Best treatments for a cough - dust related

Eriskayowner

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Mousey, my little 13hh Eriskay has always had a breathing issue - has had a heave line for 10 years or so now. He developed it when he was out on loan.

He's lived out 24/7 for the last 4 years until I brought him back with me to bring back into work.

Now that he's in work his cough is getting worse. He's stabled on straw during the night (actually not too dusty) - not much bedding used as he's on rubbed mats and he doesn't go in just after bedding down. It's left to settle.

He's out as much as possible - weekdays from 7.15 til 4.30 ish, weekends from 9 ish til 5 ish.

The YO has also built me a corral around the stables do that I can leave the ponies' stable door open and they can be in the fresh air if they want to be.

Hay is being soaked tonight then trying them on haylage.

We tried to take mouse up a new path today which was up a hill. He's done the hill before but just not this way. We had to turn round halfway up as his head was on the floor with his eyes shut coughing :(

What's the best way forward?
 

Auslander

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Firstly it sounds like he could do with an MOT from the vet. That sounds like a pretty serious reaction to a walk up a hill. He may need medicating to help him cope with increased exercise.

Secondly - Why does he have to be in at all? I'd have him out 24/7 and keep him well away from straw and dry hay, no matter how dust free it seems to be. Soaked hay, wet hard feed for sure, and bring him back into work REALLY carefully. If he's exhausted after walking up a hill, stay away from hills until he's fitter, and keep exercise sessions short and sweet for the forseeable.

If he absolutely must be in, I'd seriously consider steam cleaning the entire stable, incl roof and walls, then rubber mats and the most dust free bedding you can find. It's still not perfect as I assume that his stable is in a block/row - you can get his stable as sterile as possible, but if others nearby are adorned with the dust of ages, he is still exposed. Make sure he's not downwind of hay/ straw storage, and as, you are doing, keep him out as much as poss.
 

Tiffany

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I'd have him checked by the vet because sounds like quite a serious infection if he's struggling to walk up a hill. Ventapulin (sp) used to be medication for COPD if that's what is is, things could have changed on the medication front since then.

Good luck :)
 

Peegeesmum

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Dust extracted shavings for bedding,you don't have to use much if you have rubber matting down,just a small amount to soak up wee.

Soak hay for 20 minutes,& place something heavy on it so it is fully submerged. Damp down bucket feed. Groom outside.
Lastly, I wouldn't even consider working him until he has stopped coughing. If he is coughing up mucous,& it's green,he needs antibiotics. Hope this helps.
 

Eriskayowner

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Thanks for those replies Peegeesmum, Tiffany and Auslander.

I think I will get the vet involved. The hill he did today was steep, but he has done it before. He was coughing a bit before the hill though :( He's still keen to go out but he'll be off work until we sort his breathing out.

The YO has insisted that the horses come in more frequently as the field is getting churned up. It's not wet but just rutted. There's very little grass out there (but it's just as well because all of them are on the overweight side).

I'm going to see how well soaking the hay goes. Changing the bedding is an option but could be difficult - the two stables are both open to each other. I'd have to change Jazzy's bedding as well. He's sooooooo filthy on shavings!!!

There's no mucus or anything coming up - it just seems to be to do with dust. Even grooming the mud off his face seemed to cause a cough :(

Vet will be called :(
 

juliette

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I agree with others you need to either turnout 24/7 (best option) or radically change your bedding. As you have rubber mats I'd work out where your horse has a wee and put dust extracted shavings on that area ONLY. They are quite happy laying on rubber matting.

Hay needs to be soaked or steamed. Or you could change to haylage.

Get a vet to check them out before you do any more ridden work.

In my experience, the quicker you get the vet involved in these problems the quicker they clear up and the less medication you need.

Good luck
 

PeterNatt

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Remove all dust from your stable and any adjoining stables by removing dust from all the stables walls, ledges and beams. Then repeat this once a week to keep dust levels down. Also feed your soaked hay from the floor to allow your horses sinus's to easily drain.
 

Eriskayowner

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I've done some research into dust extracted bedding - shavings or Easibed is an option. I'd have to put both horses on it, but as mentioned above, only a small amount would be needed due to the rubber mats :)

Vet will be called before he's ridden again :(
 

ladyt25

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If he has a heave line then that would suggest he has a more serious respiratory issue that will probably need treating by a vet to be honest. My horse suffers from a mild dust-related cough each winter when he's in at night (he's bedded on straw but has rubber mats so not too much straw). I have dampened his hay before and still do on occasion but i am not sure if this helps.

However, to give him some relief I give him some Lincoln Koff syrup and this does seem to work - he has now stopped coughing when he is ridden. I think it just soothes the irritation but seems to do the job and he loves it (it's quite aniseedy). It may be worth trying something like that in the interim. There are various supplements you can get to add to feeds (I think NAF do one?). However, it's still probably best to have it looked at properly by a vet. We had an old pony years ago who had breathing problems - we had him scoped and it turned out he had a growth on his larynx.
 

