# Coughing horse from the kill pen



## Laura Workman (May 10, 2002)

I bought an Icelandic horse about a month ago. He'd been on a truck to Canada for slaughter, but one of the horses on the truck was sick, and they turned the truck back at the border. A friend of the kill-pen owner took him home and put him on a diet for a month or two, where he was getting only local lay (that didn't look too nutritious) free choice. When I saw him, he still rippled when he ran, and was none too excited about moving around that much. Can't really blame him for that. She said he had a cough, and he did cough a couple times while I was there. She said her vet had told her to give him five aspiring per day. This didn't make any sense at all to me, so I quit doing it when I brought him home. He'd cough occasionally, but it didn't seem like any more than he had at her place, where he was getting the aspirin. 

When he'd been at my place for about a week, the weather turned crappy, wet and cold, and Lukka (the horse) was coughing quite a bit when I fed him. He'd cough, and then there was this kind of rattly, gurgly sound, like his whole sinus was full of mucous. I had the vet out, and he prescribed a course of antibiotics, which we completed, and Lukka's breathing seemed to have cleared up. A few days later, he started up again. He doesn't do it all the time. I had him out tolting up and down our driveway (with me leading him), and he didn't cough then. When I fed him the next evening, though, he was doing that rattling, gurgling thing again. Any ideas what this is? Should I have another vet see him? Should I go back to the same vet again?

He's still fat, but losing weight a bit. I'm feeding decent local hay only. Should I maybe give him a little grain with some Red-Cell or some other vitamin-mineral supplement to boost his immune system a bit? 

Any suggestions are welcome.


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## offthegrid (Aug 11, 2009)

Well, it *could* be anything, so I hesitate to even suggest that it is just a mold allergy - mold in hay. But, the only time my mare has ever coughed has been when we got a load of slightly dusty/moldy hay....and she didn't cough outside, but if I fed the hay in the barn, she would sometimes have a braying cough. Once I realized the issue, I switched hay and also monitored the hay (inside/outside) and never had a problem again.

Apparently this is fairly common.

BUT - my mare has not been in a kill pen or on a slaughter truck....so keep that in mind and take my advice with a grain of salt....it could still be pneumonia or something contagious (flu/rhino?) so don't wait too long before having another vet consult if things don't improve.


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## beccachow (Nov 8, 2008)

I'd put a call back to the vet who has seen him and report that he isn't better yet, and see if he wants to change antibiotics or something.


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## kscowboy (Apr 27, 2008)

what kind of antibiotics , shots every day for 3-5 days or oral or what.

Theres a wide range of antibiotics available from simple penn to some hi powered ones that are pricey but very effective.Get the good stuff


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## Laura Workman (May 10, 2002)

kscowboy said:


> what kind of antibiotics , shots every day for 3-5 days or oral or what.
> 
> Theres a wide range of antibiotics available from simple penn to some hi powered ones that are pricey but very effective.Get the good stuff


It was some kind of powder that came in single-dose envelopes. I mixed it with chopped up apples and carrots to get him to eat it. I think it was about an 8-day course, one dose daily.

I was just out there for around 10 minutes to feed, and he never coughed while I was there. He coughed a couple times right after I left though. He didn't start eating his hay until then because he was more interested in the nibbles I use for incentive. This makes me wonder if it could be the hay, at least in part.


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## Mare Owner (Feb 20, 2008)

If it were me, I'd go back to the same vet, as they have already had a start with the horse, and can work forward and build on what they already tried. I'd want to know if he prescribed the antibiotics because he determined the horse actually HAD an infection, or if it was just a good shot in the dark...

If it's more allergy or irritation and not infection, I'd get him out of a stall and keep him outside so he's away from any dust or possible allergens. Feed him on the ground so his nasal passages are draining. If the vet thinks it's okay, work him so he's gotta take some deep breaths and try to clear some of it out as long as that doesn't seem to make it worse.


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## jennigrey (Jan 27, 2005)

Who are you using for a vet? Pilchuck? Pickering?

