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.
Pollina GF, Zagotto G, Maritan P, Iacopetti I, Busetto R.Gallium (Ga), a metal in group IIIA of the periodic table, has shown a remarkable activity against bone resorption and could therefore possibly prove useful in the treatment of certain diseases in sport horses, for example navicular disease. The aim of this study was to gain more information concerning the kinetics of Ga after oral administration of gallium nitrate (GaN) in adult horses. Six horses received a single dose of 10 mg/kg of GaN mixed with the food ration. Absorption was slow (T(max) = 10 ± 3 h, T(½abs) = 2 ± 0.8 h), and a C(max) of 26 ± 11 μg/L was achieved. Excretion followed...
Fenwick SJ, Scarth JP.Within horseracing, the detection of prohibited substance doping often requires urine analysis; hence, it is necessary to understand the metabolism of the drugs in question. Here, the previously unknown equine metabolism of eight sedatives is reported in order to provide information on target metabolites for use in doping control. Phase I metabolite information was provided by incubation with equine liver S9 fraction. In vitro techniques were chosen in order to reduce the ethical and financial issues surrounding the study of so many compounds, none of which are licensed for use in horses in th...
Pillet E, Labbe C, Batellier F, Duchamp G, Beaumal V, Anton M, Desherces S, Schmitt E, Magistrini M.Egg yolk is normally used as a protective agent to freeze semen of equine and other species. However, addition of egg yolk in extenders is not without disadvantages and the demand to find cryoprotective alternatives is strong. The objective of this study was to test the cryoprotective capacities of liposomes composed of egg yolk phospholipids. Two experiments were conducted: 1) the first to determine the optimal composition and concentration of liposomes to preserve post-thaw motility and membrane integrity of spermatozoa; 2) the second to assess in vivo the cryoprotective capacities of these ...
Schmidburg I, Pagger H, Zsoldos RR, Mehnen J, Peham C, Licka TF.Laterolateral radiographs of equine necks are reported to be inaccurate in determining the site of spinal cord lesions even when a myelogram is carried out. The goal of this study was to assess constrictions present in the cervical vertebral canal at any time point throughout the extremes of movement. Sixteen equine cervical vertebral columns without history of cervical disease were used. After removal of the spinal cord, the dura mater was filled with polyurethane foam and during its plastic phase the cervical vertebral column was passively moved in flexion-extension, lateral bending and 30°...
Coli A, Nocchi F, Lamanna R, Iorio M, Lapi S, Urciuoli P, Scatena F, Giannessi E, Stornelli MR, Passeri S.The amnion is a particular tissue whose cells show features of multipotent stem cells proposed for use in cellular therapy and regenerative medicine. From equine amnion collected after the foal birth we have isolated MSCs (mesenchymal stem cells), namely EAMSCs (equine amnion mesenchymal stem cells), from the mesoblastic layer. The cells were grown in α-MEM (α-modified minimum essential medium) and the effect of EGF (epidermal growth factor) supplementation was evaluated. To assess the growth kinetic of EAMSCs we have taken into account some parameters [PD (population doubling), fold increas...
Artiushin S, Tong Y, Timoney J, Lemieux B, Schlegel A, Kong H.A simple and portable assay for detection of Streptococcus equi subspecies equi has been developed based on amplification of S. equi-specific sequence using a thermophilic helicase-dependent reaction followed by visual detection of the amplicon in a disposable lateral flow cassette. An experimental kit (IsoAmp™ SE) was evaluated. Analytical sensitivity was 50 copies of S. equi genomic DNA per reaction. The IsoAmp SE assay had 100% specificity when applied to nasal swabs and washes. The assay was more sensitive than culture but less sensitive than nested polymerase chain reaction (PCR). The t...
Wassmuth AK, Riond B, Hofmann-Lehmann R, Lutz H.The Mythic 18 is a fully automated hematology bench-top analyzer using impedance technology for a complete blood cell count (CBC) and a 3-part white blood cell count (WBC) differential. The purpose of the current study was to evaluate the Mythic for assessment of agreement, precision, linearity, carry-over, stability, and usability under practice conditions. Ethylenediamine tetra-acetic acid-blood samples from 122 dogs, 140 cats, and 123 horses were analyzed with the Mythic and reference methods (Sysmex XT-2000iV, manual hematocrit, and microscopic WBC differentiation). Pearson's coefficient o...
