Clinical

Figure 1. A horse with pituitary pars intermedia dysfunction showing characteristic hypertrichosis, loss of muscling along the topline and pendulous abdomen.

Management of the older horse

Pituitary pars intermedia dysfunction is one of the most common diseases seen in older horses, and increasing age is the primary risk factor for this disease. Affected horses have a mean age of 21...

Figure 1. Key components of sustainable equine helminth control programmes. *Note: this practice is not suitable or effective to reduce F. hepatica.

Using diagnostics in supporting sustainable worm control in horses

Standard faecal egg count methods are insensitive for A. perfoliata, especially as the eggs are not evenly distributed in faeces (Nilsson et al, 1995) and it is not known whether eggs are released...

Figure 1. Emotions of the owner on receiving bad news and the approach in communicating these emotions.

The role of the equine veterinarian in end-of-life phase of geriatric horses

If an animal is faced with severe illness or another problem that could result in death, the owner may turn to a veterinarian for advice. The veterinarian is requested to have a part in the...

Figure 3. a) A minimal vitrification device used as the carrier for vitrifying embryos. This one is a Cryolock (FujiFilm, Irving Scientific, California, USA). b) Embryos are loaded onto the tip (arrowed) in a 2 µl volume of vitrification solution. The excess solution is removed before plunging into liquid nitrogen.

A touch of glass: cryopreservation of equine embryos by vitrification

Mammalian embryos cryopreserve well when they are relatively small, contain a negligible blastocoele cavity and their structure allows for the passage of cryoprotectants into the cells. Equine embryos...

Figure 1. Lipaemic plasma from a mixed breed pony with enterocolitis (left). Note the difference with plasma from a healthy horse (right).

Lipid disorders in horses and foals

In horses, lipids are absorbed from the gastrointestinal tract in the form of fatty acids. Short-chain fatty acids bind to albumin and travel through the portal circulation, but most fatty acids...

Figure 1. Diagram of the equine metacarpophalangeal joint demonstrating molecular and structural changes found within a healthy joint compared to an osteoarthritic joint.

Extracellular vesicles in osteoarthritis: from biomarkers to therapeutic potential

Today, it is understood that osteoarthritis is a disease of the entire joint, including cartilage, subchondral bone, ligaments, synovial membrane and periarticular tissues. It is recognised as...

The potential impact of artificial intelligence in equine practice

Artificial intelligence has the potential to play a significant role in equine welfare, from disease prevention to early detection and individualised treatment. Some tools are already widely used by...

Nutritional management of equine gastric ulcers

Equine gastric ulcers are reported in all ages and breeds of horse. The incidence of equine squamous gastric disease in researched cohorts is reported to be between 11–92% (Murray et al, 1989;...

Figure 2. Laterolateral radiograph of the thoracolumbar spine a 5-year-old Thoroughbred showing moderate to marked changes. The margins of the spinous processes show moderate to marked remodelling and decreased distance (white solid arrows) and overlap of the spinous processes (white dashed arrows). In some spinous processes, radiolucent, cyst-like lesions are visible (black arrows).

Radiographic examination of the equine thoracolumbar spine

As for all radiographic examinations, positioning and preparation is key. The horse should stand squarely on all four legs to avoid rotation of the spine. Furthermore, the head and neck position...

Failure of passive transfer of immunity

The mammary glands of the mare have a small cistern (storage area) from which the foal nurses throughout the day, with the ejection of milk requiring the release of oxytocin. Healthy foals should...

Figure 6. Layers of fibrin on the parietal pleural surface (red arrow) and along the diaphragm (yellow arrow) in a horse with pleuropneumonia. There is a small volume of pleural fluid. Dorsal is to the right in this image.

Use of thoracic ultrasound to investigate respiratory disease: an update

Ultrasonographic examination is indicated in the investigation of suspected respiratory disease in foals and horses. Clinical findings which might prompt ultrasound investigation would include dull...

Figure 1. Top left – Complicated fracture of incisor 201 caused by a road traffic accident; Top right – following resection of the clinical crown just apical to the fracture, showing bleeding from the still vital pulp; Bottom image – following vital pulpotomy.

Fractured teeth in equids

Equid endodontic anatomy and how it changes with age have been well described (Dacre et al, 2008; Windley et al, 2009; Kopke et al, 2012; Englisch et al, 2018) with simpler endodontic anatomy in...