Normal variation in pelvic roll motion pattern during straight-line trot in hand in warmblood horses.

In horses, hip hike asymmetry, i.e. left-right difference in hip upwards movement during hind limb protraction in trot, is a crucial lameness sign.

Cytokine enrichment in equine conditioned serum is not reliant on incubation in specialized containers.

Autologous conditioned serum (ACS), i.e serum enriched with anti-inflammatory cytokines and growth factors, is a popular orthobiologic therapy used in equine practice. Costly specialized tubes containing glass beads are commonly used for ACS production.

The equine patellar ligaments and the infrapatellar fat pad - a microanatomical study.

Background: Interpretation of patellar ligament (PL) ultrasonography may be difficult, as hypoechoic or heterogenous echogenicity are common findings. Verifying suspected disease of equine PLs by histopathology is also problematic as descriptions of normal PL vascularity and histology are scarce. The current study describes the PL and infrapatellar fat pad (IFP) vascular pattern from computed tomography scans of barium perfused normal equine specimens (n = 8; age 10 days to 18 years), as well as routine histology to serve as a reference for future investigations into PL pathology and IFP disease.

Partial atrioventricular septal defect in an adult sport horse.

A partial atrioventricular septal defect, represented as a large ostium primum atrial septal defect and common (bridging) atrioventricular valve leaflets with cleft septal leaflet of the mitral valve, was diagnosed incidentally in a nine-year-old warmblood gelding used for show jumping. Initial examination findings and a three-year follow-up are documented in this report. The horse was first presented for the evaluation of chronic coughing.

Reference values of two-dimensional and M-mode echocardiographic measurements as a function of body size in various equine breeds and in ponies.

Introduction: The aim of this study was to establish echocardiographic reference values for the equine species using allometric regression equations based on body weight (BW) and thoracic circumference (TC).

Animals: A total of 239 horses or ponies were studied, including 65 warmbloods, 33 Standardbreds, 41 Thoroughbreds, 32 Arabian horses, 28 draft horses, and 40 ponies aged from 1 day to 30 years, weighing from 18 to 890 kg, with no evidence of cardiac disease.

Methods: For each horse or pony, a two-dimensional and M-mode echocardiography was performed.

Faecal microbiota characterisation of horses using 16 rdna barcoded pyrosequencing, and carriage rate of clostridium difficile at hospital admission.

Background: The equine faecal microbiota is very complex and remains largely unknown, while interspecies interactions have an important contribution to animal health. Clostridium difficile has been identified as an important cause of diarrhoea in horses. This study provides further information on the nature of the bacterial communities present in horses developing an episode of diarrhoea.

Histopathological assessment of intrinsic laryngeal musculature in horses with dynamic laryngeal collapse.

Reasons For Performing Study: The pathogenesis of bilateral dynamic laryngeal collapse associated with poll flexion (DLC) of horses is unknown but might be associated with intrinsic laryngeal muscle weakness.

Objectives: To investigate histopathological characteristics of the cricoarytenoideus dorsalis, the cricothyroid (CT) and the cricoarytenoideus lateralis muscles in DLC-affected horses and compare these with unaffected controls. Our hypotheses were that evidence of neurogenic atrophy of the CT or cricoarytenoideus dorsalis muscles would be found in DLC-affected horses and that observed changes would be symmetrically (left/right) distributed, or that muscle fibre diameter would be significantly reduced in DLC-affected horses compared to unaffected controls, reflecting an underlying paresis.

Carriage and acquisition rates of Clostridium difficile in hospitalized horses, including molecular characterization, multilocus sequence typing and antimicrobial susceptibility of bacterial isolates.

Clostridium difficile has been identified as a significant agent of diarrhoea and enterocolitis in both foals and adult horses. Hospitalization, antibiotic therapy or changes in diet may contribute to the development of C. difficile infection.

Prevalence and risk factors for cardiac diseases in a hospital-based population of 3,434 horses (1994-2011).

Background: Risk factors for cardiac diseases in horses have not been explored in a large population of animals.

Objectives: To describe risk factors for various cardiac diseases in a hospital-based population of horses.

Animals: Files of 3,434 horses admitted at the Internal Medicine Department of the Liege Equine Teaching Hospital between 1994 and 2011 were reviewed and of those, 284 were categorized as having moderate-to-severe cardiac disease.

Results of upper airway radiography and ultrasonography predict dynamic laryngeal collapse in affected horses.

Reasons For Performing Study: The pathogenesis of dynamic bilateral laryngeal collapse (DLC) associated with poll flexion is unknown. Diagnosis is dependent upon exercise endoscopy while replicating the flexed head position harness racehorses experience during racing.

Objectives: To describe the effects of poll flexion on rostrocaudal laryngeal positioning and laryngeal lumen width in resting horses diagnosed with DLC compared to controls, and to establish diagnostic criteria for DLC by use of diagnostic imaging.

Effect of breed, sex, age and body weight on echocardiographic measurements in the equine species.

Little is known about the effect of various animal's signalment variables on echocardiographic reference values in the equine species. This study was performed to evaluate the effect of sex, breed, age and body weight (BW) on echocardiographic measurements in the equine species. Echocardiography was performed on 212 ponies or horses of various breeds, aged from 1 day to 37 years old (mean±SD: 7.

