So my vet was here yesterday, and we were having a long discussion about my horse and his asthma, and she sais to me, “Please don’t use the chelated silver that comes with the Flexineb.” And i had heard from someone else that it can build up(?) or something(?) But our conversation got sidetracked, and i never got to hear the reason she dislikes the silver. So i was looking online trying to find any reason i could, but cannot find anything except promotions for it. Do any of you know why a vet would not like the chelated silver? I have a friend who swears by it, and if her horses are in danger, i would like to be able to provide her with the reasons why. Thanks in advance.
The internal buildup of silver in the body is a real issue, BUT, it’s all a matter of how much for how long In people, it turns the skin blue, usually irreversibly
Uses of Silver as an Antibiotic in Horses - Kentucky Equine Research (ker.com)
silver inhalation therapy is often effective against respiratory tract infections. This therapy is also being used to treat chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and exercise-induced pulmonary hemorrhage.
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Decades ago my primary care doctor told me not to take silver because the body has no mechanism to remove silver from the body. Once there it stays there.
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So not what you’re asking, but my heavey horse hase been breathing normally after a couple of months on this. https://madbarn.com/product/spirulina/
It was a hail Mary type shot for me, but I figured for the low cost, it couldn’t hurt, and it definitely has seemed to help his breathing.
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It does depend on the amount you take, how often, and for how long. But given that there is zero credible evidence that it’s effective internally, and some studies showing it’s not effective internally, there’s absolutely no benefit to eating/drinking it
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is it possible because it will build up/damage the nebulizer? (I have no idea, just speculating)
I’ve never used a nebulizer but I’d assume there’s some cleaning process to do after every use
No, she was worried about my horse, not my nebulizer. I have also heard things about buildup in the lungs and it preventing other meds from working. But i have not found any facts online. Would like to find research findings. That said, i won’t use it anymore. If my vet is that opposed to it.
There is. We use distilled water to clean them.
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Oops sorry i thought you meant the silver.
I don’t think there’s much need for using it honestly, and I for sure wouldn’t do it daily. There also are some forms of silver solutions that are not meant to be nebulized. If you don’t need steroids or bronchodilators, plain saline works great.
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Personally, this is something I would want research showing that I should use it before I used it vs the opposite. It’s hard to prove a negative.
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