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 do for a horse with a runny nose?
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 causes a horse to have a runny nose?
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.
Is it bad if my horse has a runny nose?
Should I be concerned? 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.
Is it normal for a horse to have a clear runny nose?
On the other hand, if your horse’s nasal discharge is clear and watery, and he otherwise seems well, then it’s
probably nothing to worry about
. He most likely inhaled a bit of hay or dust that caused some localized irritation in his nasal passages.
How do you tell if a 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
.
What does it mean when your horse has white snot?
Small amounts of clear discharge from equine nostrils is considered a normal finding. White discharge is
commonly associated with viral or allergic processes
. Yellow discharge tends to be associated with bacterial infection. Green nasal discharge can indicate feed material within it.
How do you treat a horse with a cold?
Treatment. 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.
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.
What happens if a horse breaks its nose?
Head wounds accompanied by fracture can result in infection of the sinuses or bone of the skull (osteomyelitis). Bone or sinus infection can take weeks to become evident and can cause chronic wound drainage, swelling of the head, or chronic
nasal
discharge. For this reason, proper short term management is important.
Is Snot normal for horses?
The majority of cases of nasal discharge in horses are not serious
, and often caused by a mild respiratory infection that is easily treated. But if you observe serious or unusual symptoms of nasal discharge in your horse, be sure to contact your vet as soon as possible.
What can I give my horse for allergies?
Your veterinarian can prescribe several medications to calm an allergic response.
Dexamethasone or other corticosteroids
are effective for treating severe reactions. If your horse is only moderately itchy or has hives, antihistamines can be useful.
Why does my horse have eye boogers?
Watery, clear secretions are probably
just excess tears
, the fluid produced by the lacrimal glands to lubricate the eyes. Normally, extra fluid drains down through the tear ducts to the nostrils, but if the ducts become clogged, tears will pool in the lower eyelid to overflow and spill down the face.
How long does a cold last in horses?
Usually 21 days of stall and paddock rest
is adequate but if symptoms persist, particularly the cough, longer may be required. Recently immune potentiating drugs have come on the market with some experimental work that they shorten the course of the disease. Recent concerns about their safety have been brought up.
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.
Why does my horse keep sneezing?
Sneezing and blowing is a common behavior and is
often an indicator of pleasure in horses
. … Dust from different feeds, hay dust and blowing dust or smoke often cause nasal irritation and sneezing. As happens with us in most cases, a few sneezes and the offending cause is usually dislodged and blown out.
