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.
Jean D, Picandet V, Macieira S, Beauregard G, D'Anjou MA, Beauchamp G.Previous studies have shown that in man ultrasonography is more accurate than radiography for detecting rib fractures. Objective: To describe clinical, radiographic and ultrasonographic findings related with rib fractures in newborn foals in an equine critical care unit; and to compare diagnostic accuracy of ultrasonography to radiography. Methods: A prospective ultrasonographic study was performed on 29 foals presented to the emergency unit. This study was performed at the Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Vétérinaire (CHUV), University of Montreal. Physical examination as well as radiograph...
Couroucé-Malblanc A, Fortier G, Pronost S, Siliart B, Brachet G.This study was designed to compare the efficacy of oral prednisolone and intramuscular (IM) dexamethasone in heaves-affected horses with environmental control. A total of 16 horses, aged 8-20years, with heaves were included in the study. Complete examinations were performed on Day 0 (before treatment), Day 13 (after treatment) and Day 30. Clinical variables, arterial blood gases, mucus scoring and carina evaluation (during endoscopy), and bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) cytological analysis were all assessed. The horses were randomly assigned to receive either oral prednisolone (1mg/kg) or IM dex...
Evans KE, McGreevy PD.It has recently been reported that a strong correlation exists between the distribution of retinal ganglion cells and nose length in the domestic dog. To determine if this phenomenon occurs in another domestic species with diverse skull morphology, the current study examined the distribution of retinal ganglion cells in 30 horses from a variety of breeds. There was a significant variation in the density of ganglion cells found across the retinae. Breed was a significant predictor for ganglion cell density within the visual streak. A strong positive correlation exists between the density of gan...
Wensman JJ, Thorén P, Hakhverdyan M, Belák S, Berg M.Borna disease virus (BDV) is a non-segmented, negative-stranded RNA virus, which infects cells of the central nervous system (CNS) in many different species. BDV is the causative agent of the neurological disorders in horses and sheep termed classical Borna disease (BD), as well as staggering disease in cats. At present, the diagnosis staggering disease or feline BD is made by histopathology or immunohistochemistry of the CNS. In order to obtain a better clinical diagnostic tool, a duplex real-time RT-PCR assay (rRT-PCR) was developed. TaqMan probes and primers specific for the BDV P and BDV L...
Guo HY, Pang K, Zhang XY, Zhao L, Chen SW, Dong ML, Ren FZ.This study investigated the changes in chemical composition, nitrogen fraction distribution, and AA profile of milk samples obtained during lactation from the Jiangyue breed of donkey in Northwest China. Results showed that donkey milk contained 9.53% total solids, 1.57% protein, 1.16% fat, 6.33% lactose, and 0.4% ash on average, which is more similar to mare and human milk than to the milk of other mammals. Throughout the lactation investigated, pH and density were constant, protein and ash content showed an apparent negative trend (an increase in lactose content during 120 d postpartum, foll...
Craig MI, Barrandeguy ME, Fernández FM.Equine herpesvirus 2 (EHV-2) was isolated from healthy animals; therefore, the association between EHV-2 infection and respiratory disease raises the question of the role of this agent in this pathology. To date, there are no reports that relate viral excretion to health, this study then analysed 153 nasal swabs from horses in different age groups (older and younger than 1 year old) and state of health (clinically healthy and with respiratory symptoms). Results showed that the percentage of horses with viral excretion was higher within the clinically healthy group, being significative (p < 0.0...
Clayton HM, Sha DH, Stick JA, Robinson P.The objective was to measure 3D rotations of the distal (DIP) and proximal (PIP) interphalangeal joints at walk and trot. 3D trajectories of markers fixed to the proximal phalanx, middle phalanx and the hoof wall of the right forelimb of four sound horses were recorded at 120 Hz. Joint kinematics were calculated in terms of anatomically-based joint coordinate systems between the bone segments. Ranges of motion were similar at walk and trot. Values for the DIP joint were: flexion/extension: 46 +/- 3 degrees at walk, 47 +/- 4 degrees at trot; internal/external rotation: 5 +/- 1 degrees at walk, ...
