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Topic:Veterinary Research
Veterinary research in horses encompasses the study of diseases, health management, and medical treatments specific to equine species. This field investigates various aspects of horse health, including infectious diseases, metabolic disorders, and musculoskeletal conditions. Researchers focus on understanding the pathophysiology of equine ailments, developing diagnostic tools, and evaluating therapeutic interventions. The study of horse health also involves examining preventive measures such as vaccination protocols and nutritional management to promote overall well-being. This page collects peer-reviewed research studies and scholarly articles that explore the diverse areas of veterinary science related to horses, providing insights into disease mechanisms, treatment strategies, and advancements in equine healthcare.
Exhaled breath condensate in horses: a first microbiological insight. Exhaled breath condensate (EBC) is a non-invasive method for obtaining samples reflecting the airway lining fluid; however, its microbiological composition remains poorly characterized. Objective: To perform an exploratory microbiological comparison of EBC in clinically healthy horses maintained under different environmental conditions. Methods: An observational study included 30 mares equally distributed into two groups: horses housed in stalls (Racetrack group) and horses maintained under pasture conditions (Farm group). EBC samples were collected using a validated device developed by the re...
Evaluation of a new immunoassay for measuring equine serum insulin and plasma adrenocorticotrophic hormone: A method comparison study. Insulin dysregulation (ID) and pituitary pars intermedia dysfunction (PPID) are common equine endocrinopathies detected by measurement of circulating insulin and adrenocorticotrophic hormone (ACTH) concentrations. Different assays may yield variable results, limiting comparability. Objective: To compare immunoassays developed specifically to measure equine insulin (VIDAS® Equine Insulin; enzyme-linked fluorescent assay [ELFA]) and equine ACTH (VIDAS® Equine ACTH; ELFA) with results obtained from a chemiluminescence immunoassay (CLIA) measured using IMMULITE 2000XPi, a chemiluminescence enzym...
Randomized study of the effects of testosterone administration on severity of asthma in horses. Low testosterone concentrations are associated with poor lung function in human asthmatics, and androgen administration improves airway obstruction in women with asthma. Objective: Testosterone improves clinical scores, lung function, airway neutrophilia, and airway remodeling in horses with severe asthma. Methods: Ten horses affected by severe asthma from a research herd. Methods: In a randomized, blinded, crossover study, horses received dexamethasone (0.06 mg/kg PO q24h for 10 days) or a single intramuscular injection of testosterone cypionate (0.35 mg/kg), with a 2-week washout period. ...
Population Pharmacokinetics and Detection Times of Betamethasone After Intravenous, Intramuscular, and Intranasal Jet Administration of Betamethasone Sodium Phosphate in Horses. Betamethasone sodium phosphate (BETP) is a glucocorticosteroid used in humans. The primary objective was to estimate irrelevant plasma (IPC) and urine (IUC) concentrations using a pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamic approach based on systemic clearance estimated from intravenous (IV) pharmacokinetic data. As a secondary objective, detection times (DTs) following IV, intramuscular (IM), and intranasal jet (INJ) administration were estimated for medication control. Plasma and urine concentrations were obtained from a total of 20 horses in Japan and Germany, with some horses contributing to more than...
Anatomy and Ultrasound-Guided Injection of the Deep Branch of the Lateral Palmar Nerve in the Horse: A Cadaveric Study. Proximal suspensory ligament (PSL) injuries are a common cause of lameness in horses. Localization of pain in the proximal metacarpal and carpal region remains challenging. Current diagnostic analgesic techniques are not PSL-specific. The aim of this study was to investigate the nerve supply of the PSL, with particular focus on the deep branch of the lateral palmar nerve (DBLPaN), and to develop a landmark-based, ultrasound-guided injection technique targeting this nerve. Unassigned: Eighteen limbs from euthanized horses were dissected to describe the anatomy of the DBLPaN and branches, measur...
Effects of two different fluid rates on tissue oxygenation and haemodynamic stability in anaesthetised horses. Perianaesthetic fluid therapy can influence oxygen delivery and tissue oxygenation, yet the optimal fluid rate in horses remains undefined. Objective: To compare two fluid strategies on peripheral tissue oxygenation (StO) and cardiorespiratory variables in isoflurane-anaesthetised horses. Methods: Randomised, controlled, experimental design with two independent groups. Methods: Sixteen euvolemic adult horses undergoing coeliotomy were anaesthetised with xylazine, ketamine, and midazolam, maintained on isoflurane with lidocaine infusion, and randomised to lactated Ringer's solution at 2.5 mL/...
