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.
Nyindo MB, Ristic M, Lewis GE, Huxsoll DL, Stephenson EH.Four ponies experimentally infected with Ehrlichia equi developed substantial cell-mediated immune responses, as measured by the leukocyte migration-inhibition test. Serum anti-E equi antibodies up to 1:1,280 were demonstrated by the indirect fluorescent antibody test. Cell-mediated immune responses returned to a base-line value by day 200 after primary inoculation, but serum antibody titers persisted for at least 300 days after inoculation. Two additional susceptible ponies, which were inoculated with convalescent blood or organ homogenates from ponies recovered from acute equine ehrlichiosis...
Allen WR.Fertilized eggs reach the uterus of the mare by the sixth day after ovulation whereas unfertilized eggs remain lodged in the fallopian tubes for many months. However, embryo removal studies indicate that the fetal message for luteal maintenance in the pregnant mare is not transmitted until Days 14-16. The equine endometrial cups comprise a series of small, ulcer-like endometrial outgrowths which are present in the pregnant horn of the uterus between 40 and 150 days of gestation. Each cup consists of a discrete colony of large, gonadotropin-secreting, trophoblast cells derived from a specialize...
Rejnö S, Strömberg B.An investigation was made of the pathology of osteochondritis dissecans of young foals and horses with clinical signs of the lesion. A randomly selected material of fetuses and young foals without clinical signs was also examined. It was demonstrated that osteochondritis dissecans is primarily a cartilaginous disease, as previously described in pigs and dogs. Thickening, disturbance of endochondral ossification, degeneration and necrosis of the cartilage were the four main features of osteochondritis dissecans. Cracks and fissures occurred in the degenerated and necrotic parts of the cartilage...
Woollam DH.The history of teratology is reviewed. Methods available for causing malformations in mammals by subtle changes in the environment during pregnancy are discussed. A table is provided in which the commoner teratogens are listed. Methods are described by means of which the activity of some common teratogens may be opposed. The occurrence at Battle Creek, Michigan, USA, of a chemical agent dangerous to health, life and development of all mammals is described. This gives an indication that injury and death to all mammals, as in the Sevaso disaster, including teratogenesis may be expected to be a f...
Schryver HF.Bending properties of samples of cortical bone taken from the cranial, caudal, medial, and lateral quadrants of the midshaft of the radius, femur, and metacarpus of 12 ponies, 18 months old, were determined by 4-point loading at a rate of 10 mm/minute. The elastic modulus for all samples was between 16.2 and 20.2 GN/m2, and the ultimate breaking strength, between 204 and 255 MN/m2. There was greater variation in these properties between bone quadrants than between bones. Samples from the cranial and medial quadrants of both femur and radius were stiffer and had greater ultimate breaking streng...
Hillidge CJ.The serum activities of creatine kinase (CPK), aldolase (ALD) and alpha-hydroxybutyrate dehydrogenase (HBD) were determined in a group of Welsh Mountain ponies before and after a 30 minute period of neuroleptanalgesia induced by i.v. injection of Immobilon and terminated by i.v. injection of Revivon. There were slight but significant increases in the serum activities of CPK and HBD following neuroleptanalgesia, but no change in the serum activity of ALD. It is suggested that this form of neuroleptanalgesia may be associated, in ponies, with a degree of reversible myocardial hypoxic change, pos...
Cockerell GL, MacCoy DM.This report provides a general overview of the pathobiology of neoplasia, and an update on the clinicopathological manifestations of lymphosarcoma, mastocytoma, histiocytoma, melanoma, sarcoid and circumanal gland tumors in domestic animals. Neoplasia represents a continuum of events from reversible hyperplasia to irreversible and pathological changes in tissue growth patterns. In some instances the causes of this disease process have been identified, but the etiology of the majority of naturally occurring neoplasms remain unknown. Surgical excision is the preferred treatment for tumors, but i...
