Are mule pregnancies really longer than equine pregnancies? Comparison between mule and equine pregnancies

In equine management, it is important to predict the approximate foaling date of mares to monitor parturition and allow early identification and intervention of problems during the perinatal period. There are no studies comparing accurate gestational length (GL) when mares are carrying mule foals and no controlled comparisons between GL of mares pregnant with equine or mule foals. Therefore, the objectives of this study were to compare GL of mares pregnant with equine or mule foals and establish normal reference values for GL of mares pregnant with male and female mules. Gestational length of Mangalarga Paulista breed mares pregnant with equine (n = 54) or with mule (n = 54) foals during the breeding seasons of 2007 to 2016 was evaluated. The mean GL was 347.2 ± 1.4 days (range of 326–368 days) and 341.1 ± 1.6 days (range of 307–360 days) for equine and mule pregnancies, respectively. The normal GL reference for mule pregnancies was 316.9–365.3 days. Therefore, GL of equine pregnancies was longer than of mule pregnancies. Gestational length was not different when pregnancies resulted in females or males within each group. This study established an important reference value for normal GL of mule pregnancies, which can be used by practitioners to estimate and predict foaling dates more accurately.     

Management of equine sarcoids: 1975–93

Treatment options for equine sarcoids are briefly reviewed and the results of a retrospective study of 63 cases of equine sarcoid (66 lesions) treated by clinicians from the Rural Veterinary Centre, Camden, Australia from 1975 to 1993 presented. Five different treatments were employed in the management of these 66 lesions, including surgical excision alone or in combination with cryotherapy, radiotherapy, immunotherapy and tumour transfer to a subcutaneous site on the neck. The majority of cases were treated with surgical excision alone (18/66), excision followed by cryotherapy (31/66) and immunotherapy (16/66), with success rates of 28%, 42% and 81% respectively. Success was defined as no sign of recurrence of the lesion at the time of follow-up, at least 6 months later.     

Quality of equine veterinary care: Where can it go wrong? A conceptual framework for the quality of equine healthcare,based on court cases against equine practitioners in The Netherlands

Quality control and client satisfaction are topics of considerable current interest in both human and veterinary healthcare. Crucial to this discussion is a proper definition of ‘quality of care’. This study applied, to (equine) veterinary care, a conceptual framework designed for assessing the quality of human healthcare and featuring structural deficiency, procedural inadequacy and disappointing outcome as key elements. This was done using court cases against equine practitioners as a yardstick for client dissatisfaction. Applying a system for evaluating the quality of healthcare may be a good way of monitoring and improving (equine) veterinary services, particularly once reliable indices for client satisfaction have been validated.     

RM合剂对猕猴的麻醉效果观察

猕猴麻醉与保定都是在医学、生物学研究以及物种保护工作中必然面临的问题。国外对此研究较多，对猕猴的麻醉作了许多有意义的探索。为了解决这一问题，我们在进行了预实验、科学组方实验等探索出专用于猕猴的复合麻醉剂后又实施本实验对20只猕猴进行了临床麻醉研究。     

Computed tomography in equine orthopaedics – the next great leap?

Computed tomography (CT) generates sectional, multiplanar images based on x-ray attenuation properties of the subject. Contrast within images is based on differences in relative tissue density. It can resolve subtle structural abnormalities within bone and soft tissue and, as such, it has potential, among other uses, to screen for pathology within bones of the appendicular skeleton in racehorses, which could predispose to catastrophic fractures. Recent technological advances have made the possibility of performing CT imaging in the standing horse a viable clinical alternative. This commentary reviews some recent developments in this field of clinical imaging in the horse.