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.
Derisoud E, Auclair-Ronzaud J, Rousseau-Ralliard D, Philau S, Aujean E, Durand A, Dahirel M, Charlier M, Boutinaud M, Wimel L, Chavatte-Palmer P.Nulliparity is associated with intra-uterine growth retardation and foal delayed catch-up growth. Older mares produce larger/taller foals than the precedents. Nursing at conception on foal growth had not been investigated yet. In any case, milk production conditions the foal's growth. This study aimed to determine effects of mare parity, age and nursing on subsequent lactation quantity and quality. Saddlebred mares and their foals (N = 43) run as a single herd over the same year were: young (6-7-year-old) primiparous, young multiparous, old (10-16-year-old) multiparous nursing at inseminatio...
Tehrani M, Ownagh A.Q fever is a worldwide zoonosis caused by an obligate intra-cellular pathogen called affecting a broad range of animal hosts including horses. Most of the isolates found carry plasmids which genetic studies of strains suggest a critical role in survival. The correlation between an isolated plasmid type and the chronic or acute nature of the disease has always been controversial. This study was conducted to investigate the prevalence of and plasmids in horses and assess the potential role of these species as reservoirs of infection and transmission. Nested-polymerase chain reaction (PCR) a...
Lean NE, Franklin SH, Steel C, Woolford L, White J, Ahern BJ.Little is known about potential differences in the left recurrent laryngeal nerve (Lrln) and left cricoarytenoideus dorsalis (LCAD) muscle between domestic and feral horse populations. If a difference exists, feral horses may provide a useful control population for research related to recurrent laryngeal neuropathy (RLN) and increase our understanding of potential population pressures influencing the incidence RLN. The objective of this study was to compare the Lrln and LCAD of domestic and feral horses using histological and immunohistochemical techniques (IHC). Sixteen horses, domestic (n = ...
Zhou M, Lu Y, Han L, Lu M, Guan C, Yu J, Liu H, Chen D, Li H, Yang Y, Zhang L, Tian L, Liu Q, Hou Z.The roundworms, Parascaris spp., are important nematode parasites of foals and were historically model organisms in the field of cell biology, leading to many important discoveries. According to karyotype, ascarids in Equus are commonly divided into Parascaris univalens (2n = 2) and Parascaris equorum (2n = 4). Methods: Here, we performed morphological identification, karyotyping and sequencing of roundworms from three different hosts (horses, zebras and donkeys). Phylogenetic analysis was performed to study the divergence of these ascarids based on cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI)...
Velloso Alvarez A, Wooldridge AA, Fuller J, Shrader SM, Mansour M, Boone LH.No studies have evaluated the effect of culture in serum-free media (SF) vs. media supplemented with equine serum (ES) on co-culture of synovial membrane and cartilage tissue explants. The study objective was to evaluate the effects of equine serum supplementation on induced production of inflammatory and catabolic mediators from articular cartilage and synovial explants while in co-culture. Articular cartilage and synovial membrane explants were harvested from femoropatellar joints of five adult horses. Cartilage and synovial explants were harvested from the stifle of five horses, placed in c...
Beckers KF, Gomes VCL, Crissman KR, Liu CC, Schulz CJ, Childers GW, Sones JL.Placentitis is the leading cause of infectious abortion in the horse. Additionally, it can result in weak and/or growth restricted offspring. While the etiology of ascending placentitis is well described in mares, less is known regarding the pathogenesis of other types, such as nocardioform placentitis. This study aims to identify the microbial communities in different body sites of the pregnant mare in early gestation to establish a core microbiome that may be perturbed in pathologic pregnancies such as placentitis. We hypothesize that the equine placenta harbors a distinct resident microbiom...
Marshall K, Marsella R.Increased antimicrobial resistance highlights the need for alternatives to antibiotics. Bacteriophages, which are benign viruses that kill bacteria, are promising. We studied the efficacy of topical bacteriophages for treating equine staphylococcal superficial pyodermas. Eight isolates were tested against a bacteriophage bank, and a cocktail consisting of two bacteriophages was prepared. Twenty horses with clinical and cytological evidence of superficial pyoderma and confirmed infection based on swabbed culture were enrolled in the study. Each horse received both the bacteriophage cocktail a...
