Chronic Cough and Hyperpnea: Clinical Approach to Equine Asthma.

The research article looks into diagnosing and managing chronic cough and hyperpnea, symptoms often seen in horses suffering from equine asthma. The diagnosis process is multi-staged and the treatment includes bronchodilators and immunosuppressive therapies, among other strategies.

Diagnosis of equine asthma

• The article discusses that diagnosing severe equine asthma is a complex process that goes beyond a simple examination, as it needs to identify the specific phenotype of the horse.
• This rigorous diagnosis process is crucial in guiding subsequent recommendations for managing and treating the condition, tailoring it to the particular needs of the horse based on the identified phenotype.

Treatment and management of equine asthma

• The key part of managing equine asthma as presented in the article is to reduce or eliminate the triggering agents or conditions that cause the symptoms.
• This involves using immunosuppressive therapies and bronchodilators as main forms of treatment.
• However, the first instinct when treating a horse displaying hyperpnea symptoms should be to provide rescue therapy using short-acting bronchodilators.
• The secondary goal is to control or reduce inflammation and airway remodeling to ease the horse’s breathing.

Environmental factors in equine asthma management

• Interestingly, the research also emphasizes that environmental and management changes are crucial in the treatment of equine asthma.
• This reinforces the idea that only relying on immunosuppressive therapies will not be enough in effectively managing the condition.
• The changes in the horse’s environment and management aim to minimize or remove the exposure of the animal to triggering agents or factors that might induce asthma symptoms.