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.
Degroote RL, Hauck SM, Treutlein G, Amann B, Fröhlich KJ, Kremmer E, Merl J, Stangassinger M, Ueffing M, Deeg CA.Autoimmune uveitis is characterized by crossing of blood-retinal barrier (BRB) by autoaggressive immune cells. Equine recurrent uveitis (ERU) is a valuable spontaneous model for autoimmune uveitis and analyses of differentially expressed proteins in ERU unraveled changed protein clusters in target tissues and immune system. Healthy eyes are devoid of leukocytes. In ERU, however, leukocytes enter the inner eye and subsequently destroy it. Molecular mechanisms enabling cell migration through BRB still remain elusive. Previously, we detected decreased talin 1 expression in blood-derived granulocy...
Guedes AG, Knych HK, Soares JH, Brosnan RJ.This study evaluated the pharmacokinetics and physiological effects of tramadol during repeated oral administrations in horses. Nine adult healthy horses were administered tramadol at 5 and 10 mg/kg orally every 12 h for 5 days in a randomized, crossover design with a 3-week washout between treatments. Plasma concentrations of tramadol, O- and N-desmethyltramadol (M1 and M2) were measured using Liquid-Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry at predetermined time points following each tramadol administration. Cardiovascular, respiratory and gastrointestinal physiological variables were monitored an...
Novakofski KD, Williams RM, Fortier LA, Mohammed HO, Zipfel WR, Bonassar LJ.Cartilage injury can lead to post-traumatic osteoarthritis (PTOA). Immediate post-trauma cellular and structural changes are not widely understood. Furthermore, current cellular-resolution cartilage imaging techniques require sectioning of cartilage and/or use of dyes not suitable for patient imaging. In this study, we used multiphoton microscopy (MPM) data with FDA-approved sodium fluorescein to identify and evaluate the pattern of chondrocyte death after traumatic injury. Methods: Mature equine distal metacarpal or metatarsal osteochondral blocks (OCBs) were injured by 30 MPa compressive loa...
Nielsen MK, Reist M, Kaplan RM, Pfister K, van Doorn DC, Becher A.Due to widespread development of anthelmintic resistance in equine parasites, recommendations for their control are currently undergoing marked changes with a shift of emphasis toward more coprological surveillance and reduced treatment intensity. Denmark was the first nation to introduce prescription-only restrictions of anthelmintic drugs in 1999, but other European countries have implemented similar legislations over recent years. A questionnaire survey was performed in 2008 among Danish horse owners to provide a current status of practices and perceptions with relation to parasite control....
Björnsdóttir S, Agustsdóttir E, Blomström AL, Oström IL, Berndtsson LT, Svansson V, Wensman JJ.In a stable of eight horses in Northern Iceland, six horses presented with clinical signs, such as ataxia and reduced appetite, leading to euthanasia of one severely affected horse. Serological investigations revealed no evidence of active equine herpes virus type 1 infection, a common source of central nervous system disease in horses, nor equine arteritis virus and West Nile virus. Another neurotropic virus, Borna disease virus, was therefore included in the differential diagnosis list. Results: Serological investigations revealed antibodies against Borna disease virus in four of five horses...
Wagner AL, Urschel KL, Betancourt A, Adams AA, Horohov DW.To determine the effects of advanced age on whole-body protein synthesis and activation of the mechanistic target of rapamycin (mTOR) signaling pathway in skeletal muscle of horses. Methods: Six 22- to 26-year-old (aged) and six 7- to 14-year-old (mature) horses. Methods: Whole-body protein synthesis was measured with a 2-hour primed constant infusion of (13)C sodium bicarbonate, followed by a 4-hour primed constant infusion of 1-(13)C phenylalanine. After the infusions, a biopsy specimen was obtained from a gluteus medius muscle and activation of protein kinase B (Akt), p70 riboprotein S6 kin...
