The cause of EIPH or "bleeding" is stress. Although a horse may be treated with the best of care by his trainer, he could still bleed internally in his lungs. Nearly all horses bleed to some degree, just as do human atheletes who compete in high-stress sports. However, most of the time the bleeding is inconsequential and no external bleeding is found. In fact, it is considered by some to be a natural, circumstantial response to all racing efforts. It is traumatic in nature, self-limited and heals spontaneously without the need for treatment. Time is its ally.
EIPH is a disease with a long history, and one that has been common throughout the racing industries, both harness and thoroughbred. With the introduction of the fiber optic endoscope in the early 1970s, veterinarians were, for the first time, allowed the safe and effective visual image of the upper respiratory tract of horses. With this scope, veterinarians are able to determine that blood observed in the trachea had actually originated from the lungs.
Until that time, the condition was thought to be a nosebleed and to have originated in the head. The use of lasix was first and still is widely used on humans. Lasix, which is a diuretic, has been shown to reduce hemorrhage on horses under high stress and racing conditions.
Racing jurisdictions that allow the controlled use of lasix, limit the amount of furosemide and its administration to approximately four hours prior to race time to avoid any diluting effect which may complicate post-race drug testing of the urine. Thus, lasix will not interfere with the drug-testing procedure when used in a prescribed manner.
Lasix does, however, cause a horse to lose delicate body fluids such as electrolytes. That is why a trainer who conditions "lasix" horses will often have their veterinarian administer electrolyte "jugs" to their horses, to replace the vital fluids that the horse has lost through racing and through lasix.
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