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  Discussion on New remedies for COPD
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Posted on Monday, Jul 31, 2000 - 6:16 pm:

Can anyone suggest other therapies for treating an acute attack in a COPD horse? The horse in question is a 21 yr old AQHA mare who does not respond to any of the typically used drugs (ie. Cortasteriods, Ventapulmin(sp?) etc...) During an "acute attack" she is switched to cubes. It takes days if not weeks for the shortness of breath and shallow breathing to subside. Apparently she has been "Heavey" for many yrs off and on. Also of interest is the attack happened a few days after she was stung/ bitten? by some insect. It was on her lip and her whole head swelled. Could that have triggered the heaving? Before this she was on top quality grass hay and a small amount of steam rolled oats and a vitamin supplement called Equimax.

Posted on Tuesday, Aug 1, 2000 - 1:32 pm:

Hello WH,
Reread the article on COPD, especially studying the parts about cause and prevention. Until you accept it, you will probably suffer repeated bouts. I speak from decades of experience and over a hundred cases. By following these rules once we have identified COPD and have him managed according to the article, we do not have any more problems. If you are not getting noticable relief from corticosteroids I would look at my dosage. But realize all these drugs are pallative not curative: each acute bout brings on a little permanant damage that accumulates over time.
DrO

Posted on Tuesday, Aug 1, 2000 - 2:58 pm:

WH - I was going to e-mail you, but nothing came up in your profile.

Posted on Wednesday, Aug 2, 2000 - 12:58 am:

Dr O,
I have read the article on COPD as well as many others. I know what optimum conditions are for these horses. Aside from the fact that she was on hay, all of these things are being followed. I know you are going to say ah ha! But, the quality of hay I feed is incredibly good, has been tested, and more than one Vet has looked at it and said it is the best hay they have ever seen. I realize cubes is suggested on a permanent basis. This, I do not agree with, at least with this horse. On cubes, this horse picks up vices totally out of character for her. Under the owners instructions we picked the lesser of two evils and feed hay.
The horse does not belong to me, but is boarded on my property. The owners have had her for 9 mos. The previous owner (their relative) owned the horse for 17 yrs. He had numerous Vets look at and treat this mare. As far as drug therapy goes, I don't know the dosages, but I would assume that someone tried upping the dosage at some point. All to no avail.

I believe there has been a tremendous amount of damage done to her lungs over the years. That said, is there anything else I can do to make the old girl more comfortable should this happen again?

Posted on Wednesday, Aug 2, 2000 - 7:48 am:

Ah Ha! Sorry WH, I couldn't disappoint you.

The fact is ALL hay that is field cured or stored for any time has mold spores. Excellent hay is fine for horses without an allergy, but for the allergic will not do, that is the definition of an allergy: an inappropriate reaction to a normal stimulus. I don't recommend cubes particularly, my first recommendation is pasture and using beet pulp to make up for any short fall of pasture.

I have had clients make the same arguments you do but contined to have problems UNTIL they stopped feeding hay and stalling their horse. Those who completely ignored the advice (some used antihistimines, some used steroids for the acute bouts, some used natural remedies) ended up putting their horses down for humane reasons: the act of breathing became so difficult they were unable to move around or eat. It may have taken months to years to get that bad but it always happened if the environment was not controlled as stated above.
DrO

Posted on Wednesday, Aug 2, 2000 - 9:37 am:

Hi WH - There was an article in one of the recent Equus (June or July?) on a COPD mare who's only savior was stopping hay. They too could not believe that the excellent hay they were feeding was the cause. I think this same mare also could not be on pasture from spring through fall.
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