Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Pilot Study: Effects Of Whole Body Vibrational Therapy On Equine Epaxial Muscle Soreness, Riley Leibeck

Undergraduate Honors Thesis Projects

Whole body vibrational therapy (WBV) is well-studied in people, but there is a paucity of research of its effect on horses. It is suggested that WBV use in horses increases performance, aids in recovery, and stimulates nerves, bones, and muscles in ways that normal exercise does not. The purpose of this pilot study was to determine if frequent WBV therapy sessions affect back soreness in horses using pressure algometry. Most sporthorses will experience back soreness in their careers, and it is regarded as one of the most common causes of poor performance in equine athletes. Five horses were measured for …

Effects Of Strong Oxidants Present In Acer Spp. On Hemolysis Methemoglobin Production In Equine Erythrocytes, Gabrielle Mcgeorge, Jeffrey Lehman

Undergraduate Honors Thesis Projects

Maple toxicosis is a deadly condition affecting equines after they have ingested wilted leaves of the genus Acer (i.e., maple species). It is characterized by hemolytic anemia and methemoglobinemia. Although the toxins responsible for causing toxicosis have not been identified, they are thought to be strong oxidants. The objective of this study is to determine the effect of eight compounds (galloyl derivatives) found in Acer spp. on hemolysis and methemoglobin production in bioassays with equine erythrocytes. Seven of the compounds are known constituents of Acer spp. that are commercially available. One of the compounds--acertannin--was isolated and characterized from leaf extracts …

Equine Massage Following Intense Work: Effects On Plasma Creatine Kinase, Brittany Pilat

Undergraduate Honors Thesis Projects

Horses are elite athletes, and many of them receive specialized care to keep them operating at their highest potential. Alternative modalities of healing- such as equine massage- have begun to grow in the equine world due to many perceived benefits. Equine massage is thought to decrease inflammation and reduce muscle tension and soreness. The aim of this study was to observe the effect of equine massage on creatine kinase (CK) levels in the blood following intense work. A total of 12 horses were randomly assigned to either the control group (n=6) or the test group (n=6). All horses were exercised …

Environmental Factors' Effects On Eastern Gray Squirrel (Sciurus Carolinensis) Infant Populations And Health, Jenny Mcfarland

Undergraduate Honors Thesis Projects

Ecosystem factors, both biotic and abiotic, impact all animal species. Temperature, rainfall, daylight, windspeed, mast production, competition and predation are integral to the ecosystem and thus affect the survival and overall wellbeing of the population. Eastern gray squirrel (Sciurus carolinensis) infant intakes at Ohio Wildlife Center followed a pattern of more infants in the fall than in the spring, differing from the usual observation that more infants are born in the spring. Ecosystem factors were compared to monthly and annual intakes to see what influenced intake date, admittance condition and survivability rate of the Eastern gray squirrel infants. The results …

The Effect Of Grooming And Therapeutic Riding By Adolescents With Autism Spectrum Disorder On Equine Salivary Cortisol Concentrations, Morgan Shields

Undergraduate Honors Thesis Projects

The use of horses in therapeutic riding programs, especially for adolescents with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), has grown, yet the impact of grooming and riding on equine stress levels remains unknown. The aim of this study was to compare the effects of grooming and therapeutic riding on salivary cortisol concentrations of 10 horses in a therapeutic riding program. Samples were taken pre and post over two control and grooming days and over two series of nine therapeutic riding lessons for adolescents with ASD. On grooming days, each horse was groomed using a set protocol. On riding days, horses were ridden …

The Effect Of Hay Net Use On Cribbing Horses, Lauren Wesolowski

Undergraduate Honors Thesis Projects

Cribbing is a stereotypic behavior observed in horses, wherein the animal grasps a solid object with its front incisors and contracts its neck muscles to suck in air through its mouth, resulting in an audible grunt. Stereotypic behaviors such as cribbing are thought to be done in response to stress or insufficient stimulus in an animal’s living environment. Slow feeding hay nets can increase the amount of time horses spend eating daily hay rations. This research aims to use slow feeding hay nets to create a feeding process that is closer to natural grazing behavior and provide more stimulation for …

The Effect Of Whole-Body Vibration On Thermographic Readings Of The Equine Back And Distal Forelimb, Megan Leclerc

Undergraduate Honors Thesis Projects

Modern horses are sophisticated athletes, which puts them at a high risk for injury. One therapy now being utilized is whole-body vibration. The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of whole-body vibration on the distal forelimb and the back of the healthy horse using thermography.

