cough and runny nose

[Snow_Pony]

Welsh cob has started coughing since she's started having hay in the field. She is bright within herself, and the cough is worse when excercising, particularly when she goes somewhere new and breathes faster. She snorts a bit then too. Today she snorted and blew out some white mucous (sorry to be graphic :o) I'm almost certain its the hay, as other ponies in her field are also coughing.
Any recommendations? I am reluctant to call the vet out unless necessary, though will of course if she gets worse. Just paid a £300 bill for her eye so vet fund is looking a little sorry for itself at the mo!

xxx

[Snow_Pony]

Anybody...? :o

[wildponies]

Mild COPD? Dust allergy..

[JULIA G]

My horse is the same however 2 weeks ago he had a respiratory infection out of the blue which went away just as quickly with antibiotics and anti-inflammatories etc. He is usually rock solid when it comes to health, not allergic to anything, beds on straw and eats hay (as opposed to haylage) but we had to keep all the horses in for 3 days due to extensive flooding and vet thinks that is what caused it as he's usually out for a good 10 hours a day. Well that and the fact that some of our hay isn't great at the moment due to last year's poor crop.

Anyway he's now back to himself but has a bit of white mucus and coughs when I first get him out of the stable in the morning, even in walk so I'm sure it's the dust as he's 100% when he comes in from the field at night. I'd love to change to shavings and haylage but can't afford it as it would have to pay double for both compared to what I pay now. So I make his bed 1st thing in the morning so its got all day to settle and soak his hay.

I don't think its anything to worry about if she's bright in herself, it does sound like the hay to me rather than a cold, esp if your hay is anything like ours :rolleyes:

[Retty]

Welsh cob has started coughing since she's started having hay in the field. xxx

Sounds to me like it is the hay that is the problem - it could be that the hay is dusty and this could be helped by soaking it.

[Daffy Dilly]

Daffy has a cold, he's on haylage so it doesn't need soaking and his straw isn't dusty, he goes out during the day. He's rugged up, and the vet gave him antibiotics and anti-inflamatories. He's having a week or two off to recover.

I'd soak your hay and give it a week or so to improve, and maybe rug her up if she isn't already as she may have a bit of a chill. If there is no improvement though I would have the vet.

[Julz S]

My horse got a similar cough and runny nose when I started feeding hay in the field (it was nice hay and not at all dusty). It went on for about six weeks and was getting worse so I got the vet out who checked him over and found nothing wrong! Vet suggested I change to haylage and he has been fine ever since.
Can you change to haylage? I know its difficult when you share a field with others but its not always that much more expensive - my round bales of hay were £22 and haylage is only £25 :)

[Soot]

Echo the above -- coughing like that does sound dust-related and could be mild COPD. If you can soak hay or switch to haylage, it's worth doing that before calling the vet. Obviously if the symptoms get any worse or if looks like he's having trouble breathing, then vet will be a must!