Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Horse coughing and noisy breathing while eating - what to do?
By Moorman, Valerie J et al.·Published in Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association·2007·College of Veterinary Medicine, United States·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Persistent dorsal displacement of the soft palate attributable to a frenulum of the epiglottis in a racing Thoroughbred.
- Species:
- horse
Plain-English summary
A 7-year-old male Thoroughbred racehorse was brought in because he was having trouble exercising, making noise while breathing, and coughing when eating. An examination revealed that a small band of tissue (frenulum) was causing the soft palate to be displaced, which was affecting his breathing. The vet used a laser to cut the frenulum, and the horse showed improvement right after surgery. However, four weeks later, the soft palate had shifted back out of place again, indicating that the issue might need further attention.
People also search for: horse exercise intolerance · coughing while eating horse · soft palate surgery in horses
Abstract
CASE DESCRIPTION: A 7-year-old sexually intact male Thoroughbred racehorse was evaluated because of exercise intolerance, respiratory tract noise, and coughing when eating. CLINICAL FINDINGS: A persistent dorsal displacement of the soft palate was identified during endoscopic examination of the upper portions of the respiratory tract. Radiography of the pharyngeal and laryngeal regions revealed a hypoplastic epiglottis that was ventral to, and not in contact with, the soft palate. The horse was anesthetized, and an oral endoscopic examination revealed a subepiglottic frenulum that had resulted in the dorsal displacement of the soft palate. TREATMENT AND OUTCOME: The frenulum was transected transendoscopically by use of a diode laser. Twenty-four hours following surgery, repeat endoscopic and radiographic examinations revealed that the epiglottis had returned to its correct anatomic position in relation to the soft palate. Four weeks after surgery, endoscopy of the upper portions of the airway revealed recurrence of the dorsal displacement of the soft palate. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: A subepiglottic frenulum should be considered as a cause of persistent dorsal displacement of the soft palate in horses. An endoscopic examination of the oropharyngeal region should be performed in horses prior to undertaking any surgical interventions to treat persistent dorsal displacement of the soft palate.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17764438/