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.
Traversa D, Otranto D.The myiasis caused by larvae of Rhinoestrus purpureus and Rhinoestrus usbekistanicus (Diptera, Oestridae) are of importance in the horse medicine since it causes severe respiratory diseases. Therefore an accurate diagnosis of rhinoestrosis is central to its epidemiology and control. This paper describes concisely a molecular diagnostic tool that overcomes the current inherent diagnostic constraints and, therefore, is of importance to understand the actual incidence and epidemiology of this myiasis in live horses.
Mathis SC, Slone DE, Lynch TM, Hughes FE, Clark CK.To evaluate the relationship of colonic luminal pressure (CLP) measurements to outcome in horses with large colon volvulus (LCV) after either manual correction or large colon resection and anastomosis (LCRA). Methods: Retrospective study. Methods: Horses (n=57) that had LCV. Methods: Records for horses with LCV (March 1997-December 2003) were reviewed. Inclusion criteria were strangulating LCV proximal to the cecocolic ligament (>270 degrees), recorded CLP, and successful recovery from anesthesia. CLP measurements and survival/mortality rates were compared between horses that had manual correc...
Södersten F, Ekman S, Schmitz M, Paulsson M, Zaucke F.Injuries of the equine superficial digital flexor tendon are common in racing horses. Knowledge of the tendon matrix composition is crucial to understand physiological and pathological processes in the tendon. The aim of this study was to analyze TSP-4 expressed in equine tendon. Equine tendons were extracted with 10 mM EDTA-containing buffer and TSP-4 purified with ion-exchange chromatography followed by heparin affinity chromatography. The purified TSP-4 was analyzed by one- and two-dimensional SDS-PAGE, immunoblotting, and MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry. Purified TSP-4 gave bands reacting with...
Weaver RE, Sharif M, Livingston LA, Andrews KL, Fuller CJ.The objective of this study was to assess whether macroscopically normal articular cartilage taken from joints containing focal osteoarthritic lesions is histologically similar to articular cartilage taken from macroscopically normal joints. Metacarpophalangeal, proximal interphalangeal, and distal interphalangeal joints were obtained from 10 horses following euthanasia. Gross articular cartilage damage was scored and the cartilage assigned to one of two groups: (1) macroscopically normal cartilage from normal joints (control) and (2) macroscopically normal cartilage from diseased joints in wh...
RodrÃguez-Lázaro D, Lewis DA, Ocampo-Sosa AA, Fogarty U, Makrai L, Navas J, Scortti M, Hernández M, Vázquez-Boland JA.We developed a novel quantitative real-time PCR (Q-PCR) method for the soil actinomycete Rhodococcus equi, an important horse pathogen and emerging human pathogen. Species-specific quantification was achieved by targeting the chromosomal monocopy gene choE, universally conserved in R. equi. The choE Q-PCR included an internal amplification control (IAC) for identification of false negatives. A second Q-PCR targeted the virulence plasmid gene vapA, carried by most horse isolates but infrequently found in isolates from other sources. The choE-IAC and vapA assays were 100% sensitive and specific ...
Brinsko SP.This manuscript presents a brief historical review of investigations related to equine artificial insemination. The origin of recommended insemination doses for use fresh, cooled and frozen semen will be reviewed. Over 30 years ago, an insemination dose of 500 x 10(6) progressively motile sperm (PMS) was recommended to maximize pregnancy rates when mares were bred with fresh semen under less than ideal conditions. Since that time, 500 x 10(6) progressively motile sperm has been almost universally accepted as a standard insemination dose, regardless of a stallion's fertility or the refinements ...
Davis JL, Salmon JH, Papich MG.To characterize pharmacokinetics of voriconazole in horses after oral and IV administration and determine the in vitro physicochemical characteristics of the drug that may affect oral absorption and tissue distribution. Methods: 6 adult horses. Methods: Horses were administered voriconazole (1 mg/kg, IV, or 4 mg/kg, PO), and plasma concentrations were measured by use of high-performance liquid chromatography. In vitro plasma protein binding and the octanol:water partition coefficient were also assessed. Results: Voriconazole was adequately absorbed after oral administration in horses, with a s...