It was a bad year for hay here on the wet side - I went to see a lot of hay for sale in the field (probably seven fields this year) and didn't end up buying any of it because the conditions weren't favorable for baling when most hay was ripe for cutting. The stuff I went to see was either not dry enough to bale (but they were doing it anyhow because rain was coming), overripe (left to grow past optimum maturity) or had obviously been cut, dried, rained on and dried a second time before baling. 

This year I am feeding commercial hay from the other side of the mountains. And it is so humid around our area that hay grows mold readily after you've taken it home, unless it is stored in an insulated building.


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## birdman1 (Oct 3, 2011)

dusty moldy hay causes lots of trouble, clean hay moist sweet feed clean air will help them recover . keep up with the rejem of antibiotics ask about useing penicelem horese have delicate breathing systems a dirty dusty barn or drafts can cause the heaves or numona they rarely fully recover


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## bergere (May 11, 2002)

Friend had a Haflinger mare with a sinus infection. Took two rounds of some really heavy duty antibiotics and a few months to get it cleared up.
Her mare picked it up at a local barn she had been riding at. From what I hear, it has been going around in the NW.

If that isn't it. 
I know of a number of Icelandic horse's, including the one I rescued, that will cough if they are fed Timothy hay. 
Even a little bit of it can set them off.
Not sure what it is with Icelandic's and this one hay...... but I have seen the issue enough times now, that I know it can be a problem.

I would also recommend some vitamins. The local "Horse Guard" is a good one.


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## jennigrey (Jan 27, 2005)

Was the cough productive at all?


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## kscowboy (Apr 27, 2008)

im not a vet but I would only use injectable antibiotics , i want to be assured the maximum dose is administered


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## shelberttk2 (Oct 1, 2011)

What your vet probably had you give was Uniprim. Uniprim is in the same family as SMZ's and Tucoprim (But given once a day)and used for upper respiratory infections-I would suggest wetting your horses hay, double dosing on vitamin C, lixotinic 30ml 2x a day and calling your vet. Sometimes one round does not work, so you have to do it longer. Penicillin and Gentamiacin and Naxcel injectables are rarely used for Upper respiratory infections. You will want your vet to listen to his lungs etc. as well. Is he running a temp? Did you have any blood work done on him? A good idea to do, if you haven't already. Also, what color of discharge? Who knows at this point what it actually is, but it sounds more like an infection rather than allergies since he is losing weight--though he could possibly be a COPD horse that has a secondary infection........Keep us posted and hope he feels better soon!


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## sidepasser (May 10, 2002)

Could be anything as horses brought into kill pens can carry lots of diseases. Call the vet back out, get some blood work done, see if the vet can do a culture of the mucous or nasal discharge if there is any, to see if the horse has a bacterial infection vs a virus. I would see about locating a couple of bales of hay as suggested by Bergere and feed on the ground or low tub. Have you done a fecal for worms which could be a weight loss issue. It wouldn't hurt to supplement with an immune booster but I would definitely have the vet out again. Sometimes one round of antibiotics isn't enogh to kill off all the nasties and waiting too long to start a second round can allow them to become somewhat prolific as well as harder to kill due to resistance. I am a fan of injectables but do what yourr vet suggests. Allergy tests can be run as well but a cheaper option if the hay is the problem is to either switch hay or try dampening with water to reduce the dust.


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## jennigrey (Jan 27, 2005)

This is the tubby horse with the floppy crest. She's got him on a diet so the weight loss part is intentional.


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## sidepasser (May 10, 2002)

jennigrey said:


> This is the tubby horse with the floppy crest. She's got him on a diet so the weight loss part is intentional.


Thanks Jennigrey I remember him now, cute horse. OP scratch the part about weight loss. Hope he gets over the cough soon.


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## Irish Pixie (May 14, 2002)

I agree with Sidepasser to feed him from the ground it helps with drainage in case he's working on a sinus infection, and I'll second her suggestion to have the Vet out again.

Is his breathing labored? He could have have COPD/heaves.


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