The effect of nutrition on the origin of colic (digestive disorders) in horses]

Colics are often initiated by mistakes in feeding inadequate feed quality or quantity or poor feeding technique. The consequences are obstruction, impaction or dysbiosis with increased production of organic acids, gas or toxins. Nutritional anamnesis in patients with colic may give information on the pathogenesis of the disease.     

Plasma gastrin levels in horses with colic]

The plasma gastrin levels in fasted horses (21.1 +/- 15.6 pg/ml), in horses with spasmodic colic (7.3 +/- 5.4 pg/ml) and in horses with impaction of the left ventral large colon and/or pelvic flexure (11.4 +/- 3.1 pg/ml) were not significantly different. The plasma gastrin concentrations of horses with strangulation obstruction of the small intestine, large colon displacement or adynamic ileus, and which had no gastric reflux, were 12.9 +/- 8.7 pg/ml and did not differ from fasted gastrin levels. Horses which had 5-10 litres of stomach content reflux had a higher mean gastrin level (32.2 +/- 22.6 pg/ml) (range 8.7-83.0) than the fasted horses. The mean plasma gastrin level (69.0 +/- 32.2 pg/ml) (range 27.0-122.0 pg/ml) in horses which had gastric reflux and 11-20 litres of stomach content outflow through the nasogastric tube were significantly higher (P less than 0.0004) than in fasted horses or in horses with spasmodic colic, impaction of the left ventral large colon or in horses from which no gastric reflux could be obtained.     

Nephrolithiasis as a cause of colic in horses. Case report]

The results of clinical, ultrasonic, post mortem examinations and concrement analysis of a case with nephrolithiasis in a horse are described. Problems of diagnosis, etiology and occurrence of nephroliths in the horse are discussed.     

Refusal of breeding bulls to eat hay contaminated with horsetail (Equisetum palustre)

Bulls refused hay from a new batch (coming from a nonintensively fertilized area in Southern Germany). The intake of other components of the ration (silage, concentrates) was not influenced. The visual inspection of the hay revealed a massive contamination (about 12% by mass) by horsetail. According to the reported observations it seems that cattle recognize the plant by its odour, and refuse it if alternative roughage is available, thereby escaping an intoxication.     

Stomach ulcers in the horse--clinical and gastroscopic findings in 12 horses (1989-1990)

Twelve horses with clinical symptoms of a gastric disorder were studied by gastroscopy. Symptoms of gastric disorders were periprandial colic, bruxism, ructus and reflux. Preliminary to gastroscopy the horses were fasted for 24 h. Access to water was not restricted. The gastroscopy could be conducted easily using a fiberscope 2.5 m in length and 11 mm in outer diameter. While ulcers were present in the squamous fundus of all horses only one horse showed ulceration of the glandular fundus. Solitary ulcers near the margo plicatus were found in horses with mild clinical symptoms. In contrast, diffuse gastroesophageal ulceration was accompanied by severe clinical symptoms. Four horses were affected by an acute gastroesophageal ulceration with gastric reflux and subsequent aspiration pneumonia. Two of those horses suffered from acute gastric ulceration 3-4 days following laparatomy. All horses were treated with cimetidine (5 mg/kg bwt/q.i.d.) until clinical symptoms ceased.     

Assessment of vitamin C different levels in aquaponic system on Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) and saffron (Crocus sativus): growth performances,hematology, serum biochemistry,and digestive enzyme activity

The aim of this study was to investigate the possibility of improving the growth and physiological indices of plant and fish by adding different levels of ascorbic acid (vitamin C) to water in the aquaponic system using Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) and saffron plant (Crocus sativus). 240# fish (12.5?±?0.21 gr) and 120# saffron corms (2.8?±?0.12 gr) were randomly assigned to 15 experimental units and underwent treatments of adding 0 (control), 2, 4, 6, and 8 mg L^?1 ascorbic acid to water, every 6 days, for 8 weeks. The fish final weight and subsequently other growth performance indices increased in the treatment of 4 mg L^?1 vitamin C compared to other treatments (P?≤?0.05). Some growth performances of saffron plants such as saffron production, in treatment of 6 mg L^?1, were significantly higher than the control group and reached from 17.34?±?0.27 mg flower^?1 in the control group to 25.4?±?1.61 mg flower^?1 in treatment of 6 mg L^?1. Measuring the serum biochemical parameters of the fish showed that, in the treatment of 8 mg/L ascorbic acid, the cortisol content in the blood reached its maximum (21.49?±?2.42 µg dL^?1). The trypsin activity in proximal intestine and mid-intestine significantly increased in treatments of 2, 4, and 6 mg L^?1, respectively. The current experiment showed that, by adding 4–6 mg/L ascorbic acid to the aquaponic system water (every 6 days), the optimal levels of Nile tilapia and saffron plant growth performances would occur.

