Dampness: cause, symptoms and treatment

You hear the term regularly: 'dampness'. It doesn't sound very exciting or intense, and many people don't really know what the word means. A damp horse is having trouble with his lungs, but doesn't everyone cough sometimes? Dampness, however, is a serious condition, comparable to emphysema in humans. This lung disease can be prevented by good management, stable hygiene, and timely intervention at the first signs.

Dampness or chronic coughing due to chronic bronchitis or asthma is the most common respiratory disease in horses in the Netherlands. The airways are chronically inflamed in this condition. A lot of mucus is produced, the horse starts coughing, and the muscles around the air sacs constrict, causing the lungs to hold less air. Exhaling is especially difficult. You can see this in the horse's abdominal muscles, which clearly contract during exhaling. Often you see a damp horse exhaling in two parts, first the easy part that is passive and then actively pushing out the rest of the air by contracting the abdominal muscles. That's called a 'double stroke'.

From irritation to chronic inflammation

Chronic inflammation in the airways can start from a cold virus, but also from irritation to the airways due to a lot of dust, molds, or ammonia in the environment. Dust from hay and straw and ammonia from a dirty stable are irritating to the lungs. Molds that are inhaled, for example from poor quality roughage, can also cause irritations and inflammatory reactions. In addition, bacteria, such as the strangles bacteria, can be responsible for the beginning of a respiratory infection. Once such an infection has started, the lung tissue becomes inflamed and produces a lot of mucus. If that mucus remains, it keeps the inflammation persistent. If this lasts for more than a few weeks, it is considered chronic airway inflammation.

Dampness: scarring tissue on the lungs

If inflammation persists, there is a lot of pressure on the inflamed air sacs. When the horse inhales, more air enters than it can push out when exhaling. As a result, the air sacs become overfilled and can rupture. If a lot of air sacs are damaged, it is called emphysema. In horses, this condition is called dampness. Such damage to the air sacs is irreversible. A horse cannot regain the lung capacity it once had. Due to dampness, such a horse has less endurance and often experiences chronic coughing and nasal discharge.

Treating respiratory irritations

If your horse is coughing, always seek advice from your veterinarian. In some cases, antibiotics and/or anti-inflammatory drugs are necessary. The earlier you intervene, the better. Make sure that the airways do not get further irritated. This is done through good stable hygiene, proper ventilation, and potentially rinsing the hay.

Preventing dampness

Even better is preventing respiratory irritations and dampness. You can (partially) prevent lung problems by maintaining good hygiene, ventilation, and good roughage. Hay and straw will always contain dust, but do not give horses silage or wet hay with molds. Preventing ammonia formation by keeping the stable clean, as this corrosive substance occurs when manure and urine come into contact. There are also supplements to support your horse's resistance and help remove harmful substances from the lungs.

Tips to prevent lung problems and dampness:

• Keep your horse outside as much as possible
• Clean the stable daily
• Only use clean straw if your horse is not in the stable
• Wet dusty hay
• Do not give your horse moldy hay or straw
• Ventilate well, but avoid drafts
• Allow your horse to dry well after work, for example with a sweat blanket
• Intervene immediately if you suspect a respiratory irritation
• Support resistance with for example black cumin and/or cannabinoids from clove
• Give an herbal supplement for healthy mucus formation in the lungs

Building resistance and supporting filter function

In healthy lungs, cilia and mucus filter out dust particles from the air. This keeps the lungs clean. If a horse's environment is very dusty, the cilia may not work effectively. This can cause the horse to have a scratchy throat and start coughing. If this continues for too long, lung irritation can occur. Some herbs have a soothing effect on the airways and replenish the mucins needed to filter the air properly. Think of Eucalyptus, Purple Coneflower (Echinacea), White Willow, and Schisandra. These herbs can be used preventively. To keep your horse healthy, you can also support the immune system with a supplement. For horses, plant-based cannabinoids, for example from cloves, are an excellent product. These substances promote balance and boost natural resistance. The thymoquinone compound from black cumin also has anti-inflammatory properties and forms a good combination with cannabinoids.