Omneity® Pellets
All-In-One Vitamin & Mineral Pellet
Topic:Pain Management
Pain management in horses involves various strategies and interventions designed to alleviate discomfort and improve the well-being of equine patients. It encompasses pharmacological approaches, such as the use of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), opioids, and other analgesics, as well as non-pharmacological methods like physical therapy, acupuncture, and environmental modifications. Effective pain management aims to address both acute and chronic pain conditions, which can result from injuries, surgeries, or diseases such as laminitis and arthritis. This page aggregates peer-reviewed research studies and scholarly articles that explore the mechanisms, efficacy, and safety of different pain management techniques in horses, contributing to the understanding and advancement of equine veterinary care.
Effects of approach and injection volume on diffusion of mepivacaine hydrochloride during local analgesia of the deep branch of the lateral plantar nerve in horses. To compare the effects of 2 approaches and 2 injection volumes on diffusion of mepivacaine hydrochloride for local analgesia of the deep branch of the lateral plantar nerve (DBLPN) in horses. Methods: Experimental study. Methods: 16 adult horses. Methods: Either 2 mL (low volume) or 8 mL (high volume) of mepivacaine hydrochloride-iohexol (50:50 mixture) was injected by means of 1 of 2 techniques to produce analgesia of the DBLPN. For technique 1, the needle was inserted 15 mm distal to the head of the fourth metatarsal bone and directed perpendicular to the limb. For technique 2, the needle wa...
Modified lamellar keratoplasties for the treatment of deep stromal abscesses in horses. To describe a surgical modification of deep lamellar endothelial keratoplasty (DLEK) and posterior lamellar keratoplasty (PLK) procedures, to facilitate surgery on standing horses under-sedation. Methods: Four client-owned horses, for which the owners declined surgery under general anesthesia, underwent standing corneal lamellar keratoplasty procedures for the treatment of deep corneal stromal abscesses. Methods: All four horses were placed in stocks and sedated with detomidine. Local eyelid and retrobulbar blocks were performed to provide local analgesia and akinesia, and each horse's head wa...
Surgical correction of nephrosplenic entrapment of the large colon in 3 horses via standing left flank laparotomy. To describe a technique for surgical correction of nephrosplenic entrapment via standing left flank laparotomy. Methods: Case series. Methods: Horses (n = 3). Methods: Nephrosplenic entrapment was diagnosed by abdominal palpation per rectum in all 3 horses and confirmed by transabdominal ultrasonography in 2 horses. Duration of colic was variable and failed to resolve after medical management, phenylephrine administration, and jogging. With sedation and local analgesia, standing left flank laparotomy using a modified grid approach was performed to correct the entrapment. Follow-up information ...
Posture, flexibility and grip strength in horse riders. Since the ability to train the horse to be ambidextrous is considered highly desirable, rider asymmetry is recognized as a negative trait. Acquired postural and functional asymmetry can originate from numerous anatomical regions, so it is difficult to suggest if any is developed due to riding. The aim of this study was therefore to assess symmetry of posture, strength and flexibility in a large population of riders and to determine whether typical traits exist due to riding. 127 right handed riders from the UK and USA were categorized according to years riding (in 20 year increments) and their...
Clinical pharmacokinetics of tramadol and main metabolites in horses undergoing orchiectomy. Tramadol is a synthetic codeine analogue used as an analgesic in human and veterinary medicine. It is not approved for use in horses, but could represent a valid tool for pain treatment in this species. Objective: The serum pharmacokinetic profile and urinary excretion of tramadol and its metabolites (O-desmethyltramadol [M1], N-desmethyltramadol [M2] and N,O-desmethyltramadol [M5]) was investigated in a multidrug anaesthetic and analgesic approach for orchiectomy in horses. The evaluation of the degree of cardiovascular stability, the intraoperative effect and postoperative analgesia obtained...
Validation of mechanical, electrical and thermal nociceptive stimulation methods in horses. To validate a model for investigating the effects of analgesic drugs on mechanical, thermal and electrical stimulation testing. Objective: To investigate repeatability, sensitivity and specificity of nociceptive tests. Methods: Randomised experiment with 2 observers in 2 phases. Methods: Mechanical (M), thermal (TL) and electrical (E) stimuli were applied to the dorsal metacarpus (M-left and TL-right) and coronary band of the left thoracic limb (E) and a thoracic thermal stimulus (TT) was applied caudal to the withers in 8 horses (405 ± 43 kg). Stimuli intensities were increased until a clear...
