Abstract: Treatments for mild forms of equine asthma are extrapolated from those recommended for severe equine asthma (heaves), but little is known about owner's adherence to recommendations and treatment efficacy. The objective was to determine which recommendations are implemented by owners and their perception of the clinical response to treatment. Medical records of 43 horses diagnosed with moderate asthma between 2010 and 2012 were retrieved from the Université de Montréal database. Treatments and perceived responses were recorded by telephone survey, 2 to 35 months after diagnosis. All 33 owners who completed the survey attempted to decrease exposure to dust and half had also administered medication. Twenty-four owners (73%) described a > 50% improvement in the clinical signs. There was no association between a specific treatment and outcome. A majority of owners of pleasure and sport horses with equine asthma perceived improvement when limiting exposure to hay and barn dust (alone or with medications). Les traitements pour des formes bénignes d’asthme des équidés sont extrapolés de ceux recommandés pour le traitement de l’asthme des équidés grave (emphysème chronique), mais on en sait encore peu à propos de l’observance des recommandations par les propriétaires et de l’efficacité du traitement. L’objectif consistait à déterminer quelles recommandations sont mises en oeuvre par les propriétaires et leur perception de la réponse clinique au traitement. Les dossiers médicaux de 43 chevaux diagnostiqués avec un asthme modéré entre 2010 et 2012 ont été récupérés de la base de données de l’Université de Montréal. Les traitements et les réactions perçues ont été consignés lors d’un sondage par téléphone, de 2 à 35 mois après le diagnostic. Les 33 propriétaires qui ont répondu au sondage avaient tenté de réduire l’exposition à la poussière et la moitié avaient aussi administré des médicaments. Vingt-quatre propriétaires (73 %) ont décrit une amélioration de > 50 % des signes cliniques. Il n’y avait aucune association entre un traitement spécifique et un résultat. La plupart des propriétaires possédant des chevaux d’agrément et de sport atteints d’asthme modéré ont perçu une amélioration lorsqu’ils limitaient l’exposition à la poussière de foin et de grange (comme seule mesure ou avec des médicaments). lorsqu’ils limitaient l’exposition à la poussière de foin et de grange (comme seule mesure ou avec des médicaments).(Traduit par Isabelle Vallières).
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The research investigates how horse owners adhere to treatment recommendations for equine asthma and the effectiveness of these treatments, with an assessment that reduction of exposure to dust, with or without medication, shows perceived improvements.
Methodology
The researchers extracted the medical records of 43 horses diagnosed with moderate asthma between 2010 and 2012 from the Université de Montréal database.
They conducted a telephone survey 2 to 35 months after the diagnosis to record the treatments tried by the owners and their perception of the treatment’s efficacy.
Findings
All of the 33 owners who completed the survey had tried to reduce their horses’ exposure to dust and half of them had also administered medication.
A significant portion of the owners (73%) noted more than 50% improvement in the horses’ clinical symptoms.
There was no statistical correlation found between a particular treatment method and the outcome. In other words, a specific treatment did not necessarily yield a universally successful outcome.
Most owners perceived an improvement in their pleasure and sport horses with moderate asthma when they limited their horses’ exposure to hay and barn dust, either alone or coupled with medication.
Conclusion
The research suggests that horse owners often adhere to the recommendations to reduce asthmatic horses’ exposure to dust, with some also administering medications.
The owners’ perception of the effectiveness of these treatments varies, with no specific treatment method found to be universally successful.
However, the majority of owners perceive a significant improvement in their horses’ conditions by limiting dust exposure, with or without the use of medication.
Cite This Article
APA
Boivin R, Pilon F, Lavoie JP, Leclere M.
(2018).
Adherence to treatment recommendations and short-term outcome of pleasure and sport horses with equine asthma.
Can Vet J, 59(12), 1293-1298.
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