Ana Muñoz

University of Córdoba | UCO · Department of Animal Medicine and Surgery

Background The paracondylar process is of clinical interest due to its proximity to anatomical structures involved in vital functions. There are limited reports describing abnormalities affecting the paracondylar process (PCP), with traumatic fractures being the most prevalent pathology. Affected horses can present with a variety of signs including...

Background It has been reported that capacitive resistive electric transfer (CRET) increases blood circulation, hemoglobin oxygenation and temperature in muscles. The attributed benefits of these changes have been linked to improved athletic performance, enhanced muscle flexibility and fastening recovery from exercise-induced fatigue. For all of th...

Simple Summary Lameness is one of the main causes of poor performance in all equestrian disciplines. Traditionally, it is assessed by clinical assessment, using subjective numerical scales. Quantitative lameness assessment has gained popularity over the last years, aiding in the decision-making process. Recently, a marker-less artificial intelligen...

In horses, quantitative assessment of gait parameters, as the use of inertial measurement units system (IMUs), might help in the decision-making process. However, it requires financial investment, is time-consuming, and lacks accuracy if displaced. An innovative Artificial Intelligence marker-less Motion Tracking System (AI-MTS) may overcome these...

Background Intravenous pharmacokinetics and oral bioavailability of cannabidiol (CBD) with different formulations have not been investigated in horses and may represent a starting point for clinical studies. Objectives To describe pharmacokinetics after intravenous and oral administrations with oil and micellar formulations and simulate different...

During a water treadmill (WT) exercise, horses change their accelerometric patterns. We aimed to analyze if these changes persist during terrestrial locomotion. Six horses were randomly subjected to 40 min duration WT exercises, without water (WW), at the depth of fetlock (FET), carpus (CAR) and stifle (STF), with a day off between them. Before and...

The objective of this research was to evaluate the changes in body condition score (BCS), age and the main biochemical parameters in pregnant Spanish Purebred mares. A total of 45 pregnant Spanish broodmares has been studied, classified in three different groups: group A (n=15), aging 14-18 years old and BCS lower than 4/10, group B (n=15), with ag...

Myeloid disorders are conditions being characterized by abnormal proliferation and development of myeloid lineage including granulocytes (neutrophils, eosinophils and basophils), monocytes, erythroids, and megakaryocytes precursor cells. Myeloid leukemia, based on clinical presentation and proliferative rate of neoplastic cells, is divided into acu...

In some species, female steroid hormones modify the profile of acute phase proteins (APPs) during the estrous cycle and pregnancy, according to the ovulation, embryonic implantation and placental development; however, nowadays there's no experimental evidence for equine species. Objectives of this study were: to compare the serum amyloid A (SAA), h...

MODIFICACIONES EN LA TEMPERATURA SUPERFICIAL DE LA REGIÓN METACARPIANA EN CABALLOS TRAS UNA SESIÓN DE CRIOTERAPIA INTRODUCCIÓN OBJETIVOS E HIPÓTESIS MATERIAL Y MÉTODOS RESULTADOS CONCLUSIÓN REFERENCIAS La crioterapia se define como la aplicación de frío como agente terapéutico con el objetivo de controlar el dolor, la inflamación y el edema. El uso...

Salivary biomarkers could be useful to evaluate stress, fitness level, and skeletal muscle damage associated to exercise in horses in an easy and non-painful way. Therefore, this study aims to evaluate if cortisol in saliva (sCor), salivary alpha-amylase (sAMY) and butyrylcholinesterase (sBChE) and lactate (sLA) and creatine kinase (sCK) in saliva...

In cycling females, the periovulatory period is characterized by stimulation of the hypothalamic pituitary adrenal (HPA) axis. The aim of present study was to analyze the pattern and interrelationships among adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH), cortisol (CORT), aldosterone (ALD) and electrolytes (sodium—Na+, potassium—K+ and chloride—Cl−) during per...

Capacitive resistive electric transfer (CRET), a radiofrequency at 448 kHz, increases flexibility in quadricep muscles of human athletes. To assess whether CRET would result in clinical and biomechanical improvements in horses with thoracolumbar pain, 18 sport horses were divided into two groups: CRET (n = 9), subjected to four CRET sessions, durin...

