Endoscopy

There are numerous diagnostic tools used at our practice to investigate the problems that afflict horses. One such instrument is the endoscope. This piece of equipment uses fiberoptics to give us a picture of structures within areas of a horse’s body. The endoscope can be used to look in areas such as a horse’s nasal passages, pharynx, larynx, trachea, esophagus, stomach, and urethra. This instrument consists of a long, one to three meter flexible tubular structure containing the fiberoptics. One end of the scope is bendable, being controlled by turning two dials at the other end of the scope where the image is also portrayed into an eye piece. The endoscope is passed into the nasal passage of a usually awake horse while someone controlling the machine maneuvers it to specific areas while looking into the eye piece. We can investigate the source of drainage from the nostrils, for example the gutteral pouches, problems with the larynx (roarers), or even the integrity of the esophagus after a horse has choked. Another problem evaluated by an endoscope includes visualizing the urethra, usually in a stallion or gelding, with a history of blood in the semen or urine respectively. As you can see, endoscopes can be very beneficial. Our staff has become well trained in using this diagnostic tool, and we have found it to be an effective and affordable tool for diagnosing cases.