Equine asthma

[MagicMelon]

Horse has had a cough recently and vets diagnosed asthma. The horse lives out 24/7. As I dont have very much grazing they have free access to a big round bale of hay in a ring feeder all year round. The bale has a net over it but they tend to eat the centre first and stick their heads down into it - not good for dust I imagine. Hay is good quality and I certainly wouldnt call it dusty at all. Otherwise horse isnt in a dusty environment. Moving forward now, vet says Ill have to soak hay forever more or do haylage. Haylage is no good as think itd send her loopy and too rich for my old boy who she shares field with. I just need a practical solution as soaking a big round bale clearly wont work. I have nowhere to store a bale either... my stable doors arent big enough to fit a bale through. My supplier doesnt do square. Would not soaking and simply putting piles in field or putting up haynets be better as at least they wont stick their head into it? Will soak if I have to but my old horse is skinny and he prefers dry hay, I dont want to put him off eating!

Vet has prescribed an inhaler type treatment for 20 days then says its just keeping dust down. Is this enough to keep her normal, can I XC and compete as normal or does she need medication forever more to keep her from having asthma attacks? Its not something Ive ever come across so need as much info as poss!

 

[ycbm]

I definitely think you should stop him putting his head in the middle, however that can be done. Have you tried any meadow haylage recently? In the early days it seemed all to be ryegrass, but there are better grasses available now, at least around these parts. I could recommend you a good supplier who delivers nationwide but it would be no good to start with because you can't have one bale to test it. Also very expensive.

If it was me, my OH would knock up a heavy lid that fits the ring size and forces them to pull from the sides instead. Do you have anyone that handy?
..

 

[Goldenstar]

You could try the wet piles , but it may be he can’t be anywhere near hay .
But I would be thinking of moving over to big bale haylege .
I bought a horse with asthma he was a good horse I quickly found if I had no straw or hay anywhere on the yard he was a normal horse .I also had change muckheap onto a trailer system while I had him .
He was not in good general health ( this won’t be the case with your horse ) when I bought him and as I got him better and better in holistic way he became very different .
He also was definitely better on a wind supplement I had him on wynergy ventilate .

 

[SantaVera]

I've two who need soaked hay one for asthma the other for EMS. We have no water at the yard except that which we collect off the stable roof or take from home in an ibc tank. I net hay and soak in large plastic trugs I also leave hay out to get wet in the rain so it's at leastdamp for feeding if I can't face anymore heavy nets. Putting hay in a large wheelbarrow and soaking it there is helpful. If I had electric I would buy a haygain steamer. Anyway you now face a lifetime of wet hay dry nets or loose piles still cause coughing. But it is doable.

 

[mavandkaz]

My mare has also recently been diagnosed.
My vet is very clear that hay has to be soaked (not just dampened, but a good soak), and needs to be feed loose on the floor. The other option, and probably the better one, is to feed haylage. You can find some good high fibre/low sugar haylage out there.
I stuff a dustbin with hay, fill it up from the hose, leave for an hour or so, tip it out and leave to drain. Then into the wheelbarrow and move around as needed.

In terms of work load - it's entirely dependent on the horse. My girl was charging about the countryside last year doing fun rides and xc, absolutely loves going for a gallop and jumping.
Currently we are only able to walk hack with the odd short trot .
She started inhalers just over a week ago and they have helped. Will reassess in two weeks when it's nearly finished, but I have bought a Flexineb nebuliser ready.

Hopefully yours will massively improve with just some environmental/management changes

 

[Highmileagecob]

Maybe try a few nets of haylage to see if there is a difference. What do you have growing around the area that is shedding pollen? My old boy (diagnosed COPD and probable EMS years ago) has started coughing this week, coinciding with the summer field opening up. The willow trees on the park behind the field are shedding pollen like mad, so I will break out the Piriton again. Four tablets in the morning are enough to damp down his cough. He has stayed on haylage and dust free bedding since diagnosis, and my yard was kind enough to make him an open stable with a small open air compound attached at the top end of the yard away from the hay stores. His attacks always happen in high summer, usually in hot dusty weather, so this week is a surprise.

 

[fidleyspromise]

I have a mare with asthma/COPD.
I put hay out daily in a hay hutch and pour a bucket of water over it - dampening it enough for her without having to soak for x amount of time.

