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.
Piotrowska-Tomala KK, Jonczyk AW, Szóstek-Mioduchowska AZ, Żebrowska E, Ferreira-Dias G, Skarzynski DJ.We examined the effect of prostaglandin (PG) E on the secretory function of equine corpus luteum (CL), according to the application site: intra-CL injection vs. an intrauterine (intra-U) administration. Moreover, the effect of intra-CL injection vs. intra-U administration of both luteotropic factors: PGE and human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) as a positive control, on CL function was additionally compared. Mares were assigned to the groups ( = 6 per group): (1) an intra-CL saline injection (control); (2) an intra-CL injection of PGE (5 mg/ml); (3) an intra-CL injection of hCG (1,500 IU/ml); (4...
Loux S, Robles M, Chavatte-Palmer P, de Mestre A.Development and the subsequent function of the fetal membranes of the equine placenta require both complex and precise regulation of gene expression. Advancements in recent years in bioinformatic techniques have allowed more extensive analyses into gene expression than ever before. This review starts by combining publically available transcriptomic data sets obtained from a range of embryonic, placental and maternal tissues, with previous knowledge of equine placental development and physiology, to gain insights into key gene families relevant to placentation in the horse. Covering the whole o...
Huang YH, Lyle JV, Ab Razak AS, Nandi M, Marr CM, Huang CL, Aston PJ, Jeevaratnam K.Atrial fibrillation (AF) is a common cardiac arrhythmia in both human and equine populations. It is associated with adverse outcomes in humans and decreased athletic performance in both populations. Paroxysmal atrial fibrillation (PAF) presents with intermittent, self-terminating AF episodes, and is difficult to diagnose once sinus rhythm resumes. Unassigned: We aimed to detect PAF subjects from normal sinus rhythm equine electrocardiograms (ECGs) using the Symmetric Projection Attractor Reconstruction (SPAR) method to encapsulate the waveform morphology and variability as the basis of a machi...
Shi N, Qiu X, Cao X, Mai Z, Zhu X, Li N, Zhang H, Zhang J, Li Z, Shaya N, Lu H, Jin N.The Getah virus (GETV), a mosquito-borne RNA virus, is widely distributed in Oceania and Asia. GETV is not the only pathogenic to horses, pigs, cattle, foxes and boars, but it can also cause fever in humans. Since its first reported case in Chinese mainland in 2017, the number of GETV-affected provinces has increased to seventeen till now. Therefore, we performed an epidemiologic investigation of GETV in the Xinjiang region, located in northwestern China, during the period of 2017-2020. ELISA was used to analyze 3299 serum samples collected from thoroughbred horse, local horse, sheep, goat, ca...
Ekstrand C, Nostell K, Gehring R, Bondesson U, Bröjer J.Septicaemia in the neonatal foal is caused by both Gram positive and Gram negative bacteria. The life-threatening nature of this condition requires treatment to be initiated with broad spectrum antimicrobial drugs pending antimicrobial susceptibility testing. Potentiated sulphonamides, for example, trimethoprim combined with sulfadiazine, could be clinically relevant options but their pharmacokinetics in the neonatal foal are unknown. To describe the plasma disposition of trimethoprim and sulfadiazine in neonatal foals and to relate the results to patterns in the minimum inhibitory concentrati...
Kondo T, Sato F, Tsuzuki N, Chen CJ, Yamada K.Computed tomographic myelography can be a useful tool for evaluating vertebral canal stenosis. However, an index of spinal cord compression is yet to be established. This observational descriptive study aimed to establish an index for spinal cord compression using computed tomography (CT). Twenty-three Thoroughbred horses (age, 155-717 days; weight, 205-523 kg) with suspected cervical vertebral malformation were subjected to computed tomographic myelography in dorsal recumbency using large-bore gantry CT to define the entire cervical vertebrae from C1 to C7. Subsequently, the height of the sp...
Huricha , Kawai M, Inose Y, Yamada F, Ninomiya S.In this study, we investigated maternal effects on the growth of Hokkaido native horses kept outdoors throughout the year. We used the data on body weight (BW), height at withers (HW), heart girth (HG), and cannon circumference (CC) of 517 foals during the first year of life to (1) examine the growth patterns by comparing six linear mixed models and (2) analyze the maternal effect on BW, HW, HG, and CC for each month by estimating variance components. The segmented polynomial third-order regression equation was selected as the best model for all the traits. The estimated proportion of variance...
