Respiratory health in horses encompasses the study of the equine respiratory system, its function, and the various conditions that can affect it. The respiratory system in horses includes the upper airways, lungs, and associated structures, which facilitate gas exchange and are vital for maintaining physiological homeostasis during rest and exercise. Common respiratory conditions in horses include equine asthma, infectious diseases like strangles, and exercise-induced pulmonary hemorrhage (EIPH). These conditions can impact a horse's performance and overall health. This page compiles peer-reviewed research studies and scholarly articles that explore the anatomy, physiology, pathophysiology, and management of respiratory health in horses.
Raphel CF.A flexible fiberoptic endoscope was used to examine the upper respiratory tract of 479 horses and 41 (8.6%) had abnormalities. Pharyngeal lymphoid hyperplasia (PLH) was found in 141 horses (29.5%). Statistical analysis showed a relationship between the age of the horse and the prevalence of PLH. Sixteen (3.3%), 10 (2.1%), and 6 (1.3%), of the horses had laryngeal hemiplegia, epiglottic entrapment, and dorsal displacement of the soft palate, respectively. There was no association between the age of the horse and the prevalence of any of these abnormalities; nor was there a positive correlation ...
O'Callaghan MW, Goulden BE.This paper describes the distinctive radiographic changes detected in the dorso-caudal lungfields of four racing thoroughbreds recently affected by exercise-induced epistaxis. A diffuse but localized increase in density was seen in all four cases, which demonstrated a variation from a predominantly alveolar density to an interstitial pattern and finally to increased bronchial markings. Evolution of the radiographic pattern of the pulmonary densities appeared to be related to the time that had elapsed since the bleeding incident. The implications of the changing pattern and site of the densitie...
Speirs VC, van Veenendaal JC, Harrison IW, Smyth GB, Anderson GA, Wilson DV, Gilbo B.Endoscopic examinations of the upper respiratory tract were done on 92 of 314 Standardbred horses that raced one or more times at 4 consecutive, weekly race meetings. Although participation was voluntary, the characteristics of the population of horses examined were not statistically different from those of all horses that raced. No horse showed epistaxis, but 34 (32.4%) examinations of the trachea revealed blood that ranged from a trace in the tracheal mucus to large amounts scattered over the tracheal walls. Forty-four horses exhibited minor degrees of pharyngeal lymphoid hyperplasia, 2 had ...
Dixon PM.LARYNGEAL paralysis is a common, usually subclinical
disease in horses (Cole 1946; Gunn 1972). More severely
affected animals, clinically termed roarers, are frequently
alleged to have reduced exercise tolerance (Argyle 1933; Cook
1965). This could most readily be attributed to exercise related
hypoxaemia caused by a reduced airflow and/or airflow
turbulence at the reduced rima glottidis. It could also be
conjectured that a rider would demand less of a horse making
loud and possibly distressing respiratory noises. Although
there has been much recent research into the pathology of
equ...
Eyre P, Gaviller P, Thorsen J.Groups of guinea-pigs were vaccinated with equine influenza A-1 virus and helically-cut tracheal strips were subsequently contracted to carbachol (EC50) and relaxed to isoprenaline at 3, 5 and 10 days post-vaccination. Tracheas from another group were contracted to phenylephrine in the presence of propranolol. Compared to controls, responses to isoprenaline in virus-infected tracheas were significantly potentiated at days 3 and 10. Virus infection significantly inhibited tracheal responsiveness to phenylephrine. It appears that enhancement of isoprenaline may be caused by diminished reactivity...
Raphel CF, Soma LR.Thoroughbred horses (n = 191) were examined with a flexible fiberoptic endoscope within 2 hours of racing on a dirt track; 147 (75.4%) had evidence of exercise-induced pulmonary hemorrhage (EIPH), and 13 (9.0%) had blood at the nostrils. Of 107 Thoroughbreds examined within the same period after breezing, 41 (38.3%) had evidence of EIPH. One horse (2.4%) of this group had blood at the nostrils. Statistical analysis of frequency data showed that a relationship existed between EIPH and the horse's age or distance raced or breezed. Relationship did not exist between EIPH and sex or finishing posi...
