7 July 2023 | Product and Promotions Guide
W
hile veterinarians have long regarded
recurrent airway obstruction
(RAO or heaves) and inflammatory
airway disease (IAD) as two clinically distinct
entities, these two conditions have been combined
under the umbrella term "equine asthma."
1
Both conditions are related to underlying
chronic airway inflammation, although the two
presentations differ in clinical signs and severity.
Signs of equine asthma may vary widely,
ranging from a subtle decrease in cardiovascular
performance to overt respiratory distress. In a
performance horse with mild disease, the only
clinical sign may be a delayed return to normal
respiration after activity.
2
The horse's significant
respiratory reserve allows many horses to
compensate for a surprising degree of respiratory
disease without outwardly visible clinical signs.
However, horses with traditional signs of heaves
also exist, with flaring nostrils and labored,
heaving breathing.
2
This represents a more severe
manifestation of equine asthma.
All horses with equine asthma have similar clinical
signs (cough, excess mucus production, and
poor performance), but there can be significant
differences in the severity of those signs, as well
as in triggers and underlying pathology.
1
