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.
Galuppo LD, Simpson EL, Greenman SL, Dowd JP, Ferraro GL, Meagher DM.To report clinical evaluation of headless compression screws for repair of metacarpal/metatarsal (MC/MT3) condylar fractures in horses. Methods: Retrospective case study. Methods: Racing Thoroughbreds (n=16) with nondisplaced lateral condylar fractures of MC/MT 3. Methods: Medical records (1999-2004) of horses with nondisplaced longitudinal fractures of the lateral condyle of MC/MT3 were reviewed. Pre-operative variables retrieved were: patient age, gender, limb involvement, injury occurrence, fracture length, and width, evidence of palmar comminution and degenerative joint disease, number of ...
Epstein KL, Parente EJ.To report a laparoscopic technique for insertion of polypropylene mesh in the nephrosplenic space in horses and evaluate outcome. Methods: Descriptive experimental study. Methods: Five healthy mature horses. Methods: One laparoscope and 2 instrument portals were made on the left side of the horse. The nephrosplenic space was measured and appropriately sized polypropylene mesh was inserted and attached to the dorsolateral splenic capsule and perirenal fascia using helical titanium coils. All horses had repeat laparoscopy 4 weeks later and were necropsied at intervals 4-14 weeks after mesh place...
Dechant JE, Nieto JE, Le Jeune SS.To evaluate clinical findings, underlying causes, and short-term outcome associated with hemoperitoneum in horses. Methods: Retrospective case series. Methods: 67 horses with hemoperitoneum. Methods: Medical records of horses with hemo-peritoneum (excluding postoperative abdominal hemorrhage) from 1989 through 2004 were analyzed. Information obtained included history, signalment, physical examination findings, diagnostic test results, and short-term outcome. Results: Breed distribution was 28 Thoroughbreds, 13 Arabians, 10 Quarter Horses, 5 Warmbloods, 3 Appaloosas, and 1 each of 8 other breed...
Hornyák A, Bakonyi T, Kulik M, Kecskeméti S, Rusvai M.The occurrence of two important pathogens, equine herpesvirus 1 (EHV1) and equine arteritis virus (EAV) causing abortions, perinatal foal mortality and respiratory disease, was investigated by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and virus isolation to demonstrate the presence of abortigenic viruses in samples from 248 horse fetuses in Hungary. We found 26 EHV1- and 4 EAV-positive aborted or prematurely born foals from 16 and 4 outbreaks, respectively, proving that despite the widely applied vaccination, EHV1 is a far more important cause of abortions in the studs than EAV. We compared the virus co...
Popot MA, Donval A, Bonnaire Y, Huau J.Feces are a possible medium to be used for horse doping control. Efficient methods for detecting drugs in feces collected from various animals are routinely applied in institutes of food safety in Belgium. We have already tested whether they are applicable to horse feces. In this report, accelerated solvent extraction (ASE), an efficient method for extracting compounds from solid material, has been tested. ASE has been used to replace the diethyl ether liquid-liquid extraction step present in the method initially set up. This technique has been optimized for detecting several non-steroidal ant...
Laan TT, Bull S, van Nieuwstadt RA, Fink-Gremmels J.Beta-agonists have been shown to display anti-inflammatory properties in several experimental models. The aim of this study was to investigate the anti-inflammatory properties of clenbuterol (CB), administered either intravenously or by aerosol, in comparison with fluticasone propionate (FP) in recurrent airway obstruction (RAO)-susceptible horses. Eight horses, of which five were known to be susceptible to RAO, underwent an inhalation challenge with Aspergillus fumigatus (AF) antigen and were treated with CB intravenously, CB by aerosol, or FP by aerosol. Twenty-four hours after the challenge...
Evans KE, McGreevy PD.There is a lack of an established method for quantifying equine skull morphology. This study proposes a method that is valid for use on both live and deceased horses. A total of nine head measurements (skull length, cranial length, nasal length, ratio of cranial:nasal length, cranial width, zygomatic width, mandibular depth, nasal profile area, cranial profile area) and six indices (skull index, cranial index, nasal index, mandibular index, nasal profile index, cranial profile index) were recorded from 30 horses from a variety of breeds whilst the soft tissues of the head were intact. A line w...
