Weight loss in horses refers to a reduction in body weight that can occur due to various factors such as inadequate nutrition, illness, parasitic infections, dental problems, or increased energy expenditure. It is a condition that can affect horses of all ages and breeds and may indicate underlying health issues. Monitoring weight changes is important for maintaining equine health and ensuring optimal performance. This topic includes research on the causes, diagnosis, and management of weight loss in horses. Studies often focus on nutritional assessments, veterinary evaluations, and the development of feeding strategies to address and prevent weight loss. This page compiles peer-reviewed research studies and scholarly articles that explore the mechanisms, implications, and treatment approaches for weight loss in horses.
Fowler AL, Pyles MB, Bill VT, Hayes SH, Harris PA, Lawrence LM.Equine obesity is increasing in prevalence, and weight loss diets are frequently recommended for these horses. However, there are also management situations in which horses are deemed to be too thin. To monitor the efficacy of weight change programs, estimates of body fat are often made. There are several systems available to estimate body fat, and there are benefits and challenges to using each method. The objective of this study was to compare four different methods of estimating body fat in Thoroughbred horses. In 14 mature Thoroughbred horses, relationships among body condition score (BCS)...
Fowler AL, Pyles MB, Hayes SH, Crum AD, Lawrence LM.Across the equine literature, estimates of true P digestibility range from -23% to 79%. This large range cannot be explained by differences in P intake or phytate-P intake alone. However, differences in endogenous P secretion into the GI tract may explain the variation. In horses, excess absorbed P is not excreted in the urine but is re-secreted into the GI tract, increasing faecal P and leading to estimates of low P digestibility. Thus, accurate estimates of P digestibility can only be obtained if absorbed P is retained in the horse. The objective of this study was to examine P digestibility ...
Girardi FM, da Fonseca LA, Ribeiro Filho JD, Souto PC, Ferreira DAC, Dornelas LRSM, Bento LD, de Carvalho Filho WP.Obesity in human and veterinary medicine is one of the most complex challenges within emerging diseases in the context of health. The problem of obesity in horses results in severe comorbidities; therefore, acute-phase proteins should be investigated for fluctuations increasing or decreasing by at least 25% in response to inflammation; these are candidates for future biomarkers and might provide new perspectives on early diagnosis and prognosis. Serum samples were analyzed in nine healthy animals (C) and nine obese animals (O). The proteins were separated by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylami...
Pritchard A, Spooner H, Hoffman R.Furosemide is used to reduce the incidence of exercise-induced pulmonary hemorrhage in racehorses. Previous research suggests furosemide negatively impacts calcium balance, which may have long-term implications for bone health. Eleven healthy horses, either control (CON, n = 5) or treatment (FUR, n = 6), were used to test furosemide's effects on bone mineral content (BMC), bone metabolism biomarkers, and weight loss after administration. Treatment horses received IV furosemide at 1 mg⋅kg BW once weekly for seven weeks, and blood was collected before and at 24 hours after administration f...
Saied AA, Bryan LK, Bolin DC. infection in horses is common and is characterized by pyogranulomatous pneumonia and ulcerative enterocolitis. clinical disease in cattle, however, is rare and typically manifests as granulomatous lymphadenitis discovered in the abattoir. A 19-mo-old female Santa Gertrudis had a history of intermittent inappetence and weight loss for a 3-mo period before euthanasia. Gross and histologic examination revealed severe, chronic, ulcerative, and granulomatous inflammation in the tongue, pharynx, and small intestine. Also, the heifer had severe, granulomatous pharyngeal and mesenteric lymphadenitis...
Morrison ML, Groover E, Schumacher J, Newton J, Pereira MM.Squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) is one of the most common malignant neoplasms in horses, but lingual SCC has seldom been reported. On separate occasions, a 12-year-old American Quarter Horse mare and an 18-year-old American Saddlebred stallion were presented to the Auburn University Large Animal Teaching Hospital for evaluation of weight loss, dysphagia, and ptyalism. Evaluation of each horse included physical examination, skull radiographs, oral examination, complete blood count and serum biochemistry profile, endoscopic evaluation of the mouth, and biopsy of tissue from a lesion found on the t...
