Lecture 34: Diseases of the Equine Respiratory Tract 1

what is 1?

arytenoid cartilage

what is 2?

opening to esophagus

what is 3?

opening to airway

what is 4?

vocal cord (fold)

what is 5?

laryngeal saccule (ventricle)

what is 6?

epiglottis

what is 7?

soft palate

cleft palate

• congenital defect

• should be part of new foal exam

• clinical signs → milk draining from nose after nursing, coughing

what is this arrow pointing to?

cleft palate

cleft palate diagnosis

• PE, endoscopy

• treatment → surgical repair, treat pneumonia

• prognosis → guarded for life! most foals are euthanized, worsens if hard and soft palate

dorsal displacement of the soft palate

• intermittent or persistent malpositioning of caudal edge of soft palate dorsal to epiglottis

• allows horse to mouth breath, but horse is obligate nasal breather

• soft palate should be ventral to the epiglottis except during swallowing

what is this showing?

DDSP

DDSP etiology

• idiopathic

• inflammation (URT infection) → affects nerve function for palate stability (pharyngeal branch of vagus n

• conformation → hypoplastic epiglottis

• fatigue

• horse trying to get tongue over bit