A 7-year-old mare was referred to the Federal Rural University of Brazil's Semi-arid Region because of shortness of breath and loud respiratory noises. The mare had had trouble breathing for 20 days prior to being sent to the clinic. She had been treated with clenbuterol, bromhexine hydrochloride and benzylpenicillin procaine-based treatments while on the farm, but had shown no improvement.
Upon arriving at the clinic, hospital staff reported that the mare had pale mucous membranes, a respiratory rate of 20 breaths per minute, and a heart rate of 68 beats per minute. Her appetite and intestinal sounds were normal.
Dr. Jéssica Monique dos Santos, the treating veterinarian, found that the horse was suffering from laryngeal hemiplegia – upper airway paralysis that decreases airflow to the lungs. Her condition was advanced and affected both sides of the throat.
Laryngeal hemiplegia can be caused by multiple factors, including the degeneration of the laryngeal nerve, a guttural pouch infection, or irritation in the region. However, the exact cause of the condition is often unknown; some research suggests the disease has a genetic component.
In an effort to alleviate the mare's respiratory distress, dos Santos and her team opted to give the mare a tracheostomy and a permanent metal cannula was placed in her neck. The mare was discharged 36 days after she was admitted to the hospital with no ill effects from the surgery.
The tracheostomy area healed entirely, with no inflammation at the incision site. The mare's quality of life has returned to normal.
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