Increased packed cell volume alters point of care viscoelastic clotting parameters in horses.

Background: Polycythaemia and coagulopathy are identified risk factors for non-survival in critically ill horses. Assessment of coagulation is recommended for critical care monitoring but may be affected by concurrent polycythaemia.

Objective: To evaluate the effects of induced polycythaemia on coagulation parameters as measured by a point-of-care viscoelastic coagulation device (VCM Vet™).

Microbial populations vary between the upper and lower respiratory tract, but not within biogeographic regions of the lung of healthy horses.

Understanding normal microbial populations within areas of the respiratory tract is essential, as variable regional conditions create different niches for microbial flora, and proliferation of commensal microbes likely contributes to clinical respiratory disease. The objective was to describe microbial population variability between respiratory tract locations in healthy horses. Samples were collected from four healthy adult horses by nasopharyngeal lavage (NPL), transtracheal aspirate (TTA), and bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) of six distinct regions within the lung.

Hyponatremia in horses with septic pneumopathy.

Background: Hyponatremia is common in horses with bacterial pleuropneumonia, but no further characterization of this abnormality has been reported.

Objectives: Describe admission plasma sodium concentration ([Na]) in horses with septic pneumopathy and evaluate any association of plasma [Na] with markers of systemic inflammation.

Animals: Medical records of horses >1 month of age that between 2008 and 2021 had a transtracheal aspirate (TTA) performed, abnormal TTA cytology, positive TTA culture, pulmonary disease on ultrasonography, radiography or both, and plasma [Na] assessed by direct ion-selective-electrode (dISE).