In women and females of different species of laboratory animals, oestrogens stimulate the renin–angiotensin–aldosterone system (RAAS) by increasing tissue and circulating levels of angiotensinogen and renin during the preovulatory period. Progesterone and cortisol compete with aldosterone for mineralocorticoid receptors, which results in increased...

The process of fibrin clot formation is a series of complex and well-regulated reactions involving blood vessels, platelets, procoagulant plasma proteins, natural inhibitors, and fibrinolytic enzymes. Vasculitis can be caused by a variety of different agents as bacteria, viruses, protozoal, rickettsial organisms, toxic, drugs, medications, and neop...

Horse trainers often claim that exercise on a water treadmill (WT) leads to a greater muscle power and development compared to terrestrial locomotion, because of the greater viscosity of water compared to air. This research assesses locomotor changes measured with accelerometers fixed in the pectoral region and in the sacrum midline in six horses s...

Background: Capacitive resistive electric transfer (CRET), a radiofrequency at 448 kHz, resulted in increased superficial and deep temperature and hemoglobin saturation, faster elimination of metabolic and inflammatory products and enhanced sport performance in humans. This research aims to investigate whether the application of CRET affects the l...

Genetic diseases that affect blood cells and clotting factors in the horse are uncommon. Unfortunately, the prognosis is reserved, because the treatment in many cases is only symptomatic and when it fails, euthanasia of the patient is the only viable option. The detection of carriers is of pivotal importance in order to prevent the spread of these...

In women and laboratory animals, local and circulating components of the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system (RAAS) are related to specific reproductive functions that occur during the estrous cycle, such as folliculogenesis, ovulation, corpus luteum development, and steroidogenesis. Also, in pregnant females of these species, maternal cardiovascu...

In recent years, exercise on a water treadmill has come to have great relevance in rehabilitation and training centres for sport horses. Its use exploits certain physical properties of water, related to the fundamental principles of hydrodynamics, such as buoyancy, viscosity, hydrostatic pressure, and water temperature. These properties together wi...

Simulated hypoxic normobaric devices have been used in human beings in order to enhance endurance capacity. These devices are sealed chambers where the athletes are supposed to stay for at least 6–8 hr daily. The current research assesses the changes in time‐domain, spectral and non‐geometrical heart rate variability (HRV) parameters in 6 horses su...

Navicular syndrome, a common cause of equine forelimb lameness, might be associated with pathologica changes of the navicular bone. Consequently, administration of bisphosphonates (BPs) has been advocated in order to modify the rate of bone turnover. The present study aimed to assess the clinical efficacy of intramuscularly administered clodronic a...

In recent years, many trainers have considered the exercise in water as a tool to be incorporated into training programs for sport horses. Additionally, exercise in water could be used for rehabilitation of musculoskeletal and neurological injuries. This use derives from the application of the physical properties of the water, such as viscosity (gr...

l Invited paper Recently, a scientific interest in exercise in water in equine athletes, both from training and rehabilitation purposes has been developed. Before an extended use of this practice in equine exercise physiology and medicine, the physiological adaptations to this type of exercise need to be elucidated. Six horses were subjected to ses...

Currently we can consider that, in addition to its role in hemostasis, platelets also participate in other important processes such as thrombosis, inflammation, tissue remodeling and the innate defense mechanisms. The hemostatic activity of platelets includes different events to stop bleeding. Within these functions we can mention the adhesion to t...

Many physiological events occurring during the estrous cycle, including folliculogenesis, oocyte maturation, ovulation, follicular atresia, corpus luteum development, luteolysis, steroidogenesis, and angiogenesis are associated with an increased expression of the renin–angiotensin–aldosterone system (RAAS) in uterus and ovarian follicles. This enha...

The use of the horse for athletic competition involves conditioning and training for specific types of performance. The present review focuses on one of the four main components of basic fitness, strength. First, some concepts, such as, the different types of contractions are presented in order to fully understand this article. Then five main objec...

Pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic (PK/PD) properties of the angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor (ACEI) benazeprilat have not been evaluated in horses. This study was designed to establish PK profiles for benazepril and benazeprilat after intravenous (IV) and oral (PO) administration of benazepril using a PK/PD model. This study also aims to d...

Systemic physiological changes required for placental and fetal development during pregnancy are associated with an activation of the sympathetic nervous system (SNS) and the hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal axis (HPA) in women, but this fact has not been investigated in mares. Venous blood samples were taken monthly from 31 successful Spanish mares...

