Veterinary practice in relation to horses encompasses the medical care, management, and treatment of equine species. This field involves various aspects of equine health, including preventive care, diagnosis, and treatment of diseases, surgical interventions, and emergency care. Equine veterinarians employ a range of diagnostic tools and techniques such as physical examinations, imaging, and laboratory tests to assess and monitor horse health. In addition to addressing physical ailments, veterinary practice also includes nutritional management, reproductive health, and performance-related issues. This page compiles peer-reviewed research studies and scholarly articles that explore the methodologies, advancements, and outcomes in veterinary practices specific to equine health.
Hernandez D, Yeo WM, Brooks MB, Ness SL, Divers TJ, Stokol T.OBJECTIVE To evaluate the effects of treatment of horses with standard platelet inhibitors on ex vivo inhibition of platelet activation by equine herpesvirus type I (EHV-I). ANIMALS II healthy adult horses. PROCEDURES In a double-blinded, placebo-controlled crossover study, horses were treated orally for 5 days with theophylline (5 mg/kg, q 12 h), pentoxifylline (10 mg/kg, q 12 h), clopidogrel bisulfate (4 mg/kg, q 24 h), acetylsalicylic acid (20 mg/kg, q 24 h), or placebo. Horses received all treatments, each separated by a 3-week washout period. Platelet-rich plasma was prepared from citrate...
Beroza GA, Gentile DG, Goodness P, Charles R.A Robert Jones bandage modified to include a steel walking bar frame and, in one case, side-supporting bars, was applied as a splinting device in 4 horses with hindlimb fractures (3 tarsal and 1 middle phalangeal). The modification was used as an adjunct to previous casting therapies or as a means for handling casting failures or soft tissue problems encountered during the casting period. This means of stabilization is easily adapted to replace a problematic cast in various clinical settings, is easily applied in the standing patient, is easily changed and adjusted on a regular basis, has mini...
McConnico RS, Brownie CF.Two horses with red maple (Acer rubrum) toxicity responded to treatment with high doses of vitamin C (ascorbic acid), in addition to blood transfusions, and intravenous fluid therapy. The clinical course included Heinz body anemia, marked methemoglobinemia, depression, and evidence of severe tissue anoxia. Clinical recovery was dramatic with stabilization achieved 36 hours following the initiation of ascorbic acid therapy.
Németh F.The aetiology and pathogenesis of navicular bone disease and sesamoidosis are discussed on the basis of findings reported in the literature and research. A marked similarity is found to be present between the clinical presentation, aetiology and pathogenesis of these two diseases. In addition, the intra and juxta-articular signs of degeneration as seen in these diseases are similar to those seen in various forms of arthrosis. Circulatory disturbances resulting from partial or complete arterial occlusion, caused by arteriosclerosis, are likely to play an important role in the cause of degenerat...
Morgan JM, Galuppo LD.Management of fractures in the field starts with successful assessment and stabilization of the patient by the practitioner on the front lines. A careful examination is vital to succesful patient management. This includes identifying the fracture location and severity, evaluating skin integrity and potential contamination of the fracture, and treating any ongoing hemorrhage, hypovolemia or stress. Appropriate application of splints in the field will minimize ongoing tissue damage and improve patient comfort. This ultimately aids further assessment, facilitates referral, and improves opportunit...
Andrews FM.A thorough examination of the respiratory system is an important part of the work-up for poor performance in horses. This article provides a systematic approach to field evaluation of horses with poor performance due to respiratory system dysfunction. The information is organized to help the reader evaluate pertinent historical and physical examination findings so that a list of differential diagnoses can be generated. Also, pertinent ancillary diagnostic modalities that can help further characterize and localize causes for respiratory dysfunction in horses presented for poor performance are d...
Ludwig EK, Byron CR, Lahmers KK, Santos MP.An adult horse was diagnosed with a frontal and caudal maxillary sinus lipoma, which was surgically removed. This is the first known report of a sinus lipoma in a horse. Lipomas should be considered in the differential diagnoses of equine sinus masses; complete surgical excision appears to be curative. Un cheval adulte a été diagnostiqué avec un lipome du sinus maxillaire frontal et caudal qui a été enlevé par chirurgie. Il s’agit du premier rapport d’un lipome de sinus chez un cheval. Les lipomes devraient être considérés dans les diagnostics différentiels des masses des sinus ...
Offord SCJ, Read RM, Pudney CJ, Bathe AP.Diagnosis of sacroiliac region pain is supported by a positive response to sacroiliac region analgesia (SIRA). Varying techniques have been described for SIRA; with clinician preference often dictating method. Potential complications following SIRA include ataxia and recumbency. No study has specifically evaluated the prevalence of complications. To describe the complication prevalence following SIRA in a referral clinic. Retrospective cohort study. Review of records from horses presented to two of the authors at Rossdales, Newmarket, between January 2014 and December 2018, that underwent SIRA...
