Sunny on the critical list

Box_Of_Frogs

Box_Of_Frogs

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Sunny's been coughing all summer, as he usually does. But this year a virus was brought back to the yard and a few neds caught it, coughed for a week and were fine. Sunny hasn't been able to shake it off though and has been coughing like a hardened Woodbine smoker for weeks. Vets have been 3 times now and the last time - Tuesday - there was no alternative but to take him in for sedation and endoscopy, to see what was relly going on.

I watched some of the endoscopy on the screen with the vets and it was shocking. His larynx is black with bruising from coughing and his entire respiratory system is choked with thick, sticky yellow mucous. How he has been managing to breathe at all is a miracle. He's on a cocktail of drugs just to help him through this critical acute stage, before we start looking at the underlying cause, which we believe is pollen allergy. When he's stabilised, he'll be a patient for REACT who will do an allergen skin test. They will make a unique serum from Sunny's results and it is hoped that will help him.

I was a wreck after we got back to the yard. Sunny is 23 and my soul mate. I can't shake the terrible feeling that this is the beginning of a long slow slide to the end for him and it breaks my heart even just typing the words. He's lost all his sparkle and when I turned him out tonight he plodded off across the field as if he had no joy in life. He left his breakfast this morning and that's unheard of. Worst of all was when I went to get him from his "free range" munching, loose on the verges round the yard, he only took a few steps with me and then stopped dead. I think he's lost his trust in me because he hates travelling but walked with me into the lorry on Wednesday so trusting and where did I take him? Needles, tubes, misery.

No real point to this except that I feel I've let him down. I feel as wretched as Sunny looks. Will he ever trust me agian? Anyone else have any experience of a veteran with COPD/RAO? Outcomes? Sunny needs a hug and I do too.
 
He won't have lost his trust in you! He just didn't feel very well, he still loves you and he knows you are trying to help.

My friends mare has COPD and at 26 she's looking and feeling good! She lives out as much as possible and if she has to come in, she has really well soaked hay and cardboard bedding and is 100% better than this time last year. Her food is also dampened down.
She's only retired because of her joints, but 2 years ago she was still power walking down the road and spooking at "things that shouldn't be there!"

Lots of hugs for you and Sunny. I'll be thinking of you xxxx
 
Aww, poor Sunny. It's soooo easy to blame yourself when something goes wrong with the neddies. I'm still beating myself up about PF's broken jaw, and the fact that I've let the Little Cigar get too skinny under all his fluff
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The fact is, you really can't blame yourself for Sunny being so poorly; you said yourself he coughs every summer AND you had the vets out, so it's not like you neglected him... Hindsight is very cruel though, isn't it? I'm sure he hasn't lost trust, but is just feeling a bit grumpy and shite, as we all do sometimes.
 
massive hugs to you and Sunny
He will trust you again and of course he loves you! He is just feeling a little battered and bruised and fragile after all the tests etc at the vets. Give him a couple of days and if you can give him plenty of TLC.
When Pidge spent the day at the vets for his tests on his lameness where they diagnosed hock spavin I couldn't even put his tail wrap on as his tail was clamped to his bum - this is a horse that adores his tail and soft skin under his dock rubbed
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I also couldn't load him as he didn't want to go on the lorry - this was the horse that would load himself! It took him a while to get over his day at the vets but I spent lots of time with him just grooming, scratching and generally giving him lots of TLC to try to get him back to normal. Remember we can't explain to them in words what is going on so it must be a shock to them.
hugs again
 
Big (((hugs))) to you and Sunny, I hope that despite all the trauma, he is better very soon.

You haven't betrayed his trust, you have helped him on the road to recovery. If you hadn't have had the vet and the tests think how bad he would feel. You are doing your very best for him, and I hope that he is well soon (((vibes))))
 
Bug hugs to you and Sunny. My old horse (the bay in my sig) had similar when he was about 17. He was on permanent loan to a hunting home and got a virus, spent a night in hospital and was v poorly. It was around October time. It was that awful winter of foot and mouth so, as he lived on a dairy farm, he had an enforced few months off. I went and rode him in the March and he felt like a normal horse, not his usual cantering sideways, bouncing like tigger self. It was quite nice to ride something sensible but it was just so wrong for him! However after another quiet couple of months he came back into full work and was back to his usual self again.

