Action step: Call your vet. If a one-sided nasal discharge is persistent, your vet will recommend radiographs of your horse’s skull and/ or an endoscopic exam to help diagnose an underlying cause. Two nostrils: A nasal discharge in both nostrils is more likely to be caused by a problem in the pharynx, trachea, or lungs.
What do you give a horse with a cold?
The wisdom of using rest and fluids in cases of the common cold also applies to horses. To encourage water consumption you might need to supplement the horse’s food or offer an additional water source with salt (1-2 tbsp/day of loose table salt or a salt lick) or electrolytes.
What does a runny nose in a horse mean?
A: A runny nose is a sign of something not quite right in the horse’s respiratory tract . For the dressage horse, addressing any sign of a breathing problem is particularly important. A correct frame in the dressage horse has been shown to increase airflow resistance.
How do you get rid of a cold in a horse?
Finely slice a 3-5cm knob of fresh ginger root , add 1.5-2cups of boiling water, let cool and pour all the contents overfeed. To treat a cold do this morning and evening for 5-7 days. Fresh ginger tea is also good for any sort of digestive weakness, bloat or travel sickness.
Is it normal for horses to have a runny nose?
The mucous membranes lining your horse’s nasal passages are sensitive , just like yours. Anything, infectious or not, that aggravates them or causes inflammation can lead to production of additional mucus or fluid and the telltale runny nose.
Why does my horse have boogers?
The common causes of nasal discharge include strangles, sinus infections, tooth problems , and guttural pouch infections. Bilateral (both nostrils) occurs when the source of the mucus is distal to the nasal openings. This would include strangles and guttural pouch infections.
How do you clear a horse’s sinuses?
In severe cases of primary sinusitis, a veterinarian may perform a lavage (flushing) of the sinuses. The horse is sedated and a small hose is drilled into the frontal sinus to remove the pus buildup. Purulent material, as shown, often drains out of the hole after it is drilled.
How do you tell if your horse has a cold?
Perhaps the trickiest aspect to dealing with a cold in your horse is simply detecting it. There are plenty of known characteristics a horse will display when a viral infection occurs, such as fatigue, loss of appetite, coughing or discharge from the eyes or nostrils .
Why does my horse have a runny nose and a cough?
Common viral infections that cause nasal discharge include equine rhinovirus, equine influenza and equine viral arteritis. Horses suffering from a possible respiratory viral infection may cough, have swollen lymph nodes, seem lethargic and have noticeable nasal discharge coming from both nostrils.
How do you treat a sick horse?
A very sick horse may need all the encouragement he can get to eat. If the horse will eat them, go for carrots, apples , even freshly cut grass if that is what it takes. Your vet should be able to provide good advice on a feeding regime, depending upon the condition of the animal and its needs during confinement.
What causes sinus infections in horses?
Bacterial infection of the upper respiratory tract , most often from the Streptococcus species. Viral infection. Fungal infection. Dental disease.
What does strangles look like in horses?
In typical cases, horses develop a high fever, are depressed, and develop a clear nasal discharge that becomes thick and white. The mandibular and retropharyngeal lymph nodes are initially firm but become fluctuant and swollen attributing to the colorful name of the disease.
What does it mean when a horse sneezes on you?
Sneezing and blowing is a common behavior and is often an indicator of pleasure in horses. Blowing, snorting or sneezing is also a natural response to an irritant (usually dust or plant material) in contact with the sensitive membranes of the nasal passages.
How do you tell if your horse has a sinus infection?
- Nasal discharge, that may or may not contain pus, blood, or an odor.
- Facial swelling or deformity.
- Squinting of the eye.
- Labored breathing.
- Noisy breathing.
- Intermittent hemorrhage from the nose.
- Coughing.
- Foul smelling breath.
Do horses have sinuses?
Overview: The sinuses are air-filled cavities within the head of the horse . The sinuses also accommodate some of the maxillary premolar and molar tooth roots (upper cheek teeth), facilitate passage of facial nerves, and extend around (above and below) the horse’s eyes and end around the facial crest.
Can horses get a sinus infection?
Common Conditions. One of the most common diseases of the sinuses is sinusitis, which is an infection, usually of all the sinus cavities on one side of the horse’s head. There are two major causes of this infection.