Yates KM, Stilwell NK, Fontenot RL, Betbeze CM.To determine the in vitro antibacterial efficacy of equine and canine autologous conditioned plasma (ACP) and amniotic membrane extract eye drops (AMEED) against aerobic bacteria common to the corneal surface. Methods: Canine (n = 4) and equine (n = 4) anticoagulated whole blood samples were sterilely collected, pooled for each species, and processed using the Arthrex ACP® Double-Syringe System. Platelet counts were performed on ACP and pooled blood. AMEED were obtained from a commercial source. An electronic medical records search (2013-2022) identified aerobic bacteria cultured from...
Gehlen H, Inerle K, Bartel A, Stöckle SD, Ulrich S, Briese B, Straubinger RK.There are limited data on Lyme borreliosis (LB), a tick-borne disease caused by the Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato complex, in horses. Seropositivity is not necessarily associated with clinical disease. Data on seropositivity against Borrelia burgdorferi and Anaplasma phagocytophilum in German horses are sparse. Therefore, serum samples from horses (n = 123) suspected of having Lyme borreliosis and clinically healthy horses (n = 113) from the same stables were tested for specific antibodies against Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato and Anaplasma phagocytophilum. The samples were screened for an...
Gomes JE, Canadas-Sousa A, Guimarães T, Cunha R, Dias-Pereira P.This short communication describes a case of a 30-year-old stallion with a mass on the base of the penis causing paraphimosis. The patient was submitted to anti-inflammatory and diuretic therapy with no signs of improvement, so 16 days after the lesion was detected, the animal was euthanized. Necropsy was performed, and histopathological assessment of the lesion was conducted. The mass was composed primarily of channels and cavernous structures, lined by elongated cells of vascular origin, located in the preputium. The lesion was diagnosed as a preputial lymphangioma. To the authors' best kn...
Frippiat T, Dams L, Wielick C, Delguste C, Ludwig-Begall LF, Art T, Thiry E.Viruses can be involved in respiratory disorders in horses, with limited therapeutic options. Citrate-complexed silver nanoparticles (C-AgNP) have shown bactericidal properties after in vitro nebulization. The aim of the present study was to assess the virucidal activity of C-AgNP after in vitro instillation or nebulization on equine herpesvirus-1 (EHV-1) and murine norovirus (MNV), the latter used as surrogate for small non-enveloped viruses. Both viruses were instilled or nebulized with C-AgNP of increasing concentrations, and titres were determined via TCID50 method. We demonstrated efficie...
Tulloch JSP, Fleming KM, Pinchbeck G, Forster J, Lowe W, Westgarth C.Animal-related injuries pose a significant risk to the veterinary profession. This study aimed to describe the incidence, demographics, context and consequences of animal-related injuries at UK veterinary schools. A multicentre audit of accident records (2009-2018) across five UK veterinary schools was performed. Injury rates were stratified by school, demographics and species. The context and cause of the injury were described. Multivariable logistic models explored factors associated with medical treatment, hospital visits and time off work. An annual rate of 2.60 (95% confidence interval 2....
Leon A, Pillon C, Tebourski I, Bruyas JF, Lupo C.Abortions in horses represent an important health and economic challenge for equine industry. Primary causes of abortion are divided in non-infectious and infectious. Non-infectious causes include abnormalities of foetal appendices (umbilical cord and placenta essentially), abnormalities of gestation, maternal and foetal origins. Infectious abortions are caused in almost cases by bacterial infections, followed by viruses, fungi and parasites. New abortive pathogens (as Leptospira, Neospora caninum, Coxiella burnetii, Chlamydophila abortus, and) have been confirmed in equines by comparison alre...
