Coughing and snots

[Murphy’s Gauntlet]

So for coming up two weeks now, my sensitive horse seems to have found yet another enigma ailment!
For what seemed to start off like a cold, dry cough and a small amount of mucus (yellow to white) coming from his nose. He is turned out 24/7 with a small amount of time in to be ridden. He is fit and looks really well. But a cough seemed to appear along with the snots. I lowed his workload and missed out on a championship (typical) and so I was there looking after the poor sensitive soul that he is.
A week passes and nothing seems to improve so I call for the vet.
Temperature was good, breathing seemed ok although he didn’t want me to trot him out, and his lungs were clear. He thought it must be in the upper tract and so the treatment of equipred steroids was to be started. He was already on the equine America airways and kofeeze. 5 days in to the 10 day course and there is no change! If anything a little worse.
I am now trying pollenex from global herbs as I have heard a lot of peoples horses are suffering with pollen etc?
I really thought the steroids would have shifted whatever is wrong with him, but again I’m learning that is not always the case!!
Anyone else going through similar? If so what have you tried and what seems to be working?

Many thanks in advance!

 

[Britestar]

One of mine had similar. Was seen by vet who said lungs clear, suspected upper respiratory.
She gave him course of ABs, and it's totally cleared up.

 

[Barton Bounty]

BB got this type of thing before I realised his was actually an allergy. I gave him simple linctus for the cough and he has anti histamines from march to September/October time. At the start of april there was mucus but as soon as the antihistamine worked it goes away.

 

[meleeka]

A friends horse goes like this every year, so it’s a pollen allergy. She feeds a herbal supplement and that seems to keep it under control .

 

[Red-1]

Rigs has an allergy at this time of year.

2 years ago Ventipulmin calmed it. Last year, he had inhaled steroids, which did a much better job.

This year, he coughed the first time I used fly repellent, so I stopped it and the cough has stopped. He was cantering about on his ride yesterday, free breathing, so I am desperately hoping it is that which caused the allergy, as that is something I could control.

 

[teacups]

that is interesting, Red. Which fly repellent was that, please? Have you tried other fly repellents with different ingredients?

 

[millitiger]

Mine had exactly the same symptoms this year, EXACTLY!

Lungs completely clear, no temperatures, bright eyes and good coats etc. Only 1 horse had a bit of snot.

I had vet twice, 1st visit othig really done as nothing to see.
On 2nd visit we blood tested and swabbed the nose, surprisingly came back with EHV4 which I was alarmed by, however my vet said very prevalent and quite normal for them to pick it up (particularly as I have 2 x 2yros on yard).

 

[Red-1]

that is interesting, Red. Which fly repellent was that, please? Have you tried other fly repellents with different ingredients?

I am still holding that thought as he may still have seasonal asthma. I am hoping and praying it is fly spray though, which would make sense as he is 100% fine with 'dust' in winter.

He had many different types of fly spray. As I thought it was pollen, I didn't take much notice of which was when, and now he is managing on none.

 

[Murphy’s Gauntlet]

Mine had exactly the same symptoms this year, EXACTLY!

Lungs completely clear, no temperatures, bright eyes and good coats etc. Only 1 horse had a bit of snot.

I had vet twice, 1st visit othig really done as nothing to see.
On 2nd visit we blood tested and swabbed the nose, surprisingly came back with EHV4 which I was alarmed by, however my vet said very prevalent and quite normal for them to pick it up (particularly as I have 2 x 2yros on yard).

Hi Millitiger, what medication is yours on to treat this?

 

[millitiger]

Hi Millitiger, what medication is yours on to treat this?

They had bute to reduce upper respiratory inflammation and the snotty child had some antibiotics as they thought potentially a secondary of Strep. with him.
And obviously rest for the one in work.

 

[Murphy’s Gauntlet]

He didn’t improve at all with the steroids when I hit day 7. So he is now on ventipulmin to see if that does anything. I’ve also got them in throughout the day (as normally they are out 24/7) this is to see if it’s pollen related also. Literally nothing seems to work, just hoping in three days he will be ok again.
He has a normal temp and seems to be sweaty a bit… which is strange… also he normally drinks a lot and that has also become less he has salt added to feed as well as a lick.
Fingers crossed the ventipulmin works!

 

[Jellymoon]

I’ve had this for the first time this spring. One horse had cough and snots, cleared with antibiotics. The other cough and bit of snot but not as bad, thought same infection, but vet said more likely seasonal asthma type issue and that cone has ventipulmin and piriton. Now fine.