Between 30-50% of the horses that start international endurance events, over distances of 100-160 km, are eliminated at the vet-gates, although elimination rates vary in the different geographical areas and race categories. Elimination rates appear to have increased over recent years, which is a source of concern for the sport’s ethics and image. M...

Objective: To determine the strong ion difference (SIDa ) and total nonvolatile weak buffers (ATOT ) in healthy foals during the first year of life and to compare reference biochemistry laboratory with analyzers available during emergency hours. Design: Prospective study performed over 2 years. Setting: University teaching hospital. Animals:...

The pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics (PK/PD) of the angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor (ACEI) ramiprilat after intravenous (IV) and oral (PO) administration of ramipril have not been evaluated in horses. This study was designed to establish PK profiles for ramipril and ramiprilat as well as to determine the effects of ramiprilat on serum...

Changes in blood pressure (BP) during acute hypertension in response to angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors (ACEIs) have not been investigated in normotensive horses. In this study, six healthy horses were subjected to five trials, consisting in a treadmill exercise workload of 8 m/s for 1 min, 2 h after oral administration (PO) of placebo (0...

This research was designed to provide data on the influence of the season on the year in the hematology of the Carthusian broodmares. Thirty-eight healthy Carthusian broodmares, aged 7-14 years were sampled during a year every two weeks. Therefore, a total of 24 blood samples were withdrawn for each animal. The following variables were measured: re...

A 10-year-old endurance horse was presented because tiredness in training, inability to finish the races, and colic in competition. The horse was continuously supplemented with four different hematinic compounds for more than 8 months. Physical examination showed mild hyperemia and blood analysis revealed erythrocytosis, increased γ-glutamyl transf...

Rectal tears are relatively common in horses after rectal examinations for diagnosis of gastrointestinal disorders or reproduction. We present the case of a mare that was freely bred and started with colic 8 hrs later. A rectal tear was produced by accidental rectal penetration of the stallion penis with a secondary septic peritonitis. Conservative...

Pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic of IV enalapril at 0.50 mg/kg, PO placebo and PO enalapril at three different doses (0.50, 1.00 and 2.00 mg/kg) were analyzed in 7 healthy horses. Serum concentrations of enalapril and enalaprilat were determined for pharmacokinetic analysis. Angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) activity, serum ureic nitrogen (SUN...

Highlights Clinical and laboratory findings were determined in 23 Andalusian horses in southern Spain that were positive for Theileria equi by PCR, including 16 mares at pasture (group A1) and seven stabled stallions (group B1). Five healthy mares at pasture (group A2) and five stabled stallions (group B2), all of which were negative for T. equi...

The systematic study of total number of leukocytes or white blood cells and their morphological characteristics offers valuable information for the diagnosis, prognosis, response to treatment and control of a wide variety of infectious or inflammatory disorders. This study provides a brief description of the physiological and morphological characte...

The interpretation of erythrogram is pivotal to assist clinicians in diagnosis, prognosis, patient management and control of equine diseases. Relative erythrocytosis associated to dehydration and blood splenic mobilization are common in horses. Absolute erythrocytosis appears less often in the horse and it can be related to increased erythropoietin...

The objective of study of the hemogram is to generate information that would assist the clinician in diagnostic processes, formulation of prognosis, patient management and control. For an accurate interpretation of hematologic data in horses, some characteristics should be considered, such as age, breed, sex, venipunction method, season, reproducti...

The Mangalarga Marchador (MM) breed, valued for its marcha pace, has been excelling in functional activities such as marcha course. Considering the lack of information about sports physiology of the marcha horses, the development of training protocols and physical testing becomes essential and, in this context, the concentrations of blood gases and...

Laboratory tests commonly used for detection or confirmation of equine liver disease comprise the measurement of a series of enzymatic parameters as serum alkaline phosphatase (ALP), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), γ-glutamyl transferase (GGT), glutamate dehydrogenase (GLDH) and sorbitol dehydrogenase (SDH) and bioche...

Three well-trained endurance horses, competing over different distances, developed sudden and unexpected rhabdomyolysis at the onset of exercise. They were treated and afterwards they did not have any other bout of muscle damage. All of them were positive to Theileria equi (polymerase reaction chain). The possible reasons of the rhabdomyolysis coul...

