Coughing caused by a pollen allergy??

[ponyforever]

Hi
I own a 15hh connemara who is 15. He suffers from a pollen allergy and is given ventipulmin daily, he started coughing last week so i started him on the ventipulmin, however, he is still coughing. I will warm him up and he coughs 5 times although after that he seemed to have cleared himself.

I then began to jump and he jumped fine but coughed a couple of times when I was doing a bit of flat work straight after jumping. This was in our school where there are pollen rich fields around us, and I hacked him out yesterday and he was fine and then started coughing on a road where even i could smell the pollens but after this he stopped.

I am wondering if there is anything else I can do for him, he isn't having dry hay. Do you think a nose net and ear cover would help?

We're competing on Sunday and I'm very worrid that he may start coughing half way around his jumping course? However, we're due rain so this could reduce the pollen count and would a change of location at a show help??

Any suggests thanks for reading this essay!

 

[Jane_Lou]

A friends little cob has a terrible pollen allergy and a couple of years ago it got really bad, he was coughing and belly breathing. She moved to our yard as our fields are on top of a hill and there is a constant light breeze which stops the pollen from "hanging" in the air which made some improvement. The vet put him on various inhalers (human ones) but i the end they took the chance and gave him a low does of steriods (after a week at the RVC) and he improved rapidly. For the last 2 seasons he has had a low level steriod injection before the start of the pollen season and one mid summer and has been fine. He is ridden and turned out in a nose net which does help as well. There are obvious risks (laminitis) associated with the steriods and she has to manage his weight with super care but for him it has been worth it as she is now back eventing him at low levels.

 

[MiJodsR2BlinkinTite]

I don't think this heavy, smoggy weather is helping at all, plus the dust - boy do we need some rain. My boy can be a bit huffy and puffy when you first get on him, and usually has to have his regulation snorts and puffs, then usually is OK, but this morning was awful.

Last night I bedded him down with fresh sawdust, and so wondered if there was any connection. Can't help thinking there has to be, coz he's never been this bad before, poor lad. So this morning I damped down the bed for him.

We live near a main road and he's often noticeably worse if we ride on one ride, where we literally go on a bridle path right beside it; and will be a bit snuffly, but then usually OK when we get away from there.

Just a thought ..... have you got oil-seed rape growing in your area (bright yellow fields!); I say this because a distant cousin of mine used to be an Ear Nose & Throat specialist, and he always used to remark that this crop is particularly bad for people with respiratory problems like asthma. So no doubt affects horses too.

I don't suffer from hayfever, but understand that often at this time of the year its the tree pollens which cause a lot of problems for people.

Sorry can't offer any advice, wish I could.

 

[Selinaswift]

The farmland next to our fields are growing rapeseed oil (or oilseed rape) which has seemed to set of our welsh D mare, she has bad couching fits, with no real pattern apart from when doing flatwork and jumping, is usually fine when hacking next to it! So confusing! Sorry for no advice, we soak the hay to reduce dust, and make sure she drinks, but apart from that, are a bit stuck aswell! Will definately keep an eye on this thread!