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.
Wilson JH, Olson EJ, Haugen EW, Hunt LM, Johnson JL, Hayden DW.Progressive multisystemic disease caused by Blastomyces dermatitidis was diagnosed in a 17-year-old Quarter horse broodmare. The mare had been treated unsuccessfully with antibiotics for mastitis 3 months postpartum. The disease progressed to exudative cutaneous lesions affecting the ventrum, pectoral region, and limbs accompanied by weight loss across several months. Yeast bodies were observed in swabs of the cutaneous exudate, suggesting a clinical diagnosis of blastomycosis. Following referral, pleural effusion, cavitated lung lesions, and hyperproteinemia were identified, and the mare was ...
Gerber R, Naudé TW, de Kock SS.Two out of a group of 23 mares exposed to tef hay contaminated with Datura ferox (and possibly D. stramonium) developed colic. The 1st animal was unresponsive to conservative treatment, underwent surgery for severe intestinal atony and had to be euthanased. The 2nd was less seriously affected, responded well to analgesics and made an uneventful recovery. This horse exhibited marked mydriasis on the first 2 days of being poisoned and showed protracted, milder mydriasis for a further 7 days. Scopolamine was chemically confirmed in urine from this horse for 3 days following the colic attack, whil...
Amusategui I, Sainz A, Tesouro MA.A total of 1,098 serum samples were analyzed against Anaplasma phagocytophilum by immunofluorescent antibody (IFA) test. These serum samples belonged to four different populations distributed throughout two provinces of Galicia (Ourense and Pontevedra) located in northwestern Spain: bovine population (456 samples); ovine population (389 samples); caprine population (207 samples); and equine population (46 serum samples, all from Pontevedra). The seroprevalence against A. phagocytophilum within the bovine population was 3.07%. On the other hand, two of 389 (0.51%) sheep and one of 207 (0.48%) g...
Pain R, Sneddon JC, Cochrane CA.Franz diffusion cells containing uniformly dehydrated equine blood clots to simulate fibrinous eschar were used to measure the rate of debridement of fibrin by novel and traditional wound dressings, under standardised conditions of temperature, pH and humidity. Significant increases in protein breakdown occurred within 24 hours with all the dressings, but not thereafter. In general, dressings hydrated in normal saline were better as debriding agents than dressings hydrated in water. Autolytic debriding agents were 47 per cent more effective than chemical debriding agents; specifically, hydrofi...
Asgarali Z, Coombs DK, Mohammed F, Campbell MD, Caesar E.Ninety-three (93) horses were investigated for serum antibodies to Theileria equi (T. equi) and Babesia caballi (B. caballi) using the immunofluorescent antibody test (IFAT). Seventy-seven (82.8%) horses were seropositive; 31 (33.3%) were positive to T. equi compared to 64 (68.8%) to B. caballi while 18 (19.4%) horses were seropositive to both parasites. No significant differences in antibody frequencies among females and males for either T. equi or B. caballi were noted. Differences in seropositivity to B. caballi among age groups were not significant. Antibodies to T. equi were more frequent...
du Toit N, McGorum BC, Pemberton AD, Brown J, Dacre KJ.Cyathostomins (Cyathostominae) are regarded as the most pathogenic equine nematode worldwide. These nematodes are difficult to control in equine populations due to emerging anthelmintic resistance and evasion of encysted larval cyathostomins to regular modern anthelmintics. Mast cells and their proteinases have been shown to play a role in the mammalian immune response to nematode infections. Involvement of mast cells and mast cell proteinases in the equine immune response to cyathostomin infection is proposed. A technique was established to perform immunohistochemical staining using polyclona...
Petter-Puchner AH, Froetscher W, Krametter-Froetscher R, Lorinson D, Redl H, van Griensven M.While fibrin sealant (FS) and equine collagen (EC) have been used as scaffold materials in experimental spinal cord injury (SCI), questions concerning neurocompatibility still remain. In this study, we assessed potential adverse effects, as well as functional and histological impact of FS and EC in subtotal hemisection of the thoracic spinal cord (SC) in rats. Methods: 124 male rats were randomly assigned to four main groups (n=31): Sham (SH), Lesion only (L), fibrin sealant (GFS) and equine collagen group (GEC). SH animals received laminectomy only; all other animals underwent subtotal latera...
