Our foal coughs when she eats grain

[Echo Acres]

Our foal from this year coughs everytime she eats grain. We have tried different feeds, but no matter what she does this. It doesn't seem to serious, but more of an irritation. Has anyone had this happen with their foal? Any suggestions? The feed is not dusty or moldy, and I have tried watering it down.

 

[Royal Crescent]

I have no experience to offer you, but my feeling from your description is that you are probably right on when you say irritation. Mine had the remnants of a cold, and was more likely to cough when eating.

Barb

 

[kaykay]

Next time your vet comes I would have him/her look in the mouth and down the throat. I have seen or heard of quite a few minis that have trouble with an extremely small throat opening.

Also how old is the foal?? Sometimes lung worms cause a cough in an otherwise healthy horse. Maybe time to deworm.

Best wishes to your foal

 

[Echo Acres]

Good ideas. The vet was here to ultra sound her mom the other day and I asked about choke. Didn't sound as though it would be that because she doesn't have any signs besides the coughing and she is healthy in every other way. He will be coming back to do another ultra sound. If she still does it then I will have him check her throat. He has suggested trying the different feeds or wetting it, feeding her seperate from her mom in case she is eating too fast, taking out the beet pulp that her mom gets. None of these helped.

I was going to worm her in a couple of days when the farrier got came. I will just go ahead and do it now.

forgot to mention she is a little over 2 months old.

 

[ErikaS.]

My gelding had a problem like that when he was a foal. He had alleries- "hay fever"?- mostly in the spring. The breeder sent him home to live with me with a baggy of Tri- Hist and instructions. He seems to have outgrown the problem now.