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.
Mirck MH.Patent S. westeri infection is particularly common in unweaned foals (61.2 per cent). It is much less common in foals which have been weaned (15.4 per cent). Examination of the faeces of ten artificially reared foals (free from worms) did not supply any evidence of possible prenatal (intra-uterine) helminth infection. In one Shetland pony mare, larvae of S. westeri were found to be present in the milk on the tenth, twenty-fourth and thirty-second day after parturition. Larvae were not detected in the milk of the other mares but all foals showed patent S. westeri infection within from thirteen ...
Dixon PM, Brown R.Equine blood containing different levels of methaemoglobin was stored under varying conditions and the methaemoglobin content was monitored during the storage period. Only under aerobic storage at 4 degrees C did the methaemoglobin content of all samples appear to remain stable.
Taylor HW, Vandevelde M, Firth EC.A horse that suddenly became recumbent had a focal ischemic infarct of the spinal cord between C6 and C7. The infarct was attributed to multiple fibrocartilaginous emboli. Adherence of fibrocartilaginous debris to the outer surface of the dura was interpreted as evidence that intervertebral disc degeneration and displacement of the nucleus pulposus had occurred and that the emboli arose from the disc.
Farrell RK, Hilbert BJ.Methods of equine identification including signalment, blood typing tattooing and freeze marking are discussed. A new system of individually identifying horses with an unalterable freeze mark is proposed. Unalterable numerical and alphabetical symbols have been developed to apply a registration number to the animal.
Leegaard J, Roth A.Case history, skin tests and RAST were compared in a group (n = 40) of children with a history suggesting allergy to horses and in a group (n = 43) in whom there was no suspicion of hypersensitivity to horses. There was an agreement of 91% between case history and prick test. The same magnitude of agreement was found between case history and RAST (89%), and the agreement between RAST and prick test was 90%. The results of this investigation are clearly in contrast to earlier earlier reports, in that there was a very good correlation between prick test, RAST and case history. The results sugges...
Dyson DA, Smith GR.When incorporated in solid medium at a concentration of 15 per cent, the defibrinated blood of certain horses strongly suppressed the growth of some, but not all, strains of Mycoplasma mycoides subsp mycoides so that many colonies failed to develop to a visible size. Blood from a single rabbit was tested and found to exert a similar effect. There was striking variation in the degree of inhibition produced by different samples of horse blood and, of five strains of the organism examined, the T1 vaccine strain was the most susceptible. The results suggested that the effect was not due to antibod...
Bras GE, Kersjes AW.Comparative studies were done on healing of the wound following laparotomy through the ventral wall of the abdomen (paramedian incision or in the linea alba) in seventy horses and following surgical treatment of umbilical hernia in eighty-five (young) horses, in which perlon, (chromic) catgut, stainless steel wire and polyglycollic acid were used as suture material. Though with some reserve, as the study was concerned with the comparison of findings in clinical cases in which a number of conditions may vary, it is concluded that steel wire and polyglycollic acid are preferable to perlon and (c...
Hoffer RE, Barber SM, Kallfelz FA, Petro SP.Esophageal patch grafting, using the sternocephalicus muscle, was used for treatment of cervical esophageal stricture in a mare. The mare was maintained during the initial healing phase by total parenteral nutrition.
Owen RR, Moore JN, Hopkins JB, Arthur D.Five horses with histories of colic developed signs of myocardial failure and skeletal muscle disease. Necropsy revealed pale areas in the cervical, pectoral, pelvic, and cardiac musculature; histologically, the lesions were indicative of dystrophic myodegeneration. Serum vitamin E concentrations were normal in 2 of the horses but serum selenium concentrations were normal in 2 of the horses, but serum selenium concentrations were low when compared with values obtained from clinically normal horses.
Mirck MH.A form of strongyle infection in young horses and ponies, observed during the period from November to May, is described. Large numbers of larvae of Cyathostominae in the fourth or early fifth stage of development are found to be present in the (often watery) faeces. This excretion of larvae is not affected by treatment with anthelmintics. A large number of these patients die from the sequelae of verminous enteritis.
