Equine Asthma

[HopOnTrot]

Daughter’s pony (age 23) has asthma, usually controlled with steamed hay and being out 24/7 but due to the mud she’s been stabled for 5 hours a day.

So now she’s coughing. Going to speak to the vet tomorrow, is ventupulmin still my best option? Or should I enquire about something else? Not covered by insurance as it’s a long term issue (but we haven’t had any ventupulmin since early last year).

Currently they have thick mats with a bit of bedmax to absorb the wee as it’s meant to be the best for dust, but maybe not?

 

[Muddy unicorn]

When my daughter’s gelding was diagnosed with asthma we did a thorough deep clean of his stable, removing all cobwebs/dust etc. We also put in a new window at the side of his stable (he was on the corner) to improve air flow. Ventipulmin did absolutely nothing for him but inhaled steroids via a flexineb nebuliser got his breathing under control very quickly. He’s since retired (combination of issues) and he’s been living out 24/7 in all but the most horrendous weather and that seems to have pretty much cured him - he had one very brief asthma attack when the temperature suddenly shot up last spring but apart from that his breathing has been completely normal.

 

[HopOnTrot]

Thank you, I’ve currently got her door open so she can stand on the yard/get more airflow. Will broach the idea of a window with husband!

Would have been great if she’d coughed this morning when the vet was here I’ll ask about inhaled steroids, do they have any laminitis risk associated with them?

 

[Muddy unicorn]

As far as I can remember there is a slight risk but it’s much less than with oral steroids. For our boy the risk of leaving his asthma uncontrolled was worse than the risk of laminitis.

 

[catembi]

My asthmatic Dartmoor is doing well since we switched to haylage. Ventipulmin did nothing whatsoever for her. The cough is tapering off on haylage. She had steroids which did help, but as she is also EMS, there is a strong lami risk.

 

[ILuvCowparsely]

Daughter’s pony (age 23) has asthma, usually controlled with steamed hay and being out 24/7 but due to the mud she’s been stabled for 5 hours a day.

So now she’s coughing. Going to speak to the vet tomorrow, is ventupulmin still my best option? Or should I enquire about something else? Not covered by insurance as it’s a long term issue (but we haven’t had any ventupulmin since early last year).

Currently they have thick mats with a bit of bedmax to absorb the wee as it’s meant to be the best for dust, but maybe not?

I gave up steaming/soaked hay as my mare coughed, I went onto haylage, very quickly stopped. I have had a few with Asthma, current pony has it and I use easybed. Big mare has EAD I use aubiose bedding, inhalers did not help her, hers is tree pollen

 

[HopOnTrot]

I might check the date we had ventupulmin last year, I wonder if it could be tree pollen as that’s usually March/April time.

She’s on haylage tonight as I had an emergency bail in case hay supplier was late, I can’t think of anywhere that sells mid/size bales locally, I think it’s either big round or horsehage size

Stable is cobweb free and I go round with a dustpan and brush quite regularly.

 

[HopOnTrot]

She’s been fine through winter with steamed but I stopped steaming for about a week when the pipes froze a few weeks ago and then they’ve been coming in for 5 hours for the past few weeks. It’s such a juggling act!

 

[rextherobber]

Mine can only tolerate Aubiose bedding, but only comes in if there's a named storm .Antihistamines help too ( human ones)

 

[HopOnTrot]

I used to give our mini Shetland antihistamines, will check dosage for bigger pony. Waiting for a call back from the vets and I have to collect smallest child from school as her ear infection is playing up. It’s all go this morning

Will have a look at Aubiose, is that the hemp one?

 

[HopOnTrot]

Back from the vets, a course of vetupulmin and 2x inhalers, they advised to buy a spacer from Amazon as they’re half the price of the vet one, I still dread to think what this month’s vet bill is!

