Texas A&M Researchers Revolutionize Nebulized Therapies

Story by Sophie Cela, VMBS Marketing & Communications

October 16, 2025

In an ambitious project, Dr. Rebecca Legere, an assistant professor of equine internal medicine at the Texas A&M College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences (VMBS), and Dr. Dusty Nagy, a VMBS clinical professor of food animal medicine and surgery, are focusing on bringing science and much-needed clarity to nebulized therapies in animals.

Nebulizers — devices that turn liquid medicine into a breathable mist — are widely used in both human and veterinary medicine to treat respiratory issues like asthma, pneumonia, and smoke inhalation.

Unlike inhalers, which deliver a single puff of medication, nebulizers provide a continuous mist over several minutes, making them particularly useful for animals that cannot be instructed to inhale on command. They also offer a practical alternative to injections or oral medications, which can be risky for certain patients, like pregnant ruminants.

Despite the advantages and prevalence of nebulizer use — by both veterinarians and animal owners — there’s a significant lack of scientific research supporting their efficacy and safety in veterinary medicine, especially for large animals. Veterinary use has largely been based on the instructions provided by the companies that manufacture nebulizers, but these recommendations often lack information on ideal device settings, drug formulations, or proper dosages.

“In one nebulizing device alone, there are three power settings and two types of medication cups,” Legere said. “That means six different options for use, each delivering medication in a completely different way.”

Despite all these variables, very little published research exists to guide veterinarians on how to make the most effective choices, leading them to rely on guesswork and social media tips.

“Owners and veterinarians are doing the best they can with what they have. I’ve seen people combine multiple drugs, dilute them however they think best, and pick random power settings,” Legere said. “Even small changes in those choices can completely alter how — or if — the drug is delivered.”

The lack of research that exists on nebulizers is making what has the potential to be a great treatment into something potentially ineffective or even harmful.

Legere is taking a much-needed step back to address this. Her approach is twofold — starting the conversation and building the science.

Step one is understanding how these devices are currently being used, including which drugs are being nebulized, how devices are cleaned, and where users learned their techniques.

“Dr. Nagy has been amazing at connecting me with people who have experience with nebulizing across different large animal species,” Legere said. “That helps make sure we’re not just doing theoretical research — we’re researching and helping understand real problems.”

In the lab, Legere’s team is working to understand every part of the nebulizing process — from the type and dilution of the drug to the design of the mask and the anatomy of the animal receiving treatment. Their goal is to identify which factors affect how effectively a nebulized drug reaches the lungs.

To do this, they’re using customizable breathing simulators for different species and a laser diffraction analyzer — one of the only such devices at any veterinary college in the world — to measure the size of mist particles produced by different device settings and determine how deep those particles travel into the lungs. They’ve also developed a 3D-printed horse head model to visualize how medication moves through the airways.

This research could be a game changer for both equine and livestock medicine. Respiratory disease is one of the top causes of death in food animals like cattle, goats, and pigs, and nebulizing antibiotics — if done properly — could offer a more targeted, cost-effective solution.

“However, we need to know where the antibiotic and other drug residues are going in their body,” Legere said. “We need to study if medications stay localized in the lungs, because if they don’t, they may show up in meat or milk, which is a food safety issue.”

Legere acknowledges that what she’s doing is a challenge — changing a widely accepted practice and developing evidence-based treatment practices takes time, especially when misinformation is already deeply rooted — but that’s why starting the conversation now is so important.

A New Era

As VLCS enters a new era, faculty and leaders alike are excited by the potential to combine the LATH’s exceptional teaching and hands-on patient care with new, forward-thinking research.

“Texas A&M is known in Texas for equine programs — putting out really well-trained equine veterinarians and solving complex equine problems,” Schleining said. “This is where people come for complicated fracture repairs because we have the people, the equipment, the implants, and the knowledge to be able to take care of those complicated cases. 

“But there’s also an expectation that we contribute to advancing knowledge,” she said. “Now, we have a broad research presence to help our veterinary community find ways to provide better service and better treatment options. That then raises our visibility, which brings even more research collaborations.”

As the department continues its efforts to build up its clinical research endeavors, the hope is that Texas A&M will become even more widely known for its influence on large animal care.

“It has been really exciting to rebuild our clinical research program and address some real clinical needs for the industry and for horse owners as well as improving the lives of large animals,” Schleining said. “We’re just on the cusp of what is possible, and we’ve got a lot of really great new faculty members who also create an enthusiasm for research in the entire department and college.”

###

Note: This story originally appeared in the Summer 2025 issue of VMBS Today.

For more information about the Texas A&M College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences, please visit our website at vetmed.tamu.edu or join us on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.

Contact Information: Jennifer Gauntt, Director of VMBS Communications, Texas A&M College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences, jgauntt@cvm.tamu.edu, 979-862-4216

Print