Stewart GA, Riddle CA, Salmon PW.The research analyzes blood samples from Thoroughbred racehorses in Victoria, finding differences in results based on different variables such as the horse’s demeanor and storage conditions of the samples. Possible […]
Gleeson LJ, Studdert MJ.Intrauterine infection of pregnant mare with equine herpesvirus type 2 (EHV 2) did not result in foetal abortion, stillbirth or recognisable disease. Collection of uterine fluid by allantocentesis or amniocentesis 107 days after inoculation confirmed that intrauterine infection was established. EHV 2 was isolated from both allantoic and amniotic fluid separately collected at the time of elective Caesarean section 156 days after inoculation and virus neutralising antibody to EHV 2 was present in the foal's presuckle serum at birth. A very mild clinical disease, characterised by a scant, mucous ...
Wilson JW, Stevens JB.Data were obtained from 190 cerebrospinal fluid samples collected from both clinically normal and diseased dogs, cats, cows, and horses. Red blood cells, indicating blood contamination, were identified in 115 samples. White blood cells were a rare finding in normal animals. Blood contamination appeared to have little effect on white blood cell numbers even though, in several samples, thousands of red blood cells were identified. An accepted formula to correct for blood contamination was found to be an unreliable method to determine "uncontaminated" values for white blood cells, total protein, ...
Shen DT, Crawford TB, Gorham JR, McGuire TC.Twelve chemicals and commercial disinfectants were tested for inactivation of equine infectious anemia virus. In the presence of 10% bovine serum, all chemicals inactivated 4 log10 (based on 0.1 ml) of the virus within 5 minutes at 23 C. A reduction of at least 4 log10 was observed when the virus was exposed for 1 minute to substituted phenolic disinfectants (3 commercial preparations and sodium orthophenylphenate), halogen derivatives (iodophor and sodium hypochlorite), chlorhexidine, and 70% ethanol. Sodium hydroxide (5%), 2% formalin, and 2% glutaraldehyde were slower to inactivate the viru...
Gebhart W, Niebauer GW.The morphological substrates of pigmented and depigmented skin as well as the structural characteristics of spontaneously developing melanomas were revealed by clinical, light- and electron microscopic methods in gray horses (Lipizzaner breed) from the Vienna Spanish Riding School. On clinical investigations in a group of 31 older horses (more than 10 years old) 20 exhibited melanomas, whereas 23 younger animals (less than 10 years of age) had no evidence for visuable melanotic tumors. Concomitantly with the progressive graying of the hair a depigmentation of the skin was frequently observed. ...
Henry RW, Diesem CD, Hunter MA, Rankin JS.Eleven ponies were used to perfect a surgical approach to the brachial plexus that would offer maximal exposure to the plexus, with minimal trauma. One pony was euthanatized to determine whether surgical exposure to the plexus was feasible. By approaching the plexus from the prescapular region, the only muscle that was found necessary to incise was the cutaneus omobrachialis. The rest of the procedure required only blunt dissection. In the other 10 ponies, the wounds healed by first intention, and the gait was not affected by the surgery.
Nitschelm D, van der Horst CJ.The effect of orally administered chlormadinone acetate (CAP), 10 mg daily for a period of 16 days, was investigated in the case of four mares with an irregular oestrous pattern accompanied by low ovarian activity (group 1), four mares which did not show oestrous symptoms at all and which had also low ovarian activity (group 2), and two ovariectomized and two ovario-hysterectomized mares (group 3). In all mares of group 1 and in the two ovariectomized mares of group 3 oestrus symptoms became apparent during treatment. Two mares of group 2 came into heat 8 and 11 days after the cessation of tre...
Wilson JW.Creatine phosphokinase activity was determined in cerebrospinal fluid samples submitted for analysis from 126 animals suspected of having central nervous system disease. Values less than 1 sigma unit/ml were obtained on 32 samples and values less than or equal to 1 sigma unit/ml were obtained on 94 samples. The creatine phosphokinase values were increased in all cases of feline toxoplasmosis and feline infectious peritonitis. From other cases, especially seizure disorders and suspected poisonings, and apparent aid in prognosis for future cases was identified.
