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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.
Design and validation of a computer-aided learning program to enhance students’ ability to recognize lameness in the horse. The ability to recognize lameness in the horse is an important skill for veterinary graduates; however, opportunities to develop this skill at the undergraduate level are limited. Computer-aided learning programs (CALs) have been successful in supplementing practical skills teaching. The aim of this study was to design and validate a CAL for the teaching of equine lameness recognition (CAL1). A control CAL was designed to simulate learning by experience (CAL2). Student volunteers were randomly assigned to either CAL and tested to establish their current ability to recognize lameness. Retesting...
The evaluation of a nucleoprotein ELISA for the detection of equine influenza antibodies and the differentiation of infected from vaccinated horses (DIVA). Antibodies against equine influenza virus (EIV) are traditionally quantified by haemagglutination inhibition (HI) or single radial haemolysis (SRH). Objective: To evaluate an ELISA for the detection of antibodies against influenza nucleoprotein in the diagnosis and surveillance of equine influenza (EI). Methods: The ELISA was compared with the SRH and HI tests. Serial serum samples from 203 naturally and 14 experimentally infected horses, from 60 weanlings following primary vaccination with five different vaccines (two whole inactivated vaccines, two ISCOM-based subunit vaccines and a recombin...
Recrudescent infection supports Hendra virus persistence in Australian flying-fox populations. Zoonoses from wildlife threaten global public health. Hendra virus is one of several zoonotic viral diseases that have recently emerged from Pteropus species fruit-bats (flying-foxes). Most hypotheses regarding persistence of Hendra virus within flying-fox populations emphasize horizontal transmission within local populations (colonies) via urine and other secretions, and transmission among colonies via migration. As an alternative hypothesis, we explore the role of recrudescence in persistence of Hendra virus in flying-fox populations via computer simulation using a model that integrates publ...
A possible outbreak of swine influenza, 1892. Influenza A viruses are globally enzootic in swine populations. Swine influenza has been recognised only since 1918, but an anecdotal report suggests that a swine-influenza epizootic might have occurred in England in 1892, at the same time as an explosive epidemic (or pandemic recurrence) of human influenza. This outbreak suggests that the ecobiological association between human and swine influenza could extend to before 1918. By contrast with the recent documentation of swine influenza, influenza in horses has been well documented for hundreds of years, and was often linked temporally and geo...
Molecular characterization and evolutionary analysis of horse BAFF-R, a tumor necrosis factor receptor related to B-cell survival. B-cell survival depends on signals induced by B-cell activating factor (BAFF) that binds to the BAFF receptor (BAFF-R). Herein, a BAFF-R homolog was identified in a horse (Equus caballus). The horse BAFF-R gene, located on chromosome 28, spans 1444 base pairs and encodes a 183-amino acid protein. The protein is structurally conserved, in which the DxL motif plays an important role in binding to BAFF. Furthermore, the horse BAFF-R extracellular domain was expressed and purified, which specifically bound to His6-sBAFF and had the capability of blocking the function of His6-sBAFF in vitro. Finall...
CatSper and the relationship of hyperactivated motility to intracellular calcium and pH kinetics in equine sperm. In vitro fertilization does not occur readily in the horse. This may be related to failure of equine sperm to initiate hyperactivated motility, as treating with procaine to induce hyperactivation increases fertilization rates. In mice, hyperactivated motility requires a sperm-specific pH-gated calcium channel (CatSper); therefore, we investigated this channel in equine sperm. Motility was assessed by computer-assisted sperm motility analysis and changes in intracellular pH and calcium were assessed using fluorescent probes. Increasing intracellular pH induced a rise in intracellular calcium, w...
Verrucous hemangioma with pseudoepitheliomatous epidermal hyperplasia in an adult horse. Verrucous hemangiomas are a rare specific variant of equine skin tumors not well described in the literature. An 8-year-old gelding presented a unilateral lesion on the pastern. Macroscopically, the mass showed a warty and verrucous surface with focal ulcerations. The histology showed a dermal proliferation of endothelial-layered capillaries and venules separated by a delicate stroma of scant fibroblasts and collagen deposition, with pseudoepitheliomatous hyperplasia (exuberant reactive irregular epithelial hyperplasia with tongue-like projections extending into the dermis, mimicking downgrowt...
Expression of PGP 9.5 by enteric neurons in horses and donkeys with and without intestinal disease. Intestinal motility disorders are an important problem in horses and donkeys and this study was carried out in order to evaluate the enteric neurons in animals with and without intestinal disease. Surplus intestinal tissue samples were collected from 28 horses undergoing exploratory laparotomy for colic. In addition, surplus intestinal samples from 17 control horses were collected immediately following humane destruction for clinical conditions not relating to the intestinal tract. Similar samples were also collected during routine post-mortem examinations from 12 aged donkeys; six animals wer...