Hoerdemann M, Yarbrough T.To describe the technique, postoperative complications, and outcome after autologous fascia lata grafting with conjunctival flap overlay in horses with ulcerative keratitis and keratomalacia. Methods: Retrospective case series. Methods: Eleven horses with ulcerative keratitis and keratomalacia. Methods: Horses included had undergone fascia lata grafting with conjunctival flap overlay due to impending or recent corneal perforation. Preceding therapy, lesion characteristics, postoperative complications, and short- and long-term outcomes were recorded. Results: Postoperative complications include...
Mousavi SF, Razmkabir M, Rostamzadeh J, Seyedabadi HR, Naboulsi R, Petersen JL, Lindgren G.Indigenous Iranian horse breeds were evolutionarily affected by natural and artificial selection in distinct phylogeographic clades, which shaped their genomes in several unique ways. The aims of this study were to evaluate the genetic diversity and genomewide selection signatures in four indigenous Iranian horse breeds. We evaluated 169 horses from Caspian (n = 21), Turkmen (n = 29), Kurdish (n = 67), and Persian Arabian (n = 52) populations, using genomewide genotyping data. The contemporary effective population sizes were 59, 98, 102, and 113 for Turkmen, Caspian, Persian Ar...
Tozaki T, Ohnuma A, Kikuchi M, Ishige T, Kakoi H, Hirota KI, Takahashi Y, Nagata SI.Gene doping, which is prohibited in horseracing and equestrian sports, can be performed by introducing exogenous genes, known as transgenes, into the bodies of postnatal animals. To detect exogenous genes, a method utilizing quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) with a hydrolysis probe was developed to test whole blood and plasma samples, thereby protecting the fairness of competition and the rights of stakeholders in horseracing and equestrian sports. Therefore, we aimed to develop sample storage methods suitable for A and B samples in gene doping tests using blood. For sample A, suff...
Scalco R, de Oliveira GN, da Rosa Curcio B, Wooten M, Magdesian KG, Hidai ST, Pandit P, Aleman M.Rapid and accurate markers to aid diagnosis of sepsis are needed in neonatal foals. The CBC variable red blood cell distribution width (RDW) to platelet ratio (RPR) is associated with inflammatory response and linked to poor outcomes of sepsis in human patients. Objective: Explore the correlation of RPR with sepsis in neonatal foals and evaluate RPR predictive and prognostic value. Methods: Three hundred seventeen hospitalized neonatal foals ≤7 days of age that had a CBC and physical exam performed at admission between 2012 and 2021. Methods: Retrospective case-control study. Clinical reco...
Dolin A, Schweiger P, Waselau M, Egerbacher M, Walter I.Sex cord-stromal tumors (SCSTs), generally referred to as granulosa cell tumors (GCTs) or granulosa-theca cell tumors (GTCTs) in equids, show complex compositions and variable numbers of hormone-producing cells. These tumors can be difficult to diagnose, especially in early stages. Therefore, we tested a panel of antibodies for vimentin, smooth muscle actin, laminin, Ki-67, E-cadherin, calretinin, moesin, p-ezrin, AMH, and aromatase, markers used for tumor composition and classification, progression, and prognosis in human SCSTs, on an exemplary grapefruit-size equine GCT within the left ovary...
Akinniyi OO, Sackey AKB, Ochube GE, Mshelia PW, Musa FA, Elijah MO, Jolayemi KO.Insulin dysregulation (ID) is central to the pathophysiology of equine metabolic syndrome (EMS), putting the horse at risk of laminitis. There is a paucity of information on the status of EMS in Nigeria. This study aimed to determine the occurrence of EMS, clinical manifestations, and associated risk factors in Nigeria. A cross-sectional study was carried out. Selected horses underwent an insulin 2-step response test to ascertain insulin dysregulation; a physical examination was carried out to diagnose laminitis and obesity. Risk factors were assessed using a questionnaire. The overall prevale...
Kakoi H, Kikuchi M, Ishige T, Hirosawa Y, Tanaka S, Nagata SI.To confirm the positive conversion of antibodies against erythrocyte antigens in horses, possible blood transfusion donor horses selected from draft horse populations were periodically monitored with an indirect antiglobulin (Coombs) test for approximately 3 years. In this study, 19 horses (16 females and 3 males) were investigated, and five mares showed alloantibodies during the monitoring period. Four mares were typically pregnant when positive conversion was detected, whereas no particular cause of conversion could be observed for one mare based on its clinical records. In the analyzed hors...
