Possible COPD/Heaves??

[DougalJ]

Hi - Im quizzing you on not my horse but a cob on my yard which we think may have COPD or "Heaves". Its a little overweight 14 year Cob who has developed intermittent coughing when exercised, noisy breathing and I think has developed quite a noisy breath intake when feeding. He has been given cough linctus and the NAF respiratory mixture to ease it. Sometimes when exercised there is no coughing at all, and some days its hurrendous coughing. Any thoughts?

 

[Finlib]

I had a horse with COPD I found it was worse in dry weather than wet weather so often worse in summer than winter and it was quite variable some days more coughing than others .If she was exercised regularly and kept fit there was little coughing (More if cantering on dusty tracks so tended to canter on grass.
I can't say her breathing was particularly noisy though but you could see the 'heave' line if she was exercised the noise could be because she is overweight or unfit..
I managed her carefully and she was enjoyed hacking and schooling well into her 30's and was a keen ride so it didn't shorten her life !!
I fed haylege in the winter though she could eat hay out in the field.
Really need a vet to confirm COPD as it could be all sorts of things.
J