Ugryumova N, Gangnus SV, Matcher SJ.Polarization optical coherence tomography (PSOCT) is a powerful technique to nondestructively map the retardance and fast-axis orientation of birefringent biological tissues. Previous studies have concentrated on the case where the optic axis lies on the plane of the surface. We describe a method to determine the polar angle of the optic axis of a uniaxial birefringent tissue by making PSOCT measurements with a number of incident illumination directions. The method is validated on equine flexor tendon, yielding a variability of 4% for the true birefringence and 3% for the polar angle. We use t...
Nielsen MK, Kaplan RM, Thamsborg SM, Monrad J, Olsen SN.Development of resistance to anthelmintic drugs by horse strongyles constitutes a growing threat to equine health because it is unknown when new drug classes can be expected on the market. Consequently, parasite control strategies should attempt to maintain drug efficacy for as long as possible. The proportion of a parasite population that is not exposed to anthelmintic treatment is described as being "in refugia" and although many factors affect the rate at which resistance develops, levels of refugia are considered the most important as these parasites are not selected by treatment and so pr...
Samper JC, Tibary A.Bacterial, viral and protozoal infections may cause severe reproductive losses. The present paper reviews the risk factors, clinical signs and preventive measures for the most important venereal or potential sexually transmitted diseases in horses. The stallion and use of semen for artificial insemination represent major risk factors for the transmission of bacterial contaminants of the penis, including Streptococcus equi subspecies zooepidemicus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Klebsiella pneumoniae, known to cause endometritis and infertility in the mare. The role of the stallion in disease trans...
Butcher MT, Bertram JE, Benzuidenhout AJ.The distal forelimb of the horse has a complex array of ligaments that play a critical role in determining function of the digit and are often associated with the initiation of foot pathologies. The collateral ligaments of the distal sesamoid bone (CLDS) play an important role in digit stabilization near the end of foot contact and there is also limited evidence to suggest that the CLDS stabilize the proximal interphalangeal joint (PIPJ) during weight bearing. By virtue of their anatomical attachments where the ligaments pass dorsal to the axis of rotation of the PIPJ, it is reasonable to assu...
Valentine BA, Taylor GH, Stone JK, Halse RR.Forty-four nodular and noninvasive cutaneous fungal granulomas were identified in 34 horses over a 14.5-year period. Cutaneous fungal granulomas were most common in young horses (mean age 6.1 +/- 4.2 years; range 1-19 years). There was no apparent breed or sex bias. Granulomas were either single or multiple, and most often occurred in the skin of the head and neck. The characteristic histological finding was a nodular dermal mass with a mean diameter of 7.3 mm (range 2.5-20 mm) and an intact overlying epithelium. Lesions most often exhibited intense lymphocytic inflammation, with admixed pyogr...
Nogueira SA, Torres SM, Malone ED, Diaz SF, Jessen C, Gilbert S.Imiquimod is an immune response modifier with potent antiviral and antitumour activity. The objective of this pilot study was to evaluate the efficacy of an imiquimod 5% cream (Aldaratrade mark: 3M, Saint Paul, MN, USA) as a topical treatment for equine sarcoids. Fifteen horses with a total of 19 tumours were enrolled, including mixed (7), fibroblastic (5), flat (3), verrucous (2), and nodular (2) types. Baseline data included history, physical examination, tumour location, measurement and digital photography. Imiquimod was applied by the owners three times a week until complete resolution of ...
Frisbie DD, Morisset S, Ho CP, Rodkey WG, Steadman JR, McIlwraith CW.Microfracture of full-thickness articular defects has been shown to significantly enhance the amount of repair tissue. However, there is a suggestion that leaving calcified cartilage inhibits this repair response. Objective: Removal of the calcified cartilage with retention of subchondral bone enhances the amount of attachment of the repair tissue compared with retention of the calcified cartilage layer. Methods: Controlled laboratory study. Methods: There were 1-cm(2) articular cartilage defects made in 12 skeletally mature horses on the axial weightbearing portion of both medial femoral cond...
