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.
Dyson SJ, Murray R, Schramme M, Branch M.There have been no previously published case series of horses examined using either scintigraphy or MRI to diagnose collateral ligament injuries not detectable using ultrasonography or radiography, nor have other concurrent soft tissue lesions been described. Objective: To describe the clinical features of horses with desmitis of the collateral ligaments of the distal interphalangeal (DIP) joint and to evaluate the results of radiographic, ultrasonographic, scintigraphic and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) examinations. Methods: Horses were examined between January 2001 and January 2003 and w...
van den Boom R, Brama PA, Kiers GH, DeGroot J, Barneveld A, van Weeren RR.Matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) and tumour necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha) may be useful as biomarkers of joint disease or inflammation. However, activity of both MMPs and TNF-alpha in synovial fluid (SF) may be influenced by nonpathological factors such as arthrocentesis or exercise. Objective: To investigate the influence of repeated arthrocentesis and exercise on MMP and TNF-alpha activities in SF from normal equine joints. Methods: SF was collected from the left metacarpophalangeal, radiocarpal and tarsocrural joints of 16 horses. Eight of these horses were subsequently subjected to an ...
Weideman H, Schoeman SJ, Jordaan GF, Kidd M.This study investigated if environmental factors had an effect on the incidence of epistaxis related to exercise-induced pulmonary haemorrhage (EIPH) among racehorses in southern Africa. Data covering the period 1986-2001 and involving 778 532 race runs were analysed. This included the following information: date of race, age, sex, name of breeder, trainer, distance, jockey, state of going, weight carried, racing centre and altitude. Veterinarians employed by the Jockey Club suspended officially entered horses that presented with epistaxis (frank bleeding from the nostrils) after racing. On-co...
McCarthy HE, French NP, Edwards GB, Miller K, Proudman CJ.Equine grass sickness (EGS) occurs repeatedly on certain premises over time. Few studies have sought, or identified, the determinants of this phenomenon in order to inform advice on disease prevention strategies. Objective: Premises-level risk factors are important determinants of whether EGS occurs. Methods: A matched case-control study was undertaken. Sixty premises giving rise to one or more histologically confirmed case of EGS and 120 time-matched control premises were sampled. Data were collected on pasture management, soil nutrient content, pasture nutrient content and local weather cond...
Newton JR, Hedderson EJ, Adams VJ, McGorum BC, Proudman CJ, Wood JL.The reasons why equine grass sickness (EGS) recurs on premises are unknown and, consequently, practical methods for reducing the risk of recurrence are not available. Objective: To identify risk factors associated with recurrence of EGS on premises and to gain possible insights into the pathogenesis of the disease. Methods: Data on disease history and risk factors were collected by postal questionnaire from premises with EGS cases between 1st January 1997 and 31st December 2001. Data on variation in rates of recurrence of EGS for different risk factors were analysed using Poisson regression an...
Barakzai SZ, Johnson VS, Baird DH, Bladon B, Lane JG.There has been no objectively assessed case-control study of the efficacy of surgery to correct dorsal displacement of the soft palate (DDSP) previously reported. Objective: Composite surgery has a beneficial result on racing performance in horses affected with DDSP as compared to a matched control population. Methods: Race records were obtained for 53 racing Thoroughbreds which underwent composite staphylectomy, sternothyrohyoideus myectomy and ventriculectomy for correction of idiopathic DDSP at the University of Bristol between 1990 and 1996. Each surgical case was matched for age, sex and ...
Feige K, Dennler M, Kästner SB, Wunderli-Allenspach H, Demuth D, Huber A.Recombinant (r)-hirudin is a specific inhibitor of thrombin that is independent of the activity of antithrombin. Objective: To evaluate pharmacokinetic properties and coagulatory changes of r-hirudin in healthy horses. Methods: Two clinically healthy horses received a single i.v. bolus of 0.4 mg/kg bwt r-hirudin and 6 clinically healthy horses received the same dose subcutaneously (subcut.) q. 12 h for 3 days. Coagulation times and r-hirudin plasma concentration were determined over 720 mins and 3 days after i.v. and subcut. administration, respectively. Results: In all horses, treatment with ...