Abutarbush SM, Alfaqeeh SM, Mustafa G, Qura'n L, Al-Majali AM.To evaluate the ability of atropine sulfate, butylscopolammonium bromide combined with metamizole sodium, and flunixin meglumine to ameliorate the clinical adverse effects of imidocarb dipropionate in horses. Methods: 28 horses with piroplasmosis. Methods: 28 horses were randomly assigned to 4 equal groups according to the pretreatment administered. Fifteen minutes before administration of 2.4 mg of imidocarb dipropionate/kg IM, horses in the first group were pretreated with 0.02 mg of atropine sulfate/kg IV, the second group with a combination of 0.2 mg of butylscopolammonium bromide/kg IV an...
Essig CM, Merritt JS, Stubbs NC, Clayton HM.To determine the magnitude and location of skin movement attributable to the cutaneus trunci muscle reflex in response to localized stimulation of the skin of the dorsolateral aspect of the thoracic wall in horses. Methods: 8 horses. Methods: A grid of 56 reflective markers was applied to the lateral aspect of the body wall of each horse; markers were placed at 10-cm intervals in 7 rows and 8 columns. A motion analysis system with 10 infrared cameras was used to track movements of the markers in response to tactile stimulation of the dorsolateral aspect of the thoracic wall at the levels of T6...
Krueger K, Farmer K, Heinze J.Social learning is said to meet the demands of complex environments in which individuals compete over resources and cooperate to share resources. Horses (Equus caballus) were thought to lack social learning skills because they feed on homogenously distributed resources with few reasons for conflict. However, the horse's social environment is complex, which raises the possibility that its capacity for social transfer of feeding behaviour has been underestimated. We conducted a social learning experiment using 30 socially kept horses of different ages. Five horses, one from each group, were chos...
Glynn ER, Londono AS, Zinn SA, Hoagland TA, Govoni KE.The use of equine bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BMSC) is a novel method to improve fracture healing in horses. However, additional research is needed to identify optimal culture conditions and to determine the mechanisms involved in regulating BMSC differentiation into osteoblasts. The objectives of the experiments were to determine: 1) if autologous or commercial serum is better for proliferation and differentiation of equine BMSC into osteoblasts, and 2) the expression of key transcription factors during the differentiation of equine BMSC into osteoblasts. Equine BMSC were isolated fro...
Johnson AL, McAdams-Gallagher SC, Sweeney RW.Botulism in horses in the USA is attributed to Clostridium botulinum types A, B or C. In this study, a duplex quantitative real-time PCR (qPCR) for detection of the neurotoxin genes of C. botulinum types A and B, and a singleplex qPCR for detection of the neurotoxin gene of C. botulinum type C, were optimized and validated for equine gastrointestinal, faecal and feed samples. The performance of these assays was evaluated and compared to the standard mouse bioassay (MBA) using 148 well-characterized samples, most of which were acquired from a repository of veterinary diagnostic samples from cas...
Hontoir F, Nisolle JF, Meurisse H, Simon V, Tallier M, Vanderstricht R, Antoine N, Piret J, Clegg P, Vandeweerd JM.Articular cartilage defects are prevalent in metacarpo/metatarsophalangeal (MCP/MTP) joints of horses. The aim of this study was to determine and compare the sensitivity and specificity of 3-Tesla magnetic resonance imaging (3-T MRI) and computed tomography arthrography (CTA) to identify structural cartilage defects in the equine MCP/MTP joint. Forty distal cadaver limbs were imaged by CTA (after injection of contrast medium) and by 3-T MRI using specific sequences, namely, dual-echo in the steady-state (DESS), and sampling perfection with application-optimised contrast using different flip-an...
Richard EA, Pitel PH, Lemaitre L, Jas D, Lekeux P, Pronost S, Fortier G.The aim of this study was to investigate neutrophil stimulation following experimentally-induced airway inflammation in healthy horses. Six horses received dexamethasone and four were then inoculated with equid herpesvirus-2 (EHV-2). Significant neutrophilia was detected in tracheal wash and bronchoalveolar lavage fluid for up to 6 days. Concentrations of neutrophil elastase (NE) and myeloperoxidase (MPO) were significantly increased compared to baseline for up to 14 days in tracheal washes and both markers were significantly correlated with neutrophil counts. Serum levels of surfactant protei...