Catalano DN, Coleman RJ, Hathaway MR, Neu AE, Wagner EL, Tyler PJ, McCue ME, Martinson KL.Adding breed type, height, and neck circumference to body length and girth circumference improves bodyweight (BW) estimation in different breeds of horses; however, equations have not been developed for all breed types. The objectives were to develop BW estimation equations for Miniature, saddle-type, and Thoroughbred horses using morphometric measurements. Measurements were collected on adult (≥3 years, nonpregnant) saddle-type (n = 209), adult (n = 249) and juvenile (<3 years, n = 61) Miniatures, and adult Thoroughbreds (n = 100). Personnel determined body condition score (BCS), m...
Gorenberg EB, Johnson AL, Magdesian KG, Bertin FR, Costa LRR, Theelen MJP, Durward-Akhurst SA, Cruz Villagrán C, Carslake H, Frank N, Tomlinson JE.Primary hyperparathyroidism is uncommon in equids. Objective: To describe the diagnostic findings and efficacy of treatment in equids with primary hyperparathyroidism. Methods: Retrospective case series describing 16 horses and one mule. Methods: Cases were identified by retrospective review of records at Cornell University and via an ACVIM listserv query. Inclusion criteria were an equid with hypercalcemia, normal renal function and high parathyroid hormone (PTH) or histopathological diagnosis of a parathyroid adenoma. Equids with normal PTH and PTH-related protein (PTHrP) in the face of hype...
Coleman MC, Whitfield-Cargile CM, Madrigal RG, Cohen ND.Metabolic diseases such as obesity and type 2 diabetes in humans have been linked to alterations in the gastrointestinal microbiota and metabolome. Knowledge of these associations has improved our understanding of the pathophysiology of these diseases and guided development of diagnostic biomarkers and therapeutic interventions. The cellular and molecular pathophysiology of equine metabolic syndrome (EMS) and obesity in horses, however, remain ill-defined. Thus, the objectives of this study were to characterize the fecal microbiome, fecal metabolome, and circulating lipidome in obese and non-o...
Moore JL, Siciliano PD, Pratt-Phillips SE.Weight loss plans in horses typically use dietary restriction, but exercise may have additional benefits. This study aimed to compare the effects of a diet or exercise protocol resulting in comparable caloric restriction in obese horses. Ten obese horses were paired according to sex, age, and breed or breed type. One horse from each pair was randomly assigned to either diet (DIET)-intake restricted to approximately 85% of digestible energy requirements or exercise (EX)-exercised to expend approximately 15% of digestible energy requirements, resulting in 85% of requirements available, for 4Â we...
Bamford NJ, Potter SJ, Baskerville CL, Harris PA, Bailey SR.The importance of including exercise with dietary modification for the management of obese equids is not clearly understood. Objective: To evaluate the effect of a practical low-intensity exercise regimen, in addition to dietary restriction, on indices of insulin sensitivity (SI) and plasma adipokine concentrations in obese equids. Methods: Twenty-four obese (body condition score [BCS] ≥ 7/9) horses and ponies. Methods: Over a 12-week period, animals received either dietary restriction only (DIET) or dietary restriction plus low-intensity exercise (DIET+EX). All animals were provided wit...
Jeon S, Cho K, Ok G, Lee S, Park H.The purpose of this study was to investigate the impact of weight loss practices on nutritional status, bone health, and injury history among Korean professional jockeys. Methods: Forty-three male jockeys completed a questionnaire to assess their weight loss practices. Of these, 10 jockeys were selected for in-depth assessment of their nutritional status, bone health, and injury history. Results: The questionnaires revealed that 81.4% of jockeys lost weight every week mainly by dieting and/or exercising. None of the jockeys consumed enough food during the weight loss period. Two jockeys were d...
Eberhardt C, Malbon A, Riond B, Schoster A.CASE DESCRIPTION A 27-year-old Dutch Warmblood mare was evaluated because of a history of lethargy, reluctance to move, weight loss, persistent hyperproteinemia, and recurrent episodes of mild lameness. CLINICAL FINDINGS Hematologic evaluation revealed anemia (RBC concentration, 3.84 × 106 cells/μL), thrombocytopenia (47 × 103 thrombocytes/μL), and hyperproteinemia (total protein concentration, 11.2 g/dL) with hyperglobulinemia and hypoalbuminemia. Results of protein electrophoresis of serum and urine samples indicated a monoclonal gammopathy; the paraprotein was identified as a κ light c...