     

Anesthesia of horses with xylazine and ketamine. 2. Anesthesia in adult horses

Xylazine and Ketamine were used for anaesthesia in 250 adult horses. This combination is useful both for induction and maintenance of anaesthesia. The induction with Xylazine and Ketamine has been successful not only with foals but also with high risk patients such as horses with colic. During the maintenance of anaesthesia Xylazine/Ketamine can be used with injectable anaesthetics as well as with volatile anaesthetics at the same time. A form of injection anaesthesia for short-time surgical procedures like castration and wound repair is presented. The maintenance of a Thiobarbiturate/Guaifenesin anaesthesia with Xylazine/Ketamine seems to be suitable for field conditions.     

Diagnosis and therapy of guttural pouch diseases in horses

Using a fibreoptic endoscope ("small gastroscope" with outside diameter of 9.3 mm) a simple and sparing inspection of the guttural pouch is performed. The flap-type tube cover is opened by means of medial leverage with a guidance probe shifted through the work duct of the endoscope. The same procedure is used in diagnostic specimen collection and therapeutical measures such as irrigations. Guttural pouch topography and pathological disorders are illustrated by endoscopic photography. The different diseases such as follicular hyperplasia, ascending pharyngeal catarrh, perforating abscesses of the retropharyngeal lymphnodes, empyema and chondroid formation, guttural pouch mycosis leading to arrosion of the carotid artery, tympanites of the guttural pouch in foals caused by congenital defects of the eustachian tube flap and rarely observed tumors are discussed.     

Diagnosis of liver diseases in dogs, cats and horses

Clinical symptoms of hepatopathies are not specific and must be verified by further investigation. Laboratory diagnosis is a very useful method to decide if liver disease is present or not. In individual cases laboratory methods can give hints as to the aetiology of the illness. If necessary, biopsy, angiography or/and cholecystography can be carried out for further clarification of the diagnosis.     

Effects of salmon prolactin and growth hormone on plasma osmolality, Na+ concentration and protein content in the saffron cod

In saffron cod, Eleginus gracilis, the antifreeze glycoprotein (AFGP) is present during the winter. The effects of salmon prolactin (sPRL) and growth hormone (sGH) on plasma osmolality, sodium concentration and protein content of the saffron cod were investigated. In the winter, plasma osmolality and protein content decreased following the intraperitoneal injection of sPRL (20 µg kg^-1 day^-1 × 3) but injection of the same dose of sGH had no effect on either plasma osmolality or protein content. In similar experiments performed during the summer, sPRL and sGH had no effect on these parameters. The results suggest that PRL may act on the kidney, possibly clearing antifreeze glycoprotein (AFGP) by increasing glomerular filtration. The possible role of PRL and GH in the disappearance of AFGP during the summer are discussed.     

Use of the Reflotron system for the determination of creatine kinase (CK) in the blood of swine, sheep, cattle, horses and dogs]

The Reflotron-CK test was evaluated with blood samples of healthy and diseased pigs, sheep, cattle, horses and dogs in relation to the standard CK-NAC test (UV-method). The precision within the series on the day of blood sampling was better than VK = 7.5% (coefficient of variation) with both methods. The day to day precision was estimated by using deep frozen plasma and was in the same order of magnitude with the Reflotron-CK and the UV-method (CV less than 10%). While fresh whole blood of sheep, cattle, horses and dogs respectively should be applied directly onto the dry reagent carrier with the Reflotron-pipette (32 microliters), the blood samples of pigs must be diluted (200 microliters 0.9% NaCl-solution and 32 microliters blood, factor 7.25) before determination with Reflotron-CK. In the five species mentioned the correlation between Reflotron-CK and CK values obtained with the standard UV-method was satisfactory (r greater than 0.96). Systemic deviations of the Reflotron-CK values should be corrected by calculation formulae, given in the paper.     

