Omneity® Pellets
All-In-One Vitamin & Mineral Pellet
Topic:Veterinary Practice
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.
Second-intention repair in the horse and pony and management of exuberant granulation tissue. Second-intention repair is faster in ponies than in horses and faster in body wounds than in limb wounds. To a large extent, the differences between horses and ponies can be explained by differences in the local inflammatory response, which are a result of the functional capacity of leukocytes. In ponies, leukocytes produce more inflammatory mediators,resulting in better local defense, faster cellular debridement, and a faster transition to the repair phases, with more wound contraction. In horses,leukocytes produce fewer mediators, initiating a weak inflammatory response, which becomes chroni...
Management of neck and head injuries. The horse, a flight animal that is used extensively by man, frequently receives injuries to its neck or head that result mostly from its management and handling. Better facilities, training of the horse, and horsemanship skills of the handler could prevent many of these injuries. Because many body systems can be involved, with potentially major consequences regarding health, performance, and appearance, early recognition of trauma and competent treatment are crucial. Progress has been made in the treatment of some tracheal and esophageal injuries. Severe tracheal trauma and rupture of the esop...
The effects of automated plasmapheresis on clinical, haematological, biochemical and coagulation variables in horses. The goal of this study was to determine the effects of plasmapheresis on the behaviour, general condition, haematological, biochemical and coagulation variables of donor horses for 32 days following the procedure. Twenty millilitres of plasma/kg body weight were collected via plasmapheresis in six clinically healthy horses. The general behaviour and condition of the horses was not affected by the procedure. During plasmapheresis, there was a mild increase in the haematocrit, haemoglobin concentration and total erythrocyte and leucocyte counts (P < 0.01). The mean concentrations of total pro...
Advances in information technology. Advances in digital technology have vastly increased the speed and content of information transfer. Equine practitioners of the future should be in contact with their office and other information resources at all times through an array of digital networks. Patients and practitioners alike should benefit from better information access.
Gene therapy: future therapies in osteoarthritis. The field of equine veterinary practice is in an ever-evolving state, requiring current technologies to be constantly evaluated for new applications. The specific use of gene therapy in the horse is a novel application. The authors want to help familiarize the equine practitioner with the concept of gene therapy, and introduce its use and potential future benefits for the equine industry in the treatment of osteoarthritis.
Behavior and misbehavior of the horse. For decades after the discipline of psychiatry had been established as an accepted specialty, many medical schools continued to fail to train their students in the fundamentals of this discipline. Medical students all have at least cursory exposure to psychiatric principles and basic psychology. Unfortunately, the veterinary profession has lagged behind human medicine in this regard. Until recently, veterinary students received no training in animal behavior, and there were no available residencies within our schools for developing board-certified behavioral specialists.
Advances in equine ultrasonography. The digital storage and transfer of images coupled with the development of the Internet have revolutionized diagnostic imaging. With the press of a button, practitioners can exploit the diagnostic skills of specialists anywhere in the world and enlist their help with challenging cases. This easy transfer of images and digital data should stimulate a greater number of multicenter studies so that the sensitivity and specificity of ultrasonographic techniques can be established in larger and more meaningful cohorts of patients. There is now no doubt that we can identify a plethora of conditions o...
Digital imaging advances and the future. Digitization of clinical data is becoming increasingly important in veterinary medicine. Current veterinary applications range from digital cameras to computed radiography. The opportunity for increased productivity and diagnostic capabilities makes the computerization of veterinary medicine especially exciting. Future trends seem to indicate that more veterinarians should have better technology available in their practices and more veterinarians should be connected to experts, clients, and each other.
Look before you leap. Learning to critically evaluate therapeutic claims is vital to the success of the practicing veterinarian and the veterinary profession as a whole. Until such time as good scientific data in support of therapies are obtained, veterinarians should be careful in their advocacy and employment of new and unproved practices. They should also be aware of the many reasons why therapeutic "success" may be the result of a variety of factors unrelated to the treatment modality itself. Only by relying on rigorous standards of evidence can equine veterinarians prevent a return to the sincere but misguided...
Respiratory applications for the future: one perspective. Respiratory diagnostic instruments previously available only to referral centers should be converted into miniature, portable, wireless medical devices for use in practice. Internet and wireless connections of these instruments should expedite the process of seeking second opinions and in general information sharing. We are moving into a world of greater objectivity that should free us from speculation in some areas, yet open new avenues for research and innovation in others.
Practice management software for the equine practitioner. 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...
