ABSTRACT:
Acupuncture treatment was successfully used to help to treat severe asthma in a 9-year-old Latvian breed horse. Weekly treatment for one month showed significant improvement in horses’ clinical signs and overall well-being. Coughing and dyspnea gradually disappeared, and the horse returned to regular training.
HISTORY:
A nine-year-old gelded Latvian breed horse was presented for acupuncture consultation with a month’s history of coughing, and difficulty breathing. 2 years ago, the horse showed first signs of difficulty breathing. A veterinarian was called, which
diagnosed inflammatory airway disease.
Hore was prescribed a week regimen of mucolytics (acetylcysteine) and salbutamol inhalation 2 times a day. Treatment was successful and for 6 months everything was fine. 6 months later horse started coughing more, especially during and after the training. The horse was brought to the horse clinic.
After tests horse was diagnosed with recurrent airway obstruction (RAO). In the clinic, they took the sample of the tracheal lavage and sent it to Laboclin for testing for bacteria or microscopic fungi, but the result came back negative. The horse was put again in acetylcysteine and salbutamol, additionally was getting Dexamethasone 2 mg/ml injection once a day for 3 days, the horse should have regular training, so the mucus could get out of the lungs. Should lessen the contact with dust from hay, straw, etc.
With treatment, the horse started to breathe better, but the persistent cough never resolved. After that, the owner was just trying all the food additives, to help with respiration, only getting slight improvement. Till the treatment of the horse, the owner was trying to treat the horse herself. Horses’ overall well-being improved. The cough was persistent more at the beginning of the training and right after. Difficulty breathing reappeared only after contact with dust.
Mutule_Case Report
