Kvet Forum
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Respiration may be accompanied by audible noises that indicate certain normal or abnormal occurrences in the respiratory tract such as: sneezing, snorting, stridor, stertor or snoring, wheezing, roaring, expiratory grunting, snuffling, bubbling and rattling sounds.
Sneezing is a sudden, involuntary, noisy expiration through the nasal cavities caused reflexively by irritation of the nasal mucosae. Sneezing occurs in rhinitis and obstruction of the nasal cavities and digital manipulation and examination of the nasal mucosae.
Snorting is a forceful expiration of air through the nostrils as in a sneeze, but a snort is a voluntary act used by horses and cattle as a device to intimidate potential predators.
Stridor is an inspiratory stenotic sound originating from a reduction in the caliber of the larynx, as occurs in laryngeal edema and abscess.
Stertor or Snoring is a deep guttural sound on inspiration originating from vibrations of pharyngeal mucosa. Snoring is often intermittent, depending on the animal’s posture. For example, a fat young bull will often snore when he is dozing half asleep, with his head hung down, but the snore will disappear when he is alert and his head is held up in a more normal position. Stertor can occur during expiration in horses with dorsal displacement of the soft palate.
Wheezing is a high-pitched sound made by air flowing through a narrow lumen, such as a stenotic or inflamed nasal cavity.
Roaring may occur during exercise and is caused by air passing through a larynx with a reduced lumen (e.g. laryngeal hemiplegia in horses).
Expiratory grunting is a clearly audible grunting noise synchronous with expiration. It is most common in cattle with diffuse pulmonary disease. A painful grunt may occur in painful diseases of the thorax such as fibrinous pleuritis and is unassociated with inspiration or expiration.
Snuffling, Bubbling or Rattling sounds may be audible over the trachea or base of the lungs when there is an accumulation of secretion, or exudate, in the nasal cavities, larynx, or trachea. These are most clearly audible on inspiration.