Clinical Efficacy of Steamed, Soaked and Oiled Hay in Severe Equine Asthma

Presentation Description / Summary: 

Equine asthma affects approximately 15% of adult horses in its severe form, and many more horses in its less debilitating mild-to-moderate form. Susceptible horses typically develop clinical signs when exposed to inhaled antigens, and these include coughing, poor performance, increased mucus, and, in severe cases, labored breathing.  Limiting exposure to dry hay is central to the treatment of equine asthma.

 Pelleted diets reduce clinical signs and lung inflammation, but are associated with increased fasting periods between meals, and potentially with behavioral problems and gastric ulcers. Treating hay to reduce inhaled antigens while preserving long-stem fibers is appealing to many horses’ owners and veterinarians. Soaking and steaming hay, or mixing hay with oil, have shown their ability to reduce respirable particles, or to reduce clinical signs of horses with asthma.

This session will review ex-vivo and clinical studies evaluating the effects of treating hay to decrease its dust content. New data on the clinical efficacy of steamed, soaked, and oiled hay to improve the lung function of horses with severe asthma in exacerbation will be presented, as well as data on the prevention of exacerbations of horses in clinical remission. Repercussions of a pelleted diet and steamed hay on the behavior and the presence of gastric ulcers will also be discussed.

Management of horses with asthma should take in account other aspect of horse’s welfare, such as behavioral effects of a complete pelleted diet.