Train your cat to use the AeroKat inhaler
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 3 ต.ค. 2024
- If your cat has feline asthma or other lung disease it might need inhaler therapy. I have documented how I trained my own cat to use the AeroKat inhalation chamber, get used to it, accept it, and keep coming back for it every day. I use clickertraining, which is explained in the video. It is not necessary but useful. I am not a professional cat trainer ;-) I do know about animal training via the horses (Parelli Natural Horsemanship and clickertraining). My cat Beertje is a super cute Ragdoll, his colour is cream mitted. He is quite shy, very wary of new things, sounds, strange people (no visitors have ever seen him) and like most normal cats he likes to be around his owners, but does not enjoy being held or restrained by them. Cuddling is at his initiative, not ours. Shy cats need medication too, and when I was starting his training with the inhaler I did not find a good 'how to' video. The cats I saw made it look easy, which it wasn't for us, not at first. If I made a video now that he knows it we could make it look easy too :-)
The firm behind AeroKat (Trudell) now has tutorial videos made by professionals:
Teach Any Cat AeroKat* - 1: Creating Comfort • Teach Any Cat AeroKat*...
Teach Any Cat AeroKat* - 2: Building Confidence • Teach Any Cat AeroKat*...
Teach Any Cat AeroKat* - 3: Applying the Mask • Teach Any Cat AeroKat*...
Teach Any Cat AeroKat* - 4: Extending the Duration • Teach Any Cat AeroKat*...
Teach Any Cat AeroKat* - 5: Inhaling the Medication • Teach Any Cat AeroKat*...
I am in tears watching this because I am SO relieved and happily encouraged to see a resistant cat become a cooperative one in this process! I have been training my cat for about a week, using the lengthy and somewhat complex process offered by the official Aerokat videos, and while I appreciate the detail that they offer it has been overwhelming and sometimes quite confusing. Also, seeing their “expertly calm” cat doing everything right makes me feel like I’m doing everything wrong when I can’t get past the “putting her face in the mask for a split second because there’s food in it stage” 😅. Honestly, THANK YOU so much for creating and posting this video!!! It is exactly what I needed to help my self confidence and my confidence in my Petunia. Every time she coughs it makes me so sad so I’m quite anxious to start the inhaled medicine. You have given me much needed hope 💛
Same❤ my 7 year old cat has been dealing with asthma that the vet thought was bronchitis for almost 2 years now and prescribed an inhaler that I have been trying off and on for months and felt hopeless I would never be able to use because my Ed was so resistant to it. Now there’s hope and we’ve been on it for almost a week! Thank you so so so much for your sharing this video ❤
Al final habeis podido acostumbralos al inhalador? Mi gata le tiene panico, se lo he intentado dar la primera vez y ha sido horrible, tanto para mi como para ella.... Ojalá este entrenamiento surta efecto, su asma no es muy grave pero necesita la medicación 😭
Great to see the progress over time. They say "Patience is a virtue" but here "Patience is an art... leading to results"
1:38 food in the mask
3:45 manipulating cat's position
5:07 quicker rewards
6:10 inhaler attached
7:03 less food in mask, more frequent rewards
8:00 start using inhaler
8:37 stop putting new food in mask
9:51 stop using food in mask altogether
14:28 what we all strive to achieve
We are only between minutes 7 and 8 after 23 days, but we're not giving up. I watch the video a couple times a week, it really helps a lot. I hope beautiful Beertje is still doing great.
Thank you for that recap and I am sure your cat thanks you too! Beertje still loves his inhaler every morning, and he does not need other meds. If you feel you're stuck... maybe your cat needs more in between smaller steps that Beertje did not. Have you looked at the official AeroKat youtube channel? They break it down even more I think, with videos by real professional cat behaviour specialists/
Teach Any Cat AeroKat* - 1: Creating Comfort
th-cam.com/video/QhLGYIzPJaA/w-d-xo.html
Teach Any Cat AeroKat* - 2: Building Confidence th-cam.com/video/DSQaWwVI3ow/w-d-xo.html
Teach Any Cat AeroKat* - 3: Applying the Mask th-cam.com/video/7ECggCuEXS8/w-d-xo.html
Teach Any Cat AeroKat* - 4: Extending the Duration th-cam.com/video/ACj2L-kVS2A/w-d-xo.html
Teach Any Cat AeroKat* - 5: Inhaling the Medication th-cam.com/video/PsuNBs-hTNI/w-d-xo.html
@@tijgerlelie7 Thank you for the additional links. We're not really stuck, my cat (one of seven) may just need a little more time. He loves the attention and the treats, but he's a very shy rescue and this is as much about the inhaler as about building trust. Fortunately, he is caughing seldomly currently, so we're not in a hurry. I'll check out the links tomorrow. Thanks again for your help!
