Oral Steroids Beneficial for Horses with Airway Disease

For the first time, researchers have demonstrated that the corticosteroid prednisolone improves the lung function of horses with recurrent airway obstruction, even in the presence of continuous exposure to antigens. The same study also revealed that a low dose of a similar drug, dexamethasone, reversed airway obstruction despite continues antigen exposure.

“Recurrent airway o

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For the first time, researchers have demonstrated that the corticosteroid prednisolone improves the lung function of horses with recurrent airway obstruction, even in the presence of continuous exposure to antigens. The same study also revealed that a low dose of a similar drug, dexamethasone, reversed airway obstruction despite continues antigen exposure.

"Recurrent airway obstruction (RAO, heaves) is a chronic inflammatory respiratory disease of mature horses," wrote the research team from the Universite de Montreal headed by Mathilde Leclere, DVM. "Susceptible horses develop bronchoconstriction, airway inflammation, and mucus accumulation leading to airway obstruction and abnormal pulmonary function in response to environmental antigens (inhaled organic particles, such as moulds, spores, mites, endotoxins)."

Previous studies have found that corticosteroid drugs are effective in improving lung function when administered intravenously or via inhalation, but typically only if concurrent improvements in the tested horses' environments were made. The researchers sought to compare the efficacy of oral prednisolone and dexamethasone in reducing airway obstruction in horses with RAO.

Seven mature horses with RAO were moved from pasture to individual stalls inside barns, fed hay, bedded on straw, and exercised outside for only two hours per day. Using a randomized, crossover study design, the horses received 2 mg/kg prednisolone or 0.05 mg/kg body weight orally once daily for seven days

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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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