Coughing pony...Subestin?

[catwithclaws]

Daughters Welsh B been coughing. Dry cough, no nasal discharge, no temperature. Still has plenty of energy and is otherwise the picture of health, just coughing!

Already on shavings and soaked hay, minimum 7 hours turnout a day.

Vet came, thinks it's viral. Lungs clear, no noises on examination. Been given Subestin 10ml twice a day.

Anyone have any experiences? How long did it take to work? He's got 10 days worth and if it doesn't work/cough starts again once off it then we'll have to scope etc which I could really do without!

 

[Snow Falcon]

Didn't help my friends pony but he had a worse problem. He ended up with antbiotics too.

She has another one that coughs, she contacted Trinity who were very helpful.

 

[MiJodsR2BlinkinTite]

I had mine scoped as she had a persistent cough which just wasn't going away. Turned out to be equine asthma. We were already giving her soaked hay but a change to haylage (Devon Haylage, Timothy/Meadow mixture) was hugely significant and had a really beneficial effect on the coughing.

Mine had been given Ventilpulmin but hadn't done any good. Hated scoping her - particularly as she reacts very badly to sedation and just fights it all the way. Wouldn't want to do that again.

At the time of diagnosis vet was making noises about an inhaler & steroids.

However now at the last vet's visit he was happy that her breathing was good enough to not go this route, for now.

She is exercised regularly - and by "exercise" this is not just walking out and moving herself well in walk, it includes trotting and cantering too. Important for them to have faster exercise to clear them out, the vet said, if they are able.

 

[catwithclaws]

@MiJodsR2BlinkinTite

Thanks that's really helpful. Did your pony's cough just start out of the blue?

Our pony is 15 and we've had him almost a year without a hint of a cough. Same bedding, same batch of hay, same amount of turnout - nothings changed. Can he just suddenly 'get asthma'?

I'm really hoping he's just picked up a virus out and about competing, but I'm automatically already thinking worst case scenario

 

[maya2008]

There’s a cough virus or two going round every winter. We got one from a neighbouring yard and it’s taken a while to go round them all. On the last field’s worth of ponies now. Not a serious cough, doesn’t affect work, so I didn’t call the vet. Everyone else got better on their own, this batch will too!

I would only worry if it’s bad or it doesn’t go away. A couple of winters ago there was a bad cough locally to me that left several horses needing vet intervention because they were literally heaving trying to breathe in the stable.

 

[catwithclaws]

@maya2008
His is bad enough that he coughs every other stride in trot at the moment - although he doesn't ride differently, he's still forward going and keen as usual.

How long has your cough taken to recover from? Days/weeks/months? Please not months we've got so much planned this season and he'll be outgrown by next winter!

 

[maya2008]

@maya2008
His is bad enough that he coughs every other stride in trot at the moment - although he doesn't ride differently, he's still forward going and keen as usual.

How long has your cough taken to recover from? Days/weeks/months? Please not months we've got so much planned this season and he'll be outgrown by next winter!

Ours hasn’t been that bad - a few weeks at most, depending on the pony. Ours coughed at rest and when first stretching their legs as they walked in from the field. They live out though, so even the awful cough that had my friend’s horse on ventipulmin was just an annoying ‘few times each ride’ thing here. That one took ages to go though, weeks and weeks!

 

[Sir barnaby]

My boy had a cough came on all of a sudden during ridden excersise in November, vet check revealed nothing I suspected choke, or something stuck in throat, and the coughing made his throat sore, gave 10 day course ventipulman and he stopped coughing in 2 days.
i gave cough eze before riding just using one bottle, once I brought him back into work, I do wet his hay now not soaked just hosed before fed, not had anymore coughing since, he does live out so no problem there and if he comes in he’s on shavings and always has been. he’s over it all now thank goodness