Epistaxis - nosebleeds -is an important problem in racehorses. The bleeding
occurs most commonly during the extreme conditions of a race. A
blood vessel bursts inside the breathing apparatus in the head and
blood flows down into the windpipes causing the affected horse to
pull up and be unable to continue to gallop effectively.
No one knows exactly what causes nosebleeds - epistaxis -
and effective
treatment is difficult. Vets commonly use drugs that enhance the
elimination of water from the body (diuretics) which help prevent
the problem but do not treat the cause of the problem which is
related to a weakness in the lining of blood vessels inside the
head
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