Pye JL, Garcia TC, Kapatkin AS, Samol MA, Stover S.To compare (1) performance of compact versus standard flute drill bits, (2) screw insertion properties and (3) pullout variables between interlocking thread (ITS) and buttress thread (BTS) self-tapping screws in third metacarpi. Methods: In vitro experimental study. Methods: Paired third metacarpi from 11 Thoroughbreds aged 2-4 years. Methods: Screws were inserted into the lateral condylar fossae following bone preparation using the respective drill bit for each screw type. Screw pullout was achieved using a mechanical testing system. Density and porosity of bone surrounding screw holes was ...
Castro-Mesa AF, Resende Faleiros R, Martínez-Aranzales JR.Ultrasonography is commonly used to evaluate equine lameness-related structures, but traditional hoof approaches cannot adequately visualize internal structures such as the lamellar layer. To address this limitation, we used 62 healthy hooves without digital radiographic abnormalities, made up of thirty anatomical pieces (phase 1) and thirty-two hooves from living horses (phase 2). In both phases, half of the digits were submerged in water (group 1) and the other half in water and ice (group 2) for 24 h. Ultrasonographic views and temperature and humidity measurements were taken every two hour...
Mathewos M, Bukero R, Endale H, Mekbib B, Giday W, Mekore D.Epizootic lymphangitis is a contagious, chronic and overwhelming disease of equids, characterized by chronic discharging skin nodules. This study was aimed to investigate the prevalence and associated risk factors of epizootic lymphangitis in equines at Nagele Arsi town, southeastern Ethiopia. A cross-sectional study using a random sampling technique was employed from December 2021 to June 2022 via clinical and microscopic examinations of the lesions. The overall prevalence of epizootic lymphangitis was 4.37% with a prevalence of 6.69%, 0.72%, and 0% in horses, donkeys, and mules, respectively...
Tukia E, Hallman I, Penttilä M, Hänninen S, Kareskoski M.Endometritis is one of the major causes of infertility in mares. and -haemolytic streptococci are among the bacterial species most frequently isolated from the equine uterus. Some bacteria such as -hemolytic streptococci, can persist in dormant forms and cause prolonged, latent or recurrent infections. Dormant bacteria may be present despite negative bacterial cultures, and they are resistant to antimicrobial treatment due to their resting metabolic state. The purpose of this study was to study formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded equine endometrial biopsies for the presence and localization of -...
Dyson S, Pollard D.The Ridden Horse Pain Ethogram (RHpE) was developed to facilitate the recognition of musculoskeletal pain. The aim of this study was to document changes in RHpE scores before and after diagnostic anaesthesia was performed to alleviate pain ± when the saddle was changed. One hundred and fifty horses underwent ridden exercise as part of an investigation of poor performance. The RHpE was applied before and after the interventions. Fifty-two (34.7%) horses exhibited a bilaterally symmetrical short step length and/or restricted hindlimb impulsion and engagement. Fifty-three (35.3%) horses had epis...
Norton AM, McGilp D, Vasey JR.A 4-month old, 200 kg, grey warmblood colt presented for a firm, non painful mass on the distal medial aspect of the left third metatarsus. Excisional biopsy revealed a diagnosis of haemangiosarcoma. Equine haemangiosarcoma is uncommon and only limited reports of successful treatment are available. The prognosis for survival is therefore considered to be poor. After two separate incidences of recurrence with incomplete excision of the tumour, intralesional treatment with cisplatin without excision or debulking was performed on three separate occasions. Intralesional cisplatin injection was p...
