Boggle- USA bound!

[ycbm]

Ignore me I’m just a miserable cowbag and very disappointed. I’ll perk back up tomorrow.. just got carried away because he was doing so well and it’s worrying to hear that horrible hacking cough that he had in hospital again.

Good grief I think you're entitled to your reaction M, I'd be gutted.

Let's hope it's just the work helping him clear out the last crap.
.

 

[Trouper]

Keep the faith. He is a strong lad and, as others have said, could just be some residual muck. Our coughs can go on for ages too and convalescence is not always a straight line process.

 

[Michen]

Could be. Just seems very odd that he was up to a reasonable amount of work. 45 mins up and down mountain passes and no coughing. Galloping around a pasture and nothing. I get on, all good. Then a week later with very little exertion it’s started.

Vet has prescribed ventripulim which I’ll pick up this morning, said to try exercising him on that she see what happens.

So what, I just have a horse that needs help with his airways to be ridden from now on? COPD? I’m just not going to go down that road, I’d rather retire him. So I really hope this is just a bump and not how he’s going to be.

 

[mavandkaz]

Could be. Just seems very odd that he was up to a reasonable amount of work. 45 mins up and down mountain passes and no coughing. Galloping around a pasture and nothing. I get on, all good. Then a week later with very little exertion it’s started.

Vet has prescribed ventripulim which I’ll pick up this morning, said to try exercising him on that she see what happens.

So what, I just have a horse that needs help with his airways to be ridden from now on? COPD? I’m just not going to go down that road, I’d rather retire him. So I really hope this is just a bump and not how he’s going to be.

Have been lurking and keeping an eye on little bog through all of this.
Hopefully it's just a blip, and he's just clearing out the last of the fluid now he's up doing more, although completely understand your concerns over the timing.

Just wanted to say, re ventipulmin and respiratory aids. Belles breathing was hideous back in February, heaving just stood in her stable and coughing just walking to and from her field. I honestly thought I would have to retire her. Now, hers is environmental rather then bacterial, but the medication (first ventipulmin, now inhalers) have made an amazing difference. She is back to full work and out lasts most of the others on the yard on long fast hacks. I've also put her on a respiratory supplement. And if she has to stay on these for the rest of life that is fine by me, as she is back doing what she loves.
Don't write him off yet, he is a real fighter.

 

[Michen]

Have been lurking and keeping an eye on little bog through all of this.
Hopefully it's just a blip, and he's just clearing out the last of the fluid now he's up doing more, although completely understand your concerns over the timing.

Just wanted to say, re ventipulmin and respiratory aids. Belles breathing was hideous back in February, heaving just stood in her stable and coughing just walking to and from her field. I honestly thought I would have to retire her. Now, hers is environmental rather then bacterial, but the medication (first ventipulmin, now inhalers) have made an amazing difference. She is back to full work and out lasts most of the others on the yard on long fast hacks. I've also put her on a respiratory supplement. And if she has to stay on these for the rest of life that is fine by me, as she is back doing what she loves.
Don't write him off yet, he is a real fighter.

Gah. Thanks. Maybe it’ll seem less bad when it’s not 3am with a wine hangover Will regroup with the vet Monday, it’ll be interesting to see if the ventipulmin works.

See you in October (pending Bog approval for me to leave the country of course!!)

 

[OldNag]

Fingers crossed it is just a blip.

 

[Surbie]

I hope it's just him getting the rest of the yuk out of his lungs and that it clears up soon. Fingers crossed the ventipulmin does it for him. We have one that is on it seasonally - for us we think it's in line with something somewhere coming into flower. that they are reacting to.

 

[Muddy unicorn]

My daughter’s horse was diagnosed with asthma a while back - ventipulmin didn’t help at all but when we started him on a nebuliser that was a game changer. The specialist vet said he would be much better off being in work as the fitter he was the better his lungs would be able to cope. Unfortunately he broke in lots of other ways so he is now a very happy field ornament but the lung problem wasn’t the reason to retire him. Lots of horses are successfully in work with support from ventipulmin and/or a nebuliser - I wouldn’t jump to the worst conclusion just yet.

 

[GinaGeo]

When they’ve had a respiratory infection like this it really can take time.