To cat owners with kitties that don’t find treats rewarding:
We had great success using human baby food (Gerber brand) as a treat for our kitties. #1 was chicken. #2 was turkey. Their .25 oz ‘2nd foods’ jars cost about $1.00 each US. I know it’s expensive. Use something like a spoon or brush to help it stick to the mask.
Best of luck to each of you, from one cat lover to another! 😻😻😻
Just be sure there’s NO onion or garlic in the food 😺💕
thank you so much for sharing, my cat got diagnosed with asthma couple of days ago and I'm at the very beginning of this journey. your video serves as a great tutorial 🤗
Mine was diagnosed this week ! This video is gold ! Hope your kitty is doing better !
For everyone asking about treats: we used liquid treats (in little long plastic bags that you cut the top off) and paste treats in a tube, different brands. For cats that are hard to motivate by (dry) treats, the liquid treats are probably the best option. As far as I can tell they are quite healthy, mostly meat and water. I looked up some brands: Vitakraft, Cosma Jelly, Miamor Cat Snack, Smilla multivitamin cat paste, Trixie malt paste, GimCat Multi-Vitamin Paste, Sheba Liquid Snack, and I am sure there are many more!
Thanks for the treat recommendations… we are just starting this process & although our kitty actually is familiar (& enjoys) with clicker training for tricks, we usually use dry treats for tricks.
The gooey treats would be much better & easier to couple with mask acceptance! Thank you!!!
Your video & kitty are wonderful! Hope he’s doing better! You are so gentle and loving with him! Lovely!❤
Churu paste treats are like cat crack! One of my cats will only do clicker training for Churu. If I try to substitute a lesser quality treat she just walks off
Thank you SO much for this video!! As it’s been already said, nobody needs a “tutorial” in which the cat allows you to do the treatment happily. I really hope I can be as patient as you’ve been and, hopefully, get the same results. Once again, thank you!!
This video is so great. I have started the training process with my shy cat and it really helps to see how you progressed with patience! I feel more confident now that we can do this together ❤
So, thanks to the gooey treats you suggested, we are on Day 2, and have had 4 very short but rewarding lessons today. Our Sophie is becoming more relaxed and actually puts her nose way into the folded-back mask on the chamber… happily licking, pressing herself waaay in there to get the very last yummy lick!
We have clicker trained her to do a few tricks in the past, but this is so different. The gooey treats really encourage her & calm the learning process down to her speed. Thank you!
The way you’ve presented this is that it’s a bonding experience, step by step. We cuddle & i brush her after each lesson… so she knows it’s a special thing for us to do.
This is, by far, the gentlest yet most encouraging & effective video on using the aerocat chamber. Thank you so much & hoping your kitty is doing much better too!
Wow thank you for your very kind words! Beertje is still doing great (lying next to me right now, he says 'prrrrrr' to you). Looking back with increased knowledge of animal training I might do it slightly differently now. A very good resource is the video series on AeroKat's own channel, by a professional trainer.
Thank you for this video! I think Aerokat should hire you to demonstrate their product and how to train! Thanks again. I have to remember PATIENCE!
Thank you SO much for showing the “whole boring process” 😂 I can’t tell you how defeated I’ve felt not being able to quickly train my cat (Bambi) to accept her inhaler. Any videos I’ve watched made it seem much easier than it has been for us. I think I advanced too quickly and it’s set us back. I Didn’t think it would be so slow and tedious to do. Your video gave a much more detailed training process. I’m feeling hopeful again that we can do this, thank you! ❤️
Thank you so much for making this video! I need to start training my cat. If I didn't see how you did it I'm not sure I'd have made it to 4 weeks! My Charlie is not as skittish/shy but.....I'm not sure he'd keep the mask on his face. I will start training tomorrow after getting the liquid treats. I want to say good bye to the prednisone!
