First time bleeder mom here (that I've know of), 7yo laid back barrel mare. Had scoped yesterday after a run bc she has been pulling on me leaving 3rd.  Small amount of blood found on the scope.  I had given her 2cc's 3 hours out which I know is light but wanted to see how she did on it bf I upped it.  She's on timonthy pellets, Crytpo-Aero oat blend, rice bran and ground flax, orchard grass.  She's always had a chronic cough that I've tried everything under the sun to figure out why or where it's coming from.  So far, still don't know.  I don't like the thought of running her on lasix unless I have to so wanted to see if anyone had anything they've found to give daily to help?  Thanks in advance!

I'm in the same boat.  My mare bled on her run Friday and Saturday, Friday was just out of one nostril but Saturday it was out of both.  Started about 5 min. after coming out of arena and once I wiped her nose it was just a trace amount more that came out.  I didn't know if a richer alfalfa could have had anything to do with it.  We feed the big 1000 lb. bales but I buy some of the 3 string regular bales to take when we travel so that is the only time she was on it.

Finish First Pellets in feed .  Paste on race days.  Power pac and then 1 week later ivermectin.  Horses with lung worms have chronic coughs that will not go away.  

Is there a way to find out for sure or do you just treat them?  Also, her full sister who's a year younger seems to have the same cough when warming up... none of our other horses have this cough.

The Finish First pellets and what type of paste are you referring to? 

Thank you! :)

This is just my opinion, take it for what you think it is worth...

Many horses bleed.. It makes them feel liket hey are drowning and their runs reflect it. Why not do what is clinically proven to help them?! Lasix is the only *clincally* proven thing out there to stop this. If it helps why look for alternatives?

In your situation I would say do 3cc and get your horse out of the drowning feel and run them on it and don't F* with it. 

Going through the exact same thing currently with my 6 year old. I've never had a bleeder so I didnt know what the signs were. My horse started balking at the gate and around the same time she started coughing BAD after her runs. She's always coughed a little while warming up but never after her runs. I vetted her for soundness for the gate refusal but it never crossed my mind about bleeding until our last run when a friend asked me about the coughing and if I thought she might be a bleeder. It was like a light bulb went off in my head and I feel so stupid for not considering it before that point. I ran her on 3cc Lasix for our next run and no coughing. I havent had her scoped and I don't think I will because I think it's hit or miss. I've done a lot of research since that run because I dont like the thought of using a needle everytime I make a run but it seems that nothing is as effective as the lasix. And frankly this is not something to play around with. I found that some people use a daily supplement on top of the lasix for lung health and recovery. A few fo the ones I researched were Race Today, CEP Lung Daily and MVP Airway EQ. I ended up starting my mare on the MVP Airway EQ but they all had really good reviews. People have suggested using an electrolyte daily but my horse refuses to eat her grain with electrolytes. As an alternative you can give an electrolyte paste after the run to encourage them to drink. I have also seen where people give a pre-run paste like OE Wind or MVP Breath 02. I also started using Flair Equine Nasal Strips which seem to help! A few tips I've come accross - dont warm up in dusty areas, keep your horse in tip top shape and avoid arenas with deep ground. You can give Lasix IV and IM - some people will tell you you can give it orally as well but in my experience that does not have any effect. Good luck to you! Hope you find a regimen that works!

They have two types of Paste .  One is the Finish First Paste.  The other is Air Pulmin.  Both work.  I prefer the air pulmin.  Give two hours before run. 

You can do a trache wash and blood work.  But I usually just treat.  

I am not against lasix or any meds but pleeeaasssee use vet!  and go by what the vet says for your horse!  I was working for a vet, he came from the racetrack, and he does believes in lasix but when he explained to me how lasix works and what it does to the kidneys and so forth.... you need your vet!

dont just do lasix to see if it works without your vet just bc your friends horse did well with it!  I cant explain it and I wouldn't even try bc I am not a vet! or vet tech! 

Ive been very guilty of doing things to try to cut corners or just to see but I'm telling you not from experience but from being around a vet behind the scenes please use a vet with meds! and each horse is different.  and yes I know vet can be wrong but he can also make adjustmenst and knows more when he knows you and your horse! give him time to figure out if there does need to be adjustments. 
Diagnostics are huge help to vet and dont try to cut corners! especially dealing with lungs!

I'm not opposed to giving lasix was just seeing if there was something to give daily that would help with her coughing.  She's never coughed after a run so the thought of bleeding hasn't really been something I've given much thought to.  After running her Saturday on 2cc's and having her scoped it was minimal but will up it next time.  Giving something long term is what concerns me and not having experience with lasix I just want to make sure I understand what all needs to be done to not cause her problems down the road.  Thank you for your info!

In the Midwest, this time of the year seems to be really hard on horses because of the weather changes, pollen and dust in the air from harvest season.  I find that Equipulmin helps.  If I have a horse that is coughing a lot, I will give them a dose once a day for 3 or 4 days.  I also give them a dose 1 hour prior to running them.  I even do this with our team roping horses if we are using them hard.  I had a barrel horse that as he got older, the Equipulmin replaced the Lasix.  I don't know that this would work for many horses though.  A 60 pound girl is running him now and  they are not using Lasix, just the Equipulmin.  

Try Race Today by Vetline.  It was created by a vet.  I've heard it works great.  They're very helpful to talk to.

You also may need to play with your timing.  My bleeder needed his lasix an hour and a half out.  

3 hours didn't work for him.  I also used flair strips.  

Best advice anyone gave me was to check all the ingrediants in your supplements.  You'd be surpirsed what thins their blood.

Vit E, Vit C, MSM...

Mine hasn't run in 2 years. He's on Race Today.  He doesn't tolerate lasix well.  I'm legging him up.  We'll see how he does.  I will still give

him a low dose of lasix.

A vet also told me not to run on the weekend if I didn't breeze him during the week. Just a straight breeze.

Those that played with their Lasix timing, how did you figure this out? I was told 3cc four hours out. I've only run the horse once since starting Lasix, and it was on a nice chilly day, and he was a smidge bit fresh, so not counting that as an "experience." 

Also, how did you figure out a horse didn't tolerate it?

Not a sales pitch but my old mare has been a bad bleeder for 13 years and has always run on Lasix at 6-10cc depending on heat, humidity, number of races that weekend, etc.  We tried a lot of different products (Silver Lining, THE, Oxygen) over the years but nothing seemed to work so we always resorted back to K Red or Lasix to keep her running 1D.  She was turned out last year due to me being pregnant and started on Race Today this year for my daughter to run at junior high rodeos.  First few races I reduced her lasix down to 3cc.  The last 2 weekends we took her completely off the lasix and there is no sign of bleeding.  This mare is 20, probably not running nearly as hard as she did back in her golden days but still fast enough to win go rounds.  Not saying it will work, but definitely the only product that we have used in her career that I felt confident enough to even try to run her without covering her on Lasix.  Hope you find something that works, but just wanted to also say keep looking until you do find something.