Comparative analysis of racing performance following surgical correction of epiglottic entrapment in standardbreds and thoroughbreds.

Introduction: Epiglottic entrapment (EE) is a common cause of poor performance in racing standardbreds (STBs) and thoroughbreds (TBs). There is limited information published on the condition in STB racehorses and limited information on factors associated with return to racing available for either breed.

Methods: This study investigated and compared the pre surgical findings, post-surgical complications and racing performance in STBs and TBs undergoing surgery for correction of EE.

Dairy farmer, engagement and understanding of One Health and antimicrobial resistance - a pilot survey from the lower north island of Aotearoa New Zealand.

Background: Reducing antimicrobial resistance (AMR) requires a multidisciplinary One Health approach, which necessitates buy-in from all stakeholders. In Aotearoa New Zealand, where the dairy industry is one of the largest users of antimicrobials, there are ongoing efforts to optimise antimicrobial usage (AMU) to minimise the development of AMR. These include regulations around the veterinary authorisation of the use of antibiotics by farmers without the need for a specific prescription ("the RVM process") and programmes such as the New Zealand Veterinary Association's antibiotic 'Traffic Light System'.

The impact of heat treatment of bovine milk on gastric emptying and nutrient appearance in peripheral circulation in healthy females: a randomized controlled trial comparing pasteurized and ultra-high temperature milk.

Background: Heat treatments of dairy, including pasteurization and ultra-high temperature (UHT) processing, alter milk macromolecular structures, and ultimately affect digestion. In vitro, animal, and human studies show faster nutrient release or circulating appearance after consuming UHT milk (UHT-M) compared with pasteurized milk (PAST-M), with a faster gastric emptying (GE) rate proposed as a possible mechanism.

Objectives: To investigate the impact of milk heat treatment on GE as a mechanism of faster nutrient appearance in blood.

'I want to be the sort of owner that he wants me to be': Rationales for biosecurity implementation among British horse owners.

Background: Horse owners play a critical role in mitigating the risk of pathogen spread between horses. However, little is known about how they view biosecurity and whether they experience barriers to the uptake of preventive measures.

Objectives: To explore horse owners' attitudes, perceptions, and experiences of biosecurity and identify how these factors shape horse owners' decisions for biosecurity implementation.

Recognition of emotion and pain by owners benefits the welfare of donkeys in a challenging working environment.

Working donkeys () support human living standards globally. However, there is little information on the effect of human perceptions of emotion and pain on the welfare of working donkeys. We interviewed donkey owners ( = 332) in Pakistan to determine the relationship between human perspectives on donkey sentience: emotions and the ability to feel pain, and the routine working practices that could impact donkey welfare.

The challenges of pig farming in Hong Kong: a study of farmers' perceptions and attitudes towards a pig health and production management service.

Background: Pig farming in Hong Kong differs markedly from other places in the world, with a highly urbanised population, the majority of pigs being imported for slaughter, and limited on-farm veterinary support. Little is known about the barriers and attitudes of pig farmers in Hong Kong and their expectations of a new pig health and production management service provided by veterinarians. We collected qualitative and quantitative data to 1) describe pig farms, 2) identify barriers to pig farming in Hong Kong and 3) describe the perceptions of the new service.

Active learning for an evidence-based veterinary medicine course during COVID-19.

Epidemiology is often a challenging course that is not well appreciated by many students learning veterinary medicine. The curriculum for this topic can sometimes be dry, difficult for students to contextualize, and heavy with statistics and mathematical concepts. We incorporated the concepts of epidemiology that are most important for practicing veterinarians and combined these with evidence-based veterinary medicine principles to create a practical course for second-year undergraduate veterinary students.

Hoof morphometry in a population of lame and nonlame working donkeys in Pakistan.

Background: Hoof morphometry, conformation and shoeing practices have all been associated with lameness in horses. Hoof morphometry in working donkeys in Pakistan has not been objectively measured.