I don’t know how you did this, how you got that patience. I am doing this as you are for 2 weeks, but my cat still won’t let me put mask on it’s face. At the beginning I was even happy that she licked the mask because she was hissing at it at first. But now I am scared to push her to much otherwise those 2 weeks will be gone. I don’t want to chase her every day. But still this video is more helpful than any other. Everyone else just puts the mask on and calls it turorial. Well all cats aren’t so peaceful with something on their face. I will keep trying. Thank you.
I understand! Patience is hard. What helped me was filming every few days (I just put the iPhone on the table) so I could eventually see I was making progress. It might help your overall relationship and you cat's sense of trust and fun to use clickertraining for fun things too like teaching your cat to come when called or little tricks. Keep up the good work!
I love everything about this video. Bless you for sharing this. Conditioning, time, patience, perseverance, and most importantly, LOVE!
Thank you so much for this video. I first saw your video about a month ago and at the time my cat would run from the room at the sound of the inhaler. Tonight she actually inhaled her medicine for the first time. She’s still unsure of the whole experience but has decided it’s worth it for the treats. Thank you!!
That is great to hear! Keep up the good work!
You are a godsend. Please do not ever stop loving that baby and keep this video up pretty please! This will be our next venture and I am inspired to try with your motivation, which worked btw. 😎
I commend you for having so much patience with training your cat on this device. You are a wonderful human being for taking such loving care of your cat and also for sharing this difficult training process and the steps you took to succeed to help others. Thank you so much. ❤
Thank you for a fantastic video on how to train your cat to use an inhaler. My kitty Annikah has just been diagnosed with feline asthma and the vet suggested an inhaler for her. I didn't think I would be able to get her use to a mask on her face but your video shows it can be done. Thanks so much!
I really like this one. I’ve given a cat the inhaler, but never trained a cat to be used to one. I’m a pet sitter so it’s my job. But now I have a cat who needs the inhaler. I want her as comfortable as possible. This video is one of my favorites. Thank you to the poster
Thank you so much for taking the time to make this video, it's so helpful!
Thank you, this has given me some hope 🥺❤️ struggling with my cat at the moment
So glad I came across this video. Ordering inhaler tomorrow. My most difficult cat to give any medication to has Asthma. I will will be following this training everyday when it arrives, and persist, persist, persist and then persist some more.
Well, I started this training with Sergei 4 week's ago, kept watching this video making sure I follow and understand each step exactly, to my relief it's working, although he's not quite there yet I can see he will be in time. Completely trust's the inhaler over his little face, so just working on holding it on for longer each time.
He gets so excited when I shout
" Sergei trainning"
He runs into the back room straight onto his training table and so ready and eager. Makes me so happy!!!!
Wow that is great to hear! How is it going now?
i've been struggling for MONTHS to get my cat to put his face in the mask, even with so many treats, but I was using solid treats and not quite breaking it down as you did. your method actually gives me hope that he will stop being so resistant, and I will be able to do this for his health! ❤
Thank you for this video! You’re right there’s not many out there showing this process. It’s going to be a process for us but we start in two days once the Aerokat arrives!
Hey! How is your progress? 🙏🏻
@@karacole2304 it was tough at first but it’s been months since then and we actually haven’t had to use the inhaler! Our Vet recommended a topical steroid and it’s helped immensely with the asthma attacks 👍🏽👍🏽
Where do you apply the topical steroid on a cat?
Oh, and what is that treat you’re giving your kitty? That may be more helpful than other things.
Wow I applaud your patience and empathy!!! I'm about to give my cat inhaler for the very first time....
Incredible result! 👏👏👏👏👏 Thank you so much for sharing your training with us! 💖 You helped us a lot, we also start teaching our cat from today! Our cat was also diagnosed with asthma, and we really want to make taking medication, inhalation stress-free for her.
Hi. Thank you for sharing
Bought the Aerokat few days ago, started with just laying it beside him, have it be present. Now thx to your awesome video, I have focus and a good plan, many thanks.
