Coughing issues

[rbrown]

I had my mare shipped from WI to MA mid-October, and she developed a deep cough a week or two after she arrived. She would cough 3-6 times in a row, so loudly the neighbors could probably hear it, and then be just fine for an hour or so before coughing again. I'm boarding her, so had the barn vet out, who said it was likely tracheitis and put her on 10 days of SMZ antibiotics and tri-hist, and told me not to work her until the coughing stopped. She stopped coughing after a few days, and I started driving her again after she finished her round of antibiotics. Of course, 10 days after her last day of the antibiotic, she started coughing when I was driving her, then coughed the next day when we were out for a walk/trot around the neighborhood. Called the vet, said to repeat the same course of antibiotics/tri-hist, and absolutely no working her until she's better. I wasn't sure that putting her on the exact same treatment again is the best way to treat her if it didn't clear it up the first time, but I'm not a vet and I've never dealt with a cough that won't go away before. It is something contagious (at least we're pretty sure it is), because her new paddock buddy developed the same exact cough a week after she did, but his cleared up right away and hasn't been back. Her hay is very high quality, very little dust, and the barn owner shakes it out before she feeds it- she eats it from a big bin/tub on ground level. She gets about 1.5 cups (probably no more than 1/4 lb) of Purina Strategy. She's never had a coughing issue before. Does putting her on another round of antibiotics seem like the reasonable thing to do? Has anyone had this sort of recurring issue before?

 

[Riverrose28]

The first thing I would recommend is to worm her, worms can cause coughing, don't work her but you can give her some rubitussen cough syrup and see if that helps. If she is still coughing after that and no other symptoms it may be allergies which your vet will need to diagnose. She may be allergic to something airborn since she has been moved to a new environment. Good luck, hope you can find the cause.

 

[bevann]

I would be reluctant to use antibiotics again.She could build up a resistance to that particular one.I am not a vet just had lots of experience with my own Minis.I have successfully used a product called Cough Free(available at many equine catalog sources)when a cough was very persistant.Good luck treating your baby and keep us posted.

 

[rbrown]

Thanks riverrose and bevann! I was thinking allergies, too, since she's in a new place, but the vet said that was unlikely since her paddock buddy had the same exact cough right after she started. She's just about due for deworming anyway, so I will do that this weekend. She's already started the 2nd round of SMZs, but if that doesn't work, I will look into Robitussin, or put her on Cough Free and see if that helps- or maybe she would benefit from those now, while she's on the antibiotics...?

 

[shelia]

I have had to use a 2nd round of antibiotics before. If a bacteria has taken hold and been there a while it may be a little harder to get rid of.

 

[happy appy]

I would deworm for lung worms. Was she turned out with a Donkey by chance at her last place?

 

[rbrown]

Thanks shelia- I believe that's what the vet's reasoning was, so I do hope this works! happy appy, nope, no donkeys there or here, but the dewormer (equimax) says it's good for lungworms, so hopefully I'll have that base covered.

 

[Marty]

I think she really needs a lot more down time and on all her meds and a really good call on the de-worming.You know how easy it is to relapse when you've been sick. You just don't bounce right back that easily. I'd be giving her a good full month or more to clear all this out. Anti-hist is a good thing too.

 

[rbrown]

Good point Marty. I'm going home, back to WI for 2 weeks for Christmas, so I won't have the temptation to drive her until at least January! I'm sure that will be good for her.

 

[targetsmom]

I sure hope it isn't the same thing that ran through our herd last year and provided a great lesson about immunity. We took 2 minis to a show in August and one developed a cough a few days later. She recovered with just Cough Free, but it started going through the rest of the herd. We skipped our last show of the year in September to avoid spreading it. It seemed to be just a cough until the foals got it in late fall, and they got the snotty noses that told us it was RHINO! By then it was too late for our pregnant mare, so she had a dead foal this April, with a classic "Rhino delivery". The foals were the only ones that needed the antibiotic treatment, plus Robitussin, as everyone else got better with just Cough Free or maybe some Robitussin. Everyone including foals were finally better on Christmas. Our herd was getting Rhino shots twice a year, but the shots only last 2-3 months and of course, the foals had weak immunity, just from their dams.

I would suggest that you discuss with your vet the possibility that this might be Rhino and ask about vaccinating the other horses for it. Ironically, the second horse who was at the show where we picked this up NEVER GOT SICK. Great immunity, probably from frequent showing, and the reason she was the only horse we showed this year. We also immunized her and the now-yearlings every 2-3 months through show season.

 

[MiLo Minis]

Tracheitis is an upper respiratory disease and resembles our colds. It is quite possible for other horses in your barn to have the disease without showing signs of it. Usually only young, old or horses that are weakened for some reason show signs of it.Your mare may have been a bit low from trailering.