Data were collected over a 30-day period. Test horses stood on the vibration plate (n=10) 3 days a week for 30-minute sessions with the plate vibrating at 30-40 Hz. The control horses (n=10) received no treatment during the study. Baseline thermographic images were taken for all horses, and post treatment images were …

Prediction Factors For Release Of Wildlife At A Midwestern Rehabilitation Facility, Abigail E. Smith

Undergraduate Honors Thesis Projects

Wildlife rehabilitation is a large and internationally known field with thousands of rehabilitators around the world. Resources, such as time and money, are extremely limited in rehabilitation facilities and not all animals are candidates for release due to injuries or illnesses that make them unlikely to survive in the wild. Understanding what factors predict release would be useful in focusing limited resources, but there has been little investigation previously. The purpose of this study is to determine what factors affect the survival of mammals and birds at an American Midwest wildlife rehabilitation center. It was found that animals admitted with …

Effects Of Benzyl Isothiocyanate And Papain On The Hatching And Migration Of Equine Cyathostomes, Jessie Kmietsch

Undergraduate Honors Thesis Projects

Cyathostomes are widespread and can affect horses of any life stage. Many common anthelmintics are no longer effective at treating cyathostomes due to parasitic resistance. The objective of this in vitrostudy was to use egg hatch and larval migration tests to determine if compounds found in papaya seeds (papain or benzyl isothiocyanate) reduce cyathostome egg hatching and migration. The experiments were conducted between August 2016 and March 2018. Cyathostome eggs were obtained from horse fecal samples. Egg hatch tests were performed by adding papain and benzyl isothiocyanate (BITC) to wells separately at different concentrations in triplicate. After incubation, the …

The Use Of Papain And Benzyl Isothiocyanate As Anthelmintics For Equine Strongyles, Abigail Maxey

Undergraduate Honors Thesis Projects

Seeds of Carica papaya L. (Caricaceae) are a promising source of investigation for a novel anthelmintic to treat equine strongyle infestation. Strongyles are small redworms that attach to the intestinal wall in the equine. They can cause colic, poor hair coat, poor body condition, and, in severe cases, death. The objective of this study was to determine if benzyl isothiocyanate (BITC) and papain, two compounds found in papaya seeds, could be used to prevent migration of third stage cyathostome larvae (L3) in vitro using larval migration inhibition assays. The assays involved incubating larvae in solution, followed by larval migration through …

The Effect Of Whole Body Vibration On Equine Hoof Growth, Sharlee Lowe

Undergraduate Honors Thesis Projects

Equine foot pain can be a result of many conditions and disease processes, all of which lead to a loss of function in the horse. When the horse loads the foot, pressure applied to the frog translates to the digital cushion and lateral cartilages, compressing the blood vessels, perfusing the area, and circulating blood back up the leg; this constant flow of blood stimulates growth of the hoof wall. Whole body vibration plates are thought to result in rapid muscle contractions and subsequently, increased circulation through the foot. An increase in hoof growth could prove whole body vibration beneficial as …

Cross-Sectional Analysis Of Salivary Cortisol And Cyathostome Infestation In Horses, Danielle L. Keating

Undergraduate Honors Thesis Projects

With an increase in anthelmintic resistance and decreased efficacy of many commercial dewormers, understanding factors that contribute to parasite infestations in horses is integral to their management. The goal of this study was to look at the potential relationship between parasites and stress response by evaluating salivary cortisol levels and cyathostome egg shedding levels. Using a sample size of n = 200 horses from the state of Ohio, fecal and saliva samples were collected from each horse. Fecal egg counts were performed for each horse with a modified Stoll method, and saliva samples were tested with an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay …

The Effect Of Red Maple Leaf Toxicosis On Reduced Glutathione Levels In Equine Erythrocytes In Vitro, Madeline A. Rohl

Undergraduate Honors Thesis Projects

Red maple leaf toxicosis is an equine blood disorder resulting from the consumption of wilted red maple (Acer rubrum L.) leaves by horses. Compounds within the leaves of red maple have oxidative effects on equine erythrocytes and can cause hemolysis of erythrocytes, the conversion of hemoglobin to methemoglobin, and the production of Heinz bodies. Reduced glutathione is important in the protection of equine erythrocytes from these oxidative events; however, in the presence of red maple toxin, glutathione is rapidly oxidized and is unavailable. The objective of this study is to determine whether the presence of vitamin C alters levels …