Respiratory health
When horses cough – Find out here how you can support the respiratory health of your horses – Inform and prevent now!
When horses cough – Find out here how you can support the respiratory health of your horses – Inform and prevent now!
Many riders know it: When trotting in the riding arena or in the riding hall, your horse coughs up once, twice or even several times. Horse cough is not a disease, but a symptom that usually indicates a disease of the respiratory organs. The lower respiratory tract (trachea, bronchi and alveoli) are affected much more frequently than the upper respiratory tract such as the nasal passages, paranasal sinuses and pharynx. The most common causes of respiratory diseases include pathogens such as influenza, herpes, rhino, parainfluenza or adenoviruses, but various bacteria are also among the pathogens. Allergies to mold spores, food mites or pollen, for example, irritation of the respiratory tract from dust, the finest sand particles or harmful gases, lack of exercise or a combination of different factors are also common causes of respiratory problems and coughing.
If left untreated, horse cough can quickly progress to equine asthma and cause irreversible damage to the lungs. Nowadays, all chronic respiratory diseases are summarized under the term equine asthma. You should therefore always take horse coughs seriously, because equine asthma can develop after just 2 weeks of coughing. Typical symptoms of respiratory diseases in horses are nasal discharge, difficult breathing and an increased breathing rate even when at rest, loss of appetite, fever and reduced performance.
The veterinary treatment of acute or chronic horse cough usually includes the administration of expectorants, antispasmodics, anti-inflammatory drugs and, in severe cases, lung lavages and antibiotics. Here, however, the help of the horse owners is always required. In addition to the veterinary treatment of the sick horses, optimal movement, housing and feeding management is also required.
We also recommend EQUIsolvan® Respir Plus in times of problems, but also as a preventive measure to support respiratory health. With high-quality ingredients, you support, among other things, the regeneration of the respiratory tract and a dry cough is relieved.
Made in Germany
Certified
Over 20 years of expertise