Would you like to participate in a research study about heaves? Andrea Wasko (Graduate student) and Dr. Renaud Léguillette from the new Faculty of Veterinary Medicine of the University of Calgary (UCVM) are conducting exciting research in Alberta on Recurrent Airway Obstruction (also known as heaves). Alberta has
the largest number of horses of any province in Canada. Respiratory disease represents the second most common reason owners seek veterinary consultation. Although heaves is probably the most common chronic respiratory disease in adult horses, its prevalence, risk factors and costs for the owners have never been studied in North America. Heaves is an inflammatory respiratory disease that resembles human asthma. Clinical signs range from exercise intolerance to respiratory distress with coughing, nasal discharge, increased respiratory efforts, and weight loss. The diagnosis of heaves is based on clinical signs
and increased inflammatory cells percentage in the bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) fluid. There is no specific cure for heaves and the available treatments have side effects and may not be effective; therefore prevention of the disease is very important. However, to prevent this disease, we first need to identify the risk factors for horses to develop heaves.

How can you help?
The first step is to participate in our online questionnaire available at: www.ucalgary.ca/heaves

Furthermore, we are in need of healthy horses and horses with respiratory issues to perform a brochchoalveolar lavage (BAL) on; we do the test at no charge. A BAL involves sedating the horse and going into their nose, down their throat, and into their lungs with a camera endoscope. We then flush a small amount of saline in and out of the lungs. This fluid contains cells from deep within the horse’s airway and is then analyzed under a microscope to diagnose heaves. This procedure is well tolerated in horses and is
performed by a veterinarian who is a board certified internal medicine specialist and an animal health technologist. The results will be sent to your veterinarian with your approval. The BAL is very interesting to watch and you can also request a DVD of your own horses’ BAL.

If you are interested in having a BAL performed on your horse, you can indicate so in the online questionnaire, or contact us directly.

The information from this research project will be readily available to horse owners in Alberta, and will help owners to better prevent heaves in their horses.

If you have any questions contact Andrea Wasko or Dr. Renaud Léguillette:
heaves@ucalgary.ca or (403) 519-3712

More information:
http://www.albertaequestrian.com/forums/2008/Heaves%20UofC.pdf

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