I'm so glad I found this!! I just found out my cats allergies will not be going away and she can't stay on steroids. My vet told me about this product and I'm so happy you made this video on how to train them! I love training my cat and now I'm prepared to buy paste so I can do the same training as you, because my cat can be pretty skiddish and very hyper, (and she can be sassy) but she's very food motivated and a quick learner. I never thought I'd have to give a cat an inhaler but this is what it means to be a pet parent!❤
Heel erg bedankt voor deze video. Het is erg helpend om de kleine stapjes en truucjes te zien!
Thank you SO MUCH for posting this. My cat got diagnosed with asthma and she’s so easily scared and resistant to restraint that I was so worried about this training. I will try this process and hopefully it helps! 🙏
I am so grateful for this video! My Molly isn't going to be easy but i have hope. Thank you so much for breaking down your process.
Thank you a million times, now i have a clear idea of how and timing for achieving success so my kitty doesn’t suffer
thank you for making this video. These were already the steps i broke the process down into (just figured i would do the same as exposure training with my dogs) but seeing you do it and you saying how many sessions and how long it took gave me more realistic expectations. Also your cat looks quite lovely in looks and demeanor! My asthmatic cat is pretty agreeable and my vet loves her, and thinks she will be a good candidate for this process of medicating.
Thank you for your words! How is it going with your cat?
Thank you so much for this. Part way through the training process. Without this video I would have struggled to work out a way of Lexi accepting the mask.
Watching you is awe inspiring. My wee boy may have asthma too. He was given a steroid injection by the vet last week after a procedure to check his lungs. However, I may have to start using the inhaler. Thank you for your video, it has given me a lot of hope that I’ll be able to train him. He was a stay and I know he already hates being handled. Wish me luck! 🙏🏻🍀
This is SO helpful, thank you for posting this! We're doing well so far on day 4, and I'm comfortable and confident with the process because of this video ❤
Brilliant! Your cat is so lucky to have such a patient and dedicated carer. I'll see if I can replicate this with my boy.
Thank you so much for posting your entire process. 💖
thanks for this, we're just now back from the vet and learning that this will be our next adventure. My Grayson looks like a black version of your Beertje, I'm hoping he adapts sooner though!
A very caring approach. Thank you for sharing your experiences.
it should be mentioned the cat needs to get food after inhaling cortisone because of the possibility of a fungal infection. You also should wipe mouth and nose with a wet cloth after inhaling because in some cases the whiskers can fall out from cortisone.
Thanks a lot for this video, it was very instructive, our cat was just diagnosed with asthma and we just ordered the inhaler. We'll definitely try your techniques, thanks a lot!
Thank you, this video was exactly what i was looking for! Your cat is very pretty too!
My oldest is currently at the vet getting treatment for a major asthma attack and is going to be on an inhaler.
Thank you so much for this video 🙏Now I know what is troubling a cat that pays me daily visits . I thought it was just a cough and cold - I myself have allergic asthma , but didn’t know cats can suffer from it too . If I hadn’t seen the video of your cat in distress, I probably would never have even guessed.
Thanks for sharing this journey, I’m pretty sure one of my cats has asthma too, waiting to get an opportunity to get him diagnosed and if he needs an inhaler too I will for sure try this method. He’s also very sceptical and not that much of a cuddle bug but I think this training method is a good way to get him to do that.
Thank you for your video, I am starting my journey with my kitty now...
Thank you so much! I'll try to train my cat)
You are a very patient and kind person!
So helpful, many thanks from Phoebe, 6 years old from Germany
Sounds like my Nougat! He was diagnosed with asthma and i ordered an inhaler, and while he's a sweet baby, he goes absolutly berserk if we try to hold him too tight and is wary in general (some trauma before his rescue, we've come a long way but he's still scared easily.) I was worried for the inhaler, but i might just follow your lead and hope it'll work for him! Thank you so much!
Dear Nathalie. Dank u wel. Echt. I might have to start my anxious baby on inhaler therapy soon, and watching this video and seeing your smile at 11:49 makes me feel so much calmer about it. She is super skittish, so it will definitely be extremely challenging. Thank you so much. How is your cat doing with the therapy? Hope he is feeling better and living a better life.
