Okay, so today I wanna share something about using Lasix on horses. I’ve had to deal with this a few times with my own mare, so I figured I’d walk you through how it all went down.
First Time Dealing With It
The first time I had to use Lasix, my horse, Bella, was having some trouble breathing after a pretty intense workout. It wasn’t terrible, but it was enough to make me worry. She was kinda wheezing, and I could see her nostrils flaring more than usual. I called the vet out, and after checking her over, he said it looked like a mild case of exercise-induced pulmonary hemorrhage, or EIPH. Basically, that means bleeding in the lungs from exertion.
The Vet’s Explanation and Doing it.
The vet explained that Lasix, which is a diuretic, could help. It works by making the horse pee more, which reduces the overall blood volume. With less blood volume, there’s less pressure in the blood vessels in the lungs, which can help reduce or prevent bleeding. He showed me how to give her the injection – it’s an intramuscular shot, usually in the neck. It’s important to be clean about it, so I always swab the area with alcohol first.
Watching and Waiting after doing it
After giving the shot, I keep a close eye on my horse. I watch out that there were no any weird reactions. The main thing is to make sure she has plenty of water available, since Lasix makes them pee a lot.
I also check her breathing rate and just her general attitude. I also check her peeing status to make sure the Lasix did work!
- Make sure the horse has water all the time!
- Be careful when giving the shot.
Learning from Each Time
Each time I’ve had to use Lasix, it’s been a similar process. Always under the vet’s guidance, of course. It’s become a routine: check for symptoms, call the vet, get the okay for Lasix, give the injection, monitor, and provide water.
Seeing the Results
The good thing is, Lasix usually works pretty quickly. Within an hour or so, I can usually see a noticeable improvement in Bella’s breathing. She seems more comfortable, and the wheezing and nostril flaring go down. It’s a relief to see her feeling better.
So, that’s my hands-on experience with Lasix. It’s not something I use all the time, only when necessary and always with the vet’s okay. I Hope this was helpful for you!
