Respiratory diseases in horses are very common and can be triggered by various causes. Both bacterial, viral, and non-infectious triggers, such as environmental allergens, can cause these respiratory diseases.
Infectious respiratory diseases and their effects on horses:
In terms of infectious respiratory diseases, horses of all ages can suffer from bacterial or viral infections. These infections can be particularly dangerous for young or old animals whose immune systems are not fully intact. Horses under stress are also particularly vulnerable. Your sport or leisure horse's performance can be severely or even permanently affected by pathogens such as Streptococcus Equi. Furthermore, serious infections such as Equine Herpesvirus and horse flu are often found in large stables or in younger horses.
Symptoms of non-infectious respiratory diseases in horses:
Non-infectious respiratory diseases can often exhibit symptoms that closely resemble infectious diseases. Therefore, timely diagnosis by a veterinarian at the first signs is crucial. Symptoms may include coughing, nasal discharge, and/or increased respiratory rate. Infectious respiratory diseases usually affect younger horses more frequently. In older animals, however, conditions such as Recurrent Airway Obstruction (RAO) or asthma are more commonly observed.
According to the Royal Veterinary College London, RAO and asthma are the most common non-infectious respiratory diseases in horses. Both conditions are allergic diseases in which the lower airways react to allergens in the air, such as molds and/or fungi in general. It is essential that these allergens are significantly reduced through the use of suitable hay steamers.
