Your horse has been prescribed a corticosteroid inhaler. This is a highly effective way of treating allergic respiratory conditions such as COPD or summer pasture allergy. By delivering the drug direct to the lungs it is possible to use tiny doses of steroid thus avoiding any possibility of unwanted side effects. These treatments are derived from drugs licensed for use in humans and are not specific equine licensed medicines. 

The inhaler has two parts. The ‘metered dose inhaler (MDI)’ and a ‘chamber’. The MDI is discharged into the chamber which in turn is held over the horse’s nostril.

To gain the maximum benefit from the inhaler it must be used in a very specific way.

1. Wash both parts of the chamber and the rubber nose piece in washing up liquid once per week and leave to drip dry overnight. This prevents electrostatic build up on the plastic surface of the chamber.
2. Shake the inhaler vigorously before use for at least 30 seconds.
3. Make sure that the inhaler is upright before use (with the nozzle downwards).
4. Connect inhaler to chamber.
5. Administer one actuation (puff) at a time. Discard the first actuation.
6. Hold the chamber over the horse’s nostril and cover the opposite one. Administer one actuation as the horse breathes in.
7. Initially it may be necessary to perform the actuation and then hold the chamber over the horse’s nostril – until the horse is trained to accept it.
8. Leave 30 seconds between actuations.
9. Each inhaler has 200 doses – it may continue to emit propellant gas after this time (up to 50%) longer. There is no drug present after 200 actuations.

Dose rate.

Generally treatment should be administered TWICE daily.

For a 500 kg horse 2 – 20 ‘puffs’ of Beclomethasone twice daily.

Your vet will suggest a ‘starting’ dose range.

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