Fernández-Varón E, Cárceles CM, MarÃn P, Martos N, Escudero E, Ayala I.To study the pharmacokinetics of difloxacin (5 mg/kg) following IV, IM, and intragastric (IG) administration to healthy horses. Methods: 6 healthy mature horses. Methods: A crossover study design with 3 phases was used (15-day washout periods between treatments). An injectable formulation of difloxacin (5%) was administered IV and IM in single doses (5 mg/kg); for IG administration, an oral solution was prepared and administered via nasogastric tube. Blood samples were collected before and at intervals after each administration. A high-performance liquid chromatography assay with fluorescence ...
Sinclair MD, Mealey KL, Matthews NS, Peck KE, Taylor TS, Bennett BS.To determine the disposition of a bolus of meloxicam (administered IV) in horses and donkeys (Equus asinus) and compare the relative pharmacokinetic variables between the species. Methods: 5 clinically normal horses and 5 clinically normal donkeys. Methods: Blood samples were collected before and after IV administration of a bolus of meloxicam (0.6 mg/kg). Serum meloxicam concentrations were determined in triplicate via high-performance liquid chromatography. The serum concentration-time curve for each horse and donkey was analyzed separately to estimate standard noncompartmental pharmacokinet...
Stock KF, Distl O.To evaluate whether additive genetic correlations existed between certain aspects of the radiographic appearance of the distal sesamoid (navicular) bones (RNB) or between RNB and other types of radiographic changes in the limbs of Hanoverian Warmblood horses. Methods: 5,157 horses. Methods: Quasi-linear and binary traits were defined by the appearance of canales sesamoidales (CSs) and the structure and contour of the forelimb navicular bones (NBs). Prevalences of osseous fragments in the metacarphophalangeal and metatarsophalangeal (fetlock) and tarsocrural joints and deforming arthropathy in ...
Boscan P, Van Hoogmoed LM, Farver TB, Snyder JR.To evaluate the effects of morphine administration for 6 days on gastrointestinal tract function in healthy adult horses. Methods: 5 horses. Methods: Horses were randomly allocated into 2 groups in a crossover study. Horses in the treatment group received morphine sulfate at a dosage of 0.5 mg/kg, IV, every 12 hours for 6 days. Horses in the control group received saline (0.9% NaCl) solution at a dosage of 10 mL, IV, every 12 hours for 6 days. Variables assessed included defecation frequency, weight of feces produced, intestinal transit time (evaluated by use of barium-filled spheres and radio...
Pusterla N, Magdesian KG, Mapes S, Leutenegger CM.To determine gene expression of selected molecular markers (tumor necrosis factor [TNF]-alpha, interleukin [IL]-1beta, IL-6, IL-8, IL-10, procalcitonin [PCT], and transforming growth factor [TGF]-beta) in the blood of healthy and sick foals. Methods: 28 sick foals without sepsis, 21 foals with sepsis, and 21 healthy foals. Methods: Total RNA was extracted from blood samples and converted into complementary DNA (cDNA). Gene expression was measured for the molecular markers by use of real-time PCR assay, and final quantitation was performed with the comparative threshold cycle method. Results: S...
Boscan P, Van Hoogmoed LM, Pypendop BH, Farver TB, Snyder JR.To determine the pharmacokinetics and effects of the morphine antagonist N-methylnaltrexone (MNTX) on gastrointestinal tract function in horses when administered alone and in combination with morphine. Methods: 5 healthy adult horses. Methods: Horses were treated with MNTX (1 mg/kg, IV), and serial blood samples were collected for determination of drug pharmacokinetics. For evaluation of effects on the gastrointestinal tract when administered alone, MNTX was administered at a dosage of 0.75 mg/kg, IV, twice daily for 4 days. For evaluation of effects when administered concurrently with morphin...
