Nutrition considerations for the aged horse

As the proportion of aged horses within the general equine population appears to be increasing in the UK and other developed countries, it is important to be aware of the changing dietary requirements associated with the ageing process and age-related diseases. This review provides guidelines for optimal nutrition of the older horse with practical approaches to improve or maintain body condition and support general health.     

Pain management for laminitis in the horse

The inability to control pain is the most common reason for cessation of treatment and euthanasia in cases of laminitis, yet pain also serves a unique protective function in these cases, particularly in the acute phase when lamellar integrity is weakened. Successful analgesia requires an understanding of the disease pathophysiology, the sources of pain in laminitis, methods of serial pain evaluation, and methods of analgesia including systemic and regional techniques. This review discusses the approach to analgesia including detail of traditional and novel analgesic medications and techniques with specific reference to the laminitis case.     

Use of iohexol for myelography in the horse

The use of iohexol as a contrast agent for myelography is reported in two groups of horses. Group 1 (n = 6) were used only for myelography and to assess the clinical and pathological effects of intrathecal administration of iohexol. A volume of 20 ml at a concentration of 300 or 350 mg iodine/ml gave satisfactory myelographic detail with no serious clinical or neurological side effects. Only a minimal inflammatory response could be demonstrated in cerebrospinal fluid at four and 14 days after injection. At post mortem examination 14 days after myelography there was no evidence of meningitis nor was any other pathological change detected. Group 2 (n = 19) comprised a series of clinical cases of suspected cervical vertebral malformation. The only untoward sequelae recorded involved two horses in which iohexol was diluted with sterile water prior in intrathecal injection. A progressive necrotising meningitis developed in both cases which necessitated euthanasia. It was concluded that the major advantages of iohexol for use in the horse were its diagnostic quality, safety and low cost.     

Allergen-specific ELISA for horse IgE

An enzyme-linked immuno sorbent assay (ELISA) for measuring horse IgE specific to ovalbumin, bencylpenicilloic acid and odinitrocarboxyphenol is described. We used a sandwich type of ELISA by which horse serum was incubated in antigen-coated tubes containing one additional polystyrene ball, followed by rabbit anti horse IgE serum. The tubes were then incubated with biotinylated goat anti rabbit globulin followed by avidin coupled to phosphatase. Endpoint titrations were compared. The ELISA is highly reproducible due to the pretreatment of the polystyrene with glutaraldehyde. The increased antigen surface area led to a higher sensitivity of the test. The assay can be easily modified for the measurement of other Ig classes and of IgE of other antigen specificities.