Fidel JL.Although the diagnosis of cancer is relatively uncommon in horses, tumors do occur in this species. Surgery, radiation, and chemotherapy are traditional cancer treatments in all species. In equine patients, surgery has often been the only treatment offered; however, not all tumors can be controlled with surgery alone. In small animal oncology, newer and better therapies are in demand and available. Radiation therapy is often used to control or palliate tumors locally, especially to satisfy clients who demand sophisticated treatments. The large size of equine patients can make radiation therapy...
Odenkirchen S, Huskamp B.Casuistics of 200 patients with acute diarrhea (72 horses with salmonellosis, 55 horses with typhlocolitis, 73 horses with unspecific diarrhea) have been analyzed. It was shown, that horses with salmonellosis have been fallen ill with a primary disease for a longer period of time before the beginning of diarrhea than those with typhlocolitis and that in cases of salmonellosis antibiotics very often were used during the preliminary treatment. Frequently a primary illness of the colon was seen with typhlocolitis. Besides the frequent use of butylscopolamin during the pretreatment was noticed. Th...
Montavon S.Because of the anatomical position of the Corpus luteum within the ovary, rectal palpation is of little value for identification and evaluation. The aim of this review is to familiarize the practitioner with the echographic examination of the Cl. He should be able to recognize different stages of this important structure and to correlate ovulation and the existence of the Cl. Various specific criteria and details regarding equine echography are reported and illustrated, using the the most recently published scientific data.
Spier SJ, Meagher DM.Rational perioperative management improves the success rate of abdominal surgery. Important aspects of management are discussed, including principles of fluid therapy, nutrition, intravenous catheterization, antimicrobial prophylaxis, and the use of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory medication. Current advances in the area of immunotherapy are mentioned.
Barclay WP, McCracken RJ, Phillips TN, Foerner JJ.Chronic nongranulomatous intestinal inflammation was found during laparotomy in 7 horses. The clinical signs consisted of recurrent abdominal pain in all horses. Anti-inflammatory agents (corticosteroidal and nonsteroidal agents) appeared to be effective for controlling the signs. Surgical removal of the involved intestine also was effective. Nonocclusive or temporary mesenteric ischemia was proposed as a cause of the intestinal lesions.
Emmerich IU.In 2017, no new active pharmaceutical ingredients were released on the German market for horses or food-producing animals. Four established veterinary active pharmaceutical ingredients became available for additional species: the ectoparasitic Fluralaner (Exzolt®) of the isoxazoline group was additionally authorized for chickens, the macrolide antibiotics Gamithromycin (Zactran®) and Tulathromycin (Draxxin®) for sheep and the nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug Tolfenamic Acid (Tolfedol®) from the fenamate group for cattle and pigs. Additionally, one drug with a new combination of active i...
Mayhew IG.Evaluation of horses for eye problems and for suspected impairment of visual acuity often requires a thorough neuroophthalmic examination to be conducted. Along with a full ophthalmic evaluation, the results of such an examination should indicate the likely site of any lesion(s) accounting for blindness, miosis, mydriasis, anisocoria, Horner's syndrome, strabismus, facial paralysis and facial spasm, nystagmus and other signs of vestibular disease, and cerebellar disorders, that may be present. Such a thorough examination with guidance for correct interpretation of findings is given here.
Menzies RA, Lewis JR, Reiter AM, Lundström TS.Equine dentistry should no longer be thought of as art over science. To be an effective equine dental clinician requires considerable investment in knowledge beyond the basic veterinary degree. It requires current scientific dental knowledge and adherence to the fundamental principles of medicine, dentistry, and surgery. Knowledge and principles will provide clinicians with the necessary information to make more evidence-based decisions as the scientific literature continues to evolve. Diagnosis and therapy should be seen as journeys with a destination, keeping in mind the values of the Hippoc...
Collatos C, Reef VB, Richardson DW.An abscess of the external umbilical remnant and umbilical vein remnant was diagnosed in a 16-month-old colt, using ultrasonography. Because of the colt's size, primary closure of the surgical incision after umbilical cord resection was not complete. Vertical mattress stainless steel sutures and stents were used, and healing was by second intention. Intervening gas-filled viscera made it impossible to visualize ultrasonographically the bladder of umbilical artery remnants in a colt of this age.
Bass A.Practice management software benefits the equine practitioner in many ways. Ready access to patient records, rapid entry and lookup of clinical findings, easy invoicing and monitoring of revenues, inventory management, rapid search and sorting of data, reminder and recall maintenance, and integrated word processing are just some of the software functions that assist the successful practitioner. Computer use in veterinary practice may have seemed to many to be a gimmick at one time. Now that computers have become a part of our everyday life, it is clear that they can be an essential component o...