Staniar WB, Kronfeld DS, Hoffman RM, Wilson JA, Harris PA.Monitoring weight of foals is a useful management practice to aid in maximising athletic potential while minimising risks associated with deviations from normal growth. Objective: To develop predictive equations for weight, based on linear measurements of growing Thoroughbreds (TBs). Methods: Morphometric equations predicting weight from measurements of the trunk and legs were developed from data of 153 foals. The accuracy, precision and bias of the best fitting equation were compared to published equations using a naive data set of 22 foals. Results: Accuracy and precision were maximised with...
Schlupp A, Anielski P, Thieme D, Müller RK, Meyer H, Ellendorff F.The beta2-agonist clenbuterol is commonly administered for therapeutic purposes in the horse, but its use an an anabolic agent is illegal. Clenbuterol can be detected in blood and urine for a relatively short period after administration and detection in hair could enhance the analytical range and be used to determine the history of clenbuterol application. Objective: That detection in mane or tail hair is possible over an extended period. Methods: Four horses received 0.8 microg clenbuterol hydrochloride/kg bwt b.i.d. for 10 days. Four other horses were used as untreated controls. Blood, urine...
Bollwein H, Kolberg B, Stolla R.In recent years, a positive relationship between genital perfusion and fertility has been established; in species other than horses, uterine and ovarian perfusion was improved by exogenous estrogen but impaired by exogenous progestin. The goal of the present study was to investigate the effect of exogenous estrogen and progestin on uterine and ovarian blood flow in cycling mares. Five Trotter mares were examined daily during three estrous cycles. Mares were given no treatment, altrenogest (0.044 mg/kg BW) orally from Day 0 (ovulation) to Day 14 and estradiol benzoate (5mg i.m.) on Days 0, 5, a...
Brown-Douglas CG, Firth EC, Parkinson TJ, Fennessy PF.To determine the responsiveness of the pituitary-gonadal axis of peri-pubertal colts to GnRH, buserelin (0.5, 1, 5, 10 and 40 microg) was given to 13 male Thoroughbred yearlings ( n=3-8 colts per dose). Jugular venous blood samples were taken at -10, 0, 10, 20, 30, 40, 60, 120 and 180 min relative to buserelin administration. Increases (P < 0.05) in LH concentrations occurred in colts that received 5, 10, or 40 microg buserelin, but not in those that received 0.5 or 1 microg. Peak LH concentrations and mean area under the curve were higher (P < 0.05) in colts receiving 40 microg busereli...
Donadeu FX, Ginther OJ.The changes in circulating concentrations of FSH, LH, estradiol, and total inhibin associated with the beginning of follicle diameter deviation were compared among the last anovulatory follicular wave of the year and the first and second ovulatory waves in pony mares ( n=7 ). Follicle diameters and circulating hormone concentrations for each wave were normalized to the observed beginning of deviation (Day 0). Follicle deviation was demonstrated during the anovulatory wave as well as during the ovulatory waves, and the diameter of the future dominant follicle at the beginning of deviation was s...
Shirazi A, Gharagozloo F, Ghasemzadeh-Nava H.The Caspian breed of horses is believed to be the direct descendant of the earliest equine animals. Some special characteristics of Caspian horse differentiate this breed of horses from other breeds. In the current study the ultrasonically observed characteristics of a preovulatory dominant follicle and the lengths of estrus, diestrus as well as some related parameters were studied during 42 interovulatory intervals in 11 healthy Caspian mares. The preovulatory dominant follicle deviated from subordinate follicles and became the largest follicle in the ovaries at Day -8.7 +/- 0.53 (Day 0=ovula...
Gasser RB, Hung GC, Chilton NB, Beveridge I.Infections of equids with parasitic nematodes of the order Strongylida (subfamilies Strongylinae and Cyathostominae) are of major veterinary importance. In last decades, the widespread use of drugs against these parasites has led to problems of resistance within the Cyathostominae, and to an increase in their prevalence and intensity of infection. Novel control strategies, based on improved knowledge of parasite biology and epidemiology, have thus become important. However, there are substantial limitations in the understanding of fundamental biological and systematic aspects of these parasite...
