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An Introduction To Equine Pain Relief & Anti-inflammatory Remedies

By Anthony Johnson


When looking at remedies for horses there is vast amount to choose from. There is an endless amount of choice when looking for equine pain relief & anti-inflammatory remedies.

The different types which are available include agonist remedies and anti-inflammatory drugs. There has been a vast amount of research carried out over the past few years and this research has been carried out by veterinary professionals. Veterinary professionals have a vast amount of experience using the the various different types of painkillers and this has given them a good idea of what works the best.

In 2011 there was a presentation delivered at the University of Colorado State in Las Vegas. The presentation was given at the Western Veterinary Conference and involved a vast discussion regarding the different types of pain relief which are available for horses.

Non steroid anti-inflammatories have been used as painkillers for horse for a number of years. The most common drugs that are used from this category are flunixin meglumie and phenylbutazone. Both of these drugs have been used successfully for a number of years and they are commonly used as treatment for gastrointestinal pains, eye pain and musculoskeletal pain. There is some veterinary professionals who will also use carprofen and ketoprofen.

Non steroid drugs that are applied topically tend to be effective when used for treating inflammation and localised pain without giving side effects. Research that was carried out revealed that seventy four per cent of horses who were given this type of medication saw significant decrease in lameness and increase in level of mobility.

Although drugs tend to be clumped into a certain category it is important to bear in mind that each drug is actually different. All drugs as remade using their own chemical composition therefore no two medicines are the same although they might be in the same group. Each drug also have its own level at which it becomes toxic. Toxicity tends to result when a horse is given an overdose and in most of these cases it affects the liver, kidneys and the gastrointestinal tract. Patients who are receiving neonatal care tend to be more susceptible to the undesired effects.

Opioids is another classification for drugs but they might not have any analgesic effect on horses. There are mixed reviews about how effective these drugs are when used for horses. Sedatives such as butorphanol and morphine are part of this classification group. These drugs tend to be used by veterinary professionals to sedate the horse when they want to work around their legs especially their hind legs as this will reduce the risk of being kicked.

Some research has shown that this type of drug can be used as a painkiller over a short period of time. These drugs are not suitable for using over a long period of time as they can lead to a number of problems including arousal and gastrointestinal stasis. Research has found that these drugs will work best when they get given epidurally and they will start to work within about twenty minutes.




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