Eriskayowner

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Thanks Ladyt.

The other pony had a cough a while ago but I changed the supplier of the hay (much better quality) and that has cured that.

I was looking into NAF Respirator? Was wondering if that was worth trying? Aniseed sounds good though :) !

He's had a heave line for years :(
 

Eriskayowner

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Remove all dust from your stable and any adjoining stables by removing dust from all the stables walls, ledges and beams. Then repeat this once a week to keep dust levels down. Also feed your soaked hay from the floor to allow your horses sinus's to easily drain.

Thanks Peter - will do. He's usually fed his hay from the floor, but I've put the soaked hay in nets as he's good at dragging it round his bed. He's a monster!!! He's sensible though, and I've hung it quite low to avoid him having his head up and back for too long.
 

ladyt25

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Thanks Ladyt.

The other pony had a cough a while ago but I changed the supplier of the hay (much better quality) and that has cured that.

I was looking into NAF Respirator? Was wondering if that was worth trying? Aniseed sounds good though :) !

He's had a heave line for years :(

Hmm, well to me it reminds me of black sambuca - I am not an aniseed fan! :)

However, he seems to like it - I just hold the bottle to his mouth and squeeze it in - can get a bit messy though! My sister's horse gets very excited when he smells it though and wants some himself!
 

Eriskayowner

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Hmm, well to me it reminds me of black sambuca - I am not an aniseed fan! :)

However, he seems to like it - I just hold the bottle to his mouth and squeeze it in - can get a bit messy though! My sister's horse gets very excited when he smells it though and wants some himself!

My labrador's like that - can't buy aniseed balls anymore ;)
 

RoobyDoobs

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Hi all,
Read this with interest as ,my boy has a slight cough which is down to dry hay. Action taken, but interested to know what a 'heave line' is. Could somebody explain for me please?
 

ThePony

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My mare has a dust allergy, these are the management things I have found help her. Would 100% def loose the straw - and for the neighbouring stable too. I use safemix for ours which my mare is good on and it is good value for money as well as dealing well with her being a wet box walker!! Soaked hay only and fed from the floor, wet feed too. When she is stabled I put her on winergy ventilate - the only one I have actually found to make a difference. Grooming done outside, sweeping done when she is out, bedding down in the morning so any tiny bit of dust has ages to settle, no mucking out when she's in the stable etc. Management chances make a really big difference. So far this winter we have got through without ventopulmin!!
 

Janette

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This management has worked this wonter for us - So Far. :D Don't want to push my luck...

Laysoft dust extracted bedding.
Box opposite the door to the barn.
Damp hay.
Naf Respirator in her feed.
 

Guignol

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I have a mare that had serious COPD.

It is all dust related. If possible turn your horse out 24/7. I have my mare stabled at night and she is 100% now. At the first signs of a cough use ventipulm (sorry about the spelling). Soak the hay for at least 20 mins. Remove the straw as there will be dust in there. I used cardboard or the wood chip (used for wood burners that you can buy, excellent low dust). Make sure your stable has plenty of ventillation and is sully steam cleaned. Also, be aware that mucking out and the fumes of the urine can aggravate them so ideally, have plenty of bedding and deep litter once a week removing the droppings daily. You need to have a good bedding type though as straw would not work on this!! Straw is not absorbent enough and the smell is there which doesn't help the COPD sufferers.

make sure the feed is damp also.

It is a case of being 1000% careful with the routine. My mare had a severe attack 6 years ago to the point she could hardly breathe. She has not coughed in 2 years now since the change of management.
 

Eriskayowner

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Thanks Guignol.

I'm going to try easibed as I've heard from others is very low dust and pretty cost effective. That should help. He's pretty clean on bedding so should make life easier.

Will also get all of the dust out of the stables. I have no electricity at the yard but I'll wash as many surfaces as I can.

His feed is already pretty wet - gets the sugar beet water to make it as damp as possible.

Fingers crossed for him.
 

m1stify

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Have you thought about getting him allergy tested. I thought my mares cough was due to dust when actually she was allergic to dust mites present in hard feed. Changed to sugar beet & balancer and hasnt coughed since and no meds (this was after being treated with ventipulmen and steriods pre-allergy test).
 

ThePony

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Thanks Guignol.

I'm going to try easibed as I've heard from others is very low dust and pretty cost effective. That should help. He's pretty clean on bedding so should make life easier.

Will also get all of the dust out of the stables. I have no electricity at the yard but I'll wash as many surfaces as I can.

His feed is already pretty wet - gets the sugar beet water to make it as damp as possible.

Fingers crossed for him.

Just thought I'd mention - I tried easibed at first, but it is pretty expensive, moved to safemix instead (as it's cheaper!) and actually found it much more absorbant!

In the mean time, just fingers crossed for no more rain - the only thing that really helps my mare is being out of the bloomin stable! While the fields resemble a bog pit I'm just having to wait as there is no 24/7 turnout in winter around here!
 
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