title: Omega-3 fatty acid supplementation provides an additional benefit to a low-dust diet in the management of horses with chronic lower airway inflammatory disease.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) may benefit humans and animals with chronic inflammatory diseases.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  Omega-3 PUFA supplementation improves clinical signs, lung function, and airway inflammation in horses with recurrent airway obstruction (RAO) and inflammatory airway disease (IAD).
  
  
  METHODS
  Eight research horses and 35 client-owned horses.
  
  
  METHODS
  A pilot study examined the dose of PUFA that can alter plasma PUFA composition. Then, a randomized, controlled clinical trial was performed in horses with RAO and IAD. Horses were fed a complete pelleted diet with no hay and randomly assigned to 1 of 3 daily treatments for 2 months: 30 or 60 g of the supplement or 30 g of placebo. Clinical signs, lung function, plasma PUFA composition, and bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) cytology were evaluated. Data were expressed as median (25-75th percentiles). P < .05 was considered significant.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Polyunsaturated fatty acid supplementation resulted in increased plasma docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) that peaked at 4 weeks. Clinical improvement was noted in all horses involved in the clinical trial, but the group that received PUFA had greater improvement in clinical signs (cough score improved 60%), lung function (respiratory effort decreased 48%), and BALF (neutrophils decreased from 23 to 9%) when compared to placebo (cough score improved 33%, respiratory effort decreased 27%, BALF neutrophils increased from 11 to 17%; P < .05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Feeding horses with RAO and IAD a PUFA supplement containing 1.5-3 g DHA for 2 months provides an additional benefit to low-dust diet.
authors.affiliation: Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN.
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Nogradi
authors.forename: L L
authors.initials: LL
authors.lastname: Couetil
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Messick
authors.forename: M A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Stochelski
authors.forename: J R
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Burgess
mesh_terms: D000821:Animal Feed / Q000032:analysis*; D000824:Animal Nutritional Physiological Phenomena; D000818:Animals; D001992:Bronchoalveolar Lavage Fluid / Q000166:cytology; D002908:Chronic Disease; D019587:Dietary Supplements; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004391:Dust; D015525:Fatty Acids, Omega-3 / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology*; D005260:Female; D006734:Horse Diseases / Q000188:drug therapy*; D006736:Horses; D007249:Inflammation / Q000662:veterinary*; D008173:Lung Diseases, Obstructive / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000662:veterinary*; D008297:Male; D010865:Pilot Projects
chemical_list: D004391:Dust; D015525:Fatty Acids, Omega-3
keywords: Cough; Inflammatory airway disease; Poor performance; Recurrent airway obstruction