Breathing Difficulty Please Help

[Calerux]

Last winter my 18 year old welsh cob pony spent a considerable amount of time in a barn with 17 other horses due to the snow and personal injury. I noticed her breathing seemed different in the school, she coughed occasionally, became short of breath and gave off the impression that she was uncomfortable when being ridden. (Before this she was ridden 3/4 times a week so it wasn't due to unfitness). We called the vet out who concluded that she had a fast respiration rate and a very high white blood cell count. The dusty environment may have irritated her so I changed her bedding from straw to Bedmax, soaked the hay and fed from the floor. She was also put on antibiotics and Ventipullman. We moved to an outside stable and within 6 weeks she there was a dramatic improvement resulting in her being ridden without any sign of breathing difficulties. She then suffered a relapse and is no longer able to be ridden and within 7 months she has had 4 lots of antibiotics, endoscoped and scanned twice plus a sample taken from her trachea. Yet the infection has not been identified.She is currently on steroids for a month and then aloe vera. She looks healthy, very upbeat and has a good appetite. Has anyone else had similar problems and is there anything else I can do to make her more comfortable as we enter the next winter?

 

[ScarlettLady]

Passing on advice i've been given recently, keep going as you are, and turn out as much as possible, if soaked hay doesn't work try haylage?
somebody also said to rub vix around the top of a bucket, fill it with hot water and hold it under horses nose....
Good luck!!

 

[china]

we have a horse at work that has had a similar thing but i cant remeber what was wrong, his breathing was so bad that he nearly collapsed at one point. he is now on inhalers and is back to normal. i think it was a bacterial infection of some kind.

 

[charmeroo]

It sounds very much like asthma/COPD to me. Does your horse cough alot too? I would definitely keep living out as much as possible and soak all hay - even that fed in the field. It may well be that you will need Ventipulmin or steroids when your horse is having an attack.

 

[scarlet jacket]

Last winter my 18 year old welsh cob pony spent a considerable amount of time in a barn with 17 other horses due to the snow and personal injury. I noticed her breathing seemed different in the school, she coughed occasionally, became short of breath and gave off the impression that she was uncomfortable when being ridden. (Before this she was ridden 3/4 times a week so it wasn't due to unfitness). We called the vet out who concluded that she had a fast respiration rate and a very high white blood cell count. The dusty environment may have irritated her so I changed her bedding from straw to Bedmax, soaked the hay and fed from the floor. She was also put on antibiotics and Ventipullman. We moved to an outside stable and within 6 weeks she there was a dramatic improvement resulting in her being ridden without any sign of breathing difficulties. She then suffered a relapse and is no longer able to be ridden and within 7 months she has had 4 lots of antibiotics, endoscoped and scanned twice plus a sample taken from her trachea. Yet the infection has not been identified.She is currently on steroids for a month and then aloe vera. She looks healthy, very upbeat and has a good appetite. Has anyone else had similar problems and is there anything else I can do to make her more comfortable as we enter the next winter?

Stick with the corticosteroids as they are by far the best treatment for ongoing breathing problems i have found. Stay on low doses and you will be fine. Ventipulmin is expensive and not that good i believe. you must also manage the situation best you can by soaking hay and ensuring stables well mucked out, as the smell of urine is irritant to airways and ensure horse gets as much ventilation as possible, even if that means living out. my vets supply me with prednisalone sachets which they make themselves and sell to vets. It certainly beats crushing up 50 prednisalone tablets a day! if you are crushing tablets get your vet to get prescription from equine veterinary centre in doncaster on 01977652280 as the sachets are great

 

[Calerux]

Thank you so much for all the advise, it is very helpful!