Lorga AD, Gomes ARC, Strugava L, Moreno JCD, Dornbusch PT.Thoracoscopy pericardiotomy consists of endoscopic access to the thoracic cavity to perform the opening of the pericardial sac, described in the equine species only through the intercostal access, and there are no studies addressing the singleport transdiaphragmatic access, so the objective was to develop the pericardiotomy technique by transdiaphragmatic thoracoscopy using a single port. The technique was performed using six cadavers of adult horses, positioned in dorsal decubitus, making it possible to initiate access with an incision in the region proximal to the xiphoid process, for the in...
Valberg SJ, Williams ZJ, Henry ML, Finno CJ.Shivers in horses is characterized by abnormal hindlimb movement when walking backward and is proposed to be caused by a Purkinje cell (PC) axonopathy based on histopathology. Objective: Define region-specific differences in gene expression within the lateral cerebellar hemisphere and compare cerebellar protein expression between Shivers horses and controls. Methods: Case-control study of 5 Shivers and 4 control geldings ≥16.2 hands in height. Methods: Using spatial transcriptomics, gene expression was compared between Shivers and control horses in PC soma and lateral cerebellar hemisphere w...
Little D, Flowers JR, Hammerberg BH, Gardner SY.Possible anthelmintic resistance on a breeding farm where a rapid rotation anthelmintic programme had been implemented for 9 years was investigated. Cyathostomins resistant to fenbendazole and pyrantel were documented by faecal worm egg count reduction test (FWECRT). Objective: To 1) manage small strongyle transmission in a herd of horses in which resistance to both pyrantel pamoate and fenbendazole was identified and thereby reduce the risk of clinical disease in the individual animal, 2) monitor the change in resistance patterns over time and 3) monitor the efficacy of ivermectin over the st...
Snow DH, Guy PS.Skeletal muscle of the equine was differentiated into three fibre types according to myosin ATPase (pH 9.4) and succinic dehydrogenase activity. The percentage of these types was determined in the musculus deltoideus, m triceps brachii caput longum, m gluteus medius, m semitendinosis, m biceps femoris and m vastus lateralis of the thoroughbred, Shetland pony, pony, heavy hunter and donkey. In addition the m gluteus medius was examined in the arab and American racing quarterhorse. High myosin ATPase activity fibres varied from a mean of 93.2 per cent in the m gluteus medius of the quarterhorse ...
Innes JF, Clegg P.Examples of naturally occurring musculoskeletal disorders are extremely common in veterinary species and provide a valuable comparative research resource, which can provide compelling comparative data on the aetiopathogenesis and treatment of many common human musculoskeletal diseases. In particular, orthopaedic diseases are a common morbidity in both dogs and horses. In this review, we give an overview of the common musculoskeletal diseases encountered in these species: for instance, tendon and ligament injuries, arthropathies and stress fractures, as well as an insight into the basic biology...
Raabe MR, Issel CJ, Montelaro RC.Equine infectious anemia virus (EIAV) has been shown to infect cells of monocyte/macrophage lineage. These primary cells are intrinsically difficult to obtain, to purify and to culture in vitro for extended periods of time. As a result, most in vitro studies concerning this lentivirus make use of primary equine fibroblasts or transformed canine or feline cell lines. We describe methods that yield reproducibly pure cultures of equine blood monocytes from peripheral blood mononuclear cells. The in vitro differentiation of these cells into mature equine macrophage was verified using various cytoc...
van de Water SG, van Gennip RG, Potgieter CA, Wright IM, van Rijn PA.African horse sickness virus (AHSV) is a virus species in the genus Orbivirus of the family Reoviridae. There are nine serotypes of AHSV showing different levels of cross neutralization. AHSV is transmitted by species of Culicoides biting midges and causes African horse sickness (AHS) in equids, with a mortality rate of up to 95% in naive horses. AHS has become a serious threat for countries outside Africa, since endemic Culicoides species in moderate climates appear to be competent vectors for the related bluetongue virus (BTV). To control AHS, live-attenuated vaccines (LAVs) are used in Afri...
