Sedation and Pain Management with Intravenous Romifidine−Butorphanol in Standing Horses

The objective of this study was to determine the sedation, analgesia, and clinical reactions induced by an intravenous combination of romifidine and butorphanol in horses. The study was conducted on six saddle horses weighing 382 to 513 kg (mean ± SD; 449 ± 54 kg) and aged 6 to 14 years. The horses each underwent three treatments: intravenous romifidine 0.1 mg/kg body weight (RM; mean dose, 4.5 mL); intravenous butorphanol 0.05 mg/kg body weight (BT; mean dose, 2.4 mL); and intravenous romifidine 0.1 mg/kg body weight plus butorphanol 0.05 mg/kg body weight (RMBT; mean dose, 7.0 mL). The order of treatments was randomized. Heart rate, arterial pressure, respiratory rate, rectal temperature, sedation, and analgesia were measured at two times before treatments, 15 minutes apart (times –15 and 0) and at 5, 10, 15, 30, 45, 60, 75, 90, 120, 150, and 180 minutes after drug administration. The onset of sedation was approximately 5 minutes after intravenous injection of RM and RMBT, whereas BT did not present this effect. The duration of complete sedation was approximately 60 minutes for RMBT and approximately 35 minutes for RM. The RMBT treatment provided 30 minutes and the RM treatment 20 minutes of complete analgesia. Heart rate decreased significantly (P < .05) from basal values in the RM and RMBT treatments. Only RM caused significant decreases (P < .05) in the respiratory rate. Arterial pressure did not change significantly (P > .05) in any treatment. Intravenous administration of a romifidine−butorphanol combination to horses resulted in longer duration of sedation and analgesia than administration of romifidine or butorphanol alone. These effects probably resulted from a synergistic effect of the two drugs.     

Effects of Common Anticoagulants on Routine Plasma Biochemistry of Horse and Comparison with Serum

The effects of various types of anticoagulants on plasma biochemistry have been studied in humans and various animals; however, limited information exists for effects on horse plasma biochemistry. Ten clinically healthy Thoroughbred horses were blood sampled in tubes containing different anticoagulants as well as no anticoagulant. The concentrations of glucose, cholesterol, triglyceride, total bilirubin, blood urea nitrogen (BUN), creatinine, total protein, albumin, calcium, inorganic phosphorus, magnesium and iron, and the activity of aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), alkaline phosphatase (ALP), creatine kinase (CK), and gamma glutamyl transferase (GGT) were measured. Except for the amounts of inorganic phosphorus, magnesium, and GGT, other measured parameters were significantly lower in citrated plasma than in serum. When corrected for dilution, significant differences were seen for the amounts of glucose, cholesterol, triglyceride, bilirubin, calcium, iron, and the activity of ALT, ALP, and CK in citrated plasma. Most parameters did not show any difference; however, significant decreases in BUN, total bilirubin, ALT, and CK activity were seen when heparin was used as an anticoagulant. When compared with serum, using ethylenediaminetetra-acetic acid (EDTA) as an anticoagulant produced a significant difference in the amounts of measured plasma parameters with the exception of GGT, albumin, creatinine, inorganic phosphorus, and triglyceride.     

Wound Retractor Laparoscopic Port System for Standing Laparoscopic Cryptorchidectomy in the Horse: A Case Report

Cryptorchidectomy is the most commonly performed laparoscopic procedure in horses. However, its use for the extraction of an abdominal testis has disadvantages such as loss of a resected testis from grasp and fragmentation of the specimen because of the excessive tension required for extraction through a thick body wall. The ring wound retractor laparoscopic port system was recently used in human and small animal surgery to perform laparoscopic-assisted procedures and retrieve large specimens from the abdomen. In the present case, the wound retractor was placed as the ventral port in the right flank through a minilaparotomy. Thereafter, the cap with the gas inlet and instrument port was connected. The other two ports were placed dorsally using 10-mm stainless steel cannulas. Grasping forcep was introduced through the ventral port, and the laparoscope and vessel-sealing devices were introduced through the dorsal ports. After the testis was resected, it was retrieved from the abdomen through the retractor without the grasping forceps jaw being released. This is the first case report describing the use of the wound retractor laparoscopic port system for standing cryptorchidectomy in a horse. This system can be a feasible and safe option for flank laparoscopy in horses, and it facilitates specimen retrieval from the abdominal cavity, but further studies should confirm this preliminary report.     