Islam S, Gupta B, Taylor CJ, Chow J, Hoffman GR.We explored the relation between the causes of facial injuries in equestrians and the presence or absence of associated injuries. Over a 5-year period we retrospectively reviewed all patients who presented to the John Hunter Hospital, New South Wales, with facial injuries that had resulted from activity with horses. We analysed the rates of hard and soft tissue injuries, and of associated injuries by sex and mechanism. A total of 85 patients were included (50 female and 35 male) with an age range of 2-88 years. There was a significant difference in the rate of maxillofacial and associated inju...
Baird JD, Arroyo LG.In the summer of 1924 Dr. Frank W. Schofield conducted investigations into an endemic disease of horses in the Kent and Essex counties of Ontario. According to farmers in these counties the disease had existed in this region for at least 50 years previously. The clinical, pathological, histopathological, and epidemiological findings outlined in Schofield's detailed report strongly suggest that this endemic disease was what was designated in 1979 as "Potomac horse fever" (PHF). This assumption is further substantiated by transmission experiments involving horses and laboratory animals that were...
Furness MC, Snyman HN, Abrahams M, Moore A, Vince A, Anderson ME.A 13-year-old Percheron gelding was presented for refractory gastric impaction. At necropsy a pedunculated 10 cm × 11 cm × 14 cm mass, histologically identified as an inflammatory polyp, was suspected to have been partly obstructing the pylorus. This is the first report of a polyp resulting in gastric outflow obstruction in a horse. Un hongre Percheron âgé de 13 ans a été présenté pour une surcharge gastrique réfractaire. À la nécropsie, une masse pédonculée de 10 cm × 11 cm × 14 cm, identifiée à l’histologie comme un polype inflammatoire, a été soupçonnée d’avoir par...
de Laat MA, Clement CK, McGowan CM, Sillence MN, Pollitt CC, Lacombe VA.Equine laminitis, a disease of the lamellar structure of the horse's hoof, can be incited by numerous factors that include inflammatory and metabolic aetiologies. However, the role of inflammation in hyperinsulinaemic laminitis has not been adequately defined. Toll-like receptor (TLR) activation results in up-regulation of inflammatory pathways and the release of pro-inflammatory cytokines, including interleukin-6 (IL-6) and tumour necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α), and may be a pathogenic factor in laminitis. The aim of this study was to determine whether TLR4 expression and subsequent pro-infla...
Wulf M, Aurich C, von Lewinski M, Möstl E, Aurich JE.In this study, readability of reduced-size microchips in horses and the response to implantation were analysed. It was hypothesised that small microchips can be implanted stress-free but are less readable than larger microchips. Adult mares (n=40) were implanted with a reduced-size microchip (10.9×1.6 mm) at the left side of the neck (size of conventional microchips 11.4×2.2 mm). Microchips were identified with three different scanners (A, B, C) immediately, and at 6, 12 and 28 weeks after implantation. Twelve out of the 40 mares were submitted to microchip implantation and control treatment...
Patty OA, Cursons RT.To identify Streptococcus equi subsp. equi (S. equi) by PCR analysis and obtain isolates by culture, in order to investigate the strains of S. equi infecting horses within New Zealand. Methods: A diagnostic PCR, based on the amplification of the seeI gene for S. equi, was used on 168 samples submitted from horses with and without clinical signs of strangles. Samples were also processed and cultured on selective media for the isolation of β-haemolytic colonies. In addition, the hypervariable region of the seM gene of S. equi was amplified and then sequenced for strain typing purposes. Results:...
Dougal K, de la Fuente G, Harris PA, Girdwood SE, Pinloche E, Newbold CJ.The horse has a rich and complex microbial community within its gastrointestinal tract that plays a central role in both health and disease. The horse receives much of its dietary energy through microbial hydrolysis and fermentation of fiber predominantly in the large intestine/hindgut. The presence of a possible core bacterial community in the equine large intestine was investigated in this study. Samples were taken from the terminal ileum and 7 regions of the large intestine from ten animals, DNA extracted and the V1-V2 regions of 16SrDNA 454-pyrosequenced. A specific group of OTUs clustered...
