Equine respiratory pharmacology.

The research paper provides an in-depth study of the variety of diseases affecting the equine respiratory tract and their respective treatments. It discusses in detail the use of various forms of therapy, including surgical interventions, pharmaceutical treatments, and respiratory aids, for common equine respiratory diseases.

Understanding Diseases of the Equine Respiratory Tract

• The differentiation or identification of diseases affecting the equine respiratory tract is achieved through a combination of methods such as patient history, clinical signs, imaging, auscultation (listening to sounds within the body), and endoscopy, which involves using a scope to view the airways, as well as sampling of the secretions (exudate) from the airways.

Therapy for Upper Respiratory Diseases

• The paper outlines that for diseases affecting the upper respiratory tract, therapeutic measures often include surgical procedures aimed at clearing obstructions, antibiotic and anti-inflammatory treatments administered either orally or parenterally—through routes other than the digestive tract, such as intravenous or intramuscular.
• In case of specific diseases such as strangles, guttural pouch disease, or sinusitis, localized abscesses are flushed as part of the treatment.

Treatment of Pneumonia and Respiratory Distress

• For horses suffering from pneumonia, the typical therapeutic protocol includes the use of antimicrobials to fight infection, along with anti-inflammatory drugs and bronchodilators to ease breathing. In situations where significant pleural effusion is observed, pleural drainage is performed.
• Acute respiratory distress, especially acute pulmonary edema, is usually treated with diuretics such as furosemide, intranasal oxygen to help respiratory efforts, bronchodilators, corticosteroids to reduce inflammation, and efforts to eliminate the underlying cause of the distress.

Allergic Conditions and EIPH

• For early inflammatory and chronic allergic obstructive conditions, bronchodilators and anti-inflammatories are the most commonly used therapies.
• Furosemide had been primarily used in North America as a preventative for exercise-induced pulmonary hemorrhage (EIPH), a condition that causes bleeding in the lungs during strenuous exercise. However, recent data suggests that this substance may have performance-enhancing effects in horses, thus raising concerns about its use.