Preis KA, Carnevale EM, Coutinho da Silva MA, Caracciolo di Brienza V, Gomes GM, Maclellan LJ, Squires EL.Transportation of equine ovaries would allow shipment of oocytes for research purposes or transfer after the death of a valuable mare. The objective of this study was to compare two temperatures for maintaining ovaries during a transport interval of 18-24 h. The goal was to obtain pregnancies after transport of ovaries, maturation of oocytes in vitro, and transfer of oocytes. Each shipment was composed of ovaries four to seven mares collected from an abattoir. From each mare, one ovary was packaged at approximately 12 degrees C, and the other was packaged at approximately 22 degrees C. Upon ar...
Lessick M, Shinaver R, Post KM, Rivera JE, Lemon B.The horse has been used as a therapeutic agent since the time of the ancient Greeks, and Hippocrates once spoke of “riding's healing rhythm” Early Greeks were reported to offer horseback rides to raise the spirits of people who had incurable illnesses. Therapeutic riding refers to the use of the horse and equine‐oriented activities to achieve a variety of therapeutic goals, including physical, emotional, social, cognitive, behavioral and educational goals. An important area of concern for women with disabilities is achieving the highest level of wellness possible. Because of their holist...
Backman T, Bruemmer JE, Graham JK, Squires EL.The ability to ship cooled stallion sperm for subsequent freezing at a facility specializing in cryopreservation would be beneficial to the equine industry. Stallion sperm has been centrifuged, cooled to 5 degrees C for 12 h, and frozen without a detrimental effect on motility in a previous study; however, no fertility data were available. Experiment 1 compared the post-thaw motility of sperm cooled for 18 h at 15 or 5 degrees C at either 400 or 200 x 10(6) sperm/mL and then frozen. Storage temperature, sperm concentration, or the interaction of temperature and concentration had no effect on t...
Voermans M, Butler CM, van der Velden MA, Sloet van Oldruitenborgh-Oosterbaan MM.Umbilical hernias are common in foals. This article provides a review of the literature and presents a case of an 1.5-year-old Friesian mare with an incarcerated umbilical hernia. After reposition of the incarcerated intestine (with a lot of effort), the practising veterinarian referred the mare to the Department of Equine Sciences. Preperforative peritonitis was diagnosed, presumed to be caused by necrotic bowel. After laparotomy, this tentative diagnosis was confirmed. The necrotic part of the small intestine was resected and intensive medical treatment was started. Initially, the mare recov...
Oldfield C, Bonella H, Renwick L, Dodson HI, Alderson G, Goodfellow M.Rhodococcus equi is a facultative pathogen of foals. Infection causes an often fatal pulmonary pneumonia. The organism has also been isolated from pigs, cattle, humans and the environment. Equine virulence has a high positive correlation with the expression of a 17.4 kD polypeptide of unknown function, VapA, the product of the plasmid-encoded vapA gene. More recently an isogene of vapA, referred to as vapB and encoding an 18.2 kDa polypeptide, has been identified among pig and human isolates. The two genes share > 80% sequence identity, yet their host strains apparently exhibit different patho...
Spyridaki MH, Lyris E, Georgoulakis I, Kouretas D, Konstantinidou M, Georgakopoulos CG.Xylazine and its main metabolites were detected in equine urine after a single-dose intravenous administration of 0.98 and 1.01 mg/kg body weight xylazine, respectively, in two horses, in order to be used for equine doping control routine analysis. The urine levels of the parent drug and its metabolites were determined using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). Xylazine is metabolised rapidly, down to a concentration level of about 1.0 microg/ml after 1-3h administration. Seven metabolites were identified in urine. 4-Hydroxy-xylazine, the major metabolite, could be traced for 25 h and...
Blazyczek I, Hamann H, Deegen E, Distl O, Ohnesorge B.Between 1994 and 2001, guttural pouch tympany was diagnosed in 51 foals; there were approximately three times as many fillies as colts, of Arabian, different German warmblood breeds and Western horse breeds. There were significantly more Arabian and paint horse foals than expected in comparison with the breed distribution of the foals hospitalised at the Clinic for Horses. The foals' breed and sex did not influence the age of onset, the type and severity of the clinical signs or the recurrence rate. A surgical laser technique was used on 50 of the foals; in 35 cases only one surgical treatment...
