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 Expert
Posts: 1258
  
Location: MN | First, I have already taken him to the vet, but this is what is going on..My horse started coughing about a month ago. Nothing bad at first, thought it was slight allergies, I gave him cough free and he would get better. It has now progressed so that he is coughing so bad that he coughs up phlegm. I took him to the vet yesterday very concerned, and the vet said it is not in his lungs, but in his trachea. He actually sounds gurgled. He gave him some steroid powder for last night and this morning, which I gave him, but he is still coughing, OH, and earlier last week I had given him an antibiotic, to no avail!! Allergies should not be an issue as I live in MN and leaves are falling. Vet did not think it was esophageal flap? |
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The Advice Guru
Posts: 6419
| Did the vet scope him?
If not I would go back and get a scope done
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Expert
Posts: 1258
Location: MN | No, he didn't, he said if he is not any better after watering down his hat etc. in 5 days to come back, I know he won't be better....
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The Advice Guru
Posts: 6419
| My experience if they are coughing they are unable to clear their airway. I have had two where their lungs were full of mucus up to their eyeballs, the vet had to overload their cardio system with fluids so they could cough out the phlegm.
I would go back to the vet and bitch about charging me for the first visit without doing his due diligence to identify the causative factor. As now you will need to pay another exam fee and be no farther ahead.
Also make sure he has a scope that will go into the bronchioles as I have learned not all vets have this equipment |
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 I Chore in Chucks
Posts: 2882
 
Location: MD | I had the exact same situation.
horse started with a slight cough. I watered his hay down real good every day, made sure his stall wasn't dusty, took him off work and put him on cough-away. It went away for about 10 days and then it came back with a fury and he was sick for 2 1/2 months and I thought for sure I was going to lose him. He had an awful respiratory infection. He was a fairly new horse to me, I had only had him for about 4 months, so I thought in the beginning maybe he wasn't used to the new climate and had a round with allergies spring up. I didn't get him to the vet right away and if I would have caught it sooner he wouldn't have been so sick for so long.
He was on anti-biotics, some steriod that I can't think of at the moment, and aniprin to help fight off the constant fevers he had. His body pretty much had to fight it all off, it seemed like most of the medication he was getting wouldn't even come close to helping him most days. Best of luck to you and your horse.
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Expert
Posts: 1258
Location: MN | wow, I just got this horse too, he came from MS all the way to MN but the climate hadn't changed yet when he started to cough. I blanket him at night as it is getting down into the th 30's now, I don't want him to waste any more energy keeping warm than he needs to. The antibiotis starts with a T, and the vet thought if he wasn't better to start him on prednisone in 5 days if no change, butI don't like just throwing more meds at him??? I think I will go with a scope |
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 I Google Everything
Posts: 1910
Location: Not sure yet | . I have been known to use table spoon of pinetar. It is antiseptic and moves the mucus out. Old school but it works. Once or twice cough gone. Done to one of mine a couple months ago. |
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Expert
Posts: 1258
Location: MN | where do you find pinetar? |
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Extreme Veteran
Posts: 413
| try feeding 2 tbsp. of apple cider vinegar when you feed... its a long shot.. but it has worked with a few of my coughers |
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  Crazy Chicken Chick
Posts: 36132
| Step 1. Find new vet.
This horse should have been scoped ASAP. I am dealing with similar situation, actually with 2 horses. 1 of them is a young horse, and even as a 2yo I heard her cough, just occasionally and though it was allergies as she is itchy anyway.
Other horse I heard gurgle while at a barrel clinic earlier this month. Took both these horses to the vet last Monday and the young horse has an entrapped epiglotis for which she will have surgery tomorrow.
The second one was scoped the first time last Monday and vet let me look as well, that there was little to no mucus, and a very few blisters on her throat(pharyngitis) so he didn't think she really needed treatment.
I rode her 3 days this past week and noticed increased coughing, and a definitely sound of air turbulence after just slow loping the pattern. So had her rescoped today and she has a lot more clear mucus, and more blisters so he sent her home with some meds to wash her throat with. He did say she displaced a bit while he scoped but thought that was due to the pharyngitis.
He did say to use a snug noseband on her to help control any displacement until she heals. If this doesn't fix it I suppose we'll see what we have to do for the displacement.
Moral of the story is that your vet has NO idea what's going on without scoping.
BTW, scoping only cost me $65.
