Tell me about COPD....

[miamibear]

The YO is now telling me my boy has COPD, vet is coming on Monday definately to see red.

Just wanted to know any experiences of any horses who have it, what the symptoms are etc

Thanks guys

 

[vicm2509]

I used to have a horse on full loan who had it. Shed had a cough for years but didnt get it checked out until I got her on loan. So she had a cough and a runny nose and there was often a yellow mucus in her stable. The vet described it as a little like horsey asthma (sp*). We changed her bedding to hemp and soaked her hay which improved her a lot.

It isnt curable but is manageable. Just need to keep the dust to a minimum.

Sorry if ive got any of the info wrong, its about 10years since I had this horse and times may have changed since then.

 

[vicm2509]

Just found this, maybe a little more help to you

http://www.equinehospital.net/copd.htm

 

[miamibear]

Thanks hun.

The problem i have woth it is Red started with it when he was out 24/7 no hay just grass, no change in feeds / routine etc and no breathing difficulties.

This is why im struggling to believe it is COPD. He has had hay in the field this year and no reaction surely if it was this exposure to hay would set off a reaction?

xx

 

[Toby_Zaphod]

Horse Country Vet Rap Article: Heaves - equine COPD
Jean-Pierre Lavoie, DMV,
Diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine
Associate professor
Departement de Sciences Cliniques,Faculté de médecine vétrinaire
Université de Montréal, CP 5000 St-Hyacinthe, Quebec, J2S 7C6

Equine COPD (also known as heaves, recurrent airway obstruction, chronic bronchitis or small airway disease) is a disease that has been recognized for centuries. It is common in countries with cold climates such as ours, where horses are kept in barns for prolonged periods of time and where hay is often moldy. It is currently believed that COPD is caused by an allergic reaction to these molds when inhaled by horses. The disease affects primarily mature horses and is a common cause of a premature end to their athletic careers. The first clinical signs noted by an owner may be an occasional cough, after what appears to be a viral respiratory infection. The signs may then progress to paroxysmal coughing, exercise intolerance and severe impairment in lung function which can be fatal.

It is well established that heaves results from the inhalation of molds in hay and bedding, and removal of these molds allows a remission of the disease. This is best achieved by replacing the hay by dust free food, such as pelleted hay, haylage etc. However, for a number of owners, these options may not be possible for various reasons. When environment dust control is not feasible or when horses are in an acute crisis and have respiratory difficulty, medication is required.

Our research interest has been focussing on the effects of various medication on lung function of horses with COPD. Respiratory mechanics measurements is a research tool which allows an objective evaluation or measurement of the lung function in horses, and therefore is very useful to evaluate the efficacy of therapy over time.

Respiratory mechanics, as the name suggests, is based on general principles of physics, where the pressure required to move an object is based on the mass of the object, the speed of the displacement, the resistance of the system etc. Air is moved through the airways down to the lung due by changes in pressure in the thorax (chest), caused by displacement of the thoracic walls resulting from the movement of the respiratory muscles. During inspiration the thoracic cavity expands, causing a negative pressure in the thorax that attract air inwards. During expiration, the thoracic cavity contracts, resulting in outward movement of air .

The technique we use to measure respiratory mechanics requires the determination of the intrathoracic pressure and the flow of air in and out the respiratory system. A tube positioned in the esophagus (similar to nasogastric tubes used to administer mineral oil in a horse with colic for example) measures the pressure within the thorax; at the end of tube, a measuring device called pressure transducer is placed. The tube is small and its placement is well tolerated by horses. A device call a "pneumotacograph" placed on a facial mask measures the flow of air. These two signals, allow the calculation of various respiratory parameters such as tidal volume (quantity of air inspired during a breath), minute ventilation (volume of air inhaled per minute), airway resistance (the resistance offered by the respiratory tract preventing the movement of air; horses with COPD have an obstruction of the airway which impairs airflow), airway compliance (measures the elasticity of the lung; also abnormal in horses with COPD), inertance. The calculation of inertance provide information on the elasticity of the lung.



We use this tool mainly in a research setting, since the technique is not very sensitive, meaning that the mechanics of breathing is abnormal at rest only when there is already evidence of respiratory difficulties. However, it has allowed us to determine which drugs are effective in treating the disease and which ones are not. We measure the various parameters in COPD horses, often donated by our clients, before and after treatment and thus can determine which medications are most effective in alleviating symptoms of the disease. Work from our laboratory has shown that inhaled corticosteroids, as used by people with asthma are also very effective in horses.

We are also currently studying the underlying mechanisms of the disease in the hope of eventually not only improving symptoms but either preventing the disease or it’s progression.

