A racehorse running at top speed breathes about 120 times per minute, moving about 12-15 liters of air per breath or 1,400-1,800 liters per minute. With this amount of airflow, it’s not hard to imagine that any amount of airway inflammation can
“Before high-speed treadmill (HSTM) endoscopy, we did not recognize the complexity of maintaining a open airway under enormous pressure swings during inspiration and expiration (breathing in and out),” said Eric Parente, DVM, associate professor
“Anywhere between 25-92% of stabled horses have some form of airway inflammation,” said Melissa R. Mazan, DVM, of Tufts University’s Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine, at the 2005 American Association of Equine Practitioners Convention in
When a horse inhales mold spores or other irritants, neutrophils (specific types of white blood cells) release reactive oxidants–generally very reactive substances that can break down mold in the airways. That’s not a bad thing, really. “But if
A new surgical procedure known as the laryngeal tie-forward might provide a more reliable treatment for dorsal displacement of the soft palate (DDSP), the most common airway obstruction affecting performance horses. Current surgical procedures
Nick Zito’s run of bad luck in this year’s Triple Crown continued Monday when it was discovered My Meadowview Farm’s Noble Causeway had entrapped his epiglottis in the Preakness Stakes (gr. I) and will undergo a myectomy to correct the
Vibrations of the soft palate are the probable source of expiratory sounds recorded in horses with dorsal displacement of the soft palate (DDSP), says Jeremy Burn, BEng, PhD, lecturer in equine science in the department of anatomy at the
It has become commonplace for an upper respiratory tract (URT) endoscopy to be performed at pre- and post-sale examinations of young horses–especially at Thoroughbred sales. To address what is normal and what is abnormal, Rolf M. Embertson, DVM
A total of 2,351 equine veterinarians–a record attendance–descended on Lexington for the 41st annual American Association of Equine Practitioners convention. Committee business dominated the day on Dec. 2, with 21 of the association’s 40
Only racehorses get exercise-induced pulmonary hemorrhage (EIPH), right? Aren’t they the only ones working hard enough to rupture blood vessels in their lungs? The answer to this question is not so simple. Research has shown that EIPH occurs in
Thoroughbred yearlings sold at public auction here and abroad often are subject to endoscopic examination of their upper respiratory tracts. Veterinarians and potential buyers are looking for evidence of deformities that could affect the ability
Respiratory disease is second only to musculoskeletal problems as a cause of loss of performance in competition horses, according to some of the leading researchers around the world. In fact, N. Edward Robinson, BVet Med, PhD, MRCVS, of Michigan
We know that all horses have a guttural pouch, and some of their distant relations have a smaller version of the same structure. But until very recently, we didn’t know why they existed.
Horses which have been correctly fed all their lives are far more likely to live to a ripe old age.
Congenital cleft palate in horses is an uncommon deformity affecting approximately 0.1-0.2% of the equine population. The condition is a malformation of the soft and sometimes hard palate where the left and right side fail to unite, forming a cleft
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