What a lovely comment! Beertje is still doing great, he's there every morning jumping on the table to get his treatment. And cuddles and attention, and of course something yummy afterwards, although now it is usually something useful like anti hairball paste or tooth gel.
Thank you! I'm apprehensive but don't want her to know. So i see how much patience this will take!
Thank you soooooo much for sharing! I have to give the inhaler to my cat and it has been so difficult!! I am going to start over, patiently, using your method! You gave me hope :)
Thank you so so so much for this. The vet videos with well behaved cats are just infuriating.
I tried to force mine today because his asthma attack scared me so much - but I know it's just made it harder for us 😢
~^-^~Wow, what a wonderful cat mom you are!~I cant believe i didnt think about putting food in the mask first!~Ive been trying to use a nebulizer so far, with no luck, so when my Areokat arrives, i will be following this very promising method!~
Thank you so much. My cat was diagnoses last week, and the thought of how to get him used to daily medication by puffer can be a little overwhelming. Your video has helped me alot to know what to do, how long it might take. I am using a paedetric small mask which fits alot better because my cat has a bit of a squishy flat face rather than a typical pointy cat snout.
Thank you so much. My kitty has had a whole bunch of health issues come on one after the other in the last 6 months, each requiring different medication. I couldn’t train her to accept them because time was a factor. Even tho I tried to reward her, she’s now anxious when I try to hold her. I had no idea how I could ever get her to accept this as a 2x daily treatment. Your video is so helpful for me to follow step by step. Hoping for my own patience to get through this process, but her trusting me is important.
Thank you so much for this video ! My 2 1/2 year old female Thelma was just diagnosed with feline asthma and I was really … but I’ve taught her and her sister to both give high 5’s using clicker training so watching your video I feel like if I do need to start using an inhaler that I have some good tips here !!! kudos to you for all your patience and loving your kitty so much !! This gives me hope! It won’t be easy because Thelma is a wild one but at least now I know
What to expect if I do need to use an inhaler ! The liquid treats and having him lick out of the chamber first is a great idea!! Thank you so much for sharing this !! 😻🙏
Thank you for this amazing video. I’m just about to start this same journey with my cat Oscar. Fingers crossed X
Thank you for making this video!This helps a lots!
THANK YOU for this! My cat is very skeptical of anything near her face, so this is paramount to helping her with her asthma. I am following your lead! Hopefully she does as well as Beertje!
Super bedankt voor de video. Wij zitten met onze kat die nu van de pilletjes moet overschakelen naar een puffertje maar hij heeft er zo geen zin in. Het lijkt soms echt alsof we er nooit gaan komen en dat hij voor altijd aan de pillen moet blijven maar hopelijk gaat het met deze informatie toch wel lukken!
This was great! Thanks for showing the entire process.
Thank you so very much for your hard work and this video. My cat Loki gets really scared of the inhaler and he has been having bad asthma attacks lately. I will start training him properly soon.
A third arm seems to be very useful 😅
Thanks for the video! It is good to see all the steps🤓❤️
Thank you so much for this video and all your tips in the comments!! I'm gonna start tomorrow with this process and hopelly I can make my cat start with the right foot and feel comfortable with his medication.
Thank you so much for this video! It's been a real help for me and my Cat.
Very good, thank you. I am about to start training one of our cats.
I don't even have a cat and I watched the whole thing. Such a clear instructional video, and your boi is soooo cuttteee =^_^=
My old fella (9 years and 19 lbs) really hates this, and the younger one wants all of it, lol the treats at least. I just hate watching him cough and the full prednisone is really bad for him. Thanks for this video. I watch it everytime I feel discouraged.
Thank you so much for this video!
I love your video! It helps us so much with our training. By this time my cat is comfortable around the mast and putting ist on his nose with treats in it (sometimes even without). Our problem ist, that my cat is very sensitive when it comes to smells. He doesn’t care about the hiss of the inhaler, but the smell. He won’t even come near the mast and not even care for his favorite treat when it smells like the aerosol. Do you (or anyone else)have any advice for us?