Allen GP, Cohen JC, Randall CC, O'Callaghan DJ.The replication of equine herpesvirus type 1 (EHV-1) and type 3 (EHV-3) was unimpeded in three different cell types-equine epithelial cells, equine fibroblasts, and mouse fibroblasts-which had been blocked in their capacity to synthesize host DNA by 2.5 mM hydroxyurea (HU) or 2 mM thymidine (TdR). The rate of DNA synthesis in uninfected or equine herpesvirus-infected cells in the presence of HU or TdR was measured by pulse-labeling cell samples with a labeled DNA precursor at different times after infection. DNA synthesis in uninfected cultures was completely inhibited by both compounds. Howev...
Tax WJ, Veerkamp JH.1. Activities of ADA and PNP were measured in erythrocytes and lymphocytes of man, horse and cattle. 2. In bovine hemolysates both enzyme activities are low when compared with activities in human hemolysates. In horse hemolysates both enzyme activities are virtually absent. 3. Enzyme activities are consistently lower (about 50%) in intact lymphocytes than in sonicated lymphocytes. This finding suggests that the uptake of nucleosides is rate-limiting for both enzymes in intact lymphocytes. 4. The activity of ADA in horse lymphocytes is comparable to that in lymphocytes of patients with severe c...
Jones RH, Hayes RO, Potter HW, Francy DB.A survey of biting flies in the southwestern United States resulted in the recovery of 34 species as they attacked equines. The geographic distribution of each species at 15 sites and the abundance of attacking flies were used to determine that 22 species commonly attack equines. Culicoides variipennis (Coquillett) was the most common species collected; it was recovered at 12 sites and comprised the highest percentage (29.8%) of the total survey catch for all species collected. The next 2 most common species were Psorophora columbiae (Dyar & Knab) and Aedes vexans (Meigen). C. variipennis was ...
Deanesly R.During the 340 day pregnancy of the horse, the germ cells in the fetal ovary showed a meiotic prophase which began in days 60-70 and might be prolonged after day 200. Three or four successive oogonial mitotic proliferations passed into the meiotic prophase but the great majority of the oocytes first involved degenerated, and no appreciable numbers of primordial follicles were left behind. At 150 days of pregnancy and again at 197 days, oocytes in early meiotic stages filled the ovarian cortex. Primordial follicles were present, but rare. As the prophase gradually came to an end, groups of oocy...
Boomker J, Coetzer JA, Scott DB.Black grain mycetoma occurred in two horses, one a cross-bred pony and the other a Thoroughbred racehorse. Lesions were limited to wart-like growths in one case and a deep-seated girth gall in the other. In both cases the granules in the affected tissues were similar in pigmentation and structure to those produced by Curvularia geniculata in dogs. Since all the specimens were received in formalin, the causative fungus could not be isolated. These are the first cases of maduromycosis in animals to be recorded in South Africa.
McConnel MB, Katada M, McConnell S, Moore R.Electron microscopy was used to demonstrate the presence of viral particles in primary cultures of leukocytes taken from a horse after SC inoculation with the Wyoming strain of equine infectious anemia virus. Unlike previous studies, the exposure virus was not passaged through cell culture prior to horse inoculation. Cultures were begun approximately 1 week before and 1 week after the 1st pyrexic period after inoculation. In both samples, viral particles and cytoplasmic alterations were observed resembling those previously reported in equine infectious anemia virus and other retravirus-infecte...
Losch K, Heinze W, Mieth K, Lender S.Pharmacokinetic data of sulphamerazine were recorded from eight heads each of calf, adult cattle, horse, and sheep, following intravenous application of Mebacid 200, and mathematical implications were discussed. Exponential excretion was recorded from all species, according to the following equation: c = B x e-k2 x t The most favourable pharmacokinetic parameters were recorded from calf.