Think I'm trying to say that with time and good management (soaked hay, lots of turnout as another poster said), I'm sure Sunny will be back to his old self.
 
sorry to hear this, its an awful time, you feel so helpless but you have done your best for him. big VIBES>>>>>>>>>>>>>to you both. really hope things improve x
 
Sorry to hear he is so poorly - I hope he is back to his normal self soon.

My friend's horse used to have a summer cough, and she had the REACT allergy test and then the serum injections, as well as a change of diet (some of the allergens were in her normal feeds). It has made a huge difference to her and her resting respiration rate in the summer is now normal, whereas it used to regularly be quite high during the summer months.
 
Oh BOF your post brought a lump to my throat. Just as above, I'm sure he is just feeling poorly and still loves and trusts you. the medical intervention will mean that hopefully (fingers crossed) he is on the road to recovery. Loads of (((((((((hugs and vibes)))))))))
 
Big hugs to you both. Hopefully once he's feeling better he'll pick up and become more like his usual self. We're down in the dumps when we're ill, it's the same for horses.

He'll still trust you too, don't worry about that. I know you feel down but try and keep you chin up, you've had him looked at, that's the main thing, and now he can be treated.

One of the horse's on our yard has very serious RAO. She can't be ridden and has regular endoscopy and steroid injections, but she's happy in herself and lives in the field. Even if she does have to come in because it's managed well, she doesn't cough much.
 
Aw hun, if he didn't trust you he wouldn't have walked even a step with you.

Friend's horse has COPD and whilst he isn't as old as Sunny, he still needs managing weight etc. wise. He lives out as much as possible, when he's in his hay is well soaked and he has tons of it. His bedding is rubber mats and a tiny sprinkling of shavings. The other two stables in his block also have shavings and the hay is damped to keep the dust down (he's the middle stable of three). He's clipped, ridden most days, rugged as and when necessary, and is on the whole as happy as larry. He had a blah period a few weeks ago, so the vet put him on Piriton and it seem to have worked, he's definately perked up and is less itchy.

Hugs to you hunny. Will keep all crossed for your lad.
 
Hi Box of Frogs,

Full sympathy being sent your way, its so heartbreaking when they are poorly.

My 28 year old is poorly at the moment too (posts in vets) so I fully understand what you are going through.

Sending postive vibes your way and hope that Sunny makes a swift recovery - he is obviously very well loved and cared for,

Gem
 
Oh poor Sunny!
BOF COPD is managable in most cases. We had a mare on our old yard who suffered with it, and like MrsM says, as dust free as possible will help Sunny no end.
Soaked hay, minimal bedding, and the one thing she found helped no end was to get a spray bottle and spray water from the top of the stable down. This will pull down any dust/pollen in the air and reduce air pollution which Sunny would othrwise be breathing in.
 
big *HUGS* to both of you.
he won't have lost his trust, he just feels rotten. i'd spend loads of time with him and tell him what's happening and how you feel, it might sound bizarre but i swear they know what we are feeling and thinking, it should make you both feel a lot better.
fingers very tightly crossed that the treatment works and he makes a full recovery, poor boy. xx
 
Big hugs to both of you!
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Our 2 ponies were ill this summer and both of them went off their food - also unheard of! - but when they were feeling better they were back to normal. I think he is just feeling grotty so lots of fuss and attention and cuddles for him (I know you will be!).

Fingers hooves and paws crossed for a quick recovery...
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big ((hug))- He doesn't not trust you he just feels rubbush, understandably. I have been involved in the care of several old (20+) horses with COPD/RAO and they were all manageable, a couple were more summer problem/pollen and a couple were more winter/stabling issues. (think we had 6 at one point)

all were on paper bedding with well soaked hay. A couple were managed with ventipulmin, 1 of the ponies we wouldnt give steroids to but she had a set of inhalers (applied via a hose pipe) and a nebuliser (vet supplied a foot pump, we nicked the owners daughters electric one for her asthma.

have no experience of REACT but seems like a good idea to me, but basically just wanted to say IME these things are manageable these were all happy and in RS work most if the time but we just kept a close eye on them so if they started to have any sort of episode or go downhill we could treat it quickly.
 
