Coughing for 9 weeks!! Run out of ideas!?

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Greylegs

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My boy has had a persistent cough for 9 weeks now. It started as a snotty nose + cough thing but, thankfully, the snottiness has dried up. Vet has seen him three times!. So far we've tried a course of antibiotics, bute (?), 2 different cough medicines - one horsey and one human (Benylin). He's on garlic in his feeds and have now started adding echinachea as well to try to boost his immune system. Nothing seems to be working and I'm getting pretty fed up with it. On a day to day basis, he seems fine and I'm keeping him in light work (40-50 minutes walk/trot hacking or a bit of light school work, 4-5 times per week), he's turned out daily but in at night. We are damping feeds and feeding haylage rather than hay. He seems well enough in himself and is happy to potter about but I'm reluctant to do more with him as I don't know if i'm causing more damage.

Either I start to work my way through the wide array of respiratory supplements on the market (vet said not to bother! - waste of money), get the vet out again for more anti-Bs and further investigations such as scoping or just wait as see if it clears.

I'm completely out of ideas and don't know what to do next for the best. Any thoughts or advice would be very welcome.

Thanks all.
 
scope him, the person who backed my mare pulled up when eventing on her mare cos she did not feel right-no coughing or anything but out of all her horses and ponies over the years she has a real connection with this one, she requested a scope which the vets did and the mare had a collapsed trachea, 12 weeks later back in work and fine but a first syptom is often coughing that does not respond to antibiotics
 
I am a big fan of NAF Respirator Boost.

It was recommended by a previous YM. I had already had the vet out and Ventipulmin had failed to budge it, so thought it was worth a try and it worked really well.

Now, when he occasionally gets a dry cough (I would of course get the vet out if it was in any way more serious or "productive"), then I start him on a course of NAF Respirator Boost and it has worked every time.
 
Ask your vet to prescribe sputolosin and exercise daily including canter, the best thing is to work the lungs and add something (sputolosin) to break up the phlegm on the lungs...
 
Thanks all. Decided to have chat with the vet today and have booked him in for a scope next week. At least we'll know what's up and can treat accordingly, rather than trying random things and hoping for the best. i'll see what happens.
 
Queenbee said:
Ask your vet to prescribe sputolosin and exercise daily including canter, the best thing is to work the lungs and add something (sputolosin) to break up the phlegm on the lungs...
Click to expand...

This is want would go for .
I also have twice had amazing results with the wyngery ventilate supplement which my vet recommended .
 
When I exercise I sometimes use Vick, just a small amount around the nostrils. My little Arab mare has coughed on and off for a while so I started her on Turmeric ,Black Pepper and Linseed oil and as well as clearing up the cough my Equine Dentist said last time that her mouth was so much better.
 
I suppose whether any supplements will work will depend on the underlying cause but my vet also recommended Ventilate for my horses mild copd. He has been on it for 2 years now with good results.
 
I had one who used to get a random cough every now and again for no apparent reason. tried antibiotics, had him scoped etc, only thing that worked was Ventipulmin - only needed a few days of it each time that the cough flared up.
 
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