Buprenorphine provides better anaesthetic conditions than butorphanol for field castration in ponies: results of a randomised clinical trial. A prospective, randomised, blinded, clinical trial in 47 ponies compared butorphanol and buprenorphine administered intravenously with detomidine prior to castration under anaesthesia. Detomidine 12 μg/kg intravenously was followed by butorphanol 25 μg/kg (BUT) or buprenorphine 5 μg/kg (BUP) before induction of anaesthesia with intravenous ketamine and diazepam. Quality of sedation, induction and recovery from anaesthesia, response to tactile stimulation, and surgical conditions were scored. If anaesthesia was inadequate 'rescue' was given with intravenous ketamine (maximum three dose...
Antinociceptive effects of three escalating dexmedetomidine and lignocaine constant rate infusions in conscious horses. Dexmedetomidine and lignocaine IV are used clinically to provide analgesia in horses. The aims of this study were to investigate the antinociceptive effects, plasma concentrations and sedative effects of 2, 4 and 6 µg/kg/h dexmedetomidine IV, with a bolus of 0.96 µg/kg preceding each continuous rate infusion (CRI), and 20, 40 and 60 µg/kg/min lignocaine IV, with a bolus of 550 µg/kg preceding each CRI, in 10 Swiss Warmblood horses. Electrically elicited nociceptive withdrawal reflexes were evaluated by deltoid muscle electromyography. Nociceptive threshold and tolerance were determ...
Is anaesthesia of the deep branch of the lateral plantar nerve specific for the diagnosis of proximal metatarsal pain in the horse? To investigate the specificity of anaesthesia of the deep branch of the lateral plantar nerve (DB-LPN). Methods: Twenty horses had DB-LPN anaesthesia performed by a single injection technique as part of a lameness investigation. The mechanical nociceptive threshold (NT) was measured using a handheld force meter at six points on the lateral aspect of the limb: before diagnostic anaesthesia (T0), and at 15 (T15) and 30 (T30) minutes post anaesthesia. Paired t-tests were performed and significance was set at p <0.05. In addition, ten cadaveric limbs were injected with 2.5 ml new methylene blue...
Analgesic effects of intraneural injection of ethyl alcohol or formaldehyde in the palmar digital nerves of horses. To determine analgesic effects of intraneural injection of ethyl alcohol or formaldehyde in the palmar digital nerves of horses. Methods: 6 horses. Methods: Ethyl alcohol was injected in the medial palmar digital nerve of 1 forelimb, and formaldehyde was injected in the contralateral nerve. The lateral palmar digital nerve in 1 forelimb was surgically exposed, but not injected, and the contralateral lateral palmar digital nerve was not treated. For each heel, severity of lameness in response to experimentally induced heel pain (lameness score and peak vertical force), thermal reaction time, an...
Hirudotherapy in veterinary medicine. The saliva of medicinal leeches, e.g., Hirudo medicinalis and Hirudo verbana commonly used in hirudotherapy, contains more than 100 bioactive substances with various therapeutic effects, including anticoagulant, vasodilator, thrombolytic, anti-inflammatory and anaesthetic properties. Recently, leeches have been used very successfully in veterinary medicine to treat many diseases of animals, especially dogs, cats and horses. The most common indications for the use of leeches are hip and elbow dysplasia, acute and chronic arthritis, diseases associated with inflammation of tendons, ligaments, an...
An equine pain face. The objective of this study was to investigate the existence of an equine pain face and to describe this in detail. Methods: Semi-randomized, controlled, crossover trial. Methods: Six adult horses. Methods: Pain was induced with two noxious stimuli, a tourniquet on the antebrachium and topical application of capsaicin. All horses participated in two control trials and received both noxious stimuli twice, once with and once without an observer present. During all sessions their pain state was scored. The horses were filmed and the close-up video recordings of the faces were analysed for alterat...
Successful practice of electroacupuncture analgesia in equine surgery. Electroacupuncture analgesia was used for surgery in horses and donkeys. A KWD-808 electrical stimulator was used to incrementally induce a dense, dispersed wave output at frequencies from 20 to 55 Hz, which was maintained at a frequency of 55 Hz, and to change the amplitude of the wave to the best grading number for the suggested operation in each animal. Induction of analgesia lasted for 20-30 minutes, and the effect of analgesia was maintained for 20-45 minutes depending on the type of surgery performed. The exhibited clinical signs, physical examination data, and the responses of all ani...
Antinociceptive effect of buprenorphine and evaluation of the nociceptive withdrawal reflex in foals. To elicit and evaluate the NWR (nociceptive withdrawal reflex) in 2 and 11 day old foals, to investigate if buprenorphine causes antinociception and determine if the NWR response changes with increasing age. The effect of buprenorphine on behaviour was also evaluated. Methods: Prospective, experimental cross-over trial. Methods: Nine Norwegian Fjord research foals. Methods: Buprenorphine, 10 μg kg(-1) was administered intramuscularly (IM) to the same foal at 2 days and at 11 days of age. The NWR and the effect of buprenorphine were evaluated by electromyograms recorded from the left deltoid m...