Rendo F, Iriondo M, Manzano C, Estonba A.Here, we present the results of a genetic analysis of 463 Pottoka ponies corresponding to four generations, using 17 microsatellite markers. Ten years after the beginning of the Pottoka conservation programme, the values for the genetic diversity of the breed are still high and stable, indicating the success of the programme. We found null alleles in Pottoka for the ASB23, HMS3 and HTG10 microsatellites. Together with information obtained from other pony breeds from the Iberian Peninsula, this finding indicates that these microsatellites should not be used for phylogenetic analyses or parentag...
Dunkel B, Bolt DM, Smith RK, Cunningham FM.Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) is increasingly used for treatment of orthopaedic injuries. However, the effects of different stimuli on the release pattern of regenerative and proinflammatory factors from equine platelets are largely unknown and an optimal treatment protocol remains to be established. Objective: The aim of this study was to identify a stimulus that enhanced release of histopromotive factors (platelet-derived growth factor BB [PDGF] and transforming growth factor 1β[TGF]) without causing concurrent release of a proinflammatory mediator (CCL5). Methods: Washed platelets were prepar...
Seo JP, Son WG, Gang S, Lee I.This study was performed to evaluate the sedative and analgesic effects of xylazine (X) and tramadol (T) intravenously (IV) administered to horses. Six thoroughbred saddle horses each received X (1.0 mg/kg), T (2.0 mg/kg), and a combination of XT (1.0 and 2.0 mg/kg, respectively) IV. Heart rate (HR), respiratory rate (RR), rectal temperature (RT), indirect arterial pressure (IAP), capillary refill time (CRT), sedation, and analgesia (using electrical stimulation and pinprick) were measured before and after drug administration. HR and RR significantly decreased from basal values with X and XT t...
Carrade DD, Affolter VK, Outerbridge CA, Watson JL, Galuppo LD, Buerchler S, Kumar V, Walker NJ, Borjesson DL.BACKGROUND AIMS. The use of allogeneic mesenchymal stem cells (MSC) to treat acute equine lesions would greatly expand equine cellular therapy options; however, the safety and antigenicity of these cells have not been well-studied. We hypothesized that equine allogeneic umbilical cord tissue (UCT)-derived MSC would not elicit acute graft rejection or a delayed-type hypersensitivity response when injected intradermally. METHODS. Six Quarterhorse yearlings received 12 intradermal injections (autologous MSC, allogeneic MSC, positive control and negative control, in triplicate) followed by the sam...
Pader K, Lescun TB, Freeman LJ.To develop and assess the feasibility of standing transvaginal Natural Orifice Transluminal Endoscopic Surgery (NOTES®) ovariectomy in the mare. Methods: Descriptive study. Methods: Mares (n=10). Methods: The technique was developed in 6 mares and then evaluated in a short-term study in 4 mares. Abdominal access was developed using controlled access vaginal cannula placement under endoscopic guidance. With viewing provided by a flexible endoscope, hemostasis, and transection of ovarian pedicles was performed using a customized bipolar vessel-sealing device. The ovaries were retrieved and the ...
Sedacca K, Samuelson D, Lewis P.To investigate the uveoscleral (US) pathway in the normal eyes of four domestic spp.: the cat, pig, cow and horse by examining the comparative anatomical structure of anterior US pathway. Methods: Four cats, ten pigs, four cows, eight horses. Methods: Formalin-preserved specimens from anterior uveas of the cat, pig, cow and horse were embedded and serially sectioned sagittally and tangentially and stained with H&E, Masson's trichrome, smooth muscle actin immunolabel, or elastin stain. Results: Spaces between the endings of the outer anterior ciliary body musculature (CBM) formed avenues fo...
