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Coughing issue

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Racer4eva
Reg. Feb 2009
Posted 2018-01-26 2:22 PM
Subject: Coughing issue


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Posts: 762
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Location: NC
Ive had my 16 yr old gelding 3 years and every year the cough has been different. 1st year the cough was so bad i didnt ride him most of the summer (dry dusty summer) then we moved south and hes been alot better but he stills coughs. He coughs when he gets excited like during an exhibition BUT he doesnt cough after a run or during one. He will cough when you are warming up but not all the time. Ive done barrel lessons on him and he wont cough the entire time. But then are times when he picks up a lope and he starts coughing. Hes not stalled, has a run in. And he and my older horse play all the time and he doesnt cough then.
Ive talked to the local vet and she said oh well one of these days bring him over for a breathing eval (in which case im pretty leery as i do like her but not sure i trust it)
I was thinking about seeing if i can find someone local that may have an equi resp machine that i could try/pay for a session for him. Anybody use it with positive results? I know some will say try curost. Which one do think would be the best results? Do you have to just feed it with oats? (not putting down oats, just worry about weight issues. in the past he got skinny while in a boarding barn, and hes know plump/good weight)
Have tried cough free and forefront resp and its helped but hes a picky eater and you cannot give him a full scoop or he will walk away. Have tried air power but to be honest i dont remember if it helped or not
thanks in advance!!!! thinking out loud

Edited by Racer4eva 2018-01-26 2:24 PM
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Nateracer
Reg. Feb 2008
Posted 2018-01-26 2:26 PM
Subject: RE: Coughing issue



Miss Laundry Misshap


Posts: 5271
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150% believe in the Equi-resp!   Major difference in all of my horses!  We had a very dry summer and between hay and dust, couple got to coughing.   Did some treatments and it solved the issue very quickly!  
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rodeomom3
Reg. Dec 2007
Posted 2018-01-26 2:33 PM
Subject: RE: Coughing issue



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Posts: 10277
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 I would get him scoped and see exactly what you are dealing with.  I moved to a new place, mine started coughing, I attributed it to allergies, had him scoped and it was cicatrix which causes scarring on the larynx to the point of restricting breathing and a trachea is needed.  
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Racer4eva
Reg. Feb 2009
Posted 2018-01-26 7:24 PM
Subject: RE: Coughing issue


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Posts: 762
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Location: NC
rodeomom3 - 2018-01-26 3:33 PM

 I would get him scoped and see exactly what you are dealing with.  I moved to a new place, mine started coughing, I attributed it to allergies, had him scoped and it was cicatrix which causes scarring on the larynx to the point of restricting breathing and a trachea is needed.  

Thats the other thing im worried about is him bleeding. How much around did scoping cost you please? And did you go to a specialist/vet hosp or can a regular vet do it? Thank you!
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WetSaddleBlankets
Reg. Nov 2010
Posted 2018-01-26 9:00 PM
Subject: RE: Coughing issue


Gettin Jiggy Wit It


Posts: 2734
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Racer4eva - 2018-01-26 7:24 PM

rodeomom3 - 2018-01-26 3:33 PM

 I would get him scoped and see exactly what you are dealing with.  I moved to a new place, mine started coughing, I attributed it to allergies, had him scoped and it was cicatrix which causes scarring on the larynx to the point of restricting breathing and a trachea is needed.  

Thats the other thing im worried about is him bleeding. How much around did scoping cost you please? And did you go to a specialist/vet hosp or can a regular vet do it? Thank you!

  don't even spend money on supplements, equiresp or anything else.. Just go to an a actual equine vet. Your horses coughing sounds very concerning if it caused you to stop riding for a full summer. Get a scope and a BAL (a test checking what inflammatory cells or infectious bacteria can are present) done. It will cost about 300 for everything. If your horse does it during rest and before a run it's probably not bleeding. It's more then likely (like 99%) allergies. If it is allergies you need to treat with a steroid like dex and figure out the cause. 90% of the time it's hay, pollen and dust. Once you figure it out you need to minimize the exposure to it. Like watering hay down and keeping your horse out of a barn and turned out.
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madredepeanut
Reg. Aug 2017
Posted 2018-01-26 10:34 PM
Subject: RE: Coughing issue





500100100252525
WetSaddleBlankets - 2018-01-26 7:00 PM

Racer4eva - 2018-01-26 7:24 PM

rodeomom3 - 2018-01-26 3:33 PM

 I would get him scoped and see exactly what you are dealing with.  I moved to a new place, mine started coughing, I attributed it to allergies, had him scoped and it was cicatrix which causes scarring on the larynx to the point of restricting breathing and a trachea is needed.  