Berghold P, Möstl E, Aurich C.Stressful events may contribute to low reproductive efficiency due to glucocorticoid-mediated inhibition of hormone secretion in a variety of species. We therefore investigated effects of stress related to management of mares around artificial insemination on secretion of cortisol and fertility parameters. To avoid further disturbance of mares by frequent blood sampling, faecal cortisol metabolites (fCM) were determined instead (sample collection at 8-h intervals). A total of 50 mares (16 maiden, 17 barren, 12 foaling, 5 teaching mares) were included in the study. Mares were brought to the AI ...
Henry S, Richard-Yris MA, Hausberger M.Whereas the way animals perceive human contact has been particularly examined in pet animals, a small amount of investigations has been done in domestic ungulates. It was nevertheless assumed that, as pet animals, non-aggressive forms of tactile contact were as well rewarding or positive for these species, even though the features of intraspecific relationships in pet animals and domestic ungulates may be to some extent different. We test here the hypothesis that horses may not consider physical handling by humans as a positive event. When comparing different early human-foal interactions, we ...
Hewes CA, Sullins KE.To determine outcome for equids with cutaneous neoplasms treated with cisplatin-containing biodegradable beads, alone or in conjunction with debulking. Methods: Retrospective case series. Methods: 56 horses, 1 zebra, 1 donkey, and 1 mule. Methods: Medical records were reviewed. Follow-up information was obtained through telephone conversations with owners and trainers of the animals. Results: 22 tumors were sarcoids, 6 were fibrosarcomas, 1 was a fibroma, 2 were peripheral nerve sheath tumors, 11 were squamous cell carcinomas, 14 were melanomas (13 gray horses and 1 bay horse), 1 was a lymphos...
Sherman KM, Myhre GD, Heymann EI.A 12-year-old Standardbred gelding was referred for swelling of the right metacarpophalangeal joint. Results: Ultrasonography of the right metacarpal area revealed hypoechoic areas in the right digital sheath and metacarpophalangeal joint consistent with synovial effusion. Radiography of the right metacarpophalangeal joint revealed lysis of the axial border of the proximal sesamoid bones. Aspergillus fumigatus was detected on fungal culture of synovial fluid. Results: Regional limb perfusion (150 mg of amikacin in 60 mL of saline [0.9% NaCl] solution perfused for 30 minutes) was performed 2 an...
Frederico LM, Jones SL, Blikslager AT.To identify factors associated with development of small colon impaction in horses and with selection of medical versus surgical treatment and to determine the prognosis for affected horses following medical or surgical management. Methods: Retrospective case series. Methods: 44 horses with primary impaction of the small colon. Methods: Medical records were reviewed for signalment, history, clinical findings, treatment (medical vs surgical), hospitalization time, and outcome. For comparison purposes, the same information was collected for 83 horses with primary impaction of the large colon. Re...
von Samson-Himmelstjerna G, Fritzen B, Demeler J, Schürmann S, Rohn K, Schnieder T, Epe C.In 2003 and 2004, on a total of 63 different German horse farms, a survey using the faecal egg count reduction (FECR) test was performed to investigate the efficacy of ivermectin (IVM, Ivomec) and pyrantel (PYR, Banminth) treatment against gastro-intestinal nematodes in a total of 767 horses. IVM treatment resulted in 100% reduction of the cyathostomin egg production 14 and 21 days post-treatment (d.p.t.) on 37 farms. On the remaining five farms, the mean faecal egg count reduction ranged between 97.7 and 99.9%. The mean cyathostomin FECR following PYR treatment ranged between 92.2 and 100% on...
Wittwer C, Hamann H, Rosenberger E, Distl O.This study aimed to quantify the factors associated with the prevalence of the radiological signs of osteochondrosis (OC) and osteochondrosis dissecans (OCD) in South German Coldblood (SGC) horses. The prevalence of OC and OCD in fetlock and hock joints was analysed in 167 young coldblood horses with a mean age of 14 months. The presence of at least one osteochondrotic lesion (OC) in fetlock or hock joints was documented for 61.7% of the horses and 26.9% of the horses had osseus fragments. Osteochondrotic findings at the dorsal aspect of the sagittal ridge of the third metacarpal/metatarsal bo...
Barros AT, Foil LD.Two studies evaluated the potential use of spatial barriers to reduce the mechanical transmission of disease agents by tabanids in the Pantanal region of Brazil. Tabanids at stations separated by four different distances (5, 10, 25, and 50m) were marked. In the first study, tabanids were marked and allowed to feed until engorgement or natural interruption occurred and captured if they transferred to the other horse. A total of 2847 tabanids belonging to nine different species were marked. The percentage of tabanids that moved between horses was 10.5 at 5m, 6.8 at 10m, and 4.6 at 25m. In the se...
