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EQUINE VETERINARY EDUCATION Equine vet. Educ. (2020) 32 (1) 4-5 doi: 10.1111/eve.13231


Highlights of recent clinically relevant papers


Dorsal fetlock chip fractures Arthroscopy is considered the treatment of choice for dorsal osteochondral chip fractures of the metacarpo/ metatarsophalangeal (MCP/MTP) joints in the racehorse. This retrospective study by Pieter Ramzan and Claire Wylie compared the surgical (SX) and non-surgical (non-SX) management of MCP/MTP joint dorsal chip fractures in racing Thoroughbreds in the UK. Medical records from 2006 to 2014 were reviewed to


identify Thoroughbred racehorses that were diagnosed with MCP/MTP dorsal osteochondral chip fractures by radiography. In total, 98 horses met the inclusion criteria (70 non-SX, 28 SX), with chip fractures predominantly involving the forelimbs (n = 92, 93.9%) and considered to be clinically active in 86.7% of cases (n = 85). Overall, 70 horses were managed non-surgically (71.4%)


and 28 underwent surgery (28.6%). Significantly more SX horses had a reported ongoing problem associated with the affected joint than non-SX horses; however, there was no significant difference between non-SX and SX horses with respect to the number of intra-articular medications of affected joint per month of follow-up. The proportion of horses racing post-diagnosis was not significantly different between the two groups (78.6% non-SX vs. 85.7% SX). The median time to first start following diagnosis for non-SX (106 days) was significantly shorter than for SX (203 days). Non-surgical management may be a valid treatment


option for some cases of metacarpo/metatarsophalangeal joint dorsal chip fracture.


Horse-owners’ perceptions of exotic diseases


In this UK-based study, Kelsey Spence and colleagues investigated horse-owners’ perceptions of, and attitudes towards, exotic diseases. This study describes horse-owners’ perceptions of the term


‘exotic disease’, and their attitudes towards their risk of being affected by an exotic disease. Data was collected from 423 horse-owners using two open-ended survey questions. Horse-owners perceived exotic diseases as (1)


belonging somewhere else, and (2) a dangerous threat to their horse(s). The term ‘exotic’ was associated with being foreign, non-native, and out-of-place in the UK. Attitudes towards exotic disease risk were summarised into four categories: (1) responsible horse-owners prevent disease, (2) horse-owners need support to stop disease spread, (3) risk depends on proximity to the ‘risky’ horse, and (4) some risk is inevitable. A ‘responsible’ owner was aware of health hazards and took actions to protect their horse from disease. Reliance on others, including stakeholders, to uphold disease prevention in the community led to feeling vulnerable to disease threats. When evaluating risk, horse- owners considered which horses were the ‘riskiest’ to their horse’s health (horses that travelled, participated in competitions, or were simply unfamiliar) and avoided situations where they could interact. Despite undertaking disease prevention measures, the perceived uncontrollable nature of exotic diseases led some owners to feel an incursion was inevitable.


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EIPH in endurance horses In this study Iciar Taranc


on and colleagues in Spain assessed


the prevalence of exercise-induced pulmonary haemorrhage (EIPH) among elite endurance horses after competition in a long-distance race. Bronchoalveolar lavage fluid samples collected from 20


endurance horses at 3–8 days (sample A) and 36–38 days (sample B) after the race (100 km in 1 day [n = 3], 70 km/day for 2 days [n = 12], or 100 km/day for 2 days [n = 5]) were cytologically examined for the presence of hemosiderophages. Samples from 12 control horses (nonexercised or minimally exercised age-, breed-, and trainer-matched horses from the same environment) were collected at the same time as sample B was obtained from matched endurance horses and similarly examined. Horses with bronchoalveolar lavage fluid samples in which >1% of identified cells were hemosiderophages were considered to have evidence of EIPH. Of 20 endurance horses, 9 (45%) and 10 (50%) had


cytologic evidence of EIPH in samples A and B, respectively. Evidence of EIPH was present in 6 of 20 (30%) horses at both sample collection times, 3 (15%) at the first sample time only, and 4 (20%) at the second sample time only. Only one of 12 control horses had cytologic evidence of EIPH. The prevalence of EIPH in these elite endurance horses


(45–50%) was higher than previously reported estimates for poor-performing endurance horses; however, differences in


The authors concluded that without accounting for horse-


owners’ perceptions of, and attitudes towards, exotic diseases, recommendations to increase preparedness may be ineffective. Improved communication among stakeholders in the industry may help to clarify expectations for exotic disease- specific prevention measures. A collaborative approach among horse-owners and stakeholders is recommended to improve disease preparedness within the industry.


Right dorsal displacement of the large colon


In this study from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, USA, Jennifer Whyard and Sabrina Brounts compared post- operative complications and survival in horses with right dorsal displacement of the large colon (RDD) and horses with other non-strangulating large colon (NSLC) lesions. Data relating to horses undergoing exploratory


laparotomy were obtained from medical records and further data was obtained from an owner questionnaire. Of the 137 horses in this study, 67 (49%) had RDD and 70 (51%) had NSLC lesions. Post-operative complications were experienced by 28 horses with RDD (42%) and 27 horses with NSLC lesions (39%). The horses with RDD showed more severe complications than the horses with NSLC lesions. Horses with RDD were found to be more likely to develop colic in the short term, but not in the long term, and were more likely to have a second laparotomy. No significant difference in short- or long-term survival was found between groups. Major post-operative complications in the RDD group did not influence short- or long-term survival.


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