dimanche 12 août 2018

Facts About Pain Relief For Horses

By Marie Moore


Like many other animals and human beings, horses also experience pain and sustain injuries. Pain in the different organs of a horse, especially joints and bones can be caused by various medical conditions. Research has been done by veterinarians over the years to determine the most effective painkillers in the modern market for pain relief for horses.

There are various medications available that manage pain in horses. This article discusses some of these medications. A-2 Agonists, opioids, ketamine, and NSAIDs are some of the medical options available for managing pain in horses. The name Non-steroidal Anti-inflammatory Drugs is abbreviated by NSAIDs. NSAIDs have been the centerpiece of equine analgesia. There are various categories of drugs that fall in the NSAIDs category and phenylbutazone and flunixin meglumine are the major ones.

Most veterinarians use flunixin meglumine and phenylbutazone to successfully treat a wide range of equine ailments. Some of the diseases that these drugs can treat include musculoskeletal, gastrointestinal, and ocular pains. Besides flunixin meglumine and phenylbutazone other drugs that fall under NSAIDs include ketoprofen and carprofen. Ketoprofen and carprofen are also used by veterinarians, but on a much less extent.

There are several drugs that are placed under the NSAID classification. These drugs are however different in their chemical composition. For this reason, the toxicity level of these drugs are different based on the chemical composition of the drug. Generally, getting the horse overdosed with medication is one of the main causes of toxicity. This usually affects the gastrointestinal tract, liver and the kidneys. Toxicity usually has drastic effects on younger equines compared to older horses.

The a-2 agonists are considerably the most effective systematically used analgesics according to clinical use and laboratory studies. Various side effects are produced by a-2 agonists and for this reason, they are not first choice of drugs that comes to the mind of veterinarians. Ataxia, gastrointestinal stasis, hyperglycemia and drowsiness among others are few of the side effects of these drugs. Before standing procedures are performed by veterinarians, horses are sedated by use of of a-2 agonists.

The a-2 agonists are also given to equines before they are put under general anesthesia. The a-2 agonists have also been determined to be effective in controlling pain among horses that have signs of colic. A new formulation of detomidine has been introduced in the market for sedation. This formulation is capable of producing enough sedation that can last for about 2 hours.

Pain in horses can also be treated by administration of ketamine which acts as a good option. Upregulation can be prevented by use of ketamine as suggested by research. In regard to the effectiveness of ketamine in prevention of upregulation in horses, there is no sufficient evidence to prove it. Evidence of its effectiveness exists in human patients however. A research that was done recently on human beings and dogs indicates ketamine when administered in small doses prevents wind up.

Patients with chronic pains can have the pains relieved when ketamine is administered in small doses. In cases where other drugs have proven to be insufficient ketamine has been proven to work. Better options are expected to be discovered in ongoing research.




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