Sherman RA, Morrison S, Ng D.Hoof disease and injuries are common and serious problems for equines. Maggot debridement therapy (MDT) has been used to treat problematic wounds in humans, but has been used only rarely in other animals. US veterinarians who had employed MDT were surveyed to investigate their reasons for the choice of this treatment and their clinical experiences with it. Between 1997 and 2003, 13 horses were treated by eight veterinarians who used MDT to control infection or debride wounds, which could not easily be reached surgically or were not responding to conventional therapy. Seven animals were lame, a...
Hurtgen JP.Inflammatory conditions of the uterus, collectively known as endometritis, can be classified as acute, chronic, active, or subclinical. This condition causes substantial reductions in mare fertility. To diagnose and treat mares with endometrial inflammation, it is imperative to identify predisposing factors and challenges to the reproductive tract of the mare in a chronological order; these factors change from those of the young maiden filly to the older, multiparous broodmare. This paper addresses predisposing factors, diagnostic procedures and therapy strategies for different mare groups.
Momozawa Y, Takeuchi Y, Tozaki T, Kikusui T, Hasegawa T, Raudsepp T, Chowdhary BP, Kusunose R, Mori Y.Equine anxiety trait is considered an important temperament in various situations, including riding, training, and daily care. This study examined the polymorphism of the equine serotonin transporter (SLC6A4) gene as a candidate genetic element influencing equine anxiety trait. The sequence of the coding region of this gene was highly homologous with those of other mammals, and four single nucleotide polymorphisms were found by comparing the sequences of ten genetically unrelated thoroughbred horses. Radiation hybrid mapping revealed that this gene was located 26.92 cR from neurofibromin 1 on ...
Dahlberg JA, McClure SR, Evans RB, Reinertson EL.To measure alterations in lameness severity that occur following use of extracorporeal shock wave therapy (ESWT) in horses with naturally occurring unilateral forelimb lameness. Methods: Nonrandomized clinical trial. Methods: 9 horses with unilateral forelimb lameness. Methods: Force platform gait analysis was performed prior to administration of any treatments (baseline) and after use of local anesthesia to eliminate the lameness. Extracorporeal shock wave therapy was then administered, and gait analysis was repeated 8 hours later and then daily for 7 days. Results: Compared with the baseline...
Raulo SM, Sorsa T, Maisi P.To evaluate inhibitory effects of synthetic matrix metalloproteinase (MMP) inhibitors in vitro on gelatinolytic and collagenolytic activities in tracheal epithelial lining fluid (TELF) of horses with recurrent airway obstruction (RAO). Methods: 10 horses with RAO and 5 healthy control horses. Methods: Substrate-based functional assays, collagen I and gelatin degradation, were used to measure endogenous collagenolytic and gelatinolytic activities in TELF. In vitro inhibition of MMP activity in TELF with 2 chemically modified tetracyclines (CMTs; CMT-3 and CMT-8) and 2 bisphosphonates (BPs; zole...
Eades SC, Stokes AM, Moore RM.To evaluate changes in digital vascular function in horses with carbohydrate overload (CHO)-induced laminitis and determine the effects of an endothelin (ET) receptor antagonist and nitroglycerin on laminitis-associated vascular dysfunction. Methods: 20 adult horses without abnormalities of the digit. Methods: Hemodynamic variables were recorded before (baseline) and hourly after all horses were administered a CHO ration via nasogastric tube. In 4 groups of 5 horses each, saline (0.9% NaCl) solution or ET receptor antagonist (10(5)M in digital blood) was administered into the digital arterial ...
Kurvers CM, van Weeren PR, Rogers CW, van Dierendonck MC.To describe spontaneous locomotion activity of foals kept under various management conditions and assess the suitability of global positioning system (GPS) technology for recording foal activity. Animals-59 foals. Methods: During the foals' first 4 months of life, 921 observation periods (15 minutes each) were collected and analyzed for locomotion activities. The GPS system was evaluated by simultaneously carrying out field observations with a handheld computer. Results: Foals spent 0.5% of total observed time cantering, 0.2% trotting, 10.7% walking, 32.0% grazing, 34.8% standing, and 21.6% ly...