Hinchcliff KW, Sams RA.To determine the effect of administration of commercially available sodium bicarbonate (NaHCO3) on carbon 13 (13C) isotopic enrichment of carbon dioxide (CO2) in serum of horses. Methods: 7 healthy Thoroughbreds. Methods: Sodium bicarbonate (450 g) was administered via nasogastric intubation to horses. Horses had been fed a diet obtained from the same source and had access to water from the same source for 3 months before the study. Blood samples were collected immediately before and at 2, 4, 6, and 24 hours after administration of NaHCO3. The concentration of total CO2 in serum was measured b...
Lindberg A, Robinson NE, Näsman-Glaser B, Jensen-Waern M, Lindgren JA.To determine the ex vivo leukotriene (LT) biosynthesis in peripheral blood neutrophils (PBNs) and inflammatory cells in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) obtained from horses affected with recurrent airway obstruction (RAO). Methods: 6 RAO-affected and 6 control horses. Methods: Before and 6, 24, and 48 hours after stabling, disease severity was determined subjectively by clinical and mucus scores and measurement of the maximal change in pleural pressure (deltaPpl(max)); PBNs were isolated and BALF samples were examined cytologically. The PBN and BALF cells were activated with a calcium iono...
Cruz AM, Kerr CL, Bouré LP, Sears WC.To determine the cardiovascular effects of 60 minutes of abdominal insufflation with CO2 to an intra-abdominal pressure of 15 mm Hg in standing horses receiving a constant rate infusion of detomidine. Methods: 5 horses. Methods: Horses were randomly allocated into treatment or control groups. A washout period of a minimum of 7 days separated the 2 experimental periods of the crossover study. Catheters were placed into the right atrium, pulmonary artery, jugular vein, and right transverse facial artery after lidocaine infiltration. All horses were sedated with detomidine (8.54 microg/kg/h, i.v....
Fielding CL, Magdesian KG, Elliott DA, Cowgill LD, Carlson GP.To evaluate the use of multifrequency bioelectrical impedance analysis (MF-BIA) for estimating total body water (TBW), extracellular fluid volume (ECFV), and intracellular fluid volume (ICFV) in horses. Methods: 9 healthy mares. Methods: TBW and ECFV were measured by use of deuterium oxide and sodium bromide dilution techniques, respectively. Intracellular fluid volume was calculated as the difference between TBW and ECFV. Concurrently, MF-BIA recordings were obtained by use of 4 anatomic electrode positions and 3 measurements of length. Models for MF-BIA data were created for all combinations...
Mattson S, Bouré L, Pearce S, Hurtig M, Burger J, Black W.To report tissue gentamicin concentrations after intraosseous (IO) perfusion in standing horses. Methods: In vivo study. Methods: Twelve horses. Methods: Sedated horses had a cannulated cortical bone screw inserted into the dorsolateral aspect of the treated metacarpus and a tourniquet applied proximally. Gentamicin (2.2 mg/kg) diluted in sterile saline solution (0.1 mL/kg) was infused through the screw. Two horses were euthanatized at each time interval: 0, 2, 6, 12, 24, and 36 hours. Synovial fluid and bone samples were collected distal to the screw from both forelimbs. Gentamicin concentrat...
Recknagel S, Nicke M, Schusser GF.To evaluate the diagnostic value of peritoneal fluid (PF) cytology for clinical diagnosis of abdominal neoplasia in horses. Methods: Ten horses with histopathologically confirmed abdominal neoplasia, in which a PF analysis was performed, were included in this retrospective study. PF was analyzed for total protein concentration and a nucleated cell count was performed. Using cytological criteria of malignancy, the PF samples were evaluated regarding their probability of malignancy. Results: Cytologic classification of cells according to criteria of malignancy allowed a positive cytologic diagno...
Forsyth RK, Brigden CV, Northrop AJ.Oral chondroprotective supplements are commercially popular for veteran (and other athletic or arthritic) horses prone to joint degeneration, yet lack conclusive scientific support. Objective: To quantify the effects of an oral joint supplement (combination glucosamine hydrochloride (GHCL), chondroitin sulphate (CS) and N-acetyl-D-glucosamine) in vivo on stride parameters of veteran horses. Methods: Twenty veteran horses were randomly assigned to a treatment (n = 15) or placebo group (n = 5). Pre-treatment gait characteristics were recorded at trot using digital video footage (50 Hz). The rang...