Thats the other thing im worried about is him bleeding. How much around did scoping cost you please? And did you go to a specialist/vet hosp or can a regular vet do it? Thank you!

  don't even spend money on supplements, equiresp or anything else.. Just go to an a actual equine vet. Your horses coughing sounds very concerning if it caused you to stop riding for a full summer. Get a scope and a BAL (a test checking what inflammatory cells or infectious bacteria can are present) done. It will cost about 300 for everything. If your horse does it during rest and before a run it's probably not bleeding. It's more then likely (like 99%) allergies. If it is allergies you need to treat with a steroid like dex and figure out the cause. 90% of the time it's hay, pollen and dust. Once you figure it out you need to minimize the exposure to it. Like watering hay down and keeping your horse out of a barn and turned out.

I would have him looked at by an equine vet as well. They can do a rebreathing exam with a plastic bag and listen for any crackles or wheezes. They might have you work him and see if it's exercise induced, or they could scope him. It could also be allergies, heaves or RAO, which the summer dust and dusty hay could aggravate his condition.

I absolutely recommend having him looked at by a vet before using an Equi-Resp or anything of that nature, because unless a horse actually has a medical reason to be nebulized (i.e. diagnosed with decreased lung function), you really shouldn't use it on them. If a horse is nebulized too frequently or doesn't need it, it can cause problems with receptor down regulation, meaning the nebulizer starts doing the work the healthy lungs should be doing on their own and actually can cause decreased lung function in a horse that has normal lung function.
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Racer4eva
Reg. Feb 2009
Posted 2018-01-27 5:35 PM
Subject: RE: Coughing issue


Elite Veteran


Posts: 762
5001001002525
Location: NC
madredepeanut - 2018-01-26 11:34 PM

WetSaddleBlankets - 2018-01-26 7:00 PM

Racer4eva - 2018-01-26 7:24 PM

rodeomom3 - 2018-01-26 3:33 PM

 I would get him scoped and see exactly what you are dealing with.  I moved to a new place, mine started coughing, I attributed it to allergies, had him scoped and it was cicatrix which causes scarring on the larynx to the point of restricting breathing and a trachea is needed.  

Thats the other thing im worried about is him bleeding. How much around did scoping cost you please? And did you go to a specialist/vet hosp or can a regular vet do it? Thank you!

  don't even spend money on supplements, equiresp or anything else.. Just go to an a actual equine vet. Your horses coughing sounds very concerning if it caused you to stop riding for a full summer. Get a scope and a BAL (a test checking what inflammatory cells or infectious bacteria can are present) done. It will cost about 300 for everything. If your horse does it during rest and before a run it's probably not bleeding. It's more then likely (like 99%) allergies. If it is allergies you need to treat with a steroid like dex and figure out the cause. 90% of the time it's hay, pollen and dust. Once you figure it out you need to minimize the exposure to it. Like watering hay down and keeping your horse out of a barn and turned out.

I would have him looked at by an equine vet as well. They can do a rebreathing exam with a plastic bag and listen for any crackles or wheezes. They might have you work him and see if it's exercise induced, or they could scope him. It could also be allergies, heaves or RAO, which the summer dust and dusty hay could aggravate his condition.

I absolutely recommend having him looked at by a vet before using an Equi-Resp or anything of that nature, because unless a horse actually has a medical reason to be nebulized (i.e. diagnosed with decreased lung function), you really shouldn't use it on them. If a horse is nebulized too frequently or doesn't need it, it can cause problems with receptor down regulation, meaning the nebulizer starts doing the work the healthy lungs should be doing on their own and actually can cause decreased lung function in a horse that has normal lung function.

