Equine asthma - HELP

[luci_king]

My pony has always had dust allergies and sometimes develops a cough, usually a week on a respiratory supplement clears it up and he’s back to normal.

long story short my pony wasn’t being looked after at my previous yard and lost a lot of weight, he’s 26 and loses weight when not having his feed managed properly. The yard kept him on dusty forage and bedding despite numerous requests. I moved to my new yard and in under a month he was back looking fab again but developed a cough.

I put the cough down to him being underweight on arrival, the stress of moving and dusty ground as it was extremely dry!

I got the vet out a week or so ago as he was very wheezy, heaving and coughing a lot. The vet prescribed him a 5 day course of steroids and dilaterol. 5 days past and there wasn’t any improvement, I spoke to the vet who furthered his steroids for another 5 days (finishes them on Tuesday) so I went down on Friday and he was a lot better, couldn’t hear any wheezing just a slight crackle at the end, his breathing rate was 12 per minute and he didn’t cough once. I checked him again Saturday and wheezing had completely gone. I went today (Sunday) and he’s gotten worse. There’s a wheeze in his breath (no where near as bad as it was) and his breathes per minute were 19.

he’s having soaked hay which is of really high quality and there’s no visible dust coming off it when dry. He’s on straw bedding which isn’t particularly dusty either but is worse on shavings etc. He unfortunately has to come in on a night or in bad weather with him being old and not the best doer.

the vet said if he’s no better after the steroids he’ll have to be scoped, which id really like to try and avoid due to his age! Obviously I know it may be necessary. Up to this ‘flare up’ he was fit and healthy and in full time work.

I’m really freaking out that he’s not going to come right and I’m going to loose him. Is this normal for some improvement then to kind of go backwards a bit? Is there anything else I can do to help him?

All advice welcome!!

 

[Supra241]

I have allergic asthma and it flared up once on a yard where there was mugwort nearby and the hay was very woody and therefore dusty and also they cleaned with strong chemicals. It made a bad mix and my horse started coughing a but too. His eyes were streaming. I don't know if this is relevant, just an idea.

 

[TPO]

I have a horse with mild asthma and he does fine with ventipulmin.

He was only 5 when it developed after a virus was allowed to run through the livery he was on at the time. Other horses rough in the virus and neither the owners nor the YO saw fit to involve a vet.

I got a vet as soon as my horse coughed. He was scoped and treated with anti bionics for the virus (iirc) and a course of ventipulmin.

If you could change to a dust extracted bedding that might help. Although good straw may not appear dusty it will be. I'm currently using dust extracted chopped straw and preciously used Ned Pro. I opined a huge difference swapping to them from Bed Max and had noticed a difference swapping from normal shavings to bed max.

On that yard horses had to come in at night year round. The biggest improvement was when I left that yard and could have 24/7 turnout in summer.

A scope is uncomfortable but it shouldn't be detrimental to your horses health. I think one would be required to determine exactly what is going on with your horse.

My vet speaks highly of the inhalers and new steroids that are being used for more severe asthma. That might be an option for your horse.

 

[palo1]

I have been through this too My horse is now back in work and no problems at this point. I would recommend a scope so that you know exactly what you are dealing with as different drugs/medication would be best for different things. If you are insured that shouldn't be difficult but if you are not then you may need to ask your vet about the cost of the scope; I was very pleasantly surprised about that tbh with a cost of around £250. I am not insured and asked for a scope for my young horse at the earliest point as I didn't want to spend money or time worrying doing other things. If the current medication isn't working as hoped then you may well save yourself money and stress by pinpointing the cause of the flare up with the scope. I hope you can get your horse heading in the right direction soon! My vets have been hugely encouraging and positive whilst I was panicking. Good luck.

 

[Lovely jubbly]

Give spirulina a go great for respiratory issues comes in powder which my horse wouldn’t eat but she’s fine tablet form. There’s a great article from a vet in America on the results spirulina has had on different problems in horses. Just search for “9 science backed benefits of spirulina for horses”

 

[palo1]

Give spirulina a go great for respiratory issues comes in powder which my horse wouldn’t eat but she’s fine tablet form. There’s a great article from a vet in America on the results spirulina has had on different problems in horses. Just search for “9 science backed benefits of spirulina for horses”

Well yes but it is probably wise to make sure of what the issue is first - spirulina would not help something structural for example.

