Reno's eye seems to be getting a tiny bit better and does not appear as swollen (yay!). His cough, however, is still very much present. I talked to BM yesterday and apparently he is still coughing a lot, so she has decided not to ride him until we figure out what is going on. BM said she would probably call the vet again today to discuss Reno's issues since he did not appear to be getting any better. Oh joy.
If the vet does come out, I will probably take off and head up there so I can be there for the exam. Reno's issues sound an awful lot like allergies, although I can't fathom what he could be allergic to out in the field. He has been living in that field since April and has had no issues. About 5 years ago my other horse, Vez, developed a mysterious allergy to hay and would cough constantly unless his hay had been soaked in water. We finally kept switching hay until we found a batch that didn't seem to bother him and he has been fine ever since. 3 summers ago I also developed a skin allergy to a certain type of hay. I had never had any issues, but would break out in full-body hives after touching the hay with my bare skin. Reno is not currently getting hay, so it must be something else he has found in the pasture. It has also been BEYOND hot, so not sure if the weather has had something to do with it? Hoping the vet will be able to shed some light on this so we can get back to the business of training.
Coughing can also be a sign that a horse may be starting to develop heaves, or COPD. It is often triggered by molds and dust - if he's stabled inside on shavings, in some horses that can be enough to trigger it. If he's outside, though, and conditions aren't dusty, that's probably not it. Soaking hay can help if it's dust that's bothering him. The cough tends to be an occasional, dry sounding cough, at least in the early stages.
ReplyDeleteawww poor buddy! Maybe the allergies are what is making him a little funky to ride? Bodhi is super agitated during fly season because of his allergies.
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