Why use a nebulizer on a horse?
Benefits of Using an Equine Nebulizer
An equine nebulizer is a device that delivers aerosolized medications and natural therapies to the airways of the horse. Equine nebulizers can be used to administer antibiotics to treat infections in horses’ airways, bronchodilators which open up a horses’ airways, corticosteroids used to treat inflammation in your horses’ airways and natural products that can sooth and condition a horses’ airway.
Equine nebulizers can also be used to deliver anti-inflammatories and anti-microbial products to the airways, which can help with equine asthma, and treat other airway obstruction issues such as pneumonia, which is classed as part of what is termed “inhalation therapy.”
Nebulizers for horses are relatively inexpensive and lightweight and have been proved as an effective way to administer medication or natural remedies at the barn or on the go. Equine Nebulizers are easy-to-use. All that is required is placing over the mouth of the horse to administer the relevant dose.
But what are the core benefits of using equine nebulizers and how can it help in the role of inhalation therapy?
TREATMENT: Equine therapies such as massage therapy, cold laser therapy, and PEMF therapy focus on various physical ailments, while an equine nebulizer simply focuses on the respiratory system of the horse. The most frequently occurring lower respiratory tract disorders in equine are Recurrent Airway Obstruction (RAO, or "heaves"), Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD), Inflammatory Airway Disease (IAD) and Exercise-Induced Pulmonary Hemorrhage (EIPH, or "bleeding").
Typically, their treatment includes systemic administration of drugs orally or through injections. However, administration via inhalation through horse nebulizer masks is now considered to be a viable alternative for the treatment of respiratory disorders, including breathing, airway or lung problems. 1
PREVENTION: Nebulizer treatments can prevent respiratory problems from developing as well as treat acute breathing emergencies. Long-term bronchodilators taken on a daily basis can keep the bronchial tubes open. Steroids reduce inflammation and mucus production in the lungs, which can block oxygen flow.
EASE OF USE: Nebulizers require very little effort to use. Unlike inhalers, which generally require you to breathe in when you release the medication, the medication in a nebulizer treatment flows continuously. The horse breathes normally during the treatment. Nebulizers take between 5 and 15 minutes to deliver a full dose of medication.
The Types of Equine Nebulizers Available
There are three different types of nebulizers, which comprise the following:
Jet Nebulizers
A jet nebulizer needs a compressor, either battery-powered or electric, which connects to tubing to introduce the air into the medication cup. When the air reacts with the medication, this creates a film of liquid broken down into droplets inhaled by the horse.
Ultrasonic Nebulizer
This nebulizer uses electricity to create a high-frequency ultrasonic wave, and when the element comes into contact with the medication, the vibration turns liquid into a mist, making it easy to inhale.
Mesh Nebulizer
When the mesh and the elements react, it creates a physical vibration, forcing the liquid through the mesh holes and turning it into a mist. Some advantages of a mesh nebulizer are they are fast, portable, quiet and easy to use. Additionally, mesh nebulizers have a self-contained power source. The mesh nebulizer is the most efficient nebulization method.
Alternatives When Treating Equine Respiratory Issues
If you are looking to manage a horse with respiratory issues, but are concerned with the level of antibiotics that may be involved, you may have come across the terms “chelated silver” and “colloidal silver.” Silver is not a new remedy and has been used since the Middle Ages to help eradicate various bacteria, molds and viruses. Colloidal Silver is all natural and PH balanced. Silver is anti-bacterial, anti-viral, anti-microbial, anti-fungal and kills the infection wile speeding up the healing process. Colloidal Silver is 100% natural and non-toxic and proven to provide pain relief on wounds, cuts, and abrasions.
Here are some of the conditions in equines that have been successfully treated using colloidal silver: allergies, blood parasites, burns, cholera, conjunctivitis, Lyme disease, meningitis, parasitic infections both viral and fungal, pneumonia, rheumatism, ringworm, septic conditions of the eyes, ears, mouth and throat, skin cancer, staph infections, strep infections, wounds, warts and stomach ulcers.
If your horse doesn't respond to traditional treatments, this could be where colloidal silver and/or chelated silver can help.
Chelated silver and colloidal silver are the same compounds, but with a notable difference. A chelate is a bound pair of atoms combined chemically, and chelated silver can transport larger atoms into the cells than the body would be able to do by itself. Because the body treats chelates as desired molecules, this allows them full entry into the cells. In comparison, colloidal substances have poorer bioavailability than chelates, so they are not as quickly absorbed into the body.
