Possible COPD...gutted..

[flash7]

I posted some time ago that my horse was coughing with a snotty nose. He was put on ventipulmin then. He hasn't improved and is very lethargic when ridden and I just felt that things were still not right. This morning he had a creamy discharge fromn his nostrils and I rang the vet for a visit.

She did the plastic bag thing to increase the respiration rate and listened. He has a wheeze... There is no inflammation in his throat, glands etc so it's not an infection. She thinks he may have the start of COPD or reccurrent airway obstruction as it is now known. He is also the right age for it to start, between 6-10 years. He has never had any problems before, even when we had strangles on our yard. He cannot be turned out full time because of his recurrent colic, so hes back on ventipulmin the vet suggested moving to a different stable that has more airflow and no shared airspace. At the moment he shares an airspace with a horse bedded on straw that will not help him. I'm to ring her in a week to give her an update and he may need to be endoscoped.

I am totally gutted at the thought of another problem with him and tbh I'm not coping very well in general.

Sorry for the long post, I just needed to talk about it.

Any advice would be welcomed.

[spotti]

Awww flash hun, have a hug >>>>>>HUGS<<<<<<<<<<< Sweetie, don't apologise for talking about what's worrying you, that's what we're here for! COPD isn't the end of the world and if you can move to a stable where he'll be happier then all the better.

I can sympathise with you completely on the "Oh no not another problem" front as Faith is just one problem after another, and just when we think we're ok, something big hits us and we're back to square one again. Really annoying (not to mention stressful and expensive) isn't it?

As for advice, I've never really experience COPD before so can't really comment, but I did hear that straw was bad, as was shavings...I think something like Aubiose was recommended as a bedding, but I can't quite remember if that was for COPD or for something else - I'm not very useful today am I? Sorry.


I hope your boy gets better soon, and if not then I hope you can find a way to make him more comfortable. Big hugs sent your way hun *sends big hugs to Flash and her horsey*. keep us posted!

[dannyboy]

Poor little man. Hope it's not too serious. Big hugs.x.

[Blonde Donkey]

aww give him a hug from me

[finefilly]

poor little fella! dazzle has COPD and it is managed now with having shavings, soaked hay if on hay or haylage. he has been much better since we started using haylage. he is a lot better turned out more but if you cant do that because of colic try moving him to another stable. Where we used to keep the horses, most of the other liverys used straw and it was in a big barn and he seemed worse there than when we moved him. big hugs and i hope he is better soon xxxx

[haffyfan]

aww Flash thats terrible news but it needn't be. My old pony had rao or COPD as I still know it as and it can be managed. If he can live out 24/7 that would be best for him in the long run but if he has to be in plenty of ventilation and dust free bedding is the key for him and any stablemates too. I know this isn't always easy on a yard. The same with hay either lightly soaked or use haylage/pre packed stuff like horsehage and make sure neighbours do the same.
If he can't live out could he have a small pen area outside his stable...anything to give him access to as much fresh air as poss I guess and maybe mats would help as they would minimise the need for bedding?

[flash7]

Thanks guys for your support. It helped reading them in that I'm not alone and that it's manageable.

I can't sleep tonight because I'm so wound up about having more worries. He is on mats and hay at the moment so I'm thinking the move will help. I wish he could have a pen outside his stable but that's not possible at our yard but I wish it was as it's a great idea.

[kateflashy]

another one of the france seems to cure it posts , my flash had copd in uk , and was on paper bedding and hayledge and wet down food all the time , but since being here she hasnt coughed once and she's on straw and hay , though i will admit that the hay here is so good i could almost eat it myself , and if it gets wet it turns back to grass

[kitcat]

Big hugs for you both. I don't know enough to give any advice but from what the others are saying it seems managable. I am sure that you will find the way.

[r0450111]

Hiya,

Sorry to here about your pony getting COPD. Its not nice to be told that! It is managable though. I ride a retired advanced eventer who hashad COPD for as long as his owner can remember! He's now 20. Its a pain having to soak his hay due to the fact that its must be soaked for at least an hour otherwise he coughs bless him! He's also bedded on Easibed with no mats. His stable is really well ventilated. He's turned out during the day. He would be out 24/7 but he's a possible rig and gets silly over the mares in another field! He has a good working life and is still really active, we're currently working to do dressage and possibly some show jumping. Once you can stop the coughing, your horse will bounce back. Sambo always does! i hoped i helped even just alittle bit!

