Long-Term Firocoxib Use in Horses.
Abstract: Many horses receive firocoxib over multiple years, and studies evaluating hematologic and biochemical values in these animals are lacking. Objective: To describe the hematologic and biochemical values of horses receiving long-term firocoxib. Methods: A total of 79 horses receiving long-term firocoxib and 153 horses not receiving long-term firocoxib and not presenting for a specific medical problem. Methods: Retrospective study comparing horses receiving firocoxib (F group) and no firocoxib (NF group). Signalment, hematologic, and biochemical values were compared between the two groups. Simple linear regression was used to evaluate the relationship between the duration of firocoxib administration and specific laboratory variables. Results: Horses receiving long-term firocoxib (F) were 19 (5-33) years as compared to 15 (1-33) years for the NF group (p < 0.0001). The most common reason for receiving firocoxib was osteoarthritis in 44/79 (56%) of the animals in the F group. Horses in the F group had a total protein concentration of 6.6 (5.8-8.0) g/dL as compared to 6.5 (5.1-8) g/dL in the NF group (p = 0.03). The sodium concentration for F horses was 139 (133-143) mmol/L as compared to 138 (129-145) mmol/L for NF horses (p = 0.01). Total white blood cell count was 6.11 (2.82-14.36) 103 cells/uL in the F group as compared to 6.46 (3.04-14.71) 103 cells/uL in the NF group (p = 0.03). None of the laboratory variables were associated with the duration of firocoxib administration. Conclusions: Many horses receive firocoxib for multiple years, and equine practitioners should be aware that expected changes in laboratory values are minimal.
© 2025 The Author(s). Journal of Veterinary Internal Medicine published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine.
Publication Date: 2025-05-03 PubMed ID: 40317502PubMed Central: PMC12046564DOI: 10.1111/jvim.70117Google Scholar: Lookup
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- Journal Article
Summary
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This research study investigates the effects of long-term use of firocoxib, a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug, on hematology and biochemistry values of horses. The study found minimal changes in laboratory values, suggesting that long-term use could be generally safe.
Study Design and Participants
- Researchers performed a retrospective study, analysing records from a total of 232 horses. Of these, 79 were classified as F (firocoxib) group, meaning they had been receiving long-term firocoxib treatment, while 153 were in the NF (no firocoxib) group, which didn’t receive the drug and didn’t have any specific medical issue.
- The study sought to compare the two groups in terms of demographics, hematologic (relating to blood) and biochemical values.
- A statistical method called simple linear regression was used to explore a potential relationship between the duration of firocoxib treatment and specific lab results.
Key Findings
- The F group horses, on average, were older than the NF group horses. The majority of F group horses were being treated with firocoxib due to osteoarthritis.
- There were some differences in total protein and sodium concentration in the blood between the two groups, with F group horses having slightly higher levels of both.
- A similar trend was observed in white blood cell count, with F group horses showing slightly lower counts.
- However, none of these differences were found to be statistically associated with the duration of firocoxib administration, suggesting that these are unlikely to be impacts of the drug.
Study Conclusion
- The study suggests that many horses receive firocoxib for several years, and equine practitioners should expect only minimal changes in laboratory values as a result of this long-term drug use.
- That is, long-term administration of firocoxib doesn’t appear to have significant impacts on the blood composition of horses, which could imply its relative safety for chronic use. However, further research may be needed to confirm these findings as this study didn’t investigate other possible side effects or impacts on the overall health of the horses.
Cite This Article
APA
Buzelato Carli I, Fielding L.
(2025).
Long-Term Firocoxib Use in Horses.
J Vet Intern Med, 39(3), e70117.
https://doi.org/10.1111/jvim.70117 Publication
Researcher Affiliations
- Loomis Basin Equine Medical Center, Penryn, California, USA.
- Loomis Basin Equine Medical Center, Penryn, California, USA.
MeSH Terms
- Animals
- Horses / blood
- Sulfones / therapeutic use
- Sulfones / administration & dosage
- Sulfones / adverse effects
- 4-Butyrolactone / analogs & derivatives
- 4-Butyrolactone / therapeutic use
- 4-Butyrolactone / administration & dosage
- 4-Butyrolactone / adverse effects
- Retrospective Studies
- Horse Diseases / drug therapy
- Horse Diseases / blood
- Male
- Female
- Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal / therapeutic use
- Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal / administration & dosage
- Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal / adverse effects
- Osteoarthritis / veterinary
- Osteoarthritis / drug therapy
Conflict of Interest Statement
The authors declare no conflicts of interest.
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