What causes my young horse's dry cough when she's in her stall?

Hello and welcome to Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. Although there are many causes of coughing (heart disease, collapsing trachea, pneumonia, etc.), the most likely cause for the coughing given Emmie's history is 'Kennel Cough' or Infectious tracheitis. This is a viral infection that causes irritation in the trachea and a cough. It can become very severe such that the coughing prevents eating/sleeping and leads to weight loss and depression. If the coughing is severe you can ask your vet about anti-tussives (anti-cough medication). Sometimes this infection leads to a secondary bacterial infection, and the cough becomes 'wet' and at this stage antiboitics are required. I recommend a visit to your vet, x-rays might be required depending on how the lungs sound when your vet listens to the chest. Best of luck with Emmie.

If Jolly has mucous built up in her lungs while she is sleeping, she may be coughing to clear that mucous. This is common in older animal and people, but is abnormal in a young cat. Ventolin will not normally make a difference with this because the cough is not caused by the airways closing, but instead because of the mucous in them. I am attaching a link to a handout on asthma below. http://www.veterinarypartner.com/Content.plx?P=A&S=0&C=0&A=665 I would recommend discussing this with your veterinarian. They may want to consider an antibiotics like Doxycycline or Zithromax since those often work better for upper respiratory problems in young cats or a steroid inhaler before bed in case there is abnormal mucous production. Good luck! I hope that was helpful. Thanks for using PetCoach.

Hi there. Poor Venice! It could be because of hay, that is true. More specifically the dust on hay that is breathed in while our horses eat can cause this (generally referred to as Heaves) . Respiratory conditions like COPD (Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease), Equine Influenza, and Equine Herpes are possibilities as well, and all can come +/- nasal discharge. The first step at home would be more turn out time if at all possible, and other ways to decrease dust in your barn (soaking hay in water about 20-30 mins before feeding can help a lot) as well as feeding a good quality or vacuum packed hay. Hope this helps!

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Poor Precious! There are many reasons for coughing: kennel cough, allergies, pneumonia, heart failure or cancer. Since it has only been a few days it is ok to give her more time. Kennel cough takes 2 weeks to resolve. If the cough worsens or hasn’t resolved in 2 weeks then I recommend a recheck and chest X-rays. I wish you the best!

Coughing can be a symptom of many issues in our pets and some are more serious then others. The cough can stem from something occurring with the heart/vessels, lungs, airways, upper throat, or inside the chest/outside the lungs. There can be parasite causes (such as heartworms, lung worms, etc.), infectious causes (bacteria, viruses; unfortunately the Bordetella vaccine does not always prevent kennel cough as it is typically a complex of viral +/- bacterial causes, although typically there is exposure to other dogs in the history for this ailment), inhaled foreign material as you suggest, airway change (like tracheal (large airway) collapse), disease of the lung (such as bronchitis or pneumonia), and several other causes in various areas (inflammation, etc.). Is Stella otherwise normal (eating normally, playing with good energy)? If so this is a good sign. If you feel like she is otherwise not feeling well in association with the cough or the cough continues/worsens or is moist or productive it would be best to have her evaluated by your family vet. That way he or she can listen to her heart and lungs. A chest x-ray may also be recommended as an initial step. I hope this helps and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach!

Hi and thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Sorry to hear about Jackie. Many states right now are experiencing outbreaks of respiratory problems in dogs. All of us in the profession are always worried about canine flu outbreaks. I would advise that if the condition worsens or doesn't resolve, have your veterinarian evaluate Jackie. There are many causes of coughing and having a thorough history would help narrow that down. Of course kennel cough, allergies, things in the air that are irritants, etc are all possible including many others. Again, with everything going on now across the United States, I would advise a trip to your vet's office with her. They can evaluate her and then advise some treatment or diagnostic testing to screen for a cause. They may advise fecal tests, blood tests, x-rays, or other tests to determine a cause. Better to be safe in this case. Good luck with Jackie.

Hello and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! It is hard to say exactly what this could be without examining Filmore and the other cat first, but I can offer a few possibilities. One possibility may be an upper respiratory tract infection caused by a virus called the Feline Herpes virus which cats can acquire early in life. The virus stays dormant for a while until a stressful event or the cat's immune system becomes compromised in some way allowing the virus to replicate and cause upper respiratory symptoms. Another possibility may be a heart condition which can cause fluid to build up in the lungs which can cause coughing or wheezing. A final possibility may be feline asthma which can be triggered by an allergen. If the cats where allergic the dog fur or dander, this could be plausible. I hope this has helped and best wishes to you!