Donnelly BP, Nixon AJ, Haupt JL, Dahlgren LA.To characterize the nucleotide sequence of equine platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF)-A and -B and analyze temporal expression of these genes in equine tendon after induced tendinitis injury. Animals-18 mature horses. Methods: Genes for equine PDGF-A and -B were reverse transcribed and sequenced from synovial tissue mRNA obtained from a 3-year-old horse. Collagenase-induced lesions were created in the tensile region of the superficial digital flexor tendon in 14 horses; 3 horses served as uninjured control animals. Tendons were harvested and total RNA was isolated from experimental horses 1,...
Ishihara A, Zachos TA, Bartlett JS, Bertone AL.To evaluate host cell permissiveness and cytotoxic effects of recombinant and modified adenoviral vectors in equine chondrocytes, synovial cells, and bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells (BMD-MSCs). Methods: Articular cartilage, synovium, and bone marrow from 15 adult horses. Methods: Equine chondrocytes, synovial cells, and BMD-MSCs and human carcinoma (HeLa) cells were cultured and infected with an E-1-deficient adenovirus vector encoding the beta-galactosidase gene or the green fluorescent protein gene (Ad-GFP) and with a modified E-1-deficient vector with the arg-gly-asp capsid pepti...
Baird JD, Arroyo LG, Vengust M, McGurrin MK, Rodriguez-Palacios A, Kenney DG, Aravagiri M, Maylin GA.4 racehorses were examined because of markedly abnormal behavior following administration of fluphenazine decanoate. Results: Clinical signs included restlessness, agitation, profuse sweating, hypermetria, aimless circling, intense pawing and striking with the thoracic limbs, and rhythmic swinging of the head and neck alternating with episodes of severe stupor. Fluphenazine was detected in serum or plasma from all 4 horses. The dose of fluphenazine decanoate administered to 3 of the 4 horses was within the range (25 to 50 mg) routinely administered to adult humans. Results: In 2 horses, there ...
Komáromy AM, Garg CD, Ying GS, Liu C.To evaluate the effect of head position on intraocular pressure (IOP) in horses. Methods: 30 horses. Methods: Horses were sedated with detomidine HCl (0.01 mg/kg, IV). Auriculopalpebral nerve blocks were applied bilaterally with 2% lidocaine HCl. The corneas of both eyes were anesthetized with ophthalmic 0.5% proparacaine solution. Intraocular pressures were measured with an applanation tonometer with the head positioned below and above heart level. The mean of 3 readings was taken for each eye at each position for data analysis. The effect of head position on IOP was assessed and generalized ...
van Heel MC, van Weeren PR, Back W.To determine the mechanism that enables horses to partially counteract the shift of the center of pressure under the hoof induced by changes in hoof morphology attributable to growth and wear during a shoeing interval. Methods: 18 clinically sound Warmblood horses. Methods: Horses were evaluated 2 days and 8 weeks after shoeing during trotting on a track containing pressure-force measuring plates and by use of a synchronous infrared gait analysis system set at a frequency of 240 Hz. All feet were trimmed toward straight alignment of the proximal, middle, and distal phalanges and shod with stan...
Cruz AM, Li R, Kenney DG, Monteith G.To determine the effects of indwelling nasogastric intubation on the gastric emptying rate of liquid in horses. Methods: 6 healthy horses. Methods: Horses were assigned to treatment and control groups in a prospective randomized crossover study with a washout period of at least 4 weeks between trials. Acetaminophen (20 mg/kg) diluted in 1 L of distilled water was administered via nasogastric tube at time points of 0, 12, 30, 48, and 72 hours to evaluate the liquid-phase gastric emptying rate. In control horses, nasogastric tubes were removed after administration of acetaminophen. In horses rec...
McCann SH, Mumford JA, Binns MM.A search for variable restriction sites has been carried out for equine herpesvirus-1 (EHV-1) in an attempt to develop markers which can be used to group epidemiologically related viruses into groups, and to learn more about the dynamics of EHV-1 disease. Crude viral DNA extracts of EHV-1, prepared by Hirt extraction, were digested with AluI, HaeIII, or RsaI, and Southern blotted following electrophoresis. DNA fingerprints, produced by probing the Southern blots with the EHV-1 EcoR1-I fragment, separated 56 isolates into 16 groups. The variable sites within the EcoR1-I fragment were mapped app...
