CVS Equine launches new quality improvement project to advance equine asthma care
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CVS Equine has launched a new Equine Asthma Quality Improvement Project aimed at enhancing the diagnosis, treatment and long-term management of equine asthma across its practices.

Equine asthma is a common and often chronic respiratory condition, yet variability in diagnosis, record-keeping and treatment approaches can make it challenging to evaluate and improve outcomes at scale.

As a first step, CVS Equine is asking veterinary surgeons, nurses and client care teams to consistently record equine asthma as a formal diagnosis within their clinical management system. This simple intervention will allow accurate identification of cases and support detailed review of real-world treatment approaches across the division.

The project will then move into a structured review of current prescribing and management strategies, alongside environmental and owner-led management factors. Findings will directly inform the development of updated, evidence-based clinical guidelines for equine asthma, led by CVS Equine specialists.

Charlotte Sinclair, CVS Equine Veterinary Medical Director, said:

Equine asthma is a condition we see every day in practice, yet historically it hasn’t been easy to objectively assess how we are diagnosing and managing it across a large and diverse clinical population. By taking a quality improvement approach, starting with something as simple as consistent diagnosis recording, we can build a clearer, accurate picture of current practice and use that data to drive meaningful improvements in care.

The initiative also aims to strengthen the role of veterinary nurses in the ongoing management of horses with asthma, recognising the importance of long-term monitoring, owner education and environmental management alongside medical treatment.

In addition, the project will consider emerging evidence around treatment efficacy and sustainability, including growing discussion within both veterinary and human medicine regarding inhaled therapies and their environmental impact.

Once sufficient data has been gathered and reviewed, CVS Equine will introduce updated equine asthma guidelines across the division, with plans for continued audit and evaluation to ensure changes translate into improved patient outcomes.

Charlotte added:

This is about using our collective clinical experience, supported by real data, to do better for our patients. Equine asthma is rarely ‘fixed’ with a single intervention. Improving care requires consistency, evidence and collaboration — and this project allows us to bring all three together.

The Equine Asthma Quality Improvement Project forms part of CVS Equine’s wider commitment to clinical governance, evidence-based medicine and continuous improvement across its equine practices.

CVS Equine provides a complete range of industry-leading veterinary services at 21 sites across the UK as well as its out-of-hours clinical and call answering services, Equicall and Equicomms. Its ambulatory veterinary surgeons are supported by a team of over 20 recognised Veterinary Specialists in internal medicine, surgery, dentistry, sports medicine, reproduction and diagnostic imaging based within a network of referral centres. The division offers a multi-disciplinary approach, along with the latest veterinary treatments, diagnostic services, advice, standards and support – as a result of unrivalled investment in people, equipment, facilities and research.