Horse Health: How to Remedy Equine COPD (Horse Cough)

Horse Health: How to Remedy Equine COPD (Horse Cough)

By Michael Dowd

What is COPD? Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease or COPD is similar to human Asthma. It is an allergic reaction to dust causing obstruction to the air passages in the lungs of horses. It generally affects horses ages six and older, who are stabled, eat hay, and/or live in dusty areas.

Signs your horse may have COPD: The first signs of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease are often quite mild. Here are some signs to look for:

* Elevated resting respiratory rate
* Taking a bit longer to recover after work
* Sluggishness
* Quitting when they normally wouldn’t

More pronounced signs that your horse may have COPD are:

* Heaving
* Frequent coughing
* Work-induced cough
* Breathing problems

Diagnosis of COPD: If you notice any of these signs, especially if your horse does not have a fever, he may have COPD. Your veterinarian can usually confirm this with a chest exam, but may also scope your horse to see presence of mucus and infection. Once it’s confirmed that your horse has Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease, it’s time to take action. Effective ways to remedy equine COPD Because COPD is an allergic reaction to dust, there is no “cure.” However, it can be managed effectively, and if caught in time, you can prevent permanent lung damage.

1) Lessen the dust – The simplest way to treat COPD is to lower the dust and allergens around your horse. Some horses with COPD go into clinical remission when put out to pasture. If pasturing is not an option, then change from feeding hay to feeding pellets or cubes. For extra measure, dampen the pellets or cubes. Bedding should also be changed from straw or sawdust, to low dust shavings. If possible, the horses in the accompanying stalls should be put on the same feed and bedding.

2) Use drug therapies – Corticosteroids, can be administered by injection, mouth, or inhalation. When administered by mouth or injection, therapy normally begins with a high dose and then is reduced to a maintenance level.

3) Use herbal anti-inflammatory remedies – There are also effective and affordable alternatives to drug therapy for horses suffering from COPD. Herbal remedies such as Breathe Ease (EquineGold.com) are very effective in producing excellent results. In mild to moderate cases, the combination of environmental change and herbal remedy is successful in reducing inflammation to allow free flowing air and eliminate coughing fits. In more advanced cases of COPD, starting with drug therapy then moving to an herbal remedy, can be a winning combination.

Article written by EquineGold.com – equine supplements for optimum health and performance. On the web site you can read real stories of how people are using natural breathing remedies on their horses and learn more about herbal treatments for equine COPD.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Michael_Dowd

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7 Responses

  1. John S
    | Reply

    This is a great report but its not complete there is another way to treat this ailment. Clear Passage – Wind & Cough Remedy

    Clear Passage helps to clean the mouth area of dust, pollen and other airborne agents; thus allowing the animal to breathe more easily and perform up to its highest potential. It also soothes irritated throats to help relieve coughs due to dust and allergies.

  2. HART (1-800-HART)
    | Reply

    Thanks for pointing that out! Do you have any recommended URL’s for this?

  3. amy c
    | Reply

    where or how could i get that ‘clear passage’ remedy??

  4. Alyssa F
    | Reply

    I have a barrel horse who has been eating hay it’s whole life. I have recently found out that he has COPD. I was told to get him on green pasture to reduce the coughing and wheezing. If I get him off the hay and get him put on steriods can I still run barrels on him or perform extensive exercises without it hurting him?

  5. Cameron Kelly
    | Reply

    the good thing about herbal remedies is that they do not have side effects.,’~

  6. Gabriel Walker
    | Reply

    my grandma always want herbal remedies because it has very few side effects-:`

  7. Judi Myers
    | Reply

    Breathe Ease does not work. It had no effects. It looks and smelt like cinnamon dust. I bought directly from greenmountainequine.com. I e-mailed them let them know that the product did not work and they offered to sell me another months worth for $25.00 off. Of course, I said “NO”. Then they said they would refund my money, thought that never happened! Don’t Buy It!

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