Hopster K, D○ LR, Hopster-Iversen CCS, Driessen B.OBJECTIVE To evaluate efficacy of an alveolar recruitment maneuver (ARM) with positive end-expiratory pressures (PEEPs) in anesthetized horses ventilated with oxygen or heliox (70% helium and 30% oxygen). ANIMALS 6 healthy adult horses. PROCEDURES In a randomized crossover study, horses were anesthetized and positioned in dorsal recumbency. Volume-controlled ventilation was performed with heliox or oxygen (fraction of inspired oxygen [Fio] > 90%). Sixty minutes after mechanical ventilation commenced, an ARM with PEEP (0 to 30 cm HO in steps of 5 cm HO every 5 minutes, followed by incremental s...
Ryan KD, Brodine J, Pothast J, McGoldrick A.Horseracing is among the most popular and increasingly lucrative industry sports in the nation. The average jockey must control a thoroughbred horse 10 times their weight that may act unpredictably whether at rest or full gallop resulting in falls, kicks, or even biting injuries. Despite the risks, jockeys do not have access to the same quality of medical care that is standard in similarly profitable sports organizations. Beyond the mental and physical demands of training and performance endured by any professional athlete, jockeys are confronted with health challenges unique to their sport. I...
Delco ML, Nieto JE, Craigmill AL, Stanley SD, Snyder JR.Tegaserod, a serotonin agonist, has been shown to have prokinetic effects in horses, but pharmacokinetic information is not currently available. The pharmacokinetics and in vitro effects of tegaserod were evaluated. Tegaserod increased the contractile activity of smooth muscle preparations of the equine pelvic flexure. Pertinent pharmacokinetic parameters for a single IV and oral dose were determined. Therapeutic plasma concentrations of tegaserod were achieved by a single oral dose at 0.27 mg/kg. These findings indicate that further clinical studies are warranted to investigate potential bene...
McClanahan SL, Stromberg BE, Hayden DW, Averbeck GA, Wilson JH.A 25-year-old Quarterhorse mare was euthanized for a variety of medical reasons. At necropsy, 7 liver flukes, identified as Fascioloides magna, were recovered from the liver. This is the first report of F. magna in a horse.
Klein JP, Forster HV, Bisgard GE, Kaminski RP, Pan LG, Hamilton LH.The purpose of these studies was to gain insight into mechanisms regulating pulmonary ventilation (VE), arterial CO2 partial pressure (PaCO2), and arterial pH (pHa) in ponies when inspired CO2 partial pressure (PICO2) is above normal. Ponies were studied four times daily each weekday for 2 wk in an environmental chamber. Each study consisted of a 15-min control period (PICO2 = 0.7 Torr) followed by a 15- to 30-min experimental period during which PICO2 in the chamber was 0.7, 7, 14, 21, 28, or 42 Torr (PIO2 = 147 Torr throughout). Between 11 and 15 min of each period, four 3-ml samples of arte...
Schumacher J, Moll HD, Spano JS, Barone LM, Powers RD.Two horses were presented with lethargy, weight loss, anorexia, and swelling of the limbs and ventral body wall. One horse, a 12-month-old American Paso Fino colt, also had acute abdominal pain. The other horse, a seven-month-old Tennessee Walking Horse (TWH) filly passed diarrheic stools during the initial examination. Each horse had low serum protein, neutropenia, and a normal packed cell volume (3.2 g/dl, 1300 cells/ul, and 38%, respectively, for the colt, and 2.4 g/dl, 696 cells/ul, and 44%, respectively for the filly). After intravenously administering plasma, the colt's PCV dropped to 23...
Harrington R.During 2 years (fiscal years 1973 and 1974), microscopic agglutination tests were performed on 12,565 serums from cattle, swine, horses, deer, sheep, and goats for the detection of leptospiral antibodies. The most frequent presumptive infecting serogroups were Hebdomadis, Pomona, Autumnalis, Ballum, Australis, and Canicola.
