Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Chronic respiratory disease in a horse infected with Dictyocaulus arnfieldi.
- Journal:
- Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association
- Year:
- 1981
- Authors:
- George, L W et al.
- Species:
- horse
Plain-English summary
A 6-year-old Thoroughbred gelding developed breathing problems after being put on a pasture with a donkey. The horse had a harsh, dry cough and seemed to struggle more when breathing. Tests showed a type of parasite called Dictyocaulus arnfieldi in the mucus from its airways, and while medications like corticosteroids and bronchodilators didn’t help, a strong treatment with thiabendazole (a deworming medication) given over two days completely resolved the horse's symptoms.
Abstract
A 6-year-old Thoroughbred gelding was examined because of respiratory disease that developed after it was placed on pasture occupied by a donkey. Clinical signs in the gelding included a harsh, dry paroxysmal cough and increased expiratory effort. Eosinophils were seen in smears of mucus aspirated from the trachea and the bronchi. Immature, 5th-stage Dictyocaulus arnfieldi was identified in the tracheal mucus. The cough and other clinical signs were not diminished by corticosteroid therapy or by the administration of bronchodilators. Treatment with 10-fold therapeutic dosages of thiabendazole (440 mg/kg) on each of 2 successive days resulted in permanent cessation of the clinical signs.
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Search related cases →Original publication: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/6210648/