Claerhoudt S, Bergman EH, Saunders JH.This study describes a detailed computed tomographic reference of the normal equine foot. Ten forefeet of five adult cadavers, without evidence of orthopaedic disease, were used. Computed tomography (CT) was performed on all feet. Two-millimetre thick transverse slices were obtained, and sagittal and dorsal planes were reformatted. The CT images were matched with the corresponding anatomic slices. The phalanges and the distal sesamoid bone showed excellent detail. The extensor and flexor tendons (including their attachments) could be clearly evaluated. The collateral (sesamoidean) ligaments co...
Scoles GA, Ueti MW.The apicomplexan hemoprotozoan parasite Theileria equi is one of the etiologic agents causing equine piroplasmosis, a disease of equines that is endemic throughout large parts of the world. Before 2009 the United States had been considered to be free of this parasite. Occasional cases had occurred but there was no evidence for endemic vector-borne transmission in the U.S. until a 2009 outbreak in Texas in which Dermacentor variabilis and Amblyomma cajennense were implicated as vectors. Although D. variabilis has previously been shown to be a competent laboratory vector, studies suggested A. ca...
Bellone RR, Holl H, Setaluri V, Devi S, Maddodi N, Archer S, Sandmeyer L, Ludwig A, Foerster D, Pruvost M, Reissmann M, Bortfeldt R, Adelson DL....Leopard complex spotting is a group of white spotting patterns in horses caused by an incompletely dominant gene (LP) where homozygotes (LP/LP) are also affected with congenital stationary night blindness. Previous studies implicated Transient Receptor Potential Cation Channel, Subfamily M, Member 1 (TRPM1) as the best candidate gene for both CSNB and LP. RNA-Seq data pinpointed a 1378 bp insertion in intron 1 of TRPM1 as the potential cause. This insertion, a long terminal repeat (LTR) of an endogenous retrovirus, was completely associated with LP, testing 511 horses (χ(2)=1022.00, p<<...
Potocki L, Lewinska A, Klukowska-Rötzler J, Bielak-Zmijewska A, Grabowska W, Rzeszutek I, Kaminska P, Roga E, Bugno-Poniewierska M, Slota E....Bovine papillomavirus 1 (BPV-1) is a well recognized etiopathogenetic factor in a cancer-like state in horses, namely equine sarcoid disease. Nevertheless, little is known about BPV-1-mediated cell transforming effects. It was shown that BPV-1 triggers genomic instability through DNA hypomethylation and oxidative stress. In the present study, we further characterized BPV-1-positive fibroblasts derived from sarcoid tumors. The focus was on cancer-like features of sarcoid-derived fibroblasts, including cell cycle perturbation, comprehensive DNA damage analysis, end-replication problem, energy me...
Higgins JC, Leith GS, Voss ED, Pappagianis D.To determine the seroprevalence of antibodies against Coccidioides immitis in healthy horses residing in an area in which the organism is endemic. Methods: Prospective study. Methods: 197 healthy horses (in which coccidioidomycosis had not been previously diagnosed) that resided in an area of Arizona in which coccidioidomycosis is endemic. Methods: Of the horses evaluated at the Arizona Equine Medical and Surgical Center during a 6-month period, 197 with no clinical signs of coccidioidomycosis were randomly selected for inclusion in the study; sera were evaluated for IgM and IgG antibodies aga...
Inui T, Haneda S, Sasaki M, Furuoka H, Ito M, Yanagawa M, Hiyama M, Tabata Y, Sasaki N.In human cartilage tissue engineering, three-dimensional zirconia substrata have the potential advantage of producing many uniform cell clusters of controlled size without xenobiotic material, allowing easy clinical application. The objective of this study was to evaluate the possibility of using zirconia porous three-dimensional microwell substrata for chondrogenic differentiation of equine bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells (BMMSCs) in vitro. In regular medium, 8 × 10, 2 × 10, and 5 × 10 equine BMMSCs from five thoroughbred horses were cultured on zirconia microwell su...
