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When Is A Cough Just A Cough?

Almost everyone knows that one horse who coughs when his rider first gets on. His cough may sound like he's clearing his lungs or the horse may stop moving, throw his head down and cough from deep in his lungs. Most of these horses then go right back to work, happy to do their job, with no more coughing episodes.

A horse who coughs a few times at the beginning of a ride may be clearing mucus from behind his larynx. Some horses create more mucus than others, so a cough for them is normal. If the horse has no other trouble breathing and isn't ill, his coughing may be a natural reaction to beginning work, when he breathes deeper.

A horse coughs when his esophagus is irritated by something, whether that's dust, pollen or cold air. The horse rapidly expels air in an effort to remove irritants from the respiratory tract; this is the cough that is heard.

Prolonged coughing or coughs that become more frequent, a call to the veterinarian is warranted.

Horses May Need Up To Three Weeks Of Recovery After A Virus

It's not just humans that should take it easy if they're ill: experts say horses that have had the flu or other respiratory issues should rest for at least three weeks to allow their bodies to heal. Though lower-level exercise isn't necessarily harmful, high-intensity exercise can suppress immune system response and increase the horse's susceptibility to disease.

Intensely exercising a recovering horse can also cause him to lose weight and tire more quickly, as well as have a harder time recovering. Exercising does not affect virus duration or the duration of virus shedding.

It takes a minimum of three weeks for the respiratory epithelium and the mucociliary apparatus to heal, so allowing horses to rest or complete only low-level exercise is imperative. If exercise is begun and the horse seems distressed, it should be stopped immediately. Open communication with the treating veterinarian is key to creating a return-to-work plan tailored to the horse and his specific health issue.

Can I Contract Coronavirus From My Horse? A Vet Responds

Just weeks before the COVID-19 pandemic became a reality for people in the United States, the equine version of the coronavirus was making its way through show facilities and racetracks across the nation. Thankfully, the equine coronavirus is not transmissible to humans and is not the cause of the worldwide pandemic.

Dr. James Williams of Novato, CA, reports that the only way a human could contract COVID-19 from a horse would be for an infected human to cough onto a horse's coat and then for another human to touch the horse (and the droplets), then touch his nose or mouth. This is the same way a non-infected human might contract COVID-19 from a countertop an infected person coughed on.

Thankfully, both scenarios seem highly unlikely: Most viruses are species specific. When horses are infected with the equine corona, they typically run a fever, have no appetite, are lethargic and have diarrhea. Rarely is their respiratory tract affected. Equine coronavirus typically lasts four to five days and recovery is generally uneventful. Supportive therapies may be used, including administering fluids and non-steroidal anti-inflammatories.

Equine coronavirus is spread between horses through the fecal-oral route: a horse must have direct contact with infected feces to contract the disease. Clinical signs typically begin between 48 and 72 hours after exposure; the horse will shed the virus in his feces three to four days after exposure. This may cause horse's feces to test negative for the disease in its early stages. The horse sheds the most amount of disease three to four days after clinic signs begin.

Infected horses generally shed the disease for about three weeks. Asymptomatic shedders can also spread the disease. How long the disease can last in the environment is not known, similar to human coronaviruses. Equine coronavirus is often seen in cold weather, though transmission in warmer months is possible.

Equine Influenza Outbreak Kills Nearly 50 Wild Donkeys In CA

Equine influenza has killed 46 wild donkeys in Riverside, CA, since mid-October and more are expected to die from the disease.

DonkeyLand, a nonprofit burro rescue located in California, reported that more than 50 additional donkeys are coughing and showing signs of respiratory issues. The Riverside County Department of Animal Services reports that the majority of the deaths have occurred in Reche Canyon, but dead donkeys have also been found along Pigeon Pass Road, Heacock Street and Redlands Boulevard.

The California Department of Food and Agriculture veterinarians, Moreno Valley Animal Services and San Bernardino County Animal Care and Control are assisting DonkeyLand Rescue with care of the sick animals. Ill burros are being transported to DonkeyLand or to the SoCal Equine Hospital and quarantined; they will be released back into the wild upon recovery.

Donkeys that are around the sick donkeys are also being transported to the clinics, where they are vaccinated for flu and other diseases before being released back into the wild once they show no sign of the disease. Donkeys are more susceptible to equine influenza and develop severe secondary bacterial infections, which is what is killing the wild donkeys.

The public is advised to avoid contact with the wild burros and to keep horses away from wild donkeys to avoid disease transmission. Owners of horses in the area are encouraged to vaccinate their horses and put biosecurity measures in place to keep from spreading the disease.

Read the AAEP Equine Influenza Fact Sheet here.