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Extreme Veteran
Posts: 477
Location: Lost in the swamps | Any vets on here? I'm curious too! I live in south la, I have one right now that had to be scoped 8 weeks ago after he started coughing and a snot nose that he has NEVER had before. I figured from being in a hot stuffy stall while having an abscess( felt so bad but he had to have a hole cut out in his foot and my barn flooded out three days later so I had to borrow my neighbors vacant barn that had no electricity. :( Well,scope showed mucus in the trac.we pulled blood (showed very slightly elevated white cell count=infection) was on uniprim for the abscess two weeks prior. vet decided he possibly had a bacterial infection, we decided not to do a BAL wash which now I'm regretting and put on stronger antibiotics(gentafuse) and dexamethazone, wet feed,hay no bedding. Because he was allergic to something in his enviorment??( But From jan-April he had to be stalled 24 hrs due to fractured splint bone, and never showed allergies to hay or shavings , dust then.) Pasture turnout only and one weeks rest but I gave him two. Monitored his temp closely. Never had a temp, resp rate was elevated to 30-40 but went down to the teens and low 20's in less than two weeks.
Vets Diagnosis=inflamatory air way disease? Could this be correct? It's been this long and he still has bouts of mucus ever other week after a good workout with no cough. But, Then for two days this week he had dry COUGHING but NO mucus??? Feed, pasture and suppliments have not hanged. I'm scratching my head here?!??! |
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 Warmblood with Wings
Posts: 27846
Location: Florida.. | he needs scoped and a wash
if it continues and you dont get him on proper meds antibiotics it Will turn into Pnuemonia.. this can go on for months ..sick well sick well fever no fever.. cough no cough.. then comes raspy lungs .. get a 2nd opinion.. stop running or working the horse as well.. if it does turn into worse he will need a few months off to recover..imho |
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Expert
Posts: 1258
Location: MN | that's it, I'm doing a scope |
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 Vodka for Lunch
Location: Lala Land | My vet didn't scope, but did a trach wash and sent a sample to A&M that confirmed a lung infection. 2 injections of Exceed, and 2 weeks of Ventipulmin. He was better after a few days, you need to demand the vet takes action or get a new vet. |
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Expert
Posts: 1258
Location: MN | Lovin Life - 2014-10-14 9:28 AM
My vet didn't scope, but did a trach wash and sent a sample to A&M that confirmed a lung infection. 2 injections of Exceed, and 2 weeks of Ventipulmin. He was better after a few days, you need to demand the vet takes action or get a new vet.
How much Ventipulmin? I actually have some |
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 Texas Lone Star
Posts: 5318
Location: where ever my L/Q trl is parked | is this the same horse that won't stop coming home?     |
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Warmblood with Wings
Posts: 27846
Location: Florida.. | snoopy - 2014-10-14 8:20 PM Lovin Life - 2014-10-14 9:28 AM My vet didn't scope, but did a trach wash and sent a sample to A&M that confirmed a lung infection. 2 injections of Exceed, and 2 weeks of Ventipulmin. He was better after a few days, you need to demand the vet takes action or get a new vet. How much Ventipulmin? I actually have some
Please dont do a experimenting game.. get a 2nd opinion.. these meds arent to be taken as a one dose deal.. antibiotics you said you tried last week.. it may be wrong dose, wrong meds... if phlegm is coming up and gurgling is there.. get horse seen.. |
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Expert
Posts: 1258
Location: MN |
yes it is, but he had the problem not stopping before the cough |
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I Chore in Chucks
Posts: 2882
Location: MD | Lovin Life - 2014-10-14 10:28 AM
My vet didn't scope, but did a trach wash and sent a sample to A&M that confirmed a lung infection. 2 injections of Exceed, and 2 weeks of Ventipulmin. He was better after a few days, you need to demand the vet takes action or get a new vet.
if I could "like" this I would |
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Extreme Veteran
Posts: 477
Location: Lost in the swamps | Don't want to steal this thread, and hope snoopy has found more answers as I am eager to hear what her vet says. As I feel him running off could be a sign of EIPH. I have heard of bleeders either not running or they "run scared". I went for another evaluation,second opinion. 2nd Vet agreed inflamatory airway, more blood pulled. Tests ran, all came back normal. Infection gone,inflamation is minimal. Where as before he showed infection. I just have to keep monitoring to be sure secondary infection dosen't reoccur. It's something he is allergic to, so no antibiotics are needed unless snot nose comes back. Just dex to help with his allergies. Cough has subsided as discharge has become clear and more watery not thick and yellow like it was. Wondering if an antihistamine could help him?? Any one with experience with allergy products on the market? |
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Expert
Posts: 1258
Location: MN | imturnin3 - 2014-10-15 4:26 PM
Don't want to steal this thread, and hope snoopy has found more answers as I am eager to hear what her vet says. As I feel him running off could be a sign of EIPH. I have heard of bleeders either not running or they "run scared". I went for another evaluation,second opinion. 2nd Vet agreed inflamatory airway, more blood pulled. Tests ran, all came back normal. Infection gone,inflamation is minimal. Where as before he showed infection. I just have to keep monitoring to be sure secondary infection dosen't reoccur. It's something he is allergic to, so no antibiotics are needed unless snot nose comes back. Just dex to help with his allergies. Cough has subsided as discharge has become clear and more watery not thick and yellow like it was. Wondering if an antihistamine could help him?? Any one with experience with allergy products on the market?
