Electroencephalographic Responses to a Noxious Surgical Stimulus in Mules, Horses, and Ponies

The aim of this study was to investigate the electroencephalographic (EEG) response of equidae to a castration stimulus. Study 1 included 11 mules (2 1/2-8 years; 230-315 kg) and 11 horses (1 1/2-3 1/2 years; 315-480 kg); study 2 included four ponies (15-17 months; 176-229 kg). They were castrated under halothane anesthesia after acepromazine premedication (IV [study 1] and intramuscular [study 2]) and thiopental anesthetic induction. Animals were castrated using a semiclosed technique (study 1) and a closed technique (study 2). Raw EEG data were analyzed and the EEG variables, median frequency (F50), total power (Ptot), and spectral edge frequency (F95), were derived using standard techniques at skin incision (skin) and emasculation (emasc) time points. Baseline values of F50, Ptot, and F95 for each animal were used to calculate percentage change from baseline at skin incision and emasculation. Differences were observed in Ptot and F50 data between hemispheres in horses but not mules (study 1) and in one pony (study 2). A response to castration (>10% change relative to baseline) was observed in eight horses (73% of animals) and four mules (36% of animals) for F50 and nine horses (82%) and four mules (36%) for Ptot. No changes in F95 data were observed in any animal in study 1. Responses to castration were observed in three ponies (75% of animals) for F50, one pony (25%) for F95, and all ponies for Ptot Alteration of acepromazine administration and castration technique produced a protocol that identified changes in EEG frequency and power in response to castration. (c) 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

A Genome-Wide Association Study for Morphometric Traits in Quarter Horse

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Evaluation of Three Enzyme Immunoassays for Diagnosis of Clostridium difficile-Associated Diarrhea in Foals

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

Speed Index in the Racing Quarter Horse: A Genome-wide Association Study

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Prospection of genomic regions divergently selected in racing line of Quarter Horses in relation to cutting line

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Developmental aspects of early pregnancy in mares

In mares, the embryo migrates to the uterus between days 5 and 6 postovulation beginning its mobility through all uterine segments, which is essential for the maternal recognition of pregnancy. During the mobility phase, the embryonic vesicle shows a linear growth rate until its fixation between days 15 and 17, when the orientation phenomenon occurs. From fixation to day 28 of pregnancy, the embryonic growth is less evident (plateau) by cross-section ultrasound examination. After this period the linear growth rate is reestablished until day 46. This plateau is attributed to the increased uterine tone that compresses the vesicle and to volume expansion, making it difficult to detect the conceptus growth only by the cross-section diameter. Around day 20, the embryo proper is visualized as an echogenic spot in the ventral aspect of the vesicle. Additionally, development of allantoic sac, embryonic heartbeat, yolk sac regression and posterior umbilical cord formation also can be visualized from days 20 to 40. An intimate interaction between uterus and conceptus is essential for the normal pregnancy development. Color-and spectral-Doppler ultrasonography can be useful for the evaluation of this interface. A gradual increase on uterine vascularity during the early pregnancy and transient changes in endometrial vascularity accompanying the vesicle location during the mobility phase have been described. Around day 38 of gestation, the formation of the endometrial cups begins and, consequently, the synthesis of the equine chorionic gonadotropin (eCG) induces the formation and development of supplementary corpora lutea, which are important to secrete progesterone and to maintain pregnancy until around day 120.

Effect of hemolysis on canine, bovine and earn e serum chemistry

Hemolysis is the main cause of biochemical analysis rejection's in veterinary laboratories, however the relative error caused by hemoglobin on serum biochemical profile has not been properly established on several species. In order to establish criteria for aproval and rejection of hemolyzed samples for serum biochemical tests, the hypothesis that hemolysis causes biochemical changes in canine, cattle and horses and that laboratorial error depends on species and hemolysis degree was tested. Thus, non-hemolyzed serum was contaminated with crescent hemoglobin levels and using commercial routine reagents, the serum concentrations of uric acid, albumin, cholesterol, triglycerides and urea, besides the activity of ALT, AST, CK and GUT were quantified in triplicate samples. The relative error was calculated by the comparison between hemolyzed and non-hemolyzed samples. Hemolys is did not cause significant error on the albumin determination in all three species, AST in canine and cattle, ALT in horses, UK and cholesterol in canine. There was a linear increase on uric acid levels in horses and cattle, triglycerides in all three species. A linear increase in serum urea in all species serum, UK and cholesterol in cattle and cholesterol in horses was observed. Serum AST activity on equine serum and ALT in cattle decreased linearly due to hemolysis. It was concluded that hemolysis promotes changes in canine, equine and bovine serum chemistry profile, however the laboratorial error not necessarily compromises the diagnosis in all cases, because the changes depends on species and degree of in vitro hemolysis.

