inhalers, there must be another way (also in veterinary)

LovesCobs

LovesCobs

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my daughters mare needs an inhaler as she is coughing in summer and is noticeably worse when I have bad hay fever days! she is also shallow breathing at the minute.
I've spent 3 days getting her used to the spacer on her nose without inhaler spraying. she's fine with that (takes 20 seconds or so and I can then hold it in place).
but as soon as I use the spray she throws her head up and it obviously comes off her nose, she gets progressively worse and I'm sure she wont be getting the benefit! I managed 3 sprays for the first time tonight (she's meant to have 6). is there another way? I'm thinking my vet may have given me the cheapest option? if I have to do this twice a day I may lose the will to live ....:(
 
Is a nebuliser an option? That's more of a constant air flow, rather than 'squirt squirt'. It depends how the drug is formulated, though.
 
I went down this route with Heidi last week, and found that that first squirt is either colder or more forceful, she hated it but was ok if I squirted once away from her...so squirt once before applying to nostril and see if that helps.
 
We were given one by our vet. I say given it was £99 plus £65 for the spray. Second day she threw her head up spray fell out and she trod on it. Previous to that she had 2 tubs ventipulman and 2 lots of antibiotics and 2 endoscopes . In all £1300 worth and still had the slight cough. Bought Clarity two days later and cough stopped
 
carthorse said:
We were given one by our vet. I say given it was £99 plus £65 for the spray. Second day she threw her head up spray fell out and she trod on it. Previous to that she had 2 tubs ventipulman and 2 lots of antibiotics and 2 endoscopes . In all £1300 worth and still had the slight cough. Bought Clarity two days later and cough stopped
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:eek::eek:
you know, she's on her second tub of ventipulman, and a dose of antibiotics. I'm 90% sure its hay fever so to speak (she's bad on the days I'm bad!)
I asked vet if I should try her on Piriton and how many to use and she said antihistamine doesn't work on horses. So I've gone this route. I said no to endoscope as I'm sure it will just confirm what I have seen progress this year. when you say Clarity do you mean Claritin as in antihistamine or is it something else?
 
Old Bat said:
I went down this route with Heidi last week, and found that that first squirt is either colder or more forceful, she hated it but was ok if I squirted once away from her...so squirt once before applying to nostril and see if that helps.
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was this with a spacer over her nose or just the inhaler?, I've been told to warm it up in my hands and waste the 1st spray so that would be fine but there's no point using the big spacer over her nostril if it doesn't stay on for it to go into her airway, as soon as I spray she throws her head up and it flies out of my hand. It's like I need 3 hands and I'm on my own most of the time
 
I used the spacer and inhaler for my mare. In the end she was fine with it :)

Have you thought about trying Nostrilvet? It seemed to help my girl quite a bit.
 
I used piriton on my old horse daily in summer, he had liquid i think they need 6 or 8 tablets to have effect when we would take 1.
Personally i would go that route its prob cheaper also especially from vets.
 
Persephone said:
I used the spacer and inhaler for my mare. In the end she was fine with it :)

Have you thought about trying Nostrilvet? It seemed to help my girl quite a bit.
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just had a look at nostrilvet, it sounds like the nasal spray I use that's meant to coat your nose inside.

so my next possibly stupid question is, what to decide to do? get her used to the spacer and the spray of the inhaler, if her symptoms improve and once the other treatment has finished then try something like the nostrilvet and/or a supplement or antihistamine? the inhaler will be really expensive long term, but she is generally ok in winter as I steam their hay. she lives out in summer and is worse. vet suggested that if insurance pays out then I keep ordering all year round for the 1st year for the inhaler... trail and error :confused:
 
If shes worse in summer when she's out can u stable part if day- in during day out at night it vice versa?

My horse hated spacers over 1 nostril, eventually gave up & bought aeromask (insurance finally paid out for it) & so much easier 2 use & don't need 3 arms as straps on behind ear & horse can merrily toss its head & it stays in place- my girl got used 2 it pretty quickly cos she cudn't shake it off ;)

Another supplement option is global herbs pollenx- had good results with it for a while but can get expensive (i fed way over the recommended dose so v dear!)
 
Fransurrey said:
Is a nebuliser an option? That's more of a constant air flow, rather than 'squirt squirt'. It depends how the drug is formulated, though.
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Chocy said:
If shes worse in summer when she's out can u stable part if day- in during day out at night it vice versa?

My horse hated spacers over 1 nostril, eventually gave up & bought aeromask (insurance finally paid out for it) & so much easier 2 use & don't need 3 arms as straps on behind ear & horse can merrily toss its head & it stays in place- my girl got used 2 it pretty quickly cos she cudn't shake it off ;)

Another supplement option is global herbs pollenx- had good results with it for a while but can get expensive (i fed way over the recommended dose so v dear!)
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yes I've just been posted a link in vets for the aeromask, good to see you did get the money back on insurance (though I think my insurers will refuse to have me soon:rolleyes:)
I'll keep trying for a few days, speak to vet on Monday and go from there. I just don't like squirting the inhaler for no good reason (if its not actually going in properly!) and I'm not sure why she says antihistamines don't work. however at the minute her breathing is not great and her lungs don't sound great so maybe the inhaler is needed at the minute. maybe next spring I'll try antihistamines early and see if she doesn't get this bad. if she needs it I will get a mask, hopefully it would last ages.
 
I have a copd horse and when his breathing gets bad with a virus and ventipulmin, sputolosin and antibiotics fail then steroid tablets do the job. Maybe ask the vet if you can use steroid tablets instead.
 
Ask the insurers u never no! My mare was insurance nightmare! When I foned them 2 ask bout paying for aeromask I said my vets told me 2 get it cos all trials show it far better than 'baby spacers' & her breathing is so bad she needs it. Also said I could send them vet letter if needed but just say ok go ahead- prob more 2 just get me 2 stop nagging them bout it!

Ended up needing oral & IM steroids as well 2 try 2 control it tho with no real benefit.
I was also told the antihists don't work by my vets but did some digging & research & seemed 4 some horses had gr8 effect. Tho doses seemed 2 vary a lot. I did try cetirizine with horse but no luck.
 
I have steroid tablets. I'll keep them on standby (with the ok from vet) she had a virus a couple if months ago that was bad (thought we were going to lose her) she cane home with steroid tablets incase she relapsed but didn't. Well it seems there's a fair bit of trail and error ahead and I'll keep going, thanks everyone
 
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