what is EIPH? |
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Extreme Veteran
Posts: 477
Location: Lost in the swamps | Exercised induced pulmonary himorage also known as a bleeder
Edited by imturnin3 2014-10-15 8:51 PM
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Extreme Veteran
Posts: 477
Location: Lost in the swamps | Also seen horses run off due to pain and anticipating pain.everything from feet hurting to a joint huriting to a tendon strain even tmj of the jaw! Get a full work up and lameness exam |
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Regular
Posts: 60
| I don't know if you have this where you live but we have Pythium in texas. it comes from the ground and horses cannot graze if it is on your pasture. you cannot see it. My friend has it on her place and none of her horses can get out and graze. They get conjested and cough. They also make that wheezing sound I heard on here. A lot of vets are not familiar with it and there is not much treatment. You can google it. |
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Regular
Posts: 60
| I can add that Pythium is in the traechea not the lungs.
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 Good Grief!
Posts: 6343
Location: Cap'n Joan Rotgut.....alberta | first thing i would check is if hes a bleeder (eiph) like the previous poster said and you could also ask your vet about trachea shots (you give them for about a week)
m |
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Expert
Posts: 1258
Location: MN | So, I have continued him on the TMS, and taken away the beet pulp, (I am just thinking of anything that was changed since I got him that could cause it). Wed. morning I gave him some Ventipulmin and that afternoon, I went for a trailride. 45 minutes and no cough up and down hills. Yesterday, I decided to let him out in the pasture after I gave him the TMS, no ventipulmin, and he started running up the hill and coughed twice, vet says to still give it till next week before he will do a scope, he doesn't do trach washes after the invention of the scope, he can get samples that way? less invasive. |
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Veteran
Posts: 223
Location: Louisiana | Your horse is probably allergic to the grasses in your pasture. I live in South LA. Just had to sell my best horse because he had similar symptoms. It is Summer Pasture Heaves and lots of horses in the Gulf Coast States get it. |
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Warmblood with Wings
Posts: 27846
Location: Florida.. | true about pasture allergies but i thought she said he had a gurgling in his breathing.. or something like that.. not just coughing |
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Expert
Posts: 1258
Location: MN | But when I did put him out in the pasture the other day when he ran up in the hill it was the first time I let him out for a long time. He just coughed as he was running up the hill to the pasture otherwise he has been in a large paddock on hay and grain. I took him on another trail ride last night without the ventipulmin and did some arena work and he didn't cough at all. So I took away all the things that I changed when he got here, I quit giving him beet pulp, (have no idea if that is the culprit) and I did start watering down his hay and hanging it in a mesh bag so any dust particles that were still there fell through, and I continued him on the TMS. Maybe things are turning around. |
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Expert
Posts: 4766
Location: Bandera, TX | Once you have a culture done then you can give the correct antibiotic if indeed one is needed. I like Equi-Pulmin, you can order it from 1sttofinish.com
Poss. this is an allergen response due to the recent move. |
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Expert
Posts: 1258
Location: MN | Brought him in because he started to get real bad again, and the epiglottis seemed fine, but when he went down the trachea with the scope it was full of phlegm. He went as far down as he could to look by the lungs and they seemed fine. He took a culture, ran blood tests, and white, red cells ok, and no bacteria, so he put my horse on a steroid for 2 weeks, seems to be getting better, haven't rode him yet, but will today. |
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The Advice Guru
Posts: 6419
| snoopy - 2014-10-25 7:59 AM
Brought him in because he started to get real bad again, and the epiglottis seemed fine, but when he went down the trachea with the scope it was full of phlegm. He went as far down as he could to look by the lungs and they seemed fine. He took a culture, ran blood tests, and white, red cells ok, and no bacteria, so he put my horse on a steroid for 2 weeks, seems to be getting better, haven't rode him yet, but will today.
Doe the vet have a scope that goes into the bronchioles, if not I would find a vet with the appropriate equipment |
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Expert
Posts: 1258
Location: MN | rode him tonight for awhile but after making a run he waited awhile and coughed twice?  |
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Need opinions on horses COUGH!!!