Gutteral Pouch Horse

Because of the nature of its workings a horse s guttural pouch may become a haven for bacteria fungi or.

Gutteral pouch horse.

Infection of the guttural pouch can be serious even life threatening. The guttural pouches are unique to a small number of animal species including the horse. One of the main functions of the guttural pouch is temperature regulation. They are positioned beneath the ear and each guttural pouch cavity in an adult horse can hold as much as a coffee mug.

The guttural pouches are structures that are unique to few species of animals. It is an extension of the eustachian tube which is an air filled canal that connects the throat to the middle ear. 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. They are sacs of air that expand from the eustachian tube with one on each side of the horse s head.

There are two guttural pouches one on each side that are located just below the ear in the throatlatch region figure 1. The fungus has an affinity for growing on the surface of the guttural pouch overlying the nerves and arteries. Guttural pouch mycosis is a fungal infection in the guttural pouch caused by a common fungi that most all horses carry. They are lined with a thin membrane which separates them from nerves and the jugular artery.

Guttural pouch empyema is defined as the. These structures are large air filled sacs positioned on either side of the neck below the ear of the horse. The condition occurs in young horses from birth to 1 year of age and is more common in fillies than in colts. Guttural pouch disease in horses empyema.

What is the guttural pouch. With each breath or swallow a horse takes bacteria fungi or other infectious agents have ready access to the. Guttural pouches are unique to few species of animals including the horse. Guttural pouch mycosis is a fungal infection that affects horses.

Fortunately this type of equine infection is rare but all horse owners should know the symptoms. These structures are large air filled sacs positioned on either side of the neck below the ear of the horse. 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.