Guttural Pouch Anatomy Horse
The large openings in the horse relate to the unusual auditory tube which is dilated to form the guttural pouches.
Guttural pouch anatomy horse. The guttural pouch or diverticulum of the auditory tube is unique to the horse and other perissodactyla. The thin lining of the guttural pouches may appear to form a septum between the bilateral pouches depending on how the band saw cut is made. Signs include intermittent nasal discharge that contains pus painful swelling and in severe cases stiff head carriage and noisy breathing. The condition usually develops after a bacterial infection of the upper respiratory tract.
Guttural pouch empyema in horses. Clinically relevant anatomy and basic treatment options for trauma. Guttural pouches are large auditory tube diverticula that contain between 300 and 600 ml of air. Each pouch has a volume of 300 500 ml and communicates with the nasopharynx through the pharyngeal opening of the auditory tube.
Guttural pouch empyema is a condition in which pus and bacteria containing secretions accumulate in the guttural pouch. They are present in odd toed mammals some bats hyraxes and the american forest mouse. The guttural pouches unique to a limited number of mammals such as the horse rhinoceros and the south american forest mouse are paired diverticulae of the eustachian tubes that connect the. Horses are unique in that they have a diverticulum off of the eustachian tube called the guttural pouch.
Palm beach equine clinic wellington florida usa. In some cases the condition is acquired due to inflammation of the upper respiratory tract. The condition guttural pouch tympa. Due to the general inaccessibility of the pouches in horses they can be an area of infection by fungi and bacteria and these infections can be extremely severe and hard to treat.
They are paired bilaterally just below the ears behind the skull and connect to the nasopharynx. A genetic basis of disease has been identified in arabian and german warmblood breeds.