Rosser EJ.Although there are numerous dermatoses in the horse in which the formation of crusts occurs, there are two relatively common and important infectious crusting dermatoses, namely, dermatophytosis and dermatophilosis. This article reviews the current concepts regarding the etiology and pathogenesis of each disease, as well as the more common clinical presentations, methods of diagnosis, and treatment.
el Hasnaoui H, el Harrak M, Tber A, Fikri A, Laghzaoui K, Bikour MH.An indirect fluorescent antibody (IFA) technique was used to screen and quantify antibodies against African horse sickness virus (AHSV) in equine sera. Results obtained with the IFA assay were compared directly with those obtained with standard complement fixation (CF) and virus neutralisation (VN) tests using horse sera from experimental studies and samples from the field. Positive fluorescent antibody titres were detected from as early as 7 days after primary vaccination and persisted for at least six months. The IFA technique offers a clear advantage over CF tests, where the antibodies are ...
Sokół R, Raś-Noryńska M, Michalczyk M, Jasiecka A, Ziółkowski H, Jaroszewski J.The aim of the present study was to determine the efficacy of ivermectin against Cyathostominae infections and to describe the drug's pharmacokinetic parameters during two seasonal deworming treatments in horses. The study was performed on warm-blooded mares aged 3-12 years weighing 450-550 kg. A single bolus of an oral paste formulation of ivermectin was administered at a dose of 0.2 mg/kg BW in spring and autumn. Fecal samples were tested before treatment and 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 10, 20, 30, 40, 50, 60, 75 days after treatment. Ivermectin concentrations in blood samples collected before treatment,...
Oldenkamp EP.A suspension based on the antibiotic, natamycin, was applied by sponging to 83 horses of various breeds and ages with signs of clinical ringworm. A number of different causative agents were involved of which Trichophyton equinum was the most common. Treatment successfully eliminated the disease within 4 weeks. After treatment the recovered animals did not show any evidence of re-infection for up to 6 months. The mycological clearance rate was 97 per cent and apart from the efficacy against ringworm, the preparation had the advantage of being non-irritant and odourless. It was also useful for t...
Schara M, Nemec M, Falnoga I, Kobal AB, Kveder M, Svetek J.The action of mercuric chloride and methyl mercuric chloride on the membrane lateral domain organization of bovine, equine, and canine erythrocytes was studied. Electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectra of spin-labeled erythrocytes were analyzed with respect to their lateral domain structure. Continuous alteration of the membrane domain populations revealed that mercuric compounds affect the membrane via the evolution of toxic events in the cells.
Kay AD, Lavoie JP.A technique was developed for recording urethral pressure profiles (UPP) in mares. Profiles were obtained from 12 clinically normal mares and from 3 mares with urinary incontinence. Variables measured on the profile included intravesicular pressure and maximal urethral closure pressure. The mean maximal urethral closure pressure of the incontinent mares was significantly less (P less than or equal to 0.001) than that of the normal mares. The technique is simple and reliable for objectively evaluating urethral pressures in mares.
de la Fuente A, Omyla K, Cooper C, Daels P, Meyers S, Dini P.Morphokinetic evaluation of embryo development has allowed the discovery of events occurring during blastulation. Here, we describe equine embryo pulsing, determined as continued expansion and contraction of both in vivo and in vitro produced blastocysts. Using time-lapse imaging, we demonstrated that pulsing starts during early blastocyst development of in vitro-produced embryos in horses. The median time for a complete contraction was 0.22h (0.08h-2h; min-max) where embryos reduced their sizes around 12.0% (median; 2.3%-27.0%) and the median time for an expansion was 3.3h (0.75-9.0h) where e...
Lester GD, DeMarco VG, Norman WM.To evaluate the efficacy of inhaled nitric oxide (NO) in anesthetized healthy newborn foals with experimentally induced pulmonary hypertension. Methods: Five 1- to 3-day-old foals. Methods: Anesthesia was induced and maintained with propofol, and foals were intubated and mechanically ventilated. Systemic pressure and pulmonary arterial pressure (P(PA)) were recorded every 30 seconds. Hypertension was induced via a hypoxic gas mixture or chemical vasoconstriction, using the thromboxane mimetic U46619. Nitric oxide was added at a concentration of 80 parts per million (ppm) for 6 minutes under ba...
van der Velden MA, Schuitemaker EA.The aetiology, clinical symptoms and treatment of equine periodic ophthalmia are discussed. Particular attention is paid to the possible role in aetiology of Onchocerca cervicalis microfilariae. Corticosteroids and atropine are the most important therapeutic drugs.
