Coughing

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mickey

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I moved my horse to a new yard over 2 yrs ago. Every summer (around May time onwards) he starts coughing - A niggling dry cough that is infrequent (a few times a day) and just rolls on and on until the Autumn.

In the autumn/winter he is stabled more (in an american barn), less turnout and more hay. You would think the cough would get worse, but actually it completely stops.

A couple of months ago he developed an upper resp tract infection (a strep infection) and was treated with antibiotics. He has had lost of rest and his health has returned to normal. Except, he has a cough after exercise and this is now getting worse as they have some really dusty hay just brought in.

We have tried him on wet hay repeatedly, he is not interested in eating it. Yesterday I went out and brought some horsehage which he is now on.

My question is - What would you do if a horse had a cough every summer presumably due to pollen/something growing nearby?

If this cough rattles on, even at a low level, will it cause permanent damage? I don't really want him permanently medicated.
 
I would be interested to hear (read!) the replies, because my horse has a cough at this time of year. He has done this for the past four or five years (last year was not bad, this year is worse). I have had the vet in past years, antibiotics etc. and nothing makes any difference. The cough stops after a few weeks.
It's not bad enough to stop him working, and his breathing at rest is fine; but it sounds awful and if I didn't know it will go away I would be worried.
I will see what people say
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Mine has COPD (or whatever the current name for it is) as a result of an infection before I got her, and as part of her management I was told she would be fine if she lived out. In fact she can cope with being in over winter at night as long as I make sure everything is dust free but our problems start around May when she will start coughing and heaves horribly.
After a month of ventipulmin she went on to Global Herbs products added to her food and the difference has been remarkable - she might cough occasionally now but it isn't regular and I am very impressed to the extent that I will keep her on the products year round to prevent any potential problems
 
My mare was diagnoised with CoPd, basically an allergy to dust/pollen spores found in the air and hay& straw.she developed a really nasty cough and her airways were thick with mucus and would often be seen coughing up really thick snot.The vet checked her airways and found that they were scarred and closed up and this was the reason for coughing.
The vet advised as much turnout as possible as with her head down this would help all the mucus to come out, she was bedded on shavings and fed on haylage, never on straw or hay even soaked, she had a course of medication and with careful house keeping she is fit as a fiddle and is now out on loan with a lovely family , yes she still has a cough now and again mainly in the summer, but its some thing that she will always have, on the last vets visit her airways are much clearer and he's very happy with her.
Just try and eliminate as much of the dust spores as possible.
 
Funny you should say that, my daughters pony has started coughing lately, but I think its the hay.

Last year my horse and another got a cough around sep/oct and my vet reacons it was something in the field. They moved fields and I gave him propel and with in a week it had gone.

I think we all panick about horses coughing, but I suppose their just like us and get the odd cough and cold.
 
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This seems like a mild form of allergic airways syndrome (what rocks has).
I think for the case like you are in, i would be inclined to try a liquid cough syrup for horses like kof-eze or feelgood30.

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Yes, I don't mind trying a supplement or short term aid. My worry is that he will end up permanently with a problem.

He's already on Extraflex HA for his spavin, a calmer (for my nerves!!) and a feed balancer.......
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Try a cough supplement (I use Equine America's Koffless). Sparks has lung damage from abcesses years ago and is often a bit coughy in summer when it's dusty/dry or the pollen count's high.

Re: wet hay - have you tried steaming instead of soaking?
 
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Try a cough supplement (I use Equine America's Koffless). Sparks has lung damage from abcesses years ago and is often a bit coughy in summer when it's dusty/dry or the pollen count's high.

Re: wet hay - have you tried steaming instead of soaking?

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Yes steaming was going to be my next course of action after wet hay. But when I saw the dustiness of the hay and also thought of the practicialities of the livery yard doing this regularly I felt it was preferable to get horse hage.
 
Hi, my pony has just been diagnosed with the same as yours, i soak his hay for 24hours and i have changed his beddding from straw to easi-bed (he was eating the straw)
has he been better with the horsehage?
 
Hi Ya
He has been on horsehage since Monday and I have noticed a HUGE difference. The only time I have heard him cough is once after exercise (but a vastly reduced cough in terms of duration). I am hoping it will continue this way!
 
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