We’ve all read plenty of articles on better breathing. It’s recommended that you minimize exposure to dust and pollens, and soak/ steam/ rinse your hay to help lower dust and mold.
But what are the real ramifications of this exposure to dust, pollutants, and other insults?
Irritants and Inflammation
Irritants can cause the immune system to create inflammatory cytokines in the lung. The normal manner that we expel irritants is to exhale, or even cough. But what happens when the inflammatory products overwhelm the body? A chronic cough appears.
When a horse develops a cough, we treat the horse with antihistamines, and breathing supplements that are anti-inflammatory, such as spirulina. For many horses, that’s sufficient to help.
Sometimes, that isn’t enough and we need to have the vet prescribe a drug, such as clenbuterol (Ventipulmin®) or perhaps a corticosteroid, to help dilate the bronchial passages for better air flow, and reduce the inflammation. This results in helping the horse breathe better.
Fibrosis
What may also be occurring, especially with the chronic cough, is that the inflammation is triggering fibrosis. This makes treating the horse far more difficult. Treatment centers around making the horse more comfortable. Some of the newer research suggests that some flavonoid supplements are anti-fibrotic and may even be able to resolve some of the fibrosis that may has already occurred. More research is needed to study the effectiveness of flavonoids in treating pulmonary fibrosis.
How to help the horse with breathing issues:
◆︎ Prevention:
The first way to help the horse is to prevent the breathing issues. This is where much of the advice stems from. It includes suggestions, such as:
➡ Keep the horse outdoors as much as possible
➡ Reduce the dust and molds in hay, either by soaking, rinsing, or steaming
➡ Keep the barn free from dust
➡ Keep the ammonia down in the barn with good ventilation and picking up the wet spot daily
➡ Water down the arena to keep the dust down
Any way that you can protect the lung health of your horse is important. Poor air quality has been linked to poorer performance. A study in California showed that horses raced slower on days that the air quality was poor.
◆︎ Reduce the inflammatory reaction:
» Seek veterinary care when appropriate. Treat any underlying disease. If the horse has an underlying condition, such as a viral
infection, pleuropneumonia, or filariasis, veterinary care should be considered to diagnose and treat the condition.
» Use anti-inflammatory supplements:
There are many supplements on the market that are anti-inflammatory. Examples include:
MSM: An anti-inflammatory to reduce the body’s response to allergens. Recommended serving size: 1 tablespoon twice a day.
Spirulina: While it helps breathing, it can also be useful for skin allergies due to fly bites. Recommended serving size: 1/8 cup (2 oz) twice a day.
N-Acetyl Cysteine: NAC has the dual role of being an anti-oxidant plus thinning mucus. Because it can thin mucus, the horse can better cough up airborne particles. Recommended serving size: 10 grams per day, which is about 1 tablespoon.
◆︎ Consider supplements that are anti-fibrotic and anti-inflammatory:
These bioactive compounds have the ability to inhibit the mediators that trigger fibrosis, or perhaps reverse it in some instances:
Mov-Ease: This proprietary blend contains bioflavonoids which are anti-inflammatory and anti-fibroitic. Recommended serving size: 3 grams twice a day.
CoQ10: A powerful anti-inflammatory which also is anti-fibroitic. Recommended serving size: 800 mg per day.
Lyme Support: A blend of flavonoids which are anti-inflammatory and anti-fibrotic. Recommended serving size: 6 grams once or twice per day.
Luteolin: One of the ingredients in Lyme Support, which is anti-fibrotic. Recommended serving size:1.5 grams per day.
Quercetin: This is a powerful bioflavonoid that is anti-inflammatory and anti-fibroitic. Recommended serving size: 5 grams twice a day.
Curcumin: A bioflavoid that has been noted for its ability to help with pain issues. It is also anti-inflammatory and anti-fibrotic. Recommended serving size: 1-2 grams once or twice per day.
Jiaogulan: J herb stimulates the production of nitric oxide, which can provide a beneficial support to the linings of the lungs. Recommended serving size: 2 tablespoons.
The goal should be to minimize lung damage in the first place. However, we do the best that we can do. Knowing that there is more at stake than a mere cough is important.
Disclaimer: Statements regarding dietary supplements have not been evaluated by the FDA and are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease or health condition.
©Joan Kulifay 2024