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  Discussion on COPD: where to go from here
Author Message
New Member:
aims

Posted on Friday, Aug 3, 2007 - 8:48 am:

Hi
I've got a 9yo gelding, and after I had him for 5 months, he stopped sweating and began breathing 80-100bpm. There was no cough and lungs were clear. He was started on electolytes and given shots of adrenoline(something like that). This was in August in 90 degree+ weather that was 90% humid day and night. He had been out on clover/fescue mix,24X7, like all my horses. This cleared up, breathing and sweating returned to normal. In December, I began feeding round bales, big mistake for the new horse. I guess I've been lucky with round bales for 10+years for two horses and 3 years with some others. Anyway, he developed a cough, no fever and began breathing hard. He had a 10 day course of dexamethasone (IV and oral. The cough cleared, but he continued to breathe over 40 bpm. A complete blood count and serum profile was done and was all (-) except for slight anemia. I wormed him heavily and gave him red cell for 2 months. I began riding slowly to build up lung endurance, but he continued to breathe heavily at rest. He was energetic and happy and did not heave while being ridden. In June, he began coughing (after being on fescue 24X7) and underwent another round of steroids. Now, August, I hear some rasping in one lung area(never seems to be the same area) and heavey breathing.
Where do I go from here? Can he have both summer pasture induced AND hay/mold COPD? Should I have different blood work? Or an endoscope? Two vets have recommended allergy testing through blood work and giving vaccinations against those allergens as they have had a 70% success rate. I also wonder, in your article, you said the allergens may remain in their system for several months (I'm not sure of the time frame) after it is eliminated from the environment. Could that be the case from the winter episode to now?
I've wanted to do novice level eventing with him, is it realistic to continue down that path?
Thank you for your opinions, I have been reading posts for a year now appreciate the advice.
Moderator:
DrO

Posted on Friday, Aug 3, 2007 - 12:50 pm:

Welcome Amy,
I am assuming the horse has not been in a barn or had access to any hay since the winter. If this is true hay mold allergies seems unlikely. Is it possible the heavy breathing is occurring because he has quit sweating again and needs to breath quicker to thermoregulate? For more on this see the article on AnhiDrOsis.
DrO
New Member:
aims

Posted on Friday, Aug 3, 2007 - 3:34 pm:

I have never kept him in the barn, nor has he had any hay. He has a shelter, lean-to that is open on both sides. They do stand and stomp flies though. It is 92 and humid and he is out sweating right now. That appears back to normal. what gets me, is the consistent respiration at 40bpm: This was true in April when it was cold and in the summer cool nights and when he's dozing. Then it increases to 60 when it is really hot or when he is coughing.
thank you
amy
Moderator:
DrO

Posted on Saturday, Aug 4, 2007 - 6:48 am:

I see from your profile you are in Illinois and as far as I know SPAOPD is not reported that far north, but double check this with your veterinarian. I keep getting back to this is a continuation from exposure to the round bale. With continued exposure to hay molds there are irreversible changes, consolidation and emphysema, which impair respiration. But these problems are not usually this acute. I would recommend, with the approval of your veterinarian, a more extended course of corticosteroids and if there is no response and still no diagnosis forthcoming, referral to a university for evaluation.
DrO
New Member:
aims

Posted on Sunday, Aug 5, 2007 - 11:28 pm:

How would emphysema or consolidation present? I've thought of a longer course of steroids, but there is another problem he has had. He had vertical cracks in all four hooves when I purchased him 1.5 years ago, but they seemed benign. He's always been tender-footed over gravel and roads. I took the back shoes off and those cracks grew out quickly. The front were dremmeled out and the left front has just one crack 1/2 way grown out. The right front split so bad he progressively became more lame. I just had a vet out to dremmel deep, wire and pack it. Then he took x rays of the right hoof: He had foundered mildly. I have just been sick about it!! He told me it could be from the steroids, because it decreases the blood flow to the legs. I read that you can't find studies to substantiate that. Anyway, I should post under "founder, or founder from stress" I'll be contacting my vet for the next direction to go, which may be, like you said, testing from a university. But, could you elaborate on emphysema or consolidation? Have you come across pulmunary fibrosis or herpes V?
thank you for your time
amy
Moderator:
DrO

Posted on Tuesday, Aug 7, 2007 - 8:51 pm:

Amy,
It presents as COPD does but does not respond to management or treatment. Auscultation does not differentiate these permanent changes very well as wheezes and rales are found in both cases. The article makes reference to some tests that can be run but I personally never hang my hat on the results. No I have not seen a EHV-5 case, at least that I identified as such, and currently the connection between it and chronic respiratory disease conjectural. Fibrosis could be considered part of the chronic COPD complex of irreversible changes and yes have seen cases.
DrO
New Member:
aims

Posted on Friday, Aug 17, 2007 - 10:04 pm:

My gelding is still breathing fast, 40-60bpm, but I've had him on tri-hist for 10 days and I've seen some lessening of his cough. Now for two days, he won't eat it, now I have to find a better way to disguise it, but it appears he is coughing a little more. Is it possible to see that immediate of change?
Before I go through with allergy testing (one vet seems to think it is definitely COPD, dx'd only through looking at his breathing and dry coughing), I should have further testing performed. From reading your articles, a thoracic x ray and endosope/BAL may be warranted, right? Any other differential tests?
Also, if I do undergo testing for allergies, is there any difference in blood vs. skin testing?
thank you for your time
amy
Moderator:
DrO

Posted on Saturday, Aug 18, 2007 - 4:35 pm:

If you are diagnosing the chronic cough the article in this section explains it, if you are diagnosing the COPD the article, Diseases of Horses » Respiratory System » Heaves & Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease explains that. It also discusses the TriHist efficacy.
DrO
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