Equine Asthma: Nebulisers. Flexineb or Hippomed

MiJodsR2BlinkinTite

MiJodsR2BlinkinTite

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Hoping for advice & comparisons.

My pony mare has equine asthma. Feeling it is time to get her a nebuliser; currently we are using a cheapie-cheerful baby mask set-up to administer her meds, however in this dry spell she has been coughing more than I'm happy with, and I wonder whether it is time to fully "exercise" the credit card and get her a nebuliser. I'm on several EA groups and all of them say how a nebuliser helped their horses.

Vet mentioned the Hippomed one as possibly being cheaper, which yes it is, but not by all that much.............

Everyone seems to go for the Flexineb.

Not sure what to do.

Advice welcome. Has anyone used the Hippomed? Has anyone used both and preferred one over the other?

Experiences would be helpful. Thanks.
 
I have no experience of the Hippomed but from a brief look at them there doesn't seem to be much difference in the initial price between them and the flexineb if I am looking at the right kits? I couldn't work out of the cups were one use only so they would be an ongoing cost. The medication cups on the flexineb do need replacing, and are not cheap, but I've seemed to be lucky and get years out of each one I've had (pony needing nebulised during pollen season only).

I've found the flexineb brilliant, more effective and cheaper ongoing costs than the babyhaler I used previously. I also find it time efficient, I cross tie, set it off and do jobs whilst it is nebulising.
 
How does a nebuliser work*? Do you have to obtain nebula specific drugs?

Currently using a spacer and inhaler.

*I’ve only ever been plugged in to one in an ambulance/hospital, I have no idea how they work 😂
 
With the flexineb whatever you want to nebulise goes into medication cup, set it off and leave it to it. My pony gets dexamethasone which is nebulised with saline 50:50 mix, I know others have used saline alone and also balsamic air. I'm fairly sure there are other things that can be used but the standard is usually steroids/saline mix. The steroids need the saline to go through the cup correctly.
 
I find it 100x times easier than the spacer inhaler set up to use and once you have the nebuliser I found the meds much cheaper than the inhalers. Although it's a long time since I bought inhalers so don't know current costs for them.
 
Sooohh......... sorry, my brain (what's left of it!) is aching here!

So OK right now I have two sets of inhalers for my pony; one blue, one pink. Exactly the same as human ones. I'm administering these via a baby face inhaler.

But if I had a nebuliser, it sounds like you have to administer the meds in a "cup"?? Yes?? Is this so? Or will the nebuliser take the same inhalers? I'm confused.

I've also heard that you can administer balsamic air in the nebuliser, but that you have to get a different "Cup", which is more expense, yes? Apparently the ones you get in the UK don't have the additional Cup that the ones you get in Europe do??

Please can someone explain all this? I'm holding off getting a nebuliser right now, as don't think I could figure out how it works, and it is an expensive item to purchase if I'm not going to be able to work it out.

Really confused.
 
It's not that difficult. There are videos out there and there is an instruction manual. There's a little cup/chamber and you put the meds in there. I used to put saline solution, or saline with whatever dose of Pulmicort. There are two cup sizes too if you want to/need to nebulize more of whatever. I don't know why you wouldn't be able to buy this additional cup if it didn't come with the Flexineb.

I was told not to nebulizer Balsamic Air. Something about oils into the lungs. That was a few years back, and I don't know if that was legit or if views have changed. I just gave it orally with a syringe.

You can do inhaler meds through it too. Honestly, just look it up. I think that you can figure it out. I found it to be simple and convenient.

Here's their YouTube channel: https://youtube.com/@flexinebofficial?feature=shared

There's other content out there too.
 
Also have a look on Breatheazy.co.uk they are the UK supplier of flexineb. I also think you can do a two week trial of the flexineb through them.

If you buy the full kit, which includes controller and med cup, you use a variety of liquids which are nebulised. I use dexamethasone/saline mix in the med cup. I found this to be much cheaper, and better for my pony, than the inhalers through a baby inhaler. The med cup holds 10ml, a pretty standard dose seems to be 4ml steroids 4ml saline very often less. If you need to nebulise more than 10ml you can get an extension cup.

You can buy a part kit which doesn't include the controller and med cup and you can use your metered inhalers with this, you put your inhaler into the opening of the holding chamber. But, for me personally, I wouldn't buy a flexineb to use it ths way.

CC I've also heard that about not nebulising Balsamic Air but people do seem to, I'm not sure if they use a different type but it's not something I've done.
 
About the different cups, you can get high flow (green) or standard (grey). I have always used the standard cup.

CC just been on Breatheazy.co.uk and they say green med cups are recommended for use with thicker solutions that need diluting such as Balsamic Air or Immuno- San, still have no idea if that's the same BA as the feed additive one!
 
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