Limitations to veterinary applications of new technologies in treatment and diagnostics. Technology promises to improve the lifestyle and life quality of humankind. As a rule, wherever human medicine goes, veterinary medicine is sure to follow. Nevertheless, the promise of technologic advances does not shine as bright for veterinarians as for human physicians. This trend is echoed in the business of animal health as pharmaceutic company after pharmaceutic company spins off or otherwise eliminates their animal health division. Instead, a small group of strictly animal health-oriented companies compete for the animal health dollar, promising that fewer and fewer expensive technologi...
Advances in equine practice management. As equine practices move forward in the 21st century, we feel increasing pressure to manage our businesses like business people. This requires outside expertise, in-house business-trained managers, and continuing education on various aspects of practice life. Aside from the AAEP, several other organizations are providing continuing education in management, including the Association of Veterinary Practice Managers, the Veterinary Management Institute offered at Purdue University Krannert Graduate School of Management, the American Animal Hospital Association through (The Virginia-Maryland Regio...
The internet and the future of equine practice. The Internet is a fast-growing technology that allows information (text as well as images) to be shared across the world in an instant. As computer systems, software, and Internet services become less expensive options, the world becomes more experienced and comfortable with these technologies. In the foreseeable future, equine veterinarians are likely to be better educated about diseases and treatments, better connected with specialists for consultations on difficult cases, able to respond to client communications more efficiently, able to accurately educate clients, and able to communicate w...
Equine dental advances. The reintroduction and development of safe motorized instruments, the increased availability of continuing education, and the understanding and implementation of appropriate procedures allow practitioners to provide better dental care. Veterinarians realize that sedation, analgesia, a full-mouth speculum, and proper instrumentation are necessary to provide these services. Continued instrument design, future research, and new treatment and prophylactic protocols should have a positive impact on the future of equine dental health. New and rediscovered procedures for equilibrating equine occlusio...
Colorectal distention in the horse: visceral sensitivity, rectal compliance and effect of i.v. xylazine or intrarectal lidocaine. Most current models of visceral sensitivity testing in the horse have required visceral cannulation. Colorectal distention (CRD) is a widely used, noninvasive method for testing in other species and could be adapted for use in horses. Objective: To develop a protocol of controlled CRD in the conscious horse and to evaluate the effect of i.v. xylazine or intrarectal lidocaine on CRD threshold and rectal compliance. Methods: Eight horses were used for baseline studies (3 trials each) and 6 horses to evaluate treatments (4 trials, 2 per treatment). A 45 cm diameter polyvinyl balloon attached to p...
Occurrence of equine coital exanthema in pastured draft horses and isolation of equine herpesvirus 3 from progenital lesions. During the period from 2001 to the following year, progenital diseases had been epidemic among the draft stallions and mares pastured together in Iwate Prefecture, the northeastern district of Japan. A stallion and 8 of 31 mares were affected in 2001, and 1 of 2 stallions and 10 of 36 mares in 2002. The clinical symptoms consisted of the formation of papules, pustules, ulcers and scabs on the progenital skin and mucosa in stallions and mares. In 2002, Equine herpesvirus 3 (EHV3) was isolated from 2 mares and the glycoprotein G gene of the virus detected from a stallion and 4 mares by polymeras...
Equine anhidrosis. The molecular basis of the pathophysiology of anhidrosis is still not well understood. Therefore, treatments are more often based on clinical impressions than on scientific fact. Treatment options for this condition will improve only when more is known about the molecular events that cause anhidrosis, especially as they relate to beta2-receptor dysfunction and stimulus-secretion coupling in the sweat glands of affected horses. Although this additional information is being attained, sound environmental management will continue to be a very important aspect of the treatment of horses affected wi...
Glucocorticoids and laminitis in the horse. The administration of exogenously administered GCs and syndromes associated with GC excess are both attended by increased risk for the development of laminitis in adult horses. However, there exists substantial controversy as to whether excess GCs cause laminitis de novo. If true, the pathogenesis of laminitis arising from the effects of GC excess is probably different from that associated with diseases of the gastrointestinal tract and endotoxemia. Although a satisfactory explanation for the development of laminitis as a consequence of GC action is currently lacking, numerous possible and pla...
Pituitary pars intermedia dysfunction: equine Cushing’s disease. PPID in older equids has become a major health concern of horse owners. In response, equine practitioners have made greater efforts at understanding, diagnosing, and treating this disorder. Although PPID is recognized to be a different form of pituitary-dependent hyperadrenocorticism than is seen in canine or human patients, relatively little is known about the pathophysiology and natural progression of the disease. At present, the diagnosis is best supported by manifestation of characteristic clinical signs and endocrinologic test results, preferably a supportive DST result. Treatment must fo...
