Stimulation of food intake in horses by diazepam and promazine.

This research investigated the impact of diazepam and promazine on food consumption in horses. It found that these medications can significantly increase food intake, especially in young, rapidly growing weanlings.

Research Methodology

• The research was conducted using two adult horses and two weanling horses.
• Different diets were used for the experiment, including a high grain calorically dense diet and a high fiber calorically diluted one.
• Diazepam was administered intravenously at doses of 0.02-0.03 mg/kg, and the effects on 1-hour food intake were observed.
• Food intake was compared with control levels, i.e., the normal unstimulated intake of the horses.
• Promazine, a different type of substance, was also tested at a dose of 0.5 mg/kg. Its effect on food intake in adult horses was compared to that of diazepam.

Research Findings

• Diazepam was found to significantly stimulate food intake in both adult and weanling horses.
• The increase in food intake in adult horses was observed to be 54-75% above control levels.
• Young, rapidly growing weanling horses responded even more strongly to the stimulation, demonstrating an intake increase of 105-240% above control levels.
• Promazine also stimulated food intake in adult horses, though not as profoundly as diazepam did.
• This indicates that both diazepam, a tranquilizer, and promazine, a neuroleptic, possess stimulatory effects on short-term food intake in horses.

Significance of the Study

• The study provides important insights into the influence of certain drugs on equine eating behavior.
• This can have implications for horse care and veterinary medicine, particularly in cases where stimulating food intake may be necessary, such as in underweight or recovering animals.
• Moreover, the difference in how adult horses and growing weanlings respond to the drugs also highlights the importance of being mindful of the horse’s age and development when administering such substances.