Rawlings CA.Ventricular weights and coronary arterial distribution and diameters were determined in 10 small adult ponies (139 +/- 32 kg). Combined ventricular weights averaged 0.52% of the body weight, with an average of 77% of the total ventricular weight being the left ventricle. The pony is right coronary predominant, with the interventricular subsinusoidal branch of the right coronary artery and interventricular paraconal branch of the left coronary artery providing comparable blood supply to the left ventricular free wall and septum.
Sanderson GN, O'Callaghan MW.This article describes the gross radiographic anatomy of the equine thorax observed on the lateral radiographic projection. The descriptions presented were derived from a retrospective study of a large number of thoracic radiographs of cases referred to the Massey University clinic in conjunction with research studies in bronchography, angiography and in vitro contrast techniques. The characteristics of the thoracic bony structures, the vasculature, and the airways are examined separately; followed by a discussion of the relative contribution of the various structures to the overall thoracic r...
This report summarizes West Nile virus (WNV) surveillance data reported to CDC through ArboNET as of 3 a.m., Mountain Daylight Time, September 10, 2003.
Hendrix DV, Newkirk KM.To determine whether epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) and human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) are expressed in periocular squamous cell carcinomas (SCCs) of horses. Methods: Biopsy specimens of SCCs from 46 horses. Methods: Pathology records were searched retrospectively for biopsy specimens of periocular SCCs obtained from horses. Slides of the specimens were reviewed histologically to confirm the SCC diagnosis and stained for EGFR and HER2 by immunohistochemical methods. For both EGFR and HER2, the immunohistochemical staining intensity and percentage of stain-positive cel...
Turner AS.Congenital and acquired torsion occur in the limbs of domestic animals. Congenital abnormalities are of clinical significance in foals; they are also seen in calves whose dams have ingested certain toxic plants that contain teratogenic agents. Acquired torsional deformities are most common in foals, but are also observed in adult horses, dogs, and llamas. Acquired rotational deformities are almost always associated with angular limb deformities. The clinical consequence of torsional deformities is the early development of degenerative joint disease.
Saint-Dizier M, Foulon-Gauze F, Lecompte F, Combarnous Y, Chopineau M.In order to investigate the role of the unique seventh N23-glycosylation site of the equine LH/CG receptor (eLHCGR) in the cAMP pathway activation, COS-7 cells were transiently transfected with either the wild-type or the mutant eLHCGR(N23Q) cDNA and challenged with porcine LH and eCG for cAMP production. We showed that the N23-glycosylation site of the eLHCGR is not required for the functional coupling of the receptor with the cAMP pathway and is not responsible for the limited potency of eCG relative to pLH to activate this receptor.
Coruzzi G, Poli E, Bertaccini G.The effects of nifedipine, verapamil and diltiazem were investigated in the isolated mare uterus in comparison with salbutamol. All the calcium-channel blockers and salbutamol inhibited the spontaneous, KC1- and electrically induced contractions; nifedipine and salbutamol were the most potent compounds. The calcium agonist Bay K 8644 (10(-8)-10(-6) mol/l) competitively antagonized the inhibitory effect of nifedipine (pA2 value = 8.54 +/- 0.06), whereas it was only slightly or totally ineffective against verapamil, diltiazem and salbutamol. These results indicate that calcium-channel blockers a...
Allen BV.A technique for automating equine differential leucocyte counts by analysis of volume distribution curves using the Coulter Channelyzer has been developed and evaluated. A comparison between the results obtained by this method and standard microscopic techniques showed good agreement in most cases. Blood samples can be analysed for both differential and total leucocyte counts at a rate of 25/h. For each sample an average 16,000 leucocytes are classified by the Channelyzer. The method of volume analysis is suitable for the precise counting of polymorphonuclear neutrophils, lymphocytes and eosin...
