Hypereosinophilia in a horse with intestinal lymphosarcoma.

Paraneoplastic eosinophilia is reported in dogs, cats, and humans. Hypereosinophilia (an eosinophil count greater than 1.5 x 10(9) L) is often associated with metastasis and a poor prognosis. This report describes a case of paraneoplastic hypereosinophilia in a pony. Neoplasia should be included in the differential diagnoses in a horse with eosinophilia.

Persistent hyperammonemia in two related Morgan weanlings.

Persistent hyperammonemia was diagnosed in 2 Morgan fillies with clinical signs that developed early in the postweaning period. Diagnostic evaluation, including routine serum chemistries, CBC, liver biopsy, hepatic ultrasonography, liver function test, and necropsy findings did not support a toxic, developmental, or infectious cause. Abnormal serum amino acid and urine orotic acid concentrations suggest that the foals may have had an inherited disorders described in humans as hyperornithinemia, hyperammonemia, and homocitrullinuria (HHH) syndrome. The disorder is thought to be caused by a defective mitochondrial transporter protein, such that ornithine, required for complete urea synthesis, is deficient, thus causing increases in blood ammonia and ornithine concentrations.

Septic cholangitis and peritonitis in a gelding.

An 8-year-old Arabian gelding with septic cholangitis and peritonitis was successfully treated with trimethoprim/sulfadiazine. The gelding was referred for evaluation of signs of abdominal pain, icterus, fever, and weight loss. Peritoneal fluid analysis revealed septic and suppurative peritonitis. Culture of the peritoneal fluid yielded Escherichia coli and Klebsiella pneumoniae, which were sensitive to trimethoprim/sulfadiazine. On the basis of results of hepatic ultrasonography, a diagnosis of septic cholangitis also was made. The horse was treated with 30 mg of trimethoprim/sulfadiazine/kg, PO, q 12 h for approximately 6 weeks. The horse improved steadily, and telephone follow-up with the owner 1 year later disclosed that the horse had complete return to normal condition, appetite, and attitude. On the basis of our findings, aggressive, long-term anti-inflammatory and antibiotic treatment may result in complete return to health and normal athletic function in horses with septic cholangitis and concurrent septic peritonitis.

Cardiovascular effects and fatalities associated with intravenous administration of doxycycline to horses and ponies.

Intravenous use of doxycycline in horses is associated with deleterious side effects on the cardiovascular system which may result in fatalities. At dosages and infusion rates used in these studies, supraventricular tachycardia, systemic arterial hypertension, clinical signs of discomfort, collapse and death were observed. Results of the present study suggest that the intravenous use of doxycycline should be avoided in horses.

Transendoscopic Nd:YAG laser surgery for treatment of epiglottal entrapment and dorsal displacement of the soft palate in the horse.

Transendoscopic neodymium:yttrium-aluminum-garnet (Nd:YAG) laser was used to treat 12 standing horses with epiglottic entrapment (EE) or dorsal displacement of the soft palate (DDSP), or both. In four horses, transendoscopic laser staphylectomy was performed. The most common presenting complaints were respiratory stridor, cough, and exercise intolerance. Ten horses with EE healed without epiglottic complications; in one horse, partial adhesion of the aryepiglottic fold to one side of the epiglottis was corrected surgically through a laryngotomy incision. One horse with DDSP had no further signs, one continued to have continual DDSP, and two had induced DDSP. Transendoscopic Nd:YAG laser proved to be a feasible means of correcting EE and selected cases of DDSP.

Thyroid hormone periodicity in healthy adult geldings.

Serum samples were collected from 10 healthy geldings every 4 h for three consecutive days and the triiodothyronine (T3) and thyroxine (T4) concentrations determined by radioimmunoassay. There were significant differences in the hormone concentrations related to time. The mean (+/- sd) T3 concentration peaked around 08.00 h at a level (54.06 +/- 14.02 ng/dl) significantly (P less than .001) higher than the lowest concentration (38.71 +/- 10.81 ng/dl) around midnight. Although the highest mean T3 level was 08.00 h, this value was not significantly different from the noon and 16.00 h levels. Likewise, the mean T3 level at midnight was not significantly different from the 20.00 h and 04.00 h levels, resulting in a plateau from 08.00 h to 16.00 h and a trough from 20.00 h to 04.00 h. The mean (+/- sd) T4 concentration peaked around 16.00 h at a level (2.43 +/- .81 micrograms/dl) significantly (P less than .01) higher than the lowest concentration (1.79 +/- .63 micrograms/dl) around 04.00 h.