Anti-nociceptive and sedative effects of romifidine, tramadol and their combination administered intravenously slowly in ponies. To evaluate the anti-nociceptive and sedative effects of slow intravenous (IV) injection of tramadol, romifidine, or a combination of both drugs in ponies. Methods: Within-subject blinded. Methods: Twenty ponies (seven male, 13 female, weighing mean ± SD 268.0 ± 128 kg). Methods: On separate occasions, each pony received one of the following three treatments IV; romifidine 50 μg kg(-) (R) tramadol 3 mg kg(-1) given over 15 minutes (T) or tramadol 3 mg kg(-1) followed by romifidine 50 μg kg(-1) (RT). Physiologic parameters and caecal borborygmi (CB) were measured and sedation ...
Systemic and anti-nociceptive effects of prolonged lidocaine, ketamine, and butorphanol infusions alone and in combination in healthy horses. Prolonged drug infusions are used to treat horses with severe signs of pain, but can be associated with altered gastrointestinal transit. The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of prolonged constant rate infusions (CRI) of lidocaine (L), butorphanol (B), and ketamine (K) alone and in combination on gastrointestinal transit, behavior, and thermal nociceptive threshold in healthy horses. Methods: Eight healthy adult horses were used in a randomized, cross-over, blinded, prospective experimental trial. Interventions were saline, L, K, B, LK, LB, BK, and LBK as an intravenous CRI f...
Partial intravenous anaesthesia in the horse: a review of intravenous agents used to supplement equine inhalation anaesthesia. Part 2: opioids and alpha-2 adrenoceptor agonists. To review the literature with regard to the use of different intravenous agents as supplements to inhalational anaesthesia in horses. The Part 2 of this review will focus in the use of opioids and α2 -agonists. Methods: Pubmed and Web of Science. Search terms: horse, inhalant anaesthesia, balanced anaesthesia, partial intravenous anaesthesia, opioids, morphine, pethidine, butorphanol, methadone, fentanyl, alfentanil, remifentanil, sufentanil, xylazine, romifidine, detomidine, medetomidine and dexmedetomidine. Conclusions: Different drugs and their combinations can be administered systemically...
Challenges of thermal nociceptive threshold testing in the donkey. To evaluate a thermal nociceptive threshold (TNT) testing device in the donkey, and the influence of potential confounding factors on TNTs. Methods: Two groups (Group 1 and Group 2) of eight castrated male donkeys aged 4-9 years, weighing 105-170 kg. Methods: TNTs were measured by heating a thermal probe on skin until an end-point behaviour (threshold temperature) or a cut-out temperature (51 °C) was reached. The withers and the dorsal aspect of the distal limb were used as sites for TNT testing. The effects on TNT of different confounding factors: the limb tested; rate of heating; and amb...
Sedative and mechanical hypoalgesic effects of butorphanol in xylazine-premedicated donkeys. Combinations of α2 -adrenoceptor and opioid agonists are commonly used in equids, but little scientific information is available on donkeys. Objective: To compare the sedative and hypoalgesic effects of xylazine alone or in combination with different dosages of butorphanol in donkeys. Methods: Placebo-controlled, operator-blinded, randomised, crossover, Latin square study. Methods: Six donkeys received intravenous normal saline and normal saline (NS-NS); xylazine (0.5 mg/kg bwt) and normal saline (X-NS); xylazine and 10 μg/kg bwt butorphanol (X-B10); xylazine and 20 μg/kg bwt butorpha...
Pain control in horses: what do we really know? Currently, approaches to pain control in horses are a mixture of art and science. Recognition of overt pain behaviours, such as rolling, kicking at the abdomen, flank watching, lameness or blepharospasm, may be obvious; subtle signs of pain can include changes in facial expression or head position, location in the stall and response to palpation or human interaction. Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (i.e. phenylbutazone, flunixin meglumine and firocoxib), opioids (i.e. butorphanol, morphine and buprenorphine) and α2 -adrenergic agonists (i.e. xylazine, detomidine, romifidine and medetomid...
Outcome of palmar/plantar digital neurectomy in horses with foot pain evaluated with magnetic resonance imaging: 50 cases (2005-2011). There is limited knowledge of the foot lesions that influence the outcome of palmar/plantar digital neurectomy (PDN). Objective: 1) To report the short- and long-term outcomes of horses that underwent PDN to alleviate chronic foot pain due to lesions diagnosed by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and 2) factors that may influence the outcome of PDN. Methods: Multicentre retrospective study. Methods: Medical records of 50 horses subjected to PDN due to chronic foot pain were reviewed. Age, breed, sex, athletic activity, duration of lameness, affected limb(s), response to anaesthesia of the palma...