Hainisch EK, Brandt S, Shafti-Keramat S, Van den Hoven R, Kirnbauer R.Infection with bovine papillomaviruses types 1 and 2 (BPV-1, BPV-2) can lead to the development of therapy-resistant skin tumours termed sarcoids and possibly other skin diseases in equids. Although sarcoids seriously compromise the welfare of affected animals and cause considerable economic losses, no prophylactic vaccine is available to prevent this common disease. In several animal species and man, immunisation with papillomavirus-like particles (VLP) has been shown to protect efficiently from papillomaviral infection. Objective: BPV-1 L1 VLPs may constitute a safe and highly immunogenic va...
Nagy A, Dyson S.There is limited information on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) findings in the carpus and proximal metacarpal region of lame horses. Objective: To document MRI findings in horses with lameness localised to the carpus and/or proximal metacarpal region. Methods: Clinical records of horses that underwent MRI of the carpus and/or proximal metacarpal region at the Animal Health Trust between January 2003 and September 2010 were reviewed. Magnetic resonance images of all horses and available radiographs, ultrasonographic and scintigraphic images were assessed. When possible, MRI findings were rela...
Lykkjen S, Roed KH, Dolvik NI.Developmental orthopaedic diseases (DOD) such as osteochondrosis (OC)/osteochondrosis dissecans (OCD), palmar/plantar osteochondral fragments (POF), ununited palmar/plantar eminences (UPE) and dorsoproximal first phalanx fragments are well recognised in the horse. Aetiopathogeneses are controversial and molecular genetic screening of DNA has recently been employed for their elucidation. Precise phenotypic definition and knowledge of breed-specific prevalence and interrelations are essential for the interpretation of following genomic studies in Standardbred trotters. Objective: To assess the p...
van Eps AW, Leise BS, Watts M, Pollitt CC, Belknap JK.The pathophysiological events inhibited by prophylactic digital hypothermia that result in reduction of the severity of acute laminitis are unknown. Objective: To determine if digital hypothermia inhibits lamellar inflammatory signalling during development of oligofructose (OF) induced laminitis. Methods: Fourteen Standardbred horses were given 10 g/kg bwt OF by nasogastric tube with one forelimb (CRYO) continuously cooled by immersion in ice and water and one forelimb (NON-RX) at ambient temperature. Lamellae were harvested prior to the onset of lameness (24 h post OF administration, DEV ...
Schemann K, Taylor MR, Toribio JA, Dhand NK.A cross-sectional study was conducted involving 759 Australian horse owners to determine their biosecurity practices and perceptions one year after the 2007 equine influenza outbreak and to investigate the factors influencing these perceptions and practices. A web link to an online questionnaire was sent to 1224 horse owners as a follow-up to a previous study to obtain information about biosecurity perceptions and practices, impacts of the 2007 EI outbreak, demographic information and information about horse industry involvement. Ordinal logistic regression analyses were conducted to determine...
Bae JH, Ahn K, Nam GH, Lee CE, Park KD, Lee HK, Cho BW, Kim HS.The horse BMAL1 gene encodes the brain and muscle Arnt-like protein 1, which is a key regulator of circadian rhythmic systems in most organs and cells. The first exon of the horse-specific BMAL1 gene is produced by an exonization event of LINE3 (CR1) and SINE (MIR) was detected by bioinformatic analysis. Alternative variants generated by cassette exon event in various horse tissues were also detected by RT-PCR amplification and sequencing. The cDNA sequences of the horse transcripts (BMAL1a, BMAL1b) contain additional 21 bp and 71 bp fragments relative to horse BMAL1. Quantitative real-time RT...
Raes EV, Bergman EH, van der Veen H, Vanderperren K, Van der Vekens E, Saunders JH.To compare computed tomography (CT) images of equine tarsi with cross-sectional anatomic slices and evaluate the potential of CT for imaging pathological tarsal changes in horses. Methods: 6 anatomically normal equine cadaveric hind limbs and 4 tarsi with pathological changes. Methods: Precontrast CT was performed on 3 equine tarsi; sagittal and dorsal reconstructions were made. In all limbs, postcontrast CT was performed after intra-articular contrast medium injection of the tarsocrural, centrodistal, and tarsometatarsal joints. Images were matched with corresponding anatomic slices. Four tar...