Mogg TD.Cardiac disease is often life-threatening and challenging to treat. Prolonged therapy is indicated in many cases, which can lead to problems with treatment costs, owner compliance, and potential drug toxicity. Many therapies are empirical or based on data from other species because of a lack of well-designed prospective clinical trials in horses. This article reviews the clinical pharmacology and therapeutics of heart failure, cardiac arrhythmias, myocardial disease, endocarditis, and pericardial disease.
Ramzan PH.Fractures involving the fetlock region are encountered commonly in Thoroughbred racehorses. Condylar fractures of the distal metacarpus/metatarsus and mid-sagittal fractures of the proximal phalanx account for the majority of fetlock injuries during both racing and training and clinical features, management and outcome of these injuries have been well described. Transverse fractures of the distal diaphysis of the third metacarpus, however, are seldom observed and have received little attention in the literature. This paper describes clinical and radiological findings associated with 6 cases en...
McCullagh KG, Silver IA.The historical development of "firing" as a treatment for various complaints in animals and man is followed from the first surviving written account by Vegetius (approximately AD 500) to the present day. Changing concepts as to the mechanism of action of the actual cautery are examined in relation to physiological understanding at various times and conflicting views and evident fallacies are discussed. It is of particular interest that firing of "sinewes" (tendons and ligaments) was expressly forbidden until the 18th century. It is concluded that "firing" is an outmoded practice for which ther...
Powis RL.In order to successfully sort out the information, both real and bogus, in an ultrasonic image, one must have a fundamental understanding of the physical and electronic events that produced the image. We have looked at the basic science, signal processing, some case examples of ultrasound science in practice, and some popular illusions. It is a good starting place for the newcomer to ultrasonic imaging.
Hay AN, Wagner B, Leeth CM, LeRoith T, Cecere TE, Lahmers KK, Andrews FM, Werre SR, Johnson AL, Clark CK, Pusterla N, Reed SM, Lindsay DS, Taylor S....Equine protozoal myeloencephalitis (EPM) is a debilitating neurologic disease affecting horses across the Americas. Gaps in understanding the inflammatory immune response in EPM-affected horses create difficulties with diagnosis and treatment, subsequently negatively impacting the prognosis of affected horses. The purpose of the current study was to evaluate circulating levels of the inflammatory immune marker soluble CD14 (sCD14), in horses with EPM (n = 7) and determine if they differed from healthy neurologically normal horses (n = 6). Paired sera and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) samples were ...
Pfeil L, Zetner K.A mare with rectal prolaps was operated at Vienna University. The prolaps was corrected by mucosal resection only. The remaining vital layers of the corresponding intestinal section were saved. The advantage of a special tissue saving operating technique in the rectal area is seen in avoiding postoperative complications.
Neelis DA, Roberts GD.The many advancements in ultrasound technology, including spatial compounding, harmonic imaging, multidimensional and extended field-of-view images, and improvements in transducer capabilities, are used to enhance the ultrasonographic examination of the equine patient. The improvements in software and hardware capabilities help overcome artifacts, improve image quality, and allow better documentation of the examination for follow-up studies. In addition, the ability of smaller, more portable machines to produce better images is ideal for the ambulatory practice setting.
Riggs CM, Riggs SJ, Cheung TY, Tsang F, Oldaker L.Equine surgical facilities are not always available, even in situations where high-value horses are involved in relatively high-risk activities. Objective: To develop a self-contained equine surgical unit that can be relocated and transported by road. Methods: Proof of concept. Methods: A modular operating suite for horses, which included a theatre, scrub room, instrument preparation and storage room, and an anaesthetic induction/recovery box: Transportable Equine Operating Theatre (TEOT) was designed, constructed and tested. A second, larger unit was then built following the same design crite...
Hahn C.The neurological examination is undertaken to determine whether any deficit is due to a lesion in the nervous system and, if so, where within the nervous system any possible lesion or lesions are located. The examination of horses has challenges not encountered when doing the equivalent examination in dogs and cats, principally that spinal reflexes and postural reactions are impossible/difficult to assess in most animals. The anatomy book can be consulted later but at the end of the neurological examination the clinician then should be able to determine broadly which area of the neuromuscular ...
Marks D.The most common causes of back pain and their medical treatment are discussed. These include: dermatologic problems and conditions resulting from saddle trauma; discomfort and stiffness owing to injured paraspinal muscles; pain associated with supraspinous ligament damage; osseous pain and nerve dysfunction related to the spine and sacroiliac area; and neurologic diseases that can manifest as back pain. Bitting problems, cervical pain, and coexisting lameness are also considered.
McLeland S.Uncommon diseases of the equine urinary system span a variety of etiologies and frequently have nonspecific clinical presentations. Because of the infrequency of equine urinary disease and inconsistencies in clinical symptoms, diagnosis and subsequent treatment of urinary disease in this species may be challenging. This article reviews various diseases of the equine urinary system, morphologies, and potential discriminating clinical and clinicopathologic presentations to aid the clinician in determining a definitive diagnosis in practice.
