what can i do to help get rid of my horse’s dry cough?
06.October, 2009
My horse has started to cough again. She didnt cough all winter, until now. She did cough before winter adn she sometimes would spit out some grass or hay that was in her mouth. What can i do besides wetting her grain and hay. It does help a little bit to wet her food, but she still coughs. She is on electrolytes. She has a dry cough. What else can i do to help her?.
I’m curious as to why she is on electrolytes? Unless she has diarrhea and is losing significant fluids, is sweating profusely, or is losing body fluids some other way, she doesn’t need them. Feeding electrolytes on a regular basis has been linked to causing ulcers. At best, you would be wasting your money, and at worst you could be doing harm.
Anyway, here is a link to help you figure out the cause of your horse’s cough so you’ll know what to do…be sure you scroll all the way down so you see all of the possibilities…………………
http://equisearch.com/horses_care/health/illnesses_injuries/bad_cough_121608/
Good luck with her.
06.October, 2009 um 1:32 pm
the reason she is caughing is because she has been on hay for the whole winter. The only thing you can do for her at the moment is give her caugh medicine (not peniciline) and wet her hay and make sure she drinks plenty of water. Not to worry, this actually happens to many horses. Once the grass strats to grow and she strats to eat that…she’ll stop caughing. Its just all the dust and dryness.
good luck!
hope i’ve helped!
References :
14 years with horses
06.October, 2009 um 2:16 pm
Is she in a stall or turned out? If possible, increasing her turnout might help because she’ll be getting cleaner, fresher air and ventilation. Wetting her hay is also a good idea. If she is inside, try to keep dust to a minimum. Try wetting the arena before you ride, and if she’s in a dirt paddock, wet that too if at all possible.
There are various supplements you can give to a horse with a cough to help them perform better and more easily (without coughing). I’d ask your vet for a recommendation because he’ll know your horse best as well as your area and can ensure that the cough is nothing serious, just a reaction to a dry or dusty environment, and will respond to a particular remedy.
References :
06.October, 2009 um 2:21 pm
How is her air quality. Is she in a barn with little ventilation? Will she do it when turned out with fresh air. She may be sensitive to irritants floating in the air from around the barnyard.
Did you try switching to a better hay in case your hay has mold or dust in it? I know first cutting hay up here in NY sometimes isn’t cured correctly by the farmers and results in a cough.
My horse has been on hay all winter and no coughing never with our new hay, but she is usually in her run in area instead of stall restriction. She has coughed last fall, with a different farmers hay though. I’d say its hay quality or ventilation of her setting.
Peabea is right I forgot about shavings, I know I’d cough from the speckles of dust from bagged pine shavings. Is it that?
References :
Lifelong horse owner 29+ yrs.
06.October, 2009 um 3:03 pm
What is the source of the cough?
Heaves, allergies, dusty hay, dusty bedding, quidding hay, tooth problems?
Have the vet figure out the cause first. Then you can take action.
There are pretty reasonable antihistamine/cough powders if it is allergies.
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06.October, 2009 um 3:32 pm
Hi there i have some insight on your problem with ur horse. First of all is it an allergy cough because it sounds like that to me. We have a horse that is terrible allergic to alfalfa and will get a dry cough whenever he eats this. Also does she have a runny nose at all? Horses that have worms also will have a cough. Another thot is is there something in her grain she is allergic to? Horses can have allergies just like people. The last thot is that is she an old horse and could possibly have congestive heart failure? One way to see if the cough goes away is to take away the hay and give just grass hay. Also get her teeth checked, maybe she is not chewing good and swallows too big a chunk and almost inhales it. You could change her grain too and see if this helps. Is she in a very dusty stall at all? Is she exposed to mold at all? Hope these ideas help.
References :
06.October, 2009 um 3:41 pm
I’m curious as to why she is on electrolytes? Unless she has diarrhea and is losing significant fluids, is sweating profusely, or is losing body fluids some other way, she doesn’t need them. Feeding electrolytes on a regular basis has been linked to causing ulcers. At best, you would be wasting your money, and at worst you could be doing harm.
Anyway, here is a link to help you figure out the cause of your horse’s cough so you’ll know what to do…be sure you scroll all the way down so you see all of the possibilities…………………
http://equisearch.com/horses_care/health/illnesses_injuries/bad_cough_121608/
Good luck with her.
References :
RN and 57 years with horses