My pony has intermittent coughing - what should I do?

[SpruceRI]

She's been coughing on and off for a couple of months.

Literally coughs a few times one day out of every two weeks. When I took her to the vet for her jabs, I got vet to check her over. He said her lungs sounded clear, temperature fine, colour of membranes fine etc. Of course, she didn't have the cough that day!

So, she's not coughed for a couple of weeks. Took her to a show today. Coughed once in the dressage warm up. About 15 times while I was doing my SJ, and then nothing for the next dressage class.

There's no snot, nor does she sound wheezy.

I vaguely remember her being the same in the spring of last year and someone suggested feeding her honey sandwiches. Tried that, she thought they were disgusting! Anyway, after trying to force-feed her honey, she didn't cough for the rest of the year!!!

She's not on hay now, although I wet it when I take her in the trailer with a net. I've even damp dusted the inside of the trailer in case that could be the problem, but she coughs at home too.

Any ideas?

 

[the watcher]

reactions to tree pollens are quite common at this time of year, and mine is reacting quite strongly to the amount of rape growing around your area. The honey works in a homeopathic way if you feed locally produced honey as it mirrors the pollens found in the area.

 

[SpruceRI]

Oh I see.

Trouble is she doesn't like honey...

 

[bensababy]

my pony has just been diagnosed with a pollen allergy - my vet suggested giving him some herbal supplement called Breathe easy.

 

[mickey]

Every yr around April/May/June since moving to our yard my horse starts coughing a chronic intermittent cough. The first yr I had the vet out who gave bronchodilators etc, to no avail. We think it is some kind of allergy related to where he is as he did not have it at the yard previously.

 

[SpruceRI]

Does the Breathe Easy work?