# Best supplement for COPD/RAO



## silverstar (20 February 2010)

As title says my horse has started with COPD and is in at night (not really possible to turn out 24/7). Ive changed her bedding to wood chip, shes on haylage. Whats the best supplement for it &amp; what worked for your horse.


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## Twizzel (20 February 2010)

NAF Respirator (the liquid one) is fab, really noticeable difference within 48 hrs.


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## clopper (21 February 2010)

Hi I used easibed, haylage, fred naf easybreather daily, and airways before any strenuous exercise or on day when I felt the air was stuffy or pollen high. My mare was diagnosed with pretty bad copd and after it was diagnosed and I changed routine she was always just fine!


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## soulfull (21 February 2010)

[ QUOTE ]
NAF Respirator (the liquid one) is fab, really noticeable difference within 48 hrs. 

[/ QUOTE ]

Awesome stuff!!!!   I was a non believer till the rep gave me a free  sample when it first came out.

Start on the liquid then go to the powder


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## silverstar (21 February 2010)

Shes a really fussy eater so I'll try the powder. I did see it in the feedshop the other day but thought its expensive but worth a try.


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## scallywags (22 February 2010)

Antihistimines from the vet, theyre miracle workers - and have made my mare from a PTS job, to a horse that can do endurance rides all yr round
They only cost me £35 for 3000 tablets, and they last 2-5 months depending on time of yr with dust / pollen. 
So they work out far cheaper than all the herbal suppliments I used to give, and far cheaper and less side effects than preds and ventipaulmin too


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## Milly-Molly-Maisie (23 February 2010)

scallywags, I have been spending a fortune on antihistimines from chemists for 2 years, they definately do the job for my boy, he is unrideable without them.  

Ventipulimin and NAF respirator doesnt touch it.

I didnt know you could get antihistamines from the vets now?  what type do you get?


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## scallywags (24 February 2010)

Cetrizine Hydrochloride 10mg tablets. There are about 15 different chemical antihistimines, but vets can get them all in at a fraction of the 'over the counter' price


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## palomino698 (27 February 2010)

NAF Respirator didn't help my old boy but the vet recommended Winergy Ventilate and it was remarkable, he could be ridden without ventipulmin.  About £33 for a tub of pellets to last 5 weeks or so.


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## Sarah B (7 March 2010)

Scallywags, this is interesting to hear.  My mare is permanently on a vet prescribed supplement called Respimin, and I use Ventipulmin if she needs it,  my vet's bill is usually about £120 every other month.  Did your ned have anything prior to the tablets ? And are they only for allergy sufferers as opposed to "bad breathers" ? Just wondering for my mare, although my current meds seem to do the trick, I would never say she is 100% all of the time. May mention it to my vet that's all....


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## scallywags (8 March 2010)

Hi Sarah,

My girl had been on the lot. Ventipaulmin, preds, inhalers, antibiotics, ventilate, herbal suppliments. She was costing me £350 a month at one point, and she still struggled to walk without getting out of breath.
Her problems initially started with a virus and phneumonia, then the COPD and SPACOPD set in. 
She was close to lami on the preds, and also had roid rage, which isnt funny in any horse. I considered PTS, on many occations as she wasnt happy. But thankfully I discovered antihistimines first. Shes now just on them, and happy and ridable all yr round. 
As far as I'm aware all asthma type symptoms are a bodys overreaction to an alergic stimulus, my sister has asthma, and is alergic to hay / straw, and even some horse hair, she uses antihistimines and inhalers to keep well

Jill


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## rangerover (12 March 2010)

Hi,
Not wishing to hijack the post....how many of you copd sufferers (horses) are/were actually seeing a heaveline?  Or seeing the breathing difference?  These are the only symptoms my horse has atm, some of these products seem to be for symptoms which we haven't got (yet)?  Do the antihistamines work on just a hay allergy?  Is it worth trying them before preds?  This is such a minefield, vets are so expensive..what to do, what to do???


