New here - advice needed re: coughing

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HenryisHandsome

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I am new here so hope that it is ok to ask a question so soon? I have had my boy Henry for about 5 years (he is 13) but I’m worried about him as he developed a cough about a month and a half ago, he doesn’t cough in his stable or the field, and shows no problems breathing (about 9 breaths per min at rest). He seems very well in himself and doesn’t have a runny nose, eyes or anything like that and no wheezing. He coughs when he is being worked, but really only in canter and sometimes in trot, we often have a bout of 3 or 4 coughs a couple of times during a 45min schooling session, then he seems fine to carry on, he is not at all reluctant to work or anything. I discovered that when we went to an indoor venue for a lesson he was fine, no coughing at all, and when we boxed up for a hack about 25miles away he was again fine – which makes me think maybe it is an allergy?

He has been seen by the vet, who can find nothing wrong with him whatsoever, which is a bit of a mystery. Rather than using ventipulmin as the examination/symptoms didn’t really warrant it the vet suggested trying Winergy’s Ventilate as a first port of call. He has been on it for 3 weeks and it doesn’t seem to have had much effect.

He is out at grass (with a muzzle as he’s a good doer) all day, and in at night in a well-ventilated barn (his stable is by the door). He is bedded on shavings on rubber matting and has soaked hay in a haybar.

I really am at a loss and don’t know what to do next / for the best, it is really getting me down, as although it seems a relatively minor problem I am worried about what it is and what damage it is doing.

Any help advice would be greatly appreciated, thank you. :)

(i've also posted this in the new lounge section)
 
If it started about a month ago it could very well be a pollen (usually tree pollen) allergy. A pollen allergy that causes coughing is called Summer Pasture Associated COPD and needs to be treated as such. If your horse does have this, it sounds very mild at the moment. My veteran started with a mild summer cough 6 years ago and it has got steadily worse and worse until I seriously had to start thinking of quality of life issues and pts options. At one point he was so ill he came close to collapse when I was gently walking him up a small slope (I'd been advised to keep gently exercising him). He had to be endoscoped 2 yrs running and last November it was truly awful as he couldn't be sedated in case he stopped breathing altogether. His breaths per minute shot up to over 65. If your horse is otherwise well and his immune system is strong, you might as well save your money on supplements. All of them (if you read the very small print) say only waffle things. Not one will state "cures COPD" for very obvious reasons. However, my veteran is now on a last-hope drugs trial and fingers crossed, it's made a miraculous difference. But you have to start using it before the symptoms start, and then at the same time every day. Once his cells start producing histamines, it won't work.

If it is summer pasture associated COPD then ruthless management is the only answer or it can get progressively worse. Not easy with a pollen allergy because from March to September every breath we take is dripping in pollen grains!
 
I have been having pollen trouble with my mare for the last ten days but it is specifically Oil Seed Rape Pollen which has been the issue. Thankfully we have had loads of rain the last couple of days. Vets and anybody else I spoke with strongly recommended Naf Respirator and that was having a positive effect even before the rain started!
 
Thanks very much for your replies, I must admit that I thought allergy as well, but now I am quite worried that it is something that is going to get progressively worse :(

Box of Frogs - you obviously have a lot of experience with this :( when you say ruthless management ehat do you suggest? Also can I ask about the drug you are trying?

Thanks again :)
 
I've got a similiar problem with my horse which we think is pollen related, after researching supplements I started him on the Winnergy Venilate and by the end of the tub there was no difference, I am now using NAF Respirate and (touches wood!) he hasn't coughed since being on it. :)
 