Thank you both!! Hes not stalled, has a 3 sided run in currently (barns half built.) But even when its finished it will be left open for them to come and go as please. We rode yesterday out thru fields w/t/c and never coughed once. The one summer that he was really bad we were boarded at a very dusty boarding barn and i contributed his coughing to that completely. Since then we have moved states and hes nowhere near as bad.
Would you say a regular mobile equine vet can scope or do you have to go to an equine clinic?
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streakysox
Reg. Jul 2008
Posted 2018-01-27 6:21 PM
Subject: RE: Coughing issue



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I have used this for years. Baby chick crumbles. Costs about $10. I use MANNA PRO in the red bag which is not the medicated one. I just googled them and all I can seem to find are the ones in the yellow bag. Those are the medicated ones but they are probably ok.
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TessBelle
Reg. Mar 2014
Posted 2018-01-27 7:00 PM
Subject: RE: Coughing issue


Expert


Posts: 1477
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Location: In the land of peanuts and cotton
I agree with the scope. And lots of blood work. We treated my gelding for almost a year for what the vet said was allergies. He continued to get worse and worse and worse. Would go to the vet and still said allergies. Finally we went to another vet and he already had acute pneumonia. He barely survived and the vet said he really didn’t believe he would because it had already gotten so bad. Now the pneumonia is gone but his lungs are so scared that he has to have albuterol daily to be able to breath.
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WetSaddleBlankets
Reg. Nov 2010
Posted 2018-01-27 7:40 PM
Subject: RE: Coughing issue


Gettin Jiggy Wit It


Posts: 2734
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Racer4eva - 2018-01-27 5:35 PM

madredepeanut - 2018-01-26 11:34 PM

WetSaddleBlankets - 2018-01-26 7:00 PM

Racer4eva - 2018-01-26 7:24 PM

rodeomom3 - 2018-01-26 3:33 PM

 I would get him scoped and see exactly what you are dealing with.  I moved to a new place, mine started coughing, I attributed it to allergies, had him scoped and it was cicatrix which causes scarring on the larynx to the point of restricting breathing and a trachea is needed.  

Thats the other thing im worried about is him bleeding. How much around did scoping cost you please? And did you go to a specialist/vet hosp or can a regular vet do it? Thank you!

  don't even spend money on supplements, equiresp or anything else.. Just go to an a actual equine vet. Your horses coughing sounds very concerning if it caused you to stop riding for a full summer. Get a scope and a BAL (a test checking what inflammatory cells or infectious bacteria can are present) done. It will cost about 300 for everything. If your horse does it during rest and before a run it's probably not bleeding. It's more then likely (like 99%) allergies. If it is allergies you need to treat with a steroid like dex and figure out the cause. 90% of the time it's hay, pollen and dust. Once you figure it out you need to minimize the exposure to it. Like watering hay down and keeping your horse out of a barn and turned out.

I would have him looked at by an equine vet as well. They can do a rebreathing exam with a plastic bag and listen for any crackles or wheezes. They might have you work him and see if it's exercise induced, or they could scope him. It could also be allergies, heaves or RAO, which the summer dust and dusty hay could aggravate his condition.

I absolutely recommend having him looked at by a vet before using an Equi-Resp or anything of that nature, because unless a horse actually has a medical reason to be nebulized (i.e. diagnosed with decreased lung function), you really shouldn't use it on them. If a horse is nebulized too frequently or doesn't need it, it can cause problems with receptor down regulation, meaning the nebulizer starts doing the work the healthy lungs should be doing on their own and actually can cause decreased lung function in a horse that has normal lung function.

Thank you both!! Hes not stalled, has a 3 sided run in currently (barns half built.) But even when its finished it will be left open for them to come and go as please. We rode yesterday out thru fields w/t/c and never coughed once. The one summer that he was really bad we were boarded at a very dusty boarding barn and i contributed his coughing to that completely. Since then we have moved states and hes nowhere near as bad.
Would you say a regular mobile equine vet can scope or do you have to go to an equine clinic?