Immune-mediated dermatoses. Pemphigus foliaceus is the most common autoimmune skin disease in horses and is associated with the production of autoantibodies directed against surface proteins of the keratinocyte. Pemphigus vulgaris is a rare autoimmune skin disease in horses. Systemic lupus erythematosus and cutaneous lupus erythematosus are recognized in horses and both are rare. Bullous pemphigoid is a rare autoimmune disease in horses caused by immunologic attack of the basement membrane zone by autoantibodies. Erythema muliforme is an immunologic reaction in the skin in which keratinocyte cell death is the prominent c...
Equine Pastern Dermatitis. Equine Pastern Dermatitis (EPD) is not a single disease, but a cutaneous reaction pattern of the horse. EPD should be considered a syndrome, rather than a diagnosis. Uncovering the underlying etiology prior to treatment is key to minimizing treatment failures and frustration. To achieve a positive therapeutic outcome, treating the predisposing and perpetuating factors is just as important as addressing the primary cause of EPD. This article reviews clinical signs, differential diagnoses, diagnosis, and treatment of EPD.
Sarcoids. Sarcoids are the most common skin tumors seen in horses worldwide. The pathogenesis of sarcoids is multifactorial, including an association with bovine papillomavirus types 1 and 2 and a genetic susceptibility to tumor development. Clinical manifestations vary and include occult, verrucous, nodular, fibroblastic, mixed, and malignant (malevolent) types. The tumor is nonmetastasizing but can become very aggressive locally. Multiple tumors are common. All clinical types can be present in the same horse. No treatment protocol is universally effective. The tumor has a high risk of recurrence. Recu...
Allergen-specific immunotherapy in horses with insect bite hypersensitivity: a double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled study. Insect bite hypersensitivity (IBH) is a common cause of pruritus in horses, but there are few controlled studies on the efficacy of allergen-specific immunotherapy (ASIT). Atopic dermatitis and IBH can present with overlapping clinical signs; multiple insect and environmental allergens could be indicated in these horses to achieve effective hyposensitization. Although the success of ASIT using Culicoides spp. whole-body extracts is controversial, there are no controlled studies published that clearly show benefit from this form of therapy. Objective: The objective was to evaluate the efficacy ...
Nature helps: food addition of micronized coconut and onion reduced worm load in horses and sheep and increased body weight in sheep. Intense laboratory tests on experimentally infected mice and rats had shown that a mixture of micronized onions and coconut pulp decreases substantially (until disappearance) the worm load (trematodes, cestodes and nematodes) after oral uptake. As a consequence, feeding experiments of naturally infected sheep had been done in Egypt, in Saudi Arabia, and in Germany, which showed that treated animals grow up much better than untreated ones. The mean gain of body weight per animal was up to 6 kg within 4 weeks compared to untreated ones. These experiments were repeated again in the present study ...
MICs of 32 antimicrobial agents for Rhodococcus equi isolates of animal origin. The aim of this study was to determine the MICs of 32 antimicrobial agents for 200 isolates of Rhodococcus equi of animal origin by applying a recently described broth microdilution protocol, and to investigate isolates with distinctly elevated rifampicin MICs for the genetic basis of rifampicin resistance. Methods: The study included 200 R. equi isolates, including 160 isolates from horses and 40 isolates from other animal sources, from the USA and Europe. MIC testing of 32 antimicrobial agents or combinations thereof followed a recently published protocol. A novel PCR protocol for the joint ...
The soluble form of the EIAV receptor encoded by an alternative splicing variant inhibits EIAV infection of target cells. Equine lentivirus receptor 1 (ELR1) has been identified as the sole receptor for equine infectious anemia virus (EIAV) and is a member of the tumor necrosis factor receptor (TNFR) superfamily. In addition to the previously described membrane-associated form of ELR1, two other major alternative splicing variant mRNAs were identified in equine monocyte-derived macrophages (eMDMs). One major spliced species (ELR1-IN) contained an insertion of 153 nt, which resulted in a premature stop codon situated 561 nt upstream of the predicted membrane spanning domain. The other major species (ELR1-DE) has a...
