COPD - supplements/management?

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peanut0611

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Hi everyone,

My family and I rescued a little mare a while back and know nothing of her past. When the hay was quite dusty at one point, she started slightly wheezing and looking quite uncomfortable. A very experienced groom at our yard self-diagnosed her with what looks like a mild case of COPD.

She's on haylage now and seems fine otherwise. What are some good management methods for COPD? Any good supplements?
 
Lucy had COPD.
I had to feed her haylidge, soaked or steamed hay. She was bedded down on dust extracted shavings or paper. She had to have an indervidule, external stable (with walls upto the roof so no dust could get to her from the next door stable) and she was always taken out her stable when it was mucked out or when she was groomed ect. She was turned out as much as possable.
It is often best to feed hay ect off the floor as this lets mucas drain from the nose and also eliminates any dust flying round when they are pulling at the net.

As far as suplements go I found global herbs Airways very good. But the best thing is proper management. Lucy rarely had an attack in the 12 years I had her :)
 
My lad has soaked or steamed hay...never dry. I keep his stable cob web clear and leave him turned out for as long as possible - min of 12 hours per day. I have him on dust free bedding and muck out poo and wee every day. My lad has Feedmark Clarity, which does help him.
 
I've know several horses get this after flu vaccs, which suppress the immune system. Ventalpulmin used to work ok at huge expense, but the minute the horses came off it the owners were back to square one. I use a homeopathic practice which make a very good supplement for COPD, called Thymus. Several people had very good results when they used this. (I might add, I'm a long term customer, but have never needed to use Thymus myself, but have had some really good success stories related to me) PM me if you want any more info.
 
Get rid of cobwebs in the stable. If you must stable in a barn, one with a door open each end and a gale blowing through is good! Beware of bone dry sand arenas in summer and overgrazed fields in a dry summer, both can mean a horse breathing dust. NAF Easy Breathing is another good supplement. The fitter the horse is, the less the COPD will bother it. Work clears mucous from the lungs, but coughing can damage the lungs so warm up slowly and get horse fit slowly too.
 
I feed soaked hay to MM and use NAF respirator boost which I've found fantastic - never even a tiny cough when she's on it. I've just run out and can't get to feed store till Friday but she already coughed a little when I rode her today so it definitely works for her!
 
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