It isn't often that a vet prescribes antibiotics for tracheitis because it is similiar to our colds, it will go away on its own with or without treatment and treatment with antibiotics can lead to invasion by resistant bacteria while they do nothing to combat the original problem.

Antibiotics are for bacterial infections which your horse may possibly have along with the tracheitis - did your vet check for that? That could be why he prescribed antibiotics.

The very best thing for this horse is COMPLETE rest. As long as she is eating I wouldn't worry too much but if you bring her back into work too soon she could easily develop chronic bronchitis or heaves or at the very least make her original illness last longer and be more severe. You can swab her nose with Vicks to help her breathing or give cough syrup to relieve her cough but other than that not a lot can be done other than to keep her warm, dry and out of drafts. Keep her stalled unless it is a really nice warm sunny day.

Horses quite often take an inordinate amount of time to get over an illness that affects their breathing. I would give this horse plenty of time to get well before even considering working it in any way. I agree with Marty, I would give her a good full month AFTER all symptoms disappear before very gradually bringing her back into work. I have seen horses take up to 6 months even to recuperate!

 

[drmatthewtaylor]

Given that history, I think the likelihood of a viral upper respiratory infection is quite high and the Sulfa/Tri-Hist is a reasonable choice for therapy. Considering that it appeared to help the first time then using it a second time isn't unreasonable. Sometimes the virus holds on longer than others.

Dr Taylor

 

[midnight star stables]

I know I've had my battles with this this year too. My vet was out again yesterday (non-related) and we are seemingly (knock on wood) cough and snot free. Seven and I are VERY happy about this!

The product that finally helped here was called Omega Alpha RespiFree, and the horses loved it. I also gave probiotics, for what it's worth. I have to agree that down time is important, and lots of love!

I kept a log of the cough, to help the vet paint a whole picture too.

Coughs can be the most frustrating "bug" to have, but thankfully it is often harmless.

 

[rbrown]

Thanks all for the advice! I love this forum already

Targetsmom, sure hope it isn't rhino! I know the vet did mention it, but she didn't think it was Rhino because she only had the cough (same with her paddock buddy). I will keep that in mind.

MiLo- that's pretty much exactly what my vet said about tracheitis- that it's like a cold, and she probably only got it because she was stressed from trailering. I do know that the vet didn't check for bacterial infections... or maybe she just thought it could be bacterial...? I would consider stalling her, BUT for one, she's not used to being stalled and would probably get very antsy to get out and play if I stalled her for more than a day, plus I don't have a stall for her at the boarding place. She has a little pony-sized run-in that's covered on 3.5 sides, plus a regular horse-sized run-in, and has a coat like a buffalo. But- the good news is that she hasn't coughed since I had her out on Monday (at least not that the barn owner has heard- and it's usually loud enough to hear from her house)!! Hopefully this last bit of meds and a month off will be enough to get it out of her system. Thanks everyone!

 

[shelia]

Thanks all for the advice! I love this forum already

Targetsmom, sure hope it isn't rhino! I know the vet did mention it, but she didn't think it was Rhino because she only had the cough (same with her paddock buddy). I will keep that in mind.

MiLo- that's pretty much exactly what my vet said about tracheitis- that it's like a cold, and she probably only got it because she was stressed from trailering. I do know that the vet didn't check for bacterial infections... or maybe she just thought it could be bacterial...? I would consider stalling her, BUT for one, she's not used to being stalled and would probably get very antsy to get out and play if I stalled her for more than a day, plus I don't have a stall for her at the boarding place. She has a little pony-sized run-in that's covered on 3.5 sides, plus a regular horse-sized run-in, and has a coat like a buffalo. But- the good news is that she hasn't coughed since I had her out on Monday (at least not that the barn owner has heard- and it's usually loud enough to hear from her house)!! Hopefully this last bit of meds and a month off will be enough to get it out of her system. Thanks everyone!

I think the fresh air is good for her. Stalling her could make it worse or just harder to get rid of.

 

[MiLo Minis]

I think the fresh air is good for her. Stalling her could make it worse or just harder to get rid of.

Keeping a horse with tracheitis in a clean, dry, draft free, well ventilated stall helps to prevent them from self exercising and out of the wet, cold weather which prolongs healing. If it is a warm sunny day for sure get them out for the fresh air and sunshine in a small area where they can't run too much - you don't actually want them "playing" even though that sounds good. They don't know that exercise is not the best thing for them with an upper respiratory disease.

I wonder whether after 10 days the symptoms wouldn't have disappeared on their own Dr. Taylor? The fact that they came back after exercise leads me to think that the antibiotics didn't do much at all to "cure" the horse and considering no other horses in the barn are coming down with it makes me think it isn't likely viral.