Klein JP, Forster HV, Bisgard GE, Kaminski RP, Pan LG, Hamilton LH.The purpose of these studies was to gain insight into mechanisms regulating pulmonary ventilation (VE), arterial CO2 partial pressure (PaCO2), and arterial pH (pHa) in ponies when inspired CO2 partial pressure (PICO2) is above normal. Ponies were studied four times daily each weekday for 2 wk in an environmental chamber. Each study consisted of a 15-min control period (PICO2 = 0.7 Torr) followed by a 15- to 30-min experimental period during which PICO2 in the chamber was 0.7, 7, 14, 21, 28, or 42 Torr (PIO2 = 147 Torr throughout). Between 11 and 15 min of each period, four 3-ml samples of arte...
Schatzmann U, Koehli M, Dudan F, Rohr W, Jones RS.Certain circulatory and respiratory values were measured in horses in the standing, lateral, and supine positions. Twelve adult horses were kept in the standing position under the influence of glycerol guiacolate. Alterations in position to lateral and dorsal recumbencies were achieved without any further drug administration. The changes from the standing to the lateral position decreased the arterial oxygen tension, but left the arterial carbon dioxide tension unchanged. There was no statistically significant effect of body position on respiratory flow rates or volumes. The shift from the lat...
Brundage-Anguish LJ, Holmes DF, Hosier NT, Murphy BR, Massicott JG, Appleyard G, Coggins L.Temperature-sensitive (ts) reassortants of an equine influenza virus, subtype A-1, were produced by mating a human influenza ts donor virus with an equine influenza A/Cornell/16/74 wild-type virus and by isolating a ts reassortant virus possessing the equine hemagglutinin and neuraminidase surface antigens. Two equine its reassortant clones, 8B1 and 71A1, were produced which had an in vitro shutoff temperature for plaque formation of 38 and 37 C, respectively. The human ts donor virus had ts mutation(s) on the polymerase 3 (P3) and nucleoprotein genes so that a ts equine reassortant virus coul...
Derksen FJ, Robinson NE, Slocombe RF, Riebold TW, Brunson DB.Arterial blood gas tensions, pulmonary mechanics, and lung volumes were measured in 4 sedated ponies every hour for 6 hours and in 5 ponies 4 times at 2-month intervals to assess the short- and long-term reproducibility of pulmonary function measurements. Variability in blood gas tensions was small over the short- and long-term measurement periods, whereas the variability in total respiratory resistance and functional residual capacity was small over the short term but larger over the long term. The variability in tidal volume, minute ventilation, respiratory rate, and dynamic and quasistatic ...
Benson GJ, Manohar M, Kneller SK, Thurmon JC, Steffey EP.A radiograph technique for identification of diaphragmatic segments and quantitation of their contribution to total diaphragmatic function was developed. five anesthetized ponies were studied on 3 separate occasions. Studies were made of the ponies in left lateral recumbency at 2 anesthetic levels (1 and 2 minimal alveolar anesthetic concentrations; halothane) and under spontaneous and controlled ventilation systems. General pattern of diaphragmatic displacement was unchanged by increased depth of anesthesia. Controlled ventilation altered the pattern of diaphragmatic displacement. Diaphragmat...
Rose RJ, Rossdale PD, Leadon DP.Six spontaneously delivered foals, 8 Thoroughbred foals induced at term with fluprostenol and 17 Pony foals induced prematurely with fluprostenol and oxytocin at a gestational age of 270 to 330 days were studied to determine PO2, PCO2, pH, base excess and HCO3 values in arterial blood between birth and 7 days of age. The Pony foals were subdivided into those that survived greater than 24 h (N = 9) and less than 9 h (N = 8). Blood gas and acid base values in the term-induced foals were similar to those in spontaneously delivered foals. The induced premature foals surviving greater than 24 h had...
Attenburrow DP.Techniques developed for the detection and simultaneous recording of certain events in the respiratory and limb cycles are presented. The respiratory cycle and limb cycle were found to be in-phase only at the canter and gallop. The significance of any time relationship between events in respiration and in locomotion is discussed.
Patel JR, Edington N, Mumford JA.Subtype-1 isolates of Equine herpesvirus-1 (EHV-1) from a quadriplegic horse and from an aborted foetus were compared with each other and with a subtype-2 respiratory isolate. All 3 isolates were detected in the epithelium and macrophages of the respiratory tract. Both the paresis and foetal subtype-1 isolates replicated in the epithelium of the ileum and this correlated with the recovery of virus from faeces in vivo. The paresis subtype-1 isolate also had a predelection for vascular endothelial cells, particularly in the nasal mucosa, but also in the lungs, central nervous system, adrenal and...
