# Whose horses need to use inhalers?



## Gorgeous George (29 January 2012)

George was scoped on Friday and has been diagnosed with RAO/COPD, thankfully fairly mild at the moment. He is being kept in as dust free an environment as possible, with as much turnout as possible (unfortunately 24/7 isn't an option).

The vet has said that he will need to have inhalers, administered via a baby space type device. I think he said he would start with a drug called flexotide and then go onto one called Beclomethasone, with the idea of reducing the number of daily puffs to the minimum to keep him stable.

I was just wondering who was in a similar situation, how easy is it to use the inhaler, and the big question how much do the inhalers cost and where do you get them from? I am covered by insurance at the moment, but in the future I won't be, so would like an idea of the long term cost (so I know how much to budget for) - I didn't dare ask the vet on Friday!

Thanks


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## whiteclover (29 January 2012)

My old horse had severe COPD and was prescribed inhalers. She hated both the spacer and the noise the spray made. Maybe your horse will be okay with it. The inhaler is supposed to be better for them than putting steroids in the feed. I bought my inhaler from the vets, failing that you should be able to get one online/from a chemist. I cant remember the exact amount they both cost but it wasnt cheap.


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## oscarwild (29 January 2012)

My horse has just recently stopped using an inhaler as it didnt help with the mucus/snot that she had been having.  
She had to have the baby spacer thingy too.  I found it very easy to use because she is very good with things round her nose and never bothered about the noise the spray made.  I held the spacer device over her left nostril (the one with the snot) and listened to her breaths through the device. As you hear the non return valve moving and you spray one spray just before or on her breath in and wait for around 30 sec before administering the next one until you get up to the required no of puffs from inhaler.
I to bought the inhaler and spacer device from the vets but have no idea how much it cost as I got it through my insurance.
Sorry I cant give you any more info on this but if he god with things around his face and muzzle you should be fine with administering it.


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## Sophstar (29 January 2012)

My cob was scoped and lung washed a couple of years ago and diagnosed with an allergy. He was prescribed flixotide inhalers too however he became a nightmare with the inhalers and spacer and shook his head just as i sprayed the dam thing! Upon finding out that each inhaler cost £100, I have just changed the way he is managed and put him on supplements that help to clear out the mucus overload he gets! £100 was a ridiculous amount for an inhaler that only had 120 sprays and I couldn't guarantee he would feel the benefit moving his head around so much. At a prescribed dose of 10 puffs a day, inhalers would be costing me over £200 a month...I'm not made of money!


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## Gorgeous George (30 January 2012)

Oh my goodness how much?? 

Can I ask what the management of your horse is and what supplements you use?

Thanks


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## Sophstar (1 February 2012)

Gorgeous George said:



			Oh my goodness how much?? 

Can I ask what the management of your horse is and what supplements you use?

Thanks 

Click to expand...

My boy lives out 24/7 and though it was never confirmed what his allergy was, he gets a lot worse through the summer and in the heat, despite his initial breathing problems triggering one winter. If he gets hay, its soaked and I got a 2nd vet's opinion when my 1st one told me to keep him out of work on 32 breathes a minute. The 2nd vet (who I changed to!) advised to keep him in work, as it helps to loosen off the mucus and as he said 'he will tell you when he needs a break'. We did 4 sponsored rides after he told us to keep working and he loved it. He slowed down when he got breathless but was pretty much the fastest 1 of our group I have him on a supplement called EquiExpectorant which helps to break up the mucus and if he is worked for an hour +, once he's finished it's like someone has pulled a plug and his nose just runs...not pleasant but it works. I tried Global herbs and naf respirator and they didn't do anything, and ventipulmin has no effect. If it's incredibly hot, he comes in and keeping the weight off him helps a lot. My other pony who has suffered with COPD badly all his life has just been put onto Breatheplus and his breathing is improving. Problem with respiratory issues are you can't see the extent of damage already done to the lungs, so getting in control asap is vital!


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## loopylucifer (1 February 2012)

I have one at one at the moment on inhalers. He started on them at the begining of December he was on 20 puffs of each twice a day we are now down to 6 once a day but has started weezing and coughing again so may have to up it again. when was on 20 x 2 daily was in the £200 reagion but now come down massivly as the inhalers now last a month at a time and not a week. Much more cost effective than ventapulmin for long term use. My old horse used to have them too worked well for her.


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## Box_Of_Frogs (2 February 2012)

Sunny had to have an inhaler 2 summers ago. He has a severe pollen allergy. The horse inhalers cost £250 which is insane, but they cover the whole of the nostril/muzzle area. A baby inhaler from Boots costs abou £13 but only covers 1 nostril. Sunny's so chilled about things that I could give him his inhaler single handed. He had to have 10 puffs of Ventipulmin, wait 10 mins then 5 puffs of steroid. Gently press the baby inhaler over 1 nostril and place your hand over the other nostril. You can do the puffs any old time - don't have to wait for breaths in and out because the whole point o fthe inhaler is to trap the vapour ready to be inhaled at the next breath. I used to do the 10 puffs all at once. Inhaler fills with cloud of drug. Wait for next inhale and watch for the air inside the inhaler to go clear which tells you it's all been breathed in. If the horse only takes a tiny breath or breathed in before you were ready, just keep the inhaler steady and in place and wait for the next breath. You can make your own with a clear plastic bag and some duct tape but too fiddly and too much potential for danger for my liking! Good luck x

PS - Sunny still going strong but the inhaled drugs didn't help him at all. He was on Cavalesse instead, dribbled onto a slice of bread. Gave about a 60% improvement of RAO symptoms.


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## Gorgeous George (2 February 2012)

Hi thank you all for the information, my vet has just ordered in the inhaler (think he said it was a drug called Fluticosone) and he has already suggested that it will be best and cheaper to use a baby spacer device. I have already been getting George used to me holding one nostril closed and holding things against his nose, when he's good he gets a bit of a polo. So far so good, but we'll have to wait and see.

I think the vet then wants to wean him onto a cheaper/milder drug called Beclomethosone (?).

The good news is that I've managed to secure him an outdoor stable (he's in a well ventilated barn at the moment) which he moves to next week, so hopefully that will help.

Oh the joys


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## Laafet (11 February 2012)

I hope George is coping well. With regards to the cost of the inhalers, that is one reason why I never complain about prescription charges, these inhalers cost a lot of money, more than the prescription charge, as I found out when I was abroad and had to buy them for myself.


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## DosyMare (12 February 2012)

My boy got fluid in his lungs. He was on steroids for 18 months and had a pump, haylage, dust free stable the works.
I turned him away for a 6 month and when I bought him back of the field he was fixed!


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## whitehorsewhitenose (15 February 2012)

Hi there,

Not sure if it helps but my boy was prescribed inhalers for severe COPD but wouldnt take them, he is incredibly head shy, or was back then. I found steroids and ventapulmin had very little affect on him at all and changed his management and for the last 4 years he has had no signs of issues at all.

He lives out 24x7, haylage instead of hay or hay if it is well soaked and the best supplement I found was wingery ventilate. Also I have noticed as I have moved about with him that the location of his fields plays a big part. Anything near water (rivers, canals etc) or near heavily planted rape or mustart seed really aggrevates him. He is currently at the food of hills surrounded by grazing which has been the best so far. We are attempting to make a move for the coast and I expect this will probably be the ideal situation for him.


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