Hi HiH. The first summer Sunny coughed I didn't realise it was anything other than dry and dusty conditions. Bought a horse cough mixture which I might as well have poured down the drain. Next year he was worse but I was still ignorant of what it was. 3rd year he was really bad. He was put on Ventipulmin. Didn't make the slightest bit of difference (except that I felt I was doing something). The only thing that brought him relief was the change in the seasons to early winter. 4th year (year before last) he was significantly worse again and after being endoscoped (throat black with bruising from coughing so much and lungs choked up with disgusting thick sticky mucus) he was put onto Ventipulmin (to relax the airways) and Sputolosin (to break up the sticky mucus so he could cough it up more easily). Again, didn't work. Only the onset of early winter helped him. Discussed with vets how to help him and we decided to keep him on Ventipulmin all winter to try to be on top of things come the spring. Last summer was the worst ever. He was taken off oral drugs and put onto inhaled Ventipulminand inhaled prednisolone (steroid). That didn't help at all either, mainly, we think, because his way of coping with what is undoubtedly a painful condition was to only take tiny tiny shallow breaths. So the drugs weren't reaching the right place in his lungs. He had to be endoscoped again in case there was a tumour or something other than pollen allergy. It was one of the most distressing things I have ever seen because he couldn't be sedated as the vets thought he'd turn blue and stop breathing altogether. At that point we'd pretty much run out of options so he was started on oral steroids. I resisted this as long as I could because of the associated risk of laminitis. He was on them for 2 months I think it was but again, the only relief was when winter came. Over the winter, I gave him everything a veteran horse could ever want, thinking that he'd have to be pts this spring/summer. Then the miracle happened. My wonderful equine vets attended a talk by Fidavet who manufacture Cavalesse. It is ONLY sold as a sweet itch drug but the rep at the talk said it work the same for COPDs with a pollen allergy. They gave my vets 3 x 3-month packs to trial. They took 2 to trial on sweet itch horses and gave 1 to me for Sunny. But you have to start it before the mast cells start producing histamines (that then cause the lung irritation and damage) so it wouldn't help you this season. And you have to give it the same time every day (within half an hour or so). It's only available through vets and costs between £69 and £90 for 3-months supply. You mix a powder up with water then syringe the proper dose onto a slice of bread for the horse to take from your hand. I didn't hold out much hope because how in god's name can a disease that would otherwise have caused my horse's death and that up to now had no known cure suddenly appear defeated by a Vit B3 powder??? I'm still a little cautious because I've been caught out early in the spring before, thinking Sunny wasn't going to start coughing and then a week or so later, he did. But to be honest, with everything happening a couple of weeks early this year and the hawthorn (Sunny's trigger) now finished, and Sunny not coughing, I think this product has worked the miracle I needed. Sunny is back to being gently ridden a couple of times a week to keep his joints and brain happy. I'm getting the vets out 1st June to give him a full examination and if he passes with flying colours, I'll talk to them, Fidavet and H&H magazine about running an article. Hundreds and hundreds of horses and ponies could be saved with this product. I have no idea why Fidavet don't advertise it for pollen allergy COPD.

Cavalesse aside, I meant by ruthless management that you HAVE to try to get/stay on top of it because otherwise it will get progressively worse and the lungs will get more and more permanently damaged. Hound your vets for ideas. At one stage I did think about moving to a yard on the coast but didn't pursue it. Keep his weight down and his fitness level up. Keep his immune system primed and ready for action. Be aware that if a footling little virus goes round your yard making horses a bit chesty for a week or so, a COPD horse will be very badly affected as he's starting with damaged lungs and compromised oxygen intake. Any supplements that "work" by having menthol or similar in won't cure COPD. They may have a passing affect on the overt symptoms but won't make an ounce of difference to the underlying cause. PM me if you need more info x
 
Thanks again for your kind replies :)

BoF thanks for your very detailed reply and how you have dealt with Sunny's problem, sounds like you have really been through the mill with it all, but so good that Sunny is now responding well :) Your reply did scare me as well, but in a positive way. I will be getting the vet out and having a talk to him about it, and what we can do to improve things this year and hopefully prevent / minimise probs for next year.

What a helpful bunch you all are :)
 
Hi Box of Frogs! I hope your Sunny gets well soon, Im vey interested in Fidavet as my horse has mild cough sometimes... how is it going? Mine is fine when feeding Winergy Ventilate...
 
It might be possible that if he is grazing very short grass (note he is wearing a muzzle so might be on restricted grazing) & the ground is very dry that dust from the soil might be causing a problem. Just a thought. I had a mare with a mystery persistant cough & the Vet tried steroids, 2 days later she had bad laminitis, when I rang him he said 'oh, that's the steroids', I was shattered & this led to her death eventually, just a warning.
 
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