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Discussion on Lung Infection - cough - excess mucus
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New Member:
Doriscob
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Posted on Tuesday, Dec 16, 2003 - 5:42 am:
Hi,
I'm afraid I have a long story - Jan this year my mare developed a deep lung infection which has now been treated. However we have still not been able to shift her cough and excess mucus build up despite sputulosin, ventipulim, steroid inhalers and now a wet nebuliser. Her respiratory rate fluctuates and is now normal. We have now changed her routine to dust free and haylage instead of hay. We have been advised that she will need to be nebulised for the rest of her life - 5 days in every 28 days. I'm happy to do this but it still doesn;t get rid of the deep seated mucus which I can still hear when she coughs, when not coughing a stehoscope examination cannot hear any crackling. Do you have any idea what may be causing the mucus to build up and why I cannot shift it. She doesn;t cough any mucus up I can just hear in in her respiratory tract.
Any advice/ help much appreciated. I'm in the UK.
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Moderator:
DrO
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Posted on Tuesday, Dec 16, 2003 - 7:02 am:
Hello Sara,
Since you do not see the mucous Sara, I am uncertain what you are dealing with. Generally fluid in the lower respiratory tract cannot be heard without a stethoscope. The sounds you are hearing originate higher up perhaps in the pharynx, though it could still be mucous.
The problems you are having with no crackles or wheezy sounds with a stethascope, is a bit odd. The next steps in diagnosing your pony's respiratory disease would be scoping and radiographs (requires a large institutional machine).
DrO
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Member:
Doriscob
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Posted on Tuesday, Dec 16, 2003 - 7:52 am:
Thanks for the quick reply,
She was scoped earlier in the year and it showed 3/5 mucus build up, she then had a tracheal wash. She did get a bit better after this but still some muck remains. Not sure what a radiograoh does, I'll talk to my vet.
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Moderator:
DrO
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Posted on Tuesday, Dec 16, 2003 - 9:06 am:
As I cannot look at the whole clinical picture, I must go on what you have told me. To have chronic dyspnea (breathing problems) and cough without crackles and wheezies means the cause remains unknown. A radiograph will help rule in or out some diseases, for instance, "do you have a localized area of pleuropneumonia that might respond to drainage"?
DrO
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