Biscoe EW, Whitcomb MB, Vaughan B, Dechant JE, Magdesian KG.OBJECTIVE To describe clinical features and outcome of horses with severe large intestinal thickening diagnosed with transabdominal ultrasonography. Methods: Retrospective case series. ANIMALS 25 horses. PROCEDURES Medical records of horses that underwent transabdominal ultrasonography between 2003 and 2010 were reviewed. Horses were included if the wall of the large intestine was ≥ 9 mm thick in any of 6 abdominal zones. RESULTS Median age was 13 years (range, 3 to 28 years). Horses were initially examined because of colic, diarrhea, inappetence, weight loss, lethargy, fever, or hematuria. ...
Jaqueth AL, Iwaniuk ME, Burk AO.It has been estimated in the United States and abroad that 20%-51% of the equine population suffers from over-conditioning or obesity. The objective of this study was to evaluate the prevalence of over-conditioning in the equine population in Maryland, to characterize weight control measures used, and to ascertain how control measures impact the operation. Over-conditioning was defined as a body condition score of 4 or 5 on a 5-point scale. All licensed horse operators in Maryland were invited to participate in an online survey. A total of 93 farm operators completed the survey with 238 ponies...
Oliver-Espinosa O.Chronic diarrhea in the horse is defined as diarrhea present for more than several days with little if any improvement. The diagnosis and treatment of horses with chronic diarrhea usually present a great challenge to the clinician. There are many limitations to treatment of these patients given the limited numbers in which a final diagnosis can be achieved. The lack of knowledge of the alterations of horse microbiota during chronic diarrhea and the multiplicity of causes also make treatment challenging. A poor prognosis is often attached to chronic diarrhea, particularly in cases with neoplasi...
Boshuizen B, Ploeg M, Dewulf J, Klooster S, Bruijn M, Picavet MT, Palmers K, Plancke L, Cock H, Theelen M, Delesalle C.Diagnosing IBD in horses is challenging and requires a multimodal approach, since no conclusive diagnostic test is available. The objectives of this study were to provide an overview of population characteristics, results of applied diagnostic tests, treatment modalities and outcome in a large group of horses thought to have IBD and that were presented to four large equine referral hospitals, and to provide an exploratory investigation of possible associations between results of applied diagnostic tests, applied treatment modalities and outcome. A retrospective case series was performed across...
Fortin JS, Royal AB, Kuroki K.A 21-year-old American Saddlebred mare died with a history of weight loss and breathing difficulties of 1Â month duration. Post-mortem examination revealed a copious pleural effusion with multifocal to coalescing numerous white to grey nodular masses on the serosal surface of the pericardium, lungs and thoracic cavity. In addition, the left thyroid gland was markedly enlarged. A thoracic mesothelioma and C-cell adenoma with amyloid deposits of the left thyroid gland were diagnosed by histopathology and confirmed by immunohistochemistry employing antibodies against cytokeratin (CK), vimentin an...
Wilson G, Lucas D, Hambly C, Speakman JR, Morton JP, Close GL.To formulate individualized dietary strategies for jockeys, it is vital that energy requirements are quantified. We measured total energy expenditure (TEE) over two separate weeks in spring and summer using doubly labelled water in a group of male flat jockeys (n = 8, 36.9 ± 5.7 years, 164 ± 8 cm, 54.6 ± 2.5 kg). Total energy intake (TEI) was self-recorded, as were all riding and structured exercise activity. Mean daily TEE was 10.83 (±2.3) and 10.66 (±1.76) MJ, (p = .61) respectively. Self-reported TEI were 6.03 (±1.7) and 5.37 (±1.1) MJ (p = .40), respectiv...
Hughes K, Scott VHL, Blanck M, Barnett TP, Spanner Kristiansen J, Foote AK.Hemangiosarcoma is an uncommon tumor in horses. We characterized 3 cases of equine renal hemangiosarcoma, focusing on clinical and pathologic features, and describe occurrence of the epithelioid variant of hemangiosarcoma in one of these cases. Nuclear expression of phosphorylated STAT3 (pSTAT3) was assessed to analyze potential inappropriate STAT3 activation as a component of tumor pathogenesis. Clinical signs in the 3 horses included insidious weight loss, followed in one case by serosanguineous nasal discharge and terminal epistaxis, and nonspecific signs of abdominal pain. Two of the heman...
