Dust or pollen allergy?

[Kezza]

Is there any way to tell if your horse has a dust allergy or a pollen allergy? Mine has a mild cough at the moment but not sure if it's the dry weather or pollen and not sure how I'd tell which it might be? I'm waiting on a call from my vet but was just wondering if anyone had any ideas on how to tell? Thanks

 

[Box_Of_Frogs]

If you're really determined to find out which it is, you can get skin tests done that would tell you, although it would probably be very expensive. Is your horse stabled overnight in the winter? Was he on straw? Did he cough at all then? Or did the cough start a few weeks ago? If he coughed when spending more time in his stable (ie winter) it's more likely to be a dust allergy. If he just started to cough a few weeks back, in synch with the hawthorn blooming in the hedges, it's most likely to be a pollen allergy. Either way, you need to get on top of it to prevent the long term lung damage that COPD/RAO will cause.

 

[Kezza]

He's had a cough since I got him last Oct but I moved his stable, changed his bedding and gave him ventilate on recommendation of my vet and that has managed it up until now. I started ventipulmin yesterday and my vet said give that a week. Not sure whether to try local honey?

 

[amage]

have you scoped him? Does it get worse or better with exercise? If it's going on since October it is unlikely to be pollen

 

[Kezza]

No scope yet. Vet saw him in winter and suggested ventilate. That worked till now and we decided to try ventipulmin for a week as the cough is mild and no breathing issues yet. He only coughs once or twice when I'm riding when I do my first trot or sometimes in the morning. Vet has suggested a tracheal wash or something to test if its pollen if ventipulmin doesn't work.