Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, or COPD, is a long-term, non-contagious illness that can cause severe respiratory distress in older horses. COPD primarily affects the lungs, and horses with the disease often are intolerant of exercise and suffer a decrease in overall performance. Symptoms commonly include frequent coughing spells and nasal discharge.
Because the underlying cause of COPD is usually an allergy, treatment requires removing COPD-causing allergens from the environment of a horse. Common allergens include dust, molds, hay, straw, pollens, as well as certain trees. When allergens cannot be eliminated from the horse's environment, medical therapy is often successful in alleviating a horse's respiratory symptoms.
