When treating any animal, horses included, diagnostic testing and imaging are truly invaluable veterinary tools. Without proper diagnostics, it can be nearly impossible to accurately diagnose a horse’s underlying conditions based on its symptoms and physical examination alone. If your horse is ill, our equine veterinarians might recommend an equine endoscopy.
What Is Equine Endoscopy?
Equine endoscopy is a highly valuable diagnostic tool that we use for examining horses. An endoscope has a small camera attached to the end of a hollow, flexible tube. During an endoscopy or gastroscopy, the endoscope’s tube and camera are fed through your horse’s airways or digestive system.
This diagnostic imaging tool allows our veterinarians to actually get a look inside your horse’s airways or digestive tract and stomach to detect and diagnose specific medical conditions and diseases.
With an accurate diagnosis, we can administer the most appropriate treatments to your horse for fast relief and resolution of the problem.
Why We Recommend Endoscopy for Horses
Many horse owners wonder why endoscopy is necessary to diagnose their horse’s health concern or why we simply can’t try out medication and see if it helps the horse improve – without first performing an endoscopy.
Several medical problems that affect horses can have similar symptoms, and providing the wrong treatment to an ill horse could actually worsen its condition. The safest and most effective way to treat a horse’s health problem is by first achieving an accurate diagnosis with a thorough examination and any necessary diagnostic testing.
We might recommend an upper and/or lower airway endoscopy for your horse if it has any of the following symptoms:
- Chronic cough
- Nose bleeds
- Nasal discharge
- Breathing or respiratory concerns
- Wheezing or other noises
We might recommend a gastroscopy for your horse if your horse is exhibiting any signs or symptoms of potential gastric ulcers, which are an incredibly common occurrence in all horses, but especially in performance horses that might be under work-related stress.
Equine Endoscopy at Jackpot Veterinary Center in Tucson
At Jackpot Veterinary Center in Tucson, we’re fully equipped to provide both upper and lower airway endoscopy, as well as gastroscopy services.
Both of these imaging procedures can be extremely helpful in identifying problems that can otherwise be difficult to detect and diagnose. Endoscopy takes the guesswork out of treating ill horses, enabling our veterinarians to identify the underlying cause of a horse’s symptoms or lameness to provide safe and effective treatment.
To learn more about equine endoscopy or to schedule an appointment for your horse, we welcome you to contact our office today.