Cihocki LM, Divers TJ, Johnson AL, Warren AL, Schramme M, Rassnick KM, Scott DW.This case report describes a rare epitrichial sweat gland ductal carcinoma in a 14-year-old horse and is the first report of multiple carcinomas of this type in horses. Although several tumours developed, mostly on the distal extremities, over a 2-year period, the horse remained otherwise healthy. Topical treatment with imiquimod was successful for many of them.
Künzle F, Gerber V, Van Der Haegen A, Wampfler B, Straub R, Marti E.Recurrent airway obstruction (RAO) is a common condition in stabled horses characterized by small airway inflammation, airway neutrophilia and obstruction following exposure of susceptible horses to mouldy hay and straw and is thus regarded as a hypersensitivity reaction to mould spores. However, the role of immunoglobulin E antibodies (IgE) in the pathogenesis of RAO is unclear. We hypothesized that the number of cells with receptor-bound IgE in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) and IgE levels in serum would be higher in RAO-affected than in healthy horses living in the same environment. Th...
Torina A, Vicente J, Alongi A, Scimeca S, Turlá R, Nicosia S, Di Marco V, Caracappa S, de la Fuente J.The objective of this study was to characterize the observed prevalence of tick-borne pathogens (TBP) in domestic animals in Sicily, Italy during 2003-2005. Serological (competitive ELISA and indirect immunofluorescence antibody, n = 3299) and DNA tests (polymerase chain reaction and reverse line blot, n = 2565) were conducted on horse, donkey, cattle, sheep, goat, pig and dog samples. Pathogens analysed included Anaplasma, Ehrlichia, Rickettsia, Babesia and Theileria species, and Coxiella burnetii. The most prevalent TBP were Anaplasma and Babesia species. The results reported herein suggeste...
Suarez-Mier G, Giguère S, Lee EA.The objectives of the present study were to determine and compare the pulmonary disposition of azithromycin, clarithromycin, and erythromycin in foals. A single dose (10 mg/kg) of azithromycin, clarithromycin, or erythromycin was administered intragastrically to six healthy 1- to 3-month-old foals using an orthogonal design. Activity of the drugs was measured in serum, pulmonary epithelial lining fluid (PELF), and bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) cells by use of a microbiologic assay. Peak drug activity in PELF was significantly higher in foals treated with clarithromycin (48.96+/-13.26 microg/mL)...
Torner H, Alm H, Kanitz W, Goellnitz K, Becker F, Poehland R, Bruessow KP, Tuchscherer A.The aim of this investigation was to examine the chromatin configuration of the nucleus, pattern of mitochondrial aggregation and mitochondrial activity in parallel studies in the same horse oocytes. Horse oocytes recovered by ultrasound-guided follicle aspiration in vivo were classified according to two main initial cumulus morphologies as having compact or expanded cumulus. The percentage of oocytes with a diplotene meiotic configuration at the time of recovery from the follicles was highest in compact oocytes. Oocytes with expanded cumulus layers at the time of recovery matured more rapidly...
Cirak VY, Güleğen E, Yildirim F, Durmaz M.The aim of the present study was to determine the efficacy and the so-called "egg reappearance period" (ERP) of doramectin in horses naturally infected with strongyles during a period of 34 weeks. A group of yearlings of 10 animals was treated intramuscularly with doramectin at a dose rate of 0.2 mg/kg bodyweight (BW) at the begin of the grazing season. To obtain comparable data, another group of yearlings (n = 10) was treated orally with ivermectin at a dose rate of 0.2 mg/kg BW. Individual faecal samples were examined for strongyle egg counts per gram of faeces (EPG) in two-week intervals. T...
Kuiper H, Distl O.Intersexuality is a rare congenital anomaly of horses. Diagnosis of intersexuality is difficult because there are usually no specific changes in the reproductive tract visible. During a period of five years, ten patients with reduced fertility or suspected intersexuality respectively were investigated using cytogenetic, molecular genetic, histopathological and endocrinological methods. In one case a 64,XX/63,X0 mosaicism was found. In six cases male pseudohermaphroditism was verified. These patients showed a male karyotype, testes and rudimentary parts of a female reproductive tract were prese...
