Does anyone know these symptoms?

Boomer isn't very well for almost a year. When this started he was very quick out of breath and when i looked to his belly i could see that he was giving extra pressure to get the air through his lungs. After 10 minutes excercise he looked like he had been at full speed!
The vet visited him a few times but the products they had for him, didnt really worked.
In may i got sick of it and brought him to the fields till end september. It didnt got better but also not worse.

Know i have found a product: Respiraze 5 star ! It seems to work, but i feed it just 7 days. And i make his hay wet.

The vet has to come again for another check but they had said to me that it isnt something to worry about, unless i don't take care of it. As i have noticed that the vet was just trying some products on my pony, i also think that it isnt something to bad. Also they have never give me a clear answer what this could be. Could it be allergic for dust?

I dont ride him now as he's not fit enough for that. I walk an hour with him every day.
He has a stable outside and i muck it every day.

He looks very happy.

What do you guys think what's wrong with my pony?

Hi Jennifer,

sounds like RAO (COPD)?

Here’s a link to an in-depth article:
http://www.ilph.org/advice_details.asp?id=9

and another referring to it by its ‘new’ name:
http://barnequine.co.uk/Client%20info%20pdfs/Coughing%20Horse.pdf

and here’s a simplistic summing up (courtesy of Global Herbs website):

Horse COPD is a breathing disease and is short for: chronic (long term) obstructive (blocking) pulmonary (lung) disease. This condition can be thought of as ‘asthma’ in horses. Horse COPD causes coughing, wheeziness, exercise intolerance.
COPD starts when airborne particles cause allergic reactions in the lungs of your horse. Sometimes the disease starts when a horse is exposed to new sorts of mould spores in an old consignment of hay. Pollen can cause the problem in the summer but once lungs have been sensitised many different factors can make COPD worse. Things that make COPD worse are:
1. Dusty bedding esp. straw
2. Dusty hay (particularly mould spores in the hay)
3. Chemicals given off by wood shavings in bedding
4. Chemicals given off by paper bedding
5. Ammonia from urine and faeces in the bedding
6. Pollen in allergic horses esp. rape seed pollen.
7. Viruses affecting the breathing
8. Mineral imbalance
9. Pollutants e.g. fertilisers, pesticides, herbicides, car fumes.
Treatment of Horse COPD
Vets treat COPD with drugs like Ventipulmin (keeps airways open) Sputolosin (breaks down mucus) Steroids e.g. prednisolone, Anti-allergics like Sodium chromoglycate.
The most important way of managing COPD is to keep your horse away from things that cause the problem as above.


The Peasants Are Revolting...

www.forestuprising.org.uk

forestuprising@live.co.uk

i used http://www.winergy.com/Products/WINERGY-VENTIL-ATE/ was very good it's very expensive so i asked for a sample, they sent a good sized bag it lasted for about 2 weeks, have to try before you buy

My little Homey has developed a breathing problem probably allergic reaction to the vast quantities of grass seeds in his winter fields as it started when he moved into them. There is lots of long grass which has seeded.

Here is a picture of him looking sad

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He was wheezy and had fast breathing after exercise and also even standing in the field sometimes. I got the vet out and he is now on ventapulin medicine and seems to be improving. He is no longer wheezing but his breathing is faster than it should be for a pony at rest. The vet says he is improving but it can take a few weeks for any gunk in his lungs to clear out. Homey lives out all year as he does not like stables and if he does come in to wait for the farrier he also now has soaked hay.

Vet said I can ride him (especially as Homey gallops about on his own in the field!) as long as he is not lethargic as exercise can help clear his lungs. He is on the medicine for three weeks and I have also got some global herbs airways plus supplement for him.

The vet also took Homey's temperature and to check he did not have a virus and recommended I clip him as being very hairy and hot does not help his breathing.

Lots of breathing problems are seasonal if it is pollen or seed related and if it is dust related can be improved by living out.

I would get your vet to come out and have a look at your pony again. There are inhalers and stronger medicine available.

And here is a picture of him looking a bit perkier later on after having some medicine.

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Nice to see him looking so relaxed in his stable now



http://nfstallions.info/
http://forestuprising.org.uk/

Yes much better in his stable now but it is a much nicer stable and he can rub noses with the connie next door if he is in as well and there is a gap between ceiling and wall - I don't know if I would trust him alone for a whole night as he prefers to be out is especially keen as he is now on winter grazing and there is loads of it!

Sometimes think one thing resolved and then other problem comes along to replace it! Anyway part of his breathing problem is being caused I think from seeds from long grass other plants - this is currently what he is eating - as you can see no incentive to stay in whatsoever especially as he now has a NF gf as well

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