Shy has asthma ?

[Shysmum]

After talking to the vet many times about this darned coughing, he did a full work up today, watched a video I took of an "episode ", est voila! He gets soaked hay, is on shavings ( only alternative here in France is straw), has been resting etc. He is affected by a number of things, including dust in dry paddocks, dry hay and pollens. Sometimes the dry cough and heaving have been bad, but I've followed the vet's advice to the letter and now we are on to the next step, medication for an attack, and before riding.

Ideally he would live out, but I simply haven't got the land, and his partner in crime is a 31 year old shettie who needs to be in. I wish I could put the video on to show you his symptoms. Been reading the nebulizer thread with great interest.

 

[Winters100]

I'm so sorry to hear this. If it is any comfort we saw a massive improvement in a really short time with treatment. Now would not know that anything is wrong. If you want to know anything about our experience with the nebulizer feel free to PM, although of course there are others here with much more knowledge about it than me. I have also ordered a hay steamer, so will let you know how that is when it arrives. Good luck and I hope that he is feeling better soon.

 

[Shysmum]

Thankyou so much !

 

[F&B]

I feel your pain, my boy was diagnosed with mild asthma after scoping in September. He had been coughing since February, but due to CV, couldn't be investigated earier. I had already been attempting to steam his hay using a wall paper steamer, so after much deliberation, I bit the bullet and bought a Haygain. Coughing has stopped and he's back to his old self, so worth every penny.

 

[Sail_away]

It really is for most horses a very manageable condition. Mine got diagnosed in late summer, you’d never know he had it now, he’s coming back into work now following another issue (not a great year for us!) and hasn’t so much as coughed. A good level of fitness is important - so if you can then avoiding time off is best provided the horse can tolerate work. Mine is on dust extracted shavings and Timothy haylage - the haylage may be an option for you as a cheaper and more convenient alternative to a haygain. The nebuliser was very useful in the acute phase of his asthma but touch wood we only needed it for a couple of months. If you do go with the nebuliser don’t be alarmed if they cough or snort in the warmup, they need to get the mucus out and they should settle pretty quickly. I found breathing rate a better indicator of how he was faring.