Type of Document	Master's Thesis
Author	Blumerich, Celeste Ann
URN	etd-07062012-155716
Title	Comparison of Airway Response in Recurrent Airway Obstruction-Affected Horses Fed Steamed Versus Non-steamed Hay
Degree	Master of Science
Department	Veterinary Medical Sciences
Advisory Committee	Advisor Name Title Buechner-Maxwell, Virginia A. Committee Chair Hodgson, Jennifer L. Committee Member Pereira, Carolina Ricco Committee Member Scarratt, W. Kent Committee Member Wilson, Katherine E. Committee Member
Keywords	Recurrent Airway Obstruction Hay Steaming Fungus Horses
Date of Defense	2012-06-21
Availability	restricted
Abstract Recurrent Airway Obstruction (RAO)-affected horses experience bronchoconstriction and airway inflammation in response to inhalation of irritants including hay molds. Steaming hay reduces fungal content, but the effect on the antigenic potential has not been investigated. We tested the hypothesis that RAO-affected horses develop less severe clinical disease when fed steamed versus non-steamed hay and this reduction coincides with decreased hay fungal content. Six RAO-affected horses in clinical remission were divided in two groups and fed steamed or non-steamed hay for 10 days using a two-way cross-over design. Hay was steamed using a commercial hay-steamer. Clinical assessment was performed daily. Full assessment, including airway endoscopy, tracheal mucous scores and maximal change in pleural pressure, was performed on days 1, 5, and 10. Bronchial fluid sampling and cytology were performed on days 1 and 10. Hay core samples were collected pre- and post-steaming and cultured to determine fungal and bacterial concentrations. Statistical analysis was based on data distribution and quantity and performed using SAS®. P-value <0.05 was significant. Steaming significantly decreased the number of bacterial and fungal colony-forming-units in hay. Horses fed non-steamed hay experienced a significant increase in clinical score and a trend towards airway neutrophilia, while parameters were unchanged in horses fed steamed hay. Only horses fed non-steamed hay experienced a significant increase in tracheal mucous score. Horses fed steamed hay gained significantly more weight compared to horses fed non-steamed hay, even though the amount of hay consumed not greater on a dry matter basis. These results indicate that steaming reduces the RAO-affected horse’s response to hay which coincides with a reduction in viable fungal content of hay.
Files	Filename       Size       Approximate Download Time (Hours:Minutes:Seconds)     28.8 Modem   56K Modem   ISDN (64 Kb)   ISDN (128 Kb)   Higher-speed Access  Blumerich_CA_T_2012.pdf 1.47 Mb 00:06:48 00:03:30 00:03:04 00:01:32 00:00:07 indicates that a file or directory is accessible from the Virginia Tech campus network only.

If you have questions or technical problems, please Contact DLA.