Gürelli G, Göçmen B.The aim of this study was to determine the cytological features of 2 endocommensal ciliates, P. colpoidea and P. minuta belonging to genus Paraisotricha found in the hindgut of 15 Turk rahvan and 15 English and Arabic horses from Izmir, compare the morphological characters of species with their original descriptions and previous reports and discuss the similarities and differences. Methods: The cytological features of two endocommensal ciliates were investigated with the pyridinated silver carbonate impregnation and silver nitrate impregnation techniques at the level of light microscopy. Resul...
Rantanen NW.Diagnostic ultrasound has allowed significant findings to be made in the investigation of cardiac disease in the horse. Because of the limited value of thoracic radiography in the adult horse with cardiac disease, ultrasound is the method of choice to document chamber enlargement, pericardial effusion, valvular abnormalities, and decreased contractility of the myocardium. The apparent changes in the flow characteristics and suspicion of abnormality in the right heart of racehorses need further investigation to fully document the etiopathogenesis of spontaneous contrast.
Haynes KF, McLaughlin J, Stamper S, Rucker C, Webster FX, Czokajlo D, Kirsch P.The discovery that the eastern tent caterpillar Malacosoma americanum (F.) causes mare reproductive loss syndrome (MRLS), and thus has the potential to continue to result in major economic losses to the equine industry of Kentucky, has resulted in an intensive effort to identify practical means to monitor and control this defoliator, including these experiments to optimize a sex pheromone trap for this pest. A pheromone-baited delta trap with a large opening, such as InterceptST Delta, was more effective than other tested traps. Orange delta traps caught more moths than other tested colors. ET...
Takesue M, Osaka Y, Muranaka M, Katayama Y, Ikadai H.In the present study, the serum and cerebrospinal fluid of horses diagnosed with Setaria digitata cerebrospinal filariasis were analyzed by western blot. The results revealed S. digitata protein bands measuring 65, 34, 22, and 18 kDa in molecular weight. In particular, the 18 kDa band is a possible candidate for clinical immunodiagnosis on the basis of western blot findings.
Murata T, Yamashiro Y, Kondo T, Nakaichi M, Une S, Taura Y.Complementary DNA (cDNA) for bovine quaking gene (Bqk), equine quaking gene (Eqk) and porcine quaking gene (Pqk), which are homologous to mouse quaking gene (qkI), were isolated, and their nucleotide sequences were determined. cDNA sequences of Bqk, Eqk and Pqk showed very high homology to that of qkI at nucleotide level; 94.2, 95.7 and 95.6%, respectively. Deduced amino acid sequences for Bqk, Eqk and Pqk perfectly matched to that of qkI. These findings suggest that the quaking gene family is highly conserved during mammalian evolution, and that Bqk, Eqk and Pqk are likely to have important b...
Navas de Solis C, Gilmour LJ, Coleman MC, Watts AE, Bevevino KE, Glass KG, Hardy J, Chaney KP.To determine the effectiveness of a digital interactive multimedia tutorial (DIMT) for preparing veterinary students to perform ultrasonography in horses. Methods: 42 third-year veterinary students. Methods: Students were randomly assigned to 3 instructional methods: independent study (ie, 45 minutes to read a highlighted textbook chapter), lecture (ie, 45-minute lecture by a faculty member), or digital interactive multimedia tutorial (DIMT; ie, 45-minute narrated, interactive module). Written and practical tests were administered after each instruction session. For the practical test, each st...
Charleston WA, McKenna PB.A general review of the epidemiology, significance and control of nematode parasitism of sheep, goats, cattle and deer in New Zealand, the emergence of anthelmintic resistance and its effects, and the search for parasite control strategies that reduce reliance on anthelmintic use, is provided. The research that has formed the basis for present levels of understanding of this complex and important topic is summarised and sources of further information are indicated. Aspects of nematode infections of horses, pigs, dogs and cats, and the history of the liver fluke, Fasciola hepatica, in New Zeala...
