Noncontact infrared thermometer measurements offer a reasonable alternative to rectal temperature measurement in afebrile horses.

Objective: To assess the repeatability of infrared thermometer temperature readings and evaluate the correlation between digital rectal temperature and infrared thermometer temperatures taken at different locations in healthy afebrile horses.

Animals: 101 afebrile horses ≥ 1 year old.

Methods: Digital rectal temperatures and infrared temperatures from the eye, gingiva, neck, axilla, and perineum were obtained in a climate-controlled environment and at 2 outdoor ambient temperatures (study period, November 1, 2021, to April 30, 2023).

The Influence of Diet Change and Oral Metformin on Blood Glucose Regulation and the Fecal Microbiota of Healthy Horses.

Common treatments for Equine Metabolic Syndrome (EMS) and associated conditions include removal from pasture and adoption of an all-hay diet. Pharmacological treatments for EMS include metformin, a biguanide antihyperglycemic agent also administered to people to help improve glucose tolerance and insulin sensitivity. Both treatments may work, at least partially, through the gut microbiota, yet little is known regarding these effects in the equine host.

Utility of a portable desiccant system for preservation of fecal samples for downstream 16S rRNA amplicon sequencing.

While recent advances in culture-independent sequencing approaches have revitalized the field of microbiology, rapid collection and preservation of microbial DNA in samples like feces is critical to avoid degradation of target DNA via nuclease activity and proliferation of aerotolerant microbes. Common laboratory practices to ameliorate such changes rely on prompt freezing of samples or dispersion in nuclease-inhibiting reagents. As many of the microbial enzymes associated with nuclease activity and bacterial proliferation are hydrolases, prompt desiccation of samples offers an attractive alternative to freezing and liquid reagents for field collection of samples in remote areas.