Equine asthma.

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missmatch

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Horse presented with difficulty breathing over 5 weeks ago. He has had two pots of ventipulmin, two pots of equisolon (steroids), injections of rapidexon and buscopan ( buscopan opens everything up), he has also had rapidexon and saline water through a nebuliser along with inhalers. Current respiratory rate is between 24 and 30 pm.
Horse is living out 24/7, only brought in for nebulisation. He is eating, pooing etc well however he is utterly exhausted and a bit grumpy.
He had one break of 5 days where his breathing was relatively normal but that was it.
I do have videos but no clue how to upload them.
I’ve no idea what to do next. I’ve no idea if this is normal with an attack/flare. He has seen the vet multiple times who believe it to be inflammatory as there’s no outward sign of an infection but it just seems an horrifically long time for a horse to be like this. It’s very distressing seeing him like this all the time.
He’s 9 years old.
Before I ring the vets again has anyone any advice/ideas to put forward. Has anyone had a horse go through this and did it all come right?
Thank you.
 
There may be no obvious signs of infection but I would want the vet to scope to check what really is going on inside, he has not responded well to treatment so taking a look and a sample from the lungs would make more sense than continuing to treat with what may be the wrong meds.
 
The only thing I can suggest is allergy testing. Mine was allergic to lots of feed stuffs. He is on vaccines and just by excluding the feeds he improved loads. Off inhaylers and breathing quite normal now. Its not cheap but my insurance did cover it. ( approx. £700)
 
Has your vet taken a blood sample ? I am asking because ANAEMIA can cause breathlessness ,a post on here some time ago about a horse that collapsed gasping for air was also prescribed ventipulin , I suggested Anaemia which is always secondary to some other problem ,that horse had a heavy infestation of tape worm that made him anaemic. It is worth asking the vet if only to rule it out .
 
I would want further investigation now I think. I would have expected improvement under steroids, especially now the weather is cooling and levels of irritants like pollen and dust (may be contributory) are dropping off.

Presumably heart has been checked thoroughly? Is the horse coughing anything up that might suggest foreign objects?
 
be positive said:
There may be no obvious signs of infection but I would want the vet to scope to check what really is going on inside, he has not responded well to treatment so taking a look and a sample from the lungs would make more sense than continuing to treat with what may be the wrong meds.
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I’ve booked him in for a scope. Thank you.
 
Hetsmum said:
The only thing I can suggest is allergy testing. Mine was allergic to lots of feed stuffs. He is on vaccines and just by excluding the feeds he improved loads. Off inhaylers and breathing quite normal now. Its not cheap but my insurance did cover it. ( approx. £700)
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Will consider it. His asthma is an exclusion on his insurance so this is all out of pocket. Thank you.
 
shergar said:
Has your vet taken a blood sample ? I am asking because ANAEMIA can cause breathlessness ,a post on here some time ago about a horse that collapsed gasping for air was also prescribed ventipulin , I suggested Anaemia which is always secondary to some other problem ,that horse had a heavy infestation of tape worm that made him anaemic. It is worth asking the vet if only to rule it out .
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He has regular blood tests every 3-6 months for something else. I will however mention it to the vet as it’s an option I hadn’t considered. Thank you.
 
Melody Grey said:
I would want further investigation now I think. I would have expected improvement under steroids, especially now the weather is cooling and levels of irritants like pollen and dust (may be contributory) are dropping off.

Presumably heart has been checked thoroughly? Is the horse coughing anything up that might suggest foreign objects?
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No cough at all. Never has had a cough. His heart is checked regularly as he has had an odd heartbeat every now and then although it hasn’t been heard in about a year but I will ask the vet to check it as it’s definitely worth a look. Thank you.
I can’t remmeber what the heart thing is called, it’s something normally seen in race horses not cobs.
 
shergar said:
Has your vet taken a blood sample ? I am asking because ANAEMIA can cause breathlessness ,a post on here some time ago about a horse that collapsed gasping for air was also prescribed ventipulin , I suggested Anaemia which is always secondary to some other problem ,that horse had a heavy infestation of tape worm that made him anaemic. It is worth asking the vet if only to rule it out .
Click to expand...
Yes I was incredibly breathless when I was anemic. I was under a GP for 6 months before I went to a consultant and a blood test showed the Anemia and lack of iron. I'd been taking stronger and stronger inhalers!
 
Just to update. He’s been scoped and it showed his total larynx is paralysed and his airways are extremely narrow. No idea as to why yet. Tests have been taken and we are waiting to see a specialist surgeon, hopefully beginning of next week.
If treatment is possible it will depend on what the cause is and if his lungs are damaged.
 
missmatch said:
Just to update. He’s been scoped and it showed his total larynx is paralysed and his airways are extremely narrow. No idea as to why yet. Tests have been taken and we are waiting to see a specialist surgeon, hopefully beginning of next week.
If treatment is possible it will depend on what the cause is and if his lungs are damaged.
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Oh crikey, I hope a double tieback will be possible, it's a very successful operation with laryngeal paralysis. I had one done and the rehab was very easy and he was a changed horse after it. Alternatively, lots of racehorses used to have tracheostomy operations and I remember someone on the forum had a happy hacker done a couple of years back.

So worrying for you :(

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Good luck - where have you been referred to? If you are anywhere near the Cotswolds the Ben Brain is pretty much the only surgeon used for wind ops in the wider area - it’s all he does day in day out.
 
ycbm said:
Oh crikey, I hope a double tieback will be possible, it's a very successful operation with laryngeal paralysis. I had one done and the rehab was very easy and he was a changed horse after it. Alternatively, lots of racehorses used to have tracheostomy operations and I remember someone on the forum had a happy hacker done a couple of years back.

So worrying for you :(

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Thank you. I’m still waiting on the results from the tracheal wash and bloods so no further forward yet. I wasn’t aware of a double tieback operation, can I ask why you had it done? I have read the thread on the tracheostomy and it did turn out exceptionally well so that’s given me hope. Although it really depends on cause as to what the vets can do.
 
ihatework said:
Good luck - where have you been referred to? If you are anywhere near the Cotswolds the Ben Brain is pretty much the only surgeon used for wind ops in the wider area - it’s all he does day in day out.
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You’re the second person to recommend him but my vets have called someone else so I am happy to go along with that for now. My vets are fab. I am also happy to request referral to him if I’m unhappy or feel another opinion is worthwhile. We’re in Northamptonshire so not a million miles away. Thank you.
 
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