Schnabel LV, Mohammed HO, Miller BJ, McDermott WG, Jacobson MS, Santangelo KS, Fortier LA.Platelet rich plasma (PRP) has recently been investigated for use in tissue regeneration studies that seek to utilize the numerous growth factors released from platelet alpha-granules. This study examined gene expression patterns, DNA, and collagen content of equine flexor digitorum superficialis tendon (SDFT) explants cultured in media consisting of PRP and other blood products. Blood and bone marrow aspirate (BMA) were collected from horses and processed to obtain plasma, PRP, and platelet poor plasma (PPP). IGF-I, TGF-beta1, and PDGF-BB were quantified in all blood products using ELISA. Ten...
Borromeo V, Berrini A, Gaggioli D, Secchi C.Heterophile antibodies (HAs) present in serum recognize animal immunoglobulins and are one of the most unpredictable causes of false results in immunoassays. However, no study has yet reported their interference on the diagnostic reliability of immunochemical analyses on horse plasma. Recently, we developed a sandwich ELISA for detection of equine growth hormone (eGH) in plasma. In a pilot study to measure basal eGH levels (blood samples were drawn from 13 horses every 10 min for 1h), we noted one horse with abnormally high eGH (>100 ng/mL). We demonstrate here that this plasma eGH level wa...
De Moffarts B, Portier K, Kirschvink N, Coudert J, Fellmann N, van Erck E, Letellier C, Motta C, Pincemail J, Art T, Lekeux P.The aim of this study was to investigate in a placebo-controlled field study the effect of a (n-3)-vitamin supplementation on erythrocyte membrane fluidity (EMF), oxidant/antioxidant markers and plasmatic omega3/omega6 fatty acid ratio (FAR) in 12 eventing horses. Venous blood was sampled at rest before (PRE) and after (POST) a three week treatment period with either the supplement (group S, n=6) or a placebo (group P, n=6) as well as after 15min (POST E15') and 24h (POST E24h) after a standardised exercise test. The following markers were analysed: EMF, plasma antioxidant capacity of water an...
Piza AS, Pereira AR, Terreran MT, Mozzer O, Tanuri A, Brandão PE, Richtzenhain LJ.We used a p26 recombinant protein (p26r) from equine infectious-anemia virus (EIAV) expressed in Escherichia coli as antigen to standardize an agar-gel immunodiffusion (AGIDp26r) test and an indirect ELISA (ELISAp26r) for the detection of antibodies against EIAV in 720 equine sera from Brazil. We evaluated the tests's relative diagnostic sensitivities (relSe) and relative diagnostic specificities (relSp) against a commercial AGID kit (Idexx, USA). We used three sera panels: panel A--196 AGID-negative sera from an AIE non-endemic controlled area; panel B--194 AGID-negative sera from an AIE ende...
Meyer J, Delay J, Bienzle D.Clinical, laboratory and tissue findings from 37 horses with lymphoma were investigated. Horses ranged in age from 0.3 to 20.5 years (median 5.0 years) and included 18 females and 19 males. Weight loss (n = 25) and ventral edema (n = 21) were the most common historical and physical abnormalities. The most common laboratory abnormalities were hyperfibrinogenemia (n = 26), hypoalbuminemia (n = 19), anemia (n = 19), leukemia (n = 14), hyperglobulinemia (n = 13), and thrombocytopenia (n = 13). Thirty-four tumors involved multiple lymphoid tissues and abdominal or thoracic organs, and 3 tumors were...
Hammond A, Bailey SR, Marr CM, Cunningham FM.Platelets contribute to the pathogenesis of human allergic airway disease. The aim of this study was to compare platelet activating factor (PAF)-induced platelet aggregation and thromboxane (Tx) production, plasma Tx and 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT) in ponies with recurrent airway obstruction (RAO), an hypersensitivity to inhaled antigens, and normal ponies, before and after antigen exposure. Plasma 5-HT was significantly higher in ponies with RAO but was not further increased by antigen challenge. There was no difference between PAF-induced platelet aggregation or Tx production, or in plasma Tx...
