Heaves tips please !!!

G

Gstar

New User
Joined
9 June 2012
Messages
9
Location
south yorkshire
Visit site
Hi My daughters old welsh pony has just been diagnosed with heaves , she's been given Ventipulmin by the vet.I'm just wanting any tips from any one who's had experience with this for what bedding, feed etc is best to use any tips welcome !!Thanks
 
The best thing is usually being out 24/7 but if they have to be stabled rubber mats with a small amount of dust free bedding kept as fresh as possible would be the most suitable option, keeping the dust to an absolute minimum having windows and doors open for fresh air.
Feed wise again dust free so either haylage, which I feel is the best option, or soaked hay fed from the ground, hard feed well soaked, one of mine found chop a bit difficult even wet so something like speedibeet or fast fibre is ideal as it soaks so well and will not be at all dusty.
 
My boy only copes living out 24/7/365 rugged appropriately. Can only tolerate soaked hay, not steamed, or haylage. Stabling is an absolute no no as any dust from neighbouring stables is all it takes to give him an attack.
Depends entirely how sensitive your girl is really, tends to be trial and error to start with as you won't know exactly what she can tolerate until she's been exposed to it. Is her heaves an allergic reaction or does she have an infection which has compromised her lungs?
Best of luck with her.
 
As mentioned above - out 24/7, although in summer when it is harvest time and/or very dry you might need to speak to your vet as to how to manage as I have been warned that it can get quite difficult to manage (nugz diagnosed about 2 months ago). I have now got it managed so as not needing ventipulmin, and he is only out for about 2 hours a day at the moment (lami issues :( ). He is on EVA mats, easibed, soaked hay/straw nets and is on speedi beet for his balancer. He is on e the end of the block so ventilation is very good :D I brush down the stable every other day, and have hoovered it as well! Easibed is by far the best bedding in terms of lack of dust - my OH is asthmatic and he can handle and muck out without having issues, whereas other bedding will cause him to wheeze. I am going to try easibed plus soon as well as this is supposed to be even better.
 
Out of interest how was your heaves diagnosed. I think my old boy may have this he's been on ventipulmin for a month, the vet would like to scope and i'm just wondering if its worth putting him through it (he doesnt travel very well due to his arthritis) or whether to just manage him like it is that anyway. having starting soaking his hay and he always has wet feeds anyway!! he's a fussy sod and i can hide his meds this way! love about hovering your stable Nugget la poneh....!!!
 
she was diagnosed about a month ago I had it under control with haylage and ventipulmin her breathing was fine and today she's gone back to heavy breathing , she managed to get a tiny bit of another pony's hay so I think that's caused it so I'm going to have to make sure that doesn't happen again! How long does an attack tend to last for ? I'm thinking of keeping her out 24/7 if she doesn't improve hopefully will be better when I go see her in the morn!
Thanks for everyone's advice its really helpful
 
It won't go away without the appropriate treatment unfortunately, it's not something that 'passes'. Take her temperature when you're next at the yard.
I've just spent the last 10 days injecting my neighbour's pony with 2 jabs a day because she was just given Ventipulmin to start with for a few weeks when in fact she had an infection.
 
hi it was diagnosed by accident she caught her eye on something in the stable so had the vet out , I mentioned to them she had been coughing so they checked her over the vet said its quite common in ponys her age shes 26 bless her !!
 
my boy is in his late teens but hes old for his age! i've just turned him out 24/7 with soaked hay.. hes still coughing but it has eased, not sure if thats due to the turnout or the ventipulmin though. good luck hope things improve :D
 
I have a 13.3hh "pet pony" or, as I call her, my "Pedigree Chum" pony! She's about fifteen now and I've owned her for eight years. She's been a super mum to two of our newly weaned foals and spent about three years as a companion before I decided I wanted her home again! She's so pretty, such a sweetie, but very nervous and it has taken me years to get to where we are today, but her breathing has been terrible. Coughing, wheezing, heave lines, double exhaling - sometimes her breathing problems were frightening, although a couple of doses of Ventipulmin always improved things. However, last October, I was asked whether she could be companion to a 38 year young pony (which I look after on a daily basis) and I agreed. The need for a companion was very sudden so I moved her to her new home knowing she'd have to be bedded on straw for a week or so before I could move her rubber matting and put her back on shavings. I soaked her hay at her new home, but expected her to cough and wheeze on the straw........but she didn't .........so I left her on straw........then I stopped soaking her hay........her breathing has never been so silent!! I can't believe it! I could walk into my yard with internal barn stables and hear her laboured breathing as I entered the building, but in her new loan home, also barn stables with about 400 bales of hay and straw stored therein - nothing! No coughing, silent breathing! I spoke to my vet about her and he said she could well have had an allergic reaction to the woodchip dust, not the hay or straw! I'm just so pleased I don't have to struggle with heavy wet haynets!!

However, she's always worse in summer so I will keep my fingers tightly crossed this year!
 
Last edited:
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top