Laryngeal hemiplegia in draft horses. A review of 27 cases.

This study assesses the effectiveness of ventriculectomy, with or without prosthetic laryngoplasty, as a treatment for laryngeal hemiplegia in draft horses. The results show that the clinical symptoms linked to this condition, such as reduced exercise tolerance and excessive inhalation noise, can be successfully treated with ventriculectomy alone, reducing the need for a prolonged hospital stay and allowing the horses to meet their owners’ performance expectations.

Research Objective and Methodology

• This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of ventriculectomy, with or without prosthetic laryngoplasty, in treating laryngeal hemiplegia in draft horses.
• The researchers reviewed the case records of 27 draft horses diagnosed with the condition.
• Post-treatment performance, hospitalization lengths, and owner satisfaction were used as parameters for evaluation.

Treatment Procedure and Evaluation

• The treatment involved surgical procedures, specifically ventriculectomy and sometimes prosthetic laryngoplasty.
• Of the total cases reviewed, 21 horses underwent these treatments.
• Owners of 17 out of these 21 treated horses were contacted to gather information on the treatment results.

Findings

• The research found that 15 out of the 17 horses, whose owners were contacted, showed improvement after surgery.
• The performance improvements were substantial and met owners’ expectations.
• Faster recovery and shorter hospitalization period were also observed when the treatment did not involve prosthetic laryngoplasty.

Conclusion

• The study concludes that laryngeal hemiplegia in draft horses can be successfully treated with only ventriculectomy.
• Additionally, ventriculectomy as a stand-alone treatment has the advantage of shorter hospitalization periods and faster recovery times.
• Eliminating prosthetic laryngoplasty from the treatment protocol still provides excellent results, reducing resource usage and increasing the overall efficiency of the treatment process.