Adreani CM, Li ZB, Lehar M, Southwood LL, Habecker PL, Flint PW, Parente EJ.The myosin heavy chain (MHC) composition of a given muscle determines the contractile properties and, therefore, the fiber type distribution of the muscle. MHC isoform expression in the laryngeal muscle is modulated by neural input and function, and it represents the cellular level changes that occur with denervation and reinnervation of skeletal muscle. The objective of this study was to evaluate the pattern of MHC isoform expression in laryngeal muscle harvested from normal cadavers and cadavers with naturally occurring left laryngeal hemiplegia secondary to recurrent laryngeal neuropathy. L...
van Aken D, Zevenhoven-Dobbe J, Gorbalenya AE, Snijder EJ.The positive-stranded RNA genome of the arterivirus Equine arteritis virus (order Nidovirales) encodes the partially overlapping replicase polyproteins pp1a (1727 aa) and pp1ab (3175 aa). Previously, three viral proteinases were reported to cleave these large polyproteins into 12 non-structural proteins (nsps). The chymotrypsin-like viral main proteinase residing in nsp4 is responsible for eight of these cleavages. Processing of the C-terminal half of pp1a (the nsp3-8 region) was postulated to occur following either of two alternative proteolytic pathways (the 'major' and 'minor' pathways). He...
Hosaka Y, Ozoe S, Kirisawa R, Ueda H, Takehana K, Yamaguchi M.The aim of this study was to clarify whether matrix metalloproteinases (MMP-2 and -9: gelatinases) and pro-inflammatory cytokines [tumor necrosis factor (TNF) alpha and interleukin (IL)-1beta] are induced by heat in tendon tissue in vitro and to test the hypothesis that heat exposure causes tendinocytes to synthesize pro-inflammatory cytokines and that synthesis of these cytokines, in turn, leads to up-regulation of synthesis of gelatinases. Isolated tendinocytes from equine superficial digital flexor tendons were cultured and all experiments were performed on cells passaged 3 or 4 times. In t...
Tolleson DR, Teel PD, Stuth JW, Strey OF, Welsh TH, Carstens GE.Anti-tick treatments are often applied concurrent to routine livestock management practices with little regard to actual infestation levels. Prescription treatments against ticks on grazing cattle would be facilitated by non-invasive detection methods. One such method is fecal near infrared spectroscopy (NIRS). Four studies utilizing cattle (Bos spp.) and one with horses (Equus caballus) fed varying diets and infested with either Amblyomma americanum, A. maculatum, A. cajennense or Dermacentor albipictus were conducted to determine the ability of fecal NIRS to identify samples from animals wit...
Stanley SM, Wee WK, Lim BH, Foo HC.Direct-injection LC-LC hybrid tandem MS methods have been developed for undertaking broad-based screening for acidic drugs in protein-precipitated plasma and neutral doping agents in equine urine. In both analyses, analytes present in the matrix were trapped using a HLB extraction column before being refocused and separated on a Chromolith RP-18e monolithic analytical column using a controlled differential gradient generated by proportional dilution of the first column's eluent with water. Each method has been optimised by the adoption of a mobile phase and gradient that was tailored to enhanc...
Cappelli K, Verini-Supplizi A, Capomaccio S, Silvestrelli M.The knowledge of molecular mechanisms of stress response in athlete horses can allow us to plan an appropriate and high-grade training to obtain better performance and to preserve horse welfare. It is well known that excessive muscular exercise can lead to a number of responses which may be associated with modification of the mRNA levels for a number of metabolic genes such as those involved in the immune response. In the present study cDNA-AFLP technique was applied to Arab endurance horses under stressing conditions to visualise variations of transcriptional profiles; 49 transcript derived f...
Fazio F, Assenza A, Crisafulli G, Piccione G, Caola G.The aim of this study was to determine the daily rhythms in the blood serum of homocysteine in horses. Ten thoroughbred horses, five athletic (trained for 1 h, 6 days a week) and five sedentary, were used. Blood samples were collected on each subject every 4 h for two days by means of the jugular vein. On each individual sample, the serum concentration of homocysteine was assessed. The results obtained during the experimental period indicated the existence of a daily rhythm of serum homocysteine in sedentary and athletic horses. They also demonstrated that in horses, physical exercise influenc...
Hodgson D, Howe S, Jeffcott L, Reid S, Mellor D, Higgins A.Oral administration of altrenogest for oestrus suppression in competition horses is believed to be widespread in some equestrian disciplines, and can be administered continuously for several months during a competition season. To examine whether altrenogest has any anabolic or other potential performance enhancing properties that may give a horse an unfair advantage, we examined the effect of oral altrenogest (0.044 mg/kg), given daily for a period of eight weeks, on social hierarchy, activity budget, body-mass and body condition score of 12 sedentary mares. It was concluded that prolonged ora...