Diagnostic utility of trigeminocervical reflex and quantitative sensory testing in horses with trigeminal-mediated headshaking. Assessment of trigeminal nerve (TN) function in horses with trigeminal-mediated headshaking (TMHS) using trigeminocervical reflex (TCR) and quantitative sensory testing (QST) has not been investigated. Objective: Horses with TMHS show lower TCR and QST thresholds than controls. A subset shows left-to-right differences. Methods: Privately owned horses with TMHS (n = 12) and secondary headshaking (sHS; n = 4), from a referral hospital. Headshaking-free controls (n = 14), from the hospital's teaching herd or privately owned. Methods: Prospective case-control-study. In unsedated horses, TCR ...
Electrocardiographic recording in horses at rest: a concordance analysis of two methods. Cardiac arrhythmias are frequently detected during routine auscultation in athletic horses. Assessment of their clinical significance requires electrocardiography (ECG) to analyze waveforms and intervals. In recent years, portable ECG devices have been introduced to simplify electrocardiographic examination, offering advantages such as ease of use and the ability to review results via a smartphone. This study evaluated the utility and accuracy of a portable ECG device compared with a standard electrocardiograph. Simultaneous ECG recordings were obtained from 28 healthy adult horses at rest usi...
Centrifugation of peritoneal fluid improves visual assessment of strangulating lesions in equine colic. Early and accurate recognition of a strangulating lesion is essential to expedite surgical intervention in horses presenting with colic. Objective: To evaluate the use of a colour grading scale in the visual assessment of peritoneal fluid, before and after centrifugation, and assess its ability to predict the presence of a strangulating lesion. Methods: Prospective clinical study. Methods: Peritoneal fluid samples from 231 equids presenting with colic were visually analysed immediately after collection and assigned a numerical value based on a developed colour scale. Peritoneal fluid was centr...
Agreement between invasive and oscillometric blood pressure measurements during controlled haemorrhage in anaesthetised horses. Defining the reliability of oscillometry (NIBP) for measuring mean arterial pressure (MAP) during normotension and hypovolaemic hypotension could help with cardiovascular monitoring and management in horses anaesthetised in dorsal recumbency. Objective: To assess agreement between NIBP and invasive MAP during normotension and hypovolaemic hypotension in dorsally-recumbent, anaesthetised horses. Methods: Prospective experimental study using 11 horses. Methods: Under isoflurane anaesthesia, blood was removed at 5 mL/kg bwt increments up to 25 mL/kg bwt and returned in a similar fashion. Pair...
Airway Lipid Mediators in Horses: Baseline Bronchoalveolar Lavage Fluid Profiles and Effects of EPA and DHA-rich Microalgae Oil Supplementation. We investigated how dietary omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (n-3 PUFAs) eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) affect airway inflammation, bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) lipid mediators and red blood cell fatty acids in horses. Increased BALF neutrophils are a hallmark of airway inflammation, commonly associated with equine asthma. The long-chain n-3 PUFAs EPA and DHA are essential nutrients and precursors of specialized pro-resolving mediators (SPMs) that regulate inflammatory responses. In this prospective field trial, we assigned horses to three diets, including...
Phylogenetic and phylogeographic analysis of equine influenza in Colombia. In 2022, Colombia experienced an outbreak of equine influenza (EI) that primarily affected competition horses. Despite the epidemiological relevance of equine influenza virus (EIV) in the country, no previous phylogenetic or phylogeographic analyses based on complete genomes have been reported. Objective: To perform phylogenetic and phylogeographic analyses of complete EIV genomes obtained from horses with clinical signs in two Colombian regions between 2020 and 2023. Methods: Molecular epidemiological study based on whole-genome sequencing and evolutionary analyses. Methods: Nasopharyngeal sa...
Association between cytology and endoscopy of guttural pouches: a prospective study on 173 horses. Guttural pouch (GP) disorders are clinically important in horses, yet the relationship between endoscopic findings and GP cytology remains poorly defined. Objective: To establish reference cytological values for GP lavage fluid in horses and to investigate associations between inflammatory cytology and endoscopic findings. Methods: Asymptomatic racing horses sampled in the field and horses referred for investigation of respiratory disorders. Methods: Prospective cross-sectional study. Horses underwent clinical examination, upper airway endoscopy, and bilateral transendoscopic GP lavage. A GP i...