Deegen E, Müller P, Petzoldt K.On the basis of cytological similarities in chronic obstructive disease (COPD) in human beings and in horses during 1981 a total number of 144 horses with COPD were examined. Bronchial secretions were taken under endoscopic control and stained with a modified Hansel staining procedure. Whereas 26 horses did not exhibit signs of allergic reactions cytologically and 94 horses showed low amounts of eosinocytes and/or mast cells in their secretion; only the secretions of 24 horses (16,67%) were characterized by fairly high contents of these allergy associated cells and low numbers of neutrophilic ...
Baskerville A.Related to its potential vulnerability the respiratory tract has a very complex and effective defence apparatus. The interaction between these defence mechanisms and certain characteristics of aetiological agents results in a pattern in which initial infections by these agents tend to occur at specific sites in the tract. Infections in which the primary portal of entry is in the upper respiratory tract include Bordetella bronchiseptica and Haemophilus spp in pigs; Pasteurella spp in cattle, sheep, pigs; Mycoplasma spp in cattle, sheep, pigs and poultry; equine herpesvirus 1 in horses; infectio...
Littlejohn A, Bowles F.The haemoglobin concentration, the partial pressures of oxygen and carbon dioxide, the oxygen content and the pH were determined in the arterial and mixed venous blood of 5 normal and 3 horses with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) at 3 stages of an exercise distance of 1200 m. Arterial and mixed venous samples were collected simultaneously by means of an automatic technique during the walk, trot and gallop at 0-100 m, at 500-600 m and at 1100-1200 m. The standard bicarbonate and the lactic and pyruvic acid concentrations were also determined in arterial and mixed venous blood. High...
Mason DK, Collins EA, Watkins KL.An investigation into the incidence of exercise induced pulmonary haemorrhage (EIPH) in thoroughbreds in Hong Kong was carried out between the 1981 and 1983 racing seasons. A total of 1039 post race endoscopic examinations were performed in 1982-1983 and the results indicated that 46.8 per cent of runners had EIPH. This was not statistically different from the percentage of horses showing EIPH during 1981-82 (46.9 per cent). As it had been postulated that dust, especially from straw, could be implicated in lung haemorrhage a proportion of horses were bedded on paper in the 1982-83 season. No s...
Boyle AG.Respiratory distress in the horse and foal is an emergency. Managing equine respiratory distress in the field starts with appropriate assessment of the patient to determine whether the breathing obstruction stems from the upper or lower respiratory tract or is nonrespiratory in origin. From a thorough, but efficient, physical examination to point-of-care ultrasound and endoscopy, the veterinarian has many tools in the field to help diagnose the patient.
Steffey EP, Berry JD.Inspiratory flow rates were measured and compared in an equine intermittent positive pressure breathing-anesthesia delivery apparatus powered by a positive phase ventilator, a positive-negative phase ventilator, and a modified positive phase ventilator with automatic flow acceleration at driving pressures of 2,600, 4,400, and 5,200 mm of Hg (50, 85, and 100 psi). The last-named apparatus consistently produced the highest flows for a given ventilator setting and driving pressure. Regardless of the unit used, the greater driving pressures and high ventilator range settings produced the greatest ...
Barnes GR, Brennan M, Goulden BE, Kirkland J.One problem in the diagnosis of subclinical roarers is that abnormal auditory signals occur only during a fast gait, and these fade quickly. This paper offers a novel technique to assist this problem. Sound recordings were obtained from five horses following exercise; two roarers, two non-roarers, and one suspected roarer. These signals were converted into spectrograms by Rayspan processing. All frequencies in the 0 to 2.25 kHz range during both inspiration and expiration, as well as occasional noises in the 2–4 kHz band, characterised roarers. Signals from non-roarers consisted of frequenci...
Vlaminck L, Pollaris E, Vanderperren K, Tremaine WH, Raes E.Idiopathic sino-nasal obstruction resulting in retention of large amounts of liquid in the paranasal sinus compartments was diagnosed in seven young (2. 2 ± 0.7 years) miniature-breed horses based on clinical, endoscopic, radiographic, and CT scan examinations. The most prevalent clinical signs included decreased or no airflow from the nostril(s) (7/7) and nasal discharge (6/7). The problem presented bilaterally in six of seven cases. An alternative sino-nasal communication was created through bone flap osteotomy surgery and perforation of the ventromedial floor of the dorsal conchae in all c...