How Colloidal Silver or Chelated Silver Can Help Your Horse
Silver in chelated or colloidal form can be beneficial to your horse. If you've been using antibiotics for an extended period of time, your horse may have developed a tolerance or resistance against them, minimizing their effectiveness. With chelated silver, it is impossible for microorganisms in the body to develop any form of resistance despite how many times it has been administered.
Chelated silver is beneficial in the administration of an equine nebulizer as it can treat minor and major pulmonary infections. Used with an equine nebulizer, chelated silver can be administered and goes to work quickly, killing any bacteria within 4 to 6 minutes of administration. This works because the chelated silver prevents the absorbing of oxygen in the cells that are producing an infection. In the treatment of equine asthma, colloidal silver products have been used successfully as a part of inhalation therapy and are very effective against respiratory tract infections.
Colloidal Silver is a tasteless, odorless, non-toxic, pure, natural substance consisting of sub-microscopic clusters of silver particles, suspended by a tiny electric charge placed on each particle, within a suitable liquid. The molecule's size usually ranges from 0.01 to about 0.001 micron in diameter (very small). The particles do not settle but remain suspended since the electric charge exerts more force than gravity on each particle. Colloidal is the form of choice since the body must convert a crystalline solution to colloidal before it can be used. Taken daily, it is a powerful adjunct to our immune systems, by killing harmful disease-causing organisms, and aids healing.
If you need to treat a horse’s respiratory problem, an equine nebulizer can be one of the most efficient ways to administer medication or natural remedies. Due to its non-invasive procedure, and fast-acting administration, it can improve a horse's ability to breathe quickly. If your horse is showing signs of equine asthma, or you suspect an infection of the respiratory tract, your veterinarian may point you towards an equine nebulizer as one of the most effective methods of treatment. It is vital you provide the level of treatment your horse deserves, and an equine nebulizer could make a big difference.
Equine Nebulizers For Sale – Brandenburg Equine
Flexineb E3 Complete Portable Equine Nebulizer System
The Flexineb E3 Complete Nebulizer System (Adult and Foal Sizes) is a portable, silent, highly effective equine nebulizer that delivers aerosolized medications and natural therapies to the airways of the horse. The soft flexible mask fits over the face of the horse and creates a seal by tightening the strap around the head. Since the battery is rechargeable, the Flexineb unit may be placed on the horse while walking so that deeper respiratory function is encouraged.
This complete FLEXINEB system provides everything required including: a standard flow Medication Cup, Metered Dose Inhaler (MDI) Adaptor, Aerosol Holding Chamber, Inlet Valve Kit, Exit Valve Kit, Flexineb 2 Controller Kit with safety strap, Battery, Battery Connector Cable, Flexineb 120 Volt Charger System, Mask Strap, Blue Soft Shell Mask, User's Guide and Carrying Case.
Silver Horse Care Respiratory Kits (Adult and Foal Sizes)
The Silver Horse Care Respiratory Kits include pure colloidal silver and a jet nebulizer that provides effective, fast medication delivery. Nebulizers send medications where they're needed most -- the lungs. Unlike systemic medications, which take time to pass through the gastrointestinal tract to your bloodstream, nebulizers deliver medications very quickly directly to the respiratory tract. Nebulization is used to clear the airways and the lungs of the horse so breathing will be easier.
Brandenburg Equine offers two different Silver Horse Care Respiratory Kits, both equine kits include the exact same products – the difference is the blue compressor is a more powerful, has a higher output, and is a diaphragm pump air compressor.
Silver Horse Care Blue Compressor Equine Respiratory Kit
The Silver Horse Care Blue Compressor Kit includes: Blue Compressor with braided hose - Diaphram pump air compressor - 1/4 HP Air output: 65LPM (liters per minute) 50 PSI, voltage 110, Low noise 55db., 4 medicine cups, 4 oxygen tubes, 3 corrugated tubes with adapters, 1- 16oz bottle of LaSal Nebulize Patented Chelated Silver, 1- 16oz bottle of Colloidal Silver, 1- 16oz bottle of Colloidal Silver, Wound & Skin Foam, 1- adult sized horse mask, a human mask, disinfectant spray and carrying case.
Silver Horse Care Equine Respiratory Kit
SHC Respiratory Kit includes: Silver Air compressor with Single Cylinder Piston compressor, oil less, 1/5 HP voltage 110 Air output 25 L/min, auto stop, Low noise, 47 db., 1 braided hose with barb to reduce heat, 4 medicine cups, 4 oxygen tubes, 3 corrugated tubes with adapters, 1 -16oz bottle of Nebulize Patented Chelated Silver, 1- 16oz bottle of Colloidal Silver, Wound & Skin Foam, 1- adult sized horse mask, a human mask, disinfectant spray and carrying case.
- Purchase the Silver Horse Care Respiratory Kit