Gold JR, Grubb TL, Cox S, Malavasi L, Villarino NL.The repeated administration of high doses of gabapentin may provide better analgesia in horses than current clinical protocols. Objective: Administration of gabapentin at 40 and 120 mg/kg PO q 12 h for 14 days will not alter serum biochemistry findings or cause adverse effects. Our objectives were to evaluate the effect of gabapentin on serum biochemistry, physical examination, and plasma pharmacokinetics of gabapentin. Methods: Six healthy adult mares. Methods: Horses received 40 and 120 mg/kg of gabapentin orally q 12 h for 14 days. Horses were examined and scored for ataxia and ...
Lanci A, Benedetti B, Freccero F, Castagnetti C, Mariella J, van Loon JPAM, Padalino B.Prompt pain management is crucial in horses; however, tools to assess pain are limited. This study aimed to develop and pilot a composite scale for pain estimation in foals. The "Foal Composite Pain Scale" (FCPS) was developed based on literature and authors' expertise. The FCPS consisted of 11 facial expressions, 4 behavioural items, and 5 physical items. Thirty-five pain-free foals (Control Group) and 15 foals experiencing pain (Pain Group) were used. Foals were video-recorded at different time points: the Control Group only at inclusion (C), while the Pain Group at inclusion (T1), after an ...
Cabral LDR, Sato AP, de Sousa RS, Rossa AP, Sanches AWD, Bortoleto CT, Locatelli Dittrich R.The closely related apicomplexa protozoa, Toxoplasma gondii, Neospora spp., and Sarcocystis neurona, have all been associated with neurological and reproductive diseases in horses. However, there is limited data regarding the presence of these three parasites in equine placental tissues and amniotic fluid. The aim of the present report was to investigate the presence of the DNA of T. gondii, Neospora spp. and S. neurona in placentas and amniotic fluid in mares. Anti-T. gondii, anti- S. neurona and anti- Neospora spp. antibody titers were evaluated in 31 mares in the final third of pregnancy by...
Hinkle FE, Selberg KT, Frisbie DD, Barrett MF.Comparison of radiography to magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) can help objectively assess the value and limitations of radiographs in orthopaedic disease processes. The tarsus and proximal suspensory origin of the metatarsus are commonly imaged regions for lameness. The knowledge gained by comparison between imaging modalities will aid in improving accuracy of radiographic interpretation. Objective: To compare the radiographic and MRI findings of the proximal third metatarsal bone (MTIII) and proximal suspensory ligament using MRI as the gold standard. Methods: Retrospective observational stud...
Domańska D, Trela M, Pawliński B, Podeszewski B, Domino M.The somatic cell count in milk (SCC) and electrical conductivity of milk (ECM) are indicators of the health status of the mammary gland. Among somatic cells, mainly polymorphonuclear neutrophils (PMN), macrophages (MAC), and lymphocytes (LYM) are rated. This study aimed to determine the SCC, PMN, MAC, LYM, ECM, and bacteriological index (BII) in milk collected from mares with (CM) and without (NCM) clinical symptoms of mastitis concerning mares with (SM) and without (NSM) subclinical mastitis. Milk samples were collected from 27 mares divided into NCM (n = 12) and CM (n = 15) groups. In sample...
Gibson MJ, Roca Fraga FJ, Bolwell CF, Gee EK, Rogers CW.The objective of this study was to describe the incident and non-incident reporting of harness racing in New Zealand, the primary injury and reporting outcomes, and to examine horse- and race-level variables associated with the odds of these outcomes. Retrospective stipendiary stewards' reports of race day events during the 2015/16 to 2016/17 racing seasons were examined. The number of incident and non-incident events and binomial exact 95% confidence intervals (CI) were calculated per 1000 horse starts. Most reports were for non-incidents and an examination was requested for poor performance ...
Tahoun A, Elnafarawy HK, El-Sharkawy H, Rizk AM, Alorabi M, El-Shehawi AM, Youssef MA, Ibrahim HMM, El-Khodery S.This work aimed to characterize S. aureus isolates from the eyes of healthy and clinically affected equines in the Kafrelsheikh Governorate, Egypt. A total of 110 animals were examined for the presence of S. aureus, which was isolated from 33 animals with ophthalmic lesions and 77 healthy animals. We also investigated the antimicrobial resistance profile, oxacillin resistance mechanism, and the major virulence factors implicated in many studies of the ocular pathology of pathogenic S. aureus. The association between S. aureus eye infections and potential risk factors was also investigated. The...
