Adoption of nongenetic offspring occurs in a variety of species but is rare in equids. We report a case of adoption by a free-ranging, feral mare Equus caballus and compare the maternal care received by her genetic offspring (born 1995) to that of her adopted offspring (born 1996) for the first 30 weeks of development. We compare five measures of care: (1) total time spent suckling, (2) mare ag...

Genetic contributions of nine historically important ancestors and allelic diversity in the Japanese Thoroughbred population were examined by applying the gene dropping simulation to the foals produced from 1978 to 2005. Full pedigree records traced to ancestors (base animals) born around 1890 were used for the simulation. Alleles originated from some of the historically important ancestors wer...

Coordinating suckle-swallow and breathing activities requires a complex integration of motor and sensory signaling. This ability is only partly perfected in the newborn, and disease can disrupt this process easily, resulting in hypophagia or dysphagia. Nutritional support is an important component in the treatment of the sick foal, whether the animal is an orphan or accompanied by its dam. Indw...

The following case report describes the diagnosis and surgery of bilateral polydactyly of unknown origin in a colt. A 7-month-old Berber colt was referred for cosmetic and curative excision of supernumerary digits. Radiographic examination revealed bilateral polydactyly and welldeveloped first carpal bones. Surgery consisted of an osteotomy of both second metacarpal bones combined with an amput...

Medical problems in the last month of pregnancy may have devastating effects on the foal or both the mare and the foal. This paper will review the most common medical complaints in the last month of pregnancy in the mare. A general overview of the evaluation of the colicky mare in advanced pregnancy is provided as a guideline for differentiation between genital and nongenital causes of colic. D...

BACKGROUND Skin malformations that resembled manifestations of Ehlers-Danlos-Syndrome were described in a variety of domestic animals during the last century as cutis hyperelastica, hyperelastosis cutis, dermatosparaxis, dermal/collagen dysplasia, dermal/cutaneous asthenia or Ehlers-Danlos-like syndrome/s. In 2007, the mutation responsible for Hereditary Equine Regional Dermal Asthenia (HERDA) ...