RESPIRATORY COMORBIDITIES IN AN EQUINE ATHLETE: CASE REPORT

Abstract

There was clinical care for a Thoroughbred English foal, in training for horse-speed sports, who presented mucopurulent exudate, fever, anorexia and exercise intolerance, characterizing acute respiratory infection.  This complex clinical condition exemplifies the overlapping of frequent symptoms in equine respiratory diseases, aggravating the general health status and poor sports performance. The animal was submitted to clinical examination and collection of material for blood count and antibiogram. Staphylococcus sp. in tracheal secretions, with sensitivity to azithromycin, ciprofloxacin, doxycycline, enrofloxacin, and gentamicin, while amoxicillin, ampicillin, and penicillin demonstrated resistance. The therapeutic approach adopted included antibiotic therapy, anti-inflammatories, and inhaled therapy, with promising results, emphasizing the importance of accurate diagnoses and appropriate environmental management.