Guttural Pouch Anatomy, Problems Reviewed for World Equine Vets

Guttural pouches are more than just ill-defined air-filled vats located somewhere in the horse’s head, said Julie Fjeldborg, DVM, PhD, an associate professor in the department of large animal sciences at the University of Copenhagen, Denmark, during the 11th Congress of the World Equine Veterinary Association, which was held Sept. 24-27, 2009, in Guarujá, Sao Paulo, Brazil.
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Guttural pouches are more than just ill-defined air-filled vats located somewhere in the horse’s head, said Julie Fjeldborg, DVM, PhD, an associate professor in the department of large animal sciences at the University of Copenhagen, Denmark, during the 11th Congress of the World Equine Veterinary Association, which was held Sept. 24-27, 2009, in Guarujá, Sao Paulo, Brazil.

Guttural pouches are of interest to both veterinarians and horse owners, as they contain a number of important structures. Arteries such as the internal carotid artery, and several cranial nerves, including the facial, glossopharyngeal, vagus, accessory, and hypoglossal nerves, also course through the guttural pouches.

Equine Guttural Pouches - Robin Peterson Illustration
Location and anatomy of the guttural pouches (shown here in yellow). | Robin Peterson Illustrations

The guttural pouches, unique to a limited number of mammals, such as the horse, rhinoceros, and the South American forest mouse, are paired diverticulae of the Eustachian tubes that connect the middle ear to the pharynx (which extends from the rear of the mouth and nasal passages to the larynx and esophagus ). Each guttural pouch has a volume of approximately 300 mL to 500 mL. The exact function of the guttural pouches remains elusive, even though scientists discovered them more than 200 years ago. One theory is that the guttural pouches serve as “brain cooling devices.”

“It is important to note that the guttural pouches are not sterile. They contain the same bacterial composition as the pharynx,” explained Fjeldborg

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Written by:

Stacey Oke, MSc, DVM, is a practicing veterinarian and freelance medical writer and editor. She is interested in both large and small animals, as well as complementary and alternative medicine. Since 2005, she’s worked as a research consultant for nutritional supplement companies, assisted physicians and veterinarians in publishing research articles and textbooks, and written for a number of educational magazines and websites.

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