Non-invasive ventilatory support for foals

Breathing difficulties and lung disease are common in foals and may be transient immediately after birth, or may be related to prematurity, infectious disease or other conditions. This project continues work on non-invasive support of respiration in neonatal foals using commercially available, positive airway pressure (PAP) devices used for at home care of respiratory conditions in people. This approach promises to increase our ability to support foals with breathing difficulties more effectively than by administration of oxygen alone, but without implementation of invasive ventilation procedures that are technically demanding and usually cost prohibitive in equine patients. The result of the project will be an objective evaluation of respiratory support strategies in research foals and clinical cases, and hence improved care.