Broodmare on trazodone?

[a_new_breeder]

Hello,

I’m a new breeder and my mare (confirmed just over 30 days in foal) has to go on stall rest + hand walking, and is not handling it well. The vet is hesitant to put her on anything given her pregnancy. I’ve been struggling to find information on suitable sedatives for chronic administration in broodmares. I’m very concerned she will keep re-injuring herself, thus prolonging the need for stall rest.

Ideally, I’d like to put her on trazodone for the foreseeable future while this heals. Are there any “safe” pharmaceutical options for a pregnant mare in the first trimester? We’re doing hand walking, grazing, slow feeders, etc., but walks are still far too exciting with leaping and bouncing that really need to stop for her healing.

Thanks in advance.

[ASBJumper]

I feel your frustration, my mare just scalped her shoulder and required 31 stitches to patch her up and my vet initially asked about stall rest - i said that not a great option as she would have to be heavily sedated every day to tolerate it. So she has been on small single turnout for the past 9 days and she’s handling it extremely well, she has been quiet and not moving too much and the injury is healing beautifully.

Can you share was your mare’s injury is? Unless it’s fracture/break/torn tendon, etc. (i.e. a “catastrophic” injury), i would also suggest small pen turnout. Light movement is good for circulation and tissue regeneration, i have found that stall rest is almost always over-prescribed when really the horse needs to be out and moving (gently). The mental and physical benefits outweigh the risk, imho.

But again, this depends on the injury… but any horse can still pace, spin, leap/kick out in the stall, so short of doping her up to the point where she’s a zombie 24/7, i fail to see how stall rest is truly more beneficial than roundpen/small paddock turnout.

Hopefully you have access to a small turnout area within visual distance of other horses to keep her happy.

[a_new_breeder]

OMG! What an injury!! I hope she heals quickly and well

My mare is recovering from a very large patellar ligament tear - after 6 months at a rehab facility all winter, I brought her home as we had the all-clear to recently start tack walking, trotting, etc. This was going well, but she has moments of excitement (leaping through the air, etc) that have recently re-irritated it, so we are backing off the work for a few weeks (less hand walking, less of the PT exercises [backing, gentle hills] we had been allowed to start). Which only increases the likelihood of more airs above the ground, as she is doing less overall.

I guess I could have been more clear that it’s not the stall rest itself that’s the problem (though she can get a little pacy when others are getting turned out, so a small paddock may help there), but more for the hand walking that I would want some kind of sedation. That’s where she seems most likely channel her inner 2-year-old and re-injure it.

That being said, maybe I will push to try a small paddock. If she can spend a chunk of the day outside, even if mostly standing, she may feel like she is “doing” more, and come to her hand walks more likely to act her age.

Thanks for sharing your thoughts and experience. I hope your mare cooperates in her healing!

[JB]

I can’t find that it’s been studied on pregnant mares specifically, but this says “high doses” have adverse effects on the fetus in “pets”

Trazodone | VCA Animal Hospital | VCA Animal Hospitals

I don’t know what “high dose” means, but it’s enough to make me not want to use it in your case, especially during the first trimester.

[JB]

How many days has it been? What’s the environment like - can she see other horses, is there anyone beside her (if not can there be), what exactly is she doing?

Sometimes it takes a few days for them to settle into the new routine.

Ace seems to be generally well-tolerated, so ask your vet if using that situationally (like a walk) is ok.

"Many owners wonder whether sedation is safe for pregnant mares. “The common sedatives used in horses are α2 agonists (xylazine and detomidine),” says Linton. “Many people also use acepromazine, which is more of a calming agent (tranquilizer) than a sedative.”

While none of these are labeled for use in pregnant mares, she says they typically don’t cause serious side effects. "

What Medications Are Safe for Mares?

[a_new_breeder]

Thanks JB - all great questions.

It’s been about a week since we’ve reduced her work. I think I mentioned in another comment, she spent all winter at a rehab facility, and was just recently brought back to a normal barn to continue rehab with walking and start trotting. Unfortunately the new barn was not as cautious as I would have hoped, and between a moment of panic in a stall during a particularly rowdy turnout time, and a spook and a rear during handwalking when she went straight up in the air, she seems to have irritated the injury.

The stall is generally not a problem - she likes her stall and she has a buddy next to her 24/7. During turnout time, they say they haven’t seen a problem since that first time (they turn out bit slower - take a horse out, clean a stall, take another horse out, etc - so it’s not everyone leaving all at once).

The hand walking is where it’s gotten a bit too spicy - she was doing ok since it was ~ 40 min walking 2x per day, some short trot sets, and some exercises at the walk (shoulder in, backing, gentle hills). Now it’s just ~ 15-20 min walking 2x per day, and I worry about the next leap into the air. She’s very quiet, until she’s not. Which is what makes it so hard to anticipate - you get lulled into a false sense of calm. Certainly on cooler days she needs something, I have a sound attenuating bonnet that I’ve asked them to use, and hopefully with warmer weather on the horizon she will feel less playful.

I will ask about acing for hand walks, though! Maybe that’s the right compromise. The current treating vet was ok trying a little bit of traz once a day, but by the looks of it, I’m not sure it’s enough so I’d love a second, back-up option.

[JB]

Thanks! It does sound like her need for help is situational, rather than full time, which makes Ace a viable option.

I’m also not sure traz once a day will be enough, but that’s based on my N=1 experience. I could definitely tell his dose had kicked in an hour later, but i could also tell it was on its way out by the time he was due for the next one. He was on a lower end dose, thought based on what I found, I don’t think I’d do a higher end dose for your girl.

You’ll just need to give the ace 30 minutes or so to kick in if you use oral, but of course much faster if you’re able to do IV.

Good luck! It’s SO stressful when they’re self-sabotaging the whole time!