Inflammatory Airway Disease (IAD), also known as Equine Asthma, is a respiratory disease that most often affects young horses in training. IAD is similar to Heaves/Recurrent Airway Obstruction, which tends to occur in older horses, but less severe in nature. But unlike horses with Heaves, those with IAD do not show signs of increased respiratory efforts at rest.
IAD is believed to be caused by inhaled allergens such as dust and air pollution from the horse’s environment. The lower airways react by constricting and reducing airflow, producing mucus, and decreasing clearance of mucus from the respiratory tract.
Horses kept in stalls are more likely to develop IAD since they are exposed to larger amounts of dust and mold spores in the barn. However, pollen may also be a problem for some horses at certain times of the year.
Photo by Luisa Peter on Unsplash
Symptoms of IAD
Horses with IAD don’t appear sick. They are generally bright and alert and continue to have a good appetite. The only symptoms of IAD include a cough without fever, excess mucus, and if the horse is being ridden or exercised, they often have poor performance. Over time, the horse may even become exercise intolerant.
Diagnosing IAD
To examine a horse that is suspected of having IAD, veterinarians typically use an endoscope in the airways after exercise to see if excess mucus is present. Another commonly used diagnostic test is bronchoalveolar lavage, a lung wash that allows the vet to see cells lining the airways deep in the lungs. A third option is collecting mucus and cells from the trachea with what’s known as a tracheal wash.
Differentiating IAD from other respiratory disease is important in order to get the right treatment for your horse.
Treating IAD
Treating IAD should take a three-pronged approach:
First, exposure to respiratory irritants such as hay and dust should be decreased as much as possible. This may involve steaming or soaking hay (and feeding it from ground level) or removing hay completely from the horse’s diet and replacing it with soaked hay cubes or fresh pasture. Avoid round bales altogether.
Changing stall bedding, adding more barn ventilation, or increasing turnout time may be needed as well. Horses with IAD do better on paper or wood shavings as opposed to straw or hay, but 24-hour turnout is often the best solution.
Secondly, the existing inflammation in the horse’s airway needs to be addressed. Veterinarians often prescribe corticosteroids for IAD. These drugs can be given orally, injected, or inhaled.
Thirdly, horses with IAD can benefit from good nutrition and certain supplements such as omega-3 fatty acids, which have been shown to decrease inflammation and improve symptoms of respiratory disease. Organic stone ground flaxseed is a great option.
Breezee Respiratory Support for Horses contains a number of medicinal organic herbs to improve symptoms in horses with respiratory conditions such as IAD as well.
With IAD, the good news is that, with proper care and management changes, most horses with can make a full recovery. As long as environmental changes are maintained, many horses return to their previous level of performance as well.
