Assessment of dynamic upper respiratory tract function in the equine athlete

Abstract

SummaryDynamic upper respiratory tract (URT) obstructions occur commonly in the equine athlete. During the past 25 years, veterinary diagnostic capabilities have improved greatly with the ability to perform endoscopy during exercise and thus to visualise upper airway function during various types of exercise. After correctly reproducing and diagnosing an URT obstruction, the veterinary surgeon must consider the functional significance of the endoscopic findings for that individual athlete. This is the third paper in this series and focuses on the diagnosis of URT obstructions, their relationship to the exercise test and their functional significance.