 No problem! No I'd go to a clinic. With the scope and bal there is a lot of equipment set up with the monitor and sterile items needed.
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madredepeanut
Reg. Aug 2017
Posted 2018-01-27 11:40 PM
Subject: RE: Coughing issue





500100100252525
WetSaddleBlankets - 2018-01-27 5:40 PM

Racer4eva - 2018-01-27 5:35 PM

madredepeanut - 2018-01-26 11:34 PM

WetSaddleBlankets - 2018-01-26 7:00 PM

Racer4eva - 2018-01-26 7:24 PM

rodeomom3 - 2018-01-26 3:33 PM

 I would get him scoped and see exactly what you are dealing with.  I moved to a new place, mine started coughing, I attributed it to allergies, had him scoped and it was cicatrix which causes scarring on the larynx to the point of restricting breathing and a trachea is needed.  

Thats the other thing im worried about is him bleeding. How much around did scoping cost you please? And did you go to a specialist/vet hosp or can a regular vet do it? Thank you!

  don't even spend money on supplements, equiresp or anything else.. Just go to an a actual equine vet. Your horses coughing sounds very concerning if it caused you to stop riding for a full summer. Get a scope and a BAL (a test checking what inflammatory cells or infectious bacteria can are present) done. It will cost about 300 for everything. If your horse does it during rest and before a run it's probably not bleeding. It's more then likely (like 99%) allergies. If it is allergies you need to treat with a steroid like dex and figure out the cause. 90% of the time it's hay, pollen and dust. Once you figure it out you need to minimize the exposure to it. Like watering hay down and keeping your horse out of a barn and turned out.

I would have him looked at by an equine vet as well. They can do a rebreathing exam with a plastic bag and listen for any crackles or wheezes. They might have you work him and see if it's exercise induced, or they could scope him. It could also be allergies, heaves or RAO, which the summer dust and dusty hay could aggravate his condition.

I absolutely recommend having him looked at by a vet before using an Equi-Resp or anything of that nature, because unless a horse actually has a medical reason to be nebulized (i.e. diagnosed with decreased lung function), you really shouldn't use it on them. If a horse is nebulized too frequently or doesn't need it, it can cause problems with receptor down regulation, meaning the nebulizer starts doing the work the healthy lungs should be doing on their own and actually can cause decreased lung function in a horse that has normal lung function.

Thank you both!! Hes not stalled, has a 3 sided run in currently (barns half built.) But even when its finished it will be left open for them to come and go as please. We rode yesterday out thru fields w/t/c and never coughed once. The one summer that he was really bad we were boarded at a very dusty boarding barn and i contributed his coughing to that completely. Since then we have moved states and hes nowhere near as bad.
Would you say a regular mobile equine vet can scope or do you have to go to an equine clinic?

 No problem! No I'd go to a clinic. With the scope and bal there is a lot of equipment set up with the monitor and sterile items needed.

Absolutely agree. Plus a lot of mobile vets don’t have the setup for a mobile endoscopy and BAL.
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ropenrun
Reg. Nov 2004
Posted 2018-01-28 1:49 PM
Subject: RE: Coughing issue




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Location: In my own little world
After a vet check then use EquiPulmin. It has solved the problem on a lot of horses. Mine had a persistent cough for 2 years that could not be figured out by vet. Started EquiPulmin and bam, no cough with it. Sure helped mine out.
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YoullNeverGuess
Reg. Oct 2017
Posted 2018-01-28 3:09 PM
Subject: RE: Coughing issue


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Posts: 19
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The issue with a scope is that you have to scope within minutes of running to catch a horse during displacement, or a mild bleeder. I recommend finding a vet at a barrel race who can follow you to your stall or trailer after you run and scope then to catch any internal issues. Now, if your horse has a moderate to serious infection scoping can often catch those whenever.

