Facts Regarding Pain Relief For Horses

By Marie Moore


Horses like people and many other animals also sustain injuries and experience pain. There is also a wide range of medical conditions that can cause horses to experience pain in various parts of their bodies, especially bones and joints. Over the course of years, veterinarians have been able to undertake research to determine which of the many painkillers in the market are the most effective for pain relief for horses.

There are various medications available that manage pain in horses. This article discusses some of these medications. A-2 Agonists, opioids, ketamine, and NSAIDs are some of the medical options available for managing pain in horses. The name Non-steroidal Anti-inflammatory Drugs is abbreviated by NSAIDs. NSAIDs have been the centerpiece of equine analgesia. There are various categories of drugs that fall in the NSAIDs category and phenylbutazone and flunixin meglumine are the major ones.

Phenylbutazone and fluxine meglumine are used by most veterinarians in successful treatment of general ailments in horses. Ocular pain, gastrointestinal, and musculoskeletal are among the diseases treatable by these drugs. Apart from phenylbutazone and flunixin meglumine, drugs like carprofen and ketoprofen are also categorized as NSAIDs. Veterinarians also use carprofen and ketoprofen though not regularly.

Composition of chemicals in each drug categorized under NSAIDs is unique even though they are categorized in one group. These means that levels at which toxicity is caused are different in each drug. Generally, medication overdose in equines is the main cause of toxicity. Kidneys, gastrointestinal tract and livers are usually affected by toxicity. Equines that are very young appear to be at the highest risk of being affected by toxicity.

The a-2 agonists are considerably the most effective systematically used analgesics according to clinical use and laboratory studies. Various side effects are produced by a-2 agonists and for this reason, they are not first choice of drugs that comes to the mind of veterinarians. Ataxia, gastrointestinal stasis, hyperglycemia and drowsiness among others are few of the side effects of these drugs. Before standing procedures are performed by veterinarians, horses are sedated by use of of a-2 agonists.

Before being put under general anesthesia, equines are given a-2 agonists. It has been determined that equines that have signs of colic can have their pains controlled by use of a-2 agonists. Detomidine has been introduced as a new formulation in the sedation market. Sedation from this formulation is capable of lasting for up to 2 hours.

Ketamine is also a good option for treating pain in equines. It has been suggested by researchers for the prevention of upregulation. Even though there is no adequate evidence at the moment regarding how efficient ketamine is in preventing upregulation in equines, evidence from human patients exist. A recent research in dogs and humans indicate that small doses of ketamine prevent wind up.

Patients with chronic pains can have the pains relieved when ketamine is administered in small doses. In cases where other drugs have proven to be insufficient ketamine has been proven to work. Better options are expected to be discovered in ongoing research.




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