Virus :(

[cazmoreton]

Last saturday evening i noticed comet had a mild cough, he coughed once that evening then again in the trailer on the way back from an event on sunday and i assumed as the hay suplier was changed on the friday that was the cause. Decided i'd leave it a week( Although because of BH weekend, leave it untill today) on saturday the cough got much worse, rode him and he was coughing every few strided in trot.
Then turned hi out and poo picked, was watching him and he wasn't himself, he wasn't grazing was just standing at the gate seeming very tired. so i called the emergancy vet out.
Comet's temperature was 107 and he said he could hear a lot going on in his lungs. They put him on antibiotics and something begining with V, for his airways. And has been searated from the yard as is could be contageous.

The things thats worrying me is that his cough is getting progressivly worse, his coat is looking dull, he's tired and not acting his cheerful young self, he's also lost a bit of weight. Would you expect him tobe getting worse considering he's on the antibiotics etc? or does it have to get worse before it gets better?

The vet is seeing him again tomrrow for another check up. Sorry for rambling on

Thankss

 

[chestnut cob]

They can get worse before they get better as ABs take a few days to kick in.

Mine had a virus over new year. His started with swollen glands and not being able to swallow. Despite ABs and bute, he got worse over a couple of days then everything kicked in and he started to improve. The V for his airways is probably Ventipulmin, which is like giving a person an inhaler. It sounds like it's all perfectly normal - think about how you feel if you get a really nasty cold. You don't feel like being cheerful and playing around - my skin is always horrible when I've got a cold too, bit like your horse's coat. Mine lost loads of weight when he had his bug, made worse by the fact he didn't eat for a few days.

He picked up really quickly once the ABs and bute kicked in though, and soon put all the weight (and more

) back on.

 

[lhotse]

107F is a dangerously high temperature. My horse had a temp of 105.6F when she had septicemia. I would be asking the vet to take some blood samples tomorrow if there is no improvement in temp. Did the vet give him something to bring the temp down? And does he still have a high temp?

 

[Bossanova]

If it's a virus then antibiotics will do nothing as they only kill bacteria.

Therefore if it's a bacterial infection it should improve after a couple of days on antibs. If its a virus then there really isnt a lot you can do other than treat the symptoms which the ventapulmin will help with.
The vet should have taken blood and swabs to determine exactly what is going on.