Tydén E, Olsén L, Tallkvist J, Larsson P, Tjälve H.The intestinal enterocytes provide the initial site for cytochrome P450 (CYP)-mediated metabolism of orally absorbed xenobiotics. In man and some animal species, the CYP3A subfamily is highly expressed in the intestines and considered to be important in the first-pass metabolism of drugs and other xenobiotics. The aim of the present study was to investigate the mRNA expression, immunohistochemical localization and catalytic activity of CYP3A in the intestines of horse. Real-time RT-PCR analyses showed that the highest CYP3A mRNA expression was present in the duodenum with a decreasing level to...
Al Naem M, Litzke LF, Geburek F, Failing K, Hoffmann J, Röcken M.In a laminitic horse, the maximal loading of the toe region occurs during the breakover phase. To date, no kinetic data demonstrates the effect of supportive orthopaedic therapy in horses with laminitis on breakover phase. Thus, the purpose of this study was to examine the effect of heel elevation on the breakover phase. Eight horses with acute laminitis treated medically as well as with application of a hoof cast with heel wedge (HCHW) were included in this study. Immediately following cessation of clinical signs of acute laminitis, two measurements using the Hoof™ System were taken: the fi...
Maierl J, Zechmeister R, Schill W, Gerhards H, Liebich HG.Fractures of the first two cervical vertebrae, atlas and axis, may occur in foals for different reasons, e.g. in cases of a fall, going head over heels or when being hit by a hoof. The tentative clinical diagnosis can be confirmed by x-raying the standing animal, with aid of computed tomography in the anaesthetized foal respectively. The growth plates however, and their time of closure have to be considered when interpreting radiographs. In the atlas there are two ventrolateral plates and one dorsomedian cartilagineous plate. Only the dorsal plate, however, can be found in the dorsoventral pro...
Azab W, El-Sheikh A.Equine herpesvirus 4 (EHV-4) is an important equine pathogen that causes respiratory tract disease among horses worldwide. Glycoprotein K (gK) homologues have been identified in several alphaherpesviruses as a major player in virus entry, replication, and spread. In the present study, EHV-4 gK-deletion mutant has been generated by using bacterial artificial chromosome technology and Red mutagenesis to investigate the role of gK in EHV-4 replication. Our findings reported here show that gK is essential for virus replication in vitro and that the gK-negative strain was not able to be reconstitut...
Biggi M, Dyson S.The significance of distal border fragments of the navicular bone is not well understood. There are also no objective data about changes in thickness and proximal/distal extension of the palmar cortex of the navicular bone. Objective: To describe the distribution of distal border fragments and their association with other radiological abnormalities of the navicular bone and describe the shape of the navicular bone in sound horses and horses with foot-related lameness, including navicular pathology. Methods: Sound horses had radiographs acquired as part of a prepurchase examination. Lame horses...
Scott EA, Kneller SK, Witherspoon DM.The physiologic closure of the ductus areteriosus was determined in 4 foals less than 16 hours old. The common carotid artery was catheterized, using local anesthesia and tranquilization, and contrast medium was injected into the ascending aorta. Radiographs were made of heart and great vessels during and after the injection to visualize the pathway of injected contrast medium.
Cartee RE, Rumph PF.The results from water-bath studies on equine muscle in which foreign material had been inserted and then scanned ultrasonographically were compared with the results from scanning of the muscles of horses hospitalized for diagnosis of suspected foreign objects embedded in muscle. The water-bath studies showed that bone, wood, and large tendons all will demonstrate acoustic shadowing, but that subtle differences in the characteristics of the relative hyperechogenicity and acoustic shadows facilitate elimination of certain considerations in the differential diagnosis. Ultrasonography was effecti...