Harasawa R, Higashi T.Viral DNA obtained from the equine adenovirus propagated in equine transitional cell carcinoma (ETCC) cells and in equine fetal dermis cells were compared by cleaving with isoschizomeric restriction enzymes, HpaII and MspI, and then electrophoresed in 1.4 per cent agarose gels. Differences between the HpaII and MspI cleavage patterns were evident in viral DNA obtained only from the equine adenovirus propagated in ETCC cells, suggesting site specific methylation at CpG sequences.
Donato GG, Appino S, Bertero A, Poletto ML, Nebbia P, Robino P, Varello K, Bozzetta E, Vincenti L, Nervo T.Mares' subfertility represents a complex diagnostic and therapeutic challenge and both clinical and subclinical endometritis are considered major causes of impaired fertility. Thanks to its properties, ozone has a big potential as a treatment for equine endometritis. Therefore, the aim of this study is to describe the safety and the effects on endometrium and reproductive parameters of mares of a commercial ozone foam preparation (Riger Spray®). Twenty-four mares were treated during estrus: ozone group with an intrauterine instillation of ozone foam preparation (OG, n=16) and control group wi...
Strigazzi A, Bianchi M.The dimensional distributions of the adipocytes in Equus caballus in many subjects and in many regions have been studied: such distributions turn out to be in good approximation galtonian ones. Furthermore, all the logarithm populations of the cell diameters have significantly the same variance. The used statistical methods (ANOVA two way with replications, and TUKEY -test) indicate an extremely significant different among the various regions (the smallest cells are in the supra-orbital fossa, the greatest ones are in the abdominal subserous floor).
Ito A, Imai S, Ogimoto K, Nakahara M.The composition of intestinal ciliates excreted in the feces of 20 Tokara native ponies kept in Iriki farm of Kagoshima University was surveyed. Eleven genera consisting of 18 species were identified based on the description of Strelkow. One new genus including a new species, Wolskana tokarensis n. gen., n. sp., of the family Buetschliidae was recognized and described. The average ciliate density of all horses was 13.8 x 10(3)/ml. Those of stallions (n = 5), mares (n = 11) and foals (n = 4) were 3.9, 16.1 and 43.3 x 10(3)/ml respectively. The value of stallions was significantly lower and that...
Goddard PJ, Allen WE.Pressures were recorded monthly at two sites in the vagina of each of five pregnant and five nonpregnant pony mares; pressures in five mares were also recorded weekly after foaling. The developing pregnancy did not influence pressure, and after foaling the integrity of the seal formed by the caudal reproductive tract was rapidly restored.
Moorthy AR, Spradbrow PB.Mycoplasmas were isolated from two of 43 nasal swabs taken from live horses, and from one of 28 tracheal swabs taken from slaughtered horses. The slaughtered horse that yielded mycoplasmas had no gross pathological changes in the respiratory tract, but the nasal isolations were made from horses with rhinitis. The three mycoplasmas could be distinguished by cultural characteristics, and probably they represent three different species.
Kübleck E.The pathology of a horse is described, in which thoracic trauma with costal fracture and a small diaphragmatic defect later led to entrapment of small intestine in the thorax.
Watson ED, Stokes CR.Immunoglobulins A, G and M were localised by immunoperoxidase staining of endometrial sections from ovariectomised mares. Treatment with progesterone or oestradiol-17 beta did not significantly affect numbers of cells secreting any of the isotypes. Mares with persistent endometritis did not have significantly greater numbers of endometrial plasma cells than genitally-normal mares.