Hi! Thank you, and maybe I can help brainstorm re the smell. Usually the solution is to make the in between steps to the total picture smaller and easier. So for smell that could mean presenting (very faint) odors on a cloth and following immediately with the most yummy food. Once that is solid (meaning no hesitation or fear response) try less faint of a smell (and remember cats smell so much better than us!), maybe different smells, maybe increasing in potency. Start from somewhere you are sure is going to work, like your cat smelling a neutral cloth with no extra smell, followed by food. Over a few days and (if possible) several sessions a day build this up to smelling 'something' equals yum!! and good feelings! Then use the inhaler on the cloth, maybe from far away at first. And so on, until the smell by itself (away from the mask and sound etc) is no longer a problem. Then recombine. You can do it!
Dear Nathalie - Thank you SO MUCH for this video. We are now less discouraged after our initial failed attempt to use the Aerokat chamber. We now understand what will be involved in training "Vagabond" to accept the mask on his face. We will try our best to channel your loving patience, and training technique. One question: What is the paste that you are using as a treat? It seems like a handy and less messy treat to go back-and-forth to the mask with.
p.s. Your cat is absolutely beautiful!
Thank you for your kind words and I hope you get your kitty back to health and confidence with the inhaler soon! I used different liquid and paste treats, there are many on the market. I don't recall the exact brand names...
@@tijgerlelie7
Nathalie, Thank you for being so responsive. Had never seen a treat in a tube before. Will search Chewy.com. Thanks again.
Great video! We'll definitely be trying this with our cat. She is not fond of the inhaler at all! Also, I was wondering if you could tell me the name of the music in this video? I love it and can't seem to find it anywhere and Shazam doesn't seem to find it either. Thanks again!
Hi, I downloaded some free music that was OK to use on Facebook (which is very restrictive usually), and the one I used for this video, is titled 'Don't-Slow-Down' if that helps. No artist given. Don't remember where I got it from exactly...
THANK YOU!
How long did you this amazing Training? Some weeks or days?
My furbaby also diagnosed with asthma. Im torn between an inhaler & nebulizer. If I used nebulizer, I could at least put him in my diy chamber.
Thank you very much for this video ❤️
Thank you for sharing.
Thank you for the detailed video! If you see this comment, can you please let me know how often your cat requires the inhaler medication? Also, how many doses does one inhaler last for?
Isn’t this for breathing? My cat started sneezing or coughing but he doesn’t look he has a breathing issue. He looks more like he has an allergy not asthma but my vet said it’s an asthma. Does asthma have an allergic asthma?
Not sure if it’s not an asthma but can we use this for allergic reaction like coughing?
Ik ben ook begonnen met de training. Mijn kat is erg schrikachtig, het wordt een hele opgave.
this is a wonderful video-- thank you so much! I Love your positive approach to the whole process. Your cat is a beautiful fluffy baby. This has been very helpful! What is in the tube & little packets?
Hi Judith, I had commercial liquid treats in the long packets (I don't remember the brand name), another commercial paste treat in a tube, and also a tube of anti-hairball paste - which luckily Beertje also really likes the taste of.
Thank you for the video. I just started training my kitty and it feels a bit overwhelming
Awesome!!! Thank you so much!
Some people said after using inhalers, cat gains more weight. Is it true?
Do you use the small or large mask to train? Which do you use for medication once trained?
Hi, I used the mask that fit him best (I believe the small one, don't have the other size anymore) both for training and once the training was good enough (holding for 15 breaths and 2 puffs) I continued with the same mask. If your cat already has fear of a particular mask and you are retraining instead of training, it might be better to start over with a different mask (size, color, material...) so it does not carry the bad associations with it.
I just started 2 days ago and I’m so scared my cat isn’t going to accept this 😢 I know I just started but I feel overwhelmed and hoping he can get some relief from his asthma soon 🤞
What size do you use for her?
Is he thriving ?
Thank you for this video!! I had no idea how I would get my cat to use the inhaler and have been giving liquid steroids for a long time but want to get him off. Now we have hope !!!
This is so helpful, thank you!! Question - even at the end, is he still licking with the mask on for an extended period of time? Does that matter, as long as he is breathing in the medicine! Thanks.
Hi Debbie, Beertje does not lick the mask anymore, he just breathes or purrs into it. He stopped doing it almost as soon as I only gave him food after using the inhaler. It seems to have been the taste of food in his mouth that reminded him of the licking. I have no idea how it affects taking in the medicine...
