortion investigations between 2015 and 2019. Seven abortions, 26 premature births, and 13 neonatal deaths with positive polymerase chain reaction (PCR) were evaluated. In 83% of cases (38/46), infection was considered as the primary cause of loss based on quantitative PCR (qPCR) confirmation, pathological findings, and exclusion of other causes, and was supported by immunolabeling in fetoplacental lesions. Lymphohistiocytic placentitis with vasculitis (36/38) af...
Taesuji M, Rattanamas K, Kulthonggate U, Mamom T, Ruenphet S.The immune responses of animals infected with African horse sickness (AHS) virus are determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), complement fixation, and virus neutralization test. During the outbreaks of AHS in Thailand, the immune response after vaccination has been monitored using commercial test kits such as blocking ELISA, which are expensive imported products unavailable commercially in Thailand. This study aimed to assess the sensitivity and specificity of anti-AHS virus antibodies using dot blotting based on monovalent and polyvalent strains of live attenuated AHS vaccine....
Sabban S, Ye H, Helm B.The interaction of IgE with its high-affinity Fc receptor (FcεRI) followed by an antigenic challenge is the principal pathway in IgE mediated allergic reactions. As a consequence of the high affinity binding between IgE and FcεRI, along with the continuous production of IgE by B cells, allergies usually persist throughout life, with currently no permanent cure available. Horses, especially race horses, which are commonly inbred, are a species of mammals that are very prone to the development of hypersensitivity responses, which can seriously affect their performance. Physiological responses ...
Skowronek AJ, LaFranco L, Stone-Marschat MA, Burrage TG, Rebar AH, Laegreid WW.Infection of naive North American horses with 10(4) cell culture infectious doses (CCID50) of virulence variants of African horsesickness virus (AHSV), designated AHSV/4SP, AHSV/9PI, and AHSV/4PI, reproduced three classical forms of African horsesickness: acute (pulmonary), subacute (cardiac), and febrile, respectively. Distinct clinicopathologic and hemostatic abnormalities were associated with each form of disease. Hemostatic abnormalities included increased concentration of fibrin degradation products and prolongation of prothrombin, activated partial thromboplastin, and thrombin clotting t...
Tantaoui-Elaraki A, Mekouar SL, el Hamidi M, Senhaji M.From 10 moldy straw samples collected in a Moroccan area with an apparent equine stachybotryotoxicosis outbreak in November 1991, 8 isolates of Stachybotrys atra were obtained. They all showed toxigenesis, however they were variable in nature and intensity. While 1 isolate had only mild toxicity when fed to mice as moldy barley, another revealed very high toxicity to Artemia saline larvae, or rat skin, and to mice. The toxicity of the other 6 isolates were between these 2 limits. This study indicates that the November 1991 outbreak was due to toxigenic strains of Stachybotrys atra.
Combie JD, Nugent TE, Tobin T.Morphine could be detected in horses dosed with 0.1 mg of drug/kg of body weight for up to 48 hours in blood and 144 hours in urine. This dose of morphine elicited no observable effects and is a suggested analgesic dose. Computer analysis revealed that a 3-compartment open system was the best fitting model with a serum half life (t1/2(beta)) of 87.9 minutes and a urine t1/2(beta) of 101.1 minutes. Binding to equine serum proteins was linear over a drug concentration range of 3.88 X 10(-5)M to 3.50 X 10(-8)M and averaged 31.6%. In RBC-partitioning experiments, 78.1% of the drug was found in the...
Naylor JM, Nickel DD, Trimino G, Card C, Lightfoot K, Adams G.Historical, clinical and experimental data were collected from 9 horses homozygous for HYPP (H/H). All showed episodes of respiratory stertor, described as a rattling or honking sound, usually within the first week post partum. Five horses had one or more episodes of dysphagia, in 3 horses this was accompanied by drooling and in 3 by weight loss. In comparison, only one of 35 contemporaneous half siblings (of which approximately half would be expected to be of the H/N genotype and half N/N) was observed to have respiratory stertor prior to weaning and none had problems with dysphagia. One matu...
