May 5, 2012

Cough

Hm...my low-maintenance pony has a cough.  Even the most low-maintenance ponies can't always avoid the vet!
Pretty pony hanging out in his new, smaller paddock.  All the better to catch you with, my dear.



It's a dry cough, with no nasal discharge of any kind, and it does not get worse with exercise.  My best guess is that it's a seasonal allergy, what with the weather (finally) staying warm and the flowers blooming in earnest this week.  It started last Sunday, and essentially hasn't changed all week.  He coughs every 5-10 minutes both when he's just standing around and when he's being ridden.  He's been out on pasture 24/7 since probably March, and is kept in probably one of the lowest dust environments in the area thanks to our sweet arena footing, so I don't feel like it's a dust reaction.

The vet saw him on Thursday and wasn't too concerned, so I'm not that concerned either.

Anyone else deal with seasonal allergies?

4 comments:

  1. I have known a few horses with seasonal allergies. If it gets bad enough, you can start steroid therapy before allergy season kicks in. That worked well for a horse I used to lease who just fell apart every year during allergy season - lost all his hair, coughed, was generally miserable 24/7. I know another horse who combines seasonal allergies with asthma, and soaking his hay has made a big difference.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Comrade coughs this time of year too. His owner thinks it is due to the clover. Just a little and it goes away.
    My moms Morgan used to be bad about being caught. Luckily he was in a very small turn out. I think it is a smart horse curse.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Nicole, tell me more! Does it sound like Connor's? My trainer asked me if he had any family history of seasonal coughing. Do you do anything to control it?

    ReplyDelete
  4. Jen, It does sound similar. It is a dry cough. He does it at the start of a ride and then no more. I can't say how much he does it during the day. Peggy does not do anything to treat it and it goes away after the spring blush. We think that instead of drooling like some horses do after eating clover, he swallows and irritates his throat. He does not seem bothered by it, but it does happen every year about this time.
    It would be interesting to know if Cadence has it too.

    ReplyDelete