[Becca]

Aw flash hun , not what you need! but look at all these horses who are leading happy comfortable lives your boy can and will do the same.

never apologise for airing your problems, there is always at least one person on here who has been through the same or similar.

big cuddles for you and ponio )))))))))squeeze(((((((((

[ceej]

Awww Flash, sorry to hear that....Willow has mild COPD and I manage it the same way as Finefilly..he stays out as much a spossibel though and this is the best thing. Why does your horse get colic when out? can you not have a n area of v restricted grazing (or even just a yard area outside with maybe mats on? and feed soaked hay or haylage out there? its much better to be in the open air if poss...

PM me if you want to chat about stuff my sweets... x

[brigadier]

Hi Flash
thats the way with horses- one thing after another- it never ends, but its why we love them- keeps us busy!
As all the above have said- totally manageable nowadays- for you with a possible move maybe?

When I first started riding all the horses at the riding school had it (years ago) they were all on straw beds and non soaked hay, the owner used to treat the symptoms with benylin, the human cough medicine- I dont know if anyone else uses this or has experience of it- i seem to remember someone saying it shouldnt be used on horses but vets sometimes denigrate cheaper alternatives so its worth posting on here to see if anyone else has info- its wont cure it but may help ease the cough a bit.
We used to also put a few drops of olbas oil in a sack with some hay, put boiling water in and hold the sack over the horses nose so it breathed in the menthol vapours- again helped ease the cough and helped it breathe.

Other than that make sure everything is damped down or dust free and loads of fresh air.
Think of athletes who have asthma- its a similar condition but is manageable and they still become athletes so try not to worry too much- just means youve a good excuse for lavishing more attention on your horse!

[kateflashy]

ive used benylin for normal coughs just give measures in feed 2x a day it seemed to work well ,

benylin night is used by showing people as a calmer as its undetectable in a drug test

[popsicle]

don't worry flash. I know several horses with COPD and they may never run like Red Rum LOL, but they are managed and ridden and have very happy lives. It's not the end of the world. Honest xx

[florence]

Another COPD here too. It is manageable and once you get into the routine, you don't even think about it.

I've used human cough medicine too for a normal cough, though not sure if it was Benylin; it may have been Galloways . The conversation at the chemist went like this:
Is it for a dry or chesty cough?
Well, it's a sort of dry cough at the moment.
Is it for you?
No. Do you have a bigger bottle?
Is it for your husband?
No, I'd better have a couple of bottles to start with.
Is it for your children?
No. Just two bottles please.
Who is it for?
Does it matter?
You need to know how much to give. Who's it for?
My ..er...horse.
I've never heard of that one!
How much should I give him then?
I haven't got a clue. Never heard of that before!

[kitcat]

Lol Florence, I can just imagine that one.

[raymond]

Hi Flash - hope you are doing ok.. I was feeling like you a few weeks ago - complete despair when Ray was suffering from a terrible cough. He had been on ventapulmin for two weeks with no improvement whatsoever. His was a mixture of COPD and summer pasture RAO.

I had written off the rest of the summer activities and all was doom and gloom as far as I was concerned. Rays cough was at rest, he could not even walk to his stable without coughing. A few weeks later and he has just completed riding club camp - 2 hours exercise or more each day and no sign of a cough.

Management of it has worked wonders and I was thinking all sorts was wrong and was going to have him scoped. I could not believe that a little bit of dust and pollen could cause such a reaction in Ray. I was convinced it was something more sinister.

My vet persuaded me to try management first. I put him onto mats only - no bedding which is a bit strange at first but have got used to it. No hay - only haylage if anything at all. I changed his feed from chop to horse and pony nuts. I invested in a nose net which I ride him in and he has it on his head collar as well.

Olbas oil worked a treat when it was really bad - just on a towel for him to breathe in. I also used breath easy 99 and pollen x in his feed, both of which eased the symptoms. He is now - touch wood - back to normal. He still needs the breath easy to ease the symptoms but fingers crossed he is 99% improved.

I must say that I was sceptical of any herbal remedies - but all of the above seems to have done the trick and he is now back to his normal (mardy!) self. Don't despair your pony will be feeling better soon I am sure.

[ernieburt]

Noble was diagnosed with RAO 4 years ago, he was took into the equine hospital and scoped as he was coughing when just standing in the field and had lost so much condition my saddler said his made to measure saddle would never fit him again. Within 6 months of being diagnosed all the above prevention- rubber matting cardboard bedding plenty of turnout and soaked hay or haylage- he was back in his saddle with the o k from the fitter and hasn't coughed since. He also has asma inhalers if he gets bad but after the first 2 weeks ive not used them since. Hopefully this helps it really isn't all doom and gloom honestly, good luck.