Advice please!

GeeGeeboy

GeeGeeboy

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On Tuesday night I had to call the vet out to my horse (10 year old , Icelandic Gelding) as he was coughing alot, pawing and rolling. The vet came , checked him over but he wouldn't let her take his temp or inject him. She said it was probably a hay allergy.
The dusty bale of hay was removed from the field yesterday and replaced with haylage. Today I came to see him and he was standing on his own while the other 3 were munching away. Also his breathing still seems quite fast as it was on Tues evening. Ivegiven him a feed with bute in it , prescribed by the vet and he's wolfed it down. The only thing that's worrying me now is the breathing as he seems fine in himself otherwise. So, what would you do? Call the vet out again or just keep an eye on him? Advice welcome. Ta.
 
Sack the vet !

If his breathing is elevated and he is coughing he is likely to have an infection that needs treating properly. Bute will do nothing for an infection.

I would get back on the phone to the surgery you used (did an equine vet attend on the first visit, I doubt it judging by your comments.) it is ridiculous to say the vet could not take him temperature, the vet should have asked you to put a bridle on and then twitched him if necessary.

I hope you get better service on the next visit.
 
I'd call the vet again and ask their opinion on your horse.
Did they say what they thought was wrong with him when they saw him before? Is he showing other respiratory symptoms like snot? Have you been able to check his temp?
Kx
 
The pawing and rolling would have screamed colic to me or pain at least..but the breathing is certainly strange, maybe some sort of infection?
I would have the vet out again as it sounds like (apart from the feed you gave him) that he isn't eating.

Sorry cross posted with AA - agree on the vet though - sounds useless.
 
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If you feel confident, then take his temp yourself , obviously get someone to hold him whilst you do it , fore warned is fore armed and you'll be able to tell the vet if his temp is elevated.
 
Every time my horse colics she gets elevated breathing a day or so before and it continues throughout the colic. Vet couldnt work out why as airways clear etc they decided it was just her way of showing she was in pain. It used to be so bad that she would literally pant as if she had just finished a xc course even though she was stood resting in her box. I would definitely get the vet out again.. sounds like a colic case to my very uninformed mind!
 
I'd call the vet back out. My Nf pony developed allergies a few years ago which effects his breathing.
He was similar pawing ground etc and i was told to monitor him for a few days but then i found him just lead flat on floor in field i called vet immediately. Vet said the pawing could have be stress from breathing being difficult.
After many tests we found he had allergies (environmental ones) and he now is on a greendale injection programme and has an inhaler to control / help his breathing and lungs. Improved daily. Went from having inhaler twice a day high dosage to now just when he is worked hard :-)
I'd get vet just to check him over and have listen to his lungs... does he have a heave line or can you see him finding breathing hard? Best to catch and control earlier. Worst moment of my life seeing my boy lead in field struggling :-(
Good luck and all best for your chap
 
Paddy Irish said:
If you feel confident, then take his temp yourself , obviously get someone to hold him whilst you do it , fore warned is fore armed and you'll be able to tell the vet if his temp is elevated.
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As OP sounds a little in-experienced may I had to Paddy Irish's excellent advice -

Make sure you keep hold of the thermometer when taking the horses temperature !! the easiest one to use is a digital one (Boots do a easy to use one) and I use a little smear of vaseline on the end. The digital therm will beep when ready to remove.
 
The initial symptoms do sound more like colic, many horse's will have elevated breathing as part of colic symptoms because the muscle spasms that occur in the gut can make it harder for them to breath, if your vet ruled out colic I take it she did listen to his stomach activity to make sure everything was normal, I would be a little concerned if my vet didn't have the ability/patience to take a temperature reading??
 
Adorablealice- how do I seem inexperienced!?! The vet was the one who couldn't take temp/ inject my horse, not me!
 
GeeGeeboy said:
Adorablealice- how do I seem inexperienced!?! The vet was the one who couldn't take temp/ inject my horse, not me!
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I am so sorry, no offence was meant. I was surprised you accepted the vet's inability to do something as basic as take a temperature. I would think an experienced horseman would be able to restrain a horse to allow it's temperature to be taken.

Hopefully your horse is regaining health.
 
It was dark, I had no stable wall to pin him too and he was rearing and plunging. He may be small but when he's scared he can be very strong! Plus I'm only wee!
 
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