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## SizzlerB (12 March 2010)

scallywags said:



			Hi Sarah,

My girl had been on the lot. Ventipaulmin, preds, inhalers, antibiotics, ventilate, herbal suppliments. She was costing me £350 a month at one point, and she still struggled to walk without getting out of breath.
Her problems initially started with a virus and phneumonia, then the COPD and SPACOPD set in. 
She was close to lami on the preds, and also had roid rage, which isnt funny in any horse. I considered PTS, on many occations as she wasnt happy. But thankfully I discovered antihistimines first. Shes now just on them, and happy and ridable all yr round. 
As far as I'm aware all asthma type symptoms are a bodys overreaction to an alergic stimulus, my sister has asthma, and is alergic to hay / straw, and even some horse hair, she uses antihistimines and inhalers to keep well

Jill
		
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Very interesting to hear about and great news that your girl is now happy!

I am due my vet out for vaccs at the end of the month, so may just broach the subject with him.  

Inhalers were suggested for my girl but it never got to that stage.  She does have the odd flair up now and then when she is stabled during the winter nights, but I know the signs and get some Ventipulmin into her and it seems to keep it at bay.


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## SizzlerB (12 March 2010)

BTW, my username has changed with the forum change - couldn't log on under my old name!


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## teddyt (12 March 2010)

Living out is the best thing for RAO but if you HAVE to stable then use paper or cardboard bedding and feed haylage from the floor. Dust and clean the stable regularly and all other stables close by also have to be cleaned and on the same bedding.

Ammonia is just as bad for rao as dust any wood based bedding (or straw) will have higher ammonia than paper. They also have small breathable particles, even if dust extracted, wheras with paper this is insignificant. Never muck out when the horse is in the stable.

As for supplements,  winergy ventilate is proven to help. It increases the antioxidant status of the horse to mop up the free radicals that are in excess due to the condition.

Ultimately though, if you keep your horse stabled then you are just using drugs, etc to treat the symptoms not remove the cause. A horse has a massive surface area for respiration, so by the time it is coughing or showing symptoms then damage has been done. It takes far more to make a horse cough than a human.


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## SO1 (12 March 2010)

I use "think clear" and it seems to be good in that no more breathing problems but my pony does live out and I think his problem is pollen or fungus related as it is not all year round.


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## scallywags (13 March 2010)

teddyt said:



			Ultimately though, if you keep your horse stabled then you are just using drugs, etc to treat the symptoms not remove the cause. A horse has a massive surface area for respiration, so by the time it is coughing or showing symptoms then damage has been done. It takes far more to make a horse cough than a human.
		
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Obviously if you can remove the cause, thats great, but lifes never that simple.

But that depends on whats causing the symptoms, so many horses are allergic, to multiple allergens. Keeping my girl out 24/7 wouldnt help, as she's allergic to more than just dust.
People have told me I should stable her in summer to keep her away from pollen, ?? but how can keeping her in, stop the pollen in the air ?

Refering to a horse coughing as lung damage, is a bit extreme, my girls had phneumonia, to the extent she was in the vets and I nearly lost her. Her lungs are 100% clear, but only when the antihistimines, stop her body overreacting to the allergens.


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## teddyt (13 March 2010)

scallywags said:



			Refering to a horse coughing as lung damage, is a bit extremeQUOTE]

Maybe, but its scientifically proven! That is, it has been shown that 90% + of horses that cough have some form of respiratory disease/lung damage. 

Most (not all, granted) people only do something about their horses environment once they start coughing or showing other symptoms. This is shutting the door after the horse has bolted. The incidence of respiratory dysfunction in horses is very high, even in hacks.
		
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## rangerover (13 March 2010)

Teddyt, mine doesn't cough, never really has.  All we can see is "heaves" when she breathes and I am still unsure which route to take with this.


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## SO1 (13 March 2010)

My pony did not cough either he just wheezed and was fine as long as he was not being ridden - wynergy was no good for him as he refused to eat it.


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## madamebonnie (14 March 2010)

we used winergy ventilate regually when bonnie was having a bad winter, it worked really well, at night she and her friend have two shaving stables between then with haylege and a concrete yard to wander around in, i think this has made the most difference, she only occasionally has a snotty nose now and then if its been particually dusty, when she has a bad patch we use ventapulmin which clears up any problems also if she is going to be stabled somewhere els for a few days. This winter dispite being in alot for snow she hasnt been that bad which is a miracle. x


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## scallywags (14 March 2010)

teddyt said:





scallywags said:



			Refering to a horse coughing as lung damage, is a bit extremeQUOTE]

Maybe, but its scientifically proven! That is, it has been shown that 90% + of horses that cough have some form of respiratory disease/lung damage. 

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Really ? I havnt heard of this, do you have any links to this info ? I'm always up for learning something new
		
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