New purchase coughing

ClaretCarrot

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27 March 2013
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Hi all. I'm new here and am just looking for some advice. I've just bought a small pony with a cough. No snotty nose. Normally I would walk away from an animal with anything wrong with it but he has the perfect personality and temperament I'm looking for. My primary concern is him passing the cough to my other horses. The person selling him has agreed to hang onto him for a while and give him some antibiotics/ventipulmin. Another horse in the yard he's coming from has a mild cough. I'm very impatient and I want to collect this adorable pony ASAP. How long do these things usually take to clear? When I get him home I can keep him out of direct contact with my horses for a while but they will be stabled near him.
Thanks
 
Do you know that it is an infection and that he hasn't got a dust allergy or something similar. I'd be tempted to put him outdoors on haylage or soaked hay for a few days and see if was any better.
 
Thanks for the replies. I don't know if its an allergy or viral. I'm just going by what the seller told me, that its a new cough and not an ongoing issue. When I bring him home I can down those sort of routes to resolve it. But in the meantime is it risky to bring him home with a cough? How do I know if its contagious?
 
get the horse vetted-you really need a vet to check his wind before you bring him home, if its a dust allergy or another allergy it could be very expensive keeping him for the time you have him
 
This is a tiny pony and his only job is to be cuddled and walk on the lead rein. His lungs won't have to stand up to much. I won't be going to the expense of vetting him as that would cost more than the pony!
Besides the deal is done now. The pony is only still at the sellers as I didn't want to spread a cough around my other horses. A pony that cough occasionally wouldn't concern me so long as its safe around my child.
What could cause a lung allergy aside from hay/dust?
 
Get the vet. He could have a nasty infection you risk spreading or he could have RAO or similar which will require potentially expensive treatment and strict management. Getting the vet now will save you money in the longbrun.
 
Leave him with the seller for another week then see how he is. I quite agree no point wasting money on a cheap pony. When you bring him home keep outside and see how it goes.
 
soak his hay and see if that works, if I don't soak my horses he coughs so much he can't be ridden, even one unsoaked slice sets him off.
 
This is a tiny pony and his only job is to be cuddled and walk on the lead rein. His lungs won't have to stand up to much. I won't be going to the expense of vetting him as that would cost more than the pony!
Besides the deal is done now. The pony is only still at the sellers as I didn't want to spread a cough around my other horses. A pony that cough occasionally wouldn't concern me so long as its safe around my child.
What could cause a lung allergy aside from hay/dust?

the kids first pony has allergys to certain tree pollen and sprays the farmers use, each time a reaction happens she has the vet and ventipulmin for a month. she is bedded on shredded rubber as it is the only stuff that does not make her cough, she cannot be stabled but has a shelter, she cannot be on bare dirt as the dirt makes her cough and hay has to be soaked for 12hrs-she does still lead a very active working life.
the cost of an allergy will be far more than a vet check (just to check her wind) in a very short space of time
 
friends pony had an ashma attack mid morning today-emergency vet visit and emergency vets plus meds for a month cost vet reckons approx £180 and thats with no follow up visits and this pony is only in for 2-4hrs per day, now not allowed to be stabled at all, this started with a slight cough 4 days ago-made me think of this thread
 
My girl had an asthma attack about 2 weeks ago. The bill for that landed yesterday - £250. I'm still waiting for the bill for the treatment of the steroid induced laminitis....
That all started with a cough as well.
I'm juggling the box rest needed for the lammi, against the breathing issues needing turnout.
 
Also with EHV doing the rounds you want to be extra careful because that can present as a cough. Is there anywhere you can isolate the pony on your yard if you still want to pick it up?
 
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