Dry Coughs

[Dona]

Two of my weanlings have developed "dry" coughs. Usually went they eat....but occasionally at other times too. They are healthy otherwise, eating, drinking & playing. Asking anyone who has had experience with this, what they did to help it....when vetting was not necessary?

I say this because I had a colt a few years ago, that had this type of cough, and the vet said not to worry about it as long as the colt had no other signs of illness. Could be allergies, dry feed, etc. I just hate hearing them cough & wondered if there is something I could use to relieve it. Maybe wetting down their hay?

 

[CountryHaven]

I've noticed it occassionally when it's very dry (boy this year it has been) and there's lots of dust flying around. I have one older horse that's very sensitive to that, and will give a cough every now and again, but nothing else. She also gets like that at shows when she's kept on shavings (which she alone is not allowed on at home for that reason). I've noticed that the foals will too occassionally during that type of thing, and when the hay is particularly dry (after a long storage, and maybe a little dusty).

So far it's been nothing to worry about.

 

[Marty]

Here Here Dona. I noticed this just the other day. A couple of mine are doing it too.

It's so very dry here. Really really dry and oh the dry lot and barnyard are terribly dusty.

I did wet down the hay. I think it's going to be ok.

 

[justaboutgeese]

Coughing when they are eating what ?? If is dry dusty hay it might need to be watered a bit. If its sweet feed and grass it could be a problem. Some horses just cough to clear thier throats. Some grains are dusty I would examine their enviroment to see if they are exposed to excessive dust or its a precursor to heaves.

 

[Becky]

I agree it's probably dust related but just watch that it doesn't turn into pneumonia. Rhodococcus Equi rears it's ugly head in foals from about 1- 6 months of age and pops up during dry, dusty conditions!

 

[CyndiD]

Dona, had a little trouble with that before too...I really noticed it when the babies started eating grain on their own..maybe they were trying to eat too fast or something..but that was the only time they did it. I did keep an eye on them, but it went away on its own.

I do think all this dry HOT weather we had this summer hasn`t helped. I have been watering the aisle of the barn almost every night.

 

[Dona]

I have noticed it mainly when they are eating their grain....but then, I've also heard them cough occasionally at other times. They have been eating grain (Purina Jr.) since day one...so don't think it's from the grain. Will just have to keep a watch on them & check temps, etc. for a while just in case they are working on some "bug".

 

[blueprintminis]

Dona,

I have one mare who has been "hacking" on and off for the past few weeks. Sounds like a loud bark or smoker's hack. Last year there was a different mare who did it. I had the vet out for her. Vet said it was the dry conditions and inhaling dust that she was sensitive to. He called it inflammation of the bronchi. Neither showed any other signs of illness. Just keep an eye on them.

Laura

 

[Ojai Minis]

I also have a 3 month old that has a dry cough. Most of the time it's not there just once in a while. Vet was out and listened to his lungs and all was fine. She thinks it's just dust but he doesn't cough when he's running and the dust is up. He doesn't cough when he eats. Looking forward to reading the replys.

Liz V.

Two of my weanlings have developed "dry" coughs.  Usually went they eat....but occasionally at other times too.  They are healthy otherwise, eating, drinking & playing.  Asking anyone who has had experience with this, what they did to help it....when vetting was not necessary?
I say this because I had a colt a few years ago, that had this type of cough, and the vet said not to worry about it as long as the colt had no other signs of illness.  Could be allergies, dry feed, etc.  I just hate hearing them cough & wondered if there is something I could use to relieve it.  Maybe wetting down their hay?

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[wcr]

I wouldn't worry about it unless you see snotty noses or any other signs of illness. It seems the babies just go through this at some time and is self-limiting. Dust gets them in summer and here in Oregon it is common to have them hacking in the winter, for a few months even, until the sun starts shining. Michelle had a colt do this and took him to the holistic vet and got a bunch of stuff which didn't work either. Sun came out and cough disapeared.

 

[hidden jewel]

I would watch it and if they get a hacking noise then I would call the vet. All mine in the spring got really sick literally over night. It turned out to be some virus that if not treated it could have been fatal..

 

[billiethekid40]

Hey, I've been waking up with a sore dry throat lately too. You know, like when the weather gets dry and your throat gets all dry with it? Unless you see other signs it could just be that their throats are a little itchy. My vet advises wetting the hay, if for no other reason than that it helps sooth the throat instead of adding to the itchyness. Kind of like when you have a glass of water or a popsicle and your throat is clear for the rest of the day.

 

[Michelle@wescofarms]

We seem to get that every Fall when everything is dry and dusty and the little vacuums (foals) have their noses in the dirt all the time. Dry coughs, really gross dried up gunky nose - not snotty, but clear mixed with dust equals mud! So we're cleaning noses and watching who's coughing. It is routinely the horse with it's head in the dirt!

The hay isn't particularly dusy, nor the grain - but dry lots are as are the rest of our former (no rain in sight) pastures.

The loud barking coughs can be something else - we have a mare that has collapsing trachea and when she gets out of breathe from running, even short distances she'll get a loud barking cough. I don't know that much about this condition, but it's supposedly common in minis/ponies, operable but expensive.

 

[REO]

A few years ago our young ones were doing that. We gave them Strongid paste and BAM, they quit! Now we like to give our foals Strongid every month until they're a year old and we have not had that happen again since.

Just passing along something that we experienced

Barring anything listed above or something a vet should see.

 

[Dona]

Thanks everyone for your replies & thoughts on this.

Robin, I do worm my foals alternately with Strongid & Zimectrin, and they were just done with Strongid recently....but thanks for the suggestion.

 

[REO]

It was worth a shot!

 

[backwoodsnanny]

We have a mare who also gets this dry cough that you seem to be describing no other symptoms no temp nothing but being the wimp that I am I have had the vet look at her. In her case he was very sure it was allergies to (whatever) was in the air, hay etc. We wet her hay and her grain for a few days just enough to moisten it and he put her on an antihistamine until it went away. That was last fall this fall surprise the cough is back so we are repeating the process. My vet said just like people some horses are more susceptible to allergy that others. I have two out of 10 who have allergies one in the Spring and the other in fall.