This is an archived Horseadvice.com Discussion. The parent article and menus are available on the navigation menu below:
HorseAdvice.com » Diseases of Horses » Respiratory System » Heaves & Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease »
  Discussion on New horse with heaves/allergies
Author Message
New Member:
riveraz

Posted on Monday, Apr 6, 2009 - 6:55 pm:

I recently purchased a 9 year old Tennessee Walker gelding, I knew at the time he had allergies, but was assured it should be manageable, and that he'd already been started on a series of antigen shots, much like allergy shots in people.
Much of what I've read here has been situated in grassy areas of the country, where mold and spores are profligate. advice to keep the horse out of the dust... Unfortunately, we live in Arizona. He is on a dry dirt lot. pretty much nothing but dirt and dust. On the list of allergies that tested positive: Bermuda, brome, timothy, orchard, plains grasses, bluegrass and some others that I'll list when I get home to get the bottle again. mostly grasses though. thankfully, he's not allergic to alfalfa.
So far, i've noticed heaving, occasional coughing that improves with exercise, slight clear nasal discharge (very slight) and some swelling at the joint of his neck and jaw.
I feed grass hay to my other horses in the field...I try to feed him outside of the field, alfalfa pellets, soaked, because he seems to have difficulty eating them, beet pulp, rice bran, and equine senior feed. He's fairly thin, I believe due to the allergies, and the fact that he simply doesn't eat well... the previous owner said he was the type who'd much rather hang his head over the fence than eat.
I need to get his breathing under control and get weight on him, as he loves to get out and ride and I'd love to be able to take him. Any suggestions on his care? Most of what I've read so far is geared toward much more wet and cool climates. AZ is nothing but dust and dirt. Is there a difference between ground dust and hay dust? or could he actually be allergic to the dirt he lives on?

Thanks
Moderator:
DrO

Posted on Tuesday, Apr 7, 2009 - 8:56 am:

Welcome Lisa,
The article on Heaves is not geared toward any particular climate but wetter climates tend to have more problems with hay mold. Once a horse develops an allergy to it it does not matter what climate you live in treatment is the same. I have never heard of a horse developing allergies to dirt but horses often do to hay mold spores (often appears as dusty hay).

I have very little faith in equine allergy testing whether done on the blood or the skin. There appear to be important differences in horses and humans that make these test demonstrably poor at properly identifying allergens. In horses these test identify non-allergens as problems and frequently do not id the true allergen. In the same vein I wonder if the allergy shots are going to be of much use. Experimentally there has been some success with culicoides saliva allergies but I have seen no experimental work on mold spores nor review of any commercial preparations.

As to recommendations for treating Heaves due to mold spore exposure follow the recommendations in the article and you will get the clinical signs under control assuming there has not been too much damage to the lungs. This is explained in detail in the article.
DrO
New Member:
riveraz

Posted on Tuesday, Apr 7, 2009 - 3:28 pm:

Thank you... I'm trying to work out the best way to follow the treatments advised..although in or out of barn isn't really applicable, as we don't have very many barns here:-}
I was told that exercise is good for hi, so I've been riding him, and have noticed improvement after he quiets down again from a ride. Is this true, is exercise and riding actually helping, or is it just masking the symptoms by draining the lungs? Am I damaging him further by making him work when his lungs may not be functioning properly? He isn't at all sluggish or opposed to riding, he loves to move out.

How costly are the tests to see what damage has been done to his lungs, normally?

Thanks..
Moderator:
DrO

Posted on Wednesday, Apr 8, 2009 - 8:40 am:

Just to be sure you understand Leisa, it just takes one barn and a few minutes or a single feeding of regular hay and your horses lungs are shot for another 3 weeks. Which tests are you asking about? I find most tests have trouble differentiating reversible and irreversible changes and so the best way to know what the horse is capable of is a month of aggressive treatment and management.

