Pneumonia can affect horses of any age, even though it’s more prevalent among foals and geriatric horses. | Photo: iStock

Pneumonia is a scary disease in horses. Many owners associate this inflammation of the lungs, either by viral or bacterial infection, with young or old horses, without much thought to the horses that fall well within this age range.

However, pneumonia can affect horses of any age, even though it’s more prevalent among foals and geriatric horses. The infection can be fatal if not treated promptly. When pneumonia develops, fluid or pus fill the air sacs in the lungs, causing difficulty breathing as the lungs are not able to perform as designed. Horses can develop pneumonia in one or both lungs