Any tips for administering equine inhaler?

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southerncomfort

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A recent mild virus has brought to light that my Fell pony likely has mild asthma.

He's really struggling this week because of the raised pollen levels. Vet has been this morning and is ordering an inhaler for him.

Would appreciate any tips for administering the inhaler. He's generally quite amenable so he might be fine, but he's a chunk and if he says no, he means it!
 
Oh I've been doing this with my fell too!
I bought an aerohippus spacer.
How good is your boy with weird things round his face? My girl is pretty good but prefers if it comes from a certain direction so I gently tap it closer along her neck so it's not a surprise. Bribery was also the key! I started off something like this... treat introduce inhaler, shake, treat, onto nose, count three breaths, take away, shake, treat, back on nose and repeat. I've slowly reduced the frequency of the treats. It took a couple of attempts to get to the full dose but it's now a pretty efficient process. I sometimes get a bit of a no this is annoying nose shake, but not an eff off response.
 
Cloball said:
Oh I've been doing this with my fell too!
I bought an aerohippus spacer.
How good is your boy with weird things round his face? My girl is pretty good but prefers if it comes from a certain direction so I gently tap it closer along her neck so it's not a surprise. Bribery was also the key! I started off something like this... treat introduce inhaler, shake, treat, onto nose, count three breaths, take away, shake, treat, back on nose and repeat. I've slowly reduced the frequency of the treats. It took a couple of attempts to get to the full dose but it's now a pretty efficient process. I sometimes get a bit of a no this is annoying nose shake, but not an eff off response.
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That's a great help, thanks!

He's usually quite easy to bribe with treats, so fingers crossed that he'll think its a fair exchange. 😃

Do you give antihistamines at all? I thought of getting some cheap ones from Home Bargains, but i haven't a clue what the dose would be.
 
I haven't because I haven't found a seasonal/pollen link for my girl. But i have used them a few years ago for an insect bite that swelled half her nose up on the advice of the vet and you have to give quite a few, cant remember the dose though I'm afraid best ask the vet.

Im not sure she thinks it's entirely fair but an adequate exchange, i did try it loose just to see and that was a flat no but she will let me in the field if she has a head collar on, event when I'm not actually holding the headcollar.
 
I have a flexineb nebuliser now but have used puffer inhalers with a babyhaler previously. Like Cloball I built it up gradually using bribery and getting them used to it on their face. The biggest thing I came across was when I pressed the inhaler the noise made them jump and I'd lose it off the nostril. I desensitised to the noise using an empty inhaler and also, sounds silly but it worked, I coughed as I pressed inhaler to camouflage the noise a bit.

If it is likely that you will need continuing treatment and your pony is insured it could be possible to claim for a flexineb on, NFU covered the cost of mine. I've also found the meds a lot cheaper with flexineb as well as it being easier to use. I cross tie in stable doorway, set it off and do jobs that are within sight.
 
When Rigsby needed one, @cauda equina kindly posted me an aero spacer, a sort of forerunner to a Flexi Neb. It fits over their face so they cannot duck the Ventolin.

Rigs got used to a baby spacer in time, and then didn't need an inhaler any more, so I would be happy to post it to you, if you'd like to PM me your address.
 
GoldenWillow said:
I have a flexineb nebuliser now but have used puffer inhalers with a babyhaler previously. Like Cloball I built it up gradually using bribery and getting them used to it on their face. The biggest thing I came across was when I pressed the inhaler the noise made them jump and I'd lose it off the nostril. I desensitised to the noise using an empty inhaler and also, sounds silly but it worked, I coughed as I pressed inhaler to camouflage the noise a bit.

If it is likely that you will need continuing treatment and your pony is insured it could be possible to claim for a flexineb on, NFU covered the cost of mine. I've also found the meds a lot cheaper with flexineb as well as it being easier to use. I cross tie in stable doorway, set it off and do jobs that are within sight.
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Thanks GW. I've found one of my old inhalers so I'll see what he thinks of the noise. He's pretty laid back so hopefully it won't make him jump.
 
Red-1 said:
When Rigsby needed one, @cauda equina kindly posted me an aero spacer, a sort of forerunner to a Flexi Neb. It fits over their face so they cannot duck the Ventolin.

Rigs got used to a baby spacer in time, and then didn't need an inhaler any more, so I would be happy to post it to you, if you'd like to PM me your address.
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Thanks Red.

This is the one she's recommending. Looks like more of an all in one thing...? The clinic is lending me a placebo one so I can make sure he'll tolerate it before they order one.

Screenshot_20260311_154337_Samsung Internet.jpg
 
I had inadvertently done the pre desensitisation to the noise as im asthmatic myself so she's used to me taking my inhaler on board 😅

www.breatheazy.co.uk

AeroHippus - BreathEazy

Vet tested, equine approved aerosol holding chamber (spacer) for horses with asthma, Respiratory Airway Obstruction (RAO/heaves), COPD, and breathing difficulties Confidence in medication delivery with the Flow-Vu* inhalation indicator which helps you count breaths and ensure mask seal Holds...
www.breatheazy.co.uk www.breatheazy.co.uk

This is the one I have, it's like a baby spacer but forms a better seal over the nostril and it has a little valve you can see to check the seal and check the breaths.
 