Ferreira HN, Ferreira-Silva JC, Rocha JM, Farras MC, Calixto M, Moura MT, Alvarenga MA, Oliveira AL.Semen cryopreservation causes DNA damage, thus requiring continuous monitoring. Objective: To compare two assays for sperm DNA fragmentation (SDF) from stallions with contrasting semen freezability. Methods: Thirteen stallions were classified as good semen freezers (GSF) or bad semen freezers (BSF). Ejaculates were cryopreserved with three diluents. Semen was subject to SDF evaluation using the sperm chromatin structure assay (SCSA) and Halomax after thawing (0 h) and after a 4 h thermoresistance test. Results: On semen of BSF, analysis by SCSA was similar between evaluations, but Halomax show...
McNeill LR, Bott RC, Mastellar SL, Djira G, Carroll HK.In South Dakota, the status of equid well being is relatively unknown. This study sought to (a) gain understanding about the current perceptions of nonhuman animal well being in South Dakota, with an emphasis on horses and other equids; (b) determine the level of care equids are reportedly receiving and the perceived challenges to equine well being in South Dakota, and (c) determine if people from diverse geographical locations (east or west of the Missouri River) have similar views on the well being of equids in South Dakota. Respondents indicated the current level of equid well being in Sout...
Webel SK, Franklin V, Harland B, Dziuk PJ.Pony mares were observed from January to August for incidence of oestrus, duration of oestrus, length of the oestrous cycle and for ovulation and fertility after injection of HCG. From January to 15 May most mares showed oestrus but the duration of oestrus was quite variable and few mares ovulated in response to HCG. From 15 May to 17 August oestrous cycles were more regular and ovulation was induced within 40-50 h by an intramuscular injection of 1500-5000 i.u. HCG. Pregnancy was established by one mating at a fixed time after HCG in 20 of 69 mares. Degenerate eggs were recovered from the ovi...
Corbeil LE, Morrissey JF, Léguillette R.This report describes 5 horses in the southern Alberta region with typical and atypical external abscessation due to Corynebacterium pseudotuberculosis (pigeon fever). "Pigeon fever" has recently been diagnosed in new geographic regions in North America and should be kept as a differential diagnosis by practitioners when an external or internal abscess is identified in a horse. L’infection parCorynebacterium pseudotuberculosis(fièvre du pigeon) chez les chevaux est-elle une maladie émergente dans l’Ouest canadien? Ce rapport décrit cinq chevaux dans la région sud de l’Alberta atteint...
Craig AM, Blythe LL, Lassen ED, Rowe KE, Barrington R, Slizeski M.Fluctuations of serum vitamin E (alpha-tocopherol), cholesterol, and total lipids were monitored in 12 horses at 3-hour intervals for 72 hours. Mean coefficients of variation were 12, 5, and 15%, respectively. Statistical analyses were used to conclude that instrumentation error was accountable for only a small portion of the vitamin E variation. Results indicated that a single serum sample assay is an unsatisfactory indicator of vitamin E status in horses. These data have clinical application in the evaluation of horses suspected to be affected with equine degenerative myeloencephalopathy. Th...
Kawahisa-Piquini G, Bass LD, Pezzanite LM, Moorman VJ.Lameness, discipline, training intensity, environmental variability, and shoeing are all factors demonstrated to affect hoof loading and therefore act as adaptive stimuli to alter hoof morphology. Objective: To evaluate the effect of age at training initiation on hoof morphology and lameness incidence and determine if specific hoof morphology measurements correlate with lameness in juvenile American Quarter Horses. Methods: Prospective cohort study. Methods: American Quarter Horses (n = 42; 29 two-year-olds, 13 three-year-olds) entering training were monitored for hoof morphology and lamenes...
Drozdzewska K, Potocnik E, Schwarz B.Placing a nasogastric tube can be a life-saving act for a horse but is considered an occupational hazard for veterinarians. An online questionnaire was performed to assess and specify potential risks. 123 equine veterinarians completed the survey, and the majority admitted using the mouth to handle the end of the nasogastric tube (sucking or blowing air) and having accidentally swallowed or aspirated stomach content or medications. This can potentially lead to aspiration pneumonia or pneumonitis. Mineral oil seems to be especially dangerous as aspiration may be asymptomatic at the beginning an...