Bruhn O, Grötzinger J, Cascorbi I, Jung S.Antimicrobial peptides play a pivotal role as key effectors of the innate immune system in plants and animals and act as endogenous antibiotics. The molecules exhibit an antimicrobial activity against bacteria, viruses, and eukaryotic pathogens with different specificities and potencies depending on the structure and amino-acid composition of the peptides. Several antimicrobial peptides were comprehensively investigated in the last three decades and some molecules with remarkable antimicrobial properties have reached the third phase of clinical studies. Next to the peptides themselves, numerou...
Soma LR, Uboh CE, You Y, Guan F, Boston RC.To compare pharmacokinetics of triamcinolone acetonide (TA) following i.v., intra-articular (i.a.), and i.m. administration and determine its effect on plasma concentrations of hydrocortisone and cortisone. Methods: 6 Thoroughbreds. Methods: TA (0.04 mg/kg) was administered i.v., i.m., or i.a., and plasma TA, hydrocortisone, and cortisone concentrations were determined. Results: I.v. administration of TA was fitted to a 2-compartment model. Median distribution half-life was 0.50 hours (range, 0.24 to 0.67 hours); elimination half-life was 6.1 hours (range, 5.0 to 6.4 hours). Transfer half-life...
Baumwart CA, Doherty TJ, Schumacher J, Willis RS, Adair HS, Rohrbach BW.To determine the effectiveness of preinduction hyperbaric oxygen treatment (HBOT) in ameliorating signs of experimentally induced endotoxemia in horses. Methods: 18 healthy adult horses. Methods: Horses were randomly assigned to 1 of 3 equal-sized treatment groups to receive normobaric ambient air and lipopolysaccharide (LPS), HBOT and LPS, or HBOT and physiologic saline (0.9% NaCl) solution. Horses were physically examined, and blood was obtained for a CBC and to determine concentration or activity of plasma tissue necrosis factor-α, blood lactate, and blood glucose before the horses were tr...
Keegan KG, Kramer J, Yonezawa Y, Maki H, Pai PF, Dent EV, Kellerman TE, Wilson DA, Reed SK.To determine repeatability of a wireless, inertial sensor-based lameness evaluation system in horses. Methods: 236 horses. Methods: Horses were from 2 to 29 years of age and of various breeds and lameness disposition. All horses were instrumented with a wireless, inertial sensor-based motion analysis system on the head (accelerometer), pelvis (midline croup region [accelerometer]), and right forelimb (gyroscope) before evaluation in 2 consecutive trials, approximately 5 minutes apart, as the horse was trotted in a straight line. Signal-processing algorithms generated overall trial asymmetry me...
Haggett EF, Magdesian KG, Kass PH.To determine whether high liver enzyme activities were negatively associated with outcome in sick neonatal foals as compared with foals that did not have high liver enzyme activities. Methods: Retrospective case-control study. Methods: 147 foals < 30 days old with high γ-glutamyltransferase activity, high sorbitol dehydrogenase activity, or both (case foals) and 263 foals < 30 days old with γ-glutamyltransferase and sorbitol dehydrogenase activities within reference limits (control foals). Methods: Medical records were reviewed for information on signalment, physical examination findin...
Michl J, Modarai M, Edwards S, Heinrich M.Identification of toxic or harmful agents continues to be a key goal in agricultural chemistry. This paper reports a metabolomic analysis of Ranunculus repens and related species, which were recently postulated to be cocausative agents in the etiology of equine grass sickness (EGS). Specifically, samples collected at EGS sites were compared with those from non-EGS sites. Furthermore, interspecific and seasonal variations and the species' response to edaphic and climatic factors were investigated. (1)H NMR spectroscopy in combination with multivariate data analysis was applied to the crude meth...
Epstein KL, Brainard BM.Accurate measurement of plasma fibrinogen concentrations is an important tool for assessment of horses with inflammatory diseases. Objective: To determine the precision and accuracy of a benchtop instrument using both fresh and frozen equine plasma by comparing the plasma fibrinogen concentration measured by a benchtop instrument to 2 separate laboratory standard methods (ACL 100 and STA Compact) for fibrinogen measurement. Methods: Accuracy and precision of the VSPro was evaluated using both human fibrinogen standards and samples from horses. Fifty frozen samples from horses with gastrointest...