Auyyuenyong R, Henze A, Ungru J, Schweigert FJ, Raila J, Vervuert I.Obesity is a key component of equine metabolic syndrome, which is highly associated with laminitis. Feed restriction and/or exercise are known to alleviate the detrimental effects of insulin resistance in obese ponies. However, little is known about changes in the serum lipid patterns due to weight reduction and its association with disease outcomes. Therefore, the lipid patterns in the serum of 14 mature ponies before and after a 14-week body weight reduction program (BWRP) were investigated by multi-one-dimensional thin-layer chromatography (MOD-TLC). Additionally, sensitivity to insulin (SI...
Nawrocka D, Kornicka K, Åšmieszek A, Marycz K.Equine Metabolic Syndrome (EMS) is a steadily growing life-threatening endocrine disorder linked to insulin resistance, oxidative stress, and systemic inflammation. Inflammatory microenvironment of adipose tissue constitutes the direct tissue milieu for various cell populations, including adipose-derived mesenchymal stromal cells (ASCs), widely considered as a potential therapeutic cell source in the course of the treatment of metabolic disorders. Moreover, elevated oxidative stress induces inflammation in intestinal epithelial cells (IECs)-the first-line cells exposed to dietary compounds. In...
Vergnano D, Bergero D, Valle E.Nutrition plays a very important role in the healthy and in the ill horse. Although research in this field clearly shows that incorrect nutritional practices may lead to severe pathologies, inappropriate feeding plans often continue to be used. A clinical nutrition counselling (CNC) service could thus be of great use to both horse owners and veterinarians. The aim of this study was to provide information on equine patients referred to the CNC service of the University of Turin and to provide standard dietary protocols as used in our Veterinary Teaching Hospital for the most common nutrition-re...
Southwood LL, Lindborg S, Myers M, Aceto HW.To compare long-term outcome of Salmonella-positive versus Salmonella-negative horses discharged from hospital after colic surgery. Methods: Retrospective case-control. Methods: Horses discharged from the hospital after colic surgery. For each horse with positive culture for Salmonella enterica (SAL-POS, n = 59), at least 2 horses testing negative for S. enterica (SAL-NEG, n = 119) were enrolled. Methods: Owners were interviewed via phone at least 12 months after surgery regarding: (1) complications after discharge from the hospital; (2) duration of survival; and (3) return to prior or...
Silva SR, Payan-Carreira R, Guedes CM, Coelho S, Santos AS.Obesity and emaciation in horses have major detrimental effects on health and morbidity, reproductive failure, work performance or carcass quality. Scoring is a current management tool used to assess and monitor equine body condition due to its simplicity and low cost. However, accurate assessment of obesity remains a challenge, even though a number of approaches have been tested, particularly for research purposes on adiposity. Their merit is usually validated by comparison with standard scoring methods. The overall aim of this study was to establish the correlation between post-mortem nape f...
de Laat MA, Hampson BA, Sillence MN, Pollitt CC.Obesity in horses is increasing in prevalence and can be associated with insulin insensitivity and laminitis. Current treatment strategies for obesity include dietary restriction and exercise. However, whether exercise alone is effective for decreasing body fat is uncertain. Objective: Our hypothesis was that twice daily use of a dynamic feeding system for 3 months would induce sustained, low-intensity exercise thereby decreasing adiposity and improving insulin sensitivity (SI). Methods: Eight, university-owned, mixed-breed, adult ponies with body condition scores (BCS) ≥5/9 were used. Metho...
Moore JL, Siciliano PD, Pratt-Phillips SE.Weight loss plans in horses typically use dietary restriction, but exercise may have additional benefits. This study aimed to compare the effects of a diet or exercise protocol resulting in comparable caloric restriction in obese horses. Ten obese horses were paired according to sex, age, and breed or breed type. One horse from each pair was randomly assigned to either diet (DIET)-intake restricted to approximately 85% of digestible energy requirements or exercise (EX)-exercised to expend approximately 15% of digestible energy requirements, resulting in 85% of requirements available, for 4Â we...
