Counting breathes per minute - sorry long...

[Gay]

After speaking with my vet on the phone re copd he asked me to count my geldings breathes per minute. He said there should be 7 or 8 and 12 would be classed as fast - if I couldn't see him breathing then not to worry. Sounds daft but I either can't see him breathing or his sides appear to be moving very slightly but at around one a second (60 per minute). Is this possible saying 12 is fast - he does not appear to be struggling for breath but has a slightly runny nose and occasional cough. He was seen in December by another vet who suspected copd but that was controlled over winter. He started with a runny nose etc when he was turned out 24/7 vet said it may be just pollen. Any ideas?

[alwaysfallingof]

Watching breathing can take a bit of practice. Either watch just in front of the whorly bit where his back legs connect to the rest of him - you should see his sides moving in and out, or his abdomen going in and out.
Or if you still can't really see that, then look at his nostrils. If he really is doing 60 breaths per minute, then his nostrils will be flaring in and out. You can't normally see them move.

It is possible that he is just breathing really slowly, and so you don't realise that what you're seeing is a breath...or it really could be 60 breaths per minute - it's quite high, but not unheard of.

(Last winter a few of ours got a bizarre respiratory virus where they were all absolutely fine, except just stood and hyperventilated - at one point one pony's breathing went up to 80:eek: for breathing that high, then he got a steroid injection. The rest of them with average breathing rates of 20-30 were put on ventapulmin for a week or so, given some time off and it sorted itself out)

Hope you find out what the matter is.

[Gay]

Just had a thought that I may be counting inhales and exhales though his nostrils also seemed to be moving at a similar rate. Will have another go tomorrow and if I can't suss it think i'll get the vet to come and check.

[notpoodle]

i had to do a lot of this with my pony's COPDS/RAO. it helped to compare to other horses on the yard who don't suffer from respiratory ailments. mind you, my pony was very obviously heaving ie. nostrils flaring, struggling look on her face and flanks moving rapidly :(

Julia
x

[Pink's lady]

You'll be hard pushed to see anything if you look at his ribs - try his flanks instead. Or try his nostrils. Spend at least a minute just watching (tis a long time!) until you're sure what you're seeing is breathing then start counting.

At 60 breathes a mintue I would be having a vet out there and then :eek: - they rarely go that high even after hard exercise! Plus at that rate it would a hugely obvious breathes, which it doesn't sound like.

[Gay]

Thanks - I finally sussed it today (by comparing to one of the others) it is high around 20-25. Will this damage his lungs without drug intervention?

[gypsygold]

That really is pretty fast if he is just stood at rest. I would definately speak to vet again.

[Pink's lady]

The faster breathing itself won't cause damage (it's no higher than after exercise) but something has already damaged the lungs to cause him to be breathing like that, so you need to get it checked out. They only breathe like that when they aren't getting enough oxygen into the lungs, almost always caused by the lungs not funtioning properly.

[Gay]

Vets coming out tomorrow - hopefully he wont need drugs permanently or i'll have to make a difficult decision. Have got a list of questions ready to ask just need to remember to take it with me!