horse diseases Flashcards
what pathogen causes strangles?
streptococcus equi subsp equi
G+ve
how is strangles spread?
direct contact
fomites
environment
shedding carriers (56m ) from guttural pouthc
what is the incubation time of strangles?
2-6 d
what are the clinical signs of classic acute strangles?
fever depression cough mucoid to purulent nasal discharge abscessation of LN (rupture in 7-10d) (suppurative lymphadenitis) dyspnoea dysphagia
how can you treat very early strangles?
can give penicillin but have to weight up as may inhibit immunity
nursing
soft food
how do you manage abscesses from strangles?
poultice and drain
abx controversial
nursing
soft food
what determines if strangles presents classically of atypically?
strain
own immunity
what are the signs of atypical strangles?
mild infl of URT slight nasal discharge cough fever self limiting lymphadenopathy NO abscess
how can you diagnose strangles?
- leucocytosis
- hyperfibrinogenaemia
- 1 x GP lavage or 3x nasophargyngeal swabs then culture or pcr
- US / rectal for abd abscess
- endoscopy or rads for GP empyema and chondroids
- blood test for AG
how can you manage an outbreak of strangles?
- isolate horse and premises
- phenolics disinfectant for equipment
- iodophores and chlorhexidine for staff
- blood test for asymptomatic carriers
- remove chondroids and put penicillin in GP
how can you prevent strangles?
- intramucosal vax not very effective
- test new horses for carrier status
what are some possible complications of strangles?
- internal abdominal abscessation
- purpura haemorrhagica
- generalised vasculitis
- death
- GP empyema and chondroids(solid pus)
- retropharyngeal abscess
what can be the consequence of internal abscesses from strangles and how can you treat it?
- colic, pyrexia, anorexia, depression, wt loss
- 6w penicillin/trimethoprim sulfa / rifampin
how can you treat purpura haemorrhagica?
penicillin immune suppression NSAIDs fluids pallative care guarded prognosis
why do you get generalised vasculitis with strangles?
- caused by type 3 hypersensitivity and get thrombosis of small arteries
- necrosis, petechial haemorrhages on mm
what is rhodococcus equi?
G+ve intracellular obligate aerobe lives in soil +manure late spring and summer foals 1-6mo more in US, australia and ireland
what is the pathogenicity of the respiratory form of rhodococcus equi?
- foals infected in first few days after birth but dont get signs till later
- bacteria destroy macrophages giving a pyogranulomatous response
what are the clinical signs of respiratory rhodococcus?
bronchopneumonia abscess formation (caseous necrosis in lungs + LN) anorexia depression fever dyspnoea and tachypnoea cough
how do you diagnose respiratory rhodococcus?
fibrinogen high neutrophilia tracheal wash - PCR for VapA gene of bacteria rad for abscess US for surface abscess PM
how can you treat rhodococcus?
- erythromycin and rifampin
- clarithromycin or azithromycin with rifampin
- treat until resoluved on rad and CBC / fibrinogen normal
- 4-12 w
what are some complications of giving erythromycin and rifampin to foals?
- some resistance
- hyperthermia
- tachycardia
- increased liver enzmes
- fatal colitis in dam if she licks foal
how can you prevent rhodococcus?
- difficult as shed in faeces
- increase ventilation
- decrease dust
- rotate pastures
- collect manure
- isolate infected
- try prophylaxis with hyperimmune plasma
- check TPR, monthly CBC and fibrinogen
- Screen rads / US
what is the intestinal form of rhodococcus?
- ulcerative entercolitis with mesenteric lymphadenitis and abscess formation
- from swallowing infected sputum
what are the signs of intestinal rhodococcus?
depression fever diarrhoea colic wt loss
what can equine rhinovirus cause?
subclinical / mild URT signs in young horses
what is the pathogenesis of equine viral arteritis?