Hara Y, Nakajima T, Akamatsu M, Yahiro M, Kagawa S, Petry S, Matsuda M, Moore JE.Contagious equine metritis is a bacterial infectious disease of horses caused by Taylorella equigenitalis, a Gram-negative eubacterium. The disease has been described in several continents, including Europe, North America and Asia. A novel molecular method was developed to detect clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPRs), which were separated by non-repetitive unique spacer regions (NRUSRs) of similar length, in the Taylorella equigenitalis EQ59 strain using a primer pair, f-/r-TeCRISPR-ladder, by PCR amplification. In total, 31 Taylorella isolates (17 T. equigenitali...
Boudouard M, Giudicelli J, Sudaka P.A rapid method for preparation of brush border membrane vesicles from a large amount of horse kidney cortex is described. Self-orienting Percoll-gradient centrifugation minimized contamination by microsomal membranes. The characteristics of this preparation were checked by electron microscopy and measurement of L-alanine uptake.
Koupai-Abyazani MR, Yu N, Esaw B, Laviolette B.Urine and serum samples collected from four standard-bred mares after 30-mg intraarticular administrations of triamcinolone acetonide were analyzed using combined high-performance liquid chromatography-atmospheric pressure ionization mass spectrometry. Maximum triamcinolone acetonide concentrations of 32.3, 14.8, 24.3, and 29.4 ng/mL in the urine and 2.7, 1.9, 2.3, and 2.5 ng/mL in the serum samples were observed. The peak concentrations of the drug were detected approximately 22 h (urine) and 12 h (serum) after administration. The drug elimination profiles for both urine and serum are present...
De Lorenzi L, Genualdo V, Perucatti A, Pia Di Meo G, Molteni L, Iannuzzi L, Parma P.R-spondins constitute a recently discovered small family of growth factors, and the evidence of their role in several developmental pathways is growing fast. In this work we describe the chromosomal location of the four RSPO genes in the donkey. Using horse BACs, we localized RSPO1 on EAS 5q23, RSPO2 on EAS 12q13, RSPO3 on EAS 24q26, and RSPO4 on EAS 15p13. Moreover, RSPO2, RSPO3, and RSPO4 are the first genes mapped on donkey chromosomes 12, 24, and 15, respectively.
Krivolutskiĭ DA, Nguyen TK, Fan TV.101 species of oribatid mites and 12 species of helminths--anoplocephalids, transmitted by these mites, were found out by Soviet-Vietnam studies in agroecosystems and tropical forests of northern and southern Vietnam. Helminths were recorded from graminivorous mammals as follows: horses, zebu, sheep, goats, buffaloes, deer, hares, elephant, 2 species of rates, 5 species of monkeys and 11 species of birds.
Kotani H, Taura Y, Sakai A, Tsuka T, Kageyama Y, Nakaichi M.In this study antemortem evaluation of equine flexor tendons--the superficial digital flexor tendon and the deep digital flexor tendon--using magnetic resonance (MR) images was performed. Postmortem flexor tendons were used to prepare the slice positions, coil and body positions for MR imaging. It was possible by this method to take antemortem MR images of equine limbs that distinguished features as well as postmortem images described in previous studies. The total time of antemortem scanning was about 40 min. This study is the first to report antemortem MR images in horses.
Sweeney RW, Beech J, Simmons RD, Soma LR.The pharmacokinetics of ticarcillin and clavulanic acid following administration by the intravenous (i.v.) and intramuscular (i.m.) routes were investigated in six normal adult horses. Following i.v. administration, the ticarcillin disposition data conformed to a two-compartment model with an elimination half-life of 1.0 h. The disposition of clavulanic acid was described by a one-compartment model with an elimination half-life of 0.40 h. Following i.m. administration, the half-lives of both drugs were prolonged (ticarcillin 1.8 h, clavulanic acid 1.2 h). The bioavailability of ticarcillin was...