Iron and iron-binding capacity in the serum of clinically healthy horses

Serum iron concentration and iron-binding capacity were determined in 34 respectively 35 clinically healthy horses of different sex, with the age of 3 to 21 years. In the Warm blooded horse, the Half bred, the Haflinger horse, the Heavy horse and the Arabian Haflinger the mean serum iron concentration amounted to 253 +/- 66 micrograms/dl, 202 +/- 87 micrograms/dl, 166 +/- 67 micrograms/dl, 183 micrograms/dl and 366 micrograms/dl, while the iron-binding capacity in the Warm blooded horse, the Half bred, the Haflinger horse, the Thoroughbred, the Heavy horse and the Arabian Haflinger ran up to 427 +/- 55 micrograms/dl, 530 +/- 162 micrograms/dl, 422 +/- 63 micrograms/dl, 447 micrograms/dl, 467 micrograms/dl and 394 micrograms/dl. Regarding serum iron concentration no age or sex differences were ascertained, whereas they were obvious when observing the iron-binding capacity. Diurnal variations in serum iron concentration are pointed out. The quotient of the two examined parameters showed race-related differences. The results are presented in tables.     

Current virus diseases in horses. Diseases in foals and respiratory tract infections

At the moment, horse praxis is confronted by two disease complexes which are difficult to fight against as well in prophylaxis as in therapy, but which get an increasing importance. First they concern virus infections of the foals and second primary virus-caused respiratory diseases. Foals get infected during the embryonal/fetal development, in the perinatal or postnatal period. Normally the infection is caused by latent infected, clinical healthy mares, or in the postnatal period by ubiquitous, normally opportunistic socalled problem-viruses, i.e. equine herpes-viruses 1 and 2, rota-, corona- and adenoviruses. Primary responsible for the virus infections of the respiratory tract are the rhinopneumonitis- and influenza-A-virus, the reo- and rhinoviruses and the arteritis-virus.     

Proteases and protease inhibitors of possible clinical relevance in COPD of horses

The importance of proteases and protease inhibitors for the pathogenesis of pulmonary emphysema and chronic bronchitis of the horse is described. Endogenous elastases from neutrophil granulocytes and macrophages, which probably provoke emphysema in the human being, are not relevant in horse emphysema. Exogenous elastases from different species of streptomyces may be responsible for emphysema generation in this species. Part of the exogenous elastases are poorly or not inhibited at all by the equine blood protease inhibitors especially by alpha 1-protease inhibitors. A disorder similar to genetic alpha 1-protease inhibitor deficiency in the human being could not be found in the horse. Proteases and protease inhibitors are probably also relevant for the pathogenesis of chronic bronchitis. Neutral proteases from neutrophil granulocytes may be relevant as initiators or amplifiers of an inflammation in the human being and in the horse. Under physiological conditions the proteases are controlled by the secretory protease inhibitor called HUSI-1 in the human being. In contrast, the horse lacks a protease inhibitor proper to secretion in its respiratory ducts. Protease activity, which correlates with the degree of the COPD, was detected in equine inflamed tracheobronchial secretions. This finding is useful in diagnostic evaluation of the individual disease.     

Food and feeding habits of Tilapia aurea (Steindachner) (Cichlidae) in Lake Kinneret (Israel)

An analysis of the food of 274 specimens of Tilapia aurea (Steindachner), which had been collected in Lake Kinneret, showed that this species is mainly a zooplankton consumer.A study of the quantitative dynamics of the food components in the course of a year has proved that the species in question feeds more intensely in spring, this being the time when zooplankton forms are more abundant in the water of the lake. Vegetable detritus, mixed with plankton and benthos forms, served as additional and alternative food.The lack of clearly positive degree of food component selectivity, as well as the low values of the intestine repletion index and of the condition coefficient, account for the slowness in growth of Tilapia aurea in Lake Kinneret.The low values of the growth and feeding indices are due, according to the authors, to the pressure brought to bear by the other local fish species, which are competitors for the same food.