SEL
Well-Known Member
Musing whilst waiting for the vet to call.
I took on a 13h pony as a summer project at the end of April. I knew the pony, she'd been in a field at the yard with her yearling which they weaned. Obviously unfit and the plan was to bring her back into work and then find her a new home.
As weather got warmer her breathing got heavier and it was obvious that this wasn't just fitness. Mid July the vet was out for teeth and looked over her for me. Agreed breathing was a bit heavy, but couldn't hear a crackle on the lungs so prescribed ventipulmin. Pony got worse so piriton added into the mix. Two weeks later I aborted a small hack when it was obvious she was distressed and vet came out to scope.
Pollen found in scope so started a course of a steroid inhaler. That finished 2 days ago and she's no better. If it was pollen I think I should have expected some improvement on the steroids even if she had relapsed. She's no different mid afternoon on a warm polleny day to early in the morning when its 6 degrees and there is dew on the ground (I have severe hayfever so I know the triggers!!). Minimal grass and hay is soaked.
No snot and she isn't heaving or rasping from her chest like a COPD horse. The best I can describe it is sounding like a blocked nose - I once worked with a rugby player who'd had his broken nose badly set and she reminds me of that! It just sounds like she can't draw air in properly. I was half expecting some sort of blockage to show up on the scope, but there was just inflammation. She's eating really slowly too and I can really hear the heavy breathing when her head is down. Its that blocked nose sound that you get when your head is full of cold.
Everything I've read with Dr Google about sinus problems would point to some sort of discharge and she has none of that.
Bright ideas while I play phone tag with the vet?
I took on a 13h pony as a summer project at the end of April. I knew the pony, she'd been in a field at the yard with her yearling which they weaned. Obviously unfit and the plan was to bring her back into work and then find her a new home.
As weather got warmer her breathing got heavier and it was obvious that this wasn't just fitness. Mid July the vet was out for teeth and looked over her for me. Agreed breathing was a bit heavy, but couldn't hear a crackle on the lungs so prescribed ventipulmin. Pony got worse so piriton added into the mix. Two weeks later I aborted a small hack when it was obvious she was distressed and vet came out to scope.
Pollen found in scope so started a course of a steroid inhaler. That finished 2 days ago and she's no better. If it was pollen I think I should have expected some improvement on the steroids even if she had relapsed. She's no different mid afternoon on a warm polleny day to early in the morning when its 6 degrees and there is dew on the ground (I have severe hayfever so I know the triggers!!). Minimal grass and hay is soaked.
No snot and she isn't heaving or rasping from her chest like a COPD horse. The best I can describe it is sounding like a blocked nose - I once worked with a rugby player who'd had his broken nose badly set and she reminds me of that! It just sounds like she can't draw air in properly. I was half expecting some sort of blockage to show up on the scope, but there was just inflammation. She's eating really slowly too and I can really hear the heavy breathing when her head is down. Its that blocked nose sound that you get when your head is full of cold.
Everything I've read with Dr Google about sinus problems would point to some sort of discharge and she has none of that.
Bright ideas while I play phone tag with the vet?