 

[Lovely jubbly]

Well yes but it is probably wise to make sure of what the issue is first - spirulina would not help something structural for example.

Spirulina is a natural product is antihistamine, anti-inflammatory,soothes,good for the immune system. Great for heaves COPD do the research I’ve seen the results with a horse that needed an inhaler and was always on ventapulmin. There was nothing left to try this stuff worked and he’s back in light work. Read up on the benefits and it’s back by science research. Even if it’s structural which I don’t think it is sounds like COPD to me spirulina is still not going to harm.

 

[Lovely jubbly]

Steam salt treatment has also worked on another horse but isn’t cheap…retired riding school horse chronic COPD now back in work without any coughing or wheezing.

 

[palo1]

There are some really good alternative therapies for all sorts of equine issues but I think for the OP the most helpful advice would be to work out a more specific diagnostic route; the horse has had standard treatment for a COPD/Asthma flare up which hasn't resolved the issue.

 

[ycbm]

Give spirulina a go great for respiratory issues comes in powder which my horse wouldn’t eat but she’s fine tablet form. There’s a great article from a vet in America on the results spirulina has had on different problems in horses. Just search for “9 science backed benefits of spirulina for horses”

That article you point to says

There are currently no placebo-controlled studies available to evaluate the effects of spirulina on respiratory function in horses.

It does sound as if some research should be being done, but in the two cases described it was combined with much larger quantities of something else.

He was scoped and treated with antibiotics for the virus

Antibiotics don't work on viruses, the vet probably thought he had a bacterial infection.


LK has the vet mentioned inhalers? A friends horse did quite well on beclomethasone inhalers
.

 

[TPO]

No the vet didn't because the sample was tested.

 

[Lovely jubbly]

All I’m saying is Anything is worth a try if it doesn’t work then it doesn’t work…..it worked great on a friends horse with chronic COPD when nothing else worked poor sod was on steroids for years which did nothing and caused other issues.It’s herbal natural…not chemical like steroids and other nasties. Im not saying don’t ask or use a vet…but sometimes vets get stumped as well.

 

[luci_king]

He is insured, but due to his age insurance companies only offer cover for death and accidental visible injuries. Once they get passed 20 no insurance company will insure them for illness!

I reported my findings back to my vet who seem pleased and that he was heading in the right direction even with the fluctuations and thinks the same as I do that it’s allergy related. I ordered piriton last week still waiting for it to arrive so I’m going to give him 10 a day as he’s about 380kg. Vets coming back out Monday to check him over again and think they are going to prescribe him an inhaler. Can we just give them human ones? I’m asthmatic so can get hold of steroid and reliever inhalers and think it would cut the cost!

It’s really odd, tonight I listened to his breathing and he sounded a bit wheezy and had a few coughs, went and poo picked and checked again before I left and wheeze had gone. It’s really frustrating!

Ive seen something called respimin that I’m debating to try, a few reviews I read said vets had recommended this instead of ventapulmin. Has anyone used this?

 

[luci_king]

Thought I’d also post my recordings of him too, so you can see what you think. The numbers are breathes per minute

 

[Jamie Kent]

My pony has always had dust allergies and sometimes develops a cough, usually a week on a respiratory supplement clears it up and he’s back to normal.

long story short my pony wasn’t being looked after at my previous yard and lost a lot of weight, he’s 26 and loses weight when not having his feed managed properly. The yard kept him on dusty forage and bedding despite numerous requests. I moved to my new yard and in under a month he was back looking fab again but developed a cough.

I put the cough down to him being underweight on arrival, the stress of moving and dusty ground as it was extremely dry!

I got the vet out a week or so ago as he was very wheezy, heaving and coughing a lot. The vet prescribed him a 5 day course of steroids and dilaterol. 5 days past and there wasn’t any improvement, I spoke to the vet who furthered his steroids for another 5 days (finishes them on Tuesday) so I went down on Friday and he was a lot better, couldn’t hear any wheezing just a slight crackle at the end, his breathing rate was 12 per minute and he didn’t cough once. I checked him again Saturday and wheezing had completely gone. I went today (Sunday) and he’s gotten worse. There’s a wheeze in his breath (no where near as bad as it was) and his breathes per minute were 19.

he’s having soaked hay which is of really high quality and there’s no visible dust coming off it when dry. He’s on straw bedding which isn’t particularly dusty either but is worse on shavings etc. He unfortunately has to come in on a night or in bad weather with him being old and not the best doer.

the vet said if he’s no better after the steroids he’ll have to be scoped, which id really like to try and avoid due to his age! Obviously I know it may be necessary. Up to this ‘flare up’ he was fit and healthy and in full time work.

