Ventapulmin....

[miamibear]

Neddy on it now for a while until it runs out anyway on advice of vet!

What i want to know is can you exercise on it. Not riding but want to lunge him quite hard on wed morning to see if he coughs because if he does i need to call vet to come on thurs (their day in my area)

Thanks guys!

 

[foraday]

I think every vet is different with ventipulmin.

I know when my old mare was on it so wasn't allowed to exercise but she was quite poorly.

Call your vet and ask them if they want to see your horse again.

 

[miamibear]

I only spoke to them and they said feed the ventapulmin and if no change by mid week ring them and they will come out BUT he only coughs sparadically (sp?) and mainly when being exercised so unless i exercise him i will have to put him in the stable and hang around for a good few hours to see if anything happens, probably waiting for something that wont happen.

He isnt poorly, no temperature, looking very bright and eating like a ganet!!

Vet said in any case they probably wouldnt want to put him on antibiotics which is the next step because he needs to build a natural immune system to whatever the bug is!

Dilemmas!!

 

[k9h]

I've exercised when horses have been on it without any problems had a horse with COPD & when not having a good time use to put him on it & he hunted on it aswell for a few days.

 

[MiffyH]

I know people who have their horses on it permanently (COPD sufferers) and they can be exercised. It does vary per vet, make a quick call and ask your vet, but i would *think* that light exercise would be absolutely fine and might help get the lungs moving a bit and clear what ever is causing the issue. - Just an opinion I am NOT a vet. :0)

 

[Tia]

Ventipulmin.....as far as I am aware.....has antibiotics in it.

I rode when using it years ago - but gentle exercise, nothing mind-blowing or fast.

 

[miamibear]

Oh maybe it does then but the way the vet described it was that it was just something to open the lungs and dislodge the mucus, if it was an infection they would have to prescribe antibiotics seperately but didnt really want to do that.

Basically i think he thought i was panicing over nothing i.e leave horse to fend it off itself but i dont like to see any of mine coughing and heaving!

I just want to lunge him one day to see if he coughs, not going to hammer him but will canter him not for long though. Maybe 10 to 15 mins lunge work to get him breathing heavier and see if he coughs.

Bloomin horses, the snot (sorry) was running out of him yesterday so it must be dislodging something. Didnt look so bad today will have another good look tonight!

 

[kildalton]

Ventipulmin( Clenbuterol ) does not have antibiotics in it. It is exactly as your vet describes, and is used to treat asthma in humans.

 

[Lucy_Ally]

Ventipulmin is a broncho-dilator so like the drugs found in inhalers for asthmatics, it opens up the airways and can alleviate broncho-spasm (where the muscles of the airways contract and close up).
Is the snot thick and green/yellow? If so it may indicate an infection and it would be unwise to exercise him. If it is clear or quite runny then it should be ok to exercise but like everyone else has said just take it easy. You wouldn't expect a person having an asthma attack to run a marathon (unless you were my old PE teacher who didn't believe in asthma....)
Its always best to follow your vets advice, you are after all paying for their expertise and knowledge. If he is unconcerned then it is unlikely to be too serious.
Hope he perks up for you soon.

 

[jes_nibley]

My welsh section A is permantely on ventipulmin, he has COPD, and my vet has never said anything about not exercising him. We school twice a week, and hack 4 times a week. (3 for an hour, and one blast around the woods) he's fine on it.

 

[miamibear]

The vet said if it was an infection he would be under the weather and feeling offish and actually he looks and is feeling well and eating like a good un!!

Its cloudy runny snot - not yellow. I clean it off every night.

I remember having my old horse on ventapulmin for the same thing at the same time of year - wierd and i was allowed to do mild exercise on him, i dont want to ride red just test him for coughs, will do it anyway and monitor.

Will do it before i feed him his morning dose too so then his night dose should be almost out of his system by then

Thanks everyone for your advice, may end up calling the vet anyway on thurs - depends what its like by then

 

[Tia]

Hmm....I've just googled it. Here's the link suggesting it has: http://www.vetcontact.com/en/vet.php?k=86

Pretty sure my vet told me way back when that it contained antibiotics, however perhaps they have changed the formula now. It was a good 10 years since I used it.

 

[kayleigh_and_rocky]

My boy was on ventapulmin for a while after he had an athsma attack after eating dry hay (my horse is such a geek lol) and he was fine to exercise on it but for the first 3days i rested him just until he was back to normal breath wise.