Article provided by

Sheila Laverty MVB MRCVS Dipl ACVS & ECVS
Directrice, Groupe de Recherche en Médecine Équin de Quebec (GREMEQ)
Website: http://www.medvet.UMontreal.CA/GREMEQ_ang.htm
Associate Professor
Faculté de médecine vétrinaire
Université de Montréal
CP 5000, St Hyacinthe (Qutébec)
Canada J2S 7C6

 

[miamibear]

Thank you

xx

 

[samp]

How long has he coughed for? the vet may run blood tests and use an endoscope to see if there is any inflammation caused from an infection rather than irritation. May then prescribe some broncho-dilators like Ventipulmin or an asthma inhaler

 

[kayleigh_and_rocky]

Rock has it, he coughs but its getting better since hes been on the chinese biscuits, he hasnt coughed since. Its worked even better than ventupulmin.

 

[miamibear]

Ventapulmin cleared the mucus but he is still coughing whilst on it.

Strange!!

Thanks

 

[Triskar]

Triskar developed COPD while living out 24/7 after getting a cold with a bit of a cough. He would cough and heave even living out at harvest, he was so susceptible to dust allergens. He was on Ventipulmin to manage it, then when he was well and not coughing, we switched to a nebuliser and I used to spend 15 minutes a night for 5 nights foot pumping the spray into his nebuliser muzzle each month. The ingredient used was a human hay fever treatment. After 3 years of this I consulted a homeopthic vet, who prescribed 2 remedies, one for the whole horse and one for the specific condition. As is usual with homeopathy, it made him very much worse (really scarily so - I though he was going to die) for a day, then he got better and has been better ever since - for the last 4 years. The husband of the homeopathic vet is a conventional vet, and he can't believe it. Every year he comes to do their teeth and jabs, and he listens to Tris's lungs and says that you would never know that the horse had ever had any problem. I know that a lot of people on this forum are very anti complementary medicine, but it worked for us!

 

[miamibear]

Oh dear then there is a chance this is what Red has!

Will find out on Monday.

Glad the homeopathy worked for you though!

 

[vicm2509]

Even if he does have it im sure he will be ok. There are about 3 horses on our yard with it, all of which are very happy horses who are worked like any other horse.

Fingers crossed for you

 

[the watcher]

I have one on loan with this, she was fine until she became unwell whilst in foal, and this is the long term consequence. More noticible in damp weather, but with hemp bedding and soaked hay we can even bring her in at night during the winter with no increase in coughing or loss of performance

 

[Bex7]

Hi Mel,

Bert has COPD and his was at it's worst out in a field in the summer with no hay

The vet decided that was pollen related but he does also suffer with hay/straw and dust.

Now we have moved yards out of the city and into the country and he is on shavings and haylage and on ventilate he is alot better.

At his worst Bert had a hacking cough with his but touch wood it seems under control at the mo.


Hopefully the vet will shed some light on it, keep us posted.

x

 

[Evadiva1514]

I have owned my boy for 8 years and he has had COPD throughout this time. I keep him on a shavings bed and he is fed on haylage and has his feeds dampened. As regards to work he has showjumped, dressaged, ODE and hunted etc etc and his COPD has never been an issue for him. In the past he has been prescribed Ventipulmin but it just didn't agree with him (digestive wise) so we haven't tried it since.

I used to take my time getting him fit but once he was fit his cough would tend to improve. More recently i have had him on NAF respirator which is fantastic stuff IMO!!

Good luck and im sure your horse will be fine, im afraid its more of a management thing than anything else and you will find out what works best for your horse!!

 

[beaconhorse]

Beacon also has COPD as well as EPSM. The first thing I always notice he goes quiet and doesn't want to 'go' then follows a slight runny nose, then I put him on ventipulmin and he gets a cough for a while, then he is fine again. He can go weeks or months with no treatment but then something will spark it off again and we go round in cricles. But we deal with it tomorrow we are going on our 2nd Hunter Trials, but have had to have him on ventipulmin all week to makes sure he is upto it. Well he obviously is because today he took off with me lol

 

[beaconhorse]

Strange I know but sounds more like a pollen allergy possiblly causing COPD. It would be easy if it was Rape seed causing it like it does with Beacon, But sometimes it can be caused by tree that create pollen later in the year.

Either that or there is aplant in his field he is allergic too??

It could even be down to travelling in a lorry or trailer with hay particles floating around, even short spells in his stable where there is old hay/straw nearby ???

 

[AtiraApps]

Hey Mel...never said it WAS COPD.....said l wonder if it COULD be............