Effectiveness of administration of phenylbutazone alone or concurrent administration of phenylbutazone and flunixin meglumine to alleviate lameness in horses.
Abstract: To determine the effectiveness of administering multiple doses of phenylbutazone alone or a combination of phenylbutazone and flunixin meglumine to alleviate lameness in horses. Methods: 29 adult horses with naturally occurring forelimb and hind limb lameness. Methods: Lameness evaluations were performed by use of kinematic evaluation while horses were trotting on a treadmill. Lameness evaluations were performed before and 12 hours after administration of 2 nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) treatment regimens. Phenylbutazone paste was administered at approximately 2.2 mg/kg, PO, every 12 hours for 5 days, or phenylbutazone paste was administered at approximately 2.2 mg/kg, PO, every 12 hours for 5 days in combination with flunixin meglumine administered at 1.1 mg/kg, IV, every 12 hours for 5 days. Results: Alleviation of lameness was greater after administration of the combination of NSAIDs than after oral administration of phenylbutazone alone. Improvement in horses after a combination of NSAIDs did not completely mask lameness. Five horses did not improve after either NSAID treatment regimen. All posttreatment plasma concentrations of NSAIDs were less than those currently allowed by the United States Equestrian Federation Inc for a single NSAID. One horse administered the combination NSAID regimen died of acute necrotizing colitis during the study. Conclusions: Administration of a combination of NSAIDs at the dosages and intervals used in the study reported here alleviated the lameness condition more effectively than did oral administration of phenylbutazone alone. This may attract use of combinations of NSAIDs to increase performance despite potential toxic adverse effects.
Publication Date: 2008-02-05 PubMed ID: 18241011DOI: 10.2460/ajvr.69.2.167Google Scholar: Lookup
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- Controlled Clinical Trial
- Journal Article
- Research Support
- Non-U.S. Gov't
Summary
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The study looks into the efficiency of two treatment approaches – the use of phenylbutazone alone and its combination with flunixin meglumine – in reducing lameness in horses. The combination of the two drugs was found to be more effective, though certain potential adverse effects were noted.
Methodology
- The study involved 29 adult horses that naturally exhibited symptoms of forelimb and hind limb lameness.
- Kinematic evaluations were used to assess lameness, with the evaluations being performed as the horses trotted on a treadmill both before and after two different treatment regimens involving non steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs).
- The first regimen involved the administration of phenylbutazone paste at an approximate dose of 2.2 mg/kg, orally, every 12 hours for 5 days. The second regimen integrated the same dosage and administration rate of phenylbutazone paste with the addition of flunixin meglumine administered at 1.1 mg/kg, intravenously, every 12 hours for 5 days.
Results
- The combined administration of NSAIDs resulted in a more significant decrease in lameness compared to the administration of phenylbutazone alone.
- There was an improvement in the horses after the combined use of NSAIDs, but it did not utterly suppress lameness.
- Five of the horses did not show any improvement after either of the NSAID treatment regimens.
- All plasma concentrations of NSAIDs after treatments were lower than the current limit set by the United States Equestrian Federation Inc for a single NSAID.
- However, one of the horses treated with the combined NSAID regimen died of acute necrotizing colitis during the study. This hints at potential toxic side effects.
Conclusions
- Overall, the study found that the combined administration of NSAIDs, specifically phenylbutazone and flunixin meglumine, was more effective in alleviating lameness in horses than the administration of phenylbutazone alone.
- Despite this, the potential toxic side effects, as evidenced by the death of one horse during the study, suggest that caution should be exercised when considering the use of combined NSAIDs.
Cite This Article
APA
Keegan KG, Messer NT, Reed SK, Wilson DA, Kramer J.
(2008).
Effectiveness of administration of phenylbutazone alone or concurrent administration of phenylbutazone and flunixin meglumine to alleviate lameness in horses.
Am J Vet Res, 69(2), 167-173.
https://doi.org/10.2460/ajvr.69.2.167 Publication
Researcher Affiliations
- Department of Veterinary Surgery, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO 65211, USA.
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
- Cross-Over Studies
- Drug Therapy, Combination
- Female
- Horse Diseases / drug therapy
- Horses
- Lameness, Animal / drug therapy
- Male
- Phenylbutazone / administration & dosage
- Phenylbutazone / therapeutic use
Citations
This article has been cited 6 times.- Maldonado MD, Parkinson SD, Story MR, Haussler KK. The Effect of Chiropractic Treatment on Limb Lameness and Concurrent Axial Skeleton Pain and Dysfunction in Horses. Animals (Basel) 2022 Oct 19;12(20).
- Tucker L, Trumble TN, Groschen D, Dobbs E, Baldo CF, Wendt-Hornickle E, Guedes AGP. Targeting Soluble Epoxide Hydrolase and Cyclooxygenases Enhance Joint Pain Control, Stimulate Collagen Synthesis, and Protect Chondrocytes From Cytokine-Induced Apoptosis. Front Vet Sci 2021;8:685824.
- Donnell JR, Frisbie DD. Use of firocoxib for the treatment of equine osteoarthritis. Vet Med (Auckl) 2014;5:159-168.
- Persson-Sjodin E, Hernlund E, Pfau T, Haubro Andersen P, Holm Forsström K, Rhodin M. Effect of meloxicam treatment on movement asymmetry in riding horses in training. PLoS One 2019;14(8):e0221117.
- Radi AE, Abd El-Ghany N, Wahdan T. Voltammetric Determination of Flunixin on Molecularly Imprinted Polypyrrole Modified Glassy Carbon Electrode. J Anal Methods Chem 2016;2016:5296582.
- Marini D, Pippia J, Colditz IG, Hinch GN, Petherick CJ, Lee C. Palatability and pharmacokinetics of flunixin when administered to sheep through feed. PeerJ 2016;4:e1800.
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