Hoffman AM.The advantages of aerosol medications include the direct, topical application to the target organ (airways); rapid effect; and low systemic availability. There are now more efficient methods for aerosol delivery that facilitate the use of increasingly sophisticated aerosol drugs. This article reviews the principles of aerosol deposition and the pharmacology of current medications.
Littlejohn A, Bowles F, Maluleka W.The percentage venous admixture was calculated in 21 clinically normal horses and ponies and in 13 horses and ponies with chronic obstructure pulmonary disease (COPD). The oxygen contents of pulmonary end-capillary blood, arterial and mixed venous blood were calculated from blood and respiratory gas values and substituted in the shunt equation. The mean percentage venous admixture of the COPD subjects was significantly greater than that of the normal subjects. It was concluded that a larger proportion of alveoli in the lungs of COPD subjects were hypoventilated than that of alveoli of the norm...
Orsini JA.The multiple topics summarized in this article and discussed in detail in this issue of VCNA are comprehensive and in-depth, exploring concepts and clinical experiences for state-of-the-art care of the equine foot. The research on the equine foot will translate to the clinical setting and with this the compassionate care of the horse.
Olson KN, Klein LV, Nann LE, Soma LR.Six horses were administered isoflurane anesthesia by liquid injection into a closed breathing circuit according to the square root of time model. The unit dose (UD) was calculated using Lowe's formula to provide an end-tidal concentration of 1.3%, or the minimum alveolar concentration of isoflurane. The mean UD was 4.2 +/- 0.2 mL. The mean end-tidal isoflurane concentration (ETiso) for each interval after injection, and the peak and minimum concentrations for each injection interval, did not change beginning with the second injection, indicating that the square root of time model accurately p...
Hardy J.Upper airway obstruction may result from nasal, pharyngeal, or tracheal diseases. In the young horse, a relatively severe obstruction usually is present before clinical signs are evident. This article reviews the clinical manifestations, diagnostic features, treatment, and outcome of commonly encountered conditions of the nasal passages, pharynx, larynx, and trachea in young horses.
Alworth LC, Hart KA, Kelly LM, Harvey SB.Transtracheal access enables researchers to obtain diagnostic samples from or infuse materials into the lower respiratory tract. This column describes transtracheal aspiration and infusion of horses.
Townsend M, Fowler B, Aulakh GK, Singh B.Endotoxin-induced diseases cause significant mortality and morbidity in the horse, leading to enormous economic damage to the equine industry. Neutrophils play a critical role in initiating the immune response in the lung. Pattern recognition receptors (PRRs) are programmed to recognize microbial structures unique to pathogens and mount an immune response. Pentraxin 3 (PTX3) is a PRR that is produced at sites of inflammation by many cell types upon stimulation by pro-inflammatory cytokines and agonists, such as endotoxins [also known as lipopolysaccharides (LPS)]. Pentraxin 3 recognizes and bi...
McGivney CL, Sweeney J, Gough KF, Hill EW, Katz LM.Endoscopic tip placement in the pharynx and water flushing interval (FI) may affect exercising upper respiratory tract (URT) endoscopic results. Objective: To determine associations between the endoscopic tip position in the pharynx and automated FI with overground endoscopic (OGE) results. Methods: Randomised balanced 2X5 factorial design. Methods: A total of n = 200 horses undergoing OGE were randomly assigned into 10 groups (n = 20/group) of different automated endoscopic FIs (no flushing, 60, 120, 180, 240 s) with the endoscope tip positioned either rostrally (position A) or caudally ...
Goldstein MA, Schwark WS, Short CE, White KK.Depression of the cardiopulmonary system of the horse during anesthesia is not an uncommon event. In many situations simple approaches for improving the function of the horse are necessary to avoid loss of life. This study has been completed utilizing an anesthetic approach frequently used in horses and a cardioresuscitative technique which can be utilized by the practicing veterinarian. Severe depression to arrest were produced experimentally and each animal was resuscitated through support of ventilation and circulation.
Nickels FA, Brown CM, Breeze RG.A unilateral pulmonary granular cell tumor occurred in a Thoroughbred mare with longstanding respiratory disease wrongly attributed to chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. The clinical features, radiology and endoscopic appearance permitted an accurate diagnosis, which was supported by subsequent necropsy and histologic examination. Obstructive pulmonary disease was ruled out after measurement of arterial blood gases and maximum intrathoracic pressure changes, and after microscopic examination of the lung.