I keep large bales in my field covered in tarp, have a couple pallets that I bag hay up into for a couple weeks, store them on pallets and then can grab a bag a day to use. (Not sure if you're able to do anything similar as you mention no space).

 

[palo1]

I transferred forage from hay to haylage for my Welsh D mare with asthma. It is hugely helpful and even whilst having ad lib haylage she has not had any disturbance to digestion or temperament. It has cut down hard feed costs completely too for the other 2 that are on haylage but are less good doers than my mare. I think you can get quite a variety of haylage/wrapped hay these days and nutritionally it tends to be better and that is also something to consider if you have a horse with any immune related issues. I am a convert!

 

[TPO]

I've got one with mild asthma. For the past, almost, 6 years I've managed him on very low dose ventipulmin and management changes.

To date he's been on steamed hay using a Haygain. Even dry hay that was shaken up into piles in the field affected him. So field hay for them all was getting steamed.

I switched him to haylage a couple of weeks ago for his overnight/stabled haylage.

This was working well until something else came up. Turns out my EDT has missed a serious issue for years and now after a trip to a specialist, he's not to get hay or haylage and we have no grass. Fun times.

Anyway if small bale haylage would work have a look at Timage. I've known them for years and used to buy direct from the farm when I lived through that way. They deliver by the pallet and delivery cost is included. One bale lasted me a week for a 450kg horse. They also do a "light" version if calorie intake is a concern.

I've now got a haygain for sale too since he can't have hay again

 

[estela]

I always feed well soaked hay in the stable, on the floor, and use dust free bedding. When out, if they need extra forage I feed haylage, again on the ground, in small piles. This seems to work OK. For info our vet said that you only need a couple of dry haynets that can start them off. Good luck.

 

[MagicMelon]

Thanks all for advice. Has anyone used salt therapy?

 

[SEL]

I now manage without soaked (I was having to do it for 3) by feeding from piles on the floor in the field. It's soaked if she's stabled. Her gut couldn't cope with haylage.

Tree pollen is her biggest trigger so she's pretty wheezy now. She was fine to hack in walk this morning but didn't want to gallop in her normal spot. She has a collapsed soft palate too which surgery couldn't correct so when she says she only wants to walk I listen. I use piriton if she's very bad and in summer she'll take herself into the shelter if she's struggling. One of the best bits of advice I got was to try and get her fit in winter so her lungs were primed for pollen season.

 

[MiJodsR2BlinkinTite]

Thanks all for advice. Has anyone used salt therapy?

^^^^ Yes I tried it for my coblet (asthmatic). We had treatment for 9 months spread over monthly intervals.

Sadly I wasn't seeing that much of an improvement - certainly not enough to justify the £40 per pop - to continue the treatment.

Changed to haylage and that made a dramatic improvement, almost overnight in fact.

 

[Muddy unicorn]

Thanks all for advice. Has anyone used salt therapy?

As far as I’m aware there is zero evidence of salt therapy doing anything for horses apart from placebo

 

[mavandkaz]

Thanks all for advice. Has anyone used salt therapy?

From the reading I have done, and a fab podcast my vet forwarded me, salt therapy wouldn't do anything for asthma.
Some anecdotal evidence for COPD, but it's purpose is to loosen gunk/dust in the lungs. That's not the issue with asthma.

 

[NinjaPony]

Definitely stop feed dry hay from a round bale. I know it's a pain, but it will make a big difference. You want to reduce inflammation in the lungs as much as possible. I'd feed either wrapped hay, or meadow haylage. If weight isn't an issue, meadow haylage should be fine, it was for my connie. I'd also feed respirator boost (liquid supplement) as standard in feeds, definitely seemed to help mine. Otherwise it's reducing exposure to dust as much as possible, I used a fine mesh nosenet during the summer months.

The 'equihaler' treatment gave mine a few extra months, definitely worth asking your vet about it as it's much more effective administering medication than standard human inhalers. A course of steroids will also reduce inflammation quickly. The main thing I'd focus on is reducing that inflammation as quickly as possible, and avoiding triggers.

