Facts About 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.

These two drugs have been used to successfully treat various numbness conditions. They are mainly used to treat diseases such as ocular, musculoskeletal and gastrointestinal pains. Other drugs categorized under NSAIDs include carprofen and ketoprofen. These two drugs are however not commonly used by veterinarians.

There are several drugs that are placed under the NSAID classification. These drugs are however different in their chemical composition. For this reason, the toxicity level of these drugs are different based on the chemical composition of the drug. Generally, getting the horse overdosed with medication is one of the main causes of toxicity. This usually affects the gastrointestinal tract, liver and the kidneys. Toxicity usually has drastic effects on younger equines compared to older horses.

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.

The a-2 agonists are also given to equines before they are put under general anesthesia. The a-2 agonists have also been determined to be effective in controlling pain among horses that have signs of colic. A new formulation of detomidine has been introduced in the market for sedation. This formulation is capable of producing enough sedation that can last for about 2 hours.

Pain in horses can also be treated by administration of ketamine which acts as a good option. Upregulation can be prevented by use of ketamine as suggested by research. In regard to the effectiveness of ketamine in prevention of upregulation in horses, there is no sufficient evidence to prove it. Evidence of its effectiveness exists in human patients however. A research that was done recently on human beings and dogs indicates ketamine when administered in small doses prevents wind up.

Small doses of ketamine also relieve pain in patients with chronic pain. Ketamine has proven to be particularly effective in cases where other drugs have failed. Research in relief of pains in equines is still underway and it is expected that better options will be obtained.




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