Winter Coughs

Why is coughing such an issue in the winter? They require look no further than the changes in management that accompany the colder weather. Horses spend more time inside, often stabled in close propinquity to their companions, giving any infection the chance to spread. They are exposed to irritants and allergens in the hay and bedding.

Recurrent airway obstruction (also often called COPD, or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease) is the horse equivalent of human asthma . It is an allergic condition, in which the horse reacts to small particles in the air. Chief among the culprits are fungal spores from the hay. This is an issue that appears to be becoming more common - probably due to the dearth of lovely hay for horses.

They appear to have lost the ability to make lovely hay. Much of the hay fed to horses is dusty, and liberally sprinkled with fungal spores. Under poor storage conditions toxins such as lipopolysaccharides (LPS) can accumulate. These may cause inflammation of the respiratory tract.

Dust from the bedding may make the issue worse. It is important to keep the bed neat and dry. Replacing dusty straw with neat shavings could be a lovely suggestion. But if the shavings are allowed to build up in to a soggy deep litter bed the ammonia and endotoxins may cause more irritation than the straw ever did, and may make matters worse.

It can be difficult to differentiate between infectious or environmental causes of coughing. What can be done to inquire in to the issue? The vet will observe your horse breathing and listen to the chest with a stethoscope. (This is not the time to speak to him or her!)

When assessing the air quality in a stable, keep in mind that the horse spends much of his time together with his nose close to the ground. The air you breathe in the midst of the stable may be different from the air the horse breathes when he is sniffing around the floor or eating his hay.

In persistent cases it may be necessary to collect a sample of liquid from the airways. This is usually done using a flexible endoscope.

Respiratory infections may even be involved - in particular, viruses such as influenza, and equine herpes virus. If an infectious disease is suspected, swabs can be taken from the nose to try to identify the organism responsible. Blood samples may contain antibodies to the offending virus.

Although medicines can be used to help clear the horse's chest and reduce the inflammation, the most important factor in treatment is allowing the horse to breathe neat fresh air.