Benson BM, Byron CR, Pondenis H, Stewart AA.To investigate, in vitro, the effects of radial shock waves on the release of nitric oxide (NO) and synthesis of prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) and glycosaminoglycan (GAG), and liberation of GAG, from equine articular cartilage explants. Methods: Equine cartilage from normal metacarpophalangeal and metatarsophalangeal joints was exposed to radial shock waves at various impulse doses and then maintained as explants in culture for 48 h. Shock waves were delivered at 1,876 Torr pressure and a frequency of 10 Hz. Treatment groups consisted of a negative control group, or application of 500, 2,000, or 4,0...
Fielding CL, Magdesian KG, Carlson GP, Ruby RE, Rhodes DM.Multi-frequency bioelectrical impedance analysis (MF-BIA) has been used to evaluate extracellular fluid volume (ECFV), but not fluid fluxes associated with fluid or furosemide administration in horses. If able to detect acute changes in ECFV, MF-BIA would be useful in monitoring fluid therapy in horses. Objective: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the ability of MF-BIA to detect acute fluid compartment changes in horses. We hypothesized that MF-BIA would detect clinically relevant (10-20%) changes in ECFV. Methods: Six healthy mares were used in the study. Methods: This is an original ...
Schwarzwald CC, Hamlin RL, Bonagura JD, Nishijima Y, Meadows C, Carnes CA.Although atrial arrhythmias are clinically important in horses, atrial electrophysiology has been incompletely studied. Objective: Standard electrophysiologic methods can be used to study drug effects in horses. Specifically, the effects of diltiazem on atrioventricular (AV) nodal conduction are rate-dependent and allow control of ventricular response rate during rapid atrial pacing in horses undergoing quinidine treatment. Methods: Fourteen healthy horses. Methods: Arterial blood pressure, surface electrocardiogram, and right atrial electrogram were recorded during sinus rhythm and during pro...
Hoffman AM, Oura TJ, Riedelberger KJ, Mazan MR.Horses with recurrent airway obstruction (heaves) are described as exhibiting "increased abdominal effort," but it is unknown whether this translates to an effective contribution to ventilation. Objective: We hypothesized that heaves is characterized by asynchrony between rib cage and abdominal motions, and that the abdominal component is the major contributor to ventilation. Methods: The rib cage versus abdominal motion in naturally occurring heaves (n = 15) was compared to controls at rest (n = 7) and during hyperpnea because of lobeline treatment, and the effects of histamine-induced bronch...
Bell RJ, Kingston JK, Mogg TD.To compare two scoring systems for grading gastric ulcers in adult horses. Methods: Digitised recordings of gastroscopy examinations of 22 horses that were part of a study on prevalence of gastric ulceration in racehorses in New Zealand were reviewed independently by three examiners. All stomachs were graded by each examiner using two different grading systems, the Equine Gastric Ulcer Council (EGUC) system and the Number/Severity (N/S) system. Results: All examiners commented that the EGUC system was quicker and easier to use. There was no significant difference between examiners in the grade...
Bell RJ, Mogg TD, Kingston JK.In recent years, gastric ulceration has been recognised as a common, possibly performance-limiting disease of adult horses. Here, we aim to provide the reader with a useful review of recent literature covering all aspects of equine gastric ulcer syndrome (EGUS) in adult horses. The anatomy and physiology of the stomach, with particular reference to secretion of acid and mucosal protective mechanisms, are reviewed, as are the differing theories relating to the aetiopathogenesis of gastric ulceration. We also explore the possible influence of various management factors on development of the dise...
Henninger RW, Reed SM, Saville WJ, Allen GP, Hass GF, Kohn CW, Sofaly C.Equine herpesvirus type 1 (EHV-1) infection causes neurologic disease in horses. However, risk factors for the disease and long-term prognosis are poorly characterized. Objective: There are identifiable risk factors for equine herpes-1 myeloencephalopathy. Methods: The entire population of 135 horses housed within the equestrian facility. Methods: A descriptive study investigated the clinical, serologic, virologic, and management aspects of an outbreak of EHV-1 myeloencephalopathy. Results: Out of 135 horses at the facility, 117 displayed signs of EHV-1 infection. Forty-six horses developed ne...