Objectives: To quantitatively assess hoof morphology in donkeys, to identify factors underlying hoof morphology, and interrelationships between conformation, lameness, and shoeing status.

Welfare Concerns for Mounted Load Carrying by Working Donkeys in Pakistan.

Working donkeys () are vital to people's livelihoods. They are essential for carrying goods, however, globally, overloading is one of the primary welfare concerns for working donkeys. We studied mounted load carrying by donkeys and associated factors in Pakistan.

Cross-Sectional Questionnaire of Donkey Owners and Farriers Regarding Farriery Practices in the Faisalabad Region of Pakistan.

Quality farriery is essential to ensure donkey welfare, and many intervention programs in low-middle income countries (LMICs) train farriers, and educate owners, regarding the farriery needs of donkeys. It is essential for interventional programs to understand the perspectives of all stakeholders in donkey-owning communities. A cross-sectional questionnaire study was conducted in the Faisalabad region of Pakistan.

Challenges to exotic disease preparedness in Great Britain: The frontline veterinarian's perspective.

Background: Exotic diseases pose a significant risk to horse health and welfare. Several stakeholder groups, including primary care veterinarians, share responsibility for maintaining freedom from pathogens that cause exotic diseases. However, little is known about the current state of exotic disease preparedness within the British horse industry.

Incidence, recurrence, and outcome of postrace atrial fibrillation in Thoroughbred horses.

Background: Atrial fibrillation (AF) impacts performance and horse and jockey safety. Understanding the outcomes of AF identified postrace will better inform regulatory policy.

Hypothesis/objectives: To investigate the outcomes after episodes of AF identified postrace and determine whether affected horses are at increased risk of additional episodes compared to the general racing population.

Stress fracture of the palmar, distal cortex of the third metacarpal bone: A diagnostic challenge with a good prognosis.

Background: Transverse stress fracture of the palmar cortex of the distal aspect of the third metacarpal bone (TSF PCD McIII) is poorly documented.

Objectives: To describe the typical signalment of this injury, the common clinical and radiological signs and prognosis.

Study Design: A retrospective hospital-based case series with follow-up of racing records.

Factors associated with survival and racing performance of 114 Thoroughbred foals with septic arthritis compared with maternal siblings (2009-2015).

Background: There is little consensus on factors associated with survival in foals with septic arthritis and limited data on long-term racing performance of Thoroughbred foals treated for septic arthritis. A more thorough understanding of short- and long-term outcome is necessary to help inform owners, and subsequently guide treatment.

Objectives: To investigate factors associated with survival, and to analyse racing performance of foals with septic arthritis compared with their maternal siblings.

Comparing racing performance following arthroscopic surgery of metacarpophalangeal/metatarsophalangeal and carpal joints in Thoroughbred racehorses rehabilitated using conventional and underwater treadmill therapies.

Background: Rehabilitation of horses using underwater treadmill therapy has been shown to improve joint range of motion, joint mobility, stride length and proprioceptive parameters with experimental studies. However, studies investigating the prognosis and return to function following rehabilitation are lacking.

Methods: A retrospective study of Thoroughbred racehorses treated with arthroscopic surgery for osteochondral fragments of the metacarpophalangeal (MCP) or metatarsophalangeal (MTP) joints or carpal joints undergoing conventional rehabilitation or underwater treadmill assisted rehabilitation at the same facility were included.

The effect of stress fracture occurring within the first 12 months of training on subsequent race performance in Thoroughbreds in Hong Kong.

Background: Racehorses are at an increased risk of stress fracture within the first 12 months of racing and when resuming training after a break. Research in these high-risk periods and on the effect of performance post-recovery is limited.

Objectives: To describe the occurrence of stress fractures, diagnosed by nuclear scintigraphy (NS), in racehorses' first 12 months training in Hong Kong, and their impact on racing performance and career length.

Sea lice exposure to non-lethal levels of emamectin benzoate after treatments: a potential risk factor for drug resistance.