A Comparison of Three Conventional Horse Feeders with the Pre-Vent Feeder

This study compared a feeder with molded cups on the bottom (Pre-Vent feeder) with a commonly used rubber tub and hanging bucket feeder to determine differences in time spent eating and feed wastage. Nine Quarter Horse geldings were fed a 12% crude protein pellet diet at 0.75% body weight twice daily from one of the three feeders twice daily for 3 days, and then switched to the next feeder, following a 3 × 3 replicated Latin square design (n = 9). The horses spent more time eating from the cup feeders (31.15 ± 1.43 minutes) than from bucket (19.39 ± 0.42 minutes) and tub (18.87 ± 0.49 minutes, P < .0001) feeders. When fed from cup feeder, horses dropped significantly less feed (3.2 ± 0.52%) of their ration than when fed from bucket (10.2 ± 1.75%) and from tub (7.0 ± 1.32%, P = .001) feeders. When the most wasteful horse was fed from the cup feeder, he lost a mean of 8.7% of his ration, compared with 32.8% when fed from the bucket, and 26.2% when fed from the tub feeders. The cup design is useful for increasing time spent eating and reducing feed wastage.     

Hemodynamic and Electrocardiographic Effects of Magnesium Sulfate in Healthy Dogs

We investigated the effects of graded dosages of magnesium given i.v. to anesthetized dogs on blood pressure, cardiac output, and electrophysiology. Magnesium was infused at 0.12 mEq/kg/minute until ventricular fibrillation occurred naturally or was provoked by programmed electrical stimulation or until arrest of the sinuatrial node in 8 dogs. Plasma total magnesium concentrations doubled in 1 minute of that infusion rate, and a hemodynamically safe plasma concentration of 12.2 mEq/L was achieved after 16 minutes of infusion. Heart rate, inotropy, lusitropy, and cardiac output increased up to a cumulative infusion dosage of magnesium of 1.0-2.0 mEq/kg, which produced plasma magnesium concentrations of 8.5-12.2 mEq/L (n = 5). Above the cumulative infusion dosage, inotropy decreased and lusitropy increased until death occurred between cumulative infusion dosages of 5.9 mEq/kg and 10.9 mEq/kg. Arterial pressure and vascular resistance decreased, and PQ interval and QRS complex increased, in a dose-dependent fashion. The relationship between ionized and total magnesium was y = 0.624x - 0.542 (r2 = .986), where y is ionized and x is total magnesium in mEq/L in 3 dogs. In conclusion, a cumulative infusion dosage of 0.1-0.2 mEq/kg of magnesium may be given without changing hemodynamic parameters, but with higher cumulative infusion doses heart rate accelerates. Hemodynamic parameters except those related to blood pressure continued to increase to a cumulative infusion dosage of 2.0 mEq/kg. At higher cumulative infusion dosages dogs became hypotensive and the PQ interval was prolonged. However, dangerous arrhythmias were not provoked until a total dosage of 3.9 mEq/kg.     

A Comparison of Daily Rhythm of Creatinine and Creatine Kinase in the Sedentary and Athlete Horse

The goal of this study was to investigate the existence of a daily rhythm of creatinine or creatine kinase (CK) and the influence of physical exercise on these rhythms. Blood samples from 20 Sella Italiana horses were collected every 4 hours for 48 consecutive hours via an intravenous cannula inserted into the jugular vein. The horses were divided into two equal groups (Sedentary [S] and Athlete [A]). After 2 weeks of rest, athletes (AR) were subjected again to sample collection every 4 hours for 48 consecutive hours, and sera creatinine and CK were assessed. Statistical analysis of the data was performed by one-way repeated analysis of variance (ANOVA), paired Student's t-test, unpaired Student's t-test, and analysis of single cosinor method. Cosinor analysis identified the periodic parameters and their acrophases (expressed in hours) during the 2 days of monitoring. In all horses, we found a highly significant effect of time of the day on the studied parameters (P < .01). Statistically significant differences were observed for mean serum CK values between sedentary and athlete horses. The application of the periodic model showed a daily rhythm of the parameters studied in all experimental conditions. The results obtained during the experimental period indicated a daily rhythm of creatinine and CK in sedentary and athlete horses and also indicated that physical exercise was able to influence amplitude, acrophase, and robustness of the creatinine and CK circadian rhythm.     

