Respiratory supplements- recommendations?

KatB

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Lucky has a bit of a dust allergy which means she can get a bit coughy if she travels anywhere with a haynet. She can also sound a bit thick winded, but is absolutely fine wind wise, and gets better as she works :)

Does anyone have a recommendation for good respiratory supplements? She is currently on Equine America Airways, but I'm not convinced it does that much... :p

Thanks!
 

kerilli

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Umm, soaked hay, prevention being better than cure and all that...?!
Seriously though, i'm not sure what bedding you use, but i've just ditched the wood pellet bedding and gone back to Ecobed cardboard, and i'd honestly forgotten how lovely and clean and dust free it is. the horses who had a cough or two when we first started trotting, don't do that any more...
otherwise, the only ones i've ever known to work are Ventipulmin and Sputolosin... :( :( :(
 

KatB

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Thanks guys.

Kerilli, she won't eat soaked hay! Fussy mare :( She lives out at the moment, but we're on a working farm and she gets "hayfever" when they're harvesting, hence the heavy breathing! :( ;) Strange pony. I can't feed her hayledge as she goes wild on it!
 

stencilface

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If she won't eat soaked hay will she eat sprinkled hay? I just run the hose over ours (in the winter - out 24/7 no hay in the summer) to wash off the dust, but in my mind its not as soggy as soaked hay, and retains more nutrition (I would think!) :)
 

HannahHDEventing

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What about steamed hay? Do you know anyone with a steamer or access to one?

One of my horses developed an upper resp tract infection and after many a vet visit, scoping and then ventipulmin, which had good results but I couldn't compete him on it as I think it is forbidden. So, we thought we'd try a steamer. Brilliant, such fantastic results, within a couple of weeks of steamed hay only and no medication he started to improve. Now he doesn't cough at all. I know they are MEGA money to buy, but there are options of making one using a wheely bin and a kettle or wall paper stripper.

Shame you are not closer to me (Essex) else I'd offer some of my steamed hay to see if she likes it. I am out competing loads so we may cross paths at an event. PM me if you are and I'll let you know if i'll be there. My next is Gatcombe 1*.
 

SamuelWhiskers

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Bob got a little like this when we had the frozen ground and he was eating hay 24/7 it was a bit of a dusty batch of hay and the cough totally went with Ventipulmin and totally came back as soon as he came off it again.....the vet was very fair and said don't waste your money on another tub of ventipulmin, invest in a hay steamer! I got the travel one (just a sack of hay, pip and unit), which is just great for 2 - 4 slices of hay, just over £100 squid, but you could check ebay or look out when robinsons or someone does an offer, i got 20% off mine which was lucky!

His cough went in under a week!!

Have you tried vasaline up the nose for the dust if its harvest? This worked on my pony!

Sure its just a dusty harvest phase.......
 

titch

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Your mare sounds similar to my boy, we have had him checked by the vet and his breathing is fine, but sometimes when the dust gets to him it will cause him to cough.

Aside from recommending the obvious with types of bedding/soaking hay etc, I would suggest Global Herbs Airways plus. Works very well, we have him on less in the summer, and more in the winter when he is in more. It's not as expensive as some on the market too :)
 

MillionDollar

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One of my Part Liveries was diagnosed with Chronic COPD and the only thing that worked was Equistro Secreta Pro....

http://www.hyperdrug.co.uk/prodinfo.asp?number=EQUISTROS 800G&Variation=

It was actually prescribed by the vets!


I have my 2 on it now, my cob who has always coughed, and my Welsh D who never coughed until he had a virus in the winter..........it has worked wonders :D
 

Tangaroo

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I second the Global Herbs Airways plus. It is very smelly but they seem to eat it and it works a treat on my boy
 

Mickeymoo

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RE; soaking hay, last winter I tied Shiney's net up outside and pourerd a watering can full of water over it. This was enough to stop him coughing. :)

Feeding Haylage, I bought Mick as a 6 year old and couldn't feed him haylage for about 4 years, but he is ok now he has calmed down. No help at all that was it.. :rolleyes:
 

Ludi-doodi

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What about steamed hay? Do you know anyone with a steamer or access to one?


*off topic* oooh I just made my own this weekend and it works a treat! Ludo's loving his hot steamy hay!

*Back on topic* Good topic KatB - I've been wondering about respiratory supplements recenty as Ludo was diagnosed with a inflammation in the respiratory system. He's on an inhaler (yes, really!), some anti-b's and a 14 day course of a steroid-type powder (sorry really useless at remembering drug names). I did wonder whether to consider something supplement wise for longer term use.
 

martlin

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One of my Part Liveries was diagnosed with Chronic COPD and the only thing that worked was Equistro Secreta Pro....

http://www.hyperdrug.co.uk/prodinfo.asp?number=EQUISTROS 800G&Variation=

It was actually prescribed by the vets!


I have my 2 on it now, my cob who has always coughed, and my Welsh D who never coughed until he had a virus in the winter..........it has worked wonders :D

I second Equistro Secreta Pro, they also have one in liquid for short term use, which is called Respadril
 

saz5083

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Equine America Coff-less :) My lad has pollen allergies and I have him on it from March-Sept, works a treat. The airways stuff didnt do anything for him but this seems to work. Also a good whiff clears out my lungs when my hayfever is bad :D
 
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