Patent Application
20150289962
This invention concerns a treatment method for animals and apparatus for performing the method.
The method is intended for horses and greyhounds but may be beneficial to livestock generally and cattle in particular. A large proportion of the body weight of a racehorse and greyhound is skeletal muscle. They have large lung capacity to match because the combination permits them to run at speed. To maximise and maintain speed, the respiratory system must work perfectly and performance depends on the airways maximising the flow of air to the lungs. Any constriction leads to panting and reduction in performance.
The extent and frequency of impairment is only evident to trainers who are in constant contact with the horses and dogs in their care. When skin ailments are active they are visible as rashes, surface ulcers, wounds, bruises, swelling and the like and topical or systemic treatment can be planned. When respiratory problems are spoiling the animals performance or recovery from training the cause is often discernable. Heavy panting may indicate blockage of airways with mucus or sputum. While infections by bacteria may be treatable with antibiotics, these frequently disturb the animal through side effects. If the infection is viral the position is less treatable because there are relatively few anti-virals. So there is a need for a treatment which is rapid in effect and simple to administer.
A veterinary inspection is a usual step and the introduction of a diagnostic camera helps to show to what extent the airways are not performing as they should. This sort of inspection may be done between training sessions. Once the airways are shown to be the source of slow speed rather than body pain or systemic infection then localised treatment can be planned.
Trainers like treatments which are rapid in effect so that time lost in training is minimised. This is particularly so when a horse is recovering from travel fatigue. This condition is common and can subtract severely from a training program. This shows as general debility and may last for weeks.
The apparatus aspect of the invention provides a chamber for temporary accommodation of one or more animals to be treated with means to cause an airstream in the chamber and dispensing means for adding finely divided mineral salts which form a suspension when dispensed into the airstream.
The dispensing means may include a comminuter for reducing the crystalline or amorphous salts to a particle size suitable for air suspension, namely 5-15Φ.
The airstream may be created by a fan such as an axial flow fan.
The chamber may have surfaces which resist deposition of the salt particles.
The chamber may have a desiccator which can be covered and uncovered in order to remove excess water vapour from the air.
The chamber may have floor cleaning apparatus for example a mobile manure scoop.
The method aspect of the invention provides a method of contacting the cell surfaces of livestock which are in contact with the atmosphere with finely divided mineral salts in airborne suspension, including the steps of confining the animal in a chamber and exposing the animal to an airstream which contains the suspension, whereby the salts are inspired and optionally repeating the exposure.
The method further includes a dispersing finely ground mineral salts in an airstream created in a chamber containing an animal to be treated and keeping the animal in the chamber for a period sufficient for the salts to be consumed by inspiration of the animal or deposited on the animals skin.
A mixture of salts are preferable. The dose may vary according to the severity of the condition 5 g, 10 g, 15 g and 20 g/m3 being the preferred range. The frequency may also vary according to the severity and may be daily or 1-6 sessions per week. The sessions may last 15-45 minutes.
Periodically the air in the chamber may be exposed to a desiccator in order to reduce the humidity caused by the expiration and perspiration of the animals.
The walls, floors and ceiling tend to become coated with the salts particles and those which contain water of crystallization such as magnesium salts cause moist surfaces to persist. Some salts are deliquescent and these produce a water film on the floor. It is useful to dust the chamber floor with common salt, preferably sea salt and a desiccating agent such as calcium chloride.
The salt for airborne suspension may be phosphates, sulphates, chlorides and fluorides of sodium, potassium, calcium, magnesium and iron.
1. Respiratory problems clear up and a return to training occurs sooner. Bleeding and mucus production in the airways diminishes. Attacks of pharyngitis moderate.
2. Travel sickness is dispelled.
3. Skin complaints are alleviated.
The embodiment of the invention is now described with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:
Referring to
The ceiling 16 and upper walls 18 are covered with panels 20 which are coated with desiccant but which after initial use become coated with a second layer of treatment salts.
Gate 22 pivots left and right and fastens to the frame of door 10. Shorter gate 24 divides the animal space into a second and third stalls for accommodating two more animals. Collar ties 26 hang from the gates to restrain lively animals. A fluorescent light 28 illuminates the chamber.
Partition wall 4 has an aperture 30 through which air is blown by the salt dispenser 32 mounted on the wall of the staffroom 6. Desk space and record keeping containers 34 occupy one wall of the staffroom.
Referring now to
The contents of the drawer are transferred to a measuring cup (not shown) and then tipped into a comminuter 46 which has electrically driven cutting blades. A restrictor causes the crystals to fall by gravity into the blades' path in a steady stream. The blades propel the powder produced by the comminuter upwardly into the airstream generated by an axial flow fan 38.
The fan is of 500 l/min capacity. The airstream blows the powdered salt into the animal area 8 where it circulates returning through the door 10 which is left ajar.
In practice, a batch of 60 g is prepared and increments of this powder are allowed to rise intermittently into the air flow over a period of minutes once the breathing rate of the horses has fallen to normal. The treatment continues for 15, 30 or 45 minutes and is repeated daily.
The electronic timer 50 allows the operator to select the treatment period. An air conditioner circuit (not shown) is controlled by a thermostat to adjust the chamber temperature. Humidity is kept low by the removal of desiccant. Buttons 52 select 15, 30 or 45 minute exposure. Buttons 54, 56 cause temperature and humidity to be shown on screen 58.
Three treatments on three days suffice to dispel travel sickness. A useful optional adjunct to the treatment is a negative-ion generator 60 on the opposite wall 62.
Referring now to
The rails are in two rows divided by a central gap 66. At one end of the gap there is an axial flow fan 48 of 1000 l/min capacity which directs an airstream toward the opposite wall 58 through gap 66. The air circulates and reaches the space 68 behind the fan.
In a non-illustrated variant, the chamber is a trailer-mounted box like a horse box so that it may be towed by a vehicle to reach the animal, for example a zoo animal. In a further adaptation the mobile chamber is capable of treating one or more animals in the course of the journey. The chamber may alternatively form the body of a truck.
Treatment of camels with conventional medicines may affect the liver and other organs so salt therapy delivered in a quiet chamber like ours offers no harm and the ability to treat the whole animal.
The trailer may also be taken to apiaries so that hives may be stacked inside the box.
It is to be understood that the word “comprising” as used throughout the specification is to be interpreted in its inclusive form, ie. use of the word “comprising” does not exclude the addition of other elements.
It is to be understood that various modifications of and/or additions to the invention can be made without departing from the basic nature of the invention. These modifications and/or additions are therefore considered to fall within the scope of the invention.
