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Whippets are traditionally trained to compete in lure coursing. While in humans and horses, training is routinely monitored by special tests, this is not carried out in the training of whippets. The aim of this study was to check if laboratory tests designed for racehorses could be useful in monitoring whippets training for lure coursing.

Simple Summary: Canine behavioral disorders have become one of the most common concerns and challenging issues among dog owners. Therefore, to face this challenge, searching for novel therapeutic methods is highly required. Accumulated data show that mammals' gut microbiome, immune system, and nervous system are in continuous communication and influence animal physiology and behavior. This review aimed to summarize and discuss the most important scientific pieces of evidence on the relationship between mental disorders and gut microbiota in dogs, simultaneously presenting comparable outcomes in humans and rodent models. A comprehensive overview of crucial mechanisms of the gut–brain axis is included. Additionally, the possible effects of the fecal microbiome transplantation procedure as a new tool to manipulate gut microbiota are discussed. Canine behavioral disorders have become one of the most common concerns and challenging issues among dog owners. Thus, there is a great demand for knowledge about various factors affecting dogs' emotions and well-being. Among them, the gut–brain axis seems to be particularly interesting, especially since in many instances the standard treatment or behavioral therapies insufficiently improve animal behavior. Therefore, to face this challenge, the search for novel therapeutic methods is highly required. Existing data show that mammals' gut microbiome, immune system, and nervous system are in continuous communication and influence animal physiology and behavior. This review aimed to summarize and discuss the most important scientific evidence on the relationship between mental disorders and gut microbiota in dogs, simultaneously presenting comparable outcomes in humans and rodent models. A comprehensive overview of crucial mechanisms of the gut–brain axis is included. This refers especially to the neurotransmitters crucial for animal behavior, which are regulated by the gut microbiome, and to the main microbial metabolites—short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs). This review presents summarized data on gut dysbiosis in relation to the inflammation process within the organism, as well as the activation of the hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal (HPA) axis. All of the above mechanisms are presented in this review in strict correlation with brain and/or behavioral changes in the animal. Additionally, according to human and laboratory animal studies, the gut microbiome appears to be altered in individuals with mental disorders; thus, various strategies to manipulate the gut microbiota are implemented. This refers also to the fecal microbiome transplantation (FMT) method, based on transferring the fecal matter from a donor into the gastrointestinal tract of a recipient in order to modulate the gut microbiota. In this review, the possible effects of the FMT procedure on animal behavioral disorders are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Background Breed specific reference ranges for selected blood parameters are recommended for proper interpretation of blood tests, but there are only few reports dealing with ponies. The purpose of this study was to investigate if blood parameters differ among ponies’ classes and to check if general normal values for equine species are applicable to ponies. Results All, except total protein concentration, biochemical parameter significantly (p

We aimed to assess the usefulness of monitoring inter-alpha trypsin inhibitor heavy chain 4 (ITIH4) and haptoglobin (Hp) in peripheral and local blood in canine pyometra, and evaluation the relationships among acute phase proteins (APPs), systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS) and the presence of bacteria. The material was collected from bitches with pyometra and from healthy ones. Blood was taken from the cephalic and uterine veins. APPs levels were quantified by ELISA. In the peripheral circulation, the Hp was higher in animals with open-cervix pyometra (OCP) than in the closed-cervix pyometra (CCP) and the control group. The Hp concentration was not correlated with age, with the presence of SIRS or with the type of bacteria (Gram-negative, Gram-positive or mixed flora). The ITIH4 concentrations in the peripheral blood did not differ significantly in the cases of pyometra. The Hp concentration in the local circulation increased in the OCP but not in the CCP groups, although the histopathological changes in the endometrium were similar. Peripheral Hp concentrations may be a useful tool in differentiating between the types of pyometra. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Equine atypical myopathy (EAM) is an acute, severe rhabdomyolysis associated with ingestion of hypoglicyn A contained in seeds and seedlings of Sycamore maple (Acer pseudoplatanus). An increasing number of outbreaks has been reported in recent years, including some from countries where the disease has not been previously diagnosed. EAM occurs predominantly during the autumn and less often in the spring. Treatment plans can be extrapolated from the described clinical signs and metabolic problems, but they remain limited to supportive care. Since treatment is still unsuccessful in the majority of cases, the main emphasis is currently still on prevention. In this review, clinical and other details of EAM are analysed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Gene doping, the use of gene therapy or genetic manipulation to enhance athletic performance, has emerged as a potential threat to the integrity and welfare of equine sports, such as horse racing and equestrian sports. This review aims to provide an overview of gene doping in horses, including the underlying technologies, potential applications, detection methods, ethical concerns and future perspectives. By understanding the current landscape of gene doping in horses, stakeholders can work together to develop strategies to safeguard the integrity of equine sports., (© 2024 The Author(s). Equine Veterinary Journal published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of EVJ Ltd.)

Several anti-inflammatory cytokines have been proposed as markers for exercise monitoring in humans such as the interleukin 1 receptor agonist (IL-ra), or interleukin 13 (IL-13). Equine athletes may be considered a model for human exercise physiology research, however there is a lack of such studies of this species. Thus, we decided to examine the changes of IL-1ra and IL-13 in serum concentration during aerobic (endurance) and anaerobic (race) exercise in horses of different fitness levels in comparison with the well-known anti-inflammatory cytokine interleukin 10 (IL-10). The group of endurance horses (n = 13) consisted of animals competing over 100 (n = 7) and 120 km (n = 6) rides. The group of racehorses (n = 18) consisted of trained (n = 9) and untrained (n = 9) animals. The blood samples were obtained before and after the exercise. The ELISA test was performed to evaluate the changes of IL-1ra, IL-13 and IL-10 during different types of exercise. In endurance horses there was an increase in IL-13 (p = 0.0012) after the 100 km ride and in IL-1ra (p = 0.0411) after the 120 km ride. In race horses there was a higher IL-13 basal serum concentration in the untrained group, as well as a decrease of IL-13 after exercise (p = 0.0188). In trained racehorses there was an increase in IL-1ra (p < 0.0001) and IL-13 after exercise (p = 0.0028). In conclusion, the reaction of IL-1ra and IL-13 to different types of exercise differ from each other. Thus, in future, they may be helpful in monitoring the fitness of horses, however more research is needed., Competing Interests: The authors declare no conflict of interest., (© 2022 The Authors.)