Pony Recovering from 2xBacterial Pneumonia

[geckout]

Hello

longer thread but trying to give as much info as possible. 14 hand large pony.

I have a 9y/o welsch pony purchase for hunter work who developed Pneumonia likely from too much trailering in short period of time. it had been on several 5 plus hour trailer rides in about 3 weeks and when we finally had him home he had a persistent cough. at first it was just when we started but went away but progressively worsened over several weeks to the point where no exercise could be done.

several vet visits where they scoped drew blood etc and he was first diagnosed with asthma with a "minor infection". that treatment helped a bit (inhaler, steroids, and antibiotics for 8 days) but he quickly turned for the worse again after finishing the medicine.

they then did more scoping etc and finally after 5 weeks of him in bad shape they did a lung scope and sample and sent for analysis to find he had two different bacterial pneumonia. 4 weeks of heavy antibiotics and he was finally his cheerful self.

he stayed in his pen for a week after finishing medicine then spent 2-3 weeks just doing turn outs on his own (no chasing) of which he gradually began playing and running. no coughing noticed at all. 2 weeks

we moved then to adding lunging without tack. here again he would do excellent and maybe a few small coughs at start but nothing that persisted. 2 weeks.

we then moved to adding a saddle and girth moderate tightening. he again did excellent with little to no cough. once we had that going cough free began tightening girth more and no change and no coughing. 2 weeks

we are now 3 weeks into the following:

so my daughter began riding now (she is 70 pounds soaking wet). and this is where we are now. he will start with a good amount of coughing for first 10 min or so but then it stops and she is able to do walk/trot/canter and even jumping at 2' with no change and no coughing. he even gets playful etc. clearly feeling better.

we had a trainer get on him though who is around 130 lbs and he coughed a ton to the point they really couldn't ride. went back to my daughter and he did his 5-10 min of on/off coughing and then nothing and she can still jump etc.

the vests think he has asthma but my thought is the following:

his lungs are still pretty stressed from the pneumonia and maybe not quite fully "healed" and ready to take on too much in the form of tightened girth and heavier rider.

I am curious if any others here have had this type of illness and if recovery just may take a few more months before lungs are strong enough to not cough at the beginning and he is able to go with a larger rider or not cough when my daughter starts her rides?

is it worth having him reevaluated and scoped etc? is there a potential he may never heal fully?

thanks in advance.

John

 

[Michen]

When mine got pneumonia last year it was extremely serious and he was in ICU for three weeks, and very nearly died.

He came home and did nothing for four weeks. Then I started long reining. I think there was the odd bit of coughing and I used a bronchodilator (ventripulmun) during those periods.

I would HIGHLY recommend a hay steamer. In those early days, if his hay wasn’t steamed he would cough. He doesn’t need it steamed anymore but will still do the odd dry cough. He is since retired not due to the pneumonia, but he was about 80% full fitness until the forced retirement. From the day he got pneumonia up until the forced retirement where I’d say he was 80% back to full fitness, was 4.5 months. 3 weeks nearly dying, 4 weeks doing nothing, the rest building back up very slowly.

Have you had his lungs scanned? Mine made a remarkable recovery as seen on ultrasound. He was on antibiotics for many months and the vets warned me he may never be the same. But, he was until the next thing happened.

Good luck and if there’s any advice that I think is most important it’s steaming any hay or soaking. And pay attention to bedding.

 

[PinkvSantaboots]

It's been a matter of weeks I wouldn't expect any kind if ridden work for months, my horse had several viruses when he was young and that required months of rest.

I think you are expecting too much too soon let him rest and recover.

Pneumonia can be fatal and takes along time to heal and for the horse to recover fully.

 

[PinkvSantaboots]

Was gonna say talk to Michen but you beat me to it

 

[Highmileagecob]

Entirely possible that the early weeks before diagnosis have caused irreversible lung damage. Please take things very slowly and be open to the idea that he may always be compromised.