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Merlot
Platinum Member
 England
3260 Posts |
 Posted - 29 Oct 2008 : 3:49:25 PM
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Hi All
Am posting this for Polly as she is not on line at the moment but is concerned about their pony Selina. She's 12 years old and has been treated over the past few months for COPD type problems. She's had the ventipulmin, sputolosin (sp) and lives out 24/7 with access to a field shelter with rubber matting flooring. She's not being fed any hay and is just on grazing. Selina was in a lesson today (only short period of time) and the instructor rang Polly to say that Selina was showing a heave line and coughing again. She's at the point where she's not sure what else to do for this pony. She is currently waiting to hear from the new Vet who is reading her file to get acquainted with her history but as Polly has never had to deal with any horse or pony with breathing problems before, she's not sure what else she can do to help Selina get over whatever it is she is suffering from.
She's hoping that some of you folks might have some useful suggestions.
Hope that I've got this right as it's being typed from what I can remember from our telephone call earlier on this afternoon and the memory isn't what it should be.
Any ideas appreciated.
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 photo by Eric G Jones |
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hannah28
Gold Member
England
617 Posts |
Posted - 29 Oct 2008 : 4:26:03 PM
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As she has already tried the bronchodilator and the sputolosin to break down the mucus, I would probably be inclined to try an antioxidant mix, especially Vitamin C, as the major antioxidant in the fluid lining of the lungs is ascorbic acid (vitamin C) and horses suffering from RAO (COPD) often have reduced levels.
If she has moderate to severe breathing problems, then I would think that she probably shouldnt be worked at all, but that is only my opinion
If hers is less severe then maybe she could just have her exercise restricted to a level she can manage comfortably.
Wish her best of luck with her girl, I hope she can find some way to get her right, poor love.
Han x |
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tamila
Platinum Member
England
2532 Posts |
Posted - 30 Oct 2008 : 06:30:12 AM
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| Give Roger Hatch at Trinity Consultants as he has a marvellous supplement for this problem. My 22 year old had this about 8 years ago and since being on this supplement occasionally he has had no repeat episodes. If their immune system is a little bit compromised they have difficulty fighting this. The number is 01243 551766 |
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ella
Gold Member
United Kingdom
786 Posts |
Posted - 30 Oct 2008 : 12:20:03 PM
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Dior has exactly this problem as well this year. He lives out 24/7 but has had a cough on & off & marked exercise intolerance & noise. Profuse nasal discharge on exercise & tachypnoea with very slow recovery rate.
He has been bronchoscoped & had tracheal washes & blood samples analysed. We can find very little wrong on these but still suspect this is allergic lung disease.
Oral clenbuterol (Ventipulmin) only helped a little.
For the past 4 weeks he has been given Beclazone by inhaler (equine haler) & this has caused a HUGE improvement  |
   
"If an 'alternative treatment' has reliable effect it becomes classified simply as MEDICINE" D.B. |
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Merlot
Platinum Member
England
3260 Posts |
Posted - 30 Oct 2008 : 12:33:41 PM
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| Thanks folks - am sure Polly will catch up with this at some point and thank you herself. |
photo by Eric G Jones |
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ella
Gold Member
United Kingdom
786 Posts |
Posted - 30 Oct 2008 : 6:19:19 PM
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The inhaler is really well tolerated - much better than I expected.
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"If an 'alternative treatment' has reliable effect it becomes classified simply as MEDICINE" D.B. |
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polly
Platinum Member
2183 Posts |
Posted - 30 Oct 2008 : 8:26:14 PM
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Hi guys, thanks for all the advice ( and to merlot for posting it ..as I can read threads but not allowed post when at work  )
well the update is ( new vet too) not sure it is COPD now!...thinks it is a low grade infection....we had left her out to avoid stable dust...and she has just started with the first signs of laminitis!!!...hoestly I can,t do right for doin wrong at the moment...so we are treating as for infection...and she will be terned out with a net full of wet hay in the arena...fingers crossed. |
   
Photos1and2EricGJones
pollywells@.live.co.uk |
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garnet
Platinum Member
2382 Posts |
Posted - 30 Oct 2008 : 8:52:54 PM
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| Our Irish cob, Jim, has breathing problems during the summer months. He is on Ventolin and Beclometasone (I think that's right) and has to be cross tied in the corridor and take them via an aeromask. He lives out permanently and is put in a tight paddock when necessary to control his weight (the first year his cough was really bad he also got laminitis and we were told that there can be a connection between the two things). We keep him as fit as we can as this seems to help with the cough and the weight. We have haylage so don't need to soak. He is absolutely fine from autumn to spring. Hope this helps. |
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carole ferguson
Silver Member
United Kingdom
457 Posts |
Posted - 31 Oct 2008 : 12:29:50 PM
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I have an old pony Lucy Locket - who was so bad when we first bought her for my son. She was just over twenty years old when we got her - and I put her in a stable with straw - and had never seen a pony with COPD before - I thought she was going to die. We had a Vet at the time who suggested M.S.M. Within a few weeks - Lucy on paper bedding - eating horse hage and M.S.M. in every feed - was able to go hunter trialing with my six year old son and doing pony club tetrathlon - and the pony is still going strong 15 years later - now on straw bedding at night and the dry hay she prefers. She occasionally coughs a little - but she is nearly forty years old.
I would recomend M.S.M. to anybody - it certainly cleared Lucy's breathing - and also seems to help prevent laminitis. I gather this product naturally helps the blood-flow - which helps with healing the lungs with C O P D - and the feet with laminitis.
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BeckyBoodle
Gold Member
Australia
795 Posts |
Posted - 02 Nov 2008 : 4:42:32 PM
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Haven't really looked into the whys and wherefores, but a friend reckoned her horse stopped having COPD after having his shoes off. It would tie in with issues around circulation etc.
Might be worth looking into and taking advice on?
B |
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