The occurrence of dynamic structural disorders in the pharynx and larynx, at rest and during exercise, in horses diagnosed with mild and moderate Equine Asthma (Inflammatory Airway Disease).

This research studied the structural disorders that occur in the throat and voice box of horses, both at rest and during exercise, who have been diagnosed with mild and moderate Equine Asthma. The findings suggest that horses with this condition often have issues in their throats, which frequently go unnoticed unless an exercise test is conducted.

Goal of Research

• The main objective of this study was to uncover the incidence of structural abnormalities in the horse’s voice box and throat during exercise testing on a treadmill, in horses that have been diagnosed with Equine Asthma (EA).

Methods Used

• The examination involved 29 horses who were patients at the Equine Clinic of the Warsaw University of Life Sciences in Poland, the common complaint for all of which was poor exercise performance.
• All the horses underwent examinations for both upper and lower respiratory tract abnormalities. The results showed 13 horses suffering from mild to moderate EA and 16 horses with no lower respiratory tract issues.

Results

• In the group of horses with EA, 11 did not show any structural abnormalities in their voice box and throat when at rest.
• However, when undergoing exercise, 11 horses displayed structural disorders, with eight showing issues only in the throat, two in the voice box and one in both. Only two horses showed no abnormalities.
• In the non-asthmatic group, 11 horses showed no structural abnormalities during rest period endoscopy. However, during exercise, 10 horses displayed disorders in the voice box, three horses exhibited throat problems and the remaining three horses had disorders in both.

Conclusion

• According to the results, horses diagnosed with EA frequently have throat disorders during treadmill tests.
• For horses without EA, larynx (voice box) conditions commonly occur.
• The study hence highlights the importance of upper airways endoscopic testing during exercise for efficient diagnosis of poor performance among horses with lower respiratory tract inflammatory disease.