Partial intravenous anaesthesia in the horse: a review of intravenous agents used to supplement equine inhalation anaesthesia. Part 1: lidocaine and ketamine. To review the literature with regard to the use of different intravenous agents as supplements to inhalational anaesthesia in horses. These drugs include lidocaine, ketamine, opioids and α2 -agonists. The Part 1 of this review will focus in the use of lidocaine and ketamine. Methods: Pubmed & Web of Science. Search terms: horse, inhalant anaesthesia, balanced anaesthesia, partial intravenous anaesthesia, lidocaine, ketamine. Conclusions: Different drugs and their combinations can be administered systemically in anaesthetized horses, with the aim of reducing the amount of the volatile agen...
A description of the severity of equestrian-related injuries (ERIs) using clinical parameters and patient-reported outcomes. Despite a number of injury prevention campaigns and interventions, horse riding continues to be a dangerous activity, resulting in more accidents per hour than motorcycling, skiing and football. Injuries are often serious, with one in four patients requiring admission to hospital. This study aims to describe the severity of equestrian-related injuries (ERIs) using both clinical parameters and patient-reported outcomes. Methods: A retrospective study of all patients aged ≥18 years admitted to The Alfred Hospital between January 2003 and January 2008 with an ERI was performed. Specific clinica...
Mass envenomation of a mare and foal by bees. The clinical course of toxic envenomation of a mare and her foal after an attack by a swarm of bees in the Upper Hunter Valley of New South Wales is described. Early agitation and urticaria were followed by more severe systemic clinical signs within 18 h. There was severe, generalised angioedema, rhabdomyolysis, hypovolaemia, gastrointestinal stasis and renal injury. A particular feature in the mare was almost maniacal behaviour during the first 48 h. Clinical pathological examination showed evidence of haemoconcentration, intravascular haemolysis, thrombocytopenia, azotaemia, rhabdomyolysis a...
In vivo diffusion characteristics following perineural injection of the deep branch of the lateral plantar nerve with mepivacaine or iohexol in horses. Hindlimb proximal suspensory desmopathy is a common injury of sport horses but diagnosis can be difficult because diagnostic analgesia of the region lacks specificity. Perineural analgesia of the deep branch of the lateral plantar nerve (DBLPN) has been proposed as a more specific method of isolating pain of the proximal aspect of the suspensory ligament but the technique has not been evaluated in vivo. Objective: To determine the extent of diffusion of contrast medium and mepivacaine following DBLPN analgesia using a single-needle injection technique and to determine if there is inadvertent i...
Pharmacokinetic-pharmacodynamic modelling of intravenous buprenorphine in conscious horses. Describe the pharmacokinetics of buprenorphine and norbuprenorphine in horses and to relate the plasma buprenorphine concentration to the pharmacodynamic effects. Methods: Single phase non-blinded study. Methods: Six dedicated research horses, aged 3-10 years and weighing 480-515 kg. Methods: Thermal and mechanical nociceptive thresholds, heart and respiratory rates and locomotor activity were measured before and 15, 30, 45 & 60 minutes and 2, 4, 6, 8, 12 & 24 hours post-administration of 10 μg kg(-1) buprenorphine IV. Intestinal motility was measured 1, 6, 12 & 24 hours af...
Headshaking in 5 horses after paranasal sinus surgery. To report headshaking and presumptive trigeminal neuritis as a potential complication after paranasal sinus surgery in horses. Methods: Retrospective case series. Methods: Horses (n = 5) that developed headshaking within 45 days of paranasal sinus surgery. Methods: Medical records (2007-2010) of horses that had been evaluated for headshaking after paranasal sinus surgery were reviewed. Results: Of 5 horses that developed headshaking within 45 days of paranasal sinus surgery, resolution occurred after treatment in 2 horses. One horse was euthanatized because clinical signs associated with h...
Spontaneous electroencephalographic changes in a castration model as an indicator of nociception: a comparison between donkeys and ponies. Donkeys are believed to be less demonstrative of pain than ponies. Research into comparative sensory processing between these species is required to elucidate these behavioural differences. Objective: To compare changes in the electroencephalogram (EEG) recorded during castration between donkeys and ponies. Methods: Prospective clinical study. Methods: Six ponies and 6 donkeys were castrated under halothane anaesthesia after acepromazine premedication and thiopental anaesthetic induction. Markers were inserted into the EEG recording at the time of skin incision (skin) and emasculation (emasc) ...
