Call number: LD2668 .T4 1984 N97 / Master of Science

Although equine charities’ presence in developing countries is assumed to improve working equine health, little scientifically substantiated information is available on the impact of such projects in targeted communities or about communities’ horse health priorities. This work aims to (i) evaluate and quantify the impact of World Horse Welfare training in farriery, saddlery and nutrition-related interventions on health of Lesotho’s working horses (ii) elicit community priority horse health topics using participatory methods for comparison with topics identified using epidemiological techniques. A baseline cross-sectional survey was conducted before World Horse Welfare’s first training course, with two follow-up surveys 9 and 20 months after first year course completion. Each followed a standardised clinical examination protocol for horses and administered a structured questionnaire on equine husbandry/primary health care knowledge and practices with study horses’ owners. Standardised data on tack used on horses was also collected. Data was analysed quantitatively to assess changes in equine health and tack parameters and owners’ knowledge and practices over the intervening period. Following impact evaluation, owner discussion groups were convened, employing participatory facilitation techniques to elicit owner-specified key horse health-associated issues and their priority order. Limited changes in farriery-related parameters were identified, but few saddlery-related improvements resulted; problems including high prevalence of poor tack and tack-associated injuries persisted. High prevalence of suboptimal body condition score, sharp enamel teeth points, parasite infestation, overgrown hooves and adverse clinical pathology parameters persisted throughout the study. Owners’ basic husbandry knowledge and application remained variable. Community-specified horse health priorities were mouthcare, nutrition, disease management, feet and husbandry. Engaging horse owners to understand country-specific issues and elicit community priorities is essential before designing interventions to improve equine health. A complex change process involving owner knowledge, attitudes and behaviour, underpinned by community support and bespoke step-wise interventions is required to achieve sustainable equine health improvements.

Alkaline phosphatase (ALP) is an enzyme present in intestinal mucosa, bile, bone and renal tubule cells. Bile acids have been shown to decrease ALP activity from bone and kidney but not those from intestinal origin. This action can be mimicked in serum and peritoneal fluid samples by the use of an L-phenylalanine buffer which specifically measures intestinal ALP activity only; while the standard buffer measures total ALP activity. We sought to assess the diagnostic and prognostic relationship of intestinal and total ALP activity between serum and peritoneal fluid in 126 horses with acute colic. Blood and peritoneal fluid samples were analyzed for ALP activity using both the standard and L-phenylalanine based buffers. Neither total nor intestinal serum ALP activity was useful in classifying type or severity of intestinal damage. Total and intestinal peritoneal fluid ALP activity were lowest in horses suffering simple medical colic and non-strangulated surgical lesions, and highest in surgical cases with suspected ulceration, strangulation, peritonitis and intestinal rupture. High total and intestinal peritoneal fluid ALP activity was associated with greater intestinal damage, increased probability of surgical intervention and a worse prognosis while low total and intestinal peritoneal fluid ALP activity was unable to accurately differentiate between simple medical colics and surgical colics. The use of L-phenylalanine buffer in both serum and peritoneal fluid did not improve the sensitivity of the test. Based on these results, determination of total ALP activity in peritoneal fluid may be helpful in identifying ischemic or inflammatory bowel lesions in horses with acute colic. A portable clinical analyzer (PCA) was used for the determination of venous blood and peritoneal fluid pH value, glucose, lactate and electrolyte concentrations in a hospital setting. Blood and peritoneal fluid glucose, lactate, sodium, chloride and potassium concentrations, and pH value were determined using both a portable clinical analyzer with test cartridges and an in-house analyzer in 56 horses with acute abdominal disease. Results were compared by the Bland-Altman method of comparison and linear regression. The PCA yielded higher blood and peritoneal pH values, with greater variability in the alkaline range and lower pH values in the acidic range. The PCA glucose concentrations (<150 mg/dL) were significantly lower, and were higher in the high range (>150 mg/dL). Venous lactate concentration (<5 mmol/dL) arid peritoneal fluid lactate concentration (<2 mmol/dL) had the smallest variability. On average, the PCA underestimated peritoneal lactate and glucose concentration. Peritoneal fluid sodium and chloride concentration had higher bias and variability than venous sodium and chloride concentration. Venous and peritoneal fluid potassium concentration was closely clustered around the mean with a low bias and variability. Correlation coefficients were >0.80 for all values except venous and peritoneal sodium concentration; venous chloride concentration and venous pH value. The PCA may be suitable for point-of-care biochemical analysis of blood and peritoneal fluid for horses suffering colic and may provide further diagnostic and prognostic information. The PCA may be of help in diagnosing metabolic acidosis, uroperitoneum, septic and non-septic peritonitis and intestinal ischemia. This may be of benefit to ambulatory equine clinicians. / Graduation date: 2004

No description available.

The cestode Anoplocephala perfoliata is known to cause fatal colic in horses. The epidemiology of the cestode has rarely been evaluated in Canada. I detected A. perfoliata eggs in 4-18% of over 1000 faecal samples collected over 2 years. Worm intensity ranged from 1 to >1000 worms. Pastured horses were infected more often than non-pastured horses, especially in western Alberta, likely reflecting their higher rates of exposure to mite intermediate hosts. In a comparison of diagnostic techniques, fecal egg counts were the least accurate. Western blot analysis had the highest sensitivity to detect antibodies to the cestode (100%), but had lower specificity. A serological enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) had a lower sensitivity (70%) for detection of antibodies than described in previous studies. A coproantigen ELISA had 74% sensitivity and 92% specificity, and a positive correlation was found between antigen concentration and cestode intensity. The latter is important because it implicates the utility of this method for accurate clinical diagnosis and epidemiological studies. / viii, 70 leaves ; 29 cm.

My thesis examined the implications of life history and ecology for population-level responses of the European long-snouted seahorse ( Hippocampus guttulatus Cuvier 1829) to habitat alteration, exploitation and a recommended minimum size limit for seahorse management. The research employed a mark-recapture study, underwater visual censuses (UVCs) and catch data from an unrelated experimental sampling program in the Ria Formosa Lagoon (southern Portugal). These small-bodied fish are characterized by rapid growth rate, early age at maturity, high natural mortality, short generation time, short life span and multiple spawnings per year, traits that are usually associated with resilience to exploitation. However specialized parental care, complex social interactions, small adult home ranges and benthic habit confer risk to H. guttulatus. Population-level responses to experimental reductions in non-selective fishing effort differed in magnitude and direction between H. guttulatus and its smaller congener, Hippocampus hippocampus: the abundance of H. guttulatus increased significantly while its congener decreased in abundance. Hippocampus guttulatus preferred more complex, vegetated habitats, while H. hippocampus preferred more open, sparsely vegetated habitats. Thus it seems probable that H. guttulatus fared better in the more complex habitats that developed when seining stopped, whereas H. hippocampus fared better in the less complex habitat arising from repeated seining. I used an age-structured stochastic simulation to evaluate the biological implications of a recommended generic strategy (10 cm minimum size limit) for managing the exploitation and international trade of seahorses, using H. guttulatus as a model. The smallest size limit that was robust (using the magnitude of population decline and probability of quasi-extinction as criteria) to a range of fishing rates, maximum population growth rates (rmax) and models of density-dependence

No description available.

Thesis (Ph.D.)--Murdoch University, 2003. / Thesis submitted to the Division of Health Sciences. Bibliography: leaves 164-198.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, 1995. / Vita. Abstract. Includes bibliographical references. Also available via the Internet.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Wisconsin--Madison, 1920. / Typewritten. eContent provider-neutral record in process. Description based on print version record.