Evaluation of an in vivo heterotopic model of osteogenic differentiation of equine bone marrow and muscle mesenchymal stem cells in fibrin glue scaffold. Autologous mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) have been used as a potential cell-based therapy in various animal and human diseases. Their differentiation capacity makes them useful as a novel strategy in the treatment of tissue injury in which the healing process is compromised or delayed. In horses, bone healing is slow, taking a minimum of 6-12 months. The osteogenic capacity of equine bone marrow and muscle MSCs mixed with fibrin glue or phosphate-buffered saline (PBS) as a scaffold is assessed. Bone production by the following groups was compared: Group 1, bone marrow (BM) MSCs in fibrin glue;...
Clinical course of ophthalmic findings and potential influence factors of herpesvirus infections: 18 month follow-up of a closed herd of lipizzaners. To date the influence of herpesviruses on the development of equine ocular diseases has not been clearly determined. Objective: The purpose of this study was to illustrate the course of equine ocular findings over a period of 18 months at 6 month intervals, in correlation with the results of herpesvirus detection. Methods: 266 Lipizzaners in 3 federal states of Austria underwent complete ophthalmologic examination 4 times. Blood samples, nasal- and conjunctival swabs were obtained at the same time and used for the detection of the equid gammaherpesviruses EHV-2 and EHV-5 using consensus herpes...
Elasticity and breaking strength of synthetic suture materials incubated in various equine physiological and pathological solutions. Selection of suture material in equine surgery is often based on costs or subjective factors, such as the surgeon's personal experience, rather than objective facts. The amount of objective data available on durability of suture materials with regard to specific equine physiological conditions is limited. Objective: To evaluate the effect of various equine physiological and pathological fluids on the rate of degradation of a number of commonly used suture materials. Methods: In vitro material testing. Methods: Suture materials were exposed in vitro to physiological fluid, followed by biomechan...
Use of two conventional staining methods to assess the acrosomal status of stallion spermatozoa. The acrosome is a highly specialised region of the spermatozoon that is essential for fertilisation. Defects or dysfunction of this structure have been associated with fertility problems in man and various domestic species including stallions. Current methods of evaluating the acrosome of stallion spermatozoa are time consuming and require specialised equipment, which is cost prohibitive to the average practitioner. Objective: To evaluate 2 conventional stains (Dip Quick and Spermac) and determine their usefulness in assessing acrosome integrity in stallions as compared with specific acrosomal...
Insulin infusion stimulates whole-body protein synthesis and activates the upstream and downstream effectors of mechanistic target of rapamycin signaling in the gluteus medius muscle of mature horses. Little is known about the role insulin plays in regulating whole-body and muscle protein metabolism in horses. The objective of this study was to determine the effects of graded rates of insulin infusion on plasma amino acid concentrations and the activation of factors in the mechanistic target of rapamycin signaling pathway in the skeletal muscle of horses. Isoglycemic, hyperinsulinemic clamp procedures were conducted in 8 mature, thoroughbred mares receiving 4 rates of insulin infusion: 0 mU · kg(-1) · min(-1) (CON), 1.2 mU · kg(-1) · min(-1) (LOWINS), 3 mU · kg(-1) · min(-1) (MEDINS),...
Evidence of lateral gene transfer among strains of Streptococcus zooepidemicus in weanling horses with respiratory disease. Streptococcus zooepidemicus (Sz) is a tonsillar commensal of healthy horses but with potential to opportunistically invade the lower respiratory tract. Sz is genetically variable and recombinogenic based on analysis of gene sequences including szp, szm and MLST data. Although a variety of serovars of the protective SzP are commonly harbored in the tonsils of the same horse, lower respiratory infections usually involve a single clone. Nevertheless, isolation of specific clones from epizootics of respiratory disease has been recently reported in horses and dogs in N. America, Europe and Asia. In...
Allele frequency of hereditary equine regional dermal asthenia in American Quarter horses in Brazil determined by quantitative real-time PCR with high resolution melting analysis. Hereditary equine regional dermal asthenia (HERDA) is a genetic disorder that occurs in the American Quarter horse (AQH) and is caused by a c.115G>A missense mutation in the peptidylprolyl isomerase B (PPIB) gene. Using a quantitative real-time PCR high resolution melting analysis genotyping assay for the PPIB mutation, the estimated HERDA allele and carrier frequencies in a sample of Brazilian AQHs were 2.9% and 5.8%, respectively.
Effect of turn direction on body lean angle in the horse in trot and canter. Turning is commonly used as a diagnostic aid in equine lameness examinations. Forces experienced on the circle differ from those in a straight line, necessitating an inward lean of the body and asymmetric head/pelvic excursion, which are important parameters for lameness investigations. To better understand gait adaptations to lungeing in normal horses, the effect of turn direction on body lean in trot and in canter warrants further investigation. In this study, it was hypothesised that, on average and independent of gait, the observed body lean angle would be consistent with the ratio between...
