I’ve tried searching the forum but came up with conflicting results. Is there a clear yes or no answer when it comes to giving bute to a pregnant mare? In my case, she is 6 months along and very sore on the ice, I really don’t want to keep her in until there is enough snow on the ground but she is definitely ouchy (has always been, but putting shoes on is not an option at this point). Is it safe? Vet’s assistant told me no, but I recall giving it a few years ago and had been given the ok, so i’m confused… It would be very temporary, about a week, and in small doses if that’s what’s required. If it’s not safe, then i will absolutely not use it.
I can only give you an anecdotal story, as I am not a professional breeder, nor am I a vet.
But at 3 1/2 months of pregnancy, my mare had an issue that required giving her bute, banamine & dex over the course of a week. Everyone was fine. 
I was told I could give bute, but it was for a very short period of time due to a nasty leg injury. It was the lesser of two evils, so to speak.
Can you shoe her and add borium or something? I’m not sure on what sore from the ice means, but I would thing that would be easier…ooops! Sorry, missed that no shoes was the ony option. What about hoof boots with studs (do they make such a thing)?
I would call your vet and speak to him/her directly about what has changed vs. when you gave it before.
I’m always amazed by these questions on the forum. Are you going to trust a non professional you don’t know for something this important??? Ask your vet!
I asked the vet, he is away and I spoke to the assistant. I went on here for a second opinion or to see if there were any alternatives, that’s all.
[QUOTE=Dorienna;6029398]
I asked the vet, he is away and I spoke to the assistant. I went on here for a second opinion or to see if there were any alternatives, that’s all.[/QUOTE]
I would call a different vet. They don’t have to have seen this horse to answer a yes or no question about whether something is safe. I recall my vet saying there are other, safer options but that was some time ago and I don’t remember what he recommended- sorry!
Things to consider:
Being barefoot and sore on ice may not be something you want to bute her for. Sore on ice could easily mean her soles are too thin, and you don’t want her feeling any better to be able to move more, as that will increase the changes of bruising or abscessing, and that will be worse.
Are you sure she’s actually sore, and not just mincing around trying not to fall?
What options do you have for a safer turnout?
How do you know it would only be for a week? Winter is just starting LOL
I am with the group who thinks your vet is the best person to ask, but I’ll relate my experience with a very late term mare who had a bad abscess. It was a hind hoof, and she was miserable. Because the risk of bute is a foal born with ulcers, my vet suggested Previcox, a very low dose. It helped her through a few days, while the abscess healed, and the foal and mare were both fine.
I’ve had numerous pregnant mares on bute, two for long periods, one after breaking her pelvis at five months. Vet recommended and never had an issue with the foal. Did have ulcer issues with the pelvis mare but that seemed the lesser of two evils at the time given the issues we battled!!!
Definitely your vet is best to consult, as he/she knows your situation. However, we recommend to our clients not to give bute in the last 60 days of pregnancy.
Maybe some hoofboots would help to get her through 'till snow arrives? Very tough time of year ): Dealt with it for years in the Northeast.
I had two mares in foal for 2009. One came down with the flu and had to have bute for days for her fever and throat pain (wouldn’t eat) AND later had awful hoof abscesses. Heavy breathing, laying flat out - HAD to give bute again.
Other mare got one dose for a mild colic.
Guess who foaled the colt that died of ulcers? Yep. The mare who only got one dose. Sigh. I find myself most frequently referencing a Nicholas Cage quote in the movie “Knowing” - “Sometimes, sh!t just happens”
Definitely let it be your vet’s call.
I have used bute on pregnant mares, as other have on this forum. When your horse is sore and in pain it can be the lesser of two evils. A broodmare should not be given any meds unnecessarily while pregnant but Bute is not going to hurt the pregnancy if that is what you are asking.
I do agree with others that you should talk to your vet, not assistant about your mares problem. And I do agree with the above poster who suggest hoof boots. The Old Mac ones work very very well!
Good luck.
I would also try the hoofboots, used them last year on a pregnant mare that was extremely sore.
Regarding bute, we have used it on pregnant mares when, as others have said, it was the less of two evils. All foals and mares came through it fine. That being said, try and go over options with your vet or another vet.
Best of luck to you. Sometimes dealing with pregnant mares is a balancing act.
Happy Holidays!
We were always told to not use bute in the early months of pregnancy. So we’ve never used it. Later in a pregnancy we did use it on one mare who had a bad abscess. If we do need a pain killer we prefer to use Banamine.
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We were always told to not use bute in the early months of pregnancy. So we’ve never used it. Later in a pregnancy we did use it on one mare who had a bad abscess. If we do need a pain killer we prefer to use Banamine.[/QUOTE]
I should have been more clear. Avoid bute (really, all medications) in the first 60 days of pregnancy, in addition to our recommendation of not using bute in the last 60 days of pregnant. It is not only possible to cause ulcers in the foals, but you can really cause kidney damages on the baby, too.
Banamine is really the best/safest for pregnant mares.
At a certain point in the pregnancy bute is no longer ok. I don’t know what that point is so definitely call a different vet who is familiar with pregnant mares. Early in her pregnancy, my mare got massive amounts of bute due to founder. But I was told after xyz date no more bute.
I’d try everything else first before NSAIDs in your situation. Many ‘normal’ medications for a non pregnant horses can harm a fetus! (blindness, cartilidge problems, etc…) So ALWAYS ask a vet before you give a pregnant mare ANY kind of medication!!!
Always talk to a vet about these things. Not just any vet either… talk to a very reputable REPRO vet. The responses seem to vary from a general practice vet to those who specialize in repro work.
When I lived in British Columbia, both my repro vets said NO NO NO for Bute simply because Bute’s effects on the GI tract were not always as a result of direct contact with the stomach - the effects travelled through the blood stream and they stated Bute crosses the placenta and could affect the unborn foal. I forget how long Bute traces stay in the body but it is at least 2-3 weeks after the final dosing.
Now I’m in Alberta and had a mare who needed something, (edit: I thought maybe mild colic, but then I checked my records and it was actually for pain following a choke). This vet said Bute was okay in the pregnant 2nd trimester mare. The colt was born, but he had severe ulcers and we had a lot of problems with his condition until we got the ulcers cleared up. Was it the Bute? Really, I don’t know. He could have just been the kind of horse who was susceptible to ulcers. But, definitely, there was no birth deformities or defects or the like as a result of Bute.
Then I talked to a different repro vet here in Alberta and he said no. Use Banamine instead as he stated Banamine doesn’t cross the placenta and I think he also said it doesn’t get into the milk, but I would have to ask again to clarify that particular point, but for some reason that notation is sticking in my brain. So there seems to be some differences of opinion, depending on the vet’s own experiences.
You can squirt IM Banamine into the mouth of your mare if you’re worried about giving IM. They really screw up their face at the taste of Banamine and I have accidently got some in my own mouth and I concur - horrible. Banamine is still a NSAID class and can still cause ulcers in prolonged use. In fact, all NSAIDs have that risk.
Ideally, if you can do something other than medicine for your mare, like boots or the like, that is even better. The fewer drugs that enter the system during pregnancy the better.
