Anyone know the about this???

[Danindigo]

My eventer seems to have developed a problem with his breathing. WHen going XC, from a very early stage his breathing is very heavy/deep which is not like him. Although he is still pilling hard etc from the off, by 2/3 of the course he is legless.

I've had bloods done on him this morning & ive just had the results back to say that his eosinphils (white blood cells im told) are high.

Does anyone have any experience of this??

thanks

 

[glenruby]

Id get a worm count done to be honest. Eosinophils can be raised due to immune diseases/immunoincompetence or parasitic disease normally. If your horse is run down his eosinophils may be increased. They are a type of white blood call, but not a primary WBC. They usually occur in very low numbers.
Your best bet would be to give him a wormer or have a worm count done depending on your preferance - it may at least help to rule out parasites. There is a small chance that he may have lung worms though they arent all that common.

 

[Danindigo]

he was wormed about 4-5 weeks ago with equimax

 

[Marnie]

My mare had raised eosinophils combined with increased breathing rate and they were attributed to inflammation in her lungs - basically COPD type condition. She was scoped and had a lung wash and was found to have a bacterial infection which was treated with antibiotics.

Don't know if that helps!

 

[Danindigo]

thanks!!

 

[brighteyes]

Get him scoped as tumours in the oesophagus can cause breathing probs - see H&H a few weeks back.

 

[glenruby]

Marnie is right - COPD is essentially an immune "disease" - hypersensitivity rxn so that could cause it along with the heavy breathing.