Respiratory Referrals
From the inception of Rossdale and Partners' clinical referral services, we have always encouraged referral of horses and ponies with respiratory tract problems. Over the years, these cases have formed a significant proportion of our soft tissue surgical caseload. Thus considerable experience and expertise has been developed in dealing with both medical and surgical cases.
Our Hospital has a particular interest in the treatment of upper respiratory lesions with a Nd:YAG laser. This has allowed surgical ablation of inaccessible lesions by a non-invasive method. In addition laryngoplasty, carotid ligation and surgery of the paranasal sinuses are routinely undertaken.
If there is a doubt about the cause of a horse’s respiratory noise at exercise, we currently examine horses at fast exercise on a local treadmill and are currently trialling equipment for remote endoscopic examinations during ridden exercise (see News, 20th February 2009).
The hospital’s 2.2 metre videoendoscope allows the inspection of the more distal aspects of the bronchial tree, as well as facilitating the collection of tracheal or bronchial samples, for analysis by our comprehensive laboratory service at Beaufort Cottage Laboratories.