Carr EA, Holcombe SJ.Nutritional supplementation is becoming the standard of practice in equine medicine, although there are minimal data on nutritional support in critically ill horses and its association or effect on morbidity and mortality or length of hospital stay. Horses can be fed orally and when that is not possible, intravenously or parenterally. Enteral feeding is less expensive, more physiologic, improves immunity, and is easier and safer. This article reviews available information on the development of a nutritional plan for critically ill horses, and describes methods for and complications of enteral ...
Stock KF, Distl O.Results of mare performance tests in the field (MPT-F) of 10,949 mares, mare performance tests at station (MPT-S) of 1,712 mares, and inspections of horses intended for sale at riding horse auctions (AU) of 4,772 horses were used to investigate genetic correlations between corresponding performance traits. Mare performance tests were held in 1995 to 2004 and auction inspections in 1999 to 2004. Scores on a scale from 0 to 10 were given for gaits under rider (walk, trot, canter), rideability (evaluated by judging commission and test rider), free-jumping (ability, style, total), and character. R...
Plevin S, McLellan J.Osteochondral fragmentation of the proximal phalanx (DPP1 fragment) is a common finding in the racehorse. Whilst radiographic assessment has been reported to lack diagnostic sensitivity, ultrasonographic examination has been documented to be extremely sensitive for identification of bone fragments in the metacarpophalangeal joint. Objective: To determine the sensitivity and specificity of ultrasonography as an imaging modality for diagnosis of DPP1 fragmentation and to compare it with radiography in the Thoroughbred racehorse. Methods: Retrospective cohort study. Methods: Medical records (radi...
Goodarzi N, Zehtabvar O, Tohidifar M.This study was conducted to present a comprehensive and integrative computed tomography (CT) - anatomical cross sections atlas of skull, volumetric properties of the paranasal sinuses, and morphometric values for surface cranial nerves in the adult Arabian horse. Ten heads of Arabian horse breed were used. The different structures in the nasal, oral and cranial cavities were determined and labelled in the anatomical sections and their corresponding CT scan images. Three paranasal sinuses namely maxillary, conchofrontal and sphenopalatine sinuses were identified in the CT scan images. The cauda...
Peeters LM, Janssens S, Brebels M, Buys N.Genetic factors involved in susceptibility to insect bite hypersensitivity (IBH) in Belgian Warmblood horses (BWP) were investigated. Data relating to 3409 horses were collected using a questionnaire, administered to owners during sport competitions, BWP breeding days, breeder visits and after phone calls. Horses were classified as IBH-affected or unaffected, based on two 'disease classifiers': a lifetime record, based on owner information (life_status) and another based on whether or not the horse was showing clinical signs at the time of questioning (clin_status). IBH prevalence was 10% base...
de Cock HE, Affolter VK, Wisner ER, Larson RF, Ferraro GL.Early diagnosis of chronic progressive lymphoedema (CPL) may result in more effective interventions and provide a basis for further investigation of whether early diagnosis could be used as a means of eliminating potential genetic influences by cessation of breeding from affected individuals. Objective: Lymphoscintigraphy may be useful in draught horses to differentiate early lesions of CPL from other conditions in the pastern region. Methods: Forelimbs of 2 normal and 5 CPL-affected draught horses were evaluated with lymphoscintigraphy. Results: Lymphoscintigraphy showed clearly the presence ...
Aalsburg AM, Erdman MM.Taylorella equigenitalis is the etiologic agent of contagious equine metritis (CEM), a venereal disease of horses. A total of 82 strains of T. equigenitalis isolated in the United States were analyzed by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) after digestion of genomic DNA with restriction enzyme ApaI. Twenty-eight of those strains isolated from horses in the 2009 U.S. outbreak (CEM09) were further analyzed with NotI and NaeI enzymes. When ApaI alone was used for analysis, the 82 isolates clustered into 15 different genotypes that clearly defined groups of horses with known epidemiological co...