Parker RA, Clegg PD, Taylor SE.To investigate the effects of commonly used antibiotics on cell viability and gene expression of equine bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stromal cells (MSC) in vitro. Methods: Bone marrow-derived MSC were cultured in media containing gentamicin, amikacin, penicillin, enrofloxacin or ceftiofur at concentrations of 50, 100, 200 and 500 µg/ml. The alamarBlue fluorescence assay was used to assess cell viability over 48 h. After 5 days the cells were released and lysed prior to RNA extraction and reverse transcription. RNA levels were assessed using spectrophotometry and quantitative PCR was used...
Devi CN, Borthakur SK, Patra G, Singh NS, Tolenkhomba TC, Ravindran R, Ghosh S.Information pertaining to parasitic fauna and parasitic diseases in Manipuri ponies in India is not available. Moreover, no systematic studies have been undertaken on cutaneous habronemosis in Manipuri ponies which is a common skin problem of Manipuri ponies as reported by pony owners. Keeping in the view of the importance of parasitic infections in veterinary health coverage particularly in Manipuri ponies, the present study was planned. A survey of natural cases of cutaneous habronemosis followed by molecular confirmation of species involved and treatments were done. Out of 200 ponies examin...
Perkins JD, Bowen IM, Else RW, Marr CM, Mayhew IG.The parasympathetic terminal cardiac ganglia were examined in three normal horses and in five horses with grass sickness. Histopathological changes, consistent with those observed in other ganglia of horses with grass sickness, were identified in the terminal cardiac ganglia of the affected horses. A functional analysis of cardiac autonomic control by time domain analysis (TDA) of heart rate variability was applied to eight horses with grass sickness, and double-paired to 16 normal horses on the basis of their age, sex and breed, and the time of day at which the electrocardiographs were obtain...
Probst A, Macher R, Hinterhofer C, Polsterer E, Guarda IH, König HE.This study aims to elucidate the topographical anatomy of the carpal flexor retinaculum or palmar anular carpal ligament (PACL) in the horse. Ten specimen of the carpus of five healthy horses were studied by dissection in layers. Slices of 5 mm in thickness facilitated observation of the soft tissues. The superficial layer of the PACL subdivides into five compartments: one for the palmar nerve and the arterial and venous branches, one for only the radial artery, one for the radial vein, and one for the tendon of the radial carpal flexor muscle, and finally for the deep layer that supports all ...
Boudreaux MK.Inherited intrinsic platelet disorders have been identified in dogs, cattle, horses, and cats as well as other animals. The prevalence of mutations in some breeds is high, making these disorders potentially as common as von Willebrand disease in certain breed lineages.
Galloux P, Barrey E.Thirty horses were filmed with a panning camera operating at 50 frames/s as they jumped over a 1.20 x 1.20 m fence. The markers of 9 joints on the horse and 7 joints on the rider were tracked in 2D with the TrackEye system. The centre of gravity and moment of inertia of each segment were calculated using a geometric algorithm and a cylindric model, respectively. The kinetic moment of each part of the horse was calculated after filtering, and resampling of data. This method showed the relative contribution of each body segment to the body overall rotation during the take-off, jump and landing p...
Jolly PD, Fu ZF, Robinson AJ.Viruses causing or associated with respiratory disease in horses worldwide are reviewed. Results are presented from a serological survey of 121 New Zealand foals and horses that had been affected by respiratory disease, determining the prevalence of antibodies in this country to the major viruses associated with similar disease overseas. To date there is no evidence of equine influenza virus in New Zealand. Both equine herpesvirus type 1 and 2 have been frequently isolated and show high serological prevalences. Serological evidence of equine rhinovirus type 1 and type 2 is presented with a pre...