There are two products I use on horses who have any kind of chronic issue or chronic cough, Animal Element Immune Key and Deanne Harrisons Lung Heal. Hope that helps, because it has been a miracle duo for me.
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WetSaddleBlankets
Reg. Nov 2010
Posted 2018-01-28 7:09 PM
Subject: RE: Coughing issue


Gettin Jiggy Wit It


Posts: 2734
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YoullNeverGuess - 2018-01-28 3:09 PM

The issue with a scope is that you have to scope within minutes of running to catch a horse during displacement, or a mild bleeder. I recommend finding a vet at a barrel race who can follow you to your stall or trailer after you run and scope then to catch any internal issues. Now, if your horse has a moderate to serious infection scoping can often catch those whenever.

There are two products I use on horses who have any kind of chronic issue or chronic cough, Animal Element Immune Key and Deanne Harrisons Lung Heal. Hope that helps, because it has been a miracle duo for me.

 If her horse has allergies it would more beneficial to scope and get a BAL before spending any money supplements.
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rodeomom3
Reg. Dec 2007
Posted 2018-01-28 8:07 PM
Subject: RE: Coughing issue



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Posts: 10277
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WetSaddleBlankets - 2018-01-28 7:09 PM
YoullNeverGuess - 2018-01-28 3:09 PM The issue with a scope is that you have to scope within minutes of running to catch a horse during displacement, or a mild bleeder. I recommend finding a vet at a barrel race who can follow you to your stall or trailer after you run and scope then to catch any internal issues. Now, if your horse has a moderate to serious infection scoping can often catch those whenever. There are two products I use on horses who have any kind of chronic issue or chronic cough, Animal Element Immune Key and Deanne Harrisons Lung Heal. Hope that helps, because it has been a miracle duo for me.
 If her horse has allergies it would more beneficial to scope and get a BAL before spending any money supplements.

 Agree, and the op’s description does not sound like a bleeder who typically coughs after a run.   My bleeder has never coughed before a run and only once after a run.   Coughs during warn up are not because of bleeding, the bleeding has not happened yet if it is happening at all unless you have an infection in which case I would think you have a more consistent cough 
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Racer4eva
Reg. Feb 2009
Posted 2018-01-29 7:56 AM
Subject: RE: Coughing issue


Elite Veteran


Posts: 762
5001001002525
Location: NC
rodeomom3 - 2018-01-28 9:07 PM

WetSaddleBlankets - 2018-01-28 7:09 PM
YoullNeverGuess - 2018-01-28 3:09 PM The issue with a scope is that you have to scope within minutes of running to catch a horse during displacement, or a mild bleeder. I recommend finding a vet at a barrel race who can follow you to your stall or trailer after you run and scope then to catch any internal issues. Now, if your horse has a moderate to serious infection scoping can often catch those whenever. There are two products I use on horses who have any kind of chronic issue or chronic cough, Animal Element Immune Key and Deanne Harrisons Lung Heal. Hope that helps, because it has been a miracle duo for me.
 If her horse has allergies it would more beneficial to scope and get a BAL before spending any money supplements.

 Agree, and the op’s description does not sound like a bleeder who typically coughs after a run.   My bleeder has never coughed before a run and only once after a run.   Coughs during warn up are not because of bleeding, the bleeding has not happened yet if it is happening at all unless you have an infection in which case I would think you have a more consistent cough 

He never coughs after a run. Before and during an exhibition at a trot, yes. A run nope. Thank you guys for the responses!! Like i said before its hard to get breathing aid powders into him unless they are syringed because he will walk away from anything to strong in his food (and thats with alfalfa pellets and water in food) Hes a picky guy but hes worth it.
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Slim
Reg. Apr 2009
Posted 2018-01-29 3:29 PM
Subject: RE: Coughing issue


Regular


Posts: 56
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Location: Oklahoma
I feel like an idiot but what is a BAL???
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madredepeanut
Reg. Aug 2017
Posted 2018-01-29 5:46 PM
Subject: RE: Coughing issue





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Slim - 2018-01-29 1:29 PM

I feel like an idiot but what is a BAL???

BAL or bronchoalveolar lavage, is where you lavage fluid into a portion of the lung and collect a sample to send off.
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