# Help please, Heaves COPD



## TRAILRIDER (Apr 16, 2007)

A question, has anyone ever seen extremely bad COPD/heaves in a horse? I mean when it is an acute attack and the horses whole body bobs up and down with each breath? My mare , who was diagnosed a few years ago with COPD, allergy induced asthma (not to mention founder and melinoma, on a black horse no doubt!), has gotten much worse this year. The first year was bad with her temp going to 105-106 at rest in the sun, because she couldn't beathe. Last year was not so bad, she lost some weight and we eliminated alot of hay dust exposure etc. This year is the worst yet. I hear human allergies are really bad too. Apparently she is allergic to something growing here. She gets MUCH worse when turned out. Her sides heave, she has the typical double exhale with weezing sound, her nostrils flare and now she makes a croaking sound from her chest! I couldn't believe it, I've had horses for forty years and have never seen a sound come from the horses chest. 
I'm just wondering if anyone else has ever seen or heard of this symptom before? Since we can't treat her with steroids (it makes her founder worse and causes her to colic bad.) And we cannot keep her turned out, either dust or grass makes her worse. I will just have to wait and see with her. Looks like I won't be riding again this year : (


----------



## southerngurl (May 11, 2003)

I would try echinacea- in larges doses- to help with the inflammatory response. It can be very powerful for that. Also would give some ACV.

I'm sure there is plenty that could be done herbally, but I don't know much about heaves? There are herbs for the lungs we use for people.. I don't know if horses can have them or anything though. 

Ok here is the mix: Comfrey Root, Horehound, Boneset, Coltsfoot, Elecampane Root, Lobelia, Ginger Root.
If you want to look up the ingredients to see if horses can have them. I can get you the porportions, and for a horse I would either make a tea or mix the dry herbs right in with their feed.


----------



## TRAILRIDER (Apr 16, 2007)

Thank you. I may need to try some of those things. Right now we keep her inside, in the heat she stands in front of a fan. She gets turned out for 1 hr in our round pen, with little grass. She gets only a handful of grain (cause the other horse gets some) and wetted down hay. I don't want to substitute pellets for hay, since I think a horse (especially a stabled horse) needs to eat all day for his gut and his sanity : ) There's nothing like a tough, hardy wild caught mustang!


----------



## bergere (May 11, 2002)

I knew of an Icelandic that had heaves that bad. They had an inhaler machine with a mask on it, from the Vet.(kind'a like they use on children just much bigger) His owner treated him once or twice a day,, can't remember right now. They live in Germany so I am not sure that is something you can get in the US or not but it might be worth asking.
Seemed to help a lot with their horse.


----------



## kscowboy (Apr 27, 2008)

We have a heaver at our barn , my vet has me giving Zyrtec , (cetirizine) at the onset of the symptoms. I put about 5 or six in a small bit of grain and within the hour he's all better . You can get the generic at Walgreens for real cheap , I think i paid 15 bucks for 150 tablets. thats a lot cheaper than the vet meds. 

This is a large older gelding , COPD , Hx of ulcers , and a big eater. I have not used this as an every day Tx but only when symptoms appear. I take the same stuff on a daily basis during the summer and it has no side effects , does the horse have side effects , I have no idea ! It solved our problem ! 


I have gotten where i can tell very early signs by listening to breathing so we don't progress to the advanced symptoms . 

Some other things to look at....
No round bale feeding
Do not keep in confined area that can have hay dust swirling about from the breezes , like most barns ! don't overlook the fact your barn might be worse than outside.

keep your pastures cut , not belly high
After serious attacks feed wetted hay to keep the dust down

Good luck


----------



## Ohiogal (Mar 15, 2007)

My old mare had heaves, I gave her doses of Vitamin C - ascorbic acid - availably by the tub from Jeffer's vet. I gave my mare 2x the dose for a couple of weeks at first - a loading dose - and that seemed to really help her get balanced out. That seems to work on the lung tissue, to lessen the airway constrictions. Also turn them out and keep the dust level down - I went with rubber mats in the stall and very little bedding when I had her in the barn.
It does sound like this horse has a general immune difficiency, with its prior history. I'd look at a long term program of herbs and vitamins to boost the immune system, that are blended to help with that. I would check out Wendell's herbs, but really the best thing is to have the vet get them on prednisone to help with the immediate crisis, and then supportive therapy afterwards.


----------



## farmergirl (Aug 2, 2005)

The fan in the stall may be making things worse, not better for her. You could try eliminating it to see if that helps. 
Also, cutting down dust in general by wetting her stall down each morning, sprinkling down barn aisles, etc. may help.


----------



## DamnearaFarm (Sep 27, 2007)

Yes, the respiratory machines are available here in the US (sorry, long day, I can't recall the name)- ask your vet if they think it'll help. If the cost is prohibitive, there may be a large barn or someone nearby that has one they're not using they'd be able to loan you to see if it helps.


----------