Computed tomographic features of apical infection of equine maxillary cheek teeth: a retrospective study of 49 horses. Computed tomographic (CT) studies evaluating the relevance of individual CT features of apical infection in maxillary cheek teeth are lacking. Objective: To study the prevalence and relationship of single CT features in horses with and without clinical evidence of apical infection in maxillary cheek teeth. Methods: Retrospective case-control study. Methods: Multislice CT scans of the head of 49 horses were evaluated retrospectively. Changes of the infundibulum, pulp, root, lamina dura, periodontal space and alveolar bone in maxillary cheek teeth were recorded. Results: Single CT changes were m...
Horse-, rider-, venue- and environment-related risk factors for elimination from Fédération Equestre Internationale endurance rides due to lameness and metabolic reasons. There is limited information on risk factors for elimination from endurance rides. Objective: To assess risk factors for elimination for lameness and metabolic reasons from Fédération Equestre Internationale (FEI) endurance rides of 80-160 km distance. Methods: Unmatched case-control. Methods: Venue-, horse- and rider-related data were collected from the FEI website. Data on weather conditions and terrain were collected at the venue. Univariable and multivariable logistic regression analyses were used to assess risk factors for elimination for lameness and metabolic reasons, respectively. Re...
The carrier prevalence of severe combined immunodeficiency, lavender foal syndrome and cerebellar abiotrophy in Arabian horses in South Africa. The carrier prevalence of severe combined immunodeficiency (SCID), lavender foal syndrome (LFS) and cerebellar abiotrophy (CA) in Arabian foals in South Africa was determined in order to quantify the potential impact of these conditions locally. Furthermore, the carrier prevalence of SCID prior to and following the introduction of a genetic test was compared to evaluate the effect of testing in the population. Objective: To estimate the carrier prevalence of SCID, LFS and CA in registered purebred Arabians born in South Africa in the 2004/5 and 2009/10 foaling seasons and compare the changes i...
Heritabilities and genetic correlations between fetlock, hock and stifle osteochondrosis and fetlock osteochondral fragments in Hanoverian Warmblood horses. The main objective of this study is to estimate genetic parameters for osteochondrosis (OC) and osteochondrosis dissecans (OCD) in fetlock, hock and stifle joints as well as for palmar or plantar osteochondral fragments (POFs) and dorsodistal osteochondral fragments (DOFs) in fetlock joints. For this purpose, the results of a standardized radiographic examination of 7396 Hanoverian Warmblood horses were used. Heritabilities and genetic correlations were estimated using residual maximum likelihood (REML) under a linear animal model. Heritability estimates for OC at the different joints were at ...
The effect of a hay grid feeder on feed consumption and measurement of the gastric pH using an intragastric electrode device in horses: a preliminary report. Obesity and gastric ulceration are highly prevalent in horses. Management modifications for preventing squamous gastric ulceration include frequent feeding and free access to pasture; however, these practices may predispose horses to obesity. Objective: To compare the percentage of hay consumed, intragastric pH and horse activity between feeding from the ground and a hay grid feeder. Methods: Crossover experimental study. Methods: A pH electrode was inserted into the stomach to record the intragastric pH for 48 h. Horses received 1% of their body weight in grass hay twice a day. Horses were ...
A multigene approach for comparing genealogy of Betacoronavirus from cattle and horses. Gastroenteritis is one of the leading causes of morbidity and mortality among young and newborn animals and is often caused by multiple intestinal infections, with rotavirus and bovine coronavirus (BCoV) being the main viral causes in cattle. Given that BCoV is better studied than equine coronaviruses and given the possibility of interspecies transmission of these viruses, this research was designed to compare the partial sequences of the spike glycoprotein (S), hemagglutinin-esterase protein (HE), and nucleoprotein (N) genes from coronaviruses from adult cattle with winter dysentery, calves w...
First field results on the use of stallion sex-sorted semen in a large-scale embryo transfer program. Flow cytometry sex-sorting technology was developed in 1989. However, it is only the bovine species in which offspring of the desired sex are obtained at a commercial level. The aim of the present work was to evaluate efficiency parameters when using fresh sexed semen in a large-scale equine commercial embryo transfer program. During the 2009, 2010 and 2011 breeding seasons, 938 synchronized cycles were artificially inseminated. One hundred (10.6%) mares failed to ovulate, and for the remaining 838 useable cycles, 887 doses of sexed semen were used, representing 1.06 doses per cycle. In genera...
