shamrock2021
Well-Known Member
I new a horse that had cancer in his gut unfortunately it was to late when they discovered. Lung infection take forever to clear in horses.
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Lung cancer in horses?
- Thread starter doodle
- Start date
GoldenWillow
Well-Known Member
My mare was left with equine asthma or COPD as it was called after a bacterial infection which followed on from a virus. The only signs she showed after the initial virus and infection were raised breathing rate and complete intolerance to exercise, she was also stressed and anxious which was totally out of character for her. It took 3 days of tests at Dick hospital, tests including chest xrays to be found. It only showed up on a BAL, trach wash showed clear, and some test from nasal cavities. Treatment was inhaled steroids.
Again with current cob who has equine asthma he scoped clear including trach wash twice before I had a BAL done which showed the problem. He is fine and in full work, well covid and my ill health excluded, on nebulised steroids when needed.
From my experiences lung problems can take a good while to resolve and I hope he's feeling better soon.
Again with current cob who has equine asthma he scoped clear including trach wash twice before I had a BAL done which showed the problem. He is fine and in full work, well covid and my ill health excluded, on nebulised steroids when needed.
From my experiences lung problems can take a good while to resolve and I hope he's feeling better soon.
doodle
Well-Known Member
My mare was left with equine asthma or COPD as it was called after a bacterial infection which followed on from a virus. The only signs she showed after the initial virus and infection were raised breathing rate and complete intolerance to exercise, she was also stressed and anxious which was totally out of character for her. It took 3 days of tests at Dick hospital, tests including chest xrays to be found. It only showed up on a BAL, trach wash showed clear, and some test from nasal cavities. Treatment was inhaled steroids.
Again with current cob who has equine asthma he scoped clear including trach wash twice before I had a BAL done which showed the problem. He is fine and in full work, well covid and my ill health excluded, on nebulised steroids when needed.
From my experiences lung problems can take a good while to resolve and I hope he's feeling better soon.
what is BAL? At this point I have pretty well forgotten about riding him again I just need him well. Scope showed mucus and tracheal wash showed the bacteria.
RHM
Well-Known Member
I would try not to worry too much about the anaemia (easier said than done). This is often a sign of active, relatively high inflammation. In layman’s terms there is a inflammatory cytokine which acts on the liver to produce a protein calls hepcidin. This is a protein which basically causes iron to be trapped in cells. I would expect this would improve relatively rapidly once the infection is knocked on its head.Thanks everyone. That’s reassuring.
@paddi22 he is in overnight and out in the day. We know he has a nasty infection and ruled out an allergy. That was initial thought. Scope showed lots of mucus (which surprised vet as no cough or snot) and tracheal wash showed the infection.
I guess I am just being impatient. He had bronco dilators for 2 weeks and had abx for 12 days. He is also anaemic which is making me worry he is bleeding somewhere inside.
Really hope he is feeling better soon x
doodle
Well-Known Member
I would try not to worry too much about the anaemia (easier said than done). This is often a sign of active, relatively high inflammation. In layman’s terms there is a inflammatory cytokine which acts on the liver to produce a protein calls hepcidin. This is a protein which basically causes iron to be trapped in cells. I would expect this would improve relatively rapidly once the infection is knocked on its head.
Really hope he is feeling better soon x
Thanks. He is on a blood supplement for 20 days. Started with the abx and we will do bloods again when he is scoped.
GoldenWillow
Well-Known Member
what is BAL? At this point I have pretty well forgotten about riding him again I just need him well. Scope showed mucus and tracheal wash showed the bacteria.
It's a bronchalveolar lavage, it's done the same way as a trach wash but uses a longer thinner tube and gets samples from deeper within the lungs. Infections and viruses can leave horses with equine asthma but have just reread your post and it's 12ish days from infection? I would think it's more likely the original problem is just taking it's time to clear.
From memory it took my mare about 4-6 weeks to show a lot of improvement from initial virus, then she got a bacterial infection which took another 4ish weeks to really improve. Over this time she was on antibiotics, something to help her white blood cells and something else as she also became anaemic and was on ventipulmin throughout.
It was an awful time and at times I would have to walk away from her and go and cry as it was so horrible and I felt so helpless. But she came right enough for light work and I was able to give her four years of retirement, not long enough but if I'd had her for another 40 years it wouldn't have been long enough.
doodle
Well-Known Member
@GoldenWillow Thanks that is really helpful. I will try and stop myself worrying. I was thinking “but it is 12 days in” when I need to be thinking “we are only 12 days in”. He is feeling brighter in himself from the head down, eyes shut miserableness.
GoldenWillow
Well-Known Member
That's really positive that he's feeling better in himself. I'll admit I was completely thrown when I asked the vet at the onset of my mares illness how long it would take for her to recover and was told around 6 months but it did prepare me.
Hopefully he will make a steady and more speedy recovery.
Hopefully he will make a steady and more speedy recovery.
doodle
Well-Known Member
Oh goodness, that’s a long time.
Midlifecrisis
Well-Known Member
I’m sending get well Robin vibes up and over the hills to you K.
doodle
Well-Known Member
I’m sending get well Robin vibes up and over the hills to you K.
Thank you. It’s means a lot with everyone support. He came in today with a cut just below his eye...
Midlifecrisis
Well-Known Member
Oh for goodness sake Robin we re gonna have to bubble wrap you.
doodle
Well-Known Member
He got a “there there” while he spooked at the cotton wool I wanted to clean it with. I have decided he probably would survive and on antibiotics anyway and he most definitely was not allowed for it to turn into an issue!
GoldenWillow
Well-Known Member
Sorry, I didn't mean to worry you re length of time for recovery, more just that was so surprised that it could take that long. Her bloods were about as wrong as they could be which is possibly why vet could say from the outset that it would take a long time. Everything crossed that he makes a speedy recovery and bubble wrap sounds like a good idea!
Georgie's mum
Active Member
Golden Willow - I'm interested in the fact that you said that your mare was anxious and stressed when she had asthma. How did this show itself? My horse has just been diagnosed with pasture related asthma and the vet thinks it may account for the fact that each year I've had him, in about May/June, he completely changes character when I'm riding him, and can bolt, or be really spooky when we are out. This has resulted in me coming off every year and losing my confidence in him. Each year he's gone back to "normal" (he does lack confidence anyway) until the following spring/summer when one day he could be fine, and two days later completely bonkers. It seems very coincidental that the two things have happened at the same time. What happened with your mare? (and I'm sorry you've lost her, by the way.)My mare was left with equine asthma or COPD as it was called after a bacterial infection which followed on from a virus. The only signs she showed after the initial virus and infection were raised breathing rate and complete intolerance to exercise, she was also stressed and anxious which was totally out of character for her. It took 3 days of tests at Dick hospital, tests including chest xrays to be found. It only showed up on a BAL, trach wash showed clear, and some test from nasal cavities. Treatment was inhaled steroids.
Again with current cob who has equine asthma he scoped clear including trach wash twice before I had a BAL done which showed the problem. He is fine and in full work, well covid and my ill health excluded, on nebulised steroids when needed.
From my experiences lung problems can take a good while to resolve and I hope he's feeling better soon.
GoldenWillow
Well-Known Member
Georgie's mum, my mare who was the most settled horse ever in the field and never bothered with anything and just put her head down and ate became stressy in the field and fenced walked badly. This was totally out of character for her in the previous 10 years I'd owned her. It settled when her breathing was fine and reappeared whenever it was bad. She was fine, if a bit withdrawn in her stable and she wasn't in work at these points.