Patent Ductus Arteriosus (PDA)

This disease is life-threatening and should be treated by a veterinarian swiftly.

Patent Ductus Arteriosus (PDA) is a congenital heart defect that affects horses, where the ductus arteriosus (a blood vessel that connects the aorta and the pulmonary artery) fails to close after birth. This results in a continuous flow of blood from the aorta to the pulmonary artery, bypassing the lungs and reducing the amount of oxygenated blood that reaches the body.

Symptoms

Common in

Treatment

Treatment for PDA typically involves surgical ligation of the ductus arteriosus, which can be done either by thoracotomy or thoracoscopy, which aims to close the ductus arteriosus, restore normal blood flow and oxygenation to the body. Medical management may also be considered in some cases.

Prevention

Prevention of Patent Ductus Arteriosus (PDA) in horses is not possible as it is a congenital defect, which means it is present at birth and caused by a combination of genetic and environmental factors. However, there are certain steps that breeders, owners and veterinarians can take to reduce the incidence of PDA:

Genetic screening: Some studies have suggested that certain genetic mutations may play a role in the development of PDA, and therefore, genetic screening can help identify horses that are at risk of passing on the condition to their offspring.

Avoid using affected animals in breeding programs: Breeders can avoid using horses with a history of PDA in their breeding programs to reduce the incidence of the condition in future generations.