Dec 29, 2010 Lisa Hudson
This is an overview of Equine COPD & Heaves: Symptoms, Treatment, and Prevention. 
Does your horse have a persistant cough? does he easily get out of breath when exercising?
Have you noticed a slight wheezing asthmatic type sound when he breathes? If you have answered yes to any of these questions, then it may be time to have your horse tested for Equine COPD.
Equine COPD or Heaves is a respiratory disorder that strikes horses normally in the Southeastern U.S. or in humid moist climates. Nearly all equines that are born and live in these climates for extended periods are exposed to mold and dust particles that may cause this disease. Whether or not a horse develops it depends largley on that animal’s immune system and exposure level.
One of the largest factors that cause respiratory problems in horses are round rolls or bales of hay that are kept outdoors and exposed to the weather. The molded outer crust of the hay is normally pulled away by the horse and not eaten. The dust however is inhaled by the horse and sticks into the cilia or fine hairs in the lungs.
This causes an autoimmune response that is similar to those found in severe asthma patients. If a horse is exposed to this mold over a
period of time it develops on into COPD. there is no cure for COPD, once your horse has contracted it you are treating symptoms for the rest of the horses life. these symptoms may be mild to severe depending upon the stage of disease the horse is in.
Symptoms of the Equine COPD are as follows:
Shortness of breath, wheezing, persistant cough,excessive sweating with physical exertion, coughing or sneezing up strings of white or clear mucus.
Weight gain or bloating in the abdominal or flank area, excessive or rapid weight loss.
"Here I must explain what is happening with the rapid weight loss, the horse is working so hard to breathe that he is burning more calories than his body is intaking."
Corticosteroid and Antihistamine shots administered by your vet, use of cough syrups or herbal therapies such as "Air power" or "Wheeze Ease", wetting down or dampening all dry hay prior to feeding. this limits any dust that the horse may inhale while eating. If your horses feed is dry and seems dusty try moistening it with corn oil and mixing well when feeding. also the more time the horse can spend in the pasture and out of a dry dusty environment such as a barn the better. Think of it this way, dust and mold is the enemy try to avoid those as much as possible.
Finally continue to exercise your horse as much as its body will allow, nice walking rides, and good exercise help your horse to expand and condition its lung sacs. It also improves his attitude and overall quality of life.
Avoid feeding hay that has been kept outside and is obviously molded, try to limit your horses time kept in highly dusty environments, like barns and stalls. Pay attention and seek medical help when you notice signifigant changes in your horses breathing.
I would love to finish this article saying that a miracle cure has been found and that heaves is 100 % curable. Unfortunately at this time that is not the case, this disease closely mimics what we see in humans. The best treatment is prevention but if you find yourself treating this disease, be aggressive when treating symptoms. Keeping your horse active and able to breathe easily will add years and greatly improve its quality of life.