Hugs to you and sunny...and he does trust you, he's just feeling bit low at mo with being poorly and i'm sure he'l be fine.

My boy had COPD and did quite well to be honest, he always had either marksway blue haylage or soaked hay, wet dinners, and shavings bed, out for as long as poss, and i never rode him too hard in the coldest of days or the hottest..
I will keep everything crossed for you both
 
It's his age and the chronic nature of it all. He's simply fed up. At least the uncontrollable summer pollens are reducing and wintertime should ease the environmental factors you can't prevent and let you implement the dust-free regime I am sure you have already established. There's nowt in his GP's I take it? That'd be my worry...

Let's hope the vet's get you the antidote quickly. Give him a hug from me x
 
I don't have any experience of COPD, but I do with the older horse. There will be hard times, but you will do your best by him. You are the constant in his life, the one who gives him security, no matter what the surcumstances. Big hugs to you both x x
 
Big hugs to you both! I'm sure if they are looking for the causes they will be able to find a way to treat him. I don't think it's the start of a downwards decline, it's just a little trip and it will probably be under control soon. He's just feeling a bit rough at the moment but i'm sure once he is being treated specifically for the allergies he has he will perk back up in no time. Chin up, just wait and see, he'l be good as new in no time. You've not let him down in any way, you've done everything you could and everything you should and now he's being fixed
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Horses are fickle, he will soon forget all about the nasty vets and be best friends with his mum again. x
 
I hope he improves, poor old chap.

Cairo hated going on the horsebox/trailer as he associated it with pain - he had cancer all his life.

What we did was to take him out with hayledge and go to fun places and eventually he looked forward to seeing the transport rather than walking away.

Give Sunny some minty treats and a kiss from me and I am sure he is a tough old pony that won't give up for a long time yet.
 
Sending you massive hugs and lots of vibes for Sunny. Not only are you a wonderful, responsible owner but you are a great source of knowledge to everyone here. Your lad is lucky to have you.

I always think that our animals mightn't understand us but they know by the feeling in our voices how we feel about them.

This is probably a really dumb suggestion but would giving him honey soothe his throat a little?
 
Aw no that's terrible news
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Please don't feel bad or guilty - you do absolutely everything you can to ensure he's got a happy/healthy life - if anything can be done for him then you're the person that will get it done - You will make the right decisions for him...
(((HUGS)))
Kate x
 
Aw, BOF, sounds like you weren't to blame at all. How could you envisage that a virus could cause such grief? I'm trying to think of expectorants from when I struggled, but the only one offhand is liquorice.

I had the same thing happen to ME after a basic cold, when I was about 14. For about a year I struggled with severe congestion and there was nothing the conventional Doctors could do. I had phlegm like you wouldn't believe (sounds just like what your horse has) and things were quite difficult. The reason, which I learnt during my Biochemistry degree, is that when a virus attacks cells, the mucus genes are switched on temporarily, but sometimes the feedback mechanism goes a bit awry and mucus carries on being produced in stupidly large amounts, long after the virus has been fought off. If there's an allergen component too, well, I guess his immune system has gone into overdrive. Do you know if the medicines are cytokine inhibitors, or something else?

For the short term, ask your vet if there are any contra-indications for giving human mucolytics to horses. These break down mucus, especially when it's thick and sticky/rubbery, like you describe. I'm thinking of dornase, which is used to treat CF. They also use it to help patients with bronchitis, so it may help your poor gelding. I *think* it's inhaled, though, so you might have to get inventive, like cupping one nostril or something!

Just remembered a concoction I used to feed when my pony had a respiratory infection.

4 chamomile tea bags
1 jar honey
1 whole bulb of garlic, chopped
2L Boiled Water
1 lemon, chopped

Use the boiled water to dissolve the honey and add the chopped garlic and chamomile tea bags. Add the lemon. Bottle the lot as soon as it is cool enough to handle safely (the honey retains the heat, so be careful). I included the tea bags and lemon, to allow it to infuse further. It was years ago, but I seem to remember this helped enormously with two different ponies.

Hope he improves. I know how horrible it is when your horse is ill and it feels like you're making it worse allowing the vet to poke/probe and prod.
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xx
 
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