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Why is my horses nose running2007-11-24 21:23:05

My 17 year old gelding Arabian was born and raised in Utah, but I brought him to a rural part of San Diego, CA with me when I moved. After the move his nose started running. I spoke with my vet, and he said that it was probably shipping fever, and it would clear up with time.

Well, it has been over a year and his nose is still running. It is a clear liquid, and is not gushing out, but is frequent enough to where his nose is always wet. It doesnt seem to cause him any discomfort, so I havent worried too much about it, but I would feel better if I knew nothing was wrong.

Do horses get allergies? Is this still concidered shipping fever, and can I expect it to clear up in time? Buddy is my first horse, and I have only had him for a couple years, so I dont know much about sickness, etc, besides being able to watch out for major problems.

Answers:

Yes, horses get allergies- though usually this condition is referred to as "heaves" if it effects the horse's ability to breathe, especially when the animal is stressed or works hard. A clear discharge from both nostrils is normal for most horses- that is nature's way of cleaning the sinus tracts. If the amount is large, the horse may have a slight head cold- but what you describe has been going on far too long to be considered to be shipping fever. Also, keep in mind that shipping fever always produces other symptoms, such as an actual fever ( temperature greater than 101 degrees in an adult horse) and a discharge that is yellow or greenish in color, often with a foul or nasty smell. The horse will be off its feed and will appear depressed and ill. Since you have said that Buddy has displayed none of these signs, then I think that he is perfectly okay. I have owned many horses over the years, and many if not most of them have had the same thing as Buddy does on occaision. It's nothing to get alarmed about unless the horse develops other symptoms like the ones I told you about. Hope this helps you.

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Maybe it is just trying to stay ahead of the rest ;-)

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it has a cold!!

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Shipping fever generally doesn't last more than a few weeks, so I'd say no to that.