A multicenter retrospective case-cohort study on the prevalence of incisional morbidities in late pregnant mares following exploratory celiotomy (2014-2019): 579 cases.

Objective: To report the prevalence and risk factors for incisional morbidities in late pregnant and nonpregnant/early pregnant control mares following colic surgery.

Design: Multicenter, retrospective, cohort study from January 2014 to December 2019.

Setting: Two university teaching hospitals and 1 private referral center.

Effects of 7.2% hypertonic saline solution on cardiovascular parameters and endogenous arginine vasopressin secretion in euvolemic isoflurane-anesthetized horses.

Objective: To compare the effects of 7.2% hypertonic and 0.9% isotonic saline (sodium chloride) solutions on cardiovascular parameters and plasma arginine vasopressin (AVP) concentrations in healthy, isoflurane-anesthetized horses.

Comparison of cervical epidural morphine with intravenous morphine administration on antinociception in adult horses using thermal threshold testing.

Objective: To compare the antinociceptive effects of morphine administered via cervical epidural catheter to intravenously administered morphine using a thermal threshold (TT) testing model in healthy adult horses.

Study Design: Prospective, randomized, blinded experimental study.

Animals: A total of six university-owned adult horses.

Flow-controlled expiration improves respiratory mechanics, ventilation, and gas exchange in anesthetized horses.

Objective: Mechanical ventilation is usually achieved by active lung inflation during inspiration and passive lung emptying during expiration. By contrast, flow-controlled expiration (FLEX) ventilation actively reduces the rate of lung emptying by causing linear gas flow throughout the expiratory phase. Our aim was to evaluate the effects of FLEX on lung compliance and gas exchange in anesthetized horses in dorsal recumbency.

Comparison of the zip skin closure system with conventional suture for skin closure of ventral midline incisions in horses.

Objective: To compare the application and healing of the zip skin closure system (ZSCS) with sutured closure by use of a split-scar model of ventral midline incisions in horses in a prospective, randomized experimental study.

Animals: 8 adult horses.

Procedures: All horses underwent an exploratory ventral midline celiotomy with a standardized 30-cm skin incision.

Cervical Epidural Spinal Analgesia for Acute Management of Severe Unilateral Forelimb Lameness: Case Report.

A 20-year-old Quarter Horse gelding was presented with severe right forelimb lameness (5/5 AAEP Lameness Scale) due to a tear of the superficial digital flexor muscle which was diagnosed palpation of swelling and ultrasonography revealing major muscle fiber disruption and hematoma formation. When traditional systemic therapy (non-Steroidal anti-inflammatories) did not restore clinically acceptable comfort and the risk of supporting limb laminitis became a reasonable concern, a cervical epidural catheter was placed between the first and second cervical vertebrae in the standing, sedated patient using ultrasound guidance. The gelding was treated with epidural morphine (0.

Effect of thermodilution injectate volume and temperature on the accuracy and precision of cardiac output measurements for healthy anesthetized horses.

Objective: To compare the accuracy and precision of cardiac output (CO) measurements derived from 4 thermodilution protocols that used different injectate temperatures and volumes in healthy adult horses.

Animals: 8 healthy adult horses.

Procedures: Horses were anesthetized and instrumented with Swan-Ganz catheters.

Use of Polyamide (Nylon) Cable Ties for Vascular Ligation of Healthy Equine Jejunal Mesentery.

Jejunal vascular ligation is an essential step in performing jejunojejunostomy. Hand sewn ligation is typically used and can increase operative time with long sections of bowel to be removed. Nylon cable ties (NCT) have been used for vascular ligation in horses but are yet to be investigated for application on the mesenteric vasculature of the gastrointestinal tract.

Comparison of one-layer Utrecht pattern with two-layer (simple continuous/Cushing) pattern for jejunojejunostomy in healthy horses in vivo.

Objective: To compare end-to-end jejunal anastomoses with a one-layer (Utrecht) and two-layer (simple continuous/Cushing) patterns.

Study Design: Experimental study.

Animals: Eight healthy adult horses.

Use of polyamide cable ties during experimental omentectomy in adult horses with histopathological assessment.

Objective: To report the use of nylon cable ties (NCT) for omentectomy in the horse.

Study Design: Experimental study.

Animals: Eight healthy adult horses.

Utility of cell-free DNA concentrations and illness severity scores to predict survival in critically ill neonatal foals.

Plasma cell-free DNA (cfDNA) levels have been associated with disease and survival status in septic humans and dogs. To date, studies investigating cfDNA levels in association with critical illness in foals are lacking. We hypothesized that cfDNA would be detectable in the plasma of foals, that septic and sick-nonseptic foals would have significantly higher cfDNA levels compared to healthy foals, and that increased cfDNA levels would be associated with non-survival.

Prevalence of intra-abdominal hypertension in horses with colic.

Objective: To determine an abdominal pressure cutoff value for intra-abdominal hypertension (IAH) in the horse and characterize IAH in horses with acute colic.

Design: Prospective clinical cohort.

Setting: University teaching hospital.

Cervical Epidural and Subarachnoid Catheter Placement in Standing Adult Horses.

Horses underwent either cervical epidural space (CES) catheterization or subarachnoid space (SAS) catheterization while restrained in stocks, under deep sedation (detomidine and morphine) and local anesthesia (mepivacaine 2%) block. Catheters were placed under ultrasound guidance with visualization of the dura, SAS, and spinal cord between the first (C1) and second (C2) cervical vertebrae. Following sedation and sterile skin preparation, operator 1 placed under ultrasound guidance, a 6- or 8-inch Tuohy needle with the bevel oriented caudally.

Potential for iatrogenic coil embolization of the caudal cerebellar artery during treatment of internal carotid artery bifurcation in two horses with guttural pouch mycosis.