Jacobs CC, Schnabel LV, McIlwraith CW, Blikslager AT.Orthopaedic disorders are commonly encountered in equine veterinary medicine, and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) play an important role in the management of many equine orthopaedic disorders. There are multiple NSAIDs available for use in horses, including both non-selective and selective NSAIDS, and the body of literature evaluating the efficacy of these medications, their effects on normal and inflamed musculoskeletal tissues, and their side effects is broad. This review aims to summarise the current literature on the use of NSAIDs for equine orthopaedic disorders and examine...
Bardin AL, Taylor NC, Robert Colborne G.Thoroughbred racehorses are often affected by musculoskeletal injuries, leading to involuntary rest, early retirement or death. Hardness and consistency of the track surface have been implicated as major risk factors for limb injury. The purpose was to test the utility of a preliminary AnyBody musculoskeletal model of the equine forelimb for its responses on two perturbing surfaces. A musculoskeletal model was developed using CT, muscle, tendon and ligament properties, and kinematic data were applied from ridden trials using five Thoroughbred horses. Horses were ridden at trot and canter on a ...
Nichols JL, Robinson JS, Hiney KM, Terry R, Ramsey JW.This study investigated equine nutrition knowledge and educational needs of licensed veterinarians in the United States who were exclusively or predominately equine practitioners. It found veterinarians regard their peers as an important resource of nutritional knowledge, ranking ahead of all other sources except a PhD equine nutritionist. Interestingly, only 21% of veterinarians felt good about their knowledge level in equine nutrition after graduating from veterinary school. Although veterinarians in this study reported equine nutrition to be an area of weakness, 75% had not pursued continui...
Fingerhut L, Yücel L, Strutzberg-Minder K, von Köckritz-Blickwede M, Ohnesorge B, de Buhr N.Equine recurrent uveitis (ERU) is a common ocular disease of horses and described as a model for human autoimmune uveitis. This immune-mediated, inflammatory condition progressively destroys the eye, ultimately leading to blindness. Genetic and autoimmune factors, next to infections with Leptospira, are discussed as key factors in the pathogenesis. Furthermore, a release of neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs) by activated neutrophils is involved. NETs are composed of decondensed chromatin and proteins that can immobilize invading pathogens. However, if NETs accumulate, they can contribute to...
Ter Woort F, Dubois G, Tansley G, Didier M, Verdegaal L, Franklin S, Van Erck-Westergren E.Cardiac arrhythmias in exercising horses are the focus of much interest, both in terms of what is considered normal and potential associations with poor performance and sudden cardiac death. One barrier to performing large-scale studies is the lack of an easily applicable device, to allow recording of large numbers of high-quality exercising electrocardiograms (ECGs). The Equimetre is a new wearable device which records a single lead ECG, amongst other parameters. Validation of such wearable devices is essential before further studies are undertaken. Objective: To evaluate the quality of ECG u...
Nadal C, Marsot M, Le Metayer G, Boireau P, Guillot J, Bonnet SI.Caused by two blood parasites, and , equine piroplasmosis is a tick-borne disease that poses major health and economic issues for the equine industry. Our objective was to gain insight into the spatio-temporal variations of parasite circulation in France, where the disease is known to be enzootic, but has been the subject of few studies. Seroprevalence was assessed for each parasite thanks to 16,127 equine sera obtained between 1997 and 2003 from all over France and analysed through complement fixation tests. Results indicated that 13.2% (5-27% depending on the region) of horses were seroposi...
Henker LC, Lorenzett MP, Piva MM, Wronski JG, de Andrade DGA, Borges AS, Driemeier D, Oliveira-Filho JP, Pavarini SP.Holoprosencephaly is a central nervous system malformation, characterized by incomplete or total lack of division of prosencephalon hemispheres, which is commonly accompanied by craniofacial malformations. A 9-month-gestation aborted American Quarter Horse fetus was submitted for postmortem examination. The fetus lacked haircoat and had severe facial malformations including marked shortening/absence of the maxillary, incisive and nasal bones, bilateral anophthalmia, and pre-maxillary agenesis. The prosencephalon was small and nearly spherical, represented by a single lobe, with no visible sepa...