Myofibroblastic Sarcoma in the Limb of a Horse

A case of myofibroblastic sarcoma in the left hind limb is reported in a 4-year-old male, mixed-breed horse. This report includes the clinical signs, macroscopic and microscopic lesions, and the immunohistochemical findings related to this neoplasm.     

Prevalence of Brucellosis in Horse North-East of Iran

Brucella preferentially infects cattle, swine, sheep, and goats. However, some epidemiological surveys have been carried out to investigate nonruminants, such as horses. Horse brucellosis has been found in clinical cases, but there are few epidemiologic patterns. Between May 2008 and April 2009, a total of 120 horses were screened for brucella infections in Mashhad, Iran, by the rose bengal test and the tube agglutination test. Sera from three horses were found positive by rose bengal test and tube agglutination test, and therefore the prevalence rate was 2.5%. In horses, the highest individual seroprevalence was in an animal kept close under the intensive system, with other animals such as cattle, sheep, and goats. The zoonotic aspects of brucellosis from the horse must, therefore, be considered because the disease is important from a public health standpoint. The present study documents the first serological evidence of Brucella spp. infection in horses in Iran.     

自由牧马对草甸草地群落结构及牧草品质的影响:以新疆昭苏夏马场为例研究

为探明自由牧马对草甸草地群落结构及牧草品质的影响,在新疆昭苏夏马场设置放牧试验,采用控制笼进行对照,分析了2013-2015年草地群落结构及牧草营养品质的动态变化。结果表明:(1)无芒雀麦(Bromus inermis)、羊茅(Festuca ovina)等一些马喜食的禾本科牧草的相对密度降低,狼毒(Euphorbia fischeriana)、龙胆(Gentiana scabra)等一些毒性植物和马不食植物的相对密度升高,但主要优势植物变化不大;(2)在3年夏场放牧中,草甸草地多样性指数(Simpson指数)维持在0.74～0.81;不同植物种类重要值变化趋势不同,白三叶(Trifolium repens)、草地早熟禾(Poa pratensis)和龙胆在群落中重要值增加,而细果苔草(Carex stenocarpa)和羊茅的重要值显著降低;(3)牧草中的中性洗涤纤维(NDF)和酸性洗涤纤维(ADF)总体呈现上升趋势;粗蛋白(CP)含量随着放牧年限的增加从13.4%下降到11.3%,仍可达到马对粗蛋白含量(8%)的基本要求。由试验可知:目前的放牧强度(5匹马·ha-1)基本维持了草地的可持续性,但一定程度上降低了牧草的品质。     

Surgical Management of the Trauma-Induced Colocutaneous Fistula in a Horse

There are few published reports of equine enterocutaneous fistulae, and they are almost always related to umbilical hernias. Colocutaneous fistula as a result of a penetrating wound has not been reported in horse. In this case report, surgical treatment of a traumatic colocutaneous fistula in an 8-year-old stallion is described. Under inhalation anesthesia, the fistula was removed completely, and the resultant defect on the left ventral colonic wall was closed. The defect of abdominal wall was closed routinely. The horse regained his previous performance, and no surgical complication was observed at 1 year’s follow-up.     

Comparison of Diclofenac Diethylamine Permeation Across Horse Skin from Five Commercial Medical Human Formulations

The aim of this study was to compare the penetration of diclofenac through horse skin in vitro and its efficacy in vivo when applied from five, commercially available, human medical formulations containing 1.16% diclofenac diethylamine. The rate of transdermal penetration of diclofenac varied between formulations. Also, estimated steady-state flux (Jss) was significantly different from that reported for human and rat skin. All the tested formulations produced a very weak and short-lasting antiedematous effect.