Respiratory Changes in Horses during Automobile Transportation.

Abstract

Transportation is generally recognized as a factor that raises the incidence of respiratory disorders in horses. However, their relationship to changes in respiratory function of horses during transportation have yet to be clarified in many respects. Furthermore, there is as yet no report concerning changes in arterial blood gas partial pressure and other parameters that reflect pulmonary ventilatory state in transported horses. In view of this, we conducted this study to clarify the relationship of transport with ventilatory function by investigating changes in respiratory pattern. Respiratory rate increased markedly as transport started (19.0±1.2/min.→42.4±8.2/min.), remained increased during the course of transport, and diminished close to a pre-transport level while at a stop. Arterial blood gases were not affected by respiratory rate, and did not reveal any significant change except a mild hyperventilatory state seen in febrile horses during transport.