Gutteral Pouch Horse

The guttural pouches are structures that are unique to few species of animals.

Gutteral pouch horse.

Guttural pouch infection description. The guttural pouch is a unique structure found in horses and only a few other species. With each breath or swallow a horse takes bacteria fungi or other infectious agents have ready access to the. It is an extension of the eustachian tube which is an air filled canal that connects the throat to the middle ear.

Guttural pouch empyema is defined as the. The fungus has an affinity for growing on the surface of the guttural pouch overlying the nerves and arteries. Guttural pouch disease in horses empyema. Guttural pouch tympany in horses guttural pouch tympany occurs when the guttural pouch becomes abnormally filled with air causing nonpainful swelling just behind the jaw.

Guttural pouch mycosis is a fungal infection that affects horses. What is the guttural pouch. Guttural pouch mycosis gpm is a potentially life threatening disease that may initially present as a simple nosebleed epistaxis or even poor performance in an equine athlete. These structures are large air filled sacs positioned on either side of the neck below the ear of the horse.

There are two guttural pouches one on each side that are located just below the ear in the throatlatch region figure 1. They are lined with a thin membrane which separates them from nerves and and arteries. Infection of the guttural pouch can be serious even life threatening. Because of the nature of its workings a horse s guttural pouch may become a haven for bacteria fungi or.

The condition occurs in young horses from birth to 1 year of age and is more common in fillies than in colts. They are lined with a thin membrane which separates them from nerves and the jugular artery. The guttural pouches are unique to a small number of animal species including the horse. Fortunately this type of equine infection is rare but all horse owners should know the symptoms.

Guttural pouch mycosis is a fungal infection in the guttural pouch caused by a common fungi that most all horses carry. They are sacs of air that expand from the eustachian tube with one on each side of the horse s head. One of the main functions of the guttural pouch is temperature regulation.