Boggle has already shown an improvement above and beyond expectation. He might just need a bit more help to keep him going in the right direction.

One of mine was very poorly with a bacterial respiratory infection - although not in the same league as Boggle. His would have been about 13 years ago now. And it took a boat load of antibiotics and steroids to clear up.

And for a couple of years afterwards we used Ventapulmin off and on to support him if he showed signs of needing it.

His recovery was steady and he will still have the occasional throat clearing cough when he gets going even now.

He is also more sensitive to environmental changes than he was before.

Haylage definitely works better for him than soaked or steamed hay. And he’s best if he can live out as much as possible.

He is 20 now and has evented, hunted and been worked hard since. The fitter he is the better he is - I just have to allow for his sensitivities.

 

[CanteringCarrot]

Ignore me I’m just a miserable cowbag and very disappointed. I’ll perk back up tomorrow.. just got carried away because he was doing so well and it’s worrying to hear that horrible hacking cough that he had in hospital again.

Understandable.

I had a horse that seemed to develop an allergy and/or some type of sensitivity following a respiratory infection. This also happened to a fellow livery that I knew ages ago. Both horses were managed with a supplement (herbal, usually) and a nebulizer as needed. Both were in full work and fine. That's just my 2 experiences though.

May or may not be the case with Bog. If he does require maitainance, it's not necessarily difficult nor does it have to be the end of things. This could also just be a blip that you help him though and then he's fine. Hard to say.

I do understand that we all make our choices and/or have our lines in the sand re what we'll do, when a horse should be retired, and so on, but I think there's much hope for him!

If you ever need to chat, you know where to find me. I'm leaving HHO for a bit.

 

[palo1]

Understandable.

I had a horse that seemed to develop an allergy and/or some type of sensitivity following a respiratory infection. This also happened to a fellow livery that I knew ages ago. Both horses were managed with a supplement (herbal, usually) and a nebulizer as needed. Both were in full work and fine. That's just my 2 experiences though.

May or may not be the case with Bog. If he does require maitainance, it's not necessarily difficult nor does it have to be the end of things. This could also just be a blip that you help him though and then he's fine. Hard to say.

I do understand that we all make our choices and/or have our lines in the sand re what we'll do, when a horse should be retired, and so on, but I think there's much hope for him!

If you ever need to chat, you know where to find me. I'm leaving HHO for a bit.

This. My mare's asthma diagnosis was subsequent to a wider respiratory infection. She was absolutely fine and then...very reactive to environmental factors which means that she has needed seasonal support. @Michen - Boggle may have increased sensitivity and may need more time to deal with the initial bacterial infection. As others have said, there are 2 things to bear in mind: 1: Boggle may need more support or treatment in the short term, he may need some additional support as a form of routine and 2: exercise is pretty fundamental to respiratory health and I have been advised that the fitter the horse can be, the better both their quality of life AND their overall respiratory health. My lovely vet, kindly but in a good old fashioned straight forward way told me that medicating/nebulising alone would not be as helpful to the horse as medication AND exercise so you have a way to go before you retire him. It's incredibly disappointing in view of what brilliant progress Boggle has made to date but it probably is just part of the journey rather than the destination. Very frustrated for you but I know how you feel and there are lots of ways forward, so chin up and keep going.

 

[Michen]

Ok!!

Thank you all, those experiences are really helpful!

I am heading to the vets to pick up the ventipulmin and then I’m going to hang out with Boggle, pull myself together and find some solutions .

 

[ycbm]

Ok!!

Thank you all, those experiences are really helpful!

I am heading to the vets to pick up the ventipulmin and then I’m going to hang out with Boggle, pull myself together and find some solutions .

The solution I would have in mind right now is diluted gin.

 

[Michen]

The solution I would have in mind right now is diluted gin.

Haha I had too much wine last night, American wine is the work of the devil it makes me feel awful the next day (and at 2am). Like everything else, they add a load of rubbish to it

 

[Esmae]

Salt therapy? A friend does this in UK with good results. Is this available in the USA?

 

[Michen]

Salt therapy? A friend does this in UK with good results. Is this available in the USA?