The avermectin derivative emamectin benzoate (EMB) has been widely used by salmon industries around the world to control sea lice infestations. Resistance to this anti-parasitic drug is also commonly reported in these industries. The objective of this study was to quantify the number of sea lice potentially exposed to sub-lethal concentrations of EMB while fish clear the drug after treatments.

Using time-series analysis techniques to enhance the understanding of musculoskeletal injury in Thoroughbred racehorses.

Background: Many racing jurisdictions monitor race-day musculoskeletal injury (MSI) but fail to evaluate injuries occurring during training. Additionally, previous risk factor analyses have failed to explore temporal trends in injury occurrence.

Objectives: To use time-series analysis techniques to identify trends, cyclicity and peaks in MSI incidence, in racehorses training and racing at the Hong Kong Jockey Club (HKJC) from July 2010 to June 2018.

Piroplasmosis in Italian Standardbred Horses: 15 Years of Surveillance Data.

This study aimed to document the prevalence of chronic equine piroplasmosis (EP) in poorly performing Standardbred racehorses and to explore associations between the disease and sex, age, and hematological parameters. Blood was collected between 2004 and 2018; blood cell counts were performed using a cell counter analyzer, biochemical parameters using a photometer, and serum proteins using agarose gel electrophoresis. Blood smears were prepared, colored with a modified Giemsa, and an experienced technician identified the presence of protozoa.

Preliminary insight into horse owners' perceptions of, and attitudes towards, exotic diseases in the United Kingdom.

Background: The potential for an exotic disease incursion is a significant concern for the United Kingdom (UK) equine industry. Horse owners' perceptions of, and attitudes towards, exotic diseases can influence decisions to adopt disease preparedness strategies. The objectives of this study were to describe horse owners' 1) perceptions of the term 'exotic disease', and 2) attitudes towards their risk of being affected by an exotic disease.

A cross-sectional study of horse owners' awareness and perceived risk of exotic diseases in the United Kingdom.

The international nature of the equine industry provides opportunities for the spread of infectious diseases between countries. While incursions of exotic diseases into the United Kingdom (UK) equine population have been rare, the potential socioeconomic and welfare impacts are a significant concern. However, little is known about leisure horse owners' ability or willingness to prepare for an exotic disease incursion.

In vitro evaluation of the knot-holding capacity and security, weight, and volume of forwarder knots tied with size-3 polyglactin 910 suture exposed to air, balanced electrolyte solution, or equine abdominal fat.

Objective: To evaluate the effect of exposure to a balanced electrolyte solution (BES), or equine abdominal fat on the knot-holding capacity (KHC), relative knot security (RKS), weight, and volume of forwarder knots versus surgeon's knots.

Sample: 315 knots tied and tested in vitro.

Procedures: United States Pharmacopeia size-3 polyglactin 910 suture exposed to air (dry [control]), equine abdominal fat (fat-exposed), or BES (BES-exposed) was used to tie forwarder knots with 2, 3, and 4 throws and surgeon's knots with 5, 6, 7, and 8 throws.

An economic analysis of a contingency model utilising vaccination for the control of equine influenza in a non-endemic country.

Background: Equine influenza (EI) is an infectious respiratory disease of horses that has never been reported in New Zealand (NZ). However, the 2007 EI outbreak in Australia, previously EI free, spurred the NZ government and stakeholders into evaluating alternative EI control strategies in order to economically justify any future decision to eradicate or manage EI. To build on the policy debate, this paper presents an epinomic (epidemiologic and economic) modelling approach to evaluate alternative control strategies.

Comparison of Metzenbaum scissors and Y-shaped fasciotome for deep metatarsal fasciotomy for the treatment of proximal suspensory ligament desmopathy in horses.

Objective: To quantitate the iatrogenic injury associated with deep plantar metatarsal fasciotomy performed with Metzenbaum scissors compared with a Y-shaped fasciotome.

Study Design: Experimental ex vivo surgical study.

Study Population: Cadaveric hind limbs (n = 20) from 10 sound thoroughbred racehorses.