Atualidades no tratamento da laminite em equinos

Laminitis is still a major cause of lameness in horses, causing damage to many interested in it. It has been long studied, but there are several points that are not yet fully understood. Doubts about its pathogenesis end up extending at the treatments. Just as there are several theories that attempt to explain the mechanisms of its development, also appear treatments that are sometimes contradictory and inconsistent. Mostly times, laminitis is a consequence of another disease process that occurs systemically in the body. Among them are the main grain overload and processes that cause the animal to the table of endotoxemia, strangled colic, metritis with retained placenta and pleuropneumonia. The proposed treatments include the use of anti-inflammatory drugs, cryotherapy, use of vasodilators and correction of Starling forces, and other measures to support the frog. The stall should be bedded deeply with sand or other material that provides support to the frog

Biotecnologias aplicadas à reprodução de éguas velhas

The acceptance of biotechnology for the most equine breeders association had a significant effect in the horse industry, gaining popularity around the world, because the increasing on the genetic gain, allowing the use of sub fertile mares and stallions with high genetics value on reproduction. The embryos in vitro production of human and cattle has been used with success, however in vitro embryo production is not efficient in the horse, as oocyte transfer (OT) and intracytoplasmatic sperm injection (ICSI). The oocyte transfer has been used especially in subfertile old mares presenting reproductive pathologies as: endometrite, cervical and uterine adhesions, blocked oviduct, perineal laceration and ovulation failures. During oocyte recovery process, the oocytes must be collected from immature follicles that need be matured in vitro or in vivo matured oocytes from pre-ovulatory follicles through the transvaginal aspiration guided by ultrasound. The recovered oocyte is transferred to a previously inseminated recipient mare, through the flank laparotomy. The intracytoplasmatic sperm injection (ICSI) is a procedure of in vitro fertilization that needs only one sperm that is aspirated and injected inside the oocyte. The oocytes used, can be from mature and immature follicles. Fresh, cooled and frozen semen can be used, because the procedure not requires a functional sperm. The use of Piezo drill resulted in a breakthrough the pellucid zone, allowing the vibration per minute provided in the sperm injection pipette, a major result of cleaved oocytes, due to a better sperm injection in the oocyte. The embryo transfer can be straight inside the oviduct, as also transcervical transferred after embryo culture produced in vitro. In conclusion both procedures (OT and ICSI) are effective to be used on equine assisted reproduction, getting results even lower than expected, but satisfactory from animal genetically superior

Principais métodos terapêuticos na tendinite eqüina

Most athletic horses nowadays suffer injuries on their locomotor system, needing a long period of rest during the year, meaning a big economic loss. Because of that, this kind of injury has become extremely important for the Veterinary Medicine. Among this injuries, tendinitis of the flexors tendons must be mentioned, since its reparation is essential for the animal return to exercise. Many methods of treatment for this injury have been employed, but few have provided satisfactory results. So the objective of this study is to analyze the present concepts of equine tendinitis to better understand its mechanism, adequate treatment and prevention

Uso da morfina na analgesia de equinos

Pain control is an important aspect of equine medicine. Musculoskeletal and gastrointestinal diseases are the most important clinical and surgical painful situations in this specie. In these cases, opioids have been used successfully for the treatment of pain, administered both local (intra-articular and epidural) and systemically. Otherwise, opioids, specially mu agonists like morphine, present important side effects in horses. Amongst these effects, CNS stimulation with increased motor activity and impairment of intestinal motility are observed in several cases. Therefore, adequate dosing of administration are essential for the safe use of opioids in horses

