Help! Horse coughing and I don't know why :(

Paint it Lucky

Paint it Lucky

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(Also in vets but posted in here in case more people see it!)

My old horse started coughing a few days ago when I was riding him, he was fine in walk then when I asked him to trot he coughed a few times, then again when I later asked him to canter. The next day he was simialr although worse :( Today I just took him for a walk to see how he was and he coughed a few times just when walking, and quite badly, almost like he had something stuck in his throat. I am quite worried about him. He doesn't seem to do it at any other time, only when ridden, he doesn't cough in the field or stable. And it has come on very suddenly so I don't think it is dust related as nothing in his environment has changed. I wonder if maybe he got too cold one night and has caught a cold? He seems fine in every other way, though I did mean to take his temperature today but forgot the thermometer! His nose is a bit gunky after he's coughed. Has anyone any ideas what could be wrong? Can horses get coughs like humans do and is there anything I can give him to soothe it/make it better? I tried calling the vets but only get the emergency line now as it's the weekend and don't know that this counts as an emergency. I don't know what to do, any advice greatly appreciated.
 
Hattie and several other horses in my area (infact, the livery stable behind my field) had this same thing a few weeks ago. Coughing when being asked for work (yes, like something is stuck in their throat) and a gunky nose. Weirdly enough, I came down with a cold at the same time along with some of the other woman at the yard behind mine (I had a cough and a runny nose too) and then about a week and a half later, it all went from all of us- horses and humans. One of the women at the yard behind mine, had the vet out to see her horse but he said it was just a virus and that there was nothing he could do. She ended up giving her horse haylege so it was easier to swallow and giving her horse palmfuls of cough syrup.

I did the same thing with Hattie but wetted her hay as haylege sends her wappy, wetted her food to make it not scratch a sore throat and gave her cough syrup too.

We all reckon we all caught the same cold, horses and humans!
 
Sidesaddle girl that sounds just like what my boy has! I am hoping it is a minor virus that will go away, though none of the other horses on the yard seem affected. I have yet to discuss it with the vet, have ben hoping it will go away. I know I should do but don't want them to feel I'm wasting their time. Someone suggested today that maybe he is sensitive to the volcanic ash in the air? Don't know if this is possible or not, he is quite a sensitive horse in general.
 
my sister's horse had something similar last year, and it was tracked down to a pollen allergy. It came on when we went on certain rides, and was worse in certain places. We went to the beach and he was completely fine.

Careful management, a nose net, and not pushing him on days when the pollen count was high and he's fine this time (crossed fingers!)
 
Oh I can totally sympathise as I've been battling a cough with mine all winter :(

I know you were saying that nothing in the environment has changed but it could be there is something in a different hay bale to trigger this. It could even be from the same 'batch' but something which is in one bale which isn't necessarily in another. Could be one bale has got a bit damp or something and its developed different spores.

Turbo's is very hit and miss. But I've been soaking his evening hay and steaming his morning one (as someone else puts it out). I definitely think this has helped a lot and the bouts of coughing are because I haven't steamed it properly.

If this is 'gunk' my understanding from my vet is that this is lung congestion which the coughing has shifted into the airway and the sneezing / snorting is to remove it. Similarly the fact he's coughing while moving could be because the movement has 'shifted' the congestion and he's needing to remove it - like pummeling a person with cystic fibrosis. Does that make sense.

I'd be inclined to get the vet to check his lungs and see their clear. Maybe a course of ventipulmin or similar, or try soaking the hay for a wee while to see if it helps. it definitely can't hurt.

Good luck. I know what a worry it can be. Vibes coming your way for sure.
 
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