Winsco KN, Coverdale JA, Wickersham TA, Shelton JL.Twenty-four Quarter Horse weanlings (120 ± 10 d) were blocked by age into 4 groups (n=6) for a 56-d trial to evaluate the influence of dietary Met concentration on growth and N balance. Weanling horses were housed by block and individually fed concentrates twice daily at 1.75% BW (as-fed basis). Weanling horses were randomly assigned to 1 of 4 concentrate treatments: basal (0.20 Met), basal + 0.03% Met (0.23 Met), basal + 0.07% Met (0.27 Met), and basal + 0.11% Met (0.31 Met). Diets were formulated to be isonitrogenous and isocaloric and contained equal amounts of Lys and Thr. Coastal bermuda...
Espinosa P, Nieto JE, Snyder JR, Galuppo LD, Katzman SA.To describe an ultrasound assisted technique for desmotomy of the palmar/plantar annular ligament (PAL), determine its efficacy and intraoperative complications. Methods: Cadaveric and in vivo study. Methods: Cadaveric limbs (n = 12), adult horses (n = 4), and clinical cases (n = 2). Methods: Ultrasound assisted desmotomy of the palmar/plantar annular ligament (UAD-PAL) was performed in cadaveric limbs and in standing horses with the operated limb placed in a distal limb splint. The procedure was performed under general anesthesia and was followed by tenoscopic examination in 2 cli...
Saadi A, Azizi S, Farshid AA, Yousefi A.This report describes surgical management and breeding implications of a case of penile sarcoid associated with penis laceration in a 4-year-old Kurdish stallion. A large fleshy mass on the distal end of the penis that resulted in urethral meatus deviation and dysuria was detected in a physical examination. No evidence of local extent or metastasis was detected. Under general anaesthesia, the involved distal portion of the penis was removed through partial phallectomy. Histopathological examination of the mass confirmed a fibroblastic sarcoid. Partial phallectomy was successful for management ...
Sielhorst J, Roggel-Buecker U, Neudeck KC, Kahler A, Rohn K, Luettgenau J, Bollwein H, Hollinshead F, Sieme H.The aim of this double-blinded placebo-controlled study was to investigate the effect of acetylsalicylic acid (ASA) on uterine blood flow, gestation length, placental and foal weights in pregnant mares. Sixteen Thoroughbred mares of different age (13.3 ± 4.1) and parity (7.4 ± 3.1) were randomly assigned to three treatment groups. Mares in group C (n = 4) served as controls and received 5,000 mg lactose orally once daily from D 120 (D 0 = day of ovulation) until parturition. Mares in group ASA1 (n = 7) received 5,000 mg ASA orally once daily from D 120 until parturition. Mares in group...
Morris ERA, Wu J, Bordin AI, Lawhon SD, Cohen ND.Streptococcus equi subsp. (SEE) is a host-restricted equine pathogen considered to have evolved from Streptococcus equi subsp. (SEZ). SEZ is promiscuous in host range and is commonly recovered from horses as a commensal. Comparison of a single strain each of SEE and SEZ using whole-genome sequencing, supplemented by PCR of selected genes in additional SEE and SEZ strains, was used to characterize the evolution of SEE. But the known genetic variability of SEZ warrants comparison of the whole genomes of multiple SEE and SEZ strains. To fill this knowledge gap, we utilized whole-genome sequenci...
Wood T, Stanley S, Woods WE, Henry P, Watt D, Tobin T.This study was designed to explore the use of hematocrit values as possible indicators of the threshold doses of adrenergic drugs in the performance horse. Acepromazine, detomidine, and fluphenazine were tested for their effects on hematocrit values, with the threshold dose for these effects investigated. Hematocrit values were shown to be quite sensitive to the administration of acepromazine with doses as low as 50 micrograms/horse producing detectable depressions in hematocrit values for up to 2 hours. Increasing the dose increased the magnitude of the effect, but did not appear to prolong i...