Akbari Shahkhosravi N, Gohari S, Komeili A, Burvill C, Davies H.Most simulation studies on equine hoof biomechanics employed linear elastic (LE) material models. However, the equine hoof wall's stress-strain relationship is nonlinear and varies with hydration level. Therefore, it is essential to investigate the accuracy of the LE model compared to more advanced material models, such as hyperelastic (HE) or viscoelastic models. The current research investigated performances of LE and three HE models (Mooney-Rivlin, Neo-Hookean, and Marlow) in describing equine hoof's mechanical behavior using finite element (FE) analysis. In the first attempt, a rectangular...
Clayton HM.The success of a clinical gait laboratory depends on choosing the right equipment, installing it correctly, running calibration checks, and having skilled technical and professional personnel. For kinematic analysis, videographic or optoelectronic systems are the method of choice, with 2-D data being adequate for the majority of equine evaluations. A force plate provides a precise description of the 3-D ground reaction force; transmission of the force through the body tissues is measured using strain gauges attached to the bones and tendons. Accelerometers bonded to the hoof wall provide infor...
Kitamura HP, Yanase H, Kitamura H, Iwanaga T.Fibroblast-like (Type B) synoviocytes are cells in the synovial membrane that are responsible for production of both synovial fluid and the extracellular matrix in the synovial intima. Immunostaining of the horse synovial membrane for protein gene product (PGP) 9.5, which is a neuron-specific ubiquitin C-terminal hydrolase, demonstrated selective localization of the immunoreactivity in a synoviocyte population different from acid phosphatase-positive Type A synoviocytes. The immunoreactive cells were lined up in the synovial intima and extended dendritic processes towards the joint cavity to f...
Todhunter RJ, Wootton JA, Lust G, Minor RR.Collagen type I was purified from equine skin and flexor tendon, and type II collagen was purified from equine articular cartilage. The proteoglycans in these tissues were extracted, using guanidine HCl; the collagens were solubilized, using pepsin digestion, then were selectively precipitated with NaCl. Gel electrophoresis indicated that the precipitates contained only type I or type II collagen. Amino acid analysis indicated that collagen constituted > 97% of the total protein in the precipitates. Hydroxylation of proline was 42.0 +/- 0.6% (mean +/- SEM) in alpha 1(I) and alpha 2(I), and was...
van Dorland A, Janett F, Bruckmaier R, Wach-Gygax L, Jeannerat E, Bollwein H, Sieme H, Burger D.Effects of a plasmolysed yeast product enriched with herbs, malt, honey and orange syrup on semen characteristics and oxidative status in stallions were evaluated. Twenty stallions (mean age ± standard deviation = 9.5 ± 4.5 years) were randomly divided into a treatment group (n = 10) receiving 0.06 mL/kg bodyweight of plasmolysed herbal yeast, and a control group (n = 10) receiving the same amount of placebo daily in the feed for 10 weeks. Ejaculates were collected weekly from all stallions starting at Week 0. Volume, sperm concentration, motility, and velocity were eva...
Pujar S, Meyers-Wallen VN.Inherited disorders of sexual development (DSD) cause sterility and infertility in horses. Mutations causing such disorders have been identified in other mammals, but there is little information on the molecular causes in horses. While the equine genome sequence has made it possible to identify candidate genes, additional tools are needed to routinely screen them for causative mutations. In this study, we designed a screening panel of polymerase chain reaction primer pairs for 15 equine genes. These are the candidate genes for testicular or ovotesticular XX DSD and XY DSD, the latter of which ...
Saville WJ, Sofaly CD, Reed SM, Dubey JP, Oglesbee MJ, Lacombe VA, Keene RO, Gugisberg KM, Swensen SW, Shipley RD, Chiang YW, Chu HJ, Ng T.Previous challenge studies performed at Ohio State University involved a transport-stress model where the study animals were dosed with Sarcocystis neurona sporocysts on the day of arrival. This study was to test a second transportation of horses after oral inoculation with S. neurona sporocysts. Horses were assigned randomly to groups: group 1, transported 4 days after inoculation (DAI); group 2, at 11 DAI; group 3, at 18 DAI; and group 4, horses were not transported a second time (controls). An overall neurologic score was determined on the basis of a standard numbering system used by veteri...
