Background: F-sodium fluoride (F-NaF) positron emission tomography (PET) has been validated as a useful imaging technique in the racehorse fetlock. The use of F-NaF PET in the nonracehorse fetlock has not been reported.
Objectives: To describe F-NaF PET findings in nonracehorse fetlocks, to compare with computed tomography (CT) findings and to compare PET findings between horses with and without fetlock pain.
During the stance phase of equine locomotion, ground reaction forces are exerted on the hoof, leading first to rapid deceleration ("braking") and later to acceleration ("propulsion") as the hoof leaves the ground. Excessive hoof deceleration has been identified as a risk factor for musculoskeletal injury and may be influenced by arena surface properties. Therefore, our objective was to evaluate the effect of arena surface type (dirt, synthetic) on hoof translation of the leading and trailing forelimbs during jump takeoff and landing.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFRein tension is relatively easy to measure, and the resulting data are useful for evaluating the interaction between horse and rider. To date, there have been a number of studies using different transducers, calibration methods and analytical techniques. The purpose of this paper is to make recommendations regarding the collection, analysis and reporting of rein tension data.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe purpose of this study was to determine whether the thermal image temperatures of the tibiotarsal scaled region of the raptor leg and the plantar surface of ipsilateral foot while perching were correlated. The correlation between leg and foot temperature was sought to determine whether remote imaging of the legs can be used as a reliable predictor of foot temperature. The right and left tarsometatarsal region (Leg) and metatarsal pad (Foot) of 10 captive hawks, including 8 red-tailed hawks (), 1 Harris's hawk (), and 1 Swainson's hawk () were imaged once daily over 3 consecutive days.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAlthough exercise and acupuncture are frequently used therapies to treat persistent postbreeding endometritis, their efficacy to date is unproven. The objective of this study was to determine if exercise and acupuncture are effective methods to reduce intrauterine fluid and compare the effectiveness of these treatments to the use of uterine ecbolics. Twelve mares susceptible to postbreeding endometritis were enrolled in the study with a randomized cross-over design using both positive and negative controls.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFGirth aversion or girthiness is a nonspecific clinical sign anecdotally associated with multiple conditions in the horse (behavioral problems, gastric ulcers, back pain); however, studies have not been conducted to definitively correlate this clinical sign to specific pathologies. This retrospective study aims to describe the clinical signs and final diagnoses of 37 horses evaluated at the University of California, Davis with a presenting complaint of girthiness. Medical records of all horses presented to the veterinary hospital between 2004 and 2016 for girthiness were reviewed.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFObjective: To evaluate the suitability of infrared thermography in assessing healing of surgically created wounds that are managed by primary closure or second intention in neonatal dairy calves during a 3-week period.
Study Design: Randomized clinical trial.
Animals: Six Jersey bull calves.
Distal extremity wounds are a significant clinical problem in horses and humans and may benefit from mesenchymal stem cell (MSC) therapy. This study evaluated the effects of direct wound treatment with allogeneic stem cells, in terms of gross, histologic, and transcriptional features of healing. Three full-thickness cutaneous wounds were created on each distal forelimb in six healthy horses, for a total of six wounds per horse.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFObjective: To determine if preoperative and intraoperative physiologic variables, and surgical factors correlate with survival to anesthetic recovery or hospital discharge, repeat celiotomy, and postoperative nasogastric intubation (NGT) in horses undergoing exploratory celiotomy for small intestinal (SI) strangulating lesions.
Study Design: Retrospective case series.
Animals: Horses that had surgical correction of SI strangulating lesions (n = 258).
Acupuncture is one of the most common veterinary integrative medicine modalities. Acupuncture can greatly contribute to a rehabilitation protocol by promoting analgesia, tissue healing, and muscle strength. Acupuncture is safe, has minimal detrimental side effects, and is well tolerated by most horses.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFObjective: To investigate postoperative hemoperitoneum in a population of horses that had surgery for colic.
Study Design: Retrospective case series.
Animals: Horses (n = 23).