The Journal of nutritionJune 4, 2002
Volume 132, Issue 6 Suppl 2 1628S-31S doi: 10.1093/jn/132.6.1628S
Williams CA, Hoffman RM, Kronfeld DS, Hess TM, Saker KE, Harris PA.alpha-Lipoic acid (LA) has demonstrated antioxidant effects in humans and laboratory animals. The objective of this study was to determine whether the effects of LA are similar in horses. Five Thoroughbred geldings were supplemented with 10 mg/kg/d DL-alpha-lipoic acid in a molasses and sweet feed carrier and five received only the carrier as a placebo (CON). Blood samples were obtained at baseline (0 d), after 7 and 14 d of supplementation, and 48 h postsupplementation (16 d). Blood fractions of red and white blood cells (RBC and WBC, respectively) and plasma were analyzed for glutathione (GS...
Matthews AG, Crispin SM, Parker J.A wide range of fundic variants are encountered during routine ophthalmoscopic examination of visually normal horses, often causing the examiner difficulty in assessing their clinical significance. Many of these are anatomical variants having no significant effect on visual function, and lie within the limits of normality in the horse. This paper illustrates this range of variants and discusses their anatomical basis and physiological consequences. Colobomata are non-progressive discontinuities in the structure of the anatomic fundus, occasionally noted as incidental findings during ophthalmos...
Schooley EK, Hendrickson DA.Tumors of the musculoskeletal system are rare in horses; however, they must be taken seriously. Diagnosis requires observation of clinical signs, radiographic findings, and histological examination. Veterinarians must realize prognosis is not favorable for most tumors; however, some of these tumors can be treated or at least ameliorated. Tumors discussed in this article include: osteoma and osteosarcoma; osteoblastoma; chondrosarcoma; fibroma and fibrosarcoma; plasma cell myeloma; synovioma; rhabdomyosarcoma and tumors metastatic to the musculoskeletal system.
Pastorello M, Gastal MO, Godoi DB, Gastal EL.Among female livestock, the mare has the shortest interval from parturition to first ovulation. Due to the scarcity of research on postpartum mares, little progress has been made on the characterization of the resumption of ovarian cyclicity after parturition. This study compared follicular and gonadotropin dynamics during follicle emergence and deviation in postpartum lactating (PP Lactating) versus non-postpartum cycling (N-PP Cycling) mares. On the day of parturition, every PP Lactating mare was paired with a N-PP Cycling mare. Comparisons were made by considering the partum-ovulation inter...
Guasti PN, Monteiro GA, Maziero RR, Carmo MT, Dell'Aqua JA, Crespilho AM, Rifai EA, Papa FO.The aims of this study were to determinate whether pentoxifylline (PTX) increases the motion parameters of fresh and frozen-thawed equine epididymal spermatozoa, to evaluate the tyrosine phosphorylation of frozen-thawed epididymal sperm in the presence of PTX and to determine whether the PTX-treatment of stallion epididymal sperm prior to freezing improves the fertility response of mares to a reduced number of spermatozoa per insemination dose. Fifty epididymis were flushed with a skim milk based extender with or without PTX. The pre-treatment with PTX enhanced the sperm motility after being h...
Paweska JT, Aitchison H, Chirnside ED, Barnard BJ.Lateral and sexual transmission of EAV among horses and lateral transmission between donkeys and horses were attempted by experimental infection with the South African asinine strain. Clinical, immunological and virological responses were evaluated. All intramuscularly inoculated horses developed very mild clinical signs, were viraemic, shed virus from nasopharynx, and seroconverted. Lateral infection was demonstrated in one in-contact mare. Reinfection of two stallions by intranasal instillation was shown by virus recovery from buffy-coat cultures. After nasal instillation of virus, one stall...
Karagianni AE, Summers KM, Couroucé A, Depecker M, McGorum BC, Hume DA, Pirie RS.Mild-to-moderate equine asthma is prevalent in young racehorses, particularly early in their training period. Although the precise etiopathogenesis remains undetermined, it is possible that the susceptibility of this population might partly reflect an exercise-associated immune derangement at the level of the airway. We performed a genome-wide basal gene expression scan on alveolar macrophages (AMs) isolated from Standardbred racehorses before and after commencement of competition race training with a view to identifying any exercise-associated gene expression modulation consistent with functi...
Beachler TM, Gracz HS, Morgan DR, Bembenek Bailey SA, Borst L, Ellis KE, Von Dollen KA, Lyle SK, Nebel A, Andrews NC, Koipalli J, Gadsby JE, Bailey CS.Metabolomics may represent an avenue for diagnosis of equine ascending placentitis. Objective: To characterise the plasma metabolomic profile in healthy mares and mares with induced ascending placentitis, with the goal of identifying metabolites with potential clinical value for early diagnosis of placentitis. Methods: Controlled in vivo experiment. Methods: Placentitis was induced in 10 late-term pregnant pony mares via Streptococcal equi subsp. zooepidemicus inoculation in five mares between days 285 and 290 of gestation, while five mares served as healthy controls. Repeated ultrasound exami...