Natalini CC, Polydoro Ada S, Linardi RL.To evaluate the effects of subarachnoidally administered hyperbaric morphine, buprenorphine, and methadone on avoidance threshold to noxious electrical stimulation of the perineal, sacral, lumbar, and thoracic regions in horses. Methods: 6 healthy adult horses. Methods: Horses were assigned to receive subarachnoid administration of hyperbaric morphine (0.01 mg/kg), buprenorphine (0.001 mg/kg), methadone (0.01 mg/kg), or 10% dextrose solution in equal volumes (5 mL). Electrical stimulation was applied every 10 minutes for 60 minutes and every 30 minutes for 120 minutes after subarachnoid inject...
Rohrbach BW, Buchanan BR, Drake JM, Andrews FM, Bain FT, Byars DT, Bernard WV, Furr MO, Paradis MR, Lawler J, Giguère S, Dunkel B.To create a mathematical model to assist in early prediction of the probability of discharge in hospitalized foals < or= 7 days old. Methods: Prospective study. Methods: 1,073 foals. Methods: Medical records from 910 hospitalized foals < or = 7 days old for which outcome was recorded as died or discharged alive were reviewed. Thirty-four variables including historical information, physical examination findings, and laboratory results were examined for association with survival. Variables associated with being discharged alive were entered into a multivariable logistic regression model. A...
Okano S, Hurley DJ, Vandenplas ML, Moore JN.To determine the effect of fetal bovine serum (FBS) and heat-inactivated FBS (HI-FBS) on lipopolysaccharide (LPS)- and zymosan-induced procoagulant activity of equine and canine mononuclear cells. Methods: Mononuclear cells from 18 horses and 3 dogs. Methods: Cells were incubated with various concentrations of FBS, HI-FBS, LPS, zymosan, polymyxin B, and anti-LPS-binding protein monoclonal antibody or combinations of these constituents. A 1 stage recalcification assay was used to determine procoagulant activity. Results: Addition of FBS to media significantly increased procoagulant activity; eq...
Kurth A, Skilling DE, Smith AW.To test horses for serologic evidence of an association between vesiviral antibodies and abortion. Methods: Sera from 141 horses. Methods: 2 experiments were conducted. Experiment 1 comprised sera obtained in 2001 and 2002 from 3 groups of horses (58 mares from farms with a history of abortion problems, 25 mares between 3 and 13 years of age with unknown reproductive histories that were sold at auction [breeding-age control mares], and 29 mixed-age males and yearling females sold at auction [negative control population]). Experiment 2 comprised sera from 3 groups of pregnant mares (10 pregnant...
Veronesi MC, Carluccio A, Kindahl H, Faustini M, Battocchio M, Cairoli F.The aim of the present study was to evaluate within 24 h post-ovulation oxytocin-induced PGF(2alpha) release in mares with and without post-breeding delayed uterine clearance (DUC). Twenty-one of 34 mares with a variable amount of intrauterine fluids accumulation were considered to be affected by delayed uterine clearance (DUC group), while the other 13 mares did not show any uterine fluid accumulation, and were considered as controls (WDUC group). Both DUC and WDUC mares were administered with 20 IU oxytocin i.m. 90 min after the ultrasound examination performed 24 h after breeding. Immediate...
Kim YK, Noh KB, Han CS, Moon JY, Yoon DK, Song KJ, Kim DJ, Kubera M, Maes M, Song JW.Borna disease virus (BDV) predominantly infects horses and sheep, causing a broad range of behavioural disorders. It is controversial whether BDV infects humans and causes psychiatric disorders. Objective: We searched for BDV-derived nucleic acids in blood of race horses and jockeys riding the horses. Methods: We assayed for the BDV genome in RNA extracted from peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) of 39 race horses and 48 jockeys. Two polymerase chain reaction protocols [one-tube reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and two-step RT-PCR] were used to assay BDV p24 and p...