Ahedor B, Kothalawala H, Kanagaratnam R, Vimalakumar SC, Otgonsuren D, Tuvshintulga B, Batmagnai E, Silva SSP, Sivakumar T, Yokoyama N.Equine piroplasmosis (EP) is a tick-borne disease caused by Theileria equi and Babesia caballi in equids, including horses, donkeys, zebras, and mules. It is globally endemic with significant economic impact on the equine industry. Infected animals may serve as carriers, and they may be a source of infection for ticks, thereby posing a great challenge for disease management. Sri Lanka is a tropical country, where infections by various tick-borne parasites are common among livestock animals. However, infections by T. equi and B. caballi remain unstudied in Sri Lanka. Therefore, in the present s...
Rutkowski M, Krzemińska-Fiedorowicz L, Khachatryan G, Kabacińska J, Tischner M, Suder A, Kulik K, Lenart-Boroń A.Frequent occurrence of microbial resistance to biocides makes it necessary to find alternative antimicrobial substances for modern veterinary medicine. The aim of this study was to obtain biodegradable silver nanoparticle-containing (AgNPs) foils synthesized using non-toxic chemicals and evaluation of their activity against bacterial pathogens isolated from oral cavities of cats, dogs and horses. Silver nanoparticle foils were synthesized using sodium alginate, and glucose, maltose and xylose were used as reducing agents. The sizes of AgNPs differed depending on the reducing agent used (xylose...
Steuer AE, Anderson HP, Shepherd T, Clark M, Scare JA, Gravatte HS, Nielsen MK.Horses are host to a plethora of parasites. Knowledge of the seasonality of parasite egg shedding and transmission is important for constructing parasite control programs. However, studies describing these patterns are sparse, and have largely been conducted only in the United Kingdom. This study evaluated strongylid egg shedding patterns and transmission dynamics of Strongylus vulgaris in naturally infected and untreated mares and foals through one calendar year in Kentucky, USA. The study also investigated the existence of a peri-parturient rise (PPR) in strongylid egg counts in foaling mare...
Nielsen MK, von Samson-Himmelstjerna G, Kuzmina TA, van Doorn DCK, Meana A, Rehbein S, Elliott T, Reinemeyer CR.This guideline have been developed to assist in the design, execution, and interpretation of studies to assess the efficacy of anthelmintic drugs against internal parasites of equines, including nematodes, cestodes, and larval instars of Gasterophilus spp. The design and execution of critical and controlled studies are outlined, and their advantages and disadvantages are discussed. Unique considerations for specific target parasites are included. Information is also provided on selection of animals, procedures for randomization, housing, feeding, dosage titration, dosage confirmation and field...
Rocafort-Ferrer G, Leblond A, Joulié A, René-Martellet M, Sandoz A, Poux V, Pradier S, Barry S, Vial L, Legrand L.Equine piroplasmosis (EP) is a tick-borne disease caused by Babesia caballi and Theileria equi that is potentially emerging in non-endemic countries. We conducted a descriptive study to investigate EP prevalence and spatial distribution in an endemic region: the Camargue and the Plain of La Crau in France. In spring 2015 and 2016, we carried out sampling at stables (total n = 46) with a history of horses presenting chronic fever or weight loss. Overall, we collected blood from 632 horses, which were also inspected for ticks; these horses had been housed in the target stables for at least 1...
Bolt DM, Carrier ME, Sheridan KS, Manso-Diaz G, Berner D.Foot imbalance and malalignment of the digits are common in horses. Angle and distance measurements performed on bones, joints and hoof wall on radiographs provide essential guidance for precise corrective trimming and shoeing. This study aimed to investigate, if selected standing low-field magnetic resonance (MR) images can be used to accurately measure dorsopalmar and lateromedial foot conformation parameters in comparison to the radiographic gold standard. Images of 100 horses referred for standing low-field MR examination were selected. Foot conformation angles and distances were measured ...
Pressanto MC, Pascoletti G, Perkins JD, Zanetti EM, Beccati F, Santalucia V, Pepe M.To validate the use of a polyblend tape suture in equine laryngoplasty (PL). Methods: Experimental study. Methods: Thirty-two cadaveric larynges. Methods: Each larynx was randomly assigned to 1 of 4 groups: PL with polyblend tape suture (TigerTape), without (TT) or with a cannula (TTC) in the muscular process of the arytenoid cartilage, and PL with polyester suture (Ethibond), without (EB) or with a cannula (EBC). Construct stiffness, total migration, creep, and drift values were measured after 3000 cycles. The specimens were then loaded to failure to assess their residual properties: load a...