 

[Fransurrey]

On what basis was asthma diagnosed? I ask because I recently led a research project on this and one of the points of rationale was the invasiveness of the techniques currently required for diagnosis (bronchoalveolar lavage to assess neutrophils, tracheoscopy and/or bronchial biopsy). Anecdotally, though, during the project I heard a lot of vets were diagnosing on coughing alone, which shouldn't be happening. Inaccurate diagnoses can lead to inappropriate or unnecessary medications.

Mavandkas, excess mucus is an issue with asthma (at least in humans). People still die of asthma attacks and one of the most common post mortem findings is mucus plugs. COPD is now termed 'severe asthma', since a revision of the consensus statement in 2016. Excess mucus in the airways is actually one of the diagnosis criteria (tracheoscopy).

OP, if it is dust sensitivity or allergic asthma, then I'd consider switching to big bale haylage for the lot of them. A lot of haylage is no more rich than hay and I've successfully fed it to an EMS prone pony and my mare with sweet itch (she's stupidly sensitive to excess sugar).

 

[ILuvCowparsely]

Horse has had a cough recently and vets diagnosed asthma. The horse lives out 24/7. As I dont have very much grazing they have free access to a big round bale of hay in a ring feeder all year round. The bale has a net over it but they tend to eat the centre first and stick their heads down into it - not good for dust I imagine. Hay is good quality and I certainly wouldnt call it dusty at all. Otherwise horse isnt in a dusty environment. Moving forward now, vet says Ill have to soak hay forever more or do haylage. Haylage is no good as think itd send her loopy and too rich for my old boy who she shares field with. I just need a practical solution as soaking a big round bale clearly wont work. I have nowhere to store a bale either... my stable doors arent big enough to fit a bale through. My supplier doesnt do square. Would not soaking and simply putting piles in field or putting up haynets be better as at least they wont stick their head into it? Will soak if I have to but my old horse is skinny and he prefers dry hay, I dont want to put him off eating!

Vet has prescribed an inhaler type treatment for 20 days then says its just keeping dust down. Is this enough to keep her normal, can I XC and compete as normal or does she need medication forever more to keep her from having asthma attacks? Its not something Ive ever come across so need as much info as poss!

1. My late mare had asthma she was on the rye haylage prior to the laminitis, then soaked hay 24 hrs and rinsed. As did not think Timothy would be ok at that time.
2. her boy was laminitic was on Timothy haylage he had asthma though not diagnose... Timothy did NOT send him loopy tho speedy beet did
3. New mare has EAD ( Equine airways disease) and Laminitic and navicular she is on Timothy .. has not sent her loopy
4. welsh A pony is laminitic and has Asthma she is on Timothy haylage.... has not sent her loopy
5. . connie cross is on box rest and is laminitic and navicular and was coughing so changed her recently to Timothy haylage.

If you want to try Haylage try Timothy haylage as it is one grass and safer

I gave up soaking and rinsing as not only a pain and time consuming, it was horrid doing it in winter when icing and making yard wet making it slippery.

No 3 mare above:

Wet hay well soaked she still coughed
Bought a hay steamer and she still ended up coughing

Trouble is with soaking if they don't eat it when wet you end up throwing away much of the hay they wont eat, and is costly so might as well buy haylage. This I am doing by the pallet load, and is much less wasteful and no coughing horses, no need to use inhaler/nebuliser.
Wet hay well soaked she still coughed
Bought a hay steamer and she still ended up coughing

 

[mavandkaz]

On what basis was asthma diagnosed? I ask because I recently led a research project on this and one of the points of rationale was the invasiveness of the techniques currently required for diagnosis (bronchoalveolar lavage to assess neutrophils, tracheoscopy and/or bronchial biopsy). Anecdotally, though, during the project I heard a lot of vets were diagnosing on coughing alone, which shouldn't be happening. Inaccurate diagnoses can lead to inappropriate or unnecessary medications.

Mavandkas, excess mucus is an issue with asthma (at least in humans). People still die of asthma attacks and one of the most common post mortem findings is mucus plugs. COPD is now termed 'severe asthma', since a revision of the consensus statement in 2016. Excess mucus in the airways is actually one of the diagnosis criteria (tracheoscopy).

OP, if it is dust sensitivity or allergic asthma, then I'd consider switching to big bale haylage for the lot of them. A lot of haylage is no more rich than hay and I've successfully fed it to an EMS prone pony and my mare with sweet itch (she's stupidly sensitive to excess sugar).