Hestand MS, Kalbfleisch TS, Coleman SJ, Zeng Z, Liu J, Orlando L, MacLeod JN.Current gene annotation of the horse genome is largely derived from in silico predictions and cross-species alignments. Only a small number of genes are annotated based on equine EST and mRNA sequences. To expand the number of equine genes annotated from equine experimental evidence, we sequenced mRNA from a pool of forty-three different tissues. From these, we derived the structures of 68,594 transcripts. In addition, we identified 301,829 positions with SNPs or small indels within these transcripts relative to EquCab2. Interestingly, 780 variants extend the open reading frame of the transcri...
Arroyo MG, Slovis NM, Moore GE, Taylor SD.Septic pleuropneumonia is a common cause of morbidity and mortality in horses, but there is limited data available regarding factors associated with survival. Objective: To identify factors predictive of survival in horses with septic pleuropneumonia. Methods: A total of 97 horses with septic pleuropneumonia at 2 referral institutions. Methods: A retrospective study was performed. A diagnosis of septic pleuropneumonia was based on the presence of sepsis, pleural effusion, and positive bacterial culture from tracheal aspiration (TA) or pleural fluid (PF). Results: Thirty-one percent of horses h...
Shrivastava SK, Kailash .Extracorporeal shock wave therapy in orthopedics and traumatology is still a young therapy method. Since the last few years the development of shock wave therapy has progressed rapidly. Shock waves have changed the treatment of urolithiasis substantially. Today shock waves are the first choice to treat kidney and urethral stones. Urology has long been the only medical field for shock waves in medicine. Meanwhile shock waves have been used in orthopedics and traumatology to treat insertion tendinitis, avascular necrosis of the head of femur and other necrotic bone alterations. Another field of ...
Diouf ND, Etter E, Lo MM, Lo M, Akakpo AJ.Since first being detected in Nigeria in January 2007, African horse sickness virus serotype 2 (AHSV-2) has spread throughout the northern hemisphere, and was first reported in Senegal. A retrospective study was conducted from December 2009 to April 2010 using data collected in the field combined with information available at the Direction of Veterinary Services. The epidemic started in the Dakar region with two outbreaks in March and June 2007, respectively, and spread in several parts of the country between July and November 2007. During this period, 232 outbreaks and 1137 horse deaths were ...
Long A, Nolen-Walston R.Serum amyloid A (SAA) is a marker of inflammation and infection in the horse that can be assessed in the field, with rapid and marked changes seen following initiation of an inflammatory stimulus. This quality of SAA also makes its clinical use challenging, because even small inflammatory conditions can cause large changes in SAA levels. Review of the current literature provides guidelines for responses of SAA to various conditions, which can be applied to specific clinical cases. The practitioner is encouraged to use SAA in conjunction with physical examination and other diagnostic modalities...
Marsh PS, Palmer JE.To assess microorganisms isolated from blood specimens obtained from critically ill neonatal foals and to evaluate their antimicrobial susceptibility patterns. Methods: Retrospective study. Methods: 543 neonatal foals. Methods: Medical records of foals that were < 1 month old and were admitted to a referral neonatal intensive care unit were reviewed for results of bacteriologic culture of blood and antimicrobial susceptibility patterns. Results: At least 1 microorganism was isolated from 155 of 543 (28.5%) foals. Escherichia coli was the most commonly isolated bacterium. A single gram-posit...
Ho JX, Holowachuk EW, Norton EJ, Twigg PD, Carter DC.The amino-acid sequence and three-dimensional structure of equine serum albumin have been determined. The amino-acid sequence was deduced from cDNA isolated from equine liver. Comparisons of the primary structure of equine serum albumin with human serum albumin and bovine serum albumin reveal 76.1% and 73.9% sequence identity, respectively. The three-dimensional structure was determined crystallographically by the molecular-replacement method using molecular coordinates from the previously determined structure of human serum albumin, to a resolution of 0.27 nm. In accordance with the primary s...
Sullivan KA, Hill AE, Haussler KK.Common methods used to treat back problems in horses need to be assessed objectively. Objective: To measure spinal mechanical nociceptive thresholds (MNTs) and evaluate the effects of chiropractic, massage and phenylbutazone, compared with active and inactive control groups. Methods: Baseline MNTs at 7 sites within the thoracolumbar and sacral regions were measured in 38 healthy mature horses exhibiting no clinical signs of lumbar pain. Horses were assigned to one of 3 treatment groups: instrument-assisted chiropractic treatment, therapeutic massage and phenylbutazone; or 2 control groups: rid...