Wilson G, Pritchard PP, Papageorgiou C, Phillips S, Kumar P, Langan-Evans C, Routledge H, Owens DJ, Morton JP, Close GL.The present study assessed the effects of a diet and exercise intervention in jockeys on body composition, metabolism, bone and mental health. 10 jockeys followed an individually prescribed 6-wk diet (Carbohydrate=2.5-3.5 g/kg, Protein=2.5 g/kg, Fat=1.0 g/kg). Body mass (59.2±4.6 vs. 57.6±4.5 kg), fat mass (7.5±3.5 vs. 6.2±2.6) and body fat (13.1±5.9 vs. 11.5±4.9%) all decreased (P<0.05) from pre to post-intervention whilst lean mass (47.1±5.3 vs. 47.0±5.5 kg) was maintained (P=0.80). RMR (1703±329 vs. 1975±313 kcal.d(-1)), VO2max (3.8±0.8 vs. 4.1±0.7 L/min(- 1))...
Dieckmann SM, Winkler M, Groebel K, Dieckmann MP, Hofmann-Lehmann R, Hoelzle K, Wittenbrink MM, Hoelzle LE.Haemotrophic mycoplasmas (HM) are parasites on the surface of red blood cells and known to infect a wide range of animals. However, there are no previous evidences of HM infections in horses. In this study HM were detected for the first time in the blood of two horses suffering from poor performance, apathy, weight loss, and anaemia. Using a HM specific PCR assay and subsequent sequencing the infective agents isolated from the blood of said horses were confirmed as closely related to the HM species Mycoplasma haemofelis and 'Candidatus Mycoplasma haemobos'.
Erber R, Wulf M, Rose-Meierhöfer S, Becker-Birck M, Möstl E, Aurich J, Hoffmann G, Aurich C.In this study, effects of weaning on behavioral and physiological stress parameters in young horses (foals) were determined. Foals were weaned either simultaneously without the presence of adult horses (group A, n = 6), or in the presence of two adult females familiar but unrelated to the foals (group B, n = 5), or weaned consecutively by removing two mother horses per day (group C, n = 6). Behavior, locomotion, salivary cortisol concentration, beat-to-beat (RR) interval, heart rate variability (HRV) and weight were determined. Group A foals lost weight for 2 days (mean ± SEM) - 8.3Â...
Bruynsteen L, Janssens GP, Harris PA, Duchateau L, Valle E, Odetti P, Vandevelde K, Buyse J, Hesta M.The present study evaluated the effect of different levels of energy restriction on metabolic parameters in obese ponies. Relative weight changes, markers of lipid metabolism and oxidant/antioxidant balance were monitored. A total of eighteen obese (body condition score ≥ 7/9) Shetland ponies were studied over a 23·5-week trial, which was divided into three periods. The first period involved a 4-week adaptation period in which each animal was fed 100% of their maintenance energy requirements needed to maintain a stable obese body weight (MERob). This was followed by a 16·5-week weight-loss...
Galvin N, Dillon H, McGovern F.: Right dorsal colitis (RDC) is an ulcerative inflammatory bowel disorder of the horse that has been associated with the administration of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), particularly in horses treated when dehydrated or toxaemic. The acute form of RDC may result in profuse diarrhoea, severe colic, dehydration, endotoxic shock and even death; the chronic form may be manifest by mild to moderate intermittent colic, ventral oedema and weight loss with or without diarrhoea. The most consistent laboratory findings are anaemia, hypoproteinaemia, hypoalbuminaemia and hypocalcaemia. M...
Caulfield MJ, Karageorghis CI.We examined the psychological effects of rapid weight loss among a sample of 41 professional jockeys (mean age 30.9 years, s = 7.0). Participants completed the Brunel Mood Scale (BRUMS) and the Eating Attitudes Test-26 (EAT-26) to establish the relationships between rapid weight loss, mood, and attitudes towards eating. These instruments were administered on three occasions: at the jockeys' minimal weight (achieved through rapid weight loss), their optimal riding weight (when they were not excessively restricting their weight and felt healthy), and their relaxed weight (when there were no fort...
