Equine Top 20 Diseases - Part 4 Flashcards
what is the classic case presentation of a horse with atrial fibrillation?
athletic horses with exercise intolerance, exercise-induced epistaxis, or pleasure/idle horses - incidental finding
how is atrial fibrillation in a horse diagnosed?
irregularly irregular heart beat ausculted & ECG to confirm - no p waves, fibrillation waves with normal QRS, irregular R-R intervals
T/F: in a horse with atrial fibrillation, don’t treat it if there is underlying cardiac disease because it won’t work & there is an increased risk of fatal arrhythmia
true - also don’t treat if horse is retired
when would you treat a horse with atrial fibrillation?
lone afib (no underlying cardiac disease) & desired athletic performance (medical cardioversion with quinidine IV or PO or transvenous electrical cardioversion under GA)
what is the prognosis for atrial fibrillation in horses?
good if lone AF, poor for athletic performance if AF is secondary to underlying cardiac disease
what predisposes normal horses to atrial fibrtillation?
large atrial size & high vagal tone
what is the classic case presentation of equine gastric ulcer syndrome?
can be inapparent - colic, inappetance, weight loss, ill thrift, grumpiness especially during girthing
what is the only way a definitive diagnosis of equine gastric ulcer syndrome can be made?
fasting gastroscopy
where is the most common anatomic site for squamous ulceration of the equine stomach? what about glandular?
squamous - squamous mucosa of lesser curvature just proximal to margo plicatus glandular - pylorus
how is EGUS treated?
omeprazole proton pump inhibitor (gold standard), H-2 receptor antagonists (ranitidine), & frequent feeding/turnout, & decreasing stress
what is the prognosis of EGUS?
excellent with appropriate treatment & management changes
which is more difficult to treat, glandular or squamous ulcers in horses with EGUS?
glandular more difficult than squamous
T/F: EGUS is very common with 60% of performance horses being affected
TRUE
what horses may require prophylactic therapy for EGUS?
performance horses under constant transport & training stress
what is the classic case presentation of esophageal obstruction in a horse?
ptyalism, feed material/saliva coming out of nostrils, retching/coughing, & palpable lump in esophageal area
how are esophageal obstructions in horses diagnosed?
clinical signs usually diagnostic, unable to gently pass an NG tube, advanced cases use esophageal endoscopy/ultrasound
how are esophageal obstructions in horses treated?
withhold feed/water, sedation (buscopan/nsaids), pass NG tube/lavage esophagus with the head low if not resolved in 4-6 hours, prophylactic antibiotics for aspiration pneumonia, & severe prolonged cases may require IV fluids, anesthesia, or surgical intervention (esophagostomy)
what is the prognosis of a horse with an esophageal obstruction for the first time?
excellent
older horses with what may be more predisposed to getting an esophageal obstruction?
dental issues
what are some common complications of esophageal obstructions in horses?
aspiration pneumonia, esophageal stricture, diverticulum, or esophageal rupture
what is the lay term for esophageal obstruction?
choke
what are the 2 most common types of lower airway inflammatory disease in horses?
recurrent airway obstruction & inflammatory airway disease
what is the classic case presentation of a horse with recurrent airway obstruction?
older horse with a heave line (muscle definition from abdominal expiration), wheezing, & tachypnea at rest during episodes
what is the classic case presentation of a horse with inflammatory airway disease?
any age horse but usually younger performance horses with no tachypnea at rest
