10 Tips for Preventing Clinical Exacerbation of Heaves in Horses (Dr. Christine Navarre) LSU Ag Center
Lais R.R. Costa, M.V., M.S., D.A.C.V.I.M.; Equine Health Studies Program; School of Veterinary Medicine; Louisiana State University equine@vetmed.LSU.edu
Heaves is an asthma-like disease of horses initiated by exposure to allergens such as molds and dust, resulting in coughing, nasal discharge and difficulty breathing. In the southern United States, it occurs principally in horses housed on pasture in the summer
(pasture-associated), and clinical exacerbation is often associated with high environmental temperature and humidity. In more northern areas of the United States, the disease is most often observed in horses kept in a stall (barn-associated) and is associated with poor ventilation.
• There is no cure for Heaves; however, exacerbation of clinical signs can be prevented by implementing recommended management strategies. • If your horse has summer-pasture Heaves, it should be removed from pasture prior to the time of the conditions associated with clinical exacerbation. • Exposure to triggering agents where the horse is housed should be eliminated or decreased. If your
horse has “summer-pasture Heaves,” it should be kept off pasture and the pasture grass should be kept short. If your horse has “barn-associated Heaves,” it should be kept at pasture. • The barn and stall should be well ventilated, and the amount of dust must be kept to a minimum. The horse should be kept out of the stall while unloading shavings and hay, and do not store hay on a barn loft above the horse. • Straw and sawdust should probably be avoided. Wood shavings, shredded paper or rubber mats are better bedding alternatives. • The stall should be cleaned well to decrease the fumes of urea/ammonia, and the horse should be moved from the stall when cleaning. • Dusty or moldy hay should be avoided. If hay is fed, it should be soaked/submerged in water to remove the dust prior to feeding. In general, alfalfa hay is less of a problem than grass hay for most horses. Do not allow access to round bales of hay. • Alternative types of forage (haylage, beet pulp and hay cubes) can be fed. A complete pelleted diet (feed contains 25 percent to 30 percent fiber) works well. • All diet changes must be done gradually to avoid colic and diarrhea. • Treatment for Heaves will likely fail if exposure to the triggering agents is not eliminated.