Porkie
Well-Known Member
What is it, how do I know if he has it and what is the best treatment ?
What is 'heaves' or 'broken wind'?
- Thread starter Porkie
- Start date
jumpthemoon
Well-Known Member
Can be various things. If the horse coughs a lot when in work, if they have a 'heave line' running along under the ribcage, which shows exaggerated breathing, if the horse makes a noise when breathing (more prominent in faster work). depending on the cause there are various treatments and sometimes no treatments/cures.
Why do you think your horse may have this? Best way to find out is to get the vet to have a look at what is going on. They will probably do an endoscopy.
Why do you think your horse may have this? Best way to find out is to get the vet to have a look at what is going on. They will probably do an endoscopy.
Bex7
Well-Known Member
Bert has a heave line from COPD.
I think heaves and COPD are a similar thing but not 100% sure tbh
I think heaves and COPD are a similar thing but not 100% sure tbh
Porkie
Well-Known Member
I loan an old boy of 26 and his breathing gets a bit bad when its dusty, when the rape seed is out and generally when the weather changes and he has good days and bad - his owner says he has always been a bit like that and its the pollen etc. but he does cough quite bad sometimes in work and once (only the once) I thought he had that 'heave line'.
I have him on full loan but his owner is in the stable next door so is totally involved but just says he's always been like it and we just have to be careful and work with it - which I do and am very undersatnding and sometimes he's better than others. I've put him on ventil-ate and garlic. His stable is very very clean as I get all the cobwebs and dust down weekly, he has rubber matting and hardly any bed as he never lays down so I clean it out every day and let it dry totally before laying a small patch of hunter shavings just to help soak the wee up. I use a vapour spray in the stable sometimes and he has water in his feed. He won't eat soaked hay though so thats tricky - sometimes feed horsehage if hes coughing particulary bad but have to be careful cos he's a bit podgy so have to watch that with his weight ! So unfortunatley he has to have dry hay. He also wears a nose net for hacking to help if it is the pollen.
Owner would get vet if particulary bad but doesn't like vets messing with the old boy if not entirely necessary ........... don't get me wrong she is very caring and the horses mean the world to her so would nver put him in danger by not calling them but for this would rather just treat as best we can on our own as feels they wouldn['t be able to do anything else to help ............. just wondered if this is more like ehat he possibly has and if theres anything else I can do to help him ??
I have him on full loan but his owner is in the stable next door so is totally involved but just says he's always been like it and we just have to be careful and work with it - which I do and am very undersatnding and sometimes he's better than others. I've put him on ventil-ate and garlic. His stable is very very clean as I get all the cobwebs and dust down weekly, he has rubber matting and hardly any bed as he never lays down so I clean it out every day and let it dry totally before laying a small patch of hunter shavings just to help soak the wee up. I use a vapour spray in the stable sometimes and he has water in his feed. He won't eat soaked hay though so thats tricky - sometimes feed horsehage if hes coughing particulary bad but have to be careful cos he's a bit podgy so have to watch that with his weight ! So unfortunatley he has to have dry hay. He also wears a nose net for hacking to help if it is the pollen.
Owner would get vet if particulary bad but doesn't like vets messing with the old boy if not entirely necessary ........... don't get me wrong she is very caring and the horses mean the world to her so would nver put him in danger by not calling them but for this would rather just treat as best we can on our own as feels they wouldn['t be able to do anything else to help ............. just wondered if this is more like ehat he possibly has and if theres anything else I can do to help him ??
jumpthemoon
Well-Known Member
I would switch the hay for haylage and feed small amounts in a small holed net if he won't eat soaked hay. Have you tried just hosing a haynet over for a couple of minutes? I know this is not technically he way to do it and won't get rid of all the spores, but it works for my mare, who coughs when on dry hay. If you did have the vet out it is likey that they would prescribe you ventapulmin, which is a powder that you put in the horses feed. It works very well for horses with COPD/dust allergies.
Porkie
Well-Known Member
She said if he got really bad she would get some ventapulmin from the vet - but it hasn't come to that yet. so guess I am doing everything I can at the mo? Apart from soaked hay cos he flatly refuses to eat it wet at all !! (hes just very picky, don't think he likes the smell !!)
If he's having a really bad day I either don't exercise or just go for slow hack in walk - when he's having a good day he can canter for 30mins almost without barely puffing! When he's good he's really good!!!
Thx
If he's having a really bad day I either don't exercise or just go for slow hack in walk - when he's having a good day he can canter for 30mins almost without barely puffing! When he's good he's really good!!!
Thx