Anderson WI, King JM, Rothwell JT.Segmental atresia of the transverse colon was observed at necropsy in a neonatal foal. The dorsal and ventral components of the large colon were fused, and ended blindly. The small colon was collapsed and completely closed at its cranial end. The right and left dorsal and ventral colons were fused into one blind-ended tube. Histologically, eosinophilic intranuclear inclusion bodies demonstrative of Equine Rhinopneumonitis were present in the thymus.
Chloe Roberts, BVA Council recent graduate representative and former equine intern, calls for meaningful change in the conditions endured by many interns.
Current and emerging issues: reminder of the notifiable status of porcine epidemic diarrhoeaHighlights from the scanning surveillance networkUpdate on international disease threatsReview of animal health threats by the Veterinary Risk Group These are among matters discussed in the Animal and Plant Health Agency's (APHA's) disease surveillance report for July 2017.
Allen AL.Postmortem radiography can be a valuable supplement to traditional necropsy. This article provides examples where postmortem radiographs have been useful in diagnosing and documenting lesions in animals, and have helped demonstrate important principles of the pathology and the pathogenesis of lesions identified at necropsy. This article also discusses additional circumstances where the application of postmortem radiography might be worthwhile.
McClure JJ.Although relatively little is known about autoimmunity and autoimmune mechanisms specifically in horses, the similarities between clinical syndromes with identifiable effector mechanisms in horses and other species suggest that comparable mechanisms may be applicable. Our understanding of equine autoimmunity undoubtedly will benefit from the extensive study of autoimmunity in other species.
Borin G, Filippi B, Stivanello D, Marchiori F.A solution synthesis of Z-Gly-Thr-Lys (Tfa)-Met-Ile-Phe-Ala-Gly-Ile-Lys (Tfa)-Lys (Tfa)-NHNH-Boc corresponding to the sequence 77-87 of horse heart cytochrome c is described. The protected undecapeptide was obtained from intermediate hepta- and tetrapeptide fragments by an azide coupling.
Simić V, Ilić A.The caecum in man as a part of the large colon (intestinum crassum) differs morphologically and topographically from the caecum of domestic mammals. The caecum in domestic mammals differs not only from the human caecum but also comparatively morphologically and topographically among the domestic mammals. The appendix vermiformis does not exist in domestic mammals, which represents the main difference between the human caecum and that of domestic mammals. There are certainly some differences in the physiological function of the caecum in man and the caecum in domestic mammals, which are carnivo...
Hall LW.Catheters were implanted through the left atrium into large veins drawing blood from regions of the diaphragmatic lobes in five ponies. Measurement of oxygen and carbon dioxide tensions in blood samples drawn through these catheters showed that in laterally recumbent conscious and anaesthetised animals the function of the lowermost lung is progressively impaired while in the supine position the function of both lungs is adversely affected.
Lear TL, Trembicki KA, Ennis RB.Giemsa-11 (G-11) staining and in situ hybridization were used to identify the equine chromosome complement of horse x mouse somatic cell hybrids. The presence of horse chromosomes in somatic cell hybrids was determined by differential G-11 staining. The slides were then destained and hybridized with biotinylated total horse (Equus caballus) genomic DNA without suppression. Fluorescence detection permitted rapid confirmation of horse chromosomal DNA in the hybrid cells.
van der Gaag I, van Bruinessen-Kapsenberg EG, Dik KJ, Kroneman J.A two-month-old female foal with duodenal stenosis is described. The foal was in poor condition and showed an abnormal stable behaviour. She stood preferably with her head stretched out and reposing on the mare's back or on the stable ridge. Salivation was an important symptom. Clinical and radiological examination of the oral cavity, the pharynx, and the oesophagus showed no abnormalities, except for the antiperistaltic wave along the oesophagus. Because of her bad condition the filly was euthanized. At post mortem examination, apart from leukoplakia, an erosive ulcerative inflammation was fo...
