Equine Disease Quarterly | EQUINE
entrapped epiglottis. The procedure can be performed
either under sedation and local anesthesia or under
general anesthesia and typically takes less than 30
minutes. There are several surgical methods available,
namely use of a transnasal endoscopically guided
laser, transendoscopic electrosurgical instrument, or
transnasal or transoral curved surgical knife. Surgical
excision can also be performed via incision into the
airway via the pharynx or larynx, however, these
methods will result in an external scar and can contribute
to surgical site complications. These procedures are
therefore typically reserved for cases with additional
complications.
The potential complications of surgical intervention
include thermal trauma to the epiglottis, adhesions,
and cicatrix (scar) formation. To reduce the risk of these
occurring, horses should receive systemic and topical
anti-inflammatory medications. Dorsal displacement
of the soft palate can occur regardless of the treatment
method employed, particularly when epiglottic
hypoplasia is present.
Local inflammation is common following surgical
correction of epiglottic entrapment. Horses should
therefore receive transnasal endoscopic evaluation each
week following surgery until the larynx has a normal
appearance. Throat sprays containing anti-inflammatory
agents are also strongly recommended. In order to
reduce inflammation in the laryngeal region; horses
require a period of rest following surgery. Depending on
the severity of the condition and the treatment method
employed, horses can return to work 3-8 weeks postoperatively,
providing transnasal endoscopic evaluation
is normal. Reoccurrence is not uncommon and can be
treated by surgical excision of the excess subepiglottic
mucosa. The majority of horses with epiglottic
entrapment without epiglottic hypoplasia are able to
return to their original level of activity.
CONTACT
Alex Gillen, MA, MS, VetMB, CertAVP, DipACVS, DipECVS,
MRCVS, [email protected], Phillip Leverhulme
Equine Hospital, University of Liverpool, United Kingdom
Equine Abortion: The 2016-2019 Breeding
Seasons in Central Kentucky
Equine abortion is a common and frustrating condition
with a variety of infectious and noninfectious
causes. Evaluation of the fetoplacental unit can aid
in understanding the cause of individual foal loss,
allow early detection of infectious causes of abortion,
and identify trends over multiple years that can help
predict future causes of fetal loss. Following changes
in the causes of abortion over multiple years may help
to elucidate environmental risk factors or changes in
disease prevalence over time.
Causes of abortion over the last four breeding seasons
from 2016 to 2019 are presented in Figure 1 (infectious
causes) and Figure 2 (non-infectious causes). A review
of the 2016 and 2017 seasons can be found in the
January 2018 issue of the Equine Disease Quarterly.
Total submission numbers were 570, 328, 408, and 304
for 2016, 2017, 2018, and 2019, respectively. The overall
submission numbers vary based on numbers of mares
bred that year and incidence of diseases which create
noticeable placental lesions (such as nocardioform
placentitis). General trends in abortion have remained
consistent over time, with placentitis being the most
commonly diagnosed cause of abortion in all years.
Placentitis cases represented 24.6%, 20.2%, 34.5%, and
25% for 2016, 2017, 2018, and 2019. Typically, noninfectious
causes of abortion (umbilical cord torsion,
twins, fetal and maternal stress, and abortions of
unknown etiology) are more common than infectious
causes (viral, bacterial, and fungal infections) with the
exception of 2016, which had 145 cases of mucoid
• Volume 22 Issue 02 | June 2020 •
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