Recurrent airway obstruction affects a horse's respiratory tract.Horse heaves is an allergic reaction to particles in the environment.In addition to obstructing the airway, the reaction caused by the particles, called allergens, can cause other health problems.There isn't a short-term cure for heaves.Your horse can live a long, happy life with proper treatment.
Step 1: Your horse should be spending more time on pasture.
Reducing your horse's exposure to allergens is the key to treating heaves.Since a stable has dust and other allergens in the air, increasing your horse's pasture time would give him more fresh air and less exposure to allergens.Fresh grass doesn't have heaves-inducing allergens, so your horse would have a chance to eat it.Heaves that are made worse by stabling are called barn-associated RAO.Leave your horse out on pasture as much as possible if he has this form of heaves.With pasture time, pasture-associated RAO can get worse.Limit your horse's pasture time to the winter months if he has this type of heaves.If you can't increase your horse's pasture time, you should house him in a part of the stable that does not have a lot of airborne allergens.The stall could be near a window or close to the stable entrance.Your vet will be able to tell you if your horse is affected by heaves at the time of your diagnosis.
Step 2: Your horse's stable should be wellventilated.
The stable should be wellventilated when you bring your horse back in.The stable's windows and doors should be open as often as possible.There is fresh air coming in from the outside.If you keep the windows or doors open, place a blanket on your horse to keep him warm.The straps of an ill-fitting blanket can leave rub marks and sores on a horse's body.Large overhead fans can be used to promote circulation in the barn.Box fans can be used to increase the air flow in your horse's stall.Make sure the air in the horse's stall is clean.
Step 3: Store hay well.
The level of allergens in the air can be increased by storing hay overhead.Rather than storing the hay overhead, keep it in an area completely removed from your horse, such as a storage trailer.If you have to store hay in the barn, cover it with a tarp to decrease the amount of circulating allergens.
Step 4: In your horse's stall, use low-dust bedding.
It's important to treat heaves in horses with low-dust bedding.There are low-dust bedding made of chopped paper and cardboard.Straw is not recommended for bedding.Particles in straw may not be large enough to cause inflammation in the lungs.You would be better off not putting straw bedding on your horse.
Step 5: The horse's stall needs to be cleaned.
As long as it is done correctly, you can reduce your horse's exposure to allergens.After putting your horse out to pasture, you should use a metal pitchfork to remove the dirty bedding.The slats of the pitchfork need to be picked up by a shovel.If you see urine on the floor, spray it with an absorbent deodorizer to remove the smell of ammonia.Ammonia comes from decomposing urine.It can take up to an hour for air particles to drift back down after cleaning, so do not return your horse to his stall until several hours later.Don't sweep the stable frequently.The level of airborne allergens will increase as a result of frequent sweeping.Dust can fly into the air if the floor is wet.If you decide to use a blower or sweep the stalls, do it when the horses are not in the barn.
Step 6: Wet down arenas with little to no windows.
The amount of dust flying around while working your horse can be minimized by spraying down the arena.It's a good idea totting down the arena to make your horse more comfortable.
Step 7: hay from your horse's diet.
Changes to your horse's diet will help his heaves.hay is a common cause of heaves in horses, so you should take hay completely out of your horse's diet.Round bale hay has a high dust content and should not be fed to your horse.If your horse has heaves, avoiding hay is important.A horse buries his nose when he eats hay.Dust can fly up into the air if he moves his nose through the hay.
Step 8: Before feeding hay to your horse, soak it.
It is not possible to remove hay from your horse's diet.It is best to soak the hay for 15 minutes.Make sure your horse eats right away.The hay will dry out if not.Mild cases of heaves can be helped by soaking hay.A severe case of heaves can be worsened by soaking hay.Discuss the pros and cons with your vet.If it would be a good treatment strategy for your horse, they can recommend it.If you are feeding a lot of horses, you should consider getting a large commercial soaker.Hay steamers kill mold andbacteria.
Step 9: Feed your horse a complete meal.
One of the best things your horse can eat is grass.Feed your horse a complete pelleted feed, which is low in dust, in the winter when there is not much grass on the ground.Feed your horse pelleted feed as a supplement.To find out how much feed to give your horse, follow the instructions on the label.If you don't know which pelleted feed to buy for your horse, talk to your vet.
Step 10: Add low-dust foods to your horse's diet.
Other than grass and pelleted feed, there are other low-dust foods that are good for horses.These foods include silage, alfalfa pellets, and alfalfa cubes.The hay is low in dust when in pellet or cube form.Your horse may prefer hay cubes over the complete feed.
Step 11: Feed your horse at a chest level.
Feeding your horse off the ground keeps his airway open and protects him from dust and allergens.The ground below where your horse won't eat allows for any bits of hay and dust to settle.
Step 12: Give your horse medicine.
Changes to his diet and environment could be all he needs for treatment if he has mild or moderate heaves.Many horses with heaves need additional treatment.Corticosteroids reduce inflammation and are very effective for heaves treatment.Steroids can be given by mouth or by IV.Severe cases of heaves can be treated withvenous dexamethasone.Dexamethasone has more side effects than Prednisolone.Less severe cases of heaves are usually treated with it.Steroids can cause serious side effects in horses.Your vet will gradually reduce the amount of steroid you give your horse.
Step 13: Give a bronchodilator.
A bronchodilator helps a horse breathe easier.Immediate relief to airway obstruction can be provided by this type of medication.Injectable, oral, and aerosolized bronchodilators are available.The aerosolized bronchodilators are useful for horses with severe heaves.mucus from the lungs can be cleared by bronchodilators.Their effects last up to 3 hours.There are two types of bronchodilators that are available at local drugstores.bronchodilators are not the sole treatment for heaves because they do not treat inflammation.They should be given steroids.
Step 14: Consider aerosolized steroids.
If your horse needs long term steroid use, your vet may recommend a low-dose aerosolized steroid.A systemic steroid has more side effects than an aerosolized steroid.If you want to administer aerosolized steroids, you have to purchase a mask.This formula would provide targeted relief of your horse's airway inflammation.When beginning heaves treatment, aerosolized steroids are not given because the airways may be too obstruction for the medication to work effectively.
Step 15: Don't take certain medications.
Steroids and antihistamines have not helped horses with heaves.If your horse has heaves, do not use these medications.