[country_lady]

It sounds like your horse has COPD, also called heaves. It's also now called RAO. Have you thought of trying the VibraVM? This device turned a horse completely around for my friend in FL. It uses sound waves to break up congestion and also has a mode that opens the airways. The site is www.vibravm.com.

[Ryle]

Originally Posted by country_lady

It sounds like your horse has COPD, also called heaves. It's also now called RAO. Have you thought of trying the VibraVM? This device turned a horse completely around for my friend in FL. It uses sound waves to break up congestion and also has a mode that opens the airways. The site is www.vibravm.com.

Absolutely untested---and the theory really doesn't appear sound for dealing with a severe inflammatory response in the lungs.

For the OP's question about how long an attack lasts after changing the environment, a single irritant can keep an attack going and from the sounds of it your horse is in a full-blown attack. You should be calling another vet if your's can't get out right now because the longer you put off treatment the more risk of permanent changes in the lungs that will make daily breathing harder and subsequent attacks more severe. When an attack occurs, you need to treat immediately with a steroid and a bronchodilator to treat both of the things occuring in the lungs.

A single exposure to an irritant that doesn't sprak a full-blown attack can cause more labored breathing for 3 days or more.

But to diagnose you need to have your vet out to be sure that you aren't dealing with an infectious problem rather than just heaves because giving steroids in the face of infection is a bad bad idea.

I would highly recommend that you join the yahoo group for owners of horses with Heaves. http://sports.groups.yahoo.com/group/COPD_Heaves/

[me and morgan]

My vet has since been out and put him on meds. Hes doing much better, thank you
I have never heard of that either, or seen results.

[country_lady]

After seeing Cindy D.'s post I called the VibraVM folks and talked to Art. (Company is VibraLung). They have started a study in heavey horses at Purdue University. Results toward the end of the year. I'm promised a call back, so will post then.

They have a lot an ancedotal evidence now (around 200 horses) and a number of veterinarians on board. The results were pretty dramatic for my friend.

The mode mentioned produces white noise which massages the long smooth muscles surrounding the bronchial tubes. They relax, reducing constriction.

All the best to Barney!

[Ryle]

I'll be waiting to see the study results. But there is tons and tons of anecdotal evidence out ther about all sorts of things that haven't held up under good scientific scrutinization.

And there is more going on with heaves than just the bronchospasms--treatment for heaves including treating for the inflammation an dexcessive mucous production as well.