Pony Diagnosed with COPD - any advise welcome!

[Andreafp]

Hi,

My 20 year old Dartmoor pony has just been diagnosed with COPD, she is stabled at night, and out by day, has Steamed Hay, and is bedded on Flax shavings (dust extracted), she also has a little amount of Allen and Page Fast Fibre morning and evening, which is obviously soaked.

My Vet has prescribed her a Ventolin inhaler to be given through a mask, which she has started to dislike.

I just wondered if anyone else has had experience of this.

Any advise or tips on how you have managed this would be very welcome!

Andrea

 

[be positive]

I have managed several over the years and have found that being out 24/7 is the best answer and can often help reverse the most obvious symptoms, otherwise mine have been best on haylage rather than soaked or steamed hay, my old boy is fine now having had several bad episodes in the past as long as he has haylage and lives out for most of the year, he is in at night now having come in on Jan 1st and will go out at night as soon as possible, keeping their weight down also helps.

 

[Andreafp]

Hi, thank you for that, the only problem I have is that my field is being turned up so much with the wet weather, that I am struggling with the grass, so at least with them being in at night, it gives the ground a bit of a breather, otherwise it would be a mud bath! And yes, we are cutting her food down as I have been told off by my vet as he has said that she is rather fat!! Poor girl, problems with breathing and being on a diet!!!

 

[splashgirl45]

i took on a mare who was going to be PTS as her breathing was so bad and she also was coughing alot. initially i kept her out 24.7 and fed haylage if she needed extra and after about 6 months she had improved so much that i could then keep her in at night as long as she had haylage.......i thought that soaked hay was better than steamed for copd sufferers . i think i read somewhere that paper bedding was good as has no chance of dust so may be worth trying that if you have to keep her in. could you make a small enclosure outside the stable and feed outside but still have the stable door open so she can lie down and get out of any bad weather. ideally any stables close to her should be cleaned as well and the horses bedded down on something dust free.. also you could hoover all of the stable to make sure there are no cobwebs and dust on the walls and ceiling..hope this helps...good luck