Deep littering a Horse that has mild COPD?

LaurenBay

LaurenBay

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Just been told you should not deep litter a Horse that has mild COPD why is this?

I have made some big changes this year so hopefully Ruby will not be coughing as much as she did last year. The only change I haven't made is deep littering (she was on straw, now on shavings)
 
The more bedding, as in deep littering, the more dust and spores. Simples!

Having said that, horses/donkeys with COPD, or RAO as it is now called, will be sensitive to any amount of the offending substance. "Mild" RAO can very readily escalate into a severe state as a result of constant contact with the allergen.

Have you considered a bedding that is inorganic, like cardboard?
 
Oh, I would have thought that by removing the wet I would need more bedding which will create dust by adding more in.

I will look into different types of bedding and mats if she carries on this year. Hopefully she wont need to be changed as I will manage her totally different this winter.
 
Because the ammonia will aggregate the COPD.

Can you turn out 24/7? That was by far the best thing for the horse that I had with COPD.
 
My old horse used to cough a lot when stabled, he had a deep littered shavings bed and soaked hay.

Changed last year to rubber matting with Bedmax shavings and wet taken out every day and never coughed once. Also had him on haylege but he now back on normal unsoaked hay and still fine.
 
I would not risk it - very easy to turn mild COPD into something worse. My lad has mild COPD from dry hay and when I had to box rest him for laminitis on a deep bed (on vet instructions), within 2 weeks his breathing deteriorated even on wet hay. It got to the point where one evening I went to check him and he was labouring to breath - I turned him straight out onto his bare paddock despite the recovery from laminitis and the vet said I did the right thing.
He is more sensitive to dust than he was now but this is controlled only by 12 plus hours turnout and a small bed of dust free bedding and soaked hay. I would have him out 24/7 but I cannot because of the laminitis risk. But he is very well and healthy on this routine. I have to keep on top of the cobwebs in his stable too as even this will build up dust.
 
I think I'm right in saying that COPD is same as ROCD which my gelding has. In which case its not as simple as 'don't deep litter/straw/hay' as some horses COPD to summer pollen out 24/7.

FWIW, mine can be in an airy stable with good straw full muck out no problem but does cough on deep litter shavings. However I still use them as it is very mild (ROCD not weather BRRR) and he only comes in to ride or when lame etc. When he does cough it is once at the start of a ride and I always make sure I warm up slowly etc.
 
My share horse has very mild COPD, aggrevated further by his pollen allergy so we have a horse with a cough when he's in the stable or out! However me and his owner seemed to have cracked it over the last few weeks (I think the colder weather has helped reduce the pollen side of things). We have changed his bedding from straw to dust-free shavings, he is on haylage, we de-cobweb the stable frequently, he has rubber mats underneath the shavings and he is not deep littered - wet is removed daily. I'm also thinking about getting some anti-ammonia treatment for the stable as my horse is a very wet horse so even with taking the wet out daily there is still a pong of ammonia every now and then so I think he might do even better if I start using a treatment on the stable floor.

He was coughing pretty violently for a good few weeks, the vet did come out and give him a 2 week course of drugs but he was still coughing during exercise after that had finished, but with our more intensive mucking out routine it seems to have worked and he's not coughed for a couple of weeks now.

I definitely think deep littering is a bad idea for your horse, the wet needs to be taken out daily so a normal bed of dust free shavings (or other dust free bedding), maybe with an anti-ammonia treatment might work for you.
 
Thanks for all the comments.

Well last year she was on straw, airy stable but seperated by bars, so the dust from next door's stable came in. Limited turnout (none of the other Horses went out if it was wet, all owned by same person so not much I could do) Wasn't in work due to a stifle injury, fed wet hay, constantly stole dry hay from her neighbours feild and her field buddies during the day when they were out.

So I moved her yards.

This year, she is on dust free shavings (deep litter, but will change that now) big stable outside, 12 hour turnout every day!, individual turnout paddocks, so she can't have access to dry hay anymore, steamed hay, she is also fitter then she was last year and is also on a supplement by Feedmark, called Clarity. I reguarly de-web the stable too.

Hopefully with all these changes, she won't cough as much this year.

Unfourtantly yard doesn't offer 24/7 turnout. Knowhere near here does (nearest place is about a 45 minute drive from me)

She doesn't seem to be affected at all in the summer (so not pollen related)
 
Personally I would never deep litter a horse with even mild RAO. Check the stable has a through draft, use rubber matting with very minimal bedding, soak hay thoroughly, use a haynet & all that should keep it under control.
 
Deffiently won't be deep littering now.

That was the next thing to try (if she still coughs that is) to take away most of her bedding and put mats down with very miminal bedding.
 
POLLDARK said:
Personally I would never deep litter a horse with even mild RAO. Check the stable has a through draft, use rubber matting with very minimal bedding, soak hay thoroughly, use a haynet & all that should keep it under control.
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Completely agree with this. It should be noted that dust free anything will create it's own dust by breaking down in use. My boy has a pee patch which he uses which keeps the floor dry. I'm lucky though he's very tidy.
 
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