Kemper DL, Perkins GA, Schumacher J, Edwards JF, Valentine BA, Divers TJ, Cohen ND.Lymphocytic-plasmacytic enteritis (LPE) is a morphological diagnosis given to a type of infiltrative intestinal disease classified within the complex of idiopathic inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). The purpose of this retrospective study was to describe the details of breed, age and sex, clinical and clinicopathological findings and outcome of horses diagnosed with LPE. Data were reported from 14 horses that had a histopathological diagnosis of LPE; the median age was 12 years, and there was no breed or sex predilection. Common clinical signs were weight loss (100%), diarrhoea (50%) and lethar...
Rivero JL, van Breda E, Rogers CW, Lindner A, van Oldruitenborgh-Oosterbaan MM.When inadequate training stress is applied and recovery time is insufficient, performance reduction and chronic maladaptation occurs. Known as overtraining syndrome (OTS), this complex condition afflicts horses in top training. The name of the syndrome implies causation and it is necessary to differentiate it from over-reaching, a term used in horses that, after suffering a loss of performance without an obvious clinical reason, recover their performance within 1 or 2 weeks. The term OTS should be used for horses in heavy training losing performance without an obvious clinical reason and which...
Smith HJ.Five of seven ponies whose strongyle worm burdens had previously been removed or markedly reduced by repeated thiabendazole treatments were reinfected with doses ranging from 100,000 to 500,000 small strongyle infective larvae. Reinfection of ponies resulted in the development of clinical signs characterized by abnormal feces, marked loss of weight and delayed shedding of winter hair coats. An abrupt increase in circulating eosinophils occurred during the first three weeks following reinfection. Patent infections developed in all ponies with worm eggs appearing in the feces from 12 to 15 weeks...
Geor RJ, Petrie L, Papich MG, Rousseaux C.The effects of sucralfate and ranitidine on the gastrointestinal manifestations of phenylbutazone (PBZ) toxicity in horse foals were determined by complete blood count, serum chemistry profile, and gross and histological necropsy examinations. Twenty-eight, three to four month old Belgian-cross foals were randomly assigned to one of four groups. Phenylbutazone was administered at a dosage of 10 mg/kg of bodyweight (BW) per day, intravenously (IV), in equally divided doses to three of the groups. In addition to PBZ, ranitidine was administered at 2 mg/kg BW, IV, twice daily, to one group of sev...
Germann SE, Richter M, Schwarzwald CC, Wimmershoff J, Spiess BM.A 6-year-old thoroughbred gelding was presented with a history of blepharospasm and opacity in the OS of 1 weeks' duration. Ophthalmic examination findings were consistent with acute uveitis in the OS, and traditional treatment was initiated with systemic antibiotics and anti-inflammatory drugs, topical mydriatics, and corticosteroids. During the total treatment period of 4 weeks response to treatment was weak and the horse developed further problems such as cellulitis of the right hind limb with fever and eventually weight loss and dependent edema. Blood work was indicative of liver disease. ...
Mair TS, Hillyer MH, Taylor FG.The clinical signs in 21 adult horses affected by peritonitis (unassociated with gastrointestinal rupture or surgical interference of the abdomen) included colic (18 cases), pyrexia (15 cases), weight loss (six cases) and diarrhoea (five cases). The diagnosis was based on a nucleated cell count in peritoneal fluid greater than 10(10)/litre. Haematological abnormalities (either neutropenia or neutrophilia) were present in 17 animals, and hyperfibrinogenaemia was identified in 14. Twelve of the 21 horses survived after intensive antibiotic therapy; the other nine were destroyed either at explora...
Shepherd M, Harris P, Martinson KL.Equine obesity is common, reducing quality of life and requiring dietary energy restriction. Equine obesity is identified using subjective body condition scoring. Considerations are given for life stage and health status when managing obese equines. Every effort should be made to maximize feeding duration, and minimize time spent without feed while meeting all essential nutrient requirements. Limiting total daily dry matter intake to 2% of current bodyweight per day of a low caloric, forage-based diet may result in adequate body weight loss. Weight loss and weight management plans should be mo...