Collins NM, Axon JE, Carrick JB, Russell CM, Palmer JE.To evaluate severe hyponatraemia in foals presenting as medical emergencies to an intensive care unit (ICU) in order to determine the prevalence, clinical findings, primary diagnosis and outcome. Methods: Retrospective case study of records from Thoroughbred foals aged less than 3 months presenting to an ICU as medical emergencies in 2002-12; foals with severe hyponatraemia (serum sodium <122 mmol/L) on admission laboratory data were identified. Data retrieved included signalment, clinical findings, laboratory results, primary diagnosis, treatment and outcome. Results: Severe hyponatraemia w...
Fubini SL, Boatwright CE, Todhunter RJ, Lust G.Intra-articularly administered, long-acting corticosteroids are a beneficial treatment for many equine joint disorders because they alleviate inflammation and signs of pain, but they also exert detrimental effects on the biochemical composition and morphologic features of articular cartilage. Chondroprotective drugs have been shown to mitigate some of the deleterious effects of intra-articularly administered corticosteroids on articular cartilage of laboratory animals. Twenty-one ponies were assigned at random to receive 1 of 3 treatments in the right middle carpal joint. Group-1 ponies (n = 8...
Savage CJ.Defining respiratory disease is not always easy in the horse because auscultation with accurate interpretation of lung sounds can be difficult. However, performing a thorough physical examination, including rebreathing auscultation and percussion of the thorax and sinuses, is very useful in elucidating the problem. Endoscopic examination of the upper respiratory system is also critical for definitively diagnosing certain conditions.
Frauenfelder HC, Fessler JF, Moore AB, Bottoms GD, Boon GD.The effects of dexamethasone (1 mg/kg of body weight) on hematologic, blood gas, and blood coagulation values in anesthetized ponies during endotoxin-induced shock were evaluated. Fifteen ponies were assigned to 3 groups of 5 ponies each: group 1, anesthetized nontreated and dexamethasone-treated controls; group 2, endotoxin, nontreated; group 3, endotoxin, dexamethasone treated. The hematologic changes in this endotoxin shock model included leukopenia and hemoconcentration. Significant hematologic effects were not seen in ponies after administration of dexamethasone. However, dexamethasone tr...
Ginther OJ, Pierson RA.A linear-array ultrasound scanner with a 5-MHz transducer was evaluated for studying follicular and luteal status in mares, and the ultrasonic properties of equine ovaries were characterized. Follicular diameters were estimated in vivo and after removing and slicing six ovaries. Correlation coefficients between the two kinds of determinations were 0.91 for number of follicles >/=2 mm in diameter and 0.95 for diameter of largest follicle. The ovaries of five mares were examined daily until all mares had been examined from three days before an ovulation to three days after the next ovulation....
Quinlan TJ, Goulden BE, Barnes GR, Anderson LJ, Cahill JI.The nerve supply to the intrinsic laryngeal muscles of the horse was studied by gross dissection and by electromyography which was carried out before, during and after section of various intralaryngeal nerve branches. The anatomical relationships and passage of the laryngeal nerves throughout the larynx were defined. Unlike the dog and man there was no evidence of the passage of motor nerve fibres from one side of the larynx to the other.
Tamekuni K, Toledo Rdos S, Silva Filho Mde F, Haydu VB, Pacheco RC, Cavicchioli JH, Labruna MB, Dumler JS, Vidotto O.Brazilian spotted fever (BSF) is an emerging disease most likely caused by Rickettsia rickettsii. The objective of the present study was to estimate the seroprevalence of BSF rickettsia infections in equines from six horse farms located in Londrina County, Paraná, Southern Brazil. Six owners of horse farms situated in Cambé, Santa Fé, Guaraci and Londrina municipalities participated in the study. All farms were located in areas where BSF has not been reported. A total of 273 horses were sampled and their sera were tested by indirect immunofluorescence assay (IFA) using R. rickettsii and R. ...
Borkent D, Reardon R, Dixon PM.Infundibular caries (IC) is an important equine dental disorder that can cause premature wear, fractures and apical infection of affected maxillary cheek teeth. No accurate prevalence values for IC are available for UK horses. The feeding of high levels of concentrates is believed to increase its prevalence, but no objective information is available on such possible environmental risk factors. The aims of the study were to document the prevalence of IC in UK horses, assess its distribution and severity between infundibulae and teeth in affected horses and examine for potential risk factors for...