Santos DW, Madeira de Carvalho LM, Molento MB.Cyathostomins comprise around 50 parasite species of equids, offering a great challenge regarding their individual identification. The objective of our work was to improve identification of infective third stage larvae (L3) with a morphological key supplemented with detailed scientific illustrations based on our research and available literature. The highlighted features were; the number, arrangement, and shape of intestinal cells (IC), general features and the total body length of the eight different Cyathostomin sensu latum types (Type A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H), Gyalocephalus capitatus, and Po...
Hemphill DD, McIlwraith CW, Samulski RJ, Goodrich LR.Adeno-associated virus (AAV) receptors range from heparan sulfate proteoglycan to sialic acid moieties present on cell surfaces. Abundance of the glycan profiles is greatly influenced by animal species, cell type, and culture conditions. The objective of this study was to determine whether AAV serotypes' transduction efficiencies specifically in the equine monolayer culture model are an accurate representation of transduction efficiencies in tissue explants, a model more closely related to in vivo transduction. It was found that AAV 2 and 2.5 transduced cells more efficiently in explants than ...
Werner LA, Hardy J, Bertone AL.To compare intra-articular (IA) and bone gentamicin concentrations achieved after intra-articular administration or regional intravenous perfusion (RIP). Methods: Experimental study. Methods: Twelve healthy adult horses. Methods: Horses were assigned to 2 treatment groups (n = 6/group): Group 1, 1 g gentamicin administered simultaneously in both left and right metacarpophalangeal joints and group 2, 1 g gentamicin administered simultaneously in both left and right lateral palmar veins. Serum, synovial fluid, and bone biopsy specimens were collected. Gentamicin concentrations were determined by...
Wise LN, Kappmeyer LS, Silva MG, White SN, Grause JF, Knowles DP.Certain countries including the United States remain non-endemic for particular infectious diseases such as equine piroplasmosis through import restrictions and surveillance. Endemic regions often employ premunition as the primary method to control disease, however in non-endemic countries, chemosterilization combined with methods to confirm parasite elimination are required to maintain disease-free status. The ability of imidocarb diproprionate (ID) to clear persistent Theileria equi infection from infected horses has been shown through the inability of treated horses to transmit via blood tr...
Peterson RB, Goyal SM.A comparative study was carried out to determine the relative sensitivities of eight different cell culture systems to six different herpesviruses of animals. The cells used were: OFL (ovine fetal lung), ML (mink lung), FK (ferret kidney), PTK-2 (potoroo kidney), TEK (turkey embryo kidney), ED (equine dermal), BT (bovine turbinate), and PK15 (porcine kidney). The viruses tested were: PRV (pseudorabies) of swine, CPHV (caprine herpesvirus), IBRV (infectious bovine rhinotracheitis virus), DN-599 strain of bovine herpesvirus type 4, EHV-1 (equine herpesvirus), and CHV (canine herpesvirus). On the...
Weber EJ, Sanchez LC, Giguère S.The modified sepsis scoring system provides a method to identify sepsis in foals early in the disease process, but inconsistent results have been obtained from its clinical application in previous studies. Objective: To evaluate the sensitivity and specificity of the modified sepsis score in a larger population of foals. A secondary objective was to identify factors associated with sepsis. Methods: Retrospective cohort study. Methods: Records were retrospectively analysed for neonatal admissions to the University of Florida Large Animal Hospital from 1982 to 2008. Backwards stepwise multivaria...
Hernández JÁ, Arroyo FL, Suárez J, Cazapal-Monteiro CF, Romasanta Á, López-Arellano ME, Pedreira J, de Carvalho LMM, Sánchez-Andrade R....The usefulness of pellets industrially manufactured with spores of parasiticide fungi as a contribution to integrated nematode control was assessed in grazing horses throughout sixteen months. Two groups of 7 Pura Raza Galega autochthonous horses (G-T and G-P) were dewormed pour-on (1mg Ivermectin/kg bw) at the beginning of the trial, and other group (G-C) remained untreated. The G-P was provided daily with commercial pellets to which was added a mixture of fungal spores during the industrial manufacturing (2×10 spores of Mucor circinelloides and same dose of Duddingtonia flagrans/kg), and G-...
