PNEUMONIA OR PLEUROPNEUMONIA

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Causative Agent(s)

This is usually from opportunistic bacterial organisms associated with stress. Numerous bacterial organisms are involved, notably Streptococcus zooepidemicus alone or with some aerobic and anaerobic bacterial organisms such as Bacteroides spp., Clostridium spp., Peptostreptococcus spp., and Fusobacterium spp.

 

Clinical Presentation and Epidemiology

Pneumonia is the infection of the lungs whereas in pleuropneumonia, both the lungs and pleural spaces are affected which is usually secondary to bacterial pneumonia or penetrating thoracic wound. Typical clinical signs are severe malaise, fever, anorexia, nasal discharges, and pain from the thorax (expressed by abduction of the elbow). This condition is relatively uncommon in adult horses but common in foals.

Diagnostic Considerations

As in secondary bacteria pneumonia.

 

Management and Treatment

Pleuropneumonia in horse is life-threatening; hence it requires urgent and intensive therapeutic interventions and care. Antibacterial therapy must be initiated empirically while awaiting results from bacteriologic culture and susceptibility test. The recommended tentative antibacterial drug is benzyl penicillin when it is pneumonia. In the case of pleuropneumonia, a fixed dose formulation of penicillin and streptomycin is required. Also, metronidazole is in addition recommended when Bacteroides fragilis (an anaerobe) is suspected. But metronidazole in horses is associated with the risk of colitis if administration is prolonged beyond 5 days.

Amoxicillin: 15mg/kg, q12h x 5 days, IM

Procaine penicillin/Dihydrostreptomycin: 10mg/8mg/kg, q24h x 3-4 days, IM. Metronidazole: 7mg/kg, q24h x 5 days, slow IV infusion.