Doesn’t seem to exist here from my googling! Thanks though

 

[Esmae]

Doesn’t seem to exist here from my googling! Thanks though

https://www.thehorseboxspa.co.uk/equine-salt-therapy Not sure if this will help. or this ?

 

[teapot]

https://www.thehorseboxspa.co.uk/equine-salt-therapy Not sure if this will help. or this ?

Michen's in the US, think they're aware of what it actually is

Sorry to hear he's had a set back, fingers crossed it's just a minor blip!

 

[tristar]

i have one with COPD according to his vet who scoped him during a coughing episode

i figured the coughing starts when he rolls in dusty patches that he digs up furiously and then rolls in, but the allergy was induced by dusty dry hay fed to him by an idiot years ago

i always feed soaked hay anyway, but this horse is so fit and his breathing is not compromised by the condition, he occasionally has snot ,possibly he clears himself by being so lively in the field and ridden

with bog a good chance the coughing is residual fromt he bottom of the lungs or deeper parts of the aveoli or whatever it is and he is clearing it, hopefully!

my horse had an awful hacking cough, 1 lot of venti and no coughing for year, hope that happens with bog

 

[Michen]

Thanks everyone I appreciate all suggestions.

Miserable weather in Colorado today to match my mood haha.

I have some making up to do to Boggle as I basically chucked him back in the stable yesterday and left, didn’t want anyone to see I was upset. Saw his head over the stable door looking pretty perplexed so plenty of carrots is in order!

 

[Michen]

i have one with COPD according to his vet who scoped him during a coughing episode

i figured the coughing starts when he rolls in dusty patches that he digs up furiously and then rolls in, but the allergy was induced by dusty dry hay fed to him by an idiot years ago

i always feed soaked hay anyway, but this horse is so fit and his breathing is not compromised by the condition, he occasionally has snot ,possibly he clears himself by being so lively in the field and ridden

with bog a good chance the coughing is residual fromt he bottom of the lungs or deeper parts of the aveoli or whatever it is and he is clearing it, hopefully!

my horse had an awful hacking cough, 1 lot of venti and no coughing for year, hope that happens with bog

Thank you so much. How long was he on it? Bog is a nightmare with shavings he adores them and rolls and digs. I cannot find truly dust free bedding here for love nor money it’s bizarre. I’ve got him on the least dusty stuff I can find.

I worry about winter when the barn doors and windows are shut and it’s heated. Equally he always had a winter cough in the uk which was a big airy barn, but he never did get one here.

It’s not that far away, 8 weeks and those doors will be shut. Really need to think about what I’m going to do. It’s so hard as the care is excellent and I travel so much. The vet at the barn reckons there’s truly no where better unless you drive an hour.

 

[tristar]

oh sorry the digging is in the field!

he never digs in the stable, he is on shavings

my horse first had venti 10 year ago, with large gaps years, in between needing it, definitely allergy, was diagnosed by world class vet, and has always cleared after one tub full

our old vet president of british vet ass always said with other horses who had mild allergies that the best thing ways to keep them outdoors

i keep all mine in yards with free access to their individual stable at night

also the coughing has been really bad then just cleared with the venti, in a week to ten days, one tub, and one horse years ago had heavy breathing in trot and it cleared never to return

just trying to give some reassurance if an allergy finding the trigger helps,


really, i know how hard this for you and bog to go through and all cases are different

 

[mavandkaz]

Is the whole yard on shavings? That will make a big difference on the amount of dust on a yard, compared to his old yard - although open it's dusty due to the straw.
Also, how do they clean the yard, and how often? My vet absolutely hates the current fad of blowing the yard as it just throws all the dust into the air.

Don't despair, give it a chance. Belle had vet out in January, then again in February as needed steroids to reduce inflammation (ventipulmin for about 3 weeks each time).
Then introduced inhalers, and improved well, completely stopped coughing and breathing back to normal during exercise. Then we had a dip in may and she started coughing again(I think due to high pollen count), but picked back up after a couple of weeks (also started supplement).
Been absolutely fine since June, and I've started reducing her inhaler dosage. Have decided I will keep her on them til we've gone through all seasons before re-evaluating.

