Inflammatory Airway Disease in Horses

Inflammatory Airway Disease (or IAD) is a severe respiratory condition that affects horses of all types, including race, show or work horses. However, horses that spend most of their time in a stable are most prone to contracting IAD. 

Symptoms

Horses with IAD may appear otherwise normal, but have slight loss in performance or energy. Excessive coughing, nasal discharge and large amounts of mucus in the airway are also noticed in horses with IAD.

Causes

The cause of Inflammatory Airway Disease is unknown. There is no single issue that has been known to directly attribute to IAD, however, athletic and work horses, or horses that are exposed to the dust in their stables for an extended period of time, are more prone to contracting IAD. It is also thought that prolonged exposure to certain bacteria and its resulting infection may have something to do with the development of IAD.

Diagnosis

Typically, your veterinarian will perform an endoscopic examination on the horse. If its airways are filled with an overabundance of mucus, they will assess the horse's other clinical symptoms and confirm -- or deny -- the diagnosis of Inflammatory Airway Disease.