Upper airway disorders stay front and center in equine practice

EquiManagement’s Disease Du Jour podcast has turned its attention to equine upper airway disease, with Dr. Kaycie Hatcher discussing common disorders, how she builds a differential diagnosis list, and the treatment and management decisions that follow. The episode fits into a long-running educational series aimed at equine veterinarians, students, technicians, and industry professionals. In the broader clinical landscape, upper airway disorders remain a major cause of poor performance and abnormal respiratory noise in horses, and they can include both static lesions visible at rest and dynamic problems that show up mainly during exercise. Recurrent laryngeal neuropathy, dorsal displacement of the soft palate, epiglottic disorders, guttural pouch disease, and sinus-related disease all remain part of the core differential set for horses presenting with noise, exercise intolerance, or nasal discharge. (equimanagement.com)

Why it matters: For veterinary professionals, the practical takeaway is diagnostic discipline. A careful history and physical exam still guide the workup, but multiple sources emphasize that many clinically important upper airway problems are exercise-associated, making dynamic endoscopy especially important when resting exam findings are inconclusive. That matters not just for diagnosis, but also for avoiding the wrong intervention: treatment options vary widely by lesion, intended athletic use, severity, and whether the main complaint is noise, performance, welfare, or an emergency condition such as guttural pouch mycosis. (vettimes.com)

What to watch: Expect continued focus on exercise-based diagnostics, case selection for surgery, and the welfare debate around airway interventions in equine athletes. (vettimes.com)