Noden PA, Oxender WD, Hafs HD.The duration of the oestrous cycle and day of ovulation were recorded in six mares which were used for concurrent assay of plasma levels of sex steroids and pituitary LH concentration. Peak of progesterone were reached during dioestrus and those of oestradiol and androstenedione occurred 2 days before ovulation and were in decline on the day of ovulation. Plasma oestrone remained constant (between 9 and 12 pg/ml) throughout the cycle. Plasma LH rose to a maximum near to the time of ovulation, and thereafter decreased gradually until mid-dioestrus. The pattern of secretion is compared with that...
Raidal SL, Hughes KJ, Eastwell B, Noble N, Lievaart J.There is little information on foal mortality and the epidemiology of diseases in the neonatal period in Australian equine breeding enterprises. Methods: This was a prospective cohort study of 1219 foals on 15 breeding farms in south-eastern Australia to identify the proportion of foals recognised on farm as abnormal at birth or within the first 48 h postpartum, determine the prevalence and risk factors for neonatal disease and assess the subsequent performance of foals in the study population. Results: Overall, 27 foals died within 6 weeks of birth in the study population (2.2%), 142 foal...
Kaido M, Kilborne AH, Sizemore JL, Reisbig NA, Aarnes TK, Bertone AL.OBJECTIVE To analyze the effects of vertical force peak (VFP) of repition within trials and between trial sessions in horses with naturally occurring appendicular lameness. ANIMALS 20 lame horses acclimated to trotting over a force plate. PROCEDURES Kinetic gait data were collected by use of a force plate regarding affected and contralateral limbs of lame horses that completed 5 valid repetitions in each of 5 sessions performed at 0, 3, 6, 12, and 24 hours, constituting 1 trial/horse. Data were compared within and among repetitions and sessions, and factors influencing VFP values were identifi...
Levionnois OL, Menge M, Thormann W, Mevissen M, Spadavecchia C.The purpose of this study was to evaluate the anti-nociceptive activity of ketamine and isoflurane in horses using a limb withdrawal reflex (WR) model. Single and repeated stimulations were applied to the digital nerve of the left forelimb in ponies anaesthetised with isoflurane before, during and after intravenous administration of racemic ketamine. Surface electromyographic activity was recorded from the deltoid muscle. Higher stimulation intensity was required to evoke a reflex during ketamine administration. Furthermore, the amplitudes of response to stimulations were significantly and dos...
Getachew AM, Innocent G, Proudman CJ, Trawford A, Feseha G, Reid SW, Faith B, Love S.A 12/13 kDa antigen, tapeworm ELISA test, developed for use in horses, was used to detect parasite-specific serum antibody, IgG(T), in the serum of donkeys. In a pilot study the 12/13 kDa antigen was tested and proved to detect the antibody, IgG(T), in donkey sera. Blood samples from 797 donkeys, naturally exposed to cestode infection, from four geographical localities were collected and sera were prepared and analysed. There was substantial serological evidence that donkeys were potentially infected with A. perfoliata. A range of ELISA OD values were obtained from the serological assay. Over ...
Eysker M, Boersema JH, Kooyman FN.Two groups of three ponies were used to study the effect of three ivermectin or pyrantel treatments given at intervals of 5 weeks at the beginning of the grazing season. Although each pyrantel treatment resulted in a greater than 95% reduction in faecal egg counts during the first 3 weeks, high pasture larval counts were seen from the beginning of August onwards and substantial cyathostomine burdens were found at necropsy in December. The ivermectin treatments resulted in an even more pronounced reduction in faecal egg output, and the pasture larval counts and cyathostomine burdens at necropsy...
Waldern NM, Wiestner T, Ramseier LC, Weishaupt MA.To compare gait mechanics and limb loading in Icelandic horses tölting and trotting at equal speeds and estimate their impact on orthopedic health. Methods: 12 orthopedically normal Icelandic horses. PROCEDURES Kinetic and kinematic gait variables were simultaneously recorded as each horse was ridden at a tölt and trot on an instrumented treadmill at 3.4 m/s and 3.9 m/s. Differences between gaits were tested via 1-factor repeated-measures ANOVA. Results: Horses had a higher stride rate and lower stride impulses at a tölt than at a trot. For forelimbs at a tölt, shorter relative stance dura...
DiFranco B, Schumacher J, Morris D.Three horses were admitted for retrieval of polyurethane nasogastric tube fragments. The fragments were removed from the esophagus or stomach of 2 horses by manipulation of a snare introduced through the biopsy port of an endoscope. The fragments were surgically removed from the stomach of the third horse.