Evaluating ex vivo toll-like receptor agonist response as a potential biomarker in equine gastric ulcer syndrome. Equine gastric ulcer syndrome (EGUS) is highly prevalent in horses. Despite its presumed painful nature, evaluation of objective biomarkers associated with EGUS presence and severity remains limited. The objective of this study was to investigate the potential of interleukin-1 beta (IL-1β) release by peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) following ex vivo stimulation of toll-like receptors 2 and 4 (TLR2 and TLR4) as a potential biomarker for EGUS status, with gastric lesions used as a proxy for presumed EGUS-associated pain. Venous blood was collected from 77 horses, PBMCs were isolated ...
Limb position, not exercise or sedation, affects power Doppler neovascularization detection in equine superficial digital flexor tendon core lesions. To determine the effect of limb position, exercise, and sedation on neovascularization detectability with the use of power Doppler ultrasonography (PDU) in superficial digital flexor tendon core lesions of the equine forelimb. Unassigned: 9 Thoroughbred horses with superficial digital flexor tendon core tendinopathies were assessed with PDU before lesion induction (week 0) and 12 weeks after lesion induction, with 5 horses in the study period ranging from January to April 2024 and 4 horses from January to April 2025. During weeks 0 and 12, ultrasound examinations were performed 24 hours apart,...
Computed Tomographic Lesion Descriptors in Foals With Hematogenous Osteomyelitis: Interobserver Agreement and Association With Outcome. Computed tomography (CT) is increasingly used to diagnose osteomyelitis in foals, but the prognostic value and interobserver reproducibility of specific CT lesion descriptors remain unclear. This multicenter retrospective study aimed to characterize CT features of hematogenous osteomyelitis in foals using a structured radiologic feature set, assess interobserver agreement, and evaluate associations between CT descriptors and survival to hospital discharge and long-term survival. We hypothesized that CT features considered aggressive, including a long transition zone, permeative or moth-eaten o...
Circulating Cell-Free RNA Reflects Immune-Associated and Airway Remodeling Signatures in Equine Asthma. Circulating cell-free RNA (cfRNA) has emerged as a promising minimally invasive biomarker capable of capturing transcripts originating from multiple tissues and cell types, but its utility in chronic inflammatory airway diseases remains poorly understood. Equine asthma (EA), a naturally occurring respiratory disease that shares key clinical and immunopathological features with human asthma, provides a valuable comparative model for evaluating plasma cfRNA in this context. We performed transcriptomic profiling of plasma cfRNA from horses with EA and healthy controls and compared these findings ...
Walking prior to contrast tenogram radiograph acquisition improves radiological identification of equine digital flexor tendon sheath pathology. the protocol for mobilization of the fetlock region prior to acquiring a contrast tenogram radiograph is not clearly defined. Objective: to determine if walking exercise improves identification of DFTS pathology on contrast tenography. Methods: Prospective cohort study. Nineteen horses that underwent contrast tenography and subsequent surgical tenoscopy were included. A tenogram protocol was developed to enable comparison of diagnostic accuracy after increasing mobilization of the affected limb post-injection. Following contrast injection three tenogram radiographs were taken, (1) immediately ...
Intraoperative Mechanical Power and Post-Anesthetic Respiratory Outcomes in Horses: A Retrospective Cohort Study. Mechanical power (MP) represents the ventilatory-delivered energy to the respiratory system, integrating multiple variables into a single parameter. It has been linked to ventilator-induced lung injury and post-ventilation complications in human medicine, while clinical relevance in equine anesthesia remains insufficient. Objective: To evaluate the association between intraoperative mechanical power and postoperative respiratory outcomes in horses undergoing inhalant anesthesia. Methods: This retrospective cohort study analyzed anesthesia records from 843 adult horses anesthetized between 2023...
Evidence-based interpretation of uterine cultures in mares: Linking bacterial growth patterns to endometrial inflammation. We evaluated uterine bacterial growth patterns and their association with endometrial inflammation (EI) in equine samples collected using uterine swabs (US) or low-volume uterine lavage (UL). A database including 1,545 US and 2,066 UL with cytological and bacteriological results was retrospectively analysed. Endometrial inflammation was defined as ≥2 polymorphonuclear cells per high-power field, and bacterial culture was considered positive when aerobic growth occurred within 48 h, with the number of bacterial isolates per sample recorded (0, 1, 2, or ≥3). Data were analysed using generali...
Isolation of Moraxella spp. strains in horses. Two species of Moraxella were isolated from swabs obtained from two symptomatic horses suffering from conjunctivitis and rhinitis. The isolates were identified via MALDI-TOF as Moraxella osloensis and Moraxella equi respectively, with a good genus identification and a probable species identification score. The first one was also confirmed by BLAST sequence analysis with a high homology (99%). Antimicrobial susceptibility testing obtained by minimum inhibitory concentration method showed that the two isolates were sensitive to all the tested molecules. The therapeutic protocols applied had an e...
