Original article
Observations on heaves. An asthma-like syndrome in the horse

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Abstract

Observations in six horses with heaves established a clear relationship between attacks of heaves and the feeding of hay. Severe acute attacks were accompanied by striking changes in the eosinophil count and the sedimentation rate. The variation in the severity of heaves in relation to the feeding and withholding of hay is accounted for by assuming that attacks result from a transient obstructive lesion in the bronchial tree or lung caused by hypersensitivity to some component of hay.

The observations strongly suggest that heaves is a respiratory allergic disease in the horse. The relation of heaves to pulmonary emphysema in the horse is discussed.

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This study was supported by the Foundation for the Study of Heaves in Horses, Wirth-more Feeds and United States Public Health Service. Grant AI-02638.

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