Suggestions for persistent coughing

[Love]

Mine started with a persistent cough a year or so back. Was quite mild at first but would bring up thick mucus in the mornings - sent photo to vet and they said to keep an eye but if otherwise bright and no other symptoms could be a virus. Few weeks later he had a very scary episode whilst eating his hay. Essentially started coughing and could not stop for a full 40 minutes - staggering, eyes rolling etc. Emergency vet called (I knew it wasn't choke) and they diagnosed equine asthma most likely triggered by dust (but couldn't be sure). Over time I have come to believe it is certainly triggered by dust/spores from the hay.

Since then I only ever feed wet hay, use dust extracted bedding and he's out as much as possible. I fed NAF respirator boost at the time and noticed a huge improvement and now keep it for any little blips. The combination of all this has all but resolved it. It was confirmed to me that it has been working when we had that really cold snap for a few weeks (meaning I couldn't feed wet hay as it was freezing within an hour). Within a day of being on dry hay he was coughing again (I switched to haylage after that until the weather warmed up).

Edited to add: just gone back and read other responses and very interested in the Vit E suggestions from @PurBee. I have actually just started feeding protexin gut balancer after being given a 10 day sample and liking the results - would you recommend adding Vit E too?

 

[PinkvSantaboots]

Mine started with a persistent cough a year or so back. Was quite mild at first but would bring up thick mucus in the mornings - sent photo to vet and they said to keep an eye but if otherwise bright and no other symptoms could be a virus. Few weeks later he had a very scary episode whilst eating his hay. Essentially started coughing and could not stop for a full 40 minutes - staggering, eyes rolling etc. Emergency vet called (I knew it wasn't choke) and they diagnosed equine asthma most likely triggered by dust (but couldn't be sure). Over time I have come to believe it is certainly triggered by dust/spores from the hay.

Since then I only ever feed wet hay, use dust extracted bedding and he's out as much as possible. I fed NAF respirator boost at the time and noticed a huge improvement and now keep it for any little blips. The combination of all this has all but resolved it. It was confirmed to me that it has been working when we had that really cold snap for a few weeks (meaning I couldn't feed wet hay as it was freezing within an hour). Within a day of being on dry hay he was coughing again (I switched to haylage after that until the weather warmed up).

Edited to add: just gone back and read other responses and very interested in the Vit E suggestions from @PurBee. I have actually just started feeding protexin gut balancer after being given a 10 day sample and liking the results - would you recommend adding Vit E too?

I would definitely try the vitamin E I noticed a difference in Louis after a few days the cough just went.

 

[Murphy’s Gauntlet]

Six year old horse has had a cough for a month. Had vet out and his airways were scoped. The contents sent for analysis. Inflammation and a bacterial infection found. Horse now on a course of steroids (now finished) and antibiotics (nearly finished). Horse still coughing and unrideable. The inflammation suggests an allergy and he was itchy in the summer. I've changed his feeds one by one to see if it helps (it doesn't), when in he's on Aubiose dust free bedding although keeping him out now 20/24 hoping this will help. Any ideas/supplements I could try next? Vet suggests having a skin test at Liphook but it sounds expensive and unreliable? Any thoughts?

Hi Marigold, how did you horse get on? I’m going through something similar with my boy… thread coughing and snots. Just be interested in an update about yours? Thanks

 

[Marigold4]

Well, it very slowly got better. We didn't have snot though - just a dry cough. I only exercised him in walk for a month and then slowly built up the work. No coughing for several weeks now - until this week. I've still not got my head round both the cause and the reason why he got better. I tried various supplements that claimed to help but he wouldn't eat any of them, so it's definitely not the case that I found a miracle cure. The only thing that might have made a difference is vitamin E.

 

[Murphy’s Gauntlet]

Well, it very slowly got better. We didn't have snot though - just a dry cough. I only exercised him in walk for a month and then slowly built up the work. No coughing for several weeks now - until this week. I've still not got my head round both the cause and the reason why he got better. I tried various supplements that claimed to help but he wouldn't eat any of them, so it's definitely not the case that I found a miracle cure. The only thing that might have made a difference is vitamin E.

Thank you marigold, I will give the vitE a go They are so hard to help sometimes, poor things

 

[Marigold4]

Thank you marigold, I will give the vitE a go They are so hard to help sometimes, poor things

Good luck with yours. Hope you find something that works.

 

[trainwithbrain]

Six year old horse has had a cough for a month. Had vet out and his airways were scoped. The contents sent for analysis. Inflammation and a bacterial infection found. Horse now on a course of steroids (now finished) and antibiotics (nearly finished). Horse still coughing and unrideable. The inflammation suggests an allergy and he was itchy in the summer. I've changed his feeds one by one to see if it helps (it doesn't), when in he's on Aubiose dust free bedding although keeping him out now 20/24 hoping this will help. Any ideas/supplements I could try next? Vet suggests having a skin test at Liphook but it sounds expensive and unreliable? Any thoughts?

Hi, hope your horse is better now. Our horse had very similar issues to yours was coughing almost all the time. We tried him on many supplements some worked a little and some didn't and most were quite pricey.
Recently came across a website www.dr-silver.co.uk and found Dr Silver Respiratory support pro. I ordered a pack to try. Considering ingredients in this supplement ticked all the boxes (100% natural and no bad stuff). Priced quite reasonably comparing to most supplements are available in the market

It took week or two see a difference but no rattling or wheezing and a noticeable difference in coughing. Occasional cough but that's down to environment and dust.

Will be keeping him on this for now.

 

[PinkvSantaboots]

I must admit this winter Louis only coughed if he had to have a night or 2 in apart from that his been fine, thankfully they haven't had to come in overnight that much considering how much rain we have had.