Nimmo Wilkie JS, Yager JA, Nation PN, Clark EG, Townsend HG, Baird JD.A generalized, chronic, progressive, exfoliative dermatitis in five horses is described. Histologically, the lesion is characterized by a superficial and deep perivascular dermatitis which is eosinophil-rich with a marked lymphocytic and plasmacytic component, accompanied by marked acanthosis and hyperkeratosis. More severe cases progress to a lichenoid pattern with the same cellular composition with focal eosinophilic spongiosis and eosinophilic subcorneal pustules. Clinically, the disease is associated with chronic, severe weight loss and is fulminating. The skin lesions are accompanied by l...
Mair TS, Hillyer MH, Taylor FG, Pearson GR.Specificity of the oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) for the diagnosis of small intestinal malabsorption in the horse was assessed by comparing the results of OGTT with the results of a histopathological examination of the small intestine in 42 adult horses affected by chronic weight loss. The horses were assigned to three groups on the basis of the results of the test. Five horses were considered to have a normal OGTT absorption result (Group 1); all the horses had a histologically normal small intestine. Twenty-five horses had a partial malabsorption result (Group 2) seven of which had norm...
Purcell KL, Johnson PJ, Kreeger JM, Wilson DA.An 8-year-old Missouri Fox Trotter mare was examined because of intermittent, low-grade abdominal pain and weight loss for 3 months. Incomplete jejunal obstruction, caused by a granulomatous mass in the wall of the jejunum, was identified during exploratory celiotomy. Pythium insidiosum was identified as the cause of the granuloma. This case suggests that enteric pythiosis may develop in horses that are geographically distant from the Gulf Coast.
Dyson S.Thirty cases of peritonitis, in which the diagnosis was based on a peritoneal fluid white blood cell count in excess of 10 x 10(9)/litre, are described. Colic, ileus, pyrexia, weight loss and diarrhoea were common presenting signs. Treatments included intravenous fluids, anti-inflammatory analgesics, broad spectrum antibiotics and anthelmintics. Duration of treatment was determined by the clinical condition of the horse and sequential analyses of the peritoneal fluid and the haemogram. In the majority of cases the primary cause of peritonitis was not accurately determined, but 21 horses (70 pe...
Cohen ND, Carter GK, Mealey RH, Taylor TS.Right dorsal colitis in horses has been associated with administration of phenylbutazone. Although reports of right dorsal colitis in this species have described surgical treatment associated with a poor prognosis, we have had success treating this condition medically. This report describes 5 horses with right dorsal colitis confirmed during celiotomy that were initially managed medically. All horses had a history of intermittent abdominal pain; weight loss was noted in only 1 horse. The doses (2.0 to 4.6 mg/kg PO bid) and duration (5 to 30 days) of administration of phenylbutazone were not un...
McClure JJ, Lindsay WA, Taylor W, Ochoa R, Issel CJ, Coulter SJ.In 4 horses with equine infectious anemia (EIA), the predominant clinical sign was ataxia. Other clinical and laboratory findings often associated with EIA included weight loss, anemia, pyrexia, thrombocytopenia, hemorrhages, hypergammaglobulinemia, and high activity of biliary epithelial enzymes. Neuropathologic findings were nonsuppurative granulomatous ependymitis, meningitis, and encephalomyelitis and plasmacytic-lymphocytic infiltration of the brain and spinal cord. The onset of neurologic signs corresponded to the acute stage of infection in at least 2 horses, and the signs developed at ...
Tinworth KD, Harris PA, Sillence MN, Noble GK.Insulin resistance and hyperinsulinaemia increase the risk of laminitis and horse owners and veterinarians should attempt to enhance insulin sensitivity in at-risk groups. In obese animals this may be achieved, in part, by promoting weight loss and increasing exercise, but such intervention may not be appropriate in non-obese insulin-resistant animals, or where exercise is contra-indicated for clinical reasons. An alternative approach to controlling insulin sensitivity in obese and non-obese horses may be the use of certain herbal compounds that have shown promise in humans and laboratory anim...
