“A major limiting factor in equine performance is low grade respiratory tract infections. Chelated Silver inhalation eliminates infections in the respiratory tract by generating reactive oxygen species and these reactive species are active against all types of microorganisms, including bacteria, fungi and viruses. These therapeutic benefits have the potential to translate into improved athletic performance while still meeting the criteria for therapeutic medication.”
Along with lameness, respiratory disease is one of the most common causes of chronic illness in horses, with an estimated 25% of veterinary calls relating to respiratory problems. Respiratory disease primarily and directly affects athletic performance, and therefore represents a significant problem for both sporting horses and race horses.
Respiratory problems which are frequent issues for horses are very often associated with microbial infections. Field and clinical testing has shown that the use of Chelated Silver as a head wash or by when administered by nebulization can be highly effective for upper or lower respiratory infections, effectively “clearing up” and in many cases essentially completely eliminating the infection in as little as 3-5 days. A large percentage of lower respiratory or lung infections are secondary to and an outcome of improperly diagnosed upper respiratory infections. Clinical experience has shown that the duration of common respiratory ailments such as bronchitis, viruses, colds, and various upper or lower respiratory infections may be shortened and or eliminated following Chelated Silver respiratory therapy.
Chelated silver therapy is currently being used successfully as a treatment in cases of Pharyngitis, Lymphoid hyperplasia, Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD), Exercise-Induced Pulmonary Hemorrhage (EIPH or “bleeding”), and for a number of other respiratory conditions. Delivering a high volume of very small Chelated Silver particles into the back of the throat, the guttural pouches, the trachea and the large airways of the lungs of performance horses has proven to be a very beneficial therapeutic approach.
Chemically, Chelated Silver is an exceptionally stable compound, effectively non-reactive and a non-significant threat to the environment. Research and clinical experience have shown that Chelated Silver achieves better tissue penetration and is a more useful compound than free silver. With reference to its mechanism of action, the reactive oxygen species produced by silver simply interrupt the bacterial cell’s ability to form the chemical bonds essential to its survival. These bonds are necessary for the cell’s physical structure and functioning so when a bacterium/microorganism comes into contact with the reactive oxygen species produced by Chelated Silver it literally falls apart.