Sid has a cough

[Jane&Ziggy]

I am absolutely certain that he is coughing because we have had no rain for weeks and weeks and everything is dusty and he has to eat hay because there is no grass.

Is there anything I can give him to help? I am making his feeds sloppy. Should I soak the hay?

 

[carthorse]

I'd certainly try lightly soaking his hay, and if you can feed it from a box or net so he hasn't got his head down in the dust. It's like a desert round us, a gust of widh blow up dust eddies!

 

[chunky monkey]

Is he coughing when out riding. He may cough more in trot. If so try giving a 50mm syringe of Covoni just before you bridle up. The one for dry tickly coughs. Pinky/purple label one. Orangey labelled one for chesty coughs tasted yuck. It helped Chunky when he had the cough.
Soak all food.
Soak hay for sure. If he doesnt like it after being soaked, Chunky didnt. Just throw some water over the wades, fluff it up first. You could put it in a wheelbarrow loose, add water and wheel across field and tip the entire lot out so you dont have to handle wet hay.
Try and get him on some green grass or overnight grass when there might be some dew on the ground. Keeping the throat lubricated was key for chunky.

 

[Jane&Ziggy]

Thank you both, he already eats his hay from a box AND a net (greedy cob) but still there is dust everywhere, everywhere. He does cough a little when we first trot but not after. I will get him some purple Covonia. Perhaps we have some in the medicine cupboard...

 

[Jessey]

Even just damping hay makes a huge difference for my guys. I’ve used the purple corvonia with success, and the Lincoln cough syrup (liquorice being the main ingredient in both).

 

[carthorse]

You could always try a rain dance, and if it works please come here and repeat it!

 

[SpooksHavinFun]

I'll second damp hay and getting his head down.

 

[domane]

How's the boy doing now, @Jane&Ziggy???

 

[Jane&Ziggy]

Thanks for asking @domane. I've had him on the Airways stuff from Equine America for a few days. He hates it and now also hates what was his favourite Respiratory licky thing! He has also had a couple or 3 extra hours on grass each day and when we hacked today he didn't cough once, so that's a win...