Coughing horse - what to do?

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Patterdale

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Back in February, all the horses had a virus. Runny nose and cough. Vet advised. They were never ill or down with it and it soon cleared up.

The one I ride however is still coughing intermittently when ridden. He can go a week with no coughing at all, then a session like today where he’ll cough 4-5 times so I get off.
The vet won’t come out but says it will clear up in time and work wise to just be guided by him.

Any thoughts on this? Has anyone else come across this? Thanks.
 
It can set off a sensitivity to dust, if they are still in at night either chuck out asap or soak hay, dust free bedding, if hay already being soaked haylage will be better but ideally a few weeks outside on no hay should allow it to clear completely but you may find next winter you need to be careful to keep him as dust free as possible or it could come back.
 
My pair of youngsters picked up a virus in 2017 after attending a show. It knocked them sideways and took forever plus a lot of money to sort out. The one was left with compromised breathing and now the pollen is starting again she will start to cough. With her I find micro managing her in terms of dust helps, keeping her a light as possible and as fit as possible helps her.

She will need the odd help with meds and I use NAF respirator with success.
 
My pony used to respond well to NAF Cof-Eze. I’d just pour it into a Stubbs scoop and let him lick it up. My son would also swig the stuff which is quite delicious to be fair.
 
I’ve had good success syringing benilyn down a horse. Also NAF respirator which doesn’t have inspiring ingredients I agree but weirdly does work! I did find cough returned in some when off it...
 
Another vote for Naf respirator boost liquid. No idea why it works but it really does and it's not too expensive in the grand scheme of things.
I've also used things like equimins air power booster just before riding too.
 
Quigleyandme said:
My pony used to respond well to NAF Cof-Eze. I’d just pour it into a Stubbs scoop and let him lick it up. My son would also swig the stuff which is quite delicious to be fair.
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I‘ve also had great results with Cof-Eze. I used to ride a horse that had had a tie-back and gave him some just before I rode.
 
I had a similar experience with my horse. Other livery horses were coughing and producing phlegm but owners (& YO) didnt involve vets.

Typically my boy picked it up and the vet was out asap. Horse was scoped and samples taking for testing. The results showed the tail end of a viral infection but there was also inflammation.

A course of antibiotics and ventipulmin was prescribed. However he has been left with mild asthma because of the virus and the negligent owners of the infected horses.

I've made management changes with steamed hay (although currently fairing better on dampened hay than steamed) and switching bedding. The goal is to have him out 24/7 but being in Scotland with the consistent rain we had that isn't possible over winter.

Science supplements RespirAid was recommended on here, possibly by @Elf On A Shelf. It has worked wonders and kept Chip symptom free. As a heads up it's also cheaper to by from eVet online than direct from SS.
 
It is just coming into rape time with the yellow flowers coming into bloom. I am a bit wheezy myself when this happens, a bot of a cough too :oops: but it does happen every year and I have no other Covid signs!

Ours is a strong rape area, and I know a few horses who are similarly affected.

I would do as your vet suggests, work moderately while the cough is there and keep dust free as much as possible.
 
I have used the Lincoln cough syrup and it seemed to help we get a seasonal type cough thing round here, a lot of horses in the area seem to get it for a few weeks then just goes.
 
You may find that all the potions & lotions that you can buy either in the tack shop or chemist won't do any good. We had a similar issue with one of our horses & we needed the vet out, horse scoped, steroids given using a nebuliser. This went on for months & even now he still coughs on occasions. The earlier you can get the correct treatment the better the chance of sorting the issue out. You may find that your horse will always have this issue.
 
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Toby_Zaphod said:
You may find that all the potions & lotions that you can buy either in the tack shop or chemist won't do any good. We had a similar issue with one of our horses & we needed the vet out, horse scoped, steroids given using a nebuliser. This went on for months & even now he still coughs on occasions. The earlier you can get the correct treatment the better the chance of sorting the issue out. You may find that your horse will always have this issue.
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Unfortunately the vet won’t come out atm :(
 
So he is still coughing, coughed up yellowish green phlegm yesterday.
What can I do!? At my wits end.
He and one of the youngsters and one pony still coughing. The ponies are in a different field now so not environment.

He’s living out 24/7 and has ad-lib good haylage.

Going to ring the vets tomorrow and beg them to come out. Maybe with the new relaxed guidelines!? I’m quite anti-antibiotics unless really needed but I’m quite willing to give them a try now..!
 
Patterdale said:
Back in February, all the horses had a virus. Runny nose and cough. Vet advised. They were never ill or down with it and it soon cleared up.

The one I ride however is still coughing intermittently when ridden. He can go a week with no coughing at all, then a session like today where he’ll cough 4-5 times so I get off.
The vet won’t come out but says it will clear up in time and work wise to just be guided by him.

Any thoughts on this? Has anyone else come across this? Thanks.
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Speak to the vet
If they wont come out,
then in the mean time, soak hay, steam hay,wet hay.
get some cough supplement there is plenty on the net
boost immune system
don't ride in dusty environment
don't muck out or skip out with horse in there
careful with bedding
damp bedding
make sure paddock is no to bare so loads dust

gd luck
 
If phlegm is yellow/green then there's an infection/virus.

Dry/dust cough phlegm is clear/white.

Vet would come out for an infection/virus I think because if its left it can cause long term damage. I would imagine they would scope and take samples but I dont know if labs are open for testing?

I think the vet would need to see the horse(s) in person before prescribing antibiotics. Based only on my experience of similar that's the course of action.

I wouldn't be riding at all (not suggesting that you are OP) as you do not want to put any strain on the lungs
 
TPO said:
If phlegm is yellow/green then there's an infection/virus.

Dry/dust cough phlegm is clear/white.

Vet would come out for an infection/virus I think because if its left it can cause long term damage. I would imagine they would scope and take samples but I dont know if labs are open for testing?

I think the vet would need to see the horse(s) in person before prescribing antibiotics. Based only on my experience of similar that's the course of action.

I wouldn't be riding at all (not suggesting that you are OP) as you do not want to put any strain on the lungs
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Thanks. I was riding as the cough had disappeared for well over a week and he’s never been ‘ill’ in himself even when they all had the virus. I’m not now though!
Got on yesterday, walked round the field and he coughed 4 times so I got straight off. Then when he was having his feed I heard him coughing, then there was thick dark yellow phlegm in the feed bowl.

Going to beg the vet to come! I’ve another with conjunctivitis and they wouldn’t come out to that last week, just prescribed drops. It’s a bloody nightmare, I haven’t needed the vet for ages and then as soon as they’re not allowed to come out it all goes wrong!
 
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ILuvCowparsely said:
Speak to the vet
If they wont come out,
then in the mean time, soak hay, steam hay,wet hay.
get some cough supplement there is plenty on the net
boost immune system
don't ride in dusty environment
don't muck out or skip out with horse in there
careful with bedding
damp bedding
make sure paddock is no to bare so loads dust

gd luck
Click to expand...

Thanks. As stated though, I’ve spoke to the vet, and he lives out 24/7 on ad-lib good haylage so not sure what other management changes I can make.
 
Speak to the vet again. If he's coughing up green phlegm he needs antibiotics. You should be able to get the vet to treat him on welfare grounds.
 
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