Purohit RC, McCoy MD, Bergfeld WA.Lateral and frontal thermographic patterns of the head of normal horses before and after exercise were characterized to aid the diagnosis of diseases of the head. Surgical induction of Horner's syndrome was done in four horses by isolation and transection of the vagosympathetic trunk. One clinical case and the surgically induced cases of Horner's syndrome were evaluated clinically. Thermographic findings of the clinical case were similar to the experimental cases.
Cullinane M, O'Sullivan E, Collins DM, Byrne AW, More SJ.Recently, considerable international attention has been paid to the problem of unwanted horses. In Ireland, stray horses, particularly in urban areas, are a further problem. The Control of Horses Act 1996 was enacted in response to an ongoing problem of uncontrolled horses in public places. As yet, no research work has been conducted focusing on stray horses in Ireland. This paper describes horses impounded under the Act in the Munster region of Ireland during 2005-2012 and the factors influencing decisions regarding their disposal. A logistic regression model was developed to investigate fact...
McGlothlin JA, Lester GD, Hansen PJ, Thomas M, Pablo L, Hawkins DL, LeBlanc MM.An experimental model of ascending placentitis was developed in the mare to characterize the uterine myoelectrical pattern in late gestation and determine how ascending placentitis altered this pattern. In experiment 1, myometrial electrical activity was analyzed during the early morning, late morning and evening hours in four mares in the last 15 days of gestation to identify patterns of activity. In experiment 2, nine mares received intra-cervical inoculations of Streptococcus equi subspecies zooepidemicus. Myoelectrical activity in the early morning and evening hours in these mares was comp...
Schulze N, Ehrle A, Weller R, Fritsch G, Gernhardt J, Ben Romdhane R, Lischer C. Surgical fusion of vertebral segments is a treatment option for horses with cervical stenotic myelopathy or cervical fracture.Degenerative disease affecting adjacent vertebral segments is a reported complication following surgical vertebral fusion in other species, termed adjacent segment disease. The aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of cervical vertebral fusion on the biomechanics of adjacent vertebral segments in the horse. Methods: Neck specimens of 12 horses were assessed using computed tomographic imaging. Range of motion (ROM) was determined by measuring the maximum sag...
Chanda M, Klinphayom C, Sungsuwan T, Senarat W, Thongkham E, Kamlangdee A, Senarat N.In horses, the structures at the dorsal aspect of the carpus, including the digital extensor tendons, their related tendon sheaths, and bones, are vulnerable to injury because of their superficial location. Injuries to these structures may result in lameness of the affected limb(s) and reduce a horse's athletic performance. A 13-year-old eventing horse that routinely underwent regular exercise exhibited dorsolateral distension of the right carpus. An effusion insensitive to compression was observed in the affected area. No lameness was detected, and the horse exhibited a negative response to t...
Nostell K, Lindåse S, Winqvist E, Bröjer J.Obesity is associated with insulin resistance, vascular dysfunction and altered cortisol metabolism both in humans and in horses. Objective: Evaluate the effect of weight gain induced by a haylage diet low in nonstructural carbohydrates (NSC) on insulin sensitivity, blood pressure and serum cortisol concentrations. Methods: In vivo experiment. Methods: Nine adult Standardbred mares fed a fat supplemented haylage diet at 250% of the horses' daily metabolisable energy requirements for 22 weeks. Horses were then turned out on pasture for 4 weeks. Insulin sensitivity (SI ) was measured before an...
Alexander SL, Irvine CH.We used our nonsurgical method for collecting equine pituitary venous blood to study the role of endogenous opioids in the basal regulation of the hypothalamo-pituitary-adrenal axis. We gave mares the opioid antagonist, naloxone (NAL), at either a high (0.5 mg/kg i.v. bolus, followed by infusion of 0.25 mg/kg.h; n = 4) or low (0.2 mg/kg i.v. bolus; n = 6) dose rate. Pituitary venous blood was collected continuously, divided into 0.5- or 1-min segments for 15-30 min before and 1 h after the NAL bolus, and assayed for CRH, arginine vasopressin (AVP), and ACTH. The mares tolerated NAL administrat...