Interesting.
I know excess mucus is an issue in asthma in humans, although being asthmatic myself I've never coughed up mucus as part of my asthma, so have always wondered about that. I have gone through phases where it has gotten out of control.
My girl has been 'diagnosed' with asthma, although vet has made it clear that he won't know for sure without a BAL. At the moment I am reluctant to do this. She has been wheezy with a very dry/wheezy cough when stressed. No fluid or mucus.
I wonder if the mucus plugs you mention in post mortem are different to what you think of when people mention mucus? As in much thicker/solid, and therefore can't be coughed up and actually stuck to the lung tissue, (which would be the aim of salt therapy). And is it linked to scarring in the lungs?

I do find it confusing as asthma, COPD, ROA and a couple of others (?) seem to be rather interchangeable. I suppose it's just as our understanding has changed.
I find it all really interesting, especially since I'm a sufferer too
I did look into the use of leukotriene receptor inhibitors in horses, as this has made a huge difference to me. Unfortunately it doesn't seem to be effective on horses.
My girl is responding well to inhalers (having already made environmental changes), so am hoping we will get it under control.

 

[Highmileagecob]

I am thoroughly confused about equine asthma, as horses breath through their nose not their mouth. So why are they not coughing down their noses? Google suggests that equine breathing apparatus runs from nostrils to lungs, no mention of crossing the throat. I assume the allergen lodges in the throat as the horse eats, and sets up an irritation. Can anyone enlighten me further?

 

[TheOldTrout]

There's a couple of liveries where my mare lives who soak hay, one for asthma and one for EMS. They put a haynet in a wheelie bin of water and weight it down to make sure all the hay soaks.

 

[Fransurrey]

Interesting.
I know excess mucus is an issue in asthma in humans, although being asthmatic myself I've never coughed up mucus as part of my asthma, so have always wondered about that. I have gone through phases where it has gotten out of control.
My girl has been 'diagnosed' with asthma, although vet has made it clear that he won't know for sure without a BAL. At the moment I am reluctant to do this. She has been wheezy with a very dry/wheezy cough when stressed. No fluid or mucus.
I wonder if the mucus plugs you mention in post mortem are different to what you think of when people mention mucus? As in much thicker/solid, and therefore can't be coughed up and actually stuck to the lung tissue, (which would be the aim of salt therapy). And is it linked to scarring in the lungs?

I do find it confusing as asthma, COPD, ROA and a couple of others (?) seem to be rather interchangeable. I suppose it's just as our understanding has changed.
I find it all really interesting, especially since I'm a sufferer too
I did look into the use of leukotriene receptor inhibitors in horses, as this has made a huge difference to me. Unfortunately it doesn't seem to be effective on horses.
My girl is responding well to inhalers (having already made environmental changes), so am hoping we will get it under control.

Mucus is thicker in all respiratory diseases, as the equilibrium between mucins (these are what make mucus sticky) and the accompanying liquid components and salts is all messed up. Asthma is a sliding scale, so how thick your mucus is depends on a mixture of genetics (nature) and environment (nurture).

I am thoroughly confused about equine asthma, as horses breath through their nose not their mouth. So why are they not coughing down their noses? Google suggests that equine breathing apparatus runs from nostrils to lungs, no mention of crossing the throat. I assume the allergen lodges in the throat as the horse eats, and sets up an irritation. Can anyone enlighten me further?

We breathe through our noses, too. A cough generates much greater pressure than a normal breath, though, hence we and horses cough through our mouths. Allergens interact with the surface of the nasal epithelium right down to the deep lung. This triggers inflammatory pathways and mechanisms to remove the allergen, by a combination of cough/sneeze and muco-ciliary clearance (some cells in your airway have little projections that 'row' the mucus towards the nose and mouth). It's when the immune system is a little overenthusiastic or there are glitches in the genes which create the molecules responsible that it all goes a bit haywire.

 

[Muddy unicorn]

My horse was diagnosed via BAL and tracheoscopy and definitely has asthma however he hardly ever coughs - I know when he’s struggling because his breathing rate shoots up

 

[KINDMARE]

My girl has been diagnosed via BAL - she is on nebuliser twice a day, and although considerably improved after a couple of months there is still the odd cough (but no breathing difficulties). Does any one have any advise as to how long it takes roughly to get under control?