Abdominal ultrasound is an invaluable aid in the evaluation of the colic patient but can be heavily influenced by patient preparation, individual horse-to-horse variation, availability of ultrasound transducers, technique, experience level of the examiner, and complexity of the abdominal disorder. This article describes ultrasonographic anatomy of the normal equine abdomen and technique for examination of the equine colic patient. Common abnormalities of the stomach, small intestine, large intestine, and peritoneal cavity are described along with other abnormalities that may be discovered with abdominal ultrasonography of the colic patient, such as masses, urolithiasis, cholelithiasis, and thoracic or cardiac lesions.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFObjective: To compare 3 portable handheld analyzers with a bench top blood gas analyzer for measurement of blood and peritoneal fluid L-lactate concentrations in horses admitted with signs of colic.
Study Design: Prospective clinical study.
Sample Population: Blood and peritoneal fluid from horses with colic.
Objective: To evaluate the sensitivity and specificity of direct digital abdominal radiography for the diagnosis of enterolithiasis in equids and to assess the effect of the number and anatomic location of enteroliths and gas distention of the gastrointestinal tract on diagnostic sensitivity of the technique.
Design: Retrospective case series.
Sample Population: 238 horses and ponies ≥ 1 year old that underwent digital abdominal radiography with subsequent exploratory celiotomy or postmortem examination.
Objective: To determine if preoperative physical examination and blood work values, intraoperative physiologic variables, and intraoperative treatments can be correlated with survival to anesthetic recovery and short-term survival to hospital discharge in horses that undergo exploratory celiotomy for large colon volvulus (LCV) with and without colon resection.
Study Design: Retrospective case series.
Animals: Horses (n = 156) undergoing exploratory celiotomy for correction of LCV ≥ 360(ο) .
This is a report of a 12-year-old Swedish Warmblood gelding with a ruptured esophageal pulsion diverticulum associated with atypical clinical signs of colic and septic peritonitis on presentation. The location of this diverticulum at the hiatus was unique and was most likely responsible for the unusual presentation of this horse.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFCase Description: A 10-year-old Lipizzaner stallion was evaluated over the course of 1.5 years because of intermittent, recurrent colic.
Clinical Findings: The horse was initially treated medically for gastric ulcers; dietary changes were made, and a deworming protocol was instituted, without resolution of colic episodes.
Objective: To (1) determine if histologic scores of pelvic flexure biopsies can predict short-term survival in horses with large colon volvulus (LCV) and (2) identify clinical variables predictive of short-term survival.
Study Design: Case series.
Animals: Horses (n = 28) with LCV (≥ 360°).
Objective: To evaluate the sensitivity and specificity of abdominal computed radiography (CR) for the diagnosis of enterolithiasis in horses and to examine how these parameters are affected by the number and anatomic location of enteroliths and by gas distension of the gastrointestinal tract.
Design: Retrospective case series.
Animals: Horses ? 1 year old that underwent abdominal CR and subsequent exploratory laparotomy or postmortem examination.
Objective: To evaluate the association between peritoneal fluid and plasma d-lactate concentration with variables used in the diagnosis and prognosis of horses with colic.
Animals: Clinically healthy horses (n=6) and 90 horses with colic.
Study Design: Prospective cross-sectional study.
Gastroscopic examinations were performed in 62 Thoroughbred broodmares (33 pregnant, 29 non-pregnant) at one breeding farm to investigate the prevalence of gastric ulceration. Age, pregnancy status, race earnings, last race start, herd size, medical history, number of live foals, breeding years, feed type and number of feedings were recorded, plus coat condition and body condition score were determined. Twenty-one mares were re-evaluated after foaling, and the foaling date, foal weight at birth and placenta weight were recorded.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFCase Description: 3 horses with penetrating wounds to the shoulder area were examined because of forelimb lameness.
Clinical Findings: All horses had physical examination findings (decreased cranial phase of the stride, swelling in the shoulder region, and signs of pain on manipulation of the shoulder) that were suggestive of problems in the upper portion of the forelimb. Injury to the biceps tendon or bursa was the primary differential diagnosis in each instance, but no abnormalities involving those structures were found.
Objective: To evaluate clinical findings, underlying causes, and short-term outcome associated with hemoperitoneum in horses.
Design: Retrospective case series.
Animals: 67 horses with hemoperitoneum.
Objective-To determine whether partial transection of the medial branch of the suspensory ligament (MBSL) alters equine third metacarpal bone (MC3) condylar surface strains and forelimb, distal joint angles in a manner consistent with promotion of lateral condylar fracture. Study Design-In vitro biomechanical experiment. Sample Population-Right forelimbs from 7 Thoroughbred horse cadavers.
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