I don't understand why we've got the up-the-nose type. Might be the type of steroid he needs.....I don't know. 🤷‍♀️

I'm asthmatic too, so i have an old inhaler to hand to hopefully prepare him for the noise.🙂

Funnily enough my asthma has been awful this week. Me and him seem to be have the same triggers! 😆
 
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I just walked up to our old mare, put my arm against her face like I was going to bridle her and stuck the spacer over her nostril. She didn't seem bothered in the slightest, but I am careful to avoid her whiskers.
 
My asthma has also been awful this week, full on oral steroids, antibiotics can't do the stairs bad. Think its shocked my husband hes used to me being a bit moany but not mutley.
 
Beausmate said:
I just walked up to our old mare, put my arm against her face like I was going to bridle her and stuck the spacer over her nostril. She didn't seem bothered in the slightest, but I am careful to avoid her whiskers.
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This is always the dilemma isn't it? Whether to slowly build up to it or just be very matter of fact about it.

Knowing Bo, trying to stop him grabbing it off me and chewing it is going to be the biggest challenge!
 
I didn’t even think about it, I just feed in the field, head collar on and then stand as if I was going to bridle.

But said pony is 12.2 and a good girl so it’s never been a bother.

We use a baby spacer from Amazon on the vets advise as it was half the price.

Interestingly doctors no longer like prescribing the brown/blue combination as they can damage lungs long term but the vets still do, maybe because the new ones aren’t aerosol?
 
Well he's absolutely fine with the placebo Aservo Equi-haler.

He doesn't know why I'm sticking something up his nose, but he's willing to put up with it in exchange for his favourite apple flavour treats.

Only slight issue is that he held his breath, so I just need to convince him that he can still breathe when he has something up his nose!
 
Feeling very, very low.

Bo has been such a good boy with his Equi-haler. We've followed the instructions to the absolute letter, but it hasn't helped at all. He's still coughing. £300 down the drain.

I've also tried giving him antihistamines. Nothing is stopping the cough.

I'm now getting really panicky. He's a little round native pony. He's been out of work since December. If i can't get him in to work soon, I'm going to have bigger problems than a cough.

Someone suggested speaking to Trinity Consultants, but I've no idea if it'll be more money down the drain. 😟
 
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I've got the "human" type inhaler meds for mine, same as for human asthma apparently; the blue one first then the maroon one.

I use a baby inhaler. Cheap as chips and does the job. What I do is place the spacer over one of her nostrils, and put my hand over the other. Vet said to administer just before she inhales - so I watch her sides. Easy once you get the hang of it. Practice first without the meds in.

Hope this helps. Yes I'd love to get her the bees-knees piece of kit which costs a great deal of money, but right now I'm not exactly flushed, so this method has to do.
 
Yes, i think that's what we'll be doing in future.

I was reading an old thread about the Equi-haler and some posters had needed to use a second one! 😬
 
I pretty much spent all day with him today, and he's actually only coughing when he decides to have a hooley. So really that is an improvement. He's still got another 4 days on it, so hopefully he'll keep improving.
 
There is a technique to using the baby spacer. With Rigs, I also have to stand hugging his face, with one had over the opposite nostril. Then I wait at least three breaths for him to be breathing through the apparatus, you can see the breath going in and out. Only once he is confidently breathing do I squirt. At first, the first squirt would be wasted as he'd hold his breath at the strange noise and maybe smell? But then I'd do the next couple in time with the breaths.

The vet says the spray is very sticky and if not timed properly with the breath, it would mostly just stick to the container. The container would then be sticky and would attract the next puffs.

When done right, the container is clear and as he breaths in, the puff happens and you can see the puff be inhaled directly.

Rigs had loads of inhalers prescribed. I think his max dose was 6 morning and night, but I may be wrong. It was for all summer. The first year, we needed that but now, he barely has any symptoms and does not need an inhaler any more (hasn't for 2 years).

The device that @cauda equina sent me was a boon in that it encases their nostrils so, if you are not as accurate with blocking the other one, they will still get benefit.

I use a cheap baby spacer off Amazon now, under £10, to dispose of at the end of the season. Well, that is what I have, not that we currently use it!
 
Just for curiosity sake but why do you need to block the other nostril?

The spacer device is designed to be anti stick and anti static on the inside to avoid the partical sticking. This is why you shouldn't hand wash and need to replace after 12 months.
 
Cloball said:
Just for curiosity sake but why do you need to block the other nostril?

The spacer device is designed to be anti stick and anti static on the inside to avoid the partical sticking. This is why you shouldn't hand wash and need to replace after 12 months.
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I block the other nostril so there is a good flow of air going into the one with the inhaler.

My vet said that they may be anti static, but the stuff is so sticky, it will still stick. Rather like a non stick pan, I think. I could see the residue even before hand washing then rinsing.

If you block one nostril and time it right, the stuff doesn't hang round in the chamber: it wooshters straight through and up the nose on the rather strong inhalation.

It was effective and I didn't begrudge a new £10 spacer every year. It was after only a couple of months the first time as I didn't have the timing quite right and the mist would be hanging round in the chamber.

I am happy to follow my vet's recommendation as it worked. It worked so well, he no longer needs one LOL.
 
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