Equine Asthma

easy with proper treatment and management. However once changes occur in the lung there is irreversible damage.
4 How do veterinarians treat equine asthma?
Veterinarians often use drug therapy a combination of corticosteroids and bronchodilators to treat horses during acute episodes of respiratory difficulty.
Corticosteroids decrease inflammation by suppressing the horses immune system while bronchodilators act in the lung to open up the airways of horses experiencing respiratory distress.
5 How are the drugs given to the horse?
Both steroids and bronchodilators come in oral and inhaled formulations. Oral and inhaled formulations are effective but have different benefits. Oral medications are usually tried as the initial course of treatment and are preferred in severe cases. The inhaled formulations are administered to the horse using a mask. Once the horse inhales the drugs into its lungs the medication acts directly at the site of inflammation. The result is a faster response to therapy and fewer side effects as the drug isnt distributed to the whole body.
6 Do these drugs cause any side effects?
High doses of corticosteroids over a prolonged period can potentially cause laminitis particularly in horses that are overweight or otherwise predisposed to laminitis. Other side effects of steroid use include worsening of infections that are already present or the development of new infections while being treated. Its uncommon for side effects to occur with bronchodilator therapy but its still important to use these drugs judiciously.
7 Are there any new therapies for equine asthma?
Researchers at the Western College of Veterinary Medicine WCVM have been investigating the role bacteria play in the lungs of horses with equine asthma. According to recent research at the WCVM some horses may benefit from the addition of antibiotics to the traditional drug therapy
8 Can horses recover from equine asthma?
Unfortunately there is no cure for equine asthma. But on the plus side affected horses can improve with proper management along with early and appropriate treatment when acute episodes of equine asthma occur. Affected horses can be ridden if their breathing permits it. If they appear uncomfortable with laboured breathing rest is recommended.
9 What can owners do to help horses affected with equine asthma?
Environmental management of equine asthma is based on reducing the horses exposure to dust and mold. Here are some management changes that can benefit horses with this disease
Feed a lowdust feed such as pelleted complete feed hay cubes or soaked hay.
Use square bales as they are less prone to
accumulate mold than round bales.
If feeding from a round bale unroll the bale fork off the hay and inspect it for dust and mold.
Keep horses outdoors as much as possible ideally in a low dust environment.
If horses are stabled ensure good ventilation to prevent an accumulation of dust mold and other airway irritants such as ammonia.
Use shavings rather than straw for bedding as straw bales tend to accumulate dust and mold.