Page 39 - 31 August 2012

Fig. 3: Pharyngitis, or “blisters,” on the soft palate.
These cases do not require surgery, just medi- cal attention, such as antibiotics, immune stimu- lants and throat flushes. After the inflammation has subsided, the follicles are small and white and do not cause any more irritation at that point.
An upper respiratory airway anomaly that does cause a breathing noise is laryngeal hemi- plegia, sometimes called a “paralyzed flapper” (Fig. 4). These horses make a “roaring” noise when galloping, but can still run short dis- tances before the airway restriction causes them to slow down. Those distances vary depend- ing on the lung capacity of the horse, which a lot of times is related to age. I have seen older Quarter Horses (4-year-olds and older) run 400-440 yards with a completely paralyzed “flap” and win. I believe a fit, older horse
can run that far before taking a deep breath. Younger horses (3-year-olds and younger) don’t have the same lung capacity as older horses so it affects them more severely.
Fig. 4: Laryngeal hemiplegia, sometimes called a “paralyzed flapper,” with the flap hanging flaccid on the right side of the trachea entrance.
Surgery is required to repair a paralyzed flapper and help the horse breathe better.
The last abnormality I will discuss is Dorsal Displacement of the Soft Palate (DDSP) (Fig. 5). It is usually intermittent, meaning it does not occur all the time. Horses with DDSP usually make a “gurgling” noise when exhal- ing. This obstructs outward airflow, whereas
a “paralyzed flapper” tends to obstruct inward airflow. Besides being diagnosed with an endoscopic exam,these last two problems can be differentiated by listening to a horse as he gallops. A horse inhales as his front feet are coming off the ground at a gallop and exhales when his front feet hit the ground. So if you hear a “gurgling” noise when his front feet hit the ground, that is a displaced soft palate. If you hear a “roaring” noise when his front feet are coming off the ground, that is a “paralyzed flapper.” But it is always best to have your vet- erinarian scope the horse to determine why he
Fig. 5: Dorsal displacement of the soft palate (DDSP), notice the triangular epiglottis cannot be seen.
is making a noise. Something as simple as tying the horse’s tongue and using a figure eight noseband, to prevent mouth breathing, can prevent a horse from displacing his palate.
Different types of surgery can be performed for the different problems, some being very simple and some becoming more complex if the problem is not resolved with the first surgery Of course there are other upper respiratory tract problems that are not as common as these and can be much more complex when it comes to treatment.
So, if you have a young Quarter Horse racehorse in training and you hear him making a noise when he gallops or he doesn’t finish a race like he has in the past, get him scoped. If he’s normal, that’s great. But if he’s not and it can be fixed rather quickly with minor surgery, you’ll be glad you did before wasting any more time (a valuable commodity with these young Quarter Horse racehorses these days) looking for other reasons.
Name on Card Card Number Name
Title
Address City Phone
q Check Enclosed Amount
Company
q VISA
Exp. Date
State Zip
q MASTERCARD
Credit Card Phone Orders Accepted
SUBSCRIBE TODAY!
q One Year $69.00 (includes 2013 Stallion Register)
q Two Year $125.00
(includes 2013 & 2014 Stallion Register)
q Foreign $145.00
(includes 2013 Stallion Register)
q Two Year Foreign $290.00 (includes 2013 & 2014 Stallion Register)
SPEEDHORSE, INC. P.O. Box 1000 • Norman, OK 73070 (405) 288-2145 or FAX (405) 288-2151
SPEEDHORSE, August 31, 2012 37
veterinary views