Equine Respiratory Diseases Flashcards
(128 cards)
what are the overarching types of respiratory disease?
URT
LRT
are horses always systemically unwell when they have respiratory diseases?
no
what are disorders of the respiratory system second only in importance to in limiting athletic performance?
musculoskeletal
what issues would you expect to present at birth?
congential
what respiratory issues would you expect to present at 1-6 months?
Rhondococcus infection
what respiratory issues would you expect to see in weanlings/yearlings?
viral and bacterial URT infections
what respiratory issues would you expect to see in performance horses?
exercise induced pulmonary haemorrhage (EIPH)
inflammatory airway disease (IAD)
what respiratory issues would you expect to see in middle aged horses?
asthma
what about a horses environment or the environment it was exposed to help may be useful when looking at history?
mixing with new horses
local endemic infections
vaccination history (if so and when)
exposure to dust (bedding, feed or that of their neighbor)
what about prior medical issues may help to diagnose current respiratory issues?
may be related to current complaint e.g. viral disease may precede bacterial
what questions should be asked when gaining history about the presenting respiratory problem?
last normal
slow or quick onset
signs
did signs come on after strenuous exercise or following long distance travel
are there any new arrivals on the yard who have not been quarantined
signs seen at rest or only at exercise
what elements must be assessed in the physical exam of a patient with suspected respiratory disease?
demenour stance nasal discharge SM lymph nodes RR respiratory effort heave line
what will the horses stance be like if they are finding it difficult or painful to breathe?
head and neck extended with elbows abducted
what is normal RR in horses?
8-10 brpm
what should respiratory effort be like in a healthy horse?
difficult to see breathing occurring - if visible there is probably an issue
what is rectus abdominus hypertrophy?
increased definition of rectus abdominus due to chronically increased respiratory effort
when auscultating the lungs may the horse appear normal at rest even if unwell?
yes
what should be done if a horse isn’t showing increased respiratory effort and sounds normal at rest?
rebreathing
describe the process of rebreathing to assess horses respiratory function
cover nose with a bag to increase CO2 levels and cause them to breathe harder and more deeply
auscultate throughout and then as bag is removed
what is the purpose of rebreathing during auscultation?
patient will breathe more deeply which will enable you to hear any crackles more clearly
why should you continue to auscultate the chest after bag is removed during rebreathing?
there will be a large breath after rebreathing ends which is useful to hear any lung sounds
what sampling techniques are available when testing for respiratory disease?
nasal swab
naso-pharyngeal swab
tracheal wash
brochoalveolar lavage
what imaging techniques are available to test for respiratory diseases in horses?
endoscopy
x-ray (head, thorax)
CT (head)
ultrasound (larynx, thorax)
when is endoscopy useful?
for all respiratory diseases