Pye J, Espinosa-Mur P, Roca R, Kilcoyne I, Nieto J, Dechant J.To determine if preoperative and intraoperative clinical variables correlate with resection and anastomosis (RA) in horses presenting with strangulating small intestinal (SI) lesions. Methods: Retrospective case series. Methods: Horses undergoing exploratory celiotomy for a strangulating SI lesion (n = 243). Methods: The records of horses undergoing surgical correction for strangulating SI lesions from January 1, 2000 to December 31, 2017 were reviewed. Horses were categorized as treated with RA or not treated with RA. Obtained information included history, signalment, clinical findings, d...
Ousey JC, Fowden AL.Prostaglandins play an essential role during the perinatal period in the mare. Prostaglandin concentrations are low for the majority of pregnancy due to the regulatory action of progestagens on those enzymes responsible for metabolism of prostaglandins. Towards term, prostaglandin concentrations gradually increase, closely associated with upregulation of the fetal hypothalamo-pituitary-adrenal axis, stimulation of the prostaglandin synthesising enzyme PGHS-2 and changes in the ratio of progestagens and oestrogens. Recent evidence in the mare indicates that proinflammatory cytokines are key med...
Broaddus CC, Balasuriya UB, White JL, Timoney PJ, Funk RA, Holyoak GR.To determine whether it is safe to vaccinate pregnant or postpartum mares with a commercial modified-live virus vaccine against equine viral arteritis (EVA). Design-Randomized controlled study. Animals-73 mares and their foals. Methods: Mares were vaccinated during mid gestation, during late gestation, or 2 or 3 days after parturition with a commercial modified-live virus vaccine or were not vaccinated. Foaling outcomes were recorded, and serum, blood, milk, and nasopharyngeal samples were obtained. Results: All mares vaccinated during mid gestation foaled without any problems; 21 of 22 mares ...
Ginther OJ.The equine embryo or embryonic vesicle on Days 11-15 postovulation travels with profound physiologic purpose throughout the lumen of the two uterine horns and uterine body making 12 to 22 trips between the two uterine horns per day. This phenomenon is termed embryo mobility and is unique in equids among domestic species. Apparently, the embryo first reaches the uterine body on Days 8 or 9. Mobility increases to maximum by Days 11 or 12 and continues until an abrupt cessation of mobility (fixation) on Days 15 (ponies) or 16 (horses and donkeys). The embryo is propelled by uterine contractions i...
Hoaglund EL, Hess AM, Hassel DM.To evaluate the role of intravenous fluid volume and electrolyte supplementation on the development of postoperative reflux (POR) in horses undergoing celiotomy for colic. Methods: Case-control study spanning 2004-2012 for horses undergoing celiotomy for colic. Methods: University teaching hospital. Methods: Sixty-seven client-owned horses >1 year of age with POR were each matched to 2 controls with similar surgical lesions that did not demonstrate POR. Results: Survival was significantly lower in cases (65.7%) than controls (96.1%). Factors found to be associated with POR included decrease...
do Nascimento AD, Marques JCC, Cezar ARR, Batista AM, Kastelic JP, Câmara DR.Although equine blastocysts ≤ 300 µm in diameter can be successfully vitrified, larger equine blastocysts are not good candidates for cryopreservation. As Na, K-ATPase is involved in maintaining blastocyst expansion, perhaps inhibition of this enzyme would be a viable method of reducing blastocyst diameter prior to cryopreservation. Objectives were to evaluate effects of ouabain-induced inhibition of Na, K-ATPase in equine blastocysts. Sixteen mares were ultrasonographically monitored, given deslorelin acetate to induce ovulation, and inseminated. Embryos (D7 and D9) were harvested and Na, ...
Dean PW, Robertson JT.Seven horses were used to compare the Gambee, the crushing, and a 2-layer inverting suture pattern composed of a simple continuous layer in the mucosa oversewn with a continuous Lembert pattern in the seromuscular layer. Horses were evaluated at 30 days for adhesion formation, lumen diameter, and quality of healing at the anastomotic sites. One horse was euthanatized 9 days after surgery after 24 hours of ileus and colic; necropsy revealed septic peritonitis and widespread adhesions. One horse had no adhesions. The remaining horses had adhesions associated with 50% of the Gambee and 50% of the...