Horse coughing

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Lace57

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My young horse a while ago had a slight virus. Had blood tests vet said it was going on its own and no need for anti biotics. Cough never really went so then scoped him and had a trachea wash. Tests came back he had broncitus. Put him on ventapulmin and something else beginning with c. Cough went for a week and then came back! Back to the vets for another trachea wash and a deeper scope. Vet today thinks its moved down to his lungs and they was very inflamed. They have taken samples of what was in his lungs and they are postive it is bacteria and leaving to it grow over the weekend in petri dishes to determined exactly what it is! Basically vet thinks hes got post viral inflamation disease? Has any one else has any experiences of this? Anything I can do to help the horse. He is currently happy in him self only thing wrong with him is his cough and its affecting his jumping performance slightly. Have stopped riding him for the meantime though. He is currently on honey and glucose medicine and willl be going on to steroids by an inhaler on monday. Some kind of antibiotics to kills the bacteria once they determine what exactly it is? I wanted to know how much time they need off etc. Apparently in a human it can take 4 months for the inflamation to go down! :O This is a top youngster that events and has completely ruined his season when he was going so well and i dont know what else I can do to help him :(
 
My horse went off with a bacterial infection early last year, I also lot him because of it. He showed no signs of being ill apart from coughing occasionally. His pulse, breathing and temperature were all fine, and he was jumping the best he had been that year. Vet scoped him (he was such a good boy he wasn't sedated, despite me being a total crying wreck!), took some blood and a sample to mucus in his tract for the lab.

He was put of ventipulmin, but as there was so much mucus whilst sample was sent away, he had to have pencilin jabs for 5 or 10days (I can't remember now) to kill off the bacteria (once results were back). He made a full recovery and is back to his normal cheeky self. Slightly different in your case as there is no mucus. Vet did advise light 20min exercise for 20mins a day (mainly brisk walk and some trot, if on a good day maybe a very short canter) to help keep blood pumping and get whatever was in his system out.

My horse was out of work just shy of a month, and went on to go XC with no problems. He now has to be bedded on shavings (although I use bed down which is shopped straw and shavings as it makes a thinker bed), and must have soaked hay off the floor so he doesn't inhale so must dust to help keep his tract open.
 
Thanks hearing other people experiences help. Mine is having soaked hay off floor for same reason. Turnout 24/7 if night weather but if hes in at night his on shaving and chopped straw (the stuff that smells like citronella) hopefully it will go feel really sorry for him. Now having physio as hes been unable to breath whilst being worked because of cough that all his muscles are screwed up and his pecs are really sore. Hes getting v pissed of left at home whilst other boy goes competing! so lets hope vets come up with a quick cure!

You say at the top of your postyou also lot him beause of it? What does that mean? Am i being thick?! I thought it was a typo to mean you lost him? but then you go on as if hes ok now? I hope you didnt loose him as I went into a panic lol!
 
We're going through the same sort of thing.
Both the vet and trainer advise light work, so lots of hacks but no cantering.
Shame as the horse is a top jumper!

We have also gone on to haylage (hopefully temporarily) and, i have hoovered his entire stable, ceiling and all!
I'm told the slightest dust won't exactly speed full recovery - and 24/7 turn out wiould also help.

Does anyone else have any more advice?
 
My horse is on bed down excel. I find the stuff really good minimal dust!

Hes out 24/7 now but as hes such a good dooer I may have to bring him in now for a bit! Will also help in winter when the ground is bad and he will have to come in anyway.
 
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