Bloody handbrake stuck on the trailer so had a panic we wouldn’t make it, a bit of shuffling back and forwards and a huge hole in the gravel fixed it

 

[rextherobber]

I used to give our mini Shetland antihistamines, will check dosage for bigger pony. Waiting for a call back from the vets and I have to collect smallest child from school as her ear infection is playing up. It’s all go this morning

Will have a look at Aubiose, is that the hemp one?

Yes, it's hemp, I used to use the Easipack one but it randomly started making me cough, never mind the horse. Poor child with the ear infection, they can be so painful!

 

[ILuvCowparsely]

I might check the date we had ventupulmin last year, I wonder if it could be tree pollen as that’s usually March/April time.

She’s on haylage tonight as I had an emergency bail in case hay supplier was late, I can’t think of anywhere that sells mid/size bales locally, I think it’s either big round or horsehage size

Stable is cobweb free and I go round with a dustpan and brush quite regularly.

Depends where you are as equilage delivers the 30 kilo bags to my feed merchant then to me and I buy 20 at a time. I also buy devon haylage and they deliver straight to me https://devonhaylage.co.uk/direct-deliveries

 

[ILuvCowparsely]

Back from the vets, a course of vetupulmin and 2x inhalers, they advised to buy a spacer from Amazon as they’re half the price of the vet one, I still dread to think what this month’s vet bill is!

Bloody handbrake stuck on the trailer so had a panic we wouldn’t make it, a bit of shuffling back and forwards and a huge hole in the gravel fixed it

I have the eramask but also I bought one of these for my mare with Equine airways disease but inhalers don't work for her. only £ 20 https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B07Q4WSNSC/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o06_s02?ie=UTF8&psc=1

 

[ILuvCowparsely]

I might check the date we had ventupulmin last year, I wonder if it could be tree pollen as that’s usually March/April time.

She’s on haylage tonight as I had an emergency bail in case hay supplier was late, I can’t think of anywhere that sells mid/size bales locally, I think it’s either big round or horsehage size

Stable is cobweb free and I go round with a dustpan and brush quite regularly.

 

[Highmileagecob]

As far as I am aware, Ventipulmin is a preventative, and does nothing once the coughing has started. Never found it any use with my lad. Haylage is a good bet if hay is becoming a trigger. Old Dobbin has now gone eighteen months without a flare-up. The only two things that are different are a wet summer, so no real pollen season, and the introduction of OAP food for his failing teeth.

 

[HopOnTrot]

Last years ventupulmin was April 19th so it could be tree pollen!

I’m on immunosuppressant drugs for arthritis and this has not only fixed my hayfever, I now rarely need my inhalers. (Just a shame the rest of me is falling apart ) so there’s a strong link. Interestingly the vet has prescribed the pony the exact same inhalers as I’m on!

Both girls are back out in the main field now so I’m having a really good clean of the stables.

 

[Wheresthehoofpick]

Haylage was the answer for us too this winter. First time we have needed too.

I have noticed that my allergies and asthma are loads better just filling haylage nets. So it’s sorted us both!

No prescriptions for me either.

 

[GypsGal1718]

Bedmax has quality degraded over time and I think it’s a lot more dusty now so maybe would reconsider bedding. Try to leave out if possible

 

[MiJodsR2BlinkinTite]

Ventilpumin did nothing for mine either. She was coughing quite badly at that stage and vet did discuss steroids. We discussed the laminitis risk (which I was concerned about as she is a pony good-doer) and whilst accepting that benefits may (and I say "may) have outweighed the risks, having had a laminitic it was a place I wasn't keen to go to.

Tried salt therapy, and whilst there was a temporary "sort-of" relief, it wasn't giving the longer term alleviation I was hoping for so discontinued it. She was having a treatment every month at £40 a pop.

Tried riding in a nose-covering mask; did notice some improvement but the dang thing started to flip-up over her nose in canter! So that needs a rethink!

Tried Licorice as a powdered supplement; not much difference.