Ing NH, Forrest DW, Love CC, Varner DD.Stallions are unique among livestock in that, like men, they commonly receive medical treatment for subfertility. In both species, about 15% of individuals have normal semen parameters but are subfertile, indicating a need for novel analyses of spermatozoa function. One procedure for improving fertilizing capability of stallions and men is isolation of dense spermatozoa from an ejaculate for use in artificial insemination. In the current study, dense and less dense spermatozoa were purified by density gradient centrifugation from individual ejaculates from seven reproductively normal adult sta...
Eustace RA.The terminology relating to laminitis is confusing. This article describes how equine veterinarians, by using their eyes and fingers alone, can diagnose and evaluate a case of chronic laminitis. This evaluation will enable veterinarians to give a statistically significant prognosis that can be further refined by measurements taken from plain, weight-bearing lateromedial radiographs of the affected hooves. Should invasive techniques such as digital venography also be used, the results of both techniques are complementary.
Ghoniem SM, El Deeb AH, Aggour MG, Hussein HA.We developed a multiplex reverse-transcription real-time PCR (RT-rtPCR) assay for the simultaneous detection of the main equine respiratory viruses: equid alphaherpesviruses 1 and 4 (EHV-1, -4) and equine influenza virus (EIV; species Influenza A virus). The primers and probes amplified only the targeted viruses, and there were no inter-assay cross-amplifications or nonspecific interactions. The multiplex assay efficiencies were 92.5%, 97%, and 90% for EHV-1, EHV-4, and EIV, respectively. The R values of the monoplex and multiplex assays were ⩾0.990, and the slopes were -3.37 to -3.59. The p...
Choi YH, Love CC, Varner DD, Hinrichs K.This study was conducted to evaluate the effects of thawing, division into aliquots and refreezing on fertilizing capacity (ability to support embryo development after intracytoplasmic sperm injection; ICSI) of frozen stallion semen. Frozen semen from a fertile stallion was thawed, diluted 1:100 with freezing extender, and refrozen (2F treatment). Control semen was frozen only once. In vitro matured equine oocytes were injected with: (1) motile control spermatozoa; (2) motile 2F spermatozoa; (3) non-motile 2F spermatozoa; or (4) non-motile 2F spermatozoa, followed by injection of sperm extract...
Kuwano A, Tanaka K, Kawabata M, Ooi Y, Takahashi T, Yoshihara T, Reilly JD.A survey was carried out into white line disease in 1781 Thoroughbred racehorses kept in stables at the Japan Racing Association (JRA) Miho Training Center (MTC) September-October 1996. The survey was conducted while horses were being shod by farriers. The horses that still exhibited damaged white lines after regular trimming were diagnosed as having white line disease. The factors recorded were age, sex, number of diseased horses, number of diseased hooves, number of lesions by region over the bearing border of the hoof and the classified length of such lesions. The percentage of total diseas...
Rijkenhuizen AB.The 21st century has heralded a reassessment of our ideas about
navicular disease. In particular, the proposal of different
pathological entities has led to alternative treatment regimes and a
sounder basis for reaching a prognosis. Further, recently generated
data have given grounds for reconsidering both terminology and
treatment. The impact of recent information on the clinical
approach to suspected navicular disease of concepts relating to
diagnostic analgesia, the evolution of diagnostic imaging
techniques, biomarkers, biomechanics and heritability require
placing into the contex...
Morales JL, Manchado M, Vivo J, Galisteo AM, Agüera E, Miró F.Normal speed videography was used to determine the angular parameters of 28 Spanish Thoroughbreds at trot. Horses were divided into 3 groups: Group UT, comprising 9 animals (provided by the VII National Stud, Cordoba, Spain) which had undergone no specific training programme and which were hand led at the trot; Group T, formed by 19 horses considered to be highly bred and trained, and which were also hand led; and Group RT, comprising the same horses as the latter group but this time trotted by a rider. Each animal was filmed 6 times from the right-hand side, using a Hi8 (25 Hz) video camera. ...