Bussche L, Rauner G, Antonyak M, Syracuse B, McDowell M, Brown AMC, Cerione RA, Van de Walle GR.Signaling mechanisms that regulate mammary stem/progenitor cell (MaSC) self-renewal are essential for developmental changes that occur in the mammary gland during pregnancy, lactation, and involution. We observed that equine MaSCs (eMaSCs) maintain their growth potential in culture for an indefinite period, whereas canine MaSCs (cMaSCs) lose their growth potential in long term cultures. We then used this system to investigate the role of microvesicles (MVs) in promoting self-renewal properties. We found that Wnt3a and Wnt1 were expressed at higher levels in MVs isolated from eMaSCs compared wi...
Hamamoto-Hardman BD, Steffey EP, Weiner D, McKemie DS, Kass P, Knych HK.The objective of the current study was to describe and characterize the pharmacokinetics and selected pharmacodynamic effects of morphine and its two major metabolites in horses following several doses of morphine. A total of ten horses were administered a single intravenous dose of morphine: 0.05, 0.1, 0.2, or 0.5 mg/kg, or saline control. Blood samples were collected up to 72 hr, analyzed for morphine, and metabolites by LC/MS/MS, and pharmacokinetic parameters were determined. Step count, heart rate and rhythm, gastrointestinal borborygmi, fecal output, packed cell volume, and total prote...
Leblond A, Villard I, Leblond L, Sabatier P, Sasco AJ.Epidemiological studies should allow comparisons to be made of the prevalence of disease in populations from different countries, but the population characteristics and health problems in French horses are not well established. We have conducted a retrospective evaluation of the causes of death and vital characteristics of insured horses in France for the year 1995, with a view to comparison with published data from other countries. Files on 448 deceased horses were provided by nine insurance companies. Most of the animals were used for breeding (60%), followed by leisure (20%), eventing and r...
Viklund Å, Eriksson S.A linear profiling protocol was introduced in 2013 at tests for 3-year-old Swedish Warmblood horses. In this protocol, traits are subjectively described on a nine-point linear scale from one biological extreme to the other. This complements the traditional scoring where horses are evaluated in relation to the breeding objective. This study aimed to investigate the suitability of the linear information for genetic evaluation. Data on 22 conformation traits, 17 movement traits, 14 jumping traits and one temperament trait from 3,410 horses tested between 2013 and 2016 were analysed using an anima...
Tomlinson JE, Taberner E, Boston RC, Owens SD, Nolen-Walston RD.There is a markedly reduced half-life of transfused RBCs when donor and recipient cats or humans are cross-match incompatible. Only 10-20% of horses have naturally occurring alloantibodies. Therefore, cross-match testing before blood transfusion is not always performed. Objective: Cross-match incompatibility predicts shortened RBC survival time as compared to that of compatible or autologous blood. Methods: Twenty healthy adult horses. Methods: Prospective trial. Blood type, anti-RBC antibody screen (before and 1 month after transfusion) and major and minor cross-match determined 10 donor-reci...
Zielińska P, Nicpoń J, Kiełbowicz Z, Soroko M, Dudek K, Zaborski D.The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of high intensity laser therapy (HILT) on tendon and ligament injury treatment in horses. Twenty six horses with tendinopathies were randomly assigned to a HILT treated or to a non-treated group. Each horse was subjected to the same rehabilitation programme. Horses from the treatment group underwent a series of fifteen HILT treatments with the same parameters. Clinical and ultrasound assessments were performed by the same veterinarian and were carried out before (day 0), during (day 13-15) and after treatment (day 38-40). Clinical evaluation in...
Stogdale L.The nomenclature of human diabetes mellitus (DM) has been revised, and this classification has been accepted throughout the medical world and literature. The major categories of diabetes are: insulin-dependent DM, type I or IDDM; noninsulin-dependent DM, type II or NIDDM; secondary DM or type S; impaired glucose tolerance, IGT; gestational diabetes; and previous abnormality of glucose tolerance, PrevAGT. A review of the literature has shown that over half of the documented diabetic dogs, with a single medical diagnosis, appear to be type I, IDDM, with a substantial proportion being type S, and...
