pippymattie
New Member
Has anybody had a horse with heaves (RAO, asthma, COPD)? I do and she is being treated, going to start a new medication today, she is only 10 years old. Just curious about any experience others may have had with heaves. 
Heaves
- Thread starter pippymattie
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yes, although I was able to get it under control without the inhalers or ventipulmin (sp)? The horse was on albuterol for some time. He also had a paralyzed rhetinoid which complicated things. What sort of lifestyle does your horse have? There are a number of routine things you can do to help manage COPD
pippymattie
New Member
She has access to her stall 24/7 but is never stalled. I don't have grass but they have a paddock and are fed hay all year. The vet said it wasn't necessary to soak her hay, since it had not changed but I think I may start doing it again. She is on 40 mg of dex right now and I will start the clenbuterol this evening, I think that is 5cc twice a day to start with. She is on Histall as well. 4 tablespoons a day. When that is gone my vet said I can give the generic benadryl, 5 tablets twice a day. I was feeding hay stretcher just for extra feed, not to stretch the hay. I stopped giving that to her. She gets about 4 pounds of Purina Health Edge a day and 12-15 pounds of hay a day. She is a good weight. The bad breathing and coughing started in June when we had the first bad humid spell and right around the time I started feeding the hay stretcher. We also bought a bale of alfalfa to give as a treat but I have since stopped giving that to her.
Were you able to ride your horse? I was locking them out of their stalls, but after my vet came out ant evaluated her she said it was ok to open them up again and that's when she told me I don't have to soak her hay. This is the first summer for my horses at my house, so the thought is that something blooming is irritating her. We have lots of trees!
Were you able to ride your horse? I was locking them out of their stalls, but after my vet came out ant evaluated her she said it was ok to open them up again and that's when she told me I don't have to soak her hay. This is the first summer for my horses at my house, so the thought is that something blooming is irritating her. We have lots of trees!
Out 24/7 is good. Never use straw for bedding and good ventilation in the barn/stall is paramount. Pasture rather than all hay is better but ya gotta deal with what you've got I realize. Just wetting down the hay may suffice to get any dust out of it.. My guy was smart and always dunked his hay anyway. I also would dampen his grain though he never got much of that. There are certain things that grow that can bring on attacks so you may notice the coughing and symptoms worse at various points in the summer. I rode and competed my guy until he was around 19 when I retired him from showing but still trail rode him. There will be days when the coughing is just too much to manage much ring work and if your ring is dusty to boot that will make things worse.
pippymattie
New Member
Thanks. I wish I had lots of grass but I don't :-( It's not dusty though and I will start soaking her hay again. It's good to know that you rode your mare. I only trail ride and until she started on the meds she never seemed lethargic but I think they make her sleepy. I won't ride her though until the breathing is normal. I have my 26 year old mare to ride until I can ride the 10 year old, lol, how strange that seems to say.
DeeCee
A horse of course!
Its not only the hay itself, it's the dust in a dry lot that adversely affects a heavy horse (even if you don't see it, it's there). They absolutely need to be on pasture 24/7 to be healthy. In the long run it may cost you less in vet bills and will certainly make her quality of life better to board her or sell her to a home where she can live healthy.
I had to make the same choice with a 10 y/o B/W Leopard Arapaloosa mare who taught my daughter most of what she knows about riding, jumping, reining, barrels, poles well, just everything. She was allergic to the smoke from our chimney which drifts into the fields around my house (I have 26 acres and it goes everywhere because the house is on a hill slightly above the fields). Deciding to sell her was one of the hardest things we ever had to do and I knew that screening buyers would be agonizing for me and my daughter so I only advertised her by word of mouth and someone on this forum referred a wonderful lady to us who absolutely loves her AND she is healthy enough to do Hunter Paces (and anything else she wants) with her. A 10 year old horse will recover quickly.
The right thing isn't always the easiest or the cheapest thing.
I had to make the same choice with a 10 y/o B/W Leopard Arapaloosa mare who taught my daughter most of what she knows about riding, jumping, reining, barrels, poles well, just everything. She was allergic to the smoke from our chimney which drifts into the fields around my house (I have 26 acres and it goes everywhere because the house is on a hill slightly above the fields). Deciding to sell her was one of the hardest things we ever had to do and I knew that screening buyers would be agonizing for me and my daughter so I only advertised her by word of mouth and someone on this forum referred a wonderful lady to us who absolutely loves her AND she is healthy enough to do Hunter Paces (and anything else she wants) with her. A 10 year old horse will recover quickly.
The right thing isn't always the easiest or the cheapest thing.
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pippymattie
New Member
I'm not opposed to finding a home with pasture for her, I'm just so worried about finding a good home for her. She is a good girl, but a little green. I only trail ride her and she is a great trail horse. I guess I'm going to give treatment and changes sometime before I sell or give her to a good home. It's possible we could even extend our pasture a little.
Thanks so much for the advice. It's terribly worrisome.
Thanks so much for the advice. It's terribly worrisome.
I never tried this herb for my own horse but for what it's worth...
Spirulina Is More Than Just Trendy – Horse Journal
Spirulina Is More Than Just Trendy – Horse Journal
pippymattie
New Member
I ordered some. Thank you
PrepH4U
New Member
It is worrisome. My 25 year old mare has had two bouts with it. Last summer was first bout and then this spring. We switched hay as we found out this spring that there was a bit of mold that bothered her but not my other mare. Here is what we did: Fed the hay on the ground so they are not reaching up for it and inhaling the hay dust. Vet prescribed clenbuteral twice a day, after a week he followed up with accupunture, first time we did two accupuntures sessions. This last bout w/medicine and just one session of accuputure. After a week her breathing was almost back to normal. It is amazing to see them hit the right spots during treatment and watch her breathing slow down and to watch her start to relax. Dr. Yee is my vet and he also does the accupunture.
I have heard good things about spirulina, it is good for us also. Springtime vitamins here in Maryland also has an all natural breathing powder that has very good reviews.
Good luck it is very hard watching them struggle to breath.
pippymattie
New Member
Interesting. I bet acupuncture would be good for both my girls just in general. Thank you for th info. The clenbuterol appears to be helping alot. Should get the spirulina soon.