The bute helps keep inflammation down, which will help healing. I don’t think it’s a bad thing. 1g isn’t going to mask much pain. Likely to mask a brewing fever, though.
Glad she is home and doing well!!!
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If you want something with a longer half life for anti-inflammatory effect, you could try switching to Equioxx. You might have to get the paste version to dose by weight accurately though.
Haven’t heard of that one, or if it is licensed for use here.
I’ll stick with the bute this week. She’s walking fairly comfortably and definitely not worse…so crossing everything.
Might be under the name Prevequine.
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Yes, was thinking with all the treatments she’s had into the vein, she’s bound to have some inflammation in the leg (plus just the healing process in general and in moving from a stall to small field).
I’d probably prefer to keep her on low dose anti inflams for a bit longer, but realise it’s not great for stomach/organs long term. Will of course chat to my vets about options as we watch her progress.
Ok, another week on and I’m all over the place.
She has been reasonably sound in walk on bute. Vet wanted me to take her off it to assess soundness. Within 24 hrs she could still weightbear, but was noticeably more sore 
Today I find out her bloods taken after RLP but before we changed from gentamycin/penicillin to doxycycline showed markers of infection (why not tell me this a few days ago??)
Her pastern reallllly blew up with no bute. So I have put her back on it. She’ll have bloods and possibly xrays next week…concern is about bone infection.
Interestingly, once I wrapped her lower leg for support tonight, she instantly looked more comfortable.
I’m so confused as I now have no idea if we have infection under control or if its all futile. Many tears shed today.
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Ugh. These things are so frustrating. Many jingles!
Continued Jingles!
Hang in there. My mare was at 4g bute/day for weeks, and spent 2 months total getting Bute daily. Not ideal but she was fine–vet had me giving 1/4 tube GastroGuard daily when she was on the heaviest dose.
Mine was also much more comfortable with a wrap, but what made the biggest and most immediate difference in her comfort was a simple backwards shoe–gave her a lot more support and in 24 hours went from 5/5 to 2/5 lame. Was walking sound within a week.
ETA: once we got rid of the infection, we were able to quickly taper her off the Bute.
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What infection did yours have?
She has had about 1g of bute after being off it for 24 hrs. She’s now wrapped, has circulation thingy going with the ice vibe boot over the wrap and I’ve poulticed her foot for good measure!
She’s more comfortable today, but I’m concerned about some heat and a bit of a bulge in the coronary band. Could well have an abscess too, or worse…could be infection in the coffin bone/joint.
Soooo, thinking she’ll go in early this week for bloods, X-rays - and possibly tap/flush the coffin joint? I could be barking up the wrong tree there, but I’m wondering if all the focus has been on thinking it was all in the pastern when there’s infection in the foot (which would have been a more logical entry point for infection).
Either way, need to get a grasp of what is actually going on. I feel like I need to be admitted to the equine hospital too and left on box rest…
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They never figured it out. Her SAAs were consistently over 1000 for weeks. The initial treating vet did not pull a CBC until I finally requested it almost a month later. MRI results just said “findings consistent with suspected infection.”
First vet felt the SAAs were indicating inflammation from trauma. Current vet disagrees, saying she’s never seen SAAs that high without infection. Who knows!
Sounds like you are doing all the right things. I feel for ya–it’s insanely stressful when you can’t get clear answers and the horse is uncomfortable. Ugh.
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She had bloods and xray done Monday. SAA was compared with the week prior and it has come down heaps (I don’t have figures).
Other markers of infection also had reduced - so fingers crossed we are on track.
The xray revealed a very, very small area with potential bone damage at the top of the pastern bone, however it is nothing catastophic, just something to keep an eye on. Whilst she was there, had another RLP done and has been home, only on bute every 2nd day and on doxy twice a day. Walking well, lame at trot, but I’m ok with that for now.
So I guess it’s now the long waiting game to see how she progresses. I took off her big bandage from the perfusion this evening and the pastern has definitely reduced in swelling over 5 days. I was so worried last Sunday as she had an elephantitis-like pastern (ok, slight exaggeration) but now it looks much better. She’s now in a Back on Track wrap, will see how that goes, as she does look more comfortable with support over the lower leg.
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Thank you for the update. It sounds like she is healing up well.
Jingling that she continues to improve.