The influence of hydration prior to exercise on hormonal response to exercise was investigated in horses, divided into two groups, control (n=11) and dehydrated (n=53). They were also classified according to their body weight in A (⩽350kg), B (351-450kg) and C (⩾451kg). Horses covered 60m on a track pulling a carriage loaded with 2, 2.25 and 2.5 ti...

Equine neonatal septicemia could lead to the release of thrombus and heart valvular endocarditis. A relationship between activation of the renin-angiotensin-aldosteronevasopressin (RAAV) axis and heart failure has been described in several species. This article describes the echocardiographic, electrocardiographic, and laboratory findings, includin...

In order to assess which laboratorial parameters need specific age- and/or gender-related reference values, hematological and biochemical profiles (including hormones) were performed in 205 Spanish foals of 5 groups: A (1-2 months; 20 fillies, 10 colts), B (2-3 months; 24 fillies, 18 colts), C (3-6 months; 25 fillies, 16 colts), D (6-9 months; 20 f...

Significant changes in total blood white blood cells (WBC) and populations are found in many generalized and localized pathological conditions in veterinary medicine. Endometritis is an inflammatory process that might lead to infertility in mares and it is associated with an influx of polymorphonuclear neutrophils (PMN) into the uterine lumen. Endo...

Significant differences exist in the respiratory adaptation to exercise in different equine breeds. This research describes the ergoespirometric response to exercise of Andalusian (AN) and Arabian (A) horses, both selected according to morphological criteria. Thirteen untrained male horses (6 AN and 7 A) performed a treadmill exercise test (TET) wi...

We describe a fatal case, in which a horse suffered a fall and as a consequence, rib fractures. Diagnosis was made postmortem and the horse died without showing clear signs of respiratory dysfunction. The retrospective reports of injuries can be important to reduce these traumatic events and to avoid fatalities.

This study investigated the effect of hypertonic dehydration on exercise in horses. Valencian draft horses (n=43) with hypertonic dehydration following water and food deprivation and competing in pulling events (COM), were compared to euhydrated horses (n=11) during a pulling exercise test (PET). Both groups were divided into bodyweight (BW) catego...

A 15-year-old male Selle Français horse was presented because of some episodes of spontaneous mild bilateral epistaxis lasting for 7 days. No history of recent trauma was reported, and decrease in exercise performance and respiratory symptoms both at rest and during exercise was not observed. Nasal discharge between episodes of epistaxis was neithe...

Growth rate, tissue repair and reproductive functions are mediated by the somatotrophic axis, the growth hormone (GH) being one of its main components. GH is released in a pulsatile manner and a single measurement does not provide accurate information on the activity of the somatotrophic axis. The actions of GH on tissues are mediated by insulin-li...

Gestational length in Carthusian broodmares: effects of breeding season, foal gender, age of mare, year of parturition, parity and sire The length of gestation in Carthusian broodmares was calculated on the basis of 339 spontaneous full-term deliveries taking place in the 8-year period 1998-2005 from 158 broodmares and 29 stallions in a major farm...

This article reviews the main factors involved in gestational length (GL) in broodmares. Three main groups of factors were considered: environmental, fetal and maternal factor. The main environmental factors were the mating period within the breeding season, climate, year of breeding, photoperiod, and treatment with artificial light. Within the fet...

The biological effects of the growth hormone are in part mediated by the release of insulin-likegrowth factor type 1 (IGF-1) by the liver but also from other non-hepatic tissues. As opposite as GH,IGF-1 is not release in an episodic manner, is stable in the bloodstream and has a long biological halflife.As a consequence, the measurement of serum IG...

The renin–angiotensin–aldosterone–vasopressin axis (RAAV) is known to play significant roles in preserving hemodynamic stability in response to changes in blood volume, blood pressure, electrolytes, and water. In the previous years, some studies focused on RAAV in the horse, showing substantial future clinical and research applications. Early studi...

Limited information exists concerning the defence of homeostasis during endurance competitions and the relationship with performance. This research analysed renin (REN), angiotensin II (ANG), aldosterone (ALD) and vasopressin (AVP) in horses covering different distances, assesses differences between successful and eliminated horses and evaluates co...