Changed to haylage. Namely Devon Haylage's Meadow/Timothy mix, and boy that was a game-changer. She was very much better on it and the extra cost justified the result. Particularly as I'd discontinued the salt therapy by then too.

One thing that the vet did recommend was what he termed "appropriate exercise": if they can, better to give them a good canter now & again. Or it could be just a nice brisk walk if that is what they can deal with, the thing is to keep them moving and breathing. Obviously if they are stressed by this or struggling, then nope don't do it, but mine has been benefitting from a good pipe-opener when we've boxed up to our local common. A bit wet now though. Same everywhere.

Management is she's out with the herd all year. Yep a struggle at the moment as we are on Devon red clay, and TBH they'd rather be in the yard on dry ground, but they do all go out sometimes. Can feel your pain at not being able to turn out as it really is fundamental. Of course soon we will be getting all the tree pollens.

Last time vet came he listened to her breathing and was happy that no intervention is currently required. Good news.

 

[catembi]

Ventipulmin did nothing for mine. Switched to haylage which did the trick. She can't really be exercised as she has PSSM type 2 (and asthma...and EMS...) and is exercise intolerant. I did a trial of small bale haylage (Silvermoor Lite) with her isolated from the others to see what would happen (she stopped wheezing within about 4 hours) & once the rest had eaten up the barn of hay, I switched them all to big bale haylage. Which entailed building work as the hay barn door wasn't big enough for round bales. Hey ho, at least little pony isn't wheezing at the moment.

 

[HopOnTrot]

Ventilpumin did nothing for mine either. She was coughing quite badly at that stage and vet did discuss steroids. We discussed the laminitis risk (which I was concerned about as she is a pony good-doer) and whilst accepting that benefits may (and I say "may) have outweighed the risks, having had a laminitic it was a place I wasn't keen to go to.

Tried salt therapy, and whilst there was a temporary "sort-of" relief, it wasn't giving the longer term alleviation I was hoping for so discontinued it. She was having a treatment every month at £40 a pop.

Tried riding in a nose-covering mask; did notice some improvement but the dang thing started to flip-up over her nose in canter! So that needs a rethink!

Tried Licorice as a powdered supplement; not much difference.

Changed to haylage. Namely Devon Haylage's Meadow/Timothy mix, and boy that was a game-changer. She was very much better on it and the extra cost justified the result. Particularly as I'd discontinued the salt therapy by then too.

One thing that the vet did recommend was what he termed "appropriate exercise": if they can, better to give them a good canter now & again. Or it could be just a nice brisk walk if that is what they can deal with, the thing is to keep them moving and breathing. Obviously if they are stressed by this or struggling, then nope don't do it, but mine has been benefitting from a good pipe-opener when we've boxed up to our local common. A bit wet now though. Same everywhere.

Management is she's out with the herd all year. Yep a struggle at the moment as we are on Devon red clay, and TBH they'd rather be in the yard on dry ground, but they do all go out sometimes. Can feel your pain at not being able to turn out as it really is fundamental. Of course soon we will be getting all the tree pollens.

Last time vet came he listened to her breathing and was happy that no intervention is currently required. Good news.

Do you think a turbo trot counts as a pipe opener?! Jockey to date has done one stride of canter as the pony can trot at about 25mph!

 

[Highmileagecob]

If you can keep their fitness up, however you do it, it gives the lungs a good chance of holding air space. Haylage was a good move for mine too. Sorted out the coughing, but started faecal water syndrome. Thought I had it sorted last winter, but back with a vengeance. Think I am on a tick list of old aged horse complaints really....

 

[HopOnTrot]

Pony is being saintly for her inhalers, weirdly she had started getting grumpy again recently (she was incredibly grumpy when we bought her but was in a riding school), I started her on a probiotic and inhalers at the same time and she is back to being her usual cute self. I wonder if her cough was making her feel sore? She's got a lesson on Sunday so we'll see how she is.