2. Universidad Cardenal Herrera-CEU

Background: In modern times, horses are utilized not only for labour and transportation purposes but also for recreational activities such as competition and pleasure riding. In these various pursuits, the role of vision plays a crucial role. Electroretinography is the most used test to diagnose diseases of the retinal outer segment. There is a wide variety of devices to perform the electroretinography differing one from each other in the corneal electrode and the light stimulation. The Koijman electrode has been tested in dogs but not in horses. The main purpose of this study was to compare electroretinography parameters from horses sedated with detomidine alone or in combination with butorphanol, during a standardized protocol using the Koijman electrode and RETI-port® system. Seven mares were allocated to the detomidine and detomidine plus butorphanol group in a randomised, controlled, crossover study. Friedman and Willcoxon-signed ranked tests were used to compare the electroretinogram parameters. A Student's t-test was used to compare differences in the number of artefacts to valid values ratio obtained under both sedation protocols. Results: Dark adaptation peaked after 16 min under scotopic conditions in both groups. No significant differences in electroretinogram parameters between groups were observed. During the mixed rod and cone response evaluation under scotopic conditions, all mares made a movement of the head resulting in a high number of artefacts. The detomidine plus butorphanol group showed a non-significant tendency to have fewer artefacts and a longer duration of sedation compared to the detomidine group. Conclusions: Detomidine alone or combined with butorphanol may be suitable to use Koijman electrode and the RETI-port® to perform a standardized long protocol in horses with some adaptations.

Background: Comparisons between smartphone ECG (SpECG) recordings obtained from the right and left sides of the thorax have not been reported in animals. Objectives: To evaluate the screening potential of a SpECG obtained from both sides of the thorax and to compare the degree of agreement between the SpECG and a reference ECG (rECG) for measurement of the duration of baseline electrical deflections recorded over both sides of the thorax. Animals: Fifty horses admitted to the equine hospital, university-owned horses, and horses from an endurance riding facility. Methods: Prospective observational study. Simultaneous rECG and SpECG tracings were recorded on both sides of the thorax and evaluated by 2 experienced observers for interpretability, presence and classification of arrhythmias, and duration of deflections of the electrical baseline. Results: Fifteen (15/50) horses had spontaneous arrhythmias. Excellent agreement was found between the 2 devices (κ = 0.91; P < .001; 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.79-1.03) for the detection of arrhythmias. Significantly more P waves were of diagnostic quality from the right side (20 versus 5, P = .001) and significantly more QRS and QT intervals were of diagnostic quality from the left side (66 versus 38 and 62 versus 34, respectively, P < .001). Substantial agreement for the duration of deflections between devices only was observed for the QRS interval (SpECG left). Conclusions and Clinical Importance: It is important to obtain SpECG tracings from both sides of the thorax in horses. The SpECG is a useful stall-sidearrhythmiascreening tool for some common arrhythmias in horses.

Occipital condylar fractures (OCFs) causing delayed onset lower cranial nerve paraly-sis (LCNPs) are rare. We present a 7-year-old Friesian horse with delayed onset dys-phagia caused by vagus nerve (CNX) paralysis and suspicion of glossopharyngealnerve (CNIX) paralysis developed several days after a minor head injury. Endoscopicexamination revealed right laryngeal hemiplegia and intermittent dorsal displacementof the soft palate. An area of submucosal hemorrhage and bulging was appreciatedover the dorsal aspect of the medial compartment of the right guttural pouch. Radio-logical examination of the proximal cervical region showed rotation of the atlas andthe presence of a large bone fragment dorsal to the guttural pouches. Occipital con-dyle fracture with delayed onset cranial nerve paralysis was diagnosed. Delayedonset cranial nerve paralysis causing dysphagia might be a distinguishable sign ofOCF in horses. Delayed onset dysphagia after head injury should prompt equine clini-cians to evaluate the condition of the atlanto-occipital articulation and skull base.

A six-year-old female goat was presented to the veterinary teaching hospital of the University of the West Indies with a history of progressive hind-limb paresis lasting two weeks. The doe developed a grade 6/6 holosystolic murmur during hospitalisation. Echocardiography revealed vegetative growths attached to cusps of the mitral and aortic valves. Therewas an accelerated aortic flow at 2.9 m/s and aortic insufficiency. The aortic vegetation was prolapsing into the left ventricle during diastole, causing it to contact the septal mitral valve leaflet. A diagnosis of mitral and aortic vegetative endocarditis, with a mitral kissing vegetation and mild aortic stenosis, was reached. The patient was placed on broad-spectrum antimicrobials. A short-term follow-up showed no resolution of clinical signs, and the animal eventually died. Post-mortem examination showed severe vegetative, fibrino-necrotic, aortic and mitral valve lesions. The goat also had a severe fibrino-suppurative mastitis. Histopathology confirmed the lesions to be vegetative endocarditis.