Duan H, Gao JF, Hou MR, Zhang Y, Liu ZX, Gao DZ, Guo DH, Yue DM, Su X, Fu X, Wang CR.The complete mitochondrial (mt) genome sequence of Triodontophorus brevicauda, an intestinal equine nematode parasite was determined for the first time. The circular T. brevicauda mt genome is 14,305 bp in length and contains 36 genes, of which 12 code for protein, 22 for transfer RNA, and two for ribosomal RNA, and lacks atp8 mtDNA gene. Phylogenetic analysis based on the concatenated amino acid sequence of the 12 protein-coding genes was performed using three different tree-building methods. The Strongyloidea cluster divides into two large branches, and each nematode family included in our s...
Burden FA, Bell N.The domestic donkey is a unique equid species with specific nutritional requirements. This article examines the importance of feeding strategies that mimic the donkey's natural environment using poor nutritional quality fibers and access to browsing materials. The relationship between nutrition and health is examined and practical approaches to the healthy and sick donkey are discussed.
Terry RB, Archer S, Brooks S, Bernoco D, Bailey E.A single autosomal dominant locus, leopard complex (LP) controls the presence of appaloosa pigmentation patterns in the horse. The causative gene for LP is unknown. This study was undertaken to map LP in the horse. Two paternal half sib families segregating for the LP locus and including a total of 47 offspring were used to perform a genome scan which localized LP to horse chromosome 1 (ECA1). LP was linked to ASB08 (LOD = 9.99 at Theta = 0.02) and AHT21 (LOD = 5.03 at Theta = 0.14). To refine the map position of LP, eight microsatellite markers on ECA1 (UM041, LEX77, 1CA41, TKY374, COR046, 1C...
Butcher MT, Ashley-Ross MA.Fetlock joint kinematics during galloping in 2-, 3-, 4-, and 5-year-old Thoroughbreds in race training were quantified to determine if differences due to age could account for the observation that 2-year old Thoroughbred racehorses incur a high number of injuries to the bones and soft tissues in the distal forelimbs during training and at the outset of racing. Twelve Thoroughbred racehorses were videotaped in the sagittal plane at 250 frames/s during their daily galloping workout on a 7/8 mile sand-surface training track. Four galloping strides were recorded for each horse and subsequently dig...
Toutain PL, Lassourd V.The current performance of analytical techniques used for drug control in horses lead the Regulatory Authorities to decide whether trace levels of drugs legitimately used for therapeutic medication should or should not be reported. Here, we propose a well-ordered and nonexperimental pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamic approach for the determination of irrelevant drug plasma (IPC) and urine concentrations (IUC). The published plasma clearance is used to transform an effective (marketed) dose into an effective concentration (EPC). EPC is transformed into an IPC by applying a safety factor (SF). This...
Silva MLCR, Auguste AJ, Terzian ACB, Vedovello D, Riet-Correa F, Macário VMK, Mourão MPG, Ullmann LS, Araújo JP, Weaver SC, Nogueira ML.Madariaga virus (MADV), the new species designation for the South American isolates of eastern equine encephalitis virus (EEEV), is genetically divergent and substantially different in ecology and pathogenesis from North American EEEV strains. We isolated and characterized a MADV isolate obtained from a horse in Brazil. Our results support previous phylogenetic studies showing there are three genetically distinct MADV lineages. The MADV isolate from Paraíba State belongs to the South American lineage III and is closely related to Peruvian, Colombian and Venezuelan isolates.
Jürgenschellert L, Krücken J, Austin CJ, Lightbody KL, Bousquet E, von Samson-Himmelstjerna G.Effective and sustainable worm control in horses would benefit from detailed information about the current regional occurrence of tapeworms. Different diagnostic methods are currently available to detect Anoplocephala spp. infections in horses. However, the format as well as the sensitivity and specificity of the methods vary considerably. Methods: A coprological, serological and questionnaire study was conducted to investigate the prevalence and risk factors of tapeworm infections on 48 horse farms in the region of Berlin and Brandenburg, Germany. In total, faecal samples of 484 horses were a...
Olivier A, Nurton JP, Guthrie AJ.Wastage is the term used to describe the phenomenon of the loss of racehorses from conception to adulthood due to death or injuries (i.e. they never reach a race-track), or the days lost by racehorses due to not training or being withdrawn from a race. This epizoological study was conducted to investigate wastage in Thoroughbred horses used for flat racing in the Gauteng Province of South Africa. Data from 6 racing stables were recorded from 1 March 1993 to 28 February 1994. Each trainer completed a daily training record of the horses in his stable. This questionnaire included reasons why a ho...