I’m really freaking out that he’s not going to come right and I’m going to loose him. Is this normal for some improvement then to kind of go backwards a bit? Is there anything else I can do to help him?

All advice welcome!!

It does sound like a heavy ashtma crisis (i'm no expert); steroids in human are good for asthma until they're not anymore (steroids are very good on spot treatments during asthma attacks but used in a long term, your body gets used to them and don't respond anymore) pretty much the same happens for horses.
You should look into supplements that contains natural antihistamins like nigella and use it on the long run; asthma is no joke and can't be cured so it's a long road but it can definetely be better.
Good luck with your horse

 

[Landcruiser]

I went through something like this with my boy, switching to haylage has essentially cured him. He used to eat hay and soaked hay without issue, but just seemed to develop an allergy to it, even soaked and steamed. He was put on dilaterol and had a nebuliser twice a day at his worst. He rarely coughs at all on haylage, just a little when the tree pollens are bad or the rape is out locally. It took about a fortnight from stopping all hay but it was like a miracle cure.

 

[luci_king]

Well since starting his inhaler (among other things I’ve put in his feed, omega oil, piriton & airways) touch wood we’ve had 2 consecutive days of normal breathing. I’m really hoping he just continues to stay stable now!!

 

[TPO]

Well since starting his inhaler (among other things I’ve put in his feed, omega oil, piriton & airways) touch wood we’ve had 2 consecutive days of normal breathing. I’m really hoping he just continues to stay stable now!!

Great news!

Keeping a record helps too especially if you can identify if high resp days tie in with a new bale of bedding going in or opening a new bale of forage etc. Helps you to find the triggers

 

[luci_king]

Great news!

Keeping a record helps too especially if you can identify if high resp days tie in with a new bale of bedding going in or opening a new bale of forage etc. Helps you to find the triggers

Yeah I definitely will! It’s helping that he’s out 24/7 at the moment, he’ll have to come in when the colder weather hits as he just can’t live out all year round and will just pace the fence in the colder months! But I’ve switched him to large flake shavings so fingers crossed he doesn’t have a massive flare up again! Im just hoping we don’t go backwards now!

 

[Mule]

I've had to buy my asthmatic horse a nebuliser. I use it with dexamethasone steroid. He was on oral steroids for a year but I didn't want to keep him on those for much longer because of potential effects on his immune system. The nebuliser steroid doesn't have side effects because it goes straight to the lungs rather then the whole system.

The liquid dexamethasone is also far cheaper than the oral steroids. The initial outlay of the nebuliser is expensive but it works out much cheaper. You could ask your vet about this if you are having difficulty finding something that works.

 

[luci_king]

I've had to buy my asthmatic horse a nebuliser. I use it with dexamethasone steroid. He was on oral steroids for a year but I didn't want to keep him on those for much longer because of potential effects on his immune system. The nebuliser steroid doesn't have side effects because it goes straight to the lungs rather then the whole system.

The liquid dexamethasone is also far cheaper than the oral steroids. The initial outlay of the nebuliser is expensive but it works out much cheaper. You could ask your vet about this if you are having difficulty finding something that works.

I did look into a nebuliser for him incase the inhaler didn’t work. Touch wood the inhaler seems to have worked. I think my vets hire them out, so if he has a flare up again which can’t be controlled by the inhaler it’s something I’ll definitely look into. Thanks

 

[Yeomans]

Have you tried the salt therapy? My connie Spud went for 3 consecutive days and hasnt coughed since. I appreciate it doesnt work for everyone but may be worth considering.

 

[luci_king]

Have you tried the salt therapy? My connie Spud went for 3 consecutive days and hasnt coughed since. I appreciate it doesnt work for everyone but may be worth considering.

I did consider it, but a few from my yard had it and it didn’t seem to take effect. I just feel it’s a lot of money on the likelihood if it doesn’t work and would like to explore other options in the first instance. Our boxes are well ventilated too so it would be near on impossible to try and make them ‘air tight’