Mystery respiratory illness. Oil seed rape?

[Wagtail]

Over the last four years, and during the summer when we are surrounded by rape fields I have had four separate horses come down with a strange respiratory illness. Four years ago, it was my mare who had never so much as had a sniffle, yet she came down with severe lethargy, followed a couple of weeks later by a cough. All swabs/bloods were negative. She ended up quite ill with pneumonia and took a while to come right. The vet said it was allergy. But she has never had anything similar before or since. Then two years ago my gelding got a nasty nasal discharge. It was sticky and yellow. He had to have antibiotics. Again bloods/swabs were negative. Now this year, again surrounded by rape, two other horses in the same paddock have come down with something. One has a cough, but no discharge and is well in himself. The other has severe lethargy and a nasty yellow discharge. Owners are giving it a day or two before calling vet.

So my question is, has anyone experienced anything similar? Could it be the rape? Could it be something the farmer sprays on it? Or could it be a virus? No horses have been anywhere off the yard other than hacking, or in contact with other horses for over a year. I wondered if it could be a virus carried by the hundreds of mosquitos we have this year? Any ideas?

 

[camilla4]

I certainly think it is possible, although I would want to rule out other causes too. We live in a heavily arable area and have had more fields than usual put to rape over the last few years. Coincidentally, a very high number of people in the village have been experiencing hayfever-type symptoms during May over these few years! None of them have had any symptoms like this before. This year, the smell of the rape has been very overpowering for the last couple of weeks - more so than usual - and many of us have found that our breathing has been very laboured.

 

[Dolcé]

Headshaking can be caused by having OSR in the vicinity so I suppose it follows that if they are surrounded by it then a serious reaction could follow. Have a think about hayfever and how it affects people in different ways, it may be worth asking vet for antihistamine to see if it relieves the symptoms. (Human ones can be used but I don't know doses or which ones so cannot really recommend that - someone may be able to).

 

[Wagtail]

Thanks. It does seem to occur on alternate years when the fields are put to rape. When it is wheat, I have had no problems. I hate OSR as it also means bird scarers.

 

[debsey1]

I think you have a very valid point with oil seed rape. When my cob was in Hampshire surrounded by rape seed he suffered badly to the point where he was headshaking badly and was very nasally challenged.

He is now in Devon with me and is so much better. He has days where he snorts and blows a lot and that is on days when the pollen count is high.

 

[ruth83]

I have had 2 ponies in the past who reacted so severely to OSR flowering that they looked almost as though they had strangles. We kept them stabled with plastic strips (the colourful ones) over the doors during the worst periods

 

[Wagtail]

I have had 2 ponies in the past who reacted so severely to OSR flowering that they looked almost as though they had strangles. We kept them stabled with plastic strips (the colourful ones) over the doors during the worst periods

Oh dear. It does sound like it could be the OSR then. It is in full flower at the moment and on three sides of us! Hopefully once the followers go, we will be okay again. Just hope no more of them coe down with it. Just seems odd though that my two that were previously afflicted seem fine this year.

 

[siennamum]

We have issues with the horses having a reaction to the OSR at this time of the year. We give a couple of them piriton and only walk when hacking near the fields. It all passes in a few weeks when the flowers are over with.

 

[Wagtail]

Thanks. I will advise them to talk to their vets to see if they can be given some antihistamines. I remember trying piriton with my boy, but I think I got the dosage way too low.

 

[Dovorian]

I have had similar issues with my chap and also myself. Horse has had a discharge and I have been awake at night coughing and snuffling - worse if the windows are open. This is the first year that Piriton has not helped really, I just treat symptons with catarrh pastilles now.