Changoor A, Garon M, Quenneville E, Bull SB, Gordon K, Savard P, Buschmann MD, Hurtig MB.We aimed to demonstrate that electroarthrography (EAG) measures streaming potentials originating in the cartilage extracellular matrix during load bearing through electrodes adhered to skin surrounding an articular joint. Equine metacarpophalangeal joints were subjected to simulated physiological loads while (1) replacing synovial fluid with immersion buffers of different electrolyte concentrations and (2) directly degrading cartilage with trypsin. An inverse relationship between ionic strength and EAG coefficient was detected. Compared to native synovial fluid, EAG coefficients increased ( &l...
Troedsson MH, deMoraes MJ, Liu IK.The relationship between histologic lesions in endometrial biopsy specimens and susceptibility to chronic uterine infection (CUI) in mares was investigated. Mares were allotted to 4 groups on the basis of degree of endometrial lesions. Mares in group 1 (n = 6) had no pathologic changes, mares in group 2 (n = 5) had only mild pathologic changes, group-3 mares (n = 7) had moderate changes, and group-4 mares (n = 7) had severe inflammatory and fibrotic endometrial changes. Susceptibility to CUI was determined by the inflammatory response to intrauterine inoculation of 5 x 10(6) Streptococcus zooe...
Piccione G, Bertolucci C, Grasso F, Guidice E.The effect of storage temperature and time on blood gas and acid-base values has been investigated intensively in cattle and dogs; however, data are lacking in other species. Objective: The aim of our study was to evaluate changes in gas composition and acid-base values in venous blood stored at different temperatures and for different times in 4 domestic species in Italy. Methods: Blood samples from Comisana sheep (n = 10), Maltese goats (n = 10), Ragusana donkeys (n = 10), and Thoroughbred horses (n = 10) were analyzed after storage at 23 degrees C (room temperature) for 15 minutes (group I)...
Lauková A, Styková E, Kubašová I, Strompfová V, Gancarčíková S, Plachá I, Miltko R, Belzecki G, Valocký I, Pogány Simonová M.The effects of non-authochtonous Enterococcus faecium AL41 = CCM 8558, enterocin M-producing and probiotic strain were tested on the microbiota, phagocytic activity, hydrolytic enzymes, biochemical parameters and dry matter in horses based on its previous benefits demonstrated in other animals. E. faecium CCM 8558 sufficiently colonized the digestive tract of horses. At day 14, its counts reached 2.35 ± 0.70 CFU/g (log 10) on average. The identity of CCM 8558 was confirmed by means of PCR after its re-isolation from horse faeces. The inhibition activity of CCM 8558 was demonstrated a...
Aristizabal FA, Nieto JE, Guedes AG, Dechant JE, Yamout S, Morales B, Snyder J.Regional limb perfusion (RLP) in horses has proven to be a simple and effective technique for the treatment of synovial and musculoskeletal infections in the distal portion of the limbs. The ideal tourniquet time needed to achieve therapeutic synovial concentrations remains unknown. The pharmacokinetic effects of general anesthesia (GA) versus standing sedation (SS) RLP on synovial amikacin concentrations are not completely understood. This study investigated the pharmacokinetic effects of RLP under general anesthesia (GA) versus standing sedation (SS) on synovial amikacin concentration follow...
Henninger RW.Severe hemorrhagic diathesis caused by hemophilia A (factor VIII:C deficiency) was diagnosed in 2 related Quarter Horse colts. Clinical signs consisted of dyspnea and dysphagia attributable to cranial cervical hematoma in one colt and to intra-abdominal hemorrhage resulting in death of the second colt. Factor VIII:C deficiency, a defect of the intrinsic coagulation pathway, is suggested by results of coagulation studies--prolonged activated partial thromboplastin time, normal prothrombin time, and normal primary bleeding time. The diagnosis was confirmed by results of factor VIII:C assays. Hem...
