With the help of endoscopy (endoscopy), body cavities and hollow organs can be examined, diseases recognised and, if necessary, treated immediately. In veterinary medicine, endoscopy is mainly used to diagnose the upper (laryngoscopy and air sac endoscopy) and lower (bronchoscopy) respiratory tract. However, the inside of the stomach can also be visualised with the aid of a 3-metre-long endoscope (gastroscopy). Other organs that can be examined using endoscopy are the uterus and the urinary bladder (e.g. in the case of bloody urine).

We use flexible video endoscopes in the practice, which enable images to be saved and longer video recordings to be made. A rigid video endoscope is used in the area of Dentistry for use. Various instruments can be inserted into the organs via a working channel on the endoscope. Biopsy forceps can be used to remove tissue samples. High-frequency surgery enables small surgical procedures such as the incision or removal of cysts or tumours under endoscopic control. Drugs can also be administered with pinpoint accuracy.

Laryngoscopy
Laryngoscopy is the endoscopic examination of the larynx. The endoscope is advanced into the pharynx via the lower nasal passage. The most common indication for this examination is an inspiratory or expiratory breath sound during exertion, e.g. in the case of Laryngeal pipes or soft palate displacement. On request, an endoscopy of the larynx is also possible while the horse is being ridden or on the lunge.

Air sac endoscopy
A special feature of horses is the air sac, which is a protrusion of the eustachian tube below the base of the skull. As the air sac is in open communication with the nasopharynx via the eustachian tube, infectious agents can penetrate the air sac. Indications for an endoscopy of the air sacs include swelling in the posterior ganache area and unilateral bloody or purulent nasal discharge.

Bronchoscopy
Every incoming Lung examination should include a bronchoscopy. The endoscope is advanced into the throat via the lower nasal passage. The trachea is accessed via the opening in the larynx and can be followed until it branches off into the main bronchi. If secretions (tracheobronchial secretions) are present, they can be removed directly via a sampling tube in the working channel of the endoscope and then examined. If only a small amount of secretion is present, a secretion sample can also be obtained via bronchoalveolar lavage (= lavage sample). A small amount of fluid is introduced into the lungs and then aspirated out again.

Gastroscopy (gastroscopy)
Gastroscopy makes it possible to view the inside of the oesophagus (gullet) and stomach (stomach). Before the examination, the horse should not have eaten any food for at least 15 hours and should not have drunk any water for about four hours. After this time, the stomach should have emptied physiologically and the entire mucous membrane of the stomach should be visible. The endoscope is advanced through the nasal passage of the sedated horse into the pharynx. The stomach and the initial area of the small intestine (duodenum) can then be reached via the oesophagus. Clinical symptoms of gastric ulcers can include reluctance to eat, poor nutritional status, unridden behaviour and reduced performance.