Strange Wheezing in my Mare

[devilwoman]

Yesterday I was pottering about in field and my mare was grazing nearby I thought I heard her making a strange noise so went closer and she was kind of weezing a bit like someone who has got asthma or a chesty cough type wheeze (but she wern't coughing) - then today noticed her doing it again - she never has dry hay - always soaked for 30 min and never has any dried feed, her bedding is wood pellets, she does have a mild COPD as she can be coughy in the mornings after being stabled overnight if she has dry hay or straw bedding (why I now always avoid both). Any ideas what the weezing is about

 

[Rudey]

My mates horse had COPD and the mare use to weeze alot before her cough came on. It sounds related to me. Maybe get some breathing supplements and cough medicine down your horse before it brings on the cough?

 

[Dogstar]

Could be lots of things but I would call the vet asap as it hasn't gone away. My horse had respiratory issues after chewing a toxic plant so best to get her checked in case..

 

[Paula18]

My horse started wheezing and was subsequently diagnosed with copd. The wheezing was due to his airways being restricted and he went straight onto ventipulmin. I would get the vet if i was you, also check how her breathing looks round her flanks, if its anything like my boys then it will be irregular and seem more of an effort due to the restriction. Although the ventipulin doesnt take away the problem it will help to open up the airways and help her whilst you work out what is causing her to have difficulties. Mine has an allergy to straw which set him off even though i've never had him on straw.

 

[Parkranger]

has she been out all summer? My mare has started becoming a bit weezy now she's back in at night and eating hay again etc....she's been turned away for most of the summer.

 

[miss_bird]

My vet told me that there has been a massive increase in pneumonia this year (sept /oct).
Hard to breathe and weezing also check the nasal discharge

 

[wendyII]

wheezing is part and parcel of COPD the equine equivalent to human asthma the wheezing is caused by inflamtion of the airways and ingflamation of the airways are caused by irritants, such as hay, straw, shavings, pollens, dry dusty fields in summer etc. Various herbs recude inflamation but if the condition worsens and the airways become more inflamed then the vet may recomend ventipulmin.

 

[Box_Of_Frogs]

My horse has a summer cough - vets agree it's probably a mild pollen allergy. But late this summer a nasty virus swept round our yard. A good few horses picked it up - including Sunny - and developed ghastly hacking coughs, thick nasal discharge and lethargy. I had to get the vets out 3 times because it hit Sunny hard as he already had an underlying susceptability because of his summer cough. He was scoped in the end and you would not believe the thick muck coating every inch of his airways. Vets said there was tons of it around this year. It's possible that being stabled more, on top of a mild COPD/RAO might have produced the symptoms you describe, but your horse may be going down with a respiratory tract virus.