References
Equine asthma syndrome: managing the environment
Abstract
Equine asthma syndrome is arguably the most common non-septic lower respiratory condition diagnosed in horses. In a hospital environment, it is important to be aware of its clinical signs, especially as many horses with the condition will go unnoticed by their owners. Prompt identification can help reduce morbidity within the hospital. Focus on environmental management practices, including feed, bedding and ventilation are well known to reduce the prevalence of the disease within the equine population. This review provides practical advice to equine professionals operating within a hospital environment to minimise respirable particle concentration and the incidence of equine asthma syndrome. A checklist is provided to allow interactive discussion with owners at discharge into how best to reduce the clinical signs of equine asthma syndrome at home.
Equine asthma syndrome (EAS) is the umbrella term used for a wide spectrum of non-septic lower airway diseases. These range from mild-to-moderate reversible equine asthma, previously termed inflammatory airway disease, to severe and potentially irreversible equine asthma, the new terminology for conditions known as heaves, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and recurrent airway obstruction (Pirie et al, 2016). Severe EAS is differentiated from mild-to-moderate EAS by the presence of increased respiratory effort and distress at rest (Couëtil et al, 2016). Based on a questionnaire of the general equine population in the UK, the prevalence of the severe form is estimated at 14% (Hotchkiss et al, 2007). However, mild-to-moderate EAS (often subclinical) is thought to affect a much higher percentage of the population, although exact figures are unknown. Therefore, when admitting and observing horses in a hospital environment, it is likely to be one of the most common subclinical respiratory conditions encountered.
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