Motion-correction techniques for standing equine MRI. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the distal extremities of the standing, sedated horse would be desirable if diagnostic quality images could be obtained. With the availability of extremity and special purpose magnet designs on the market, a system to safely accommodate the standing horse may gain increasing popularity. This paper considers the issue of motion that will need to be addressed to achieve successful, diagnostic quality images. The motion of the carpus and tarsus of five standing, sedated horses was quantified. The obtained motion records were then used to induce motion in cadave...
Survey of the provision of prophylactic dental care for horses in Great Britain and Ireland between 1999 and 2002. A survey of 854 horse owners, trainers and equestrian managers in 10 regions of Great Britain and Ireland showed that 83 per cent provided their horses with routine prophylactic dental care at fixed intervals, including 49 per cent at intervals of 12 months and 30 per cent at intervals of six months; a further 10 per cent provided it only when they felt it was required and 7 per cent did not provide it at all. Overall, 44 per cent of the owners had their horse's wolf teeth (first premolar) extracted routinely; when prophylactic dentistry was provided, it was carried out solely by equine dental...
The intra- and inter-assessor reliability of measurement of functional outcome by lameness scoring in horses. The objective of this study was to assess the reliability of lameness scoring in horses. One veterinary surgeon examined nineteen lame horses on four occasions. Gait was recorded by camcorder, and scored from 0 to 10 ranging from sound to non-weight bearing lameness. A global score of overall change in lameness during the study was also determined for each horse. To measure intra-assessor reliability of the scoring systems, one veterinary surgeon scored videotapes of the horses' gaits on two occasions. To measure inter-assessor reliability, three veterinary surgeons viewed the videotapes, assi...
The role of conformation in musculoskeletal problems in the racing Thoroughbred. The relationship of conformation to future potential injury is a standard approach in practise but, at present, is largely based on subjective observations. Objective: To measure conformation in 3-year-old Thoroughbreds and objectively test its relationship with the occurrence of musculoskeletal problems. Methods: Conformation measurements were taken from photographs using specific reference points marked on the horses and processed on the computer. Clinical observations were recorded for each horse on a regular basis. Stepwise (forward) logistic regression analysis was performed to investigat...
Endoscopic scoring of mucus quantity and quality: observer and horse variance and relationship to inflammation, mucus viscoelasticity and volume. Endoscopic scoring of airway mucus quantity and quality has not been critically assessed. Objective: To evaluate mucus scores for 1) observer- and horse-related variance and 2) association with inflammation, mucus viscoelasticity and measured volume. Methods: Variance of scoring within and between observers and over time within horses were determined for airway mucus accumulation, apparent viscosity, localisation and colour, and correlations of mucus accumulation scores with neutrophil ratios in secretions. The relationship of accumulation score to measured volumes of 'artificial mucus' was in...
Use of high-power ultrasonic shears for laparoscopic ovariectomy in mares. A method for performing laparoscopic ovariectomy with high-power ultrasonic shears in mares is described, along with results in 10 mares. Briefly, after epidural administration of detomidine and local anesthesia with mepivacaine, 3 cannulas were placed in each paralumbar fossa. A laparoscope was placed through the most dorsal cannula, and a grasping forceps was placed through the most ventral cannula and used to grasp and manipulate the ovary. The ultrasonic shears was then placed through the middle cannula. The jaws of the ultrasonic shears were closed across a portion of the ovarian pedicle,...
Molecular epidemiology of virulent Rhodococcus equi from foals in Brazil: virulence plasmids of 85-kb type I, 87-kb type I, and a new variant, 87-kb type III. We investigated the prevalence of virulent Rhodococcus equi in clinical isolates from 41 foals (19 sporadic and seven endemic cases) in Brazil between 1991 and 2003. Of the 41 virulent isolates, six contained an 85-kb type I plasmid, 33 contained an 87-kb type I plasmid, both of which have been found in isolates from the Americas, and the remaining two contained a new variant, which did not display the EcoRI, EcoT22I and BamHI digestion patterns of the 11 representative plasmids already reported (85-kb types I-IV; 87-kb types I and II; 90-kb types I-V). We tentatively designated the new varian...
Hysteroscopic or rectally guided, deep-uterine insemination of mares with spermatozoa stored 18 h at either 5 degrees C or 15 degrees C prior to flow-cytometric sorting. Practical application of sex-selected spermatozoa in the horse industry would be greatly improved by the ability to develop simplified methods for shipping, storing, and inseminating sex-selected spermatozoa. Acceptable pregnancy rates have been achieved using fresh sex-sorted stallion sperm, however many stallion owners are reluctant to send their stallions to the sorter location for collection during the breeding season. Furthermore, the technology would be more applicable if the hysteroscopic insemination technique was not necessary for adequate pregnancy rates. Hysteroscopic insemination r...
