Evaluation of the palatability of three nonsteroidal antiinflammatory top-dress formulations in horses.

This research evaluates how well horses will eat feed treated with three different anti-inflammatory drugs. The study found that one drug, Pro-Dynam, was liked less by the horses, leading to lower feed consumption compared to the other two drugs, Equipalazone Powder and Danilon Equidos.

Study Context

• The study is set in the field of veterinary medicine, specifically focusing on the administration of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) to horses.
• The NSAIDs are added to the horses’ food in a process known as ‘top-dressing’ and their palatability, or how well they are liked by the horses, is crucial to their efficacy.
• It’s important for horses to consume their treated feed to ensure that they receive the full therapeutic effect of the medication.

Study Design

• A three-period, crossover study was conducted on 18 healthy horses to compare the palatability of three different NSAID top-dress formulations.
• The drugs tested were two phenylbutazone preparations (Equipalazone Powder and Pro-Dynam) and one suxibuzone preparation (Danilon Equidos).
• The main measure was the amount of treated feed consumed by the horses.

Study Findings

• The study found that the horses consumed less feed when it was treated with Pro-Dynam compared to Equipalazone Powder and Danilon Equidos.
• This implies that Pro-Dynam was less palatable to the horses, which could potentially impact its therapeutic efficacy due to under-consumption.
• There was no significant difference in the consumption of feed treated with Equipalazone Powder and Danilon Equidos, indicating that horses preferred both these medications more or less equally.

Implications of the study

• The findings of this study can be used to inform the drug selection process in equine veterinary practice.
• Veterinarians can consider using Equipalazone Powder or Danilon Equidos over Pro-Dynam, particularly in cases where the horse is already averse to consuming its feed.
• However, the study only tested the drugs in healthy horses and further research would be needed to evaluate their palatability in horses under varying health conditions.