Heaves and medication and/or supplements that have worked for your horse?

[BuddyRoo]

24YO mare, dx’d with heaves 10 years ago during a routine exam, had not been having noticeable problems. Recommendation of vet then was to continue 24/7 turnout when able, avoid exertion in hot, humid weather, soak hay if hay exacerbated issue (it never did), and otherwise monitor.

FF to now. Have not been riding horse over last 2 years. Have been bringing horse back into work in last month. Going well. Horse is still on 24/7 turnout but now we have the opportunity to ride in an indoor. Indoor is not terribly dusty, is regularly treated and watered.

However, I have noticed that she coughs more than previously when we pick up a trot. Takes a few episode of coughing before things settle down. It’s been warm and humid here the last week and the coughing is worse then. (riding in the morning when it’s coolest, but still…HUMID)

I’m wondering if it might be time to talk to the vet about meds. However, we just moved and I have not established a relationship with a veterinarian here yet so I thought I’d ask here and do a little research in the meantime. Anything you’ve used or would recommend? I should add that she’s IR so dosing her with steroids is contraindicated to my knowledge. TIA

[One_Two_Three]

Have a horse in the barn (8 year old Clydesdale) with severe heaves and A-fib (heart). He’s currently being given between 15 and 25cc’s of dexamethasone a day just to make it bearable for him. (Florida summer is very hard on him). We’ve actually been able to drop the dex to 10-12cc’s now that we’ve started the horse on Cough Free & MSM.

Dex is known to be detrimental for longterm use. The vet allows us to give such a large dose (to a large horse, of course…) because this is really his last saving grace. Once the dex stops working, or the dex starts to cause health issues of it’s own, it’s likely time to say goodbye to our friend.

I would just have a conversation with the vet. Work out the best treatment options for your horse’s personal situation. It’s heartbreaking, though, because there isn’t much we can do for them beyond maintenance.

[neversaynever]

We have one that starts to cough when in the barn or seasonally - appears to be allergy related (worse when he has Timothy and exposed to barn dust). He is turned out 24/7, we give MSM daily, and no round bales, ever. If he starts coughing we give prescription HistAll or AniHist and wet down his hay. We have used Albuterol and/or dex when he got really bad, but with management have not had to go that route for a very long time (knock wood).

[LesleyW]

My Belgian cross had chronic heaves, which we maintained with regular shots. I sent him to a Riding for Disabled program when he retired, on condition he come back to me when he could no longer handle it. After 5 years with their program, his heaves worsened dramatically, and when I picked him up he was grossly underweight. Luckily, I have a fantastic vet (international zoos often call him with stubborn cases) who put him on clentbuterol and liquid prednisone. Within 6 months, he was fat and sassy again.

[sassy45]

Lung EQ can order it online its pricey but has worked really well for my horse with heaves.It’s also safe for an IR & PPID horse. I can’t use steroids either without some serious side effects,like a laminitis attack.

[Praus]

I had a gelding that had chronic heaves and we managed him for the most part with 24/7 turn out, allergy desensitization shots monthly, and feed that wouldn’t cause a reaction (he was allergic to barley). He did well with that regimen for most of the 12 years that I had him. The heaves did get worse as he got older and during his last year he had to be bumped up to 2 allergy shots each month.

[BuddyRoo]

Thanks all. Sounds like most of you manage with dex which I am pretty sure I can’t do due to the IR. No known allergies here though. Will definitely talk to vet and look into the other non steroidal suggestions posted. THANK YOU! My mare will thank you as well.

[sassy45]

[QUOTE=BuddyRoo;8276383]
Thanks all. Sounds like most of you manage with dex which I am pretty sure I can’t do due to the IR. No known allergies here though. Will definitely talk to vet and look into the other non steroidal suggestions posted. THANK YOU! My mare will thank you as well.[/QUOTE]

I suggested Lung EQ which works for my IR,Cushing horse who can NOT have steroids. Its safe for metabolic horses.

[AKB]

Our 27 year old has severe heaves. He is currently getting 3ml of dexamethasone 2mg/ml orally a couple of times a week, as needed. He has Cushings and is on Prascend, as well as Smartbreathe and the pituitary senior supplement from Smartpak. The dexamethasone is not a great med for a horse with other health problems, but sometimes is the only, practical med that keeps him alive and breathing.

[GallopHer]

Spirulina has helped my gelding with mild heaves.

[Mozart]

Try adding MSM to her diet. I managed a moderately heavy pony with 24/7 turnout out and dex only occasionally when he had to be stalled. I definitely think the daily MSM made a difference.

[BuddyRoo]

[QUOTE=sassy45;8276602]
I suggested Lung EQ which works for my IR,Cushing horse who can NOT have steroids. Its safe for metabolic horses.[/QUOTE]

Yep, got that. That’s why I said I’d look into the non steroidal suggestions posted. Thank you! I was looking at Lung EQ last night. Looks like it might be an option for us. I want to have the vet out to do an exam before I start changing variables, but your suggestion is definitely on my list!

[PiaffeN_Passage]

I have had good luck using Dex and Smartpak’s SmartBreathe supplement.

