Equine Asthma medications...

[palo1]

I am hoping to make sure that my Welsh mare doesn't struggle with Asthma flare ups this summer (she was diagnosed last summer). The vet originally suggested Fluticasone as needed but then couldn't get hold of that so I have some injectable Dexamethasone for a flexineb nebuliser. I have used it a couple of times when she has seemed a bit huffy but...I am aware that this medication isn't generally considered as effective as Fluticasone or Beclamethasone. I don't want to be 'that' client but I don't think the Dex is 'working' quite as well as the Clenil Modulite inhaler that I used last year. Today at a jumping clinic, although she didn't seem to struggle with the work, she was blowing at the end of the session. Her Resp rate has generally been low at rest and normal in work but the weather and conditions are changing now. She doesn't school or jump regularly and it was quite warm as well as today having a high pollen count and she has just started grazing the fields again so a number of factors involved today but I would like to see her finding it a bit easier tbh. Has anyone got experience of this kind of medication? My vet is really helpful and open to discussion so I will try to speak to her on Tuesday. In the meantime I am interested to hear of others experiences and ideas. I could try using the bit of Clenil via inhaler that I have left from last year - has anyone found that better than dex for their asthma horses? Thanks for any thoughts Alw is fit and well generally and was pinging away so I am not concerned but still think we could do a bit better!!

 

[BuzzyBee1982]

You could try giving her some chlorpenamine (Piriton) as well, always helped mine.

 

[palo1]

You could try giving her some chlorpenamine (Piriton) as well, always helped mine.

Thanks - I tried Ceterizine Hydrochloride last year but she generally has few symptoms and I didn't really notice any difference!

 

[Muddy unicorn]

We use dex in a flexineb to control asthma flare-ups. Are you only using it on an ad-hoc basis? The last time he had problems (triggered by a sudden cold snap in November), our vet told us to give it to him every day for two weeks then drop down to every other day for a week and then see how he was. The respiratory specialist also said to nebulise him just with saline solution at potential trigger times. Interestingly she said there was no point giving a horse anti-histamines as they’re not absorbed well by horses so the amount you’d need to give before they had a therapeutic level in their bloodstream would be impractical

 

[palo1]

We use dex in a flexineb to control asthma flare-ups. Are you only using it on an ad-hoc basis? The last time he had problems (triggered by a sudden cold snap in November), our vet told us to give it to him every day for two weeks then drop down to every other day for a week and then see how he was. The respiratory specialist also said to nebulise him just with saline solution at potential trigger times. Interestingly she said there was no point giving a horse anti-histamines as they’re not absorbed well by horses so the amount you’d need to give before they had a therapeutic level in their bloodstream would be impractical

Thanks - yes my vet told me that about anti-histamines too. I understand that a horse's histamine response is very different to a human's but lots of people feel they help their horses. Who knows! My vet suggested dex nebulised with saline after salbutamol every other day but I 'think' that the inhaled clenil seemed better/to have more impact. I have some clenil left over in inhaler form so I am going to use that every day for a week as advised previously to see if that does work better. I have read that the injectable form of dex is not particularly effective when nebulised too. It is a bit tricky as her symptoms are fairly subtle but still enough for me to want to do better. Symptoms also vary enormously through the day and weather. What I think I want is either 'better' nebulisable meds or more clenil as I cannot shake the feeling that the dex is not so effective. It would be good if I could find a routine that worked as well - it would be better for my mental health!!

 

[Muddy unicorn]

I’d never heard that dex wasn’t as effective so maybe that’s why it’s worked brilliantly with ours

 

[CanteringCarrot]

I've always been told to nebulize everyday for 2 weeks, or sometimes 1, but usually 2. Usually I accompany this with something to soothe the airway (a liquid supplement). It's always worked for us. I did start him on Cetirizine and I'm not sure if it's coincidence, but his allergies have been much better.

Usually I use Pulmicort. However, I did use Ectoin a few times this year, and although not a steroid, it helped with his issue.

 

[palo1]

I've always been told to nebulize everyday for 2 weeks, or sometimes 1, but usually 2. Usually I accompany this with something to soothe the airway (a liquid supplement). It's always worked for us. I did start him on Cetirizine and I'm not sure if it's coincidence, but his allergies have been much better.

Usually I use Pulmicort. However, I did use Ectoin a few times this year, and although not a steroid, it helped with his issue.

Thanks. I will do everyday for 2 weeks and see if that helps. I will ask the vet to visit too so we can discuss all the options. I was planning to use inhaled meds and nebulise with silverplex OR nebulise with something different to Dex to see what that does.

 

[palo1]

I’d never heard that dex wasn’t as effective so maybe that’s why it’s worked brilliantly with ours

I don't think all forms of dex are considered not so good; it is the injectable dex when nebulised that has been tested as not so effective as other meds. I think because Dex comes in a variety of forms it would be misleading of me to suggest that Dex per se isn't effective. But I have been given the injectable form as the preferred steroid fluticasone wasn't available, hence me going back to the inhaled beclamethasone as a different option. A different vet to my usual one has also suggested that the dex I have been given is not so 'good' as shorter acting and not as effective. I just need to align the right vet and the right medication...