Heinrichs M, Baumgärtner W, Capen CC.Adenomas of the pars intermedia from 19 horses and normal pituitary glands from seven horses were evaluated histologically and immunocytochemically for adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH), alpha-melanocyte-stimulating hormone (alpha-MSH), beta-endorphin (beta-END), proopiomelanocortin (POMC), prolactin, neuron specific enolase, and glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP). The 26 horses ranged in age from 7 to 31 years. Histologically, all adenomas had a uniform pattern characterized by cords of large columnar cells forming palisades and pseudoacini separated by a delicate fibrovascular stroma. I...
Furr MO, Lessard P, White NA.Thirty-two physical examination and laboratory variables were recorded during examination of 165 horses admitted for acute abdominal disease. Univariate analyses were performed to determine which of the variables were significantly different between horses that lived or died. Stepwise logistic regression was performed to identify variables with the best predictive value. Four variables (heart rate, peritoneal fluid total protein concentration, blood lactate concentration, and abnormal mucous membrane) remained significant when entered into the model. Histograms for each significant variable we...
Zak A, Siwinska N, Elzinga S, Barker VD, Stefaniak T, Schanbacher BJ, Place NJ, Niedzwiedz A, Adams AA.Obesity and metabolic disorders are associated with systemic low-grade chronic inflammation, both in humans and animals. The aim of the study is to assess the effects of obesity and hyperinsulinemia on individual components of the acute-phase reaction in equine metabolic syndrome (EMS) horses. Eight mixed-breed EMS and six control, age-matched horses of both sexes were included in the study. Animals were classified as EMS or control based on the assessment of BCS, cresty neck score, and basal insulin >50 μU/mL and/or insulin responses to the oral sugar test (OST) >60 μU/mL. Peripheral ...
Starke SD, Oosterlinck M.Visual equine lameness assessment is often unreliable, yet the full understanding of this issue is missing. Here, we investigate visual lameness assessment using near-realistic, three-dimensional horse animations presenting with 0-60 per cent movement asymmetry. Animations were scored at an equine veterinary seminar by attendees with various expertise levels. Results showed that years of experience and exposure to a low, medium or high case load had no significant effect on correct assessment of lame (P>0.149) or sound horses (P≥0.412), with the exception of a significant effect of case l...
Canè V, Botti P, Soana S.The influence of pulsed low-frequency electromagnetic fields (PEMFs) on bone formation was investigated in studies of the healing process of transcortical holes, bored at the diaphyseal region of metacarpal bones of six adult horses, exposed for 30 days to PEMFs (28 G peak amplitude, 1.3 ms rise time, and 75 Hz repetition rate). A pair of Helmholtz coils, continuously powered by a pulse generator, was applied for 30 days to the left metacarpal bone, through which two holes, of equal diameter and depth, had been bored at the diaphyseal region. Two equal holes, bored at the same level in the rig...
Witkowski L, Cywinska A, Paschalis-Trela K, Crisman M, Kita J.Equine recurrent uveitis (ERU) has various etiologies, with Leptospira infection and genetic predisposition being the leading risk factors. Regardless of etiology, expression of ocular proteins associated with maintenance of the blood-ocular barrier is impaired in ERU. The recurring-remitting cycle of ERU repeatedly disrupts the blood-ocular barrier, allowing the previously immune-privileged ocular environment to become the site of a progressive local autoimmune pathology that ultimately results in tissue destruction and vision loss. The immune-mediated process involves humoral and cellular me...
