Research

Research at the Goulburn Valley Equine Hospital

Research at the GVEH has been recognised internationally and locally for its contribution to veterinary medicine.

Papers published in international scientific journals are listed below.

Angus was presented with the RIRDC ~ Vetsearch Equine Research Award for 1999/2000.

Personnel from our hospital were the first to create a foal from GIFT (transfer of the male and female cells into a surrogate at the same time), the first to create pregnancies from Day 10 embryos (after first detecting them with ultrasound) and the first to create multiple pregnancies from injecting a single sperm (Intracytoplasmic sperm injection ~ ICSI) from either a fertile or an infertile stallion from eggs collected from live mares. Many people don't know it but we were first to produce a calf by embryo transfer from a racing camel as well. Did you know that we were the first people to study Ovuplant and provided the information on what level was best to put into the implants.

Papers published in Scientific journals;

McKinnon AO, Brown RW, Pashen RL, Greenwood PE, Vasey JR: Increased ovulation rates in mares after immunisation against recombinant bovine inhibin alpha-subunit. Equine Vet J, 24: 144-146, 1992.

Mckinnon AO, Tinson AH: Embryo transfer in dromedary camels. Proc 1st Int Camel Conf. 203-208, 1992.

Tinson AH, McKinnon AO: Ultrasonography of the reproductive tract of the female dromedary camel. Proc 1st Int Camel Conf. 129-136, 1992.

Mckinnon AO, Tarrida S, Nobelius AM, Hyland JH, Vasey JR: Failure of hydroxyprogesterone caproate to maintain pregnancy in ovariectomized mares. Equine Vet J. 25: 158-160, 1993.

McKinnon AO, Nobelius AM, Tarrida Del Marmol Fiqueroa S, Skidmore J, Vasey JR, Trigg TE: Predictable ovulation in mares treated with an implant of the GnRH analouge deslorelin. Equine Vet J. 25: 321-323, 1993.

McKinnon AO, Tinson AH, Nation G: Embryo Transfer in Dromedary Camels. Theriogenology. 41:145-150, 1994.

McKinnon AO, Vasey JR, Lescun TB Trigg TE: Repeated use of a GnRH analogue deslorelin (Ovuplant) for hastening ovulation in the transitional mare. Equine Vet J. 29: 153-155, 1997.

McKinnon AO, Perriam WJ, Lescun TB, Walker J, Vasey JR Trigg TE: Effect of a GnRH analogue (Ovuplant), hCG and dexamethasone on time to ovulation in cycling mares. World Equine Veterinary Review 2: 16-18, 1997.

McKinnon AO Walker, JW: Effect of ambient temperature and container on temperature of extended equine semen. World Equine Veterinary Review, 3: 5-11, 1998.

McKinnon AO, Lescun TB, Walker JH, Vasey JR and Allen WR.: The inability of some synthetic progestagens to maintain pregnancy in the mare. Equine Vet J. 32: 83-85, 2000.

McKinnon AO, Lacham-Kaplan O, Trounson AO: Pregnancies produced from fertile and infertile stallions by intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) of single frozen-thawee spermatozoa into in vivo matured mare oocytes. J Reprod Fertil Suppl 56: 5113-517.

Bulletins Published

Pickett BW, Squires EL, McKinnon AO: Procedures for collection, evaluation and utilization of stallion semen for artificial insemination. Animal Reproduction Laboratory, Colorado State University, Bulletin #03, September 1987, 125 pages.

McKinnon AO, Squires EL, Pickett BW: Equine reproductive ultrasonography. Animal Reproduction Laboratory, Colorado State University, Bulletin #04, September 1988, 60 pages.

Pickett BW, Amann RP, McKinnon AO, Squires EL, Voss JL: Management of the stallion for maximum reproductive efficiency, II. Animal Reproduction Laboratory, Bulletin #05, July 1989, 126 pages.

Pickett BW, Squires EL, McKinnon AO, Shideler RK, Voss JL: Management of the mare for maximum reproductive efficiency. Animal Reproduction Laboratory, Colorado State University, Bulletin #06, November 1989, 135 pages.

Books Published

McKinnon AO, Voss JL (eds). Equine Reproduction. 118 chapters, Philadelphia. Lea & Febiger, 1993.

Rantanen NW, McKinnon AO (eds) Equine Diagnostic Ultrasonography. 38 Chapters (677 pages), Williams and Wilkins, 1998

We take great pride in the care and maintenance of our research mares. They are well fed, weighed every 1-2 weeks, regularly dewormed and observed frequently each day. All research programs are submitted to the Animal Ethics Committee at Monash University before they are undertaken. Responsible research and animal care is, in our view, the key to sustaining any horse research program.

RIRDC ~ Vetsearch Equine Research Awards for 1999/2000

Citation:
'Angus McKinnon has made an outstanding contribution to the field of equine reproduction since his graduation from University of Melbourne's Faculty of Veterinary Science in 1978. Postgraduate training and research at the University of Guelph, Canada and at Colorado State University, USA, led to his involvement in the field of equine reproduction. Significant original contributions to this field have resulted in his international recognition as a distinguished clinician and researcher. Since returning to Australia in 1989, Angus McKinnon has been one of the principal partners in the Goulburn Valley Equine Hospital, an equine practice that has provided great service to the horse industry of Victoria. He continues to undertake industry relevant research projects in equine reproduction and brings the results of the latest advances in this field to the horse industry by providing short courses on horse breeding management. He is in keen demand as a keynote speaker at international conferences and is the author of a large number of original scientific articles including the co-editor with Jim Voss of the most well recognised veterinary textbook on equine reproduction. Dr. Angus McKinnon continues to actively pursue factors that limit optimal rates of fertility in the mare and stallion and is a worthy recipient of the RIRDC ~ Vetsearch Equine Research Award for 1999 (Ian Champion, Vetsearch International and Peter Core, RIRDC)'.