Recurrent airway obstruction (RAO), also known as heaves, is an allergic respiratory condition that develops in horses following an exposure to aeroallergens in hay and straw. This is manifested by airway hyperreactivity, inflammation, bronchoconstriction, as well as a leukocyte and platelet...

Background: New terminology on chronic, inflammatory lower airway diseases of horses has been recently introduced. Equine asthma syndrome includes inflammatory airway disease (IAD) and recurrent airway obstruction (RAO, heaves), as these diseases resemble human asthma in many respects. Updates...

Equine asthma is the current terminology that covers chronic non-infectious lower airway disorders in the horse. Mild and moderate equine asthma reflect the syndrome previously referred to as inflammatory airway disease, while severe asthma reflects both recurrent airway obstruction and summer...

Recurrent airway obstruction of horses is a respiratory disease characterized by chronic cough, nasal discharge, recurrent respiratory distress and poor athletic performance. It is similar to asthma in people and has an allergic and inflammatory response. In this short review a case from practice...

The aim of this study was to compare results of four different allergy tests from healthy and RAO-affected horses and to evaluate the clinical relevance of positive tested allergens via specific inhalation provocation test. Nine RAO-affected horses and 6 healthy horses underwent a complete lung...

Background: Fungi contribute to the inflammatory response of lungs in horses with recurrent airway obstruction and in some forms of asthma in humans. The role of fungi in inflammatory airway disease (IAD) has not been assessed. Objectives: Evaluate the prevalence of fungi in the respiratory samples ...

Reasons for performing study: In clinical practice, veterinarians often depend on owner-reported signs to assess the clinical course of horses with recurrent airway obstruction (RAO). Objectives: To test whether owner-reported information on frequency of coughing and observation of nasal discharge...

Objective - To use noninvasive respiratory inductance plethysmography (RIP) to investigate differences in breathing patterns between horses with and without recurrent airway obstruction (RAO) during the onset of airway obstruction induced through confinement to stables. Animals - 12 horses with no...

The aim of this study was to evaluate the activity of antioxidant enzymes in horses diagnosed with recurrent airway obstruction (RAO). The study was conducted on a group of 40 horses, various breeds, divided into two groups, aged 8-15 years, including 15 males and 25 mares. Blood was collected for...

Background: Lower expression of secretoglobin and transferrin has been found in the bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) of a small number of horses with experimentally induced signs of recurrent airway obstruction (RAO) compared to healthy controls. Hypothesis/Objectives: Secretoglobin and...