Endurance races are the competition with the biggest metabolic demands for the sport horse. During races, some horses show homeostasis alterations, having repercussions in diverse biochemical parameters and negative consequences on performance and health. To evaluate the utility of biochemical analysis in the early diagnosis of metabolic stress and...

Hematology and serum/plasma biochemistry are important diagnostic aids to assess metabolic status in starved horses and to rule out pathologic conditions that present as emaciation. This article reviews the interpretation of these parameters, using 10 chronically starved horses as examples. The study was conducted on these 10 neglected horses belon...

This study aims were to analyze heart rate (HR) response to exercise, to determine the electrocardiographic characteristics and the incidence of arrhythmias during exercise and recuperation in agility-trained dogs. Fifteen trained dogs performed an agility competition (AC) over a distance of 360- 400 m with 40 obstacles. HR was monitored throughout...

ResumenEl eje somatotrópico es esencial para el desarrollo somático delorganismo, determinando el metabolismo celular. Aunque está constituido por diversas hormonas, los componentes esenciales son tres: la insulina, la hormona de crecimiento o GH y los factores de crecimiento similares a la insulina, tipos 1 y 2 (IGF-1 e IGF-2). La cuantificación d...

ResumenEn el presente artículo se describe el caso de una potra PRE, de 18meses de edad, con una deformación flexural congénita de la articulación interfalangiana distal del miembro pelviano derecho, que respondió a una serie de herrados correctivos.SummaryIn the present article, we describe a congenital flexural limb deformity affecting the distal...

Arginine vasopressin (AVP) is released in response to depletion of the effective circulating blood volume. Endurance horses might develop exhaustion because loss of water and electrolytes in sweat with hypovolaemia and electrolytes abnormalities. Therefore, AVP should act in the control of volemia in these animals. This research evaluates the diffe...

In order to investigate the effect of pregnancy on equine hematological profile, venous blood samples were taken from 44 Carthusian broodmares every two weeks during pregnancy, divided into three periods: I (conception to 110 days), II (111-220 days) and III (222 days to delivery). Routine hematological analysis was performed. Packed cell volume (P...

Echocardiographic values need to be established for each age and breed to be applied to equine medicine. The present research aims to describe echocardiographic measurements in Spanish fillies and colts of different age, to compare these values with those previously described for other equine breeds and to determine whether there is an influence of...

Scaling in biology is usually allometric, and therefore, the size of the heart may be expressed as a power function of body weight (BW). The present research analyses the echocardiographic measurements in 68 healthy Spanish foals weighed between 70 and 347 kg in order to determine the correct scaling exponent for the allometric equation. The echoca...

Normal hematological values need to be defined for each equine breed and age in order to increase diagnostic precision. No published data on hematology exist for Carthusian horses. This research compares the hematological characteristics of pregnant Carthusian broodmares of different ages. Forty-four pregnant Carthusian broodmares were divided into...

Leukemia, i.e., the neoplasia of one or more cell lines of the bone marrow, although less common than in other species, it is also reported in horses. Leukemia can be classified according to the affected cells (myeloproliferative or lymphoproliferative disorders), evolution of clinical signs (acute or chronic) and the presence or lack of abnormal c...

Exercise induces changes in hydration and electrolytes status that might affect volumetric properties of erythrocytes. This research analyzes the modifications induced for different type of exercises on volumetric indices in horses in relation to plasma electrolytes, total plasma proteins, heart rate, and lactate. One hundred sixty-four healthy spo...

Exercise induces a variety of physiological and laboratorial changes of different magnitude and direction, depending on the characteristics of the performed exercise (duration and intensity) and on the fitness and training level of the dog. The present research aims to describe the normal response to a session of search and rescue exercise in train...

Valores ecocardiográficos en modo M en potros Pura Raza Española con edades comprendidas entre 1 y 12 meses http://www.veterinaria.org/revistas/recvet/n010108/010802.pdf 1 RECVET-Revista Electrónica de Clínica Veterinaria RECVET http://www.veterinaria.org/revistas/recvet Valores ecocardiográficos en modo M en potros Pura Raza Española con edades co...

The aims of this study were to define the normal serum concentrations of cortisol in Spanish mares, and to analyse the effect of pregnancy and age. Thirty-three Spanish broodmares, aged between 4 and 17 years were studied. Jugular blood samples were extracted every month during pregnancy, in the morning. Immediately after withdrawal, blood was cent...