Gordon ME, McKeever KH, Bokman S, Betros CL, Manso-Filho H, Liburt N, Streltsova J.Horses in training tend to become inappetant; however, the mechanism responsible for this training-induced inappetance is not known. Objective: Training and/or ulcers alter the feed intake (FI) and hormonal and/or biochemical (active ghrelin, leptin, glucose, insulin and cortisol) responses to acute high intensity exercise. Methods: Eight Standardbred mares underwent 3 interval exercise tests (IET) and 3 parallel control tests (CON) before (IET1) and after 8 weeks of training (IET2) and after treatment for gastric ulcers (IET3). Plasma samples were taken before (0 min), during (last 10 sec of ...
Wilson G, Chester N, Eubank M, Crighton B, Drust B, Morton JP, Close GL.Professional jockeys are unique among weight-making athletes, as they are often required to make weight daily and, in many cases, all year-round. Common methods employed by jockeys include dehydration, severe calorie restriction, and sporadic eating, all of which have adverse health effects. In contrast, this article outlines a structured diet and exercise plan, employed by a 22-yr-old professional National Hunt jockey in an attempt to reduce weight from 70.3 to 62.6 kg, that does not rely on any of the aforementioned techniques. Before the intervention, the client's typical daily energy intak...
Kirkpatrick CE, Skand DL.Giardia infection was believed responsible for chronic diarrhea, weight loss, lethargy, inappetence, and dermatitis in a 4-year-old Thoroughbred horse. Fecal cysts were detected by the zinc sulfate centrifugal flotation method. All clinical signs resolved upon treatment with metronidazole suspension (5 mg/kg body weight per os, TID for 10 days).
Cotugna N, Snider OS, Windish J.Athletes involved in horse racing face weight restrictions like wrestlers and dancers; however, the literature is sparse pertaining to nutritional habits of jockeys. The practice of "making weight" causes these athletes to engage in potentially unhealthy practices. A gap in nutritionally sound practices and methods used by jockeys was identified and a desire for nutrition education was expressed to Cooperative Extension of Delaware by representatives of the riders at Delaware Park Race Track. Nutrition assessment was done using the Nutrition Care Process. Twenty jockeys were interviewed using ...
Kim DY, Taylor HW, Eades SC, Cho DY.AL amyloidosis is the most common type of systemic amyloidosis in humans, and it is frequently associated with multiple myeloma. But, AL amyloidosis is very rare in domestic animals. A 16-year-old Quarter horse gelding was diagnosed with systemic AL amyloidosis associated with multiple myeloma. Clinical problems were rapid weight loss, muscle atrophy, soft unformed stool, and ventral edema. Grossly, diffuse gastrointestinal hemorrhage, markedly thickened jejunal mucosa, and splenomegaly were present. Microscopically, diffuse severe amyloid deposits were present in the lamina propria of glandul...
Pratt-Phillips S, Munjizun A.There is ample research describing the increased risk of health concerns associated with equine obesity, including insulin dysregulation and laminitis. For athletes, the negative effect of weight carriage is well documented in racing thoroughbreds (i.e., handicapping with weight) and rider weight has been shown to impact the workload of ridden horses and to some degree their gait and movement. In many groups of competitive and athletic horses and ponies, obesity is still relatively common. Therefore, these animals not only are at risk of metabolic disease, but also must perform at a higher wor...
Metcalfe LV, More SJ, Duggan V, Katz LM.Weight loss despite a good appetite is a frequent diagnostic challenge for equine veterinarians; however, there are few objective reports and little descriptive information regarding risk factors and prognostic indicators. Objective: To provide a descriptive epidemiological analysis of horses evaluated for weight loss despite a good appetite and evaluate relationships between historical and clinicopathological findings and final outcome (survival vs. nonsurvival) to identify risk factors and prognostic indicators. Methods: Medical records of horses referred for investigation of weight loss des...
Bruynsteen L, Moons CP, Janssens GP, Harris PA, Vandevelde K, Lefère L, Duchateau L, Hesta M.Due to the high prevalence of obesity in some horses and ponies (especially in the leisure horse sector), effective and safe weight loss strategies are required. The present study evaluated the effect of two different energy restriction rates on physical, morphometric and welfare parameters in 18 obese (body condition score [BCS] 7-9/9) Shetland geldings. The trial was divided into three periods: (1) a 4 week adaptation period, during which the maintenance energy intakes to maintain a stable obese bodyweight were determined (100% MERob); (2) a 16.5-week weight loss period during which the poni...