DiPietro JA, Lock TF, Todd KS, Davis JL.Eighteen pony foals inoculated with 1,500 +/- 109 infective Parascaris equorum eggs were given 0.02 ml of ivermectin vehicle (liquid)/kg of body weight, PO, (control); 0.2 mg of ivermectin paste/kg, PO; or 0.2 mg ivermectin liquid/kg, PO, on postinoculation day (PID) 28. Foals were euthanatized on PID 42, and the small intestinal contents were examined for P equorum larvae. The mean number of fourth-stage P equorum larvae in foals treated with ivermectin paste and liquid were 3.5 and 6, respectively. Significantly (P less than 0.01) higher mean numbers of larvae (1,250) were detected in foals ...
Aguilera R, Becchi M, Mateus L, Popot MA, Bonnaire Y, Casabianca H, Hatton CK.A gas chromatography-combustion-isotope ratio mass spectrometry method for confirmation of hydrocortisone abuse in horseracing and equine sports is proposed. Urinary hydrocortisone was converted to a bismethylenedioxy derivative which presents good gas chromatographic properties and brings an extra carbon contribution of only two carbon atoms. Synthetic hydrocortisone has a different 13C abundance from that of natural urinary horse hydrocortisone and the difference is significant, therefore exogenous and endogenous hydrocortisone can be distinguished.
Watson ED.Incubation of equine neutrophils with povidone-iodine solutions of greater than or equal to 0.2 per cent resulted in total inhibition of migration under agarose. This was caused by the cytotoxic effects of the solutions as shown by pyknosis and cell lysis. Lower concentrations of povidone-iodine, however, did not adversely affect neutrophil viability or locomotion.
Gillis JP, Zardiackas LD, Gilbert JA, St John KR.Paired equine third metacarpal bones were drilled and tapped for 4.5 mm and 5.5 mm cortical screws. Tapping was done by hand or with an air-driven reversible orthopedic drill. Screws were inserted and subjected to extraction forces to failure of the osseous threads or the screws. There was no difference in holding power of either screw size between hand-tapped and power-tapped holes.
Sloet van Oldruitenborgh-Oosterbaan MM, Binkhorst GJ.The differences in aetiology, symptomatology, pathomorphology, diagnosis and therapy between the nervous form (paralytic form) of Equine Herpes Virus, type 1, and Neuritis Caudae Equinae are reviewed. The conclusion is that in most cases it is possible to differentiate between these two clinical syndromes.
Schotman AJ, Wensing T, Ockels J, de Bruyne JJ, Hendriks HJ.To examine the suitability and reliability in field use of the "Merckognost Harnstoff" method in estimating the concentration of urea in the blood of horses, cattle, goats and dogs, the levels determined by this procedure were compared with those determined by an enzymatic (urease) photometric method widely used in laboratories. It was concluded from the results obtained that estimation using the "Merckognost Harnstoff" is sufficiently reliable for the rapid assay of urea in the blood under field conditions.
Gürelli G, Göçmen B.Blepharocorys curvigula Gassovsky, 1919 found in the intestine of domestic horses (Equus caballus Linnaeus, 1758), living in the vicinity of Izmir was investigated. It was seen in nine of the thirteen horses examined (69%). This study reports the presence of Blepharocorys curvigula in the intestine of Equids for the first time in Turkey. Specimens were found to be similar to the original descriptions on the basis of morphological characters and biometric data.
Miller CL, Todhunter R.Osteochondrosis affecting the acetabula in horses is rarely reported. Osteochondrosis dissecans in foals only a few weeks old is also an uncommon finding. Lesions compatible with osteochondrosis dissecans in the acetabulum were found to be the cause of a chronic coxofemoral lameness in a 3-week-old Arabian filly. The history, physical examination findings, joint fluid analysis, gross pathologic and histopathologic findings are described.
Meister D, Tschudi P, Hermann M, Lutz H.The QBC V hematology system was tested with respect to its application in veterinary medicine. PCV's and counts of total leukocytes, granulocytes, lympho/monocytes and platelets collected from 435 horses, dogs and cats were determined and compared with conventionally measured values. Precision and accuracy were found to be good for the majority of parameters. In the authors' opinion the QBC V hematology system is well suited for use in veterinary practice.
