Related
Problems: Head Shaking, Allergic Cough, Broken Wind
Causes
Air bourne
particles of pollen (especially oil seed rape),dust (especially straw
bedding), mould spores (on hay and some feed grains), pollutants
(fertilisers, pesticides & car fumes), chemicals (in paper & wood shaving
bedding) and too many others to mention. Once a horse has become sensitised
to one cause they are more likely to add others as time goes by. It can be
likened to asthma in humans and the treatments are similar. In addition some
cases can be caused by a virus and yet others are due to mineral imbalance.
Treatment
Your vet will
prescribe Ventipulmin to keep airways open, Sputolosin to break down mucus,
Steroids like prednisolone and Anti-allergics like Sodium chromoglycate.
You can help
enormously by trying to keep your horse well away from the well known causes
if at all possible. To assist with this a nose net can be used to filter
the air breathed and is particularly useful when riding out as it can be
attached to the bridle. In the field attached to a head collar it will also
restrict grazing which will have to be taken into account when deciding how
much hay to feed.
Hay should
always be soaked in water for a little while and drained before feeding to
reduce the dust and choose bedding with care and regard to the main causes
above. Sprinkling bedding with water and taking the horse outside before
mucking out etc. also helps. In fact keeping horses outside for as much as
possible (except in the oil seed rape season) can be of great benefit.
Feeding hay and hard feed in containers at ground level can also help by
keeping the sinuses well drained (this is the natural way horses feed in the
wild)
SOME
PEGASUS PRODUCTS THAT CAN HELP
AirFree an
Ayurvedic herbal formula from India that aids optimum breathing in times of
high pollen count and dusty conditions when all other precautions mentioned
above are taken. Syrup version available.
CopDoc
an Ayurvedic herbal formula designed to combine several
formulae which optimize
the function of the
respiratory system. It is useful to have a choice of formulae and products
in this area as horses vary so much and what suits one may well not suit
others.
BanItch
this Ayurvedic herbal formula is designed to aid midge sensitivy but it's
natural anti-inflammatory herbs can soothe inflamed tissues wherever
situated. For fussy feeders a syrup version is available.
ImuSarc
another Ayurvedic herbal formula from India that optimizes the natural immune
system which is the body's defence mechanism against virus attack and micro
organisms.
KoffAid
yet another Ayurvedic herbal
formula designed to maintain normal breathing by soothing the airways
especially useful if a 'stable bug' is going round.
Epsom Salts
have been used for
hundreds of years to help breathing in head shakers - just a cupful daily in
the feed seems to do it, perhaps because of the extra magnesium in the diet
which is a known calmer.
MagnEase
a magnesium based natural calmer can also be of benefit.
Slippery Elm
can also help optimize
the respiratory system when fed regularly.
PegaVite+
a broad spectrum, high specification mineral,
vitamin and trace element supplement.