Exercise helps the horse bring up exudate but the exercise should not be punishing on the horse so you have to judge. I certainly would not continue of a horse that has a explosive cough every few steps. If the cough is getting easier and improving while you ride it is a good indication you are helping.
DrO
New Member:
riveraz

Posted on Wednesday, Apr 8, 2009 - 5:46 pm:

I'm asking about whichever tests would be required to assess any permanent damage to his lungs. I don't believe anything was ever done to find damages. I've only had him for a week and a half, so I'm still trying to figure this out... I've never had a horse with respiratory problems before.
I've put him on the alfalfa pellets, and am getting rid of the hay for the other horses, and putting them on pellets also.He does seem to be getting better. the breathing is still a bit heavy, but he isn't coughing very often now.
The exercise...he hasn't coughed at all while riding, or directly after.
I just want to make sure I'm doing what needs to be done for him to be able to breathe and ride, since he loves to go out, and is too young to be retired for life unless there's no other alternative.
sorry for all the questions...this is a new area for me!
Moderator:
DrO

Posted on Thursday, Apr 9, 2009 - 8:59 am:

To repeat my previous response Leisa, the best and only reliable test I am aware of is response to treatment and I would add here as long as the diagnosis of "Heaves" is firm. If the diagnosis is not firm I would back up to the article Diseases of Horses » Respiratory System » Chronic Lower Airway Disease where further testing for other diseases is explained.

I would like to address you having to change all your horse's management to a less than optimal choice of pellets instead of a forage. Pellets are processed in such a way that lowers the roughage quality. We give several better choices in the article but if this horse cannot be managed separate from the others and a better source of forage not available consider trying to find a home where this might be possible. Currently there is no reason to think this horse does not have a good chance at a useful life but if the problem here is heaves it will require life long management.

I know this is a new and difficult situation for you Leisa, bear with us and we will get this straightened out.
DrO
New Member:
riveraz

Posted on Thursday, Apr 9, 2009 - 5:24 pm:

I do notice that the article states hay cubes as an alternative...would that be a suitable forage type feed subsititute for all the horses? we do have that option from our local feed store also, I've discovered. The other 3 horses (a mustang, a welshx pony and a Thoroughbred) are very easy keepers and do well on just about anything. light to moderate work load on all of them.

unfortunately in the AZ horse market, rehoming him is probably not an option with his health issues.
Moderator:
DrO

Posted on Friday, Apr 10, 2009 - 6:54 am:

Absolutely, hay cubes would be fine. They make a alfalfa/timothy cube that I particularly like but for real easy keepers a straight grass hay cube would probably be fine. For more on forages see, Horse Care » Equine Nutrition, Horse Feeds, Feeding » Forages for Horses, an Overview.
DrO
Member:
mitch316

Posted on Saturday, Apr 11, 2009 - 12:43 am:

We use alfalfa/Timothy cubes here, and especially when we are at shows or on the long 2-3 day horse rides. They are obviously easier to transport, but with the Timothy added, it makes me feel safer about the whole calcium buildup risk associated with alfalfa. They can turn expensive though. While some people switch out pound for pound, meaning give 15 pounds of cubes instead of 15 pounds of hay, I usually reduce the cubes somewhat. Also some soak theirs, but we do not unless the particular horse is older with bad teeth. Some worry about choking, but in my whole life have never seen a horse choke on hay cubes. Doesn't mean they can't, but I think some worry too much about this.
Member:
riveraz

Posted on Thursday, Apr 16, 2009 - 4:48 pm:

That's one of my other concerns ...my TB is 20 and has been a cribber his whole life, prior to me getting him. He has no teeth left in front on the top. I don't know if he can handle the cubes. But if he can, that siounds like the best way to go.
We got the hay off the property and put Solstice, the TWH, on pellets, beet pulp and rice bran, with vegetable oil. His breathing has nearly returned to normal, you can barely see the heavier breathing now. and he is slowly gaining weight.

Leisa
Home Page | Top of Page | Join Us!
Horseadvice.com is a BBB Accredited Business. Click for the BBB Business Review of this Horse Training in Stokesdale NC