Scientists suspect that inflammation is the connecting factor in a Polish study which has shown a clear link between episodes of severe asthma in and palate disorders in horses.
Though equine airway disease is often categorized into “upper” and “lower” airway issues, problems often affect both the upper and the lower airways since they act as a functional unit.
Dr. Natalia Kozłowska and researchers from the Institute of Veterinary Medicine at the Warsaw University of Life Sciences sought to investigate the occurrence of palatal disorders in horses actively experiencing severe asthma flare-ups. They wondered whether controlling asthma symptoms may resolve palate issues.
Equine asthma is not thoroughly understood, but it stems from a complex interaction of environmental and genetic factors. The condition can affect horses of all breeds and ages.
To investigate the possible connection with palate problems, the scientists used 46 privately owned horses that had severe asthma. All were in the midst of active asthma attacks when they were examined for study inclusion. The study team gathered each horse's medical history and completed a physical and detailed respiratory tract exam. A dynamic endoscopy was also performed the next day to determine whether disorders of the palate were present.
One day after the exam was completed, the horses began 21 days of asthma treatment and then were re-evaluated in the same manner.
The team found that palatal disorders were less common after the 21-day asthma treatment, suggesting that both asthma and palatal disorders may respond to similar treatments. Prior to treatment, 67.4 percent of the horses having asthma flare-ups showed evidence of palatial disorders – 39.1 percent showed evidence of palatal instability and 28.3 percent showed dorsal displacement of the soft palate.
After treatment, when the horse's asthma was controlled, no horses showed evidence of palatal instability, but dorsal displacement of the soft palate was still diagnosed in 8.7 percent of horses. Based on these results, a horse diagnosed with palatal instability only – no displacement – and with lower-airway inflammation may have his palate issues resolved once the inflammation has been treated.
The study team concludes that the findings support the idea that inflammation plays a significant role in both diseases. They suggest that a more conservative approach of treating horses with palatal disorders with anti-inflammatories could be attempted before opting for surgical intervention.
Read more at HorseTalk.
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