Knych HK, Corado CR, McKemie DS, Steffey EP.Both the potential analgesic effect and the conflicting reports describing tramadol disposition in the horse warrant further study of the pharmacokinetics of tramadol in this species. Objective: To describe the pharmacokinetics of tramadol and its metabolites, O-desmethyltramadol and N-desmethyltramadol, following i.v. administration of 3 doses to the horse. Methods: Nine adult horses received a single i.v. dose of 0.5, 1.5 and 3 mg/kg bwt tramadol. Blood samples were collected prior to and at various times up to 72 h post administration. Plasma samples were analysed using liquid chromatograph...
Durando MM, Slack J, Reef VB, Birks EK.There is interest in using pharmacological stress testing (PST) as a substitute for exercise stress testing (EST) to evaluate cardiac function in horses. Objective: To compare the effect of PST and EST on right ventricular pressure dynamics and stress echocardiography. Methods: Five horses completed a PST and EST in a randomised crossover design. High fidelity pressure transducers were placed in the right ventricle. Continuous pressure signals were digitally collected and stored, and dP/dtmax, dP/dtmin and tau calculated from these measurements. ECGs were recorded continuously for 20 h. Echoca...
Diehl K, Bowden AC.To assess rebound tonometry intraocular pressure (IOP) in unsedated horses without and with auriculopalpebral (AP) nerve blocks. Methods: Twenty-two client- and twenty university-owned horses (84 total eyes) with unremarkable ophthalmic examinations were evaluated. Methods: One eye of each horse was chosen randomly, an AP block performed for that eye, and IOP measured in both eyes with a TonoVet . The process was repeated for the contralateral eye 72 hours later under the same conditions as the initial measurements. Horses were unsedated for nerve blocks and tonometry. Linear mixed-effects mo...
Chateau H, Degueurce C, Denoix JM.Understanding of the biomechanical effects of egg-bar shoes remains incomplete because kinematic studies are usually performed on hard tracks and with skin markers that do not measure the actual 3-dimensional (3D) movements of the 3 digital joints. Objective: To quantify the effects of egg-bar shoes on the 3D kinematics of the distal forelimb in horses walking on a sand track. Methods: Four healthy horses were equipped with ultrasonic markers fixed surgically to the 4 distal segments of the left forelimb. The 3D movements of these segments were recorded while the horses were walking on a sand ...
Ousey JC, Freestone N, Fowden AL, Mason WT, Rossdale PD.Progesterone or progestagens are thought to maintain myometrial quiescence in pregnant mares, although this has not been proven. In the present study, the contractility of the equine myometrium was tested in vitro using samples collected from pregnant mares (n=33) between day 68 and day 340 of gestation. Myometrial samples were equilibrated in aerated Krebs buffer and subjected to one or more of these treatments: (i) oxytocin only; (ii) initial oxytocin treatment followed by combined oxytocin and progesterone or another progestagen; and (iii) initial oxytocin treatment followed by Krebs buffer...
Vorstenbosch MA, Buchner HH, Savelberg HH, Schamhardt HC, Barneveld A.To study the role of head movements in lame horses. Methods: 11 Dutch Warmblood horses. Methods: A 2-segment 2-dimensional inverse dynamic model of trotting horses was developed: trunk and head/neck segment joined in a neck joint. Model input consisted of averaged segmental inertial properties and averaged kinematic data, taken from 11 horses, trotting on a treadmill (3.5 m/s) in 3 conditions of induced lameness: sound, mildly lame, and moderately lame. Dynamic and static effects were analyzed. Results: Dynamic effects were found to be considerably larger than static effects. In the moderately...
Muylle S, Simoens P, Lauwers H.This paper gives an anatomical overview of the dentinal structure in equine incisor teeth with special reference to the three-dimensional organization, the number and the diameter of the dentinal tubules. The spatial arrangement of equine dentine was examined by scanning electron microscopy of occlusal surfaces and longitudinally fractured teeth and by light microscopy of both decalcified and ground sections. The dentinal tubules of the peripherally situated primary dentine were directly continuous with those of the circumpulpal secondary dentine. The tubules had numerous side branches along t...
