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| English Summer |
I love this picture - I took it at 10am yesterday (Sunday) morning walking back home from the yard with the dogs, and the temperature was already up to 27-degrees. I was wearing shorts (unheard of for me at this time of year!), and a strappy vest-top. It-Was-Boiling. You can even see the heat-haze in the distance - by the afternoon I was taking refuge indoors because it was just toooooo hot for me.
Our lovely English summer brings with it the relatively newly-recognised equine condition known as Summer Pasture-Associated Obstructive (pulmonary) Disorder, aka SPAOD. I say newly recognised because literally as recently as a couple of years ago, the condition was only seen as an ongoing pollen allergy. The reality is that while pollens are a major contributor, it's actually humid weather that makes SPAOD what it is. As soon as we get our typically hot, muggy summer weather, affected horses
have respiratory attacks as the muggy conditions increase the pollen count - this is because there's
more growth in the warm,
humid air, and wet air holds more particles. Early spring pollen allergy is a doddle compared to SPAOD.
It's a grim condition for those horses that suffer from it - I know from experience as Kelso, our elderly cob, is a classic presenter. He's wheezy and cough-y, and there's no happy medium for him as he's a COPD/RAO chap too, so if I bring him in he gets worse because of the stable allergens; if I leave him out he gets terribly stressed because of the allergens in the humid air, and starts shaking his neck violently in the air in distress from it all, as if trying to click a neck joint back in place, and on a chunky cob, that's a big neck.
The
clinical signs of SPAOD and RAO are the same. In milder stages, affected horses
exhibit only light wheezing twinned with what sounds like a stable cough, together with mildy itchy nostrils, occasional light nasal discharge, and usually exercise intolerance as having to breathe harder means breathing in more of the itchy. In more serious cases, horses
can exhibit flared nostrils, significant abdominal lift, wheezing, and heavier nasal discharge. If left untreated this can develop into a serious chest infection which is exactly what happened with Kelso all those years ago when we first got him - his previous loaner thought he was just suffering from pollen hangover, and th reality was that he arrived with onset secondary chest infection - in August!
I originally put together our BreathePlus for Kelso's chest infection, then the following spring we blended CoughSoother to treat his SPAOD symptoms, as his most prevalent symptom was the summer cough. Since then, it's been our most popular blend for SPAOD-type symptoms. However, over the last couple of years more I've sensed a degree of ambiguity between both our CoughSoother and PollenEase as clients have started questioning which blend to use, or whether they can be used together.
Owing to the recent hot weather, the timing's been perfect! SPAOD is now out there all over, and we've
been overwhelmed with worried clients at a loss for what to do for their horses suffering
from SPAOD, so the timing couldn't be better to take a look at the blends and create more clarity between them. As a result we've redesigned a specific SPAOD blend, while retaining CoughSoother as one of our range of specialised respiratory blends, and the emphasis for PollenEase will be promoted for early spring pollen symptoms.
Following two weeks trialling on our willing volunteer Kelso, this last weekend has seen the birth of SPAOD-Relief, based around more power-packed respiratory assistance to soothe coughing and inflammation in the upper-respiratory tract (from our CoughSoother), blended with anti-allergenic herbs with natural anti-histamine properties (from our PollenEase). Kelso's thrived on it - he was really wheezy a couple of weeks ago, with a late onset cough in the day which had cleared the following morning after the cooler nights, only to reappear by evening the next day. He's now completely wheeze and cough-free, and is back to being his bossy herd-self again, much to Murf's disappointment . . .
So, pulling all this together, here are our 3 different respiratory/allergy blends for their appropriate uses:
* For early spring pollen allergies, where anti-histamine properties are important, see our PollenEase (www.equinatural.co.uk/pollenease)
* For specific summer pasture (SPAOD) symptoms, where more respiratory assistance twinned with anti-allergy and anti-histamine properties is required, see our SPAOD-Relief (www.equinatural.co.uk/spaodrelief)
* For more severe respiratory issues (typically chest infection or winter COPD) where significant respiratory and immunity assistance is necessary, see our BreathePlus (www.equinatural.co.uk/breatheplus)
SPAOD-Relief - a carefully balanced blend of 100% pure herbs:
~ Eyebright* -
Eyebright is said to be extremely effective in treating allergies,
soothing the mucous membranes and itchy and/or watery eyes, and helping
to reduce nasal discharge.
~
Marshmallow* - Marshmallow soothes! Very useful in soothing the mucous membranes associated with a dry
hacking cough, sinusitis and sore throat, and encourages mucus
expulsion.
~
Ginkgo Biloba* - For its anti-allergenic and potent
anti-inflammatory actions which reduce the production of histamine and help to
keep the airway open and reduce bronchial restriction and wheezing.
~
Nettle* - Nutritious and iron rich, particularly useful if
the horse is feeling run-down, and with a high vitamin C content, nettle
is a well-known medicine for soothing the discomfort of allergies. It
helps to relieve inflammation
caused by allergic reactions and clears congestion in the nose and
chest.
~
Mullein - A long-standing, tried and tested respiratory herb
with an excellent reputation, used to remedy respiratory problems
including asthmatic symptoms and other breathing difficulties. It's an
excellent expectorant that supports the body in stimulating the cough
reflex, clearing out congestion and expelling excess respiratory phlegm
and mucous. It also soothes and tones the mucous membranes of the
respiratory system and reduces inflammation. The mucilage in mullein
lubricates the throat and lungs, easing the bronchial passages and
throat irritation.
~ Rosehips*-
Probably known best for their extraordinary source of vitamin C,
containing 60 times the amount of vitamin C than found in lemons!
Natural vitamin C and bioflavonoids are combined in nature, and for
efficacy, it is vital that they be used together. Rosehips are rich in
both, and due to the high vitamin C content, they are also helpful in
enhancing the immune system.
~
Yarrow* -
An extremely resourceful herb with multiple properties and is anti-allergenic in nature. Yarrow is specifically useful
for respiratory conditions as an anti-inflammatory, and one of the best
herbs to prevent the build-up of congestion.
* Organic - wherever possible we use organic herbs in our blends, in order to harness the improved health benefits, and to minimise the risk of immunity-depressing chemical contaminants and post-harvest treatments.
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| Happy Nose! |