Silva A, Wagner B, McKenzie HC, Desrochers AM, Furr MO.The objectives of this study were to (1) evaluate the effects of equine soluble CD14 (sCD14) and monoclonal antibodies (mAb) to equine CD14 on lipopolysaccharide-induced tumor necrosis factor α (TNF-α) secretion from equine peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC); and to (2) determine serum concentrations of sCD14 in a population of horses with gastrointestinal diseases or other illnesses likely to result in endotoxemia. Equine PBMC isolated from 10 healthy horses were incubated with Escherichia coli LPS plus CD14 mAb or sCD14 and assayed for TNF-α activity. Pre-incubation with CD14 mAb d...
Robles M, Peugnet PM, Valentino SA, Dubois C, Dahirel M, Aubrière MC, Reigner F, Serteyn D, Wimel L, Tarrade A, Chavatte-Palmer P.Ponies and sometimes draft horses are often used as experimental models for horses although size and metabolic parameters are known to vary between horse breeds. So far, there is little information about differences of placental structure and no information about differences of placental function between breeds. The aim of this study was to investigate differences in placental size, structure and function at birth in relation to foal size and weight in ponies, Saddlebred and draft horses. Pony, Saddlebred and draft horse pregnancies were obtained by artificial insemination over 2 successive br...
Johnson PJ, Messer NT, Ganjam VK, Thompson DL, Refsal KR, Loch WE, Ellersieck MR.There exists a need for better diagnostic tests to characterise thyroid disease in horses. Currently available diagnostic tests fail to differentiate between thyroid gland disorders and thyroid abnormalities resulting from pituitary or hypothalamic problems. Objective: To evaluate the effects of treatment with propylthiouracil (PTU) and bromocryptine (BROM) on serum concentrations of triiodothyronine (T3), thyroxine (T4), reverse T3 (rT3) and equine thyroid-stimulating hormone (e-TSH, thyrotrophin) in mature horses. Methods: Healthy mature horses were treated using either PTU or BROM for 28 da...
Brink P, Wright JC, Schumacher J.The glutaraldehyde test (GT), a rapid and inexpensive test, has been utilized empirically for many years in bovine practice for diagnosing inflammatory diseases. GT is used primarily to demonstrate increased serum concentrations of fibrinogen and globulin. Glutaraldehyde binds with free amino groups in fibrinogen and immunoglobulin to create a clot in a first degree chemical reaction. The clotting time of the GT estimates the content of proteins produced in response to inflammation. The applicability of GT for diagnosing inflammation in the horse has never been investigated. The objective of t...
Wijnberg ID, Franssen H, van der Kolk JH.To determine the influence of age on results of quantitative analysis of electromyographic (EMG) needle examination in the subclavian, triceps, and lateral vastus muscles of Dutch Warmblood horses. Methods: 7 healthy young Dutch Warmblood horses (range, 13 to 18 months old), 7 healthy adult Dutch Warmblood horses (range, 4 to 10 years old), and 7 healthy elderly Dutch Warmblood horses (range, 18 to 21 years old). Methods: An EMG needle examination was performed to evaluate insertional activity, spontaneous activity, and motor unit action potential (MUAP) variables. Although all horses were con...
Hertzsch R, Richter A.Based on their performance-enhancing potential, caffeine and theophylline are prohibited substances in equine sports. Residues in horses can be caused by wilful application or by unintended uptake of contaminated feed. The International Federation of Horseracing Authorities recently introduced international residue limits (IRLs) to facilitate the discrimination between pharmacological relevant and irrelevant concentrations in doping samples. The objective of this study was to investigate the scientific validity of these IRLs. A systematic analysis was performed to assess the IRLs by different ...
Fortier LA, Mac Harg MA.Ten horses with histologically confirmed squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) and 1 horse with presumptive SCC of the external genitalia were treated with a combination of surgical debridement and topical administration of 5-fluorouracil, or with topical treatment alone. Tumor remission was obtained in all horses except 1 in which owner compliance was deficient, and no recurrences have been reported. Topical use of 5-fluorouracil as a chemotherapeutic agent for treatment of genital lesions of SCC in horses should be considered as a viable alternative to radical surgical excision.
