At 18:29:34 on 21.09.09, Angelalain wrote:
Our old boy has started to cough. He dosen't appear to have any discharge, and isn't ill in himself, so I don't think he has a dreaded virus. I just feel its down to the continuing dry weather here in the East. We have given him a cough remedy and I always soak his hay, any more suggestions? Is his wind going?

At 19:43:07 on 25.09.09, Fernley wrote:
Hi i,m writing to you because you havnt had any responses yet, not because i know what i,m saying!! If everything else, demeaner, mucus membranes, temperature, wieght, are ok then i like yourself would be asking for opinions before calling the vet! You dont state how old your old boy is but i would say the older the more sensitive to any irritant, i know this isnt that helpfull but if he is well and there is nothing obvious?............oh how dangerous a little knowledge can be!!!!!!! I,m in the same dilema with my filly,s swollen hock!

At 19:59:12 on 25.09.09, Angelalain wrote:
Trouble is you get the vet, Pay £50.00 for the visit, £50.00 for them to look at him and they'll say, its his age, have some ventipulmin! He's 19. I don't want to neglect him, and he's supposed to be competeing on Sunday, but a vets bill when he's too old to insure isn't helpful!Ta for answering anyhow, I just don't know if wind can 'go' in a matter of weeks! He's never had problems like this before. If I got the vet, could it be reversed at this early stage?

At 21:30:08 on 25.09.09, farasi wrote:
My youngster is coughing at the moment (for about a month), will have to dampen hay I think, and coughs with dry feed, so has soggy food to stop coughing, he only does it when eating not when ridden. I do think its all the dry on the east as he has never had this before. The old boy is fine, white discharge from nose when worked, but for him that is normal as that is his way of clearing any dust out, will stop when work turned up and given a pipe opener.

At 07:19:34 on 26.09.09, Angelalain wrote:
Thanks, we'll see how he is today, in himself he's as batty as ever, spooking at shadows! Maybe I'll hang on with wet everything until it rains, Surely it MUST rain soon!

At 07:21:32 on 26.09.09, Fernley wrote:
Maybe something from the vet i.e ventipulmin would help and, not, reverse the condition, i dont think you can with something like that,but you may be able to prevent it becoming an ongoing problem, can you call up and speak to someone about it? I wouldnt worry about him being broken winded, but i wouldnt like to see it go on for too long either!! Sorry not much help i know, i,ve decided to call them up for a visit just in case, cant afford it but i would never forgive myself if i could have prevented something more sinister from happening, will probably end up with some very expensive bute!! Good luck!

At 14:43:52 on 26.09.09, farasi wrote:
You can also just open his airwaves give him vicks vapour in bucket of hot water. If its dry cough then likely just tickly, grass in paddock dusty and hay dry, so think what you are like when outide next to field being cut or in dry room. If no grugling or whistle when breathing not likely to be anything major. Quite funny when old boy was racing, could not shift cough, and was diganoised as COPD, turned out to be virus and horse still fine on straw bed and hay 8 years on! Also both my TB's are high blowers, in racing they say you will never have wind problems with a high blower, and touch wood I never have, just little episodes of horse cold and tickly cough. Wind can be effected from feeding dusty hair or poor food, at the time it is fine, its maybe year or so down the road you notice problems from it. Angelalian you are an experienced horse owner you will be the first to realise its more than just a tickly dry cough or something more sinister. Benelyn for dry tickly coughs (or chesty) depending on type of cough is recomeneded by my vets!

At 16:28:10 on 26.09.09, Angelalain wrote:
We've decided to get the vet next week, we're still not sure about going to the show tomorrow, Susie finds it embarrasing to be out with him when he keeps coughing, trouble is everywhere we go she meets her customers! Has to be said we rode out this morning and went to have a good trot acrossthe stubble to see how he was, He got pulling, got into extended trot and then came the closest to bucking her off that he's ever been in his life! We bounced across the field (me too on my little madam)at a very silly canter interspered with leaps and bucks. Chester may be coughing, but he doesn't feel ill!

At 16:58:57 on 26.09.09, farasi wrote:
If in doubt call vet out, is my motto. At least you will know and he is well in himself. Hope all goes well for you. Its a difficult one about a show as people can be so funny, that horse is coughing - whisper whisper! Others are like well if he's here he is fine. You never really know what to do. I went to dressage competition couple of weeks back, and it was obvious my horse did not have shoes on as he was wearing hoof boots, it was the first show I had been to where people actually asked why he had hoof boots on and no shoes, I was more than happy to answer and I'll be going to their shows again as nice type of people they will ask not whisper (not that I care anyway) its just a refeshing change.

At 20:15:57 on 29.09.09, Angelalain wrote:
Well, the vet came and we've got Vetipulmin! She doesn't think his wind is going, she thinks its partly due to his teeth! Sounds mad but I do see what she means. The ground is so dry, the grass is non -existant and he has what can only be described as OLD teeth. When she checked him she was surprised to hear he was only 19! We have been wondering lately. As a rescue case, it should have been correct that he was 4 (how can you get that wrong) But he came in with 34 others, and the vet wondered (just as we have recently) if he'd actually been mixed up with another very similar horse and he might actually be several years older! She says his teeth will not be efficient at nipping off the grass as it is, and he's probably getting alot of dust into his system. We've got vetipulmin until it rains, and if he doesn't improve they will scope him. She said when she worked in Colorado, alot of thier horses got summer coughs due to the dust bowl conditions in the Summer. We shall see!