 

[Dam1]

The slight sweatiness (is that a word ?) is a known side effect of ventapulmin so I wouldn't worry too much about that. On mine it generally wore off after a week or so x

 

[Murphy’s Gauntlet]

I’ve had this for the first time this spring. One horse had cough and snots, cleared with antibiotics. The other cough and bit of snot but not as bad, thought same infection, but vet said more likely seasonal asthma type issue and that cone has ventipulmin and piriton. Now fine.

That is interesting as I thought mine should have antibiotics but vet gave him steroids and then when they haven’t cleared the cough up so went on the ventipulmin. I have ridden him the last two days and although no cough yesterday and no snot it was a different matter today
His snot is still quite creamy. The hard thing to work out, is at rest or just in the field I wouldn’t know anything, it is only when I ride so when he is exerting himself that I can gauge it. So frustrating as I think we will need to scope him as the snot is still so present!

 

[Murphy’s Gauntlet]

The slight sweatiness (is that a word ?) is a known side effect of ventapulmin so I wouldn't worry too much about that. On mine it generally wore off after a week or so x

Thank you, he has stops the sweats now, but still no sign of the ventipulmin working it’s magic

 

[millitiger]

That is interesting as I thought mine should have antibiotics but vet gave him steroids and then when they haven’t cleared the cough up so went on the ventipulmin. I have ridden him the last two days and although no cough yesterday and no snot it was a different matter today
His snot is still quite creamy. The hard thing to work out, is at rest or just in the field I wouldn’t know anything, it is only when I ride so when he is exerting himself that I can gauge it. So frustrating as I think we will need to scope him as the snot is still so present!

Has your vet run bloods and done nasal swabs?

 

[Murphy’s Gauntlet]

Has your vet run bloods and done nasal swabs?

No, he checked his lung activity and breathing, but that was all at rest. I’ve kept an eye on his temperature, but vet wasn’t worried about it, he did try to aggravate his throat area to make him cough, but showed no sign of a cough while vet was there.
Will call him back this week… if no change by Tuesday. The weird bit is he is so fine in himself, eating and now drinking fine and typically looks really well!

 

[Murphy’s Gauntlet]

They had bute to reduce upper respiratory inflammation and the snotty child had some antibiotics as they thought potentially a secondary of Strep. with him.
And obviously rest for the one in work.

One vet from the practice follows me on IG and asked how he was, she then said that it could be a post viral thing…

 

[millitiger]

No, he checked his lung activity and breathing, but that was all at rest. I’ve kept an eye on his temperature, but vet wasn’t worried about it, he did try to aggravate his throat area to make him cough, but showed no sign of a cough while vet was there.
Will call him back this week… if no change by Tuesday. The weird bit is he is so fine in himself, eating and now drinking fine and typically looks really well!

I would definitely be looking to swab at the very least, if not blood test too.
Mine had no temperatures, lungs sounded good, vet tried to get one to cough with a bag over nose... nothing.

 

[Murphy’s Gauntlet]

I would definitely be looking to swab at the very least, if not blood test too.
Mine had no temperatures, lungs sounded good, vet tried to get one to cough with a bag over nose... nothing.

What actually was yours suffering with and how did you get it fixed?

 

[Murphy’s Gauntlet]

What actually was yours suffering with and how did you get it fixed?

Sorry just re read everything… how long did all take to get your two clear?

 

[millitiger]

Sorry just re read everything… how long did all take to get your two clear?

It was a few weeks, it never really progressed but it took an age to completely shift it.
The 1st time the vet came, she said they were completely healthy, it was only when I insisted on tests on 2nd visit and she was really surprised at results.
I just hate not knowing this issue so needed a proper diagnosis as it had gone on too long.
It is super common apparently however mine were really asymptomatic.

 

[Murphy’s Gauntlet]

It was a few weeks, it never really progressed but it took an age to completely shift it.
The 1st time the vet came, she said they were completely healthy, it was only when I insisted on tests on 2nd visit and she was really surprised at results.
I just hate not knowing this issue so needed a proper diagnosis as it had gone on too long.
It is super common apparently however mine were really asymptomatic.

I’ve decided on Tuesday I will be calling the vet again. The ventipulmin has done something but it’s still there lingering. It’s strange as my older two have no signs of being affected but the fit young one is only just showing signs but only in when exerting himself and put under pressure. But I guess we know our horses so well that when something isn’t right, other people can’t see it and yet it’s blindingly obvious to us! It’s just so frustrating though.