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  Discussion on Cough, runny nose and no fever
Author Message
New Member:
pbrennan

Posted on Friday, Mar 23, 2018 - 6:34 pm:

We have a 6 year old gelding we brought home the end of Nov. 2017. A few days after we got him, he started with a runny nose. The Vet came to look at him, took a sample and ran a culture. The results were strangles. We have 3 horses, Our other gelding (Patron)came down with it as well. Patron got over it fairly quickly. However, Sunny did not. His was internal, not external as normal (or so I understand). We finally got him over the infection. Guttural pouches are now beautiful again, lungs are clear, however, all of the inflammation isn’t completely gone. He eats well, drinks fine and is very spunky, but he still coughs(not as much as in the beginning), his nose still runs(not as much as in the beginning) and some food continues to come out of his nose.
We have consulted with several internal medicine Vets from Colorado State and they can’t seem to figure out what is wrong with him. We have taken videos of the larynx and that is not paralyzed.
He has been on antibiotics and steroids, but with minimal results.
I would appreciate any thoughts or advice that would help our beautiful Sunny get better.
Moderator:
DrO

Posted on Sunday, Mar 25, 2018 - 8:17 am:

Welcome Patricia,
The food coming from his nose, does this happen while he is eating and then coughs or does the food appear when he is not eating?
DrO
New Member:
pbrennan

Posted on Wednesday, Mar 28, 2018 - 2:38 pm:

Since we have reduced some of the inflammation, it doesn’t come out right away. Sometimes he looks good and then all of a sudden his nose is dipping a lot, green color from the hay. When he coughs, and that has slowed down as well, he does cough out green mucus. It almost seems like there is mucus with some food stuck that at times releases. He either has a green nose, like it has dried up or it runs freely. The coughing is random, not necessarily when he is eating.
Moderator:
DrO

Posted on Thursday, Mar 29, 2018 - 8:15 am:

Hello Patricia,
food in the respiratory system will cause continued coughing and suggests problems with swallowing or possibly esophageal reflux. The history suggests that the problem with swallowing may be due to the ongoing pharyngitis also another possible cause for ongoing coughing. It could be a cycle. Something else occurs to me, you only had the horse 3 days before this started, is it possible he has been having these problems for longer?

From a diagnostic standpoint it would seem you have done most of what is possible. We do study swallowing in small animals with contrast media and a fluoroscope but have not heard of this in horses. Repeating the endoscopy right after eating might suggest where the food is coming from and allow a recheck of the pharyngitis. You have consulted with CSVS but have they examined the horse? If the horse is continuing to improve as suggested in your first post you might consider more patience treating the problems you see like the inflammation and but food in the respiratory tract is worrysome because of the possibility of a secondary sinusitis or aspiration pneumonia.
DrO
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