Pharyngeal Collapse

[olim2005]

I brought my horse in for an ulcer scope and found he has pharyngeal collapse. It’s hard to find information online for this diagnosis. I wasn’t really expecting the diagnosis so I was completely blindsided and didn’t really have any good questions for my vet. She did a selenium test and will call back with results so I hope to learn more and ask helpful questions when I get to talk to her again. I guess selenium deficiency can cause it.

Anyone want to share their experience with pharyngeal collapse? Treatment, lifestyle changes, workload changes?

[IPEsq]

A friend’s horse has this. He is a dressage horse. Through dynamic scope, some of his triggers were identified. Working with a more open throat latch helps him, as does controlling his allergies and asthma (he has both that are pretty significant, mostly environmental triggers like pollens), as general airway inflammation makes the condition worse.

[olim2005]

Thanks. We goes as a hunter now and might cross into western dressage since he is much older so hopefully that will help his breathing then. Do you remember the horses signs?

[RhythmNCruise]

I’ve never had my horse scoped, but he definitely has something akin to this going on. He doesn’t sound like a “roarer” exactly, but he’s rather…Darth Vader-ish…especially when he canters, especially when it’s hot/humid out. He seems to need a break now and then to stretch his head down, and he has to kind of warm up into being able to blow his nose and clear his airways. His first few tries are often half-hearted and weak, and then once he gets warmed up more, it’s like he can finally properly clear his nose. It’s weird and hard to explain if you haven’t experienced it. He’s been like this for long enough now that I’m just very aware and careful with him. He wasn’t like this as a young horse (I’ve had him for 15 of his 16 years). It seemed to come on after a particularly hot summer and hard workout that he just never quite “recovered” from. For the most part he’s fine though. I’ve thought about wetting his hay, but he rarely coughs or anything like that. It’s just the “Darth Vadering” at trot and canter. I always say I’ll get him scoped one day, but honestly, he’s basically a trail horse and I’m not going to do surgery or anything like that so long as he continues to be able to live happily day to day.

[IPEsq]

It was hard to get him fit. Lots of rooting and head tossing (went down an headshaking syndrome rabbit hole for a while) and being fussy in the contact, despite not being a baby and having had some training (schooling 4th level). Canter was the hardest. Lots of sneezing. But of course he also had lower airway inflammation going on. Dynamic scope showed that when he would make those little pre-sneeze type grunts was when the laryngeal cartilages were collapsing. Started wrapping his throat latch with a piece of pool noodle for schooling to keep him in better posture while figuring out / addressing the inflammatory issues.

He did not have any extra noise. It’s not anything flapping like with a roarer, just total closure of the airway when it’s not supposed to happen.

[olim2005]

I had a chance to talk to my vet. I thought his teeth grinding was due to ulcers but she said it can be the airway collapse. I also starting noticing he is a noisy breather, sneezing, and coughing. I think he has this for a while but I gave him 5 years off due to pregnancy and it’s so obvious now. He is also more bothered when it’s windy.