Análise física da estrutura do tecido ósseo bovino

There are diseases in vertebrates associated with the structure of bone tissue that directly affect the locomotor system of the animal. Being a endoskeleton, the diagnosis of these diseases becomes difficult in vivo. The characterization of the physical structure of the bone tissue of healthy animals becomes a major tool in the diagnosis comparison of live animals. Thus, the objective of this work is to determine the average value of the key physical properties of the bone structure used in the clinical diagnosis, such as: bone density, porosity, and mass attenuation coefficient of 59.6 keV photons of bone tissue and bovine and equine check variations in these values. The samples were provided by the pathology department of the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine and Zootechny of Botucatu-SP, which are of one male equine and one female bovine animals, using the radio and metacarpus, together with these materials were supplied the historic them. They were withdrawn ten samples in cuts of 10cm over the bone . These samples were submitted to the wet method of immersion in water for the density, by the method of attenuation of gamma radiation of radioisotope 241Am, it is estimated the mass attenuation coefficient, and then were dried in the oven for determining the content moisture. In determining the porosity of the samples was tight ground, in order to obtain the density of particles. The results for the mass attenuation coefficient of gamma radiation to the levels of saturated humidity, environment humidity, dry humidity respectively 0289 ± 0039; 0286 ± 0040 and 0297 ± 0042. And the density of particles was 2.2691 g/cm3

Criopreservação de sêmen de epidídimo de garanhões

It is a fact that Brasil has a featured position in the equine market due to the size and the high quality of its squad. To keep the competitivity, the reproduction biotechnologies have a big and important role. The cryopreservation of stallion semen, for example, generates innumerous advantages, which includes: larger number of obtained doses, storing genetic material for undetermined time, using the semen of a good stallion even after its dead or any other event that makes both semen collection and mating impossible, etc. In this context, the cryopreservation of epididymal sperm, has been seen as a promising technique in equine reproduction. The epididymal cauda has a significant quantity of fertile spermatozoa and this ensures a huge store of cells in cases of unexpected accidents, which can early interrupt with the reproductive life of a stallion. Lots of studies are being developed using the cryopreservation of stallion epididymal sperm. These studies permit the propagation of high quality genetic material and make possible for the stallion owner to opt for a final semen collect in unexpected circumstances

Refrigeração de sêmen de garanhões

Because the routine use of frozen semen has some limitation that don´t permit its use in a large-scale, it is necessary to use the cooled semen. The equine cooled semen is normally used to enable that a genetic material with high quality be spread over long distances. When it reaches the temperature of refrigeration, the sperm metabolic activity decreases and the free radicals formation minimize. These ones cause irreversible damages to the sperm cells and, so, its lower formation is very advantageous. However, when we manipulate the semen using conservation techniques, like refrigeration, it is necessary to be aware about the sperm characteristics and fragilities, because, if performed erroneously, this technique can be harmful to the sperm function as well as to the time of sperm capacitation and acrosome reaction. It is necessary that cooling rate is slow and that the time and the storage temperature of the sperm obey the ranges that are already established. Moreover, we should make use of diluents and obtain the ideal sperm dilution, so that its use can be optimized. It´s also important to emphasize that to obtain good fertility rates, the semen, after processed (collected and diluted) must be conditioned in recipients specially developed for this purpose

Avaliação uterina e ovariana de éguas por meio da ultrassonografia Doppler

Doppler ultrasonography is a new technology that has been study by researchers to improve the physiologic and pathologic knowledge about reproduction. This technology is based on Doppler-shifts frequencies or ultrasonic, these frequencies can be increase or decrease according to the movements of the red cells in the vessel. Color Doppler and power Doppler are the two possibilities to use the Doppler ultrasonography. Color Doppler is based in more the one color that show the direction of the blood f low and power Doppler is based in one color that change according of the flow intensity. Doppler ultrasonography can be demonstrated with the spectral mode to verify blood flow in large vessels, because of this, it is not use in equine reproduction. Studies in equine reproduction have been doing to verify uterus blood flow in cyclic mares and to observe the vascular perfusion in mares with cists, uterine vascular perfusion post breeding and verify the affects of drugs to decrease the uterus fluid in mares with problems in uterus perfusion. The ovarian irrigation during the estrus cycle was analyze with the measurement of the principal hormones during the estrus cycle in mares, the integrity of the corpus luteus, the irrigation of the future dominant follicle and the consequences in the ovarian irrigation after luteolyse induction also were study. Nevertheless, more than the knowledge that existed about Doppler ultrasonography, new studies have been doing to improve the forms to use Doppler ultrasonography in equine reproduction