Long MT, Jeter W, Hernandez J, Sellon DC, Gosche D, Gillis K, Bille E, Gibbs EP.The objectives of these studies were to assess the diagnostic performance (sensitivity and specificity) of the IgM capture enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA; MAC) for diagnosis of West Nile (WN) virus in horses and to examine the performance of this test by using different criteria for seropositivity. A total of 36 horses classified as WN virus infected (group 1) and 383 horses from 4 subpopulations of hoses classified as noninfected (groups 2, 3, 4, and 5) were used in the study. The sensitivity (proportion of infected horses that tested positive for WN virus IgM antibodies) and specif...
Lopes MAF, Nichols JT, Dearo ACO, Nelson SR.To investigate the effects of a small sensor attached to the pastern region of a forelimb on lameness detection and quantification with a portable inertial sensor-based system (PISBS) for lameness detection and quantification in horses. 20 adult horses (body weight, 410 to 650 kg) with no visible lameness at the walk. In a crossover study design, horses were evaluated at the trot twice using the PISBS with the gyroscope alternately attached to the right forelimb pastern region (as recommended by the manufacturer) or to the left forelimb pastern region (with the sensor flipped 180° on the fron...
Lopez-Plana C, Sautet JY, Ruberte J.Three adductor muscles of the larynx, the cricoarytenoideus lateralis (CAL), the arytenoideus transversus (AT) and the ventricularis (Ve), from 36 horses were examined histologically. The neurogenic changes seen in each muscle were evaluated qualitatively. In addition, in 6 horses with clinical and subclinical signs of neurogenic atrophy, measurements of muscle fibre area were performed. Neurogenic changes observed in the Ve were less than in CAL and AT. Measurements of muscle fibre area also demonstrated that CAL and AT showed a wider range of pathological changes than did Ve. The results sho...
Campbell-Thompson ML, Merritt AM.Equine gastric secretion was studied using a gastric cannula model after fasting (basal) and pentagastrin infusion. Gastric secretory rate, pH, osmolality, and electrolyte concentrations and outputs were determined over a 5-h period. Dose-response tests estimated that the maximally effective intravenous dose of pentagastrin was between 3 and 6 micrograms.kg-1.h-1. Basal secretory rate was 278 +/- 29 (SE) ml/15 min, and the pH was 2.00 +/- 0.31. Pentagastrin infusion at 6 micrograms.kg-1.h-1 increased secretory rate to 533 +/- 60 ml/15 min and decreased pH to 1.41 +/- 0.11. Basal gastric acid c...
Le KM, Caston SS, Hossetter JM, Hay Kraus BL.To evaluate the analgesic and tissue effects of liposomal bupivacaine administered SC as an abaxial sesamoid nerve block in horses with experimentally induced lameness. Methods: 6 healthy mature light-breed horses. Methods: In a randomized crossover study, a circumferential hoof clamp was applied to a forelimb to induce reversible lameness. An abaxial sesamoid nerve block of the lame forelimb was performed by SC perineural injection of 10 mg of liposomal bupivacaine or bupivacaine HCl/site. Quantitative gait data were objectively obtained with a body-mounted inertial sensor system before (base...
Fulka J, Okolski A.Oocytes were removed from follicles 5-30 mm in diameter. The germinal vesicle was present in 69.6% (23/33) of the oocytes at the start of culture, but after 20-24 and 40 h 70.5% (12/17) and 68.2% (43/63) of the oocytes were in metaphase I and metaphase II with first polar body extruded, respectively.
Kölbl S, Schuller W, Pabst J.944 serum samples of horses, collected in 1988 and 1989, were examined for the occurrence of antibodies against equine arteritis virus by a microneutralizations test. In 10.9% of all sera reactors could be found. The distribution of seropositive horses varied from 4.6% (Salzburg) to 15.7% (Lower Austria). From Tyrol and Vorarlberg no samples could be obtained. It was not possible, to correlate clinical symptoms (infertility, respiratory symptoms, fever and edema) with the infection. It is assumed, that the disease appears in Austria only in a clinical inapparent form.
