Horse with Heaves?- Simple Solutions

Spring is in full-swing and for some horse owners, this can be the start of another long season of heaves and related respiratory issues. You might be thinking, what is “heaves” and what does it have to do with spring and sea buckthorn berries?  Well, like many inflammatory diseases, heaves can severely affect your horse’s performance and overall well-being, and sea buckthorn berry may help turn things around.

What is “heaves”?

Heaves is the common name for a respiratory illness in horses characterized by coughing and asthma-like wheezing. It is also known as recurrent airway obstruction (RAO) and formerly Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD). The respiratory tract of these horses are so inflamed that sometimes their airway is completely obstructed by mucous and chronic swelling. Most of these horses must cough frequently to clear their airway and they breathe heavily at rest. Horses with severe or chronic heaves may sport a ‘heave line’ along their abdomen from where their abdominal muscles have had to work over-time just to breathe. 

Some experts think that human asthma and heaves are similar diseases with a common cause:  poor air quality, which causes chronic irritation and over-reaction of the immune system.(1) There are generally two types of heaves, one being ‘summer pasture-associated’ and the other ‘winter/stable-associated.’  Spring and summer sufferers of heaves are irritated by increased pollen and mold counts and smog. These horses typically have more problems when they are housed at pasture. Horses that are stabled frequently or all the time are often ‘winter’ sufferers, and these horses react to the aerosolized particles found in the dusty environment of a typical barn.(2) 

Many horses who suffer from heaves have difficulty performing to their potential. Some horses are retired early due to this issue. Some may have an episode or two in their lives where they simply cannot breathe, requiring emergency interventions. 

Treatment

There are a great number of treatments available for horses with heaves.  Most veterinarians recommend strict environmental management.  For example, summer pasture-associated sufferers may benefit from being housed in a low-dust barn and away from blooming grasses in the pasture. Dunking hay in water to remove dust particles is also a helpful management strategy.  Concrete-floored barns with good ventilation are optimal. The solid floor can be frequently swept and hosed down to keep the dust from building up.  Feed and hay should be stored away from the main barn area to keep down the dust.  Bedding can also be an issue, as some horses react to the dust found in wheat straw or pine shavings. 

Mild cases can be managed through environmental change and sometimes antihistamine therapy if the vet suspects an allergic component. Other cases may need inhalants such as bronchodilators and even steroid therapy for management. 

How can sea buckthorn berry help?

The goal of treatment is to prevent or curb inflammation so that the airways are not swollen and causing obstruction.  There are a great number of compounds in sea buckthorn berry that may help with cases of heaves. Omegas 3 and 7 are especially noted for their anti-inflammatory prowess.(3) The airway is lined by a type of epithelium called the mucous membrane, which is severely inflamed in horses with heaves. Sea buckthorn berry has been shown to promote healing along the surfaces of mucous membranes throughout the body, not limited to the oral cavity and stomach.(4)

Supplementing your horse daily long-term may lower inflammation to an acceptable level and for some horses, this may make all the difference.  Talk to your veterinarian about incorporating sea buckthorn berry into your horse’s treatment plan and consider it daily for optimal overall health. 


Resources:
(1)  Mazan, Melissa. Horses and Humans: Shared Environment, Shared Disease? ACVIM Proceedings. 2011.
(2) Couetil, L. et al., Inflammatory Airway Disease of Horses. J Vet Intern Med 2007;21:356–361
(3)  Corbee, Ronald. Omega-3 Fatty Acids and Inflammatory Diseases. 22nd ECVIM-CA Congress Proceedings. 2012.
(4) Huff, N. et al., Effect of sea buckthorn berries and pulp in a liquid emulsion on gastric ulcer scores and gastric juice pH in horses. J Vet Intern Med. 2012. Vol. 26(5) 1186-91.