Guttural Pouch Anatomy Horse

Horses are unique in that they have a diverticulum off of the eustachian tube called the guttural pouch.

Guttural pouch anatomy horse.

A genetic basis of disease has been identified in arabian and german warmblood breeds. 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. 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. Guttural pouch tympany guttural pouch tympany is seen in horses ranging from birth to 1 yr of age and is more common in fillies than in colts.

The large openings in the horse relate to the unusual auditory tube which is dilated to form the guttural pouches. Guttural pouch empyema in horses. Guttural pouches are large auditory tube diverticula that contain between 300 and 600 ml of air. Guttural pouch empyema is a condition in which pus and bacteria containing secretions accumulate in the guttural pouch.

The equine guttural pouch. They are paired bilaterally just below the ears behind the skull and connect to the nasopharynx. Each pouch has a volume of 300 500 ml and communicates with the nasopharynx through the pharyngeal opening of the auditory tube. The condition usually develops after a bacterial infection of the upper respiratory tract.

Signs include intermittent nasal discharge that contains pus painful swelling and in severe cases stiff head carriage and noisy breathing. 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. They are present in odd toed mammals some bats hyraxes and the american forest mouse. It is an air filled structure about the size of a baseball just below the horse s ear.

The condition guttural pouch tympa. Clinically relevant anatomy and basic treatment options for trauma.