Santos M, Gutierrez-Nibeyro S, Stewart A, Hyde R, Rodgerson D.The clinical, diagnostic and therapeutic features of a horse with a wooden foreign body embedded in the deep portion of the right masseter muscle adjacent to the right orbit are presented. The purpose of this report is to describe the clinical presentation, magnetic resonance imaging findings and treatment of a penetrating wooden foreign body in a horse that had no history of trauma or evidence of a puncture wound. This report documents the usefulness of magnetic resonance imaging to detect a wooden foreign body embedded in the soft tissues of a horse with a chronic copious ocular discharge. T...
Dumas MB, Spano JS.Alkaline phosphatase isoenzymes of equine tissues, peritoneal fluid, and serum were characterized by their electrophoretic mobilities, using polyacrylamide gel disc electrophoresis. The alkaline phosphatase isoenzymes in liver, kidney, spleen, small intestine, placenta, bone, small colon, and large colon tissue samples were extracted and separated by electrophoresis. The resulting isoenzyme mobilities and spectrophotometric scans were evaluated for their tissue specificity and for their possible use in determining the tissue contribution of alkaline phosphatase to serum and peritoneal fluid. T...
Alsobayil FA, El-Shafaey ES, Sadan M, Alshoshan AA.Sevoflurane is a volatile anesthetic agent that has become popular in the field of large animal anesthesia. The aim of this study was to evaluate the use of sevoflurane in adult healthy donkeys. Six male, adult, healthy donkeys were premedicated with xylazine (1Â mg/kg IV), induced with thiopental (5Â mg/kg IV), and then maintained for 90Â minutes with sevoflurane in 100% oxygen at a flow rate of 6Â L/min with spontaneous breathing. Rectal temperature (RT), respiratory rate, heart rate (HR), oxygen hemoglobin saturation (OHS), and mean arterial blood pressure (MBP) were measured before and 20Â...
Cehak A, von Borstel M, Gehlen H, Feige K, Ohnesorge B.Twelve horses with a history of a unilateral malodorous nasal discharge were examined clinically, endoscopically and radiographically. The head of one of the horses was examined by computed tomography. Tissue samples were taken for microbiology from four of the horses and for histology from three. The conchal necrosis was unilateral in 11 of the horses and bilateral in the other, and no particular concha was affected more than the others. The affected tissue was removed transendoscopically with a polypectomy snare while the horses were sedated and standing. Mild disinfectants were used locally...
Arroyo LG, Stämpfli HR.Renal tubular disorders have been sporadically reported in horses. Only three types of tubular defects have been recognized: (1) nephrogenic diabetes insipidus, attributable to unresponsiveness of the renal tubules to antidiuretic hormone; (2) distal renal tubular acidosis (RTA; type I); and (3) proximal RTA (type II). The following review focuses on RTA and nephrogenic diabetes insipidus.
Viljoen A, Saulez MN, Donnellan CM, Bester L, Gummow B.Medical records of equine after-hours admissions from 1998 to 2007 are reviewed. Data extracted from the medical records included signalment, reason for admission, pre-admission treatment, clinical presentation, procedures performed, final diagnoses, complications occurring in hospital, length of stay and outcome. Eight hundred and twenty after-hours admissions were available of which 75% were classified as emergencies. Most horses originated from Gauteng province (82%), with Thoroughbred, Arabian, and Warmbloods representing 46%, 10% and 7% of horses. Horses had a median age of 7 years and we...
Henson FM, Davies ME, Skepper JN, Jeffcott LB.The aim of this study was to localise alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity in equine growth cartilage both histochemically and ultrastructurally. For histochemical studies, full thickness growth cartilage samples were obtained from 6 anatomical sites from 16 horses and ponies ranging in age from 90 d postconception to 12 years of age. For ultrastructural studies, samples were obtained from the lateral trochlear ridge of the distal femur of 3 animals ranging in age from 157 d postconception to 12 months of age. Alkaline phosphatase in histological sections was localised using a substituted napht...
