Very unusual heavy breathing (at rest)

[Senszuri]

I went to the barn today to get ready for a lesson. Mare is on pasture board 24/7, always has been. She is 6, I have owned her for 3 years, and never have experienced something like this with her.

I immediately noticed she was breathing very hard while grazing. Other boarders confirmed the horses had not been running around within the last hour, and she was not sweaty. Brought her into the barn with fans and over the next 20 minutes noticed NO improvement in the breathing. She has a short summer coat and it was a cool 70 degrees today. Her temperature was normal, gums were pink and normal, heard gut sounds. Other than looking uncomfortable and nostrils flaring/side heaving heavy breathing she was otherwise normal. (drank water, wanted to eat). We called the vet and discussed; the barn owner had steroids on hand that we administered, and within the next 30 minutes her breathing returned almost back to normal. I turned her back out for the night and the barn owner is checking on her again in the morning as the vet will be there to see other horses anyway.

I am glad there was improvement tonight, but what the heck! This horse has never historically had allergies since I have owned her. She has never had a breathing condition, and I have never brought her in off the pasture like this. A second pasture attached to the main pasture was opened up a week ago, but for the past week she has been on that portion of the new pasture daily and I have worked her this whole past week with absolutely nothing like this.

Any thoughts or similar experiences?

[keysfins]

Are you in an area with smoke from the many fires in the West/NW? We’re in Colorado and have had some days in the last week or so that warranted air quality alerts.

Improved with steroids–sounds like something inflammatory, irritated or allergic?

[Senszuri]

Nope I’m in the Midwest. I am also thinking something along the same lines since she responded to the steroids, but it was just so strange. I was out and rode her yesterday and she was 100% normal. Crossing my fingers this is short-lived.

[Simkie]

DOES she sweat? If she’s not sweating, she may be breathing hard to cool herself.

[nu2u]

possibly she got stung by something that just did not leave an obvious welt?

[Ambitious_Kate]

I would look for an allergy or histamine reaction, or else a heart problem. That’s just my first gut response

[Senszuri]

[QUOTE=Simkie;8292077]
DOES she sweat? If she’s not sweating, she may be breathing hard to cool herself.[/QUOTE]

She has always been a good sweater so I do not believe the breathing was due to a lack of sweat. She was not hot and it was a low 70 breezy type day. She’s also very fit right now and has been in training all summer. She never breathes that hard even after a full lesson or workout.

[Ambitious_Kate]

I would assume by now she’s either returned to normal respirations or you’ve called the vet. What was the outcome? I may have missed if she had a temp?

[RedHorses]

One of mine ate something last summer that he reacted badly to. His throat swelled a bit, just enough to restrict his breath enough that when he got distracted he’d forget and panic over not being able to breath. I counted two breaths per second during one episode. Whatever it was also upset his digestion so he wasn’t feeling well aside from the restricted breathing.

I never did find out what caused the expensive mess.

[beowulf]

[QUOTE=Ambitious Kate;8292200]
I would assume by now she’s either returned to normal respirations or you’ve called the vet. What was the outcome? I may have missed if she had a temp?[/QUOTE]

OP’s first post addressed all 3 - OP, if we’re to believe that the steroids helped, it’s something inflammatory or some allergic reaction… she may very well have been stung by something you didn’t see the welt of like another poster mentioned… or she ate something in the paddock that maybe didn’t agree with her. I’d check her midline and fetlocks for any bumps, check her tongue see if there is any irritation along her mouth, and then check the paddock to see if there’s any weeds you’re not familiar with.

[sid]

Did you take her heart rate during this heavy breathing event?

[Senszuri]

[QUOTE=beowulf;8292304]
OP’s first post addressed all 3 - OP, if we’re to believe that the steroids helped, it’s something inflammatory or some allergic reaction… she may very well have been stung by something you didn’t see the welt of like another poster mentioned… or she ate something in the paddock that maybe didn’t agree with her. I’d check her midline and fetlocks for any bumps, check her tongue see if there is any irritation along her mouth, and then check the paddock to see if there’s any weeds you’re not familiar with.[/QUOTE]

I did stop to see her this morning on my way to work (yay for a barn that is on my route!) And she was her normal happy self, normal breathing. BO is checking her during the day and I’m stopping again after work.

I agree with those that are suspecting a reaction to bug or plant. I have to walk through both huge grass pastures each time I get her (why do they always have to be in the FAR back corner! ha) and so far have not seen any unusual looking plants. The barn owner has the fields fertilized and used for bailing hay so they are well maintained pastures.

Come to think of it… I did find a spot near her withers that I thought was a tick but was just a bump. It was itchy to her (she’s an itchy horse in general and always loves scratches so I didn’t think anything of it). Perhaps she did get stung or bit.

I did notice her tounge looked black like she had eaten dirt, but no one was very concerned about it when talking to the vet.

[beowulf]

[QUOTE=Senszuri;8292751]
I did stop to see her this morning on my way to work (yay for a barn that is on my route!) And she was her normal happy self, normal breathing. BO is checking her during the day and I’m stopping again after work.

I agree with those that are suspecting a reaction to bug or plant. I have to walk through both huge grass pastures each time I get her (why do they always have to be in the FAR back corner! ha) and so far have not seen any unusual looking plants. The barn owner has the fields fertilized and used for bailing hay so they are well maintained pastures.

Come to think of it… I did find a spot near her withers that I thought was a tick but was just a bump. It was itchy to her (she’s an itchy horse in general and always loves scratches so I didn’t think anything of it). Perhaps she did get stung or bit.

I did notice her tounge looked black like she had eaten dirt, but no one was very concerned about it when talking to the vet.[/QUOTE]
Any dandelions in the pasture?

[IPEsq]

Bindweed here makes the tongue black temporarily. We had a horse who ate a crapload of prickly lettuce weed one afternoon and then presented with very heavy breathing for a while. He was also sweating a lot, though.

[sid]

[QUOTE=sid;8292661]
Did you take her heart rate during this heavy breathing event?[/QUOTE]

Bumping this. Have they been monitoring her heart rate as well? There is a reason I ask. An 8 year old homebred mare of mine came in one day with symptoms like this – otherwise normal. Used Dex as well.

Turned out to be Lymphsarcoma in the chest cavity pressuring the lungs…and then the heart. So, to eliminate that possibility, the HR needs to be monitored as well.

Hope it’s an odd and isolated event that is not serious as that, but just passing that on.

[Senszuri]

No dandelions on the fields. Normal heart rate

So far she’s been acting normal since, thankfully!