Bohanon TC, Beard WL, Robertson JT.Case records of 27 draft horses with laryngeal hemiplegia were reviewed. Twenty-one horses were treated by ventriculectomy with or without prosthetic laryngoplasty, and 17 owners were contacted to determine the results. Fifteen horses improved after surgery and were able to perform to the owners' expectations. Performance improved significantly and hospitalization was shorter after ventriculectomy alone. Results of this study indicate that the clinical signs of exercise intolerance and excessive inspiratory noise associated with left laryngeal hemiplegia in draft horses can be treated successf...
Freeman DE.Wounds of the esophagus and trachea are uncommon, but closed wounds can be difficult to diagnose and treat. Esophageal wounds are the more serious and can be life-threatening; however, appropriate surgical and medical treatment applied without delay can be successful in some cases, especially in full-thickness longitudinal wounds. Tracheal wounds are usually less severe, but the high risk of iatrogenic injuries to the trachea should be recognized. Also, tracheal injuries can limit the athletic potential of a horse.
Hillidge CJ, Whitlock TW.Post race endoscopy was carried out on 255 two-year-old quarter horses and exercise-induced pulmonary haemorrhage (EIPH) was diagnosed in 166 (65 per cent) of them. Visible epistaxis was seen in a higher proportion of geldings than in either mares or stallions. The prevalence of EIPH was similar in mares (73 per cent) and in geldings (74 per cent). A significantly lower prevalence (49 per cent) was noted in stallions (P less than 0.01). It was concluded that a sex variation in the prevalence of EIPH exists in two-year-old quarter horses.
Andrews FM.A thorough examination of the respiratory system is an important part of the work-up for poor performance in horses. This article provides a systematic approach to field evaluation of horses with poor performance due to respiratory system dysfunction. The information is organized to help the reader evaluate pertinent historical and physical examination findings so that a list of differential diagnoses can be generated. Also, pertinent ancillary diagnostic modalities that can help further characterize and localize causes for respiratory dysfunction in horses presented for poor performance are d...
Schauvliege S, Van den Eede A, Duchateau L, Pille F, Vlaminck L, Gasthuys F.To investigate the influence of calcium chloride (CaCl(2)) on the cardio-respiratory effects of enoximone in isoflurane anaesthetized ponies. Methods: Prospective consecutive experimental trial. Animals Six healthy ponies, weighing 287 +/- 55 kg were included in this study. Methods: After sedation (romifidine, 80 microg kg(-1)), anaesthesia was induced with midazolam (0.06 mg kg(-1)) and ketamine (2.2 mg kg(-1)) and maintained with isoflurane in oxygen. The ponies' lungs were ventilated to maintain normocapnia. After 90 minutes, a bolus of enoximone (0.5 mg kg(-1)) was administered, followed b...
Minamijima Y, Niwa H, Uchida E, Yamamoto K.In the past decade, mass spectrometry has become an important technology for protein identification. Recent developments in mass spectrometry allow a large number of identifications in samples; therefore, mass-spectrometry-based techniques have been applied to the discovery of biomarkers. Here, we conducted a proteomic study to compare the proteomes in sera between healthy Thoroughbreds and Thoroughbreds with respiratory disease associated with transport (RDT). We found that four proteins, apolipoprotein F, lipopolysaccharide binding protein, lysozyme and protein S100-A8, were upregulated, whi...
Stokol T, Gold J, Johnson A, Ainsworth D.A 3-day-old filly was presented to the Cornell University Hospital for Animals with an umbilical hematoma and mild aspiration pneumonia. The foal underwent abdominal surgery for resection of the hematoma. Recovery was uneventful, but 3 days after surgery, the foal became progressively tachypneic. Imaging studies revealed bilateral pleural effusion and pleuropneumonia. Cytologic evaluation and bacterial culture of the pleural fluid from both sides of the chest revealed sterile exudates, consisting mostly of neutrophils, with fewer macrophages and lymphocytes. Pleural fluid macrophages contained...
Saulez MN, Slovis NM, Louden AT.Tracheal trauma with resultant rupture is uncommonly reported in veterinary literature. We report the case of a 16-year-old Thoroughbred gelding that sustained a 1 cm longitudinal perforation of the dorsal tracheal membrane in the proximal cervical region. The horse subsequently developed dyspnoea due to acute upper respiratory obstruction secondary to severe emphysema of the guttural pouches. A temporary tracheostomy caudal to the site of tracheal perforation was performed under local anaesthesia. This procedure helped relieve the upper airway obstruction and aided resolution of the injury by...