Grulke S, Deby-Dupont G, Cassart D, Gangl M, Caudron I, Lamy M, Serteyn D.In cases of equine acute abdominal disease, where pancreatic damage is suspected, pancreatic damage can be assessed by measuring increased trypsin activity in the plasma of horses suffering intestinal obstruction and severe shock. The pancreas is particularly vulnerable to splanchnic hypoperfusion because it is a highly active tissue. In this study, 10 horses undergoing abdominal surgery for intestinal obstruction were assayed for trypsin activity on admission and, because of extensive intestinal lesions that were not amenable to surgery, euthanasia was selected; the pancreas was removed befor...
Norman WM, Williams R, Dodman NH, Kraus AE.After surgery, high intramuscular pressures were measured in a horse with clinical signs of postanesthetic myopathy that developed following a 2.25-hour surgical procedure. In the postoperative period, tests for muscular and neurologic integrity were made, including measurement of intracompartmental muscle pressure.
Hisey EA, Martins BC, Donnelly CG, Cassano JM, Katzman SA, Murphy CJ, Thomasy SM, Leonard BC.This study aimed to define the antimicrobial peptide (AMP) expression pattern of the equine ocular surface and amniotic membrane using a targeted qPCR approach and 3'Tag-sequencing. It will serve as a reference for future studies of ocular surface innate immunity and amniotic membrane therapies. Methods: A targeted qPCR approach was used to investigate the presence of orthologs for three of the most highly expressed beta-defensins (DEFB1, DEFB4B, and DEFB103A) of the human ocular surface and amniotic membrane in equine corneal epithelium, conjunctiva, and amniotic membrane. 3'Tag-sequencing wa...
Tannahill VJ, Cogan T, Allen K, Acutt E, Busschers E.To determine the efficacy and dermal tolerance of a novel alcohol-based skin antiseptic (ABSA) in horses. Methods: Experimental study. Methods: Systemically healthy horses (n = 25) with no history or clinical signs of skin disease. Methods: Four clipped sites on the abdomen were randomly assigned to a skin preparation protocol: saline (negative control; NC), chlorhexidine gluconate followed by isopropyl alcohol (positive control; PC), saline followed by the ABSA (ABSA A), or a commercially available horse shampoo followed by the ABSA (ABSA B). Microbiological swabs were obtained from each ...
Dugdale AH, Barron KE, Miller AJ, Proudman CJ.To compare the effects of preoperatively administered pentastarch (10% concentration in isotonic saline [0.9% NaCl] solution) and hypertonic saline (7.2% NaCl) solutions on PCV and circulating total protein (TP) concentration in horses with colic undergoing emergency exploratory laparotomy and to assess survival rates of horses that received each treatment. Methods: Prospective, randomized study. Methods: 100 horses with signs of abdominal pain and PCV ≥ 0.46 L/L. Procedures-Horses received a 4 mL/kg (1.8 mL/lb) dose of pentastarch solution (n = 50) or hypertonic saline solution (50) over a ...
Attili AR, Kennerman E, Takai S, Or ME, Marenzoni ML, Torun S, Pieramati C, Kayar A, Golcu E, Parkan C, Yilmaz Z, Gonul R, Valente C, Cuteri V.In order to assess the Rhodococcus equi infection in three provinces of Turkey (Bursa, Izmir and Istanbul), 696 sera from healthy foals and adult horses were tested by indirect ELISA using a R. equi reference strain (ATCC 6939) as antigen. 103 sera (14.80%) with titres >0.646 resulted positive. Seroprevalence was significantly higher (P=0.0053) in male than in female horses of Istanbul province, although higher antibody titres (mean value) were observed in the female group of Bursa and Izmir provinces with differences estimated between provinces (P=0.0002). Seroprevalence was correlated wit...
Vandergrifft EV, Swiderski CE, Horohov DW.We have cloned equine interleukin 4 (IL-4) cDNA using the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and primers based on the human IL-4 sequence. The cDNA was amplified from mitogen-stimulated equine peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC). The cloned PCR product shares extensive homology ith IL-4 sequences from other species.