Global Herbs - Ancient Wisdom, Modern Science - by Vets
COPD in Horses, Treatment of Horse COPD
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.
- Dusty bedding esp. straw
- Dusty hay (particularly mould spores in the hay)
- Chemicals given off by wood shavings in bedding
- Chemicals given off by paper bedding
- Ammonia from urine and faeces in the bedding
- Pollen in allergic horses esp. rape seed pollen.
- Viruses affecting the breathing
- Mineral imbalance
- 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.
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