Analgesic use, safety and pharmacokinetics of acetaminophen in equids: A structured scoping review. Despite its frequent use in equine clinical practice, scientific data on the use of acetaminophen in horses remain limited. Objective: To map and critically appraise the available evidence on the analgesic use, safety and pharmacokinetics of acetaminophen in horses. Methods: Structured scoping review. Methods: A comprehensive search was performed in accordance with the PRISMA Extension for Scoping Reviews using the terms '(paracetamol OR acetaminophen) AND (pain OR safety OR toxicosis OR pharmacokinetics) AND (horse OR pony OR donkey OR mule)' across Web of Science, Scopus, and PubMed from dat...
Allele frequencies of 7 inherited disorders in performance and random cohorts of American Quarter Horses (2020-2024). To estimate allele frequencies for genetic diseases in the American Quarter Horse (QH), including hyperkalemic periodic paralysis (HYPP), type 1 polysaccharide storage myopathy (PSSM1), malignant hyperthermia (MH), myosin-heavy chain myopathy (MYHM), glycogen branching enzyme deficiency (GBED), hereditary equine regional dermal asthenia (HERDA), and equine juvenile spinocerebellar ataxia (EJSCA), and to compare these frequencies over time among elite performance subgroups and a random cohort of registered horses. Unassigned: In this prospective genetic survey, DNA was extracted from 300 elite ...
Preliminary evaluation of beta-endorphin alone and in combination with adrenocorticotropic hormone for the diagnosis of pituitary pars intermedia dysfunction in equids. Limited published data exist regarding the diagnostic utility of beta-endorphin (β-END) for pituitary pars intermedia dysfunction (PPID), either compared with or in combination with adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH). Objective: To evaluate β-END as a potential diagnostic test for PPID in comparison with ACTH and to explore the diagnostic performance of combined tests. Methods: Ninety-eight equids aged 19-32 years, owned by the foundation "Stiftung für das Pferd," were included. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted in January 2025. Haircoat abnormalities were scored as absent, mi...
Challenges for interpreting results of antimicrobial susceptibility testing for treating infections of foals with Rhodococcus equi. Rhodococcus equi is a facultative intracellular pathogen and a major cause of pneumonia in foals worldwide. The standard treatment for affected foals is a combination of a macrolide with rifampicin. The widespread use of this combination has led to the emergence of multidrug-resistant (MDR) strains of R. equi. Consequently, antimicrobial susceptibility testing is essential for guiding treatment of rhodococcal pneumonia. Unfortunately, clinical breakpoints for macrolides and other antimicrobials against R. equi for foals are lacking, thereby complicating clinical interpretation of in vitro resu...
Relationship Between Feed Olfactory Exploration and Consumption in Horses. The aim of the study was to evaluate the relationship between horses' behaviour during olfactory exploration and following consumption of the same food containing herbs, either previously exposed to the herb odour or not. Twenty horses' responses to 14 herbs were compared in a smelling test, when the horses sniffed a herb, and after 20 min a consumption test, when they consumed oats mixed with the same herb. Before the tests, the horses were exposed to the scent of seven herbs, whereas the remaining seven herbs were non-pre-exposed. The results show that horses consumed oats with herbal additi...
Ostium-specific equine pulmonary vein myocardial sleeve gross anatomy and structural evidence of interatrial myocardial continuity with potential implications for ablation strategies. Pulmonary vein (PV) myocardial sleeves (MSs) harbour an arrhythmogenic substrate for atrial fibrillation. However, equine-specific data on MS distribution and wall thickness are limited yet essential for developing ablation strategies. In humans, posterior interatrial connections can compromise right-sided PV isolation. Objective: To study equine PV MS distribution, quantify ostial/branch diameters, antral lengths, characterise MS distal edge morphology, measure wall thickness and explore an interatrial myocardial continuity between the MSs of caudal branches draining through ostium III (PV II...
Effects of pulsed electromagnetic therapy on the major hematological and biochemical parameters in horses. Pulsed electromagnetic field (PEMF) therapy, a commonly used supplementary treatment in the horse industry, shows promise in enhancing circulation, reducing inflammation, and supporting cellular repair; however, its effects on equine physiology remain unclear. Limited research and inconsistent protocols create uncertainty about its efficacy and safety in horses. Our study evaluates the short-term effects of PEMF on hematological and biochemical parameters in horses. Five active sport horses underwent PEMF therapy for five consecutive days using a full-body blanket at specific frequencies. Bloo...