- venereal or droplet spread
- stallions can be chronic shedders
- 3-14d incubation
- replicates in macrophages then travels to local LN - leucocyte associated viraemia - virus localising in endothelial cells - necrotising arteritis - oedema and haemorrhage
what are the signs of EVA?
abortion and stillbirth fever anorexia oedema lacrimation conjuctivitis nasal discharge coughing
how can you diagnose EVA?
blood serology
nasal swabs / semen for viral isolation and PCR
*notifiable in stallions / mares inseminated in last 14 d
how can you prevent EVA?
vaccinate
what can cause profuse epistaxis
GP mycoses - aspergillus nidulans
how can you diagnose paranasal sinusitis?
- reduced resonance on percussion
- sinus and facial swelling
- reduced airflow
- rads
- CT
- sinuscopy
what can cause GP disease?
GP empyema from strangles
GP catarrah (infl - - excessive mucus)
mycosis - aspergillus nidulans
neoplasia
where would you see a swelling associated with GP disease?
viborgs triangle
how do you diagnose GP disease?
endoscopy
rad
how can you treat GP disease?
- medical - pouch lavage and abx
- remove chondroids before lavage or else get mushy
- surgical drainage
- tacheostomy if dyspnoeic
What are common sites of URT obstruction?
Nostrils - alar collapse, incomplete dilation
Nasal passage - septal disease, small passage, eruption bumpbs, mass lesion
Sinuses - cysts, mass
Pharynx - DDSP, postural compression, cysts
Larynx - RLN , epiglottic entrapment, arytenoid chondroitis
what disease can cause abnormal resp noise / poor performance?
DDSP - dorsal displacement of the soft palate
pharyngeal cysts
RLN - recurrent laryngeal neuropathy
Epiglottic entrapment
arytenoid chondritis
dynamic obstruction
foal stridor
what is DDSP?
- dorsal displacement of the soft palate
- common in the young horse
- the palate is normally buttoned onto the larynx forming an airtight seal
- in DDSP the palate moves dorsally towards the epiglottis during exercise causing a functional obstruction and increased resistance to airflow
- most commonly due to neuromuscular dysfunction
what are common signs of DDSP?
- choking down (when airway blocked)
- expiratory stertor
- decreased performance
- mouth breathing
how can you diagnose DDSP?
dynamic endoscopy at exercise
-assess GP
how do you treat DDSP?
- treat concurrent GP disease
- keep mouth closed during exercise to maintain negative pressure
- Tongue-tie
- cornell collar to mimic thyrohyoideus muscle
- llewelyn procedure
- thermal palatoplasty - stiffen soft palate
- laryngeal tie forward
what is RLN?
- recurrent laryngeal neuropathy
- degenerative axonopathy of the recurrent laryngeal nerve
- normally left side affectes
- impaires function of cricoarytenoideus dorsalis muscle and primary abductor of the arytenoid cartilage
- get airway collapse
what are the signs of RLN?
- ok at rest or low level exercise
- inspiratory stridor with exercise
- impaired athletic performance at high levels of exercise
how is RLN graded in resting, unsedated horses?
Grade 1 = synchronous full abduction of both arytenoid cartilages
Grade 2 = asynchronous movement of L arytenoid cartilage. Full abduction of the L arytenoid cartilage inducible by nasal occlusion
Grade 3= asynchronous movement of L arytenoid cartilage. Full abduction cannot by induced.
Grade 4 = marked asymmetry at rest. no substantial movement of the L arytenoid cartilage
how do you treat grade 3C and grade 4 RLN?
laryngoplasty (tie cartilage open) and ventriculocordectomy
what are complication after RLN surgery?
non-protected airway so can get cough and aspiration pneumonia etc
What is epiglottic entrapment?
envelopment of the epiglottis of the subepiglottic mucosa and aryepiglottic folds
what are the signs of epiglottic entrapment?
expiratory stridor
reduced performance
how do you surgically treat epiglottic entrapment?
midline division of entrapping tissue
- can get re-entrapment
- the correction may predispose to DDSP
what is arytenoid chondritis?
chronic infection of the cartilage resulting in thickening and intraluminal granulation