Christley RM, Evans DL, Hodgson DR, Rose RJ.We investigated and compared arterial blood gas and ventilatory changes during rapid acceleration sprint and during incremental treadmill exercise. Seven clinically normal racehorses completed standardised incremental exercise tests and rapid acceleration tests at speeds calculated to elicit 115% VO2max. Arterial oxygen tension decreased (P < 0.001) between 15 s (mean +/- s.d. 103.8 +/- 14.3 mmHg) and 30 s (85.0 +/- 7.7 mmHg) after the onset of rapid acceleration exercise, but did not change significantly during the remainder of the sprint. This was accompanied by an increase in PaCO2 of 5....
Baxter GM, Adams JE, Johnson JJ.Severe hypercarbia was documented by arterial blood gas analysis in 2 adult horses anesthetized for exploratory laparotomy. Both horses appeared to be adequately anesthetized, but continued to breathe against the ventilator. In both cases, the inspiratory valve on the anesthesia machine was found to be stuck open, permitting expired CO2 to return to the inspiratory limb of the anesthetic circuit and to be inhaled with the next breath. Correction of the malfunctioning valve alleviated the hypercarbia. Problems with the flow valves of the anesthesia machine should be suspected when anesthetized ...
Sullivan M, Burrell MH, McCandlish IA.A nine-and-a-half-year-old three quarters thoroughbred gelding was presented with unilateral epistaxis. The cause was a destructive, progressive haematoma in the left maxillary sinus. In all previous reports of progressive haematomata in the equine nasal cavity, the site of origin has been the ethmoidal labyrinth. Surgical removal of the progressive haematoma resulted in an apparent cure.
Mastrorilli C, Cesar F, Joiner K, Wooldridge AA, Christopherson PW.A 22-year-old Tennessee Walking Horse mare was presented to the Auburn University Large Animal Teaching Hospital with a 3-day history of lethargy, anorexia, and mild signs of colic. The mare had a several-month history of weight loss and refractory cough. Physical examination revealed an increased respiratory rate, and crackles and wheezes were heard on thoracic auscultation. Thoracic ultrasonographic examination showed disseminated, minor, bilateral comet tail-like lesions on the parietal pleural surfaces. Abdominal ultrasonographic examination was unremarkable. Trans-rectal palpation reveale...
Specht TE, Colahan PT, Nixon AJ, Brown MP, Turner TA, Peyton LC, Schneider RK.Ethmoidal hematoma was diagnosed in 9 horses by results of physical examination, endoscopy, radiography, and histologic examination of tissues. The horses had stertorous breathing (n = 4) or intermittently sanguineous nasal discharge (n = 7). All horses underwent sinusotomy and extirpation of the lesion. At reexamination 15 to 104 months after surgery (mean, 61 months), 3 horses had recurrence of ethmoidal hematoma, and 1 horse had ethmoidal hematoma involving the contralateral ethmoturbinates. One of the horses with recurrence of ethmoidal hematoma also developed a contralateral lesion; both ...
da Silva AC, Brass KE, da Silva Loreto E, Vinocur ME, Pozzobon R, da Silva Azevedo M.The aim was to detect the presence of polymorphisms at exons 1, 2, 3 and 4 of the Spi2 gene, and evaluate a possible association between them and recurrent airway obstruction (RAO) or inflammatory airway disease (IAD) in thoroughbred horses, through single-strand conformational-polymorphism (SSCP) screening. Although polymorphism was not detected in exons 1, 2 and 3, three alleles and six genotypes were identified in exon 4. The frequencies of allele A (0.6388) and genotype AA (0.3888) were higher in horses affected by RAO, although no association was found between polymorphism and horses with...
Ducharme NG, Viel L, Partlow GD, Hulland TJ, Horney FD.The purpose of this project was to attempt restoration of abduction of a recently denervated left dorsal cricoarytenoid muscle in the horse by anastomosing the first cervical nerve to the abductor branch of the left recurrent laryngeal nerve. Ten horses were used in the study. In six horses the left recurrent laryngeal nerve was transected and ligated while the ventral branch of the left first cervical nerve was anastomosed to the abductor branch of the left recurrent laryngeal nerve. The remaining four horses also had the left recurrent laryngeal nerve transected and ligated but had no nerve ...