@@tijgerlelie7 thank you so much!!
Stupid question...but how did you clean the mask after your cat finished eating the treats? Just water and soap or anything special? I'm starting this for my cat who's diagnosed with asthma and I'm so nervous that she wont tolerate the chamber :( I really appreciate your video it gives me proper steps to follow unlike most of the video where the cat is already trained and used to the inhaler. Thank you
“Guadzo” is an interesting cue. It reminds me of a Bavarian Danish friend. What language is it?
*belgian Bavarian whoops
I'm about to start my 10 year old boy on this, he's been on oral steroids for 2 months but it makes him lethargic so I want to try the inhaler. He is very timid and empathic and will no doubt fight me, I'm a bit worried about training him as he's not interested in treats, so I'm not sure how to reward him.
Hi, That sure makes it harder, but still possible... You can reward him by removing all (perceived) pressure. So whenever he holds still for a moment, you take the mask away. Train him to think that the fastest way to make the mask disappear is... to endure it for a short while.
maybe this video helps: th-cam.com/video/lt_OJhitnm0/w-d-xo.html (however this horse was quite 'tame' as in 'used to people and all the funny stuff they want to put on your body') Good luck!!
@@tijgerlelie7 Thanks, I'll give it a go. I just have to resign myself that it's gonna take a long time to train him.
Thanks for this very helpful video. We have to start doing this training for our cat, who is very sociable but does not like to be touched. I have a question: what kind of treats are you using?
Hi Mark, I used lots of things. He likes cooked chicken best, but I found paste or liquid snacks easier at first, there are a lot of those commercially available.
Thank you so much for this video. You are a loving and patient cat owner! I need to start training with the inhaler on my asthmatic cat..a new diagnosis in the past couple of months. He is losing weight too, which is said to be due to the heaviness he feels on his chest, perhaps curbing his desire to eat as much, I don’t know. One question..once you pump the inhaler, will the dispensed med remain in the chamber until he breathes it in? I wonder about that as you sometimes take it off your cats face and then put it back up to it..curious if you’re losing any medicine in the process. Thank you again!
Hi Sheri, Thank you for your kind words! About your question, Since it is recommended that Cat breathes 5-10 times in the mask I am kind of assuming the medication stays suspended in the chamber for about that amount of time. A pharmacist might know more detail! Best wishes and happy training with your feline friend!
Hele fijne uitleg, onze kitten is gisteren gediagnosticeerd met astma. Ik ben vandaag begonnen met liquid snack erin (hier is hij gelukkig helemaal gek op), nou vroeg ik mij af hoe lang je ongeveer over zo een sessie doet?
Hoi, per keer echt kort, ik heb het niet getimed maar denk 1 tot max 5 minuten, ik probeerde 2 keer per dag, soms lukte vaker. Veel succes!
I am hoping for some feedback. My kitty is doing well with this training but we have reached a plateau at three weeks. The next needed step is for her to hold her face in the inhaler for a longer period of time and then take the required breaths. Currently she pretty quickly will pull her face out of the mask. I've tried not giving the signal and not giving the treat if she does not hold it in for a count of 5 but she rarely will go that long. Suggestions?
Hi, I hope I can help a little - I am still not a professional cat trainer but have in the last years started using almost exclusively R+ (positive reinforcement) with the horses. Building duration can be hard, and in this case it is probably still a bit scary too for you cat. My first tip is to look at the professional videos listed at the top, nr. 4 is specifically on building duration. Without rewatching it myself, here are my own suggestions:
- build duration very slowly. What duration can she do well? 3 seconds? Count them out loud if necessary, and make sure you can do 3 seconds 3-5 times easy before upping the duration.
- ping pong between durations that are slightly difficult (stretching the envelope) and easy ones. Ex. 2s, 3s, 1s, 3s, 2s, 4s, 2s, 3s, 4s (and probably stop even sooner, short and sweet is better)
- if you have a way to vary the amount of reward you give, make it sort of matching to the duration you just did. Small reward for easy duration, big jackpot for one second more than yesterday!
- go slow to go fast. Too much witholding will discourage her, and if she still has fear of the mask that will need time and lots of easy repetitions
When can we use it……