Page 693 - The Veterinary Care of the Horse
P. 693
Dietary supplementation with omega-3 fatty acids has been shown to improve lung function
and reduce inflammation in horses with RAO.
VetBooks.ir Exercise
Horses with moderate to severe breathing difficulties should not be worked. Mildly affected
horses should have their exercise restricted to a level they can manage comfortably. During a
bout of coughing, the horse should be allowed to extend its head and return to walk. Avoid
fast work (canter and gallop) in cold weather, as the cold air can cause airway inflammation.
With good management, a definite improvement should be seen in mildly affected horses
within 3–4 weeks. However, moderate and severely affected horses require medication to
alleviate the respiratory distress and aid recovery.
Medication
The most useful medications are bronchodilators and corticosteroids.
BRONCHODILATORS
Bronchodilators are used to relieve the respiratory distress from bronchospasm experienced
by horses during acute episodes. They relax the smooth muscle in the airways. The
commonly used ones include the following.
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• Drugs such as clenbuterol (Ventipulmin ) relieve bronchospasm and increase the speed
of clearance of mucus from the airways. The drug can be given intravenously or orally.
Some horses require up to four times the normal dose of this drug for it to be effective.
At higher doses, side effects include sweating and trembling, and the horse’s heart rate
may be raised.
• Inhaled bronchodilators such as salbutamol and ipratropium bromide are sometimes
administered using a portable equine nebuliser e.g. the Flexineb (Figure 15.18) or other
inhalation devices but their duration of action is relatively short.
• Atropine which may be given once by intravenous injection at the start of treatment to
relieve acute respiratory distress. If bronchospasm is a contributory factor, the drug will
be effective and provide relief within 15–20 minutes. However, atropine can cause colic
as a side effect and so is not safe for regular use.