Berg EL, Fu CJ, Porter JH, Kerley MS.Short-chain fructooligosaccharides (FOS) were supplemented to the diets of nine quarter horses ranging in age from 489 to 539 d with initial BW averaging 400.6 +/- 21.2 kg. The objectives of this study were to determine the effects of dietary FOS on the fecal responses in terms of pH, the microbial population, and VFA concentrations. The horses were used in a 3 x 3 replicated Latin square design, fed according to NRC requirements, and their individual diets were supplemented with no FOS (CON), 8 g of FOS/d (LOW), or 24 g of FOS/d (HIGH) over three 10-d feeding periods. On the last 3 d of each ...
Rodriguez C, Taminiau B, Brévers B, Avesani V, Van Broeck J, Leroux AA, Amory H, Delmée M, Daube G.Clostridium difficile has been identified as a significant agent of diarrhoea and enterocolitis in both foals and adult horses. Hospitalization, antibiotic therapy or changes in diet may contribute to the development of C. difficile infection. Horses admitted to a care unit are therefore at greater risk of being colonized. The aim of this study was to investigate the carriage of C. difficile in hospitalized horses and the possible influence of some risk factors in colonization. During a seven-month period, faecal samples and data relating the clinical history of horses admitted to a veterinary...
Donahue JM, Smith BJ, Redmon KJ, Donahue JK.A study was conducted to evaluate a recently available fluorescent antibody test (FAT) conjugate for the detection of leptospires in tissues of aborted and stillborn horses, to determine the leptospira antibody titers and compare serologic test results with FAT results, and to determine the prevalence of leptospira-induced abortions and stillbirths in the equine population of central Kentucky. From July 1, 1988 through June 30, 1989, 15 (2.5%) of 594 submissions (fetuses, stillborn foals, and/or placentas) were diagnosed as leptospirosis by the FAT (14 of 15 tested) and/or microscopic agglutin...
Townley P, Baker KP, Quinn PJ.An investigation of the landing and engorging sites of midges on a bait horse was made in Ireland as part of a project examining the aetiology of sweet itch. Ten species were recovered, seven of which engorged. Culicoides obsoletus and C dewulfi were the most commonly represented, accounting for 89.9 per cent of midges landing and 90.5 per cent of midges engorging. Only 4.69 per cent of midges attracted to the bait were C pulicaris. Overall, the preferential landing sites for midges were along the mane and lower leg regions. Few culicoides were attracted to the head, front and underside of the...
van Grevenhof EM, Ducro B, Heuven HC, Bijma P.It is expected that climate and habitat factors influence the prevalence of culicoides and, therefore, the prevalence of insect bite hypersensitivity (IBH), but very little is described in the literature to prove the association of these factors. Prevalence varies widely from 3% in certain areas of Great Britain to 60% in certain parts of Australia. Objective: To describe the influence of environmental factors on the prevalence of IBH in Shetland ponies and Friesian horses in The Netherlands. Methods: Data on 3284 Shetland and 2824 Friesian mares (n = 6108) were collected in The Netherlands, b...
Gao S, Zeng Z, Wang H, Chen F, Huang L, Wang X.African horse sickness (AHS) is a devastating equine infectious disease. On 17 March 2020, it first appeared in Thailand and threatened all the South-East Asia equine industry security. Therefore, it is imperative to carry out risk warnings of the AHS in China. The maximum entropy algorithm was used to model AHS and Culicoides separately by using climate and non-climate variables. The least cost path (LCP) method was used to analyze the habitat connectivity of Culicoides with the reclassified land cover and altitude as cost factors. The models showed the mean area under the curve as 0.918 and ...
Little D, Tomlinson JE, Blikslager AT.Post operative ileus (POI) remains an important cause of post operative morbidity and mortality in the horse. However, clinical progression of naturally occurring cases of POI in both horse and man does not entirely support the 'neurogenic' hypothesis as the sole mechanism of POI; and the hypothesis that inflammation plays a major role at 12-24 h after surgery requires validation. Objective: An inflammatory infiltrate in the muscularis externa and myenteric plexus of equine jejunum is present 18 h following a period of ischaemia. Methods: Samples of normal jejunum, jejunum from the proximal re...