Case Description: 2 horses were examined for chronic nasal discharge secondary to unilateral guttural pouch mycosis.

Clinical Findings: Initial endoscopic examination of both horses confirmed the presence of a fungal plaque on the dorsomedial aspect of the medial compartment of the guttural pouch (auditory tube diverticulum) involving the internal carotid artery (ICA). No signs of hemorrhage or neurologic deficits were present at admission.

Sudden death of a horse with supraventricular tachycardia following oral administration of flecainide acetate.

Objective: To describe a case of supraventricular tachycardia and sudden death in a horse following administration of flecainide acetate.

Case Summary: An 8-year-old Hanoverian warmblood gelding was treated for chronic, naturally occurring, supraventricular tachycardia with digoxin, procainamide hydrochloride, quinidine sulfate, and flecainide acetate. After oral administration of flecainide, polymorphic ventricular tachycardia (torsades de pointes) and ventricular fibrillation developed, leading to cardiovascular collapse and death.

Development of a likelihood of survival scoring system for hospitalized equine neonates using generalized boosted regression modeling.

Background: Medical management of critically ill equine neonates (foals) can be expensive and labor intensive. Predicting the odds of foal survival using clinical information could facilitate the decision-making process for owners and clinicians. Numerous prognostic indicators and mathematical models to predict outcome in foals have been published; however, a validated scoring method to predict survival in sick foals has not been reported.

Equine intradermal test threshold concentrations for house dust mite and storage mite allergens and identification of stable acari fauna.

Background: House dust mite (HDM) and storage mite (SM) stable fauna and their associated equine intradermal test (IDT) threshold concentrations (TCs) for the midwestern region of the USA are unknown.

Hypothesis/objectives: To determine IDT TCs and serum IgE concentrations for two HDM and three SM species in clinically normal horses over two seasons, and to identify the mite taxa and habitats in a stable.

Animals: Thirty-eight clinically normal horses.

An ex vivo model to evaluate the effect of cyclical adductory forces on maintenance of arytenoid abduction after prosthetic laryngoplasty performed with and without mechanical arytenoid abduction.

Objectives: To (1) develop a model of cyclical adduction force on an abducted left arytenoid cartilage that mimics swallowing or coughing; (2) determine if arytenoid abduction by a clamp before knot tying will improve the maintenance of abduction under cyclical adduction testing.

Study Design: Experimental.

Sample Population: Cadaveric equine larynges (n = 14).

Effect of body position on intra-abdominal pressures and abdominal perfusion pressures measured at three sites in horses anesthetized with short-term total intravenous anesthesia.

Objective: To assess effects of body position on direct measurements of intra-abdominal pressure (IAP) and abdominal perfusion pressure (APP) in horses anesthetized with total intravenous anesthesia (TIVA).

Animals: 9 healthy adult horses.

Procedures: Instrumentation in unsedated standing horses involved insertion of an arterial catheter for blood pressure measurements and 3 intraperitoneal cannulas (left flank, right flank, and ventral abdomen) for IAP measurements.

Presumptive bacterial translocation in horses with strangulating small intestinal lesions requiring resection and anastomosis.

Objective: To document whether presumptive bacterial translocation (PBT) occurs in horses with small intestinal strangulation (SIS).

Design: Prospective clinical cohort study.

Setting: University tertiary care facility.

Serum protein concentrations as predictors of serum immunoglobulin G concentration in neonatal foals.

Objective: To determine the predictive value of serum concentrations of total protein (sTP), albumin (sAlb), and globulin (sGlob) measured by automated calorimetric assays to estimate serum immunoglobulin G (sIgG) concentrations in neonatal foals and identify failure of transfer of passive immunity when compared to turbidoimmunometric assay determinations of sIgG.

Design: Retrospective and prospective analysis of laboratory data.

Setting: University tertiary care facility.

Direct intra-abdominal pressures and abdominal perfusion pressures in unsedated normal horses.

Objectives: To determine whether direct intra-abdominal pressures (IAP) and calculated direct abdominal perfusion pressures (APP) are location dependent within the abdomen of standing horses. We hypothesize that IAP will be increased and calculated APP will be decreased at a ventral abdominal location (V) when compared to values obtained from the left (LFl) or right flank (RFl).

Design: Prospective experimental design.

Hypothalamic-pituitary gland axis function and dysfunction in horses.

Hypothalamic-pituitary (HP) dysfunction has been documented in a limited capacity in horses and foals associated with critical illness, stress, and pain. This article reviews species-specific details of anatomy, function, hormones, receptors, and testing of the HP axis in the horse. A discussion of critical care medicine relevant to HP dysfunction in the horse with some reference to current understanding in human medicine is made, focusing primarily on current and relevant literature.

Multicentric mast cell tumors in a horse.

A 6-year-old female Rocky Mountain horse was presented for evaluation of draining tracts and distal limb subcutaneous edema on the left front and left hind limbs that had been present for 2 weeks. Direct smears of fluid collected by fine-needle aspiration of subcutaneous fluid from both limbs were highly cellular with a predominance of eosinophils accompanied by numerous, moderately atypical, variably granulated mast cells. The cytologic diagnosis was mast cell tumor (MCT) with prominent eosinophilic infiltration with a differential diagnosis of eosinophilic granuloma.

Isolation of Campylobacter fetus subspecies fetus in a two-year-old quarterhorse with chronic diarrhea of an undetermined etiology.

A 2-year-old quarterhorse was evaluated for chronic diarrhea and weight loss of 5 weeks duration after numerous diagnostic tests failed to identify an underlying cause. Historically, the horse was housed at pasture where human household waste vehicles were routinely cleaned and the effluent could run onto the field. Physical examination revealed poor body condition and frequent high-volume diarrhea.