The prevalence of endocrinopathic laminitis among horses presented for laminitis at a first-opinion/referral equine hospital.

Endocrinopathic causes of laminitis may be a common underlying causative pathogenesis in first-opinion or field cases presenting with laminitis, as opposed to laminitis produced in inflammatory research models. This study aimed to determine whether evidence of an underlying endocrinopathy was present in horses presented for laminitis to a first-opinion/referral veterinary teaching hospital. A second aim was to compare the signalment of horses and ponies with laminitis with the equine hospital population during the same period.

A novel treatment for dynamic laryngeal collapse associated with poll flexion: the modified checkrein.

Reasons For Performing The Study: Dynamic laryngeal collapse (DLC) associated with poll flexion is a performance limiting dynamic upper airway disorder commonly diagnosed in Coldblooded trotters. An inspiratory obstruction occurs when affected horses are driven with tension on the reins, inducing poll flexion. To date, surgical treatment and conservative management have failed to improve racing performance in affected horses.

Effect of topical vapocoolant spray on response to arthrocentesis and intravenous catheterization in unsedated horses.

Objective: To assess the efficacy of a commercially available topical vapocoolant spray in reducing responses to arthrocentesis of the middle carpal (MC) and metacarpophalangeal (MCP) joints and jugular vein catheterization in unsedated horses.

Animals: 8 healthy research horses.

Procedures: Arthrocentesis of both MC and MCP joints and bilateral jugular vein catheterization were performed in each horse.

European outbreak of atypical myopathy in the autumn 2009.

Background: Atypical myopathy is an acute, severe rhabdomyolysis occurring in grazing horses. In the beginning of October 2009, a new outbreak occurred in several European countries. Geographic, demographic and clinical data of the reported cases in the month October 2009 are described.

Effect of poll flexion and dynamic laryngeal collapse on tracheal pressure in Norwegian Coldblooded Trotter racehorses.

Reason For Performing Study: Dynamic laryngeal collapse (DLC) associated with poll flexion is a newly diagnosed upper respiratory tract obstructive disorder that causes poor racing performance.

Objectives: To determine if Norwegian Coldblooded Trotters (NCTs) affected with DLC associated with poll flexion differ from normal, elite NCTs based on simple airway mechanics measurements.

Methods: Five normal elite NCTs and 6 NCTs diagnosed previously with DLC underwent treadmill videoendoscopy while tracheal pressures were measured continuously.

Surgical and conservative management of bilateral dynamic laryngeal collapse associated with poll flexion in harness race horses.

Objective: To test the hypothesis that in bilateral dynamic laryngeal collapse associated with poll flexion, vocal fold collapse (VFC) is the initial abnormal event that induces further laryngeal collapse, and that racing performance would therefore be substantially improved after bilateral ventriculocordectomy in affected individuals.

Study Design: Retrospective study.

Animals: Twenty-six horses.

Vegetative endocarditis in equids (1994--2006).

Background: Endocarditis is a rare heart condition with variable clinical expressions in equids. Risk factors for this disease are incompletely understood.

Objective: Describe risk factors for endocarditis in equids.

Atypical myopathy in grazing horses: a first exploratory data analysis.

Over the last decade, atypical myopathy (AM) in grazing horses has emerged in several European countries. An exploratory analysis was conducted to determine horse- and pasture-level indicators or factors associated with AM in Belgium. Belgian cases of AM confirmed by histology (n=57) were compared to their healthy co-grazing horses (n=77) and to pastured horses not involved with AM as controls (n=386).

Equine atypical myopathy: a review.

Atypical myopathy (AM) is an acute rhabdomyolysis syndrome that occurs at irregular intervals in grazing equines. An increasing number of outbreaks have been reported in recent years, including some from countries where the disease has not previously been diagnosed. In this review, clinical and other details of outbreaks of AM are analysed to better define its epidemiological profile.

History and clinical features of atypical myopathy in horses in Belgium (2000-2005).

Background: The emergent nature of atypical myopathy or atypical myoglobinuria (AM) necessitates precise description of its clinical and epidemiologic features.

Purpose: To define key features of AM to help practitioners recognize the disease and to advise owners to take preventive measures.

Animals: Belgian cases of AM confirmed by histology (CC horses; n = 57) from autumn 2000 to spring 2005 were included in the study.

Radiographic closure time of appendicular growth plates in the Icelandic horse.

Background: The Icelandic horse is a pristine breed of horse which has a pure gene pool established more than a thousand years ago, and is approximately the same size as living and extinct wild breeds of horses. This study was performed to compare the length of the skeletal growth period of the "primitive" Icelandic horse relative to that reported for large horse breeds developed over the recent centuries. This information would provide practical guidance to owners and veterinarians as to when the skeleton is mature enough to commence training, and would be potentially interesting to those scientists investigating the pathogenesis of osteochondrosis.

Osteochondral fragments involving the dorsomedial aspect of the proximal interphalangeal joint in young horses: 6 cases (1997-2006).

Objective: To determine clinical and diagnostic imaging findings in young horses with osteochondral fragments involving the dorsomedial aspect of the proximal interphalangeal (PIP) joint.

Design: Retrospective case series.

Animals: 6 horses.