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Dose titration of the clinical efficacy of intravenously administered flunixin meglumine in a reversible model of equine foot lameness.
Abstract: There are no refereed controlled documentations of the skeletal analgesic efficacy of different dosages of flunixin meglumine (FM). Objective: The objective of this experiment was to compare the efficacy of various dosages of FM with a negative control. The hypothesis was that higher doses would result in improved efficacy in a dose-dependent manner when tested in a reversible model of foot lameness. Methods: Ten horses shod with adjustable heart bar shoes had weekly modified AAEP grade 4.0/5.0 lameness induced by tightening a set screw against the heart bar. Heart rate (HR) and lameness score (LS) were monitored by one double-blinded investigator at rest; every 20 min after lameness induction for 5 h and hourly for another 8 h. One hour after lameness induction, treatments were administered i.v. in a randomised order: negative control (isotonic saline: SAL) or FM at 0.55 (half-dose), 1.1 (single-dose) or 2.2 (double-dose) mg/kg bwt. Results were compared using RM ANOVA and Student-Newman-Keul's test with the level of significance set at P < 0.05. Results: Compared to SAL, half-dose FM reduced HR at 2.33, 2.67, 4.0-8.0, and 10.0 h and LS at 1.33-12.0 h (P < 0.05). Single- and double-dose FM reduced HR from 0.67 to 12.0 h and LS from 1.0 to 12.0 h post administration (P < 0.05). Compared with half-dose FM, single- and double-dose LS were further decreased from 1.67 to 12.0 h post administration (P < 0.05). Mean peak and decaying plasma FM concentrations were different between dosages in a dose-dependent manner through 6 h post administration (P < 0.05). Conclusions: Flunixin meglumine administration affected dependent variables in a dose-dependent manner with half-dose FM clinically effective for a shorter period. Higher dosages did not perform differently from one another. Conclusions: Practitioners must be aware that half-doses of FM are less efficacious than single doses but double doses are not more efficacious and yet are potentially more toxic.
Publication Date: 2013-03-02 PubMed ID: 23447872DOI: 10.1111/j.2042-3306.2012.00655.xGoogle Scholar: Lookup The Equine Research Bank provides access to a large database of publicly available scientific literature. Inclusion in the Research Bank does not imply endorsement of study methods or findings by Mad Barn.
- Journal Article
- Research Support
- Non-U.S. Gov't
Summary
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The research article pertains to an experimental comparison of the efficacy of various dosages of drug flunixin meglumine (FM) in alleviating lameness in horses. The study hypothesizes and confirms that higher doses of FM have better effectiveness, but the clinical effect of double-doses is not significantly more than single doses.
Objective and Methodology
- The objective of this experiment was to study the analgesic effectiveness of different doses of Flunixin meglumine (FM), a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug used to manage inflammation and pain in horses. Previous studies regarding dosage effectiveness are lacking in control references.
- The researchers expected that higher doses would have a more prominent analgesic effect in comparison to lower doses.
- The hypothesis was tested on 10 horses with induced lameness. The lameness was caused by an adjustment to the horses’ footwear that put strain on a certain part of the foot.
- After lameness induction, treatments were administered intravenously. The horses were either treated with FM in various dosages (half, single, double doses) or given a saline solution as a negative control. The order of treatment was randomized.
- Heart rate and lameness scores were monitored for 13 hours, starting one hour after lameness had been induced.
Results
- The half-dose FM showed a reduction in heart rate and lameness score at various intervals. It was significantly more effective than the saline treatment, but its effect tapered off sooner than the higher doses.
- Single and double-dose FM showed a consistent reduction in the heart rate and lameness score for up to 12 hours post administration.
- There was no significant difference between the effect of single and double-dose FM, suggesting a dose-dependent efficacy only up to a certain point.
- The concentration of FM in the plasma also varied with dosage, again showing a dose-dependent relationship for up to 6 hours post administration.
Conclusion
- The study confirmed that the administration of FM has a dose-dependent effect on lameness in horses. However, the effect does not proportionately increase beyond a certain dosage, indicating no significant advantage to using double-doses over a single dose.
- The researchers advise veterinarians to consider that while half-doses are less effective, double-doses do not provide a comparably higher clinical benefit and could potentially increase toxicity.
Cite This Article
APA
Foreman JH, Bergstrom BE, Golden KS, Roark JJ, Coren DS, Foreman CR, Schumacher SA.
(2013).
Dose titration of the clinical efficacy of intravenously administered flunixin meglumine in a reversible model of equine foot lameness.
Equine Vet J Suppl(43), 17-20.
https://doi.org/10.1111/j.2042-3306.2012.00655.x Publication
Researcher Affiliations
- Department of Veterinary Clinical Medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Illinois, Illinois, USA. jhf@illinois.edu
MeSH Terms
- Animals
- Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal / administration & dosage
- Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal / therapeutic use
- Clonixin / administration & dosage
- Clonixin / analogs & derivatives
- Clonixin / therapeutic use
- Dose-Response Relationship, Drug
- Foot Diseases / drug therapy
- Foot Diseases / veterinary
- Heart Rate
- Horse Diseases / drug therapy
- Horses
- Lameness, Animal / drug therapy
- Pain / drug therapy
- Pain / veterinary
- Pressure
Citations
This article has been cited 4 times.- Mercer MA, Davis JL, McKenzie HC. The Clinical Pharmacology and Therapeutic Evaluation of Non-Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs in Adult Horses. Animals (Basel) 2023 May 10;13(10).
- Merey HA, Abd-Elmonem MS, Nazlawy HN, Zaazaa HE. Spectrophotometric Methods for Simultaneous Determination of Oxytetracycline HCl and Flunixin Meglumine in Their Veterinary Pharmaceutical Formulation. J Anal Methods Chem 2017;2017:2321572.
- Banse H, Cribb AE. Comparative efficacy of oral meloxicam and phenylbutazone in 2 experimental pain models in the horse. Can Vet J 2017 Feb;58(2):157-167.
- Gigliuto C, De Gregori M, Malafoglia V, Raffaeli W, Compagnone C, Visai L, Petrini P, Avanzini MA, Muscoli C, Viganò J, Calabrese F, Dominioni T, Allegri M, Cobianchi L. Pain assessment in animal models: do we need further studies?. J Pain Res 2014;7:227-36.
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