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Discussion on Managing Environmental Factors for Mast Cell Mediated Inflammatory Airway Disease
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New Member:
sunster
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Posted on Monday, Jul 7, 2008 - 8:44 pm:
Within 2 months of moving to a new barn I noticed exercise intolerance on the very hot humid days. His breathing came back to normal quickly after stopping exercise and a cold hosing. He seems otherwise healthy (no coughing, nasal discharge or temperature, good weight and coat condition). I took him to the clinic for scoping and a BAL and we were diagnosed with inflammatory airway disease (he also has a soft palate that inverts and causes a slight noise during exercise, but the vet didn't think that would cause the exercise intolerance).
We changed his stall to one that is better ventilated, put him on straw instead of shavings, started wetting his hay and started him on 4 weeks of inhaled steroids (we're on week 2), but after reading many of the other posts on this topic, I'm not sure that was entirely correct. I saw a good improvement with the stall change and the straw, but have a few questions:
1. I assume straw is risky because of the potential for mold, but is it possible that the dust from the shavings could be worse?
2. What would be the best kind of wood shavings (or other alternative) to use?
3. I'm going to replace his hay with Dengie or something similar (I know the hay wetting isn't cutting it), but if the other horses in the barn continue to eat the hay and get bedded with shavings am I making these changes for nothing? Will the mere existence of the hay and shavings in the barn negate the benefits of the changes I have made to my horse?
4. Is the key to managing this is as much turnout as possible?
Many thanks for any suggestions and help!
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Moderator:
DrO
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Posted on Tuesday, Jul 8, 2008 - 8:08 am:
Hello HJ,
Mast cell lower airway disease can be non-allergic in nature but still dust is a irritant and there may be some diagnostic crossover so many or your questions will depend on the cause of the disease and particulars of the environment:
1) It is possible.
2) Minimizing contact with dust is the goal, whichever would be least dusty.
3) It depends on whether there is an allergen, the degree of sensitivity, the amount of ventilation, which way the wind blows...
4) This would be the best way to decrease exposure to inhaled allergens and irritants.
DrO
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