Respiratory fluids in the sporting horse: sampling storage and forwarding
Les liquides respiratoires chez le cheval athlète: prélèvement, conservation et acheminement.
Résumé
Lower airway disease is often present subclinically in athletic horses. Clinical history, examination and airway endoscopy are not always sensitive enough to detect subclinical disease. Analysis of respiratory tract secretions is invaluable to establish a diagnosis of lower respiratory tract disease, to identify the type of inflammation and for the presence of haemorrhage, to formulate a prognosis, and to institute the appropriate treatment. The combination of clinical elements together with successful collection and interpretation of respiratory samples are key elements to establish a precise diagnosis of respiratory disease in the athletic horse.