A survey on the use of rugs in Australian horses.

The practice of horse rugging has important implications for horse welfare and performance, but in Australia, rugging practices have not been properly documented. The objective of this study was to obtain an understanding of Australian horse rugging practices. An online survey reviewed the management of 2659 Australian horses over 12 months.

Use of zoledronate for treatment of a bone fragility disorder in horses.

Objective: To assess clinical outcomes and scintigraphic findings in horses with a bone fragility disorder (BFD) treated with zoledronate (a nitrogen-containing bisphosphonate).

Design: Prospective uncontrolled clinical trial.

Animals: 10 horses with evidence of a BFD.

Comparisons of computed tomography, contrast-enhanced computed tomography and standing low-field magnetic resonance imaging in horses with lameness localised to the foot. Part 2: Lesion identification.

Reasons For Performing Study: No previous study compares computed tomography (CT), contrast-enhanced computed tomography (CECT) and standing low-field magnetic resonance imaging (LFMRI) to detect lesions in horses with lameness localised to the foot. This study will help clinicians understand the limitations of these techniques.

Objectives: To determine if CT, CECT and LFMRI would identify lesions within the distal limb and document discrepancies with lesion distribution and lesion classification.

Comparisons of computed tomography, contrast enhanced computed tomography and standing low-field magnetic resonance imaging in horses with lameness localised to the foot. Part 1: anatomic visualisation scores.

Reasons For Performing Study: To date, few reports exist comparing magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and computed tomography (CT) for imaging of the equine distal limb, yet clinicians are required to decide which modality to use regularly.

Objectives: To report and compare anatomic visualisation scores obtained for CT, contrast enhanced CT (CECT) and standing low-field MRI (LFMRI) in the equine foot.

Hypothesis: Anatomic visualisation score discrepancies would exist between CT, CECT and LFMRI.

Radiography and computed tomography in the diagnosis of nonneoplastic equine mandibular disease.

We compared the information gained from computed tomography (CT) vs. radiography in horses with nonneoplastic disease of the mandible. We hypothesized that CT would provide additional diagnostic information.

Caecal intussusceptions in horses: a New Zealand perspective.

Objective: To establish the prevalence of intussusceptions involving the caecum in a population of horses admitted to a university hospital for colic.

Design: Retrospective clinical study

Methods: Medical records of all horses admitted to the Massey University Veterinary Teaching Hospital between 1991 and 2004 were examined for information of those horses diagnosed with an intussusception involving the caecum.

Results: A total of 135 horses were admitted for colic surgery during the study period and 61 horses had a diagnosis of ileocaecal (37), caecocaecal (5) or caecocolic intussusception (19) made either at surgery or necropsy.

Treatment of a metallic foreign body in the cranial cervical region of a horse.

Ingestion of foreign bodies is uncommon in horses when compared with indiscriminate grazers such as cattle. This case report describes the diagnosis and treatment of a cervical abscess in a Thoroughbred racehorse thought to be associated with ingestion of wire. Radiographic and ultrasonographic examination provided a diagnosis, and conservative treatment of the lesion with antimicrobials initially allowed the lesion to localise closer to the skin for safer surgical exploration.

A comparison of two scoring systems for endoscopic grading of gastric ulceration in horses.

Aim: To compare two scoring systems for grading gastric ulcers in adult horses.

Methods: Digitised recordings of gastroscopy examinations of 22 horses that were part of a study on prevalence of gastric ulceration in racehorses in New Zealand were reviewed independently by three examiners. All stomachs were graded by each examiner using two different grading systems, the Equine Gastric Ulcer Council (EGUC) system and the Number/Severity (N/S) system.

The prevalence of gastric ulceration in racehorses in New Zealand.

Aim: To establish the prevalence and factors influencing the prevalence and severity of gastric ulceration in racehorses in New Zealand.

Methods: Horses (n=171) in active training for racing by trainers (n=24) located throughout New Zealand were examined using gastroscopy during 2003 and 2004. Images of the examination were recorded and reviewed, and an ordinal grade based on the severity of gastric ulceration present was assigned, using the grading system proposed by the Equine Gastric Ulcer Council (EGUC).

Equine gastric ulcer syndrome in adult horses: a review.

In recent years, gastric ulceration has been recognised as a common, possibly performance-limiting disease of adult horses. Here, we aim to provide the reader with a useful review of recent literature covering all aspects of equine gastric ulcer syndrome (EGUS) in adult horses. The anatomy and physiology of the stomach, with particular reference to secretion of acid and mucosal protective mechanisms, are reviewed, as are the differing theories relating to the aetiopathogenesis of gastric ulceration.

Suture materials: composition and applications in veternary wound repair.

Suture materials play an important role in veterinary surgery by providing support for healing tissues during wound repair. As there is no single ideal suture material, clinicians must compromise on some properties when selecting a material for a specific purpose. By reviewing the characteristics of absorbable and non-absorbable materials, general recommendations can be made on their usage in skin, fascia, viscera and other tissues.