EQ KEYWORDS

bronchitis— inflammation of the bronchi (bronchial tubes).

bronchodilator— agent that causes the air passages of the lungs to widen.

capillaries— smallest of the blood vessels; connect arteries to veins.

endotoxemia— presence of specific bacterial poisons (endotoxins) in the blood; usually caused by severe colic and resulting in shock and/or laminitis.

enterolith (intestinal stone)—abnormal concretion that forms in the intestine; usually comprised of mineral salts, enteroliths resemble rounded stones.

equine herpesvirus (EHV)— a family of viruses that primarily cause chronic respir-atory infections in horses (EHV-1, EHV-4). EHV-1 can also cause abortions in mares and, in rare cases, both EHV-1 and -4 can cause neurological signs, including progressive weakness and incoordination. EHV-3 causes a venereal disease called equine coital exanthema.

guttural pouches— two sacs connected to the eustachian tube between the horse’s ear and throat, opening into the throat; assist in cooling the brain during strenuous exercise.

insulin resistance— metabolic disorder, similar to type 2 diabetes, that occurs when certain cells in the body become less sensitive to the action of insulin, and normal amounts of the hormone can no longer keep adequate amounts of glucose moving into the cells for use as fuel.

laminitis— inflammation of the sensitive plates of soft tissue (laminae) within the horse’s foot caused by physical or physiologic injury. Severe cases of laminitis may result in founder, an internal deformity of the foot. Acute laminitis sets in rapidly and usually responds to appropriate, intensive treatment, while chronic laminitis is a persistent, long-term condition that may be unresponsive to treatment.

lymph nodes— cellular filters along the lymph vessels that collect fluids from between the cells and return them to circulation.

lymphangitis (milk leg, Monday morning leg)—inflammation of lymph vessels and nodes, characterized by hot, painful swellings in and beneath the skin, usually on the legs.

pituitary pars intermedia dysfunction (PPID, Cushing’s disease)—disease caused when the cortex of the adrenal gland produces excessive amounts of hormones, including cortisol; signs include long hair, thin skin, fragile bones, stupor, weakness and sweating.

Potomac horse fever (monocytic ehrlichiosis)—disease caused by a rickettsial organism,

Neorickettsia risticii. Named after the Potomac River Valley where it was first recognized in 1979, the disease is characterized by fever, diarrhea and laminitis.

steroid— artificially produced drug similar to the natural hormone that controls inflammation and regulates water balance.

stocking up (stagnation edema)—thickening of the lower leg due to collection of fluid in and under the skin.

strangles (distemper)—highly contagious infection of the lymph nodes, usually of the head, caused by Streptococcus equi bacteria. The abscesses may become so large as to obstruct the airway (hence the term “strangles”) and may break internally, draining a thick, yellow pus through the nose, or externally, draining through a spontaneous or surgical opening in the skin.