I don’t recommend going any higher then 5cc’s of Dex as mentioned it does pose quite a bit of side effects.

[sassy45]

[QUOTE=BuddyRoo;8278038]
Yep, got that. That’s why I said I’d look into the non steroidal suggestions posted. Thank you! I was looking at Lung EQ last night. Looks like it might be an option for us. I want to have the vet out to do an exam before I start changing variables, but your suggestion is definitely on my list![/QUOTE]

I give a scoop AM and a Scoop PM took only a few days to see a difference,can also give extra MSM which does also help. I know in my case i CAN"T do dex just 5 cc puts my boy over the edge into laminitis.

Everyone here suggest dex well with a metabolic horse it CAN"T be used.

[Mitchz422]

So I’m curious, Ive got a big gelding that sounds very similar to your guy. He has severe Heaves and nothing seems to help. Dex will help some but when we quit using it, his breathing gets terrible again. I’m at this point where, if he simply needs a daily dose of Dex just to keep him comfortable, I feel like this is the best option. Luckily he is super sound and has great feet. He’s also super healthy and certainly not thin! My question is, do you give your guy a shot every day or do you do orally/in his feed? I cant imagine giving a huge shot every day.

[One_Two_Three]

I’m so glad COTH does email reminders about responses! I haven’t been on here in years but I’m happy to help. We gave him dex orally in his feed! He did end up passing I want to say a year or so later from a heart attack. The summers here paired with his medical conditions certainly had to play a role I hope this helps your horse!

[Mitchz422]

oh I’m so sorry! But thank you for replying!! Did the daily dex help his breathing? My gelding is older and I just dont know what to do with him. If tried a ton of other meds, inhaler, supplements, ect… so I’m kinda at my wits end… ive considered putting him down but honestly aside from his breathing he looks healthy. I would love to simply let the kids use him for light riding but I dont want to do that to him at this point…

[Bogey2]

Is your guy out 24/7? If so and still bad heaves have you tried daily doses of prednisone?

[ladipus]

The best thing for my 2 horses with heaves/asthma & allergies was to get a hay steamer …much more effective than soaking /wetting hay…next bloodwork for serum allergy testing and immunotherapy shots…supplements : Jiagulon, Spirulina, MSM& flax …Aliera, KER EO3 oil, Smartbreathe Ultra…Ceterizine(Zyrtec) and Ventipulmin for flare ups …try to avoid steroids(Dex) as they can cause laminitis and further suppress the immune system…when inside avoid shavings , sawdust, wood pellets or traditional straw bedding as they are too dusty.

[RedHorses]

@Mitchz422

I would love to simply let the kids use him for light riding but I don’t want to do that to him at this point

A number of years ago I accidentally discovered the benefit of exercise for my horse’s heaves. Vets had said to keep heavey horses as fit as possible to make everything easier when their breathing was bad, but none had talked about the immediate benefit on the bad day. I am sure there are some types of heaves that will not respond to exercise, but my horse’s did, with the benefits lasting for hours.

My horse has PSSM and needs exercise to prevent issues. One day I hopped on my horse with just a saddle blanket and hackamore to take him for a walk. After a bit he perked up and I asked if he wanted to trot, he did. A little later we trotted again, I asked if he wanted to canter and got an enthusiastic “Yes! Faster!” Six strides later he ran out of oxygen, gasped and slowed his canter.

I thought “Okay, that’s his limit.” and continued walk trotting along the trails. I invited him to canter again later in the ride, again got the enthusiastic “Yes! Faster!” and didn’t find his limit! I had to slow him down for the corner because he wasn’t going to do it himself.

In talking to my vet afterwards, they said that it made sense because exercise naturally induces the airways to open. Over time I found that his breathing in the evening, while worse than after recovering from the ride, was still significantly better than it had been before the ride. I was listening to his lungs and counting his breath rate before and after exercise, by that point so I could see the difference in the numbers as well as hear the difference in his lungs.

Years later, his heaves had progressed, and exercise still made a huge improvement on days he was audibly wheezing. Those rides were very hard for me to do, but I did the first one knowing that exercise had helped in the past, and subsequent ones knowing the wheeze had disappeared during the ride.

I didn’t just go for a ride. I asked him to do what he was capable of doing. A couple of coughs meant his breathing was pushing the edge of capability, which was enough stress to trigger dilation of the airways. Continuing coughing meant too much exertion, and he needed to slow down until his lungs caught up. He was usually happy to go out on the trails and I often had to remind him that he couldn’t go faster than he could breathe. He had to stay in aerobic exercise to get the benefit.

Injuries over the last few years have forced me to do a lot of handwalking. I’ve found that alternating normal walking with a fast walk, switching up every 20-30 steps, is enough to trigger airways dilation and help his breathing. If he’s up for it, alternating walk and jog works well too. I’ve been doing this for years at this point, and I still feel like a big meanie making him walk when his whole body jerks with every breath, or I can hear the wheeze. But I’m still doing it because it works so well for him.

This is in addition to his medication. One day I forgot to give him his meds before I rode. His breath rate was 32 breaths per minute before the ride, and down to 18bpm after recovering from the ride with ZERO medication. I remembered the meds right before I put him back out.