Winther MF, Haugaard SL, Pihl TH, Jacobsen S.Neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin (NGAL) is produced in response to inflammation in horses, but it has not yet been investigated as a biomarker in horses with the abdominal disease. Objective: To investigate NGAL in serum and peritoneal fluid in horses with the abdominal disease. Methods: Retrospective clinical study. Methods: Data from medical records of 270 horses admitted with acute abdominal disease (simple obstructions [n = 43], strangulating obstructions [n = 104], inflammatory abdominal disease [n = 99], non-strangulating intestinal infarction [NSII, n = 24]) and 9 heal...
Söbbeler FJ, Kästner SB.To evaluate the transdermal local anaesthetic effect of lidocaine or lidocaine combined with prilocaine or tetracaine in horses. Methods: Experimental, randomized study. Methods: A total of five healthy adult warmblood horses. Methods: Horses were clipped bilaterally at the withers, cranial saddle area and caudal saddle area. Baseline measurements for mechanical superficial sensation via von Frey filaments and nociceptive thermal thresholds were performed. A 5% lidocaine patch (12 hour exposure, treatment L), a lidocaine/prilocaine cream (each 2.5%, treatment LP) and a lidocaine/tetracaine cre...
Quist EM, Dougherty JJ, Chaffin MK, Porter BF.A 1.5-year-old Quarter Horse gelding with a history of chronic nasal discharge and leukocytosis presented with signs of increased lethargy and muscular pain. The horse quickly became recumbent and unable to rise and was euthanized due to a poor prognosis. At necropsy, severe bilateral guttural pouch empyema was observed, as well as numerous well-demarcated areas of pallor within the skeletal muscles of all major muscle groups. Polymerase chain reaction testing of the guttural pouch exudate confirmed an infection with Streptococcus equi subsp. equi, and an S. equi-associated immune-mediated rha...
Miller C, Utter ML, Beech J.To determine effects of age and pituitary pars intermedia dysfunction (PPID) on corneal sensitivity in horses. Methods: 20 adult horses allocated into 3 groups (PPID group, old [> 15 years old] horses with PPID [n = 5]; old group, old [> 15 years old] horses without PPID [9]; and young group, young [≤ 10 years old] horses without PPID [6]). All horses with PPID had hirsutism and abnormal fat deposition or laminitis; none of the old or young horses had hirsutism, abnormal fat deposition, or laminitis. Methods: A Cochet-Bonnet aesthesiometer was used to measure the corneal touch threshold (CTT...
Kim NY, Son JK, Cho IC, Shin SM, Park SH, Seong PN, Woo JH, Park NG, Park HB.Temperament can be defined as a type of behavioral tendency that appears in a relatively stable manner in responses to various external stimuli over time. The aim of this study was to estimate genetic parameters for the records of temperament testing that are used to improve the temperament of Jeju crossbred (Jeju×Thoroughbred) horses. Methods: This study was conducted using 205 horses (101 females and 104 males) produced between 2010 and 2015. The experimental animals were imprinted and tamed according to the Manual for Horse Taming and Evaluation for Therapeutic Riding Horses and evaluated ...
Alzola Domingo R, Riggs CM, Gardner DS, Freeman SL.Superficial digital flexor tendon (SDFT) tendinopathy is an important musculoskeletal problem in horses. The study objective was to validate an ultrasonographic scoring system for SDFT injuries. Ultrasonographic images from 14 Thoroughbred racehorses with SDFT lesions (seven core; seven diffuse) and two controls were blindly assessed by five clinicians on two occasions. Ultrasonographic parameters evaluated were: type and extent of the injury, location, echogenicity, cross-sectional area and longitudinal fibre pattern of the maximal injury zone (MIZ). Inter-rater variability and intra-rater re...
Eldridge-Panuska WD, di Brienza VC, Seidel GE, Squires EL, Carnevale EM.Experiments were conducted to determine viability of equine embryos in vivo after vitrification. In a preliminary study (Experiment 1), embryos were exposed in three steps to vitrification solutions containing increasing concentrations of ethylene glycol and glycerol (EG/G); the final vitrification solution was 3.4 M glycerol + 4.6 M ethylene glycol in a base medium of phosphate-buffered saline. Embryos were warmed in a two-step dilution and transferred into uteri of recipients. No pregnancies were observed after transfer of blastocysts >300 microm (n = 3). Transfer of morulae or blastocyst...