Williams A, Smith JR, Allaway D, Harris P, Liddell S, Mobasheri A.Arthritic diseases are characterized by the degradation of collagenous and noncollagenous extracellular matrix (ECM) components in articular cartilage. The increased expression and activity of matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) is partly responsible for cartilage degradation. This study used proteomics to identify inflammatory proteins and catabolic enzymes released in a serum-free explant model of articular cartilage stimulated with the pro-inflammatory cytokine interleukin 1β (IL-1β). Western blotting was used to quantify the release of selected proteins in the presence or absence of the cyc...
Lees P, Higgins AJ.Weak organic acids possessing anti-inflammatory, analgesic and antipyretic properties--commonly known as aspirin-like drugs--have been used in equine medicine for almost 100 years. These non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) may be classified chemically into two groups; the enolic acids such as phenylbutazone and carboxylic acids like flunixin, meclofenamate and naproxen. All NSAIDs have similar and possibly identical modes of action accounting for both their therapeutic and their toxic effects. They block some part of the cyclo-oxygenase enzyme pathway and thereby suppress the synthe...
Derksen FJ, Brown CM, Sonea I, Darien BJ, Robinson NE.Comparisons were made between transtracheal aspirate (TTA) and bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) cytology obtained from 50 horses with chronic lung disease and from 10 control horses. There was no significant correlation between the TTA cytology and the BAL cytology, suggesting that the cell population in the trachea is not representative of the cell population in the lower airways. In control horses the range of differential cell counts obtained from TTA fluid was remarkably large, whereas the variability in cell populations observed in BAL fluid was smaller. In the principal horses the total and ...
Mancini IAD, Vindas Bolaños RA, Brommer H, Castilho M, Ribeiro A, van Loon JPAM, Mensinga A, van Rijen MHP, Malda J, van Weeren R.To report on the experiences with the use of commercial and autologous fibrin glue (AFG) and of an alternative method based on a 3D-printed polycaprolactone (PCL) anchor for the fixation of hydrogel-based scaffolds in an equine model for cartilage repair. In a first study, three different hydrogel-based materials were orthotopically implanted in nine horses for 1-4 weeks in 6 mm diameter full-thickness cartilage defects in the medial femoral trochlear ridge and fixated with commercially available fibrin glue (CFG). One defect was filled with CFG only as a control. In a second study, CFG and ...
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.
Wong DM, Belgrave RL, Williams KJ, Del Piero F, Alcott CJ, Bolin SR, Marr CM, Nolen-Walston R, Myers RK, Wilkins PA.5 horses were evaluated because of decreased appetite, weight loss, fever, cough, tachypnea, and respiratory distress. Results: Tachycardia, tachypnea, increased respiratory effort, lethargy, fever, poor body condition, and nasal discharge were detected in various combinations on initial physical examination. Evaluation of the lower portion of the respiratory tract via radiography and ultrasonography revealed a severe nodular interstitial pattern. Histologic examination of lung tissue revealed interstitial expansion of alveolar parenchyma with collagen, intraluminal accumulation of neutrophils...
Egenvall A, Penell JC, Bonnett BN, Olson P, Pringle J.The aim of this study was to evaluate the potential usefulness of the database maintained by the Swedish insurance company Agria for providing mortality statistics on Swedish horses. Mortality statistics (incidence rates and survival) were calculated, both crudely and stratified by sex, age, breed, breed group and diagnosis, for the horses with complete life insurance, which covers most health problems. The total mortality was 415 (95 per cent confidence interval [CI] 399 to 432) deaths per 10,000 horse-years at risk, and the diagnostic mortality, including only deaths with an assigned diagnos...
Donnelly KS, Giuliano EA, Sharm A, Mohan RR.To explore the effect of suberoylanilide hydroxamic acid (SAHA) (i) on corneal fibroblast differentiation, morphology, and viability; and (ii) on the expression levels of matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) 2 and 9 using an in vitro model of equine corneal fibrosis. Methods: Healthy donor corneas were used to generate primary cultures of equine corneal fibroblasts. The fibroblasts were exposed to 5 ng/mL TGFβ1 to induce myofibroblast formation. The cultures were treated with either 5 μm or 10 μm SAHA for 72 h in the presence of TGFβ1. Real-time PCR and immunocytochemistry were used to determi...
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...
