Effect of standard clinical procedures on blood glucose concentration in clinically healthy horses

Blood glucose concentrations fluctuate with stress, but little is known on how it is influenced by clinical procedures. The objective was to investigate the effect of clinical procedures on blood glucose concentration in healthy horses.

Prospective, experimental study. Seven hospital-owned research horses were included in the study. A total of 4 horses were sampled either during a control sedation trial or during 3 different student workshops (prepurchase, oral, and rectal examination-the latter 2 with sedation). Blood samples were taken every 15 minutes and glucose concentration in whole blood was measured immediately with a previously validated handheld glucometer until normalization after the end of the workshops. No food was provided during sampling periods.

All measured blood glucose concentrations remained within reference interval. A significant increase in blood glucose concentration between baseline and peak was found during sedation (P = 0.005) and the oral workshop (P = 0.031). A decrease was found during prepurchase examination (P = 0.006; before exercising). Peak glucose concentration values between the sedation trial and both the oral (P = 0.065) and rectal workshop (P = 0.709) were not statistically different. Glucose measurements returned to baseline 1 hour after completion of the workshops.

No impact of different clinical procedures on the blood glucose concentration over the effects of sedation was found. It is advisable to wait 1 hour after a procedure to measure blood for glucose concentration in horses.