Dust allergy

[horseylady]

Anyone got any experience of dealing with this?

Does it get worse? Better?

Is it worth having her scoped? Seems like a lot to put her through when we can pretty much see what it is.

Is it just a process of elimination to see what's causing it or what makes it worse?

Hoping its just something which will sort itself out but I've not dealt with anything like this before.

[SaggyOldClothCatPuss]

Wood chip bed and soaked hay. See how she goes. If she gets worst then do more tests. If not, just keep going with that.

[horseylady]

Thanks saggy.

I'd turned her out 24/7 on the vets advice but with the weather bought her in last night. This morning she coughed loads :( but I'd not really changed anything.shes just been living out for nearly the last two weeks. Vet said if she improved out they'd leave her, but mentioned scoping? Im anti that as tbh I can see its triggered by dust and that it sounds upper respiratory. A scope seems a bit ott to me?

She competed last weekend and was wonderful! I only had the vet out as there was increasing amounts if mucous in her stable and while I was fairly certain there was no infection, I wanted her properly checking over.. Then last night she came in, I popped her hay on the floor as always (unsoaked)
Today was the first time I'd really heard her cough. And it was horrid. So I could do with her being in tonight, but I also want to clean her stable out etc.

[horseylady]

Oh and ill def def def be soaking hay!!!

[Pixel]

I had my pony scoped, it was very interesting seeing inside his lungs in glorious technicolour!

If this is fairly recent and there is mucous it sounds like what my pony had, the vet said 'lung infection' but wasn't more specific. If I were you I'd try to nip this in the bud and do whatever your vet suggests because it can cause lasting damage. My pony needed careful management for the rest of his life. We had him living out but even a frosty morning could set him off coughing, and when he was kicked in the field a few years later he couldn't have surgery because the vet thought he wouldn't survive due to the lung damage.
Not trying to scare you, just want you to know it's not always 'just a cough'.

So, yes to dust-free environment (shavings bed, no cobwebs, no grooming etc in stable) and make sure it is very clean so there is no ammonia. Soaking hay too obviously but she may also need something from the vet. (I have hazy memories of antibiotics and putting ventapilmin in his feeds). The dust will be making the coughing worse but may not be the underlying cause.

[Pixel]

Ventipulmin. Sorry, did a post and then lost the lot, seems I also lost the ability to spell .

[horseylady]

pixel it's not an infection. She's running no temp and her chest is clear. There's no wheezing just a dry, what I'm fairly sure is a dust induced cough. She's been given sputulosin by the vet to break down a potential build up of mucus. Given today's response, the cough has to directly related to whichever dust mite or whatever.

Thing is she's surrounded by hay and straw. I can soak what I'm giving her but I'm never going to be able to eliminate it entirely. Living out 24/7 where I am is not an option in the winter so I do need to discuss this in great detail with the vet.

[SaggyOldClothCatPuss]

I'd turn her out and see how she goes. I would leave her out as much as possible.

[Pixel]

Oh good, if you've already had an infection ruled out then that's good news . (my pony wasn't ill though, just coughing up revolting gunk. It made me heave).
It's hard isn't it when other people are using straw etc right next door, is it possible to have a different stable or anything like that? We had to move in the end as all the stables were inside a barn. Out with rugs and a shelter was the only way to go.

[horseylady]

pixel no to the stable. I'd need to move her to a different place. The straw is stored above her stable for the pigs, behind her stable. I had the vet out as I thought she might have an infection. Just because of the mucus (again today is the first time I've really heard her cough) but the vet seemed certain it wasnt.

Turn out in the winter isn't available.

Hopefully it's just the end of a bloody long winter and nothing more.

If it is more sinister then ill have to think about moving her.

[horseylady]

Well this morning things were back to normal. So good hay soaking seems to help. There was a small amount of gunk but no cough!!!

So at least I can tell this to the vet. Hopefully it'll warm up so the rugs can come off and I can kick her out again!!