Duke-Novakovski T, Ambros B, Feng C, Carr AP.To determine the accuracy of high-definition oscillometry (HDO) for arterial pressure measurement during injectable or inhalation anesthesia in horses. Methods: Prospective, clinical study. Methods: Twenty-four horses anesthetized for procedures requiring lateral recumbency. Methods: Horses were premedicated with xylazine, and anesthesia induced with diazepam-ketamine. Anesthesia was maintained with xylazine-ketamine-guaifenesin combination [TripleDrip (TD; n = 12) or isoflurane (ISO; n = 12)]. HDO was used to obtain systolic (SAP), mean (MAP) and diastolic (DAP) arterial pressures, and he...
Wilson CA, ter Haar MB, Bonney RC, Buckingham J, Dixson AF, Yeo T.We have shown previously that pregnant mare serum gonadotrophin (PMSG) induces ovulation only in rats weighing over 60 g on the day of injection. The under-60 g rats do not ovulate although they secrete a preovulatory surge of a pleiomorphic form of LH. Presumably this pleiomorph is inactive. Comparisons were made of plasma hormone concentrations in rats treated with PMSG that weighed over and under 60 g. The measurements were made on samples taken between 13.00 and 22.00 h on the day of the expected preovulatory LH surge. Prolactin and corticosterone levels were lower in the lighter group com...
Hildebrand SV, Arpin D.Neuromuscular and cardiovascular effects of atracurium, a nondepolarizing neuromuscular blocking agent, were evaluated in 10 halothane-anesthetized adult horses. Hind limb digital extensor tension (hoof twitch) was measured with a strain gauge to quantitate the muscle relaxant effects of atracurium. Response of facial muscles was compared with hoof twitch. Five injections of atracurium were given. Initial mean (+/- SEM) dosage of 0.07 +/- 0.01 mg of atracurium/kg of body weight caused 98.6 +/- 0.8% reduction of the preinjection hoof twitch. Subsequent dosages of 0.04 +/- 0.003 mg/kg induced a ...
Kuwano A, Ueno T, Katayama Y, Nishiyama T, Arai K.Between the laminar epidermis and the laminar dermis of laminar region (LR) in equine foot, it can be observed the basement membrane zone (BMZ), which is composed of a basement membrane and its accompaniments like the hemidesmosome and anchoring fibril. Alteration in the BMZ in equine laminitis is possibly related with not only development but also recovery outcome and recurrence of this disease. However, there is little known about the structure of the BMZ during the recovery phase of this disease. To assess the condition of the BMZ of LR affected by chronic laminitis, the tissue was examined...
Southwood LL, Cohen J, Busschers E, Habecker P.To report a case of multiple acquired jejunal pseudodiverticula managed successfully by resection and jejunojejunostomy. Methods: Clinical report. Methods: Arabian filly. Methods: The filly was referred for signs of acute colic of several hours duration and had a 2-week history of inappetence and weight loss. Three meters of thickened, edematous, and dilated jejunum removed during exploratory celiotomy had an intussusception and numerous diverticula; jejunojejunostomy performed. The pathoanatomic diagnosis was proliferative enteropathy with pseudodiverticula formation and jejunal muscular hype...
Barakzai SZ, Johnson VS, Baird DH, Bladon B, Lane JG.There has been no objectively assessed case-control study of the efficacy of surgery to correct dorsal displacement of the soft palate (DDSP) previously reported. Objective: Composite surgery has a beneficial result on racing performance in horses affected with DDSP as compared to a matched control population. Methods: Race records were obtained for 53 racing Thoroughbreds which underwent composite staphylectomy, sternothyrohyoideus myectomy and ventriculectomy for correction of idiopathic DDSP at the University of Bristol between 1990 and 1996. Each surgical case was matched for age, sex and ...
Bampidis V, Azimonti G, Bastos ML, Christensen H, Dusemund B, Fašmon Durjava M, Kouba M, López-Alonso M, López Puente S, Marcon F, Mayo B....Following a request from the European Commission, the Panel on Additives and Products or Substances used in Animal Feed (FEEDAP) was asked to deliver a scientific opinion on zearalenone hydrolase (ZenA) produced by DSM 32731 when used as a feed additive for all terrestrial animals. The production strain DSM 32731 is genetically modified and harbours a kanamycin resistance gene. No viable cells of the production strain were detected in the final product, but uncertainty remains on the presence of recombinant DNA in the final product. The ZenA contained in the additive is safe for all terrestr...
