COPD

[kimky]

My friends horse has COPD

< bless her
And i dont want to upset set her by asking ..is it fatail ?...? i hear it stops a horses competition career....?
...?.... < i love question marks

 

[Paint it Lucky]

COPD does not have to be fatal, with correct management it can be lived with and even eliminated in some horses (provided they are kept in the right dust free environment). Has the horse only just been diagnosed with it? Presumably the vet has told her what to do/given her medication, advised on severity etc. If she is not already tell her to minimise the amount of dust and air pollutants the horse is being exposed to, a nice airy field on top of a hill with no pollen would be ideal!

COPD (now called RAO, Recurrent Airway Obstruction), can affect a horse from doing work obviously as it won't be able to breathe as well. I would advise her to research the subject as much as possible, changing a horses management can have a major effect. pm me for more info.

 

[Gonetofrance]

Hi there, don't worry, as previously said it's not fatal.
Along with the absolute neccesity for free moving air around the horse, the forage fed is very significant. Hay quality is paramount, but must be either soaked or steamed before being given. The ideal scenario is feeding haylage, but depending on what your friends horse is doing, you have to bear in mind it is much richer than hay, and needs to be very carefully monitored if the horse is laminitis prone.
Bedding should be dust free also, and I found that the sawdusty shavings can be as much of an irritant as poor straw. Paper or flax is a totally dust free solution. As regards pollens, there is not a lot that can be done about that, and rape pollen seems to be particularly vicious.
It is a nuisance, but once you have a routine sorted, and have found out the triggers, the horse will be practically the same as an unaffected horse.
One cautionary note, if she travels it in a lorry with other horses, they must all have haylage or treated hay, as that will set it off. It sounds so obvious, but I found that one out the hard way too!
Feeding garlic is a real help, and there are herbal liquid supplements which make a real difference during the competition season.
I wish her luck with it!

 

[kayleigh_and_rocky]

My eventer has copd - does not stop a career and is not fatal - just have to have good stable management and management of the horses breathing - also so many things that can help it (eg dust extracted bedding, soaked hay, respiratory supplements, inhalors)