Bras JJ, Lillich JD, Beard WL, Anderson DE, Armbrust LJ, Frink E, Lease K.To (1) compare the effect of a collateral ligament sparing surgical approach with an open surgical approach on mechanical properties of proximal interphalangeal joint (PIPJ) arthrodesis, and (2) to determine the percentage of articular cartilage surface removed by transarticular (TA) drilling with different diameter drill bits. Methods: Randomized paired limb design. Methods: Cadaveric equine limbs (n=76). Methods: Cadaveric PIPJ were drilled using a 3.5, 4.5, or 5.5 mm drill bit at 80-84° to the dorsal plane to remove articular cartilage and subchondral bone from the distal articular surface...
Yoon J, Park T, Kim A, Song H, Park BJ, Ahn HS, Go HJ, Kim DH, Lee JB, Park SY, Song CS, Lee SW, Choi IS.Equine parvovirus-cerebrospinal fluid (EqPV-CSF) and eqcopivirus (EqCoPV) are new parvovirus species (EqPVs) identified from various tissues (CSF, blood, and respiratory swabs) in horses with neurologic and respiratory diseases. In this study, we described the prevalence rate of EqPV-CSF and EqCoPV in 133 and 77 serum and fecal samples, respectively, using polymerase chain reaction. Further, we analyzed the potential risk factors for infection. We calculated the nucleotide and amino acid similarity and constructed phylogenetic trees. There was a moderate-to-high prevalence rate (EqPV-CSF: 3.8%...
Darien BJ, Brown CM, Walker RD, Williams MA, Derksen FJ.Transtracheal aspirate (TTA) aerobic microbiology culture results from 30 ponies were compared to protected catheter brush (PCB) culture results obtained from the same ponies. The PCB procedure resulted in significantly fewer (P less than 0.05) isolates than those obtained by the TTA procedure and the PCB procedure resulted in significantly more samples with no bacteria growth than the TTA procedure. To address the possibility that the volume of tracheobronchial secretion obtained by PCB was insufficient as a microbiological sample, a sterile, double-sheathed, protected aspiration catheter (PA...
Schauvliege S, Savvas I, Gasthuys F.To investigate the influence of two inspired oxygen fractions (FiO(2)) on the arterial oxygenation in horses anaesthetized with isoflurane. Methods: Retrospective, case-control clinical study. Methods: Two hundred equine patients undergoing non-abdominal surgery (ASA class 1-2), using a standardized anaesthetic protocol and selected from anaesthetic records of a period of three years, based on pre-defined inclusion criteria. Methods: In group O (n = 100), medical oxygen acted as carrier gas, while in group M (n = 100), a medical mixture of oxygen and air (FiO(2) 0.60) was used. Demographic dat...
Harmer CJ.Conjugative plasmids are a major contributor to the global spread of antibiotic resistance determinants, but the tracking of their evolutionary history is often neglected. serovar Typhimurium ( Typhimurium) strain SRC27 was isolated from an equine infection in Australia in 1999. SRC27 was known to carry conjugative HI1 and I1 resistance plasmids. In this study, SRC27 was sequenced to determine the relationship between these HI1 and I1 resistance plasmids it was known to carry and HI1 and I1 resistance plasmids circulating worldwide. The resistance genes in the HI1 plasmid, pSRC27-H, are all l...
Foote CE, Love DN, Gilkerson JR, Rota J, Trevor-Jones P, Ruitenberg KM, Wellington JE, Whalley JM.The envelope glycoprotein D of equine herpesvirus 1 (EHV-1 gD) has been shown in laboratory animal models to elicit protective immune responses against EHV-1 challenge, and hence is a potential vaccine antigen. Here we report that intramuscular inoculation of EHV-1 gD produced by a recombinant baculovirus and formulated with the adjuvant Iscomatrix elicited virus-neutralizing antibody and gD-specific ELISA antibody in the serum of over 90% of adult mixed breed horses. The virus-neutralizing antibody responses to EHV-1 gD were similar to those observed after inoculation with a commercially avai...