Zhao S, McDermott PF, White DG, Qaiyumi S, Friedman SL, Abbott JW, Glenn A, Ayers SL, Post KW, Fales WH, Wilson RB, Reggiardo C, Walker RD.Three hundred and eighty Salmonella isolates recovered from animal diagnostic samples obtained from four state veterinary diagnostic laboratories (AZ, NC, MO, and TN) between 2002 and 2003 were tested for antimicrobial susceptibilities and further characterized for bla(CMY) beta-lactamase genes, class 1 integrons and genetic relatedness using PFGE. Forty-seven serovars were identified, the most common being S. Typhimurium (26%), S. Heidelberg (9%), S, Dublin (8%), S. Newport (8%), S. Derby (7%), and S. Choleraesuis (7%). Three hundred and thirteen (82%) isolates were resistant to at least one ...
Wenker C, Hoby S, Steck BL, Ramsauer AS, Blatter S, Tobler K.Equine sarcoids (ES) were diagnosed in 12 Somali wild asses (SWA) () from 10 different institutions of the SWA European Endangered Species Programme from 1976 to 2019. Samples of surgically excised masses, biopsies, or necropsy samples were submitted for histologic and virologic analysis. In addition, tissue samples from one onager (), one kulan (), and two Hartmann's mountain zebras (HMZ) () were examined. Histology confirmed the diagnosis of ES exhibiting the typical microscopic features. Polymerase chain reaction detected bovine papillomavirus type 1 (BPV1) DNA in eight SWA samples and bovi...
Caporale VP, Biancifiori F, Frescura F, Di Matteo A, Nannini D, Urbani G.Comparative tests such as FAT, ELISA, RIA, IEO and CF in the diagnosis of dourine in the horse have proved a satisfactory concordance ratio of the ELISA with CF, which seems to be the most reliable test. Discrepancies have been observed as to the other tests which appear less sensitive than CF test.
Gerring EL, Webbon PM.Restriction of free movement of the flexor tendons through the fetlock canal results in lameness. The commonest cause was chronic synovitis of the digital sheath. The condition is characterised by an unremitting lameness, synovial distension and a notch on the caudal aspect of the limb. The condition can be relieved by section of the annular ligament of the fetlock. In a series of 24 cases 16 horses returned to work with no recurrence of lameness, three cases were lost to follow up and five animals remained lame; three of these had intercurrent disease.
Carter EI, Valli VE, McSherry BJ.The peripheral blood cells from Standard bred horses were subjected to procedures which will separate equine peripheral blood cells with good precision and efficiency into red cell, leukocyte, and platelet fractions. The separated cells have normal morphology and the differential count of the separated granulocytes and lymphocytes is unchanged from that of the original sample.
King WA, Bezard J, Bousquet D, Palmer E, Betteridge KJ.Confusion exists as to whether the oocytes of the domestic horse are ovulated at the first meiotic metaphase (MI) or the second (MII). In this study eight oocytes were collected from the preovulatory follicles of 16 mares 36 h after human chorionic gonadotropin CG treatment. Six of the eight oocytes were judged to be at MII by the presence of the first polar body and this judgement was confirmed by semithin sectioning in one. Of the two that had no polar body, one was found to be at MII after fixation for chromosomal analysis and the meiotic stage of the other remained undetermined. Since all ...
Scott IS, Long SE.Meiotic preparations were made from testicular material obtained after surgical castration of eight stallions (Equus caballus) with normal spermatogenesis. The material was examined after conventional Giemsa staining and C-banding. C-banding demonstrated that the Y chromosome at diakinesis associated with the short arm of the X chromosome. In 315 cells at diplotene or diakinesis, 56 (17.7%) had univalents and 51 (16.1%) of these involved the sex chromosomes. The overall mean chiasma number was 54.4 +/- 1.8 SD, and the mean calculated nondisjunction (ND) frequency was 3.4%. These results are di...
