HEAVE-HO

Labored breathing can be a sign of recurrent airway obstruction (RAO), or heaves. Know what to look for, as early treatment is the key to managing this chronic lung condition.

Horse heaves is chronic and can threaten your horse’s long-term health and performance.

Learn the symptoms and treatment options for horses with heaves. That nagging little cough at the beginning of your rides, and that occasional runny nose could they mean your horse is suffering from heaves, or recurrent airway obstruction? Possibly. This condition, commonly known as heaves, is the most prevalent lung disease seen in horses. Horse heaves is chronic and can threaten your horse’s long-term health and performance. Although your horse’s heaves can’t be cured, and severe cases are difficult to manage, catching it early will help you manage it as well as possible, and perhaps minimize its damage to your horse’s lungs.

Here, I’ll give you a checklist of horse heaves symptoms to help you know when to alert your veterinarian, so he or she can begin treatment at the earliest possible point. I’ll also help you assess the disease’s severity, explain the different stages of treatment, and give you tips on how to prevent heaves in the first