 

[Michen]

Is the whole yard on shavings? That will make a big difference on the amount of dust on a yard, compared to his old yard - although open it's dusty due to the straw.
Also, how do they clean the yard, and how often? My vet absolutely hates the current fad of blowing the yard as it just throws all the dust into the air.

Don't despair, give it a chance. Belle had vet out in January, then again in February as needed steroids to reduce inflammation (ventipulmin for about 3 weeks each time).
Then introduced inhalers, and improved well, completely stopped coughing and breathing back to normal during exercise. Then we had a dip in may and she started coughing again(I think due to high pollen count), but picked back up after a couple of weeks (also started supplement).
Been absolutely fine since June, and I've started reducing her inhaler dosage. Have decided I will keep her on them til we've gone through all seasons before re-evaluating.

Yes whole yard on shavings but they are dusty ones so I buy my own big flake now and have wood pellets underneath. Yard is spotless, regularly de cobwebbed etc and is cleaned with a Hoover thing rather than a leaf blower.

What supplement did you have success with?

 

[mavandkaz]

That sounds promising then. Maybe I could suggest our yard get a hoover shifting belle on to miscanthus has helped, despite still being surrounded by straw

She's on the equinutritive breathe rite. When I was looking, most of them are just menthol and glycerol cough syrup, but I wanted something different. It seems to be helping, although always hard to tell with these things

 

[SEL]

I was planning to retire the microcob with her breathing problems but the vet said she needed to work to help with her lung capacity.

Easier said than done when the pony was determined to break herself but I kept her ticking over and apart from a seasonal pollen blip around May she's now the fittest she's been and can race her 17.2 friend without dissolving into a coughing fit

She's out 24:7 and if she's in I'll soak her hay. If the pollen is bad then antihistamines but otherwise not much else. She does need canter work to clear her lungs though.

I completely get why you feel so miserable but lungs need to be worked so as long as there's no infection then hopefully it's just going to take a bit more time.

 

[hollyandivy123]

How about a dust scrubber..

MAXVAC Dustblocker DB450 Air Scrubber Cleaner, 6 Month Starter Set

The Dustblocker DB450 is a cutting-edge airborne dust scrubbing solution in a systainer box that plugs straight into the typical vent or WC pipe. The first of its kind, it’s lightweight and compact enough to be easily moved, but powerful enough to clean large volumes of air fast. The DB450...

dustarrest.com

?

 

[palo1]

That sounds promising then. Maybe I could suggest our yard get a hoover shifting belle on to miscanthus has helped, despite still being surrounded by straw

She's on the equinutritive breathe rite. When I was looking, most of them are just menthol and glycerol cough syrup, but I wanted something different. It seems to be helping, although always hard to tell with these things

Supplements and snake oils for respiratory issues are a world of trial and error pain BUT ime and if I remember from the rather obsessive research I did, the most proven supplements have MSM, VIt E and Vit C in. You can't do much harm with any of those either and MSM and Vit C in particular seem to help with respiratory things in the research (peer reviewed). The addition of EPA and DHA can be more difficult in terms of sources etc but the first 3 are easy and safe.

 

[tristar]

Thank you so much. How long was he on it? Bog is a nightmare with shavings he adores them and rolls and digs. I cannot find truly dust free bedding here for love nor money it’s bizarre. I’ve got him on the least dusty stuff I can find.

I worry about winter when the barn doors and windows are shut and it’s heated. Equally he always had a winter cough in the uk which was a big airy barn, but he never did get one here.

It’s not that far away, 8 weeks and those doors will be shut. Really need to think about what I’m going to do. It’s so hard as the care is excellent and I travel so much. The vet at the barn reckons there’s truly no where better unless you drive an hour.

i used miscanthus but it got very dusty, thought maybe the dry summers made the harvest too dry and it kind crumbled, so various shavings until i found a really good one

and the other horse with breathing probs i used haylage, shavings and venti, and that did the trick eventually went back to hay

 

[Esmae]

Michen's in the US, think they're aware of what it actually is

Sorry to hear he's had a set back, fingers crossed it's just a minor blip!

Yes I know she's in the US I think the video came from there, not sure, but had a company logo on it which I thought may help. That is why I put it up for her. Apologies if not helpful.