Jiaogulan

[BruBoy]

My mare had a cough that we couldn’t quite kick for the past 5 months. She’s prone to allergies - grass glands in the summer, big bumps from bug bites but nothing life threatening but this cough was new.

Her cough wasn’t bad enough to concern the vet but we decided to keep her turned out 24/7 and took her off round bales. I was paranoid about it turning into a more serious condition like IAD, heaves, etc.

After seeing the success a fellow horse owner had with a spirulina/jiaogulan combination recommended by her vet for her horse diagnosed with heaves, I gave it a try. She’s been on the combination for two weeks and she did not cough at all during our riding session last Sunday, and in fact she hasn’t coughed in a few days (that I have heard). I think it’s working. We moved boarding situations and she is back on round bales but, again, the cough seems to have been kicked…for now.

I researched the Jiaogulan herb and read that is has helped horses with DSLD and laminitic horses.

Being classified as an adaptogen herb that can be “utilized in whatever way necessary to restore balance in a body”, I’m curious if other horse owners have had any experience, positive or negative, with this herb and what conditions they have used it for.

[UrbanHennery]

I used it for 2 years on a gelding with unconfirmed DSLD. I took him off it twice to see if it was really helping and I’d say that yes it was. He was more comfortable, the swelling in his pas terns was less, and he seemed more “there”.

[BruBoy]

Thanks UrbanHennery for posting your experience! After reading your post in the past tense, I’m so sorry that your gelding is no longer with you.

[fordtraktor]

I used it successfully for a horse with a cough in uckele’s LungEQ. And now I have it added to a custom Horsetech supp for the same purpose. Not sure if it is that or the several other things in the supp, but the horse does not cough when on the supp and does if I stop it. I am not a huge supplements person but the cough supp works, however it does its thing!

[BruBoy]

[QUOTE=fordtraktor;8525111]
I used it successfully for a horse with a cough in uckele’s LungEQ. And now I have it added to a custom Horsetech supp for the same purpose. Not sure if it is that or the several other things in the supp, but the horse does not cough when on the supp and does if I stop it. I am not a huge supplements person but the cough supp works, however it does its thing![/QUOTE]

I’m glad you mentioned Horsetech because I just ordered 10 lbs from them after seeing some success with my mare. I’m hoping the Jiaogulan/spirulina helps with the grass glands and bug bites. If it does, I will be a true believer!

[meaty_ogre]

I used it for a mare with DSLD/EPSA. Her case was fairly rapid in onset and deterioration and unfortunately it did not help her. The DSLD yahoo group did seem to indicate that it was more helpful in maintaining comfort in slower-progressing cases.

[BruBoy]

[QUOTE=meaty ogre;8525138]
I used it for a mare with DSLD/EPSA. Her case was fairly rapid in onset and deterioration and unfortunately it did not help her. The DSLD yahoo group did seem to indicate that it was more helpful in maintaining comfort in slower-progressing cases.[/QUOTE]

My experience with DSLD is absolutely nil but the more I research, the more my heart breaks for the owners and caregivers that have had to experience this disease. I’ve had laminitis, white line disease, colic, arthritis, broken bones, cataracts, club foot, stifle issues, coughs, broken teeth and pulled tendons to deal with and all have been overcome. DSLD is just nasty.