Marshall JF, Moorman VJ, Moll HD.To determine the incidence of unilaterally castrated horses among horses admitted to the hospital for castration and to compare horses that underwent previous unilateral castration with horses that had cryptorchism. Methods: Retrospective case series. Methods: 16 unilaterally castrated horses and 44 cryptorchid horses. Methods: Medical records of horses that were admitted to the veterinary medical teaching hospital for castration, including cryptorchid and unilaterally castrated horses, between January 2002 and December 2006 were reviewed. Medical records of unilaterally castrated horses and c...
Tuvshintulga B, Nugraha AB, Mizutani T, Liu M, Ishizaki T, Sivakumar T, Xuan X, Yokoyama N, Igarashi I.Theileria equi, an intraerythrocytic protozoan parasite, causes equine piroplasmosis, a disease which negatively impacts the global horse industry. Genetic manipulation is one of the research tools under development as a control method for protozoan parasites, but this technique needs to be established for T. equi. Herein, we report on the first development of a stable transgenic T. equi line expressing enhanced green fluorescent protein/blasticidin S deaminase (eGFP/BSD). To express the exogenous fusion gene in T. equi, regulatory regions of the elongation factor-1 alpha (ef-1α) gene were id...
Sutton DG, Bahr A, Preston T, Cohen ND, Love S, Roussel AJ.The 13C-octanoic acid breath test has been correlated significantly to radioscintigraphy for measurement of gastric emptying indices in healthy horses. The objective of this study was to investigate the validity of the test for measurement of equine delayed gastric emptying, prior to its potential clinical application for this purpose. A model of atropine-induced gastroparesis was used. Gastric emptying rate was measured twice in 8 horses using concurrent radioscintigraphy and/or breath test after treatment i.v. with either atropine (0.035 mg/kg bwt) or saline in randomised order. Analysis of ...
Anderson NV, DeBowes RM, Nyrop KA, Dayton AD.Twelve horses comprised 3 treatment groups; all horses in 2 of the groups had recently been transported and had clinical and laboratory evidence of respiratory tract infection, with equine influenza type 2 virus being the principal pathogen. Mononuclear phagocytes and other leukocytes from blood, lung, and peritoneal cavity were studied in phagocytosis and erythrocyte-antibody (EA) rosette assays. Total numbers of pulmonary alveolar macrophages were increased over control values in bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) fluid of group 3 horses after recovery from influenza (P less than 0.02), whereas th...
Puigdemont A, Arboix M, Gaspari F, Bortolotti A, Bonati M.The protein binding of propafenone in vitro was assessed in plasma of mouse, rat, rabbit, dog, sheep, man, cow, and horse at two concentration levels. In all species and at both concentrations propafenone was found highly bound (86-99%) to plasma proteins. No significant relationship was found between free propafenone and the plasma protein fractions. A concentration-dependency was seen in plasma of mouse, sheep, man, and horse, in which the free fraction of propafenone became larger on raising the concentration. Qualitative and quantitative differences were observed in the protein plasma prof...
Munsterman AS, Hanson RR.To develop a direct method for measuring intra-abdominal pressures in the standing horse, identify a reference interval for direct intra-abdominal pressures, compare these pressures to indirect intra-abdominal pressures measured from the bladder, and determine the optimal bladder infusion volume for indirect pressure measurement. Methods: Prospective, experimental study. Methods: A university-based equine research facility. Methods: Ten healthy adult horses, 5 males and 5 females. Methods: Direct intra-abdominal pressures were measured through an intraperitoneal cannula and zeroed at the heigh...
Van der Lugt JJ, Coetzer JA, Jordaan P, Marlow CH.Tyzzer's disease was diagnosed histologically in two foals, a 4-week-old Thoroughbred cross and a 6-week-old Arabian foal. Clinically both foals were in good health prior to a short illness lasting only a few hours. The liver lesions in both foals were characterized microscopically by multiple foci of necrosis. Variable numbers of elongated slender intracytoplasmic bacilli resembling Bacillus piliformis were demonstrated within hepatocytes bordering the necrotic foci.