advice on cough please :)

MrVelvet

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my 3 yr old gelding is stabled at night, he comes in at around 6pm. I bring him in and the YO puts him out in the morning and gives a hay net last thing (10pm ish) I've never seen him cough, but YO says he is doing both times she sees him and that this morning there was fleghm (sp) on the floor infront of his door!. he has minimal bedding on rubber mats (and i mean hardly any as he is the biggest scruff you've ever met!) so it cant be bedding, hes fed good quality haylage and his tiny bit of mix and chop he has is dampened too!.
Help/advice please!! he has had it for 2 days now, I was thinking if its a bug to give him chance to fight it off first to better his immune system?

eta - hes not rugged up but hes a welsh X .. but i suppose he could have got wet and cold?
 
What bedding is he on, as if straw and he is eating it perhaps that isn't helping? No expert, but is there any discharge from one nostril or from both and does he seem unwell at all or has he a temperature? I think if the cough persists I would be inclined to get a vet to check him out. My mare developed a cough at the end of the winter and only 24 hour turnout fixed it.
 
What bedding is he on, as if straw and he is eating it perhaps that isn't helping? No expert, but is there any discharge from one nostril or from both and does he seem unwell at all or has he a temperature? I think if the cough persists I would be inclined to get a vet to check him out. My mare developed a cough at the end of the winter and only 24 hour turnout fixed it.

he doesnt have enough bedding to eat! hes on a sprinkling of cardboard though. nope no discharge, no temperature but yes i think if it persists longer than a week i shall ring them :)
 
Mine recently had a cough, although he is on a dust free bedding, we were using the last of last years hay, it wasn't overly dusty, but more dusty than perfect. It started off with a small cough, then started with the phlegm (sp?) so I called the vet (he seemed 100% in himself). I was told they had been called to many similar situations the past few weeks.

The vet wasn't overly concerned, although as we had a busy summer planned we put our horse on a course of ventapulmin for a week to clear it up. We kept him out as much as possible, and soaked hay for 12 hours if he was in. After 2 days on the ventapulmin we didn't hear him cough again.

If you're concerned, then get the vet, but my first course of action would be to keep out as long as possible and soak hay if your horse is looking fine in himself :)

ETS: have just realised you said he is on haylege so it may not be the same situation as mine
 
It sounds like either allergic reaction to dust/pollen,although haylage should be fine.Bedding is it dusty?
Or he could have a mild respiratory infection ,this should run its course as long as he has no temp.or other symptoms.
Ideally he would probably benefit from being out 24/7 in the fresh air.
If he gets no better I would contact vet on Monday as a course of ventipulmin would help clear his airways.
Hope this is of help and that he gets better quickly.
 
If your not using much bedding it the ammonia (sp) from your horses urine could be irritating his chest. You could try putting more bed down to see if that is the problem. Also give NAF cough mixture a go, a mare I look after did well on that. Failing all else call your vet.
 
If your not using much bedding it the ammonia (sp) from your horses urine could be irritating his chest. You could try putting more bed down to see if that is the problem. Also give NAF cough mixture a go, a mare I look after did well on that. Failing all else call your vet.

never thought of ammonia! although it is well drained, but it does seem to occur when hes stabled! il try a bit more bedding if it persists :)
 
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